The alarm on Fox's scroll blares like an emergency siren when it displays 7:30 am. He makes a disgruntled moan as he sloppily crawls off of his bed towards the scroll perched on top of a medium sized mountain of clothes and other items.
He changes from his pajamas into his outfit which consists of a slate brown and black two-tone unzipped jacket, dark brown combat boots, blue jeans,and a grey undershirt.
He brushes his teeth and walks out of the bathroom still with visible bags under his eyes.
"It's about time you woke up sleepy head" Coco said
"Ya your tellin me I forgot Shade's teaching history class today this is gonna be fun" Fox said
"How come you're always so wary of Shade all the time?" Coco asked
"I don't know Coco he always seems like he's hiding something I can't put my finger on it after all it's in his name"
Coco chucked.
"As long as he has coffee inside him he'll be fine" Coco said
Yatsuhashi suddenly comes behind Fox and puts him in a headlock as he rubs his head with his fist.
"Yo look who's finally awake"
"Jesus man you don't sneak up on someone in Vacuo" Fox said
"Unless you're me" Yatsu said leaning against Fox's shelf
"Yeah yeah where's Velvet?" Fox asked.
"That little brainiac is in class already, not a big surprise Bookworm can write 30 pages of notes in 5 seconds which is why she does most of my notes and homework" Coco said
"More like you stack the shit on her and call it a day" Said Yatsuhashi
"My ass" Coco said
"Guys if we don't get to Shade's class he's gonna have all of our asses" Fox said
Professor Shade the headmaster of the titular Shade Academy is lecturing his students on the history of the kingdom of Vacuo. He is slowly pacing by his large whiteboard coffee cup in hand.
"Now students if there's one Kingdom that's had it harder than the people of Atlas or any other kingdom, it's Vacuo, the last of the four great Kingdoms"
He is filling in for Professor Apricot who is away on a search and rescue mission with a team.
Shade is a quite short man of slender build he has light grey eyes with a pale complexion.
His black hair is mostly covered by his grey top hat which has a tumbleweed tucked into its black band.
His attire consists of navy blue trousers black combat boots and a white T-Shirt with an unbuttoned grey denim coat over it.
Coco, Yatsuhashi and Fox dash through the door.
Shade pushes his hat up slightly.
"It's about time you three got here, now sit so you can absorb this knowledge I'm about to bestow on you" Shade said
They all then sit down next to Velvet who has several stacks of notes beside her.
"Let me guess Fox slept in late again?" Asked Velvet
"You can say that" Fox said
The professor paces back and forth resuming the lesson.
"The western end of Sanus which is Vacuo obviously is currently a barren and desolate wasteland"
Shade points to the picture on the right depicting Vacuo's current state.
Most of the class is either dozing off or about to doze off from boredom. The Professor then points to a painting of Vacuo when it used to be a lush tropical paradise with vast forests and water bodies.
"But long ago, before man went and ruined everything, it was a paradise. In the center of the vast desert was an Oasis unlike anything you've ever seen: A Jungle bursting with natural resources, geographical defenses, and the largest recorded deposit of Dust on the entire planet. Nomads that survived the journey across the scorching sands settled down in this little hidden gem, and over time, the Kingdom of Vacuo thrived"
Shade lets out a depressed sigh.
"So does anyone have a question before I pass out the quiz?" Shade asked
No one raises their hands.
"Very well and Team CFVY I need to see you all in my office after class I have something very important to ask of you" Shade said
"Of course Professor" Velvet said
Shade passes the time by drinking several cups of coffee as he doodles on his scroll. After the quiz the class gradually disperses talking amongst themselves.
"Aright students follow me there is much to discuss" Shade said with a tone of urgency.
Shade walks towards the door the rest of the team follows behind.
"So I wonder what Shade wants to tell us?" Coco said
"I don't know but hopefully it's interesting" Velvet said perching her arms behind her head.
"Oh it will something's up i know it" Fox said
Meanwhile in a Warehouse quite far from the school Professor Apricot along with the members of Team NDGO have been captured by an unknown group. The entire Warehouse is very large with many pallet racks storing crates of Dust, Weapons and other goods.
The crates along with the soldiers uniforms and Grimm masks sport a white colored bald eagle logo with a human silhouette in its talons.
Two guards watch over them. One of them is drinking from a flask while the second stands facing their captives
"Uh where are we?" Apricot said
Apricot is an average height man with messy orange hair. He wears a long brown great coat, khaki buttoned safari shirt, combat pants and combat boots.
"No talking!" The Guard said smacking the butt of his rifle into his face.
5 minutes later footsteps can be heard approaching the area as he hears a male voice.
"Hello Professor, it's been so so long," Said the Voice
Apricot's heart begins to sink as he starts to recognize the mysterious figure. He is a tall well built man with gold eyes and blond hair messily layered on his head with the right side of his hair nearing his right eye
He wears a long-sleeved black trench coat with slit sleeves and more yellow designs and a white symbol on the left side. His coat is dark gold on the inside with gold yellow flame-like accents at the bottom and his wilting yellow rose emblem on the back over a white floral design. His trenchcoat is half-buttoned, exposing a white shirt with a black line running parallel to his collar under it.
A noticeable trait of his appearance is the skull mask he wears, which obscures the entire left side of his head revealing only his right side.
The mask is a greyish black- with black, horn-like symbols streaking on the bottom and top of the gold glowing eyepiece of the mask.
"Lord have mercy not him" Said Apricot
"Who?" Nebula asked
The man then walks up next to the drinking guard and puts a hand on his shoulder.
"Leave us take the students to a cell" The man asked
Both of the guards violently yank each girl off of the ground.
"Let go of me!" Gwen said
"Quiet no talking!" Said the other guard
They then exit the area as instructed.
Professor Apricot glares at the mysterious man.
"I knew somehow you were involved in some way with this band of radical terrorists!" Apricot said
"Oh professor you have us all wrong we are not terrorists we are liberators you may call us the Shadow Saviors" Said the man
"Hiding behind a mask isn't going to conceal who you were, Shade was right about you you're a monster!" Apricot said
The man's face then suddenly blares with anger.
He then pulls a knife from his pocket and stabs Apricot in the shoulder. He screams in pain as the blade enters his flesh it is almost entirely covered in blood as he draws it out.
"Shade is a fool, someday he'll will realize what true change is, now i'd like to ask you a question. Where is the Summer Maiden?" Asked the man
"How should i know she's either dead or long gone by now" Apricot said
The man senses that Professor Apricot is not being fully sincere in his response. Two guards then grab ahold of Apricot's arms and pull him up. He punches him in the face with his right fist which makes Apricots nose bleed.
"You think I'm a fool?, I know the Summer Maiden is alive, I know she is a key to unlocking one of the most powerful forces of nature in the world, which is why I want her in my possession. So tell me where she is right now?" The man said
"Even if I did know i'd never tell you and even if you do find her she's not going to just blatantly comply to your demands without a fight." Apricot said.
"Which is why I have a little surprise up my sleeve that will ensure my triumph." Said the man
"You're not gonna get away with this when Shade finds out of this you will be stopped." Apricot said
"I think I've heard enough of this nonsense, Guards take this dog to the cell with his students, I have other ways to make him talk" The man said
The guards comply and drag him away to the cell block. The mysterious man trails behind maliciously smiling. The eyepiece on his mask then starts to glow a dark gold.
