A/N- Hello~ thank you all for sticking around for chapter 2. I am pleased with the response I am getting with this story and for that I am grateful to you, the readers and reviewers. Despite the short time since I uploaded chapter 1, I have already taken heed of your reviews and I thank you for the points of advice that some of you have provided. I hope you like how I choose to deal with the unlocking of the Aura aspect of this story so that everyone is not too OP at once. Also, when it comes to Semblances, they take time to be discovered, so most characters won't be learning them right away. I would still like some suggestions for what their Semblances should be, but keep in mind that they need not be OP, they might just be supportive in combat.

Be sure to leave a review.

Disclaimer- I OWN NOTHING!

(-)

After about an hour long hike through the woods, the Night Raid group had arrived back at their hidden base. Upon arriving they quickly brought Sayo and Ieyasu to the infirmary for treatment. The group may not have had a doctor among them, but they still had the basic knowledge of medicine in case they had to treat themselves. Qrow seemed to be well versed in the treatment of injuries as well as he had already started Sayo on a blood transfusion using one of the available blood packs before bandaging up her leg. Meanwhile the blonde, who 's name they learned was Leone, had started Ieyasu on an IV drip of antibiotics. The group then began to tend to the more minor wounds that weren't healed by whatever Qrow had done.

Tatsumi looked very concerned throughout the whole endeavor. He felt so useless not being able to do anything to help his friends, just sitting in silent prayer.

"Well, they're out of the woods now. Their continued survival depends on how strong their will to fight is." Qrow said as he looked down at the two unconscious teens.

Tatsumi smiled brightly at the mans revelation, tears of joy streaming from his eyes at the knowledge that his friends would survive. "Thank you Qrow-san, everybody!" Tatsumi said as he bowed to Qrow and the Night Raid group. "I am eternally indebted to you for this. I don't know how I could ever repay you."

"Don't thank us just yet kid. We still don't know if they will pull through. It may be days before they wake up again. They went through a lot." explained Qrow as he pulled out his flask.

"Don't worry. I know them. They are fighters and they will be fine!" said Tatsumi optimistically.

"Well now, if that will be all for the night, I think I'll turn in." Qrow said.

"Yes, that would be a good idea." concurred Leone. "We can save introductions and explanations for tomorrow. Come now, I'll lead you two to your rooms." Leone said as she gestured for Qrow and Tatsumi to follow.

After being led across the massive base, they eventually ended up in the sleeping quarters. Most of the doors that lined the hall had names written on signs that hung from the top of the door. Bulat, Akame, Sheele... just to name a few.

Leone stopped in front of one of the blank doors and offered it to Qrow who went inside while she led Tatsumi to another. Qrow placed his belongings against the wall and examined the room. It was very spartan with little to no furniture save for the bed, a nightstand, and a desk. A small closet was on the far side of the small room and there was a single window. Qrow was used to sleeping conditions like this, in fact he was used to much worse. So he was content with what he had been given. He flopped down on the bed in exhaustion and soon fell asleep.

(-)

Tatsumi woke early the next morning, eager to check on the status of his friends. He rushed across the base back to the infirmary, passing some of the Night Raid members along the way.

"Whoah! Where's the fire?" asked a green haired teen as Tatsumi ran past him.

"Sorry! Got to check on my friends!" he called back.

When Tatsumi arrived at the infirmary, he was surprised to see two people already there. One was Qrow who was holding out a small, mysterious, rectangular device over Sayo and the other was Leone who was observing him.

"So this little thing can actually tell you what their status is?" asked Leone.

"Something like that." answered Qrow. "It is able to scan their bodies and give me a basic diagnostic of their progress. It also allows me to check their Aura levels." he said as he swiped his fingers across the device before moving over to Ieyasu.

"Hmm, interesting. And what did you say it was called?"

"I didn't say."

"Oh, well what is it?"

"A scroll. And no, not like the written, rolled up paper that you're thinking of."

After listening in on the conversation for of minuet, Tatsumi decided to make his presence known and entered the room.

At the sound of footsteps Qrow turned ever so slightly to acknowledge Tatsumi. "Was wondering when you would come in and stop eavesdropping."

"You knew I was here?" asked Tatsumi.

"Anyone with half decent senses would be aware of your presence. You don't really mask it well. But I suppose since we're not in hostile territory it's okay to let your guard down a little, but not too much." explained Qrow.

Leone raised her eyebrows at this. "Impressive. You really know your stuff."

"Comes with the job description." Qrow said offhandedly as he went over Ieyasu's status on his scroll.

"So you are used to this? Just what kind of job did you have before coming here?" asked Tatsumi.

"Hnn, mostly espionage and the like. Some spying and undercover work." Qrow answered. "I'm also a teacher."

Leone and Tatsumi's eyes widened. "You're a teacher?" they asked disbelievingly.

"Not the standard kind that you're thinking of. I taught classes at a combat school that teaches students to fight monsters as well as their fellow man." Qrow said as he closed his scroll and put it away. "Well, your friends are stable for the time being. Their Aura is low, but that is only natural considering how injured tey are. It has to work double time to fix them up."

"You keep saying that word, aura. What do you mean by it?" asked Leone.

"I'll explain it later once we have everyone gathered. I don't like having to repeat myself."

"Hmm, fair enough." said Leone with a shrug of the shoulders. She then turned to Tatsumi. "We'll give you a few moments with your friends before I go to introduce you two to the gang."

"Thanks." Tatsumi replied.

After spending a few minuets with Sayo and Ieyasu in silence, Tatsumi exited the infirmary and found Qrow and Leone leaning up against the wall opposite it.

"Well, time to meet the crew I suppose." Leone said as she started down the hall with a significant sway in her hips. "Come along you two~."

The duo followed Leone through the base until they reached the meeting room where they encountered a busty purple haired woman with glasses that was reading.

"That there is Sheele." said Leone. "Say hello to her."

"Nice to meet you." Tatsumi said with a bow. "I'm Tatsumi."

"And I'm Qrow." spoke said man.

"It is a pleasure to meet you as well." Sheele said as she lowered her head slightly. "So, have you two chosen to join Night Raid yet?"

"Not sure." said Qrow.

"I'm a little bit conflicted at the idea as well." said Tatsumi.

"Mind giving them some warm words of encouragement Sheele?" asked Leone.

"Hmm." Sheele hummed as she pursed her lips. "In the first place, you know the location of our hideout. So you will be killed if you don't join us you know."

"Wow, that was so warm I'm starting to sweat." spoke Tatsumi with a deadpanned expression.

"Well, she has me convinced." said Qrow dryly.

"You really should consider joining. I can tell you will be good at the job and it will be nice to have some new faces around here." Sheele said as she returned her focus to the book in her hands.

Tatsumi leaned in to see just what the book was that had her full attention. 'A Hundred Ways to fix Airheadedness? Great, this is a gathering of weirdos ain't it?' he thought.

"Hey!" came a piercing scream that drew the groups attention. They turned to see the petite pink haired girl from last night. "Wait a second Leone! What do you think you're doing showing our hideout to these two sketchy people?!"

"Sketchy?" questioned Qrow.

"Well I figured I would show them around since they will be joining us." answered Leone.

"What?! You can't seriously be suggesting we let these two ruffians join us, can you?!" screeched pinky.

"Yeah. I mean, they have the skills so why not?"

"You haven't gotten the bosses permission, have you?!" the pink haired girl then whipped her head around to face Qrow. "Aren't you a little old for this line of work grandpa?"

Qrow's eyebrow twitched as a tic mark appeared on his forehead. "Aren't you a little young for this line of work kiddie?"

"Hmmpf!" the pink haired girl huffed before then facing Tatsumi. She looked at him with a scrutinizing gaze which Tatsumi began to sweat under before speaking again. "Not qualified. It doesn't seem like he'll be able to work with professionals like us. I can tell all that just from looking at his face." she said before storming off.

"What?! Listen here you little-" Tatsumi started after her, but was stopped when Leone grabbed his arm.

"Trust me, it's not worth it. Mine is like that to everyone so don't take it personally. Come on, I'll introduce you to Bulat next." Leone said as she led Tatsumi and Qrow through Night Raid's base. Eventually the trio ended up at the training grounds near the edge of the base. As Leone led them through the training grounds and pointed out the various equipment, they could hear the sound of someone vigorously training. "This area over here is the stress release area. And that over there," Leone said as she pointed to a large shirtless man who was viciously swinging around a massive spear. "the man who looks like he clearly reeks of sweat and testosterone is Bulat."

"Amazing... what ferocious spear handling." gaped Tatsumi as he watched the mans graceful yet devastating movements.

"That's quite the impressive feat." said Qrow.

The man then halted his training and slammed his spear into the ground and grabbed a nearby towel to wipe off his sweat with. "Ah Leone, good to see you." he said in a cheery tone. "And... oh yes, you are the two from the other night."

"Umm, I'm sorry, but we've never met." said Tatsumi.

"He was the walking suit of armor." spoke Qrow.

"What?!" Tatsumi exclaimed before turning to Bulat. "That was you?!"

"Ha ha! Yes, that was me!" he said before addressing Qrow. "Though I am curious, how did you know it was me? This is the first time you're seeing me like this."

"You're body types matched. It was more of an educated guess than anything." answered Qrow. "Nice to meet you, I'm Qrow." he said as he extended his hand which Bulat shook.

"Nice to meet you as well Qrow. And you are?" asked Bulat as he faced Tatsumi.

"Oh! I'm Tatsumi." he said as he held out his hand to shake as well.

"Careful Tatsumi. He's gay." whispered Leone which shocked Tatsumi.

"Hey now." said Bulat with a wave as a blush graced his face. "They'd misunderstand, right?"

'He didn't deny it!' thought Tatsumi.

"That's perfectly fine with me." said Qrow. "But just to let you know, I'm straight."

Tastsumi began to slowly back away from Bulat until he bumped into Leone. "Please get us out of here." he whispered.

"I think I'll introduce you to Lubbock next." Leone said as she began to rub her chin. "Now where would that pervert be?" she then realized the time and immediately knew where to look. "Of course, he would be there."

After a short trek through the woods the trio happened upon a spring that Leone said was her usual bathing spot. She also said that if they ever tried to peep on her she would pound them inside out. Just like she was about to do to the man crouching in the bushes in front of them.

"It's almost Leone's bath time." he said with a perverted grin, completely unaware of the danger behind him. "The danger is totally worth it for the chance to see those amazing tits."

"Hmm, perhaps I should break your arm this time then. Maybe that way you will remember the consequences." Leone said as she stepped on Lubbock's back and grab his arm and began to pull.

"GAAAAAAHHHH!" he howled in pain as he felt his arm begin to pop out of its socket.

"You never seem to learn Lubbock." Leone chastised as she ground her boot into his back.

"Fuck! I can still carry on!" Lubbock exclaimed as he frantically struggled underneath Leone's boot.

"Then I guess I'll just have to break both arms." Leone said darkly as she returned her attention to Qrow and Tatsumi. "This here pervert is Lubbock. Say hello."

"Hello pervert." said Qrow.

"I am not a pervert! I just have a healthy interest in the female body!" he argued.

"So do most perverts." reasoned Qrow.

Leone then suddenly picked Lubbock up by his jacket and chucked him into the water.

Lubbock then emerged from the river, completely soaked and raging. "I will gaze upon those wonderful breasts one day Leone! This I swear!" he shouted as he dragged his soaking form out of the river.

"Alright! The next person you sorta met already, but let's hold a proper introduction. She should be... at the riverbed maybe?" Leone said as she led the group upriver. As they got closer, the scent of grilled something or other filled the air along with some smoke. "Ah see, there's Akame!"

Tatsumi's eyes widened when he saw the massive creature that was roasting over a roaring fire in front of the seated girl. "I-is that an evilbird she's eating?" he asked as he stared at the large danger beast in awe. "Did she kill it all by herself?"

"No, maybe it died of natural causes." joked Qrow.

"Despite how she may look, Akame grew up in the wild." Leone explained as she approached. "Something like this is nothing for her."

"You should eat too Leone." Akame said as she tossed the busty blonde a piece of meat.

"Thanks Akame!" Leone cheered before taking a large bite out of the meat.

"So... have you joined our group yet?" asked Akame as she addressed Tatsumi and Qrow.

"Well, I already did agree to pay you guys back if you helped save my friends. And since you did, I suppose I owe you. So yes, I guess I am joining you guys." said Tatsumi.

"Will you give me food if I say yes?" asked Qrow.

Akame nodded.

"Then yes, I'm joining. I'm also quite hungry, but don't think I'm just saying that to get the food."

Akame then tossed the duo pieces of meat before returning to her own meal.

"Thanks." said Tatsumi as he took a bite out of his piece of meat. His eyes widened at just how delicious the danger beast was. "This is pretty good Akame."

"Yeah, I haven't had something this good in awhile." spoke Qrow.

"Thank you for the compliment." Akame said in monotone.

"Hey Akame, aren't you being a little extravagant today?" asked Leone.

"The boss is back." Akame said as she pointed to the other side of the fire.

Sure enough there was another woman present who had a mechanical right arm.

"Yo!" the woman said as she waved at the group.

"Welcome back boss! Do you have any souvenirs~?" asked Leone as she made her way over to the woman.

"Putting that aside Leone..." the boss started darkly. "In the last mission you had, you went over the operation limit, didn't you?" she asked as she began clenching her mechanical hand.

'Not good!' thought Leone as she instantly turned tail and ran.

The boss aimed her mechanical arm at Leone's shoulder and activated some type of firing sequence. However just as the arm was about to fire, it sputtered for a moment, causing the bosses aim to lower. When the hand fired out, it did not catch Leone by the shoulder and reel her in as the boss had intended. Instead, it caught her by the pants and as it reeled in, it ripped the pants and panties right off of Leone's ass. Leaving her naked butt exposed as Leone fell over and landed with her ass in the air, exposing her womanhood.

Leone, taking a moment to realize what just happened, let out a scream as she stood up and covered her privates. "KYAAA! What was that for boss?!"

"Umm, my apologies. That was not my intention." the boss said as she began to examine her arm. "That's weird. I don't see anything wrong with it. I guess it was just a case of bad luck or something."

"Bad luck that just caused me to flash two guys my pussy!" Leone shouted as she pointed to Tatsumi and Qrow.

Tatsumi had a very bright blush on his face as he looked to the ground while scratching the back of his head, and Qrow was looking away as he took out his flask.

"Speaking of which, who are these two?" asked the boss.

"Ask Akame for the details, I need to get a new pair of pants!" shouted Leone as she ran off into the woods with her hands covering her ass and crotch.

"Hmmpf. You would think that considering what she wears that she would be a little more okay with nudity." said the boss as she took a bite of her meat. "So Akame, who are these two?"

"Promising recruits." answered Akame.

"I see..." responded the boss. "Akame." the boss said as she got up from her seat and threw her jacket over her shoulder. "Gather everyone in the meeting hall. I wish to discuss the details of the last mission, along with anything related to our new recruits."

(-)

"I see..." said the boss as she rubbed her chin. Currently all of the Night Raid members had gathered in the meeting room and had just finished their debrief on the last mission. "I understand the situation completely." spoke the silver haired woman as she turned her eyes to Tatsumi and extended her hand. "Tatsumi, how would you like to join our organization? We won't kill you if you choose to decline, however you will be made to work in our workshop until our mission is complete."

"I... originally planned to come to the capital and make it big in order to save my village which is suffering in poverty." Tatsumi said as he clenched his fists. "But even the capital is rotten to the core..." he said as he sighed and hung his head. "However you guys went out of your way to help save my friends, and for that I am grateful. So I will join you. It is the least I can do." Tatsumi said with resolve.

"That's great to hear!" cheered Bulat with a bright smile. "The countryside is filled with poverty and suffering because the center of the empire is rotting. Now you can uproot the source of the rot yourself. As a man!"

"Bulat was originally a skilled imperial soldier." said the boss. "But when he learned of the empires corruption, he defected and became one of us."

"After all, it is our duty to eliminate those evildoers in the capital. It is much better than working under them." Bulat added.

"Night Raid is the perfect fit for you Tatsumi." the boss said, causing Tatsumi to quirk an eyebrow. "You see, far to the south of the capital lies the hideout of the anti-empire fighting force, the Revolutionary Army."

"The Revolutionary Army?" exclaimed Tatsumi.

"The Revolutionary Army, which started out small, has grown into a large scale organization by now. Then, inevitably, a unit to handle covert jobs such as assassinations and information gathering was formed. That unit would be us. Night Raid. Right now we are exterminating the worms that are festering in the capital. But when the time comes and the Revolutionary army attacks, we will use the chaos and confusion created by it to kill the Prime Minister!" the boss shouted as she clenched her fist. "He is our main target. There are others, but I'll leave them out for now. Although I can't say anything specific about when the Revolutionary Army will rise to action, just know that they have a plan to win when it happens. And when that time comes, we will change this country for the better."

"This new country, it will treat its subjects with kindness and fairness, correct?" asked Tatsumi.

"Of course it will." the boss said with a nod of her head.

"I see..." Tatsumi said as he raised his head. "The killing you are doing is to get rid of the bad guys who are plaguing the capital, so you guys are like assassins of justice right!" he said ecstatically.

The room began to fill with the giggles of the Night Raid assassins.

"What? Did I say something funny?" asked Tatsumi.

Qrow put a hand on Tatsumi's shoulder. "Take a good look around you kid. Everyone here is a murderer. Dress it up as much as you want, killing is still killing. There ain't no justice in that. Anybody here could die at any time as a form of retribution for their crimes. It is only the victors who decide what is right and wrong." Qrow said as he took a sip from his flask. "And we ain't the victors yet."

"He's right." said the boss. "Everyone here has a reason for fighting but they are prepared to face the consequences. Can you say the same? Will you still follow down this path now knowing what awaits you? Can you become the necessary monster that is shunned and hated by those you help? There is no true reward at the end of this path. Just a painful death and an unmarked grave."

"... Will I be payed?" asked Tatsumi.

"Yes. If you work properly you should be able to save your hometown or thereabout." answered the boss.

"Then that's all that matters!" Tatsumi said with conviction. "If anything your words have only hardened my resolve!"

"You might not be able to return to your village ever again." Mine pointed out.

"That's fine with me. As long as everyone in the village can be happy through my actions."

"It's decided then." the boss said as she extended her hand. "Welcome to our hellish path Tatsumi." she then turned her attention to Qrow. "So, what is your story?"

"My story is long and not very interesting, but I suppose I could share some of it." Qrow said as he took another sip from his flask. "I've traveled a long way in order to reach this country. Prior to my travels I worked as a teacher at a combat school as well as an undercover agent. So I am well versed in combat and espionage."

"Interesting. Now, my friends here tell me that you used some kind of power to save the lives of the two teens we now have in the infirmary. Would you mind explaining how you did that?" asked the boss.

"Well, I just happened to unlock their Aura." answered Qrow plainly.

"Okay. And just what is this Aura?"

It was a good thing that Qrow wast a fast thinker and was able to tell the truth without telling the truth. Mainly keeping the whole alternate world thing a secret. At the very least they would just assume he was from far away. "Where I come from, people have developed a new way of fighting utilizing the power of the soul. And Aura is the manifestation of the soul. It is an ability that all those with a soul can use, at least with enough practice. It allows one to become stronger and faster, as well as produce a protective barrier around the user to shield them from harm so long as it holds out. It is also capable of healing some wounds. By your standards I believe that you would describe an Aura user as a 'super soldier'."

"Incredible... And you come from a place where all can use this?" asked the boss.

"Provided they have it unlocked, which is a somewhat simple matter. It is what I did for Tatsumi's friends in order to save their lives." answered Qrow.

"So you just made them into super soldiers? Just like that?" asked Leone as she snapped her fingers.

"Essentially. It will take some training for them to fully master it, but even a novice will have the basic abilities at their disposal."

"And by basic abilities you mean the strength, speed, barrier, and healing?" asked Bulat.

"Correct. For example, if you were to punch me right now, I may be knocked back as a result, but my Aura would prevent me from taking damage. It will even protect you from blades and bullets."

Now that got everyone's attention. An ability that would make them stronger, faster, and protect them from all kinds of attacks? That made Qrow the most dangerous person in the room.

"And that's not even taking into account Semblances." Qrow added.

"Semblances?" questioned the boss.

"A Semblance is Aura given a more tangible form. It is the manifestation of one's innate and personal power as an ability unique to each individual, with the effects varying greatly from user to user and can take time to discover. The nature of one's Semblance is noted as representing an aspect of their character. However, a person's Semblance can be similar to the Semblances of their parents or other family members." Qrow explained. "An example of a Semblance might be my nieces. One has a Semblance that causes her to deal increased damage as she receives damage and the other can move extremely fast. My boss can manipulate time and his assistant can manipulate objects from a distance."

"What about yours?" asked Tatsumi.

"Mine is a bit unfortunate." Qrow said somberly. "I don't have the luxury of being able to control it. I am essentially a bad luck magnet. The bad luck doesn't affect me, but those around me and completely indiscriminate. Great for dealing with enemies. Not so much when dealing with friends. Leone here was already a victim of it today." Qrow said as he pointed at the woman in question.

It took her a moment to put two and two together before she blushed. "You mean that was-!"

"Not my intention." Qrow interrupted. "I have no control over it."

"I see. So, what brings you to this country?" asked the boss.

"Well, I am currently searching for something. Something that you might be able to help me find. I'm looking for a particular teigu known as, Skeleton Key: Reserare." answered Qrow as he leveled his eyes with the boss.

The boss narrowed her eyes at Qrow. "From what we know, that particular teigu is still missing. It will take some time and effort to find. Two things we can't really afford to spare right now."

"I figured as much. Which is why I came up with a compromise. I will agree to join your little organization and help you out, provided that you help me to search for the key when this mess is all over."

"You aren't concerned about whether or not you will survive long enough to see our end of the deal held up?" asked the boss.

"Oh, knowing my luck I will certainly survive. Besides, I'm much tougher than I look."

"Very well then. I welcome you to our ranks as well Qrow." spoke the boss. "Now, I have to ask, can you unlock this Aura for the rest of us?"

Qrow narrowed his eyes. "Whether I can and will are two entirely different things."

"How so?"

"You see, I'm not just going to go and unlock all of your Aura just like that." Qrow said with a snap of the fingers. "The only reason I was so willing to unlock Sayo and Ieyasu's was because it was necessary to save their lives. Until I get to know you guys better, I feel it is better that I keep to myself in that regard."

"What?!" shouted Mine. "You mean you could give us an incredible advantage but won't because you don't trust us?!"

The boss raised her hand to silence Mine's qualms. "It is perfectly understandable. You are giving us a power that no one else around here has. That could be quite dangerous. Especially should the knowledge of it fall into enemy hands."

"Exactly." responded Qrow. "But don't worry. When the time is right, I will unlock your Aura."

"And if one of us dies before then?" asked Mine with her arms crossed.

"Then that will be another burden for me to bear." answered Qrow.

Suddenly a loud grinding sound was heard coming from Lubbock. The source was the device on top of his gloves. "Najenda-san! We got incoming intruders!" the green haired teen shouted.

The boss sighed in annoyance. "How many are there?" she asked as she rested her head on her hand.

"According to my barrier wires, at least nine people!" answered Lubbock hastily. "They've all gotten really close to our hideout!"

Najenda took out a pack of cigarettes and pooped one into her mouth. "They're good. To sniff out our secret base must mean that they are mercenaries of one of the tribal groups." she said as she pulled out a lighter and lit up her cigarette. "They leave us no choice. This is an emergency sortie. Don't let any of them leave alive." At her words the entire room's atmosphere changed and was filled with killing intent. "GO!" she ordered, signaling for the group of assassins to begin their assault.

"H-huh!" Tatsumi stuttered out as he dumbly watched the Night Raid assassins along with Qrow disperse.

"Oi! What are you spacing out for kid?!" shouted Najenda as she smacked Tatsumi upside the head. "It's time for your first real battle. Now get out there! Prove to me that you have what it takes to join Night Raid!"

"Right!" Tatsumi yelled as he took off after the assassins. 'Time to show them what I'm made of!'