A/N: Yeah baby! We are back! The hiatus has been terminated! School is over, our creative juices are finally flowing, and our muse has struck. We are ready to get a move on with continuing this story and hopefully finishing it out in the foreseeable future. So without any more further ado, let's jump right in and see what Teams GRPE and CFVY are up to.


The school hallway was completely empty. A total ghost town. No one to be seen. No voices to be heard. That was until Ebony poked her translucent head through one of the walls. She looked up and down the corridor with her stark-white eyes. Still empty. Satisfied, she phased the rest of her ethereal self through the wall and deactivated her semblance. Her eyes were now back to their usual light brown and her body was once again solid. She took several tired breaths. It had been a while since she used her powers for an extended period of time. She was a little out of practice.

She continued surveying her surroundings as she pulled out her scroll. She was about to press Ringo's name when she felt a tickle on her nose. Then another. Then another. She swatted at the air, thinking it was just a bug. She looked around to find it when…

"Peekaboo," Ringo suddenly appeared out of thin air with his own semblance. Ebony screamed and practically jumped a foot in the air. She then quickly backed up and slammed herself into the wall of lockers behind her. Breathing more heavily than before and placing her hand over her heart, she scowled at the curly-headed wanker as he laughed. Of all people, how did Ringo happen to get the power of invisibility? To be fair, it was extremely useful in times when stealth is needed, but, due to his constantly comical nature, he mainly just used his gift for pranks and, of course, scares.

"I told you not to bloody do that!" she punched him in the arm.

"Oh, lighten up, Rich Girl," Ringo returned as he wiped tears from his eyes and rubbed his arm, "It was just a bit of fun."

"Well, that was not funny. And how many times have I told you not to call me that?"

Ringo put his hands up, "Alright, sorry," he said half-sincerely.

It was no secret among Team GRPE that Ebony was the youngest and only daughter of Orville Rouge, the third-generation CEO of Rouge Dust Collection and Distribution - RDCD for short, a lesser-known Dust conglomerate and a stiff competitor to the Schnee Dust Company. However, none of them knew why she hated it when anybody brought the subject up. It wasn't like her father was a self-absorbed ass-hat like Jacques Schnee. In fact, she spoke highly of her father. There had to be something more to the story, but her teammates never had the courage to ask.

"Seriously, Ebony, you need to learn to laugh every now and again," Ringo told Ebony as they started walking down the hall.

"Well, that's not going to happen if you continue with your shenanigans." Ringo walked in front of her and stopped her.

"You mark my words, Rouge. I will make you laugh sooner or later." As he turned around to keep walking, he slammed into a massive torso and flew backward at Ebony. In the nick of time, she used her semblance, causing Ringo to phase right through her and fall flat on his back in a daze. Ebony let out a genuine laugh as her body became solid again. She stepped over Ringo and lean over to talk to him.

"Look at that," she mocked, "You actually made me laugh. Mission accomplished."

"Very funny," Ringo groaned.

"It is, isn't it," Ebony smiled. Ringo sat up to address the wall of a man that he just ran into. There was only one person he could think of who had a chest like that.

"Hey, Grayson, what gives? I thought we were supposed to meet you at the…" Ringo looked up to see not Grayson, but a young man about the same height and build. He wore a pale green robe with a heavy 5-layer sode resting on his shoulder. He may have looked similar to Grayson, but his skin was tanner, his short hair was black, and he had a humungous bronze greatsword strapped to his back. The green mountain looked down on him with the faintest expression of confusion.

"Okay, you're definitely not Grayson," said Ringo.

"No, I am not," the young man shook his head. Behind him, a meek female voice piped up.

"Yatsuhashi, what's going on? Why'd you stop?" A young faunus girl leaned her head into to view and peeked around the green-clad giant. She had long brown hair and big brown eyes. Her most defining feature came in the form of tall rabbit ears protruding from the top of her head.

"Oh, hello," she said with a wave. She shyly came out from behind Yatsuhashi, walked over to Ringo, and helped him up. "Sorry about my friend here. Despite his size, not many people hear him coming."

"Yeah, I noticed," Ringo grunted.

"I do apologize, but, in all fairness, you weren't watching where you were going," Yatsuhashi spoke up. Ebony began giggling under her breath.

Ringo sighed, "Yeah, alright. You got me there. And sorry for the name-calling. I thought you were our teammate. You look a lot like him. My name's Ringo Hobbs. This is Ebony Rouge. We're half of Team GRPE."

"It's very nice to meet you both. I'm Velvet. Velvet Scarlatina. And this is my teammate Yatsuhashi Daichi. We're part of Team CFVY from Beacon."

"I thought I recognized you two," Ebony chimed in, "You fought in the Vytal Festival." She pointed to Yatsuhashi, "And you got your arse handed to you by that boy with the boots."

"Ebony!" Ringo scolded her.

"No, no it's okay," Yatsuhashi assured him, "She's not wrong." A hint of red could be seen in his cheeks. After a brief moment of awkward silence, Velvet attempted to break the ice.

"So, what brings a team of professional huntsmen to Shade Academy?"

"We're just passing through," Ebony answered, "We're making our way to Vale, but decided to try and do a few jobs in the area while we're in the neighborhood."

"In fact, we're going to meet up with the rest of our team to head out on a mission," Ringo added. As he talked, Yatsuhashi's scroll went off. He took it out and opened it. What he saw clearly perplexed him.

"Um, is this your team?" he asked showing Ringo and Ebony his scroll. On the screen was a selfie depicting Grayson and Poppey with two other people they could only guess were Velvet and Yatsuhashi's teammates. Accompanying the image was a message:

"Some people we'd like you to meet."


Ebony, Ringo, Velvet, and Yatsuhashi walked side by side as they entered the courtyard. Since school was already in session, the entire place was deserted, with the exception of the other group coming in on the other side. Poppey and Grayson were accompanied by the two people from the selfie. The two quartets kept walking until they stood directly in front of each other at the center of the square. Everyone awkwardly swapped sides to their respective teams until Team CFVY stood on one side and Team GRPE stood on the other. After several moments of staring each other down, Fox "broke" the silence by signing to Velvet and Yatsuhashi. The two nod in response.

"Hey, instead of gossiping over us, how about you tell us what you know about Professor Westflight?" Grayson suggested somewhat rudely. Fox immediately stopped signing and stared angrily at Grayson. In response, he made one last sign that was rather offensive.

"Um, excuse you," Coco retorted, "How about you tell us what you know?"

"Yeah, that might be a problem," Ringo commented.

"Oh yeah? How?"

"We...don't really know much," Poppey answered meekly.

"How much do you actually know about Westflight?" Yatsuhashi inquired.

"Well..." Ebony started.

"You don't know anything, do you?" Coco deduced.

"Yeah, we know nothing," Ringo finished dryly.

"Then what the hell are you even doing here?"

"Let's call it a hunch," Ebony responded.

"A hunch? Really? You started stalking a highly-respected teacher on a hunch?!" Coco questioned.

"Would you rather us say that we were bored?" Grayson raised an eyebrow.

"Honesty, it'd be a bit more believable." Coco echoed Grayson by raising her own eyebrow.

"Believable or not," Ringo chimed in, "we're all here now. So why don't we just work together?" Team CFVY looked to each other, almost as if having a silent conversation.

"If Westflight really is up to something, then there's no way he can stand up to all eight of us, but only if you agree to let us help," Poppey reasoned. She was met with an extended pause. After an awkward couple of seconds, Velvet steps forward.

"Makes sense to me," she said. She then looked to Yatsuhashi, who nodded in agreement. Fox crossed his arms over his chest and shrugged, indicating that he too was in agreement. They all turned and stared at Coco. She stood there uncomfortably and then let out a loud exasperated groan.

"Fine," she complied, "Let's do it." She extended her hand to Grayson, who took it in his own and shook it.


Ebony and Grayson followed closely behind Coco and Fox as they led them down the hallway. The two teams decided to split into two groups of four and look in certain locations where Professor Westflight tended to frequent. They were going to check Westflight's office while the other group, which consisted of Ringo, Poppey, Velvet, and Yatsuhashi, went to look in his classroom. The four walked in silence as they continued through the corridor. Ebony sped up and began walking next to Coco.

"I just wanted to say," she began, "I love your scarf. You have to tell me where you got it."

"I'll tell you if you tell me where you got your hat," Coco laughed.

"Oh, this old thing?" Ebony took her top hat off of her head to give Coco a better look. It was black with a dark red ribbon wrapped around the base. On top of the ribbon was a pair of thick brass welding goggles.

"It was one my father's old ones, with a little bit of extra flare," Ebony explained.

"Not that many people rock can top hats anymore, but you are absolutely killing it."

"Oh, you're so sweet. Now, about that scarf."

"Actually, this entire ensemble I got from a cute little in downtown Vale," Coco told her.

"Really where? Can you give me an address?" Ebony asked.

"I umm...Can't. It was destroyed during the Breach. It's pretty much a pile of rubble and rebar now."

"Oh. Well...damn," Ebony frowned. Behind them, Grayson and Fox walked together. Both of them stared at the girls as they partook in their small talk. After listening for a good while, the two looked to each other. Grayson smirked and rolled his eyes. Fox also smirked and shook his head. If he had pupils, he would have been rolling them, too.

"His office is just up ahead," Coco pointed. The stopped at a random, one among many others in the building. On the door was a sign that read "Prof. M. Westflight". This was the right place.

"I'll check to see if he's inside," Ebony said.

"Umm, knocking would tell him that we're on to him. Wouldn't that be the exact opposite of what we're trying to do here?" Coco asked.

"Just watch," Grayson assured her. Ebony closed her eyes and concentrated. She opened them again, revealing their stark white color. Her body became ghostly once again. Coco and Fox watched in awe as Ebony phased her head through Westflight's door. After a few seconds, she came back out and turned off her semblance.

"He's not in," she said.

"Awesome," Coco smiled. Suddenly, her grin disappeared. Around the corner, they could hear the sound of footsteps and whistling. All four of them started to panic.

"We gotta hide," whispered Grayson.

"Through here," Coco pointed to a classroom across the hall. Fox approached it and turned the handle. He frowned and signed back to them.

"Locked," Grayson and Coco said at once. Coco stared angrily at Grayson.

"Ebony," he said frantically.

"I'm trying," she returned, "Don't rush me." The footsteps grew closer. The whistling grew louder.

"Come on!" Coco urged.

In the nick of time, Ebony ghosted and practically sprinted through the door. The door swung open, letting the other three inside. Ebony then slowly shut the door, which closed with a slight click. They watched through the door window as Professor Westflight approached his office door rummaging through his pocket. He pulls out a set of keys and uses one to unlock his door. Upon stepping inside, he turned around and looked up and down the hallway, as if making sure no one was around. Satisfied, he shut the door.

"We gotta call the others," said Grayson, "This is our chance."


Ringo, Poppey, Velvet, and Yatsuhashi raced around the corner, almost slamming into their friends.

"We got here as fast as we could," Poppey huffed.

"Is he still in there?" Velvet asked.

"Yep, hasn't left the place since we called you," replied Coco.

"If we want to really find out what he's up to, now's the time to do it," said Grayson.

"Then what are we standing around here for?" questioned Ringo, "Let's get in there and nail his sorry butt." Everyone looked at Ringo confusedly. After a moment, realizing the dubious implications of his words, his face turned red. "...Th-that came out wrong."

Ebony rolled her eyes and groaned. She lifted up her hat and pulled a bobby pin out of her hair. She then knelt in front of the doorknob and proceeded to stick the pin in the knob's keyhole.

"Aren't you going to use your semblance?" asked Coco.

"I could," she answered, "but an aura can only take so much use. I'm sure all of you can understand." They all nodded in agreement. There was a sudden click and Ebony stood up. "Besides, where's the fun in that?"

She turned the knob and pushed the door open with a proud smirk on her face. The office itself was actually a fairly adequate size. Since Professor Westflight was Headmistress Cornwell's second in command, his office was a good bit larger than that of the average teacher. Inside the room was a desk and several bookshelves, but, to their shock, no Westflight.

"How the-?!" Coco gasped. She ran into the office and looked around.

"I thought you said he never left," Ringo said.

"We did," Grayson answered.

"Well, it doesn't look like he's in there to me," Poppey added.

"Everybody spread out," Coco commanded, "There's got to have left some sort of clue to where he went." As everyone else entered the room, Grayson strolled up alongside Ebony. "Since when did you know how to pick locks?" he whispered to her.

"Since none of your business, darling," she chuckled as she playfully patted his cheek. And with that, she hurried into the office, leaving a befuddled Grayson behind her. He shook his head and followed her in. Or at least tried to due to his hulking frame. Although the office was rather large, it still felt extremely cramped. With eight people in the room at the same time, it wasn't all that surprising. Every member of Teams GRPE and CFVY milled about, tearing the room up in search of clues.

"Everybody stop!" Yatsuhashi said. They all complied. No one said a word. "I feel a breeze."

"Sorry," Ringo smirked. Poppey punched his arm.

"No, it's coming from over here, behind this bookshelf."

"He's right," Velvet added motioning to her adorable rabbit ears, "I can hear it. There must be a passage of some kind."

"So...what? There's a certain book in one of these shelves that we have to pull to open a secret door? Give me a break," laughed Ringo. As he spoke, he reached for a random book and pulled it forward. Suddenly, the bookshelf began to quake. The entire structure slid to its side, revealing some sort of heavy-duty metal door and a keypad.

"Ugh, that is so cliche," Ebony groaned.

"Tell me about it," Coco replied. Fox approached the door's keypad and began punching in numbers. After several failed attempts, he looked back at his friends and signed to them.

"Anybody here got any skills in hacking?" Coco asked. They all looked among themselves and shook their heads.

"No, but I think I know how to get in," Grayson responded, "Poppey, you're up." Poppey nodded and placed her left hand in Blutoyl Spin. She stretched her gloved hand up to the door and concentrated. The metal was enveloped in sea-green energy.

"What's she doing? Velvet asked.

"She's manipulating the door's strength and integrity," answered Grayson.

"What does that mean?" Yatsuhashi questioned.

Ringo returned, "Basically, with her semblance, she can raise or lower the strength quality of anyone or anything that she touches, either making it stronger or weaker. It comes in real handy when facing off against huge, powerful Grimm... or, you know, cracking open heavy steel doors."

The power shone brightly upon the huntsmen as Poppey used her semblance, then it slowly faded away. Once the door was no longer glowing, Poppey clenched her fist and the metal crushed and crumpled like a wad of paper in her hand. She then reeled back and tore the structure off of its hinges and set it down gently against the wall. All of Team CFVY collectively dropped their jaws. Ringo came up and gave Poppey a big hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"Way to go, Girly," he smiled. Poppey blushed.

"Whoa..." Coco remarked as she peered into the passageway behind the door. The corridor was almost completely shrouded in darkness, with the exception of small dimly-lit torches sporadically placed throughout the hall.

"I've got a bad feeling about this," Grayson said.

"You and me both Gray," Ringo agreed, "I'm getting my sword out. I don't know about you guys." He reached behind his head and pulled Venom Tail from its sheath. Everyone else followed suit and equipped their weapons. One by one, each huntsman cautiously stepped into the dark hallway. Aside from the echoing of their footsteps, the place was silent as the grave. No one dared to speak. As they continued onward, they began to see a light coming from the corridor's end. This light source shone more brightly than the scattered torches that the huntsmen passed as they walked. They slowly drew closer to the light and were greeted with not only a dead end but also a...

"Grimm!" Poppey shouted. She raised her cestus glove and began charging a knuckle laser.

"Wait," said Grayson as he lowered Poppey's gauntlet, "We've never seen a Grimm like this before. We don't know what it does." All of their eyes were locked on the creature as it hovered in place. The top of the Grimm looked similar to that of a fortune teller's crystal ball with the base of it covered with the typical Grimm bone armor. Sprouting from under the top were a plethora of tentacles, some of which were tipped with sharp bone spear points.

With weapons at the ready, the two huntsmen teams waited for the creature to strike, yet it never did. Aside from gently bobbing up and down as it floated, the Grimm was absolutely motionless. Grayson looked to Coco, who nodded in unspoken agreement. The two guardedly approached the Grimm to take a closer look.

In contrast to when they entered the room, the creature did indeed react to them approaching it. Whereas the globe had previously been as black and clouded as the abyss, it now began to glow; a faint, crimson hue piercing through the darkness.

"What the-?" Coco whispered.

"Ah, Monk," an eerie, feminine voice reverberated from some unplaceable source, presumably the Grimm. "I have been awaiting your-" Clearly the person speaking had not been expecting to see them. "Well... this is certainly unexpected." The two leaders watched as the top of the creature began to reveal an image; an image of a woman who they could have only described as an unholy union between human and beast. The Grimm woman stared as all eight huntsmen gathered around to look and see what their leaders were seeing. They could not believe their eyes.

"Umm...hello?" Grayson started.

The woman answered back after a brief pause, "Hello."

"Who are you?" he asked her.

"My name is not important," the Grimm lady responded, "Let's just say I am no one to be trifled with if you know what's good for you." Coco scowled.

"Alright, lady," she interrogated, "If you like puzzles so much, then riddle me this: it's obvious you're working with Westflight. What are you two planning?" The woman, unmoved by Coco's aggression, replied calmly.

"That is none of your concern. Although, I do believe that is," she pointed behind them.

"Huh?" Grayson and Coco said simultaneously. Suddenly, the huntsmen all felt a shooting pain up their spines. The room was filled with white lightning and each of them was enveloped in it. They screamed in agony as each of their nerves were overloaded with raw electricity. Then the electrocution ceased, and everything went black.


Ebony groggily opened her eyes. Her head was pounding like a drum. Her body felt heavy and numb. It hurt to move. She winced as she looked around the room. Her teammates were just coming to like she did. All four of them were lying scattered on the ground, groaning like they had the world's worst hangover.

"Is everyone okay?" Grayson grumbled.

"I guess so," she replied.

"Can you ask me again later when my insides aren't fluid..." Poppey asked. "...again?"

"I feel like I've been run over by a train, but other than that I'm peachy," Ringo answered.

"How about you guys, Coco?" No answer. "Coco?"

All four members of Team GRPE sat upright. Team CFVY was nowhere to be seen. The strange Grimm was gone as well. On the floor in its place was a scroll. Ebony reached over, picked it up, and opened it.

"Who's is that?" inquired Poppey.

"By the looks of the contents, it isn't any of ours."

"What's on it?" asked Ringo.

"The only thing I can find is a voice recording," Ebony remarked.

"Well, let's hear it," said Grayson. Ebony opened the recording and pressed play.

"I can imagine the headlines now: Team GRPE, the famously disgraced huntsman team, come to visit Shade Academy, lash out, kill a group of young, promising students, and escape in a stolen bullhead. An utter tragedy, to be certain. However, if Team GRPE were to attack me, the deputy headmaster, and I were to kill them in self-defense, then it is a tragedy with a silver lining and the families of these children will know that justice was served. In either case, I win. Now I'm going to give you a choice. Should you decide to take the moral high ground and save Team CFVY, then you will find us in the ballroom. If not, there will be a bullhead waiting in the main courtyard in ten minutes. And I have ordered the pilot to take you to wherever you need to go. I suggest you choose wisely. Do not disappoint me by making the wrong decision."