I'm back! Summer's here and that means more chapters! Anyway thanks for the mad support this story is getting. It really is quite amazing. Though I'm sure you guys would rather read the story than listen to me talk. Anyway this chapter is going to be the beginning of, let's say, "The calm arc before the storm." You probably won't see the tournament for a while. However, you guys never seemed to care before. So sit back and enjoy.

P.S. Whose ready for Cinder?

P.S.S. I focus a little bit on Allen and Road around the midpoint, but I promise there will be some Allen and Ruby too!


Chapter 12: White Sheep

"You guys sure can eat," said Neptune as he and Ren walked up to the huntresses table. The fresh steam was almost fog- like; and the sizzling made it seem like the tray was about to burst into flames at any second. However that only added to the atmosphere.

"So how is the night going?" Weiss asked Neptune as she unraveled her napkin. Neptune just sighed and checked his scroll. No texts, no distractions, nothing.

"It was going fine four hours ago,' Neptune said. Ren rolled his eyes.

"You do know that was when we opened right?" Ren chided, Neptune just shrugged him off and checked his hair in the window. Weiss giggled as she took a sip from her glass.

"Are you two getting many requests?" Yang asked them as she took her first bite. "Allen seems to be getting quite the following; however, he's as dense as a rock. So I don't worry about him causing trouble." Neptune grimaced and took out his notebook, there were still twelve more tables that awaited their orders. Nothing is ever easy.

"Yang has a point. If we find out that you two have been doing anything funny, we'll make you regret it." Weiss said, Neptune paled at that. For that could only mean more laps in the swimming pool.

"Don't worry about it, I haven't done anything." Neptune said as he turned back to the kitchen.

"You mean you haven't done anything yet." Ren joked. He gave the huntresses a nod and then disappeared into the kitchen. After a few chuckles they dug in.

"What should we do to get the 'Daemon of Beacon' out from under his rock?" Yang whispered to Blake, Pyrrha and Weiss. After all they needed to do something to get Allen's brain out of the gutter. Pyrrha put down her fork and leaned back into her chair.

"The problem is he's too much of a gentlemen to take the hint. In my opinion we need to get him, Ruby and Road some alone time." Pyrrha whispered as she glanced over to the two young huntresses. Luckily neither of them seemed to pick up on their conversation.

"Well how would we do that? We can't really plan ahead with those two constantly at each others throats." Blake whispered, Yang sighed and tapped her chin.

"Allen would have to be the one offering, that's the only way." Yang mumbled, but that still left them with no solution. What could they do? Sadly the four matchmakers wouldn't get any more time to think. As their little group was pulled back into reality by a familiar voice.

"My aren't we oblivious." Yang looked over to find a new group being seated at a nearby table. The one who addressed her was someone she knew all too well.

"Emerald! How's it going? I didn't think this sort of thing was your cup of tea." Yang said to the huntress as she swiveled her chair around. "We haven't talked in forever! How's it going?" Emerald sighed and pulled up a chair.

"You're never going to believe this, but for the first time in my life I saw Mercury chicken out." Emerald whispered to the huntresses.

"Well don't hold out on us. What made him get cold feet?" Yang asked her. Emerald just giggled and clapped her hands.

"So get this: He's afraid of crowds! Well to be more accurate he's afraid of crowds of girls, but the point still stands. Me and Cinder were literally choking we were laughing so hard." Yang slapped her knee as she tried to contain her giggles.

"That's his fear? Kuh~" Yang howled, Weiss sighed at Yang's immature actions and grabbed a napkin. At least one person at this table had some class.

"It was quite the sight. Though enough about me, how goes the blood match?" Emerald whispered as she motioned to Ruby and Road. Yang turned her voice down to a whisper once she realized what the huntress was referring to.

"You know?" Emerald looked at her as if she was stupid.

"What huntress doesn't? It's a huge gossip topic and their so adorable." Yang sighed and stretched her arms. It wasn't like Road and Ruby were trying too hard to hide their feelings.

"Don't worry I won't say anything." Emerald said as she got up and gave them a wave. "It was nice seeing you guys again. If you want to talk I'm just a table away." The four huntresses returned Emerald's wave and watched her walk back to her table. Her team leader Cinder was there with her.

"Going back to our previous topic does anyone have any ideas?" Weiss asked them. Yang turned back to her and took a sip of water.

"Hmmm... let me think."


Allen

"Allen what the hell is that?!" Bert yelled out as Allen walked back into the kitchen. Pots and pans clanged against the ground as others soon found what the head chef was yelling about.

"Is that a grimm?!" One such huntsman yelled as he frantically searched for his locker remote. Allen took a step back and raised up his hands.

"Now hold on. Let me explain."

"No need Allen, just hold still, I got it." Allen looked down and found Sun slowly creeping up to him with a kitchen knife. "Just one quick jab and-" Sun stopped when Allen planted a fist right into his jaw.

"Don't just sneak up on me with a knife! Now let me explain!" Allen retracted his hand and gave it a good rub. Sun sure had one thick skull. Thrain seemed to be quite happy at seeing a hunter in pain. His joyful caws definitely didn't calm Sun's mood though.

"Explain what Allen?! Isn't that thing a grimm?! I'm not sure how it got so close to Beacon, but as huntsmen we need to take care of it. Just stay still... if we aren't careful it may tear your shoulder to pieces." Sun said as he picked up his kitchen knife and started inching back towards Allen. However, just like before Sun was awarded with a fist in his face.

"You just don't learn do you?" After cracking his knuckles Allen reached up and allowed Thrain to hop onto his index finger. "This is my new pet. His name is Thrain, and I'd appreciate it if you don't try to kill him." All of the huntsmen in the kitchen just looked at him like he was insane.

"How in the world is that possible!? First off why isn't it attacking you? Next why aren't you killing it!? That thing is a grimm, an enemy to mankind! Why are you holding it like it is just some cute puppy!?" Allen smiled at the huntsmen and put Thrain back onto his shoulder.

"Why wouldn't I hold him? Thrain here just flew over to me and perched himself on my shoulder. He seems well mannered so why would I kill him?" Sun rubbed his temples as he leaned against a wooden doorway.

"Why am I not surprised you'd do something like that? Dammit Allen you are too kind for your own good." Sun mumbled as he tended to his sudden headache.

"I'll take that as a compliment." Allen said as he gave Thrain a chunk of bread to nibble on. "Anyway it isn't like this is against the rules; I read Beacon's handbook and it says that students are allowed to have pets." This time it was Neptune who spoke up.

"Yeah but I don't think whoever wrote that rule considered grimm as pets." Neptune was about to continue but stopped when he heard a voice from the kitchen window.

"Hey we have one more group waiting to order. Allen needs to get out here." Said huntsman welcomed the chance to leave the stuffy kitchen and prepared to return to work.

"Wait Allen!" Bert yelled as Allen waltzed out the door, but he was too late. He was already long gone. "Crap... Ozpin is going to have my head for this if that thing does anything." Sun sighed and gave Bert a pat on the back.

"Don't worry... this isn't the weirdest thing he's done." Sun told the worried head chef, soon everyone started to move back to their stations. Things could never be easy could they?

"I just hope the girls don't freak out and shoot the place up." Neptune said as he examined a steel serving plate. "Do you think this thing could stop stray bullets?" Neptune asked Sun as he held the tray up like a shield; he got a slap from one of Bert's 'generals' for that little quip. Sun just sighed and dragged his heels back to his station.

"Monty help me."


Ruby

"Something wrong Red?" Road chided as she munched on some cake. Ruby just rolled her eyes and returned her focus to the food in front of her. She heard the little witch sigh as she picked up her fork.

"Bored?" Ruby asked her. Road yawned and shifted her focus back to the young huntress.

"You too?" Road mumbled as she fiddled with her fork. Ruby shrugged and rolled her fingers, the night seemed especially quiet. Everyone just seemed to be ignoring the two of them. Road yawned and leaned back in her chair. The light from the chandelier reflecting off of her necklace. Every so often her eyes would wander to the backs of Emerald and Cinder, like a mouse scanning for predators. Ruby sighed and turned her focus back to her food, hoping the delicious flavors would help to clear some of the unease she felt. Imagine the horror she would have felt if she realized that Emerald was staring right back at her.

Emerald smirked as she watched Ruby turn away, that girl was just too easy to creep out. Sadly her fun would have to wait, she was on a mission right now. "So why are we here again?" Emerald asked Cinder as she took a sip of water. Cinder grinned and lowered her menu.

"We're here to meet our target. While Mercury checks in with our allies we'll discern how much of a threat Allen Walker really is. After all it's always easier to dig up information in person." Cinder said as her eyes scanned over the room.

"Are you really that worried?" Emerald asked her. Cinder just smiled and shook her head.

"No, if you want my opinion this is just a waste of time. However, she is interested in this boy. Which means there is something there." Cinder spoke the truth, Salem rarely took interest in a particular individual. The only other person that vested Salem's interest, at least that she knew of, was Ozpin. Emerald sighed and craned her neck. This sort of fancy gathering didn't fit her at all. Thankfully she was saved from her boredom by the buzz of her scroll.

"Mercury says the newscaster's ready. The story will break first thing tomorrow morning." Emerald told Cinder as she read Mercury's text.

"Oh good, tell him to make sure the newscaster glorifies the violence. I want our little troublemaker to be on the front page of every major newspaper." Things were about to get exciting. Cinder was about to ask Emerald for some more information, but stopped herself once she heard the noise.

"Allen what in the world is a grimm doing on your shoulder?!" Cinder's eyes widened when she heard that little tidbit. She and Emerald quickly looked over at RWBY's table. It wasn't a surprise that Yang was the one who made all the noise, but what was surprising was the girl's shear volume. Cinder thought her ears were bleeding it was so loud. Though she couldn't fault her for it, after all her reaction was quite normal for the situation.

"Isn't he adorable? I named him Thrain, he's my new pet." Everyone in the cafeteria turned at that.

"But that's a grimm! Shouldn't it be trying to kill you right about now? How do you know it's safe?" The huntress known as Weiss asked.

"I actually just had this conversation with the huntsmen in the kitchen. Just trust me when I say that he isn't dangerous. Look, he'll even let you hold him." Cinder watched Allen bring the grimm down to Weiss's hand.

"Uh no thanks. I like my fingers where they are."

"Okay then." Allen lifted the grimm back up to his shoulder. "Like I said he's fine. Plus you guys know me, why would I bring something in here if I thought it was dangerous?"

"You do have a point." Yang sighed "At least try to keep it away from our food." Allen just chuckled and patted the grimm's head.

"I'll do my best. Anyway we'll have to continue this later, I have some customers to take care of." Finally Allen turned towards their table. "Sorry about that madams, my name is Allen Walker and I'll be your server tonight. Is there anything I can get you to drink?"

"Just water for us." Cinder said as she looked over Allen. This was the first time she actually got a good look at the boy. His posture was restrained and relaxed, so much so that one could easily mistake the boy for some weakling. However, Cinder knew that Allen was far from being a weakling. There was also something else that caught her eye. It was a small detail, but Cinder noticed that the boy was positioning his hands slightly behind his back. Almost as if he were defending them. Or more accurately, he was protecting his gloves. Emerald seemed to have noticed this little detail as well.

"Do you mind if I ask you a question?" Emerald asked him, her eyes periodically darting back to the huntsman's hands.

"Not at all ask away"

"Why do you wear those gloves everywhere. I've never seen you take them off, not in the halls, not while fighting, not even while eating. I'm just curious." It was such a simple question; however, it had a profound affect on the huntsman. Cinder's keen eyes noticed the slight change in his stance, the quiver in his eyes, and even an odd shudder.

Fear? Cinder wondered, but what would the boy possibly have to fear? But there was no mistaking that twitch, even though it was masterfully hidden, Cinder could see it. The shudder of fear, but that wasn't all. As it seemed like Emerald's question managed to draw the attention of some other huntresses.

"Now that you mention it, I have never seen Allen without his gloves on." Yang said before turning to Emerald. "Sorry for eavesdropping."

"It's fine, considering how close our tables are it couldn't be helped." Emerald said, Yang smiled and focused back onto Allen. Yang wasn't the only one who was curious though; it seemed like Emerald's question had drawn the attention of all the nearby huntresses.

"Yeah Allen what is up with that? Are they a type of body armor?" Ruby asked him.

"Uh no..."

"Do you just like wearing gloves then? Although if that were the case then I'd assume that you would have multiple pairs. However you always seem to wear the exact same gloves." Weiss this time.

"Well..." Allen was at a loss for words. However, that wasn't what surprised Cinder. What drew her curiosity was the boy's eyes. The fear she noticed before had grown, it almost felt like... Allen was hiding something. It was good for Allen then that he was a good liar. "They're a family heirloom, before I left for Beacon one of my relatives gave me these gloves. I guess you could say they're a memento from my past."

"Ah well that makes sense, but if they're so important to you why do you wear them on the battlefield? If you aren't careful they could be torn to ribbons." Pyrrha said, Allen was once again pushed on the defensive. Luckily though Road gave him a helping hand.

"I pretty sure his gloves are far more sturdy than the average pair Pyrrha. After all he is a huntsman in training; and even if they are just made out of cloth, I bet Allen see's them as a kind of good luck charm." Allen smiled and quietly thanked Road for her help.

Don't mention it. Road said to Allen telepathically. But you owe me one. Road finished her sentence with a seductive wink, and while it didn't convey the message Road wanted. Her wink did get Allen to blush a little bit. Which definitely raised more than a few eyebrows at their table, and caused another huntress to glare red-hot bullets at her.

"Anyway," Allen said as he turned back to Cinder and Emerald. "I'll go get your drinks, enjoy the evening madams." With that Allen walked off and vanished behind the kitchen door. Cinder sighed and stared out the window. She didn't like this, something didn't click. That boy was just too clean. For now all she had to go on was her own intuition, but she knew he was hiding something.

"Did something he said peak your interest Cinder?" Emerald asked her as she looked over the menu. Cinder sighed and cracked her neck. Now was not the time to get tangled up in an investigation. Even if that boy was hiding something it probably wasn't anything major. However there was a multitude of factors about that boy that drew her attention. Primarily that new "pet" of his. She had heard of some huntsmen domesticating lesser grimm, but even in those cases the domesticating process took months.

"Ah Monty," Cinder sighed as she leaned back into her chair. "Have one of our agents follow that boy, and make sure they report back to Salem." Emerald nodded at her orders and quickly whipped out her scroll. Cinder took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of her nose. She didn't feel right leaving something like this to some footsoldier, but her hands were tied.

"Do you think we should investigate that grimm of his?" Emerald asked her, Cinder just shook her head. That grimm was obviously just some regular crow. What they needed were eyes on that boy; however, Emerald was on to something. First there was that odd shortage of grimm in the inner forest a few months back, then a pack of ursa went completely off their migrating path, and after that there was that whole grimm mass suicide at the beginning of the tournament. Plus a random grimm just flew into Beacon on the shoulder of a student. Something odd was happening with the grimm, and she knew Salem would want to know what that was. However, at the moment that could wait. For now she had to worry about that man in black. Hopefully their little news broadcast would find them some leads.

"Cinder look alive, he's on his way back." Emerald whispered as Allen walked back to their table. Cinder yawned and quickly scanned over the menu. The soup sounded nice. Hopefully that would help speed up this stressful day. After placing her order Cinder went back to staring at the moon. A small thunderstorm seemed to be brewing in the east, it wouldn't be long before it hit Beacon. Cinder smiled, rain meant more people indoors, which meant more people would be watching the news. The stage was set, and soon that man in black would be ensnared in her trap.


Allen yawned and flopped down into his bed. The charity drive was finally over. All of Beacon was silent, aside from the occasional chirp from Thrain who was perched in the dorm's window, the campus was as still as a statue. The twins had combined into Jasdevi and were already fast asleep; while Wisely rested in the bunk above them, his legs crossed as if he were meditating. The only one besides him that wasn't asleep was Road, the eldest noah was busy in the bathroom taking a shower. The pit-pat of the water was oddly soothing to his ears, and up above in the sky the stars twinkled like diamonds.

Now aren't we happy? It's been a while since you've had a moment of bliss. Neah said, Allen just sighed and nodded, it truly was a relaxing night. Allen yawned as he stared out the window at the forest below; his eyelids felt heavy and it seemed like he was just moments away from falling into dreamland. Well you have a good night Allen, we'll talk tomorrow morning.

Yeah, you enjoy your nap uncle. Allen said as he felt Neah's consciousness fade into the recesses of his mind. Allen yawned again and got up to look out the window one last time. After all it wasn't that often that he got time to himself; what with Neah being a near constant presence, he rarely ever got the chance to truly be alone. I wonder what they'll have me do tomorrow. If I'm lucky it will just be manual labor. Maybe Yang will force me to help train some of those kids. That wouldn't be so bad. After a few more minutes Allen soon found himself unable to keep his eyes open. Eventually he too was off to the land of dreams, leaving just one person still awake in their dorm room.


Road sighed as the hot water from the shower cascaded over her body. Living a double life like this was stressful, but that wasn't the worst part. The worst part was that it was just dull. She had Allen to help take her mind off of things, but nothing could quell a Noah's pent-up energy for long. Of course that didn't mean she wanted to go out and kill people, there was no reason to, she was honestly just bored... and frustrated. She really wasn't somebody who could wait, so it annoyed her to no end when her advances on Allen just went straight over his head.

"I need to try something different," Road whispered, and she would have to be quick. For she knew that girl Ruby was probably thinking the exact same thing. "Ah damn it what can I do?! He's just too innocent for any of my ideas to work!" Road sighed and slid down the shower wall. At times like this it was good for her to just sit down and think. However, she just kept pulling blanks. With a sigh she shook her head, at this rate she'd get nowhere.

Click

Road smiled as she felt Allen return to his dreamland. Jasdevi and Wisely were already sleeping soundly under her spell, and soon Allen would join them. Road chuckled when she heard Allen begin to snore. I should let him rest, she thought, he had a long day. A few minutes later the shower went silent, and the bathroom door quietly creaked open. Road smiled and took a deep breath. There was nothing like a good shower to refresh the body and mind. Silent as a mouse she tiptoed over to her bed; she would have made a stellar thief if it wasn't for a stray boot laying on the floor. "Meep!" Road yelped ash she toppled downwards towards the cold floor; however, it seemed like luck was on her side. As instead of a hard floor, she fell onto a soft and cushiony surface. She would have thought that she landed her own bed, but last she checked beds didn't grunt when you landed on them.

"Mana?" Road heard Allen whisper. Thank god he was a heavy sleeper, Road sighed and carefully pushed herself away from Allen. As she moved Road also happened upon Lero, the umbrella was resting soundly next to its new master. Road grinned and moved Lero to a safer spot next to the windowsill. She would have gone to bed after that, but then she heard the whimpers. "Please..." she heard Allen mumble, the boy was trembling and was as cold as a winter lake.

It must be his inner Noah rummaging through his memories, Road thought. It was easy for her to forget that Allen was still a young Noah. He had yet to receive any real memories, and his body was obviously still strained by the presence of dark matter. Most of those problems were probably due to his left arm, but Road knew Allen would never give that up. Just like he would never give up helping people. That was a quality about him that she adored, that endless compassion for life. No matter what Allen went through he always had hope, and he always had the capacity to forgive. No matter what I did you still forgave me. Road thought with a smile.

"I'm human..." Allen mumbled again. He was starting to sweat now; however, Road wasn't worried. She knew it was just his inner noah trying to learn more about its host. To this day she'd still have a nightmare or two every once in a while. However, that didn't mean she enjoyed seeing Allen like this.

"Don't worry I'm here." Road said as she held Allen's left hand in hers. The innocence caused a slight tingling sensation that burrowed deep into her wrists, but it was not painful; instead the tingling was actually filled with a loving warmth. Maybe Allen's innocence could sense that she meant no harm. Immediately Allen calmed down, his breathing slowed and the intense sweating stopped. Road chuckled and cupped his cheek. He was so peaceful...

Suddenly a wave of fatigue washed over Road. Her eyes grew heavy and with each passing moment the little noah found it harder and harder to stay awake. She could've gone back to her bed, but at the moment she felt fine right where she was. With a pop Road transformed into her stuffed animal state and made herself comfortable next to Allen's left hand. This way she could make sure that he slept soundly. The tingling sensation from the innocence seemed to change as well. Now it was much more subdued, quiet, and comforting. With each passing second Road felt herself drift off to her own dreamland. Right before her eyes closed for the last time that night, she made sure to connect to and calm Allen's inner noah. After all with a person like her laying so close to its host, Allen's inner noah would feel much less threatened by the innocence.

"Goodnight, and sweet dreams."


"Caw caw!"

"Ugh... good morning." Allen grunted out as he rubbed his crusty eyes. The sun was just starting to rise over the horizon, bleaching the darkened landscape in a pale rosy light. Allen took a deep breath and looked around, it seemed like he had awoken a tad early. Wisely and Jasdevi were still asleep, and Road was... where was Road? Allen looked all around their dorm room but he found no hint at the little noah's whereabouts. That is until he felt a slight shift in his bed. Looking down to his left Allen found Road laying right next to him. "Why?" Allen said out loud as he lightly poked Road; however, she wouldn't budge. "Is she... no that can't be the case." Allen blushed a little bit before finally he got out of his bed. He concluded that Road must have just wanted to sleep somewhere closer to the window. Who knows? It could've gotten hot when he was asleep. Plus knowing Road she probably just wanted to tease him when he woke up. That had to be it.

Good morning Allen, I see you have a guest? Mind telling me what happened when I dosed off last night?

Nothing happened. I bet she just wanted to sleep somewhere cooler. After all my bed is closest to the window, plus Road doesn't seem to be one who cares about personal space. Allen said, though he wasn't angry. When he was traveling with Cross this sort of thing happened all the time. Although back then it usually resulted in him getting either pushed onto the floor or out the door.

Yeah... that's all it is. Neah sighed, was his nephew just not interested in women or something? No... Allen was just to inexperienced in matters like this. When he was a kid he was treated as a monster, then during his childhood he had to deal with Cross. Neah just hoped that Yang had an idea.

Allen stretched out his arms and pulled open the blinds. The cool morning breeze was refreshing, and the silence of a still half sleeping Beacon was quite pleasing. Maybe I should take a walk around campus. Allen thought, if he was quick he could meet up with everyone at breakfast. Now that he thought about it, this could be an excellent chance to train as well. Clapping his hands together Allen got dressed and pulled his hair back into a ponytail. With a quiet whistle Thrain and Timcampy flew onto his shoulders. After pausing for a brief moment to fluff Road's pillow, Allen grabbed Lero and walked out the door.

"Ugh... Uh! Mistress Road I'm awake! I'm awake!" Allen felt Lero squirm in his hands as they walked out into the hallway. "Huh? Mr. Earl?" Allen chuckled a little when he heard Lero call him earl.

"Lero I told you just call me Allen, we're going on a walk. Try to keep it down, people are still asleep." Lero nodded at Allen's words and went as silent as a mouse. Which was a good thing. For what Allen didn't know was that he was being watched. High above his head a studios pair of eyes watched his every move. Like a predator waiting to pounce.


Somewhere in a Beacon dorm room...

"Hey man wake up! Looks like our mark is up quite early today." A man in a plain plaid shirt said as he shook his companion awake. Both were currently sleeping in a small room that overlooked a very specific dorm.

"Ah jeez he's up already? Talk about an early riser." The man's companion said as he stretched out his arms. "But I gotta say the money we're getting for this job is quite astounding. Isn't the amount a bit suspicious? I mean all we have to do is spy on some kid. That's..."

"Below us?" The man in plaid said as he watched Allen walk out the dorm's front doors. The man sighed and turned back to his friend. Sad to say he had to agree. The money was good, but to put two of the White Fang's most prominent spies on a stalker mission was just strange. They were infamous in the underground, Gold and Silver, two of the White Fang's most infamous hired spies. The two of them had walked through hell and back together, and still found some way to make a profit. Eventually their exploits led them to Adam, the leader of the White Fang, and straight into the bank roll of his little terrorist organization. Gold was pretty average in terms of height and build; however, what set him apart was the faint line of scales that covered his body. His dark orange hair and piercing red eyes gave off the aura of a determined predator. Silver was the complete opposite, he was tall and lean and looked completely normal. Nobody would suspect a thing, unless they happened to look in his mouth. For underneath Silver's hearty black mustache was a mouth filled to the brim with razor sharp teeth.

"Hey I'm not complaining about an easy job. However, Silver my man, I still have my suspicions." Gold said while he lit up a cigarette. Silver sighed and cracked a window.

"You know, for somebody who is supposed to be part fish, you sure love poisoning those lungs of yours. Dear Monty I don't know how you can stand the smell." Silver said as he covered his mouth with a cloth. Gold just shrugged and blew some of the smoke towards his comrade.

"And for someone who is half hyena you sure could lighten up." Gold chuckled, Silver just rolled his eyes and returned to his duties. "Anything interesting?" Gold asked him as he got up from his seat and walked towards the window. Silver just shook his head.

"Besides his new pet nothing extraordinary. I didn't even know grimm could be domesticated." Silver said as he continued to watch Allen through a crack in the window sill. Gold shrugged and scanned over the boy.

"I know it's possible. Adam and Cinder's boss, what was her name again? Salem? Yeah that's it. I know for a fact that she has a few pets of her own that happen to be grimm. However, if my eyes don't betray me that crow looks like it is fresh out of the wild. Logically speaking at this point that thing should be clawing his eyes out by now."

"Apparently near the beginning of this tournament there was a grimm mass suicide. You hear about that?" Silver asked him. Gold pinched his nose and shook his head.

"Can't say I have. We don't get much news down where I live."

"Garbage, I've seen your house. That T.V. is on day and night. You are just too damn lazy to sit and watch it."

"What can I say? That stuff just bores me." Gold shrugged. Silver sighed and cracked a smile before returning to his duties.

"That boy sure has one strange umbrella as well. If I'm not mistaken didn't he use it in the tournament?" Gold craned his neck at Silver's question.

"Do you think its his weapon?" Gold asked. Silver shook his head.

"That thing just seems to be a regular umbrella. I've seen Neo's umbrella once before, that was a hunter's weapon. What that kid has doesn't even come close." He was about to continue, but sadly luck wasn't on his side that morning. "Ah crap grab your things. Our mark just walked back inside." Silver said as he put on his coat. "Any idea when that little news broadcast is going to go live?" He asked Gold.

"If I'm not wrong it should be soon. Probably within the next two to three hours." Gold answered as he took another hit from his cigarette. "We should make it back in time to see it. I would hate to miss out on something the boss worked so hard on."

"Well then let's get this over with. His walk shouldn't extend past breakfast if our intel is correct. Apparently this boy loves to eat." Silver told his comrade as he walked out the door.

"I sure hope so. Oh yeah and remember to put your scroll on silent this time Silver. Last time it rang we had to kill our mark, and I'm pretty sure the bosses don't want him dead quite yet."

"Yeah yeah." Click. "There, problem solved."


Ruby

"Yawn~ Ah what a beautiful morning!" Ruby said as she jumped out of her bed with a childlike fervor. She slept quite soundly, so much so that it seemed like she had awoken a bit early. All of her teammates were still fast asleep, and it looked like the sun had just started to peak over the trees. "Hmmm... What should I do?" Ruby wondered as she stared at her clock. Yang and her other teammates would still be asleep for at least another hour or two. So what should she do to pass the time? After getting dressed Ruby opened up one of her dorm's window. The cool morning breeze gave her a refreshing burst of energy and filled the room with the faint scent of the forest. "Maybe I could take Zwei out for a walk before everyone wakes up?" Ruby wondered. However, even Zwei was still asleep. Ruby sighed and stared out the window. It was then that she noticed Allen walking out of the dorm building.

Allen? She thought. Oh he must be taking a walk around campus. Ruby thought for a moment and snapped her fingers. The timing was absolutely perfect. Quick as a bee Ruby grabbed her coat and headed towards the door. With a skip and a quiet click she was outside of the building and walking towards Allen. "Hey!" Ruby yelled as she jogged up to him.

"It looks like I wasn't the only one who woke up a tad early. Did you sleep well Ruby?" Allen asked her with a warm and charming smile.

"Yes I did, thanks for asking." Ruby said before walking up next to him. "Do you mind if I join you?" Ruby asked him. Allen just smiled and shook his head.

"No not at all, go right ahead." Allen said. Ruby couldn't help but crack a grin as she accompanied Allen towards the courtyard. The early morning air was still damp with dew, and every so often a cool breeze would glide through the campus. The two walked together in pleasant silence for a while before Ruby decided to drum up a conversation.

"So when did you get that little golden bird?" Ruby asked him.

"Oh do you mean Timcampy?" Allen asked her as he pointed to Cross's golem. "When I first started training to be a hunter my mentor entrusted this little guy to me. Isn't that right Tim?" Allen said before turning to Ruby. "Would you like to hold him?"

"Oh no I'm sure he wouldn't like me." Ruby said as she shook her hands.

"Ah nonsense, you don't mind do you Tim?" Allen asked the golem. In response Timcampy flew over and roosted in Ruby's hair.

"Hehe~ His little feet tickle." Ruby giggled as they turned towards the tournament arena. What would soon be swarming with people was now completely empty and silent. Ruby took a deep breath of the refreshing morning air and looked at the sun. If her intuition was correct they had about an hour before people started to rouse. It was around this point that Ruby found herself stuck. Here she was in the perfect position to make a move on Allen, but she couldn't think of anything to say. After thinking for a few moments in silence she gave up. All she wanted to do now was just enjoy the moment.

"Uh hello Ruby? Are you all right?" Allen said as he waved a hand in front of her eyes. Ruby immediately snapped back into reality and blushed. She must have been thinking for a bit longer than she thought.

"Oh sorry about that!" Ruby squeaked as she patted her cheeks in a useless effort to remove their rosy red blush. Ruby sighed and turned her focus back to Allen. "So what should we do now? We still have an hour and we've walked all around campus."

"I don't know. What do you want to do Ruby?" Allen asked her. Ruby pondered for a moment before snapping her fingers.

"Oh I know! Here follow me." Ruby squealed with glee as she grabbed hold of Allen's hand with an iron-like grip. A few seconds after Allen swore yesterday's dinner was about to reveal itself. Ruby sure could run, a few more horrifyingly fast moments later Ruby had arrived at their destination. It was a simple tree by the launching platforms that overlooked the forest. The long grasses that grew around it swayed in the breeze; and there was a slight nook in the base that was perfect to sit in. "Okay here we are!" Ruby said, she was positively giddy and full with energy; however, in her stupor she forgot to let go of a certain someone's hand.

"Ruby please... My hand is about to fall off..." Allen mumbled, he swore his ears almost popped. When Ruby noticed that she was still holding Allen's hand her face exploded into a vibrant dark red. However, that didn't last long and her face soon turned to its original pale color. Luckily Allen didn't seem to care about his nearly broken wrist and just laughed it off.

"So was this the place you wanted to show me?" Allen asked her. Ruby just nodded and sat down into the nook at the base of the tree.

"Yeah, I usually come here when I want to relax. The large tree roots provide protection from the weather and rain, plus the view from this position is incredible." Ruby smiled and moved over so Allen could sit down. However there was a slight problem...

"Kind of a tight fit but I don't mind." Allen said as he squeezed in next to Ruby. Ruby nearly slapped herself, of course there wouldn't be enough room. Allen, being the gentleman he was, tried to make sure she got more than enough room. However, that just made it all the more awkward for her.

"Well this wasn't what I was expecting..." Ruby mumbled out loud.

"Why is that?" Allen grunted, Ruby sighed as she watched the boy contort himself to give her enough room. "Ow! Hey stop that you guys." Ruby looked up and giggled when she saw Timcampy playfully tugging on Allen's hair. That giggling soon exploded into full blown laughter when Thrain joined in as well.

"Oh just come here." Ruby said as she grabbed Allen and pulled him next to her. "I know that's uncomfortable. Don't worry, I don't mind sharing my little tree spot." Ruby said as she leaned on Allen's right shoulder. It wasn't much, but Ruby swore she saw Allen blush a little bit; however, that was nothing compared to what her cheeks were colored. Thank Monty that Allen was still busy dealing with Timcampy and Thrain. She and Allen watched as the forest started to awaken, the trees in the distance began to rustle as Ursa rubbed up against them. The chirping of birds began to get louder and louder, and soon the two eventually heard a few students begin to exit their dorm rooms.

"Well I think that's our cue." Allen said as he got up from his spot. Ruby pouted a little bit when he left her side, Allen's warm shoulder was a nice compliment to the frigid morning air. After a few more moments of pouting Ruby got up and dusted herself off. "Shall we go and wake the others?" Allen asked her.

"Of course." Ruby said with a smile as the two began to walk back towards their dorm building.

"By the way Ruby do you know what you guys have planned for us huntsmen today?" Allen asked her to no reply. "Uh Ruby?" Allen turned to ask her, but he stopped when he noticed a little bit of mischief in her eyes.

"I'm not telling~" Ruby giggled. Allen was starting to sweat now. He knew Yang had something planned.

Nothing like a good ol' blast of hellfire to get the day going right Allen? Judging by her eyes I can tell that those huntresses came up with something good last night. Good luck. Allen rolled his eyes at his uncle's comment and sighed. Why did he have a feeling this was going to be a long day.


Thirty minutes later...

"Did you sleep well sis?" Ruby asked Yang as she walked into the cafeteria. Ruby and the others were already there, most of them were halfway through breakfast by the time Yang sat down. Yang yawned and rubbed her eyes.

"I never was a morning person..." She mumbled as she got a bowl of cereal and some coffee. "How do you two do it? We all stayed up till the same time." Yang asked Weiss and Blake.

"Who knows? Maybe we're just better sleepers?" Weiss said. Although that didn't really say much. One could tell at a glance that all three of them were still very tired. "Honestly though we aren't the ones you should be asking for sleep advice. Pyrrha is definitely the champion in that subject." While they were busy talking Sun poked Allen's shoulder, apparently he had something to say.

"What's up?" Allen whispered.

"Jaune just told me that Pyrrha was busy texting Yang and the others all night about something. We better get ready, according to him it sounded really bad. Did Road tell you anything?" Allen shook his head.

"No, and why would she?" Sun rolled his eyes and went back to chatting with Neptune. "Do you know who is fighting tomorrow? I heard that some of the smaller universities are here, I wouldn't mind seeing some new faces." Neptune shook his head. They might be on break but it was still important to know who was fighting. After all this was a bracket tournament, you had to be prepared to fight anyone.

"Check the news. They're doing a segment on it right now as a matter of fact." Sun slightly shifted his eyes to where Neptune was pointing. A holographic screen had the national news on, three newscasters were sitting around a table discussing the tournament. The focus seemed to be on the more recent matches.

"That hunter from signal did great yesterday, it really shows how far the faunus have come in just a few years."

"Yes I agree. His name is Jose and he is very open about growing up in a city slum. Young people, especially young faunus children, could really use a boy like this as inspiration. The style and grace he used when fighting his opponents is simply stunning."

"This tournament is really filled with a lot of young and inspiring huntresses and huntsmen. Teams like RWBY and JNPR are really showing off the value of teamwork; while others like SSSN show off a flashy flamboyance that we haven't seen before."

"Well look at that Sun, they also think you're annoying." Blake said to a round of laughter.

"Ouch." Neptune winced as he patted his friends back.

"It's official ladies. We've gone platinum." Yang said as she clenched her fist with a revived surge of energy. Ruby, who was sitting to her left, cheered at their victory. They were finally being recognized for their skills.

"Father will be proud." Weiss mumbled with a happy smile adorning her lips.

"All of those teams deserve to be where they are. RWBY, JNPR and SSSN all have amazing track records of great deeds they have done in the past. Just a few months ago RWBY was almost solely responsible for taking down a major White Fang attack."

"However, you can't just focus on those three teams Dan. There are a few others that seem to have become fan favorites."

"You must be talking about AJWR."

"Yes, those four are apparently rookies who just arrived at Beacon a few months ago. However, in such a short time span all four of them managed to hone each of their semblance's into something amazing. The leader of the team Allen Walker showed an amazing amount of strength for someone his age, relying mostly on his aura's powers to fight. All in all it seems like this tournament is going to get quite interesting come the final rounds."

"Ugh I wish they didn't add that part." Allen said as he picked at his food. All this attention he was getting didn't suit him. The news was painting him as some inhuman warrior, already hardened by the fires of battle in his youth. It didn't help that the head news anchor looked extremely untrustworthy, Allen knew those eyes. That man had eyes just like Cross...

"Is something wrong Allen?" Road asked him. Her words gained the attention of Wisely and the twins who were sitting nearby. Allen smiled when he saw their worried faces; they may not act like it, but he knew they all cared deeply about those in their family.

"What's up idiot apprentice? Do you have a tummy ache?" Devit jeered. "It wouldn't be good for us if our leader got sick, do you need to go to the doctor or something?" Allen shook his head.

"No. I just don't trust that news anchor, he looks shady like Cross." At the mention of his old master the twins quickly swirled around to stare at the screen.

"So there are some things we can agree on. That guy has the exact same eyes. God just looking at him makes me want to kill something." Devit slammed his fist onto the table. "Those types of guys deserve a good bullet or two. Ain't that right Jasdero?" The second of the twins just nodded his head, Jasdero was just too busy glaring at the screen to care.

"Don't get any ideas you two. I don't fancy spending the night in prison." Wisely said from his spot next to the twins. "Huh, what's going on?" Wisely asked out loud. Allen checked around the cafeteria and saw that everyone was staring at the same holographic screen.

Huh? Did something happen at the tournament today? Neah wondered.

I don't know, did something happen during a match? Allen turned back to the news screen and finally found what everyone was freaking out over. Huge massacre in the forest, hundreds dead? Allen thought as he read the news text scroll. What could be going on?

"This just in! A White Fang base has been discovered to be completely destroyed!" A few cheers arose in the cafeteria when everyone started watching.

"Good riddance, was it the military? It's nice to know that they are finally doing something." Said one of the voices.

"Why is this even breaking news? The anchor seems to be worried about something, but why would somebody care about a White Fang base being destroyed?" A faunus girl from Signal asked.

"Police have found evidence that this compound functioned as a holding ground for hostages. According to their report, this compound housed relatively few White Fang members. The majority of the people present were, as I said, hostages. Among those imprisoned by the terrorist group were various missing politicians, police personal, missing citizens, apparently even some missing children were reported to be kept there. However, no evidence of the whereabouts of the hostages have surfaced." The anchor man said.

"Do you think the hostages were just let go?" Asked the faunus anchor. "Oh wait!" The anchor said as she held her earpiece. "We're getting some new information! The police just released a video from one of their drones. Apparently the drone managed to capture the cause of the destroyed base. Be warned I'm being told that this video is extremely graphic, viewer discretion is advised."

"What do you think they found Weiss?" Ruby asked her teammate.

"I don't know. What about you Blake, do you have any ideas?" Weiss asked, but Blake just shook her head. The three huntresses turned their attention back to the screen as the drone's blurry footage started playing. It didn't take long for any of them to identify the area in the video. "That's Emerald Forest!" Allen rubbed his head, why did he have a bad feeling?

The video opened up with a simple panorama of the forest, after about a minute or two of flying the drone finally arrived at its destination. It was a large compound hidden in the trees, the White Fang logo was printed on the side of the building; and as the drone got closer and closer to the building they saw something peculiar. It was a White Fang patrol, nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary. That is until a strange man dressed in black started sneaking up behind them.

"Who is that?" Yang asked her teammates, but all of them just shrugged. They all could easily recognize the White Fang uniform, but the man in black was a mystery to them. It wasn't until they saw what was on the man's face did they know something was seriously wrong. The whole cafeteria went silent when they saw it, the mask of an Ursa. However, it wasn't just any Ursa mask. It was the mask of an Ursa chief. A terrifying beast that only the most skilled hunters were permitted to take on, and that man in black was wearing one of those abominations mask. The room went silent as a corpse when they saw the man quickly dash up to the group of White Fang soldiers. In just a few seconds all four of them lay dead, each brutally killed by the man in black. Allen swore he heard someone gag, actually, that might have been him.

Are you okay Allen? I'd understand if you weren't, this is bad. Neah tried his best to console his nephew, but Allen just shook it off. He knew he had to watch the news segment in its entirety, something didn't feel right...

"Wow." Allen heard one of the anchor's say. Two of the newscasters were in shock at what they were seeing; however, one wasn't shocked at all. In fact the man was calm. Allen put that thought aside and returned his focus to the video of him destroying the White Fang base. The video was now a bird's eye view of the compound; every once in a while the drone would zoom in to look through a window. Every time they would see a corpse, or a soon to be corpse pressed up against the window. What surprised Allen was the lack of detail. He recognized every person they showed, each one of them he knew were associated with the White Fang. However, the news seemed to be portraying them as hostages. What could be going on? Suddenly the drone stopped and zoomed out, what happened next caused everyone in that cafeteria to shudder.

"What the hell?!" Allen heard Sun yell as he watched the man in black jump clear through the base's ceiling. The huntsman stopped yelling when he saw the dark ball of energy forming in the masked man's hand; and when the man threw that ball everyone went crazy.

"Who in Remnant is that guy?! He destroyed an entire base with one move! What in the world did he even use?!" Neptune said as he stood up in shock.

"As you can see that White Fang base is no longer here. That man in black, whoever he is, destroyed the entire compound. However, the police are telling us to not write this man off as some hero. For along with that base went the hundreds of hostages."

"No reports have been made to the whereabouts of the hostages trapped in the building. The police have therefore assumed that, along with the members of the White Fang, the masked man killed all the hostages as well." Allen was starting to get a headache. He knew for a fact that there were no hostages in that building, or at least none that he saw, the only people he killed were members of the White Fang. "With the tournament currently in progress the police are treating this as an act of national terror. According to their report, the number of hostages in the building far outweighed the number of White Fang soldiers. The terrorist in the video has been placed on the wanted list for mass murder. The Vale government has offered a sizable reward of ten million Lien to anyone who has information pertaining to the masked terrorist. I repeat. The Vale govern-" Allen didn't get the chance to watch the end of the broadcast. As he was suddenly dragged away by a strong pair of hands.

"Hey! What's the deal?!" Allen yelled, but he stopped when he saw that it was the twins who were dragging him. In front of the twins were Wisely and Road, everyone had a solemn expression etched onto their faces.

"We need to talk." Wisely said as the group stealthily exited the cafeteria. Nobody seemed to notice their absence, for everyone was too busy talking about the recent 'terrorist' attack to care. In a matter of seconds the group was outside. The air was still and oddly cool, fitting considering what just happened. The twins let Allen down on some steps before they sat down on some nearby benches.

"Jesus! You're a heavy bastard aren't you?" Allen rolled his eyes at Devit's comment and instead opted to stare at the floor.

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that. I'm sure you all know what that was." Allen asked the group. Wisely rolled his eyes.

"Of course we knew that was you. You're the only person with those powers, plus you already told us your story."

"But man! To see it in live action! You really massacred those soldiers and hostages didn't you?" Devit chortled from his spot on the ground.

"There weren't any hostages! I know that for a fact!" Allen yelled as he pressed his thumbs together. Road smiled and gave Allen a hug.

"It's okay Allen. This is just part of growing up, every noah has to kill. You just happened to get some innocents in your crossfire." Allen sighed and shrugged Road off.

"That's not it! I knew that everyone there was absolute scum. I could feel it." Allen mumbled, why was that news station so persistent about there being hostages. Allen knew that there weren't any, and that drone's camera angles were just too convenient.

"Do you think someone's trying to set you up?" Wisely asked Allen. "This seems like a common tactic we used back on earth, we'd fabricate news and use it against allies of the Black Order. One scandal there, one extra body here, it was actually quite effective."

"But why would a news station try to sympathize with the White Fang? They're a terrorist group, trying to write off the destruction of a major base as a bad thing just seems odd. Unless..." Allen stopped.

"Unless someone who is connected to the White Fang is pulling the strings." Road finished his sentence. "I know people, I can tell what they're thinking. My instinct is telling me that someone is trying to paint you as the villain Allen; and that is unacceptable! As the Millennium Earl you should be doing that to them! Otherwise it's just no fun."

"That... doesn't really make me feel any better." Allen sighed and clutched his chest. His heart was beating quite quickly now. At this point he knew what this feeling meant. His inner noah wanted to come out. It wanted to fight. It wanted to kill. Wisely chuckled when he saw Allen clutch his forehead, the stigmata were already starting to appear.

"So even the Earl can't control his blood lust. How quaint." Wisely walked over and plopped down next to Allen. "If you want Allen we can go talk to that anchor."

"What?" Allen grunted as he tried to suppress his urges. Wisely smiled and pointed to the center of his forehead.

"Road may have her instincts, but I have my all seeing eye; and let me tell you that anchor, I think his name was Dan, he is far from an innocent soul. I knew you felt it as well didn't you?" Allen went silent at his words, he knew something was off about that anchor.

"Do you think he's connected with the White Fang?" Allen asked.

"I can't say for certain. However, it's a definite possibility." Wisely smiled, "but... I don't think the monster inside of you cares at this point does it?" Allen chuckled, honestly he couldn't agree more. Maybe it was just the noah talking, but Allen knew. He knew that anchor had something. Road and the twins smiled when the heard him giggling.

"There's the Earl I know and love! So what? Are we going to pay this anchor a visit?" Devit said with clenched fist.

"My pistols locked and loaded!" Jasdero yelled with glee. Road smiled and gave Allen another hug.

"This is amazing! You're actually accepting the noah inside of you Allen!" Road squealed as the stigma on Allen's forehead started to get bigger. They could all tell, Allen wasn't fighting his calling.

"If this keeps up we'll have to leave soon. After all I'm sure none of us want to blow our cover quite yet." Allen said with a massive grin now adorning his face. "I think I still have that mask somewhere, Jasdevi, can you make copies?" Allen asked.

"If it means we can actually shoot something I can make anything you want boss man." Allen's grin grew even wider as a plan started to sprout in his head.

You have an idea dear Nephew? Neah asked him.

I've definitely got something. Allen thought as he lifted Lero up. "Well Lero. Are you willing to go into battle my friend?"

"Hell yes! We'll crush any who dare to provoke the noah family with an iron fist!" Lero said as he happily squirmed around in his hand.

"Well then. We should get going soon. We're wasting too much daylight talking." Allen said as he stared at the horizon over the forest trees. However, something stopped him from continuing when he looked a bit closer at one of the trees.

"Is something wrong Allen?" Road asked him. Allen just shook his head and pointed at the tree he was looking at.

"No. In fact this is good. Some rats just wandered straight into a den of lions. They may know where we can find our anchor." Road turned and looked over to where Allen was pointing. When she saw the two silhouettes hiding in the shadows her mouth morphed into a monstrous grin. "Ooh, they look fun. Can I play with one of them?" She asked Allen as the two silhouettes hopped out of the tree.

"I don't know. Why don't we ask them in person?"


"Ah hell... I think they saw us Silver."

"I think so too. Hurry up and get on the ground, it looks like we have to run." Sadly for the two of them, they couldn't run. A group of monsters already had their sights on them, and it wouldn't be long till they were caught. They were like rodents running from a pack of hungry wolves. They were trapped. The two may not have sensed it, but the shadows of the forest were starting to close in on them. The grimm were ready to follow their master. The forest awaits.


Guess who is back and ready to write? Me baby! I hope you are all ready cause the next chapter is going to be action packed! I've already started an outline for it and it should be out some time within the summer. For those of you who don't like the pairings well... why have you read this far if you don't? I've gotten some feedback from people who say they want to see more grimm in the story. Well don't worry you guys because the grimm are coming. The next chapter is going to be worth it I promise. Again I am so sorry about the long waits. Do know that I am going to keep writing this story. I am not dead, I'm just a slow writer.

I'm sorry I focused so much on the pairings during this chapter. I just had to get those scenes out of the way before I could get to the action, and here it comes! The next chapter will feature some full blown noah Allen action. I hope you guys are ready, its time for Remnant's family of noah to make its first move.

P.S. Have a good day and please review! Every review makes me feel a little bit better!

I hope you all have an amazing day, or night, or whenever you read this. Please R and R, and I will see you guys in the next chapter of Beacon's Exorcist!

Chapter 13: The Lies of a False Prophet.