Chapter 25: Fitting In

The next day, classes began. The schedules were changed a bit due to Toriel and Asgore becoming teachers. Toriel now taught monster types and abilities, and Asgore now taught monster history. He and Oobleck got along quite well, sharing history with each other. During lunch hour, teams RWBY and PAUS sat and talked about the tournament.

"I can't wait to see everyone's fighting style!" Ruby said.

"I thought you were going to say 'I can't wait to see everyone's weapons.'" Yang joked.

"Well, that too." Ruby said, blushing slightly.

"Hey guys, mind if I sit here?" Kerási asked.

"Sure." Yang said.

"What are you guys talking about?" Kerási asked.

"We were just talking about the tournament. Probably isn't something you're going to compete in." Sans said.

"Yeah, not my cup of tea." Kerási chuckled.

"Figures. Think the twins will compete?" Sans asked.

"Maybe, though they might not get in due to..." Ruby said.

"Yeah, Eric has quite the reputation." Yang said.

"Might be for the best." Weiss said. "I mean, he might cause some commotion at the tournament."

"I see where you're going with this, but that doesn't mean-" Undyne said.

"Guys, we need to talk." Eric said.

Everyone turned to see the twins with serious expressions. "What? You look like you're on a government mission." Yang said.

"This is serious. You remember the renegade unit we mentioned yesterday? He's awakened." Eric said.

"And he's intent on killing us for taking his glory. He can hold a grudge like you wouldn't believe." Kieta said.

"So basically take out this guy if we see him? Sounds easy." Yang said.

"It's not that easy. He can vanish from sight and can kill you without even knowing where he is. And after five years, God knows how strong he is now. So if you see him, do not fight him. You don't stand a chance against him. Not even the most powerful sensors could track him." Eric said.

"And he wields a power beyond any other. He can control Grimm through fear. His aura is stronger than almost anyone's, and his semblance allows him to travel through dimensions. Though, he has his weaknesses. He's vulnerable in this dimension, so if we can deactivate his enhancements, we can beat him." Kieta explained.

"So just disable his Bluetooth to dimensions and we got him? Well, easier said than done." Sans said.

Eric and Kieta nodded and went to get some food, sitting at an empty table. Well, it wasn't empty when they got there.

"I'm sure they'll fit in soon." Ruby said.

"You're an optimist, I'll give you that kiddo." Sans said.

The bell rang and they went to their next class, monster history. After a few minutes, Asgore began. "Good afternoon, students. Welcome to Monster History. To begin, please open your books to page two. Many years ago, even before my time, monsters and humans lived together in harmony. One day, war broke out between the two. This war was called 'the War of Ebott.' For that name, it mainly took place on Mt. Ebott. Soon, the monsters were defeated, sealed underground by seven of the humans' greatest dust users. The monsters then made their way through the underground, settling in the Ruins."

Asgore went on explaining how monsters lived their lives in the underground. Ruby was pretty much one of the only people that understood this, along with team PAUS. The majority had no idea what Asgore was talking about.

"Now then, any questions?" Asgore asked, several hands going up.

"Sir, how did the monsters become so easily overwhelmed?" One of the students asked.

"Good question. You see, it is based on the souls. Monster souls are much weaker than human souls. Although, that doesn't make monsters entirely vulnerable to humans. Next question." Asgore said.

"Why did the war start?" Kerási asked.

"Ah, yes. Even I do not know the real reason why the humans declared war, but I do have some guesses. It might have been because they knew how weak the monsters were. Or, it might have been they feared the monsters from what they can do." Asgore said.

"And that is?" Kerási asked.

"Should a monster fell a human, they can absorb their soul, becoming stronger than any being. The humans most likely feared that a monster would take a human's soul, thereby sealing them underground to prevent that disaster." Asgore said.

Ruby remembered the drawing of the being that was in the Waterfall. She remembered being curious and slightly scared of the drawing.

"And so, that concludes class today. Read over pages nine and ten and have a good day." Asgore said.

"Seems like the big guy is really doing a good job." Undyne said.

"Yeah, I wonder if Toriel is having as much luck." Ruby said.

They went to the monster types and abilities class and saw Toriel writing some stuff on the whiteboard. "Hello, class. Welcome to Monster Types and Abilities. As some of you may know, humans are made up mostly of water. Monsters are instead made mostly of magic. This explains their strange characteristics and abilities. Some monsters use this magic as a weapon to fight, others use it to build and make art. If you will open to page three, you will see that monsters come in all sorts of forms and have countless attacking styles. However, monsters have a sort of... Achilles Heel. The less they want to fight, the weaker they become. The same also goes for humans, but it is less noticeable. Anyway, monster attacks can vary from natural attacks to summoning. Now, any questions?"

"Mrs. Dreemurr, how do monsters use the magic they possess?" Pyrrha asked.

"That is a complicated subject, which we will discuss at a later time. Excellent question, however." Toriel said.

"Mrs. Dreemurr, what happens to a monster once they die? Does the magic leave their body, or..." Jaune asked.

"That, too, is a great question. When a monster dies, they turn to dust, and for their funerals, some call kind of cool. They spread the dust of the monster on their favorite item. Discussion of this topic will also be brought up later. Now then, some of you may know that I can use my magic to create fire." Toriel said, making her point by making a ball of fire dance in her palm. "Some humans might mistake this for my semblance. However, my semblance is not fire magic. In fact, fire magic is a common occurrence in monsters. Example: Papyrus, will you come up?"

Papyrus got up and walked to the front.

"Now, I understand that, since you are a skeleton, you use your magic to summon bones to attack. Demonstrate." Toriel said.

"Yes, Mrs. Dreemurr." Papyrus said, more formal than usual. He lifted his hand and a bone came from the ground, everyone awing at his ability.

"This is not, however, his semblance. It is simply his magic working. Though, monsters do not have an infinite supply of magic. You may be seated, Papyrus. Monsters take time to regenerate their magic. If they use it too quickly, it'll wear them down. I'm afraid that's all the time we have for the day, so read over section 1.2 and be ready to answer some questions. Class dismissed." Toriel said.

"Toriel also seems to be teaching well. Looks like all that time preparing payed off." Undyne said.

"Yeah! I got to show off my magic stuff!" Papyrus said.

Everyone chuckled and went to their next classes.

[two hours later, in the Emerald Forest]

Eric and Kieta were now searching the forest for Gira. They noticed a lack of Grimm in this area and stopped, Eric drawing Space Maker and Kieta drawing her weapon, Dimension Splitter, two katanas with black blades and purple hilts, able to combine to become a dual bladed katana. They narrowed their eyes and Kieta swung behind her, hitting an invisible blade.

"Hmph. Keen as ever." The invisible target smirked. He became visible to show the twins their man. "No point being invisible when you know where I am anyway."

"Gira. We don't want any trouble. We just came to talk." Eric said.

"Then why bring weapons? Seems like a very unwelcoming talk." Gira said.

"We knew you would try to kill us first. Please, just let us talk." Kieta said.

"You think a little chat will be enough to make me back down and not destroy everything you love? You are children." Gira snarled.

"What do you even have against us? Taking your glory? Getting what you deserve?" Eric asked.

Gira then laughed maniacally. "You fools. I have nothing against you. I just want to kill you for the hell of it. It's boring killing Grimm. They possess no brain at all. But humans, oh humans. They are a true challenge. Especially robotically enhanced ones, like you two. Now do me a favor and die." With that last sentence, he lunged forward, their swords clashing and creating sparks that flew everywhere. Eric knew Gira would eventually overwhelm them, even though there were two of them. He knew not to underestimate Gira, so he never let his guard down for a second.

Kieta, however, was not as fortunate. Gira mainly attacked her, wearing her down. Soon, she grew fatigued, giving Gira a chance, and lunged at her, slicing her thigh. She yelled in pain and slashed at Gira, who leaped out of the way. She checked her leg to see it was bleeding badly. Gira then took her by the arm and sliced at her robot half, damaging many of her components.

"Kieta!" Eric yelled, slamming Gira away. He checked her to see she was bleeding both blood and sparks, and he knew they needed to get out of here. "Kieta, don't use your ability. You'll just speed it up. It's going to be okay."

"Oh no you don't. You will not escape me!" Gira roared.

Eric looked at him with pure hate. "Not today, bastard." Eric snarled, flying back to Beacon, not fast enough to cause Kieta too much pain. He knew he could hear Gira yelling and cursing at them.

He landed at Beacon and saw Kieta was worse than he though. Teams RWBY and JNPR saw them and rushed to them. "Eric! Kieta! What-" Ruby said.

"Shut up! Shut up and help me! She's dying! Please help me!" Eric yelled.

Yang helped Eric carry Kieta to the medical wing along with Pyrrha tearing off part of her cloth and wrapping around Kieta's thigh, trying to slow the bleeding.

Soon after they reached the wing, Yang and Pyrrha went back, mainly due to Eric's insisting on them leaving him be. He sat next to Kieta, waiting. The heart monitor stayed steady fortunately, making Kieta only unconscious. Soon, Ruby came in with a plate of food. "Eric? Do you want some food? You haven't eaten in a while." Ruby asked.

"No. Please leave me alone." Eric said in a monotone voice.

"Eric, this isn't healthy for you. Please, at least-" Ruby said.

"I said leave!" Eric shouted. Ruby flinched and looked at him with scared eyes. Eric sighed. "Sorry. I didn't mean to- please just go." Eric said.

Ruby sighed and went off, looking back at him before exiting.

Days went by, and Eric didn't move. He had grown more skinny due to him not eating anything.

"Kieta. Please, don't leave. I can't afford to lose you. You're all the family I have left." Eric said, tears streaking down his face. Then, he felt something touch his hand. "Ruby, how many times do I have to tell-"

"Eric, you're awfully skinny." A familiar voice said. Eric opened his eyes to see Kieta with her hand on his. "And are you crying? I didn't know you still cared."

Eric couldn't stop himself. He embraced his sister in a huge hug, crying heavily. "Kieta... I'm so happy you're alive." Eric sniffed.

Kieta hugged him back. "Good to be alive. Though, there's... something I need to tell you."

"What is it?" Eric asked, wiping the tears from his eyes.

"While I was out, I had a vision. It was about Gira. And Flowey. They both work for the White Fang." Kieta said.

Eric's joy suddenly turned to hate. "The White Fang. So that's it, huh? They want to take everything from me. I knew I should have killed Flowey when I could have."

"Eric, stop. If you pressure yourself too much, you'll just go right into their trap. You'll just make it easier for them to kill you." Kieta said.

Eric took several deep breaths. "Thank you. I'm alright now."

"Besides, you need to take a shower. You smell like a wet dog on a strict diet of crap." Kieta said, plugging her nose.

Eric sniffed his arm and his face scrunched up. "Wow, that is a sour smell. Alright, I'll take a shower."

"I'll stay here just in case I haven't fully healed." Kieta said.

"We should also repair your servos. That hit you took really did a number on them." Eric said.

"True. Alright, after I get out." Kieta said.

Eric chuckled and touched her forehead. "Rest easy for now. I think everyone will be on high alert for Gira, so don't worry about him coming."

That night, Eric got washed off and got some food. Well, some is an exaggeration. He basically had a Vegas style all you can eat buffet as a midnight snack. Soon, someone came to join him. "Got some cookies in there?" Ruby asked.

"Uh, yeah. Right here. Help yourself." Eric said, sliding a plate of cookies to Ruby.

"Good to see you walking around again." Ruby said, taking a few cookies.

"Kieta says I shouldn't worry about her and do something productive. Well, I might be paraphrasing." Eric chuckled.

"Well, at least she's alright. Also, Ozpin requested me to deliver a message to you." Ruby said.

"A message? About what?" Eric asked.

"He said he wanted you to come to his office once you got up." Ruby said.

"Oh boy. Hope I didn't do something wrong." Eric said, finishing his last pancake.

After washing off, he headed to Ozpin's office as requested. "Please come in, Eric." Ozpin said.

"Sir, I just want to say I did nothing wrong." Eric said.

"I know. That's not why you're here." Ozpin said.

"Then why did you bring me up here?" Eric asked.

"During the time you were... gone, I have been thinking. I have discussed with the other staff and they have agreed to keep surveillance on you at a minimum. As well, once your sister has fully recovered, we will announce you two as a team. However, I have one term." Ozpin said.

"And that is?" Eric asked.

"Actually, there is two. First, you must attend classes like the other students. And second, you must promise not to cause any panic on the school grounds. Though the staff are starting to trust you, the students may not trust you as much." Ozpin said.

"Very well. I accept your terms." Eric said.

Ozpin smiled. "Welcome to Beacon, then."

"I'm sure I'll enjoy my stay." Eric said. As he began to walk out, he remembered what Kieta told him. "Oh, and Ozpin. I think I should warn you of something. My sister had a vision. Gira and Flowey are working for the White Fang."

"I thought as much. Thank you for the information, Eric. You are excused." Ozpin said.

Eric nodded and exited. The next day, things were back to normal. Thankfully, Kieta healed enough to be able to walk around. Though, she spent most of her time in the workshop, fixing her arm. She did come out to have her meals though, so she wasn't entirely reclusive.

At lunch, Eric mostly sat with Ruby, since she was the one person who he really considered to be a friend. He didn't know why, but he felt like he could trust her.

"Eric, when did you become so social?" Yang joked.

"It's called 'maturing.' Maybe one day you'll experience it too." Eric joked.

"Hey, there's nothing wrong with being a bit of a kid sometimes." Yang defended.

"And by sometimes you mean every day?" Undyne asked.

"I see nothing wrong with that." Sans said.

"Thank you." Yang said.

"Hey, how's Kieta doing?" Ruby asked.

"She's doing fine, though she spends a lot of her time in the workshop. Gira really did a number on her servos. Half of her battle devices were damaged." Eric said.

"She's fine other than that, right?" Ruby asked.

"Oh yeah, she's still her. Childish and playful. Kind of like you." Eric said. 'Maybe that's why I've lightened up to Ruby.' Eric thought.

"So we have two Rubys walking around Beacon?" Sans said.

"Trust me Sans, by the end of the semester, we'll have an army of Rubys." Eric joked.

"That actually is terrifying." Undyne said.

"Yay! I'm feared!" Ruby cheered.

"I don't think that's something you should be proud of, kiddo." Sans chuckled.

"Well, for someone like her, it's a pretty impressive milestone." Eric said.

"Now you've given her something to brag about. Good job Eric." Yang said.

"How's it my fault?" Eric defended.

"'An army of Rubys.' 'Pretty impressive milestone.'" Yang said.

"What? I'm just saying, for someone her age it's pretty impressive." Eric said.

"He has a point." Papyrus said.

"Don't encourage him." Undyne said.

"The last thing we need is a new Ruby." Kerási joked.

"What's so wrong about cloning?" Eric asked.

"Not what I meant." Kerási sighed.

"If you ask me, though, cloning an army of Rubys could be pretty useful." Eric said.

"Guys, you're really weirding me out." Ruby said.

"I'm just saying you're a good fighter. And a good person in general." Eric said.

"Thanks, I guess." Ruby said.

"Now I'm sure you've been drinking last night." Yang joked.

"Well, I did have a ton of food last night. Maybe that has something to do with it." Eric shrugged.

"I didn't see anything that would make you drunk." Ruby said.

"Looks can be deceiving." Eric chuckled. "But don't worry, those cookies weren't drugged."

"How much did you eat last night?" Weiss asked.

"Um... as much food as an all you can eat buffet." Eric said, scratching the back of his head.

"Yeah, that explains it." Weiss sighed.

"It was a nice midnight snack though." Eric said.

"It looked more like a meal for a king." Ruby said.

"Did you take Asgore's lunch?" Sans joked.

"Maybe I did. There were some strange foods in there." Eric chuckled.

"So anyway, I hear that Muffet finally finished her cafe. I hear the food she makes there is better than any other cafe." Papyrus said.

"Who?" Eric asked.

"She's a spider monster. She had a fundraiser in the underground before the monsters were released." Ruby said.

"Oh, that one. Yeah, I tried her food once. She makes some pretty nice cider." Eric said.

"Agreed." Ruby nodded.

"Now I feel left out." Yang said.

"We should visit her sometime." Papyrus said.

"That does actually sound pretty nice." Undyne said.

"It would be nice to take a day to relax." Alphys said.

"Saturday then?" Ruby suggested.

"Sure! Maybe we can even get Asgore, Toriel and Asriel to come along!" Papyrus said.

"More friends, the merrier." Eric chuckled.

"Kiki, you want to join?" Ruby asked.

"Sure. It sounds like a killer cafe." Kerási said.

"Why would we want to go to a cafe that has killers?" Sans asked.

"Sans, please." Kerási sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

They all chuckled and left for their next class.

[BONUS SEGMENT, White Fang hideout]

"So, did they come?" Adam asked.

"Yes sir. I disabled Kieta but Eric got away with her. But Kieta shouldn't be able to use her ability for a while." Gira said.

"Good. Anything else to report?" Adam said.

"No sir." Gira said.

"Very well. You are dismissed." Adam said, waving off Gira. "And Flowey, I am sorry to say none of my men came back with a human soul."

"This was my worry. At this rate, my true form will never be unlocked. I'd rather go myself, but it would draw attention to me, and those brats at Beacon would come after me. Though I could handle them, I'd rather keep the fun for the big moment." Flowey said.

"Do not worry, Flowey. You will achieve your true form in due time. However, I have a plan for that moment." Adam chuckled.

"You mean when you awaken... I see. Very well, I shall leave this matter to you." Flowey said.

"In the end, Beacon shall be your throne. You will have all the human souls you could wish for." Adam said.

"No. Only seven will be enough. I have three right now, so only four more will do." Flowey said.

"Very well. I shall keep the souls until the big day." Adam said.

Flowey nodded and tangled into the ground. Adam continued to plan, writing down battle strategies and advantages they could use.

A/N

So it seems that our old buddy Adam is going to awaken two great forces. As well, it seems the cyborg renegade is fighting with the White Fang. How will our heroes deal with these new forces? And what awaits for them in the eventful battle? Stay tuned and find out!

With that out of the way, thank you for reading this far. Have a cookie. Unless you hate cookies. In that case, have something you like. Anyway, I love character development, so I dedicated this chapter to it. Sorry if I based this one too much on my own OC. I sometimes forget I have other OCs in this story. So sorry if you feel your OC isn't important, I'm trying to put them in when I can. My memory isn't the greatest. So thank you for your patience, and I will be trying to post regularly. That's all.