Not a ton of action in this chapter, but it's more of a wrap up. Though, you could consider some conversations pretty important and Ruby and friends trying to reason with Ironwood. That's always fun. Beta kept getting pulled away from being able to review, so this chapter was delayed for a couple of weeks. Not much you can do about stuff like that. As we do this for fun, real life responsibilities always take priority. I had to wait until other editors were free. That gap let me work on other stuff, so silver lining to everything. Quick responses to all the comments and then the fun.
D. : Yep, had to show case the power at least once before the final battle. Now we can let Cinder figure out how to defeat that.
calderoneric758: Nah, purely because of the fact I haven't figured out how his hand will react to touching her.
Shafin: I thought about using Last Order, but couldn't come up with a realistic plan of anyone letting her into the forest of Grimm. Nah, Emerald needs to be saved, so she can't get too injured yet.
Griefmore: Really, right now Touma's the only one who could fight him. Everyone else would just get reflected. None of them had anything special at the moment that could bypass normal vector reflection with unknown vectors.
BlueJack22: Well, not that much. Accelerator didn't turn Penny into Quarters.
BURRITO LOVER: If I did that, and I did consider it, her disguise would be blown and caused all sorts of other issues. This was the best way to let Cinder know what she was up against. When the time comes, I'll add another Omake.
Guest: Everyone would die and the city would explode there.
Kamijou Touma1: Yeah, but the scene needed a little bit of that. Poor Ruby, she loves the heroes. No matter how many times Touma tells her he's not a hero, after that fight, she won't believe him. I don't see Ruby taking notes, but more betrayed Weiss was secretly meeting Touma without her.
: Took a bit from Touma vs Accelerator in the novels, but added some twists due to who was there.
Takedo: Emerald has too many uses in the future, so I couldn't.
Boshwa: Ah, Teamwork and the power of friendship.
SandehBoi: That seems like a realistic conclusion. It's not like Penny can hide a missing arm from the General. Weiss and Ruby probably wouldn't tell them everything, but they would feel guilty lying.
SlothDGod: Penny is technically a golem though. Oh, Wellen is doing something, but he's being used.
FabledLife: Remember, he did test what Aura could do early on. And then he also destroyed Grimm like they were nothing. He doesn't usually hold back unless he knows for sure the people attacking him aren't serious. Well, if Accelerator want's a family, then wouldn't he need a wife? Someone who would love and cherish his adopted brats? Seems it would all work out. Don't forget too, Kamachi hates romance and doesn't want to focus too much on it. But because you swore at me, I kind of want to do it now.
Kuvukiland: Yeah, fanfic bugs and there's nothing I can do. I can only do something if it was my mistake. I actually thought I extended the fight a bit. I could have had Touma just knock sense into Accelerator right off the bat, but I had a multi round fight go. Maybe you liked it so much it just felt fast? Accelerator can easily win against Touma. All he has to do is go into the air and drop boulders on him. But he doesn't. The first time, he underestimated Touma, the second if was overcome by anger, the third he lost on purpose, and this time, again, overcome by emotion.
franco1234: I didn't want just a rehash and wanted to get the RWBY girls involved a bit. He had the white wings, but can't really access them now due to the weird dust healing and hormones throwing him off. Maybe once he settles he can get them. No Platinum, as nothing in Remnant could stop him at that point.
shiroryuu012: Poor, Penny. She gets blown up a lot doesn't she? Touma has plot armor called Imagine Breaker. I explored Ruby and Weiss talking about that a bit. Weiss barely had any conversations with Touma.
Don Orbit: Oh, God. I have to have Ruby tell Tai she's interested in someone. Then Tai talks to Qrow and tells him to make that kid have an accident. Then Qrow can explain he's tried, but the kids more misfortunate than he is. Good times. Wyvern is big bad boss later. Can't have him awake now. That wouldn't be as much fun. Though, maybe if Accelerator tore apart the Wyvern Grimm in front of Ironwood and Ozpin, that could be interesting.
Ozpin is lazy, I was implying that.
Emerald has too much potential to take out early. I want her to help draw some plot lines in the future. I could see Cinder trying to use Accelerator as a nuclear weapon. Touma and Adam are going to meet again for sure. I don't want to waste Adam's character like they did in the series. Accelerator will teach Cinder what a first class villain is. The ending is planned out and I know EXACTLY what's going to happen. And I'm pretty sure I know the two people who will come to Remnant to help. No spoilers though.
Ahsoei: Yeah, I'm also planning to mix them up. Maybe have Ruby and Accelerator talk while Weiss and Touma talk. Mix up how conversations go due to different people.
Temsen: Well, Tsune would do that lol.
Dracul666: Can't have everyone, or no surprises later.
WriterAdam: Man, everyone wants Emerald to get destroyed. She's only like she is because of Cinder. I could see Ironwood 'guarding' her to have some measure of control over Accelerator.
TykkiMikk: Emerald just needs to get Touma to protect her. Then she's untouchable. The only way to fight Accelerator is avoid him. That's going to be some major character development for Weiss and Accelerator. Weiss trying to get over the fear of Accelerator's power and Accelerator getting over the perceived betrayal of her pushing him away. It's what he was going for all along, but it hurt when it occurred outside of his planning.
Moongaze14: I could see that.
Ozilla: It's tough. He's not a bad guy, but he puts duty and survival of humanity over emotions. He will do what has to be done.
Mr. X: 1) Maybe later when he truly saves her and not just keeps her alive. 2) Nah, Ruby likes red. 3) I'm still far behind because NT has turned me off for several reasons. Never got around to finishing the last couple books. 4) I see him once every couple weeks.
Fernandamichelleraya: All we ever see with Neo is her beating people up and getting annoyed at Cinder. She also has some feelings for Roman. Everything else is speculation. Most people knew Touma would show up, I implied that, but I had to plan how to get the other girls to help him out. I was rather proud of myself at the end of that honestly. Been building Accelerator up to accept the RWBY cast, then see them react the same way as everyone, before Ruby comes over and shatters his illusions. (Haha.) Accelerator would refuse a harem. Too much work. He's fine with a small family. I'm going to try to have Accelerator have more personal time with others though. Getting him and Yang together to do something would be pretty fun, if not challenging to write.
Guest: Right now, Emerald doesn't know Touma stopped Accelerator, but later, she'll find out how strong that ordinary high school boy is.
G119: That Omake seems fun. Watching Touma get a crush on Winter and Weiss pointing out to the others it's only natural while Ruby, Blake, and Neo all get pissed.
Fran: Yeah, I try to explain things so anyone not too familiar with either show can still follow it. You aren't the only one who went and watched RWBY. We need more dragons, but if they show up too much, they lose impact.
BURRITO LOVER: No, I have 2 planned already. Two underused people who need the spot light.
Xeno01: I admit, it was a little cliché, but most people saw that coming. I just wanted to some cast of RWBY to get a glimpse at Accelerator's instability.
Stitches: Huh, a lot of people told me having Weiss helped out was really exciting. To each his own, I guess.
WSarcasm: The next time the dragon shows up, a lot of shit is going to go down. Maybe one escapes, who knows? Seeing his 'friends' fear him cut deep. Touma's power is unique, but funny enough, he would lose to any of the Beacon students who don't rely on a Semblance. Anyone with a gun could take him out. Yeah, Touma and Accelerator would be like, eh, okay? She's an android. Cool. What's for lunch? They would not care. James may not have the entire picture.
Untitled: No, actually. In railgun, artificial souls were experimented on by having a girl split her brain and using machines as the other half. Then they had two girls living different lives before putting the brains back together. They created a broken soul.
808Joker808: Fighting scenes are tough, honestly. You have to give enough details that people can picture it, but going too far ruins people's imagination. I had a lot of practice writing realistic relationships. Few people just see one person and boom, fall in love. That's silly. Accelerator might grow to like Yang just for her persistence.
WwEpsilonwW: They probably need a few more rounds. I like the order you listed.
Frannimations6: Adam will get punched for sure. But he won't be a wasted character. Seven times? Damn. That must have taken you a long time.
BoskiJelen: I tried to differentiate the fight between Accelerator and Touma a little.
Cthulhu-On-The-Moon: Got to take your time and enjoy it.
Disclaimer: I do not own Toaru Majutsu no Index or RWBY.
Last Order looked up from her book as she laid on Jaune's bed in Team JNPR's room.
She'd been having lots of fun with Nora, who possessed a seemingly unlimited amount of energy. They had gone on all sorts of fun adventures. Last Order got to watch Nora lift weights that were bigger than a fully grown person. How Nora could lift them was simply mind-blowing to the young girl. Last Order wasn't able to move the weights a single inch, even after pushing with all her might.
After that, she watched Nora and Ren spar. Ren was like a ninja. Every movement he made was fluid and precise as he dodged and weaved around Nora's attacks. However, Last Order understood that there was a more specific reason for all of the dodging, outside of it just being Ren's fighting style. Getting hit by a large war hammer, especially one wielded by someone like Nora wasn't something any rational person would want to experience if they could avoid it.
The thought scared Last Order as she really hoped no one would have to face the wrath of Nora's war hammer.
The combat drones she saw were pretty cool too. They weren't as advanced as Academy City's technology, but she knew she'd feel bad telling Nora and Ren about that, so Last Order pretended that she had never seen anything like them before. If Accelerator were there, he definitely would have mentioned it to them. Well, then again, he had mellowed out a lot, so maybe he would have just stayed silent about it. Last Order was proud of herself for teaching him interpersonal skills.
The best part of Last Order's day so far though, was being able to electrify the ginger Valkyrie with her ability—Under Ren's supervision, of course.
With how Nora's semblance converted the electrical energy into physical strength, the drones she practiced against were utterly annihilated. After a certain point, the only downside was that Nora was unable to convert all of the energy perfectly and seemed to feel some physical discomfort, something Ren was quick to point out. Luckily, with some trial and error, they figured out the maximum amount that Nora could take without hurting herself. It was both difficult and somewhat time-consuming, but Last Order found it rather fun and ended up having a blast with her two new friends.
Unfortunately, it was time to start studying.
Which, according to Nora's complaints when Ren dragged her back to their room, was more dangerous than any Grimm.
"How is it going? MISAKA asks as MISAKA reaches a good stopping point in her book."
"Learning this stuff is easy… Sitting down and writing about it, though? It's sooooo boring," Nora complained. "We're huntsmen and huntresses for crying out loud! We kill Grimm, not write newspapers!"
"We will still have to write reports after missions, Nora," Ren reminded her. "This teaches us to pay close attention to details because sometimes things like Grimm movements on missions are part of a bigger picture. Writing an incomplete report might lead to a town or village being attacked because we failed to write something down."
Last Order winced at Ren's words and it made the child think of all the repercussions that could happen when people fail to do their job. She was young, but she was being forced to grow up too quickly.
"…Right," The ginger quietly muttered before turning back and finishing the last few lines of her report.
Even a child like Last Order could tell that Nora didn't like the analogy, even if it did work extraordinarily well in quieting the normally hyperactive teen. She kept quiet about it though and let the two students finish their work. It was undoubtedly because she was nice, kind and thoughtful, and definitely not tired after following Nora for hours. Definitely not. Well, maybe a little.
Suddenly the door to the room swung open and Pyrrha stumbled in.
"Hey, Pyr—" Nora started before realizing the sight before her. "What happened to you!?"
There were bags under the girl's eyes, and she looked exhausted. Without even bothering to answer, she walked over to her bed and collapsed atop it, falling face-first onto her pillow. The poor girl looked like she had been to hell and back.
"That bad?" Ren asked.
"Mmmph…" Came a muffled response.
Ren and Nora turned and looked at each other while Last Order stared at the former four-time champion with confusion.
"Did you have a fun time with Neo? MISAKA asks as MISAKA jumps up from the bed."
Last Order had sparkles in her eyes as she was eager to know what Pyrrha's response would be.
Pyrrha let out another muffled groan.
"I take it that means no." Ren sighed. Nora moved to sit beside her fellow redhead, patting Pyrrha comfortingly on her back before asking her own questions.
"Did something bad happen? Did she give you any trouble?"
"No, it was nothing like that..." Pyrrha answered before pausing, somehow finding the energy to turn over and face her teammates. "It was just… exhausting. I enjoyed the company but I don't know if I could have dealt with her antics for much longer."
"I see. Touma did mention that handling her was tiring," Ren confirmed. "Were you two at least able to select your outfits for the dance?"
"Thankfully, yes." Pyrrha sat up before continuing, "The shop Neo found turned out to be rather nice. They had quite the selection to choose from."
"Ooh, can we see it?" Nora asked eagerly. Pyrrha chuckled slightly at the display.
"I'm sorry to say, Nora, but they're not quite done yet. Both our measurements were taken at the shop and our dresses are being custom fitted as we speak. The dresses were rather nice and we even managed to get a bit of a discount, so I'd say that we got quite a deal."
Her 'celebrity' status slipped into her mind which is what led her to say she got a discount.
"So then what happened?" Nora prodded, returning to the previous subject.
"Well, we all know that Neo can be rather… mischievous," Pyrrha started. "Nothing horrible!" She quickly raised her hands at Nora's scowl. "It's just that her pranks today got a bit out of hand…"
The girl slowly trailed off as she remembered the things that had occurred.
Pyrrha had been mortified. Even now, thinking of Jaune's form that Neo had shown everyone brought a slight tinge of pink to her cheeks. As hard as it was to admit to herself, let alone say it aloud, the staff had been right. There was a boy the champion wanted to impress. Even though having adults constantly give her advice that wasn't asked for, some of the ideas they gave her seemed to be very appealing.
Thankfully, after finally managing to compose herself from the sight Neo had displayed for all to see, she and the attendant from the store had managed to find the perfect dress. One that matched her hair's own shade of red. It was both modest enough that Pyrrha could wear it in public but form-fitting enough to turn heads while it also had a deep slit on the side, revealing her smooth skin and long legs. If none of that made Jaune look at her like a woman rather than a friend, then nothing would.
After finalizing the measurements for each of the girls' dresses, Pyrrha and Neo had left the store. Originally, Pyrrha had planned to go straight back to Beacon afterwards, but Neo had wanted to stop and get ice cream. It had seemed like an innocent enough request and Neo had been cooped up in Beacon for a while now, so, despite the previous actions of the girl, Pyrrha had let the little devil lead her towards the nearest ice cream parlor. Neo had apparently memorized the location of every single one in all of Vale.
If things had stopped there, then Pyrrha would have been fine.
The problem was, this was Neo they were talking about.
Neo didn't know when to quit.
A little girl at the shop recognized Pyrrha which led her to believe that it was just a misfortunate encounter. She would've believed it if she hadn't caught a glimpse of her reflection in the parlor's window. Glowing above her head in bright, neon-red writing was her name with arrows pointing down towards her.
Before any anger could leak out of her newly plastered smile, Pyrrha was surrounded by a mob of fans who leaped up as the child called out her name. She was suddenly forced to sign autographs and shake hands, though that was something she was used to by now. The worst part of the entire experience though was when Neo had disguised herself and snuck into the crowd. Thinking that the devil-in-disguise was just going to enjoy herself as a fan, Pyrrha was caught completely off guard when the girl had lunged forward and kissed her in front of everyone. Someone had even managed to snag a picture of the spectacle, and Pyrrha just knew that it would be making tomorrow's paper. "Pyrrha Nikos' Secret Girlfriend?" they would read. Even though no one would actually believe that Neo was her girlfriend due to the shock on Pyrrha's face in the photo, the gossip magazines and tabloids wouldn't care about such minor details.
"I must admit, I'm a little envious of how Touma is able to handle Neo's pranks." Pyrrha confided. "How does he do it? Does he ignore her?"
"No, MISAKA answers. If you ignore her, Neo will just increase the intensity of her pranks, MISAKA explains as MISAKA doesn't wish for that fate to fall upon you. It's best if you just act embarrassed by it and move on, that way Neo gets her laughs and can move on as well instead, Misaka finishes."
"I… I see." Pyrrha let out a sigh of relief. "I'm just glad she decided not to go any further then."
"Someone needs to teach her a lesson," Nora huffed.
"She does need to learn her actions have consequences." Ren sagely nodded his head in agreement before pondering for a moment. "Though she might already know them well based on where she comes from. The criminal underworld isn't kind, especially to people like herself. Neo probably knows exactly how far she can go without breaking her promise with Ozpin."
"So we're forced to deal with her pranks whenever she gets bored?" Nora asked, annoyance in her voice.
"Are they any worse than some of the ones you or Yang pull?" Ren asked with a small grin.
"Err… hehe." Nora giggled with a dumb smile as she lightly tapped her own head.
Pyrrha couldn't help but smile at the sight. Nora, too, liked to engage in the art of pranking. They were all mostly harmless, though there was a time when she made a mistake with some dust and accidentally blew up Jaune's chair. Yang helped her with some of the more ingenious pranks, which were more embarrassing in nature than they were destructive.
"Do any of you know where Jaune is?" Pyrrha asked, attempting to move past the topic of pranks while Nora was in a good mood. The last thing they needed was a prank war between Neo and Nora, especially since Yang would most likely join in. "He had something he wanted to talk to me about."
"I believe he said he was going to return a book from the library," Ren started. "After that, he said he was going to be in the training rooms if we needed him."
"Thank you, Ren." With renewed energy, the redheaded amazon stood from her bed. "In that case, I'm going to go see him now. Would you mind checking on Neo for me? I left her in their room, and I could use a break from her for a little while."
Ren gave a silent nod, and Pyrrha went on her way. Not a second later, Nora was bouncing up and down as if she'd just drank a fresh pot of coffee.
"It's happening!" She squealed. "Oooo~ It's gonna be beautiful, Renny!"
For once, Ren had to admit that she was probably right.
"What's happening? MISAKA asks as MISAKA joins in despite being confused by the sudden excitement."
"Everything!" Nora explained without actually explaining anything to the little girl.
"Touma Kamijou… I've heard much about you from Headmaster Ozpin, including your actions during the breach…" The towering figure in military uniform stood at the foot of Touma's bed, his posture focused and unyielding like that of a soldier. Despite his rigid posture, he exuded an air of confidence and charm that one might expect from a politician or perhaps a particularly skilled car salesman.
"Er… I just did what anyone in my position should have done. Uh, Sir." Touma admitted, the latter part added at the last second. The man gained a small smile at the response.
"A good answer, and yet one that isn't given as often as some in my line of work hears…" The man said with a pause and a hint of melancholy before finally introducing himself. "My name is James Ironwood, General of Atlas' Military and Headmaster of its Academy."
Off to his friend's side, Ozpin gave a small nod towards Tsune. The nurse looked annoyed at the presence of the intruders but begrudgingly left at the Headmaster's gesture. Ruby and Weiss both stood further to the side, looking at each other nervously. The two had a brief interaction with the two headmasters before the girls were led by them to the hospital wing.
During all of this, Accelerator stayed silent, watching the scene before him with an impassive expression. Although his first interaction with the General had been rather short, the man had an obvious aura of authority, something that irritated Accelerator to no end.
"I apologize for the abruptness of this meeting," Ironwood said simply and honestly. "In light of recent events, you four have come to know something that is extremely sensitive for Atlas. I'm speaking, of course, in regards to Penny."
"Is she okay?" Touma asked immediately, remembering the state the ginger gynoid was in earlier that day. "She… er… was injured in the fight earlier." The look the General gave him at the question, while not revealing any true thoughts, made Touma feel like an idiot for asking.
"She's currently undergoing repairs to her arm, but other than that, Penny's fine." Ironwood informed him. Taking in a deep breath, he returned to the issue at hand. "Now, she told me that all of you know of her circumstances about being at Beacon. I take it she was telling me the truth?"
Ruby couldn't stop herself from fidgeting. She was too nervous to keep still and Weiss was glaring at her constantly.
It wasn't a great situation for them to be in, knowing such sensitive and classified information. Penny was able to explain a little bit of it to Touma and Weiss on the way back to Beacon while Professor Port carried an unconscious Accelerator. However, a lot of information was still left out due to lack of time.
Obviously, the professor, as lazy and inattentive as he sometimes was, realized that the girl was missing an arm and that what was left on her stub had a robotic interior, but he didn't bother to question it beyond checking to make sure Penny was in good enough condition to make it all the way back to the school. Now though, with Ozpin here, Ruby was sure that Peter had told the headmaster what he saw.
Weiss hadn't asked too many questions about Penny, but the moment the two of them were accosted by a certain Atlesian General, sporting a scowl no less, Weiss had frozen up.
"That she has a robot arm?" Touma replied nervously. Ozpin's lips twitched slightly at the words, but he didn't say anything about the blatant lie that had just left Touma's mouth.
Weiss and Accelerator had a completely different reaction, both rolling their eyes at the boy's display.
"Although I appreciate you trying to keep her secret," Ironwood started, his voice gaining a hint of emotion before quickly becoming solemn. "Penny explained that you all are aware of her condition, and we won't get anywhere if you lie or try to deceive me. In fact, doing so only puts her further at risk."
"What do you mean?" Ruby interjected. "Are you saying that Penny's in trouble just because of who she is?"
"As you are aware, Penny isn't human," The General said coldly. "She is a creation of Atlas, and, in order for her to blend into society and test out her combat abilities, she was sent to Vale to participate in the Vytal Festival."
"You make her sound like a soldier." Weiss pointed out.
"In a way, she is," Ironwood sighed. "Even though we try to treat her like any other soldier under my command, we are required to monitor her extensively. If the wrong person were to find out what she really is, they would not only attempt to kidnap her but do whatever it takes to tear her apart and learn her secrets."
"T-Tear Penny apart?" Ruby gulped at the thought. Even if she wasn't flesh and bone, Ruby still considered the girl both a friend and a human being, in spirit if not in body. To do something like that to Penny would be inhumane, evil, monstrous even.
"So you want us to stay silent?" Touma asked almost incredulously. "We were going to keep her secret anyway. There's no need to tell us."
"Yes, and I'm glad you understand," The General admitted, a little relieved they caught on so quickly. "It would be best if you forget about her after today and focus on your schooling instead, especially with the Vytal Festival being so close."
"But she's my friend!" Ruby protested. "We made a promise to each other to do our best and give it our all when we met in the tournament!"
"Penny won't be attending." Ironwood's tone was sharp and imposing, almost stunning the teens in the room. This was the tone Accelerator expected of a military General. "In fact, I'll be sending her back to Atlas as soon as her repairs are finished-…"
"WHAT?!" Ruby cried out. "How could you do that?! She was looking forward to participating in the tournament just as much as we were!"
"That does seem rather harsh, James," Ozpin interjected. "And I must say, I am somewhat disappointed that you kept her a secret from me. Had I known, I could have arranged for better accommodations."
"You of all people should know the importance of keeping secrets, old friend." Ironwood dismissed Ozpin's criticism. He had no right to judge another for keeping secrets. "I'm doing this to protect her."
At the bark-like laugh which followed Ironwood's words, everyone turned to Accelerator. It was the first sound he'd made since they had come in. The recovering albino's expression oozed mockery.
"Don't feed us that shit, General. We all know it's not about protecting her, It's about protecting you and Atlas." One could practically feel the oozing venom of disdain that dripped off of each word.
A momentary silence filled the room as no one dared to refute Accelerator's claim. His age didn't matter, anyone who looked at him knew just how menacing he could be.
"I'm sorry you feel that way," Ironwood finally answered after a second of contemplation. "Regardless, the fact remains that her secrets cannot be allowed to get out yet. The last thing any of us want is for our enemies to discover her potential and use that against us."
"What enemies?" Weiss instinctively questioned at the bold declaration of the General, used to the idea of hidden threats and enemies watching from the dark.
"Roman Torchwick for one," Ironwood finally answered. "As well as a variety of other terrorist groups and organizations."
"Might as well just say the White Fang," Touma muttered. "We all know that's what you're implying."
"Yes, the White Fang has been a concern of the Atlas military for some time," Ironwood confirmed with a brief nod. "Even then, there are other organizations aside from the White Fang who conspire against us. They are but one small part of our problems."
Everyone else looked vaguely confused by Ironwood's declaration, but Ozpin remained completely still, not showing even a small hint of emotion at his friend's words. Only he understood their hidden meaning.
"You can't just take Penny away!" Ruby pleaded. "None of us will tell anyone about her. I've known for-…"
Weiss shoved a hand over Ruby's mouth as the General's eyes narrowed.
"And slip-ups like this are why we are wary. The more who know, the greater chance the secret gets out."
"When were you planning to reveal her existence?" Ozpin asked curiously.
"It depended on how well the tournament went," Ironwood admitted, looking at the other headmaster. "After we showed she could protect people and wasn't a threat, the populace would be more accepting of her."
"You're forcing her to be what you want," Touma realized. "She has feelings and everything. Even Aura. Doesn't that make her alive in some way?"
"Yeah!" Ruby agreed, zipping over next to Touma's bedside, crossing her arms, and nodding vigorously. "Penny's her own person, not a… tool for you to use."
"That's not how he sees her." Accelerator mocked. "He sees her as a weapon to further his own goals."
"I am focused on protecting Atlas and the other nations against the Grimm!" Ironwood's voice rose a fraction and it was obvious he was angry at that accusation. The anger only leaked out a moment before he composed himself. "Listen, Mr. Accelerator. We all have to make sacrifices sometimes for the greater good. Atlas is focusing on protecting the people and limiting the loss of lives. If we could have protectors like Penny, how many lives could be saved?"
Weiss and Ruby fidgeted uncomfortably again. He had a point, but at the same time, Penny would be forced to be the one fighting. Though the girl appeared willing to accept her position, she should still have a choice. Penny was too kind and would be the first to volunteer for that position.
"I see you understand," The General had noticed the girls' reaction. "It's not a perfect solution, but one we hope can lead us forward until one is found. You have seen how Penny fights. Imagine what would happen if a terrorist group caught and reprogrammed her for violence."
Ruby didn't want to imagine something so horrible.
"That's beside the point," Touma countered. "You can argue that about anyone. A top Huntsman could become a villain if things go wrong. That doesn't mean you just have to accept it."
Ironwood met his gaze and he took the moment to examine that boy. The boy was bandaged up a bit, but none of the wounds were severe. This was the boy who appeared out of nowhere at the Breach and managed to plug it up. How he did that, even Ozpin didn't know or kept it as one of his many secrets. Ironwood didn't blame him. A power like that would prove useful against… her.
It would be best to try to get that boy on his side. Maybe he could get him to join Atlas Academy. Not only was his power a mystery, all he knew was it could erase Grimm and Aura after some investigation in the school, but he was the leader of the team with the ex-criminal Neo and the powerhouse genius of Accelerator.
A little give and take could be offered.
"Penny's limited experience with others makes her unable to recognize social cues such as sarcasm. This makes her easy to manipulate. I'm sure you are aware of this."
"We would never do that to Penny!" Ruby protested.
"Her way of talking is a little strange," Weiss admitted slowly. "However, it never occurred to me she was actually an android until she lost her arm. I've met a lot of strange people since coming to Beacon, she fit right in."
"Wait?" Ruby noticed the ever subtle movement of her partner's eyes. "Why did you look at me when you said that? Weiss!"
"She's under orders not to tell anyone her situation," Ironwood reminded her, though he noticed Ruby deliberately looking away. "As for you not taking advantage of her, others may not be so accommodating, Miss Rose. It only takes one person to trick her to do something wrong and the entire city might gather to come and destroy her. I've seen stars and renowned generals fall from grace because of that."
"Probably going to be more pissed you hid it from them," Touma muttered. "I've seen… movies where people think someone's replacing them with androids."
He really wanted to say something else but couldn't under the eyes of both headmasters.
"James," Ozpin said conversationally. "From what my students have said, Miss Polendina was acting like a student and had no issues maintaining her cover until this situation. They also consider her a friend and wish for her to stay. Perhaps we can hold off on sending her back and reach a compromise. I'm pretty sure she wishes to take part in the Vytal Festival."
"This is an Atlas matter and my word is final," Ironwood answered defiantly. "I shall, however, take your suggestion under consideration. Your advice does tend to be helpful." He eyed the children. "I will promise nothing, but I would like you all to answer a question for me. As a sign of good faith."
"What is it, sir?" Weiss asked, confused.
"How was Penny's arm destroyed?"
Ruby and Weiss looked at each other. They knew exactly what had happened. The moment Penny raised an arm against the raw madness of those black wings it shattered. The image was still vivid in Ruby's mind and she was probably going to have nightmares for a bit about it. Touma was silent, as he didn't arrive until after that incident, though he had an idea of what transpired. Accelerator sat there stone-faced.
Ironwood turned his attention to each one, in turn, ending on Weiss. Weiss fidgeted, not used to standing against someone who was more of a father figure to her than her own dad. He was a General she and her sister Winter respected. Her mouth opened automatically to say something, anything…
When she was saved by an unexpected person.
"It was me."
Ironwood rounded onto the boy who spoke.
"I broke her arm." Accelerator continued, removing all doubt. He pushed himself up on the bed and stared at the General.
"You?" Ironwood raised an eyebrow as the other kids stared at him too. "Tell me then. Why would you assault her?"
"It was an unfortunate accident." Accelerator may not have remembered shattering that poor girl's arm, but he heard enough from Touma while they were sitting in the hospital room to piece together that picture. "She didn't know of my ability and she surprised me."
"Vector Manipulation," Ironwood mumbled. No one questioned how he knew about that. "I saw your participation in the Breach so I do understand. What exactly happened? I doubt Penny would have attacked you in such a way that you would be forced to defend yourself."
"No, she pushed me out of the way… or tried to." Accelerator shrugged. "I was doing some Dust experiments on a large number of Grimm with my defenses up. When she came out of nowhere from behind me, she must have thought I was in trouble. Pushing me out of the way was a mistake on her part. Normally she would have just been blown back, but being an android, the reflection was much greater."
Weiss couldn't believe her ears. He already thought of a perfect excuse without revealing what happened. It was like he was used to lying, or at least covering up misdeeds. Weiss didn't want to tell Ironwood about those wings, because he would probably declare Accelerator a threat and try to push for experimentations or worse. Atlas military would do a lot for that kind of power, even Weiss had to admit that.
Ruby was biting her lip looking between Accelerator and then Touma. The spiky-haired boy was just watching his teammate, taking in his excuses.
"And the rest of you just happened to find you while you were training?"
The boy was obviously lying. Ironwood could tell that in a heartbeat. Based on video footage of Accelerator's power, even if Penny's arm was reflected, it wouldn't have shattered the way it did. The metal would have torn first. No, something else happened. He was determined to find out what. Penny's body was made with the most advanced synthetic material their science could produce. Grimm and most normal weapons wouldn't even scratch her. There was something more powerful that simple reflection that was able to blow her arm off completely.
And he would find out what that was, one way or another.
"We were meeting up," Touma answered this time. "I had a meeting with Ozpin then I was going to meet up with Ruby, Weiss, and Penny. I followed them through our Scrolls tracker. At that point, they had already stumbled upon Accelerator."
"Y-yeah," Ruby agreed. "This was a planned training session and we invited Penny along."
"Penny knows she wasn't supposed to leave the grounds," Ironwood told her, causing Ruby to grow red in embarrassment. "Did you talk her into this?" Ruby nodded slowly. "This is what I meant by her being taken advantage-…"
"She wasn't being taken advantage of!" Ruby interjected. "We are friends who were going to fight Grimm like we are supposed to. It's our job as Huntresses!"
Even someone like her was getting frustrated by the way her friend was being talked about like that.
"She does have a point," Ozpin commented. "You wanted her to blend in as a student here. Making friends and joining others on Grimm extermination outings is quite common. It was an extraordinary situation that caused her secret to come out."
"Weiss!" Ironwood turned to the girl, disregarding Ozpin. "Is what Mr. Accelerator said about Penny true? I trust you wouldn't lie to me about something so important."
Weiss gulped before quickly composing herself.
"Yes," Weiss replied. "Penny lost her arm when she touched him."
It wasn't a lie, technically. The wings were a part of Accelerator at the time, even if they seemed unnatural. The only difference was Accelerator had attacked Ruby, and Penny tried to defend against his attack. It hurt to remember, but if it allowed Penny to stay, Weiss would say whatever.
"I see…" Ironwood eyed Accelerator. "I was under the assumption you were intelligent enough to control yourself. If she had been a normal person, she could have died due to that mistake."
"Why do you think I was so far away from the fucking school?!" Accelerator spat. "Don't give me that shit!"
"Calm down," Ozpin advised. "James wasn't suggesting you were unable to control your power, but rather that even the best of us can make mistakes in a moment of distraction. I noticed a lot of Grimm were advancing on your location but were wiped out. I take it you all had a part in that?"
"Yes, sir," Weiss answered. "We took out quite a few Grimm. More than we expected."
"Accelerator took out most of them." Ruby added to try to make him look good in the General's eyes.
Accelerator glanced at the two girls. It was surprising they were trying to protect him. After what happened, losing control like that, he expected them not to want anything to do with him. That confused him as he tried to figure out why they were acting that way. Ruby was kind of obvious. She was too much like the damn hero in the bed next to him. That girl would probably want to help him in some way.
Weiss… he wasn't entirely sure.
She liked him. That was easy to tell, even more so when she came right out and told him that. That was a stupid decision on her part. This incident just showed how much danger she would be in if she continued to try to get closer to him. It was best just to push her away. That may upset her for a little while, but she'll get over it. She was tough and smart enough to realize they couldn't be together.
If only she wasn't so damn stubborn.
"I see." The General couldn't prove anything else happened, but he knew something did. "Either way, it doesn't fully excuse Mr. Accelerator's actions. He needs to be more careful with a power such as his."
Accelerator wasn't the only one who glared. Touma didn't look happy either.
"I'll apologize to her..." Accelerator stated firmly to the General.
A loud gasp came out of Ruby's mouth. She was shocked that Accelerator would actually apologize to anyone.
"…not to you."
"Unfortunately, that doesn't look to be possible." Ironwood told him, unperturbed by his disrespect.
"Umm," Weiss stepped forward. "Based on what you told us about Penny, her purpose is to learn from people along with testing out her combat abilities. If you take her back to Atlas, you wasted all the resources getting her here and the progress she's made. She may be a little different than what we are used to, but she's gotten better since we first met her in Vale. None of us will tell anyone and while Ruby seems like she would expose her secret, she would take it to the grave."
"You do know me, bestie!"
"No."
"I'm sorry, Weiss." Ironwood apologized, looking at her with a soft expression. "I do trust you wouldn't deliberately tell anyone, but accidents do happen. My decision is made and she'll be on the first trip back to Atlas." He turned around and then paused. "Ozpin, a word?"
"Certainly."
Ironwood left the room and Ozpin followed him but stopped before the door to address the students.
"I'll see if I can talk to him. Miss Polendina is an excellent student and regardless of her upbringing, I never wish to lose a promising Huntress. Though, I trust you four understand the importance of secrecy. Please, not even your teammates can know of this unless James permits you to and or under an extraordinary circumstance."
"We won't… and sir? Thank you." Ruby whispered as Ozpin left the room. "Weiss… Do you think he can change Ironwood's mind?"
"General Ironwood has always stuck to his beliefs," The heiress muttered. "Once he makes up his mind, he won't change it easily. If anyone can do it, it's Ozpin. He has a better chance than we do. They are both adults compared to us being mere students."
"Bah," Accelerator barked out. "That blowhard is all talk. The moment things start getting complicated, he takes his ball home."
"He has a point, but I don't like the way he goes about it." Touma said to Ruby. "I understand his fears. Your world is different than ours, but to treat someone as a pure weapon? Someone with thoughts and feelings? Aura is from your soul, right? She's alive and deserves respect."
"You understand!" Ruby was ecstatic someone knew Penny was a person like them and she rushed over to his side to give him a big hug.
"Ow!"
A yelp of pain escaped the spiky-haired boy's lips as Ruby applied pressure to his wounds beneath the bandages.
"Soooorrrry!" Ruby cried out, mortified, as she jumped back.
Taking advantage of the moment while the two were distracted, Weiss scooted over to Accelerator's bedside. The boy eyed her warily but didn't actively ignore her.
"We need to talk," Weiss whispered seriously. "When you're out."
No words were said back, but she knew he would. Whether it would end with him telling her off or explaining everything was an entirely different matter. At least she had some idea why Accelerator said he was a murderer. What happened in the forest explained a lot without the need for words.
The door to the room burst open, causing them all to jump.
"They left?" Tsune growled. "Can I finally attend to my patients?"
"More like test subjects, you quack!" Accelerator spat out. Ruby snickered quietly, but she and Weiss were forced to leave to let the boys rest.
"I'm telling you," Yang said to Blake, as the two were walking back toward their room. "If we can use your ribbon on your weapon as a bungie, we could easily double the power of my punches. Not only that, it would give me a little more range along with a possible aerial attack. Ruby and I were already planning on how to incorporate it into our group fighting."
"Should I be worried that you are only telling me this now?" Blake asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Eh, we would have told you eventually." Yang brushed off her concern with a wave of her arm. "Ruby already checked the elasticity of your weapon's ribbon after initiation."
"What? She did? When?!"
"Forget I said anything," Yang muttered hastily. "The point is, this will be a great surprise attack in the Vytal Festival. We can use Weiss' gravity glyphs for extra power, toss me over an opposing team so I can strike the range fighters. It will be over in a moment before anyone knows it."
"Won't that leave you surrounded?" Blake teased lightly.
"I can hold my own," Yang huffed. "Besides, you guys will be attacking too so it's not like you all would just watch me get my ass handed to me. Well… Weiss might on a bad day, but Ruby won't. I'm sure my sexy kitty partner wouldn't either."
"Eh… maybe I'll just leave you there and see what you do to get out."
Blake smirked as Yang complained.
The day had gone much better than she imagined. Even though she and Yang were near polar opposites regarding their personality, Yang had become her best friend. Being partners in a school 24/7 forced them to learn about each other, but Yang went out of her way to ensure they were close. The blonde might be annoying from time to time, but Blake honestly treasured the time with her partner.
After sharing everything about Adam to Yang, the reaction she received had been more reassuring than Yang probably knew. It felt like a huge weight had been lifted and caused the rest of the day to be more enjoyable. They both found dresses they liked for the dance and made it so that they would be delivered to Beacon. After that, they found a nice place for some lunch and then spent a little more time in Vale just hanging out. Talking about the Vytal Festival, school, and normal teenage things made her feel so normal. Not like the time she spent in the White Fang.
Or the time she spent with Adam.
"I like the new sassy side of you, Blake." Yang laughed, throwing her arm around her shoulder. "Now, if only that side would have let us use Weiss' credit card to pay for those dresses. I won't be able to upgrade Bumblebee this month."
"The sacrifices you have to make." Sarcasm oozed out of the Faunus' voice. "Weiss would kill us if she found out, because she would have found out."
"Eh… true. I'll have to think of a way so she won't."
They had just reached their dorm room and were about to go in when they heard Weiss' sharp voice.
"You are being incredibly childish, Ruby!"
"You're the one who betrayed me!"
"I did no such thing!"
Yang and Blake looked at each other confused, before opening the door. The first thing they saw was a pillow flying through the air coming from Ruby's bunk and smacking Weiss in the face.
"Quit being a child and grow up!" Weiss shouted.
"I'm not nice to traitors!"
"Err…." Yang looked from Weiss, standing there holding the pillow, to Ruby, sticking her head out of her bunk bed fort. "What's going on?"
"Ruby's misunderstanding everything!" Weiss explained, putting the pillow down and glaring at their team leader.
"What did you do, Weiss?" Yang tried to interject. Ruby didn't get mad like this often. You could upset her easily and she would get withdrawn and quiet for a bit, but mad? To throw stuff at people? Sometimes after Yang pulled a prank on her, she might, but it was more out of irritation than outride anger.
Weiss must have done something.
"I didn't do anything!" Weiss defended herself.
"Are you sure?" Blake asked. "You don't always realize that your words can hurt."
"I haven't done or said anything!" Weiss was getting frustrated herself.
"Yes, you did!" Ruby called down to them, glaring at Weiss. "I can't believe what you did!"
"I told you we didn't do anything together!" Weiss yelled back. "Why won't you believe me!?"
"Wait… what's this about?" Yang asked, getting confused. "Weiss and who?"
"Weiss has been secretly meeting with Touma and doing extreme stuff!" Ruby bellowed, her eyes looking watery.
"HUH?!"
Yang and Blake rounded on Weiss in disbelief.
"Not you too." Weiss facepalmed.
"I kind of find it hard to believe that Weiss is trying to go off secretly with Touma," Yang said slowly. "She has a thing for-…"
Her words trailed off as she saw Blake's expression.
The girl wasn't exactly the picture of the word 'composed', as her eyes had silently grown sharp and pointed. It was a heavy change from the normally quiet and uncaring team member. Malice was evident, though luckily only Yang saw how radiant it became from so close by the girl.
"Better not make many jokes on that topic." Yang internalized after getting a sight of her partner's murderous instincts.
"What does she mean by that, Weiss?" Came the cold voice, very unlike Blake's normal passive tone.
"She has some crazy idea-…" Weiss tried to explain, but she was interrupted.
"It's not crazy!" Ruby huffed. "She and Touma did some amazing combination of flying glyph fighting with Accelerator and there was no way they could have done that without a lot of private training!"
"Huh?" Yang was now confused but chose to remedy her partner's murderous thoughts as she put a hand on Blake's shoulder. "Chill, Kitty Kat…. Someone needs to explain from the beginning. Why were Weiss and Touma fighting with Accelerator?"
Ruby's eyes widened and she looked panicked. In her anger, she said some stuff she shouldn't have. What they saw was supposed to be a secret. Touma had asked them to keep it quiet and she had no reason not to trust him. Plus, mean people like General Ironwood would probably want to experiment on Accelerator if they discovered he had that power.
Worry overtook the anger at Weiss, so Ruby pleaded silently with her eyes to her partner.
"While you all were out, Ruby, Penny, and I went out to the Emerald Forest to train," Weiss explained, understanding her partner's silent plea. "Ruby invited Touma to join us after his meeting with Ozpin. While we were out there, we ran across Accelerator, doing his own thing. It was then, we came across a large group of Grimm and a fight ensured. During our fight, I conjured some glyphs to help Touma get into the air to fight, as he has no range weapons. Ruby is under the impression he and I have secretly been training aerial combat."
"Have you?" Blake asked instantly, eyeing the supposed traitor.
"NO!" Weiss snapped then calmed herself. "I was actually surprised at how well he adapted. Honestly, it felt like he knew where I was going to place my glyphs for him and adjusted accordingly. The first time it was just to help him out, but then he just took it in stride. It was rather impressive."
"Falling for him now?" Yang chuckled. "Guess I'll have to keep Accelerator company then. You know how much he loves me."
All three girls gave the blonde a dirty look and ignored her.
"So… you really haven't gone and had super-secret training with Touma?" Ruby asked.
"For the last time, no." Weiss rubbed her temple. "I've been trying to explain that to you, but you wouldn't listen. Yes, he's good in a fight, and even if we did do something like that, he's not my type."
Ruby and Blake both let out a sigh of relief.
Blake couldn't resist herself. Weiss had never been an issue since she liked Accelerator. The thing was Weiss was quite beautiful in an almost ethereal way. With her smooth pale skin, white hair, and crystal blue eyes, no other girls resembled a Schnee. Plus she was wealthy. If she was after someone, there were few if any guys who could resist her with her persistence. Weiss would be a serious threat between herself and Touma.
Blake's eyes widened as she realized something.
She never got really jealous of Ruby because… she didn't see her team leader as a threat.
The Faunus' stomach churned a little as she suddenly felt bad. Ruby hated to be treated like a kid and she's done a lot to prove that she was capable. Unconsciously, Blake assumed Ruby wouldn't be an issue. The reason she got upset at Weiss was that Weiss would have been a threat. Jealousy was not attractive and there were so many books about how that led to the hero or heroine's downfall.
"Huh, so how did fighting the Grimm go?" Yang asked, now that the argument was settled. She jumped up on her bed and stretched out. "Kill a bunch?"
"There was a little… too much there," Weiss admitted, omitting parts of the truth. She wasn't technically lying. "It ended with Penny getting injured while Touma and Accelerator are resting up in the medical wing."
"Accelerator got injured?!" Yang gasped. Blake was surprised herself but didn't make a big deal out of it. Meanwhile, the blonde who was about to relax sat up instantly. "Details. Now."
"He tired himself out?" Ruby supplied, trying to protect his secret. "He had fought a lot of Grimm before we arrived. Touma got a few scrapes, but he's healed up and just resting under Tsune's orders." Blake seemed satisfied with this answer.
Meanwhile, Ruby was proud of her ability not to lie here. Accelerator did, in fact, kill a large number of Grimm.
"So his power isn't limitless," Yang muttered, pulling out a notebook under her pillow and writing that down. "Though, I'm not used to endurance battles. I like to take them out fast. Hmm…"
"Is it weird that she's doing more research trying to beat Accelerator than any of her actual classes?" Weiss asked the others.
"Nah, it's Yang." Ruby assured her.
"I would find it weirder if she didn't." Blake admitted.
"So how was your outing?" Weiss asked Blake, as Yang was working on her plan to defeat the strongest student in Beacon. "Did you find what you wanted?"
"Yeah, we did." Blake confirmed, and then she paused.
I might as well tell them now.
"Before that, I have something else to tell you." Blake gulped and took a deep breath. "About the White Fang and what happened during our mission. I told you everything that happened, but I left some details out that were… personal."
Weiss and Ruby looked surprised but sat down to listen. Yang had shut her notebook and watched Blake in silence. This was something for Blake to explain and she wouldn't interrupt. Ruby and Weiss listened attentively, with some gasps and muttered insults as Blake told them about Adam and who he had been to her. It eventually ended up with a big hug from Ruby.
It was nice and Blake really did love her team.
Pyrrha quietly opened the door to the training room and heard the sound of metal clashing against metal. She silently shut the door behind her so she wouldn't disturb her team leader, who was working hard. She edged around the bleachers and sat down in the back row, watching. Jaune was currently in the middle of the training room arena, swinging his sword at a training drone.
His stance has significantly improved, but he's still not using his shield correctly. Hiding behind a shield is not the same as using it. He should be trying to unbalance his opponent with it. I don't recommend throwing it like he did to Weiss that one time.
The training drone's metal arm clanged against Jaune's shield, pushing him back. His feet braced for the impact and he shoved back, before swinging his sword at the joint. The arm was severed and several sparks flew out until the drone fell and let out a loud clang with the floor. The drone's lights grew dim and it shut off. Lowering his shield, Jaune sighed in relief and rubbed his shoulder.
He jumped when Pyrrha clapped.
"AHH… Pyrrha?!"
"Sorry!" Pyrrha apologized immediately. "That last strike was perfect and I couldn't help it."
"You saw?" Jaune rubbed the back of his head. "For most of that fight, I thought I was a goner. It was so much stronger than me."
"They are made that way to resemble Grimm," Pyrrha reminded him, walking down the bleachers to stand at the edge of the ring. "Most Grimm are much stronger than us physically. Though, some people like Yang and Nora can give them a run for their money. You held your ground, so all that training to stabilize your balance paid off! I'm curious though. What were you thinking about with that last strike?"
"I remember being cornered," Jaune answered, thinking about his fight. "Those blows hurt, so I didn't want to get hit anymore. My arm was aching and holding my shield was hard. I wanted to drop it, but I knew that the next blow would be aimed at my head if I did that. When the drone hit my shield, I noticed it stopped for a second. So I took my shot."
Pyrrha smiled understandably.
"You saw the opening and took it," she patted him on the back. "That's not something that can be taught easily. I've been trying to leave openings in our spars so you'll notice."
"I have noticed that, but every time I try, you counter."
"There have to be some fakes so you can recognize them."
Jaune chuckled and grabbed his towel, wiping the sweat from his face.
"You've come a long way," Pyrrha continued her praise. "The fact you have started to recognize openings proves it. This can only be achieved through experience and practice."
"With the Breach, our fight against the White Fang, and Accelerator's arrival, I guess we have gotten a lot of extra practice." Jaune agreed, counting on his fingers.
"Things have been rather busy lately, haven't they?" Pyrrha admitted, sitting down on the bench. "I think I would rather fight another hundred Grimm over going shopping with Neo."
"That bad?"
"It takes less energy fighting a horde of Grimm than keeping up with Neo's personality." Pyrrha felt like she aged twenty years trying to keep up with Neo.
"I hope that isn't true."
They both laughed at each other's expression.
"Are you finished training for now?" Pyrrha asked, looking Jaune's sweaty body up and down. Her eyes lingered on the way his shirt stuck to his body. She couldn't help herself.
"Yeah, think I'm bruised enough." He rubbed his shield arm with his free hand and winced. "Pushed myself a bit because I kept getting so close to winning."
"Your persistence paid off," Pyrrha smiled at him. "Though, pushing your body too much will only cause damage in the long run. Be careful."
"I know and I will, I promise."
There was a pause and Pyrrha suddenly remembered why she was here in the first place.
"There was something you wanted to talk to me about, right?"
Jaune blinked as he remembered too… then oddly he averted his eyes. This was kind of suspicious to the champion girl. There was something on his mind and it was troubling him. She reached over and put a hand on his shoulder reassuringly.
"Jaune… you know you can tell me anything, right?"
"I know… it's just that something's been on my mind for a while…" Jaune kept avoiding eye contact, which was unusual. He looked away when he was lying or embarrassed occasionally, but it was happening way too much right now.
This worried Pyrrha.
"Are you in trouble?"
"No!" Jaune was a little more forceful than he meant to be. "I guess I'm just thinking about the dance a lot."
"No luck with Weiss?" Pyrrha questioned him softly, trying to hide her true feelings.
"No, it's obvious she wants Accelerator to go with her," Jaune replied a little depressed. "Everyone knows she really likes him and… honestly? I never had a shot with her."
"Jaune…" Pyrrha patted his shoulder again. "Accelerator is the type of person who avoids social gatherings. I don't think he will agree to go with her. You could ask and see if she would go with you. Just be sincere, no gimmicks."
Her words did not match her thoughts. Internally she was yelling at her mouth for saying these things. The small selfish part of that redhead wanted him to give up on Weiss and just be with her, but the kindness in her soul knew she had to support Jaune with his feelings.
"I… did consider it." The words came out of the blonde's mouth slowly, like he wasn't a big fan of them. "It made me feel… dirty. She likes Accelerator and I would simply be the rebound. I don't want to be with someone who settles for me. If I go out with someone, I want someone to think about me the way I think about them."
The heart in Pyrrha's chest began to pump faster. If Jaune was giving up on Weiss, then that meant she would have a chance.
"Enough about me and my horrible time at finding a dance partner," Jaune's voice was full of forced laughter. "How about you? Find anyone yet? I bet you've got guys clamoring over each other just to ask you."
"You'd be surprised."
Pyrrha's green eyes seemed to dull.
Jaune saw her expression and his eyes widened. He knew that look too well now that he was paying attention. It was the same look as his sisters had when they couldn't get a date for an event.
"Are… you serious? But you're… you?!" Jaune fumbled for words. "How could no one ask you?"
"I've been blessed… with incredible talents and opportunities most people would strive their entire lives for…" She turned away and looked up at the ceiling. "I'm always surrounded by love and praise. But when you're placed on a pedestal for so long, people begin to think you're in a different league than them. They think I'm at a level they can't obtain. I can't form meaningful relationships with people. They either want to be around me for my fame or to try to figure out my weaknesses."
Pyrrha gave a weak chuckle that did little to hide her true feelings.
"Accelerator defeating me in class… was probably a blessing. It showed everyone I'm not invincible. That I can be defeated. I trained hard to get where I am, but I'm still human. Some girls even came up after class and tried to console me, telling me I'll get him next time. That never happened to me before. People wanted to cheer me up just because I was sad and not for an ulterior motive."
Her green eyes met Jaune's blue ones.
"That's what I like about you, Jaune. When we met, you didn't know who I was. All you saw was me. You treated me like a person. Even after you found out who I was, you didn't care. There was no change in the way you treated me. I can't tell you how much that meant to me. Thanks to you, I finally made friendships that will last a lifetime."
Jaune couldn't do anything but stare at her as she looked away in embarrassment. Something finally clicked into place inside that dense head of his. The way Pyrrha treated him, the way she always pushed him to be his best, the reason his friends believed she liked him. It all made sense. He wanted to talk to her privately to confirm this, but it was a lot easier than he thought it would be. Pyrrha going with Neo had been a godsend because it gave him time to think about what he wanted to do. Not like he got anywhere, which was why he wanted to go training, to get the blood pumping to help him think.
Was Pyrrha really the one? Was he that stupid to ignore her feelings and just use every excuse in the book to avoid her? He felt guilt, anxiety, and even fear in the center of his stomach. He felt wrong asking her now. After all, they were both vulnerable and shared their insecurities. Would there be a better opportunity? He might be wrong in his thinking, but one thing he knew was that he may not get another chance as good as this one. If he attempted a shot nothing might come out of it or something special could.
"Will you go to the dance with me?"
The words tumbled out of his mouth before he even processed a single word.
The girl was a blur as she spun around on the spot.
"J-Jaune… W-what did you s-say?"
Pyrrha's words trembled in shock and astonishment. She must have misheard. The boy was currently staring her straight in the eyes. He looked nervous but determined.
"Will you go to the dance with me?" The boy asked again. His words were stronger now.
"A-As friends?"
Pyrrha couldn't resist asking, her words still shaky. At first, she thought she misheard, but it was definitely for real when he repeated himself. She was surprised Jaune couldn't hear the pounding of her heart. Her entire body was freezing up as she waited for his response. Terror gripped her as she was divided in what she wanted to hear. Part of her wanted him to say yes, but the other part was terrified if he did. Their entire relationship could change in that very instant.
Instead of answering the question, Jaune took a deep breath.
"Since you were honest with me, I think I should be honest with you." His words came out slowly and deliberately. This was the only part of his speech he had an idea of what he wanted to say. "You were the first person to ever believe in me. You know that?" Pyrrha gazed into his eyes, unable to believe his words. "When I told my parents I was going to Beacon, they told me not to worry if I had to move back home. How depressing is that?"
"I'm sure they didn't mean…"
Jaune silenced her by reaching over and grabbing her hand.
"I'm trying to say… you've always been there for me." Jaune continued, wanting to give his side. "It's thanks to you I'm even here in the first place. You saved my life at initiation, unlocked my aura, and have been helping me train to catch up to everyone else after learning my secret. I owe you more than I think I can make up in a lifetime."
"Jaune… you don't…"
"To me, you were more than just a friend," Jaune interrupted, his voice a little louder to indicate he wasn't finished. "You were family. Someone I trusted completely. I know back when Cardin was bullying me, I lashed out when you didn't deserve it, and I'm still sorry for that. You deserved better." He rubbed the back of his head. "I didn't realize back then how much you meant to me. My crush on Weiss blinded me to who was right next to me."
Pyrrha's heart just stopped in her chest.
"It took my friends to really hammer it in how dumb I've been," Jaune gave a small smile. "When I realized Weiss and I just didn't click, I was able to think clearly. So, about your earlier question… if you want to go to the dance with me as friends… we can find out together if we want to be more than that. Maybe later go to Vale and see a movie, just the two of us?"
Pyrrha's hands covered her mouth and her eyes were watering.
"P-Pyrrha?" Jaune stammered, noticing her expression. He stepped forward and raised a hand uncertainly. "If you don't want-…"
"I DO!" Pyrrha nearly yelled out those two words. "I would love to!"
Before Jaune couldn't react as Pyrrha had embraced him in a hug with strength Nora would have been proud of. He couldn't breathe very well. Still, seeing how happy Pyrrha looked and the weird fluttering feeling in his stomach told him he finally made the right choice. His friends were right all along. If he had listened to them earlier, they could have avoided this awkward situation.
He owed Touma and Mercury some hamburgers at least.
While events in Beacon were going quite well, within the castle towering above those bubbling pools of darkness and Grimm found on the dark continent that was the Grimm Lands, another group was making progress of its own.
"Watts. How fare's our guest?" Salem asked as she leaned back into her throne, the air around her containing a hint of regalness, surrounded by vast, incomprehensible darkness. "I trust he's being cooperative?"
"It's surprising how well he's adapted," The scientist that was Arthur Watts admitted. "But, he has become somewhat disfigured from his attempt to tap into the Grimm pool's power. His abilities revolve around water so it's only natural he attempted to channel it."
"He was foolish thinking he could control that power," Salem declared. "Though… It was quite a feat he was able to survive wielding the power of the pool without my help, let alone keep his mind mostly intact. No matter, though. He's now fallen susceptible to my influence and it only takes a little push to encourage his cooperation." She paused for a moment, eyeing Arthur closely. "Now, my dear Watts, about the task I assigned you. The magic from his world?"
"I… can't even begin to describe it, my Queen!" Beneath Watts' professionalism leaked a sense of excitement and giddiness, like that of a small child playing with a new toy. "This magic of his, unlike ours, doesn't flow from emotions and or stem from innate talent, but instead from a complex system of arts, disciplines, and traditions which are firmly grounded in its own laws and knowledge. Not only that, my Queen, but your suspicions were correct. Anyone, including us, can learn his brand of magic!"
A dark smile formed on Salem's face. It would have sent shivers down a normal person.
"The way he described it to me, I believed it was possible," the Grimm woman told him. "This magic will prove to be incredibly useful to us. If it wasn't, I was going to have him disposed of."
"Can we trust him?" Arthur asked. "You were sympathetic to his plight, but I doubt he will want to stay and help us achieve your objectives."
"He lost his family in his own world and foolishly believed he could acquire the power of a god to bring them back." Salem turned and looked out over the black pool. "A desire I can understand all too well and can easily exploit. I'm keeping the corruption in his veins from spreading, along with his own innate talents. Once you learn everything you can from him, we will have no more use for that fool. His mind has already been partially broken."
"I've already learned the basics," Arthur informed her. "Now I just need to perfect the art."
"Show me."
Those words were not a request and Arthur bowed before taking a bowl full of water and setting it on the table. He stuck his finger into the water and the liquid shivered.
Then it exploded.
The shattered bowl missed Arthur and Salem, but the water had vanished completely. In its place, controlled by the tip of Arthur's finger, was a ball of flames. Concentrated flames sitting in midair, not requiring anything to consume as it kept burning.
"This magic isn't limited by elements, only one's imagination and traditions," Arthur explained. "Given time, I would be able to develop spells based on our own myths and legends, many of which were inspired by you."
Arthur and Salem exchanged looks and she nodded.
"Should Cinder fail, you will be charged with killing Ozpin."
"It would be an honor." Arthur put a hand over his chest and bowed once more.
"I'm so nervous!" Ruby muttered, holding an envelope in her hand. "Tomorrow I'm going to be a leader of a new team for a week. It was hard enough to lead my own team!"
The rest of the weekend had passed without issue. Touma had been freed from his confinement under Tsune, but Accelerator had to be there most of Sunday too. Once he was out, he was avoiding everyone, much to Weiss' annoyance. Ruby wasn't sure how to approach him after what happened. Other than that, things had pretty much returned to normal. Though, she hadn't heard from Penny and hoped Ozpin talked to the general about letting her stay.
Ozpin later messaged every team leader Sunday evening about the new assignment from their leadership class starting on Monday.
"Not sure why I'm involved," Touma muttered alongside her. "My circumstances are weird enough without trying to lead a team of people who are a lot more skilled than I am in hunting Grimm."
"Ozpin did say it was to help us improve being leaders," Jaune reminded them. "It would look weird if you weren't part of it. Not a fan of changing dorm rooms myself. Going to be weird sleeping with three people I don't know."
"I hope we just swap teams," Ruby squeaked, her hand tightening on her envelope. "That would be so much better."
"Yeah, luck doesn't like me, so don't expect that." Touma informed her, causing Jaune to snicker.
"I can at least hope!" Ruby protested.
"Can't be that bad," Jaune told the other two. "Just think of it as meeting new friends."
"You've been in a good mood lately," Touma said suspiciously. "What happened?"
"Just got some stuff off my chest." Jaune answered.
"That's great, and I hope you can split some happiness with me."
Jaune and Pyrrha weren't going to lie to the others, but they thought it might be kind of fun to go together and have their friends find out that way. It would be a surprise and the dance wasn't that far in the future.
"I wish I could," Jaune replied. "Do you think Neo is going to behave when you swap teams?"
"I'm half expecting her to just follow and kick someone out of their dorm," Touma admitted. "She's been kind of clingy lately."
Jaune and Ruby looked at each other. Ever since Neo found out Touma got injured, she hadn't been letting him out of her sight. The leader meeting was the first time he got away from her.
"Let's get this over with," Jaune told the others, tearing open his envelope. "Tomorrow morning I meet up with Team NDGO… Huh? Who are they?"
"Aren't they that all-girl team?" Ruby asked, thinking harder.
"Ah… crap." Jaune groaned. "This is going to be awkward."
"Could be worse," Touma assured him. "Think you could handle Ruby's team?"
"Nah, I heard the stories about Yang. I would just give up."
The two guys laughed as Ruby rolled her eyes.
"Imagine living with her." The young girl told them.
This only made the two laugh harder. To avoid looking at them, she turned to her own letter.
"Please be someone good, please be someone good," Ruby muttered over and over as she opened her envelope. "Team CASM?
"Team Chasm?" Jaune repeated, "Isn't that Mercury's team?"
"Oh boy," Touma looked at Ruby sympathetically. "Good luck."
"W-wait!" Ruby cried out. "Isn't Mercury nice? He helped you guys out before, right? I only know a little bit about Emerald."
Jaune and Touma looked at each other for a bit and looked back at Ruby. There was a brief moment where they didn't do or say anything, before the two of them in unison suddenly burst out laughing.
"He's a bit of an…. how should I put this… he's the male version of Yang." Touma amended.
"He's going to try to embarrass you, guaranteed," Jaune added. "He likes to get under Emerald's skin, or he's dating her. We aren't quite sure which yet, which honestly might make him a predator… Anyway, we don't know the other two very well though except I heard Cinder's rather strict."
"Ugh…" Ruby slumped against the wall.
"At least their leader will be able to handle Yang," Jaune joked. "What about you?" He turned to look at Touma, who was now staring at his open envelope. Jaune frowned and peeked over his shoulder to see the name of the team.
His mouth fell open.
"Who did you get?!" Ruby asked, noticing them acting strangely. She peaked around Touma's arm and her expression was almost exactly like Jaune's.
"You're shitting me right?" Touma croaked out.
He flipped the envelope to make sure it wasn't a joke, but the team on the paper remained the same.
Team CRDL.
Feel free to leave a review, comment, suggestions, or ideas, I love reading them. If you have a question you wish to ask and would like a quick answer, feel free to message me directly. I try to respond to those within a day or two. Comments, I tend to respond to in the next chapter.
UrsaMJR: One has to wonder, is Ozpin secretly a sadistic man masquerading around as a sweet headmaster, or by chance, is this simply Touma's bad luck shifting time space once more to bring him the worst possible day imaginable.
Who knows, nevertheless it can't be as bad as Dark's torture chambers. He keeps all bright-eyed editors here until they commit to editing for him under barely livable conditions.
Run while you still can, or he might turn to finding readers that he can corrupt next.
Darkbetrayer: Speaking of which. New editors feel free to apply.