Okay, I did not see this coming. It seems there's a big debate on giving magic to Salem's forces. My thinking was giving Ozpin's side Accelerator and Touma would upset the balance. To make an interesting story, I needed the villain side to get a few power ups. Plus, we know some magic spells are based on fairy tales and guess what Remnant is full of? Obviously the more intelligent Grimm thanks to magic from the Toaru universe. Out of all the people on Salem's side, I figured Watts would be smart enough to pick it up quickly. Cinder is impatient, Hazel doesn't seem the type, and Tyrian is crazy. Okay, Tyrian might like some magic, but that's another story. I thought it would lead to some interesting fights down the line. I've read through all the comments and while I'm still planning to let them learn magic, I have a few ideas I gained from the readers. So thank you for all your reviews. I'm going to answer other comments and then move onto the story.
DN Works: We know why Ironwood is so stubborn.
JumpingToaster: Nah, makes sense.
Fernandamichelleraya: Ruby early on didn't really have much sex appeal. She gives off the sister vibe.
GG Vegito: Misfortune, especially plot misfortune, always centers on him.
Takedo: Ironwood sucks in canon for sure, especially last season. Maybe Rooster Teeth will give him some redemption. I'm debating how Ruby will learn she's not considered competition, if she does. YES! You have no idea how hard it was not to write Accelerator walking by as they confessed and yelling, "About damn time!" Ozpin can be petty.
Greed720: The two characters will be way in the future, not any time soon. See above about the magic, but I understand your concern.
FabledLife: He's 16ish. There are reasons he tells himself he doesn't want a relationship. Most of NT is pretty bad and when you have hormonal issues, you don't always think clearly. I could go into a long discussion about NT, which I have in the discord I'm in, but this isn't a place for that.
Boshwa: I have made a note and plan to make sure that scene happens.
alderoneric758: I purposely chose the teams for a reason. Pyrrha gets to think about her boyfriend surrounded by attractive girls all day and Touma gets to rehabilitate bullies.
Dracul666: I actually get some complaints about not enough Accelerator.
Omegas Prime: Touma isn't super ridiculous unless other people are ridiculous. Surrounded by normal people, he's pretty normal. Accelerator is busted. Nah, that scene with Emerald is best left for your imagination. You might see her façade break around him, but that's it. Jaune and Pyrrha scene needed to happen. Thank you Yang and Mercury for teaching him.
AT4467: Watts knows that Salem can use magic, so he knows magic exists. I don't expect him to be able to use any high level spells anytime soon, but being able to do the basics along with his intelligence, would allow him to progress quickly. 12 year olds in Toaru can become pretty damn powerful. It's a weird system. Going to be fun though if he can actually develop some spells based on Salem.
bees be beein: We don't really have reasons for dragons vs invisible thing yet. Dragons just work with RWBY due to the legendary Faunus angle along with the Gods of Light and Darkness having dragon forms. People in Academy City are looking for Touma and Accelerator, but before this accident, no one could prove parallel worlds existed.
A certain guest: See two comments above for magic. YES! Watt's Semblance is Savagery and spiting Cinder is an art.
WwEpsilonwW: There was a reason for each team.
Mr. Self-Deprecation: I still haven't decided which route yet.
: I thought about it, but this isn't a harem fic lol.
Angelfusion: See original comment up top.
vietnamese guy: It's not Touma if he gets break outside of hospitals.
TykkiMikk: Scary words indeed. Heh, Cinder's a brat compared to Accelerator.
Guest: I don't know. I don't want this to fall into the harem route without a good reason. Maybe if Touma saves her at some point. I could play the boy friend line for laughs though.
G119: We know fairy tale magic exists. You're one of the few people who actually is really excited about Salem's side learning magic. Most people are like, don't do it. All of the teams were carefully selected and I definitely did not randomly pull them out of a hat. I purposely did Mt. Glenn early so they can do something else during that time.
Blindfold Snake: Miscasts can be good or bad. Doing it wrong could mean even more trouble for our heroes. Salem can use all powerful magic that would destroy a normal person. Brilliant!
Mr. X: 1) There is an important reason all teams were selected and I did not randomly draw them from a hat. 2) Emerald Sustrai? Ilia Amitola? 3) Lips of course.
Kamijou Touma1: Accelerator just fights everyone in a FFA at the Vytal tournament obviously.
Cthulhu-On-The-Moon: Yeah, I put the percentage up on my author page to let people know stuff is happening. It cuts down on a lot of private messages asking me my progress.
UltraHydra: That's the RWBY universe. Most people don't get the fairy tale ending.
Kuvukiland: I find slice of life stuff more fun to write than pure action scenes. Accelerator can just drop a building on him and that's more than enough to win. As long as Accelerator doesn't get close, he will win.
Elfy Vana Gloria: Salem channels backlash into a new Grimm, obviously.
WriterAdam: One day, he'll learn. That's the joke with Jaune. Now that he has a girlfriend and is confident, other girls will take notice.
808Joker808: This chapter actually steps into that. I wanted Accelerator and Touma to talk to other people. Why would Accelerator tell Yang about her mom? He doesn't just give stuff out. That's… I like the idea, but getting Accelerator and Yang to work together? How would that be possible. Nora might work and would be funny.
WSarcasm: I have a reason to placing teams. For plot purposes, I can see Ozpin selecting leaders with different leadership techniques and switching them to learn new things. I was not a fan of the last season ending for sure. So much plot holes. Ironwood's actions were kind of interesting though. Magic is super easy to learn. Some normal guy summoned an angel one time by putting objects in the right places. Remnant is so messed up already, a few sparks won't do much. WE STILL DON'T KNOW! That's the one thing I'm reading Index LNs for. Just to learn what those dragons are.
Disclaimer: I do not own Toaru Majutsu no Index or RWBY.
Once Accelerator was discharged from the medical bay, he still felt a little sore from that crazy psycho's 'medical treatment.' Now that he was free, he needed to figure out what to do with himself.
Naturally, the first thing to be done is to make sure Last Order was taken care of. Trouble followed her wherever she went, and that seemed to still be the case even after traveling to another dimension. That brat had a knack for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. He was lucky Team RWBY and Team JNPR watched over her. They were some of the few people he could trust with her.
Trust wasn't something he gave easily or often.
As much as he hated to admit it, he had grown fond of them. This took a lot of effort to admit that to himself. Once the hero left, there was some silence to at least think things through. Accelerator didn't like thinking he was wrong, but he could at least admit his faults to himself. Saying it out loud was another matter entirely. Those teams were annoying sure, but at the same time, they didn't treat him any differently than they would any other normal person. Even with the desire to avoid them, he found himself being pulled into all their shenanigans.
No matter how much he tried to tell himself they had underlying reasons for their action, the logical part of his mind refused to let him cement that thought as fact. They saved him when he was in trouble. They protected Last Order without being paid or without gaining some sort of benefit from it. Then they treated him like a friend, no matter how much he pushed them away. Even Yang, whose in-your-face attitude was quite bothersome, along with her desire to beat him, still treated him better than any of the rats in Academy City. Usually that would have pissed him off, reminding him of the people back home, but with Yang's desire to win, it felt like more of a competition over something serious. Some of the others even liked him.
It was a shame that it wasn't going to be the same anymore.
Weiss and Ruby were going to avoid him and most likely, even if they kept quiet like Ozpin suggested, their attitude would alert the rest of their team. Slowly, they would all distance themselves from him. It was how he wanted it and he told Last Order that multiple times. Yet, as he accepted that situation, his stomach seemed to churn as if he ate something bad. He had shown off a part of himself that he thought he came to terms with. Maybe it was the world, or perhaps it was the hormones messing with his emotions, but most likely, it was his relationship to Last Order. That mirage he saw had caused him to snap and when he was about to get things under control, he witnessed something else that hurt almost as bad.
Weiss saw him as a monster. The Ice Queen stared stunned at what she saw of him and it pained him greatly to know for certain what her inner thoughts were.
"Fuck…" Accelerator muttered, glad no one else was around to see his disheveled state of mind and troubled expression.
It shouldn't have bothered him this much. People hating him was as natural as breathing was. Students back in Academy City were jealous and angry at his success. Scientists just used him and his power to further their own goals. Nothing was ever given freely for any reason. Honestly, even when Weiss gave him Dust to experiment with, it was because she liked him. The gift was merely to grab his attention.
He still found it hard to understand why she liked him though. It made little sense.
In any other situation, throwing someone away who hated him wouldn't make him think twice. He wasn't used to people feeling the other way.
His grip clenched tightly on the book about Aura in his hand. Weiss wanted to talk to him so he abandoned his room and found a quiet place out in the back of Beacon. That girl Blake, who always vanished to read away from that annoying blonde, had the right idea. Most of the books about Dust he'd been given and found on his own he had memorized and he was now looking into the interaction it had with Aura. He had always been curious about the specifics. It made bodies stronger so bones didn't break as easily when he reflected blows aimed at him, which caused great intrigue in a power strong enough to soften his deadly blows.
But even staring at the words on the page, his brain wasn't registering them.
After all this time thinking in the hospital bed, there was only one conclusion. Something that made the information on these pages sink in quicker and far more effectively.
He liked learning about Dust with Weiss.
Weiss wasn't stupid, which made her someone he could talk to. While not genetically modified like he was with drugs in Academy City, she was knowledgeable about the subjects he was interested in learning. The way she explained things, devoid of fluff and filler with getting directly to the point, was how he preferred learning. Academy City had a rigorous and regulated curriculum for him so that was what he was used to.
"Fuck." Accelerator swore under his breath again.
This was why he didn't want to get involved with people. The more time you spend with people, the easier it is for them to worm their way into your life. Once you let them in, you began to rely on them. Then inevitably, the betrayal hits. They want to use you to further their own goals or they find out about the real you and despise it. That look from the Snow Angel cut deeper than he wanted to admit. Ruby's terrified expression was to be expected though. The girl was young and cheerful. This was probably the first time she encountered something like that.
"Umm… Accelerator?"
Speak of the devil.
Accelerator turned his head slowly to see Ruby looking at him nervously, her hands behind her back under her cloak. He didn't say anything to her and she took the lack of insults as permission to continue.
"I… er… wanted to see how you were doing."
Ruby was clearly forcing herself to talk to him about this which itself was reason enough for him to let out an exasperated sigh.
"I'm fine."
"That's good." Ruby's demeanor visibly relaxed and she shifted back and forth on her feet. After a few minutes, it didn't look like she was going to continue without a push.
"Do you need something?" Accelerator's words came out a little gruffer than he intended.
"I was worried there might be some lasting effects. After… you know…?"
Accelerator waited again but Ruby didn't continue immediately so he took the opportunity to examine the small girl. Those shiny silver eyes didn't seem to be laced with fear like he vaguely remembered in the Emerald Forest. In fact, awkwardness was far more prevalent. Obviously, the girl wasn't used to seeking people out and talking to them alone on serious topics like this. Still, Ruby was the kind of girl who would try to help people but would end up sticking her foot in her mouth. It really reminded him of someone else he knew, though that damn hero could easily talk up a storm when necessary.
Man was he annoying.
"Did you need something?" Accelerator asked again, annoyed at the silence.
"Yes!" Ruby jumped at his words as she had been distracted going through what she wanted to say in her head. The jumbled words caused her to delay longer than she wanted. "Well… about what happened…" She gulped but forced herself to continue. "I wasn't sure if you wanted to… talk about it?"
"No."
That was an easy question to answer.
"Thought so." Ruby confirmed, having a good understanding of Accelerator's character by now. "I'm not going to force you. Not like I could. But I'm not going to try, er… you know what I mean." She shook her head and calmed herself. "I don't know what happened, but if it comes to a point you need to talk about it, I'm willing to listen. I probably won't be much help, but I promise I won't judge you. Sometimes, all we need is someone to listen to our worries."
Accelerator stared incredulously at her.
"Weiss would probably be better at talking about this thing," Ruby admitted, fumbling over her words a little. "It might be awkward though, so you can tell me and I can pass things on. Or you should probably tell her directly when you're ready. She really wants to talk to you and she's not mad. I'm pretty sure she isn't. I know what she's like when she's mad. She gets mad at me on a nearly daily basis, but she means well. It's just to help us, but sometimes she's too direct. You're kind of direct too. I think that's why-…"
"I seriously doubt she wants to talk to me." Accelerator scoffed. "I saw the way she looked at me."
"But she does!"
Ruby quickly covered her mouth at how forceful and loud she had been. Accelerator raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"We were surprised," Ruby admitted after calming down, gently prying her fingers away to speak. "What happened out there… we had no idea what was going on. I'm not going to say we weren't afraid. I'm sure your genius can tell that's a lie. But we weren't afraid for ourselves- well actually maybe a little, but that's beside the point! We were afraid for you. It was like we could feel how angry and scared you were."
"Me? Scared?" Accelerator clicked his tongue. "Don't be stupid."
"You can deny it, but I know what I saw." Ruby crossed her arms defiantly and then gulped. "I'm not surprised you don't want to talk about it. If that happened to me, I wouldn't want to risk hurting anyone else. I also know how being alone after you hurt someone doesn't do you any good. The first time Yang lost control of her anger, I remember how upset she was because she hurt a friend in her old school. If dad and I just gave her space, she would have been in pain for a lot longer. She needed someone to be there for her."
There was an unpleasant taste in Accelerator's mouth.
"So even if you don't want to talk now, just remember we're here if you need us." Ruby was shaking a little, and her face was reddening. "That's what friends are for."
"I get it." Accelerator cut her off before he had to listen to more of this. This was uncomfortable for both of them. "Is that all?"
"Actually, no!" Ruby's words were a little louder than she intended as she pulled out a small bag behind her back. "I wanted to give you this." She pushed the bag into the surprised boy's hands. "It's cookies. When I was upset or troubled, Yang would make me some, and I would feel better. She even said I would stop crying at the mere smell."
Everything made so much sense to Accelerator now. Ruby's addiction was Yang's fault.
"I don't like sweets." Accelerator told her bluntly.
For the first time, Ruby actually looked offended, but the expression was fleeting.
"Everyone likes sweets," Ruby reprimanded, wagging her finger at him. "You just haven't found the type you like. Trust me, cookies are great. They make you feel better when you're down." She backed up and waved to him nervously. "Just… think about what I said, okay? You and Weiss really need to talk and I know she wants to. She can just be stubborn like you…eep!" She slammed a hand over her mouth. "Forget I said that last part! I gotta go and tell my team who their temporary leader will be! Bye!"
She bolted off before Accelerator could get in another word in.
"Such a weird girl." Accelerator grunted. "Too much like the brat that it puts me off."
He contemplated moving to another spot in case Ruby told the others about his location. Thinking it over, there was a good chance she wouldn't. That girl didn't blab too many secrets when it mattered. She had kept Last Order's identity secret until he and Ozpin agreed to their current arrangement. Even if she did blab, it was a hassle to move. All it took was reflecting sound to give himself complete silence anyways if someone bothered him.
Opening the small bag in his hand, he took out one of the cookies. Eyeing it up, he hesitantly bit into it.
Instantaneously he had spat the treat out in surprise as the sweetness of it overpowered his senses.
"How much sugar did she put into this?"
Turning his attention back to his book, his mind seemed to have settled down a little. Meeting Ruby had put some stuff into perspective. The girl didn't hate him or fear him as a monster. He should have realized being in a world where literal creatures of darkness actually exist would make the residents on Remnant a little more resilient. People with power fighting to the death were a common sight. Ruby's fear was probably more along the lines of worry for what had happened to him when he snapped.
The question was, what did Weiss really think?
Accelerator found himself biting into another cookie as he contemplated his next move. He wouldn't say it but he didn't mind the taste all too much. Though it could seriously use some black coffee to offset the bag of sugar that runt no doubt put into them.
Weiss finally decided on a plan of action.
"If he won't talk to me, I'll have to find out another way." She muttered, pacing back and forth in her room. "I doubt he'll tell me willingly, but what other choice is there?"
Growing impatient, her eyes darted to the clock. It'd been almost five minutes and he hadn't arrived yet. The meeting should have ended by now. It wasn't even that far away. She couldn't have scared him away, could she? Her text message was vague and just about wanting him to stop by the dorm. Did he perhaps know what she wanted to ask?
A knock on the door gave her a small start, snapping her out of her thoughts.
"About time!" Weiss rushed over to the door and opened it.
"Hey, Weiss," Touma greeted, being the one on the other side. "You needed me for something?"
"Ah yes, come in." Weiss stepped back. "Sorry about the quick notice. I needed help and everyone else was busy."
"It's no problem." The boy assured her, not knowing the fate that awaited him as the silver-haired girl closed the door behind him. "What exactly did you need me for? Your text just said it was urgent."
"Just wanted your opinion on something," Weiss lied, trying to put him at ease. She had time to plan her strategy. "Ruby is too agreeable, Blake wouldn't care, and Yang… well she's Yang."
"This isn't some question on fashion or clothes, is it?" Touma asked nervously. "I wouldn't know anything about…" Weiss raised an eyebrow at him and crossed her arms. "Right… you wouldn't ask me that. My bad."
"Are the team leader swaps going to be a problem?" Weiss inquired, keeping up the act.
"That's… well… not for you guys," Touma struggled to say what he wanted to without dropping the bomb. Ruby really wanted to tell her team first. "Ruby's going to have her work cut out for her. Jaune's not going to have too much trouble. I'll just BS my way through this as best I can."
There was a story there and Weiss could tell. Questioning him on that could wait though. She had something more pressing at the moment.
"About why I called you here… as I said, I needed your opinion on something." As she talked, she walked around Touma, placing herself leisurely between him and the door to the outside. "That was not entirely true. I needed to know something. Something you might be able to help me with."
Touma tensed up and Weiss did not miss the signs.
"About what?"
The boy's words were hoarse, indicating he knew what she wanted to ask.
"Tell me what you know about what happened back in the Emerald Forest."
Weiss' icy glare bore into the poor lad. Her arms were crossed and he just realized that his exit was blocked. She had planned her strategy out well. Thinking about it now, it should have been obvious Weiss was going to ask about those black wings. There were several reasons why Touma didn't… or couldn't… talk about this. Weiss didn't seem the type to accept that response though. If she wanted to know something, she would butt heads until you told her.
Much like a girl in his class back home.
"A-About that…" Touma stammered, trying to buy time as he thought about what to say. "I don't think I can really say…"
"Touma!"
Touma snapped his attention at Weiss's harsh use of his name.
"Listen to me," she continued, glaring at him. "Ruby may be willing to keep quiet with her questions, but I want to know. That power… it wasn't Vector Manipulation, was it? Changing the direction of wind around him is one thing, but those wings were something else. That raw power, that fear that washed over us, we deserve to know what happened. It's not like we could ask while you both were in the medical wing."
"Have you… tried asking Accelerator?" Touma asked weakly, rubbing the back of his head. He seriously wanted to avoid divulging information on matters as private as this, especially since they concerned someone else than him.
Though the look he received caused him to shrink slightly.
"Do you honestly think he would tell us?" Weiss tapped her foot. "I've known him for a fraction of the time you have. Even Ruby could tell Accelerator wouldn't tell us anything."
"He's kind of opened up to you," Touma refuted, trying to regain control of the conversation. "A lot more than anyone else I know of. More than me for sure. I thought he was incapable of talking to people normally, but then you came along and changed that. If you asked I'm sure he'd tell you."
"It's not like I haven't tried." Weiss mumbled, for the first time averting her eyes for a moment. "He pushed me away at first, but I think I'm getting through… maybe…" She gulped. "Now he's just deliberately avoiding me."
Touma felt really bad hearing this and wished he could help more. There wasn't much he could do though. If he talked to Accelerator, he would either get something thrown at him, a rude gesture, or silence. Those things would probably only happen on a good day.
"As that stands," Weiss continued, her tone growing lower and her expression devoid of any sympathy. "You are not leaving until you tell me everything you know." Reaching over, she pulled out her dust rapier. "And I mean everything. I'll force it out of you if I have to."
"W-wait!" Touma hand out a hand in panic as she stepped back. "We can discuss this like rational people! We don't need to resort to skewering this poor Kamijou."
"We can if you comply." Weiss agreed, pointing her weapon at him. "Now, start talking."
Touma knew she wasn't going to like the answer, but with a sharp weapon only a few inches from his face, wielded by someone trained in combat, there were no good options. His mind was racing a hundred miles an hour, trying to come up with an explanation that wouldn't end up with him gaining a new hole in his body. He was also mentally cursing at himself for not seeing this coming.
Then, for the first time in his life, something lucky happened to him. Touma thanked the god, universe, spirits, whatever it was that gave him the chance to escape from the situation.
The door to the dorm opened.
"Hey, Ruby! Are you… in… here…?" Yang's voice trailed off as she saw Weiss holding Touma hostage. "Er… what's going on?"
"A private conversation." Weiss answered, turning to look at the blonde for a second
That brief moment of distraction was all that Touma needed. The movement instantly caught Weiss' attention.
"Halt!"
Her words fell on deaf ears as Touma bolted toward the window and slammed it open at the latch before jumping out.
Weiss and Yang rushed to the door to see what happened. Their room was atop the second floor. For them, the jump was nothing thanks to Aura and their physical training. For a normal person? They could easily sprain an ankle or worse. Their worries were all for naught, as Touma rolled out of the bushes, hobbled to his feet, and looked back over his shoulder.
"Sorry!" He called out to Weiss, before dashing off at full speed.
"What was that about?" Yang rounded on Weiss. "Why were you threatening him?"
"Private discussion," Weiss snapped while her clenched teeth betrayed her seething anger. "Why did you have to come back now of all times?"
"Was looking for Ruby."
"Whatever." Weiss rolled her eyes and then thought of something. "On second thought… Yang, I'll let you copy my homework for a week if you catch Touma and bring him back."
No sense in letting him escape if she could help it. Especially if she didn't have to do the dirty work. Yang eyed her for a moment, trying to figure out what Weiss' game was.
"A month." Yang countered, testing the waters.
"Two weeks."
"Deal."
They shook hands and Yang jumped out the window before chasing down the poor unfortunate boy. Weiss felt a little guilty herself sending Yang but she needed answers. Besides, if anyone saw them, they would assume Touma accidentally messed with Yang's hair or a misunderstanding occurred with Ruby. It wouldn't be the first time Yang overreacted to something.
"Pretty smart if I do say so myself." Weiss congratulated herself, as she waited for Yang to return.
"I should have demanded more." Yang groaned, after finally returning to the room.
"You made quite a scene," Weiss commented. "It's all over Beacon's network. Yang trying to kill someone again."
"Guy did not want to be caught, like a slippery eel he kept avoiding me," Yang growled. "Even threw some dirt into my face." Her eyes flashed from lilac to red. "If it had gotten into my hair, the network would've said I actually killed someone."
"Mmmph mmmm!"
Both girls paused to see the boy in question tied to a chair, clothes torn in places. Touma was struggling, but Weiss made sure he was bound up tightly. He was also gagged so he couldn't shout for help. If Ruby or Blake found out what they were doing, things would go south fast. Weiss could bribe Yang, but the other members of their team would not accept her methods. It would be a civil war between side RB and WY.
"Try that shit again and you're losing the arm." Yang warned.
Touma quickly fell silent, not wanting to test the validity of that threat for fear of something far worse happening as a result.
"Good," Yang smirked and then turned to Weiss. "Are you going to tell me what this is about now?"
"I told you before, this is a private discussion." Weiss retorted, crossing her arms. "You can go."
"About my fee." Yang grinned
"I'll honor our deal. Two weeks of being able to copy my homework for catching him, don't worry I didn't forget."
Touma meanwhile gawked at Yang, realizing his bounty was for mere school work.
"Hang on their Ice Queen." Yang raised a hand up. "That was my fee for catching him. What about my other fee?"
"What other fee?" Weiss glared at her as she got a bad feeling.
"For my silence." Yang wore the biggest shit-eating grin. "I'm sure Ruby and Blake would pay a lot to hear about what you're doing to their lover-boy."
"You're an accomplice!" Weiss jabbed a finger at her in fury.
"But if I'm the one who tells them, they'll never believe anything you say," Yang countered, not showing a trace of fear. "They'll see to it you'll never get the chance to have a private discussion."
Weiss gritted her teeth.
"…What do you want?"
"I just got this new dress and it blew through my budget so I can't-…"
"I'll reimburse you the money if you get out now." Weiss cut her off knowing where this was going. "Just don't tell anyone what I'm doing, and keep Ruby and Blake away if you see them."
"Deal!" Yang shook Weiss' hand. "Pleasure doing business with you Weiss Cream." She waved goodbye and grabbed the door handle leading outside, but stopped for a moment. "Oh, I should probably just say this. It's wrong to force Touma to engage in your fetish against his will, Weiss."
"Y-YOU!" Weiss spluttered furiously as Yang roared with laughter, escaping outside. Quickly locking the door, Weiss took several deep breaths to calm down. She slowly walked over to the misfortunate prisoner and looked him in the eyes. "I'll remove the gag if you promise not to yell."
Touma couldn't say anything so he merely blinked in confusion at first and then slowly nodded his head up and down.
"Very good." Weiss removed the gag and stared at him exasperatedly. "You had to make things hard for yourself. If you had just told me what I asked, we would have been finished now."
"That's the problem," Touma muttered, tugging at his arm still firmly bound to the chair. "I really can't tell you."
"Why not?" Weiss crossed her arms and tapped her foot. "I think after what we saw, I deserve to know something."
"You're not going to like the answer."
"Try me."
The two of them locked eyes for a moment. Cold blue eyes refused to back down and eventually caused Touma to glance away. He only saw the determination in Weiss, someone already stubborn. There was no way she was going to let him go without having her questions answered. Part of him wished he could answer her, as her relationship with Accelerator was actually pretty healthy for the Number One, but on the other hand he didn't want to face the wrath of Accelerator for revealing his secrets.
"I honestly don't know anything about those wings," Touma explained dryly, looking back into Weiss' face. "What they are, how he makes them, I have no clue. The only thing I do know is from when I fought him before when he was in that stage."
"You fought him before?" Weiss repeated and then rubbed her chin. "That makes sense. You did seem familiar with it." She clicked her tongue. "Okay, how many times has he shown those black wings?"
"Just once that I know of. If he did it any other time, I wouldn't know."
"And you truly don't know anything else about what happened?" Weiss pushed.
"Just what he told me, about seeing Last Order die." Touma recited. "I still don't know why he said he saw that."
"No… it doesn't make sense," Weiss agreed, rubbing her arm anxiously. "Hallucinations usually aren't that vivid. Someone could have influenced him I suppose, but we didn't see anyone. Nor did it make sense for someone to try. He keeps to himself so he doesn't have any enemies. Except for Team CRDL, but no one really likes them."
Touma flinched at her words, but Weiss didn't notice, as she was lost in her own thoughts.
"Looks like I'm at a dead-end," Weiss sighed to herself. "I can't ask Last Order about something like this, she's too young, and Accelerator won't tell me." Her eyes darted back to Touma. "I have one last question for you before I can let you go."
"Okay?"
"He mentioned… he was a murderer." Weiss struggled for a moment to say what he told her, but Touma was the only one to ask. "What do you know about that?"
Touma didn't say anything initially. The question caught him off guard as a sour look laced his features whilst he looked away. Weiss, who was monitoring his every action, instantly discerned that the boy knew something.
"What do you know?" Weiss stood closer to Touma, looking down at him. "Tell me."
"I won't."
Two little words. Just two words with an enormous implication behind them. Before, Touma used the word 'can't' now he used the word 'won't.' A single word changed the context of everything. Before, the boy didn't know the answer so he couldn't answer Weiss' questions. Now, he knew the answer but refused to spill the secret.
A vein throbbed in Weiss' temple.
"Tell me, or you won't like what happens next." Her hand rested on her rapier.
"No."
Weiss was actually a little surprised at how fast and bluntly he answered while being threatened. It caused some more questions to surface in her mind at the severity of what her original question entailed. If the goodhearted boy before her refused to answer it so adamantly then there must be some reason behind it.
"Why not!?"
"It's not my story to tell," Touma answered flatly. "The incident he's referring to involves himself and one of my friends back home. It's their story and involves them much more than it involves me. If I tell you, I'm betraying their trust. I will not do that."
Touma had raised his voice and sharpened his gaze at the last sentence. Weiss didn't understand why the boy suddenly had a complete change in attitude though that itself put her off her flow.
"You…" Weiss gripped her arm with her hand to stop it from shaking in anger.
"I know you want answers," Touma continued, looking up at her. "Seriously, I understand. You just can't get them from me. No matter what happens, I won't talk."
A pin drop could be heard in that room.
"You're stubborn, you know that?" The heiress told him.
"So I've been told."
Another moment of silence passed.
"Can you tell me if it involves those black wings at least?"
"It didn't." Touma shook his head as he answered.
"Hmm." Weiss rubbed her chin in thought. "Fine, I'll drop asking about the murderer comment for now. It's not going to get us anywhere. Let's go back to those wings of his then. You mentioned you saw them once before. Was there any difference this time compared to then?"
"I thought you only had one last question?" Touma joked and those ice blue eyes bore into him. "Umm…"
Actually, now that he thought about it, something did occur to him. He frowned as he compared the two events. One thing did stand out and his eyes widened as it dawned on him. It was only a small action that lasted a brief moment
A small action Weiss noticed.
"What?" Her gaze grew sharp. "You thought of something, didn't you?"
"Er… you might not like it." Sweat formed on Touma's brow.
"You'll like it even less if you don't tell me." Her words were filled with venom.
Touma sweat-dropped at the constant threats on his person but complied nonetheless.
"When we fought… it looked like he was snapping back to himself." The words slowly came out, as the boy weighed each one. "Then he looked at you, Ruby, and Penny and sort of… lost it again. The expression on his face changed for a moment. I think knowing he hurt you guys made him lose control."
"Huh?" Weiss was surprised. "Why would he think that?"
"As much as he hates to admit it, I think he grew fond of you all." Touma really hoped he was right, but all evidence pointed in that direction. "We actually didn't know each other that well before coming here, but he talks to you all a lot more than he does with me. You and Ruby treat him as a normal person, when he was someone who everyone considered to be at an unreachable level back in our world. Last Order even told me that he treats you specifically better than anyone else besides her. So I think he hated himself for losing control and hurting you."
Weiss could only stare at him with her mouth slightly open as she processed it.
So her suspicions were correct. Accelerator did care more than he let on. He tried to pass it off like she was just an annoyance and he didn't want any kind of relationship. Maybe with his power, he didn't trust himself around people because he might accidentally hurt them. Being alone for a long time with that train of thought wasn't healthy. Loneliness was something Weiss understood after all. The reason she came to Beacon instead of being a puppet under her father had something to do with that.
Accelerator finally found freedom from that loneliness at Beacon. When he somehow saw Last Order die in his mind, he lost control and hurt the people he started opening up to. Weiss's hands were cold and clammy as they tightened into fists. She had indeed been frightened when she saw that transformation. How easy it had blown away Penny's arm. The way Accelerator's eyes looked like a wild beast preparing to devour them all.
She hated how weak and fearful she had been. Her terror showed him that his greatest fear was just one step away from becoming reality. Losing control meant anyone close to him would get hurt. But now he needed to realize that what progress he made to overcome that with them was not erased because of one single moment of weakness.
The heiress realized what had to be done.
I need to talk with him.
Admitting that made her stomach churn uncomfortably. Those kinds of conversations weren't something she was good at. This would need to be planned out as Weiss thought about exactly what to say.
"So…? Can you let me go now?"
Lost in thought, she had completely forgotten her prisoner.
"I suppose I should since you answered my questions." Weiss was about to untie him when she thought of something that made her smile. "On second thought, if I told Neo about your predicament, do you think she would thank me by not pranking me for a while?"
Touma's face grew paler with every word.
"You wouldn't dare."
Fear was etched deep in his tone and if he wasn't bound in his chair, the boy might have fallen on his knees and begged. For a brief moment, Weiss understood why Neo had so much fun teasing him. It awakened some weird pleasure within her.
The next minute, Touma was free and rubbing his sore wrists.
Regardless of what thoughts ran through her mind, Weiss wasn't Neo or Yang. She had standards.
"Today's the day!"
The next morning, Ruby, Touma, and Jaune were walking down the hallway together from their rooms with small bags packed with personal belongings. They were supposed to meet the other team leaders and exchange the electronic passwords with their scrolls. The rest of their team normally would have been allowed to sleep in, but that wasn't fair for the young team leader. She made them get up so when Cinder came in so they could meet and get to know each other.
"You sound cheerful." Touma couldn't stifle a big yawn. He had been having a couple restless nights with some bad dreams. It was beginning to get to him. "After yesterday's freak-out."
"That's her, 'I'm terrified but I'm going to pretend to be happy' voice." Jaune informed him with a grin.
"JAUNE!" Ruby wailed, hitting her best male friend in the arm over and over. His grin turned to laughter. "Don't be mean! This is really nerve-wracking for me. I have to lead an entirely new team I know nothing about."
"You know Emerald and Mercury," Jaune reminded her. "Emerald's really nice. Mercury can be a bit of a jerk sometimes, but he helps out when you really need it."
Not only did Mercury help Blake and Neo rescue Touma and himself, but Mercury helped push Jaune into asking Pyrrha out. Thanks to that guy, he and Pyrrha were now officially a couple, not that they had much of a chance to do anything. It was hard to even look at each other without grinning. Nora was bound to realize something was up. Their plan of revealing their relationship at the dance was still on and they were trying very hard to spoil it.
It was kind of ironic that right after they become a couple, Jaune swapped leadership roles with another team.
"Just treat Mercury like Yang and don't let him push you around," Touma advised too. "If he thinks you embarrass easily, he won't stop."
"But I do…" Ruby muttered gloomily.
"Look at the bright side," Touma knew how to cheer her up. "You could be leading Cardin's team."
Ruby grinned sheepishly but also looked concerned.
"Will you be okay?" She asked cautiously, gauging his reaction.
"I'm more worried about him, honestly." Touma answered with a shrug.
"Neo?" Jaune asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Neo," Touma agreed. "I talked to her and Accelerator to not go overboard if he tries to boss them around and try to show him some common decency."
"How did that go?" Ruby asked.
Cruel laughter echoed in the misfortunate boy's mind.
"It… could have been worse."
There was a short awkward silence before Jaune switched the topic.
"It's going to be interesting leading another team for a week. Just to learn how to deal with all sorts of people."
"Heh, I guess if you think of it like that, it doesn't sound too bad." Ruby was trying to look on the bright side. "Emerald is nice and I bet she'll help me. I've also dealt with Yang my entire life, so Mercury should be bearable."
"That's the spirit, Crater Face."
"Right back at you, Vomit Boy."
"Where did those nicknames come from?" Touma asked curiously. Both of them looked at each other before replying in unison.
"Secret!"
They all shared a laugh before Jaune and Ruby did give Touma a brief run down over what happened when they first arrived at Beacon. Hearing about how Jaune vomited all over Yang's shoes and then Ruby blowing herself up in a crater was pretty funny to the misfortunate boy. He could relate to unlucky things happening.
They eventually arrived at the cafeteria to meet the other leaders, discuss anything they felt important, and exchange security clearance on their scrolls for the automated locks. It didn't take long to find their corresponding leaders. With one last wave goodbye, they split up.
Ruby gulped as she approached Cinder. That girl, no, woman, was beautiful, even if Ruby wasn't into girls. She also had an imposing stature that warned you she was not someone to mess with. Ruby was kind of socially awkward and didn't really go out meeting the other teams, so she didn't know a lot about Cinder. What she had heard was she wasn't very social and kept to herself. Those that did talk to her on occasion mentioned she was very direct and did not take crap from others.
So kind of like a more intimidating Weiss.
That thought did little to comfort Ruby.
"Uh… hi!" Ruby tried to be cheerful as she sat across Cinder and set her scroll on the table. "So? I guess we're switching teams?" As soon as the words left her mouth she mentally facepalmed. Of course, they were switching teams. They knew about that yesterday.
Ruby shivered as Cinder gave her a coy smile.
"We are indeed," Cinder replied casually, putting her elbows on the table and resting her chin on her hands as she examined Ruby. "You don't have to be nervous, Ruby. We have a few minutes to talk, so why not relax? I won't bite."
If only she knew.
"N-Nervous?" Ruby squeaked, her nerve failing at the amber eyes of the woman across from her. "Me? There's no way I would be nervous to suddenly swap from the team I've been leading with family and friends to another who I barely know. Why would I be nervous?"
She couldn't stop the words from flooding out of her mouth and once she finished, her face was burning brightly.
"I see." Cinder chuckled lightly. "You don't need to worry, Ruby. Emerald told me she was looking forward to spending more time with you. With everything going on, you two only meet occasionally. Even Mercury can't wait… I warned him to be on his best behavior. If he acts up, you're free to discipline in any matter you see fit."
"I-I'm sure there won't be any need for that," Ruby assured her quickly. "I don't think I can pull off being a strict leader."
"I suppose we all have our own leadership style," Cinder replied lightly. "Just do not be afraid of showing that you are in charge. It prevents people from walking over you."
"I'll keep that in mind," Ruby promised, not entirely sure when that situation would arise. Maybe when Yang tried to push her into doing something she didn't want. "What about the fourth member of your team?"
"That's Ilia," Cinder replied. "She's a Faunus… I hope that's not a problem. She's my partner."
"Of course not!" Ruby shook her head frantically. "I have nothing against Faunus. It's terrible the way some people treat them."
"Then I think you'll get along fine with her," Cinder smiled, but Ruby didn't notice the smile not reaching her eyes. "What about your team? The only ones I know a little bit about are Weiss, who's one of the top-performing students in the class, and Yang, your sister right? Who is well known at Beacon? She was chasing someone around Beacon yesterday."
"She did?" Ruby shrugged. "It was probably someone who messed with her hair. Don't ever touch it. She's super protective of it."
"Noted."
"Weiss is my partner and the one you'll be working with the most," Ruby continued. "She's super smart and talented, but she's a bit of a perfectionist, so she doesn't like mistakes, especially if I make them as the team leader."
"I think we'll get along perfectly, then." Cinder gave a light laugh.
"Blake's quiet and likes to read a lot," Ruby added, getting to her last teammate since Cinder knew about Yang. "You might have to push her a little into joining any group bonding activities."
"I'll make note of that," Cinder agreed. "I don't see myself having too much trouble. Since I can deal with Mercury, I think I can handle your sister."
"Well, good luck and I don't think my team will cause you too much trouble... probably." Ruby tried to promise, holding out her Scroll. Cinder held out hers and they connected, exchanging their lock information. After the exchange finished, they stood up and headed to their new rooms.
The hallway felt strange to the young girl, even though she's been running around Beacon for a while.
You can do this, Ruby! Remember what Jaune and Touma said. Make some new friends. They aren't bad people, just different.
Once she was outside the door to Team CASM's room, Ruby stopped and considered knocking. It seemed like the polite thing to do, but then she remembered it was now her room and she was supposed to live there. Holding up her Scroll, the lock clicked open and she pushed open the door. Emerald and Mercury were sitting on their beds, both of whom seemed to have been talking. The third girl, who Ruby now knew as Ilia, was lying on her bed, reading a magazine.
"…Hi?" Ruby gave a weak wave.
Emerald snickered at her weak response before waving back, but Mercury stood up, walked over, and shook her hand. He seemed pretty nice, which only confused Ruby. He was different from what she heard.
Then he opened his mouth.
"Welcome, Ruby! You know me and my girlfriend Emmy over there. That's Ilia, my backup girlfriend. Since you're here, I take it you want to join my harem?"
Two pillows flew through their air and hit the bastard in the head.
Meanwhile, smoke was coming out of Ruby's ears. She wasn't used to hearing something so forward and embarrassing like that. After a few moments of Emerald berating Mercury about his lack of manners, Ruby's tomato-colored face finally returned to normal and she couldn't help laughing.
It felt so much like her team already.
Cinder walked slowly to Team RWBY's dorm, preoccupied about everything she learned over the weekend.
She was originally furious at Emerald for nearly getting caught but thinking about it logically now, it might not have been a bad thing. Accelerator couldn't deflect her Semblance and had proved susceptible to it. The problem was the illusion was done in such a broad way, that now he would be on guard. If Emerald hadn't done it though, Cinder would never have found out some disturbing information.
Cinder, we can't fight him. He's… he's… a monster! I've never seen such power.
Emerald wasn't a coward and had seen things that would cause most to just end their lives. She had seen things in the Grimm Lands that nearly the entire world's population was ignorant to. Yet, she had implied that Accelerator had somehow become equal to Salem. As Cinder interrogated her, what she was told didn't make much sense. Accelerator's ability was Vector Control, so dark energy emerging from his back into wings didn't fit under that description.
Then Emerald showed her what happened through those hallucinations of hers.
Even with Cinder knowing this scene was an illusion, she had a hard time believing what Emerald saw. The raw power, the negative emotions that threatened to choke everyone around him, were being conveyed as she watched the pitch-black wings erupted from the back of the albino boy. Normally, in Emerald's hallucinations, there was a limit to what she could convey. Her Semblance wasn't perfect and there were minor flaws, but this was something else. It was like Emerald was truly trying to convey the fear and emotions she felt seeing this.
The raw power Accelerator demonstrated was quite impressive.
At the same time, it was a threat to her plans.
Cinder had questioned Emerald multiple times and even had Accelerator under observation. She was finally satisfied that Accelerator didn't know Emerald was the culprit. Still, they wouldn't be using her Semblance for a while until the coast was completely clear. There was no reason to risk being discovered anytime soon. The year was still young. For now, she had to deal with this stupid team exchange idea the fool Ozpin created.
She actually wanted to swap with the boy Touma Kamijou, so she could talk with Neo without having to approach her as a stranger. Ozpin was sure to keep her monitored and would question anyone come up to talk to her. Being on her team would also mean she could observe Accelerator along with that girl, Last Order, he was babysitting. Emerald proved that girl was his weakness.
A small smile tugged on the devious woman's face.
Maybe we can use that to cause some problems during the festival.
If they could make Accelerator lose control in front of an audience, there would be casualties and the destruction would weaken Beacon and Vale.
Not everything could fall into place perfectly as long as it was outside of her control. Cinder did not control Ozpin's team selection, but the assignment wasn't bad. Team RWBY was one of the biggest threats to her plans, already interfering with Roman's Dust thefts, with Team JNPR a close second in their interference with data collecting at Merlot's lab. From Cinder's new position as team leader, she would be privy to Weiss', Blake's, and Yang's secrets while being completely inconspicuous.
The door to Team RWBY's room opened with her Scroll.
"She's here!" Yang called out.
"We can see that!" Weiss shot back.
"Don't get your panties in a knot. I was just letting you know in case you were distracted looking at yourself in the mirror."
"At least I don't take three hours to do my hair!"
Blake rolled her eyes from the bed and nodded in greeting to Cinder.
Well, Cinder was used to idiots arguing, so that's nothing new here.
"Nebula?" Jaune asked, holding out his hand. "I'm Jaune, from Team JNPR."
"I've seen you in class," Nebula replied, gesturing across from her after shaking his hand. "Though we never fought."
"Yeah… Goodwitch likes to make me fight certain people." Jaune sighed, sitting down and then trying to perk himself up rather than think of depressing things. "Let's not talk about that."
"I see…" The way Nebula said those two words made Jaune feel like she was judging him. Without evidence, he kept quiet. It was kind of his fault in the first place he wasn't that great of a fighter. "What's your team like?"
"Pyrrha is my partner," Jaune recited, providing the information for the question he at least knew would be coming. "If you have any questions, she'll be happy to help. Ren is kind of quiet, but the same way. He might not talk to you a lot, but don't take that as him trying to ignore you. He's usually aware of what's going on and gives great advice. Nora…"
He paused, something Nebula took note of.
"The excitable girl with the hammer, right?" She verified. "I heard she's a little crazy."
"Eccentric," Jaune corrected her. "Though… I'm pretty sure she's going to ask you if you prefer pancakes or waffles. You must answer pancakes."
"Huh?"
Nebula was completely confused.
"Trust me," Jaune wanted to emphasize this so he grabbed both of Nebula's shoulders. "You must answer pancakes. If you don't, she won't like you. If she doesn't like you, she won't listen to you. If she won't listen to you, your grade is a guaranteed failure."
"Okay, but why?"
"Ask her, but make sure you're somewhere where you can sit down. Nora can go off on that topic for a while."
Nebula's eyes narrowed like she was trying to decide if he was purposely being funny or not.
"What about your team?" Jaune asked, sensing the danger and deliberately veering away by changing the subject and sitting back down.
"Listen, you seem nice, so I'm going to be honest with you," Nebula told him. "In Vacuo, the climate is pretty harsh compared to Vale and life isn't easy. We pride ourselves on strength and survival. After seeing you fight, we have questioned how you were made team leader."
"I question that every day, so no offense taken." Jaune assured her, raising his hand.
"It's good you know, which shows you aren't arrogant at least," Nebula complimented. "Octavia and Dew might be a little cold to you at the start, so you'll have to show you deserve to be a team leader. Octavia's the red-haired girl and Dew is the blonde one."
"Okay, that sounds fair," Jaune agreed. "I figured there would have to be some adjustment to suddenly getting a new leader."
"I did warn them to behave if that helps," Nebula continued. "They won't be outright hostile at least. The last member of my team is Gwen and…" Nebula rubbed her temple. "She's a big fan of Pyrrha Nikos, so I expect her to ask a lot of questions about her, even though I warned her to dial it back."
That surprised Jaune.
"Oh… I'm not going to answer anything personal, because that's Pyrrha's business. I might be able to introduce her, but I won't spill her secrets."
"I didn't think you would but I just wanted to give you a heads up. Other than that, just make sure Octavia cleans up after herself. She'll try to trick you into doing it. Do not fall for that. She just likes being lazy here."
After their exchange, they held out their scrolls and transferred room codes before heading to their new dorms.
Truth be told, Jaune was worried.
There he was, a boy, going into a team that previously was all women. While he always played off having a bunch of sisters to know how to share living quarters with females, it didn't mean the rest of Team NDGO knew how to deal with boys. He hoped at least they wouldn't call him a pervert for some accident beyond his control or a misunderstanding. Being careful was a given and to make a good first impression. It was easier now, as he had no inclination to try to impress girls anymore. Pyrrha was his girlfriend and that alone gave him confidence.
Still, when he arrived at Team NDGO's room, he knocked rather than walking in.
"Just a sec!" Came a muffled reply.
The door opened and a girl, a young woman with lightly tanned skin, brick red hair left loose with a swept fringe to the right, and olive green eyes stepped forward. She wore a teal blue waistcoat and a dark brown strapless top. A cropped sleeveless vest of the same teal blue was worn over the top and waistcoat. Her skirt was pale green that faded into a cream with a zigzagged pointed hem accompanied with an open front layer that gradually shifted from brown to light brown with a pair of navy belts crossed in the front and back.
Unlike Beacon, Vacuo didn't really have a uniform and let the students wear anything.
"Oh… It's you." The girl said, obviously disappointed, stepping back and gesturing for him to come inside. "Jaune or something right?"
"Yep," Jaune replied, trying to remain optimistic in front of the hostility. "Jaune Arc. You must be Octavia."
"At least you know that much," Octavia replied, looking slightly less annoyed and more indifferent. "Come on. Let's introduce you to the rest."
Jaune looked around at the room quite similar to his own. There were obvious differences in some decorations and a few clothes lying around, but it wasn't nearly as messy as Nebula warned him it might be.
"Morning," Dew said dismissively, brushing her hair at her desk in front of a mirror. Dew was a young woman with fair skin, dark blonde hair swept to the left, and violet eyes. She wore a sleeveless green dress with an asymmetrical hem, what appeared to be a golden scale one-sleeved high neck top underneath her dress, a lighter green sarong tied around her hips. "So we have to let you stay here for a week, huh?"
"It's not going to be that bad." the last girl spoke up, lying face down on the bed. This must be Gwen. Gwen was a young female with lightly tanned skin, curly black hair pulled back from her face into ringlets, and brown eyes with purple eyeshadow. She was wearing a black corset dress with a dark gray front, purple hem, and purple laces on the back. She wore a light gray top with short sleeves and black cuffs. Her top also has a high gray collar. Her belt was a long purple ribbon edged in gray, with a bow in the back and tied in the front, "I doubt he'll try anything. If he does, we can kick his butt."
"True." Dew agreed. "We've seen him fight."
The girls all laughed and Jaune felt his ears burn. He was a little upset, but more at himself than them. It was true his combat skills were inferior to those who have trained a lot longer. Changing the topic seemed like the best course of action.
"Listen," the boy thrown into the wolves sighed heavily. "This wasn't my idea and I have talked to Nebula this morning a bit. I'm not going to try to boss you around, even if I could." Gwen cracked a smile, so his attempt at a joke had some impact. "First, I wanted to let you know I've grown up with my sisters, so I'm used to living with girls, so I'll always knock on the bathroom door and probably when I first come into the room."
"Huh, okay?" Octavia seemed a little surprised at his accommodations. "Out of curiosity, how many sisters?"
"Seven."
"SEVEN?!"
"Yeah, that's the reaction I normally get when I say that." Jaune chuckled at the girl's reaction.
"Nebula's bed is over there," Dew finally said after processing that information, pointing to the obviously empty bed. "Don't make a mess in there."
"So how did you become a team leader?" Gwen asked, sitting up and looking Jaune up and down as he put his suitcase on the bed. "I was shocked when it turned out Pyrrha Nikos wasn't made one."
"I get asked that question more than you would think." Jaune admitted, rubbing the back of his head. "The answer hasn't changed. I have no idea."
"What she's like?" Gwen pushed and Jaune was glad Nebula warned him.
"She's just a normal person who is really good at fighting," Jaune answered simply. "Not sure why people think she's some out-of-touch celebrity. I can introduce you if you want."
"Yes!" Gwen looked ecstatic.
One down, two more to go, Jaune taught proudly. Dew and Octavia had merely rolled their eyes at Gwen's excitement. Remember, strangers are just friends you haven't met yet. You can make friends with those two. It's going to make the week go by much faster.
Touma's meeting with Cardin could have gone a lot worse.
"Hurry up so I can go, loser."
That was about the extent of the words Cardin said to him. Besides a sneer when Touma held out his Scroll to exchange passcodes. The moment the beep ended indicating the transfer was a success, Cardin stood up and left, leaving Touma to ponder what his deal was.
Is he still mad at the display Goodwitch had us do to display my power? Pretty sure he could beat me up if he tried. He doesn't rely on Semblances or Dust attacks.
Still trying to figure out why Cardin was such an ass, he found himself standing in front of Team CRDL's dorm room before he realized it. He briefly debated knocking but shook his head. If Cardin's team was anything like him, Touma needed to show he was confident and wouldn't be pushed around. Swiping his scroll over the lock, the door clicked open and he stepped inside.
It wasn't nearly as neat as the dorm rooms he was used to. Clothes were thrown into a pile in the corner, paper was scattered around the trash can which Touma inferred was by bad aim, and desks were cluttered with comics and magazines not related to schoolwork. Two of the occupants were awake, while one was still sound asleep. The one asleep was Sky, a young man with long combed back dark blue hair.
"Sup?" Russel said, tossing a magazine onto his desk. His light green Mohawk was the most prominent of the team. "Hope you don't plan to try to boss us around. We're not going to listen."
"That's a sure-fire way of making sure we fail." Dove laughed. He had light brown hair combed to the left and his eyes were nearly closed in a noticeable squint. "But I would rather pass. Didn't Cardin complain about having to write a report about his team?"
"Oh, yeah, there was something like that." Touma recalled.
"You don't remember?" It was Russel's turn to laugh. "Don't pay attention in class either?"
"If you've seen my grades before coming to Beacon, you'll understand." Touma moaned, tossing his bag onto the empty bed which had to belong to Cardin. It didn't seem like Cardin washed the sheets, so that was something on his to-do list. "I'm just trying to pass this class."
"I doubt you could be more of a tyrant than Cardin is." Dove joked. "We pretty much have to follow him or he'll get pissed."
"I notice his anger issues," Touma agreed. "Goodwitch made us fight that one time to show it."
"That was pretty sweet," Russel admitted. "You socked him good. He bitched about that cheap shot for days." He eyed Touma. "So skipping over that ship, what about you?"
"What about me?" Touma replied confused.
"That way that Neo chick throws herself at you," Russel continued, grinning. "I bet you two have tons of fun every night."
Touma stared at Russel for a moment, who looked confident in himself.
"HAHAHAHAHA!"
Touma burst out laughing and stumbled against the bed to stabilize himself.
"…What the fuck is so funny?" Sky grumbled, sitting up and rubbing his eyes.
"Touma's telling us of his sexual escapades." Dove answered instantly.
"With Neo or one of the others?"
"You guys have no idea what Neo is about," Touma finally stopped laughing and had to calm himself down with deep slow breaths. "The reason she does all that flirting is solely to annoy me. I have to react. If I stop, she'll just get more extreme, like pantsing me in the middle of the cafeteria."
"So you two aren't dating?" Russel looked pretty skeptical.
"Nope, not at all."
"Lame," Dove muttered, plopping down on his bed. "Guess Cardin's plan of showing her what a true man is might actually work."
Touma briefly saw a dead body buried outback of Beacon. He shivered at the thought of what Neo would do to the poor boy if he tried anything.
"If he can do that, he's a better man than me." Touma groaned, hoping Neo kept her promise to behave. "She may be hot, but her attitude needs a lot of work."
"Beacon's full of hot girls, if you haven't noticed." Sky pointed out.
"Oh… I've noticed. Plenty."
The guys shared a brief moment of unity thinking about all the beauties in that school.
"Even the Faunus babes are pretty hot." Dove said.
"Eh, I prefer humans, but Cardin won't even consider it." Russel reminded him.
"Why does he hate Faunus so much?" Touma asked.
"No idea, I've never bothered to ask him," Russel shrugged. "I just go along with it. Better than being on the receiving end."
"I heard rumors you all hated Faunus," Touma told them. "Guess that's false."
"Nope, just Cardin." Dove pulled open a desk drawer. "Oh, since you seem like a cool dude, here's an apology gift for our stunt earlier," He had a rolled-up magazine in his hand. "I think you might be interested in this. Hot Faunus Babes of Summer is one of the best. Just don't beat it in front of us and give it back before Cardin comes back."
"I… yes. Toss it over." Came the instant reply.
The irony was not lost on Touma as he recalled his time trapped by the White Fang.
The magazine flew through the air and Touma skimmed it. How many months had it been since he had a chance to read something like this? With his roommates back home, he rarely ever got a moment's peace. At Beacon, if Neo found out about him needing some relief…
Yeah, he would be celibate as long as that tiny devil was nearby.
Pleased with the turn of events, he opened Cardin's desk and slipped it inside for later. That's when he noticed something. There was a false bottom in the desk drawer that was slightly propped up. Unable to contain his curiosity, Touma pretended he was unpacking while the other guys got ready for class. When Touma pried up the bottom, it took all his control not to gasp.
There was a hidden magazine there.
Playful Bunny's Volume 27.
This explained so much and at the same time, created so many questions in the spikey-haired boy's mind.
"I'm here!" Cardin declared, slamming the door open to Team TAN's room. "You guys ready for a real leader?"
The reaction to his entrance was hardly what he expected. Accelerator was sitting up in his bed, playing with his Scroll, completely ignoring Cardin's entrance. Neo was stepping out of the bathroom, already fully dressed which depressed Cardin. He reminded himself there would be plenty of opportunities to 'accidentally' catch a glimpse. The little girl, Last Order or something weird like that, was crouched on the other side of her bed, glaring at him.
"Do you really have to be here? MISAKA asks annoyed as MISAKA glares at you."
"Shut it, Squirt," Cardin snapped back. "You may have some special permission to be here, but I'm the leader now. So shut up and beha-…"
The rest of the words got caught in his throat.
Accelerator had turned his head ever so slightly so one of his eyes was glaring directly at Cardin. It was like the air had frozen. Cardin felt his body tremble under pure hatred and rage. Emotions that felt like they had taken physical form and were crushing them.
Then as quickly as that feeling hit him, it vanished as Accelerator went back to his Scroll.
"Y-Yeah," Cardin tried to continue, taking a second to regain his composure. "I'm the team leader now, so you all need to follow my orders. Do that, and we won't have any problems."
Last Order still glared at him, Accelerator ignored him, and Neo rolled her eyes before grabbing a comb off her desk. The lack of acceptance caused a vein in Cardin's temple to throb.
"I don't care if that weak bastard let you all slack off, but with me as your leader, you'll show me respect." He glanced at Neo. "Except you, babe. How about you go out with me and I'll show you a night you'll never forget."
He flexed his arms and Neo's face went green.
After miming some silent gagging, the multicolored girl turned to Accelerator and made some gestures.
"I don't care," Came the curt response. "Not that it's my business, but didn't you promise the damn hero you wouldn't kill him?"
Neo frowned at the reminder and crossed her arms in a pout. Suddenly, her eyes widened and she raised a hand up with a single finger as an idea came to her. She then held out two fingers in a V shape and then closed them together multiple times before pointing to Cardin's crotch.
"Not helping you with that," Accelerator growled. "Not going to stop you either."
"What the hell are you two talking about!?" Cardin demanded angrily. "Speak like a normal person, assholes. You may have some powerful Semblance, but you aren't in charge."
Accelerator glared at him again, but he wasn't alone. Neo and Last Order were glaring too. Cardin had done something pretty impressive in its own right. He caused the entire team to band together. Accelerator turned to see Last Order's upset expression and then sighed, knowing he was going to have to do something. He locked eyes with Neo and the girl pointed to Last Order. Well, it was one way to include her.
"Brat! You're the deciding vote. What's the verdict on this trash?"
Last Order looked between Accelerator's annoyed expression and Neo's diabolical grin that would cause a normal person to run for the hills. It was a shame Cardin was too dense to realize this.
Last Order thought about it.
The small clone girl didn't like unnecessary violence and death, but it wasn't like she was unused to it. That was her life growing up and with all the people trying to kidnap her or use her for their own gains, violence was common when they encountered Accelerator. Even in Remnant, everyone around her continued to fight those monsters called Grimm. True she never got to see one up close except in Peter Port's class, but she heard plenty of stories.
The memory of Cardin and his team bullying her was also still fresh in her mind.
Slowly, a sweet smile formed on her lips as she held up a fist.
Then, just as slowly as that smile, her thumb stuck straight down.
"Worst would be proud."
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.
Wishez: I was originally a last resort Beta, but the way things are looking, it feels like I'm a full-time one. Every other beta is dying and it looks like I'm the only one who's still going strong. I hope you guys are enjoying Dark's chapters, they're pretty good.
UrsaMJR: Don't count me out yet! While my busy days are not over, I can still find some time for a story I enjoy. Anyway, hopefully we will see a Cardin adorned flagpole at Beacon soon, if not I'll be disappointed Dark.