"Hello Miss Rose."

Those words hit Ruby to her core as she looked at the familiar man in front of her, his feline companion sitting quietly on his shoulder and eyes her with what Ruby assumed was a look of contempt. There he stood, Alector Nirvana, the man who had put three students, including her partner Weiss Schnee into a comatose state. A former false teacher that most students had looked up to.

Last seen being taken captive by the Atlas Military by General Ironwood. Yet here he stood plain in front of her like nothing had happened.

Nirvana stepped forward laughing.

"I must admit I was not expecting to find you here Miss Rose, what an unexpected surprise indeed" he said with his well-known polite tone. His cat Milena started purring into his ear and he looked up.

"She did what? Really," he said surprised at what his cat was telling him "my, my Miss Rose doing all of this in a forest I didn't know you had it in you."

He was grinning ear to ear and Ruby took notice of the way Milena was purring against his ear, apparently Nirvana understood what she was trying to communicate. Which caused Ruby to angrily blush a bright shade of red.

"YOU WHERE SPYING ON ME!" she yelled, not caring who could hear it.

"I wasn't but if what Milena tells me is true even if I was spying on you, you where spying on someone too. Two wrongs don't make a right Miss Rose, have you learned nothing from my class" he said somewhat conceited, clearly being humored by his own words.

"What are you doing here Nirvana?" Ruby demanded angrily.

Despite her bluster and bravado, Ruby was technically up creek without a paddle without Crescent Rose by her side, though she pretended to try and be strong since she had no idea what Nirvana was doing here or the devices he had to try and mess with her.

"Well obviously I'm travelling through the forest same as you. Are you travelling by yourself or with your team?" he asked curiously.

"You know what I mean Nirvana" Ruby told him with gritted teeth and an angry scowl.

Nirvana sighed in response to that.

"Very well," he spoke "after Beacon fell I was freed from the Atlesian Military by a weird quiet girl with ice cream colored hair, for what reason I wish I knew. Regardless Milena and me took the opportunity to flee and we've been on the run ever since considering Ironwood confiscated my portal device and most of my gadgets. There you happy?"

Ruby thought to herself as she observed the situation. He seemed to have no weapons and he claims to no longer have his personal devices with him.

Had he been trailing her and her team? Ruby thought it possible but she had never noticed anything that could lead to the conclusion of someone following them. And considering he was pretty far from home, both literally and figuratively it meant he might be telling the truth.

"Yes very happy" Ruby said as she turned on her semblance and in a storm of petals grabbed both Nirvana and Milena and took them with her as she aimed straight back to the campsite.

Once she arrived there she threw the man and his feline companion on the ground, the thud to the ground awakening Ren and Nora, but before Ruby could address them, she immediately went to grab Crescent Rose and turned back to Nirvana who was getting up and she hit him in the back of the head with the blunt side of her weapon, knocking him to the ground.

Milena immediately tried to claw at her but Ruby easily grabbed her by the back of her neck and held her up as she swung her claws at her angrily.

"What's going on!" she heard someone yell and she turned to see Jaune appearing through the bushes and run towards her, being joined by an equally confused Ren and Nora.

"Yeah what's going on Ruby?" Ren asked as he stood beside her alongside the rest of his team and as they all looked at the unconscious man on the floor they recoiled in shock and surprise.

"Is that?" Nora asked shocked.

"Yeah. Grab some robe and tie him up before he comes too quickly" Ruby said as her angry eyes stared at the man.

The Next Morning…

Birds chirped and the sun shone on his face as Alector Nirvana finally came too, only to realize his hands were tied behind his back.

He looked around and saw the angry and upset faces of Team RJNR staring at him, an extinguished fire place behind them and Milena beside him, her paws tied up as so she could now claw her way out of them.

Pulling at his hands yielded no results, they were tied up tightly. Given the team before him a smile, Nirvana spoke up.

"I must say it is so good to see you all again, you have grown so…" his sentence was interrupted by Jaune punching him in the face.

"AARGHH!" Nirvana yelped in pain as the impact send shockwaves of pain through his face. He heard Milena angrily hiss at Jaune for that action.

"Okay…that was kind of uncalled for don't you think…." He tried to say only to look up and see Nora Valkyrie coming over to him with her fist raised and it soon connected with his face.

"Aaargh!" Nirvana's face fell as Milena's angry hissing intensified.

"Okay I get I may have deserved that one but still…"

"Oh you definitely deserve that and more" Ruby Rose yelled at him angrily.

"What are you doing here Nirvana?" Jaune asked scowling, crossing his arms as he did.

Nirvana held up his face and looked at the team "we've known each other for a while now. So please my friends call me Alec" he said.

"You have friends?" Nora asked sarcastically.

"Answer the question," Jaune asked stepping forward and grabbing Nirvana by the collar in an almost furious rage "WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!"

"Jaune calm down" Ruby said as she tried to pull her friend away from Nirvana. Ultimately he did and the man they hated slumped back onto the ground as Milena tried to stumble behind him, but this was becoming difficult since her paws where all tied up.

"I understand your anger towards me considering our last encounter but I can assure you that I do not mean you any harm. I didn't mean you harm the last time either" he told them.

"Tell that to Weiss and Pyrrha" Ruby said, only to recoil as she realized at what she just said and she saw Jaune's face fall. Her heart sank as she wished she could take those words back.

"Ah yes the events of Beacon's Fall are still quite fresh of course," Nirvana said "I am very sorry to hear about Miss Nikos' death."

Those words set off a flame of anger as Jaune pounced forward and threw Nirvana to the ground, and Milena stumbled onto the ground with her paws tight up. The sounds of roaring fists echoed as Jaune fired multiple punches into Nirvana's face.

"YOU DON'T TALK ABOUT HER!"

Ren and Nora ran forward to pull Jaune off of Nirvana but Jaune was too caught up in his rage and couldn't be moved. That was until Nirvana's arms where suddenly released from their restrains and he forcefully pushed off of him. The warrior fell to the ground as he got up.

Ren, Nora and Ruby got near and helped Jaune up as Nirvana went and grabbed Milena off the ground and proceeded to remove the ropes around her paws "thank you my dearest Milena" he said affectionately kissing the cat's forehead as the kitten then returned to her usual place on his shoulder.

He stepped forward and help up his hands "look you have no reason to trust me I understand that much," he started as he rubbed his now bruised face "but hitting me all the time won't help you move further. You need my help and I need yours."

Ren stepped forward in front of his teammates and spoke.

"What could you possibly have to offer us?" he asked stoically as ever.

Nirvana smiled "finally someone who doesn't use his fists to start a conversation. Very well. When I came to your world I did so under the impression that I wouldn't be gone long, at least not long enough for my superiors to start questioning things. But what was a few weeks has turned into more than a year and I'm certain that they figured out my portal technology works by now. I never gave them my designs but they will find someone to remake the designs if they haven't already."

Ren's stoic expression did not move a bit.

"And why exactly should this concern us?"

"Good question Mr. Ren, namely for this reason. The Conduit, the organization I was employed by is run by very dangerous people. The kind that seek to subjugate and control everything around them, and the moment they find a way to recreate my portal technology and come to this world, all of Remnant will suffer for it. I can help you fight them off" Nirvana told them.

"And why should we believe you?" Ruby interjected walking up to Nirvana and looking straight at him.

He faced forward only inches removed from Ruby's face.

"Go ahead Miss Rose you can take your chances and call my bluff, but I can assure you that you will regret it. I told Ironwood this exact same thing and I will say it to you again. You may dislike me, you may even hate me, but if you think I'm horrible you haven't seen anything yet, and my superiors are so much worse. So make your choice."

His voice was determined and strong, on his face a wicked but victorious smile was plastered as if he had already won the argument.

Ruby turned around to her team, Nora was still keeping Jaune in check as to ensure he did not go on the offensive again and Ren was looking at her with an understanding expression, though one that showed his obvious concern as well.

Turning back to her former professor Ruby spoke up.

"Okay Nirvana, assuming what you tell us is true. What do you want? What do you have to gain from this?" she spoke.

Nirvana's grin grew upon hearing that "you know despite being locked up for a year I have been more free on this world then I have ever been in my life. Despite the rampant monstrosity that is the Grimm I must admit I have grown quite fond of this place, I would hate to see it be destroyed by the Conduit" he told.

"So you wish to protect us from the people you work for because you have developed sentimental feelings here?" Ren asked, questioning his motives.

"Slightly yes. As for what I want it is very simple I want two things. I have no aura, and hence no Semblance meaning Milena and I are a fish out of water here. Hence we require protection, and yours will suffice."

"So you want to travel alongside us?" Ren said.

"That is correct" Nirvana answered shortly.

"OVER MY DEAD BODY!" Jaune yelled angrily as he tried to move to the man only to be held back tightly by Nora and Ren.

"You can't possibly consider letting him join us. He is lying about everything can't you see that!" Jaune pleaded.

An unsure Ruby turned back and forth between her teammates and Nirvana, who was waiting patiently for her answer. Conflict was arising between her, she could see why her teammates were skeptical, even she was to an extent. But even so she could hear Nirvana's voice and his story seemed genuine. He had managed to come to this world after all so the chance of more was always possible. And as Nirvana claimed, they would be way worse.

He could be bluffing? But on the off chance that he wasn't.

"And what is the other thing you want?" Ruby asked.

"That is currently personal to myself. I can assure you it's nothing you need to concern yourself with, most importantly I require your protection and in return I will lend you my knowledge of the Conduit to help you fight against them when they inevitably show up" he said and he extended his hand.

"Ruby you can't be seriously considering this!" she heard Jaune yell, her uncertainty was growing. After all that this man had done she couldn't possibly trust him to be truthfull.

Regardless of that. She took her chances.

And she shook his hand.

"Very well Nirvana, I accept the deal" she said.

Nirvana smiled at her, as did Milena. Behind her she could feel Jaune's disbelieving eyes piercing into her back.

"Thank you Miss Rose," Nirvana said as he let go of her hand "I assure you will not regret this and please…call me Alec."

Ruby's previously uncertain face turned into a grin.

"Very well…Alec" she said as she suddenly turned into rose petals and flew over the campsite, only to quickly turn back to her former professor and immediately put his hand behind his back before tying them up again.

"What in the…" he started only for Ruby to interject "if you are you going to travel with us you will do so on our terms. And our terms is that your hands will be tied up unless we are looking."

Alec gritted his teeth in anger before slowly breathing in and out and collecting himself.

"Very well Miss Rose, if that is what you wish" he said almost venomous, clearly not happy with the sudden arrangement.

"And," Nora Valkyrie said running up to him "we will keep an eye on little Milena there and if we found out she's cutting through your restrains again we will muzzle her. I don't like to muzzle such a cute kitty but I'm afraid I will have too."

She petted the kitten who angrily hissed at her, but Nora just smiled at it.

Ruby turned to Jaune and Ren who were both joining them, Jaune looked at her with a disappointed expression, no anger, just disappointment. He walked past her without saying a word and went straight for Nirvana.

"If I even for a second get the feeling you are up to something, or if you bring Pyrrha up again I will do more than just you a few times. Understood!"

"Understood" Nirvana answered smiling.

Jaune turned his back to Nirvana only to immediately spin and hit him in the face again, causing Milena to jump off his shoulder and stare daggers at Jaune, who angrily growled at the cat in response. His teammates didn't stop him, letting him have this outlet for his understandable anger.

"Ugh" Nirvana groaned as his eyes went back up the team, and also his new travelling companions.

"Okay the next person who hits me I'm going to hit back….as soon as I'm untied."