Team STIK (Strike)

by Aragon365

One born without the power to make a difference. Another gifted with an incredibly powerful dual semblance. One who wishes to live up to his elder brother. And a faunus whose anger makes him almost as brutal as the Grimm. At Beacon Academy, these four unlikely souls would meet, and forever change the face of Remnant. These are their exploits. (Discontinued)

44. The Next Step

A/N: And here we are again with yet another chapter for Team STIK! Hope you guys enjoy what's been going on so far! Anyway, now that I'm officially back in business, I'm probably gonna keep going until this thing is finished because it's hella fun to write and this actually gives my life some form of structure, surprisingly.

It should also be noted that I will be making some canon changes to both Volumes 4 and 5, as, while I think they were both pretty good Volumes and not quite as awful as some people make them out to be (although there were a lot of good points for Volume 5 being kinda... well, bad, especially when compared to the others), they both could've been much better than what they were. Especially Volume 5, much to my dismay. I'll try not to change anything super major, ie: the fact that Oscar's a farm kid or the main motivations for characters, etc. Though I'll definitely change context of certain things that were kinda dumb in order for it to make more sense. Warning you now so that you're not entirely blindsided later.

Also, OVER 500 FOLLOWERS AND 500 FAVORITES! YES! THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH! LET'S KEEP GOING! AIM FOR THAT 1,000 MARK, LET'S GO!

Welp, enough about me blabbing about random stuff. Enjoy the chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY or My Hero Academia. They belong to Monty Oum, Kohei Horikoshi, and their respective publishing companies. Please support the official releases.

I do not own the cover image

Chapter 44: The Next Step

Tomura resisted the urge to scratch his neck in mild frustration as he and a few of his group casually walked out of the Mistralian airship they'd managed to repair and claim for their own, with Compress at his right side, one of his more tactful partners and definitely the most trusted after Torchwick. He would've brought more along, maybe even have Kurogiri on standby in case things went south, but this boss of Cinder's was very particular about the fact that he brought no more than two of his group into the castle with him. That and Kurogiri was currently keeping everyone else from going at each other's throats.

Honestly, he probably would've made Dabi and Himiko stay on the ship even without the warning, as the former still had quite a bit of contempt for Cinder that he didn't think should be unleashed just yet. Best to save that for when there was an ample opportunity to enact it and less of a chance that they'd all be eviscerated for it on the spot.

The third member of his group followed closely behind them after parking the ship and securing the controls. Still dressed in his iconic white jacket with his bright orange hair, classy as hell bowler hat, and cocky smirk, was Roman Torchwick, alive, well, and supremely talkative on the way here. However, Tomura could tell that his smirk was fairly forced by this point; something that he could fall back on so that he wouldn't show weakness. If this person was both terrifying and powerful enough to bring someone as self-centered and power hungry as Cinder to her side, he'd do well to keep it on.

The castle that she lived in looked to be carved out of a gigantic, dark violet crystal, with a runway for visiting airships to dock and a rather intimidating front door that was at least a story high on its own. If Tomura was guessing right, and judging by the fact that there wasn't anyone outside to greet them, the meeting had likely started already. Either that or someone was being sour about being saved. Honestly, either one would make sense at that point.

"Well, this place certainly gives quite the first impression. I like it. Both intimidating and practical," Compress said as he aimlessly twirled his cane while they made their way to the aforementioned door.

"Of course you'd like it. You're all about fusing flash and use. Seriously though, don't try to combine a flashbang with a compressed net again until you can find out how not to set the net on fire," Torchwick said as he casually opened the door with a tap of his foot, proving the entryway to be surprisingly light for something so seemingly massive. Huh. Weird.

The rather eerie groan that it let out as it slid open and the dull impact it had with the wall behind it was rather intimidating. Hopefully, the people they were going to meet had heard it. Never hurt to make a powerful first impression. Especially on people you were going to be working with. Heck, that was half the reason Tomura had introduced himself to Torchwick the way that he did.

Though the introduction could've used a bit more subtlety. Meh. He'd learned from that, so he'd settle for being a bit quiet for the time being. At least, until it was convenient.

The hall to the meeting place was similarly colored to the outside, with windows placed with a few feet between them on one side of the hall, allowing the bleak red light to seep into the castle and paint it in a rather dreary, seemingly demonic color. Overall, it looked pretty damn cool. Like a secret hideout for a sorcerer in an old school RPG.

Then there were the ever so obvious double doors to what was likely their meeting place. They weren't nearly as massive as the one that had guarded the entrance to the airstrip, but they were fairly big nonetheless. Voices of varying tones and accents could just barely be heard behind it, conforming Tomura's earlier suspicions.

After only waiting a few more seconds, he placed a tactful hand on the door in question and shoved it open, causing a loud, echoing groan to silence those inside. Looking around the table, there were a total of seven people present, which, while a bit smaller than he'd been expecting, was a minor concern as compared to guessing where the hell they were from and what the hell they were contributing.

Of course, there were Emerald and Mercury, the loyal children ever present by their leader's side even now, crippled and beaten to the point of death. They wore the same outfits they had when he'd last seen them four months ago, a stark contrast to their boss, who'd changed rather drastically in order to accommodate for her missing limbs.

Her hair was much shorter, her left bangs barely reaching her lower cheek, which covered a black mask that appeared to be made of black glass over her missing left eye, and the scarring from said injury extended into a slight x-shape over the bridge of her nose, as well as having deformed and degraded the tissue of her left ear. She wore a long, dark red dress with one long, wide sleeve hiding what he assumed was her new left arm, though whether it was robotic or Grimmesque Tomura didn't yet know. The edges of the collar and the opening for the right arm are gold-colored, and the upper chest and left sleeve are decorated with golden designs. On the right hip, the dress had a black rhombus-shaped gem set in a gold-colored metal of the same shape, with feathers of varying shades of blue extending from the bottom of it. He couldn't really see anything beyond that, seeing as there was a blanket draped over the entirety of her legs in order to hide whatever replacements she likely had underneath. On her right arm, she wore a long, gray glove, the top of which had a gold-colored metal ring with curvy branching extensions going up her arm. Her right ear had a new, ring-shaped earring higher up than the dangling black gem earring.

"Well, well, well. Look who's late. Honestly, with the castle as hard to find as it is, I'm not entirely surprised. I'm Arthur Watts. A pleasure, I'm sure," said a man with a refined accent and haughty tone. Looking to his left, Tomura saw yet another of this person's associates. Despite the fact that he was sitting, his posture gave away that he was likely tall. 'Watts' looked to be a middle-aged man with a slim build and slightly tanned skin. He also had short black and gray hair as well as a mustache and green eyes. He wore a gray overcoat with yellow linings, a yellow dress shirt, and a black necktie. His pants were the same color as his overcoat. His yellow-buttoned undercoat and finger-less gloves matched his cordovan shoes, under which he wore yellow socks. All in all, he was probably one of the simplest to surmise: a strategist and an inventor. Likely from Atlas, if the accent held any authority.

"Oooh. So you're the ones who the masked man sent to assist in the Fall, are you? I normally don't approve of those not loyal to our queen... but you-" another one pointed to Tomura with a single finger, "-you I like. Very, very much indeed. You have those hungry eyes. Like me! But they look to be a bit... dull, if I'm to be honest. Do sharpen them soon now, won't you?"

This one was rather... odd. He was pale, with gold eyes and a brown ponytail braided to resemble a scorpion's tail. He wore a white sleeveless jacket with leather belts strapped to it, along with white pants. His jacket was left open, exposing his bare chest, which was crisscrossed with prominent scars. His arms were covered with purple bandages and leather vambraces. He also wore leather boots covering his entire shin with knee guards. On each earlobe was a silver, ring-shaped earring, and near the top of his left ear was another matching earring. There was an odd bulge around his waist though. Not so much that it'd be unusual, but enough for someone who was looking to notice it. Was it a hidden weapon? Or maybe a faunus trait, like a tail? Either was likely, but he wouldn't be surprised if it was something else.

"Tyrian. You're being rude," said another, far gruffer and deeper voice than any other he'd heard that night, almost immediately shutting up this 'Tyrian' up, though not without the latter giving him a rather rude gesture by pulling down one of his lower eyelids and sticking his tongue out at him before slumping back into his seat with his feet pulled against his chest.

The owner of said voice was... big. Insanely large. Not in a 'har dee har, he's so fat' way, but even as he sat with a slight slouch to his own posture, he was clearly taller than everyone else in the room. He had short brown hair accompanied by a beard and hazel eyes. He wore a two-tone olive-green coat over a black 3/4 sleeve shirt, and a large belt. His pants were black, with a pouch strapped to each pant leg, and his boots were brown with white fronts. Interestingly, his rather hairy arms had some scars near the edges of his sleeves, leaving Tomura to ponder how in the world he'd received them to the point that they were so visible.

"That's enough out of all of you. These guests of ours are the very same that saved dear Cinder's life all those months ago. They will prove useful in the times to come," said a chilling voiced that almost instantly silenced any who would object. Her skin was a deathly pallor, covered with deep red and purple veins that ran up her arms and face. The sclerae of her eyes were jet black and her irises glowed a rather sinister shade of red. She had a black, diamond-shaped marking in the center of her forehead. She wore a very long black robe with red designs resembling eyes, a particularly large one dominating the center of the crest. She also wore a ring resembling an insect on her right index finger. She had white hair formed into a large, fan-esque bun with six unsymmetrical offshoots, from which a few odd ornaments were suspended.

So, this was Salem, eh? Tomura had to admit, he was rather impressed. With those few words she'd spoken, she'd already reminded him of his master, and how a few words from him could silence an arguing crowd without the assistance of a semblance. This was gonna be good.

"Thank you for welcoming us, Madam Salem," Compress said with a permanent smile painted across his mask as he continued, "It's a great honor to be working with you."

"Likewise. Well? Don't just stand there. You may be seated, if you so wish," Salem courteously said in response, though Tomura took note of the fact that while there was a lighter tone in her voice, even accompanying it with a slight upturn of her lips, she never fully smiled to match it. Nor did her eyes loosen their rather cold, analytical stare. She was being cautious. She'd likely taken note of the fact that he had yet to say anything at all.

But still, he and Compress took two of the ghost wood chairs that had been set out for them, while Torchwick preferred to move to the edge of the room and keep an eye on everyone, giving Salem a silent message of 'I'll stand, thanks.' If she was agitated by this, her face didn't show it.

Tyrian, however, did notice, and decided to be offended on her behalf. "Are you dismissing an offer from our-"

"Shhh-sh-sh. You hear that?" Torchwick said as he placed a hand to his ear while his other slowly went behind his back, reaching for Umbra's handle.

"... what are-"

In a split second, so fast that Tomura could barely register it, Torchwick had drawn Umbra and fired a round straight at where Tyrian's head once resided, grazing the man's cheek before embedding itself in the woodwork of the chair with a large indent, still smoking from the Dust used to fire it.

For a brief moment, no one moved. Well, no one moved from their positions of surprise, that is. The large man was already halfway out of his seat and looked to have half a mind to put Torchwick in the ground, Watts simply straightened his jacket, Mercury got into a quick stance while Emerald reached for her backup weapon, as did Compress, though in a far subtler manner, and the near-victim merely wiped a thumb over the wound, looked at the blood for a few silent seconds, glanced back up and gave Torchwick a rather deranged 'you got me' smirk before settling back into his seat, his face quickly reverting to that of an unapproving scowl.

The only ones in the room who hadn't reacted much at all were Cinder, Salem, and Tomura himself. The latter two simply gave each other the same cold stare they'd given everyone for the last minute or so, the tension not quite palpable, but brewing nonetheless.

Torchwick then twirled Umbra in a manner reminiscent of some of Vacuo's hunters and holstered the weapon once again before he placed his free hand behind his back once again, disguising a relieved sigh as he said, "Hmph. Must've been the wind."

Tomura honestly couldn't help but smile just the slightest bit under the hand of his father. Acting cocky when everyone else would either be acting terrified or running for their lives. Classic Torchwick. Even so, the look in his eyes said it was likely he'd been contemplating one of those things after he fired the shot out of pure habit. A rather violent one that he'd accidentally taken up because, as some had learned the hard way, Torchwick could never stand people ordering him around. He'd only taken Cinder's orders in the first place because the sly bitch had threatened his niece's life, and Tomura had learned very quickly to never order him around like a grunt or a henchman, or you'd find yourself on the wrong end of a gun barrel very fast.

"Tomura. Do keep your companions in check," Salem said before her eyes briefly flickered to Tyrian, who suddenly looked rather ashamed of what he'd said not thirty seconds earlier.

"Sorry, Salem. My friend isn't the fondest of being... forced to do things," Tomura said in an even tone.

"Well, he's free to remain where he is," Salem said as she changed the topic. "Now, we've already discussed our plans for Atlas, for the most part. But, to summarize, we will wait until Ironwood closes off the borders to proceed with the plan. It will likely take place after Mistral falls to ruin. At the same time, we'll be making contact with a pair of individuals from Vacuo who'll likely be of some use to bringing the city down from the inside out."

"Saved the best part for us, did ya?" Tomura jabbed with the same even tone, though Salem made no such effort to laugh at it.

"I suppose so. We have an informant on the inside of Haven that should put us in there without any problems. But, there are a few more angles that we need to approach the situation from. There's the White Fang, for one."

Tomura nearly flinched at the mention of the organization, but kept his composure for the entirety of Salem's explanation, learning the large man's name, Hazel, in the process. Man, if she ever found out that he and Adam had struck a deal behind her back, she'd probably... well, actually, he had no idea what she'd do, but if the reactions of everyone in this room were anything to go by, it wouldn't be pleasant for anyone. Least of all him and Adam.

"We've also started tracking down the Spring Maiden. The search will be led by Tyrian. He's quite adept at what he does."

"Oh, your words are too kind, Your Grace," Tyrian said with a deep bow. Well, as deep as he could go, seeing as he was sitting down.

"Really now? Well, personally, I thought you'd be going after the two that pose the largest threat to your operation. Am I wrong?" Tomura asked, knowing just who it was that he was referring to. If everyone's reaction; well, mostly Cinder's; were anything to go by, so did they.

"We know of them," Watts said, crossing his arms as he leaned back into his chair. "I understand going after the girl. She's likely the greatest threat to all of us as a whole. But the boy... well, all he really did was cripple one of us when they were already weakened. Wasting resources on some petty revenge without having it benefit the cause... I think you can see where I'm going with this."

"That boy, as you call him, is Izuku Midoriya. And believe me when I say that the threat he poses either matches or dwarfs Little Red's."

At his name, Watt's eyes seemed to take some form of recognition. "Midoriya, hmm? I wasn't aware Hisashi had an heir..."

"Watts?" Salem asked with an intrigued tone.

"Oh, nothing major, my lady. Just remembering an old acquaintance. Well, I won't say that Tomura's information surprises me, but... I would say that, if it proves true, it's better to be safe rather than sorry." Watts rubbed his head to quell what seemed to be a minor migraine.

"Very well then. Tyrian, a change of plans. Spring can wait, for the time being. For now, you are to seek out this silver eyed warrior..."

The man looked absolutely joyful to hear the first portion of this order.

"... and bring her here. Alive."

A look of disappointment crossed his face after hearing the second.

"And because of this 'Midoriya,' I believe it is pertinent that you receive assistance on this mission. Our new recruit shall be joining you for the duration. You are to bring the boy here as you would the girl."

And now he looked absolutely livid at the prospect of being assisted in any way. "But... my queen! I am more than skilled enough-"

"It is exactly that overconfidence that can inflict the deadliest of wounds, Tyrian. He will be joining you, end of discussion."

Her words were sharp, to the point, and colder than ice. She almost sounded like his master did during the few times he'd ever seen the man royally pissed off.

Watts, however, interjected with a point of his own as Tyrian sank back into his own chair in apparent shame. "On the subject of our new recruit, he has refused to undergo the operation to replace his eye. Says it's a 'reminder' of something, or some odd rambling like that. Are you sure it would be wise to send him out there without his full range of vision?"

"If he wishes to only keep one eye, then that is his choice. His strength is what matters to us, at least for the time being." Salem said as she once more changed the topic. "Now, let's get on to the Mistral plan. As I said previously, we were planning on having our insider-"

"I might not have heard this plan in its entirety, but if you're relying solely on your insider to keep things quiet, it'll never work."

And suddenly all eyes were on Torchwick, who tried, and mostly succeeded, in lighting his cigar while resisting the urge to buck and run. Keeping this in mind, he took a deep whiff of said smoke stick before letting out a large white puff, saying, "It doesn't really matter how high up this insider is. If they're in Mistral, then they're most likely in debt to some crime family or gang. If you don't get cozy with at least one of them first, they'll make your plan go to hell before you know what went wrong."

"And if this insider happened to be in one of the highest positions of office in the kingdom?" Watts asked again, his haughty tone returned.

"Then you're doubly fucked. They might be in 'high office' or whatever titles they've given themselves, but believe me, the real power in Mistral's down in the crime districts. There are three big players that you oughta keep in mind. There's the guy everyone probably knows about, Thoth. He's biggest in the realm of information, but that doesn't mean he doesn't have a hand or two in other fields. I wouldn't go to him with the plan, though. He's probably the closest thing the criminal underworld has to a saint, if there's such a thing. Hell, he's one of the only people who's trying to enact actual, progressive change in Mistral. So... yeah, don't cross him.

"Then we've got Little Ms. Malachite, leader of the Spiders. They've been trying to get a leg up in information and espionage for a good few years now, but they're mostly good for smuggling contraband and stealing dust and Lien. I actually worked with 'em, for a spell. Malachite doesn't have any qualms about the people at the top getting what's probably coming to them, but I'd only give her a tentative maybe, 'cause I don't think she'd be the kind of person who'd condemn an entire city to ruin. She's a shit person, but even she draws the line somewhere.

"And... Oum, I really hoped I'd never have to even think about this guy ever again," Torchwick said as he quickly sucked his cigar down to a stump, which he proceeded to drop into the ashtray he'd opted to take with him. "And there's Kai Chisaki, leader of the Shie Hassaikai, one of the last old-school Yakuza families in Mistral, and currently the largest and most powerful. They also control most of what goes down in Mistral, and there are so many people in their back pocket that they're only a few 'accidents' away from having control over most of the city. Drugs, killings, extortion, bribery... human and faunus trafficking... you name it, they're probably behind it in some way, shape, or form. As to the man himself... Chisaki is a germophobic, antisocial sociopath, with a xenophobic streak so large it'd make most folks up in Atlas rather shocked. And that's putting it lightly. But... he's also the most likely to go along with your plan. So long as it also serves his needs. I wouldn't trust him as far as I could shoot him, but he's really, really good at what he does. And hella charismatic, for someone who hates talking to people."

And once again, silence returned to the room though not a tense, one, as had been the case ever since they'd arrived. Salem then unfurled her hands and turned to the orange haired man, asking, "Do you have a way to contact this Chisaki fellow?"

"Yeah, but we didn't exactly leave on the best terms. It might be better if I'm not the one who arranges this thing."

"I can handle that. From what people have told me, I'm quite persuasive," Compress said in a casual tone that gave off a bit of smugness from the masked man, who tipped his hat to the room as he stood. "Well, I do believe that was everything we had to discuss. I hope we haven't overstayed our welcome."

"Oh, not at all. I look forward to working with you in the future," Salem said as they left the meeting place. Tomura could feel her eyes on their backs the entire time. Yep. This was gonna be very good for them.

(meanwhile, somewhere in Mistral, Oscar's POV)

A woman with blazing eyes stared him down as he stood defiantly before her, armed with nothing but a cane. The fight that ensued is long, hard, and painful, and yet he can hardly process anything that's happened during its length. The last things he saw were the cane he was wielding becoming a thin, singled edged sword of emerald light, his own body beginning glow a similar hue, and the burning amber eyes of the woman who eventually slew him.

With a deep gasp of breath, Oscar awoke from this dream, his eyes suddenly widening with surprise as he couldn't remember where he was for a few moments. Slowly, his breathing calmed, and he looked around, remembering what had happened the night previous. He'd stayed up reading and watching old hunter videos... he must've dozed off. Wouldn't be the first time it'd happened. And... wait, what time was it?

A quick look outside told him all he needed to know. Crap! His aunts were going to kill him!

Said near fifteen-year-old gave himself a once-over in a nearby mirror below where he'd slept, making sure his clothes would be work-appropriate. Same as the day before, his skin was tanned, with a faint, perpetual blush and freckles on his cheeks. His hair was an unkempt dark brown, and his eyes were hazel, his main iris's being forest green, with accents of burnt orange and yellow around his pupils. He wore a dirty and scuffed white shirt with laces across the upper chest. The sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, and there was a pocket on the left tricep. His olive pants were held up by orange suspenders and were tucked into worn, brown boots. The pants were patched over the knees, and a quilted cloth hung loosely out of his left pocket. His hands were covered by orange gloves, with dark green straps overlapping across the back of the hand in an X shape, and around his wrists. His neck was wrapped with a torn bandage, as it had been for the past few months. Auntie Shino had asked why he'd worn it, to which his biological Aunt, Beth, said it was 'to impress a girl he couldn't even maintain eye contact with,' which wasn't true in the slightest. It just got really cold in the mornings. He totally wasn't trying to impress someone who was probably the coolest person he'd ever met and who was likely headed for combat school in the next few days in some childish hope that she'd notice his efforts and maybe give him a few tips on fighting. Totally.

.

..

… moving on!

Oscar shook his head before he rubbed the remainder of the sleep from his eyes before he made his way to the large door of the barn and slid it open, the bright yet surprisingly soft auburn rays of the sun greeting his eyes as he stepped out and onto the soil of the Pine family farm. To which he almost immediately found an abundance of crows pecking at some of the stocks that had begun to grow just two weeks prior.

"Shoo! Shoo!" Oscar said as he rushed at said birds of death and thievery, waving his arms about in order to scare them off, which worked as was expected: they flapped the hell away from their crops.

Oscar Pine: the bane of crows everywhere. Ugh. We really need to finish repairing the scarecrow, like, today. We're lucky they didn't dig through the roots.

Well, time to start the day.

And the young farmer did just that, drawing water from the ground and booting up the irrigation system before he went to work out any blockages in the divots. It was slow work, but it was nice and quiet. Even though he really wanted to be a hunter, even after what had happened to Beacon, that didn't mean he couldn't appreciate the simplicity that this life offered. Didn't mean it would stop him from wanting more, though.

"Oscar! Crows bother us again?" he heard Aunt Beth calling from the other side of the farm, the boy in question not having much of a visual aid beyond her silhouette.

"Yeah! Don't worry though, they won't be back for a while," he called back. He was almost tempted to ask how his cousin was doing, but he knew how that conversation always went down. He was either going somewhere they couldn't find him or he was sulking in his room, not coming out unless one of his aunts asked or told him to do something. Not that he could really blame the kid. He'd probably have been like that too, had he lost his parents that young.

"You're good for the rest of the morning! I've got it from here. Oh! And tell Jackie I said hi!"

"For the last time, Auntie, it's seriously not like that!" Oscar called over his shoulder as he made his way towards the village proper. He meant it when he said it: he didn't really have any romantic interest in Jackie at all. She was just super cool and was like a big sister to him. She was the reason he got really into hunters, after all.

Along the beaten and trodden path to the village, Oscar took a moment to slow his jog to a halt as he noticed one of the many things Anima had to offer. It's sheer beauty. The trees around him were bathed in a coat of golden light that he couldn't help but stare at. This was one of his favorite spots to watch the sunrise, after all.

But... seeing the same sights gets old after a while. No matter how beautiful they are.

He stopped that train of thought before it turned into a tangent that would inevitably spiral out of control, as such things usually did in his mind, and set out for the village once more, his sense of wanderlust growing ever so slightly in the back of his mind.

(meanwhile, somewhere in mid-western Anima, Izuku's POV)

Izuku took a deep breath of the fresh morning air outside of the inn that their group had settled into a few days prior. The rest of the group, sans him and Yang, had elected to go and face the Geist that had been plaguing the area for the past few weeks, the one they'd tracked just the previous night. Well, it wasn't as though they'd need them anyhow. Five people was more than enough to kill a Grimm like this, even if it was a Geist. But five people who were: basically a ninja, a cheery badass, a speeding sniper, an absolute powerhouse of force, and a strategist who could manifest a giant warrior from his Aura? Honestly, it was a bit overkill, but one could never be too careful.

But he was a little miffed that he and Yang had been left behind. Just because they'd worked their asses off to find the Grimm... actually, they were probably right to let them sleep in. Yesterday had been exhausting.

The green haired inheritor than brought his hand up to his face and gingerly ran his hand over the scar he'd received a few months ago, in addition to the markings that trailed his limbs. And his thoughts took him further still to the last time Process had activated. How long had it been? Two weeks? Three? Two and a half. He'd gotten everyone's Aura colors memorized as it kept happening in undetermined spurts, for when he could manage to get a handle on the ability itself. Ren's was Magenta, Nora's was a hot, Bubblegum Pink; not much of a difference, but he could tell who was who; Ruby's was Red, obviously, Shoto's was an odd, often swirling mix of Auburn and Sky Blue, and Jaune's was White. He had learned Yang's color a while back: Burning Gold, like a brilliant yet gentle sun.

He didn't know his own color, nor was he all that curious to find out what it was. Though he was betting that it would be some variation of green.

"Hey Greenie," Yang said as she joined him on the balcony of the inn, setting her forearms on the wooden guardrail as the burnt orange bandana covering the scar on her right arm slipped ever so slightly. She quickly noticed this, however, pulling it back up and tightening it a bit before Izuku could point it out. She'd often taken to wearing it almost everywhere in order to avoid the dreaded 'how did you get that' question. It had already happened once and... well, best not to dwell on something that unpleasant right now. "Enjoying the view?"

"Yeah. It's really beautiful. I kinda regret not coming here sooner."

"There is a reason they call this place an artist's wet dream."

Izuku held back a snort at that. "It's certainly that. But I really enjoy the air. It's very..."

"Clear?"

"I was gonna say calming, but that works better."

"To each their own."

There was a bit of silence between the two as the sounds of nature took their attention, at least somewhat.

"So... think we should've gone with the others?" Izuku eventually asked the blonde brawler.

"I want to say 'yes, how dare they go on a hunt without us,' but I kinda get why they left us here. I mean, I'd be a massive hypocrite if I decided to literally fight through my exhaustion. Still wish they left more than a note, though," Yang sighed as she dipped her head down in minor disappointment.

"Well, I think they'll be alright. As long as they keep on their toes, they'll probably have that Geist dead in the next few minutes," Izuku surmised with a confident yet still humble smile on his face.

"ITS ARM IS A TREEEEEEEEE!"

"I CAN SEE THAT! NOW MOVE!"

.

..

…

"... we should-"

"Yeah, let's go."

(meanwhile, the forest beside Fonsett, Jaune's POV)

Great! Now his arm is a tree and it's on fire! How could this possibly get any worse?!

As if on cue, a few of the many Beowolves that had been stalking around the area came out of the literal woodwork and started barking like the animal's they'd distorted.

… me and my-

Master, dodge!

Thanks to the warning from Lancelot, Jaune managed to narrowly avoid a set of Beowolf claws that tore through his chest plate, though his chest itself was unharmed, leaving three large gashes in the metal before he summoned Lancelot's blade and arm to cleave the thing in half.

"'You'll be fine without a weapon,' they said. 'You're the strategist,' they said! 'You've got...' actually, they were right about that last one," Jaune realized mid-rant.

Besides, Crocea Mors was in rather desperate need of repair after... well, that.

Can we save this for when we're not in the middle of a fight?! Jaune said as he manifested one of Lancelot's gauntlets to snatch a lunging Beowolf out of the air and slam it into another, causing both to become ash almost instantly. It was also at that moment that Nora bounced over and clubbed a Beowolf that was stalking him from behind, taking its head clean off in the process.

"Watch yourself, fearless leader," Nora said, her new outfit rather untouched despite the carnage surrounding them. Said outfit was retained her gloves and a white top that was similar to her old one, though the heart cut-out on the top had a diagonal cut through it. She also wore a fairly short detached white sleeve on her left arm. Over the shirt, she wore a zippered, navy-blue bomber jacket with a somewhat damaged print of her emblem visible on the back and pink stripes along the sleeves. The pink bands of the jacket were tightened on her upper arms. Her skirt was slightly longer, with pleats that created some flair her previous outfit had somewhat lacked, with and two wide belt loops at the waist for her matching belt. She also wore knee-high, pink socks, just barely visible above her calf-length boots, which were white with pink laces and black mid-wedges, soles and tips. Her hair had also grown out somewhat, and was now almost shoulder-length. She also had some pink eyeshadow around the far upper corners of her eyes. She hadn't answered any of them when they'd asked why she started putting it on, so they didn't pursue the topic.

"Yeah, yeah, but-" Jaune interrupted himself mid-retort to slice a Creep out of the air with Lancelot's sword. "OKAY! BACK TO FIGHTING!"

As Ruby and Shoto held back the rather infuriated Geist, with speeding slices and shots backed up by elemental slashes and effects, Ren made his way over to his other two teammates, relaying, "Nothing we're doing is hurting it, and Shoto says that if he uses his ice on the arm it'll just make it bigger."

"Crap!" Nora said as Ren flipped over her and stuck Stormflower's blades into yet another Oumdamned Beowolf, killing it almost instantly as, similarly to Nora's, his new outfit remained relatively unscathed. He was wearing his hair down, letting it flow downwards in a large, swept back mane that reached just past his waist. His outfit was also similarly colored to his earlier one, now with a longer, sleeveless tailcoat, with a sleeveless turtleneck just beneath it with red, tasseled ropes over the hips, and pants that were rather tight on his lower legs, and calf-high open-toed sandals. From his middle finger to his biceps ran gradient pink-to-black detached sleeves ending in metal armbands that clung snugly to his mid-biceps.

It was at this time that Ruby herself was flung back from the battle against the Geist, digging Cresent Rose into the ground to slow herself to a stop as she called over her shoulder, "Jaune! A plan would be nice right about now!"

Jaune quickly threw an 'OH, REALLY?!' look at the co-leader of their group, taking the short amount of time to again notice the lack of gore on her new outfit, which was rather good for them, seeing as washing blood out of anything was rather tedious. That and they needed to restock on medical supplies.

The rose themed reaper in question sported a white, high-neck décolletage blouse with brown, studded wristbands on her arms. Her outfit retained the use of a black skirt with red tulle underneath, somewhat similar to her original outfit, but her waist cincher had been replaced with an overbust corset with a red strip holding it in place. A black belt bordered in red held the magnetic clip for Crescent Rose and its ammo. She also had brown straps on her blouse that allowed her to wear a small brown backpack just beneath her cloak. In lieu of her usual full black stockings, Ruby now wore thigh-high stockings that reached a few inches below the hem of her skirt, decorated by an image of a long-stemmed rose. Her red-soled black boots contained four straps and buckles each. Her cloak now had a singular clip on the right shoulder in the shape of her emblem, replacing the cross-shaped clips from her original outfit. Both the cloak and the stockings were showing tears from all the traveling they'd been doing over the past few months. Her hair has also grown slightly longer, though it maintained the color gradation from black at the roots to red at the tips.

"Okay, fine, but keep those things off me! I'm gonna need a sec to think this out!" Jaune said as he started to compile everything they knew thus far about this particular Geist. It loved to possess stone, as it proved to be quite durable against bullets of all kinds, but it would quickly discard its limbs in order to protect its face-

"Wait, I got it!"

"Let's hear it then! I can only hold this thing off for so long!" Shoto said as he briefly retreated from the towering Geist, backing up to just in front of the rest of the group with both Veofolnir and Niohoggr in hand. His outfit hand remained undamaged for the entirety of the fight, a short-sleeved, unbuttoned, leather brown duster coat over a long-sleeved baseball shirt with a grey center, an icy blue right sleeve, and a bright auburn left sleeve. He also wore black pants beneath iron greaves, as well as a pair of grey running shoes and a pair of black sleeveless gloves to complete the outfit.

"We've gotta get the rest of the limbs pinned down, and then go for the head!" Jaune called for everyone to hear.

"It's a solid plan, but in case you haven't noticed, we're kinda surrounded on all sides!" Ruby shouted as she cleaved through yet more unidentified Grimm that just kept on coming from Oum knows where!

It was also at this moment that the distinct howl of a certain sword/scythe rang through the clearing, slicing through two approaching Grimm while the echo of shotgun shells tore through two more, making way for their unexpected but very, very welcome backup.

The first to emerge from the tree line was Yang herself, wearing the new outfit she'd completed just a few days prior. She wore a tan jacket with orange lining and gold edging, unzipped halfway to show an orange crop top. The coat had darker brown short sleeves, a thick collar that completely encircled her neck, and two long gold-trimmed rectangular tails, which seemed to flap almost dramatically in the wind that Tempest picked up. She also wore black pants with a brown belt across her hips, which had two pieces of dark brown material trimmed in gold attached to it. The first covered her left hip to the back of the belt and was folded over it, and the second was attached from the right hip and almost around to the other piece of material. She wore knee high brown boots with gold caps on the heel and toe, with the heel cap attached to a gold strap across the front of her ankle, and a gold zipper on the upper half of the front of the boots. A single small buckled strap was on the upper outside of her boots, and a purple bandana was tied around her left knee, in contrast to the auburn one tied tightly to her right arm where her sleeve didn't quite cover the oddly colored scar. A pair of black fingerless gloves completed the outfit, in addition to Ember Celica, newly upgraded and kicking plenty of monster ass.

"You started without us? Man, I really wanted to get my licks in on that thing," Yang said as she quickly snapped around and kicked a Grimm straight out of the air with the heel of her boot, which she then brought downwards with a devastating ax kick to crush its skull to smithereens. She'd been overly aggressive in combat recently. Was this some form of catharsis or something? Jaune honestly didn't know enough to make that guess, but he honestly wouldn't be surprised.

"You've got a plan?" Izuku asked quickly as he and Jaune stood side by side while the others gave them room to breathe and think. Izuku himself had recently gone under an outfit change, now sporting a long-sleeved, dark green shirt beneath an unbuttoned green vest with yellow designs running across the back and front, likely taking much inspiration from the ones on All Might's old hunter outfit. Fitted onto his shoulders were a pair of green, triple plated pauldrons that ran down to his mid-bicep, with a single, mid-sized line of yellow running down the middle of each, though the left one did appear to be larger than the right one. He also wore green bracers that ran up to the backs of his hands with a similar line design to that of the pauldrons running long ways down the center. He also wore baggy black pants with metallic green kneepads and thin yellow lines along the outsides of the legs, with Cirrus and Stratus strapped to his feet as per usual. A pair of fingerless black gloves in addition to the white, diamond-shaped metal half mask that hung around his neck completed his outfit. In short: it was a bit bizarre, very colorful, and instantly recognizable if you knew who you were looking for.

"Yeah, but we're gonna need to get the thing's limbs to stay still," Jaune explained.

"Say no more," Izuku said, almost instantly understanding the plan that Jaune had come up with, turning heel with Tempest in hand as he yelled to Yang, "We're gonna do Lemon Lime!"

"Yes!" Yang answered, blowing the brains out of a lunging Beowolf before she and the green haired boy paired off to take care of business, leaving him, Shoto, Ruby, Nora, and Ren to deal with the Geist in question.

"Alright! Ren, get the right arm as low to the ground as you can!"

"On it!" the ninja in question said as he sped off towards the tree-arm, jumping onto said appendage and dragging Stormflower down its length, using his own body weight to drag it downwards. Now, Ren wasn't the heaviest person by any means, but his downwards momentum was enough to bring it to the point that it was within kissing distance of the ground itself.

Jaune then summoned two of Lancelot's arms and grasped onto the trunk with all the might he could muster through them, pulling it free with a satisfying SNAP, and causing its rather horrifying arm to appear once more out of thin air. It was also at this time that Jaune used this opportunity to swing the tree around in a wide arc, catching it by the legs and putting the Grimm flat on its back with a loud THUD.

"Shoto! Ruby! Get the legs! I've got the other arm! Nora!" he said as he tossed a shard of lightning dust his teammate's way. "Charge up and get ready to bring the pain!"

"Got it!" Everyone said as they readied for their tasks, Shoto flash freezing the stone leg with Veofolnir and slicing it off as quickly as he could with Niohoggr, causing the giant Grimm to wail out in pain as Ruby then sped by the other, cutting through the stone so quickly that it almost seemed to take reality a few moments to catch up with the unnaturally clean cuts.

Jaune enacted a similar strategy to when he had taken off the Geist's tree arm, that being to rip it out of its socket. Said plan was indeed successful, and even as the Grimm tried to rise with the help of its arms, it was quickly pinned down by Shoto and Ren, the latter of whom pinned down its arms with Stormflower's blades while the former flash froze its torso solidly to the ground.

"NORA! SMASH!"

A loud boom emanated from the edge of the treeline, launching the bubbly grenadier high into the air with what was presumed to be a wide smile spread across her face. Another boom sounded from the business end of Maginhild, sending her spiraling through the air before the hammer met the Grimm's eerie white mask with a deafening CRACK followed by a hollow BOOM!

Stone shards and other pieces of debris flew every which way as a large cloud of dust was kicked up from the force of Nora's blow, causing Jaune and the others in the group to cover their eyes in response. After a few tense moments, they looked upon the carnage they'd wrought to the Grimm: torn literally limb from limb and now crushed into oblivion by the second strongest person there.

Just another day in the life of a hunter.

"Another one bites the dust!" Nora called out in victory as she stood atop the largest remain boulder of the Geist, Maginhild raised high above her head in triumph.

"So he does," Ren said as he smiled up at his longtime friend while Jaune and Shoto call out for their other two companions.

"Guys! We're done over here! You good?"

It didn't take long for Izuku to respond. "Yeah! We'll be right-"

"IZUKU! DUCK!"

The crack of Ember Celica's guns suddenly rang through the forest, causing several more birds who hadn't moved during the fighting to suddenly take off in panic. It also caused everyone in the clearing to immediately dash towards the sounds as quickly as they could.

(a few seconds away, Yang's POV)

The splitting roars of Ember Celica were dull and nearly mute in Yang's ears. All she could hear was the sound of her heart in her ears, feel the red in her eyes, and all she could make sense of was the Ursa she was killing. Over and over she slammed her fists into its gaping mouth, eventually tearing its jaw free of its skull. And still, it wasn't enough.

Keep going. Keep fighting. Don't let it happen again. Don't let her die. Don't let him die.

Don't make the same mistake.

(Izuku's POV)

"-ANG!" Izuku finally got through, his hand on her shoulder as her raised fist suddenly stopped mid-strike, letting her finally see the carnage she'd wrought upon the Grimm. Its head was almost unrecognizable, even as it faded back into ash; a bloody stump where there once sat a mouth full of serrated teeth and two glowing coals for eyes. She hadn't stopped even when Ember Celica had suddenly run out of shells to fire.

He quickly recognized the sudden slouch in her stance, quickly putting himself under her arm to support her weight, her legs giving out as he slowly lowered her to the ground. When he did, however, she clung to him tightly, as though she was afraid he'd suddenly disappear at any moment. She likely was.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," she muttered in a low tone. "I fucked up. I fucked up again. I'm so-"

"Shhh. You're okay. You didn't do anything wrong. It's over," Izuku whispered to her as he returned her hug and the others entered into the clearing, letting the two have their quiet as Yang started to get her bearings back. In a few minutes, she'd probably pretend that the episode didn't happen. To distance herself from the pain.

But Izuku knew full well that she couldn't run from her pain forever. Eventually, she'd have to face it. And she'd have to face it without him.

Just as he'd have to face his without her.

(thirty minutes later, Izuku's POV)

Izuku and the others in the groups waited anxiously outside the blacksmith's shop, Shoto tapping his foot in some sort of rhythm while Yang tried her best to not look at anything but the ground. Ruby, Ren, and Nora were debating the name of their group in hushed tones, obviously still somewhat affected from what had happened not very long ago.

Izuku couldn't blame them. He certainly wasn't over it, and neither was Yang, if her suddenly subdued nature was anything to go by. He wanted to say something, but of course, that led to a billion other things, and one other thing in particular that they really couldn't talk about at the moment. They had to get to Mistral before they even thought about discussing it.

However, the door to the shop quickly opened up for them, and form the shop emerged the new and improved Jaune. He retained the black hoodie from his earlier outfit, but over it, he instead wore a modified pure white chestplate that covered a bit more of his upper abdomen, trimmed with gold lining and similarly colored bracers. Additionally, he wore black gloves with gold-colored, metal armor plates over his fingers, and he now wore a scarlet sash around his waist. It was nearly identical to the one that Pyrrha had once worn, though this one had a visible version of their friend's emblem stitched into the end of it. He also wore dark brown laced boots and a single brown belt with a small pouch for various dust elements worn around his waist. Corcea Mors looked better than ever before, with a pearly white finish and golden trim lining the whole of the weapon, though the design at the bottom of the shield was very reminiscent of Pyrrha's tiara.

Of course, Jaune still had the remains of her armor and weapons with him, as evidenced by the bag he quickly slung over his shoulder. It was his way of paying homage, he supposed, just as he had done with his own outfit.

"Alright! Lookin' good, leader!" Nora said with a wide smile, causing the others to nod or voice their agreement.

"Nothing can stop Team RNJRSIY now!"

.

..

…

"... that sounded better in my head," Ruby admitted as she deflated.

"It was a good try, sis. Certainly better than anything I could think of. What color has seven letters from all our names, anyhow?" Yang said as she patted her sister on the shoulder with a small but noticeable smile on her face.

"Not sure. But what color was that name supposed to be?" Shoto asked.

"I... don't know, actually. I kinda just went the simple version," Ruby said as she shrugged.

"It doesn't really matter what we're called," Jaune said as he sheathed Crocea Mors and placed it back on his left hip. "We've got each other's backs. No matter what."

And once more, another village helped and another point behind them, they set forth once more into the unknown.

And yet, the entire time, Izuku couldn't shake the feeling of guilt that had been steadily building over the course of the four months they'd been traveling. It had been there before, it wasn't unusual, but... seeing Yang like that, it... he couldn't help but feel like he was putting them all in danger by not telling them anything. But if they knew what he did, would they even be safe? After what happened with Pyrrha? He didn't know the right answer.

So he kept silent as they pressed on, the question and the guilt that came with it weighing him down more than Tempest ever could.

(meanwhile, the Schnee Mansion, Tenya's POV)

It was a strange thing to be here. Especially in such a weak condition. He imagined that Jacque only invited him here because he happened to be in Atlas and he'd fought in the Fall of Beacon. To make himself appear noble, as though he would welcome all people, even cripples.

Bull. He knew how people like him were treated outside of hospitals here. Like they were worth less than nothing. The only people treated lower than them here were faunus, and even then, not by much. Atlas strove for perfection in everything. Anything less than that was simply unacceptable.

"Sir. We've arrived," one of the family servants said as the airship landed. "May I-"

"I do appreciate the concern, but I'll be fine. Thank you for offering, though," Tenya said as he placed his luggage onto the back of his wheelchair, an audible click confirming that it was secure. Of course, not everyone in Atlas was a perfectionist to a fault. Some genuinely wanted to help. Some were genuinely concerned, much like this man was.

But not Jacque Schnee. Never Jacque Schnee. He accepted nothing but the best. Nothing but perfection. He hated any who would taint that vision. Faunus and cripple alike.

He wanted something out of this. No, he needed something out of this. It was the only explanation that made any sense. It was the only reason he'd bother inviting someone like him. Especially since public opinion regarding both cripples and faunus was beginning to shift ever so slightly.

And so, as he wheeled himself down the ramp of the airship, his legs not quite ready to fully walk, he kept himself as guarded as he could as he approached the towering doors of the Schnee Mansion.

He hoped Weiss would be happy to see a familiar face.

A/N: And that's a wrap for this chapter of Team STIK! Hope you all enjoyed this latest installment! Here's to the next! And now-

Review Responses:

Thunder Dragon: It'll probably be a bit before the end of the Volume, although I don't plan for it to be quite as simple as 'they kiss and they're going out now.' This is RWBY we're talking about, and they do have stuff to worry about beyond relationship troubles. Like super deadly monsters and terrorist organizations. You know, the usual fare. They will officially get together by Mistral though, you have my word on that.

As to requests, once I've posted the last ones submitted by Odin's Eye and Rune Dragon432, I'll be officially shutting them down, unfortunately. Sorry!

Kaiser Dragon: The above paragraph applies. ^

Rube Dragon432: It'll happen. Also, it should be up by now.

Odin's Eye: Thank you for this! It'll be a real help! You're awesome! Also, it can be surprisingly fun to ship tease. At least to the point that it doesn't piss off your audience. And your request should be up by now. Thank you for all the amazing ideas you guys have sent my way! I really can't thank you enough!

Next Chapter: Jan 25th

Seeya in the next one!