AN: Bloody hell people are impossible to please. On my old Jaune fic people were frustrated I took so long, now people are frustrated I only glossed over Alicia's road. Bloody hell.(I'm well aware it's impossible for everyone to be happy with a story, just a small frustration I have as a writer.) Right. I was gonna put up a poll about it but then I realized I don't care much for opinions of people when I want to actually write.

So basically, I'm gonna post a separate story called 'Alicia Chrome, Huntress of Vacuo' which will detail her exploits between Chapters 1 and 2, as well as every gap in Chapter 2. It will naturally be supplementary data, rather than required data, and I will include everything you need to know about this story inside of it, but if you'd like to know, then it will be there for your reading pleasure.

Also, I realized belatedly that the time skip robbed me of the ability to show many things, which forces me into a 'tell, don't show' manner of storytelling which I(and many others) find particularly unsatisfying. So one day maybe I'll combine the two stories, with some heavy editing, to allow for that, but that's future Me's problem.

Anyways, hope you enjoy the chapter.

-Lambda38

Chapter 6: Dealing With Thieves

I hop from one roof to the next, groaning as I keep my eyes on the circling Bullheads.

It would be tonight after every bloody Professor has left the area that this would happen, isn't it? What kind of bullshit is this? I wonder as I channel my Aura through my body, taking on a subtle gray glow as I nearly triple in speed, ignoring the sound of tearing cloth as my skirt fails to stretch enough. I close the distance in under half a minute, launching myself off of my latest roof at Roman Torchwick as he points his cane at a downed blonde.

"Hey!" Rings from one of the nearby roofs, distracting the man long enough for me to arrive and slam a fist into his cheek. He grunts in pain as he goes flying, and I hit the ground hard, rolling several times before regaining my feet. I duck to the side just in time to avoid a flare as I narrow my eyes at Torchwick.

"Roman Torchwick," I call as I flex my arms. "You caught me while I was off duty, apologies if I look a little underdressed for this dance." The man chuckles as Ruby, Blake, and the blonde take out more of the surrounding White Fang.

"Well what can I say," he replies, taking a ready stance. "I'm a man of many-." I turn and elbow the grunt behind me in the gut, before tossing him aside as Roman bears down on me, firing several more flares at my sides before thrusting his cane towards me. I catch it in my gut, and grab the length of the cane, scowling as he grins. "Surprises." I feel the explosion against my stomach and stumble for a moment before yanking the man forward and delivering a headbutt straight to his nose.

He shouts in shock, his cane slipping from his grip as he stumbles back. I toss the piece of metal aside, the shaft having cracked and broken in multiple places where the explosion had pushed out from. I step forward in order to slam a Splinter into him, but my stomach sways suddenly, making me lose my balance as I feel a rush of sweat. I curse as I shake my head, and take deep breaths to steady myself as I force my Aura through my stomach, trying to force it to cooperate.

Before I can, I feel a foot meet my head and shout in shock, being sent stumbling before I growl, opening my eyes and lunging at him as I regain my feet. He meets my swift strikes with practiced blocks and harsh retaliations, my Aura flaring up all over my body as I feel my center slowly come back under proper control.

I throw a wild punch, only to receive a fist in my gut for my trouble, sending me wheezing for air. I stumble back and receive a punch to my temple for my trouble, my eyes narrowing as my Aura pulses around the area. I catch his next hit on my forearm, before jabbing at him with my free hand, a Splinter formed over my finger as I graze his stomach in some form of poetic justice.

"Ow, what the fuck was that?" He snarls as he leaps back, noticeably slower.

"You're under arrest," I state, leaping at him and delivering a sloppy roundhouse to his head while his Aura's down, sending him careening into the floor. "I suggest you stay quiet."

I look at the man to find he's unconscious, unsurprisingly. I move to grab him and drag him along with me when a wave of Aura that had been present earlier this night washes over the area, making me sigh as Roman's own signature vanishes. I take a deep breath as I let out a light groan, my hand hovering over my already aching stomach.

Fucking lack of heat control, I think in annoyance as I glance at my skirt, trying to figure if it's even reasonably modest at this point. And that's the reason I never wear skirts. Can't believe I forgot that. I tug at the fabric, resigning myself to be revealing the majority of my right thigh for the duration.

"Professor Chrome," a cheerful voice behind me calls. I turn to see a green eyed ginger with a wide smile. "My name is Penny, it's a pleasure to meet you. Shall we tie up the apprehended criminal?" I shake my head as I look around, seeing that the others had already taken care of the rest of the Fang members.

"No point, he's already gone," I reply tersely as I walk past her towards the now gathered half of team RWBY. I hear glass shattering behind me and a gasp from the girl, who clearly had tried to grab the image left by the ice cream assistant.

Ruby looks over to see me coming, and smiles worriedly, as Blake turns to see me as well. I stop in front of the two, glancing over at the blonde monkey who gives me a grin and a wave.

"Thanks for the save back there," he says cheerfully. "Might've been in a bit of trouble if you hadn't shown up, so thanks. The name's Sun, what's your name?" I stare at him for a moment before taking the offered hand and shaking it.

"Alicia Chrome, Huntress of Vacuo and Professor of Beacon Academy," I reply, making the boy take on a look of surprise. "Thank you for helping my students tonight, however I'm certain students of the other academies are not supposed to arrive until next month." Sun rubs the back of his head, looking quite uncomfortable.

"I, uh, I," Sun says, clearly searching for a reason to be here. "I asked my Professors if I could head over early. They said I could, so I came early." I narrow my eyes at him, making him hold up his hands. "Hey, it's the truth! Besides, I helped out here, so that's a good reason isn't it?" I snort at his words.

"Even if it wasn't, I don't have authority at any other academies," I reply easily, turning my aggravated gaze to Ruby and Blake. "As for the two of you, I do have authority." I fold my arms as I stare down at them. "What were you doing here, Miss Belladonna?" Blake gulps as my eyes bore into her own.

"I heard some rumors that the White Fang might be raiding this Dust shipment, so I thought I would come and make sure it was protected," she replies, as though I can't feel the lie through the air.

"Is that so," I comment coldly. "So, you told Miss Rose about this and she decided to come help you?" Ruby tries to speak up, but Blake hurries to speak before she can.

"No! No, I didn't tell any of my teammates about this, she just happened to be nearby, I think," Blake says. I stare at her for a few more moments.

"Did you report this to any nearby Hunters or to the Vale Police?" I ask, already knowing the answer as the cat across from me gulps.

"Now hang on a-!" Sun tries.

"Miss Belladonna is my student, Mr. Sun," I interrupt sternly. "And she can speak for herself." The girl takes a breath before answering.

"No, I did not," she states.

"Did you alert the SDC to this knowledge that you'd come across?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.

"They wouldn't have-!"

"Did you or did you not, Miss Belladonna?" I ask again, making her grit her teeth.

"No," she says quietly. I let out a hum.

"Did you know that intentionally withholding information from the proper authorities when in relation to the prevention of a crime is illegal and punishable by imprisonment?" I ask coldly, making Blake's head fall slightly as Ruby panics.

"Wait, Alicia, please, she-!" Ruby tries to say, before I hold up a hand to silence her.

"Why did you not contact anyone, Miss Belladonna?" I demand.

"Because it was just a hunch, I didn't have any real information that a robbery was going to happen!" She finally replies loudly, stepping up to me. "And you of all people should know that the word of a Faunus is suspect at best when it comes to any authorities!"

"Then why not contact me?" I reply without missing a beat, making her blink in surprise as the wind leaves her sails. "Every Professor has their contact information available in case of emergency. If you thought being a Faunus would have stopped you from being heard, why not speak to a Faunus? Or even the Headmaster?" Blake blinks as she stands silently for a moment, before I sigh. "Report to my office tomorrow at six PM."

I turn away from the group and look to the unconscious White Fang members, who have all been gathered and bound by Penny. I glance at the robot, who waves happily at me, and I extend my Aura to sense hers.

It is indeed a real Aura, though it feels far older than she seems to be, I think idly as I walk towards the group. Probably just the age of the actual device, she probably has only just been released from her development facility after years and years of testing.

I walk over to one who is struggling with his bones, and kneel next to him.

"Why is Adam fighting next to a human?" I whisper quietly to him, making him flinch in surprise as he looks at me.

"How do you know our leader?" He asks, voice hushed and stressed.

"He and I are associates. I know him well enough to know making his men fight under a human like Torchwick is not something he'd find acceptable," I answer, glancing over my shoulder to see the three students and android well out of normal hearing range.

"If you're really his associate, you can find out from him yourself," the man replies stubbornly, making me sigh and nod, not expecting anything else.

I stand and make my way towards one of the Dust crates, leaning against it as I wait for the police to arrive.

Two Hours Later…

I glare after the paramedic who'd denied me the right to a cooling pack they have.

'I need to save this for a civilian who really needs the help, not a Huntress who can take it,' what kinda jobist crap is that? I think as my narrowed gaze follows them. I have aches and pains too you little shit!

"Professor Chrome," a calm voice behind me calls. I turn my gaze to Ozpin, the silver haired man taking a sip from his ever present mug, the lines beneath his eyes looking quite pronounced.

"Headmaster," I reply.

"I've been told that you have called Ms. Belladonna to your office tomorrow due to this incident," he says, making me blink.

"I have," I reply. "She disregarded protocol and in the process risked not only this entire dockyard full of Dust, but every person in the next four miles if it went off due to anyone being careless." He nods.

"Certainly, but she is new to all of this," he proclaims with a gentle smile. "It is certainly a step away from what she used to do in the White Fang, don't you think?"

"You're quite open with that information, Ozpin," I state as I study the man.

"Well, I suppose that is the case, but you understood when Ms. Schnee explained it to you, so I thought that you wouldn't mind me being open," he replies easily. "But it is quite different from what she is used to, and I imagine trusting anyone, even a Faunus Huntress would be difficult for her."

"That doesn't change the fact that she endangered every person in the area, not to mention her own and the life of her new friend," I retort. "If I hadn't been in the area, I would never have been able to intercept Torchwick before he killed the boy." Ozpin nods as he takes a sip of his drink.

"Indeed, and yet you cannot deny the fact that she allowed him to help at all is a step in the right direction," he insists, prompting me to snort.

"With all due respect, she needs to take some larger steps," I answer, making the man huff in amusement as his eyes take on a faraway gaze.

"Perhaps, but go easy on her," he orders as he walks past me. "There is no need to reverse all her progress due to being too harsh." I turn to stare at him, my eyes narrow as I try to figure out what he means.

Progress doesn't simply reverse due to a few harsh lessons, I think to myself as I shake my head, cracking my neck and moving out with a sigh. Hopefully I don't feel like shit tomorrow.

The Following Morning

I repress a hiss as I slither through the depths of the Emerald Forest. I hadn't noticed, but it had been too long since I'd actually had a proper meal, and I do not mean food like what Jaune cooked. It's probably obvious to some, but I'm not actually a human, and I'm not eating for a body that size. I'm a titanoboa that needs much more in the way of calories. I can eat, but it doesn't mean much to my actual body.

I've been tracking appropriately sized prey since I woke up nearly an hour ago, and it appears my hunt will in fact be paying off. I slowly and near silently make my way behind the large bear I'd tracked, coiling in preparation. It stops from where it walks, raising its snout into the air as it clearly smells something, but I ignore it, choosing to lash forward and sink my fangs into its back, pumping it full of enough venom to kill a mammoth.

It roars in pain and tries to throw me off, and I let go without any hassle, retreating back behind my cover of trees, watching calmly as the large creature roars, trying to turn and face me, but already showing signs of my venom doing its work. Within minutes, the beast is curled on the ground, whimpering and huffing pained breaths.

Soon, it falls silent, and I snake forward, opening my jaws in order to enjoy my meal. After consuming the animal, I settle in to wait for my digestive track to finish with the animal. This does mean I won't be able to teach my first period class, but I already let my students know that was the case, so it's not an issue.

Those of you with knowledge of snakes may object and say that it would take a snake of my size weeks to actually digest and pass a meal such as this. That is probably correct, but for reasons I am not privy to, I digest meals at an exceptional rate.

A few hours of counting sheep and ignoring Beowolves biting me later, I feel the remnants of what was a mighty beast sliding out of me at last. I slither through the grass, before noticing a large pool of Aura and a strange energy very like it circling in the air above where I move.

I hiss as my body contracts, shrinking until I am no longer than an average human, before ascending a nearby tree to peak through the canopy and see what is above me. Much to my surprise, I notice a raven or crow landing down on a tree near me, clearly searching for something, and holding far more Aura than any bird has a right to.

I wonder if this could be-, I push my thoughts aside as I slowly cross trees, approaching the searching bird. A scant few seconds later, with nary a leaf brushed, I lunge forward and smack into the bird, sending it to the ground in a panicked squawk.

I transform back into my human form and draw my blade, landing and lifting the blades just in time to intercept a long red blade. My arms strain from the force, my eyes rising to meet a pair of crimson iris hidden behind a mask.

"Raven Branwen," I say, failing to filter my surprise from my voice. The woman huffs before I leap back, disengaging our blades.

I glance at my weapon and repress a curse as I note the chip in it.

Mass produced piece of crap, I curse, returning my eyes to the woman across from me.

"How can I help you?" I ask, adjusting my grip. Raven stares at me for a few more moments, before swinging her sword and creating a portal. I think for a moment as she makes to leave, before calling out. "Wait, I need your help!"

To my surprise, she actually stops. I didn't think she would.

"Why would I help one of Ozpin's pets?" She asks derisively, prompting me to scoff.

"I do not answer to Ozpin any more than I do to Salem," I retort, making the woman blink. "I am simply interested in making sure humanity and Faunus are able to stay alive. Salem is not beneficial to that end." I lower my blade to my side. "Ozpin seems to be." I take a deep breath, still not sure how I got this woman's attention. Still, it would be awful if I wasted this opportunity. "I need your help. I can't go to Ozpin, I doubt he'd be able to see any plan I have as anything but the flailing of a child."

"He is set in his ways. It's one of the reasons he won't win," Raven replies. "What makes you think I'd help you? What would I get out of helping you?"

"I can think of a number of things, but the one that I believe would interest you the most, is that if we succeed, there will be no need to fear Salem," I answer, trying to repress the nerves in my stomach.

"There is no defeating Salem, and if you think there's any chance of-." She begins, only to be interrupted by me.

"I don't want to try to kill her," I state. "I know she can't be killed. But if you're willing to help me, it might be possible to imprison her."

I stare at the woman, the subtle hum of her portal filling the air, even as I feel a bead of sweat dripping down my neck.

I'd come up with a few solutions over the years to the issue of Salem. If Raven refuses to help, I don't have any that are viable, especially since I have no idea where the Winter or Summer Maidens are.

In other words, I've bet everything on Raven having a single spark of hope left.

"What good would that do?" The woman asks suspiciously, even as her portal shuts. I barely restrain myself from sighing in relief, moving to sheath my blade.

"Allow me to explain, then," I begin.

AN: Hail. I know it has been a long bloody while, but I've been dealing with stuff, same as everyone else. I do hope you enjoy the chapter. It's… Kinda critical to the overall plot, so I hope you at least don't mind it.

It might not be up to par for what you thought the time demanded, and if that's the case…. sorry, this is what I got. Hopefully the next chapter won't take as much time, but I really struggled most on the last portion of the chapter.

It would have been Alicia lecturing Blake, but I couldn't get that to flow, so I moved that to the next chapter and then created the portion with Raven. Believe it or not I actually have a plan for the rest of the story. I have it all mapped, I just have to get there…. and the Blake segment is giving me trouble, mostly due to how heavily it features racism.

Touchy subject, these days more than most, and I don't think I'm getting the feel right… sorry about that.

Anyways, leave a review, criticism is welcome, follow if you're feeling jazzy, and I'll see you next time.

-Lambda38