Hello there my faithful readers, after an eternity away from you all (2 weeks actually) Raging Archon is back! I hope you all enjoyed the Christmas break as much as I did and are enjoying the new year. Just a shout-out to OutlastTheDark who wrote a one-shot set in the 'Reap What You Sow' AU. The story is called 'Regret' and if you enjoy this story then I can guarantee you'll enjoy his. Question time now, first up OutlastTheDark: yes the 'Vale Reaper' has been a very busy bee. And lastly from rubberduck248: Sorry, but I can't really answer that question without giving too much away. Now, on with the show!

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Chapter 5- How to: Infiltrate

Downtown Vale could be described with just a few words; peaceful, calm, bustling, serene and industrious. Today, only one word can describe it;

Chaotic.

The 'Vale Reaper' had struck yet again, this time in the heart of the bustling metropolis. The VPD had already isolated the area the crime took place in, but the crowds of citizens gathered around made their attempts seem fruitless. Already journalists and news anchors were swarming the area like flies on a carcass, giving off their own version of the story and who the 'Reaper' is. For anyone of those gathered, it was a job that no-one wanted to stomach. For Detective Sergeant Richard Valentine, it was just another day in the office.

Valentine looked on in the warehouse where the Huntsman in training had been murdered. This was sickening, even for the 'Vale Reaper'. Not only had the 'Vale Reaper' killed them in broad daylight with an entire active city outside, but had done so with his bare hands. That much was evident by the lack of spent shells and the nature of the wounds the victim's gained.

Valentine sighed as he lifted his sunglasses up slightly and pinched the bridge of his nose. He hadn't seen this much chaos in Vale since that Junkrat and Roadhog duo came riding into town. They never caught those bastards, they were Vacuo's problem now for all he cared. He began to search his pockets for his ever present pack of cigarettes and lighter, his hands fumbling in each and everyone of his pockets.

Eventually, he pulled the packet out of his back pocket, cursing when he saw there was only one left. He would have to go to a local shop to get some more after he was done. As he lit the cigarette, he took a well earned puff of the tobacco infused stick, coughing slightly as he puffed the smoke out.

"You know, smoking is bad for you..." a voice announced itself, causing Valentine to quickly turn to its source.

Out from the shadows of the warehouse, a man casually walked out, flanked by two others. He wore a clean white overcoat with a grey undercoat and red tie whilst a white glove was on his right hand. Typical Atlesian clothing. His usually black cropped hair had grey tints on either side of his head whilst a metal plate of some-sort rested above his right eyebrow. Valentine took into account the man's associates, a pair of Atlesian Knight-200 units, each carrying a Multi-Action-Dust-Rifle.

"Good to see you too Ironwood." Valentine replied, casually waving off the Atlesian General. Ironwood held his fist up and the two Knights saluted before making their way out of the building, leaving the General and Detective Sergeant alone with the forensic team.

"I appreciate your willingness to cooperate with our forces," Ironwood said, earning only a grunt of acknowledgement from Valentine in return. "If I may enquire, what do we know so far."

"Not much I'm afraid." Valentine admitted, dropping his cigarette on the floor and stomping it out with his boot. "All we know is this 'Vale Reaper' is targeting Beacon Students, nothing else. No system or anything, if he can get his hands on them, he'll kill 'em."

"The 'Vale Reaper'? Are you really using the name given by the press?" Ironwood questioned, raising an eyebrow as he spoke.

"So what, it's catchy." Valentine shrugged as he signed off a piece of paper work given by one of the forensic scientists present before passing the clipboard to Ironwood. "You'll need to sign this if you want to get any closer."

Ironwood was quick to sign the paper work and handed it back to the scientists who proceeded to allow them entry.

"Just out of curiosity, why do you care about this 'Vale Reaper' case?" Valentine questioned, turning to face the General. Truth be told, this was not the first time a crime had been committed with a foreign military power present. What was so different about this case?

"The 'Vale Reaper' is targeting Huntsman and Huntresses in training. Without them, we have no sure way to combat the Grimm." Ironwood replied, shrugging his shoulders.

"Correction, he's targeting Beacon students, not any of your military conscripts." Valentine stated, causing the General to stiffen slightly.

It was common knowledge that Huntsman and Huntresses held no allegiance to any one nation, though the academy based in Atlas was infamous for pressuring their students to join the military.

"Nonetheless, the Huntsman and Huntresses offer comfort to the people of Vale that no military power can provide." Ironwood replied, quickly recovering from Valentines statement. "And if someone starts bumping off those trainees, that will spread fear. And fear will bring the Grimm clawing at our walls."

Valentine merely nodded in response to Ironwood's statement. Fear would bring the Grimm, and with the Vytal Festival bringing many to Vale, it was in everyone's best interest to keep fear down as much as possible. Valentine then gestured to the crime scene before the two, which Ironwood went to investigate immediately.

"Who were they?" Ironwood asked as he knelt before the body of a young Huntsman who's eyes had been gouged out and his neck broken. The worst part was that his death was the least brutal of the four.

"Team LYON, like the others he was from Beacon." Valentine replied as he sighed and knelt next to the body. "They were good kids. Kind, thoughtful, didn't care who you were or where you came from."

"Who could do something like this?" Ironwood asked, rising up as he spoke.

"Question ain't who, more like what." one of the forensic scientists stated, typing up a report on her scroll.

"What do you mean?" Ironwood asked as the scientist looked up from her scroll with her eyebrows raised slightly.

"You taken a look at them recently? Last I checked, young kids don't look like rotten corpses." the scientist stated, pointing at the body.

Ironwood looked over the body again and was disgusted at what he saw. The scene itself was gruesome enough with the gouged out eyes and snapped neck, but the fact the body appeared to have been drained of all its life made it all the more horrifying. They did in fact look like a rotten corpse.

"How..." Ironwood stammered. He couldn't even find the right words in his mouth he was that confused.

"Cellular degradation at a rapid rate. Don't know how it did it, we just know it did." The scientist replied, shrugging her shoulders before leaving the crime scene herself.

"I'm beginning to understand why you agreed to my offer of help Sergeant..." Ironwood whispered, causing Valentine to chuckle slightly in response. "Any suspects worth investigating?"

Valentine sighed as he removed his sunglasses and shook his head slightly.

"Apart from the cellular crap, I've only seen one other person capable of something like this..."

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Both teams RWBY and JNPR rushed forward to Downtown Vale. Under normal circumstances, it would be a nightmare to navigate their way but the large crowds made it all the more easier. They had just finished classes when news spread that yet another murder had occurred, this time Team LYON. Seeing as they were investigating the actions of the murderer, they made it a top priority to investigate. By the time they had arrived, police had already isolated the area, as well as bringing some unexpected guests.

"Atlas Military? What are they doing here?" Ruby asked as she watched a pair of Atlesian soldiers carry a crate filled with what appeared to be forensic equipment.

"I...don't know." Weiss admitted. Usually when it came to all things Atlas she knew just about anything. At best she would say they were aiding in the investigation but for what reason she couldn't say.

"Regardless, we have to get inside that building. No doubt a building like this would have a stable security feed." Blake stated as her friends turned to face her. "If we can get a copy of it, we have our first real chance of identifying our killer."

"True as that may be, how do you intend to get inside?" Pyrrha asked, shrugging her shoulders slightly. "It would be hard enough to get inside with just the VPD securing the area, never mind the Atlas Military joining them."

"Don't worry, I have an idea." Ruby announced, causing everyone to turn and face her. "And I'm looking right at it!"

"Oh? What is it?" Weiss asked. It took her a few seconds to realise that Ruby's mischievous grin was directed at her. "You have got to be kidding me..."

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Cinder overlooked the crime scene from afar, away from harmful eyes and ears. She turned to Neopolitan who was wearing a cloak and hood that hid the upper half of her face in shadows, which served only to make her smile all the more sinister.

"You know the mission, find and gather whatever Intel you can on our dear friend." Cinder said, causing Neopolitan to grin and nod her head. As she turned to leave, Cinder grasped her arm and forced Neopolitan to turn and face her. "Remember to keep a low profile. Avoid direct conflict and engage ONLY if necessary! We don't want to attract any unwanted attention..."

Neopolitan sighed and nodded in response before disappearing in a flash of light. Cinder watched as the VPD and Atlesian Military continued to secure the area. The fools wouldn't notice they were here until it was too late. Suddenly, a flash of blue and white caught her attention. She turned suddenly at the movement, but saw nothing but shadows. She shook her head and told herself it was nothing. Yet despite her best attempts, she didn't believe a word of it.

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"Okay, so why am I doing this again?" Weiss asked as Ruby finished explaining the plan to the others present.

"You're doing it so we have a distraction so that-"

"I understand what the purpose of the plan is," Weiss said, interrupting Ruby. "I just want to know why I am the one distracting them? Why not Blake or Yang?"

"Because Blake is the only one who has sufficient skill in infiltrating places like this." Ruby replied, gesturing to the building behind them. "And no-one would believe it if Yang did it, she's way to tough. Same with Pyrrha."

"Well if that's the case why not Jaune?" Weiss complained, gesturing to said blonde knight.

"Hey!" Jaune complained as he overheard the conversation.

"True, but no-one would feel as inclined to help him if it was him instead." Ruby retorted, earning a downhearted grunt from Jaune.

"Well what about Nora or Ren?" Weiss asked. Ruby simply stared at Weiss in response. "Well now that I think about it...what about you though?!"

"It's my idea." Ruby beamed happily causing Weiss to sigh and pinch the bridge of her nose slightly.

"That doesn't mean...you know what, I give up." Weiss finally said, raising her hands slightly as she shook her head and walked into the mass of people gathered around.

Weiss sighed and swallowed whatever pride she had left. If Blake wanted any chance of sneaking in, they needed a distraction. And fate just so happened to deem her that distraction. It was going to be on the news and everything!

Weiss pushed her way through the gathered people. Some of them she recognised as fellow huntsman and huntresses, both student and graduated whilst others were simple citizens and reporters. She pushed herself to the front of the crowd until all that separated her from the crime scene was a strand of yellow tape and a blockade of officers and soldiers.

"Back away ma'am, that's as close as you get." One of the officers warned, making a pushing motion with his hands.

Weiss obliged and took a step back as the officer instructed, earning a nod of approval from the officer. Weiss looked around for any sign of Blake, spotting her friend on the far side of the crowd. The faunus nodded ever so slightly if Weiss hadn't been looking for it she would have missed it. Weiss let out a soft sigh and prepared for her distraction.

Weiss closed her eyes and lifted her hand to her forehead and began to stagger about, groaning slightly.

"Ma'am? Are you okay?" an officer asked, a concerned look in his eyes.

"No," Weiss softly replied, doing her best 'damsel in distress' impression. "All of a sudden I feel..."

Weiss let herself fall forward as she tumbled to the ground, the officer in front only just managing to catch her in time. A collected gasp was heard all around as the crowd turned their attention away from the crime scene for the first time today.

"We need a medic here!" one of the soldiers shouted as all eyes turned towards the heiress as the officer who caught her laid her in a recovery position.

Weiss slowly let her eyes open slightly as military boots crowded around her.

"What...happened?" Weiss asked. Of course she knew what the real answer was, she just embarrassed herself in public.

"You fainted, do you require any medical attention? We'd be more than willing to call an ambulance." one of the officers asked, holding his hand out for the heiress to grab.

Weiss looked around, her eyes catching a black blur entering the building. Thank goodness for that.

"No...I just felt a little faint that's all." Weiss replied, a gracious smile on her face as she clasped onto the officers hand and allowed herself to be lifted up. Gradually, the crowd returned their focus onto the crime scene as Weiss pushed her way through the crowd with little to no effort. As the crowd turned their back to her, Weiss let her smile turn to a hate filled gaze as she made her way to Ruby and Yang, who were biting their lips in an attempt to contain their laughter.

"Not another word..." Weiss warned as she turned to walk away, Ruby and Yangs laughter echoing behind her.

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Blake swiftly made her way through the warehouse, passing through like a shadow, the multiple soldiers and officers never even noticing her presence. A part of her wanted to stay and watch Weiss' 'dramatic performance'. That same part also reminded her she could probably catch it on MeTube later that day.

She made her way to the offices where the need for stealth was less of a requirement and more of a guideline. The VPD hadn't swept this area yet, which meant any video footage would still be there. She made her way forward, searching for any sign of a security room. Her eyes glanced at each and everyone of the doors she passed. Maintenance, Welfare, Main Offices...Security.

Blake stopped at the filthy set of blue double doors that led to what would have been the security room when the building was in its prime. The sign on the front of the door that used to say 'Security Personnel Only' was covered in rust and god knows what else. Blake went to open the door and download whatever files she could...but stopped.

Something wasn't right, she could feel it. She looked at the bottom of the door and saw a clean arc in the front of the door along with a faint blue light shining through the door. Someone was already here.

She heard the sound of wind rustling behind her and turned, Gambol Shroud at the ready. Out of the shadows, a short cloaked figure walked into the light, a parasol resting on her shoulders. She couldn't see their face but something seemed...familiar about her.

"Do I know you?" Blake asked as the figure before her tilted their head slightly before shaking it. "What are you doing here?" Blake enquired. The hooded figure only smiled as she held the parasol out in a fighting stance.

Before either could engage, the doors swung open causing both combatants to turn and face the new combatant.

They wore a white and blue leather jacket with black military trousers, a loaded pistol holstered on his right hip. A pair of red armoured gauntlets protected each hand whilst a strange mask protected his face as well as hiding his identity. They were also noticeably bulkier and taller than the two women and if his white hair was any indication, a lot older too. Strapped to his back was a rifle of some form, with what appeared to be a blade of some form attached below the barrel. The new figure stared at the two women before sighing.

"You gotta be kidding me..." the man simply said, shaking his head as he spoke. That was when he noticed the two women's attention was turned to the device in his left hand, the data chip containing video footage of the 'Vale Reaper'. "Don't even think about it..." the man warned, his right hand slowly reaching for his pistol.

Before he could properly react, Neopolitan delivered a roundhouse kick to the man's hand, sending the chip flying in the air before kicking him in the chest, sending him sprawling into the dirt. Blake rolled forward as Neopolitan swung in a wide arc with her parasol and delivered a swipe of her own, only for her blade to shatter a mirror image as the real Neopolitan delivered a high kick to her back, catching the data chip seconds later.

Before she could teleport however, a strong hand gripped her shoulder and spun her around, where the man then sent a right hook at her head, the fist impacting her jaw and causing her to stumble and drop the chip on the floor. Blake slid between the two combatants and grabbed the chip and turned to run, only for a disgruntled Neopolitan to appear before her and bash her back with her parasol, causing her to slip on the grubby floor, the data chip flying from her hand.

Before Blake could stand, Neopolitan planted her foot on her chest and used it as leverage to grab the chip. As the chip descended ever closer into Neopolitan's waiting hand, the man tackled her where he proceeded to head-but her as the chip fell on top of Blake.

The man turned and went to lunge for the now rising Blake, but fell to the floor as Neopolitan hooked his ankle on the handle of the parasol. The man delivered a quick kick to Neopolitan's head and stood and charged Blake. The man threw a right hook towards Blake which was parried, but sent both Gambol Shroud and the data chip flying from her hand. Blake delivered a roundhouse kick to the man's head which he ducked and delivered a roundhouse kick himself which Blake also ducked.

As the two grappled with one another, Blake kneed him in his groin, causing the man to let out a pained grunt before head-butting him. As the man staggered back, Blake drew a deep breath as she lifted her hand to her forehead as she felt blood run down. Before she could retrieve either Gambol Shroud or the data chip, Neopolitan appeared before her and kicked her in the throat, causing her to choke and stumble to the floor before she lunged at the man with her parasol, knocking him to the ground.

With her knee planted on his chest, she drew a long thin blade from the parasol and forced the edge onto his neck, the man only just raising his hands quick enough to push back the blade. Blake stumbled around as she attempted to reach for Gambol Shroud, hoping to at least defend herself should the hooded figure turn her attention on her.

As the man struggled to keep the blade away, blue electricity began arcing off of his body. Neopolitan raised an eyebrow in confusion as the man began to push back with renewed vigour. Suddenly, a pulse emanated from his body, sending Neopolitan stumbling back. As she fell, the man grabbed her flailing leg and pulled her towards him, punching her with such force when her body hit the floor, the ground cracked.

Blake finally grabbed a hold of Gambol Shroud but was then shoulder barged by the man, the blue electricity still arcing around him. As Blake tumbled on the floor, the man grabbed the data chip on the floor and held it close to his chest as both Blake and Neopolitan rose from the floor, the stand-off beginning once again. While both Blake and Neopolitan were panting heavily, the battle having exhausted them, the man before them had yet to break a sweat. The victor was clear from the start, yet neither one of the women would surrender peacefully.

"What's that noise?"

"It came from here! Spread out!"

All three tensed at the noise and turned at the sound of rapidly approaching footsteps. Neopolitan opened her parasol and teleported away, the man quickly disappearing into the shadows leaving Blake alone. She was quick to leave, traversing through a nearby ventilation shaft as VPD officers swarmed the corridor. Blake continued to crawl through the shaft until the light of the sun was in her eyes. She crawled through the opening and stumbled out onto the ground, taking sharp intakes of air as she stumbled into the shadows. She sighed as she made her way to the rendezvous point, where her friends were already waiting for her. Ruby was the first to notice her, and her eyes were filled with dread upon seeing her.

"Oh my god, Blake!" Ruby shouted as she rushed over to the faunus who stumbled into her arms. The others soon took note of Blake's condition and were filled with worry themselves.

"What happened in there?" Yang asked as she helped Blake sit on a nearby bench. Blake took deep intakes of air before she finally spoke.

"We're aren't the only ones investigating..."

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Cinder sighed as she awaited Neopolitan's return, tapping her foot on the stone floor as her patience drew thin. What was taking so long? It was a simple snatch and grab and she was dragging it out far too long for her comfort.

A pair of soldiers nearly recognised, no doubt they were on patrol at the transmit tower when she performed her infiltration mission, and they were beginning to get too close for comfort. Suddenly, she felt a gust of wind behind her and smiled. She turned, preparing to give Neopolitan the scolding of a lifetime but froze when she saw the usually smiling assassin panting and with a frightened look on her face...and blood staining her clothes that was clearly hers.

"What happened?" Cinder asked, clearly confused as to what caused the girl to be in such a state.

Neopolitan quickly explained in her own special way, causing Cinder to curse silently before bringing her scroll up, quickly calling Emerald.

"Cinder, got the goods?" Emerald's voice asked, crackling due to the poor signal.

"No, there's been a wild card," Cinder quickly explained before continuing. "We're going to have to go for plan B..."

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Soldier 76 sighed as he sat on the chair in his hideout, wiping the blood of his mask. Poor girl, she was lucky she didn't get a concussion from the blow. The same couldn't be said for the hooded girl though, that bitch got exactly what she deserved.

He preferred not to kill innocents but there was something about those two he had seen in others he'd brought down. Both had killed in the past, the hooded girl admittedly more eager than the other girl, but it mattered little. Both would be brought to justice sooner or later. He had a bigger fish to fry right now.

He pulled the data chip out of his pocket, grateful it hadn't been damaged during the fight and plugged it into his scroll, the screen flickering to life immediately despite the large crack on its surface. As he finished downloading the files, he pressed play on the screen...only to find a face full of static.

"Dammit!" Soldier 76 cursed, slamming his fist on the floor. Corrupted, just like the others. However, the corruption was recent. Perhaps if he could safely remove it, he could retrieve the footage. And if not that, then perhaps trace it.

Unfortunately, he didn't know how to break the corruption codes. He was a soldier for a reason. Fortunately, he knew someone who could...and he knew just where to find him…

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If I am correct, this is the longest chapter I've written yet...GG me! As always, don't forget to review and constructive criticism is always welcome. Any questions? Either leave in your review or PM me and I'll answer in the next chapter if I can. It feels good to be back on schedule and I hope you enjoy the new year.

Raging Archon out.