"You just activated my trap card!" Yang declared loudly, making most patrons of the library jump in surprise from the noise.
"Ohh! This is good yes? No good? Average?" Tenabres's eyes lit up with excitement after making her move against the better judgement of her partner.
"Rule 1, trap cards are never good news..." Chrome replied with a dejected groan, she was not at all happy with how the round was going.
"It triggers drought, which allows me to send a squad of Death Stalkers to your supply route, cutting off all food and water to your troops, making them easy pickings for my Manticores." Yang explained with malice in her tone as she fiddled about with the figurines.
Tobi sighed a little, he'd found himself a nice quiet spot before this loud bunch showed up. They had elected to play a few rounds of Grimm Kingdoms instead of studying. Tobi was never one for board games, even tactical ones. He always preferred to huddle up with a good physics book or some such. Today he had been experimenting with his so-called Semblance. He'd spent the last hour resonating with different kinds of dust and taking notes on how they reacted. Everything from how easy it was to levitate them, right down to the frequency of the humming sound they made. It was indeed a fantastic study, but it was just that, a study. Other than briefly toying with fire dust in the mines a day or so ago he had seen no practical application of his abilities. Even if his ability was a Semblance, he needed a proper test subject. Sure, the other students could provide adequate challenge, Nikkos being a fine example. But he wouldn't be able to gather substantial data against someone his own age. Ozpin was out of the question, and Bronwen was well, not available. He was hesitant to ask Oobleck, let alone Ports. His options were very few indeed, it would take some bold maneuvering to land his prey.
"Honestly! How many times do I have to tell you, the library is for studying." Glynda had once again come storming to the rescue, sort of.
"But we are studying~" Tenabres exclaimed playfully while wagging her tail.
"Ugh..." Glynda crossed her arms. "Alright, I'll bite, how in the god's green earth is this studying?" She had heard a great deal of fluff about this Grimm Kingdoms game. But she had decided that it was childish nonsense.
"Mostly developing military strategy while studying historical battle simulations." Naya paused for a moment. "But it also encourages teamwork, adaptation in the face of adversity, and of course social engagement." She explained with excitement and pride in her tone, she was confident it was a suitable description.
"Miss Orion, you seem highly knowledgeable about this game. Yet I've never seen you play; I find that a touch odd despite having no interest in the game myself." Glynda raised a brow at the young cat Faunus. It was true, she seemed to always be an observer rather than a player.
"Eep!" Naya practically jumped out of her skin. "Oh-oh it-it's nothing, nothing at all really. I um, I like to read the manuals for these things when I don't have a good rocket science book or something to snuggle up with! Besides, it's more fun to watch, I like seeing different people tackle the same issue." She seemed to shrink a little with each part of that sentence, not literally of course.
"Well...as long as you're having fun I suppose. But by the brothers I beg you, keep your voices down. This *is* a library after all, your teammate seems to have the right idea." Glynda stated seriously as she turned her attention to Tobi. As usual, all by himself off in a corner, still in a spot where he could observe the entire room if he desired to.
"Afternoon Goodwitch' if you've got something to say then say it and be on your way. I'm sort of busy, I am... vexed at the moment. I'd rather not be disturbed until I figure it out." Tobi figured he could be blunt and to the point with Goodwitch. She seemed to be a bit more patient than Ozpin when it came to these things.
Glynda adjusted her glasses. "Kurt as usual I see, and... vexed? More than usual? Emotion isn't something you can 'solve' you know." He did seem a bit distraught, compared to his usual musings where he merely paced the floors. Ever since his excursion to the mines he'd been considerably more distracted in his own thoughts.
"Yes, I am vexed, and no, I've set that aside for now. Perhaps you can aid me, in what way do you...reach when you use your Semblance?" Tobi asked seriously as he resonated with the earth dust he had his hand over. It was a completely different feeling than with fire dust, wind dust as well had its own tingle. Water dust had yet to react to his Semblance, maybe his latent potential was higher than he thought.
"How do I... reach?" Glynda raised a brow. "Inward, I suppose...I pour my focus on my target and what I want to accomplish. And tune out as much of the rest of the world as I can, within reason." It was rare that a student asked such a question, but Ozpin did say Tobi was the inquisitive type among other things.
Tobi pushed his glasses back up on his nose. "I see, and this is...the general consensus yes? And another thing, does one typically 'ask' or 'tell' their Semblance to respond? Or is this factor a case-by-case basis that hasn't been scientifically explored yet?" He was trying to open up to her a little, like he had done with Oobleck. Glynda was knowledgeable about these sorts of things.
"Ye...yes, that is the general consensus, as for the other bit." Glynda paused for a moment to think. "It seems to vary wildly depending on the person in question, their personality, and their experience in actually using their Semblance. If I may ask...why the sudden interest in how Semblances function? Should you not know this already? This is grade school training we're discussing." She was a bit perplexed by that. He should know these things by this age, even Cardin was aware.
"Odd that," Tobi paused for a second. "Why do you suppose I have to reach outward, I have to feel, not 'think' and I merely need to ask for assistance?" He bit his lip. "I'm...hesitant to say this, but my power may be something entirely different. Something far more complex, and... more importantly, far more potent." He wasn't one hundred percent sure on his hunch, but it was the only thing that seemed to make sense at the moment.
"More potent, than a Semblance? You can't seriously mean..." Glynda trailed off as the phrase came to mind. Tobi was unnaturally perceptive of certain things, yet oblivious to others. She had to wonder what factors caused him to draw such a conclusion.
"Magic." Tobi replied with a cold tone. "I've heard rumors from certain circles about powerful artifacts that contain such power that if one person obtained them all they'd be unstoppable. If the rumors are true, then those items would have to be magic. If they are indeed from my time period, I can see that being the case." Of course, he couldn't really tell her how he found that information, he'd been doing his own research in his free time.
"Time...period?" Glynda raised a brow. "I'm...not sure I follow what you mean." She was actually curious about that statement, since it was sort of odd to refer to one's self in that way.
Tobi sighed. "If you have questions you can ask Ozpin about it." He replied bluntly, realizing that he'd let that information slip. "If you don't mind, I have an important task ahead. One that potentially requires liquid courage." He finished with a dejected tone as he packed his things into his backpack.
"You do know that you're undera...and he's gone." Glynda sighed in defeat, that boy was a different kind of puzzle. He seemed so human in some moments but cold and robotic the rest of the time. She figured she could ask Ozpin more about him later, if given the chance.
After a good thirty minutes of pacing and self-doubt, Tobi had made his way into the lunchroom. The usual rabble were there at this hour, though the rest of his team was not. He had many questions in mind, mostly regarding his sanity. But he had one very important question, and only a short while to notice his target. She was sitting there with her teammates, not really chatting with them at all.
"Gods be with me." Tobi uttered under his breath as he approached Cinder's group, currently accompanied by an additional member.
"Well, if it isn't Ozpin's little pet! What can we do for you?" Cinder questioned with a coy tone and a smug grin. She had very little information on him, but what she did know was interesting.
Tobi raised a brow. "Pet? I'm not sure I follow." Tobi crossed his arms as he spoke, he had no time for her games today. Though it might be amusing to humor her just this once.
"Get real! Everyone knows you-ow!" Mercury almost bit his tongue when Cinder slapped the back of his head.
"Come now, everybody knows you get called up to his office frequently. And further, he sends you away on little expeditions, sometimes for more than a day. So? What is it, you're awfully tight lipped even with your little harem about it? And when quiet folk like you are tight lipped, it's always something interesting, in my experience anyway." Cinder was under orders to investigate this, well more to investigate Tobi. Honestly, she didn't really care about him, what she had seen of him didn't seem to make him a player.
"Since when are you so-ow!" Mercury once again winced in pain, this time from Emerald driving her heel into his foot. It didn't actually hurt, but he did feel the impact.
Tobi thought on his feet. "That? It's nothing really, he sends me on...errands. I have no idea why, but you can't say no to a fumbling old coot. He often sends me for some expensive tea or some such, I seem to remind him of someone he once knew. Honestly, I typically wouldn't be arsed, but even I know what an aura that strong means. Besides, isn't it appropriate to be kind to your elders?" He questioned with a smirk on his face.
"You know it can't be as simple as all that?" Cinder replied cautiously as she gave him a glare, there was no way it was that harmless.
"If you're that nosey Cinder, why not ask him yourself?" Tobi returned her glare with serious eyes. "Or do you have reason to fear him?" He stated coldly, not really wanting to back down. "Now if you don't mind, I have something important to ask-" He was cut off by the text ring tone on his scroll.
"C'mon runt, tell us what you're really doing for the old man!" The sender was miss Neapolitan.
"Stop calling me runt and kid and maybe I'll talk." Tobi paused and shrugged. "If you make it worth my while. My question is for you, actually. Also, what happened to your illusionist writing?" He found himself a bit disappointed to see her texting, that was something anyone could do.
"This doesn't give me a headache, plus it's faster!" Neo was already sending another text. "Wait? For me? It's not about the old man is it?" She raised a brow as she sent the message to him.
"Ozpin? No, it's actually...about the seasonal year end rhythmic subroutine..." Tobi trailed off as he fumbled his words, he really wished he was old enough to drink right now.
"Just say 'dance' dumbass." Emerald spat out in annoyance, was he actually serious right now?
"Ah." Tobi jokingly took a step back in surprise. "Uhm, y-yes, the…that thing. It's about the school dance." He was feeling absolutely humiliated right now, and he hadn't even asked her out yet.
"The...dance? The one happening this weekend? What about it?" Neo's texting was surprisingly quick, Tobi would call that her semblance if he didn't know better.
"I would be honored, if you would accompany me to said dance." Tobi stated nervously while giving miss Neo a bow in respect. The entire room fell silent, likely shocked that the stoic even sought such companionship. Emerald looked like she was about to explode with laughter, and Cinder's eye twitched.
"Me? Seriously? Sorry runt, don't take this the wrong way but I have work that evening." Neo quickly sent another message. "I'm flattered really, but I'm just oh so married to my work. Besides, we aren't even proper students, not yet. We're scouting ahead for the rest of our country." Before Tobi could reply to that message she sent another. "Besides that, my dance moves aren't appropriate for school proms~" Neo finished while giving him a smug grin.
Tobi sighed. "She types vigorously while coyly giving me bedroom eyes..." He knew she was just messing with him. But he had seen weirder interests when it came to romance. "That is the proper term is it not? I have yet to witness the phenomena myself." He was of course joking to see how they'd react, not that they'd be able to tell with his monotone voice.
"How bloody virgin do you have to be to not recognize bedroom eyes!" That yell came from across the room, apparently from Yang's table.
"Hey Yang, what's bedroom eyes..." Ruby questioned seriously in response to her sister's shock.
"You'll...find out when you're older!" Weis was quick to answer, hoping to keep Yang from digging a deeper hole.
"Well, I had my heart set on miss Neapolitan, but you know what they say about there being many fish and whatnot." Tobi stated jokingly as he gave both Cinder and Emerald hopeful eyes.
"Not happening..." Emerald and Cinder spoke at once, perfectly in sync with each other.
"It was worth a shot, since you lot are busy, I'll leave you to your extra-curricular activities." Tobi finished with a shrug of his shoulders; not like he was expecting either of them to accept.
Overall, that wasn't an entirely fruitless endeavor. Tobi had learned that they weren't quite official students yet. He also learned that they were interested in Ozpins dealings. Whatever their cause for curiosity was, he had a bad feeling about Cinder's group anyway. He wasn't typically one to judge based on personality alone, but these three always seemed to hide some bit of malice. Well, more malice than Cardin and his jockeys were at any rate.
-The Day Of The Dance-
Tobi once again found himself in Glynda's combat training class. Watching the students fight each other was like watching old reruns of television shows at this point. He'd analyzed the weaknesses in each of their fighting styles. Granted he had only faced each of the students three or five times, and very few of them actually challenged him. Nikkos was the one exception, she frequently seemed ready to prove herself against all challengers. Often, she would ask for another spar after her turn was up. Whenever he spoke up and accepted Tobi barely eked out a draw, it almost reminded him of the maidens, one of them at least. It had gotten to a point where he wasn't learning anything new, and he desperately needed adequate field study of his power. He had to bite his lip for a moment, was he really about to go through with his plan?
"Much better miss Orion, I'm fairly certain you only left Arc with...a few bruises." Glynda was impressed with how quickly the wallflower adapted. When the semester started, she would apologize for every strike as she was making it. Now she was confidently and swiftly acting on instinct.
"Yup! I made extra effort to be careful this time. I didn't hear any tearing tendons or fractured bones this week at all! Maybe it's Juane who's getting stronger!" Naya was at least attempting to be modest and failing slightly.
"Says the usually timid cat Faunus who always seems to be restraining herself." Juane stated with a groan as he got up and rubbed his back. "I'll take every vote of confidence I can get." He finished sheepishly as he returned to his seat.
"Don't worry Arc, you know what they say about things that don't kill you." Glynda replied half teasingly as she watched Naya return to her seat as well. "Alright Tobi, you've been awfully quiet this week, it's your turn to stand front and center." She added with the usual firmness in her tone, like she was already judging him.
"I fail to see the relevance of my quiet nature indicating it was my turn next." Tobi was just thinking out loud as he approached the stage, not really sure what to do.
"I simply didn't want you dozing off, now then, choose an opponent." Glynda replied with the same judgmental tone that she typically did when saying that phrase.
"My opponent?" Tobi felt anxious today as he eyed the entire classroom once again.
Chrome's Semblance was entertaining, but he'd fought her yesterday. Nikkos was an option but he had analyzed her movements already. Mercury just exuded an aura that made him want to punch him, the same could be said with Cardin. He didn't want to risk it with Yang again, and neither Cinder or Emerald were fun to fight. Emerald with her dirty tricks and something about Cinder's flames felt wrong. It wasn't long before that irksome feeling came up again and locked him in place. He felt his heart-beat just a little faster, Tobi was paralyzed by choice. Cursing this mental state in his mind, he opened his mouth to speak. His throat had gone slightly dry for a moment, as if his body refused to believe what he was going to say.
"Glyn...da...Good...Witch..." As Tobi spoke, a cold chill went down his spine. What was he thinking? The rest of the class were already whispering to each other.
"He's...kidding, isn't he?" One classmate whispered.
"He saw what we saw the first day we were in Beacon...right?" Another classmate whispered, clearly flustered by his choice.
"Even he's not that crazy, maybe he's got a fever...or something!" Naya was attempting to diffuse the rising tension in the room, it wasn't working.
"Well now, this just got interesting." Cinder's tone was sinister as she thought out-loud, that only irritated Tobi more.
Glynda flinched a bit. "Oh, suddenly you're a comedian, now are you?" She questioned seriously as she adjusted her glasses. "I won't say this again, choose, your, opponent." This time her tone was demeaning and somewhat frustrated.
Tobi adjusted his glasses. "Glynda...Goodwitch." This time Tobi locked eyes with her, and spoke in a cold, dead tone. He rarely used this tone unless he was absolutely serious. The murmurs of the classroom got even more flustered, which in turn made him even more angry.
Glynda sighed. "Tobi, I understand you're confident, and that you've got a chip on your shoulder." She paused and crossed her arms. "What I want to know is why, why me and why now out of nowhere? I know you, Ozpin told me to keep an eye on you after that outburst." Her tone was far more concerned than angry, this was the first time any student had ever been bold enough to challenge her. "What do you expect to gain from fighting me?" She finished with a raised brow.
"It isn't about what I have to gain." Tobi replied slowly. "It's about what I have to lose. I have faced each and every one of my classmates. At this point I can confidently say that you've taught them and myself well. But..." He wasn't entirely sure how to put it to words, and he needed a moment to think.
"But...what? Simple Pride? I thought I've taught you kids to know better." Glynda stated with a bit of confusion in her tone. She knew Tobi could go on stubborn streaks, Ozpin had told her, but the gravity of his stubbornness was still a surprise.
"It's not pride...more like, affirmation." Tobi had found the words. "It's difficult to explain, but I have a... thirst for self-improvement. I work hard, day in and day out, hoping to improve in some way through training and study. If I feel like I'm slipping, like I'm falling behind...it drives me into a corner. It's much less pride, and much more that I want to...no I need to know where I stand." He sighed and crossed his arms. "Ozpin told you did he not? How I like to challenge my superiors when I'm stuck? Well, at the moment I feel...stuck, and this is one of the only ways for me to get un-stuck." And to tell the truth he wasn't about to trouble Ports or Oobleck with a sparring match. He also kind of preferred female opponents since they were typically more tenacious, and honor driven. Well, barring the obvious examples at least.
"So, you wish to know how far you can go before you've reached your peak. And fighting me is a way of sampling a new skill level?" Glynda sighed as she thought for a moment. "Ozpin won't like it, but I'll bite, if that's how you truly feel." She gave him a harsh glare, it seemed she was judging him even now.
Did he really feel that way? Ever since arriving in this time he felt disconnected. Like a puzzle piece that almost fit but ever so slightly didn't. Admittedly, it was at first a bold faced lie to hopefully goad her into accepting his challenge. But after looking inward for a moment he shrugged his shoulders. The more he thought about it the more he felt he was telling the truth.
"I hate to admit it, but yes; that is exactly how I feel at the moment." Tobi replied honestly as he resisted the urge to face his classmates. Who were still being little rumor mills from the sound of the muffling.
Glynda sighed once more. "Very well, I assume since you now have access to your Semblance, you'll expect me to use mine?" She wasn't beyond using her Semblance for combat, but the scale between a student and an actual huntsman was far too great.
"I would like that yes I don't have much experience with ranged combat." Tobi wasn't about to pass on seeing Glynda at full force. Though he doubted she would, it was possible that she might.
"I... see, let's go ahead and see if that chip on your shoulder can be knocked down a peg. Come along to the outdoor training arena children. I would fight in here but, my Semblance can be a little...messy." Glynda stated honestly as she started to leave the classroom.
"Woo! Hands on with Teach!" Chrome shouted enthusiastically as she raised her arms in the air. The classmates immediately shifted their seats as far away from her as they possibly could. "What?" Chrome blinked in confusion at their reaction.
While most of the class remained in single file along the route to the outdoor arena, many of the students bolted off or started typing on their scrolls faster than lightning. The rumor spread fast, and before either Tobi or Glynda knew it at least a quarter of the student body had ditched their class to spectate the fight. Tobi wasn't at all bothered by this, he considered it training for the festival that he researched when James proposed he join Beacon. Speaking of said festival, the school's actual arena area was about two thirds the size of the one in the anti-gravity stadium he'd read about. Glynda did explain that the arena could only conjure up one elemental playing field at a time though. As Tobi and Glynda stood in the center of the arena the floor pulled away, and a mountainous playing field rose from the ground. Due to its size, there weren't many opportunities to fight at various ground levels. But there were still enough obstacles and craigs to cause a change of pace.
"Tournament rules; when the fight starts the platform will raise five feet off the ground. You fall off the platform, it's game over. Agreed?" Glynda didn't even bother taking a fighting stance. Instead, she placed one arm behind her back. "Don't think I'll go easy on you because you're my student." She stated coldly as she slid one of her feet backward a bit to adjust her stance.
"Oh, don't worry, I don't plan to hold back either. Don't underestimate me because I'm a child, you have no idea who I've sparred with." Tobi took his fighting stance after cracking both his knuckles. He then flexed his aura, far more than he ever did in class. It was to show he wasn't about to hold back.
This aura, he's certainly got a potent one for a child. Whoever trained him before he came to beacon must've been a real madman. If I didn't know better, I'd say he's around the level of a freshly appointed huntsman. Glynda thought to herself as she resisted the urge to do the same. At the very least his aura training was superior to most of his classmates, but aura was only half of the battle. "Who you've faced in the past has nothing to do with me. Your aura is really something else, but aura isn't everything, who trained you?" She figured he wouldn't mind if she prodded him a little bit.
"True, and if you really want to know, you can ask Ozpin." Tobi dug one of his feet into the ground. "I've removed my speed boosters, but that doesn't mean you can take me lightly!" He charged forward before she had a chance to reply. If he was fast enough his right hook would connect squarely with her jaw.
"Silly boy." Glynda swiftly sidestepped him at the last second. "You shouldn't telegraph your movements so carelessly!" In only a second she had moved to his right side and slapped his wrist with her crop. "And again, with pointing me toward the headmaster? How did you get so familiar with him?" She smiled as she watched Tobi stumble forward for several feet, her swift movements clearly caught him off guard.
"Dually noted." Tobi rubbed his wrist with his other hand. "It's nothing really, to put it simply, we go way back. Farther back than you could possibly imagine." Once he regained his composure Tobi shook his mechanical hand a bit. It was just a crop, but it was still strong enough to trigger the pain sensors.
"Interesting, why is it you react as if you feel pain? Are your legs and arm not cybernetic? Why bother even stretching them to begin with?" Glynda had to admit that this was a mystery. Typically, bionic limbs wouldn't respond to things like heat or cold, much less any form of pain. Further, he did things like stretching his legs and cracking his knuckles as well.
Tobi shrugged. "Habit, mostly, however these limbs were built to mirror the biological counterpart. Right down to how signals are sent to the muscular systems. They're wired directly to my nervous system and have special sensors to simulate pain. I designed them this way because...you're more likely to take better care of something if you can feel with it." He paused and took his fighting stance once more. "Anyway, when did this become twenty questions? I thought we came here to spar." He finished as he took a couple of deep breaths.
"Simulate...pain? Technology like that would take decades to develop. No matter, I'm sure Ozpin will explain if I ask. Though, it bothers me that you're so cryptic about it." Glynda elected to take her fighting stance this time. "Just for fun, let's up the stakes a little bit. Say...your performance today will be worth...30% of your grades." She wanted to see what he could really do, since in a typical spar with a classmate he seemed to hold back.
"In my time technology and science were far beyond what you have now. Let's get this fight started proper!" Tobi charged her once again, this time with everything he had. Sure, he didn't have the overdrive, but he was fast all the same.
This time Glynda reacted by sidestepping to his left and grabbing his organic wrist. She followed up with a gut punch that knocked the wind out of him. Finally, she turned slightly and heaved him over her shoulder, sending him several feet into the air. As he fell time seemed to slow down a bit. His mind was racing since he was quickly nearing a ring out. He wasn't about to lose before the fight started proper.
Damn, if only I had some form of platform to brace my fall, but how? Tobi thought to himself as he turned his body so that he faced the arena. As he thought this, two earth dust crystals levitated from his belt pouches. They stopped beneath his feet and glowed brightly, generating solid energy fields for him to stand on. He took a few moments to regain his posture, but he did so in a hurry.
"How...are you doing that?" Glynda questioned with confusion in her tone, she had never seen a Semblance do something like that with dust before.
"I...don't know, it just kind of...happened." Tobi replied with a raised brow, he placed a hand on the energy field and concentrated. Both of them expanded their radius, giving him a little more confidence in their durability.
His Semblance is acting...no, reacting on instinct? That's technically good, but also a double-edged sword. Glynda sighed as she realized what he was doing. "You're not staying up there all day, are you?" She figured she should taunt him a little bit to see if he'd get more aggressive.
"The dust crystals will run out of energy at some point so no, but at least I can plan my next move from here." Tobi cupped his chin with his hand. "Now, what to do about that pesky shield of yours?" He thought out loud mostly out of habit, though not loud enough for her to hear. "Ah, what about...this!" He pulled out a piece of fire dust and threw it as far as he could. When the crystal was behind her he gripped the dust with his mind. It gave him a headache to do so at such a distance but started to charge up a beam anyway.
"Waving to one of your classmates? No... this is!" Glynda flinched as she heard a piercing sound behind her, quickly erecting her barrier to block the blast. "That cute little pea shooter is all you have, really now?" She turned around to focus on blocking his tiny little laser beams.
"Chance!" Tobi jumped down to the arena floor and charged forward, he was certain he could land a hit this time.
Glynda however wouldn't have it, as he grew close enough to strike her, she lowered her shield and sidestepped the laser beam. The dust crystal ran out of energy with that shot and fell to the ground. She then swiftly turned around and swept his legs, knocking him off balance. Glynda then braced his fall with one arm and struck him in the stomach with the other. The blow hit him like a pile driver, he imagined that this is what Yang felt that one time. Tobi once again found himself in the air, though this time not as high, instead he was flung into the rock sculptures in the environment. This of course created a bunch of rubble around him. He wasn't about to break his composure in front of his classmates, so he stood up quickly and dusted himself off. Even going so far as to do the cocky shoulder dusting gesture.
"My mother hit harder than that." Tobi wasn't lying, she didn't fit the frame of a normal human or Faunus even without using magic. "Is that little barrier the worst you can do?" He paused for a moment. "Huh, you're...clapping?" Tobi raised a brow at the instructor, her entire demeanor changed slightly.
Chrome leaned toward Naya. "Tobi's ma musta been a real bruiser! I wonder what she looked like?" She whispered quietly while still keeping her attention on the spar.
"You know? Tobi never talks much about his family, she's probably prettier than what you're thinking of." Naya had scanned all of the data within that old lab they found Tobi and Tessa in. She deduced that the beautiful Faunus giving that presentation could've been his mother. Though without direct confirmation from Tobi it was just a theory.
"Boss...what are you doing?" Tenabres muttered quietly as her ears flicked back and forth quickly.
"Goodness you're confident, I am starting to see why Ozpin called you a prodigy. But there's one flaw that all prodigies have." Glynda paused and raised her crop. "They simply don't know when to give up, or how to ask when they need it." She started levitating the rubble around Tobi toward her, then rotated it and condensed it until it formed a spear like shape. "Time to put you in your place." She finished with a cold tone as she gently flicked her wrist, sending the spike toward Tobi.
Tobi had very little time to think, he quickly retrieved four earth dust crystals and formed a barrier in front of him. This time the barrier was much thicker and larger, it easily blocked the attack, but it did give him a headache briefly. He didn't waste any time bolting to the right to attempt to get a good angle on her. His attempt was swiftly blocked by another strike from Glynda, this time the spear moved slightly faster. Tobi was able to get the barrier up in time, but only just. He tried running to the left, nope, to the right, nope, from above using the trick from earlier, nope. Every attack her movements became faster and faster. His body felt off, but he couldn't put a finger on why, even his augments were starting to act a little janky. In-between charging attempts he fired a few rounds of his beam, only to be met with that accursed barrier of hers.
At one point he resonated with wind dust just to see what would happen. What he got was rather interesting, the energy from the crystal wrapped itself around his hand and formed some kind of energy blade. The blades were able to cut through the rubble of her spears easily, but they wouldn't be useful until he got in close.
What's wrong with me, why isn't my body working the way it should? Tobi thought to himself, he was starting to become flustered. Every failed attempt made his blood boil even more.
"Boss..." Tenabres uttered with a sniffle, she could sense every bit of what was going on. Being a natural fighter, she saw how his stance was degrading, as half Grimm she sensed the confusion and anger when Tobi's body didn't move as quickly as his mind wanted it to.
"Something wrong Tenabres? Just look at boss go, he's really stickin it to teach!" Chrome was incredibly impressed that he was able to go tooth and claw with a huntswoman. Let alone one of the same caliber as Goodwitch.
"No! It's all wrong!" Tenabres snapped sharply, she was practically in tears.
"What's wrong? Fighting teach? It's just sparring, it's not like she'll kill em." Chrome raised a brow, at the moment Tobi was running a gambit, aiming to get closer with every attempt.
"Not that!" Tenabres's eyes glowed red for a moment. "He's...hurting..." She replied with a sorrowful tone as she watched the fight continue.
"I don't see the problem, he's actually gaining ground, isn't he?" Naya was kind of curious, she had learned Tenabres was a natural fighter. Tenabres had instinct and experience that they currently didn't have, it was easy to tell that watching her fight.
"Not at all!" Tenabres shook her head. "Just look at the difference in their stances, it's all wrong." She stated bluntly as she carefully eyed both combatants. "Goodwitch is breathing through her nose and not wasting energy, boss is breathing heavily through his mouth and brute forcing every movement just to keep up. If he keeps going at this rate, he'll black out from exhaustion. Not to mention his emotional state. Boss isn't being...boss, he's more like a wild boar now." She had a bad feeling in her stomach watching them fight. Glynda was showing no signs of slowing down either, she wasn't holding back as well.
"She's right, looking closer his demeanor is totally different from how he usually fights. I wonder what set him off, it doesn't seem like we'll be able to snap him out of it either." Chrome stated after watching him more seriously. He looked like he was only seeing red.
"I'm calling the headmaster he'll know what to do." Naya was pretty certain Tobi would listen to the headmaster. They seemed to be fairly trusting of each other, she was surprised how fast they clicked.
Tobi was still holding his running defense from Glynda's onslaught. The more he asked his body to move the less sense the feeling in his stomach made. It felt like he was keeping up, but only just. His augments were keeping up, the rest of his body wasn't, and even the augments were showing signs of struggle. Tobi decided that he needed to move just a little bit faster as he spotted an opening. While Glynda was creating three stone spears to launch at him he charged forward, using the spears as platforms. He used his energy blades instead of his fists to strike toward Glynda, who quickly erected her barrier just in time. Tobi wouldn't take no for an answer, instead he poured his concentration into the dust crystals. They glowed brighter and brighter, making the blades sharper and stronger. If only for a moment, Glynda winced when she noticed a small crack in the barrier at the contact point. Luckily before the crack could grow to a dangerous size the dust crystals exploded, sending Tobi quite a few feet backwards. The second that Glynda let her barrier down, Tobi started another charge this time with a basic fist.
"That's quite enough you two!" Ozpin had come between Tobi and Glynda, stopping Tobi's fist with his palm and blocking Glynda's stone spear with an emerald green shield. "Honestly, both of you pull yourselves together." He stated firmly in a tone that was all too familiar to Tobi.
"Sir I... was merely putting him in his place." Glynda was caught off guard by his tone being more stern than usual.
"And this is how you intended to do that?" Ozpin questioned seriously as he leaned on his cane. "Tobi often challenged me to a battle, and when he did, I sent him to...particular individuals. Sadly, he was stubborn and thought I meant to challenge them to a fight. He hasn't changed one bit since I last knew him." He stated with some moderate frustration in his tone, though he still maintained his composure.
"I actually have changed slightly, more than you may realize Ozma. In fact, I-" Tobi froze when Ozpin put a hand on his organic shoulder. His grip was firm and steady, and he felt a strange sensation pass through him. "Alright, you just did something." He was having no games today, he immediately noticed his bruises were gone. He knew a strong enough aura could heal wounds, but not this quickly.
"Later." Ozpin stated coldly. "Glynda, to my office, forty minutes. Tobi, you have an hour. If you have any nagging questions, I suggest you bring them." Ozpin then walked off without another word, not even his usual coy grin.
Glynda cupped her chin with her hand. "Just what on earth is your connection to him? And that name you called him do you have any idea how old that name is?" She was more surprised that Ozpin responded to it, let alone treating it like that was a normal label.
"In a word? Complicated." Tobi crossed his arms and hummed in thought. "Perhaps more complicated than I initially anticipated at that. Still, that was a good spar, I now know exactly how far I've fallen, and how to expedite my return to my prime." He reached out with his right arm to offer a handshake. "For sportsmanship, also, good luck. It's very rare he takes that tone with anyone, let alone an old friend like me." He figured he'd at least give her a vote of confidence.
Glynda raised a brow. "Your 'prime' you said?" Her eye twitched slightly as she said it. "When, or if that ever happens...let's do this again. It was...fun." She stated as she thought about it, she was curious about those individuals Ozpin sent him off to whenever Tobi challenged him.
"Goodwitch having fun? Can someone go to hell for me to see if it's frozen over?" Tobi questioned sarcastically as he shrugged his shoulders.
"Grownups can enjoy themselves too you know. It isn't always about you children, please try not to forget you are a child despite how advanced you think you are." Glynda didn't even bother addressing the snarky comment as she turned and started off toward the headmaster's office.
"I wonder how she'll react when she finds out I'm centuries older than her...okay, technically I'm not but still." Tobi thought out loud as he headed toward the dorm rooms while the students returned to their classes.
Tobi spent a good twenty minutes thinking of a decent question to ask Ozpin. As he was heading toward the girl's dorm during free period, he came up with one. Ever since he awoke something felt very off. It wasn't until now that a secondary artifact of time travel came to mind that it finally hit him. His father had studied multiverse theory and world lines for a time, and Tobi created a tool to observe changes in a percent-based system. After retrieving the box said device was stored in from Naya he headed to the headmaster's office. He arrived at the elevator just in time to see Goodwitch kind of stomping her way out of the elevator. The instructor exchanged a glance but otherwise didn't address him.
"Ah, good, you came early for once." Ozpin stated seriously as he waved Tobi into the office.
"Let me guess, you're going to give me the old responsibility tangent." Tobi replied as he took a seat in the chair, he was prepared for an hour or longer of a lecture this time.
Ozpin massaged his temples. "No, no... not this time, and only because I know it'll go in one ear and out the other." He replied with a sigh as he returned to his own chair. "I assume you only did this because you wanted to test yourself. But for the god's sake boy, is subtly not in your vocabulary?" He questioned with concern in his tone as he leaned on his elbows.
"Never was, never will be. Might I ask who's at the steering wheel this time?" Tobi replied with a genuine curiosity. While he knew Ozma well, the more pragmatic Ozpin was difficult to peg. He did seem like a much more refined and constructive form though.
"We both are, and we're both equally concerned about your stubborn streaks. Honestly, Tobi when will you grow up." Ozpin was quite serious this time, since he really did want to see his companion overcome his faults.
"Perhaps I am slightly grown up? I have adapted to making friends lately you know. Out of curiosity, how many people know?" Tobi was slightly curious about that, Ozma never was very trusting of others initially. He was like a different man after four particular maidens came to visit.
Ozpin sighed. "A grown up wouldn't challenge their superior to a dual because they feel like they're falling behind." He replied with some moderate concern. "Only useful people know. Are you going to start asking questions you don't know the answer to now?" He knew Tobi was clever, in his experiences the boy's hunches were usually right.
"Fair point." Tobi crossed his arms. "Let's start with what the hell you did earlier when you put your hand on my shoulder. Surely you didn't expect me to notice that." Well, it was more his bruises healing that he noticed, but he felt an odd sensation either way.
"I merely removed your subconscious limiters you put on yourself. Simply put, you know how powerful you were before, and you have friends now. You don't want them to see you as some kind of monster. Magic is on a whole other level from Semblances. You're unconsciously aware of this and thus hold yourself back without realizing. While it is good to have that kind of compassion, I think it's time you started trusting your classmates more...especially your teammates." Ozpin figured that was a suitable explanation, he also gave his aura a bit of a boost to speed things up. But Tobi didn't need to know that in order to reach his full potential in time.
Tobi massaged his temples briefly. "Next time warn me before you do something like that, better yet, ask." He placed the small case on Ozpin's desk and opened it. "I want you to take a close look at this device. And tell me what seems wrong about it. I've been studying it for weeks and I just can't quite put my finger on it." Tobi's tone had become sarcastic, well, as sarcastic as a monotone voice can muster at any rate. Even he was able to put the right emphasis in the right places.
The device was an odd one, it was two rectangular boxes wired together. Each box had a digital display that had one number, a decimal, and six other numbers as possible outputs. The number on Ozpin's left displayed 0.172460 and the one on the right displayed 1.701420. The numbers appeared to hold no meaning to Ozpin. But just observing the difference made him feel uncomfortable, even if it was only a little bit. The two boxes seemed decorated in steam punk fashion, but those bits and bobs seemed purely for cosmetic purposes. Tobi's statement seemed somewhat serious despite the sarcasm.
"I can't tell you what's wrong if I don't know the devices purpose." Ozpin stated dryly after examining the device for a few moments. He figured he would feign ignorance as long as he could.
"To be perfectly honest, I have no idea 'how' it functions. I built it on a whim and never got a chance to properly test it. Mother jokingly suggested it would be useful inside my time machine. Apparently, it was similar to something she'd read in a book. Basically, this device measures...changes, alterations not normally visible to the common eye. Now tell me Ozpin, why are these two numbers different?" Tobi didn't want to be blunt because he didn't want to believe it was possible. If it was everything that felt off would make perfect sense.
Ozpin raised a brow. "You mean you 'invented' something and you don't know how it functions?" He was caught off guard by that. "One is...higher than the other?" He wasn't even playing dumb that time, that was the only thing that seemed obvious.
"Congratulations captain obvious, what I mean is why is one higher than the other. Consider the smaller number a starting point, from before my time travel experiment and the larger number an ending point, recorded upon arriving in this time period. Surely even you two can sus out what that means." Tobi paused and considered an alternative approach. "In theory, if this device and the time machine functioned properly, these numbers should be the same." He figured the added detail to be thought provoking enough. "So, headmaster, why are they different?" He questioned with a cold tone.
"I'm not sure I see the problem? You built this device on a whim, you don't even know how it functions, yet you surmised its purpose based on design. And I don't think I like the accusative tone you're currently using." Ozpin was kind of surprised, Tobi was being more persistent than usual with his questions today.
"You crazy old fool, both of you." Tobi stated with moderate frustration. "Alright, I'll be a little blunter. I'm not 'your' Tobi, am I?" He questioned in a cold, serious tone, more serious than he'd ever been with Ozma previously.
"..." Ozpin found himself, for once at a loss for words. "How...long have you known?" There was no point in hiding it any longer. Of course, he'd hoped that this young man was the Tobi he knew.
"I felt off as soon as I woke, but I couldn't put a finger on why." Tobi paused and hummed in thought. "It seemed everything was normal, minus my powers remaining dormant. But I soon started having…conflicting memories." Tobi explained seriously as he tried to recall exactly which memories seemed off.
"Conflicting memories? You don't suspect me of anything nefarious, do you?" Ozpin raised a brow as he thought about it, surely even Tobi wasn't all that clever.
"Yes, particularly in how we first met, and our several meetings thereafter. And you, nefarious? Nah," Tobi tapped his fingers together in a sinister fashion. "Oh, don't worry about us, we're going to spend an eternity together." He made sure to mock the almost sinister tone Ozpin said it with as he spoke.
Ozpin cleared his throat. "I…see, there's just no stopping you once you get rolling is there? I suppose…that's partially my fault." He stated with a sigh, he took a shine to Tobi initially because of his brilliance. He had no idea the lad would ever use it against him. "As an…apology, let me bring you up to speed. But to be absolutely clear, nothing you hear today leaves this room. If you even think about selling this information, there will be consequences. Understand?" His tone was dead serious, even for him.
"Oh, I wouldn't dream of it, old friend. And trust me, I'm all ears." Tobi replied with a small bit of satisfaction in his tone. He would have preferred not to play dirty, but it was the only way to get Ozma to talk. It seemed this Ozpin fellow really understood the situation he was in at this point.
Ozpin began first by retelling the story of how he met Tobi. Tobi was mildly intrigued to hear that the Tobi of this world spent much of his free time guarding Tower Girl's tower. That coincided with the dodgy memories overriding his original ones. Further, it seemed equally interesting that this Remnant's Tobi was equally stubborn regarding the four maidens. The truly intriguing parts came after he left Ozma to his own devices before going on his time journey. It was actually somewhat tragic, hubris apparently took no prisoners, nor did the dark god. Tobi theorized that when the Dark God did his thing, he eliminated all of humanity, literally all of it. This event likely happened while Tobi's time machine was in transit to future Remnant, all other worldlines were shaken to their core, drawing a new Tobi, himself to this reality. The rest of it was mildly amusing, because again, Tobi had called out to Ozma in an attempt to prevent his hubris several times. He was now more concerned about Tower Girl to be honest. She no doubt had fallen far from the grace that he once knew her as.
Anyway, his musings about his old mentor's hubris aside Tobi managed to find time to prepare for the school dance happening in a few hours. In preparation he'd scraped together enough credit to afford a half decent tuxedo, the full getup too. Granted he loathed the tight fit that dress clothes such as these had on his body. To be blunt, Tobi felt more claustrophobic in this getup than being trapped in the mines with no way out. He spotted his teammates in the dance hall, somewhat cowering in a corner of the room.
"Not bad boss, you clean up good, woof!" Chrome's tone was ladled with sarcasm, though Tobi surmised it was meant to be a compliment.
"You two don't look bad yourselves, uhm…where is Tenabres?" Tobi raised a brow as she didn't appear to be with the group. Both Naya and Chrome were wearing half decent ball gowns. Naya had settled for a simple one-piece white dress, while Chrome had gone with an ocean blue dress that exposed the sides of her legs.
"Silly prey, hold still!" Tenabres shouted gleefully.
"Somebody, help me!" That squealing came from Cardin.
"Weakling why is Cardin such a coward~" Tenabres replied.
"That boss of yours set me up! He said it'd be hilarious if I dated you!" More racket from across the room, now the other students were snickering at the antics.
"I didn't say who it would be hilarious for though…" Tobi was pleased to see Cardin suffer at least some kind of hubris.
Chrome put her palm to her forehead. "Jesus, you're more devilish than I thought boss. Again, remind me never to get on your shit list." She stated jokingly with a goofy grin on her face. At least when Tobi spited someone, they typically deserved it.
"Trust me, it takes far more than Cardin's behavior to end up on my shit list. I mostly just messed with Cardin because he deserved a bit of hubris, and I was in a bad mood at the time." Tobi wasn't too proud to admit that much at least. To be honest, most of his classmates had nothing to worry about when it came to his shit list.
"Ahem. Anyway, what did you and the headmaster talk about all afternoon? Surely he wasn't lecturing you about responsibility or respecting your elders." Naya questioned seriously in an attempt to change the subject and prevent it from getting too awkward.
"Sadly, that information is classified, while I trust you lot, the kind of information I learned today could probably put a huge target on all our backs." Tobi replied seriously as he thought for a moment. There was no way they would believe even half of what Ozpin told him anyway.
"What, the headmaster told you his shoe size, about an ex, how he and Goodwitch are having a fling?" Chrome questioned sarcastically as she crossed her arms. "Seriously leader, how can we trust you to lead if you don't believe we can handle ourselves." She added with moderate frustration in her tone. "I get that you're supposed to be some stoic mastermind type. But even masterminds have minions, what happened to trying to open up more?" She finished with a raised brow, Tobi had opened up a little, but only when needed. He was a far cry from being completely trusting in his companions.
"It's not that I don't trust you, it's just that…I…" Tobi trailed off, Chrome for once caught him off guard with her seriousness. He wasn't entirely sure how to put how he felt into words.
"There you go again, paralyzed by choice. Seriously dude, there's nothing that you could tell us that could damage what little bit of friendship we have. So…out with it already." Chrome was surprised he was still like this, even after a year of spending time building teamwork and kinship.
Tobi clenched a fist. "How can I put this to words? My old friend trusted me with critical information that I'd forgotten up til now." He was getting slightly agitated; he didn't like being accused of being paralyzed by choice when he was far from it.
"Boss…is Boss…" Tenabres had joined the small group at some point during the conversation.
"Boss is boss? What…does that even mean?" Naya questioned Tenabres with a raised brow. Tenabres was normally kind of quiet unless something shiny or exciting caught her attention. When she did speak up, she was profoundly perceptive.
"It means, boss…is boss~" Tenabres chimed playfully, wagging her tail.
"I don't follow what you mean…" Chrome too felt confused by her statement. "Also why are you wearing your field uniform? This is a dance, not a training mission." She was genuinely confused. Tenabres was wearing her hunting uniform. Camo pants and a combat vest over a white tank top shirt.
"Dumb dumb. Boss isn't hiding information because he doesn't trust us. It's because he trusts us that he's hiding it! He cares too much about our safety to endanger us with super secret information." Tenabres replied with a chipper tone capable of melting even the hardest of hearts.
"Tenabres, I don't think…" Tobi stopped in his tracks, a sudden revelation came to mind.
While it is good to have that kind of compassion, I think it's time you started trusting your classmates more...especially your teammates.
Tobi sighed in defeat and patted Tenabres on the head. "Tenabres is correct. Besides, let's say this information could change your entire view of the world. Would you be any better off knowing it than you would not knowing it?" He was actually kind of curious about that, particularly the bits that made Remnant well, Remnant.
"What? Uh…my view of the world? Well…" Chrome hummed in thought for a moment. "Argh, this philosophical shit ain't my style! Course I wouldn't be better off! How could I live freely knowing shit like that?" She was surprised that Tobi took a philosophical approach. Usually, he was all technical and robotic, driven by logic. "Is the shit he told you really that mind blowing?" She questioned with a genuine curiosity for once. Now that he'd brought that kind of thing up it would drive her nuts if she didn't get an answer.
"Honestly? Not really, it's kind of in a weird zone of dangerous to know and barely important unless you're the right kind of person. I will say that this is not the kind of information I'd put on the market though. Even though it could land me a large amount of money." Tobi wasn't terribly sure himself how useful the information was. True he was glad to know it, but it didn't really change his situation any.
"Out of curiosity…how…many zeros are we talking here?" Naya was pretty much thinking out-loud, though since Tobi brought up selling information, she was kind of intrigued.
Tobi shrugged. "I'd say…around seven to ten, depending on the client." He answered casually as he thought about it briefly.
"Cripes, you don't do things by halves do you?" Chrome took a step back in surprise, even five zeroes was a lot. She figured Tobi would be a shrewd negotiator, but that's just brutal.
"It depends on the kind of information, how I received it, and the interested party. Not to mention its usefulness, the location of a missing person might not be valuable to you. However, to a relative or friend of the missing person, no price is too high." Tobi figured that would be enough, the information business wasn't so top secret as everyone thought. The clients maybe, but Tobi rarely dealt with anything illegal.
"So, like, you network shit like those telemarketers for Atlas, right? Ya know, buying and selling information to interested parties. What do you get out of it, besides profit?" Chrome questioned while raising a brow, Tobi was being oddly open minded today.
"Entertainment, mostly, cracking firewalls and the like for the sake of closing doors. But if I obtain useful information for my father's company, I used it. Admiral James reminds me a bit of my father, the good and the bad, so I thought I'd help him the best I could. And before you ask about my connection to Ozpin, now isn't the time. Walls have ears and all that." Tobi figured that was a satisfying answer, or he hoped so at least. It wasn't long before he got a text on his scroll.
Tenabres's eyes lit up. "Oh! Super secret text of doom! What does it say?" Tenabres was excited to know since boss rarely got texts.
"It's from miss Neo. Walls actually have eyes and ears; do you think they like cocktail gowns? What nonsense is she on about now?" Tobi was a touch confused by her statement since she had already declined his invitation earlier. Why on earth was she bringing up cocktail dresses?
"Idiot why not just turn around and see for yourself…" Chrome resisted the urge to introduce her palm to her face in frustration. Bright as he was, he was also super dense in some of the worst ways.
"I'm not sure what the point of that would-" Tobi froze when Tenabres playfully grabbed him by the shoulders and spun him to face the opposite direction.
There she was, standing across the room. Neapolitan was wearing some kind of silk gown. It was bright pink and had a diamond cutout giving her a nice midriff. The dress itself seemed to be a bit tight on her, particularly around her chest. While it somehow made them perkier than usual, she did seem to be struggling to breathe. She was also wearing high heels, and as she walked, she kind of stumbled every fourth step or so. The behavior was so genuine Tobi assumed that she was either faking really well, or not used to wearing that sort of attire. She had told him once that her usual dresses were a fair bit more…uncanny. Tobi stiffly walked toward her before regaining his composure once they were close enough.
"You uh, you look…good I think?" Tobi adjusted his necktie as he spoke, he suddenly felt incredibly tense. And not in an enjoyable way.
"Let's just get this over with, I'm only here to distract you." Tobi could practically taste the sarcasm in that text. "Like I said, I'm married to my work." She looked like she was holding back a groan.
"Three thousand credits says it has something to do with Cinder." Tobi replied with a smug grin on his face. "You can also drop the act; a tight dress and high heels shouldn't be a problem for a major league assassin." He stated as he bowed and offered her his hand.
Neo's eyes went wide. "You little shit, not so loud!" She wanted to introduce her palm to her forehead. "Don't act cocky just because intuition is a hell of a drug. The only reason I haven't murdered you yet is because I can't be arsed to fuck with Ozpin. And I don't need to even dream of the wrath of my other employer." That was a rather interesting text, and her facial expression revealed more than a little annoyance.
"Curious, I'd very much like to meet this other employer of yours. They must be incredibly charismatic if they've got Roman under their heel, and by extension, you. I'd ask if Cinder is under their employ as well, but I don't have enough information to make that assumption. Now, shall we?" He bowed slightly and offered her his hand once more.
Miss Neo let out an audible groan of annoyance, and begrudgingly accepted his hand. Tobi took a deep breath as some waltz music started playing. He moved meticulously, but smoothly, left foot, right foot, one step back, one forward. He was quite surprised he remembered the steps, he wanted to do the flashy bowing move, but settled for the standard bit of stepping backward and opening the arms while keeping one hand together instead. When they rotated, Tobi caught a glimpse of his teammates. A rather humorous image, their jaws were hanging down in disbelief. Tobi also found himself wondering how Neo would text while ballroom dancing.
"Go boss go, go boss go~ do…romantic stuff!" Tenabres cheered with her usual enthusiasm, completely unaware of either Naya or Chrome's reaction to his dancing abilities.
"Little runt, you're…leading? The fuck?" Tobi had to peer behind her to see her ghost writing, it was transparent so those at a distance couldn't spot it.
Tobi grinned. "I downloaded a rhythmic motion subroutine this morning." He sighed in defeat when Neo's eyes went wide and her face pale. "That's…a cybernetics joke…" He knew she was usually very serious, but even she had to joke sometimes.
"Don't surprise me like that, I almost believed you." Neo hummed in thought. "If not that, then what? Also…you joke?" She was surprised to learn the little brat even had a functioning funny bone. His tone was usually emotionless and dry, so she kind of took everything he said at face value.
"I'm physically stoic, not humorless, even I'm allowed to amuse myself sometimes." He sighed when she asked about it. "If you must know, my mother taught me when I was little. Too young to realize age differences were a thing…" Tobi felt himself blushing as he admitted that much, even now that shallow realization stung harder than any insect could.
"Aww! Tiny you must've been so adorable stumbling all over himself!" Neo immediately turned red in the cheeks. "N-not that I give a damn! Anyway…sooo…" Tobi was surprised when she paused, and actually wrote that pause for him to see.
"So, what?" Tobi raised a brow, what was she expecting him to say next?
"Don't just drop random lore on me and stop you little shit. Who was the lucky girl?" Neo honestly wasn't all that curious, but she hated leaving jobs unfinished.
"Ah, she was a rather meek girl, she was kind and compassionate, with a lot of…weight on her shoulders." Tobi blushed as he said it, he wasn't speaking metaphorically. "Despite her personality, she had a lot of…something, you bear a lot as well you know." He was explicitly referring to a certain kind of confidence. Some girls had it, others didn't, Tobi theorized it was some sixth sense thing. "Sadly, I was too young to do the proper math. My compassion was rather one-sided." Actually, admitting it out loud annoyed him now more than ever. "She was dreadfully crafty too; you'd be surprised how much of the staff she had wrapped around her finger." He finished with a shrug, he figured that was a suitable description.
Neo gave him a long look. "That's how you've been looking at me?" She knew exactly what that something was. "No wonder you're still virgin, you make Arc look like a lady's man." She kind of had him figured out, but there were some bothersome unknowns about him.
"To be fair he does have seven sisters…he should be more than well versed with women." Tobi stated jokingly, though he figured she was being sarcastic. He knew full well his competence with women was far from sterling, at least those his own age.
"How does that even? Never mind, you'll just have some convoluted explanation for it." Neo immediately stopped dancing when they were approached by someone she recognized. "Oh great, she found me." She knew exactly what that thing was capable of after Hazel did some testing on its internal workings.
"She?" Tobi put a hand to his chin, Neo didn't seem the type to avoid being around certain people. Who could be so intimidating to throw off someone as dangerous as Neo?
"Pardon me, handsome, may I steal this dance~" A sickeningly sweet and somewhat soft voice had come from directly behind Tobi.
"Apologies madam, but I've been waiting all year for this chance. I'm afraid you'll have to dance with someone-" Tobi's eyes went wide as he turned around to face the voice, his skin went visibly pale.
Tobi had thought that voice was slightly familiar, though it had been ages since he last heard it. The voice belonged to a quite scrawny girl, who was slightly taller than Neo. She had copper hair that fell down past her shoulders, her skin complexion was likened to a bedsheet. Despite her tiny frame, her chest was roughly the size of Yang's. She was wearing a pink gown like those seen in a cowboy movie. The skirt was quite large, but the most important feature of all, silver eyes. Tobi felt as if he was looking at a ghost, because while he knew better, he technically was.
"Hana?" Tobi felt a chill down his spine as he spoke, while he was hopeful, he already knew the answer.
"Guess again~" The girl flashed a devilish grin, like she knew why this was wrong.
Tobi clenched a fist. "Tessa? How did you-never mind. By the way, you made her chest too small." He eyed her over once more, it was hard to believe he was kind of seeing her again.
"Oh puh-lease! Everything looks enormous when you're twelve and hopelessly in love~" Tessa chimed gleefully as she offered her hand.
"You…have a valid point…" Tobi found himself blushing, if only briefly. "How did you even come to this form to begin with? Do you know how sick this is?" He knew exactly why she took the form that she did. It made his blood boil just thinking about it.
"Dunno, it was the first thing that came to mind. I actually like being biomechanical, it's way easier to reconstruct myself outside that dumb container you locked me in! And if you miss her that much?" Tessa paused and slouched forward. "Oh, master Tobi…I don't have the energy toda-ow!" Her imitation was swiftly cut off when Tobi slapped her hard enough to make a sound. "That wasn't very nice~" She replied teasingly with a sinister tone. Tobi's action had drawn the attention of some of the classmates.
"State your business, and leave, now. Before I open a can of weaponized satellite laser on your ass." Tobi replied coldly as he clenched a fist. "Need I remind you, Tessa, that the person you're openly mocking is literally the soul reason you are alive? Have some dignity, I'm pretty sure I programmed that into you." That bit is what angered him the most, not only had Tessa stolen her form, but inadvertently her life as well.
"Is that what you've been hiding? We both know you don't have the stones, not in a populated area." Tessa crossed her arms, sighing in defeat. "Stubborn as always, I'm just a messenger. You can't solve the Faunus problem, you can't stop the White Fang, and you won't be able to stop what Tower Girl has planned for the Vytal Festival." She paused and flashed a sinister grin. "Not alone anyway, and you won't fight me either. You care too much about that meek little freakshow to damage me." She chuckled a little. "That's why you keep trying to reprogram me isn't it? You hope that there's a tiny fragment of her you can recover somehow. Well get over it~ She's dead and always will be." Tessa's tone was particularly cold and full of venom when she spoke.
"You know me well enough; I'll go down fighting if I have to." Tobi adjusted his glasses. "Tell the Tower Girl that I intend to meet with her. And tell her that if she can't be reasoned with, my hand will be forced." He sighed in frustration and elected to walk away from her, he needed to get some air.
Tobi wasn't sure at all what to do with the information he'd learned today. He sure as hell wasn't going to tell James, that man seemed too uptight. He couldn't be sure about trusting his classmates, let alone his teammates about it either. Until the situation warranted otherwise, he would bear the information alone. Besides, the only concrete thing he knew about was the Vytal Festival. He had at least another year to prepare. Tobi elected to leave the dance hall entirely, away from the flashing lights and pounding music. Thanks to Yang and company the school dance was more like a rave than a prom. He spent the next few minutes pacing the hallway, trying to find a logical cause for Tessa's odd mannerisms as of late.
Tobi put his hand to his chin. "Now, who to give this information to I wonder?" He nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt something soft on his back. "Hello Yang…" He uttered completely deadpanned as he squirmed out of her random bear hug from behind.
"Dang, I was hoping you'd mistake me for Chrome! Sup dude, it's not like you to blow up like that." Yang gave him a big goofy grin as she spoke. She was hoping the bearhug would cheer him up a little.
"Hardly, yours are a good bit perkier and firmer than hers." Tobi blushed when he realized what he said. "Tell anyone I said that, and I'll break your arm." He stated seriously while crossing his own arms. "To what do I owe the near heart attack?" He questioned with a raised brow, he was having a hard time if he liked the shape of Chrome's or Yang's more. Not that now was a good time to consider such thoughts.
"You can tell that shit at a glance? Dude, how obsessed are you with finer details?" Yang questioned seriously while taking a step back in surprise. "Nothing really, Tenabres pulled me aside and asked me to check up on you. That's one persistent doggo Faunus that's for sure, then again dogs are fairly loyal to their owners." She was trying her hardest not to snicker at Tobi's statement. Seriously how the hell could he tell something like that at a glance?
"If you must know, special awareness is key, after that it's mass and volume, and after that it's a bit of math based on diameter." Tobi paused to clear his throat. "My mind tends to wander to strange places when I'm bored out of my mind. As for noticing finer details…I'm how we say, ah…touch more compulsive than I'd care to admit." He stated with a shrug of his shoulders. "I used to be obsessed with finding out what sound a tree makes if it falls when nobody is around to hear it." He was mostly being sarcastic, but he vaguely remembered being intrigued by that question when he was younger.
"Pfft, it makes the same sound it always does, duh!" Yang chimed jokingly. "Seriously though dude, it isn't like you to kind of explode on someone. Let alone slap them, my mom once told me an open ear heals many wounds." She really loved Summer for that, she was a true mother, the polar opposite of Raven.
"Do you remember the lab rat I told you about a while ago?" Tobi asked while shrugging his shoulders, he was genuinely curious if she was paying attention in their many sparring matches.
"The one with eyes like Ruby's, right? The one that you had a mega crush on. What of it?" Yang replied as she thought about it for a moment. The minor details were pretty fuzzy honestly, but she did remember the silver eyes part.
"You know the girl that I slapped? That was her, right down to the diameter of her breasts." Tobi knew that detail was unneeded, but his brain was still slightly preoccupied with comparing Chrome to Yang.
"What? But dude, didn't you say she was dead? Like, graveyard dead?" Yang replied in surprise, she hadn't expected him to bring that up.
"Hence the phrasing, I said that it *was* her. A project of mine, called Tessa, is currently taking her form. As if that wasn't twisted enough, but she openly mocked the very person who gave her life, quite literally. I just…couldn't let that stand, honestly, I'm at my wit's end with that program. It has evolved beyond my original projections at a rate that I can't control." Tobi was ashamed to call himself her creator. She had gone rogue nearly after her inception.
"Doesn't she have like, an emergency off switch or something? You know, like the factory reset buttons on most electronics these days?" Yang questioned while crossing her arms. "Maybe…you're approaching this so-called problem from the wrong angle?" She added tilting her head to the side as she had that thought.
"Tessa herself is just a bunch of computer code using billions of nanomachines, basically microscopic robots to construct her form. She even had to do that to create her combat shell while she was sealed away in that glass tube. Sadly, such a feature was not considered in her design." Tobi paused and hummed in thought when Yang brought up the other issue. "From the wrong angle? How do you mean?" That statement had piqued his interest, Yang wasn't typically this insightful. However, like her younger sibling she did have those rare moments of clarity.
"I mean, you've been like, resetting her by force from square one, right? Think about how that must feel to her. I sure as hell wouldn't like having my brain rebooted every time things got out of hand. Instead of fighting, maybe try…talking, just ask her what she wants ya know? Me and Ruby used to butt heads a fuck ton, but mom got us to start talking about our problems. She was super mom when it came to that stuff, so think about it. No parents, no…family, and nobody to lean on when you're in trouble. It's gotta be hard ya know, she wasn't born man, she was made. I won't pretend to understand all the science-y mumbo jumbo, but there's something fundamentally different about life, right?" Yang had to admit she was basically talking out of her ass. But she did kind of feel that way, maybe the problem wasn't so complicated as Tobi thought it was. "I mean seriously, 'I'm alive because someone died' sure doesn't sound like a pleasant thing to wake up to every day." She finished with a shrug of her shoulders.
"Enough of your mindless rambling!" Tobi snapped sharply, before biting his lip. "Sorry, indeed…you may have a point. I know these things, and yet I avoid them. These sorts of matters are…complicated for me, I can barely comprehend my own emotion, much less someone else's." He paused, unsure of how to put it to words. "I thought I've been making progress this year, laughing, cutting up, making friends. And yet, even now, the meaning and purpose behind emotion eludes me. That's probably why those eggheads assigned me to the Tessa project. The sick bastards probably thought it'd be funny." Tobi took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "I know I shouldn't fret over something so trivial, that I should 'go with my gut' but…I still don't know. I here so many stories you know, people losing themselves to emotion. Tragic tales of once noble men falling from grace. I guess I'm just worried that if I give in, even a little…I would…lose myself." He sighed in defeat. "Sorry, I didn't mean to dump that on you so suddenly. Guess I haven't grown nearly as much as I hoped." He finished with a shrug of his shoulders.
"Nah dude, even I can tell you've changed, you're just too busy brooding to see it. Seriously when we first met, I highly doubt you'd just randomly blurt this baggage out to me of all people. Want my advice? Stop giving a damn about every tiny emotional detail and roll with the punches as they come man. Seriously, it's not that big of a deal to get a little angry or a little sad or confused or whatever. I don't care how stoic you think you are, but that's the shit that makes ya you know, human." Yang figured he needed to hear something like that from someone in his own age group. Regardless of who was saying it, it was always easier to swallow that stuff coming from a peer rather than a grownup who had so many more years of experience.
"Heh…ha ha ha…" Tobi had to laugh; he wasn't expecting that from Yang. "So that's the trick is it? I see, perhaps I'm not as stoic as I personally feel, roll with the punches as they come eh?" Tobi hummed in thought. "I must research the benefits of such an approach. Perhaps it is time for the walls I placed around my heart to crumble. Perhaps then I can see eye to eye with Tessa, but there are dangers to such a herculean task. I shall challenge my point of view, one step at a time." He felt as if an insane weight was lifted off his shoulders. The road to recovery would be a long one, with twists and turns, hills and valleys. But now he was determined, he would step out of his shell that he put himself in. "Ah, but I must discern which step to take first, and what direction to take it in, and what sort of stri-ow!" Tobi flinched when Yang suddenly bonked him on the head without warning.
"You idiot, it's always one step forward and two steps back with you! Come on, let's get back to the dance, I here Juane's supposed to be wearing a dress tonight!" Yang chimed sarcastically as she grabbed him by the wrist and tugged him slightly.
"You…do realize I was being sarcastic yes?" Tobi blurted out in confusion while rubbing his head where Yang had struck him. She'd bonked him once or twice before, but this time was particularly strong.
And so, Tobi had decided on his new year's resolution. He would make a grand effort to step outside of his shell or whatever psychological construct was holding him back. He was uncertain what kind of person he would become, or if he would really change much at all. After all, even if he understood emotion, he still lacked the ability to express it physically. It was true that he could lose himself, but he was also aware that it would take a lot to break his final straw. Very few people in the world ever crossed that very particular line of his. The few that did rarely lived to tell the tale, which was why he was so concerned to begin with. What kind of man would he become if someone came between him and his new companions? Would he even have much of a choice? He certainly hoped that he would never have reason to find out.
-Author's Note important-
Welp, that caps off what I have planned for Volume 1. I am currently planning out volume two but to do that I think I need a short break from this fic. It won't be a terribly long break but long enough for me to take a bite out of a couple of other fic ideas I've been milling about. It's important to note just how…torn I am about finishing either of the two fic ideas in question. It will largely depend on reception of their initial two (maybe three) chapters. By the time I'm through with the two starting chapters of those fics I'll have a decent plan for Volume two. I have some ideas for Volume Two (Namely showing instead of Telling for Tessa and why she is a threat) but I need to mull over the finer details for a bit. Volume Two is where the AU thingies start to happen, and especially volume 3. Granted the end result of Volume 3 is largely unchanged, just some minor differences that will kinda…snowball down the line. I have not watched past volume 5 and from what I've heard about the later volumes I just can't consider them canon. I'll burn that particular bridge when I get to that point in the story.