Azula growled softly as Coco stood in the changing booth with her and constantly pressed outfits against her to evaluate how it would look on her. "I am perfectly capable of picking clothing for myself, thank you very much," snapped Azula.

"Honey," said Coco. "I saw the clothes you tried picking the second you were left alone. They were random and mismatched and looked ugly as all hell. Trust me. You need some help."

"I don't need clothes that look good, just one's that fit. Once I have my armor repaired, you won't see them anyways."

"And if you think I'm going to let you wear your armor all the time, you're out of your damn mind. Besides. I know how to pick something that can better show off your… assets."

"And don't let your eyes wander all over me! I didn't give you permission to ogle!"

"Coco," exclaimed Velvet on the other side of the door. "Just give her something and leave her alone! There's no need to subject her to what you always put me through." Coco poked her head out of the door and grinned at her teammate.

"Are you volunteering to take her place," she asked. Velvet blushed and shivered before backing away.

"J-just forget I said anything!" Azula sighed and facepalmed.

"Some help she is," muttered the former Fire Princess.

"Now… where were we?" Azula glared at the devilish smirk on Coco's face before being shoved back in front of the mirror.

"So…" started Ruby as Velvet walked over to her and the members of Team RWBY in the store with them. "How's it going?"

"Honestly," said Velvet. They turned to the changing rooms as they heard Azula shout in anger. "I think we should be worried about Azula burning down the store."

"Yeah, I'm starting to see she has kind of a temper…"

"That's putting it lightly," said Weiss. "Where is she from again?"

"Some out of the way village," said Yang as she flipped through a magazine. "One that's never heard of the outside world, apparently."

"Is that even possible," asked Ruby.

"It must be. I mean, she doesn't have a clue about anything about Vale, after all."

"Don't you find that weird," said Weiss. "Atlas has scoured pretty much the entire world. I doubt they've missed a village like what she described."

"My village is hidden away beneath a mountain," said Azula as she and Coco walked over. Azula was now wearing a dark blue hooded jacket over a red shirt and black pants with black combat boots and Blake's shirt in her hand. "We managed to build into a complex of caves. We were fortunate to not have any of those Grimm in the area. The only thing we had to deal with were other villages we were constantly at war with."

"War," asked Ruby. "Why were you fighting?"

"Remember how I said my father wasn't a nice person? The same can be said for most men in my family. Our villages have been fighting for generations. It's the reason my father raised me the way he did, to crush the other villages. I'm sure by now my father was forced to surrender. I left before I could find out."

"You just left your family behind," asked Weiss.

"What family? My controlling father? My abandoning mother? Or what about the brother who hates me? Tell me? Does that sound like a family to you?" Weiss frowned slightly and looked away from her.

"It's probably not far off from what she's experienced," said Blake. "She's the heiress of a wealthy company, after all. One known for it's poor treatment of Faunus employees and shady business practices. Her father, Jacques, is said to be a… man of questionable character."

"Excuse me," exclaimed Weiss. "How dare you insult my father like that?!" Azula heard the slight hesitation in Weiss' voice. 'So, there's some truth in what Blake just said.' She handed the shirt back to the silent girl and turned to Coco.

"You are evil."

"Aww," said Coco with a smile. "Thank you!"

"Are we done here?"

"I've already paid for your new wardrobe and a few things for myself. So, yeah!"

"Good. Then let's get back to the school. I feel like I need a bath after that ordeal."

"I know how you feel," said Velvet softly.

"How you deal with that demon is beyond me."

"It gets easier."

"I find that hard to fucking believe."

"Shouldn't we get you some new armor before heading back," asked Ruby. "Without Aura, you are going to need it when we go on missions." Azula sighed.

"Yes. Thank you for reminding me, Ruby. Where's the nearest blacksmith?"

"Ooh! I know where that is! Follow me!" Azula turned as she sped off and sighed.

"How does she have that much energy? Ty Lee would be jealous."

"Oh," said Yang with a smile. "She gets like that when it comes to weapons. Personally I blame our uncle."

"Come on, guys," shouted Ruby from down the street.

"Let's make sure she doesn't hurt herself," said Weiss with a sigh.

"Or lost," commented Azula. She turned to the girls of CFVY. "Are you tagging along?"

"Nah," said Coco. "We gotta get back to the others. You girls have fun!" Velvet waved before following her team leader back to Beacon.

What exactly did she do to you," asked Yang once they were out of earshot.

"None of your damn business. Let's just get this over with." Azula looked around as they went where they last saw Ruby. Within moments they found the girl jumping in front of an armorer shop like a kid in front of a toy store. Azula flicked her forehead, making her stop and rub the stinging area. She grinned slightly before making her way into the shop. Team RWBY followed after her and inside they found a man sleeping with his feet on a counter, the sound of clanking in the back of the shop. Azula glared before knocking the man's feet off of the counter, the sudden movement jolting him awake. He looked up at them before sitting up straight.

"Uh… Welcome to Custom Phalanx. Quality arms, armor… yada, yada, yada."

"Logan," shouted a woman from the back as the clanking stopped. "Stop butchering my slogan!"

"It sucks, old lady!"

"Old lady?!"

"Hi, Logan," exclaimed Ruby. Logan turned to her and groaned.

"Hilda," he called. "Runt is back!" A woman in her forties came into the front of the shop and grinned as she saw Ruby and Yang.

"Girls," she exclaimed. Azula quirked an eyebrow as the woman wrapped the sisters in one armed hugs. "It's so good to see you two again! How's your uncle?!"

"Hi, Hilda," said Ruby with some effort as she found it hard to breathe. Azula noticed the familiar appearance of soot on the woman's face as well as toned muscles from years of smithing.

"Can't breathe," gasped Yang. Hilda smiled and dropped the two of them. "Everyone, this is Hilda Jellavic. She's a friend of our Uncle Qrow."

"She helped me get the parts to build Crescent Rose," exclaimed Ruby as she brought her scythe to its full length, forcing Azula to calmly duck in the small space to avoid the blade as she hugged her weapon. She turned to the woman.

"I see. Miss Jellavic, I find myself in need of a weapon and a new set of armor. I…" She paused as the blacksmith turned to her and looked her over. Azula stood patiently still as the woman circled her, prodding her in certain areas to feel how her body was built.

"Not many people ask for armor anymore," she said. "Most just rely on their Aura."

"Well I'm the exception. My Aura isn't activated and I don't plan on doing so any time soon. I plan on relying on my natural combat abilities rather than some… cheap tricks."

"What did you have in mind?"

"My old armor looked like this." Azula pulled out her scroll and navigated through until she found an image of her wearing her armor before the Beowolves attacked her, curtesy of Ozpin. Hilda looked at the armor and hummed in thought.

"A basic chest plate with two overlapping pauldrons, greaves with joints protecting the ankles from the front. No armguards?"

"My fighting style is dependent on my mobility and I have a… unique ability to cast lightning from my hands."

"So you'd need a non-conductive metal if I plan on giving you gauntlets. I won't be using this design, however. I'll come up with something different. Do you want to keep the color design."

"I don't care what you do, as long as it suits my needs. Now, as for my weapons."

"Weapons," asked Ruby.

"I have an idea for what I want done." Azula turned to team RWBY. "I can find my way back. You may go."

"May," asked Weiss.

"Entitled little…" growled Yang. Blake sighed and started leaving. The rest of team RWBY followed her.

"Now then," said Azula as she turned back to the blacksmith. "My weapons…"

After half an hour discussing her weapons, Azula paid the blacksmith and left the shop. She used her memory to get herself back to the main street and heard a strange noise nearby. She moved towards it and saw some people entering and leaving a building where the sound was coming from. She let her curiosity take over and moved to the building. Upon entering she saw people dancing on a large tiled floor someone standing over them at the other end of the room wearing a giant bear mask all the while the noise, she could now guess was this world's music, blared and lights flashed overhead. "It seems I'll have to get used to a lot of things here," she said to herself. She noticed a bar off to the side and walked over to it, taking note of all of the men with swords and guns either standing near the entrance or lounging around the area.

She sat at a stool where the man serving drinks turned to her and looked her up and down. "How can I help you," he asked. Azula looked at him and saw he was middle aged, wearing a black vest over a white shirt with black pants and a red tie around his neck.

"What do you have?"

"For anyone under the legal drinking age? Water and soda."

"Soda?"

"What flavor?" Azula looked at him in confusion. He sighed. "Look kid, you want a soda, I need to know what kind of soda you want."

"Just… give me water." The man rolled his eyes and took a glass before sticking some ice cubes in it and filling it from a nearby tap. He placed it in front of her and went back to cleaning one of the drinking glasses.

"Do you have any weapons on you?"

"No, why?"

"Last girl who came in here with her weapons wrecked the place. Just trying to protect my… income."

"Junior," called a girl from around the corner. Azula looked past him and spotted twins coming into view, one wearing a red dress with clawed gauntlets, the other wearing a white dress with bladed heeled shoes. "Junior," said the girl in white. "That new girl is making a mess of the…" She glanced at Azula. "Product… and is beating any man that comes near her."

"Well deal with her. That's what I pay you two for. Lord knows I can't rely on them." He nodded to men wearing red glasses and black clothes who were flirting, badly, with some of the customers. Azula turned to him.

"I'd be willing to handle it for you," she said as she took a sip of her water.

"What's in it for you?"

"Nothing much. Just the same amount you pay those two. Combined." Jr glared at her.

"Who the hell do you think you are?!"

"Someone who can deal with your problem quickly and…" She glanced behind the girls as another of Jr's goons was tossed against the wall beside them, making them jump and look back at him in surprise. "Quietly. Unless you want a major fight to break out and alert the authorities. Which I'm sure is going to happen if these two lovelies engage in a fight with your… employee." Jr mulled over his options.

"You get paid the same as one of them."

"It's both or I'll personally contact the authorities myself." Junior growled before turning to the girls.

"Melanie, Miltia. Show her to the trouble."

"What," exclaimed the girl in white. "Jr!"

"Do it now!" She glared before turning to Azula and motioned for her to follow with a huff. Azula grinned and followed the twins to the back. She followed them through an office and saw a board with people to look out for, a picture of Yang being highlighted with red arrows and drawn on with black ink, giving her horns, a goatee, and a mustache. She chuckled softly before facing ahead as the white twin glared back at her. As they reached the end of the hall the former fire princess spotted a girl two years older than herself who was currently slamming a man's face into the concrete ground before tossing him away as a circle of Junior's men surrounded her.

"There's the girl." The twins started to walk away. "I hope you fuck up."

"If I fuck up, then you definitely couldn't handle it." Azula smirked at the girl as she huffed angrily and stormed off. Her sister flashed an apologetic look before hurrying after her. Azula turned to the girl and saw her gesturing to the men around her.

"Go on," she shouted. "Come at me ya bastards!" Azula couldn't place her accent and walked over to her. The girl turned to Azula who spotted milky looking pupils and couldn't help comparing her to a certain blind Earthbender. She had shoulder length red hair and a thin yet powerful build. Her grin gave her a feral sort of beauty as she 'looked' around her before focusing on Azula. "Who the bloody hell are you?! You're not one of the Malachites!"

"And you fight pretty well, for a blind girl." The men looked at her in confusion as the girl grinned, her red hair sticking to her sweaty forehead.

"Ya noticed that, did ya?! Not many people acknowledge that kinda thing!"

"Not many people are as observant. So, you've been causing all sorts of trouble around here.

"Aye! What's it to ya?!"

"Junior has just hired me to deal with you."

"Well come at me then! Maybe you can put up a better fight than these wee lassies!"

I said I'd deal with you, I didn't say how. I'm giving you two options to pick from. We can either talk, or we can fight and you follow my demands when I defeat you."

"Confident, aren't ya?!"

"Against a hotheaded buffoon, of course."

"Oh, you are gonna regret that!" The girl grinned and ran for Azula. The former Fire Princess kept a calm look on her face as she avoided her attackers punches and kicks. One landed against a metal beam and caused a serious dent within the construct, alerting Azula to the girl's strength. "You're gonna try and strike a pressure point under me arm and make it useless before kicking me in the stomach to knock me off balance." Azula blinked as her planned course of action was countered by a quick sidestep before an overhead axe kick was primed for her back. Azula rolled out of the way as the girl's leg came down. "Next you're going to pick up a sword from one of Junior's goons and throw it at me followed by… a fireball?!" Azula growled as her opponent avoided both projectiles before pointing at her at the same time as she pointed as well.

"How the hell are you doing that," declared both girls at once, much to Azula's agitation.

"Wouldn't you like to know?!" Azula glared before lightly stepping on the ground, leaving little sound and found the girl seemingly following her slightly with her eyes zeroed in on the Firebender. "Now you're wondering if I can see you despite being blind!" Azula stopped and considered her opponent for a moment before grinning. And now you're…" The girl paused as her brow twitched slightly. Azula smiled sadistically before the girl gripped her head in agony. Azula started charging up her lightning. The girl looked up as she heard a crackling in the air and dove to the side as Azula shot lightning where she used to be standing. Azula rushed forward and planted her foot on the girl's neck before smiling.

"Well, it took me a second, but I figured out your trick. Now, you are going to follow my demands, understand?" The girl struggled to get Azula's boot off her neck before nodding. "Good. You're going to quit Junior's little organization and you are going to join Beacon Academy. Next semester, you are to join my team, understand?" Again a nod. Azula lifted her boot off of her neck and allowed the girl to breathe. "Now, what is your name?" The girl rubbed her neck before looking up at her.

"Radiance. Radiance Aiden." Azula helped her up and shook her head.

"Azula Agni. You're new team leader." Azula turned to the crates the goons were trying to haul and spotted vials of fine grain Dust. She nodded to the goons before leaving, Radiance following after her. Junior looked at her as she and Radiance left the back room and stared. "I'll take my Lien now, Junior. And don't worry your… product… is untouched." Junior stayed silent and handed Azula her money. "Thank you. Consider this Radiance's severance payment as she will no longer be under your employment. She will instead be working with me."

"Take her," said Junior. "She was costing me money anyway."

"Not my fault your boys can't take a wee hit, Old Man," said Radiance with a wild grin. Junior glared at her.

"Just get the hell out of my club. You've got your money, now get out." Radiance gave the Malachite Twins a wink before following Azula out of the club. Radiance turned to Azula.

"Alright, so why the hell should I actually do what you want?"

"Simple. I know your type. You can't wait for your next fight. And you can't help but want to fight someone who's beaten you already, even if it means following their orders so you can stay close and hopefully fight them again. I've encountered your type a number of times. You're stubborn, hotheaded, short sighted, but also not lacking in intelligence. And… you can read minds, so you know where I'm from. I need to keep an eye on you."

"How did you catch on?"

"You trip up your opponents by stating exactly what they're going to do just before they do it. That alone is something someone like myself can do simply by knowing how one fights and observing their stances and habits. You being blind means that option is out. You could make the argument that you have clairvoyance, but you couldn't predict the fireball and the mere fact I could conjure one surprised you. If you were clairvoyant, that wouldn't be a surprise. There was only one option left. I decided to test it by imagining the screams of people burning alive in my head coupled by the pain of dying, a feeling I know all too well, to increase the discomfort." Radiance grinned at her.

"Well, you're a lot smarter than most people that venture into Junior's! Seems like you're going to be a lot of fun to be around, Miss Alien! I think I'll take you up on that offer of joining your team at Beacon!"

"It was an order, not an offer. I could've easily killed you. Your life now belongs to me."

"You and I both know you don't have the heart to kill me in cold blood." Azula glared at her before starting to walk.

"Follow me, Radiance. It's time to enroll you at Beacon."

"Whatever you say, Your Highness." Azula grinned slightly at the familiar words and continued walking along. She grabbed the arm of a girl with pink and brown hair who was shorter than herself and had one pink eye and one brown. The girl was trying to pick her pocket and Azula grinned as she caught the look of surprise on the girl's face.

"A good attempt, but not good enough." Azula looked her up and down. "Hmm. You're interesting to look at, so I'll leave you be. Run along now, Beauty." She smiled slightly at the girl who blushed lightly before turning away and walking off, glancing behind her shoulder to get one last look at Azula before walking off.

"A real charmer, you are."

"I grew up at an all-girls school. I grew used to being attracted to those of the fairer sex."

"Why can't I see anything about that?"

"Now that I'm aware of your Semblance, I'm keeping my mind focused on something other than my memories. To be honest, this will be perfect practice in case I encounter anyone else like yourself. The less people who know where I come from, the better. Realistically, I should've anticipated something like this when I learn of Semblances in the first place."

"I suppose you're trying to keep people from knowing about your psychosis as well?" Azula glared at her new teammate before hurrying along their path. "Struck a chord there, I suppose." Radiance followed after Azula as a pair of green eyes watched them over a video feed. Ozpin hummed to himself before pulling up Azula's record alongside a criminal record of Radiance Aiden and Zane Ro'meave. He pressed a button and their initials moved to make AZR. He smirked to himself before sipping his coffee and closing the feed.