Summary/Disclaimer: Time for another chapter of A Lingering Ember. Enjoy the 2000-word chapter. I don't own RWBY, Monty Oum, and Rooster Teeth do.

(Vale.)

She placed her dainty hand in his, allowing him to gently tug her along. She felt another reason which to trust him more and more. There was no hate, no distrust, no anger in how he seemed to move. He was genuinely interested in protecting and helping her.

There was a lot more she had to learn through before she put any amount of trust into him, however. She knew better than to trust someone just because of how he seemed to look.

Still? she had more trust in him than she could say she had for her old man. She'd punch herself before she ever seemed to consider him any father or family in her mind. No, he was nothing to her and she'd damn well remind the entire city of that if she had to when it came down to it.

She still wondered why his eyes were covered. Had there been some horrid accident that scarred him for life? Was it part of his semblance? Perhaps there was more to this than anything else. It had been something she aimed to find out.

But he was entitled to at least one secret. The fact that he had been willing to take a hit for her told her that. This had been a lot more interesting to her anyway.

He leaned on the brick wall while he sighed to himself. it had been a lot more interesting. She hummed and watched as he seemed to question what to do next.

She rested a hand on his chin which made him lean his head back towards her. His face looked as if he had been struck across the face before gingerly placing a hand on her.

Trivia smiled as he nodded and slowly turned to her. He reached a hand out before tapping her on the nose before he hummed to himself. It made him smile himself. he glanced around the room before he sighed.

There was a lot more on the line if he failed her. He didn't entirely trust her; they had just met. She could be a horrid criminal, one who was only running because she was a monster. Still? He committed when this came down to it before he hummed down to it.

Still? He hummed before he clicked his tongue. He tapped on her hands before slowly lowering them from his face, glancing at her before he hummed to the second. He hummed before he slowly started to pace back and forth before he looked at the ground.

He clicked his tongue before tilting his head. The girl was scared as she seemed to be shaking back and forth in place. It hadn't yet made him question what she wished to do.

She placed her other hand on his face gently, it had been something that made her blink, not something he noticed before now. He allowed it, clearly thrown off by this before now. He said nothing as she tilted her head, puzzled by his faith in her, in the fact that she had known enough about him to wish to find protection in his stance. This had yet to be a lot more terrifying when it came down to it.

Still? she had more to handle when it came down to this. More questions, more interest.

Ollie placed his other hand on the one she had placed on his face. This had been something new, something curious to him as it was to her… And yet it terrified him to no damn end.

Yet he trusted her, he wanted at least. There was a piece of her he couldn't yet understand… That he wanted to understand about her before now… This had yet to end before now and it probably wouldn't end, to begin with.

"Why do you trust me?" Trivia questioned as he seemed to glance at her with a hum.

"Because you're different. I don't know if that's not the answer… I trust you; I want to at the very least. Whatever reason it is? I trust you enough to know that you're a friend." Ollie said before he sighed. "Why do you trust me? I have the same reasons for you… I don't know you; you don't know me. We just met, yet you're letting me lead you around the city as if we've been friends for years." Ollie stated before now.

Trivia was silent, curious as to what to say or do. She had no real reason to trust him, not yet. She had been a lot more to do when it came down to it. there was more to say and do at the time. She hadn't a clue as to why, but she did know she trusted him in some manner that she couldn't easily explain. This hadn't yet come down to it.

Still? there were a lot more friends as of the second before this had come down to it. This had to end. This had gone on too long before now. It had yet to question what to do next. It had been a lot harder the time, than anything else and it scared her to know that this could be possible. Anything else could question as of the time. it had to be something she hadn't yet felt.

"You haven't hated on me for being different. I know you are different as well… You want to be different." Trivia typed as she leaned back.

"I want to trust you. I want to be able to know you're not an enemy." Ollie said before he crossed his arms and glanced at her with an interest.

She had been different; it had been a lot more hopeful when he considered it. she was tough, she was independent when it came to what she wanted to do next. Until then? He'd stick by her side, up until the end of the road. Anything else was to be secondary and he knew it. There was more to do before today was said and done.

Yet he knew something had to give. Something would break and shatter before this was all said and done.

"Do you trust me enough for me to learn to trust you?" Trivia questioned to which Ollie nodded. "Then I trust you. Nobody ever trusts me. My father, my mother… I'm just their toy to use until I break and then they make a better one." Trivia stated before now.

"Nobody is a toy for anyone, Triv," Ollie said before he frowned. "But if you did something bad and don't admit it? I'll never trust you again, deal? I can deal with someone being bad to a point… But I can damn well stand liars." Ollie stated before he sighed to himself.

Trivia nodded and looked around the alleyway. There was a lot more to handle as of the second. It had to end down as of the second. He had questioned what she was. it was a lot more interesting that this had come down to this. They were a team now, a group that had been in the same stitch when it came to that. There was a lot more to say and do before it had yet to come down to it. It'd all come crashing down sooner or later when it came to this. He had a lot more on his mind before this happened. So much more was on his mind, he'd be a lot more hopeful when this was all said and done.

He looked at her before he gently lowered his hands. He couldn't let them go as she locked her fingers with his before she seemed to tug him at the time before he came down to it.

She had been so familiar at the end of the day. he tugged on her hands before he glanced around the alleyway. His ears wiggled before he hummed.

"Are you ok?" Ollie questioned before he hummed, smiling at her. "There'd be more cops coming. We both know that. What do you plan on doing next?" Ollie stated as he sighed and looked down at the ground.

She squeezed his hands which made him look at her. She nodded and bopped his nose. He only rolled his eyes under his attire before letting her drag him along towards the next part of the alleyway. He'd be a lot more curious as to what the hell was coming next.

He couldn't seem to question what to do next. He'd be a lot more to do when it came down to it.

She gingerly led him down the alleyway before long. It'd be a while before they found anything of note that he was well aware of at the end of the day. She had wanted him to notice something when it came down to it.

And part of him wanted to do nothing more than question what to do next. He did love a good mystery at the end of the day and this was another one.

(2 miles away)

there was a slap across the face, one which had to do next. he looked at this man, this boorish fool who could no more be in charge of anything than he seemed to be. His wife sat three chairs away. He'd be a lot more focused as of the time being. he had a lot more to say and do next.

They had failed how they had been this incompetent was beyond him. His tax lien went into making this force of fools that much more pathetic when it came down to it? Only time could tell then it came to that as of the time being. They'd need to be a lot worse when all was said and done. Nothing else would matter, nothing could matter.

"What do you mean you couldn't find her?" The cops heard before the man in front of them raised an eyebrow at them. "There's so damn much that we couldn't say or do for the time being." The cops heard before this was all said and done before all of it was over with. It'd be a lot worse when it came down to it.

He couldn't let this go. He couldn't let it even begin to go at all. Nothing more to be said, nothing more to be done. If they'd hadn't the ability to find her? Then they were worthless.

"Mr. Vanille? She has a semblance that couldn't be easy to track across the city. My officers told me she's with someone living in the slums of Vale…" The officer stated as his master held up his hand.

"And she has both money from me and evidence that could ruin all of us." Mr. Vanille stated while he tented his fingers. "Double the price. I'll do what I need to if it means getting that case back before she gets out of Vale…" Mr. Vanille stated with a sigh as he seemed to question what to do at the moment.

This had to end before long. If that brat managed to get out of the city? Then he'd damn well snap it when it was all said and done. He had to strangle this in its infancy as of the second. He couldn't make it that hard for her or she'd slip through the cracks before he could locate her. There was a lot more for her to do at the time.

Author Note

Phew. Another chapter is done! I want to point out that the next chapter will be longer… I'll let you guys decide if Neo has Hush or such. The next chapter will be in 2-10 months and will show more of them bonding and their friendship starting to blossom. Until then? Lighting Wolf out!

P.S: Next chapter is 900-6500 words or such. It'd be a lot longer as of the time being.