Chapter 10, a nice checkpoint for a new story. Been pretty busy lately, but when you enjoy something, you always seem to find time to do it. Writing this story has been a blast and nothing major has happened so far. Some may not like the pace, but you can't please everyone. Accelerator is settling into his new spot in Remnant. He's going to have to learn how to deal with a bunch of people who stick their noses into everything. Some of you noticed he is the NT Accelerator, so he's mellowed out a little, unless you a real threat to Last Order than you can kiss your arm goodbye. While I was writing this, I accidently stumbled against a possible ship that I had way too much fun with. It makes me question everything I had planned. Enough rambling here I guess, we all know you don't want to read this. Let's get through the comments and then to the actual story.
HikariNiwa: I'm waiting for the perfect one. There were a couple okay ones, but they didn't have the music and light show accompanying them.
SilentXD7: If Touma does unleash it, it's only against a boss mob.
TykkiMikk: No ship is set in stone. Sometimes chapters reveal how other ships are superior.
Guest: 1) Nope, because Guest is a generic anonymous name I can't track who they specifically belong to. 2) After thinking about it, Cerberus kind of fits and I don't have a lot of names for them. Noble Warriors to be is way too generic that could apply to make pairings. 3) Someone had a good name and just because there is a ship name, doesn't mean it will ever happen. (It won't.) I added your name for Weiss x Touma and Salem x Touma. The rest I just wasn't fling. Mirrors I think I want to put that with Weiss. 4) I'll let you use your imagination.
Kuvukiland: Touma is always the main character, let's switch it all up. Accelerator is on the good side and Touma can help on the bad. There will definitely be a fight of some kind eventually. It will be obvious when it occurs.
shiroryuu012: I feel Neo has a good shot. She won't be afraid to show what she wants. Then she will also remove obstacles.
dickythamrin077: Yeah, I have two stories going and I don't have several chapters done ahead of time. I alternate between them. When Cardin loses his legs, it will be a glorious scene. Hmm, Touma's Punch seems to be able to heal even the most twisted minds. He would have to stop Adam from not living his life correctly, but I think he could. Shoot, it might make Blake fall for him if he can save Adam. I named a couple Faunus so I can use them repeatedly for things without saying a male/female Faunus all the time.
WiliamZ0: That magician isn't a big part right now, but I want to show he is doing something. Of course, it will end with something bad and his background will be revealed. Accelerator just pretends to ignore Last Order, her face is always a critical hit. The pairing names are just what I personally like and try to limit it to three at the most. Others may like different ones, but then they can go right their own stories, haha. It was actually mentioned in NT he could have done that and won, but he chose not to because he and Touma are BFFs. He denies it, but we know. The Will only exists because all the consciousness are connected. Different world means no Network because only one mind exists. Wounds fade, scars don't. It's hard to balance Accelerator, but I'm hoping this chapter works out with him. Huh, if Touma punched Weiss's dad, that would probably be a flag. Why would we tell Atlas? Ironwood is a jerk. RWBY season 3 is a lie. They pretend it's a happy exciting time, and then stuff. Damn that stuff. Continue: 1)It would probably lash out if Touma got to close. 2) His hand actually has to touch dust to negate it, so nothing big there. Machines are his weakness. 3) If it is fused with dust, yeah, so Jaune needs to watch his sword. 4) Dust crystal/powder he touches disappears. No explosion or anything.
The Rupture: He has access to the White Wings, but he was healed and his power is a little off. Will have to wait and see if he can manage that. Touma's pets will only come out if he loses his hand. Maybe Adam can help with that. His magic name will eventually be released, when the time is right. Myths and Legends exists in Remnant, so new magic could be developed, but the ones form their world will still exist. If they use the mana from their body, there shouldn't be any issues. If they try using leylines, stuff from the earth, things might get tricky.
LL: I think Touma's friends would be more upset he knows a REAL catgirl. A lot of people want Touma to redeem Adam. I never actually thought about that until everyone started saying it. I'll think about it and see how the story progresses. Broken legs are a sacred event and must be set up better. I actually have plans for that magician and it involves Salem. That's all the foreshadowing you get.
Qc-Dragon-Slayer-Qc: noted
Guest: Sorry you feel that way. I'm trying to find the balance between NT Accelerator and everyone from Remnant. I'm used to writing the OT one. If Cardin was a serious threat to Last Order, he wouldn't be in one piece. Poor mass murderer Salome. He doesn't really attack people much since then unless they are a real threat.
Dark 7 Thunder: Touma can really be paired with anyone, but Blake and Neo are popular. Yang and Accelerator remind me a lot of him and Worst. Teasing will occur constantly.
SpiderhunterXXX: Not sure, harem antics, misfortune, some explosions, food and then maybe rescued. Save Adam maybe? That seems like a popular idea.
Croniklerx: Your comments seem to be getting longer. Combat scenes are one thing, but you can always seem to do more with the more passive scenes. I hate proofreading my own work because I know what happens and there is no surprise. I do know it's something that has to be done. I'm trying to show the mellowed Accelerator from NT along with the fact Last Order won't want him to hurt her new friends. It's a weird balance. The dust container scene was taken from the Railgun anime. Figured it would be a nice nostalgia event. The Misaka speech patterns can go into more detail, but that was just a rough summary. Princess and the Pauper was mentioned by a couple people, so I decided to add it. I figured if I can have fun, why not share it with the readers using ship names. I enjoyed your Dragonforce explanation. I liked a bunch of your ship names though and added quite a few. Innocent Pleasures for Neo and Touma is close to what I am looking for, but part of me feels there is that one perfect name out there I must find.
Salishious: Silver Angels kind of fits, but I don't feel it stands out a ton. Water mage probably won't meet Roman where he is going. Touma is from NT, not mine, so no roar. HAHAHA, Yang's Nightmare! That was great and it's been added with a small change due to this chapter.
Guest: He might, yeah, or at least try to get both sides to reconcile somehow. He definitely would against Roman if he saw him as a criminal before meeting him, even if he would try to talk some sense into him after they encounter each other.
Wiliamsusanto: It depends who's talking. Qrow and Raven know Salem but not Cinder. Roman knows Cinder but not Salem.
Molten Thunder: That is soooo close, but I'm still hesitant.
Formboy1: Only Yang laughed.
CompuBob: Touma had the ability to be shipped with anyone, like Jaune.
FireDusk: I feel Playboy is better for a Jaune x Velvet ship. Though Promise Lands is good.
Dead Salvation: At some point, he will brag about it to her.
Kisshot: The Neo X Touma one made me laugh. First one to do so.
Kiri Kaitou Clover: Some people wanted a bigger beat down. Jaune is the protector of all people. People are interested in a redeemable Adam, so it's possible. Shattered Mirrors seems to be a popular name.
Disclaimer: I do not own Toaru Majutsu no Index or RWBY.
"Seriously?" Accelerator asked, though he wasn't really surprised. "The fucking hero really is here?" Ozpin had mentioned it was a possibility, but now he had proof.
"Language!" Ruby admonished again. Team RWBY, JNPR, Accelerator, and Last Order were talking while waiting for the next Bullhead from Beacon to Vale. Their training ended early due to Accelerator's arrival and Glynda's admonishment. It turned out Accelerator was given some Lien to buy some spare clothes for himself and Last Order, so the trip was needed. Ozpin had been on top of everything for those two from another world. Unable to resist a shopping trip, Yang jumped at the opportunity to join. The others came along, due to her or Last Order's insistence. Accelerator was obviously annoyed, but Last Order asked him to be nice, so he held his tongue. To Ruby's dismay, Weiss reminded the others they still needed to get her heels. Once that argument subsided, their talk had turned to more serious matters.
"So you do know him?" Blake asked with a raise eyebrow. "Last Order mentioned she did, but I was not sure about your relationship with him." Her amber eyes focused on him, as she lowered her book.
"I've fought him a couple times and we were chasing the same guy who tried to kidnap the brat," Accelerator replied and jabbed a thumb at Last Order.
"He's really strong, MISAKA adds."
"Is he as strong as you?" Yang asked.
"No." The way Accelerator said that one word caused Yang's eyebrow to rise and her lips twitched upwards.
There's a story there, Yang thought. And I'm going to uncover it.
"He's currently being manipulated by Roman Torchwick," Jaune explained to Accelerator, who raised an eyebrow. "…Oh, right. Torchwick's a criminal who controls most of the crime syndicates in Vale."
"We were discussing what to do about it too," Pyrrha pipped up. "It's one thing for Torchwick to have something that can keep Grimm away, but it's another for him to manipulate an innocent person, especially someone who saved our friend."
"We don't have to do anything," Accelerator told them.
"What?!" Ruby exclaimed. "Are you suggesting we just leave him to be used by Torchwick? I fought him once before. He's perfectly okay with killing people who stand in his way. With someone like Touma shielding him from Grimm, he's going to have free reign."
"Even though I feel this is something we have limited access too," Weiss said seriously. "Ruby has a point."
"Aww," Ruby cooed and gave Weiss a hug. "See, I come up with good ideas."
"Get off!" Weiss snapped and pushed her away. "I was referring to Torchwick having a way to avoid Grimm. His movements within the city are already hard enough for the authorities to track. If he can move outside the wall with impunity, it will be impossible."
"And that's why we should go and take care of it ourselves!" Nora declared. "We know what Torchwick has at his disposal, so we won't be caught off guard. We track him down, break his legs with extreme prejudice, and drag this Touma guy with us by force if need be."
"While I enjoy your phrasing," Accelerator said with a smirk at the thought of violence. "You misunderstand me. I'm not going to do anything, because I don't have to do anything."
"What kind of logic is that?" Blake demanded.
"Someone's a little uptight," Yang laughed. "But she has a point. That's cold, man."
"Isn't he your friend?" Jaune asked.
"Eh," Accelerator said with a shrug. He was not admitting to anything.
"He's just shy, MISAKA explains as MISAKA attempts to translate. He's not used to talking to so many people."
"Shut it, brat."
"MISAKA knows you care, regardless of your harsh words, MISAKA replies happily, as MISAKA grabs your arm." Accelerator made no move to stop her or scrap her off. Yang secretly took a picture with her scroll.
"Perhaps you could explain why you do not want to help him," Ren suggested, before any more arguing could occur.
"That damn hero can take care of himself," Accelerator replied. Ren was one of the two most subdued members of that group, so he was easier to talk to than the others. Seriously, how could they be so damn happy all the time? "Me being there would be pointless. This isn't the first time it's happened."
"This isn't the first time it's happened?" Ruby repeated, stunned. "Is he actually a criminal from your world?"
"I know," Nora interrupted. "I bet he's a secret agent who infiltrates enemy organizations to take them down from the inside. This mission will end with the White Fang in shambles, Torchwick arrested, and Touma ends up with the formally evil sexy female." Nora fist pumped. "Torchwick's time is numbered." Ren face palmed.
"Who's the formally evil sexy female?" Pyrrha couldn't resist asking.
"Neo," Blake responded. "The multicolor girl who works for him. She's the only one."
"Does she always live in her own little world?" Accelerator asked Jaune in disbelief while pointing to Nora.
"It's best not to think about it too hard," Jaune answered. "Or you will only hurt yourself."
"This is getting us nowhere," Weiss sighed and grabbed the bridge of her nose. "Accelerator, can you please explain to us why you think he can take care of himself?" If she let this nonsense continue, Nora, Yang, and Ruby would go off on a tangent and never return.
"He's incredibly gullible," Accelerator explained with a heavy sigh. It was obvious he didn't want to talk about Touma. "Give him some sob story about someone being hurt or threatened and he will lap it up. This Torchwick guy of yours probably realized this. You said his power repels those Grimm creatures, so I can see why he would."
"That still doesn't explain why he doesn't need help," Weiss said impatiently.
"I'm getting to it, Princess!" Accelerator snapped irritated.
"Chill out," Yang added. "There's no need to be so Weiss cold right now." The silence and stares of disbelief followed. "What?" Last Order giggled and Yang beamed at her.
"Brat," Accelerator said coldly. "What have I said about laughing at bad jokes?"
"Don't, because it only encourages idiots to make more? MISAKA asks, even though MISAKA knows the words by heart."
"And what did you do?"
"Laugh at a funny joke, MISAKA replies as MISAKA enjoys Yang's jokes." Weiss and Accelerator face palmed, while Ruby looked dumbstruck. Everyone else shared confused glances. Yang's jokes were terrible, but someone, somewhere, had to have a weird sense of humor to laugh at them. Who would have thought that person would be from another world? Actually, Ruby believed that. She figured no one on Remnant would laugh.
"We need to teach you that Yang is not funny," Weiss groaned.
"I agree," Accelerator said. For a brief moment, they made eye contact in solidarity against the true evil.
"Critics." Yang rolled her eyes. "I'm hilarious."
"Can we let Accelerator finish?" Blake asked. "I'm curious at what he can tell us about Touma Kamijou."
"Because she likes him," Nora whispered to Ren excitedly. "It's happening."
"What's happening?" Ren asked in a monotone.
"It is!"
"It's not the first time the hero went and got tricked into helping some terrorist organization," Accelerator continued with a yawn. Everyone was now paying close attention. "He eventually realizes what's happening and fights to stop them. Once he fixes his mistake, he'll come back and complain about his luck." Last Order giggled. "So there is no reason for me to help. It will work itself out and he will show up at some point."
"You're placing a lot of trust in him," Jaune pointed out.
"Based on past experiences," Accelerator refuted. Not that he really cared what Touma did. They were two completely different people and he knew Touma wouldn't lose easily.
"But he's in an unfamiliar world," Ruby protested. "Torchwick is really dangerous and he might need help!" Accelerator ignored her. "Weiss, Blake, you two agree with me, right? Yang would only agree so she could go and beat someone up."
"Hey…! No, she's right. I would."
"He knows him better than we do," Weiss answered slowly. "If he's confident that guy can take care of himself…"
"I can't believe what I'm hearing," Blake snapped. "Touma saved my life and we are just going to leave him to the mercy of Torchwick? Who knows how much his operations will expand if he doesn't have to worry about Grimm? Yet you want to do nothing?"
"I never said that," Weiss replied defiantly. "You barely know Mr. Kamijou and only have a vague idea what he has done or is capable of doing. He rescued you, so he obviously could tell something was wrong, but there's one main reason I'm not jumping up and down in anticipation. We have no idea where they are now!" Blake blinked, but her fierce expression remained the same.
"We could investigate," Blake pointed out. "If we spy on White Fang activities, it could tell us where they are."
"Blake," Yang whispered and put her arm around her partner. "We've been through this. You can't do everything. I know you want to help him, but this isn't the way to go about it." Blake glared at her, before reluctantly nodding. Yang grinned. "Now, I never said we couldn't do a little investigation, but let's not let it consume our lives." She turned to Weiss. "That cool?"
"That is acceptable," Weiss agreed. "I don't want him to remain in Torchwick's employment either."
"Then it's settled," Ruby declared in her leader voice. This was really kind of adorable from the little girl. "We will keep our eyes open on possible activities that could lead us to locating them. But, for now, we need to help Accelerator and Last Order get settled in. Agreed?" The other three nodded. While Team RWBY was discussing their response to the news, Team JNPR was also debating.
"This just gets more and more complicated," Jaune sighed. "Doesn't it?" Pyrrha put her hand on his shoulder.
"Whatever you choose," she told him. "I'll be right beside you." Pyrrha gave him a small smile. "I'm pretty sure I know what you want to do."
"I vote for finding Torchwick and breaking his legs," Nora said. "There has to be some way, right?" She turned to Ren. "Ren, find him."
"How am I supposed to do that?" Ren asked.
"Can't you... like meditate… or something?" Nora asked. "And receive some kind of vision?" Ren sighed.
"Nora," he said calmly. "Meditation doesn't work like that. It allows one to find their own center, not spy on others."
"Boring," Nora muttered.
"What about you, Ren?" Jaune asked. "Torchwick is dangerous and I don't want to commit anyone without them deciding on their own."
"Nora already decided we are going," Ren answered and the corners of his mouth twitched.
"When did she…?"
"If she's going," Ren said. "I am too."
"We are a packaged deal," Nora added.
"Okay," Jaune said and turned to Ruby. "We are in, once we decide how to proceed. Snow Angel is right about us needing some kind of clue on where to start."
"Stop calling me that, Arc!" Weiss snapped angrily.
"Heh," Accelerator snickered. That caused Yang to look at him and smirk too.
"We should discuss that tonight then," Ruby said to Jaune. "I don't think we will get anywhere today. Accelerator and Last Order have to grab essentials and we have class tomorrow, so no stake outs."
"We could always skip class," Yang suggested.
"No!" Weiss refuted loudly. "Your grades are already border line in everything outside combat class. You can't afford it."
"MISAKA wants to see what your classes are like too! MISAKA cries out as MISAKA jumps up and down in excitement."
"There's another reason too," Weiss added and turned to Last Order. "We promised you could, and I plan to keep that."
"Yay! MISAKA cheers."
"I think we should agree that if anyone of us discovers anything," Pyrrha suggested. "We should notify the others before acting alone." Yang, Ruby, and Weiss might have thought she was talking about Blake, but her eyes moved for an instant onto Nora. Nora was known to be impulsive.
"Unless it's an emergency," Blake amended. "Where there is no time, like if someone is about to get killed."
"Then we can fight them?" Nora asked and Blake nodded.
"Fine," Weiss agreed. "But only in an emergency." She glared at Blake.
"Now that the serious stuff is settled," Yang declared, determined to change the dark atmosphere to something lighter. "It's time for the real issue." She grabbed Ruby and Pyrrha simultaneously. "Ruby has been avoiding the topic for too long. She needs a pair of heels for formal occasions, including the dance coming up. P-money, you know I love you, but you could use some more casual clothes. You can't wear your uniform and armor all the time. Plus, the ones you have are way too conservative. You have the body, flaunt it a little."
"Can't we do something else?" Ruby complained and tried to escape, but Yang held on firmly. "Humph, fine." She pouted and nearly everyone laughed.
"I don't think I'm going to be comfortable wearing something like that," Pyrrha said to Yang.
"Nonsense." Yang dismissed her worries. "Weiss and I will help you find something great." She bent over and whispered into Pyrrha's ear. "Don't you want something to impress a certain blonde boy?" Pyrrha flushed and Yang knew she was victorious.
"I suppose it wouldn't hurt to look," Pyrrha relented.
"Yang needs to learn not to volunteer me," Weiss sighed. "But in this case, I would be glad to help."
"I'll make sure they don't go overboard," Blake volunteered.
"I want to come!" Nora cried. "The guys can go and do whatever."
Huh, Ren thought. That might not be too bad. I need to pick up a few things anyways. Running low on ingredients for my shakes, plus I have to make one for Jaune. I know Yang won't forget that bet.
"Can MISAKA come too? MISAKA askes uncertainly as MISAKA continues to look between everyone."
"Of course," Ruby answered immediately. "Us girls have to stick together."
"I think you should probably ask her guardian, Rubes," Jaune suggested.
"He's right," Yang agreed and saw a perfect opportunity to mess with Accelerator. "So, Vomit Boy, can your younger sister come shopping with us?" Jaune blinked and then his brain clicked about the lie they had been using.
"Wha… dang it, Yang!" Jaune replied, while she laughed. Accelerator glared at her.
"Just messing with you two," Yang teased and threw her arm over Accelerator's shoulders. She made sure to press her chest against his shoulder. He had to get embarrassed somehow, and Yang was going to find out what triggered it. "So, Grumpy, you mind if Last Order comes shopping with us? You, Jaune, and Ren could do whatever, maybe visit a strip club." If anyone had been drinking, they would have done a spit take.
"Yang!" came half a dozen voices.
"Pssh." Accelerator made a noncommittal noise. Jaune was the only one who recognized the look on his face and the internal struggle it represented. As the only brother of seven sisters, it was a struggle he was intimately familiar with, the age old battle of guys not wanting to go shopping with girls. It was not a fun experience for them, unless their girlfriend was trying on certain kinds of outfits. The struggle Accelerator was facing was between not wanting to try to find clothes for last Order and the desire to not leave her with a bunch of girls he barely knew. Normally, Accelerator would have never considered it, being he trusted very few people, but they did locate and protect Last Order, so it was at least worth considering. He found most of them annoying, especially Yang. Weiss was a typical rich girl and he knew how to aggravate them if she got too annoying. The others were all about the same level, except Nora who seemed to have a bloodthirsty streak he could appreciate.
"Please?" Ruby begged and tried to use her puppy dog eyes on Accelerator. Accelerator stared back at her for a few moments and then raised an eyebrow.
"Is that the best you got?" he asked.
"Huh?" Ruby asked confused.
"I deal with her trying that look on me five times a day," Accelerator explained and pointed to Last Order. "You're not nearly as good and I can ignore her." Ruby's mouth fell open.
"Told you," Yang and Jaune said simultaneously.
"Let MISAKA show you how a master does it, MISAKA says superiorly as MISAKA pats your shoulder." Ruby stepped out of the way, in shock more than anything else. "Can MISAKA go shopping with her new friends? MISAKA asks pleadingly." Her expression grew sad and manipulative. Accelerator stared at her for a moment. It only took about twenty seconds, but he finally gave a noncommittal jerk of his head.
"Do what you want."
"MISAKA is the undisputed master, MISAKA whispers as MISAKA flashes the victory sign." She held up two fingers in a V-shape to Ruby.
"I'll surpass you one day," Ruby whispered back. Last Order giggled and smiled back at her.
"But if you lot let anything happen to her," Accelerator continued. "I'm coming for you." Jaune felt a shiver down his spine, even though Accelerator wasn't talking to him. Blake was the only other one who really felt the threat, because she frowned. Yang, however, took the threat in stride and made it into a joke.
"Coming for us?" Yang asked. "Well, what you do in the privacy of your own room is up to you." All the girls, except Ruby, gasped, she only tilted her head in confusion.
"Don't be so vulgar!" Weiss snapped at Yang, while she covered Ruby's ears.
This is not going to end well, Blake and Ren thought.
"We should stop this before it gets out of hand," Pyrrha whispered to Jaune.
"I'm afraid to get involved though," he replied, equally as quietly. Ren had to cover Nora's mouth before she spouted out something to inflame the current situation. It turned out, Accelerator could do that fine on his own.
"Oh?" Accelerator asked, trying to keep his anger in check. He promised Last Order he wouldn't physically hurt any of her new friends, and that promise was being put to the test. The promise didn't change who he was though. Accelerator enjoyed pissing people off who annoyed him. He was smart enough to tell Yang was trying to get a rise out of him, so two could play that game. From his brief experience with her, she was the type who tried to use her looks to toy with guys. It wasn't the first time someone tried that against him. Worst did it constantly, knowing he wouldn't send her through a wall. Funny enough, it was being unable to use violence against her that forced him to learn how to verbally banter. "You think I could jack off to you? I do have some standards."
Everyone else's jaws dropped, except Ruby, who was complaining about not being able to hear.
Yang recovered quickest.
"Playing hard to get?" she asked seductively and shifted herself so she pressed herself against his back. "You sure you aren't feeling… anything? Maybe your little man is rising?"
"Yang!" Weiss and Blake snapped. The situation was rapidly spiraling out of control. Pyrrha instinctively reached for her weapon before remembering it was in her locker.
"Nothing. Now, do you normally whore yourself out to anyone with power? Because I can do better."
Nora and Pyrrha moved to grab Yang's arms after she backed off from Accelerator in shock. No one talked to Yang like that and her eyes had flashed dangerously to red, while the air around her began to heat up. Jaune and Ren stepped forward in case they would be needed to intercept. Weiss pulled Ruby back, while Blake grabbed Last Order's shoulder.
"Calm down, Yang!" Pyrrha cried.
"Be nice! MISAKA reprimands."
"What did you say, Whitey?!" Yang cried and then she smirked. "Oh, I see, you're gay. That explains everything."
"Just because I'm straight doesn't mean I have to be attracted to an ugly bitch." Accelerator retorted.
"Ugly!?" Yang fumed and Nora and Pyrrha struggled to hold her back. "Are you into flat girls?!"
"They are hotter than you." Accelerator continued to rile her up and jabbed his thumb to Weiss and Ruby. Weiss almost blushed, but quickly grew upset too.
"I'm not flat!" she protested. "I'm still growing!"
"What's going on?" Ruby asked, while flailing her arms. "I can't hear anything, but I'm sure Weiss said something!"
"Ow!" Everyone glanced over at Blake, who was shaking her hand. Last Order had shocked her slightly and bolted forward to crash into Accelerator.
"Apologize! MISAKA demands as MISAKA pokes you in the gut." True to her word, she stuck her index finger into Accelerator's stomach. Her expression was no longer happy, amused, or even confused. She was obviously upset.
"For what?" Accelerator muttered.
"You insulted MISAKA's friend! MISAKA says. MISAKA knows you know why, MISAKA adds as MISAKA flails her arms angrily." It was pretty adorable, even though the situation was serious, a lot like when Ruby argued. Simultaneously, Ruby broke free from Weiss's grasp and zipped over to stop in front of Yang, who stopped struggling against her captors.
"You need to apologize too!" Ruby ordered.
"For what? He insulted me?"
"Yang," Ruby said seriously. "I know you had to have teased him first! He would have no reason to insult you otherwise." Yang opened her mouth and closed it again. She knew Ruby was right. "See, we both know it. Now apologize!" Ruby glared at Yang, who pursed her lips in defiance.
"You too! MISAKA adds as MISAKA taps her foot impatiently while you make her wait." Last Order glared at Accelerator. If it had been anyone else in the world, Accelerator would have told her to fuck off. However, Last Order was the only one who could get him to do something he did not want to do. While he may have mellowed out since Russia, dealing with a group called Gremlin, and fighting Touma for a third time, it didn't mean he liked to apologize.
"Tsk." Accelerator made a noise with his tongue.
"Pssh," was Yang's reply.
"Was that their version of an apology?" asked Nora.
"No," Ren replied calmly.
"You two need to grow up!" Weiss snapped at them. "Seriously, it's like a grade school fight because both of you want to play follow the leader and lead." How could Last Order say Accelerator and I are alike? He's strong, there is no doubt of that. Team CRDL may be a bunch of lunkheads, but they are still Hunters in training. To be defeated so easily without a weapon, that was impressive. However, he's so prideful and quick to anger. That's nothing like me. I'm modest, calm, and never lose my temper.
"Quiet, Princess!" Accelerator and Yang snapped in unison. There was a moment of silence and the two made eye contact, before the hint of a smirk appeared. It seems that making fun of Weiss caused the anger to fade away.
"What…? Why I never… It's heiress!" Weiss spluttered, not expecting the sudden team up.
"Are you going to apologize?" Ruby asked Yang.
"Same." Last Order said and gazed at Accelerator.
"Fine," Yang muttered. Nora and Pyrrha slowly relaxed their grip and she shook them off. They were still prepared to interrupt her if she was faking but, to their relief, their fear was unfounded.
"Whatever," scoffed Accelerator to Last Order, who smiled and beamed at him. She virtually glowed, knowing she managed to convince him. Accelerator stepped passed her and Yang moved passed Ruby. The two of them glared at each other for a moment and then muttered something. A second later they turned around and separated. Only Blake's extraordinary hearing caught what they said.
Want to make fun of the Ice Queen later?
Whatever.
Blake decided that was as good as it was going to get for everyone. Poor Weiss would have to accept the fallout eventually.
"Now that everyone has made up," Ren interrupted. "Our ride is here." He pointed out the Bullhead that just landed.
"Finally," Nora said. "I was beginning to wonder if it would ever show."
"Yeah… great," Jaune muttered darkly. "Flying in one of those evil metal boxes…" Jaune's major weakness, that he still had yet to overcome, was air sickness. Even a short ride on a Bullhead was enough to risk losing his last meal.
"You've done it before," Pyrrha reassured him. "Keep concentrating and I know you can do it."
"Vomit Boy," Yang said, as she was about to step into the ship. "You better control yourself! If I lose another pair of shoes… so help you!" Weiss and Blake nodded in agreement. Ruby tried to look apologetic at her sister's words, but it wasn't like she wanted to see it either. Nora and Ren frowned, but they knew this was something Jaune had to work on himself. However, they also made sure not to sit next to him when they traveled.
"I know, Yang," Jaune sighed in defeat.
"This sounds like a story I want to hear," Accelerator commented snidely.
"Oh?" Yang asked and then an idea suddenly came to her. "Then sit next to him and he can tell you, because I sure won't."
"What are you doing?" Weiss demanded in a hush whisper. "If you keep antagonizing him, he might accidently take down the ship."
"I'm in agreement with Weiss," Blake added. "We don't know if his power will go off unexpectedly if he's surprised. This is a little much for revenge. You have no idea how far he will take this."
"I'm sure he will be fine." Yang brushed off their fears. "The way he controlled his power against Cardin's team shows he knows how to use it. I'm pretty sure Vomit Boy can hold it in, but I'm going to keep my scroll ready."
"Good luck, Fearless Leader," Nora told Jaune and smacked him on the back hard enough to make him stumble forward. "I believe in you, but if your barf touches me, I'm throwing you off."
"Understood," Jaune replied.
"She means well," Ren reassured him.
"Why does Yang call Jaune, Vomit Boy? MISAKA asks as MISAKA pulls on your cape to attract your attention." Ruby looked down at Last Order.
"He suffers motion sickness," Ruby whispered and glanced over at Jaune to make sure he didn't hear therm. He appeared to be distracted by the dread of walking into the Bullhead. "On our first day of Beacon, Yang and I met him…" She told the entire story about how Jaune threw up and landed on Yang's new shoes. Last Order found it pretty funny and Ruby agreed, in hindsight, that it was. As they talked, everyone managed to pack into the Bullhead. Jaune sat in a corner and put his head into his hands, doing anything possible to settle his stomach. Accelerator ended up next to him, with a little help from Yang, as she pushed a few others into specific seats. Team RWBY was on the opposite side of those two, outside the potential blast radius, while the NPR or Team JNPR was a little off to the side. Last Order was stationed between Nora and Ruby. Accelerator quickly realized what Yang had done.
"I swear," he growled to Jaune. "If you lose it, I'm sending you through the wall."
"I'm trying," Jaune moaned. "It's best if I don't talk till we land." He covered his mouth with his hand when the ship lurched slightly.
"Have fun," Yang laughed and waved her fingers. The glare she received back from him was expected, but she didn't expect to see him smirk.
"Not sure why you are so carefree," Accelerator replied mildly. "Did you forget I can reflect things? If I happen to… aim at a certain blonde female…" he shrugged. "Anything that hits me will go that direction." Yang's eyes widened.
"You wouldn't dare!"
"Wouldn't dare what?" asked Accelerator with false innocence. "I'm going to sleep until we arrive. I'm not responsible for what happens until then." He leaned back and his eyes closed.
"Told you," Blake sighed, as she scooted over to make sure her book wouldn't be affected.
"That's enough!" Weiss finally put her foot down. "You two have been acting like children since you two met. It has to stop. You both are being bad role models for Last Order. Shoot, even Ruby has been a better role model."
"Thanks… hey!"
"Who are you to boss us around, Princess?" asked Accelerator, as he opened one eye to glare at her.
"Apparently the only voice of reason here," Weiss snapped. She glared at Ruby first. As team leader, she should have been the one to stop this. Then her eyes fell on Blake, one of the more rational voices on their team, and she even glanced over at Pyrrha and Ren. They may have been on another team, but Pyrrha usually was happy to help out and Ren was skilled in preventing things from escalating. Ren was busy trying to keep Nora from making things worse and Pyrrha shrunk back in her seat. It seemed like she wasn't planning to get involved in an argument unless it was going to turn physical.
"She also was nice to MISAKA and taught her about this world, MISAKA adds helpfully."
"Thanks, Last Order," Weiss told her gently. "At least someone has manners, but now I'm not sure who you got them from." Last Order smiled at her and Weiss turned back to Accelerator. "And, for the last time, it's not princess, I'm a heiress, but I would prefer if you call me Weiss."
"Not, Miss Schnee?" Blake asked in an undertone, which caused Ruby and Nora to giggle. Weiss ignored her.
"Hmm," Accelerator mused about it for a minute. Weiss was everything he disliked about people, rich, snobby, and considered themselves above others with nothing to back up. Though, he didn't know how strong she was, she might actually be able to back up the talk. There was also the fact that Last Order, for whatever reason, liked her, so he couldn't tell her to go die in a ditch. He settled with a more passive, 'I do what I want' answer. "I heard others call you Ice Queen and Snow Angel. I like those names more than Weiss. So I'm going to call you one of those."
"What?!" Weiss gasped and she glared at the others, who started to snicker. "You can't be serious."
"I'm completely serious," Accelerator replied, but the smirk on his face was contradicting his words.
"Just choose one," Yang laughed. "I'm still going to call you Ice Queen." Weiss growled at her.
"I suppose if I have to deal with her antics," Weiss sighed in defeat. "One more person calling me that won't hurt."
"Alright then, Snow Angel," Accelerator said and his smirk grew.
"What did you just say?!" Weiss cried. "That's not what I chose!"
"I never said you got to choose," Accelerator pointed out. "I only said I was going to call you one of those names." Weiss gaped at him. "Going to ignore the rest of you until we land now." He leaned back and fell asleep. Weiss turned to look at Blake, Last Order, and Ruby.
"You walked into that one," Blake commented, as she looked up from behind her book.
"He doesn't like to call people by their name, MISAKA adds as MISAKA tries to excuse his behavior."
"He's officially one of us," Ruby finished and gave a big thumbs up.
"That does not make me feel any better," Weiss replied, while Yang laughed.
"Hey!" Yang suddenly shouted, as a rolled up piece of paper hit her in the face. "Who threw that?!"
"Cool!" Nora cheered. "It works!" She tore out another piece of paper from a notebook, crumbled it up, and threw it at Accelerator. It bounced off him and flew right at Yang, who was prepared this time. She batted it away. "You guys should try it!"
"He was serious about reflecting at me," Yang gasped. "Jaune, I swear if you vomit a single drop, you're dead!" A weak moan was his answer. Another barrage of small items flew at her head and she blocked it all. "Nora, stop that!"
"Sorry, sis," Ruby laughed. "That was us!" She and Last Order giggled. "Nora was right, this is fun."
"MISAKA likes this new game, MISAKA agrees as MISAKA continues to laugh."
"After we land, Ruby," Yang threatened. "We are going to spend a lot longer finding you shoes. Just wait until you are willing to offer your sole for this trip to end." Another barrage of paper and a can bounced off Accelerator at her for that joke. Everyone else had joined in.
"What if I hit him harder?" Nora asked Last Order.
"The same thing, MISAKA repeats. Increasing the magnitude does not affect Accelerator's reflection, MISAKA explains as Misaka tries to demonstrate with her hands." She had one of her hands hit her other one and bounce off, while Nora watched. The girls had separated from the boys and their first stop was a clothing store. Yang had to drag Ruby in and Blake followed, more out of amusement if anything else. Weiss wanted to go with her partner, but she decided Blake could reel in Yang, so she was available to work with Last Order.
"But remember when you empowered me with electricity," Nora protested. "I felt like I could smash a mountain. If you fully charged me with everything you had, I could hit him with so much power he wouldn't be able to change the direction. An unstoppable force!"
"Semblances can rarely be explained through normal physics," Pyrrha pointed out. "Look at Blake leaving behind actual clones or Ruby moving at superhuman speed. It sounds like Accelerator's Vector Manipulation is not affected by power, but instead only direction. Unless you can hit him without actually apply a direction, I don't think you have a chance." Nora opened her mouth and Pyrrha quickly continued. "I'm pretty sure switching your attack at the last second wouldn't work either." She and Nora turned to look at Last Order, who nodded.
"Reflection is kind of his default, MISAKA answers as MISAKA thinks she knows what you want to ask. When he uses it around his body, any force that makes contact will be reflected automatically. It's actually really difficult, because he has to make exceptions in the calculations to allow certain forces like light and gravity to reach him."
"Why?" Nora asked.
"Because he can't see without light," Weiss pointed out. It dawned on her immediately. "And without the force of gravity, he wouldn't be able to stand on the ground and float away."
"That sounds really complicated," Pyrrha mentioned. "When I use my Semblance, it's more willing than anything else."
"Is there any weakness to his ability?" Nora asked Last Order.
"MISAKA really shouldn't say, MISAKA replies hesitantly as MISAKA kicks the ground and avoids eye contact. Though, after the healing, MISAKA does not believe he can leave the reflection up all the time, so a surprise attack might be effective… but please don't tell him MISAKA said that MISAKA begs. MISAKA likes being able to hold onto his arm."
"Interesting," Nora muttered, her eyes gleaming and then she frowned. "Nah, I like a challenge. Stooping that low is wrong."
"That's really mature of you, Nora," Pyrrha complimented.
"I'm going to try my smack him harder plan instead," Nora finished.
"And she's back to normal," Weiss deadpanned, before turning to Last Order with a couple of dresses. "You said you wanted similar styles to your current one. I think these would look good on you. Do you need help changing?"
"MISAKA is old enough to dress herself, MISAKA replies boldly, but still happy at Weiss's concern. MISAKA will be right back, MISAKA calls over her shoulder as MISAKA dashes into the changing room." She disappeared in an instant and Weiss sighed.
"She has as much energy as Ruby. Speaking of which, how are the others doing?" Pyrrha glanced over a couple clothing racks.
"Seems she tried to run and Yang was forced to tackle her."
"Man, we are missing the fun," Nora pouted.
"You wanted to talk to Last Order about how to beat Accelerator," Pyrrha pointed out.
"And we learned a lot," Weiss added. "His ability, while powerful, does have some flaws. It requires advanced calculations, something we probably would have a hard time learning. He's also not invincible, no one is." Pyrrha raised an eyebrow and smiled. "He's human, so he still has to breathe. A large enough dust explosion that can deplete oxygen might have an effect."
"Planning to take him down too?" Nora asked. "Sweet! We should totally work together to find out how to beat him. I have skulking cloaks hanging in our closet that haven't been used in like, forever. Ren won't let me spy on people much anymore."
"I was not," Weiss huffed. "But he did mention that he and Last Order would be attending Beacon for a while. We don't know how long they will be here. If Professor Ozpin lets them participate, we might actually face him in combat class. I want to have at least some idea how to fight him," Or I risk looking weak. He already doesn't have a high opinion of Yang. I guess that's to be expected though.
"Always the A student?" Nora asked. "Right, Weiss?"
"I care about my education," Weiss replied evenly.
"It's not a bad idea," Pyrrha agreed. "I think it would be fun to face Vector Manipulation. It's unlike anything I have experienced before."
"His power sounds so simple in theory," Weiss said to Pyrrha. "Yet reflection is such a small part of it. He can send people and things flying, rocket himself off the ground, and I bet there's more to it." Pyrrha nodded.
"So what are you three talking about?" Yang asked, magically appearing and throwing her arms over Weiss's and Pyrrha's shoulders.
"How to beat Accelerator," Nora answered immediately.
"Awesome!" Yang exclaimed. "Let me in on that."
"I'm not sure that's a good idea," Pyrrha said hesitantly.
"Why?"
"Because you don't like him," Weiss answered bluntly. "And you two keep fighting over every little thing."
"Who says I don't like him?" Yang asked confused.
"…What?!" Weiss, Pyrrha, and Nora asked in shock. Their faces betrayed their confusion.
"He's pretty cool," Yang explained with a shrug. "Don't see many boys, especially ones smaller than me, able to stand up to my teasing, but I still need to embarrass him for revenge. I don't do even. I'm in it to win it."
"But you got so pissed at him," Nora remembered. "Blows were about to be exchanged."
"He got me good," Yang agreed. "Though, if he had touched the hair, we wouldn't be talking about this so calmly."
"So you actually like him?" Pyrrha asked to clarify and Weiss stiffened.
"As someone to hang out with, sure." Yang suddenly realized what Pyrrha was implying and began to laugh. "Oh, you mean like Weiss does? Nah, I prefer more muscular guys. He's too scrawny for me. Now, if he began to pump some iron, Mama Yang might be interested."
"I can't believe…" Weiss blinked, and then changed direction. "Who said I liked him?!"
"Quit denying it," Yang shushed her and rolled her eyes. "You totally love his bad boy attitude and the fact he doesn't even know what your family does. I bet you imagine him dominating you." Yang turned to Pyrrha. "So, P-money, what are his weaknesses. Spill it."
"I don't think-…" Pyrrha tried to reply, but Weiss took over.
"You moronic gorilla!" Weiss snapped. "How dare you insinuate that I ever think of something so barbaric!?"
"Why is your face growing so red then?" Yang asked with a huge grin.
"Wow, Weiss," Nora said surprised. "Was it love at first sight? Kind of like how Jaune-Jaune fell for you?" Pyrrha flinched.
"Don't remind me of that," Weiss groaned and face palmed. "I don't feel that way about Accelerator. We just met and he is too… abrasive for my taste."
"Sounds like someone is in deni-…" Yang was interrupted by a red blur appearing between them.
"Finally done," Ruby sighed and held up a bag. "Weiss, Yang, you two finally happy?"
"It's not about being happy," Weiss refuted, but secretly glad to change the subject. "It's about being an adult."
"I am an adult," Ruby protested. "I drink milk."
"Did she try to run?" Yang asked Blake, who just arrived.
"Actually, no." Blake shook her head. "She only protested trying them on, not purchasing them."
"So first order of business is finished," Yang said. "That leaves Last Order's clothes. Where is she anyways?"
"She's currently trying on some clothes," Pyrrha informed her. As if on cue, Last Order showed up, twirling in one of her new dresses. It was a light blue with white trimming. She bounded up to Weiss and tugged on her skirt.
"They fit great! MISAKA informs Weiss excitedly as MISAKA shows off her dress."
"I knew they would," Weiss replied and smiled.
"Geeze, Weiss," Yang commented. "Turning her into a mini Weiss Queen? Are you going to dye her hair next?"
"I also provided her with a red, yellow, and green dress," Weiss snapped at her. "She needed a variety. One can hardly wear the same thing every day."
"I just realized something," Ruby interrupted. "Who is going to pay for her clothes, since Accelerator is with Jaune and Ren?"
"Good question," Yang agreed. "He mentioned Ozpin gave him money. Did anyone get his scroll number?"
"Does he even have a scroll?" Nora inquired.
"Guess we call Vomit Boy then," Yang amended and reached for her scroll.
"Wait!" Pyrrha interrupted. "He actually gave me his money and said to use it for her." She pulled out several Lien cards.
"When did he give you those?" Ruby asked.
"Shortly before we split up," Pyrrha answered, but the look on her face said there was more.
"I'm surprised he trusted you with them," Yang said impressed.
"I guess he didn't have much choice," Pyrrha replied with a shrug.
"I believe his exact words were," Blake interrupted and everyone turned toward her. Her lips twitched slightly. "You seem like the most trustworthy one here. Don't let blondie take them. She would splurge on alcohol or hair products." After a moment of silence, Nora started snickering.
"Sorry," Pyrrha apologized.
"He's not wrong," Nora explained, when she noticed everyone looking at her.
"Hey!" Weiss scoffed offended. "I'm trustworthy."
"Sure," Yang muttered sarcastically. "And I wouldn't spend all that money on those things."
"That's right," Ruby agreed. "She would have to buy me some cookies to keep my silence."
"And pancakes," Nora added.
"And this is why he gave the money to Pyrrha," Blake finished. Everyone could see the wisdom in the decision.
"Does he have enough? MISAKA asks curiously as MISAKA examines the strange currency. We don't know the pricing of your world."
"I think he may be a little short," Weiss admitted, after quickly counting the Lien.
"Then MISAKA will put one back, MISAKA says."
"You don't have to," Yang reassured her. "Remember, Weiss is the princess of a large empire. I'm sure she has money to spare for your needs."
"Really? MISAKA asks." She turned to Weiss and tilted her head.
"I can," Weiss agreed and then glared at Yang. "I told you before not to volunteer me to pay for things, even if I would in this case."
"Aww," Nora cooed. "Weiss has a heart of gold. Remember how short tempered she was with me when we first met, Pyrrha?"
"She just wasn't used to the amount of energy you have," Pyrrha reassured Nora politely, determined not to hurt anyone's feelings.
"I am a very generous person," Weiss sniffed and held out a hand to Last Order, who quickly grabbed it. "Come on, let's go check out." Pyrrha handed her the Lien and watched the two go.
"You know," Yang whispered to Ruby and Blake. "We could solve a lot of problems if you two would just let me take out a credit card in her name."
"I told you before," Ruby said sternly and crossed her arms. "That is stealing, no matter how much cookies and strawberries you offer." She pursed her lips together to steel her resolve against the temptations of her favorite foods.
"Plus, she would kill us when she found out," Blake added.
"Minor details," Yang dismissed them.
"What do you think the guys are up to?" Nora asked excitedly. "You think they got into some trouble and had to show off their awesome skills to get out?"
"Well," Pyrrha answered her teammate with a smile. "Accelerator needs some clothes and Ren was going to restock his herbs and your pancake makings, but anything after that is up to them. I'm sure they are going to find something productive to do with their time."
"He's obviously done this before, Ren!" Jaune yelled. "Don't go easy on him anymore!"
"I'm pretty sure this is his first time," Ren replied, but kept his focus. A large crowd was gathering around him, Jaune, and Accelerator. He kept a firm grip on the gun, as he aimed and continued to fire without missing a single shot. Besides, it wasn't like I was going easy on him anyways. He fired a couple more times and reloaded. Accelerator wasn't doing half bad, a lot better than Ren expected. Jaune may have been wrong about Accelerator doing this before, but he probably did something similar. The crowd cheered when the buzzer went off and Ren set down his gun.
He received the high score on Grimm Blaster. Accelerator managed to scrape third.
After the guys separated from the girls, it was only a short trip to the supermarket for Ren to pick up what he needed. They then found a men's clothing store for Accelerator. It took him about ten minutes to find himself clothes and leave. They were mostly black and white, but there was a blue shirt mixed in. It wasn't like he really cared about fashion, the clothes just had to fit. Jaune noticed the entire time, none of them really talked much. Ren wasn't the most conversational person around, but it wasn't like he didn't talk. He just didn't always have something to say. Accelerator seemed to refer to keep to himself too, unless Ruby and the other girls were pestering him. Jaune took it upon himself to try to bridge the gap.
"The girls are probably going to be busy for another couple of hours," Jaune had suggested. "How about we hit the arcade to kill some time?" Ren agreed, because none of the stuff he bought required refrigeration anytime soon and he wanted to check to make sure his high scores were still up there. Accelerator shrugged and followed, because there really wasn't much else to do. While Accelerator may not have known the exact games Vale had to offer, it wasn't like he never played them. Last Order loved the arcade, so he took her their occasionally. The first couple games were boring, until he saw the first person shooter with a realistic gun. Ren volunteered to face him and that led to the current situation.
"Not bad," Jaune complimented Accelerator. "Ren has a lot more experience than you. He and Nora come here a lot."
"We used to," Ren corrected him. "Nora's still banned from breaking the punching machine."
"Her punches really hurt," Jaune agreed and rubbed his shoulder.
"She used her hammer."
"Oh."
"Tsk." Accelerator made an impatient sound, but he admired the gun controller. "Thought this place would have some plastic piece of crap, but this thing almost feels real. Weight, balance, if it actually had recoil, I might have believed this was an actual gun."
"This side is for older gamers," Jaune informed him. "The rows down there are for kids. I think they have those cheap plastic blue guns." Accelerator rolled his eyes.
"Why don't you contact the others and let them know where we are." Ren suggested. "Maybe find out how long before we can expect them?"
"Good idea." Jaune sent a quick message to Ruby.
"What else do you guys do?" Accelerator asked. He needed to know what Vale had to offer and he didn't have his music to help pass the time.
"We are students," Ren explained. "So a good portion of our time is spent learning, including studying." Accelerator gave a brief nod. He could relate to that. Back in Academy City, even if he was in an isolated advanced curriculum, it was still a class. "We also have to train a lot to fight Grimm. Trips to Vale are usually just for weekends."
"We use the arcade for some guy time," Jaune added. "Being surrounded by girls can be…"
"Tiring," Ren provided.
"Yes, that."
"Can understand that," muttered Accelerator. "I felt like I wanted to blow my brains out on the ride here."
"They aren't that bad," Jaune said. "Except if the cafeteria runs out of pancakes."
"They learned their lesson the first time," Ren sighed.
"What's actually in Vale?" Accelerator asked.
"Probably similar to your world," Jaune said with a shrug. "We got restaurants, movie theaters, shops, pretty much what any normal city has. I know a bookstore that keeps some popular comics, if you are into that."
"The Ruby girl said something about weapon shops?"
"Those are pretty common," Ren answered. "Though, most Hunters prefer to make their own, many just buy one. I'm not sure how much you need one with your power, but a backup would never be a bad idea. You seem accustomed to pistols, so that should be pretty cheap. If you want something with more stopping power, those tend to run up in price."
"Can't help you much with that," Jaune added. "I use a shield and sword myself. Sword's virtually indestructible, so I never had to replace it." He frowned in thought. "Huh, I can't remember even sharpening it."
"Nothing is indestructible," Accelerator replied curtly. "I bet I could break it in a second."
"Please don't," Jaune begged. "It's a family heirloom."
"Nora tried to break the blade once," Ren remembered. "She hit it with Magnhild and I still occasionally hear that ringing in my ears." The three of them grabbed their stuff and started leaving the arcade.
"What about dust?" Accelerator changed topics. "I saw some interesting effects from someone when that woman tested me."
"Goodwitch?" Jaune asked and Accelerator gave a curt nod. "I don't know much about dust, Weiss is the most knowledgeable one about that, but there are stores. You probably won't be able to use it, except maybe some dust bullets."
"Why is that?" Accelerator questioned challenging.
"Aura is required to activate a lot of dust," Jaune explained. "Though, some dust is really volatile, so a strong impact causes it to go off." He turned to Ren. "A little help? You use it more than I do. I only know the basics from class."
"Dust can be found in two primary forms," Ren elaborated. "Powder and crystal. Powder is easier to control, but lacks the raw power of crystals. Dust guns tend to use powder, so the bullets don't accidently explode in the chamber."
"What exactly is dust?" Accelerator asked. "Ozpin gave me a rough overview, but it's the energy source of your world, right?"
"Besides knowing it's mined from the ground and how to use it," Ren replied. "No one really knows where it came from or how it forms. We locate mines and harvest what is dug up. The Schnee Dust Corporation is Remnant's largest supplier and most of Vale's stock comes from them."
"Schnee?" The name registered with Accelerator. "Oh, the rich girl. She's going to inherit that company or something?" Ren nodded.
"She likes to mention it," Jaune commented. "But I don't really care about that. She's a little… rough around the edges when you first meet her, but once you get to know her, you find out she's not a snobby rich girl." Accelerator raised an eyebrow and Jaune shrugged. "I figured you were the same way."
"Oh, do tell?" Sarcasm oozed from Accelerator's words.
"I bet a lot of people get intimidated by your power," Jaune replied. "To be honest, I would be too, but Last Order is such a nice girl and she really idolizes you. You aren't as cold hearted as you try to act." Ren kept a determinedly straight face as Accelerator frowned.
"You're annoying," Accelerator told him. "You know that?"
"So I've been told," Jaune confirmed with a grin.
"Do you always act so chummy around strangers?"
"My mom says strangers are just friends you haven't met yet," Jaune said proudly. Accelerator blinked in surprised, before face palming.
"You are such an idiot." This time, Ren could not hide his smirk at Accelerator's words. Before Jaune could respond, someone else interrupted.
"JAAAUUNNNEEE!" Ruby cried and smashed into him at high speeds.
"Gah!?" Jaune gasped, as he was knocked down by the red blur. "Ruby?" He found himself on his butt with Ruby sitting in his lap, holding a bag.
"How could you?!" she demanded and poked his chest. "There I was stuck being tortured by Yang, while you, Ren, and Accelerator were playing at the arcade!"
"I'm sure it wasn't that bad," Jaune tried to dismiss her complaints.
"It was worse!" Ruby protested. "Yang was never satisfied and Blake only made it take longer when she didn't like something!"
"It's over and done with, right?" Jaune asked. "Doing things you don't like but have to do is part of being an adult." Ruby wanted to argue, but she couldn't. She knew that and didn't want to admit it. Instead, a pout was her compromise, but it only made her look cute and childish. Jaune couldn't resist rubbing her head and messing up her hair.
"Stop that!"
"Where are the others?" Ren asked, worried about what would happen if Nora was left alone.
"They were right behind… oh," I used my semblance, Ruby realized. Oops. She giggled nervously, but quickly stopped when Yang rounded the corner.
"Found her!" she called over her shoulder. The other girls quickly arrived. "Sheesh, Ruby. You can't bolt off like that… oh. I see what you were up to. Missed Vomit Boy that much?" Yang indicated Ruby's position on Jaune. Ruby looked down and realized what she was doing.
"Eep!" she cried and bolted off him. Her red hood covered her bright red face.
"You find everything?" Jaune asked Pyrrha, as he stood up and dusted himself off. He tried to pass that incident off as nothing big, but he was obviously embarrassed.
"Yep," Pyrrha replied cheerfully. "Last Order was very cooperative."
"Naturally," Weiss agreed. "She is a very well behaved young lady."
"Does MISAKA look good? MISAKA asks as MISAKA twirls to show off her new dress." Her eyes stopped on Accelerator and waited for his response. She wasn't the only one. Pretty much everyone turned to watch those two, Yang was smirking, and Accelerator rolled his eyes.
"You look fine," he relented.
"Yay!" Last Order bounded forward and hung onto Accelerator's arm.
"Ren!" Nora half-shouted and turned toward her best friend. "How could you go to the arcade without me?"
"You are banned, remember?"
"Nah, he was only upset," Nora countered. "I bet he's calmed down by now and forgot."
"No I haven't!" a man shouted from the arcade behind them. "Don't you dare come back!"
"Next time maybe you should have a sign saying no hammers!" Nora shot back. Ren had to grab her arm to keep her back. Weiss rubbed the bridge of her nose in exasperation.
"What about you, Grumpy?" Yang asked Accelerator. "You get some clothes to show off your twig arms?" He glared at her a moment before answering.
"Found a couple I liked," Accelerator answered. "But no matter how much you flatter me, you still aren't getting any." Yang smirked back.
"Are you the girl in this relationship?"
"Nah, I'm the guy who doesn't care that your younger sister and the idiot were talking about getting a hotel room." Ruby's and Jaune's mouth fell open at the lie. If Pyrrha had been holding something, it would have been crushed. Ren actually turned around in surprise, but was still concentrating on making sure Nora didn't charge into the arcade and start wrecking things. Weiss could tell this was fake, because neither of those two social awkward people would have the courage for that. Blake was in a similar mind set, but Yang's sisterly instincts overrode common sense.
"Oh, did they?" Yang turned slowly to Jaune. Her hair started to rise, the air grew hot, and her eyes flashed red. "Looks like Vomit Boy and I need to have a talk." Jaune knew she wasn't at the reasoning stage, so he did the next best thing any innocent person in front of Yang would do.
He ran like hell.
"Get back here!" Yang roared angrily and chased after him.
"Don't kill him, Yang!" Ruby cried and darted after them.
"That was mean," Blake commented to Accelerator.
"She's going to kill Arc," Weiss added.
"She isn't really going to? MISAKA asks worriedly as MISAKA disapproves of your joke." Her eyes bore into Accelerator's.
"I'm sure he will be fine," Accelerator told her dismissively. "He seems like he can take a hit." Pyrrha frowned at him.
Little did any of them realize, their antics had attracted some unwanted attention. A man dressed in a black suit with a matching hat and shoes, red sunglasses, and a red tie noticed them. He recognized Yang instantly as the girl that wrecked Junior's club not too long ago. Once Yang and Ruby disappeared after Jaune, his eyes fell onto Accelerator and Last Order. He blinked and pulled out his scroll to check a picture. When he verified they were indeed the people Junior was looking for, he dialed.
"Boss, I found them."
"These reports are troubling," Glynda said worriedly across the desk from Ozpin. "The Grimm have always been active around Mt. Glenn, but they seem to be actually congregating."
"The question is, why?" Ozpin leaned back in his chair and cross his fingers. "That area has always been a focus of negativity and required culling every few years, but this is happening too fast."
"Do you have any theories?" Glynda asked.
"Many, but without more evidence, I will be unable to narrow it down. Sometimes, an unlikely answer turns out to be true. Just because you wish for something to be fake, doesn't mean it is." He sipped his coffee. "Do we have any second or third year teams available?"
"We only had one third year team available," Glynda reported, scanning her scroll. "However, they were sent out this morning to assist with an emergency in an outlying village. Team CFVY is scheduled to return in a couple of days. Should we wait for them?"
"The longer we wait," Ozpin replied. "The worst this situation will grow."
Glynda adjusted her glasses and stared at Ozpin. "What about Qrow? Could you reach him?"
"He is under radio silence. We can't let his position be compromised." Glynda frowned and ran through the options in her head.
"Sir, you can't possibly mean…?"
"I don't see many other options."
"What about contacting some of the Hunters stationed in Vale? You can't possibly be thinking of sending a first year team to investigate this?"
"I'm worried some of the Hunters may be compromised," Ozpin answered and stood up. He walked over to the window and looked out across Beacon. "The information discovered may relate to our current situation."
"You think someone from Accelerator's world is there?" Glynda asked and frowned.
"I believe the probability favors the boy Qrow encountered," Ozpin replied. "Accelerator mentioned the man they fought could control water and we received reports of someone fitting that description near the Grimm Wilds."
"Wasn't he seen in the company of Roman Torchwick's organization?" Glynda asked and Ozpin nodded. "But he's working with the White Fang, so that means… Ozpin, we definitely cannot send in a first year team!"
"I agree it would be too dangerous for a single first year team," Ozpin concurred. "I would prefer for a fourth year team to investigate, but we do not have that luxury."
"So what do you suggest?"
"If one team would be insufficient, let's rectify that."
"Insufficient… two teams? For a first time mission? Ozpin, I have questioned many of the decisions you have made in the past, but I held my tongue. This time, you are risking their lives in something that could quickly spiral out of control. Torchwick and the White Fang can't be underestimated."
"I know how dangerous that man is, Glynda," Ozpin said sternly. His voice was hard. "I will not willingly send children into a suicide mission. Remember, it is only hypothetical that Accelerator's friend is there. His power can negate Aura and repel Grimm, but I do not understand why Grimm would approach him."
"You abused your authority and listened through their scrolls," Glynda realized. Accelerator had only told him about Touma's power to negate supernatural things. There was no guarantee it would work on Grimm.
"I am allowed to listen without prior notice if I believe the information relates to the safety of students and Vale," Ozpin pointed out passively. "Miss Belladonna is a rather unique student due to her past, along with the fact she and her team did not report the incident. The information involving Mr. Touma Kamijou could have an impact far beyond even Vale. You can be sure Roman Torchwick is planning to use him to the fullest."
"It still doesn't answer my concerns about sending two teams into an area overrun by Grimm and possibly the White Fang. You can't expect them to fight against those odds."
"Of course not," Ozpin agreed. "I plan to send both teams to accomplish two different objectives. One will be in charge of thinning the Grimm population, the other will be performing reconnaissance and try to find out why the Grimm are congregating. Should the situation become dire, they will be permitted to retreat with any information gathered. I am also considering sending Barty with them as an escort."
"If that's all," Glynda relented. "And Barty is with them, I can agree to that."
"It will still be dangerous," Ozpin continued. "But all of them understood the danger when they applied to Beacon."
"When should I plan for them to set out? I'm pretty sure I know which teams you plan to send."
"Inform them after classes tomorrow," Ozpin decided. "They will leave Tuesday morning and need to be well rested. If things get bad, Team CFVY should have returned the following day and be able to act as backup."
"It still feels a little too early for their first mission," Glynda sighed and rubbed her temple.
"The life of a Hunter is full of the unexpected," Ozpin said after another sip of his coffee. "It's best they learn it early on and don't get complacent."
Feel free to leave a review, comment, suggestions, or ideas, I love reading them. If you have a question you wish I ask and would like a quick answer, feel free to message me directly. I try to respond to those within a day or two. Comments, I tend to respond to in the next chapter.
You can probably tell this chapter indicates the slice of life portion is winding down for some adventure. Due to outsiders messing with the timeline, things are changing slowly. Who knows what else is going to happen because of the butterfly effect? (If you do, I need to know. I make this up as I go.)
Current Ship Names:
Yang and Touma: Fistbump / Golden Dragon / Imagine Dragon
Weiss and Touma: Prince and Princess / Princess and the Pauper / Shattered Mirror
Ruby and Touma: Blossoming / Thorny Rose / Speedy Rescue
Blake and Touma: Nine Lives / Bad Luck
Velvet and Touma: Bunny Couple / Rabbit's Foot
Penny and Touma: Android's Dream
Ren and Touma: Lotus Fist
Jaune and Touma: Better Luck Next Time
Nora and Touma: Glutton for Punishment
Glynda and Touma: Teacher's Pet / Promise Lands
Emerald and Touma: Shattered Illusions / Illusion Breaker
Twins and Touma: Triple Threat / Cerberus
Cinder and Touma: Through the Fire and Flame / Fire Demons / Sinner and Savior
Neo and Touma: Uncertain Flavor / Breaking Reality
Salem and Touma: Burning Witch / Light and Shadow / Shattering Darkness
Accelerator and Weiss: Cold and Calculating / Ice Vector / Cold Shoulders
Accelerator and Yang: Road Rage / Short Fuse / Way of the Dragon
Accelerator and Ruby: One-Way Rose / No Brakes
Accelerator and Blake: Twilight Arrow / Chain and Sickly
Accelerator and Nora: Shattered Bones / Broken Dreams / Nerve Impulse
Accelerator and Velvet: White Flash
Accelerator and Glynda: Fix and Destroy
Accelerator and Penny: String Theory
Accelerator and Sun: Sunny and Sullen
Accelerator and Coco: Fashionable Disaster
Accelerator and Pyrrha: Opposites Attract
Accelerator and Raven: Yang's Nightmare
