It is a sad day. For those living in America, last week, we received terrible news. Net Neutrality was voted on and is now dead. Even with near unanimous people opposing it, three individuals decided they should ignore the people and allow providers to regulate what we are allowed to see on the internet. There is still a chance we can turn this around in court, but everyone who believes in Net Neutrality should contact their legislator and demand they reenact it. Do I claim to know everything that will occur because of this, no, but it was enacted for a reason. I'm not trying to sound political, but the internet seemed to have rose up in unison the last few days. I'm really just venting because of the implications this last vote implies. Let's move on and get to something interesting, like this chapter. Thanks to Soulcage and Hubb for Beta reading.
JumpingToaster: Years of practice along with a negative outlook about himself probably allows it.
A Special Kind of Stupid: That is one possible outcome, since they both have bad luck. Remember though, Touma is a lightning rod for bad luck. Maybe he can absorb all the bad luck Qrow emits.
Tecpatl: No problem. The fact you can read and write in multiple languages is impressive.
IlluminatiAnimeLover789: I'm not guaranteeing this is a harem in anyways. Having multiple girls like someone does not mean one of them will pull ahead. It adds drama to the story while many other things happen. Accelerator had a crappy childhood so he is used to pushing people away. Now that Last Order is around, he can open up a tiny bit more, but it's not easy. Maybe being healed now by dust, his body might start producing normal male hormones to make things more awkward around the RWBY cast.
TheCasualReader: If they do, it will just be Othinus near the end to help them return home. I don't have a definite ending yet.
WiliamZ0: I might do that when the situations occurs between a pairing. I don't want pairings to be rushed, if they occur naturally, so be it. As I have said before, the dragons will only appear at the right time. Team CFVY should appear soon to help out.
dickythamrin077: Ruby is actually a year older than Mikoto. Ruby is fifteen and Touma is sixteen, which is actually a pretty standard age for many people to fall in love. Getting Touma to fall for her, that's another story entirely. Thanks to Othinus, we finally saw Touma's selfish side. Heh, I alternate between my two big ones and I do make sure these chapters are decent length.
The Rupture: Getting Accelerator to an underground train track may take time, plus there wasn't signal when Jaune tried. Accelerator being sent as back up definitely is a possibility.
Salishious: Heh, the name works, but I'm trying to avoid getting into three ways because the list at the end would get way too long. Limited time meant not everything could be shared.
Onishin Tsukitenshi: I try.
Wiliamsusanto: Touma is the hero to all the young ladies. Yang will find out eventually, guaranteed. The girl would have like triplets and an evil father.
Guest: No resistance to stop the spread.
Guest: Roman is a pro, but it's going to come to an end. The explosion at the end is sure to be an indicator. I have some people who like me to focus on Touma and some who want me focus on Accelerator. I try to give them both time during different situations. Then we have the entire RWBY cast, so that's another thing to add.
The Tyrant-Fool: Hmm. When I gave them names, it was to make it easier for me to address them. Maybe they can show up occasionally.
Rekyuu: Last Order would have to be captured in some way, but there are other ways to show how merciless he can be.
Formboy1: Proper communication can stop a lot of misunderstandings. A lot of stuff will happen in this chapter and the next for Touma to get a clearer picture on what is to happen. Sure, he may hate Roman, but would Neo let him think bad of her? So many questions. Obviously Neptune and Sun are Aogami and Tsuchimikado, while Jaune is Touma in this universe. Every universe has a Touma. When Ruby Tells Yang, with important details missed, Yang is going for the kill. If flirting with Touma annoys Accelerator, she might do it. The names are pretty close, but that just shows you are well their character personalities match up. Neo might not have recognized Raven. She could have just been able to see how powerful Raven was.
Adv: I expect Touma to punch a Grimm or two before someone else.
Dreemurr009: Accelerator? Reading, listening to music on the scroll, and trying not be bothered.
alaude hibari: Huh, okay. If Summer is alive, that could be a thing.
ParadoxVictor: Jaune still needs to try to woo Weiss, which will be amusing to Accelerator. I could totally see Ruby trying to decide which of the awkward dorks she likes more. Now that RWBY has more men not tied down to Nora, much more interesting combinations. It wasn't like Weiss was immediately friends with the rest of her team at the start. Took a couple life or death struggles, some drama, and yelling to get them to be a team. Last Order simply acts as an intermediary between them for now. Added a couple of those names.
Guest: Not beat up, discipline him.
Jazz Ears: He only punches people who are not living their life correctly. That would be Roman and Neo. Maybe he should punch Jaune before returning home. So Jaune can be left with a harem or a spin-off. Not sure what Touma's relationship will be with the White Fang in the future. His name is well known, but it's more with Roman. Touma might be able to stop Adam from being batshit crazy like in Season 5. Jaune x Weiss is tough, but it could work once she sees he likes her for her. It's hard to get past initial judgments of people, good and bad.
Gamator: When I found that out about Ozpin, I thought about it a lot. It really comes down to HOW the curse is affecting him. If the magic is coming from him, then a touch would free him. If the magic was coming from somewhere else, contact would only temporarily break the connection. I'm kind of leaning toward the second option. If Ozpin was to die WHILE Touma was touching him, he would not reincarnate. That knowledge could be useful to a group of people.
Guest: The ship name worked perfectly here, so I had to.
reffast 1000cc: Popular pairing, but still needs some work on implementing it.
Sora with an S: I wanted this train scene for MANY reasons. Just remember, it happens earlier than the main story, so not all the people from the other schools have arrived yet. Going to lead to some interesting developments when certain spies find out about our trespasser's power. Could be used on a certain old wizard.
Phut: Thanks.
Gungnir - Odin's spear: Always appreciate reviews. They let me know what people like or dislike and help me grow as a writer. They are also motivation because I know people are enjoying the story. It seemed so natural for Touma to be tricked and Roman was the man to do it. Have not seen many Touma x Qrow pairing names because they haven't met and recognized the other.
LL: Touma would run away and Nora would consider it a game and chase after him. Well, with the rise of Grimm, the world isn't doing that well. Would probably laugh at Othinus's threats and keep trying to dress her up in doll clothes. Illusions might as long as Touma doesn't touch his head.
Pasapack: Thanks.
Disclaimer: I do not own Toaru Majutsu no Index or RWBY.
Ruby, Blake, Weiss, and Ren landed effortlessly in the car.
"Remember," Weiss said. "Find and disarm the bombs. If that isn't possible, we make our way to the front and stop the train." She reached into her pocket and handed Blake a small container of different colored dust. "Oh, you might need this."
"Thanks," Blake responded with a nod. She quickly loaded the cartridge into her sword handle.
"Well," Ruby pointed out optimistically. "Most of the White Fang are running on the roof so we might be in the clear."
"I doubt Torchwick would be so foolish not to keep a few men back to protect himself and make sure this train keeps moving," Ren pointed out.
"True," Weiss agreed and the four of them began to run forward. "Don't expect them to be your average cut of the mill-…" She was interrupted when the metal door on the far end of the car slid open to reveal a small girl in white, pink, and brown clothes. She held a parasol with a similar bright design in her right hand while her left hand was on her belt. A devious smirk adorned her confident looking face. Their arrival didn't seem to faze her at all, even at four to one odds.
"Neo," Blake hissed angrily. Everyone drew their weapons. "No, you three go on. We can't waste time. I'll take her." The others nodded and started to run forward again. Neo's feet moved to adjust her stance and her parasol shifted slightly in her hand. It was obvious she was going to try to stop the others from passing. Blake expected this and charged towards her straight on. Her blade slashed horizontally across where Neo would have been, if she hadn't begun to somersault backwards. Ren and Weiss managed to slip by, but the curved end of the parasol handle moved out when Ruby passed. Neo landed on her feet while the handle slipped around Ruby's ankle.
"Ahhh!" Ruby cried out as Neo used her momentum to spin around on the spot. Ruby was pulled around and thrown back where she came from.
Right into Blake.
"Oomph!" The both of them fell backwards, but managed to jump back up to their feet quickly enough. The metal door shut behind Weiss and Ren, so at least one good thing came from it. Neo spun her parasol around in her hand and grinned. Blake's eyes narrowed and she held her blade out in front of her, with her sheath at her side. Crescent Rose transformed into a scythe from its gun form and Ruby held it at the ready. Neo stepped forward and her eyes flashed dangerously.
"Is it my imagination?" Ruby whispered to Blake. "Or does it look like she really doesn't like us."
"I doubt she wishes to be friends," Blake answered. "Two on one is advantageous to us." Though, I have to agree. Blake was focused on Neo's eyes. The multicolor girl seemed to be calm and mocking them on the outside, but there was anger hidden in those constantly color changing eyes. Ruby mentioned she had stopped Torchwick from stealing dust before, but this seems more personal. It is obvious Neo targeted her.
She didn't know how close to the truth she was.
Meanwhile, Ren and Weiss managed to get to the next car, right as the far door opened up. The hulking form of the White Fang Lieutenant walked in. He wore the standard pants and black gloves of other White Fang members, but his forearms had metal guards. The Lieutenant also had a distinctive top with a collar that stuck up around his neck and lacked the buttoned look of the standard garb. His large chainsaw was sending sparks up as he dragged it across the floor.
"Seems we have another obstacle," Ren remarked.
"I'll handle him," Weiss replied. "You go on." Ren nodded and the two of the sprinted forward. Weiss pulled ahead and didn't flinch as the chainsaw revved up. As the Lieutenant brought the chainsaw blade down, Weiss flipped backwards to avoid it, while Ren slipped by to the left. Due to the size and weight of the weapon, the Lieutenant was unable to change directions quickly. By the time they reached him, neither Ren nor Weiss figured he was the agile type. Sparks flew up from the ground as the chainsaw hit metal, but Ren had already passed the White Fang member by then. The sound of weapons clashing behind him almost caused him to turn around, but he resisted the urge.
Weiss is capable, Ren told himself. Our main objectives are disarming the bombs, stopping the train, and capturing Torchwick. All of these train cars have too many boxes to check them all efficiently before the train gets to Vale, so that should be my priority. He slipped into the next car and the door shut behind him with a clang. He wasn't alone in the room. Two others were there.
"Well, well," Roman commented. He spun his cane around in a circle. "I think you are lost, missy. You should probably turn around and leave."
"I'm a guy," Ren stated plainly. He might have figured Roman was taunting him, if his long hair, thin frame, and pink dyed hair hadn't caused that misunderstanding before.
Roman blinked.
"My bad," Roman apologized with a short mocking bow. "You have to admit, that pink hair is sending mixed signals." Ren's eyes drifted from him to the boy behind Roman.
"I take it you are Touma Kamijou?" Ren asked, ignoring Roman's taunts. "You fit the description from Blake and Ruby." The boy nodded, but seemed slightly weary of Ren.
"I'll give you one chance to leave," Roman told Ren. "If you don't, I'm afraid I'm going to have to use force."
"I can't leave until this train is stopped and you are in custody," Ren replied.
"Impasse it is." The two of them looked at each other and then charged. Roman raised his cane and brought it down to strike Ren's head. Ren jumped to the side and sent a blow towards Roman's side with his knee. He responded by leaning back and swinging his cane horizontally. Ren raised his guns and the blade parts absorbed the blow as he jumped backwards. In midair, he unleashed a barrage of bullets. The cane moved and deflected several of them, while Roman's Aura absorbed the impact of the rest. "Not bad kid, you got some skills."
Don't pay attention to the taunts and strike fast and hard, Ren thought. The second his feet touched the ground, he dashed forward to unleash a flurry of quick slashes with his gun blades. His blades only clanged against metal. Every strike was blocked or deflected with Roman's cane. However, Ren was not limited to just weapons. He studied martial arts and the second Roman's weapon moved to knock away his blade, he delivered a straight kick into Roman's stomach.
"Gak!" Roman couldn't resist as the blow made direct contact. Ren wasn't the type of person to let an opening escape him. When the force lifted Roman into the air, Ren continued to deliver attack after attack at speeds that made his arms look like blurs. Roman was blown into the air and Ren jumped up after him. He channeled his aura into his fist and delivered a punch into Roman's chest, sending him crashing into the train floor before sliding backwards. Roman quickly scrambled to his feet and stepped forward while swinging his cane to slam into Ren before he touched the ground. Ren managed to block, but he bounced backwards against the floor. "Kid, say good night." The bottom of his cane opened up and was pointed directly at him.
A red blast exploded out of the end and collided with Ren.
"Ahh!" Ren cried as he was blown back into a large metal crate. I can't take a hit like that again. His body cried out in pain and part of his clothes was burnt.
"Roman!" Touma shouted. "Wasn't that too much?!"
"I keep telling you," Roman sighed and straightened his hat. "You can't be gentle with Hunters, even the ones in training. They aren't like normal people. Look, he's getting up again." Touma turned to see that Ren was indeed getting up again. "If you can get him to surrender, be my guest. You managed to get Neo to listen to you and that's no easy task."
"Sorry," Ren said and started to brush himself off. "I'm not giving up without stopping this train."
"Hunters are known to be stubborn," Roman laughed. "But you should know when you are outmatched."
"I have a reason to continue fighting," Ren stated firmly. Not only were his friends on board, but if this train reached Vale countless innocent civilians would be caught in either the explosion or the Grimm following them. Seems Ruby's and Blake's reports were accurate about him. He was worried about Roman's attack against me. Can't take another attack like that head on though. My Aura can't withstand that. Ren did not have a powerful defensive Aura to take hits like Yang, Nora, or Jaune did.
"Speaking of Neo," Touma asked Roman. "Wasn't she supposed to be back yet?"
"Probably being delayed by more Hunters and Huntresses," Roman muttered bitterly. "Tell you what, I have things covered here. Go find the Lieutenant and Neo and bring them back as quickly as you can."
"On it." Touma bolted past Roman and only paused for a fraction of a second to watch Ren. Ren briefly considered trying to stop him. In the end, he did nothing because Roman was watching him closely. If Ren gave an opening, Roman was sure to strike. There was also the fact Ren remembered Touma did not have an Aura. Firing bullets at him would severely injure him. This was something he wasn't willing to do. Touma left through the door and it slammed shut behind him.
"He will realize the truth eventually," Ren told Roman.
"Sure," Roman laughed and shrugged. "While I wish I could keep using him longer, that power is so useful, I'm afraid he probably won't survive what is about to happen."
"He will if we stop you first," Ren pointed out.
"You can try, boy. Struggle until the end, it's amusing."
"Finally," The Lieutenant growled. "I get to kill a Schnee."
Weiss just gave him a fake smile, raised her rapier, and took up her fencing pose. The Lieutenant roared and charged at her bringing the chainsaw down. He was physically strong, while Weiss was not. Speed and technique were more her forte. Instead of trying to block the blade, a futile effort on her part, Weiss parried the blow by pushing against the flat side of the chainsaw so it fell down harmlessly next to her. A quick jab into the Lieutenant's shoulder with the rapier was more than enough to throw him off balance. As he turned and stumbled, Weiss unleashed another series of blows into his chest and side. The Lieutenant finally swung his chainsaw at her, but she merely leaped over him, landed on the ground, and delivered another flurry of blows in quick succession.
The Lieutenant yelled angrily and swung his weapon horizontally. Weiss dodged by less than an inch as she backflipped under the blade, sprung up, and delivered a slash against his shoulder. He once again was thrown off balance and another flurry of precise strikes caused him to fall backwards. Weiss jumped over his body and hit him once more before landing daintily on her feet. She turned and smiled, sure she had won. Her eyes widened slightly as the Lieutenant stood up and growled.
He's durable, Weiss thought to herself. It's like fighting Arc, but his offense is no joke. Even though she parried his first strike, it took a lot more effort than she would have liked to move it even a little bit. Her opponent was strong. As long as he can't hit me, I have this in the bag. The Lieutenant lifted his chainsaw into the air, the revving never faltering for even a moment, and brought it down in an overhead chop. Weiss dodged to her left, but the chainsaw blade hit the ground and immediately shifted directions to cut at her diagonally upwards. Weiss was forced to block the strike directly or it would have cut her in half. "Oomph," she grunted as the full force of the blow tore through her. She was sent flying back and crashed into a stack of heavy crates. Somehow, she managed to stay standing. She refused to close her eyes from the pain and saw the Lieutenant aim a kick at her. Instead of dodging, she jumped into the air.
Twisting in midair, Weiss planted her feet on the ceiling and pushed off. The Lieutenant jumped back and Weiss's blade hit the ground with a clang. She slashed her blade upwards, but it was only blocked by the flat of his weapon. Sparks flew as metal clashed against metal. A frontal assault wasn't going to work against such a large weapon, but her quick attacks were preventing him from countering. Weiss was probing to find a weakness she could exploit. After a few seconds of probing, she decided to make one. Her last attack was delayed, which gave the Lieutenant a false sense of security. He raised his chainsaw and Weiss jabbed him in the chest immediately. The force knocked him backwards, but he managed to spring back up to his feet.
Time to finish this, Weiss thought and held her rapier in front of her, tip facing the ceiling. A large white glyph appeared under her while half a dozen formed around the Lieutenant in roughly a dome. The one beneath her sent her flying forward at speeds her body would normally be unable to produce. Her rapier struck him faster than he could react, but the attack didn't stop there. Weiss twisted around right when she hit one of glyphs and immediately flew backwards to strike him again. The glyphs disappeared after each use. She continued to bounce off each glyph and repeat the process until the last one that happened to be above the Lieutenant. She was about to strike him one last time in the head to knock him out, when he raised a hand.
"Come here, princess!" he growled and grabbed her face with his hand. The downside to her movement glyphs was she couldn't change direction once released. Her body's reaction speed was not able to keep up. The Lieutenant slammed her into the ground and lifted her back up, before throwing her into the wall.
"Ow," She groaned and rubbed her head. Shit! The Lieutenant was approaching her and she activated the dust cartridge in her rapier. The Lieutenant marched toward with his chainsaw raised to finish the job. Not today! The blue dust cartridge clicked into place and she slammed the tip of her rapier into the ground. A wave of ice exploded from her location and encased the Lieutenant before he could react. Only his head was free and he cussed at her. "How vulgar," she reprimanded him and then sighed in relief. Ow, my body hurts all over. The door further ahead opened up and she turned, hoping to see Ren, but her eyes widened slightly she saw a different boy rush in. That has to be Touma Kamijou, he fits Blake's description. He glanced at Weiss's and the Lieutenant's situation before running forward to help. Weiss didn't expect him to be able to break the ice without Aura, even her opponent wasn't able to.
She did not expect the sound of breaking glass.
She also didn't expect for all her ice to just disappear.
His hand can negate elements generated from dust? Weiss thought in shock. Her body reacted automatically and she sprang to her feet, regardless of the pain.
"You okay?" Touma asked the Lieutenant.
"Now that I can move," he answered. "Why are you here?"
"Roman told me to bring you and Neo to him," Touma said urgently.
"Neo should be up ahead," the Lieutenant replied grumpily.
"Got it," Touma said with a nod. "You going to be okay?"
"I won't get caught again." Touma rushed to the next room and the Lieutenant turned his attention back towards Weiss.
Weiss was staring at the two in stunned silence. Here, a lieutenant of the White Fang was talking to a human like they were comrades. The old White Fang might have had people who did that, but the current one hated humans. Weiss had lost many people she knew to their attacks and they would never allow humans into their organization. Working with Roman had to be out of desperation, but this wasn't a simple partnership with Touma. The Lieutenant actually seemed okay with him around. "White Fang being friendly with a human?" she asked him. "Now that's a surprise. I expected you to only keep him alive for his power."
"He's not a vile Schnee," the Lieutenant growled and didn't elaborate. Instead, he revved up his chainsaw and Weiss raised her rapier.
Neo was planning to enjoy herself.
Before her stood two threats that were about to be neutralized. The girl in red, who had interfered with Roman's heists twice, and the Faunus girl in white and black, who had infiltrated their ranks, had their weapons drawn. Sure, they were a threat to their operation, but that was the lesser of their sins. The Faunus girl tried to take her toy hostage and even threatened his life. The little girl then decided to sneak into her toy's bed, something she had been about to do ten minutes later to see Touma's surprised expression in the morning. To make matters worse, both of them had told Touma information he didn't need to know, which caused doubt to spring up in his mind. If he knew what she and Roman were really up to, he wouldn't speak to her ever again. There was something about him, maybe his trusting personality added to the fact his eyes held strength forged from some kind of experience, that she decided she had to keep him close.
So seems Red does use a large scythe, Neo thought to herself. Amateur. The railcar's confined space won't let you optimize your blows.
Neo was confident, but she never was overconfident. Her snarky demeanor and attitude was just a show to incite her opponents. Once angered, they tend to make mistakes and grow sloppy. She also had a rough idea of the abilities. Ruby was a speed fighter and she would have to watch out for sudden attacks from behind, but the narrow car would limit the number of directions she could come from. The other girl, she was a problem. Neo didn't know her name, but she witnessed her speed and fighting style a little bit when she escaped. Agile and sharp blows, but they could also be powerful. The girl had a wide variety of techniques at her disposal.
Blake and Ruby looked at each other, nodded once, and charged.
Neo ducked under the red blade and swung her parasol upwards to smack Ruby under the chin. The blow sent her stumbling backwards, but Neo was forced to shift to the side as Blake's sword slashed at her. Neo brought her parasol back and deflected the sheath in Blake's other hands, before shifting back and forth to dodge a flurry of strikes. Blake disengaged and Ruby's scythe came down vertically. Neo somersaulted backwards and landed in a sitting position on a crate. To make everything look completely natural, she smiled and opened her parasol. It looked like she was sitting happily under the sun, completely unconcerned about the two Huntresses in training in front of her.
She's good, Blake thought angrily. Neo impressed her, but she wasn't going to let the girl who tricked a young man into doing something completely against his nature escape. "Look for an opening," Blake whispered to Ruby. "She's good."
"Right," Ruby agreed. Neo's smiled widened and she sprung up to her feet.
Easy enough, Neo thought to herself. Break the Faunus's attacks and watch out for surprise attacks by Red. This wasn't her usual style of fighting. Most of the time, it was assassination. Her semblance to create illusions and teleport allowed her to enter and escape pretty much anywhere undetected. Killing people without anyone noticing was easy. Direct fights weren't her strong suit, but it wasn't like she never had them. Sometimes operations go wrong and you have to fight. She wasn't super strong, but she excelled at using her opponent's strength against them.
Blake charged at Neo and she shifted toward the right to dodge the initial attack. Blake twisted in midair while swinging her sheath like a blunt axe. Neo ducked under the blow and folded her parasol back up before using it to push away Blake's arm and prevent her from swinging her sword. Blake responded by aiming a kick toward Neo's gut. She responded by spinning around on one foot, avoiding the blow, and then landing her own kick in Blake's side. Blake gasped and was sent flying back. Neo was about to pursue and deliver a lethal blow with her hidden blade, but she was forced to step back to avoid Ruby's scythe.
This is annoying, Neo thought to herself. Ruby was able to swing horizontal strikes continuously by spinning her large scythe like a windmill. The scythe's range kept Neo from drawing in close. The second Ruby slowed down and Neo began to initiate a counterattack, Blake appeared at her side and began to attack, which forced Neo back. One on one, Neo would have been able to easily take them down, but they were able to work together somewhat. She could tell their teamwork was rough and it was more of them acting as a solo fighter whenever the other was driven into a corner. Blake suddenly swung her sheath down and a blade of purple light flew out at Neo, tearing up the floor as it approached. Neo stood still and watched it with a mocking smile on her face. Her expression never changed when the light made direct contact.
She shattered like glass.
"What?!" Blake gasped and looked around wildly. "Ruby! Behind you!"
"Where-…AHH!" Neo had appeared behind Ruby and slightly to the right. Ruby tried to turn, but Neo had wrapped her free arm around Ruby's and the parasol over the other. It only took a quick twist to break Ruby's grip on Crescent Rose. If it wasn't for her Aura, her arm would have broken too. The scythe went one way, and Neo flipped Ruby onto her side in the other direction. Ruby slammed into the ground with a grunt.
"Get away from her!" Blake yelled and slashed at Neo. Neo only giggled and somersaulted backwards, but made sure to kick Crescent Rose further away.
"You'll pay for that!" Ruby cried in anger as she watched Neo treat her baby with such disrespect. Neo looked at her and then glanced at the weapon and grinned. She jumped over to it and kicked it again. "STOOOPPPP!"
"Don't!" Blake tried to warn her. "She's trying to rile you-…!" Her words weren't fast enough to match her young leader's speed. Ruby had disappeared in a flutter of rose petals to reappear behind Neo and next to Crescent Rose. She reached down to grab her weapon, when Neo's parasol collided into her gut. While Ruby's speed was so fast that even a Faunus enhanced sight couldn't follow, Neo's experience told her where Ruby was going to go and she was already moving. The second Ruby slowed down, Neo made contact. Ruby flew back, crashed into the wall, and slumped down unmoving.
Blake noticed a knife sticking out of the end of Neo's parasol.
"YOU…!" Blake screeched and charged. Neo turned and deflected Blake's slash with her own blade. The anger at her leader and friend being stabbed caused Blake to attack in a blind fury, which was what Neo was trying to do. The blows were becoming sloppy and easy to evade. She deflected the sword, dodged the sheath and finally found an opening to step in. She smacked Blake in the face with the side of her parasol and the kicked her stomach while bringing the blade down on her wrist. Neo broke Blake's grip and the sword went skidding across the ground as Blake flew backwards. She managed to land on her feet, but Neo charged forward and jabbed her parasol with the knife sticking out of the end at Blake's throat.
Blake flickered back and left behind a clone made of fire.
Neo's eyes widened right when her weapon made contact. The moment her blow struck, she was engulfed with an explosion. Blake sighed and rubbed her stomach where Neo had kicked her. The dust Weiss had given her worked well. By combining it with her solid afterimages, she could add different attributes to them. Fire dust caused the explosion and Neo had taken it point blank. The smoke cleared and Blake's eyes widened.
The parasol Neo held was open and looked relatively unharmed.
It closed up and Neo slung it over her shoulder with a cocky grin. The parasol was made out of thin, but extremely durable material that was resistant to shock, heat, cold, and tears. A small burst of flames was easily deflected by it. Blake quickly glanced around for her sword and saw it on the ground, but Neo was already moving toward her. Before Blake could react, Neo swept her feet and then smacked her in the side of the head with her parasol. Blake hit the ground with a thud. Neo responded with a smirk and kicked her in the side, which knocked her back a couple feet. She sauntered over to Blake, who tried to raise her sheath defensively. Neo laughed. She delivered another kick her into her side, with enough force to lift Blake a foot in the air and flip onto her stomach. Her sheath skidded away when her grip loosened.
Time to die, sluts. Neo had choices on who to kill first. As Ruby lay motionless, she decided to turn her attention toward Blake, who was struggling to get up. Neo started to walk over to Blake and the blade at the end of her parasol retracted. Neo instead pulled out the hidden blade out of the handle and stepped on Blake's back pinning her down. She slowly lowered the blade down toward Blake's neck, reveling in the fear in her yellow eyes as she struggled fruitlessly.
Neo raised her blade to jam it through the protective Aura and then her ear twitched.
She leaned back to avoid the bullet.
"Get off her!" Ruby yelled and aimed her gun.
Annoying, Neo thought. Her scythe is also a gun. What an idiot. She missed her only chance. At this distance, I would kill her friend before she could hit me, let alone pierce my Aura.
"Get off!" Ruby repeated, her glare never wavering from her rifle's sight. Being so focused, she completely missed the door behind her opening up. "Or the next shot won't miss!" Neo had to resist the urge to smile and then a plan came to mind. She suddenly looked fearful. Ruby raised an eyebrow, confused at the sudden change in expression, when she heard someone yell to draw her attention from Neo.
"Stop, Ruby!" Touma yelled and tackled her. Ruby's rifle went off and it actually almost hit Neo, but she stepped off Blake to avoid it.
"Hey!" Ruby cried. "Get off! I need to save-…!" Her voice cut off when she heard the sound of breaking glass. Ruby's voice failed her.
Touma's hand had grabbed her arm.
Blake had told everyone about how Touma negated her Aura and, while it was hard to believe, they didn't really have a reason to doubt her. Knowing about it and experiencing it were two different things though. Ruby felt her Aura disappear instantly without a shred of resistance. Her strength, which really had never been that great, diminished. Crescent Rose was out of reach and Touma was pinning her to the ground. There wasn't any way she could free herself. Ruby felt completely helpless. She was able to turn her head to see Touma glancing between her and Neo with Blake.
"Get off!" Ruby pleaded. "She's going to kill Blake!"
"You were the one trying to shoot her in the back!" Touma refuted, but he focused his eyes on Neo. They traveled down to the sword in her hand. "Neo…," he said nervously. "You weren't going to, right?"
Neo's lips tightened but she didn't respond. His arrival made things complicated. She had been planning to end Blake and finish off Ruby, before heading back to Roman. A simple lie about how she chased them away would have been able to fool Touma. Blake started to get up, now that Neo was off her, which forced her to step on Blake's back again and keep the blade against her neck to prevent a chance of a counterattack.
"Neo," Touma said again, more firmly. "You don't have to do this. They're beaten."
"I told you," Blake croaked to him and she felt the cold steel press against her neck. If I'm going out, I'm going to make sure he's not being used anymore. "They aren't saviors. They are criminals manipulating the White Fang for their ends." Neo's grip tightened and the blade cut slightly into Blake's skin.
"Don't!" Touma called out and Neo turned back toward him. He didn't let Ruby go, or the situation might escalate, but he knew he wouldn't be able to reach Neo in time to stop her from his position. "Please, Neo. It's over. Don't go any further."
This shouldn't be this hard! Neo fumed silently, mostly at herself. Any normal situation, she would have cut Blake's head off. Only Roman could have gotten her to stop. Anyone else, she would have just ignored. It wasn't like Neo was a psycho. While she may enjoy bullying her victims, she knew when and when not to kill. Many times, killing did not go unnoticed. Sometimes, you needed them alive for information. This was not one of those times. The two girls were a threat to Roman's operation and have interfered one too many times. They needed to be put down. Ruby continued trying to yell and plead with Touma to get off and help her stop Neo, but they ignored her. Well, Neo did, but she could tell Touma was listening, but choosing not to react right now. The anger from Blake's glare was still on her.
"Roman wants us to head back!" Touma shouted desperately. He was running out of options. By stressing the importance of leaving now, he might be able to let the two girls live. I know we are in a world consumed by violence and monsters, but Ruby and Blake are good people and don't deserve to die. "Knock her out and let's go." It was a risk and Neo might not agree to it, but he knew there was good inside the mischievous little girl.
Interesting. Neo thought about it for a second, her mind racing. The train was doomed anyways, as it was supposed to crash and explode under Vale. If the girl was knocked unconscious, she would die once the train reached the end of the tracks. Normally, Neo wouldn't risk it, as they could possibly escape, even with the horde of Grimm chasing the train. The thing was, Touma would still believe in her if she did. This meant if they got out, she could keep him by her side and Roman would be able to use his power for future endeavors. There was a lot of benefit keeping the charade up. If this is a mistake, Roman is going to annoy the hell out of me.
Neo kicked Blake in the side of the head.
"BLAAKKEE!" Ruby cried out in horror. Touma's hand slipped off of her and she charged forward. Instead of attacking her, Neo jumped back and let Ruby reach the unconscious girl.
That should keep the hero type busy, Neo thought smugly and drifted over to Touma. Touma accepted her hand to help him up and he looked at her.
"Is she…?" he asked.
'Unconscious.' That was the single word she typed in her scroll before putting it away.
"Neo… thanks," Touma told her in completely honestly. Neo's face felt hot staring into his eyes and she looked away in embarrassment and maybe a tiny bit of guilt. She would have to explain it later. To mask her feelings, she grabbed his shirt and started to drag him toward the door to head back to Roman, when it burst open.
Weiss flew through the air and landed near Ruby and Blake.
"Weiss?!" Ruby cried out in shock. "What happened?"
"That guy is tough," Weiss mumbled and then notice Blake was unconscious. "Is she okay?!"
"Just unconscious," Ruby reassured her. "But it's three of them against us too." The Lieutenant began to walk into the car, but they got help from a surprising source.
"Leave them!" Touma told him. "Roman needs us back to the front car. We don't have much time." The Lieutenant looked like he was about to argue, but a quick glare from Neo silence him. The three of them took off and the door slammed behind them, blocking the three girls from their sight. "Roman was fighting someone, but he said he could handle it."
"I doubt that guy would lose to kids," the Lieutenant growled. "And even if he could, he would have three or more escape paths planned out." Neo nodded in agreement.
"So where is this train going anyways?" Touma asked, as they passed through the next car. The Lieutenant was about to reply, but Neo silenced him by moving her finger across her neck where Touma couldn't see. The Lieutenant merely shrugged. They entered the next car, where Touma had left Roman, to find it deserted. "He must have gone up ahead." There wasn't any need for him to say that. The other two were perfectly aware of what Roman would do. They ran at full speed through the next couple of cars and finally found Roman. He spun around and grinned when he saw who it was.
"Good to see you three," Roman greeted them. "I take it things went smoothly."
"They were just kids," the Lieutenant pointed out. "Though that Schnee was unexpected."
"Are you okay?" Touma asked Roman, after noticing his suit was cut in a couple places.
"He slipped out of the car when he realized he wasn't going to win," laughed Roman. "He must have climbed on the roof to assist his other companions, who seem to be rampaging through the rest of the White Fang."
"We need to help them then," Touma declared instantly. Roman glanced at him and then raised an eyebrow at Neo, who was miming frantically to tell Roman what had transpired.
Good girl, Roman thought impressed. Use a resource as long as possible. "We would," Roman told him. "If we didn't have another problem. Our sensors picked up that there is a blockade before we reach our destination. We have time to stop, but someone on the outside cut the breaks. We are on a doomed train."
"What are we doing to do then?" Touma asked. The Lieutenant held his tongue. Even though he knew that was bullshit, Roman was telling the kid a lie for a reason. The blockade was simply the seal to keep any Grimm from entering Vale through the underground tunnels.
That was the White Fang's true target with the train loaded with bombs.
It was a suicide mission for them all at this point.
"I already sent out the evacuation order," Roman said a lot calmer than one would expect. It only increased his air of professionalism. "They are retreating from branching side tunnels if they get a chance. The driver was already long gone once we realized the breaks were gone. Neo, if you would be a doll. Get us out of here before we crash." Neo nodded and slipped in between them, when her eyes widened and she started miming quickly to him. "Right…" She and Roman turned to look at Touma. "I was so used to your power by now, it slipped my mind."
"What's the problem?" Touma asked, though he had an inkling it had to do with their escape path.
"Neo, here," Roman explained. "Has the ability to teleport. The plan was to get us out of the way before we crashed, but your hand would undoubtedly prevent that."
"It would," Touma confirmed. "Teleportation doesn't work on me." He sighed and looked around. "You might as well go. I'll find a way out myself." He felt a tug on his sleeve and saw Neo glaring at him. Roman shook his head.
"That's brave, but suicidal." He tapped his cane on the ground. "Tell me about a possible plan, we have time."
"I was thinking," Touma began. "Most of these crates are shock proof so that if they fall, dust won't explode, right?"
"Yes," the Lieutenant confirmed. "The last thing we need is explosives going off mid route."
"What if I hop into one of them with some padding stolen from a few others?" Touma continued. "The dust is going to go off anyways, so it doesn't matter if it's out of the box." Roman, Neo, and the Lieutenant blinked.
"Genius!" Roman declared. "I'll say, you are quite resourceful. If you make it out of this, I'll be sure to find you. Use whatever you need." He gestured all around him and then turned to the Lieutenant. "I have one thing I need some muscle with before we crash. So we need to hurry." The Lieutenant nodded and they left through the heavy metal door to the next car. Touma didn't waste any time and started to unload one of the crates large enough for him to get in. Neo helped out by opening another and started to remove the shock insulation. Once they got enough, Touma slipped into the box and started packing as much insulation around him while leaving some room to breathe. When he was finished, he was about to close the lid, only to find Neo holding it.
"I'll be fine," he reassured her. "I've lived through worse than this." Neo tilted her head. "Seriously, crazy stuff happens to me. Instead, I want to thank you again."
Neo looked confused and pointed to herself while mouthing, me?
"I know it wasn't easy to let those two go," Touma said. "Roman and you… have no doubt done some bad things. And there's probably a reason behind it, but you had the opportunity to do what was right. I know you have some good in you and, if you ever need help, I'll be there." Neo's lips tightened and she leaned forward to look him directly in the eyes. "Neo? Is something-…"
She didn't let him finish and leaned forward to kiss him on the lips.
"W-wha-..!?" he stammered before Neo fitted the lid and the lock clicked into place. The lock could be opened from the inside, so the risk of him suffocating for being trapped in the box was lessened, assuming he wasn't caught under a pile of rubble. He called out to her, but the box muffled his voice. Neo turned and walked away in the direction of Roman and the Lieutenant.
His words had made her stomach churn uncomfortably.
"What do we do now?" Weiss asked the others. They finally managed to wake Blake up and then retrieved the fallen weapons.
"We have to go after them," Blake declared and then flinched. Her head suddenly started to spin for a moment.
"You are in no condition to fight," Weiss told her sternly. "And I'm pretty beat up myself. Ren went up ahead, but since Touma Kamijou returned, Ren must have failed."
"Do you think Ren's…?" Ruby's voice trailed off.
"I doubt it," Weiss reassured her. "The boy didn't seem to be the type to let people get killed and Ren is smart enough to retreat. We should try to find him though."
"Ruby," Blake said and turned to their leader. "You know we have to go after him."
"I know," Ruby agreed. "It was thanks to him you got out of this, but-…"
"But what!?" Blake snapped.
"Weiss also has a point," Ruby said meekly. "We should meet up with the others and go from there."
"Good plan," Weiss encouraged.
"I can't believe you two," Blake growled. "We are this close to stopping Torchwick and rescuing Touma, yet you want to run away?"
"Not running away," Weiss explained. "Strategic retreat."
"We don't have the power to break through Torchwick's people," Ruby added desperately. "We need to regroup with the others and fight our way to the front." Her silver eyes turned to look at Blake directly in hers. "Neo took both of us on at once and won. Can you honestly tell me we could stop her right now?"
"No." Blake hated to admit it and averted her eyes.
"Then let's get to the roof and meet the others," Ruby declared in a much stronger voice. "It might actually be easier to run over the top to reach the front."
"Fine." Blake sheathed Gambol Shroud reluctantly and followed Weiss and Ruby up through the rooftop hatch. Once at top, they saw Bartholomew and Jaune's team way up ahead. The number of White Fang and Paladins had been severely reduced. One Paladin was floating in midair, the weapons on its side crumpling by an unseen force. A second later, it was thrown off the side of the train.
Pyrrha, the three of them thought and ran forward to help. It didn't look like it was needed though. Most of the White Fang were long gone and the remaining Paladins were destroyed. As they approached, their presence was noticed by Bartholomew and Nora. A familiar guy was behind held up by her.
"Ren!" Ruby cried happily. "You made it!"
"Yeah," Ren nodded and then grimaced. "I wasn't able to apprehend Torchwick though. I was forced to retreat when I realized the situation was impossible."
"We didn't have any luck either," Weiss added. "Torchwick had some very skilled security."
"For hurting Ren," Nora growled angrily. "Next time I see him, I'm going to break his legs."
"I take it the bombs are still onboard?" Bartholomew asked them.
"There were too many crates to check them all," Weiss explained. "Then we were attacked and were forced to retreat."
"I see," Bartholomew said grimly. "That leaves us with stopping the train as our only option."
"Guys!" Jaune called out when he noticed them. He, Pyrrha, and Yang ran over to them.
"You guys took them all out?" Ruby asked.
"We were," Yang said. "But then they started to flee after seeing how amazing we are." Her eyes fell on Blake, Ruby, and Weiss in turn, noting their torn clothes and bruised body. "What happened to you lot? Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Blake said dismissively.
"We ran into Torchwick's bodyguard, Neo," Ruby explained. "Yang, she's really strong. I don't think even you would stand a chance."
"There's no way I would lose," Yang bragged.
"It's good to see you all again," Pyrrha added. "The top of the train is cleared now so, doctor, what should we do?"
"With disabling the bombs off the table," Bartholomew said hurriedly. "We need to get to the front of the train and hit the emergency brakes."
"Sounds easy enough," Jaune said with a shrug. "Everything is clear now."
"That's kind of suspicious," Ren murmured.
"They were just in awe of how amazing we were," Nora reassured him. "You should have seen us. Yang and I knocked down a hundred people before each of us grabbed the arms of a Paladin and tore it in half. My half was bigger so I got the wish."
"Lucky," Yang muttered. Of course, none of that happened, but they were all use to Nora's wild stories by now. Nora and Yang had only held the paladin's weapons back so Pyrrha could tear it in half with her polarity. Jaune had managed to withstand several large explosive shells with his shield, surprising Yang. She always knew Jaune was durable, but to stand his ground and not even scratch his shield was pretty impressive against the Paladin's firepower.
"Chattering is unproductive right now," Bartholomew reprimanded. "We need to stop this train."
"Eh, guys?" Ruby squeaked and raised a hand to point in the distance.
"What is it, Rubes?" Jaune asked and then his eyes moved to where she was pointing. "Is that…oh god! We are going to die!" Everyone turned and there were similar expressions of shock. The train had just reached a straightaway and far in the distance, there was a large wall. The train was heading directly toward it with no signs of slowing down. With all the bombs on board, the force of the crash was sure to set off a chain reaction, regardless of how much shock proofing the crates had. They also had no doubt the bombs scattered throughout the train were set up with either a sensitive trigger or timed to go off during the crash.
"What do we do?" Ruby asked Bartholomew.
"I have an idea!" Weiss shouted. "Everyone gather around." No one decided to argue and the nine of them moved close together. Weiss took her rapier and hit the roof with it. A thick floor of ice formed under them and then grew into walls around them. They kept growing in segments and then formed a ceiling. Once they were all completely enveloped, the ice casing kind of resembled a lotus flower. Weiss didn't stop there and used all of her remaining ice dust to strengthen their protective shell. The theory was the impact would be lessened by the ice and their Aura would be able to absorb the rest of the blow. Weiss wasn't taking any chances and used all of her ice dust to make the shell as strong as possible.
The train collided into the wall at the end of the tunnel.
The resulting explosion shook Vale.
No one in the city could have expected what was about to happen.
It was a sunny day, the streets were packed with all the citizens going about their business. There were no warning alarms, no signs of danger, and then everything changed in a single moment. The ground in the center of the plaza exploded. The sound of continuous explosions, rocks crashing into the ground and nearby buildings, and metal debris clanging dulled out the sounds of people screaming in shock and terror. Once the initial explosions died, large chunks of ice rained down into the streets, along with a multitude of people. The dust made it hard to specifically identify anyone. Once the explosion's completely ceased, a few brave people started to inch forward, trying to see what happened. The people who had appeared during the attack began to stir.
Ow! Jaune thought with a grimace, as he rubbed his head. He opened his eyes at the fuzzy scenery and blinked to try to get things to focus. Thanks to his strong Aura and constantly being beaten up in combat class, he might actually have to thank Glynda about that sometimes, he could take blows like a champ. "Ruby, P-Pyrrha, Nora, Ren?!" he called out, coughing slightly when the dust got into his throat. The air started to clear and he saw Yang and Nora getting up too. "Yang! Nora! You two okay?!"
"I've been better," Yang complained and rubbed her head.
"Pancakes would make things better," Nora grumbled and started to climb to her feet.
"Ruby?!" Yang called out, looking around frantically for her sister.
"I'm okay, Yang!" Ruby cried back. She looked at the two girls laying near her. "Weiss, Blake, can you stand?"
"I want to sit in a bath for a year," Weiss grumbled and grabbed a piece of rubble to help her up.
"I'll live," Blake answered.
"Ren!" Nora cried out. "Where are you!?"
"I'm here, Nora." Ren was already up on his feet, but he was wobbling slightly. The explosion didn't help his stamina since he was already weakened by his fight with Torchwick.
"Professor?" Pyrrha called out.
"Doctor!"
"Everyone's accounted for," Ruby called out to Jaune.
"We should probably check to ensure no one was hurt by the explosion…" His voice trailed off when he saw the civilians getting closer. The dust in the air was mostly clear. "Don't come any closer!" he yelled at them. "Get away to safety!"
"Who are you and what happened?!" someone shouted.
"Grimm are on their way through the tunnel!" Ruby explained frantically. "Everyone needs to get out of here!"
"Are you crazy?!"
"She must have hit her head during the explosion."
"Someone call the police!"
"They don't believe us," Yang muttered angrily to Blake.
"Doesn't matter," she replied. "We have to get them away from here."
A lone howl echoed up from the tunnel.
Everyone froze.
"What was that?!" countless civilians asked and turned in fear. The howl was immediately followed by countless more, high and low pitched, and what could be thought of claws or something large clicking on metal. This was both good and bad news. The good news was the civilians now believed Ruby. The bad news, fear was about to set. If there was one thing that attracted Grimm, it was negative emotions.
"Ladies and gentleman," Bartholomew addressed the crowd. "My name is Doctor Bartholomew Oobleck, professor at Beacon. A train of explosives has opened a hole into Vale, which a large number of Grimm are moving towards. If everyone could please evacuate in a calm and orderly manner, we shall ensure that none of them leave this vicinity until reinforcements arrive." Announcing himself as a teacher might have allowed them to keep some semblance of order. Everything changed when the first pitch black claw climbed out of the hole. The Beowolf opened its mouth and howled in triumphant. Countless more howls followed it and more Grimm began to rise from the abyss.
All hell broke out.
Civilians started screaming and running in every direction as an endless tide of Grimm began to pour out of the whole. The fear and terror everyone was excluding was only causing the Grimm to escape faster, drawn to the negative emotions. The more Grimm that emerged, the more civilians were terrified, and then more Grimm were drawn in. It was an endless cycle until one side was destroyed. One of the Beowolves charged toward a young man and woman. Frozen in terror, they weren't able to respond.
The Beowolf fell a few feet from them with a sword in the back of its head.
"Please run," Pyrrha told them, as she grabbed her sword and turned toward the tide of Grimm. The two civilians muttered something along the lines of thanks and took off.
"We have to hold them back!" Ruby cried out to everyone. "So the civilians can escape. We are the only line of defense!"
"Circle the encampment," Jaune ordered his team. "We got this side."
"Team RWBY!" Ruby directed. "Cover our half."
"On it, Fearless Leader!" Nora shouted and bounded over, smashing an Ursa in the head with her hammer. "Hey, Pyrrha. Once this is done, we should have Ren make us pancakes."
"That will be something to look forward to," Pyrrha agreed. Ren sighed, but he smiled all the same. His guns slipped out of his sleeves and formed a wall with the rest of his team.
You can do this, Jaune thought to himself. All that training, the practice in Mt. Glenn, your team, this is the moment. He took a deep breath and tried to exude all the confidence he could muster, or at least fake. "Team JNPR, do not let a single Grimm pass! We will hold this line as long as necessary!"
"So will we!" Ruby announced to her team.
"I wouldn't be able to live with myself if Vomit Boy holds out longer than I can," Yang said and punched a Beowolf charging at her. It was sent flying. Her gauntlets cocked into place. "I got this."
"It's what we joined Beacon to do," Weiss added and held out her rapier. "This is what we trained for."
"And it's partially our fault for being unable to stop it," Blake murmured softly so that no one else heard it. Her thoughts kept drifting to Touma. Thanks to his interference, Neo spared her, which meant Blake was in his debt twice. And we let him escape with Torchwick. There's no telling what kind of vile acts Torchwick is tricking him into helping with. She raised her blade in one hand with her sheath in the other.
The eight Hunters and Huntresses in training surrounding the hole as the tide of Grimm continued to swarm out. Even with Bartholomew there, they were vastly outnumber by Grimm. Right now, it was defensible, but once the news spread out to the rest of the city, the panic would only increase. The terror of knowing their city's fortification was broken and Grimm were flooding in would only cause negative emotions to spread, which in turn would cause more Grimm in the surrounding area to approach. They would grow tired while the Grimm kept approaching.
Things were only going to get worse.
"Seems like we never get a chance to rest," Coco laughed to Velvet. Those two, Fox, and Yatsuhashi were standing and holding onto the handles attached to the ceiling.
"It couldn't be helped," Velvet replied. "We were the only second years available."
"And sending multiple groups without assessing the situation could lead to unnecessary casualties," Yatsuhashi added.
"Still," Coco continued and pointed toward the fifth member of their group. "Sending a newbie with us to help out? Without a weapon?"
"Ozpin simply knows I'm the best person for an extermination job," Accelerator answered cockily. "Besides, I am a weapon. What are you going to do, hit them with your purse?" A hand motioned to Coco's brown handbag. He was really only there because Last Order wanted him to help out her new friends. When she looked at him with tears in her eyes, even Accelerator had to act.
"I might hit you with it," Coco retorted.
"There is no need to fight," Yatsuhashi interrupted. "If Ozpin said this young man would be capable, I have no reason to doubt his skills."
"Coco," Velvet added. "You shouldn't be picking fights with allies. Perhaps you could try to be friendlier?" Coco lowered her glasses and stared at Velvet for a moment.
"Alright, Bun-Bun," Coco conceded and turned to Accelerator. "So, Ice King." Accelerator didn't even flinch at the name to avoid giving her any satisfaction. "Since you seem confident in your skills and we were told to exterminate all the Grimm breaking into Vale, how about a small wager? The one who kills the most Grimm wins? If you lose, I'll have you act as the baggage boy for my next shopping trip. I'll even point out some outfits that would suit you instead of those drab clothes." Fox and Yatsuhashi flinched at this. Both of them had been baggage handlers for Coco when she goes on a shopping trip. It was nightmarish and always ended with them collapsed on the ground when they returned to Beacon.
"When I win?" Accelerator asked with an eyebrow raised.
"If you win," Coco corrected him and grinned. "I'll let you take me out to coffee in Vale." Velvet's eyes widened.
"Both of those sound like a punishment," Accelerator replied with a smirk. Fox and Velvet had to hide their amusement at his words. Coco was very attractive and guys usually did not say no to her. Coco's scowl sobered them up immediately. "And a pain, but I'll play your game, if only to prove how amazing I am. Maybe you can talk about my greatness to the rest of the people trying to bother me so they will leave me alone."
"How long until we arrive?" Yatsuhashi asked Velvet, before another argument could happen. It was unusual to see someone stand up to Coco so readily, but now was not the time for it to escalate.
"Ten minutes," Velvet answered. "But Team RWBY and JNPR should have already engaged the Grimm." She looked worried.
"Do not worry," Yatsuhashi reassured her. "Both of their teams are quite skilled and will be able to handle themselves."
"As long as they can keep the Grimm relatively contained," Fox spoke up and sounded slightly irritated. "Then we should be fine."
"Something wrong, Fox?" Coco asked. "You've been kind of irritated since we left. It's not like you to be fidgety."
"Just a feeling," Fox mumbled and stared into the distance. "Like we are approaching something… unnatural."
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.
Current Ship Names:
Touma and Yang: Fistbump / Punchline/ Imagine Dragon/ Love at First Punch
Touma and Weiss: Cool to the Touch / Princess and the Pauper / Shattered Mirror
Touma and Ruby: Blossoming / Thorny Rose / Speedy Rescue / Innocently Indecent/ Nectar of the Gods.
Touma and Blake: Nine Lives / Bad Luck / Kami-Nyaan
Touma and Velvet: Bunny Couple / Rabbit's Foot
Touma and Penny: Android's Dream / Faulty Electronics
Touma and Ren: Lotus Fist
Touma and Jaune: Better Luck Next Time
Touma and Nora: Glutton for Punishment / Divine Sparks
Touma and Pyrrha: Babe Magnet
Touma and Coco: Black Coffee/ Stylish Illusion
Touma and Glynda: Teacher's Pet / Promise Lands
Touma and Adam: Chronic Crusaders
Touma and Emerald: Shattered Illusions / Illusion Breaker / Portmanteau Poverty
Touma and Twins: Triple Threat / Cerberus
Touma and Cinder: Through the Fire and Flame / Fire Demons / Sinner and Savior/ A Match Made In Hellfire
Touma and Neo: Uncertain Flavor / Breaking Reality/ Stockholm Slasher Romance
Touma and Salem: Burning Witch / Light and Shadow / Shattering Darkness/ Grimm Chances of Survival
Touma and Summer: Summer Break.
Touma and Raven: Alpha and Omega
Touma and Qrow: Misfortune Squared / Bad luck Charms
Accelerator and Weiss: Cold and Calculating / Ice Vector / A Frosty Reception
Accelerator and Yang: Road Rage / Short Fuse / Way of the Dragon
Accelerator and Ruby: One-Way Rose / No Brakes / Rose Manipulation
Accelerator and Blake: Twilight Arrow / Chain and Sickly / Chasing Shadows
Accelerator and Nora: Shattered Bones / Broken Dreams / Nerve Impulse
Accelerator and Velvet: White Flash / Hopping Mad
Accelerator and Glynda: Fix and Destroy
Accelerator and Penny: String Theory/ Broken Toys
Accelerator and Sun: Sunny and Sullen
Accelerator and Adam: Charging Bull
Accelerator and Mercury: Killer Moves
Accelerator and Emerald: Red Eyed Killers
Accelerator and Coco: Fashionable Disaster/ Fashion is a Science
Accelerator and Pyrrha: Opposites Attract
Accelerator and Raven: Yang's Nightmare/ Fallen Feathers
