As I'm writing this, I noticed 60 comments had been posted for this chapter. I did delete a couple that appeared to be spam, such as someone posting 4+ times with things that really didn't need to be posted, but I don't delete comments pointing out issues or suggestions for me to improve. Still, 60 comments on a crossover story I, who is nowhere near a professional author, is a pretty big achievement. So I want to again thank everyone who took the time to read this story and leave behind a review. It really is a nice indicator on how I'm doing and a nice motivator to continue writing, even when I have other things that occupy my time. Also a special thanks to SilverFang88 for continuing to review my chapters, even if all he wants to do is play Monster Hunter World 24/7.
jordanlink7856: I can see your pairing is decided.
98kazer: I feel I should reprimand you for that pun, but I'm not very good at them myself.
Neema Amiry: Been writing for ages. As long as I don't tire of the story, I'll keep cranking it out until it finishes.
Mrcrazyman94: They have no resistance. As long as Touma doesn't take Pyrrha from Jaune, it's good.
Ahsoei: Heh, like Ozpin would let the students know about his secret deals.
IlluminatiAnimeLover789: RWBY has a lot of opportunity for slice of life stuff. The action events in the actual series only happen a couple days during the school year, so there are plenty of opportunities for basic school adventures. It's time for people to get to know Neo.
MythAnime: Eventually you will get that.
shiroryuu012: Ah Touma, time to add the Queen of Grimm to your harem.
HikariNiwa: SilverFang has declared Neo best girl now and will get mad at me if she doesn't win.
JumpingToaster: Aleister would wipe out Salem if it meant bringing back Touma and Accelerator.
Bluejack222: Pretty much.
Guest: No, no, no. Accelerator only gets in trouble when Last Order loses him. As for Neo getting along with them, if she doesn't threaten Last Order, Accelerator will tolerate her, probably.
The 10th Wand: They spend a good part of their time fighting monsters, being able to do normal things like dating keeps them grounded to reality.
Guest: Nope, only at 19. This is the 20th.
Guess: His hormones were unbalanced because he deflected a lot of external stimulus subconsciously that caused his body to not need them. To consciously adjust each gland's output is not something he actually bothered to figure out. Now he has to actually focus on it and won't work when he sleeps.
LL: That skit could actually occur based on if Touma meets Velvet. He's not going to stay quiet about Cardin picking on her. Hey, gamers don't rely on luck, only skill. The IB won't affect them. I kind of want to write the scene where Yang and Nora try to get Accelerator to pump iron. He won't be able to do much and something Yang will tease him mercilessly about. Of course, the shirtless part on Touma is just so he doesn't dirty his clothes. No ulterior motive is present. Touma will leave Remnant twenty years older because of Neo.
Guest: Team TouMan!
dickythamrin077: Blake is the quiet, territorial girl.
Handsomistic1: Why not all three? A scheme gone wrong because she likes Touma and he changes her?
Moongaze14: Arkos is my OTP in the RWBY ship, so there will be comments about that. Neo's interactions with the others are going to be great. As for Tsune, I'll reread Professor Arc at some point.
Gashadokuro Amanojaku: If they had one more combat team member, maybe. For now, there is a T, A, N and maybe an L or O. Though, they probably won't add Last Order to the team name. So team TAN seems doable.
Croniklerx: Huh, didn't think the grammar was that bad. I'll see what we can do. Team JNPR always seemed to be the team that could get along with anyone. On Team RWBY you have; a socially awkward, a heiress, a silent bookworm, and a party girl. Ren's always just kind of there. Everyone over shadows him unless you to specifically focus on him. The hormones thing was just a joke on discord and it ballooned into a real event in this story because of the hilarity and plot development it can add. I don't think Yang would actually get with either of them, but she might tease Ruby and Blake about the possibilities. (I'm bad at puns, sue me.) "'Touma touches people and makes them weak in the knees' is grade-A lemon fuel right there." Oh god, someone on discord just said something similar not too long ago. Sadly, I should have skipped over some of the repetition, but the people's reactions were kind of important. It's all well and done now so I can focus on new stuff.
Inacio: The ice crystals were formed by igniting dust with her Aura. He could negate the Aura used in the dust to turn it back into pure dust and would have given the appearance of making it disappear. Negating dust without Aura is something else. Ozpin is old enough to call him that. Vacuo doesn't have many laws though, so can't break them with discrimination if there aren't any.
Oracle14: Well, they are the ships that kind of started out. Things could change.
icedragon811: My reviewer does too.
Wiliamsusanto: No, Accelerator's body is back to normal levels, with his brain a little less than optimize. He has to wait until his body adapts to the new hormone levels, so no idea how long that would take. Growth is an important part of any story. Always blame Touma. The spy games shall now commence.
Fernandamichelleraya: It does make sense Ruby would be the one to break Accelerator's shell. She's too much like Last Order and will continue to approach him the harder he tries to push her away. Accelerator's issues revolve around trusting. People used him and consider him a monster. He also knows he can hurt people without meaning to. Separating himself from the others was a way to stop that. Accelerator is the bad guy a good girl can help rehabilitate. Heh, Weiss might not have a chance. Of course, Ruby can always just be a friend. She doesn't have to fall for him romantically. Everyone HAD to try getting their Aura negated. How often do you get to experience that?
vietnamese guy: Literally.
Formboy1: I wondered what happened to you. So much is going on when you make a list like that. Accelerator being attracted to girls was my absolute favorite idea though. Killing Bites manga was fine and I thought it would end, but then it keeps updating. Yang is still really strong and works out constantly, so once the shock ends, she can own him. Last Order is too young to be part of the team name. They probably will be Team TAN until someone else joins. Keep trying with the names, something is bound to stick.
Gamator: Touma's dream girl.
HydraLightning: Misfortune? He actually got an attractive girl. That lucky bastard!
Salishious: I skipped some of the dialogue and moved straight toward the action. Neo is a Lessar with actual skills. It's hard to exploit Accelerator's weakness. Nope, because there's some unusual properties of dust crystals and powder. Aura comes from a living person, so it replenishes itself. That seems more like Merlot Industries than Schnee.
Boop: People in the TAMNI universe don't really understand it, I doubt people in RWBY would. That skit though… I want to work it in somehow.
Maxxuzumaki: This chapter has a few minor ones. It kind of focuses on Touma and Neo, if the title didn't imply that.
Guest: Hard to tell with Blake. She's not nearly as open as someone like Neo or Yang would be. A kiss in private might be doable.
A certain guest: Ah, I fixed it now on this chapter. Yatsu is kind of a minor character, so not sure how much exploration he will have. Ren is kind of in the same boat too about being kind of Japanese. I kind of implied already someone from Touma's world visited Remnant at some point in the past, remember? I doubt he could have a lasting effect if it was only a little while. It will be a while before a good opponent for Accelerator will face him, still debating about the maiden powers. I'm probably not going to have Tsune play a major part like that. A few minor funny scenes here and there will most likely be the most of it.
RedBurningDragon: Roman and Neo needed a lot more screen time than they got in the actual series. Zwei will be arriving in a day or two because he and Last Order can get into trouble.
Dark Tyrant-Fool: He could still get that opportunity.
Guest: Suppressing made more sense. Negating an Aura completely meant it wouldn't come back.
Anon: All a good story takes is an idea and perseverance.
Tiffany012: Unless the bullets are completely made of dust, no. A metal casing would still have been fired.
WiliamZ0: The names are what people give me. Some pairings are easier for people to come up with. Touma would occasionally chuckle at a bad joke. Once he knows she does it ALL the time, he will stop. Sarcasm, identifying it is an important skill. Ah… cat fights. How we love them.
Fortitude: Aogami might kill Touma after this chapter.
zek-xz: Nothing bad happening to Touma…. HAHAHAHA. That's an interesting point. Touma usually surprises his opponents with the IB. Without that element, he could be in trouble.
Pasapack: Repetitiveness is over. Time for new adventures. 1) Jaune 2) Aqua 3) He doesn't like to brag. 4) No.
Phoenix 7.49: Being low on Aura is not the same as being exhausted. Even being low, they still have enhanced power. Raven will show up eventually.
Sergio644: Neo x Touma… two complete opposites.
Tecpatl: Time for Touma to get some boxing training from yang.
Disclaimer: I do not own Toaru Majutsu no Index or RWBY.
"I object to leaving that girl alone with them."
Glynda glared at Ozpin from across his desk. The two of them had returned to his office after leaving Touma to introduce Neo to Last Order and Accelerator. Glynda knew about the arrangement, but had been constantly trying to talk Ozpin out of it. So far, her words appeared to have fallen on deaf ears.
"Ozpin, she's a murderer, thief, liar, and who knows how many other laws she's broken. Yet… you want to leave her alone with three children who do not belong in our world? What were you thinking?!"
"I was thinking," Ozpin replied calmly. "That given a second chance, Miss Neopolitan will understand there is an alternative path aside from a life of crime. Her skills and experience are incredibly valuable. It would be a waste to throw them away."
"No one is questioning her skills," Glynda interjected quickly. "What I'm questioning is the logic behind putting her in a group with children. What's to stop her from running amuck and slaughtering them? What if she's a spy sent by Roman Torchwick to investigate us? If the word gets out she's here, James and the council are going to serve you on a platter."
"Things won't be quite that simple," Ozpin answered, maintaining his calm demeanor as he sipped his coffee. "Roman kept her well out of the spotlight and the only people who know her true identity are part of the criminal underworld. Those same people are unlikely to squeal or else they run the risk of her wrath. Some in-depth investigations revealed her existence, but she was never identified. She could walk around Vale in broad daylight without being recognized. The Vale Police Department and the council will have no way to identify her."
He set down his mug and stared directly at Glynda.
"If worst comes to worse, I'll simply tell them she was an insider who passed on the information leading to the interception and arrest of the recent White Fang activity." He shook his head. "I would prefer that situation not occur. It would require a great deal of time to convince certain individuals."
"What do you mean?" Glynda asked.
"Do you think I believe everything people tell me?" Ozpin asked and raised an eyebrow. Glynda bit her lip, but kept her gaze on him. "I was also skeptical about her sudden desire to reform. Initially, I too believed she was acting as a spy; knowing that it would not have been the first time. So I questioned her on what sort of proof she could provide to show how serious she was. She gave me quite a bit of information that I passed on to the local authorities. They recently performed a three pronged attack on the warehouses the White Fang had been using. Of course, they were also accompanied by a handful of Hunters currently in the city as an added precaution."
"I heard the police were doing something," Glynda admitted. "But it just happened and there was no information on that outcome available yet."
"I actually received the report only a few moments ago." Ozpin reassured her. "The underworld moves fast and, to be honest, I didn't expect much. As soon as the White Fang was revealed, they would abandon their current locations and stay inconspicuous. I half expect the warehouses to turn up empty." He sipped his coffee again. "Turns out I was half right; as only one of the three was completely empty. The second one was lined with crates. From what I was told, there was several million Lien worth of dust stored inside that warehouse." Glynda's eyes widened slightly. "The third was almost empty, but only because the White Fang was desperately trying to clear out their stockpile."
"Were they taken alive?"
"Many were," Ozpin confirmed. "Thanks to their surprise arrival and the professional hunters. A few escaped and the dust already removed has not been found, but a couple dozen were taken in for questioning. I have to go down to Vale tomorrow to assist with that. The breach, as you know, is not their usual style of protest. We still need to find the motive as to why they did that. Hopefully, together we can find out what the White Fang wanted to gain by doing this. Finding Roman and anyone else of note that collaborated with him is also top priority."
"This operation was too big for him to be working alone," Glynda agreed. "Still, even if she provided information regarding her former employer's work, that still doesn't excuse your decision to place her with three children. One of them is only around ten years old!"
"I am aware, which is why I established three specific conditions for her to follow." Ozpin continued. "The conditions I set in place were as followed: One, she must be accompanied at all times. We can't let her wonder around the school as she pleases. There are certain rooms she must not know about." Glynda nodded. "Two, she is forbidden from going back to Vale until I say otherwise. This is to prevent her from meeting up with any of her former comrades." Glynda nodded in agreement again. "Third, and this is kind of a continuation of the last condition, was that she is not allowed access to her scroll. Because she is unable to speak I have given her a tablet to allow her to communicate along with preloaded textbook information." He actually smirked at this. "If she wanted to join my school, then she will be treated like a student."
"Ozpin," Glynda pressed exasperatedly. "You didn't explain your logic about letting her on a team, with three children who shouldn't be in our world in the first place!"
"That wasn't my original plan," Ozpin told her seriously. "She gave me one condition she would not budge on before giving me a single scrap of information."
"And that was…?"
"That she was to stay by Mr. Kamijou's side."
Glynda stared at him.
"Are you telling me?" She asked, dumbstruck. "That this girl, a feared and ruthless assassin, gave up crime to tag along with a boy?"
"That sums it up quite nicely," Ozpin agreed and smirked at her expression.
"Ozpin… that reasoning is insane!" Glynda almost threw up her hands in exasperation. "There is no way that's true! You put our students in danger because you want to believe in love!?"
"Love can cause many people to do crazy and foolish things," Ozpin sighed, leaning back into his chair. "But that is not the only reason I allowed this. Mr. Kamijou… I believe he has the power to turn her away from the darkness and onto a new path. Being away from Roman, the White Fang, and all other negative or criminal influences would do her some good. She will no longer need to steal to survive and her skills can be used to train others. Plus, if she recognizes a Huntress as being a viable career path for her, the good she can do will be immeasurable. I want to believe in that dream, but I can't take a risk like that without some sort of precaution. It is the reason I included Last Order and Accelerator with them."
"Tell me the reasoning," Glynda half demanded.
"Accelerator is perhaps the only student here who stands a chance against her," Ozpin explained. "If she regressed and ran wild, he would be the best chance at stopping her before our staff could arrive. With Last Order there and having the knowledge of who Neo was, he will not let down his guard." He turned to face Glynda directly. "Is that acceptable?"
"I still don't like it," Glynda muttered. "But you make a lot of decisions that I doubt and they end up working. Maybe I should just go along with your whims."
"Don't do that," Ozpin told her quickly, sitting up in his chair a bit. "I have made a lot of mistakes over the course of my life. Having someone questioning me helps me go over the process of making that decision in the first place." He smiled at her. "Keep doing what you have been doing."
"Okay." Glynda frowned and flipped through her clipboard. "Question then: If Miss Neo is truly in love with Mr. Kamijou, did you tell her the school rules about those types of relationships?"
"I mentioned it," Ozpin confirmed. "That issue is that might be one of the rules she doesn't mind breaking. Hopefully, Mr. Accelerator will make them tone it down with Last Order around. If nothing else, to keep her from being… corrupted."
Lilac eyes changed to red as heat began to erupt around Yang.
"Move!" She yelled at Touma, as she charged forward.
Out of the members of Team RWBY, Yang was easily the best fighter without her weapon. Ember Celica, her shotgun gauntlets, only emphasized her preferred fighting style of beating her opponent down with brute force. Weiss could use her glyphs, but they lacked a lot of offensive capabilities without dust. Blake could fight a little in hand to hand, but she wouldn't be nearly as capable without her weapon. Ruby was completely useless in melee combat without Crescent Rose. Of course, that reasoning was lost on Yang. There was one main reason she had charged forward in a furious rage.
Neo had almost killed her sister.
"Wait!" Weiss yelled out in alarm, but it was far too late.
Yang brought her arm back and prepared to deliver a punch over Touma's shoulder. Even in a fury, she still prioritized keeping the innocent boy from being hit. There was a chance he would still get involved if Neo tried to use him as shield. Two things happened simultaneously and seemed to occur in slow motion. The first was Neo pushing off Touma as she jumped backwards to put a little space between her and Yang. All that was going to do was add half a second before Yang could reach her. Though, with her skill, it was enough to give her several options in how to respond.
Yang expected this.
What she didn't expect was for Touma to jump towards her.
Nor did she expect him to reach up and block her fist with the palm of his right hand.
"What are you doing?!" Yang yelled furiously, as all of her Aura vanished instantly. It was at that moment she understood the true terrifying nature of Touma power. It was one thing to allow him to negate her Aura in a controlled environment and another thing entirely when in combat. Most of her strength disappeared in an instant. Her eyes, now back to lilac, glared at the girl over Touma's shoulder. Neo raised an eyebrow in amusement. "Let go! That bitch almost killed Ruby!"
"Ozpin brought her here!" Touma yelled, refusing to release her. "Let me explain!" He looked over Yang's shoulders and pleaded for help.
"You'll love this," Accelerator laughed, watching the spectacle before him with interest.
"What's… going on?" Ruby asked hesitantly, as Weiss and Blake slowly moved to either side of Yang.
"Neo is our new teammate, MISAKA explains proudly as MISAKA thumps her chest to indicate the importance of this." She was standing on Accelerator's bed, having shot up when Yang charged at Neo.
"What?!" shrieked the girls.
"Holy shit!" Accelerator growled. "Could your voices be any more annoying? At least she's a mute, so it's already a step up from some." His eyes fell on Yang.
"There's no way Ozpin approved this criminal to stay with you!" Weiss snapped. "She's broken countless laws, almost killed Ruby and Blake, and was responsible for the breach! At the very least, she would be locked up for life."
"There's a reason for all of this," Touma tried to reassure them. "Please, let me explain," he asked again. His eyes fell onto each one of them in turn, ending on Blake; who in turn bit the corner of her lip.
"She… doesn't seem to be doing anything," Blake said slowly, causing everyone to glance in her direction. Her eyes never left Neo, who was leaning up against the wall behind Touma. "And Accelerator was rather nonchalant about her presence, yet knew about her from our previous conversations. Let's at least hear him out."
"Are you kidding me?!" Yang asked in disbelief. "Have you lost it?! She tried to kill you, Blake!"
"Will you just shut up?" Accelerator snapped.
"But she didn't," Blake pointed out calmly to Yang.
"Couldn't we at least… hear him out?" Ruby asked tentatively.
"Weiss," Yang turned to the last person of her group. "You're with me here, right?"
"She doesn't have her weapon," Weiss pointed out. "While Accelerator seems unperturbed by her appearance. Something happened, so I think we should hear the explanation." Her eyes narrowed at Neo. "However, if she makes any sudden movements, we will consider it an attack."
Yang made a noise of indignation, but had no choice but to relent.
"Fine," she huffed and her eyes fell down to Touma, who still refused to let go of her. "Are you going to keep holding my hand already or do you want to buy me dinner?" Touma's yanked his hand away in a blur while his face flushed in a weird combination of embarrassment and apologetic. He's so much fun to tease. I could get addicted to it. The brief flicker of light heartedness didn't last long as her eyes bore into Neo's. "Okay... I'm calm. Explain why she is here." Her eyes narrowed. "Quickly."
"It's a funny story," Touma started with a slight chuckle, but quickly stopped when no one laughed. "Ozpin surprised us with her when we arrived here. We haven't heard all the specifics, but it seems she wants to repent and turn over a new leaf for her past actions."
"As if," Weiss scoffed.
"The timing is too convenient," Blake pointed out. "She either just wants to avoid jail or is acting as a spy for Torchwick."
"Duh," Accelerator mumbled. "Ozpin's not fucking retarded." Everyone except Yang glanced at him. She still had her eyes glued on Neo. "She must have given him a lot of information relating to the White Fang and that Torchwick guy. It's the only explanation."
His declaration was met with silence.
"That makes sense," Weiss muttered and rubbed her chin. "She was supposedly higher up in the organization, so she would know their hiding places. Once she surrendered that information, the White Fang would undoubtedly want revenge. So, in exchange for that, Ozpin kept her here; is that correct?" Neo nodded and made a vertical circling gesture with her hand. "There's more?" Neo pointed to a tablet on the desk and then pointed to Yang.
"Get it," Yang growled. "It's going to be easier to argue without trying to decipher your hand signals."
"Are you okay with this?" Ruby asked Accelerator, as Neo walked slowly over to grab her tablet. "I mean, Touma seems like the guy to be willing to accept this… but you?"
"I threatened her when we arrived," Accelerator said with a yawn. "If she tries anything, Ozpin gave me full authority to do what's needed."
Ruby may not have known exactly what he meant, probably something about incapacitating her. Everyone else knew he meant something much more permanent.
"She hasn't done anything suspicious, MISAKA adds as MISAKA tries to diffuse the situation. She answered our questions and then attached herself to the savior."
Ruby and Blake flinched at this.
"Ozpin is giving Neo a second chance to make a positive change for herself and others as a Huntress," Touma protested, mainly to Ruby's teammate. "Shouldn't we support that?"
Weiss pinched her lips together. He wasn't exactly wrong, but that didn't mean she liked it. Blake was in a similar mindset. Yang opened her mouth to say something and then stopped as Neo held up her tablet. It was larger than her scroll, so it was easier to read for everyone.
'What the Schnee said was true.' Weiss didn't question how Neo knew her name. 'I gave up a lot of sensitive information to Ozpin for freedom. He presented me the opportunity to join Beacon.'
"And why should we trust you?" Yang asked bitterly. Neo shrugged in response. "Are you not going to even try to defend yourself?"
'It will only fall on deaf ears.'
Yang's eyes flashed dangerously and Blake was forced to put a hand on her shoulder to calm her down.
"She does have a point," Blake admitted. "We have a grudge against her." She turned to Ruby. "You are the one who actually saw everything. What is your opinion on this?"
"She did decide not to stab you with her sword," Ruby stated and glanced at Touma, seeing him pleading for her help out of the corner of her eye. "So there has to be some good in her." She stepped forward in front of the others and held out her hand. "Hi, this is our first formal meeting, my name's Ruby."
Neo stared at her in bewilderment and then turned to Touma as she pointed at Ruby.
"I'm pretty sure Ruby isn't capable of holding a grudge for long," Touma told her with a laugh.
"You got that right," Yang confirmed and even chuckled at this. "She's pretty trusting. That's not necessarily a good thing though." She glanced at her little sister. "You better not get into strange vans with people offering you cookies."
"I'm not a dog, Yang," Ruby huffed and rolled her eyes.
"So what kind of things did you tell the headmaster?" Weiss asked Neo, determined to keep the conversation on track. Blake was listening eagerly, as any news on the White Fang left in Vale interested her greatly. Neo's response was to smirk smugly at her and hold up the display.
'Classified, told not to talk about it.'
A vein twitched in Yang's head. Weiss didn't look much happier at Neo's response.
"Show them the rules Ozpin set down," Touma suggested to Neo, in order to try to keep the peace. She sighed, clicked her screen a few times, and handed it over to Weiss.
"What's this?" Weiss asked and her brow furrowed as she read the words. "Can't leave school grounds, not allowed her own scroll, and must be accompanied by someone at all times." She looked up at Touma. "And Ozpin gave you these rules?"
"Yeah," Touma confirmed. "He said for now she would be treated as a student like the rest of us, with a few other rules due to her situation." He gestured to the tablet in Weiss's hand. "I know it's asking for a lot, but can you try to get along?"
Neo looked shocked when Touma turned to focus on her and Blake couldn't resist smirking at her expression.
"Here," Weiss said and handed back the tablet to Neo. "It looks like this is really happening."
"Touma's right," Ruby agreed. "Since we are all going to be going to school together, wouldn't it be better to get along? We don't need another Cardin."
"This is a big step from a simple bully to a criminal," Yang spat out and then took a deep breath. "But there's nothing we can do if it's official." She pointed toward her eyes and then at Neo. "I'm keeping my eyes on you. Don't think I forgot what you did to my friends." Neo didn't look apologetic at all to her. "Wait, if she's a student and we have combat class tomorrow..." Yang grinned. "I'm going to see if Goodwitch will let us face off."
"Yang!" Ruby cried indignantly. "We are trying to be friends here. Threatening to beat them up is not a good way to do that!"
'Besides,' Neo typed out. 'I would kick your ass.'
"It's on," Yang declared and smacked her fist into the palm of her hand. "I hope you don't regret it."
"Children," Weiss groaned. "All of you."
"Tell me about it," Accelerator muttered. The two serious individuals shared another brief moment of unity.
'If you are done bothering us,' Neo told the girls. 'Shouldn't you be going?'
"Be nice," Touma hissed at her. "They are my friends." Ruby positively beamed at him.
"We should probably let Team JNPR know she's here at least," Blake said to the others. "Otherwise Nora might pull a Yang and attack on sight."
"Pull a Yang?" Yang asked her partner. Blake didn't answer.
"True," Weiss agreed. "Every time someone pulls a Yang, everyone around them gets in trouble."
"When did you two come up with that saying?!" demanded Yang. Neither Blake nor Weiss answered, but gave each other a quick high five.
"You know how many times she got punished in Signal for pulling a Yang?" Ruby asked. "Way too many. Dad keeps bringing it up."
"Is this pick on me day?" Yang asked the room.
"Yes," Accelerator said from his bed. "Every day."
"We got a couple things to talk about here," Touma told the others. "But we can meet you in the cafeteria in like half an hour. Is that fine?"
"Okay," Ruby agreed. "That gives us time to talk to Jaune and the others so they don't freak out. Oh!" She grabbed the basket of goods they brought. It had fallen onto the floor because of Neo's sudden presence. "We brought you guys some housewarming presents."
"Really! Exclaimed MISAKA as MISAKA rushes toward you." Ruby handed her the basket and she immediately started going through it. "Candy, shampoo, a book… what's this? MISAKA asks as MISAKA holds up a crystal." The crystal was glowing slightly green.
"That's a dust crystal," Weiss explained. "Accelerator expressed interest in it, so I added a few samples of the more common, nonvolatile, types."
"Huh." Accelerator actually sat up and looked at them. "That actually might be interesting."
"That's his way of saying thank you, MISAKA reassures you as she translated Accelerator's mannerisms. MISAKA can tell he really likes it."
"Well tell him thanks for me," Weiss said to Last Order. "The rest of his books and your clothes are still in Team JNPR's room to be picked up."
"I still have a hard time seeing how Last Order is so polite and has a sense of humor while living with Accelerator," Yang commented and Ruby shrugged.
"I'm polite and I live with you," Ruby replied. Her smart mouth got her in trouble as Yang grabbed her and start ruffling up her hair. "Stop it! I give! I give!"
"That will teach you to challenge your cool older sister." While all this was happening, Blake snuck over to Touma.
"Listen," she whispered. "I know you want to see the good in her, but you have to be careful. If she does anything even remotely suspicious, you need to let someone know. It can even be our team if you want. We know how to keep a secret."
"I really hope she doesn't," Touma muttered back. "But I'll let you know if anything happens."
"Thanks."
"Hey!" The two of them jumped as Yang addressed them suddenly. "What are you two whispering about?"
"Nothing!" The two of them denied.
"Suspicious." Yang stared thoughtfully at the two of them. Touma gulped as Neo bounded over next to him and made a shooing gesture towards Blake.
'Don't try anything, he's mine!' Blake's eyes narrowed at Neo's words.
"He can talk with whoever he pleases," She replied black evenly.
"Kitty's got claws," Yang whispered to Weiss, who frowned in thought.
"Yeah!" Ruby added, backing up Blake. "He's our friend too."
"Come on," Touma pleaded. "There's nothing to argue about." Neo raised an eyebrow and silently laughed before holding up her tablet again.
'He and I are a lot closer than you. He even showed me his sword.' Blake, Weiss, and Yang froze. Accelerator wasn't watching them and Last Order was too busy examining the gift bag to notice. Ruby, however, tilted her head in confusion and then looked excited.
"Touma has a sword?" Ruby asked enthusiastically and then turned to Touma. "You said you didn't have a weapon!" She accused at a stunned Touma. "Is your sword big? Can it transform into a gun too?!
"W-what?!" Touma spluttered. "I don't have any kind of weapon!"
'It's also a gun,' Neo added and Ruby looked scandalous.
"Why wouldn't you show me something so cool?!" She demanded. This little scene was going on far too long and Touma finally realized what Neo was doing. He turned to her, his face pale.
"Stop making stuff up!" He demanded. Neo only smirked back and hammered in the final nail of the coffin. "She's messing with us on purpose!"
'He keeps it in his pants because it collapses.'
"Touma!" Ruby cried. "Let me see-…!"
"NO!"
It wasn't Touma who answered her, not that he wasn't about to. In fact, he was saved by Yang, who grabbed Ruby and pulled her away from him. Weiss's face was bright red and Blake looked furious. Accelerator had actually covered a protesting Last Order's eyes and prevented her from reading Neo's screen. The glare he was giving Touma told him it was all his fault this happened because he couldn't control Neo. The only person who looked happy at that scene was Neo herself.
"Let me go, Yang!" Ruby cried out. "What are you doing?!"
"We're leaving," Yang told her and used her greater strength to prevent Ruby from disobeying. "And you are forbidden from talking to Neo ever again."
"You can't do that!" Ruby protested. "I'm fifteen, not five!"
"And you lack a lot of common sense," Yang muttered. "Weiss, Blake… I'm leaving things to you." They nodded as Yang exited the room with Ruby.
"I just want to see his sword!" Ruby yelled.
"Never say those words about a guy again!" Yang admonished. The moment the door shut behind them, Weiss rounded on Touma and Neo.
"I can't believe you two!" Weiss shouted. "What you do on your own time is one thing, but to talk about it in front of Ruby!"
"We didn't do anything like that!" Touma protested, as Neo laughed silently and wiped a tear from her eyes. "Neo loves embarrassing me! She does it all the time."
I can sympathize with him, Blake thought. I hate all of Yang's stupid cat puns.
"Then put your foot down and act like a man!" Weiss told him. Accelerator was watching them highly amused, while Last Order stared at them with her mouth open. "Don't let her do it!"
"How!?" Touma asked. "She can kick my butt up and down the hallway without much trouble."
'It's true. I can.'
"Shut it!" Weiss said to Neo. "I have no idea why you followed him to Beacon, but you will not subject me or my team to your vulgar and perverted imagination." She rubbed her nose. "Seriously, I get enough of that from Yang."
Weird, Blake thought. From what I heard from Last Order and what I saw, he's actually pretty strong.
'I followed him because I like him and want to be good so I can stay with him.' Weiss's and Blake's eyes widened in shock, but neither of them was as surprised as Touma.
"N-Neo," he stammered. "W-what are you saying?!"
Her response was to lean over and try to plant her lips on his cheek again.
Blake's reflexes were faster.
Touma felt her hand on his sleeve and he was yanked away from Neo.
"Thanks for that, Blake," Weiss said with a nod. "We don't need to see public displays of affection."
"Damn straight," Accelerator growled. Those two really seemed to be hitting it off against their teammates when they were doing something stupid.
"At least that answers a few things," Weiss mumbled to herself and then turned to Accelerator. "What do you think of her answer?"
"I think if she and the damn hero are going to get frisky," he replied. "I'm going to throw the brat into your room and I'm finding somewhere else to sleep."
"Sleepover! MISAKA cheers in excitement. MISAKA doesn't think the Savior and Neo are bad though. People like who they like, MISAKA points out."
"It's… complicated," Weiss sighed, while rubbing her temple. "And I really don't want to stay here much longer."
"See you at dinner then," Blake addressed Touma and turned to leave with Weiss. She made sure to give one last glare at Neo, who didn't miss her expression and retaliated with her own message. It was purposely set up so Touma couldn't see.
'So, the kitty likes him too? Doesn't matter, I will win.'
Blake was not amused.
It had been a long day.
Touma was exhausted while Accelerator was just plain annoyed.
Both had been involved in the breach early that morning and the day kept on dragging ever since. Touma had been questioned for hours and Accelerator had to wait with a swarm of people who just kept talking. After they finally had a chance to have a room to themselves until they learned a wanted criminal was going to bunk with them. Ozpin had only answered a few basic questions and then left, leaving the two of them and Last Order to deal with her. Accelerator, despite resigning himself to sharing the room with Touma, was not pleased with this arrangement, at least not until after he found out the girl was mute. After that, Accelerator actually didn't mind her as much. The fact Neo kept bothering Touma and made him uncomfortable was only icing on the cake.
Then Team RWBY came in and everything went to hell.
Finally, they're gone, He thought and glanced at Last Order flipping through a book the girls brought. It was an adult adventure novel from what he had glimpsed from it, but Last Order could read well enough. His eyes darted over to Touma, who was trying to reprimand Neo. Based on her amused reaction, things weren't going well. Control her or I will. The brat doesn't need another role model like Worst.
"You can't keep saying stuff like that to get a rise out of them!" Touma tried to explain to Neo.
'Why?' she asked. 'It's true.'
"There's no way someone like you would like someone like me," Touma sighed and rubbed his temple. "I know I'm easy to fool and embarrass, but I'm way too unlucky for a cute girl to like me."
Accelerator rolled his eyes as Neo smiled.
'Yet you keep complimenting me like you want me to like you.'
"Gah!" Touma realized what he said while Neo giggled and threw herself over his shoulder.
"Hard to believe someone who stood against the entire world that one time is having problems with a single girl," Accelerator scoffed. "What happened to that bastard who fought against me?"
"I only did that to protect someone," Touma retorted. "I'm not that special."
"Say that shit again and I promise it will be the last thing to come out of your mouth," scoffed Accelerator. "You stood against me three times and came out alive. Most people can't even do that once."
Touma didn't say anything to this, or rather it was more like he couldn't. The only reason he was able to do that was because someone's life was at stake. If someone was in trouble, he would do whatever it took to protect them. He couldn't be everywhere, there were limits since he didn't have any amazing powers, but he did what he could. The actual reasoning didn't matter when he compared them to Accelerator's words. People who normally faced Accelerator were usually decimated and never challenged him again.
"Please keep that to yourself," Touma begged. "I'd rather not explain the situation behind that; it's all in the past anyway."
Accelerator clicked his tongue, but didn't argue.
"MISAKA told them a few things about you, MISAKA says apologetically as MISAKA lowers her head slightly. MISAKA didn't go into details, but they do know you two fought."
"I'll try to pass it off if they ask," Touma sighed. "It's not really important." Accelerator clicked his tongue again annoyed.
This conversation interested Neo greatly.
Touma had revealed his heroic side to her when they first met. Without knowing what the Grimm were or who she was, he bravely threw himself at the monsters. The ability he wielded was powerful, though it could be said due to only working via touch, its applications were limited. Roman knew how to make full use of it. The boy was kind, something that could and had been taken advantage of.
Still, there were times when she felt like he knew things weren't as they appeared. Then there were times she felt her danger sense warn her of him. The time against the Beringel in Mt. Glenn was one example. It felt like the more impossible things got, the greater the odds were that he could do something about it. To quell her curiosity, she had asked him about the friends he was looking for.
The description on Accelerator did not do him justice.
Because Neo was honestly terrified of him.
Even if he seemed laid back, his eyes told a completely different story. She had only seen such intense eyes on one other person and that woman was the one who held the leash on Roman. They were the eyes of a killer. The red coloring of those orbs didn't matter at all, even the Yang girl's red eyes only indicated rage. No, it was the depth of those eyes that revealed Accelerator to be a monster. Neo had been in the business long enough to recognize it.
If she crossed him, she would die. She knew that without question.
So why the hell are Touma and the little girl so comfortable around him!?
That was the main reason she wanted to hear the story. It was sure to be something amazing to turn a monster in human skin into a, kind of, docile individual who watches over a kid. There were still the murderous traits in him that wouldn't go away. Accelerator had told her directly if she so much as threatened Last Order, he would kill her. There would not be any mercy and she believed him completely. The girl might be his weakness if the situation ever called for it and she made a mental note of it for the future. She was planning to ask Touma about how he and Accelerator met once things calmed down and they trusted her more.
"We need to go! MISAKA declares as MISAKA indicates the time with her scroll. Everyone will be waiting for us."
"Yeah, yeah," Accelerator muttered and stood up.
"Neo," Touma pleaded again. "Please… try to get along with them." Neo tilted her head in confusion. "No, they did not appreciate your earlier antics." Neo laughed silently and then nodded. "Thank you."
"You can understand her? MISAKA asks amazed. MISAKA still has to read her messages."
"Kind of?" Touma replied as he and Neo followed Last Order and Accelerator out into the hall. "I've hung around with her long enough to get a general idea most of the time." He glanced over at Neo again. "She still surprises me way too much though." Neo laughed again.
"As far as roommates are concerned," Accelerator commented. "She could be a lot worse. At least she doesn't talk. Still, if you want to pull that shit you did earlier, make sure the brat is not in the room." Neo gave him a salute and he appeared satisfied.
"No!" Touma said quickly. "Can you please not pull that stunt ever again, regardless of who is in the room?" Neo shook her head at him and he sighed. "Such misfortune."
He's so cute when he accepts the inevitable, Neo thought happily. She accepted the fact she would have to tolerate the presence of the other students from Beacon. It was easy to tell Ruby liked Touma, but she was far too inexperienced in love to take action quick enough. The Blake girl was Neo's true rival. Her actions back in the room indicated such. Being roommates means I can sneak into his bed with ease. This should be fun.
"What kind of food do you like? MISAKA asks as MISAKA tries to break the tension in the air."
Last Order knew Neo was an ex-criminal and that was supposed to be kept secret from the rest of Beacon. Even so, that didn't stop her from trying to be friends. They were all going to be roommates and Neo was the only other girl. The thought of boys and girls sleeping in the same room still made Last Order blush occasionally when she imagined some things she had seen online. Accelerator had to keep blocking those sites, but her sister Worst kept using her power to unblock them.
'Ice cream.' Neo's response was instantaneous.
"Do you like Neapolitan ice cream? MISAKA asks as MISAKA notices your name is similar." Neo raised an eyebrow and then grinned.
'Of course. It's the best kind.'
"MISAKA likes chocolate."
'Childish.'
"MISAKA is not childish! MISAKA retorts angrily as MISAKA stomps her feet to indicate her seriousness. Chocolate is just a great flavor!" Her actions served to contradict her statement and caused Neo to laugh at her. They continued their little game with Neo needling Last Order and Last Order seeming to enjoy the attention. Touma took the opportunity to scoot over next to Accelerator.
"Sorry about Neo," Touma apologized. "Thanks for putting up with her." Accelerator clicked his tongue in annoyance that Touma was talking to him. "You sure you are okay with her staying with us? I could ask Ozpin for a different room."
"Man, you're annoying," Accelerator snapped and Touma went silent. "She doesn't talk, so it's fine. The brat could use someone else to talk to. Besides, with her keeping you busy, you won't be bothering me as much."
"Yeah…" Touma wasn't sure how to respond to that statement. It was kind of an insult, but at the same time, Accelerator didn't threaten to kill him. Baby steps. "Actually, I'll meet you guys at the cafeteria, need to use the bathroom." Accelerator rolled his eyes while Neo stopped and look as though she was about to turn around. "Go with them," Touma said, trying to prevent the incident from occurring. "I'll see you guys in five minutes." Neo stopped, reluctantly nodded, and followed Last Order. As long as she was with someone, she wouldn't be breaking Ozpin's rules.
Touma had actually planned the timing of this on purpose.
If he had said he needed to use the bathroom, Neo would have waited for him. Accelerator and Last Order would then have left them behind; meaning there was no telling how frisky Neo would be during that time. Her earlier antics told Touma being alone with her right now would be hazardous to his health and sanity. He knew if he dawdled, she would be back looking for him, so he finished his business and made his way to the cafeteria as fast as possible. He really should have walked at a more leisurely pace. About halfway down the stairs, his shoelace came undone and he stepped on it.
There was no way he could stop himself in time.
To make matters worse, a girl had just starting walking up the stairs carrying a stack of papers.
"Look out!" Touma yelled, but there was no time for her to dodge. He crashed into her and they both fell down the stairs and slammed into the floor. Papers flew everywhere and Touma's vision blacked out for a moment. He woke up a second later and groaned. Ow, my head. His left hand twitched and he felt something soft in it. Without meaning too, his hand started to rub the fine material. "So soft…" he mumbled and then remembered what happened. Hastily, he pushed himself up and looked at the girl.
She was wearing the standard uniform of Beacon Academy; or what he assumed was standard. The outfit consisted of red plaid skirt, stockings, a brown jacket with a tan vest and a white shirt with a red ribbon tied at the collar.
Those features weren't important though.
What was important was that he recognized her.
The large rabbit ears on her head was recognizable anywhere.
Coincidentally, he had been rubbing her ear with his hand.
"Are you okay?!" Touma asked worriedly, as the girl pushed herself up too.
"I'm fine," the girl reassured him and then blinked when she too recognized him. "Ah! You're the guy from the breach! Team RWBY's and JNPR's friend."
"Yeah, that's me, Touma Kamijou." He couldn't help notice her cute accent, as he reached down and helped her up; being careful to use his left hand. There had been too many accidents already. Once she was on her feet he quickly bowed in apology. "I'm really sorry for crashing into you and also about touching your ears. I know they can be rather sensitive."
It had been drilled into him several times Faunus were usually protective of their animal traits. Ears and tails tended to be rather tender.
"I-it's fine," she replied, almost as embarrassed as Touma was. She couldn't remember the last time someone apologized so sincerely to her. "It was an accident. Besides, it's not like you pulled them." She blushed harder when she remember what he said about them and decided to change the subject. "A-anyways, it's nice to meet you, I'm Velvet Scarlatina." She looked around at the papers scattered everywhere. "Oh, no! I have to get these to Doctor Oobleck!"
"I'll help," Touma offered and started picking up papers.
"Thank you very much." With the two of them working together, they picked up all the scattered papers in only a couple minutes.
"Where are you taking them?" Touma asked. Divided between the two of them, the stacks weren't that cumbersome. For one person, it would be and was why Velvet had been unable to dodge him.
"Just to the staff room," Velvet answered quietly. "It's not that far. You don't need to bother, I can handle it."
"It's no bother," Touma continued. "Besides, it's the least I can do after causing the mess in the first place."
"If you insist," Velvet muttered embarrassed. She wasn't the most social person. Being timid and shy was her default settings and being bullied by some other students didn't help her confidence. This time was like when Jaune saved her. Touma was just a nice person willing to help out. "Thank you again." The two of them set off in awkward silence. Touma felt bad for knocking her over and Velvet wasn't sure what to say.
"So…er…" Touma started off lamely. "Which team are you part of?"
"Oh," Velvet squeaked softly. "I'm part of Team CFVY. We are a second year team and Coco Adel is our leader. You saw her before, right? She likes to wear brown, sunglasses, and a beret."
"Ah… yeah. I remember her." Touma nodded at this. "Didn't get a chance to meet her before everyone split up."
"She's really outgoing," Velvet said. "A little too much sometimes and likes to push me outside of my comfort zone. You can't really argue with her." Touma laughed at this and she looked at him curiously.
"Sorry," Touma apologized quickly. "Just reminds me of two of my friends back home. They do the same thing." Velvet giggled and Touma had a sudden foreboding if his friend, Pierce Aogami, found out about Velvet. I actually met a real bunny girl and she's cute. He's going to kill me if he finds out. "Guess you find people like that everywhere."
"She only does it to help me build confidence," Velvet added quickly to prevent any misunderstandings. "I appreciate it, but I'm not the most social person… if you couldn't tell."
"Really?" Touma glanced over at her. "You're still talking to me after I ran you over." She couldn't resist laughing at this.
"You have me there," she admitted. "But that's just because you were kind enough to help me out. It would be rude to ignore you." She averted eye contact at this.
Touma didn't have anything to say to that and they traveled the rest of the way to Bartholomew's classroom in an uncomfortable silence. The second they entered, Touma only saw a blur before a green haired man with glasses was right in front of them. The yellow tie he wore stood out against his white shirt.
"Ah, Velvet. I was wondering why you were 6 minutes and 42 seconds late. Who is this young man? He looks familiar, but I don't believe he is a student here." His words weren't a blur, but came out at a speed Touma thought was impossible without getting tongue tied.
"Doctor," Velvet introduced. "This is Touma Kamijou. Touma, this is Doctor Bartholomew Oobleck. He teaches history."
"AH!" Before Touma could do anything, Bartholomew shifted directly in front of him and leaned forward to get a good look. "You must be the young man who Team RWBY and Team JNPR talked about during our mission to Mt. Glenn. Yes, upon closer inspection you do look oddly familiar. I apologize for not recognizing you sooner. Peter and I were preoccupied reigning in the last few Grimm still in Vale. Your assistance was most valuable in pugging up the breach while help arrived to formally seal it off."
"It wasn't as heroic as you make it out to be," Touma mumbled. "I'm sorry for making Velvet late. I accidently bumped into her and caused a big mess with the papers."
"The fact you stayed and helped tells much about your character," Bartholomew reassured him and gestured to his desk. "Go ahead and set them there."
As Touma and Velvet set down the papers, Bartholomew's words were lost on one of them, but not the other. Velvet was a Faunus and that caused some people to treat her with disrespect based solely on the fact she had bunny ears. Touma willing to help her without any issue meant he didn't see her as a lesser being.
"It's a pleasure to formally meet you, Mr. Kamijou."
"Nice to meet you too, sir." Touma held out his left hand, which Bartholomew grasped with both of his enthusiastically.
"Ah, manners." Bartholomew almost shed a tear. "Usually lost on the youth of today." His voice snapped back to a more business tone. "I heard from Ozpin that you are going to be a temporary student. Is that correct?"
"Yes," Touma confirmed.
"Excellent." Bartholomew virtually beamed at him. "While I am currently busy grading papers and preparing for my next lesson, I hope you will be able to find some time to visit me. Your power is a marvel I would love to discuss more in depth. The ability to repel Grimm could change the world. No longer will land be scarce, populations holed up in defendable locations, and funds can be used to help provide for the people, rather than focused only on war."
"If I can help achieve that," Touma told him. "I would be glad to help, but I really need to go and meet up with my friends. Maybe next time?"
"Of course," Bartholomew agreed and zipped over to behind his desk in an instant. "Thank you for your help, Velvet. That will be all for today."
"Understood, goodbye doctor," She replied and left with Touma not too far behind.
"Does he talk that fast in lessons?" Touma asked in a combination of exhaustion and nervousness.
"He does," Velvet confirmed. "Since you're a student now, I advise learning how to write shorthand or you will fall behind."
"Argh!" Touma moaned and face palmed. "It was hard enough keeping up with my teacher back home who spoke at a normal place." Velvet forced a smile, unsure of what else to do.
From what Ruby and the others told us, Velvet thought to herself. I thought this guy would be a lot more… assertive? He acts like a normal civilian who just got dragged up in this mess. Though, if that Torchwick guy did find him first and wanted to use his power, that makes sense. While Touma muttered something about luck, she observed him closely. What did Fox see in him that caused him to label this boy a monster? He seems way too nice to even think about hurting others. Even when he rubbed my ears he was gentle… Her face burned at the thought. That was an accident and he even apologized. Now if Jaune wanted to rub them… Coco must never know I thought that.
"Are you heading to the cafeteria?" Velvet asked Touma, deducing where he was heading and looking for a reason to break the silence.
"Meeting my friends there," Touma answered. "You're welcome to come if you want."
"I'm heading there as well," Velvet said apologetically. "But I'm meeting my own team. They will get worried if I'm gone too long."
"Umm," Touma fidgeted for a moment. "Are Faunus treated that differently in Beacon? I'm sure you heard of my… circumstances and just wanted to see if it's better here."
"Most of Beacon is fine with Faunus," Velvet confirmed, although her face did darkened. "But there are a few people who really dislike and actively pick on us. If we fight back, they just use that as a reasoning to insult us and say we are violent."
"That's terrible," growled Touma. I thought for sure Ozpin wouldn't allow that.
"The fact you and so many others think so gives us hope," Velvet reassured him. "Many of those who joined the White Fang came from worse areas then I have. Violence won't solve our problems in the long run, so we have convinced others that we deserve respect just as much as they do."
"…someone else I know said something similar," Touma agreed, careful to avoid saying Blake's name. "I don't like the fact that people are getting bullied, but I do understand why you do it this way."
"Thanks," Velvet told him, as they reached the cafeteria. "I'll see you around. Let me know if you need help with Oobleck's class. I've gotten pretty good at taking notes."
"That would be great!" Touma told her enthusiastically.
He looked around when they pushed open the doors and saw Ruby and Jaune waving at him from the far side of the room. Jaune was a lot more noticeable due to his height, but Touma wasn't going to tell him that. As he approached, he saw both their teams and his own pseudo-team. Neo was at the far end, most likely not wanting to be surrounded by the others. Accelerator and Last Order were across from her and they were next to Weiss and Ruby. Touma knew it would take time for the others to relax their guard around Neo. It was only natural after what happened in the train.
He had to thank Ruby for trying.
He might have been imagining it, but he could have sworn he saw Neo and Blake watching him closely. He passed it off quickly enough because his thoughts were on the girl he just met.
Jaune had also waved to Velvet, who acknowledged it with her own, before she headed to her team in other part of the cafeteria. She smiled to herself that Jaune still recognized her and made an effort to keep up contact. When she drew near her destination, her danger sense went off. Yatsuhashi was eating unperturbed and Fox was 'staring' at Touma. Fox still didn't seem to trust him, but was at least not actively trying to turn people against him. The problem was her team leader.
Coco had lowered her shades and was giving Velvet a huge grin.
It didn't take a genius to figure out why.
Oh, no, Velvet thought and her face turned ashen. She saw me enter with Touma. Great… Time to put up with her questioning.
"Give me one reason why your head should still be attached to your neck!" Adam roared, a long red blade positioned a hair's breadth away from Roman's neck.
"No need to get so hasty," Roman said quickly, his hands in the air. "There's no way I could have predicted Beacon would send a couple Hunter groups to Mt. Glenn. It was either push our plans up or let it all become worthless."
"So your defense is something was better than nothing," A sultry woman said as she stepped out from the shadows. Her striking bright amber eyes gazing impassively at Roman through the fringes of her ashen-black hair. "I suppose that excuse is enough to keep your head from rolling for your blunder."
She wore a dark-red, off-the-shoulders, V-neck mini dress with yellow designs. There was a blue feather-like accessory on her right hip, at the top of an open portion of her dress. The dress ended in an upside-down triangular tail in the back, ending just above the knees.
"Ah, Cinder!" Roman was putting up a good pretense of maintaining his normal obnoxious self, but Cinder was not someone he would piss off. She killed countless people in his organization to garner his attention and forced him to work for her on the promise of money and that his life would be spared. "About time you showed up. Being kept in the dark was making me nervous."
"You lost a lot of my men with your foolish antics," Adam growled at Roman.
"Those brats caused most of the damage," Roman pointed out reasonably, yet sporting a cheshire grin on his lips. "I gave the order to abandon ship before the train crashed. How many of your men were spared because of my quick thinking?" Adam clenched his free hand tightly into a fist, but lowered his blade. His lieutenant had confirmed that piece of information. "Giving up so easily? Did you already know? I bet you just wanted a reason to blame m-…"
"Enough," Cinder interrupted. She didn't have to yell for Roman to shut up instantly. "Adam, I take it your losses will not affect our plans?"
"No," Adam answered. "If anything, it emboldened my troops. They know Vale is not invincible and its laws will not protect them from us."
"Then there is no problem," Cinder stated calmly. "While I would have preferred to have arrived at Beacon before this occurred, what's done is done. We will continue as planned. People are scared and we will make use of that. The moment they forget, we return and all their security will be lost." She snapped her fingers and two people emerged behind her, one male and one female. "Mercury, have the loose ends been taken care of?"
"Yes," The well-built young man with grey hair answered. His hair was unkempt in the front and slick in the back. He wore a slate gray and black two-tone partial-zip jacket, which covered his upper body. "There were two White Fang deserters who wanted to tell the authorities about us. I silenced them. They squealed like pigs. Turns out they might have been lovers."
"I trust that was acceptable?" Cinder asked Adam. "Since you were occupied with your own duties?"
"Deserters must be punished," Was all Adam had to say about the subject.
"Now, Roman." Cinder turned to him. "I can overlook the unfortunate situation caused by Beacon's intrusion. What I can't overlook is you keeping secrets from me."
"Secrets?" Roman asked confused. "I have no idea what you mean."
"Emerald," Cinder ordered and the young girl with green hair stepped up next to her. "When you picked up that last dust shipment, what did you see?"
"The Grimm around the plateau were not approaching," Emerald recited. Her attire consisted of an intricate white top and an olive-colored crop top. She also wore white pants and brown chaps that ended at her calves and an overlong belt, twice-wrapped, where she kept her weapons as well as a single pouch. "Later information revealed a human boy was the cause of it."
"A human with the power to repel Grimm," Cinder repeated and placed a hand on Roman's cheek. "Would you care to tell me why I wasn't informed?"
"There was no real reason to," Roman pointed out. "The kid's power was merely convenient for me to carry out your plans. Other than that, he was mostly just Neo's plaything."
"It's not up to you to decide what I need to know," Cinder told him firmly, her eyes flashing. "Something that unique should be passed on to me immediately." She sighed and stepped away from him. "But I suppose it's too late for me to see him as I am. Ozpin undoubtedly brought him into Beacon if he survived. He did survive, correct?"
"Yeah," Roman confirmed. "Pretty surprised myself. He has a good head on his shoulders."
Adam was the only one who knew Roman did not tell Cinder everything. The boy could negate dust and Aura, something only a few people knew now and Adam forbade his men from talking about it. It was a human problem, so he didn't have to concern himself with it.
"Oh, since you were quiet, I took the liberty of making a deal in order to acquire us future information." Roman added. "I hope you don't mind."
"A deal?" Cinder raised an eyebrow. "At what cost?"
"A couple warehouses that were bound to be taken in a raid at some point." Roman chuckled. "Might as well throw them away to achieve an objective."
"That was you!?" Adam roared suddenly and Roman ducked as the blade scrapped the wall where his head had been. "I lost dozens of men and a warehouse full of dust because of that!"
"Enough!" Cinder raised her voice and everyone froze. Her eye began to glow and fire appeared in her hand. "Adam, let him explain himself before you kill him."
"Now, now, let's take it easy here," Roman interjected, nervousness beginning to permeate his voice. "I managed to accomplish two things in regards to giving up a few mutts and some dust."
"Such as?" Cinder asked impatiently.
"Neo is now officially a student at Beacon Academy," Roman answered and twirled his cane around. "I set up a spy who can give us information on the students, staff, and layout of the school. Plus, she's going to be the one being watched, so when you three infiltrate, eyes won't be on you."
The girl known as Emerald was the only one who noticed.
Cinder was a genius in manipulation and subterfuge. Her plans were elaborate and Emerald had never seen one fail. Sure, there would be hiccups now and then, but Cinder always accounted for them. Emerald and Mercury had been recruited to her cause for multiple reasons, Emerald being the first. With the power Cinder possessed, along with her intelligence, it was hard to truly impress her. There was occasionally an interest or mild amusement when someone tried.
The gleam in Cinder's eyes said otherwise this time.
Roman had actually impressed her.
"Tell me more," Cinder told him, pleased. "This might be the best thing you have told me to date."
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.
I had to have Velvet and Touma meet. Now I need to set up Accelerator for a couple interesting scenes. His personality makes some things difficult, but not impossible.
SF88: Can we just take a moment to acknowledge how awesome Neo is in this chapter?
Current Ship Names:
Touma and Yang: Fistbump / Punchline/ Imagine Dragon/ Love at First Punch/ Hair You Go Again
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 / Equality
Touma and Velvet: Bunny Couple / Rabbit's Foot/ Lucky Number Zero/ Camera Shy
Touma and Penny: Android's Dream / Faulty Electronics/ Lost Change
Touma and Ren: Lotus Fist
Touma and Jaune: Better Luck Next Time/ Lifesavers
Touma and Nora: Glutton for Punishment / Divine Sparks
Touma and Pyrrha: Babe Magnet/ Dense Armaments
Touma and Coco: Black Coffee/ Stylish Illusion
Touma and Fox: Eye-Caramba
Touma and Glynda: Teacher's Pet / Promise Lands/ Dunce Cap
Touma and Ozpin: Broken Replay Button/ Unknown Paragons
Touma and Adam: Chronic Crusaders/ Prick and the Pauper
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 Roman: Corruption of the Innocent
Touma and Salem: Burning Witch / Light and Shadow / Shattering Darkness/ Grimm Chances of Survival / Darklight
Touma and Summer: Summer Break.
Touma and Raven: Alpha and Omega/ Feather for Brains
Touma and Qrow: Misfortune Squared / Bad luck Charms / Misfortunate Misfits
Accelerator and Weiss: Cold and Calculating / Ice Vector / A Frosty Reception/ Porcelain Complexion
Accelerator and Yang: Road Rage / Short Fuse / Way of the Dragon/ War of the Red Eyes / Push Button to Die
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/ Going the Distance
Accelerator and Velvet: White Flash / Hopping Mad / Unsuspecting Prey
Accelerator and Glynda: Fix and Destroy
Accelerator and Penny: String Theory/ Broken Toys/ Science Experiments
Accelerator and Sun: Sunny and Sullen
Accelerator and Adam: Charging Bull/ Rabid Animals
Accelerator and Mercury: Killer Moves
Accelerator and Emerald: Red Eyed Killers/ After Image
Accelerator and Coco: Fashionable Disaster/ Fashion is a Science
Accelerator and Pyrrha: Opposites Attract/ Copper Aftertaste
Accelerator and Raven: Yang's Nightmare/ Fallen Feathers
Accelerator and Neo: Sadistic Streaks
