Sorry for now long it took to get this chapter out. I wanted to update something else and had to help my author friends work on a collaborative work. Then I also took a few days off from writing to do other things. It was a nice vacation and I used the time to organize some future events. I'm back in the full swing of things and currently working hard on writing. SilverFang88 really wanted me to write a specific scene, so I obliged. I was originally going to glass over it, but he was very persistent. He's so picky, though I trust his judgment with these things. Other than that, not much to say, but that all the people who kept sending me PMs and asking for an update: Here it is. After a brief comment to all the people who took the time out of their busy schedule to review.
HikariNiwa: Well, there is one other way he could technically win.
Neema Amiry: Funny enough, I have other people who want more Accelerator and less Touma. It's a balancing act.
HappyVanilla: Series? Heh. This is a combination of two series.
Inacio: No idea what Yang will do. She's a wildcard. Actually, Accelerator wasn't really to sacrifice people. He convinced himself the clones were just dolls. However, he kept talking to see if they were people. If they had asked him not to kill them, he probably wouldn't have. I rarely read crossovers. Touma fights against opponents with powers stronger than him, but they rely on it. Magicians rarely learn hand-to-hand combat. Kanzaki was able to destroy Touma because of her physical skills.
Guest: I kind of have enough characters to play with right now. If I do bring her in, it will be near the end of the story.
LuminaDawn: I have plans for Accelerator's wings, which I won't spoil yet. As for the nerd out session, Touma, Jaune, and maybe one other person can talk about such things.
Ahsoei: Ah, romcom events are always funny.
TheLastSterling: I actually played with scrabble generators to think of team names for a few things further back. During the weekend, going to have Sun and Neptune show up again, along with Cinder and her group.
AltEden: The names aren't too bad, but I think luck and charms are a more Blake x Touma thing. Sadly, Penny has her own team.
ultron emperor: Accelerator would never want a harem. Too much work to maintain. The thing is, girls here like strong guys and there's no doubt he is strong.
Tierboook: What was it that Accelerator said to Awaki? "Just because I've gotten weaker doesn't mean you've gotten stronger."
Guest: Well, I don't know about an ancient civilization, but you touched on an idea I had. Accelerator's intelligence is many leagues beyond what normal people can imagine. Once he learns how Dust and their technology works, he could probably design something interesting to help them out with the Grimm problem.
Guest: People who want a harem can never have it. Only those that do no desire shall achieve.
MythAnime: I'm mixing a few serious conversations in. Plus, once Cinder's group shows up, things are going to get ugly.
Ferdiad: I want to be careful since I really don't have anything to build on about vector manipulating souls. It would be funny to see him accidently unlock his Aura, but I have a little more interesting idea in mind.
Guest: I loved Neo throwing Accelerator under the bus. There may have been a Dark Souls reference once or twice.
MrQuestionMark: Aww, I knew you cared. Remember when I originally ran this idea by you because you were the only one I knew who watched RWBY and Index? Did you ever think it would grow to be this popular? Neo is one of the few RWBY characters that isn't explored in depth so you can kind of go any direction with her. Finally, someone who appreciates Accelerator's power. Ozpin… he is more than he seems.
dickythamrin077: I can see Accelerator telling her that.
Tecpatl: Nah, beansprout is reference to how SilverFang refers to Accelerator because he's spindly. Hunters also trained with weapons. They aren't blindly swinging a sword. I have a weapon in mind that will fit Touma's personally.
Fortitude: A shield that's also a Railgun? Heh.
Guest: You can imagine Touma throwing a shield and bouncing it around like Pyrrha does? That's pretty impressive.
Guest: There are separate beds, but Neo doesn't necessarily agree to person space.
Guest: Everyone really wants Touma to have a cool weapon to compete with the RWBY characters.
ToAnon: Now I feel like I need to do references every chapter to drive you nuts. Never give her name, but just small things. I can guarantee, if she does show up, it will be near the end of the story. Unless… I decide to change everything, which is possible. Penny, Last Order, and one more person for sure. As for his arm being cut off, it will probably happen at some point. No one can hate Last Order, that's her charm. You bring up several good points and there is a reason one or two of them may not be able to go on specific missions. Counter argument: Would Accelerator trust Ozpin enough to pass all the information to him? Or would Accelerator want to examine the information too? Mikoto vs Pyrrha would be pretty fun to write. Against Nora, Iron Sand and maybe throwing metal barriers.
Sergio644: Touma is the only one who can fill in the position. Accelerator doesn't have the people skills, Neo is an ex-con, and Last Order is too young. Touma has the natural charm to help people improve. Yeah, a magician would be great. Imagine Kanzaki showing up and being a front liner. Still not sure I want to introduce more Index characters anytime soon, due to the fact RWBYverse has so many people. The entire team doesn't have to go. Maybe Touma could go off with one team.
G119: Probably Roman or Adam first then Emerald and Cinder.
Guest: Good old cliché violent tsundere line. Ozpin would tell Glynda to let them have their fun while they are kids. That would be a thing. Mikoto would get told off for shocking him. Oh god, Sogiita? That would be nuts.
Ghory: Eh, a little. These are names given by other people.
M1nhTre37: I always write at my own pace.
Fernandamichelleraya: I like the occasional conversations that reveal Accelerator is a person. He just never learned how to open up. You caught on exactly. For the first time, he knows people who don't want to use him at all, except for Ozpin, and then he knows he and Last Order will leave them behind. There might be emotional pain, something new to him. Yang likes to flaunt her assets, obviously. Neo is an elite fighter and older than the others. How old? Take a guess. Ozpin does fight for humanity and will do whatever it takes to win. Blake and Accelerator tend to be the downers, but Touma's there to change things.
IceCream: He doesn't really know magic. He knows there are other powers outside Academy City's abilities. He can manipulate unknown vectors to a degree, but I doubt he ever wants to call it magic. It is a balancing act. I don't want Accelerator out of character, but there will be small clues he is changing and then slowly he will change a bit. His underlying character can't change that easily though.
Kingofclubs8129: Touma and his harem antics. I know that feeling of having to choose and leave one out in the cold. Accelerator may or may not be paired, doesn't mean a girl can't try.
Guest: Time is relative.
Croniklerx: Yeah, Touma's constant presence is the only way for Neo to have a chance of changing sides. If he can make Roman change too, Neo's future would be set. When Touma wakes up in Beacon's medic facility… heh, good times. I need to get Jaune to make a few moves on Weiss again. For triangle drama fun at the very least. One thing Touma doesn't do is use Kami-yan Disease to take girls in a relationship away from guys. He's a bro like that. Groping Nora… that would be… wow, I'm actually not sure what would happen. Would she flip out or understand it's an accident? Would Ren be upset? The weak in the knees bit. Yaoi won't occur in my story, or Yuri for that matter, but doesn't stop the ability to make ship names.
The biggest problem with Accelerator fights is he tends to end them quickly. Unless they have a specific way to counter his ability, he easily wins. Simple class spars will also be pretty quick. If they fight out in the field on a real mission, fight scenes will be longer. I love comedy and slip it in as much as possible. I can't wait for Touma's monster to be revealed. Already figured out exactly when I want it to. Accelerator… has friends? Scandalous. Wait till Worst hears about this. New Delta Force in RWBY. Added a few names from your list again. Don't think Pretty Freeloaded will apply here, because neither Touma nor Neo are freeloaders. Darkside Mentor seems to be a one side kind of name.
WiliamZ0: Touma will punch logic to win. Right? Yes, Touma can do that. However, he tends to win against opponents who rely too much on special powers or abilities, rather than their own skills. He can use his intuition to find a flaw in their power. Hunters are trained to fight, so it would be like Touma fighting a martial artist with his street fighting skills. Saints are weak to certain things, yes. Special swords, the cross, a ring of thorns, etc. Okay, there were a lot of problems with that plane trip to England, but I'm not going to go into that here. Trouble doesn't just look, it finds him. Accelerator's such a tsundere. That's obviously why Accelerator goes for Weiss. She's loli flat, heh. Luck can be good or bad. I'm leading to something big with Gemstones and Aura. Not really a prototype and I'll explain why in this chapter.
Disclaimer: I do not own Toaru Majutsu no Index or RWBY.
Touma felt sorry for Dove.
Nora had been rather overeager in showing up to the Neo versus Yang fight that she might have gone a tiny bit overboard. Dove wasn't seriously hurt, but he might be walking with a limp the next few days. Nora was a beast with her hammer and Touma remembered flinching when he saw her weapon hit Dove in the stomach. He could almost feel his own bones scream in terror from that. Dove was knocked way out of the ring before his Aura hit the red zone though and Nora raised her hammer in triumph.
"I hate fighting her." Dove muttered to Cardin. "That ridiculous strength of hers never diminishes."
"Lost to a girl," Cardin sneered. "Pathetic."
"You're lucky, Cardin." Russel pointed out. "You get to keep kicking Arc's butt."
"Someone has to." Cardin said with a laugh. He might have gone farther in insulting Jaune, but nowadays he held back. He couldn't say Jaune didn't belong in Beacon anymore. After all, Jaune had saved his life back in Forever Falls. "At least you didn't lose to one of those Faunus freaks."
Touma wasn't the only one who flinched. Blake's brow twitched ever so slightly and her gaze turned cold when her eyes fell on him. The others were talking among themselves and weren't paying attention to Team CRDL. Things might have ended peacefully, if they had not continued.
"They are really weak, look at Velvet." Russel agreed. "Those giant freaky ears are just a target in a fight."
"She's so weak, it's pathetic." Cardin added mockingly. "Maybe if I fought her and Arc together, I could get a challenge."
"He is a Faunus lover." Sky added. "What a fre-…"
"Shut up!" Touma yelled at them, causing the entire class to jump.
"Mr. Kamijou?!" Glynda scolded him. "While you may be new to my class, you should know I don't allow-…"
"They're over there insulting my friends and calling Faunus freaks!" Touma replied angrily.
The class fell silent and Glynda's eyes narrowed as she looked between Touma and Cardin's team. Yang wasn't nearly as nice and leaped up.
"You take that back!" She yelled at them. "Faunus are exactly the same as us!"
"Yeah!" Ruby added, no longer stunned. "You guys are such jerks!"
She glanced over at Weiss, who was uncharacteristically silent. It wasn't like Weiss agreed with Cardin. Blake and Velvet were friends of hers. It was that, as a Schnee, her family had a… complicated history with Faunus. If she spoke up, things could get even more heated.
"They are animals pretending to be human!" Cardin called back.
"Mr. Winchester!" Glynda admonished. "While we do not push certain beliefs here in Beacon, we do not accept such blatant insults of other students." Her eyes turned up to Ruby, Yang, and Touma. "I do not want to see any further outbursts… from any of you."
They sat back down, still glaring at Cardin, who decided he didn't want to keep his mouth shut.
"They are all probably part of the White Fang." Cardin muttered, loud enough for them to hear. Glynda turned around on the spot, but Touma was faster.
"It's people like you is the reason they exist in the first place!" Touma roared. "Treating them differently just because of how they look!"
"I treat them like animals because they are!" Cardin yelled back. "Sneaking around at night, causing destruction to innocent humans. If you don't like it, why don't you make me shut it?"
"Maybe I will!" Touma declared and stood up.
"That is enough!" Glynda thundered and everyone froze. Cardin and Touma sunk back down in their seats. "Detention, both of you! I will not put up with this in my class. Friday, after your last class, my office." Her glasses glinted dangerously. "If you two keep up this pointless shouting, it will be the last thing you do." Her eyes then fell on Cardin. "Since you are so full of energy, how about you participate in the next round? Your opponent can be…"
"The new guy?" Cardin finished with a smirk.
"He hasn't fought yet." Dove added. "Didn't you say everyone in class would be required to participate?"
"Pairings will be what I decide." Glynda said sternly and Dove shut his mouth. "If and when I decide Mr. Kamijou will take a turn, that is when it will happen."
"Touma could kick Cardin's butt without a weapon!" Nora called down.
Touma blinked and turned around at her in horror. There was no way he could fight against a Hunter in training. While Touma could negate Aura, he couldn't do anything against armor and bullets. A surprise awaited him when Nora turned her head.
She winked at him.
Ren, next to her, seemed to be considering something and wasn't trying to settle his rambunctious partner.
"Miss Valkyrie," Glynda snapped. "There has been quite enough distraction without your input."
"Ah!" Pyrrha exclaimed, more to herself than anyone else, "I get what Nora is doing."
Sitting one seat over, Jaune overheard her.
"Huh?"
"She's removing the difference in equipment." Pyrrha whispered back, as not to warn the others. Ren nodded from her other side.
"But Touma doesn't have any equipment." Jaune pointed out, confused.
"That scrawny guy wouldn't stand two seconds against me." Cardin bragged confidently.
"Enough!" Glynda slammed her riding crop onto the table with a bang, causing people in the first row to jump. "The next outburst will be met with a weeks' worth of detention." Her eyes traveled over everyone in her class, daring them to test her. When no one did, she continued. "Mr. Winchester, do not let me hear you slandering other students in this school. Everyone else, I will not tolerate disruptions in my class. Do I make myself clear?" They nodded. "Good, then I'll get us back on track."
She started to turn around to walk back up to the ring, but stopped.
Weiss had her hand raised.
"Yes, Miss Schnee?"
"As much as I hate to admit it, Team CRDL did make a point." Weiss said respectfully, though there was a look of disdain on her face. "You told us it was required for all students to participate in combat class. Touma had not at this time. Since this is his first class, wouldn't it be important to get a gauge of his skills?"
"Weiss!?" Ruby hissed. "It will be completely un-…"
Blake had placed a hand over her mouth. She had an inkling of what Weiss was trying to do. Yang was looking just as confused, but Team JNPR was remaining silent, though Nora was looking excited.
"As I have said previously, that is up for me to decide when that will be." Glynda answered coolly.
"And Nora's unnecessary outburst did remind me of something you said to us a few classes back." Weiss continued, unabashed. "You mentioned we rely too much on our weapons and neglect our unarmed skills. I know Touma's weapon is… unusable at this time." That was an understatement as he didn't even have one. "Wouldn't this be a perfect opportunity for him to display his physical combat skills in a match against Cardin?"
Glynda bit the corner of her lip for a moment and actually pondered Weiss's words.
"You bring up a valid point, Miss Schnee." She finally admitted. The entire classes' eyes were upon her. "If Mr. Winchester and Mr. Kamijou are willing, then I suppose a one-on-one hand-to-hand combat demonstration may be appropriate."
"I don't mind." Cardin answered with a laugh. "He doesn't look very tough and I could use the warm up."
"I'll do it." Touma agreed.
"Very well you two, go and change." Glynda said. "But remember, no weapons or armor." Cardin scowled for a moment and then laughed at something one of the others said. "You both still have detention for your earlier shouting match."
Cardin didn't look pleased, but got up without argument and headed toward the locker room. Touma stood up and prepared to leave, while the others passed him advice.
"He likes to overcome his opponents with physical strength." Blake warned him. "He's going to rush in fast."
"Just be glad he doesn't have his mace." Jaune said to cheer him up.
"You'll do great!" Ruby encouraged.
"MISAKA agrees, MISAKA adds."
"Keep up your guard and jab him when he overextends." Yang suggested.
"Remember, Aura enhances physical abilities." Pyrrha whispered to him. "You have to react a little sooner than you would for a civilian."
"Teach the jerk a lesson." Nora added. "Don't go easy on him."
"Yeah," Touma muttered dryly. "I'll do that." He felt a tug on his sleeve and turned to see Neo holding up her tablet.
'He's the type to be overconfident. Your best bet is at the beginning. Hit him hard and fast before he puts up his guard. Or you might accidentally die.'
Touma gulped at Neo's ominous pronouncement.
'If you do, his entire team will disappear.'
"There's no need for that," Touma assured her immediately. "I'll handle it."
"What was all that about?" Yang asked Weiss, when Touma left to change out of Beacon uniform.
"Are you trying to get my friend killed?" Ruby demanded.
"Don't be stupid," Weiss sighed. "I simply pointed out Nora had a good point." She shuttered. "Never thought I would say those words."
"Hey!" Nora denied. "I always have good ideas."
"Nora can be rather insightful if you listen closely." Ren pointed out, but not directly agreeing with his friend. He still remembered a couple incidents involving pancakes, a couple destroyed sheds, and a statue that was found two towns over. No one was hurt and they laugh about the incident now.
"About the fact Touma doesn't have any weapons of his own?" Pyrrha wanted to verify. She kept her voice down to prevent anyone outside of their group from listening in. "If he fought Cardin without one and lacks an Aura, he wouldn't stand a chance."
"Precisely." Weiss confirmed. "I have to admit, when Cardin starting running his mouth, I felt like Touma was going to say something back. He did tell us about his time he spent with… that one group." She sighed. "What do you think will happen if he and Cardin fight outside of the class and Touma hits him with his hand?"
"His Aura will vanish." Ruby realized.
"And he will probably spread it around the entire school." Yang added.
"So if we do it in class." Blake continued. "We can reveal his power in a more controlled environment."
Guilt flooded through her as part of her had thought Weiss was trying to use this match for her own advantage.
"But won't the rumors still spread around the school? MISAKA asks as MISAKA tilts her head in confusion."
"The information will get out anyways." Jaune explained to her. "This way, we get to choose when it happens. I suppose it would be like an explosion. Cause a lot more panic if it goes off when you don't expect it."
Pyrrha nodded and Last Order seemed to accept his explanation. Ren and Jaune shared a look of brothers who had just been united after a life and death experience. With Nora in their group, you couldn't stop explosions from happening, but you could try to contain them.
"Explosions are cool regardless of when they happen." Nora protested.
"Do you think Touma has a chance against Cardin?" Ruby asked Blake.
"In a normal fight, no." Blake didn't like admitting it, but it was true. "Even with Cardin's Aura disappearing, he still has a lot of muscles from training. He would still likely be stronger than Touma, much like Yang was. Things might be different if Cardin relied on a Semblance or Dust attacks."
"That makes sense." Ruby admitted reluctantly and then she tilted her head. "A normal fight?"
"Think about it for a moment, you dolt." Weiss muttered. "This is a spar; how do you win in a spar?"
"Knock your opponent out of the ring." Ruby answered. "Or reduce… oh."
"Yeah, oh. See what Blake means now?"
"Wonder if hanging out with Accelerator has melted our little Weiss Queen's heart." Yang laughed and winked at Weiss. "She's even helping someone else out of kindness."
"As if." Weiss sniffed. "I just want to see that brute Cardin's expression when he loses in one hit."
"That will be pretty funny." Yang agreed.
"Can't wait." Nora added.
I can't deny I want to see that too. Blake thought honestly. Still, he got upset when Cardin insulted Faunus's. If more people spoke up against that type of injustice, maybe the White Fang wouldn't have needed to exist. There will always be people who consider others inferior, but if the majority is for equal rights, then those types will eventually disappear.
The others considered talking while she decided to read, thought she did not get very far. When Touma and Cardin entered the ring, Blake shifted in her seat and her legs rubbed together unconsciously.
"Just shirt and pants?" Yang muttered. "Lame; Touma needs to get some new threads."
Neo blinked and turned toward Yang. This time, there wasn't any animosity. There was only curiosity and a tiny bit of comradery.
Neo was surprised herself that she was agreeing with the blonde.
"You can do it! MISAKA cheers as MISAKA waves her hands excitedly. You are representing Team TAN!"
"Wooo!" Yang added. "Kick his butt!"
"I'm going to explain the differences in this match one more time." Glynda announced to the entire class. "Both individuals will be unarmed and unarmored. When one of their Aura's reaches the red, the match is over. However, since this is an unarmed spar, pinning your opponent in a way where they will be unable to retaliate can be a victory. This will be based on my discretion. Any questions?" Touma and Cardin shook their heads. "Good. Now present your Scrolls."
My Aura won't show up, she knows this. Touma thought confused, as he handed the Scroll over. Cardin will probably know soon enough once we get in close.
Her expression betrayed nothing as she put their Scrolls into the machine. A moment later, their picture and Aura status appeared on the screen above them.
HOW!?
Touma has an Aura indicator.
He wasn't the only one surprised. Team RWBY and JNPR wore similar expressions of disbelief. Last Order was still waving excitedly, not seeing the importance of this. Ruby, Blake, and Yang turned toward Weiss in hope she could shed some light onto the situation. She could only shrug and focus on the match at hand.
"Are both contestants ready?" Glynda asked.
"As I'll ever be." Touma muttered.
"I'll make this quick." Cardin muttered under his breath and gave the okay signal to Glynda. "That midget of yours can cry over your broken body." Touma briefly imagined what Neo would do if she heard Cardin call her that. "Then go find a Faunus freak to whine about your loss."
Touma's hand tightened into a fist as Glynda raised her hand.
"You may begin."
Cardin jumped forward and swung a fist. Based on what the others had told him. Touma had been expecting this. Touma jumped backwards as Cardin stumbled. The swing had been wide, proving Cardin hadn't learned how to punch properly. With his Aura, size, and weight, it really didn't matter that much. A single blow would have sent Touma flying and probably have broken a couple bones. The speed still surprised Touma. If he hadn't started jumping backwards the moment the fight began, Cardin would have reached him. Cardin didn't stop and charged forward, using the difference in size to try to plow into Touma.
Touma could immediately see trying to block would be pointless. Tripping Cardin briefly passed through his mind as Cardin neared, but he didn't trust himself to be able to move fast enough. Depending on Cardin's Aura, sticking out a leg might end up with his own broken. Instead, he dove to the side to avoid the hulking mass, rolled once, and sprung back up to his feet. Cardin turned and charged again, delivering another punch, which Touma dodge by jumping backwards.
"Coward." Cardin spat out. "Stop dodging and face me like a man. What happened to all that big talk of yours?"
"I was just waiting for the right moment," Touma replied, trying to think of a strategy. He's bigger and faster than me, so I have to get in close and strike him. How? He actually knows how to fight.
"You know what?" Cardin said mockingly. "I'm used to beating Arc all the time in the ring and you look even scrawnier. How about I give you a free shot?" He put his hands down and stepped forward. "Come on. One free hit before I break you-…"
Touma didn't even bother to say anything.
He simply reacted.
He pulled his hand back and flung it forward, twisting his entire body into the blow, rather than just his arm like Cardin did. Cardin didn't even get a chance to react as Touma brought his fist up to his jaw. The sound of breaking glass rang out and Cardin's eyes grew wide.
The force of the blow knocked Cardin backwards and he fell to the ground.
He didn't even have time to register the shock as the buzzer indicating the match was over rang out.
The class was silent in shock and awe. Cardin was by no means the strongest student in class. Yang and Pyrrha towered over him, along with most of RWBY and JNPR. He was rather sturdy though and not even the powerhouse Yang could beat him in one hit. Even if his guard was down, depleting his Aura to nothing in an instant was incredible. No one was as shocked as Cardin was. He raised his head up incredulously to look at Touma.
"You let your guard down." Touma told him and turned to Glynda.
"Mr. Kamijou in the winner!" She announced.
"Yeah!" Nora, Yang, and Ruby shouted.
"MISAKA knew you would win!"
"Good job!" Pyrrha and Jaune called down. Blake, Ren, and Weiss only clapped, but all wore smiles on their faces.
"What the hell was that?!" Cardin demanded, finding his words and scrambling to his feet.
"That was what happens when you let down your guard." Glynda told him coldly. "Your opponent took advantage of this. It seems you need to not judge others by their appearance."
"Not that!" Cardin yelled and gestured to his Aura gauge. "When he hit me, my Aura disappeared and now it's back to full! He's a freak!"
"Don't call him a freak!" Ruby called down angrily.
"Another day's detention, I think." Glynda commented, her eyes narrowing. That shut Cardin up. "I did warn you about insulting other students." She made a mark on her tablet. "If you must know, there was a reason I was keeping Mr. Kamijou from participating in normal combat. His Semblance allows him to bypass Aura."
"What?!"
Luckily, Touma wasn't the only one who said that and his question was drowned by easily half the class. Weiss looked interested, while everyone else looked confused at the definition. They knew Glynda disapproved of insulting other students, but this was the first time she assigned an extra days detention for it. She must have been in a bad mood or finally had enough of Cardin's mouth.
"His Semblance allows him to bypass Aura." Glynda repeated. "You have now experienced it firsthand. The protection it provides is negated. Now, imagine what would happen if Mr. Kamijou used a sword or spear in his fight with you." Cardin's face paled and he wasn't the only one. "I used this as a lesson that I do things for a reason." Her hawk-like eyes scanned the audience. "If anyone else has a complaint, you can tell me after class." No one seemed to have one and she turned to Touma and Cardin. "Both of you may return to your seats."
Seriously Ozpin, She thought as she watched the two head back. Everything turned out exactly as you planned.
Cardin returned to his team and they started talking in low whispers. Touma walked up the steps to a much more joyous group. Yang, Nora, and Last Order high fived him while everyone else gave verbal congratulatory praise. Right before he sat down, Neo slapped him on the butt with a smirk. It didn't bother him as much as it would have before coming to Remnant. After all, Neo did stuff like that constantly.
One crisis averted. Ozpin thought, as he turned away from the screen in his office. Touma's match with Cardin had just ended. I wish I could thank Miss Schnee. Her addition was unexpected but useful.
His plan had been guessed by the others to some degree, though they did not know he had orchestrated it. Since Touma could not turn off his negation power, it was only a matter of time until someone else discovered it. On purpose or otherwise. He had asked Glynda to find a way to have him face off against someone in hand-to-hand combat and then, after the shock of his power wore off, to explain the situation. The explanation was fabricated of course, but would at least be believable among the student body. The opportunity presented itself rather perfectly and no one would suspect anything because of the events leading up to it.
It only took a simple fake Aura gauge set into Touma's scroll to solidify the results.
Sometimes, Ozpin surprised even himself with how well his ideas work out.
Once Qrow returns and my friend arrives, Ozpin thought, sipping his coffee. It's time to see what we can find out about sending those two back. It's not that I don't mind them being here, but they really do belong in their world. I also would be lying if I said their powers didn't make me a little uneasy.
"…and then as Cardin towered over him," Nora told Accelerator at lunch. "Touma stood up, fire blazing in his eyes. His Aura flared up. The light engulfed the room and his shirt exploded off his body... couple people liked that, he was ripped…"
"Pretty sure I would have remembered if his shirt exploded." Yang pointed out. "Or at least Ruby would."
"Yaaang!" Ruby complained and hid her reddening face under her hood. Across from her, Touma had his head on the table, trying to ignore Neo laughing at Nora's story.
"…With a single punch," Nora continued. "Cardin was blown away, his armor and clothes torn to shreds…"
"Not an image I need in my mind." Weiss muttered.
"Likewise." Jaune added.
"All that was left of poor Cardin was a broken body in front of a hole in the wall!" Nora said, getting louder over the commenters.
"Think Goodwitch would have given him a few more detentions if he broke the wall." Blake commented, flipping the page in her book.
"And there's a dust barrier around the ring to prevent that." Pyrrha said softly.
"Touma walked over and looked down at the jerk and said only two words." Nora slowly closed dramatically. "And they were…"
"Just tell us." Weiss sighed.
"Git gud!"
"I don't remember him saying that." Ren humored her by not contradicting her words. Meanwhile, Neo slammed her hand down on the table in a fit of laughter, while Yang glared at her. Noticing that Neo's guard was down, Yang grabbed a grape and flicked it at Neo's forehead. It hit her and she stopped laughing.
"Uh huh." Accelerator muttered, uninterestedly. "That true, brat?"
"Pretty much, MISAKA confirms as MISAKA likes Nora's way of describing fights." Accelerator glanced over at Touma, who had just looked up. He shook his head frantically to tell Accelerator that didn't happen. Neo caught his eye from Touma's other side and held up her tablet.
'I fought the blonde girl today and kicked her in the face until she cried.'
"Hah!" Accelerator let out a bark-like laugh. "Maybe I shouldn't have skipped."
Yang's eyes flashed red and the fork she was holding crumpled in her grip as Neo laughed at her.
"So what did you do this morning?" Weiss asked him. "Professor Goodwitch wasn't happy when Neo told her you were skipping."
"Oh, well," Accelerator muttered and glared at Neo, who stopped laughing and shrugged. "I decided my time would be better spent learning about dust than sitting in a combat class."
"Oh?" Weiss raised an eyebrow. "You were studying? Impressive. I wish some of my teammates would be more proactive in their studies."
Ruby and Yang looked away, whistling innocently.
"Tested out some dust crystals against some Grimm out in the forest." Accelerator explained. "Ran into that fashionista girl and her team as they were hunting down one of the Grimm I killed."
"Back up!" Weiss demanded. "You used those dust crystals? They should have been stable, so even throwing them on the ground wouldn't have cause more than a minor explosion. Usually they have to be used in a machine capable of withdrawing their energy. What did you do?"
"I destabilized it and manipulated their power to my whim." Accelerator said and yawned. "Wasn't able to do anything noteworthy but I can use them as range projectiles at least. Froze a couple Grim with an ice wave or two. That was interesting." Weiss only gaped at him.
"Sounds like you are quickly becoming proficient in dust." Pyrrha told him impressed. "I don't use much myself except for dust rounds."
"If we're stuck here, might as well do something interesting." Accelerator muttered.
"You're lucky you can use dust." Touma said. "My hand negates it so I can't even come into contact with it."
"Doesn't mean you can't get yourself a weapon." Ruby told him. "As long as you're here, having something to at least protect yourself from Grimm would be for the best." Her eyes glowed brightly. "I could help you design something cool!"
Least she's not talking about his 'sword,' Yang thought and then grinned. "Ruby must like you, Touma. She already wants to make you a special weapon."
"Weapons are serious business!" Ruby scolded her sister.
"I appreciate the offer." Touma said. "But I'm not really… uh… proficient with… really any kind of weapon."
"That's fine." Ruby dismissed. "We have practice ranges and school weapons. We can find the perfect fit for you!"
Her eyes were shining so brightly now, Touma felt the desire to try to dissuade her fade away.
"Just give up." Jaune whispered. "She's not going to let you get out of this." Most of the table laughed and Ruby blushed.
"Okay, Ruby." Touma relented. "I would be honored to have you design a weapon for me."
"Yes!" She fist pumped in the air.
"Hey, Accelerator!" Nora called and he looked over at her. "You mentioned you killed a Grimm Coco's team was hunting. What was it? Was it big and powerful?"
"It was pretty weak." Accelerator replied and raised an eyebrow at Nora's disappointed expression. "Though…" Her ears perked up at his words and he wasn't sure why he was being nice. "It was tougher than the others and would go down even after I broke it multiple times."
"Those are the best kind." Nora agreed, to what Accelerator wasn't sure. "Gives you the opportunity to try out new moves."
"…right. I guess the Grimm was called a Saber or something." Weiss coughed on her food and Ruby smacked her on the back.
"A-a Saber!" Weiss stuttered before her through completely cleared. "What was one doing so close to Beacon?"
"What is a Saber?" Jaune, Yang, and Ruby asked.
"They are large cat-like Grimm." Pyrrha explained. "Very powerful, silent, and their skin is like iron. It's said they can keep fighting with mortal wounds. They live in the south around the jungle areas and rarely venture toward populated cities." She frowned. "It being out here is very unusual. No wonder a second year team was asked to take care of it."
"We could have taken care of it!" Nora protested.
"We took out a giant Nevermore during initiation and it could fly." Yang bragged. "On the ground with a fair fight, we could totally have wiped the floor with it."
"It would know how to fight on the ground too." Blake interjected. "So it would know how to defend itself."
"Even so…"
"But since you two know so much about it," Accelerator interrupted before the conversation turned to something he didn't care about. His eyes darted between Pyrrha and Weiss. "Answer something for me. When the Saber attacked, even though I deflected its claws, the air felt cold when it drew near. What's that about?"
"Cold?" Weiss blinked and rubbed her chin. "That sounds familiar, but from where…"
"Our Uncle mentioned that." Yang piped up. "Some older Grimm that live deep in the Wilds have a kind of presence. It's not quite Aura, but kind of like it for them. The air is supposed to grow stale and cold around them. Aura protects us from the worst of the effects, but you still get some unpleasant feelings."
"Uncle Qrow is the greatest." Ruby added. "He can go into the Wilds on his own and come back unscathed." She wrinkled her nose. "You can always smell him coming too. He drinks so much."
"That's not really good for him though." Touma said. "Does he go into the Wilds drunk?"
"Yep!" Ruby replied with a grin, popping the p. "He's always drunk."
"I've read about the presence those Grimm have." Ren said to Accelerator. "There have been documented cases about it, but we don't know what causes it. Normally, if a Grimm survives long enough, they can become an Alpha. Yet there are Grimm who have not reached that stage and still develop this presence."
"Bodies disappearing make it hard, right?" Ren nodded at him. Accelerator clicked his tongue in annoyance and grew silent.
"Can MISAKA see a Grimm up close sometime? MISAKA asks the table."
"It's too dangerous." Weiss answered. "They aren't like normal animals and will attack on site."
"Aww."
Last Order crossed her arms and pouted which forced everyone to look away or risk being drawn in by the cuteness. Ruby made a mental note on her technique.
After lunch, the rest of the day went by pretty quickly. Accelerator only attended class because Weiss and Last Order pressured him into it. Math bored him beyond belief and he didn't care about history. He had been momentarily surprised by the speed of which Bartholomew ran over the subject. The other students were furiously taking notes, except for Neo. She occasionally scribbled something down but otherwise doodled on her notebook. Touma looked completely lost and his handwriting was a mess. Last Order was trying to keep up, but she kept complaining in an undertone next to him. Eventually, the class ended and they were free for the afternoon. They were just about to discuss what to do, when Glynda showed up.
"Mr. Kamijou," She said and Touma froze. "I need to speak to you for a moment."
"If it's about this morning," Touma apologized. "I'm sorry for shouting-…"
"No." Glynda interrupted and waved her hand. "It's not about your detention tomorrow. I recently heard a large package arrived for you in our mailroom. I was a little surprised because of your… situation. Did you order anything?"
"Not that I know of." Touma answered. He could feel several pairs of eyes on him from the others and then he thought of something. He turned and found the mismatched eyes of Neo, who was pretending to look innocent. "Okay, what did you do?"
She typed something down on her tablet and held it up.
'Ordered a chest freezer for our room.'
Touma and Glynda stared at her.
"What? Why? Actually, how did you? You don't have a scroll." Neo laughed at Touma's expression and held up her tablet again.
'He said I couldn't have one. He never said I couldn't use one. Check yours.'
It only took Touma about twenty seconds to figure out what she did. His history told him everything.
"That makes sense." He admitted with a sigh.
"I see." Glynda said coldly. "Well, I recommend you keep a closer eye on her then, Mr. Kamijou. Do hurry and pick it up. We prefer to keep the mailroom cleared."
"Yes, professor." Touma replied and Glynda left. When she was out of sight, he turned back to Neo. "Seriously? What do you need a freezer for?"
Neo looked incredulously at him and then turned to Last Order, who shrugged at her. Neo rolled her eyes and held up her tablet.
'Ice cream, of course.'
"Of course," Touma repeated. "How did you even pay for it?" Neo reached into her pocket and pulled out a black card. "…I should have seen that coming."
"Probably has a bank account under a fake name full of stolen money." Weiss huffed. Neo raised a finger, lowered it, and then her expression turned into one contemplating something. She raised her hand again and shook it back and forth, which did not make the scowl of Weiss's face go away.
"The runt really isn't sorry about how she earned her money." Yang muttered and Neo made a rude gesture at her.
"Let's be nice guys." Ruby joined in, jumping between the two. "Stuff happened in the past, but try to look toward the future."
Everyone did stop arguing for now and Touma mouthed her a thank you. She returned the gesture with a wink and a smile.
"Hey, Jaune." Touma asked. "Do you think you can give me a hand getting the freezer to my dorm room?"
"No prob-…"
"I can help!" Nora volunteered. "I have had the opportunity to lift any weights today, so it will be easy."
"Uh…?" Touma started to say before Nora raced off to the mailroom.
"She will be fine." Ren assured him, as he began to follow Nora. "She's a lot stronger than she looks, remember?" Touma nodded. "I'll make sure she doesn't break anything."
Neo's eyes widened and she raced after Nora too. There was no way she was going to risk losing her freezer.
"Well…okay?" Touma said in disbelief.
"That's Nora for you." Jaune laughed. "We don't have to go now. As long as your teammate will sign for you, they can pick up your mail."
"You know Jaune." Pyrrha said to him. "We have some free time this afternoon and haven't done any sparring."
"I suppose." Jaune agreed and Yang grinned from behind them. "Can't deny I needed it and I didn't have to spar today in class."
"We will see you all later." Pyrrha told the others.
She and Jaune headed off toward the locker rooms to retrieve their gear. Touma watched them leave and then turned to the others.
"I've been wondering," Touma said. "Are those two…?"
"No." Team RWBY said simultaneously.
"Jaune doesn't notice Pyrrha likes him." Ruby elaborated.
"What she sees in him I will never understand." Weiss muttered.
"He spends his time trying to woo Weiss here." Yang added and threw her arm over the other girl's shoulders.
"Do not give him ideas to start up again." Weiss growled.
"Is she planning to tell him?" Touma asked and the girls rolled their eyes at him.
"She's worried about the team dynamic." Ruby explained and fidgeted a bit. "If he doesn't accept her feelings back, it would make everything awkward."
"Or if they do start dating and then break up." Blake added. "Imagine what living together in the same dorm would be like."
It did not take much work on Touma's part to see the problems.
"Yeah… that makes sense."
"Well if you are just going to talk about useless crap," Accelerator muttered. "Then I'm leaving." He turned on the spot and Last Order grabbed his shirt.
"Wait! MISAKA cries as MISAKA tries to prevent you from leaving. Remember what we talked about before? MISAKA asks." Accelerator paused for a fraction of a second, before trying to resume his pace with the small girl attached to him.
"Hang on." Weiss interjected and Accelerator actually stopped. "You mentioned earlier you used the Dust crystals I gave you earlier against the Grimm. I'm curious how you did that. If you tell me, I'll repay the debt and give you Dust in powder form to experiment with. I'm rather knowledgeable about Dust and have access to quite a bit of it."
Her words seemed to have an effect, as Accelerator's expression turned from annoyed to mildly interested.
"…Alight," he replied, after a brief pause. "There's only so much books tell me and I've seen you fight with it."
"Let's back to my dorm then." Weiss added brightly. "I want to take notes and I have some dust available to discuss its properties."
"She just wants to show off her knowledge to someone." Yang whispered to Blake, who nodded. "Because we just tune her out." Suddenly, an idea occurred to her and she grinned. This was a perfect opportunity to tease Weiss and help Blake. "Hey, Ruby," She said suddenly. "Dad told us he sent a package, remember? It should have arrived by now."
"That's right, he did!" Ruby exclaimed. "EEEEE! Something from home! You think he sent us cookies?"
"Only one way to find out." Yang replied and grabbed her sister's arm. "We're going to the mailroom too. It shouldn't take long." She wagged the finger of her free hand at Weiss. "Don't let us catch you doing anything dirty when we return."
"How vulgar." Weiss muttered and rolled her eyes.
"Weiss is always the one to make me pick up my stuff." Ruby said to Yang, confused. "I don't think she will make a mess."
"They are playing with Dust, MISAKA states reasonably. If it's as volatile as you all have said before, there is a chance it could cause a mess, MISAKA theorizes as MISAKA tries to figure out how the room could get dirty."
"Yeah, that's it." Yang said sarcastically, before pulling Ruby after her.
As she was leaving, she winked at Blake, who responded by raising an eyebrow. It only took a moment for her to realize why her partner did that. With Weiss, Accelerator, and Last order heading out too, that left Blake and Touma alone in the hallway.
What does she think is going to happen? Blake thought to herself.
"So… Blake." Touma's voice broke the silence and she looked over at him. "Are you planning to do anything?"
"I was going to stop by the library." Blake answered. "There was a book I wanted to see if it had been returned yet."
"Do you mind if I join you?" Touma asked. "Professor Oobleck recommended-…"
"That's Doctor Oobleck!" The green haired man called/interrupted from the hallway before disappearing. Touma and Blake stared in that direction for a moment, before snickering.
"Doctor Oobleck recommended a history book for me so I could get a general idea of Remnant's history." Touma amended. "I don't know how long we'll be here and it wouldn't hurt to learn a bit about your world. It's not like this kind of thing happens frequently."
"I don't have any problems with that." Blake told him with a small smile. "Unless you plan to make a lot of noise or knock down a bookshelf with your bad luck."
"Hey!" Touma protested as Blake smirked. "I trusted you guys with that information. Don't make fun of my bad luck. It's caused a lot of hardships."
"There, there." Blake told him, patting him on the shoulder. "I only plan to make fun of it occasionally."
"That's so nice of you." Touma muttered sarcastically and Blake laughed. Touma blushed at how nice that sounded. The two of them made their way to the library. The hallways were mostly devoid of students, as classes had let out and people didn't like to stay any longer than necessary.
"During class," Blake said suddenly and Touma looked over at her. "Standing up to Cardin when he was talking bad about Faunus… that was rather noble of you."
"No one else was telling him off." Touma muttered.
"A lot of people don't like him and his views." Blake admitted. "But few actually step up and tell him he's wrong."
"Isn't that part of the problem?" Touma asked and Blake looked surprised. "People just ignoring other's suffering? Allowing him to just talk down about people for how they were born is just wrong." His voice grew lower. "That was a common occurrence among the White Fang. People ignored the Faunus who were being harassed because it didn't involve them."
"I think a lot of people would ignore anyone, human or Faunus, in those situations." Blake pointed out fairly.
"Shouldn't be that way." Touma replied seriously. "Two people I met, Perry and Rita, they weren't bad." Blake mentally noted Touma used the term people rather than human or Faunus. "They sort of were forced into the White Fang by circumstance. If they had other options at the time, they wouldn't have. Those two reminded me a lot of you guys. They laughed, they bickered, and they helped each other. Both sides need to see how similar they are."
"Yeah… I agree with that completely." There was a moment of awkward silence before Blake continued. "Still, I really appreciate your actions. Jaune once stepped up and helped a Faunus who Cardin was bullying. It's good to know people like you two exist."
"Lead by example, right?"
"Yeah." She paused. "I wish I stood up against him, but I'm too cowardly to even reveal who I am. I'm such a hypocrite."
"I don't think you're a hypocrite or a coward." Touma reassured her. Her head snapped to stare directly at him. "Would a coward risk her life to jump among a group of who many consider evil? You did that and tried to get them to see reason. That's far from cowardly. Wanting people to know who you are yet understanding there are jerks in the world is not hypocritical, it's rational. I know one day you will be able to walk down Beacon without the need to hide anything."
He fidgeted when the silence lengthened.
They reached the library and Blake still hadn't said another word and Touma was getting worried.
"Sorry if I said something to offend you." He apologized quickly. Blake blinked, froze with her hand on the door to the library, and slowly turned to look at him.
"It's nothing like that." Blake assured him. "I was just… thinking. I actually agree with you and I'm looking forward to that day."
She entered the library and Touma followed her, relieved.
The truth was a little more complicated.
Touma had embarrassed her and she didn't want him to see her face.
"We're back!" Yang announced, kicking the dorm room open.
"Yang!" Ruby admonished. "We are going to get in trouble if you break the door again."
"I couldn't give them time to prepare." Yang protested and then her grin slipped off her face as she looked around the room.
"Why are you such a Neanderthal?" Weiss demanded from her desk. She was sitting down on a chair with Accelerator on the other side of the desk. Several different vials of Dust were between them and Accelerator was currently examining one with his hand. Besides a small scorch mark on the desk, the room was in its normal shape. Last Order was lying on Weiss's bed with a book open.
"Must be all those products she uses." Accelerator scoffed. "They soaked into her brain."
Weiss couldn't hold back a chuckle and Yang glared at them.
"MISAKA didn't understand most of what they were talking about, MISAKA complains as MISAKA doesn't like being left out."
"Cheer up." Ruby said and held up a package. "Dad sent us something and it's too large to be a letter. Must be a treat of some kind." She turned to Yang. "Open it! Open it!"
"Hang on, sis." Yang replied with an amused tone.
The package was cylindrical, about a foot long and a few inches in diameter. She popped off one end to open it. When she did, something black and furry in the packages shape fell out. Everyone leaned forward to get a better look at it.
Then it suddenly jumped.
The black furry thing expanded after one more jump. A black-headed tricolor Corgi with gray eyes and a bobbed tail emerged. Its underside was white and it wore a red collar with a gold pendent bearing a vertical black bone and two black dots on either side. The Corgi looked around at the shocked expressions of Weiss, Accelerator, and Last Order before turning to Ruby and Yang. Upon seeing them, it jumped up and down and gave a short happy bark.
"Zwei!" Ruby cheered and picked up the dog to give him an enormous hug.
"Your dad sent a dog…" Accelerator murmured in dull disbelief.
"…through the mail." Weiss finished in equal disbelief.
"Oh, he does stuff like this all the time." Yang replied and dismissed their worries with a wave of her hand. Zwei was busy licking Ruby's face all over and she was laughing with joy.
"Stop that." Ruby said to Zwei, but she really wasn't trying to get him to stop.
"Are you telling me?" Weiss asked and stood up before walking over to Ruby and Zwei. "That you two are expecting this mangy…" Her words trailed off for a moment when Zwei stopped licking Ruby and looked her directly in the eyes. "…drooling…" She stared intensely back into Zwei's eyes. "…mutt… is going to live with us forever!" Her tone changed from serious and strict to that of a little girl on Christmas Day. "Who's a cutie? You are!" She scratched Zwei under the chin and his tag wagged happily.
"MISAKA wants to play with Zwei too! MISAKA cries as MISAKA bolts up from the bed."
Seeing the little girl rushing toward him, Zwei jumped out of Ruby's arms and landed into Last Order's chest. The force knocked her backwards and the two of them somersaulted before landing with Last Order face up on the ground and Zwei on top. He started licking her face passionately and she was laughing excitedly.
"There's a letter." Yang declared, while Zwei was being occupied. "Dear girls, I've got to leave the island for a few days, so I'm sending Zwei to you to take care of. Enclosed is all the food you should need. Love you both, Taiyang."
She flipped the package upside down and dozens of cans of dog food began to fall out into a large pile.
"What are we going to do with that?" Weiss demanded and then a can opener fell out.
"What the hell?!" Accelerator exclaimed and everyone turned to look at him as he stood up and grabbed the package from Yang's hand. "Is there some dimensional transcendentalism shit going on?"
He looked into the box and didn't see anything unusual. Even sticking his hand into the package didn't give him any clues.
"Dad's really good at packing." Ruby answered, pretending she didn't hear him swear. "He could fit a lot more stuff if he had to. Once, he fit enough furniture into the back of our car to refurbish our entire house."
Accelerator simply stared at her.
"You don't see the flaw in your words, do you?"
"What flaw?" Ruby asked, tilting her head.
"I get a headache talking to you." Accelerator groaned and rubbed his head.
"Welcome to my world." Weiss agreed. "She woke us up the first morning with a whistle."
"Team bonding activity was needed!" Ruby declared loudly.
"Hey, Last Order," Yang asked. "Are you ever going to let Zwei go?"
Everyone glanced over at the girl, who was sitting up and held Zwei tightly in her lap.
"Don't want to, MISAKA replied selfishly as MISAKA loves Zwei's softness." Weiss smiled and knelt down next to her to scratch Zwei behind the ear. His tail wagged eagerly at her touch.
"He's such a good boy, isn't he?" Last Order nodded with a huge smile on her face.
"Guess I'll leave the brat with you guys for a while." Accelerator said and prepared to leave their room. "She's going to want to stay anyways."
"Wait!" Weiss called out. "There's… something I want to talk to you about. Now that Touma and Neo aren't around."
"What is it?"
"Do…?" She looked a little hesitant. "Do you trust Neo?"
Ruby and Yang's eyes widened and Last Order looked up from Zwei.
"Finally!" Yang threw her hands up in the air. "I know Ruby will give her the benefit of the doubt, but at least Blake seemed to not buy the innocent act. She's always watching her." Of course, there's a secondary reason, hehe. "I was wondering what your position was on her Weiss, besides the occasional jab you would give any ex-criminal."
"I don't jab ex-criminals." Weiss protested and then looked away when Ruby and Yang stared at her.
"Neo's trying to turn over a new leaf." Ruby said and then looked at Accelerator. "You trust her, right? That's why you let her live in your dorm."
Accelerator stared at the girls for a moment and said a single word.
"No."
Ruby's mouth fell open, Yang looked smug, and Weiss's lips pressed together tightly.
"See," Yang declared superiority. "He agrees with me. Neo's up to something."
"If you don't trust her," Ruby asked softly. "Why do you let her stay in the same room as you and Last Order?"
"Because she knows what will happen if she tries anything." Accelerator replied simply. "I won't hold back." The girls stared at him with wide eyes.
"He won't trust people easily, MISAKA whispers as MISAKA keeps her tone as soft as possible." Weiss leaned closer to hear. "The fact he talks with all of you and is willing to leave MISAKA with you means he does trust you." Weiss raised an eyebrow. "Please don't lose that trust, MISAKA begs. He really needs people he can trust."
"And I don't have to worry too much." Accelerator added as an afterthought. "As long as that damn hero is near her, she won't be able to do much."
"You trust him that much?" Yang asked.
"That… isn't the point." Accelerator deflected. "That guy has done a lot more insane things than simply change the mind of a villain. If anyone can turn her, it will be him. Should she try anything, well… you know what that idiot will do."
That went without saying.
Touma would face Neo directly to prevent her from hurting anyone.
"Do you think she's up to something?" Weiss asked.
"Obviously." Accelerator huffed. "But someone in her position won't try anything the first few days though. She needs to get people to relax their guard. You won't have to worry about her unless you provoke her." He grinned sinisterly at Yang. "Really wish I stuck around and watched her mop the floor with you."
Yang scowled, but couldn't really deny it. It did happen.
"So she can change!" Ruby said sternly. Accelerator rolled his eyes and only gave a noncommittal jerk of his head.
"I guess as long as you know." Yang relented and rubbed her chin. "Then I can't protest much, but I'm not letting my guard down around her."
"You didn't the first time and look what happened." Weiss pointed out with a grin. "Accelerator, if you ever want to discuss Dust compositions or reactions, I would be happy to do so. Unlike some people, you can actually understand the complex formulas."
"Hey!" Yang and Ruby cried out.
"Tsk, maybe."
He wasn't going to commit, especially since his mind wandered way more than it should have during their session. Not in ways he was used to. He would never admit it out loud, but his body was reacting to Weiss.
He really hated that doctor who caused this problem.
Further conversation was spared when the door open and Blake stepped in. The door slammed behind her and then she froze when her eyes fell onto Zwei, who barked a welcoming at her.
"What… is that?" She asked, her eyes narrowing.
"It's Zwei." Ruby answered. "Me and Yang's pet. Dad sent him to us."
"Isn't he adorable?" Weiss asked.
"You know it's against the rules to have a pet, right?" Blake asked, focusing on Weiss.
"Come on, Blake," Yang said. "Don't be a sour puss."
Blake threw a glare in her direction for a second.
"We can ignore that silly rule for this little guy." Weiss dismissed Blake's worry and her eyes widened.
"What have you done with the Weiss who refuses to break even the most mundane rules?"
Before Weiss could reply, Zwei jumped suddenly out of Last Order's arms and bolted toward Blake. In a blur, Blake jumped onto Ruby's bed.
And she hissed.
Blake actually hissed, just like a cat.
"Blake?" Ruby asked in shock.
Yang's expression was a combination of shock and amusement. Weiss and Last Order just stared. Accelerator was the only one who actually laughed at her reaction. A Huntress who was afraid of a little dog was hilarious.
"Hahaha!" Yang suddenly burst out laughing too. "Wow, Blakey. Zwei is perfectly harmless. Come on down and say hi."
"No. Keep him away from me." Zwei didn't seem to understand her as he jumped up and down at the foot of the bunk beds.
"He's so friendly, MISAKA says as MISAKA tries to reassure you. He might lick you a bit, but won't bite."
"Don't care."
"She's such a scaredy-cat." Yang said to Accelerator and laughed again. Accelerator simply rolled his eyes. Blake jumped from Ruby's bed, onto a desk, and to Yang's bed. She reached down, grabbed two books from her bed, gave one last nasty look at Zwei, and jumped toward the door. She exited and quickly closed it behind her before Zwei could follow. "Oops, she ran off."
"She'll return eventually." Weiss said, unperturbed. "There's no way anyone could stay mad at this cutey."
"You didn't get introduced, MISAKA releases as MISAKA picks up Zwei in haste." The Corgi didn't seem to mind, he loved the attention. Last Order ran up to Accelerator and held the dog up to him. "Zwei, this is Accelerator. He likes to act tough, but he's nice deep down, MISAKA introduces."
"Waaay deep down." Yang added and Weiss elbowed her in the side.
"Go on," Ruby encouraged him. "He won't bite."
That was the last thing on Accelerator's mind, as he gazed down at the hopeful expression on Last Order's face. Zwei had his tongue hanging out of the side of his mouth and was looking up at him expectantly. Clicking his tongue in annoyance, he reached down and patted Zwei's head a couple times, before stopping and walking toward the door.
"Come back anytime!" Ruby called out.
"Tsk," Was his only response.
"Blake did have a point." Yang said, when Accelerator was gone. "I don't think Beacon allows pets."
"If we keep him in our room, no one will know." Weiss brushed off her words. "Besides, he's not going to cause any trouble."
"You can sleep with me tonight like old times." Ruby said and picked up Zwei.
Zwei immediately began to lick her face.
Yang watch those two for a moment and then turned toward the door Accelerator left from.
"Did anyone tell Accelerator that Touma was made team leader?" She asked the others. Ruby shrugged and Weiss appeared thoughtful for a moment.
"I don't believe so." Weiss admitted. "We got a little drawn up with Nora's rendition of his fight." Yang grinned.
"Ohhh, I can't wait to tell him."
"Umm… what's this?"
Touma had just entered his dorm to find three within. He had been delayed getting back after slipping on a wet floor. Someone didn't set up any kind of sign and he was forced to clean up before tracking the water all over the halls. Two of the occupants were expected. Accelerator was lying on his bed and perusing stuff on his scroll. Meanwhile Neo was examining her new chest freezer set up in the corner of the room. There was nothing in it, but she was making sure it was working perfectly. She was occasionally sending the third occupant a weird look. Last Order wasn't there and Accelerator didn't look concerned, so she was probably still with Team RWBY or possibly JNPR. The third occupant was instead someone Touma didn't expect to see again so soon.
Blake was sitting in Last Order's bed, reading a book.
"What's what?" She asked, looking up for a moment. There were two other books next to her and it looked like she wasn't planning to move anytime soon.
"Not that I mind, but I thought you were heading back to your room." Touma answered.
"I was," Blake confirmed. "But circumstances dictated I had to leave."
"Heh."
Touma looked over at Accelerator, who had just laughed at Blake's words. Blake's face turned ever so slightly red. Neo, however, didn't look happy.
'She's a bother. I'm going to kick her out.'
"Don't do that." Touma told her hastily and turned back to Blake. "Circumstances?"
"Ruby brought a demon into our dorm and I can't stay there."
Accelerator let out another involuntary laugh. Neo tilted her head and her expression turned from annoyance to curiosity.
"It can't be that bad." Touma replied. "I mean, Weiss is a little scary sometimes, but you live with her."
"They have a dog." Accelerator answered.
Touma and Neo blinked.
"Oh…" Things clicked in Touma's brain while Neo fell onto the bed silently laughing historically. Blake glared at her, her face now solidly red. Touma suddenly realized Accelerator may not know Blake was a cat Faunus.
"I don't like dogs." Blake stated, keeping her voice passive.
'I wonder why.' Neo typed and held up the tablet for all to see.
"So I need to ask a favor." Blake continued.
"You want to hide out here for a little bit?" Touma asked and plopped down on his bed. "That's fine. We still have several hours before curfew."
"Not quite." Blake corrected him. "I was hoping Last Order and I could switch rooms for a few days."
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. All mistakes are SilverFang88's fault.
Last Order and Zwei have finally met. Now only one more person is needed to complete the new Delta Force.
SF88: ...I liked this chapter, more or less for the reasons of Cardin getting a dose of Touman Justice. Asshat deserved worse, but I think we can all agree that it is satisfying to watch a bully get knocked down a couple pegs. Oh, and lastly, fuck you, Dark.
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/ Klutzy Couple
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/ Brothers-At-Arms
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/ Cougar vs Dragon
Touma and Ozpin: Broken Replay Button/ Unknown Paragons
Touma and Summer: Dragon Sunbathing/ In The Heat of Battle
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/ Silent Curses
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 Ren: Tranquil Fury/ Remaining Sane
Accelerator and Velvet: White Flash / Hopping Mad / Unsuspecting Prey
Accelerator and Glynda: Fix and Destroy
Accelerator and Summer: Fast Forward to September
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/ Fade to Gray
Accelerator and Emerald: Red Eyed Killers/ After Image
Accelerator and Coco: Fashionable Disaster/ Fashion is a Science/ White Is The New Black/ Death by Chocolate
Accelerator and Pyrrha: Opposites Attract/ Copper Aftertaste
Accelerator and Raven: Yang's Nightmare/ Fallen Feathers
Accelerator and Neo: Sadistic Streaks
Accelerator and Roman: Stolen Smarts
Accelerator and Salem: Wicked Grins/ Red Eyes, Take Warning
