No, I'm not dead. None of my friends are dead. No one is dying. Sheesh, I don't update this story for a bit and everyone likes to ask me what's wrong or complains about update speed. I am not a professional writer and this is something I do for fun. When more important stuff goes on in my life, good, bad, ugly, necessary, I have to do it first. However, I have never stopped writing. Even if it's just a couple paragraphs a night, I keep as it. Habit is important to me. If I ever stop doing something for too long, I tend to not do it anymore. These stories are progressing and many of mine are reaching important parts, so I'm excited to reach them. On the other hand, I do appreciate the enjoyment the readers get reading my stories. I know the pain of a delayed release for manga, so I'm not completely unsympathetic to your plight. Thank you everyone for reading, giving ideas, and just commenting on stuff. Everything helps me improve.

Neema Amiry: I'm still here.

Kingofclubs8129: That is a good question. Maybe I should find someone to come up with that name. Some three-way names just come to you and those are usually the best. Blake will get a time to shine, it just takes the right moment. Blake's not the kind to prank like that. Well, unless someone really pushed her.

Guest: Compared to the girls fro, RWBY, it's pretty lame. I should write more omakes for sure. Maybe at the end of this arc. But Neo's already nice and caring. Ren's smoothie wouldn't do anything to her. Heh.

98kazer: He said it multiple times here.

Bluejack222: Laziness is the mother of all bad habits. But, as a mother, we should respect her.

Inacio: No reason for them to know about that.

ParadoxVictor: Coco is the more teasing type, like Yang. For Accelerator and Coco to go out, there would have to be a lot of development. You caught me. Not doing that was aimed at you. Muhaha! There is one girl who will push him out of his comfort zone! It's time for red riding hood to knock over the big bad wolf. Well, it's a more one sided relationship. Weiss has that crush and Accelerator… is Accelerator. Delves a little deeper this chapter.

Ahsoei: That really means a lot as a writer.

dickythamrin077: Velvet's personality has a lot someone could develop if they focus on her.

alex: A writer should continually try to get better.

LL: Qrow and Touma meeting is something I have wanted to do for ages. It WILL happen. Someone who generates misfortune and someone who acts as a lightning rod for misfortune. I'm trying to decide if Cinder would try to flirt with him to get him on her side, or send Emerald to do it.

Fernandamichelleraya: That's Yang's dream job. She believes she can get anyone she wants, but everyone else needs a push. I made a hint of a Ruby and Accelerator scene. Neo is obviously trying to be a hero now and will never be tempted to go back to being a criminal. Short clips of people behind the scenes are always entertaining. Not entirely sure what the female delta force is going to do here though.

Dday: Hmm, that's an idea. Given enough time, he could probably do that.

JumpingToaster: Stories have to have ups and downs or they get boring. I tend to like the slice of lice aspects, where people grow through good and bad experiences. Still, there has to be combat as RWBY and Index are both combat genres. RWBY was the youngest and hadn't gone through something insane like that before. Blake is fun to write in that regard. There is a balancing act between getting her to open, yet make it realistic. I can kind of see that.

Guest: 1) What did you have in mind again? 2) Nah, this isn't a super ecchi story, so might gloss over some of it a bit. There should be hoodies, as Jaune has one.

HydraLightning: Words have power. I don't know if Salem would have normal feelings like love. Maybe wanting desire.

Guest: Yes.

Salishious: Cinder's too smart for that. She knows he exists. Touma's hand would negate the brid transformation, so she would be back to normal. So, yes. With clothes.

A certain guest: Neo and Accelerator vs CRDL. Glynda happens to have to leave the classroom for a moment during their spar. With all the shit Touma goes through, having scars is important. It also ups his coolness factor with combat students. I know Mr? does stuff like that. I was debating how that discussion would do down. Without a common enemy like the Grimm, humanity turns their weapons onto each other. I figured Touma would just say he didn't remember since he was a kid. Though, not sure he would ever tell them about a magic god. I wish there was a canon character that could read minds in RWBY. That would be perfect to cause some interesting conversations.

Croniklerx: Heh, your comments are getting longer. Love is a complicated set of emotions that no one really understands. Even the strongest person can have trouble understanding their own feelings. Pyrrha and Nora are kind of similar in the reason they didn't want to confess. If Jaune or Ren didn't feel that way about them, would things have stayed the same? That is what they were afraid of. They couldn't stay the same. Index was young and, after having her memories reset, Touma's selflessness was the greatest moment that ever happened to her. Kuroko… I always felt her love was more admiration confused with love. Accelerator's vector manipulation doesn't rely on force. It simply changes the direction. It doesn't matter how much force Adam absorbed, it would just change direction. There is only one Semblance I feel would work on him, not counting magic power from Maidens.

Yeah, Silverfang, my reviewer, commented on that too. At some point, those, listening at the door scenes, will result in what they think is happening is actually happening. Hmm… I know the perfect opportunity for that grope to happen. You know, I had this chapter planned out when I saw what you wrote. Now I want to add ice cream style underwear. Bromance, it's everywhere. I think Neo's animosity is more to Blake. Yang is just a casualty. Teacher's pet… Neo will yell lies to people to embarrass Touma.

Xeno01: That's what I've been going for. It's hard and takes a lot of work, but the end result is worth it. I always found Accelerator easy to write.

Phoenix 7.49: That was about to happen if things went on any longer. Qrow and Touma are best pair. Their interactions are going to be great.

WiliamZ0: It's not an addiction, I can quit whenever I want to. I don't put credit cards into those games for that very reason I don't get tempted in a moment of weakness. Accelerator doesn't worry about the plight of lesser beings.

Moongaze14: I don't want to get involved in that kind of stuff. That would require some backstory on how Japan and his hometown are the same.

Jujudude: After you.

Erohakase: Crossovers are terrible and should never be read for sure. I'm not a fan of Index and everyone writes Misaka the same, so things get repetitive.

Wiliamsusanto: Lots of hair gel. Slick it back.

G119: Those short scenes sure deliver a powerful impact. Guess it will never update again.

Disclaimer: I do not own Toaru Majutsu no Index or RWBY.


"Nah, white doesn't suit him. Let's stay to darker colors for these."

"Maybe this?" Yang suggested to Coco, holding up an open long sleeve shirt. "Find an undershirt that complements it."

"Didn't you have me try a blue one already?" Touma asked exasperatedly. They had been here for ages and the girls hadn't settled on a single outfit.

"Are you blind?" Coco asked incredulously. "That's royal blue. The previous one was navy. Sheesh."

"Boys have no fashion sense at all," Yang added with a sigh. "Like Vomit Boy's preferred choice of clothes."

"I can hear you!" Jaune called to them. He was sitting on a bench watching a video on his scroll.

"You were supposed to!" Yang replied with a smirk.

"You better keep that ass on that chair," Coco warned. "Or you can bet that candy ass of yours I'll give you the same treatment. Your fashion sense is atrocious. Why didn't your sisters teach you anything?"

"I'll be good."

Touma felt sorry for Jaune. He was just there to keep him company as Yang or Coco tortur… decided on clothes that would fit Neo's specifications. She would have been here if she could. Speaking of that girl, Touma frowned slightly at what she was doing. It wasn't like she was that interested in school work and her combat experience dwarfed the others. As long as no one bothered her too much, nothing should happen.

Being in a positive environment is way better than traveling with the White Fang. Touma thought to himself. I wish Roman would see there was another way. He's a lot more reasonable, so maybe I can talk him out of it. Neo's so carefree. She probably followed me on a whim.

He glanced at a clock and his mouth fell open.

Two hours.

They had been at this store for two hours and they didn't settle on anything.

"How much longer are we going to be?" Touma asked hesitantly. "I still have to run an errand for Neo."

"This is my errand for her." Coco reminded him. "She paid good money for my services and I will never leave a customer looking horrendous." She glanced back at him. "Or the person she is trying to fix." She added as an afterthought.

"How could a pair of shoes be worth that much?" Touma muttered and the girls froze.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jaune's face turn ashen.

He had made a mistake.

You never question a girl and her shoes.

"Looks like we have to educate the ignorant." Coco said slowly to Yang, and then reached down to pick up a box she had purchased already.

"I had to have this talk with Ruby recently," Yang added and cracked her knuckles. "I think I can go through it again."

Touma's danger sense went off and he began to back up slowly. Jaune gave him the most sympathetic look he could. After all, this was a conversation he too had gone through once before.

Only it was seven girls instead of two.

"Aww," Coco mused. "He's going to try to run."

"There's no escape," Yang added. "Your sole is ours, even if you dye."

"Such misfortune."


"Watch it!" Weiss warned. "There's too much power running through that-"

"I know. Shut it!"

Bright sparks of electricity exploded out from the device Accelerator was working on. Only Weiss flinched slightly at this as the acidic smell of burning wires filled the area. Accelerator flicked the burnt area away, his powers preventing him from receiving any damage and rummaged in a box on the ground next to him. The forge had an unusually large amount of scrapped parts from years of Hunters and Huntresses leaving stuff behind. The majority of them preferred the newest technology as it became available. This was both good and bad. Good that he didn't have to go out into Vale and find stuff, but bad that the electronics available were obsolete compared to Academy City's standards.

"I understand you want to maximize output, but they're better ways to determine it than just guessing." Weiss continued. "You are just wasting parts this way."

"If I was just directing the output, you would be right." Accelerator corrected her. "I was also examining the difference between electricity generated from Dust and electricity I'm used to. Good thing those books were accurate. I should be able to make real progress now."

"If you need to verify something, ask me." Weiss huffed. "I've been studying Dust since I was young. My family has been mining it for generations."

"Whatever." Truth be told, he did appreciate her knowledge of the substance. There was a limit on what he could learn from books in just a few days. Yet having someone volunteer to work with him without some ulterior motive was something he wouldn't believe. I bet she wants to take my invention and sell it for profit. Doesn't matter, I guess. When we leave, we won't see it ever again. The two of them worked most of the day with only a short lunch break.

Accelerator found himself actually somewhat enjoying this.

He was too used to people back in Academy City saying his power could only destroy. He had proven them wrong before, but only in very rare circumstances. Now, he was actually creating something. This device, if he actually got it to work, would protect people. His reason for developing this wasn't entirely selfless. It was to protect Last Order since he had no idea how long they would be stuck here. If others used it, well, that was just a bonus. What was even more pleasing to him, proving the scientist wrong again, was his power came in very useful here. His automatic reflection saved several delicate electronic pieces when they were making very slight adjustments. Normally, machines would have been used instead of their hands for the delicate work.

Another big reason, one the exact opposite of what he expected, was that Weiss's company was actually somewhat enjoyable.

He had expected her to be an annoyance that he would have to tolerate in order to use her knowledge of Dust. Sometimes she was. She kept asking questions about himself and Last Order; most of which he ignored or gave very vague and curt answers to. His affairs were private and there was no reason for her to know about Last Order's origin. There were some questions he answered, like what the technology in his city was like and what resources they used instead of Dust. Oil was something Weiss questioned a lot about. He didn't mind talking to her about those kinds of things. Personal information was just something he held a lot closer to the chest and didn't like sharing. Unlike him, Weiss was open about her past and her team's shenanigans. He actually couldn't hold back a smirk at their initiation.

Ozpin's an ass.

At long last, around four in the afternoon, he stepped away and looked down at the finished prototype. It didn't look like much to the untrained eye. It was a simple metallic devise with a rectangular design and a clear glass over the top that could be removed. Inside of it was a small yellow Lightning Dust crystal at the center. There were small strips of leather so it could be wrapped around someone's wrist. It was about the size of a Scroll, though much thicker to allow the placement of small Dust crystals. Accelerator examined it and flipped the switch on the side. The crystal began to glow slightly, but nothing else happened.

"Feel anything?" Weiss asked in anticipation.

"No," Accelerator replied and wrapped the strap around his wrist. "There's only one way to know for sure." He tossed a piece of metal to her. "Throw this at me and see."

"Wouldn't your reflection just prevent it from reaching you?" Weiss replied as she twirled the metal between her fingers. It was only about six inches in length. It wouldn't kill anyone unless a lot of force was put behind it, but it would still hurt.

"I can turn it off," Accelerator snapped impatiently. "Just do it. I can't test it on myself."

"Right." Weiss hesitated for a moment and then threw it at his shoulder. Unlike someone like Blake, who would have thrown it like a dagger, she threw it in a rotating motion. The metal scrap flew through the air and made direct contact with Accelerator's shoulder.

Or it would have, if a yellow spark didn't intercept it and stop it.

"It worked…"

Weiss trailed off in shock as the metal clanged loudly on the ground in front of Accelerator. This wasn't caused by his reflection ability. Instead of ricocheting, the object was simply stopped by an invisible wall covering Accelerator.

"I thought your plans looked solid… but to get this far… in a single day… This is amazing!" She shouted the last line and clapped her hands together. "You might have revolutionized the defense gear of Vale's, no… the entire world's military!"

"Save it until I'm done, Snow Angel." Accelerator purposely chose that nickname to sober her right up. "I need to make sure it covers my entire body. This energy derived from Dust is incredibly useful and versatile. I only modified a design I saw, but it really looks like this shit flows around the human body."

"There is still a lot we don't know about Dust," Weiss reminded him and picked up the metal rod from the ground. "So… You want me to just periodically strike you?"

"Yes. Especially the back, arms, legs, and head."

"You know it's going to hurt pretty badly if you're not covered."

"I'll deal with it. Hurry up."

"Okay." Weiss moved behind him and gave a quick firm strike into the middle of Accelerator's back, only to meet the same wall. "Back, check." She repeated the process. "Left leg, check. Right leg, check. Left arm, check. Right arm, check." She raised the rod into the air and then stopped. "You sure about this?"

"Don't make me repeat myself."

Weiss took a deep breath at his words and brought her arm down.

She needn't have worried. The barrier around his head was just as strong as the rest.

"Looks like you're fully covered," Weiss confirmed and threw the metal rod into the box of other debris. "There's still work to be done and tests to perform. How much power can it block? How long will it last?"

"You tell me." Accelerator ordered and released the strap. He tossed it to her and she looked down at the dust crystal.

"It used over half its power with just that!?" Weiss gasped incredulously. "It barely took any force. This would mean there's an issue with energy conservation. The energy from the barrier must be dispersing around your body, rather than making a circuit. This would be only a temporary shield at best."

"While the shield conforms to the body," Accelerator muttered. "Too much energy is lost to make it viable. I guess that's a decent start."

"Decent?!" Weiss stared at him for a moment. "Once we work out that bug, every soldier in Remnant would be fit with body armor equipped with a portable shield generator. Ground and air vehicles would all have them to allow access through Grimm infested lands. One of the biggest issues we face is Grimm tearing through the metal when assaulting our forces. Repairs are extremely difficult to do when away from a major city. With this, we could block the Grimm from even reaching the vehicles. The only current Dust barriers are stationary like what we used in our arena."

"Seems like you thought about this a lot." Accelerator remarked and kicked a box under a table.

"The SDC does work hand in hand with Atlas military." Weiss reminded him. "Though, Vale and Atlas work side by side, so this technology would probably be a joint operation… if you decide to give it up." She added the last part quickly when she saw his head turn slightly to glare at her out of the corner of his eye. "I mean… is there a reason not to?"

"…I suppose not," Accelerator answered after a long pause. "As long as the brat gets one, I don't care. This world is too fucking dangerous for her without some kind of protection."

"You really care about her," Weiss pointed out, as the two of them started to clean up the mess they made and put away their designs. Beacon would come down on them if they left the forge a mess. "Though you try to hide it behind calling her a brat." Her comment met only the sound of a clicking tongue. "I've been wondering for ages. How did you two meet?"

"That's not really your business." Accelerator snapped, a little more harshly than he intended.

Weiss's lips pursed for a moment and she took a deep breath before continuing.

"I've wanted to ask you this, but we were always surrounded by other people. Last Order had been adamant about not telling us, though she let a few pieces of information slip." Accelerator froze facing away from her and she knew this was an important moment. It would either end with her questions answered or in collateral damage. "The reason she is in Academy City and lives with you is because of something that happened between you two. There is no way you two are related."

"You're treading into dangerous waters." Accelerator warned darkly.

"She's devoted to you," Weiss added. "So whatever happened must have been something important. Did you save her life and then take her in?" A dark laugh escaped Accelerator's throat at her guess. Weiss frowned at that. "Then what happened?"

"Why do you want to know?"

Accelerator had actually turned around to face her directly. His face was dark, which made his red eyes seem a little more pronounced, almost beastlike.

"Because I want to know about you." Weiss explained.

"Why?" He leaned forward and there was no trace of amusement on his face.

"Because…" There was a definite pause in her reply. "You've been the most reserved in talking to us. Last Order and Touma have been rather open about themselves. And… I've been interested in knowing about you. I know you're smart, but this..." She gestured to the shield generator they developed. "…is amazing. Yet I know nothing about you personally, except you like coffee. No hobbies, interest, anything."

"Best to keep it that way." Accelerator turned back away from her.

Weiss's face grew red and her eyes narrowed.

"Why won't you talk to me?!" She demanded and grabbed his shoulder. In an instant, she found her hand thrown off by an invisible force. It wasn't strong enough to cause damage to her through Aura, but the message was clear. Accelerator glanced back at her again with annoyance etched on his face. "I understand Yang. She annoys me too and Ruby can't hold a secret to save her life. She would blurt it out eventually. After the time we spent together, I thought you would open up a little at least. I didn't expect your life story, but something would have been nice."

Accelerator remained quiet.

"And then Last Order let's some things slip and makes it sound like there was some big conspiracy around you and her." Weiss continued to berate him. "I didn't want to push her because of her age, but I can't ignore something that would threaten her if she's in trouble. I was relieved to know how strong you were and how much you cared for her." She gave a curt smile. "After getting to know you, I was kind of impressed at how direct you were to people and gave your honest opinion. I grew up in an environment that forced everyone to hide their true feelings and intentions. You are lot like Ruby and Yang in that regard. It's refreshing… Don't tell them I said that or they will keep badgering me about their life stories."

She took a deep breath.

"The point I'm getting at is I like you...as a person." Admitted Weiss, adding the last part in quickly. "So what's wrong with trying to get to know you better?"

"You have shit taste." Accelerator snapped in frustration.

"Argh! You're so insufferable!"

"Glad we had this talk."

"Why won't you let anyone get close to you?" Weiss asked. "Why not just say you don't like me or something? Instead, you brush it all off for-..."

She reached out to grab his shoulder and her words were cut off by surprise when he grabbed her wrist instead.

"You really wanna know?" Accelerator asked with a growl. For a moment, Weiss thought about backing away. Her eyes met his red ones and she saw a weird combination of irritation and… guilt? Wanting to know more, she forced herself to nod. "Fine. First, I'm not interested in a relationship. You and that stupid hero have some weird ideas about this. Once Ozpin finds a way to get us home, we are leaving. You won't see us again and it will be best if you just forgot it. The brat's getting too attached and I warned her about it already."

"That's not a good enough reason." Weiss protested. "Besides, there's a chance you might not be able to return. Wouldn't it be better to have friends here you can-"

"Second," Accelerator interrupted. "And I'm only going to say this once so listen closely." He lowered his face until it was only a few inches from Weiss's. She bit the corner of her lip in anticipation. "I don't deserve something like a half-assed relationship after the shit I've done."

"What do you mean?" Weiss asked with a whisper. "A lot of people have done terrible things in their past. It's not who they are now. I… had to learn that the hard way and it almost cost me a friend."

"I'm a murderer." Accelerator clarified coldly. His voice merely a whisper, though full of guilt, frustration, and a hint of depression. "I killed over ten thousand people."

Weiss's eyes flew open and she stepped back.

"W-wha-…" She gasped. "That's not true. There's a reasonable explanation for that. Right?"

Accelerator gave her a cold smile that never reached his eyes.

"I killed them for power," he replied. "Nothing more, nothing less." He turned and started walking away. "The damn hero interfered before I finished. I have done terrible shit; more than I can atone for in a single lifetime. So that's why I'm not interested. That's why I push people away. The brat's entire situation is because of me!"

He stormed out of the forge leaving the stunned Weiss behind.


After several destroyed buildings, scorched marks, crying, and near death experiences, Touma found himself with a couple outfits that passed Yang and Coco's muster.

That might have been a slight overstatement though.

None of the buildings were destroyed.

The near death experience was because some random guy thought it would be a good idea to try to peek on Yang. That girl did not take it lightly and the guy learned his lesson in a rather painful way. Funny enough, Touma was the one who spotted him and tackled him before he could see everything. As luck would have it, Yang stepped out and sent them both flying before finding out the truth. As an apology, she volunteered to pay for dinner for him and Jaune.

"Was it really okay to let Velvet and Coco take everything back with them?" Touma asked.

"It's fine," Yang reassured him. "She will want to show off her boots to Neo and Neo will no doubt want to see the clothes Coco picked out." She snickered in amusement. "Be prepared to model them for her."

She couldn't help laughing when Touma's head fell down and hit the table with a bang.

"Looks like you're warming up to Neo," Jaune whispered to Yang, which sobered her up at once.

"I still don't like her," Yang muttered. "But I can at least take a moment to laugh if something is funny."

"We still need to pick up her ice cream." Touma added with a grown and sat back up. "I have the address and my scroll said it was pretty close. Depending on how much she has stocked, we might need a cab. Seriously, how much ice cream can a tiny girl eat?"

"I'm telling her you called her fat." Yang teased and Touma's eye widened in horror.

"No, please, I'll die!"

"That's crossing the line." Jaune added. "I've seen what happens when a guy accidentally implied that to one of my sisters." He shivered. "I slept outside that night."

"Relax, I'm just joking." Yang reassured them and pushed her chair back from the table. "Daylight's wasting boys; let's get going." The three of them left the restaurant and made their way through Vale, when Yang couldn't resist more teasing. "So, Touma, I saw you checking out Velvet. Got a thing for bunnies?"

Touma began spluttering something incoherently while she laughed.

"Good taste, man." Jaune said and smacked Touma on the back. "She's pretty cute, smart, and friendly; a little shy though."

"I wasn't looking," Touma denied. "She's just the only one who seemed to be on my side against you and Coco." He pointed to Yang, who grinned in response.

"Man up," She replied. "Being able to look good while kicking butt is important. Besides Vomit Boy here and his god awful fashion sense, seriously… Seven sisters and you had that onesie? How!?"

"They gave it to me as a gift," Muttered Jaune. "And besides, it's pretty comfortable and warm."

"And Coco plans to convince his team to burn it." Yang added to Touma.

"What?!" Jaune exclaimed.

"Now back to the main topic at hand," Yang continued. "So you like Velvet, huh?"

"I never said that," Touma denied quickly. "Besides, I think she likes someone else."

Only Yang noticed his eyes dart toward Jaune. Jaune had glanced over at a sign they had passed.

He's actually perceptive? Yang thought to herself surprised. Then why doesn't he notice Ruby and Blake fawning over him? Okay, to be fair, Blake hides it pretty well, but Ruby is so obvious. The reason the two of them knew Velvet had a thing for Jaune was during the shopping trip, she went out of her way to talk with him and sit with him every chance she got. Short of just coming right out and confessing, it couldn't have been any more obvious. Touma does seem rather reserved. Maybe those two aren't his type or something. Haven't heard him mention what his type is. Her eyes widened. Could it be he doesn't know they like him? Crap, please tell me he's not that dense.

"Think so?" Jaune asked Touma. "Well, hope whoever she likes is nice to her. There are people like Cardin who bully her because she's a Faunus."

"Yeah," Touma muttered with his hands behind his head. "I got a pretty good gist of that."

"I'm sure if Velvet liked someone," Yang commented. "Coco would be the first to know and do whatever she could to set them up."

"Probably push them into a closet together or something." Jaune added with a laugh.

"A classic." Yang agreed.

"Is she always so… forceful?" Touma asked, remembering Coco's threats when he wasn't changing fast enough. The forty-five minute conversation about shoes still buzzed around in his head. He grew slightly dizzy remembering that.

"Pretty much."

"Don't get on her bad side," Jaune warned. "She's at the top of the second years."

"I wouldn't dream of it." Touma said dryly as they turned a corner. "Okay, it's right up ahead. Dang it, Neo! You didn't tell it would be this place." He rubbed his face for a moment. "I hope those two aren't here…"

He trailed off, which caused Jaune and Yang to examine the building they were approaching.

Junior's.

That was all the sign said, but even Jaune could tell it was a club.

Yang's eyes widened in surprise.

Well, she thought. This couldn't get messy.

"You sure this is the place?" Jaune asked. "I mean, isn't… wasn't Neo a wanted criminal? How could she just waltz into a nightclub?"

"Junior's an information broker," Touma explained. "I guess he doesn't break the law or tow the line I suppose. But he overlooks people's… pasts. The actual club didn't seem that bad, though I was only there for a short time."

"No point in standing out here discussing it," Yang exclaimed in a more confident voice than she let on. "Let's go, ladies." They walked up toward the front door and only Yang noticed one of the bouncers in the typical black suit, hat, red tie, and red sunglasses reach for his side while the other hand pressed up against his ear. "Funny enough, Junior's an old friend too."

This is going to be fun.

To Touma's and Jaune's shock, she walked up to the front door and kicked it open with a loud bang.

"Guess who's back!?" Yang called out.

Their entrance was met with blaring music and twenty plus men in suits pointing guns at them.

"Yang?" Jaune asked fearfully. "What does the term friend mean to you?"

"Hold it!" A strong voice yelled out and a large man began pushing through the throng of armed guards. "No one shoot. We don't need a repeat of last time." Junior finally got to the front and glared at Yang with a look of exasperation. "Blondie, why are you here?"

"You still owe me a drink." Yang declared and poked him in the chest. "Oh, and a friend of mine is here on official business."

She jabbed her thumb over her shoulder. Junior glanced past her to see Touma giving him a small wave.

"The kid's with you?" Junior face palmed. "Well, today's just full of surprises." He glanced up at the rest of his men. "Okay you idiots! Get back to work!" They all scattered at his order and he sighed. "I just got this place fixed up after your last visit, Blondie. Don't need another shoot-out."

"Glad you understand." Yang said with a smirk and walked past him toward the bar. "Strawberry Sunrise, no ice. And don't forget that little umbrella." Junior scowled at her but nodded toward the guy behind the bar, who quickly started getting to work.

"Jeeze, kid," Junior muttered to Touma. "First you get involved with Roman and then the Huntress who wrecked my bar. Who you going to bring in here next?"

"Yang was the one who blew up your bar?" Touma asked bewildered.

"Told you one did," Junior growled. "Was a lot of work fixing this place up." He glanced over at Jaune. "Who's he?"

"I'm no one," Jaune said quickly. "Just pretend I'm not here."

"He's Lord of the Vale." Touma joked. He couldn't help it.

"Fuuunny." Junior motioned them to follow him to the other side of the bar opposite of Yang. "So, what brings you back here? After the crap I heard Roman do… Shit. I knew he's been dealing with something over his head, but I never considered he would bring Grimm into the city."

"So he is working for someone else." Touma muttered. Junior suddenly looked alarmed.

"Keep it down!" He hissed. "You could get us all in a lot of trouble."

"Ah, sorry!" Touma apologized. "Anyway, I hate to barge in unexpectedly, but Neo kind of forced me to pick up the ice cream she kept here."

"Heh." Junior chuckled to himself. "Yeah, she makes me order a special brand from Minstrel. It's in the back locked up in a freezer. Had to lock it because some poor SOB grabbed a container. Everyone learned not to touch her stuff."

"I could see that." Touma muttered dryly.

"Did that bastard at least pass on the information of your friends?" Junior asked. "I take pride in making sure my information is reliable."

"He did," Touma confirmed and rubbed the back of his head. "I met up with them after that incident."

"You wouldn't happen to know anything about who Torchwick was working for?" Jaune asked in an undertone.

"Nope and if I did, I wouldn't be telling you." He waved over one of his goons and tossed him a key. "Pack up Neo's trove. And careful with it! God only knows what will happen to you if you don't." The man noticeably paled and rushed off. "Okay, I'm off to make sure Blondie over there doesn't destroy my bar again while he gets Neo's stuff."

"This club looks pretty nice," Jaune said once Junior left. "Like back home, but a lot more lights and different music."

He was referring to the techno style music blaring in the background.

"We won't have them back in Academy City." Touma replied. "Most of the students are under eighteen, so you don't see many except at an occasional party that gets out of hand."

"Sounds boring," Jaune laughed. "Though, I can imagine once this place fills up at night, it's not nearly as inviting."

"I don't know about that," A female voice said from behind them. "We can be quite inviting."

"And look, Mel," A second similar voice stated. "His friend's tall, blonde, and scraggly."


"So many different Dust weapons, MISAKA says in awe as MISAKA finally takes a seat."

"I wanted to try out new rounds with Crescent Rose." Ruby said happily, holding up a large bag. "Those Grimm won't know what him them!"

"Do you think MISAKA can try out Crescent Rose? MISAKA asks innocently as MISAKA looks up pleadingly."

"Crescent Rose is calibrated for my specs," Ruby explained with an ulterior motive. Her weapon was precious to her and she really didn't want anyone else using it. Of course, they could admire it and touch it with her permission, but she didn't even let her uncle or her dad use it. "If you tried, it might end up with you missing a foot." Last Order nodded in understanding, although her eyes clearly showed her disappointment. She's good, even I'm feeling bad. "Hmm, I suppose we could develop you something to practice with. When my uncle taught me, I could only use a normal scythe and there were a lot of… accidents." She would never tell anyone about the first time she used one. "We won't tell Accelerator though."

"Of course, MISAKA agrees quickly as MISAKA nods excitedly. After MISAKA becomes proficient, MISAKA can show off her skills."

"Show him you're not a kid anymore," Ruby encouraged and then sighed. "Yang still treats me like a kid. It's like she doesn't even trust me around boys my age."

"Are you talking about the Savior or big brother Jaune? MISAKA asks as MISAKA attempts to clarify." She still never got rid of the habit of calling Jaune that, much to Accelerator's irritation. Part of her found it funny how much it bothered him.

"W-what?" Ruby spluttered.

"Do you not like them? MISAKA asks."

"Jaune's my first and best male friend at Beacon." Ruby explained at a breakneck pace. "And he was just as awkward as me when we started and I can talk to him about anything. He won't tease me or make horrible puns like Yang does. He also considers his friends really important. So I don't want anything to change. Touma… he's the kind of hero I want to be. Cool, strong, willing to dive into danger, yet doesn't act arrogant at all. He's pretty easy going like my uncle. It's like he doesn't consider helping people to be anything special."

"The Savior doesn't care about fame, MISAKA explains. MISAKA's sister was in trouble and he didn't know her at all. But he risked his like to save her. MISAKA believes he only helps because someone had to and he was the only one who could."

"He's so cool like that," Ruby muttered and covered her head with her hood. "A true hero."

Last order laughed.

"He doesn't consider himself one, MISAKA points out."

"Well, he should!" huffed Ruby. "Even Accelerator calls him a hero. Sure, he doesn't like calling people names, but he calls me by my name sometimes. I think it's kind of endearing, regardless how he tries to act uncaring."

"MISAKA's younger sister calls him a tsundere."

"Tsundere?"

"He acts tough to hide his feelings, MISAKA clarifies."

"Ah, that makes sense. Still, Accelerator doesn't treat me like a child and, even with him being all grumpy, he's still willing to go and help." Last Order nodded with a huge grin on her face. "He just needs to have fun. Hmm..." She rubbed her chin. "We could trick him into joining us somewhere and force him to have fun."

"Like…? MISAKA asks as her eyes widen in interest."

"What about-…?"

"FRIEND RUBY?!"

A girl interrupted their talk and they turned to see a girl with short, rather curly orange hair with a small ahoge on top, similar to Last Order's. She had bright green eyes, light skin and freckles. Her outfit consisted of a whitish-gray old-fashioned blouse with short gray feminine overalls, as well as a black and green collar with a matching pair of stockings. Curiosity filled her expression as she tilted her head to gaze under Ruby's hood. When Ruby looked up, she clapped her hands together.

"Penny?!" Ruby asked in surprised and bounced to her feet. "It's been ages!"

"I have been looking forward to our next encounter too! Sorry, I didn't call out to you earlier. I wasn't sure it was you with your face covered. What was that about? Are you in trouble?"

"No, no, no," Ruby reassured her. "I'm doing great. How about you?"

"General Ironwood finally gave me some time off," Penny explained. "And I wanted to examine more human interactions." Her gaze fell onto Last Order, who was staring at her with her head tilted slightly. "Is she a friend of yours?"

"Ah!" Ruby jumped and turned to put a hand on Last Order's back. "This is Last Order and she is definitely a friend. Due to certain circumstances, she, her guardian, and their friend are staying at Beacon."

"Hello! MISAKA greets enthusiastically. If you are Ruby's friend, can we be friends too?"

Penny stared at Last Order for a moment and then a huge smile stretched across her face.

"Sensational! I would love to be your friend, Last Order!" Penny exclaimed way more excitedly than what was needed. "My name is Penny Polendina and it is a pleasure to meet you."

"It's a pleasure to meet you too! MISAKA replied as MISAKA mimics her friend's choice of words."

"So what were you two doing?" Penny asked, looking between the two.

"We just finished shopping." Ruby answered and held up the bag. "Got some new Dust rounds I can't wait to try out. Might even use them for the tournament." She grinned at Penny. "Just because we are friends, don't expect me to go easy on you if our teams meet."

"I look forward to our match in the Vytal Festival." Penny replied. "It is sure to be so much fun and an emotional bonding experience." Suddenly, she leaned forward. "Are you okay, Ruby? Your face was a little red. I hope you aren't catching a fever." She put a hand on Ruby's head. "Your temperature does seem a little high."

"I'm fine!" Ruby pushed Penny's hand off of her. "We were just talking about…"

Her voice trailed off and her face grew red again.

"Boys, MISAKA supplies."

Ruby's mouth fell open at Last Order. This actually wasn't a malicious attack by the little girl. She was just answering Penny's question honestly. It was one of the moments that reminded Ruby how young Last Order really was. Sometimes she seemed to know a lot more than a ten year old should, other times she was completely oblivious to normal social interactions. Kind of like Penny, though she had her own reasons. It was a secret Ruby promised she wouldn't tell anyone and to this day, she had not. Speaking of Penny, Ruby noticed there was a gleam in her eyes and the next moment Penny grabbed Ruby's hand with both of hers.

"Really?!" She asked excitedly. "May I join? I always wanted to have a girl talk with friends. Are the boys cute!? Do you like them!? What are they like?!"

"One at a time!" Ruby responded. "And let's find somewhere else to talk instead of out here!" She was aware of several passersby looking at them with interest.

"Of course, sorry about that." Penny apologized, but didn't let go of Ruby. "I was just so excited to do normal teenage things I forgot somethings should be kept secret between us girls."

Her smile was so sincere, Ruby couldn't even come up with an excuse to not tell her about the others.

Why can't I tell her no? Ruby thought with a combination of exasperation and amusement.

Penny looked around and dragged Ruby away. She only had a moment to grab her bag before Penny's superhuman strength took hold. Ruby noticed Last Order bounded after them and grabbed onto Penny's other hand. Penny didn't seem to mind. On the contrary, her smile grew wider. Ruby was too busy stay on her feet to notice Last Order's reaction.

A small frown appeared on the girl's face and her ahoge flickered toward Penny.

A few minutes later, they found a secluded spot on a bench under a tree. It was in an open enough area that if anyone approached them they would be noticed. Penny was really excited to spend time with her friends and Ruby was apprehensive on what the conversation would entail about Jaune, Touma, and Accelerator. Last Order was uncharacteristically silent.

"Where should we start?" Penny said eagerly. "How about you start off by telling me about the boys?"

"Well," Ruby started off hesitantly. "There's three of them, but first, let me be clear. There is nothing between me and them except them being my friends."

"Okay," Penny nodded in acknowledgement.

There was no trace of any doubt on her face. Ruby opened her mouth to continue, but someone else had other plans.

"MISAKA would like to ask a question first, MISAKA interrupts quickly." Penny and Ruby turned toward her.

"Yes?" Penny asked politely.

"Are you a robot? MISAKA asks as MISAKA digs her foot into the ground nervously."

"A r-robot!?" Penny repeated in stunned disbelief. "I'm a perfectly normal…hic… girl!" She hiccupped in the middle of her sentence.

Oh no! Ruby thought in alarm. This was the secret she had been keeping for Penny. Penny had stopped a truck and her fake skin had been torn away to reveal her metallic body. She had been terrified Ruby would stop being her friend when she found out.

"Last Order!" She invented wildly up on the spot. "You can't just go asking people if they are a robot!"

"I'm definitely… hic… a normal girl," Penny said again. She hiccupped again.

"But MISAKA's body gives off a weak magnetic field, MISAKA explains. When we held hands, MISAKA could detect an underlying metallic structure beneath the artificial skin. MISAKA thought it might have been an artificial arm due to some kind of accident, MISAKA admits and it is why MISAKA was nervous. It might have been rude, MISAKA finishes as MISAKA diverts her eyes afraid she upset her new friend."

Penny and Ruby exchanged looks.

"Should we?" Ruby whispered.

"I am supposed to be an Atlas secret." Penny admitted. "But she already discovered my secret and it would be better for her to know the truth or she might let something slip to others."

Penny looked really nervous and Ruby knew what was on her mind.

"Don't worry," She reassured her friend. "Last Order isn't capable of prejudice."

Penny nodded and turned toward Last Order.

"Most girls are born, but I was made in Atlas." Penny admitted softly. "I'm the first synthetic entity to be capable of generating an Aura. Yes, I am an android and it's a national secret. My father encourages going out occasionally in order to learn social interactions and that's how Ruby discovered my secret by accident. Does… does that make you hate me?"

"Why would MISAKA hate you? MISAKA asks as MISAKA tilts her head in confusion."

Penny's eyes widened and Ruby felt a smile form on her face.

Knew it.

"Don't you think I'm a freak?" Penny pushed. "I'm not a human or Faunus, I'm not even alive."

"But isn't Aura supposed to come from your soul or something? MISAKA asks as MISAKA recalls Weiss's lectures. Having a soul means you are alive, right?"

Penny blinked in surprise.

"MISAKA won't stop being your friend over something silly like that, MISAKA adds. Having an android friend is awesome! MISAKA wishes she could tell her other friends, but will keep your secret."

Penny's eyes began to water and she suddenly scooped Last Order up in a hug.

"I'm so happy to have a friend like you!" Penny cried out, hugging the smaller girl tightly.

"Can't…breath! MISAKA is dying!"

"She doesn't have Aura, Penny!" Ruby cried out and Penny let go of Last Order before she asphyxiated.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Penny apologized over and over. "I was so overexcited."

"MISAKA forgives you, MISAKA reassures her new friend as MISAKA catches her breath."

"Bark!"

The three girls turned toward Ruby's backpack.

"Zwei!" Ruby cried out. "I almost forgot about you."

She had put him in her backpack while they were in the store. He started licking her face excitedly when she pulled him out.

"Aww!" Penny cooed. "Is this canine also your friend, Ruby?"

"He's family!" Ruby explained proudly and held out Zwei toward Penny. "And super friendly!" Penny leaned forward and Zwei started to lick her face.

"Ah!" Penny said in surprise. "His tongue is so wet!"

"Looks like you made another friend! MISAKA states proudly."

"See," Ruby said happily and patted Penny on the back. "It's easy to make friends."

"Do you think I can have a friend who is also a boy?" Penny asked, her eyes sparkling. "Perhaps one of those three we were about to talk about during our girl talk?!"

"Crap." Ruby muttered.

She had completely forgotten about that.


"Your employee makes a pretty good Strawberry Sunrise." Yang commented when Junior sat down.

"You're lucky to be here," He grumbled back. "If you weren't with that kid, I would have kicked you out."

"Aww, you love me." Yang teased. "Touma mentioned he came here with Torchwick, right? Don't even try to get out of telling me. Neo sending us here is all the proof we need."

"Yeah, he stops by occasionally." Junior grunted. "I keep him up to date of the happenings around here. Once he started going public with his Dust robberies, he's about as welcome here as you are. If it wasn't for his Lien… Neo on the other hand, you don't tell her no."

"I found that out," Yang agreed and rubbed her cheek. "Midget's vicious."

"Don't let her hear you say that." Junior said dryly. "Last thing you want is a knife in your back. Speaking of Neo, how are you all in contact with her anyway? She and Roman disappeared after the breach."

"She's… around," Yang replied, not wanting to reveal anything. "Can anyone really catch her?"

"No, I suppose not." Junior grew quiet for a moment and then glanced over. "You know that woman you were looking-…"

Yang did a spit take, covering the bar top with her drink, turned and grabbed Junior's collar.

"You saw her?!" She demanded. "Where!"

The sound of guns being drawn didn't deter her. Junior waved them down and Yang finally let go of her.

"Only a rumor," Junior told her gruffly. "And you still have to pay."

"But I'm with him!" Yang protested, pointing in Touma's and Jaune's direction without looking over.

"And that got you in the door without bullet holes."

"Fine." Yang pulled out all the Lien on her and passed it over. "That enough?"

"No, but it'll do." He pocketed the money. "One of my men was delivering some goods to an associate near the Grimm Wilds. He saw a woman similar to the picture you showed me, though she had a mask similar to the White Fang. She disappeared after entering a bar and he never saw her leave."

"Sounds like her." Yang muttered. "Damn it, rushing over there won't get me anywhere."

"I can only deal with information I have." Junior huffed and then he turned around. "Looks like your order is here so you can scram. The other two are welcome anytime."

"You let in a couple guys and not a hot bombshell like me?" Yang asked with a pout.

"I saw what kind of bombshell you are-…"

"Good one!"

"…but I doubt the twins will be happy if those two don't come back."

"What?" Yang asked and looked in the direction Junior was looking now.

Her jaw dropped.

Touma and Jaune were besieged by the Malachite twins. The one dressed in white was leaning up against the bar on Jaune's side, while the one in red was leaning up against Touma. Both of the boys' were embarrassed, evident by their reddening faces. Yang sighed, kicked her seat back, and stood up. Brushing back her long hair, she marched forward.

"Okay, Lady Killers," She declared. "Let's go. We got what we came for."

"Maybe they don't want to go?" The twin in white, Melanie, said with a sniff. "The night's still young and we haven't even opened for normal hours yet."

"You should stay and dance with us." The red twin, Miltia, said, wrapped her arms around Touma's arm. "Just ignore her."

"Jealousy isn't pretty," Melanie added. "You'll get wrinkles."

A vein twitched in Yang's forehead.

"We really can't stay," Jaune tried to say and Melanie imitated her sister's action.

"Come on," She cooed. "Not even for one dance?" She ran her hand down the side of his face. "I don't get to dance with a cute, scraggly boy very often. It's always older people."

"That's… that's good right?" Jaune asked uncertainly and she giggled.

"If you don't like the noise," Miltia whispered to Touma. "We can go to the VIP section upstairs." She leaned into his ear. "We can even let you drink. It will help you loosen up and then we can have some fun."

"Er… some other time, maybe." Touma replied. "Sounds fun, but we really got to be getting back."

"Is someone more important than us?" Militia asked with a pout.

"Neo." Yang answered and that single word caused the girls to freeze.

"What's she got to do with this?" Melanie asked.

"We're picking that stock up for her." Yang replied with a savage grin and pointed to the packed up ice cream. "What do you think she's going to do if we don't get back?"

The girls' faces paled for a moment and then they sported the same smirk.

"Well," Miltia began. "We would hate to leave the shrimp waiting." She pulled out a piece of paper from her dress and stuck it in Touma's pants pocket. "My number. Don't be a stranger."

"Same here." Melanie imitated her sister's action with Jaune. "And just to make sure you don't forget us, here's a little token to remember this night."

She leaned forward and kissed Jaune's cheek, while Miltia did the same to Touma. Both boys froze in shock, though it was clear by the look on their faces, they didn't dislike it.

"I'm putting a stop to this!" Yang declared and grabbed the boys' by the back of their shirts and then yanked them to their feet. "Before this ridiculousness goes on any further."

"It seems she's jealous, Mel," Miltia commented loftily to her sister. "Just because she can't get a man."

"She's probably too old," Melanie agreed. "Guys don't like the clingy type."

Yang's eyes flashed red at the old comment and that snapped Jaune and Touma back to their senses. Each of them grabbed Yang's arms to keep this from escalating. The twins decided one last blow was needed and blew kisses at Jaune and Touma, before they turned and went back to work.

"Come on, Yang," Jaune tried to console her. "They just did that to push your buttons."

"You did trash their club." Touma added.

Yang looked between them for a moment and then took a deep breath.

"Point taken," Yang admitted. "I'll let it slide. Still don't like them." She turned and winked at Junior. "I'll catch you later!"

Once the guys were sure she wasn't going to do something stupid, they let her go, and began wheeling the ice cream load with them. The henchman was smart enough to put it on a small cart.

"Don't come back!" He replied.

"I know you don't mean that!"

"So why did you trash Junior's club?" Touma asked Yang, once they were safely out of the club. "I heard you destroyed it when I first arrived. Didn't know it was you, just a Huntress."

"We got into an argument and things just spiraled out of control." Yang replied with a shrug. "His men were pretty quick to resort to violence and he was the one who brought out a rocket launcher. Those twins, pretty good fighters and they have their Aura's unlocked."

"Rocket launcher?" Jaune repeated. "What kind of club was it?"

"Pretty explosive." Neither of the guys laughed. "You both suck. It's run by Junior's gang, but the business is legitimate, even if his side dealings… well you saw them. I only found out about it because it was so popular. People come from all over Vale to party." She glanced at the sky. "They should be opening up and look, crowds already forming up."

The boys turned and saw a group of people looking at them curiously. Seeing 3 people leave the club before it opened who didn't look like employees had to be a strange sight.

"Let's… just get this back to Neo," Touma suggested pushing the cart with renewed vigor toward a taxi. "It's been a long day."

"The person who ran around with a couple wanted criminals, a terrorist organization, and who stopped a Grimm invasion is tired over a little shopping?" Yang teased. "You got to hang out with three attractive girls. Most would kill for that chance."

"I think I would take my chance with the Grimm again… ow!" Yang punched him in the arm.

"Look at the bright side." Jaune told Touma.

"Bright side?"

"We got a couple girls' number!" He held up the piece of paper. "And they seem to be into us!"

"I can't believe it either." Touma replied and pulled out his own. "A girl actually gave me her number and wasn't just thanking me for helping them out." Water began to form in his eyes. "It's the first time I actually have a chance with a girl."

"Me too," Jaune agreed. "Most girls turn me down. Weiss has done it dozens of time. Maybe I should call her. She's the first girl in Vale who actually seems interested in me."

The two boys made eye contact and then high fived each other.

Yang stared at them in disbelief.

Nooo. She thought. There is no way they can be that dense. Blake, Neo, Pyrrha… just… no. Her astonishment grew as the boys continued to talk about a possibility of a girlfriend. Touma explaining to Jaune about how his luck prevented him from getting one and Jaune talking about how his sisters always tried to set him up with someone, rather than letting him find someone he liked on his own. These two have to be the most blockheaded individuals on Remnant.

The taxi pulled up and Jaune started to stick the ice cream in the back. Yang rubbed her forehead and decided to take drastic measures.

"Okay you two," Yang announced. "If you two are going to be stupid, then I have no choice but to give you some information about girls."

"Stupid about what?" Touma asked, insulted. "We got their numbers. Shoot, my friends back home would kill to have done that."

"You got a foot in the door," Yang explained. "Now, you need to understand the subtle clues. It's not like a simple number is an indication that you are going to get anywhere with them."

"Getting a number from a girl isn't the same as having a girl throw themselves at us." Touma explained to Yang. "It's the thrill and excitement of taking a leap of faith and prevailing despite the odds!"

"Not quite what I was referring to," Yang interjected with a raised eyebrow. "And those are long odds."

"Because a girl won't come right out and say she likes you?" Jaune guessed. "My sisters told me that before."

"That's a start, but I'm going to give you a little more in-depth course."

Jaune recognized the darkness behind the smile that didn't reach her eyes. It was the same smile his sisters had when they planned to embarrass him.

If Touma had known, he would have been sure to mention his misfortune.


Blake was not happy.

She had been expecting a peaceful day in the library, only to be rudely interrupted by Neo, who took it upon herself to sit down at the table across from her. The rule for her to be escorted at all times was either forgotten or outright ignored. Blake was pretty sure it was the latter. At first, Neo didn't seem to do anything except read a fashion magazine she found somewhere, though Blake never let her guard down. An eye was kept on the girl at all times.

There was a reason Blake was watching her closely.

Neo was a former villain and it was an obvious reaction for her to be wary. The problem was, Neo was also a prankster. Sure, most of her pranks were centered on Touma, but Blake found herself on the receiving end more often now. Just this morning she had to make a quick stop back at her temporarily room for a book. Her intent was to retrieve it and return it to the library, yet she ended up finding her underwear hanging from the ceiling by a piece of string. It wasn't there when they had all left for breakfast, but it had to have been Neo. There was no one else who would or could have done that.

Without proof, there wasn't anything Blake could do at the moment.

Then at the library, Neo started chewing bubblegum and, again, Blake had no idea where she got it. Beacon didn't have any gum in the cafeteria. This wouldn't have been a problem by itself, but Neo then started blowing large bubbles and letting them pop. Blake moved to another spot and Neo followed to repeat the process. Fifteen minutes passed. Fifteen long minutes for Blake, who didn't want Neo to know how much it bothered her. She finally snapped and slammed the book loudly on the table to finally get Neo to stop. Blake, in her defense, had tried to tell Neo to be quiet in the library. She really did. Her words were even polite for how she felt.

"Will you shut up already?!"

Naturally, Neo replied with her middle finger and went back to blowing bubbles. The two girls had risen to their feet and tensions rose. Blake really didn't like Neo and her attitude. This is when she made a big mistake.

She had suggested they spar because Neo seemed bored.

Blake rubbed her swollen cheek at the memory.

After fighting Neo once, Blake understood how the girl fought and how truly skilled she was. Her hope was there would be a chance of winning after witnessing Neo's style of fighting again when she faced Yang. Blake figured she could at least get a few good blows in, if nothing else, to get Neo to respect her even a tiny bit. Part of her expected Neo to ignore her suggestion and was surprised when she agreed.

That should have been the warning.

The fight did not go as intended.

She aimed for my face on purpose! Blake thought angrily as she headed to Team RWBY's room. She needed to collect some extra clothes. And she changed her movements to what would work best against her opponent. They were nothing like what she did against Yang. Blake crossed her arms in irritation. And she was going easy on me! She didn't even use her Semblance!

She turned a corner and almost collided with other person.

"Watch where you're-…!" A shrill voice started to say.

"Weiss?" Blake interrupted.

"Oh, it's you Blake." Weiss muttered. Her eyes fell onto Blake's face. "What happened to you?"

"Neo got to me and I acted rashly," Blake muttered. "And now she disappeared again. Rules don't work on her." She tilted her head. "How did things go with Accelerator? I thought I wouldn't see you two until dinner."

"Things went… fine."

The tone was forced and Blake's bow twitched. A frown formed as Weiss turned down the hall to their dorm. Either Accelerator's invention didn't go well, or something else happened. Blake figured it had to be something else, as Weiss would just be complaining about their project not meeting expectations.

"Did something happen?" She asked, concerned.

"Just…nothing."

Weiss opened the door to their room. Blake followed her inside after a moment's hesitation. The devil dog was nowhere to be seen and Blake was thankful for that. She probably should have been worried, but Ruby was most likely taking him for a walk.

"Remember when you and Yang made a big deal of me hiding stuff?" Blake asked, as she sat down on her bed. "I can tell something is wrong. Do you want to talk about it? Did Accelerator turn you down?"

"…he's just not interested in a relationship if there's a chance he can return home." Weiss answered. "He doesn't see the point in a short term one."

"Makes sense." Blake admitted out loud. Her thoughts were a different matter. Huh, he turned her down nicely. I don't feel that would be enough to upset her like this. It sounds like he said something bad to her.

Instead of voicing her thoughts, however, she waited for Weiss to continue.

"I could accept that," Weiss ranted. "Even if I don't like it, I understand it. Ozpin is working on getting him, Touma, and Last Order home, but I thought we might be able to spend more time together until then. There's also the chance they might not be able to go back…" She suddenly looked guilty at those words. "But to tell me… was he being serious or was he just trying to push me away?"

Blake remained quiet. It was best to wait until Weiss addressed her directly.

"I mean, sure… I don't know everything that happens in his world…. To tell me that, preposterous. There's no way he could be like that. Maybe they fight a lot there too, but they said there weren't monsters like Grimm there. Maybe they are in the middle of something like the Great War." Blake's ears twitched under her bow. "Gaining power through victory would make sense." She turned to Blake suddenly and the movement caused her to sit up straight. "I need you to answer a question honestly for me, Blake. Please."

Blake gave a nod after seeing the expression on her face.

"Do… Do you think Accelerator could be a murderer?"

Blake blinked in surprise.

She did not expect that question.

To give herself time to think, she rubbed her chin. He threatened people a lot, but she never saw him act out on much unless Last Order was involved. Even then, Cardin and his team were fine. There was also the way he fought the Grimm. Tearing their bodies apart without any hesitation indicated he had to be accustomed to ending life. The last clue was the way Neo treated him. She saw something in him that prevented her from messing with him. A criminal might have a sixth sense about other people. Blake turned her eyes toward Weiss and took a deep breath.

She wasn't going to like the answer.

"I think… it's possible."


"Finally back!" Yang declared, as they walked toward Beacon's main gate.

"And everyone is in one piece." Jaune added.

"You didn't even vomit on the Bullhead ride over." Yang congratulated him.

"Still hate them." He muttered.

"Why did you have to go into so much detail?" Touma asked Yang.

"You both needed it," Yang answered immediately. "I gave you a solid groundwork and it's up to you two to take the next step." Maybe they will finally recognize Blake and Pyrrha's hints. Oh, Velvet too I guess. Coco's going to help with that.

"I thought my sisters were bad." Jaune groaned.

"What was that?!" Yang's eyes flashed.

"Nothing!" he yelped. "Thank you for taking time out of your day to help us."

"That's what I thought you said."

"Hey, Jaune," Touma asked. "Do you think you can bring Neo's ice cream up to our room? I want to visit Ozpin and check up on if he has any leads about our situation."

"It's only been a couple days." Yang pointed out. "But it's going to bug you until you ask, right?"

"Not that I don't like all of you…"

"You're such a charmer." Yang interrupted.

"…but there are people back home who depend on me." Touma continued. "I've been gone way too long as it is. If I can do anything to help him, I need to."

"Sure, man," Jaune told him. "If I see Neo, I'll tell her you will back shortly." He shivered. "Can you imagine what she would do if I brought the ice cream and didn't tell her where you went?"

"She would probably shove her parasol-…"

"…wouldn't be able to sit down for a month."

"Enough about the psycho midget!" Yang interjected and pushed Jaune forward. "I'll let the others know you're back and then you can model all those clothes for us. I'm sure Coco dropped them off already."

"Yeah…" Touma was not looking forward to it. He parted ways at the entrance hall and made his way to Ozpin's office.

"Hey, kid," A gruff and slightly familiar voice said. "Got a minute?"

"Sorry," Touma apologized and turned around. "I'm… Hey! You're that drunk!"

"If I was sober, I might take that as an insult." The man brushed back his black hair to give it a windswept look.

"You still flirting with girls half your age?" Touma asked, wondering who this guy was. He made it into Beacon so he was either here on business… or a spy."

"I wasn't flirting, I was doing recon… You know what? I don't have to explain myself to you." He took a swig from his flask and then pocketed it. "Relax kid. I work for Oz."

"And I'm supposed to believe that?"

"And he told me all about your BS hand and how he tried to unlock your Aura." The man cited. "Oh, that your group is from another world. Oh, how about the time you and that multicolor girl were making out-…"

"That wasn't… Okay, I get it! I believe you!" Touma glared at the man who was laughing at him. "You're an asshole, you know that?"

"Been talking to Winter, huh?"

"Who are you anyways?" Touma asked.

"Name's Qrow. I'm Ruby and Yang's uncle. Oz is currently occupied with someone who might be able to give some insight on your situation. So, to kill some time, how about you and I have a chat."

"I'd rather wait for Ozpin…"

"Hah." Qrow threw an arm over Touma's shoulder. "That's hilarious. You think you have a choice."

"Such misfortune."


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.

SF88: Fuck you Dark, I'm not the one who didn't update because of WoW. Get your shit together.

DB: Spiderman.

Lot of stuff happening all at once, so tried to cover important bits. Glanced over a few things that would be difficult to write about, like Yang's and Coco's talk. I don't know shit about shoes. If they fit, I wear them. Not everything is fun and games anymore and next chapter, back to heavy plot focus. As for your shippers, next chapter will have updated list. I expect to see some Qrow x Touma ones. Maybe some drawings to disturb SIlverFang.