At last, I wanted Qrow and Touma to meet for ages. Two of the unluckiest people across the multiverse in one location is sure to cause some fun. As for my releases, I'm finding more time so hopefully I'll be updating most of my stories more frequently. This chapter would have come out a few days earlier, but SilverFang was away and I had to wait a bit for him. For those wanting more action, after this chapter, you will see how this has all been building up. The next few chapters will be full of the normal RWBY/Index combat most people have come to know and love. Set up is important and having people meet allows me to do a bit of world building instead of everyone just showing up without warning. Enough blabbing, you all have been waiting long enough. Though, quick reviewer response segment that can be skipped if you like.
Saraak: Pretty much.
LL: Hair gel won't work on his hair. Too much electricity permanently locked his hair in that position. One thing for a girl to say she likes him, another to actually give him a phone number. Touma will make sure his friends never find out.
Sergio644: I don't know. There are some differences, which will be discussed. Maybe she will leave him alone now? Or it just makes her pry more into his life. Fifty-fifty.
Awardedall: Where will they go? Atlas?
A Special Kind of Stupid: Heh, you see where this is going.
Inacio: Probably not. I like Arkos.
Guest: Weiss asking Last Order is tough to pull off, not quite sure how to do that. Her interrogating Touma is more likely. Ruby would be the innocent soul that would help break Accelerator's shell. I'm… going to steal that like for Last Order. Take pride in that fact.
Xeno01: Idealistic speeches are the best. Accelerator will open up, eventually. I can hardly keep him in character if he just tells everyone all his past experiences and cries. Ironwood would be an amazing person to talk to Accelerator. That is something I would like to write. Nah, Aleister won't show up for a while.
98kazer: Obviously, he will be happy for her…heh. Naaaaah.
dickythamrin077: True, Touma has the best luck. Touma needs twins.
JumpingToaster: That…. might tie into this chapter. Yeah, I feel that. It had to happen, but making it work the right amount of time is tricky. Life always takes priority over a hobby. Can't blame people who stop writing because stuff happens.
TheLastSterling: Real life, right? Requiring money to live so I spend most of my week working. Not sure about the abilities, to be honest. Blake would be pretty low and Weiss might be higher due to versatility.
Ahsoei: Yep, not a professional. Jaune and Touma will get confused a lot thinking there might be more to the girls' playful banter.
Bluejack222: Will happen for sure.
shadow wolf125767: There's more going on than some teen drama.
HydraLightning: I try.
Jujudude: She's going to annoy him until he snaps or tells her.
Fernandamichelleraya: It's more the fun of joking about it and if the main character chooses a specific girl, you kind of lose that bit of comedy relief. But yeah, Touma would be loyal to one girl… if he had one. I found out from past experience you can skip some of the more mundane descriptions and leave them to people's imagination. Yang loves gossip and matchmaking. Accelerator will be asking where Last Order learned to shoot a gun. Ruby isn't into relationships right now, but she is a teenager. There are urges. Penny will have a bigger role in upcoming adventures. As for Blake, she's one of my favorite characters to write, reason she was the one who encountered Touma first.
Handsomistic1: Lady Killers, both of them. Once Pyrrha finds out, she will need to be more aggressive. Weiss, why must you be interested in bad guys when there's a nice guy right in front of you?
Guest: Exactly, it will force her to confront Accelerator. Last Order won't want to say too much and the Will can't reach her due to there being no Network.
Metalslug27: Well, fanfics help a lot with limited timing. The show itself has to get from point A to point B in a set time period, while fanfics can go at their own pace. Torchwick was the best character by far in RWBY. Shipping is just part of the fun. If pairs happen naturally, I'm not going to be a dick and force them apart with bad writing. Sorry, Misaka Network can't cross dimensions. The thing is with the network, Accelerator and Last Order don't know the true meaning of it yet. They have had glimpses, but Aleister would never let them find out the real reason. Motoharu knows a little more about it than they do. Not sure how I'm going to reveal the network's full potential, but I can reveal the original reasoning behind it easily enough. The thing is, characters need to change based on experience. Otherwise, they remain static. While that works for some, it makes them unrealistic. The trick is to keep their core the same while making subtle changes that relate to actual events.
WiliamZ0: Never let Yang know you like it! It doesn't matter at this point about the truth. Different world, people will leave him alone if they know the truth. When he gets back, they won't follow. Touma's character there is very important. When he meets Salem, things will happen. Not that of course, but things. Touma would be a great wingman and Accelerator should just give in. Junior's club is important, must protect it.
Mr. X: 1) It makes knowing who you are a lot easier for sure. 2) Can't remember now. It was a long time ago. 3) Lots of people can flirt; it's going past that that causes problems. 4) Neo kills the kill and Blake steals the number, obviously.
Guest: I'm going to avoid the Last Order pairings for various reasons. Touma and Qrow name wasn't bad, but it's pretty similar to other names.
Guest: Dragon will come out at least once.
Kinaki747: Zwei is the superior character.
Guest: Ozpin could tell Accelerator went through shit. He doesn't know the specifics.
Croniklerx: I don't mind an occasional prod about when the story comes out. I usually respond about where I am currently. Some people just freak out a little bit more than they should. Yang is one of those girls that likes to be a matchmaker, but Jaune and Touma are challenging. As for Accelerator, you aren't the only one to mention his genius. Someone else told me that a while back when Accelerator started learning dust. It's one thing to say they are smart, another to show it. I'll take that about Weiss into account. I don't want to go too slow, as the story wouldn't get anywhere, so there's a fancy balancing act.
You ever try confessing to someone you like as a teenager? It's pretty hard if you aren't completely sure they will say yes. Index is a combat series. The only reason romance is in there is the publisher liked Mikoto and wanted more of her. Index ship has sunk, but now she's family rather than romantic. I always felt Kuroko was more admiration than love. At her age, it's easy to confuse them. As she grows up, her feelings will most likely change. If Accelerator can understand and calculate the vectors, he can block anything. Kakine's unusual vectors caused problems at the beginning and so did magic in Russia. Yeah, if you are immune to range attacks and don't let Accelerator grab you, you can survive. And yes, Emerald was the one I thought of to beat Accelerator.
ShadowBloodedge9396: This story became unexpectedly popular. Crossovers are kind of weird in who likes them and many people don't. Neo is one character no one knows a lot about. You see her in work mode, but never what she does during her free time. Authors love using her because of that. The A Team: Touma, Accelerator and Hamazura! Accelerator just walks up in the Vytal festival, blows up the arena, and then heads back to his room for a nap.
Googlemo: Yeah, Accelerator is always OP. Touma… he's a lot more manageable. Never! If people take the time to comment, I'll take a few mins and type a response.
Guest: Time is a limited resource and thus need to spread it out. I have more time in the future now, so more updates should happen quicker. All my chapters are great, heh.
A certain guest: Healed up, hormonal imbalances, and being treated like a person instead of a freak? Outbursts are bound to happen and the truth is one of the easier ways to get her to go away. Last Order is a great influence on him, but threaten her and you die. A lot of people have expressed ideas on what to do for the big reveal and I'm considering different routes.
Aquadude: Well, can't have everything sunshine and daisies on remnant.
Kami: I feel like adding another cliffhanger. Cliffhangers make people excited to turn the page. I guarantee Touma will be beaten up a lot.
Disclaimer: I do not own Toaru Majutsu no Index or RWBY.
"I'm surprised you followed me all the way out here, kid." Qrow sat down on a stump near the edge of the cliff Ozpin liked to fire new prospective students off. Touma didn't know that though. "Didn't your parents ever teach you not to follow strangers even if they offer you candy?"
"Pretty sure the only thing you could offer me is alcohol," Touma countered. "And that would be an entirely different problem."
"Hah! Like I would waste alcohol on a brat." Qrow took a swig from his flask. "Seriously though, what made you follow me instead of rushing off?"
"Three reasons," Touma answered and held up a finger. Unlike what Qrow would do, it wasn't his middle one. "First, you know about my predicament. There are only a handful of people who know that. I doubt you're part of Roman's group, as you strutted into Beacon without a care in the world."
"Hiding in plain sight is a thing, you know?" Qrow shrugged. "But not a bad start. What're the other two?"
"Second…" Touma held up a second finger. "I've learned from experience that when some strange guy with a weapon tells you he wants to talk privately, it's best to go or risk getting innocent people involved."
Qrow raised an eyebrow in response.
"Not all sunshine and daisies in your world, huh?"
"Third…" Touma raised the third finger, pointedly ignoring Qrow's remark. "Yang and Ruby mentioned they had an uncle who was drunk all the time."
"Slander!" Qrow declared and put a hand over his heart. "Sometimes I have a hangover, which means I'm not currently drunk enough for life."
"Like that makes it any better!"
"Jokes aside, I'm sure you're wondering what I came to talk to you about." Qrow's gaze suddenly became serious.
"My power?" Touma replied.
"Kind of," Qrow corrected him. "I got a general overview about it from Oz, so you don't have to go over it again. I bet you're sick of that story by now." Touma wanted to shrug, but instead gave a short nod. He had explained what he knew about the Imagine Breaker a half dozen times in the span of a few days. "I even experienced it that one time." Qrow trailed off for a moment before continuing. "It's a lot easier to believe that way."
"Weiss didn't fully believe my power either until I demonstrated it." Touma reminisced. "I guess with Aura being a key element to fighting Grimm, a power that can negate it would be unbelievable to most."
"You have no idea." Qrow paused. "You ever have problems because of it in your world?"
"What makes you say that?" Touma asked, his brow raised in evident surprise.
"Besides the hero display you put on to impress those two girls-…" Qrow started to say.
"It wasn't like that!" Touma interjected.
"-…it was obvious the moment I looked into your eyes," Qrow finished. "I caught a glimpse of the Accelerator kid through a picture Oz sent to me. Both of you have seen some shit. It also explained how you two adapted so fast to our world. So answer me. Do you have problems because of your powers?"
"Yeah," Touma admitted. "Accelerator is considered the most powerful ability user in Academy City. I bet you guess what happens around him."
"Other idiots challenging him to be the top dog," Qrow stated and waved his hand. "People pretending to be his friend just to get recognition, or even someone tricking him into doing something vile with the promise of more power? Am I wrong?"
"I could understand the first two." Touma stared at him with his mouth open. "But how did you guess that last one?"
"People with power tend to want more power," Qrow replied with a shrug. "That's how things work. I'm not going to pry into the specifics, we all got secrets we keep for a reason. That little girl, Last Order? By the way they act together; I assume she's tied into some kind of apology tour with him. Watching her as a glorified babysitter or something?"
Touma tilted his head in confusion for a moment at Qrow's insight, and then shrugged.
"I… actually don't know why they are together," Touma informed him. "It's just… she's been a really good influence on him." Touma shrugged again. "Not really my business." He rubbed his chin. "Though, I'm surprised you can come to a conclusion just like that."
"I work for Oz in gathering information on the… Grimm," Qrow explained with on a very slight pause. "I'm used to being able to figure out a lot from very little information." He took a small swig of his flask. "So, what about you? Having the power to negate abilities in a city full of ability users must make you pretty unique."
"Kind of?" Touma kicked the ground. "It's more like they think I don't have any potential." Qrow raised an eyebrow at this. "My power isn't an ability the city developed. It's something I was born with. So they consider me a level 0." He paused to look at Qrow and noticed him nodding. Ozpin must have given him a better run down than Touma had thought. "And it prevents me from having an ability, like I guess it's preventing my Aura from being unlocked here."
"Uh huh."
"It's been useful, though." Touma missed Qrow's muttering. "So I'm not going to complain. We all work with what we got and make the best use of what we have."
"A good lesson for anyone," Qrow acknowledged. "You seem alright." He stood up and stretched out his back. "After hearing about your little adventure with Ruby, I wanted to see what you were like. You're a lot more grounded than I thought you would be."
"What made you think I wouldn't be?" Touma asked surprised.
"Ruby."
"Ruby?"
"I heard she was fawning over you like some fan girl," Qrow explained. "And that you had saved her life back in Mt. Glenn. I was worried you might have been the hero type who throws himself to the wolves to save a complete stranger."
"Eh…hehehe." Touma gave a nervous chuckle. "I've done that before." Qrow raised an eyebrow again. "Couple people got mad at me for doing that, but someone needed help and I was the only one who was willing to do so. Even if the world is against me, I'll stand by my convictions." He paused when Qrow groaned. "What? You think that's stupid?"
"Not really," Qrow answered after a moment of silence. "It's just… there was someone like you I knew and respected. She was a defender of the weak, bane of the Grimm, and someone who could get along with just about anyone." He laughed. "She was the only reason our team worked back in Beacon."
He took yet another swig from his flask before tossing it aside as he gazed out into the distance.
"What… what happened to her?" Touma asked.
"She… never came back from a mission," Qrow said softly, his eyes still staring off into the distance. A large branch fell off a tree and caused a couple of birds to emerge from the treetops. "Her one weakness? She never left someone alone when she could help it. Even if the situation was dire, she would take up her blade and charge forward to give people a chance to escape. Her strength inspired everyone, Grimm would cower before her… shit." He pulled out another flask and took a swig. "The thing is kid, the desire to protect, to be a hero, led to her downfall. Ruby idolizes heroes and wants to be one herself. I won't stand in her way…" His eyes fell on him. "But I also don't want her to think risking her life in a hopeless situation is the way to go."
"Ah." Touma looked away. "Guess I should be honest then. I've… done some pretty stupid things and got wrapped up in a hopeless situation against someone who… let's say could reshape the world to her liking. I still stood before her in tragic circumstance… and still… I survived. We both did. I can't say I won, but it allowed her to realize what she was doing was wrong. I found out, you can't always punch your way out of a problem. Sometimes, you have to use your head." He kicked the ground. "There are a lot of people far more powerful than I am. Yet… "Touma continued, following Qrow's example and looking out into the distance. "I learned there are other possible endings if you just look a little harder."
"It sounds personal, so I won't pry."" Qrow commented, as a shadow of a smirk surfaced onto his face. "I am glad to hear that though. The last thing Ruby needs is another reckless person close to her. Yang does that enough by herself." He laughed and stopped when he heard a crack. Nothing seemed out of place and he continued. "So enough moping around. I really wanted to personally thank you for helping my niece out of that bad situation. If her old man was around, he would probably have you in a bear hug. You're lucky I'm not the hugging type."
"And here I was looking forward to one." Touma said sarcastically.
"I'll give you one if you really want," Qrow said suddenly and stood up. He stretched his arms out. "Come here."
"Ah!" Touma started backing away. "I'll have to burn these clothes. That smell of alcohol would never come out!"
Qrow started laughing, stepped forward and smacked Touma on the back.
"I was just kidding," Qrow said, still smirking. "Glad to see you have a sense of humor though." His eyes flashed. "So kid, you have a girlfriend back home or did you come to our world to get one?"
"W-wha-…?!" Spluttered Touma. The suddenness of the shift in tone and topic threw him off balance. Qrow's laughter told him that was the entire point of the question. "Very funny."
"Really? No one special you want to return home to?"
"Well…" Touma paused and Qrow's amusement faded. "There is one… We aren't like that," he added quickly. "She's… pretty much family and I promised to always protect her. My disappearance is going to worry her for sure." He frowned. "She already lost me once and I can't let her go through that again…"
He trailed off, his words obviously not directed to Qrow.
There's a story behind that, Qrow realized. He recognized the darkening features on the boy's face. It was a mix of emotions he was intimately familiar with. And it's not pleasant. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his flask. "Here."
Touma reacted instinctively and managed to catch the flask Qrow had tossed at him, after almost fumbling it.
"Why did you give me this?"
"It looked like you could use a drink." Qrow pointed out.
"I'm underage!" Qrow shrugged at him.
"Maybe in your world. On Remnant, Hunters in training can drink at seventeen. Something along the lines that if they are old enough to stake their lives to protect us, they should be old enough to drink."
Touma eyed the flask in his hands suspiciously.
"It's not poison," Qrow sighed. "It's my own personal stock. You don't realize how lucky you are."
Touma screwed off the cap, sniffed, grimaced, and then took a swig. Qrow reached over and swiped the flask back as Touma started having a coughing fit.
"W-what is t-that?!" Touma half gasped, half demanded. "It tasted like gasoline."
"Gasoline?" Qrow clarified. "That fuel made from crude oil?"
"That's it… wait, you guys have gasoline here?" Touma couldn't hide his surprise. "I thought everything ran on dust."
"There are other forms of energy," Qrow informed him with a roll of his eyes. "Oil, solar, wind, lots of different kinds. It's just, none of them were as efficient as dust and they were weeded out over the years. I mean, when a small dust crystal could generate the power of gallons of oil, or huge panels, why wouldn't we focus on the more efficient source? Shipping is one of the most dangerous jobs if you go outside the main cities. So you limit the trips by packing as much as possible. You've been outside the walls. Can you tell me it wouldn't be hard for normal people to travel by train or car? I suppose you can still find oil in a few out of the way areas."
"No," Touma replied quickly. "I understand your point." He looked out over the cliff. "Is it just me, or is it strange there are so many things alike between our worlds. I mean, even the terminology like pizza or gasoline is the same."
"I had been wondering that," Qrow admitted. "If Ozpin's theory was right about parallel worlds, your world may be right next to ours on the weird dimensional axis… thing. There is bound to be some similarities, probably."
"Probably?" Touma repeated, amused.
"Shut it, kid," Qrow snapped. "This is far beyond my pay grade."
Crack!
"What was that?" Touma said suddenly and looked around.
Just great, Qrow thought annoyed and made sure his flask was secure. It wasn't my imagination. Why is it happening so fast this time?
"You might want to hold on to something, kid."
"Huh?!" Touma wanted to ask more, but was interrupted by a series of loud cracking sounds. The ground shuddered and then sunk a foot. "The cliff's collapsing!"
"Sucks, doesn't it?" Qrow didn't seem amused or worried, just accepting. The ground sunk again and Touma wobbled as he tried to maintain his balance.
"Shit!"
The ground collapsed under them as part of the cliff gave way. The two of them slid down the cliff side, leading into the forest below. Touma would have fallen down if Qrow hadn't reached over and grabbed his left arm to help stabilize him. There was nothing he could do about the impact when the cliff wall hit the ground and threw up a cloud of dirt, dust, and rock. Touma fell and scraped his arm, but otherwise was unharmed, though he could feel his bones rattling. He coughed and covered his face with his arm until the air cleared. When he could finally see, he saw Qrow standing over him with a weird expression on his face. It was a combination of depression and acceptance.
"Just my luck," Touma said, after accepting a helping hand from Qrow to get up on his feet. "Doesn't matter where I go. Such misfortune."
Qrow froze.
"What did you say?" He asked slowly.
"…it's nothing." Touma could feel Qrow staring at him without even looking. "Well," he finally added after a moment. "I have the worse luck possible back home. If anything can go wrong, it will. Attacked by animals, pots falling off window-sills, random people being chased ending up on my balcony and I get involved… it's so annoying. Why can't I have a normal life?!" He shouted out that last part and Qrow remained silent until the echo faded off into the distance.
Then he started to laugh.
"It's not funny!" Touma yelled at him after a moment. Qrow's reaction had stunned him. "You know how much trouble my luck causes me and others? I can't even get a girlfriend because who would want to be with a penniless, unlucky-…"
"I know."
The words caught in Touma's voice at the seriousness of Qrow's.
"You know?" Touma repeated skeptically and then blinked. "Sorry. It's just… most people either make fun of my luck or say it's all in my head."
"Been there, kid." Qrow looked up at the sky for a moment. "You know what Semblances are, right?"
"I've seen enough of them." Touma replied with a nod.
"Did you know crows are a symbol of bad luck?" Qrow kicked a rock. "It's an old superstition, but it's how I got my name."
"No way," Touma muttered. "You're unlucky too? Are you like this world's version of me?!"
That got a laugh from Qrow, even if brief.
"Not quite," Qrow corrected him. "Probably… stop asking about things involving different worlds. Already told you it's above my pay grade." He grew silent for a moment. "Some people can burst into rose petals, some people can convert damage into raw power… me? I was just born unlucky." He gave a short dry laugh. "Like you, I guess."
"I bet it made growing up hard," Touma sympathized, as he sat down on a rock. He glanced up at the cliff. The incline wasn't too bad, so they could probably climb out easily enough. Assuming it didn't collapse on them.
If what Qrow was implying was true, luck would not be with them.
"You have no idea." Qrow pulled out his flask and took a long swig. "Even without my luck, childhood… well, let's just say it was a lot more… hands-on when learning to survive." His face darkened. "My Semblance isn't like most. I don't consciously use it. It's just… there. Whether I like it or not. I bring misfortune." He chuckled. "Friends, enemies, family… it doesn't matter. The longer someone stays around me, the more they are impacted."
"Ruby did mention you weren't around a lot," Touma remembered. "But you taught her the scythe when you were."
"That's one thing I'm proud of." Qrow said with a nod. "She wanted to be a hero, regardless of what anyone told her. I simply gave her the tools to do it." He smiled at the memory. "My luck doesn't affect me, but everyone around me. You can probably guess it's pretty useful when fighting an enemy, a loose foothold here, a falling branch there, little things that throw them off balance..."
"…It's when it hurts those close to you that you hate it." Touma finished.
"Pretty much, yeah."
"Sounds like I am lucky then," Touma muttered and then gave a dry laugh of his own. "My bad luck usually only affects myself. My classmates always say I act as a lightning rod for theirs. They always feel luckier when I'm around. If I'm the only one who's hurting and they can smile, maybe it's not as bad as I thought."
"Careful with that kind of thinking," Qrow pointed out.
"Why?"
"If someone who truly cares about you sees you constantly in pain," he explained. "What do you think that will do to them?" Touma frowned and couldn't maintain eye contact. "I move from place to place to prevent others from getting caught up in my luck. From what I heard, you live in a single city, so there's a huge boon for you. I would kill for that… not you." Qrow chuckled when Touma scooted a bit away from him. "It's a figure of speech. Besides, Ruby would have something to say about that if I tried. No, there was something else I noticed. You remember the first time we met?"
"When you were flirting with girls a fourth your age?" Touma asked with a smirk.
"They were only half-… well played." Qrow slapped him on the back and sent him tumbling off the rock he was sitting on. "I told you, I was gathering information. Junior's is that kind of place."
"I know that now." Touma admitted.
"Good, now stop telling Ruby and Yang I was hitting on those twins."
"I'll think about it."
"Smartass." Qrow shook his head. "I was referring to when you used your power on me. My Aura returned the second you stopped touching me, but I noticed something else. My Semblance didn't start activating until the next day, or the misfortune was so small I didn't notice. I'm wondering if you hand didn't just negate it, but sort of… reset the threshold?"
"No idea." Touma shrugged. "I have no idea how my hand works, let alone how Aura exists."
"Well, it was a welcome relief, so thanks for that. I could spend the night with a girl without worrying if the bed would collapse."
"Glad I could help you get a booty call."
"It makes what's coming next much easier." Qrow added and then his eyes narrowed. Touma knew why he suddenly grew serious. Bushes were rustling on the forest lines and dark shapes began to emerge from behind trees. Dozens of Grimm were congregating on the two of them.
"Is this your luck, or mine?" Touma asked, scrambling to his feet.
"I'm guessing both." Qrow laughed. "If what your friends say is true, maybe you're acting like a lightning rod for my bad luck." He pulled out a long sword from his back. The blade was rather bulky compared to a normal sword and there were gears in the hilt.
"Shit!" Touma cursed. "They won't attack me, but we kind of made a pathway right into Beacon!" He gestured to the slope behind him.
"Then I guess we stop them here." Qrow said nonchalantly as he swaggered forward. "Catch!" He tossed his flask back toward Touma. "Drop it, and your life is forfeit."
"I'll help," Touma volunteered.
"Just stay back and block them from getting to the school." Qrow ordered. "I'm a trained Huntsman, kid. I can handle this many Grimm, easily. Besides, the school is full of people capable of slaughtering Grimm, plus automated turrets. Relax and enjoy the show."
The second he moved out of Touma's range, a Beowolf leapt at him, its long claws extended outwards. With speed so fast Touma could only see a blur, Qrow's blade sliced the Grimm in half vertically.
I guess he 'does' know what he's doing, Touma thought and took a couple steps back. He looked at the flask in his hand. I see why he drinks. Touma glanced up at Qrow, hacking through any Grimm stupid enough to approach, and then glanced back down at the flask.
He shrugged and unscrewed the cap.
"You wanted to see us, sir?" Jaune asked, as he and the rest of Team JNPR entered Ozpin's office.
"Yes," Ozpin replied and gestured to the chairs in front of his desk. "Please, have a seat. I have something to discuss with you."
Behind him, leaning up against the wall, was an older woman, in her mid-forties, though she had aged well. Her long reddish-brown hair streaked with bright red was tied back in a ponytail and she was scrolling on a tablet similar to Glynda's. Her clothes were simple brown with multiple pockets in slightly lighter shades, and it looked like she had patched her pants and sleeves multiple times. About five paces away from her was Accelerator. He was leaning up against the wall and his expression was unreadable.
"If it was about the person who raided the kitchen and left a mess," Nora pipped up. "It wasn't us. No matter how big of a temptation those cupcakes were."
"Er… hehe?" Pyrrha let out a weak laugh and tried not to look guilty. In their defense, the cupcakes were chocolate.
"There are currently no clues to the whereabouts of the culprits." A small smile tugged on Ozpin's lips. "If you know anything, Glynda is currently searching for them. I expect they will be severely punished if caught."
Nora and Pyrrha shared a look of mutual silence.
"We understand, sir." Ren replied.
"What I wish to talk to you about concerns our visitors from another world," Ozpin explained and gestured toward Accelerator. "But first, an introduction. This is Eliza Anthurium, a longtime associate and friend of mine. Eliza, this is Team JNPR." As he said their names, he gestured to each in turn. "Nora Valkyrie, Lie Ren, Pyrrha Nikos, and the leader, Jaune Arc."
"A pleasure." Eliza greeted them briefly. Her eyes traveled over them, like she was judging them, before turning to Ozpin. "Are you sure they can handle this?"
"They were not only involved with Mt. Glenn," Ozpin reassured her. "But they also defended Vale from the Breach. Even though our selection for this task is limited, I assure you they will be up for the task."
"Do you know about Accelerator's predicament?" Jaune asked. "We know Professor Ozpin was researching-…"
"I have been given a full briefing over the situation." Eliza told him curtly, as she cut him off. "As Ozpin told you, my name is Eliza Anthurium, a colleague of Bartholomew Oobleck. I'm a historian, but I'm also a physicist. When Ozpin contacted me with…" She glanced over at Accelerator. "…this unusual situation, I immediately volunteered. There have been a lot of theories involving parallel dimensions, but this is the first time we have solid proof of it. This could also give us knowledge on something historians have been arguing about for years."
"What would that be?" Pyrrha asked.
"The origin of Grimm."
Silence followed Eliza's announcement.
"I know we learned that the origin of Grimm was up for debate," Jaune finally said. "But what does Accelerator, Touma, and Last Order coming from another world have to do with this."
Eliza raised an eyebrow. Before she could say anything, Pyrrha gasped.
"One theory is that Grimm come from another world!" She exclaimed.
"Precisely." Eliza nodded. "There are a lot of theories of their origin and… while I disapprove of the supernatural ones, I try to keep an open mind. Especially since we never had a good opportunity to examine their anatomy, as they disappear on death." She started pacing back and forth. "Ancient cultures believed that Grimm were animals possessed by evil spirits or were the spirits of once tortured animals. Many religious people believe the Grimm were made by Gods to punish humanity for turning their backs on them. I would like to say they evolved naturally but, as there is little evidence to support that, I have to keep searching for the answer."
"If they come from another world," Ren said softly and rubbed his chin. "Then it would explain their unusual anatomy. Their world might not follow the same laws of physics as ours. Fascinating."
"Self-serving," Accelerator muttered from the back and Eliza frowned.
"I'm not going to lie and say it's not, at least a little," she admitted. "But I would have helped Ozpin even if it wasn't. We do go way back."
"I never liked history," Nora spoke up. "I much rather be out making history! So what's this have to do with us?"
"Your team will be accompanying Eliza on a trip to a reach institution that was created to research possible alternate dimensions." Ozpin stated and the room grew silent.
"Oookay?" Jaune finally said. "But why would you need us? We aren't the most…" He paused and his eyes darted toward Nora for a moment. "…the most subtle group."
"Two reasons," Ozpin stated. "The first is that you know about the situation and we wish to keep the number of individuals who know the truth as low as possible. This meant the choices were either you or Team RWBY."
"But why would you need us to go along if Miss Anthurium-…" Pyrrha started to ask.
"Eliza, please. Miss makes me feel old."
"…if Eliza already knew about them?" Pyrrha corrected herself. "I don't think we will be much help with any kind of research. Our training focuses more on fighting Grimm.
"Which you will be doing," Ozpin informed them with a smile. "This leads to the second reason."
"The lab is a little off the grid," Eliza explained. "And there is no doubt it will be a challenge to reach it."
"Mad scientist lab hidden away from the city." Accelerator clarified.
"Cool!" Nora cheered. "I bet it's covered with Grimm and has all sorts of cool stuff I can try out! Maybe they will have a battle suit or something?"
"We won't be going there to play around, Nora." Ren stated.
"I know," Nora reassured him. "But that doesn't mean we can't do both."
"Where is this research station?" Jaune asked. "And who does it belong to." At his question, Ozpin and Eliza's face darkened.
"I heard you were familiar with Merlot Industries?" Eliza asked and the temperature in the room dropped several degrees.
"Yes." Jaune nodded.
"They were that evil corporation that attracted Grimm to Mt. Glenn!" Nora fumed.
"They personified the saying that the ends justifies the means," Ren added.
"An excellent analogy," Eliza told him. "Merlot was obsessed with Grimm. There's no other word for it. He wanted to know everything about them, including their origin." She sighed. "It took a lot of work and digging into old records, but we finally found where a hidden lab was developed off the books. It's underground, as to protect the scientists from Grimm attacks. The reason Ozpin wanted to send some people with me, is the area is infested with Grimm. There is also the possibility that subterranean Grimm infest the lab. I have not been able to find a layout, so once we get there, we will be going in blind." She slammed a hand on Ozpin's desk. "What I did confirm though, was the fact it was used to research the possibility of different dimensions intersecting with ours. Even if the answer doesn't exist, we will more likely than not discover a lead of some kind."
"I said I would be enough," Accelerator growled. "I could head over there and investigate the area myself. Not like the Grimm would be a problem."
"I'm not going to miss a chance to study this." Eliza responded. "Plus you don't know what you're looking for. If you miss something or blow something up because you're not familiar with the technology, what then?"
"Accelerator," Ozpin stated firmly. "I understand where you are coming from. Your intelligence and adaptability are impressive, by anyone's standards. However, Eliza is right. This is unknown territory and she has more experience with this. For all you know, there could be a vault of papers to go through. Do you want to try to read them all on the spot or carry them back by yourself?" Accelerator remained quiet. "Can you honestly tell me your body and ability is in top form? You did say healing you received might have had some side effects. I'm not going to let someone run off on their own without confirming they have the ability. Sending someone on a suicide run is not something I will do."
"Fine," Accelerator spat out. "Do what you want."
"Thank you." Ozpin turned back to Team JNPR. "Are there any questions?"
"When do we leave?" Nora asked immediately.
"On Monday." Ozpin answered. "You will leave as if you are going on a normal first year missions with the other teams to avoid questions. I know I told you and Team RWBY Mt. Glenn was supposed to be that mission, but Hunters and Huntresses don't always get time off. This is a good lesson for all of you."
"Are you okay with us coming along?" Pyrrha directed her question toward Accelerator.
"Not like I get much say in it, does it?" He snapped back and then looked away. "You guys are also not totally useless, so it's fine."
"Ren!" Nora cheered. "He likes us!"
"It appears so." Ren agreed amused. Jaune and Pyrrha both chuckled at this and then grew quiet under Accelerator's gaze.
"If that's all," Eliza said to Ozpin. "I can brief them more on the details after we leave. I advise making sure you bring enough supplies for at least three to four days. There's a little bit of a hike. The Bullhead can only take us so far."
"Great," Jaune muttered and Pyrrha patted him on the back.
"You all may leave," Ozpin said to them kindly. "I do admire resting tomorrow. I feel this journey will be eventful."
"Thank you, sir," Jaune Pyrrha, and Ren replied. Nora had sprung to her feet the second he said they could go. She hated sitting still for long.
"At least you are keeping your word," Accelerator glanced back over his shoulder at Ozpin as he was leaving. "No Grimm will stand between me and that lab."
The office door slammed behind him and Ozpin sighed.
"We… will just be going," Jaune said hesitantly and Ozpin gave a brief nod of acknowledgement. Team JNPR scooted out the door and, as it closed behind them, Jaune noticed Ozpin and Eliza had started discussing something. "Well, that was unexpected," he said to the others.
"Why's Accelerator so grumpy?" Nora asked. "I mean, he always kind of was, but he was getting better. You think he's sick or something?"
"I couldn't really tell," Pyrrha admitted. "I thought he was just impatient about finding out how to get home. Can you imagine being stuck so far away from home? That front of his, I think he's just trying to stay strong for Last Order."
"Nora's pretty perceptive when people are down," Ren explained. "And… I think I agree with her. Something was off."
"What do you think could have happened?" Jaune asked the others. "Nothing big happened today, did it?" They shrugged. "Guess… I could try to talk to him. Not sure what good that will do though."
"You have a way with people, Jaune-" Pyrrha reassured him.
"Except Weiss." Nora interrupted and Ren had to cover her mouth.
"-Even if he doesn't share everything, I'm sure he will appreciate the company." Pyrrha finished.
"Please make sure to put that down on my epitaph if I don't make it back." Jaune said to them.
"Roger, boss." Nora saluted him as if he was going off to fight in an epic battle. Which, with Accelerator being involved, could very well be true. Ren and Pyrrha merely rolled their eyes. Jaune waved goodbye to all of them and then sprinted down a side corridor. He figured Accelerator would head immediately back to his room, so Jaune chose the most direct route.
His decision had been correct.
"Hey, Accelerator!" Jaune called out. Accelerator's steps faltered for a second as his head turned, and then resumed his pace. "Come on, man! Wait up!"
With a sigh, Accelerator slowed down.
"What do you want?"
"It's… Nora was under the impression something was bothering you." Jaune admitted, figuring honesty was the best policy here. "Did something happen?"
"No, fuck off."
"Okay, now I know something is up. My sisters always snap at me like that when they have a problem." Accelerator actually stopped at this and turned. His eyes were flashing dangerously.
"Did you just call me a girl?"
"W-what!? No! I was just pointing out people get easily agitated when they are thinking about something serious!" Sweat formed on the back of his neck and he was mentally preparing himself to be blasted through a wall.
"It's none of your business. Stop prying into shit that doesn't concern you." Accelerator started walking off and Jaune quickly stepped into stride next to him.
"Looking forward to getting back home?" Jaune asked and Accelerator ignored him. "Worried about Last Order?" There was still no response. "Get in a fight with someone?"
Accelerator's steps faltered slightly.
Maybe growing up with seven sisters really did help me more than I realized. Jaune thought.
"You're really persistent about this, aren't you?"
"Eh, I can't talk to girls, but I can at least relate to guys."
"You talk to Ruby easily enough."
"You actually call Ruby by her name?" Jaune pointed out.
"Shut it."
"Who did you fight with and what happened?"
"You really aren't going to let this drop, are you?"
"Nora would break my leg if I didn't try."
"I'll break both your legs if you don't leave."
"There's a chance you aren't serious," Jaune shivered. "Nora keeps her promises."
"I'll keep my promise," Accelerator threatened and Jaune stepped out of reach. "If I tell you, will you go away?"
"Sure."
"Ice Queen kept bothering me so I got her to go away."
"Weiss?" Jaune looked confused. "You two usually got along pretty well."
"Well she hates me now," Accelerator stated. "Or fears me, don't really care. Go comfort her and keep her away from me." He turned a corner and Jaune stopped.
Damn, Snow Angel needs comforting? I should be there for her, but if she really likes him and they can get everything patched up… He grabbed his head in frustration as the moral debate raged inside of him. Eventually, he took a deep breath and sighed. Knowing there was one possible choice for him.
Mom raised me too well.
"We're here!" Ruby announced, as she and the rest of her team entered Ozpin's office.
"I appreciate you coming at such short notice." Ozpin thanked them and then glanced over at Glynda. "I know you must still be tired from the events from Mt. Glenn, but we wish for your team to assist in another mission."
"It's only been a few days since the breach," Weiss pipped up immediately. "Is this mission that important?"
"Obviously, or they wouldn't have called us." Yang said with an eye roll, which earned her a glare from Weiss.
"Since you called us specifically so soon after the breach for a mission," Blake commented, drawing attention from her team before a fight could start in front of their teachers. "I assume this deals with information many are not aware of?"
"Very astute." Ozpin replied.
"The task is to investigate some strange Grimm movement," Glynda informed them, pointing a holographic map on Ozpin's desk. "The city of Relotem is here, near the edge of Vale's border. Calling it a city is rather generous, but it's location on a plateau make it easily defendable, even being near the Grimm Wilds. For the most part, they are self-sufficient, and a small dust mine provides them with an energy source."
"Stop looking at me," Weiss said to her teammates as the other three looked at her. "The SDC doesn't control every vein of dust in existence."
"Could have fooled me." Yang muttered under her breath.
"What do you mean by 'strange Grimm movement,' professor?" Ruby asked. "Grim usually roam around, so it wouldn't be strange for them to keep coming across a town, especially out in the middle of nowhere. Patch is like that, and we still get an occasional Grimm attack."
"Some of the villagers reported the Grimm were seen congregating in small groups." Ozpin explained.
"That's not that unusual," Weiss pointed out. "Many types of Grimm have a pack mentality."
"True, Miss Schnee," Glynda conceded. "The difference is what they were doing when they congregated."
Ozpin slid a photo across his desk and the girls leaned forward to look at it.
Their mouths fell open.
"Are they forming a circle!?" Ruby cried out.
"And… praying?" Yang added and shared an incredulous look with her sister.
"This… I can't recall ever hearing about Grimm acting like this." Weiss added.
The picture was a little blurry, so whoever took it was probably shaking the camera, but the image was still decipherable. A dozen Grimm consisting of eight Beowolves and four Ursai were standing in a complete circle. That was the first thing that stood out. The second was the order the Grimm were placed. The four Ursai were evenly spaced in a circle, with two Beowolves between them. The third thing in that picture that confused everyone was the Grimm all seemed to be bowing with their front legs outstretched as, like Yang stated, if they were praying.
"What is that in the middle?" Blake asked, her eyes immediately focusing on the center of the circle. "It looks like a symbol of some kind."
"I was wondering the very same thing," Ozpin informed her. "It appears to be very similar to an ancient rune meaning; Unite."
"And the Grimm are worshipping it?" Ruby tilted her head in confusion. "But… But… Grimm don't have thoughts like that. Grimm are mindless monsters we fight to protect humanity!"
"Which leads us to question why this picture shows differently," Glynda explained. "If this is a sign Grimm are able to achieve a higher level of consciousness, it could change the balance we currently have."
"Normally," Ozpin continued. "I would have had a few professional Huntsmen investigate, but then we found a second picture. Miss Schnee," he turned to Weiss. "Please tell me if you have ever seen or heard of a Beowolf in Atlas that resembles this picture."
He pushed a second photo toward her and she picked it up. Naturally, the rest of her team invaded her personal space to get a view.
"No," Weiss finally admitted, setting the picture down as Yang gave a low whistle.
The Beowolf in the photo was standing on its back legs with a claw sunk deep into a tree. At first, it resembled an alpha, with its body covered in bone. The main difference was what appeared to be several crystalline structures protruding from its back that resembled ice. Upon closer look, the bones were also covered by frost and the Beowolf's body seemed to be a little more muscular.
"You sure that's not a Grimm from up north?" Ruby asked. "I mean, it's covered in ice."
"It could have migrated down south from Atlas." Blake added reasonably.
"If the body was just covered in frost, maybe," Weiss admitted. "The ice in its back? It wasn't from an attack. It actually looks like it is growing out of it. Plus, the proportions are all wrong. The arms and legs are thicker, the neck longer. Something changed this Grimm…" She looked up. "Or it could be a new type."
"I would be of a similar opinion," Ozpin agreed. "If not for one other piece of information."
"What is it?" Ruby asked eagerly, bouncing in her chair in excitement. To her, this new Grimm meant a new challenge and a new chance to wipe evil from Remnant.
"I would rather the Huntsman who will be accompanying you be present, as he's the one who informed me."
"I really wish you trusted this assignment to someone a little more…"
"A little more what, Glynda?!"
Team RWBY turned around instantly as the door to Ozpin's office was kicked open and a scruffy looking older man burst in.
"…professional." Glynda finished, though her voice was immediately drowned out by Ruby.
"UNCLE QROW!"
Ruby shot forward and grabbed Qrow's arm. He didn't seem perturbed by her sudden display of affection. In fact, he raised his arm to lift her off the ground and then used his free hand to ruffle her hair.
"You miss me?" She asked.
"Nope."
This, of course, was an obvious lie to all of them and Ruby laughed.
"Don't tell me you're going to be tagging along?" Yang asked with a huge smile on her face.
"I'm going to be your chaperone to make sure you brats don't get into any trouble, firecracker." Ruby finally let go of Qrow as he made his way toward Ozpin's desk. "I really have better things to do than babysit, but I can't refuse a favor to Oz."
"Are you really… qualified?" Weiss asked, scanning him up and down in a clear display of uncertainty.
"Hey… you look familiar?" He leaned down to examine Weiss, he leaned back instinctively. "Ah, you must be the Ice Queen's little sister."
"Snk." Yang couldn't completely hide her laughter in time.
"Y-you know Winter?" Weiss sounded incredulous. "How would a… well-traveled person like you know her?" It was obvious she was trying to act diplomatically in front of Glynda and Ozpin.
"She and I go waaay back," Qrow confirmed with a smirk. "Including into a backroom of that bar that one time-…"
"Slander!" Weiss interrupted, her face growing red with a combination of rage and embarrassment. "There is no way Winter would ever partner with a drunken rapscallion like yourself."
"I think he's drunk now judging by the smell of alcohol." Blake added, covering her nose with her hand.
"He's always drunk." Glynda sighed. "His sobriety aside, Qrow is fully qualified to lead this mission."
"This…is… AWESOME!" Ruby cheered and high fived Yang.
"Just like old times," Yang added excitedly and then grew suspicious. "But why now, Uncle Qrow? This isn't like you to stick around that long."
Qrow didn't look happy about the comment, but quickly got over it.
She wasn't wrong.
"Let's just say this mission involves some of the stuff I've been dealing with lately." Qrow explained and leaned up against Ozpin's desk. "And it centers around your new friends' predicament."
"Sounds like you know about Touma's group then." Blake pointed out.
"Including the reforming ice cream midget," Qrow added. "But that's not important. What is important is what is causing these changes to the Grimm."
"You know what's causing this?" Weiss raised an eyebrow skeptically.
"I know who's causing it, Mini Ice Queen-…"
"Hey!" Ruby and Yang started laughing.
"-…and it directly involves someone from those kids' world." Qrow finished, causing Yang and Ruby to grow quiet.
"How did you find this out?" Blake asked.
"I have my ways," Qrow said mysteriously. "But that's not important. Touma mentioned to us about how he and Accelerator were chasing down someone who kidnapped that little girl." He sighed and stood up straight. "Seems that guy crossed over to our world too. His power allows him to control water and ice and I personally witnessed him using it to control Grimm."
"What?!" None of the girls could believe what they heard.
"You understand why this is concerning," Glynda added. "With the appearance of this new Grimm, we have no choice but to determine this man named Wellen Fischer is behind it. Part of your assignment is to determine if he's in that area or if this Grimm is just an abounded specimen."
"Is there anything else you can tell us about this man?" Weiss asked. "Is his power the same as Accelerator's and Last Order's abilities, or is it different? While I found the knowledge of him actually being able to control Grimm, the past few days… have caused me to broaden my mind about what is possible."
"Wisdom is realizing there is always more to see and learn." Ozpin told her and she blushed slightly at the praise. "Sadly, there is not. The only reason we found out about this was Relotem request assistance due to them not having more than a small militia. They don't want to risk their safety with the possibility of a new type of Grimm."
"Hey!" Ruby suddenly spoke. "Touma and Accelerator fought him before, so maybe they know more about his power or what he could be up too!"
"That's… not a bad idea." Weiss admitted and then shared a look with Blake.
"I'm sure they will want to help," Blake added quickly. "Accelerator more out of revenge for him kidnapping Last Order-…"
"While Touma will want to help out just because." Yang finished. "Is it cool if we ask them for help or is this all hush hush?"
"Feel free to gather any information they are willing to give." Glynda answered. "Just make sure to reiterate that this mission is private. Officially, you are just going to the city to investigate possible Grimm activity."
"I actually have something better." Everyone in the room turned toward Qrow as he started walking to the door leading out of Ozpin's office. "Had a chance to investigate something I've been curious about and I think this will work out to our advantage, Oz."
"What do you have in mind?" Ozpin asked.
"This." Qrow opened the door, stepped out, then leaned over to the side and grabbed something. That something turned out to be someone.
A limp Touma was being dragged on the ground by his collar.
"Touma!" Ruby cried and zipped over to him. "What happened to him?"
"Relax, squirt," Qrow reassured her, aware of Blake and Yang getting up. "He's fine. We just had a talk, fought off some Grimm, and then found out this kid can't hold his alcohol. Like… at all."
"Qrow!" Glynda snapped her eyes widening. "Do you mean to tell me, you gave this underage boy alcohol!?"
"Didn't mean to tell you," Qrow admitted unabashed. "You just happened to be in the room, Glynda. Anyways, kid needed a drink. Sheesh, I know my flask has a kick, but he went down so fast."
"Hang on," Yang said slowly. "You actually let him drink from your flask?"
"He reminds me a lot of me when I was younger." Qrow confirmed.
Yang's and Ruby's mouths fell open. Surprisingly, even Ozpin looked stunned at the news.
"Is it really such a big deal?" Blake asked, snapping Yang back to reality.
"He doesn't even let dad touch that flask." Yang explained. "One time, dad took a drink when Qrow was distracted… they took out half the house."
"And Zwei's doghouse," Ruby added. "We made them sleep outside and Zwei got Qrow's bed until the repairs were finished."
"Man, Ruby can guilt trip the hell out of you." Qrow muttered.
"See!" Weiss declared triumphantly. "This degenerate can't be trusted with a task this important."
"Qrow…" Ozpin sighed before continuing. "Why?"
"I wanted to clarify a few things," Qrow said seriously. "Mainly about his ability and something I noticed. We shouldn't have any issue with… the normal reason I work alone. So, I've been thinking, let's bring the kid along."
"What?!" Weiss and Glynda cried out.
"Cool!" Yang cheered.
"You're the best!" Ruby added. Blake remained silent, but tilted her head to the side. Glynda rubbed the bridge of her nose as a massive headache started to form and then she glanced at Ozpin for help.
"Explain your reasoning." Ozpin said at last.
"I got to witness his passive Grimm repellent." Qrow obliged. "And he's fought Wellen before, so I'm perfectly happy to have him along. Even if we just leave him in the city, it's guaranteed to prevent the Grimm from entering. Besides, if they do emerge from the forest to see him, it makes our job a lot easier."
"I can't condone this," Glynda said to Ozpin. "Sending someone without Aura into Grimm infested territory."
"We sent Accelerator to the breach." Ozpin pointed out.
"You know he's a special case," Glynda retorted. "And it was an emergency."
"One could make the argument that this is an emergency," Ozpin commented and then took a sip of his coffee. "Qrow… I'll let him accompany you-…"
"YES!" Ruby and Yang cheered.
"-…on the condition he is willing when he is… more alert than he is now."
"Doubt he will say no." Qrow replied with a smirk. Glynda facepalmed but she would accept Ozpin's decision.
"You hear that?!" Ruby celebrated happily and started shaking Touma. "You get to come up with us on a mission! Isn't that awesome!"
"Ugh…Ruby?" Touma seemed to come too while being shaken violently. "Hey… why are there three of you…?"
"You might not want to shake a drunk guy like that, kiddo."
Qrow tried to warn Ruby as Touma turned green. Ruby's face turned white when she realized what was about to happen and vanished in a blur of petals as Touma lost the contents of his stomach.
"EEE!"
"Looks like we have another Vomit Boy in our midst." Yang declared, while immediately taking a step back. No way was she going to lose another pair of shoes.
"Are you happy he's coming along?" Weiss asked Blake under her breath.
"I think he will be fine," Blake admitted. "As long as their uncle stops being a bad influence." Her eyes darted over to Weiss. "Would you prefer Accelerator to come along?" Weiss's lips tightened and she averted her eyes. A beeping sound echoed in the office and Glynda swiped her tablet. When she saw what the alert was about, her eyes widened.
"QROW!" She thundered and everyone jumped. "Would you care to explain what happened to the initiation ledge?"
"What about it?" Qrow asked with fake innocence. "You mean the party?"
"Why is there a sinkhole where the cliff used to be?!" Glynda demanded. "Along with roughly fifty Grimm corpses. After you explain that to me, you can finish off by telling me why the forest is on fire."
"It was a hell of a party," Qrow reminisced. "Told you the kid needed a drink."
Neo was, predictably, bored.
There was practically nothing for her to do. She couldn't go off on her own, though she violated that a lot. It was more of an excuse to follow people around and not have them able to retaliate. Once Blake got away from her, she fell back into the bored stupor. Touma was out getting her stuff, something she had to thank him for. That occupied a few minutes as she thought of ways to embarrass him. It wasn't her fault. She just really thought he was cute when he couldn't take her antics. Accelerator wasn't much of a talker, but neither was she. They got along well enough. Last Order would keep pestering her to do stuff with her normally, but she was out with Ruby. Neo had seen them leaving the school grounds.
So when there was a knock on her door, she raced to open it.
"Ah! Neo, hi?" The awkward blonde boy Jaune stood before her holding several bags of ice cream. "Touma had to stop at Ozpin's office and asked me to bring you these."
Her eyes lit up and she pulled him into the room. With a quick gesture letting him know to put the ice cream in the freezer, she bolted toward her bedside table and rummaged around for a bowl and spoon.
"You really like this brand?" Jaune tried to strike up a conversation and glanced back at Neo. She nodded in response. "Never heard of it."
'It's from Mistral,' Neo typed out for him. 'Ask your partner the next time you two are doing it.' She made a ring out of her index finger and thumb with one hand. Then she took her other hand holding the tablet and stuck one free finger through the ring.
"W-we aren't like that!?" Jaune protested, turning beet red. "We are just partners and she's like an older sister to me! She really helped me out a lot since I arrived at Beacon."
'But do you want to be more? She's pretty hot.' Neo licked her lips for added effect.
Jaune started stuttering and Neo was enjoying herself. She didn't hate Jaune. He was honestly a nice guy and hadn't done anything wrong. Well, except for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. This was Neo's source of entertainment and she loved to gossip. If Jaune had feelings for Pyrrha, she would accidently bring it up. Seriously, some of the denseness between the groups made her want to slam her head on the table.
"Eh... well… Pyrrha is very p-pretty…. I got to go!" He rushed for the door and Neo briefly thought about tripping him. "I'll catch you later."
Neo watched the door slam shut behind him and her smile fell off her face. She made sure the door was locked and then rummaged through the freezer, pulling out a container of her favorite Ice Cream.
Neopolitan
If anyone laughed, she would stab them.
She had done that before, multiple times. People learned not to laugh.
After the bowl was full with the delicious treat, Neo jumped on her bed and took a bite. Her cheeks flushed as the deliciousness spread through her taste buds. This brand of ice cream was far superior to every other brand supermarkets could supply. Only handmade ice cream could beat it.
Maybe I should see if Touma could make some? He did say he was used to cooking.
She finished her bowl in minutes and then went back for seconds. About halfway through digging out enough to fill her bowl again, her spoon hit something hard. Neo smirked and dug around the object before pulling it out. In her hand was a small device similar to a scroll but could only send and receive short messages. There was a message waiting for her.
Everything good?
Exactly as planned, Neo answered. Untraceable and untrackable through the CCT system, no one at Beacon would know she was still in communication with Roman. He was, after all, the closest thing to family she had. With her skill, the device will never be found either. When her time at Beacon was finished, she would rejoin him.
With all her belongings.
"Neo cemented her place in Beacon." Roman announced to Cinder, while Emerald and Mercury listened in.
"Excellent job, Roman," Cinder congratulated. "Having someone on the inside will greatly aid us." She smiled. "Ozpin's eyes will be on her, which will let us slip in unnoticed."
"We still got to kill a few days before we move in," Mercury pointed out. "This doesn't leave us much time to find a fourth team member."
"I have someone in mind," Cinder stated and her eyes darted toward him. "So that base is covered. We can make up that he has family issues which delayed his departure."
"You mean I won't be able to get in?" Roman asked sarcastically and leaned on his cane. "I could change my outfit to something less fashionable and wear some sunglasses. No one would be able to tell."
"HAHAHA!" Emerald burst out laughing. "There's a better chance of Mercury and I hooking up than that working."
"I assumed you two have," Roman said without missing a beat. "All that noise coming from the other room. Wasn't he giving it to you good?"
"You know it." Mercury gave him a thumbs up.
"Asshole!" Emerald cried and threw a book at Mercury's head. "My body and soul belongs to Cinder-…"
"Kinky." Mercury interjected.
"…so there's no way I would go with a jerk like him." Emerald finished. "He's childish, rude, and overall useless."
"Coming from-…" Mercury started to snap back.
"Enough!" Cinder cut off the argument. "I put up with enough of your bickering tonight." She turned to Roman. "There's nothing to do now but wait for the next opportunity and Adam's forces to reorganize. It is prudent to keep our head down at this time, but I do have something important for you to do."
"Oh?" Roman raised an eyebrow. "The most wanted man in Beacon just roaming around is sure to draw attention, you know? And I'm not talking about because I'm the most eligible Bachler, which I still am. I checked."
"This task is outside the city," Cinder assured him. "One of my contacts informed me someone was digging deep into Merlot Industries and discovered something… juicy. Rather than having you sit around here doing nothing, you would be more useful if you go and check out what they found and bring it back to me."
"Might be a little tough without Neo." Roman muttered.
"The White Fang will give you some support." Cinder reassured him.
"And I just washed the animal smell out of my jacket." Roman huffed.
"As for you two," Cinder continued, addressing Mercury and Emerald. "I trust you can stay out of trouble?" Her eyes flashed.
"Of course." Emerald agreed immediately.
"No sweat, boss." Mercury said.
"Good." She crossed her fingers together and turned to Roman. "This boy, Touma Kamijou. Tell me again, how much does he know about us?"
"Nothing," Roman recited. "He saw Adam once, but not you three. This could be a boon for us though."
"Oh?" It was Cinder's turn to raise an eyebrow.
"Neo knows who you are," Roman explained. "But she's a professional. There won't be a single hint she does. If you want to approach her for information, I suggest getting chummy with the boy. He's pretty trusting, so I doubt it would be hard. Plus, he's never had a girlfriend, so I'm sure he would be eager to spend time with an attractive female."
"Looks like only Cinder can do that then." Mercury said instantly, causing Emerald to punch him in the shoulder.
"Ozpin is sure to be watching him though," Cinder mused. "I like the idea though. Instead, I want information on which team the boy is in contact with the most. They are the ones we will befriend. It's more suspicious for a team to isolate themselves. If we are social, we hide among the sheep."
"Glad to be of assistance." Roman gave a low bow. "Now, about this mission of mine. Am I actually going to get some information on it, or am I expected to go in blind?"
"Emerald," Cinder commanded. "Go get the file we recovered. Mercury, get rid of the body."
Feel free to leave a review, comment, suggestions, or ideas, I love reading them. If you have a question you wish to 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. She was goofing off at some convention and I had to get others to stop in and help.
SF88: Fuck you Dark, I'm busy this time of year. I hardly have time to write myself and it's only gonna get worse once December hits.
DB: He works for UPS everyone.
