The tension is building. Another chapter is finally done for all of you readers. I was actually going to release something else earlier this month, but SilverFang has been under the weather to beta. I started writing this chapter while waiting for him to improve. Well, I finished before he got better, so I scrambled to find someone else to review. Found two people willing to help; FrodoFighter and Maderfole. It is thanks to them this chapter was able to be released. I know some of you are getting impatient. We are finally getting to the action and next few chapters are going to be fun. Once this arc wraps up, I'm going to post the list of ship names that have been trickling in. Who knows? These next few chapters may inspire some more creative ones. Side note, over 1000 reviews. That's nice.
ENDDRAGON369: Hey, that's not official yet. It's not like I kill off OCs. Wait, never mind. Ignore that.
JumpingToaster: Set up is important.
Guest: Not everyone dies. Some may, but not everyone.
shiroryuu012: That's what you think. Challenge accepted.
Gamator: Othinus in Remnant would be… weird. She's either useless, OP, or takes a lot of work to give her some powers back realistically. I debated on who would join Touma.
Tierboook: Mikoto could also use other stuff, like iron sand and magnetism to fight. I doubt she would do the keep charging until you explode route unless all other options were exhausted.
Phoenix 7.49: I know right? Can't wait for them to meet. Though, I wonder if apathy's power only works with sound, so it might be reflected. Eh, I can decide however I want since it's not explained. Luck is a gift from god and Touma negates that. Touma always fights at a disadvantage, that's who he is. I never said Hunter's couldn't damage them, just bullets weren't working. Magic doesn't follow normal physics rules either, but the fight should be good. No other high levels will appear anytime soon. If they do, it will be way near the end of the story. They go into why Accelerator protects her a lot in the books. When he and Weiss talk again, that's going to come up.
Guest: Eh, trouble shows up and everyone tries to deal with raging teenage hormones. Good times.
WiliamZ0: Fine, you can be the butt kicker. I may need you to kick my beta readers too. Yeah, the new episodes with the gods pretty much wrote the ending for this fic. I know exactly what's going to happen. Most of it was their fault, even if Salem played them a little. Eh, I got other stories where Mikoto is a main character. Let Accelerator get more screen time. Ruby and Touma would get much time together until later. I think you mean Qrow, not Ozpin with the son remark. Wellen's backstory will be found out later. Didn't have a good chance for him to tell anyone around it so far.
Guest: Maybe. SIlverFang is just paranoid.
Handsomistic1: Nah, Neo isn't there to start everything. Besides, the girls in Remnant are a little older and know how to handle themselves to a degree. I haven't played Grimm Eclipse, but I know of it. You don't think Aleister is working on getting them back? Touma and Accelerator are essential to his plans.
Guest13: Don't think Mikoto will appear in Remnant. Maybe a short scene near the end.
LL: With Touma's luck, everyone in the underworld will think Roman's grooming Touma to take over his empire. Adam would destroy Touma. First, Adam knows about his ability. Second, Adam is superior in every way; physical prowess, skills, and even experience in combat. People on Remnant fight a lot. Accelerator, friendly? Nonsense.
Wiliamsusanto: Accelerator isn't the sporty type and now he can get exhausted using his powers for prolonged periods of time, though it's a little better off than using the choker. Still, hiking for an entire day with his body? Not a pleasant experience. A tired and exhausted Accelerator could be handled. I'll show a scene with Last Order and Glynda at some point. Nope, definitely housewife skills. There's an interesting theory. Aleister wanted them to go there for some reason. People either love her or don't want her to show up at all. No compromise.
AMTT94: I was picturing after Othinus arc but before Kamisato. I know there's not a lot of time between those two arcs, but that's a general picture. That's kind of a cop out with the gods. I already have an ending in mind after the last season or RWBY. We will see. Touma would try to save her, but she might be too far gone.
Xeno01: He never admitted it. No one heard it. Lies and slander. Experiences make a person and scars run deep. It will take time, but maybe they can help.
Mr. X: 1) Doesn't matter, they won't show up. 2) Not everyone can meet Touma. 3) Ruby just started measuring. Making stuff takes time.
Fernandamichelleraya: Too much sappy stuff is boring. We need some excitement and tragedy thrown in for a good mix. Yeah, already decided not to bring in anyone else anytime soon. I'm having fun working the interactions between the current characters. The dance will be great. Poor Sun and Neptune.
A certain guest: Someone had to get things going. He might get hit by it once before realizing it's the sound causing problems. He can't keep reflection up indefinitely anymore. (Wonder why I did that?) Touma just walks after it and taps it in the back. I'm sure Magic Gods have a hierarchy. Just trying to think what current religion might have something similar. Yep. His presence is going to cause drastic changes.
Q-Guest: Don't have to worry about any more people showing up anytime soon.
IllusionBreaker: Probably not. I already have a lot of characters I haven't given a chance to shine.
ShadowBloodedge9396: It happens. Always glad when someone takes time to write one. Neo would probably enjoy beating up people, while saying it's all in good fun and showing off. Touma's the best thing that's happen to Qrow in ages. If Glynda tried to separate them, Qrow would just spend more time with Touma to infuriate her. I wonder if Penny would be immune.
Mrcrazyman94: My friend and I watched it after that flashback. The ending for this fic wrote itself in under ten minutes.
Kami: Not sure we will see Touma with Weiss or Yang unless something magically comes to me to make it work out.
Chroma: It's not a weapon, but can be used as one.
G119: Touma only punches people who deserve it. Like Cinder.
N0Name: Accelerator is fun to write, if you avoid the combat scenes. Writing emotions and internal dialogue, what he doesn't say, is probably the most interesting, challenging, and rewarding thing you can do.
Croniklerx: Okay, to be fair. No matter what I write, everyone's imagination is far beyond what I could put into words. Everyone rubs off on each other and it's hard keeping everyone in character perfectly, so there are occasionally slip ups. The joke was kind of improvised, so it wasn't that descriptive. Eliza was made because I needed another adult to supervise one group, and didn't want Peter or Bartholomew. The kids were just added as a flash of insight. The issue is, her two biggest character developments happened after the docks and after the fall of Beacon. One has happened already, the other has not. There needs to be a big event for her to change. Like maybe Adam showing up earlier. You know, if I was thinking of this ahead of time, I would have just used Ilia instead of an OC.
spoony285: Heh, I added a few names to the list. Some of them were very similar to ones already on there though. I will be posting the current one in a couple chapters.
Disclaimer: I do not own Toaru Majutsu no Index or RWBY.
"Weiss. Hey, Weiss. Wake up."
"Go away, Ruby," Weiss groaned, turning over on the bed. She felt something nudge her side, which didn't improve her mood.
While the house they were staying in was sturdy, albeit dirty, there were only two beds upstairs. The girls had to share. After some debate, no one wanted to bunk with Yang due to her sleeping habits, Blake drew the short straw when they decided on bunking with their partners. They spent a good part of the afternoon cleaning up the house to make it livable for a few days. There had been an inch of dust on the beds. The stove hadn't worked yesterday and they were forced to purchase sandwich makings for dinner.
"Do you smell that?" Ruby asked, nudging Weiss again.
"I swear if you passed gas..," Weiss warned.
"I'm not Yang!" Ruby hissed irritated that Weiss would even suggest such a thing. "Just tell me I'm not hallucinating." Against her better judgment, Weiss sat up, rubbed the sleep from her eyes and sniffed.
She paused and sniffed again.
"Is that… bacon?" Weiss asked and Ruby nodded excitedly.
"Yes!" She fist pumped the air and sprang out of bed. "I knew I wasn't crazy." Her words were loud enough to attract the notice of the other two girls.
"You two smell it too?" Yang asked, already out of bed. She was stretching while wearing her preferred sleepwear consisting of an orange tank top and black shorts.
"I thought the stove didn't work," Blake said, getting out of bed herself and straightening the black and white yukata-style shirt and skirt.
"Who cares?" Ruby said, bolting toward the stairs. "I'm starving." She was wearing a black tank top with white pants dotted with roses.
"Wait for us!" Weiss called out. It wasn't a lie, they all would prefer a real meal. Her pajamas consisted of a pale and dark blue nightgown of relatively conservative cut.
When they entered the kitchen, they discovered the stove was indeed working. The four pans cooking eggs and bacon on them were a good indicator. Who was cooking was also answered. Touma was facing away from them fiddling with something. A quick glance toward the living room showed Qrow sleeping in a chair. Yang was going to sneak up on Touma, but Blake grabbed her by the shirt to prevent any accidents.
"Good morning!" Ruby called out, as the girls sat down at the table.
"Morning," Touma greeted them. He was wearing a simple t-shirt and jeans. "Sleep well?"
"I slept great," Ruby replied.
"It was surprisingly comfortable," Weiss admitted hesitantly. "I expected the mattress to be rotten."
"My full body pillow helped me sleep," Yang added.
"She didn't let go the entire night," Blake muttered. "I'm surprised she didn't accidentally strangle me." Touma gave her a look of sympathy.
"Well, I hope you are all hungry," he said to them. "Breakfast will be ready in just a moment."
"How did you get the stove to work?" Weiss asked. "I thought the gas was shut off because no one lived here."
"It was," Touma confirmed. "I backtracked the pipes and found the valve."
"So what's on the menu?" Yang asked, plopping down in one of the chairs.
"Eggs and bacon," Touma answered. "Milk and some fresh squeezed OJ." He moved out of the way and they saw the small pitcher about half full with a pile of orange skins next to it.
"When did you have time to do all this?" Blake asked and Touma shrugged.
"I'm used to getting up early. Once I was sure the pipe was working, I headed to the store and picked up breakfast. I was surprised they had actual eggs and bacon, but they only had powdered milk." He gestured to the oranges. "I picked those up on a whim for some vitamin C. Was surprised when I found a hand juicer in the cupboards."
"This is… impressive," Weiss complimented. "Thank you for doing this." She gratefully accepted a glass of orange juice from him.
"Wow," Yang gasped. "You thawed the Ice Queen's heart."
"Shut it," Weiss snapped at her. "He went out of his way to make this for us, the least we can do is be grateful."
"Yeah," Ruby echoed. "Thanks a lot for making this, Touma." She happily accepted a glass of milk.
"It was no problem," Touma reassured them. "I wanted something filling too." He glanced over at Qrow. "He wandered in around one and sat on me when I was sleeping on the couch. Think he will be up soon?"
"He will stagger in when we are about to finish," Yang assured him, after laughing. She dug in the moment he passed her a plate. "Mmm this is good. Glad Blake found you. This would suck eating cold food."
"I found him?" Blake asked with a raised eyebrow.
"There was the first time we met," Touma reminisced and Blake's cheeks tinged. Yang looked between them and grinned.
"That's not fair," Ruby protested. "I found him in Mt. Glenn."
"And fell on me through a roof," Touma reminded her.
"T-that wasn't my fault!" The other three laughed as Ruby waved her hands indignantly.
"Could you brats be any louder?" Qrow asked, leaning against the doorframe between the kitchen and living room. "Some of us had a late night."
"Hanging out at the bar?" Weiss asked nonplussed.
"For your information, Ice Queen," Qrow informed her, as he grabbed his chair, spun it around, and sat down to rest his arms on the back. "I also picked up the map of the area, got a rough description of the layout of the mine, and learned some rumors about a possible Grimm nest we should look into."
"It took you until one to find that out?" Ruby asked.
"Nah." Qrow waved his hand dismissively. "This kid would understand." He slapped Touma on the back when he set down a plate for Qrow. "When a woman asks you to have a couple drinks with her, you don't turn her down." Yang's eyes widened and she turned toward Touma.
"Hey, after this mission, want to come have a drink with Blake and me at a club?"
"Nope," Touma replied immediately. He didn't even need Blake shaking her head to warn him. "I am not good with alcohol."
"Like that time on the cliff?" Ruby asked him. "You sure you don't remember what happened?"
"It's all a blur."
"It's probably better he doesn't remember," Blake stated. She wished she had a book to pass the time, but they had to travel light. The one book she brought along was finished on the ride out here.
"At least you're more mature than our chaperone," Weiss said to him and turned to Qrow. "I hope your combat skills are better than your manners."
"Ask your sister about that," Qrow replied, not looking up as he shoveled eggs into his mouth. Weiss glared at him. "Hey, kid." He turned to Touma. "You burnt the bacon."
"Sorry," Touma apologized, though his eyes twinkled mischievously. "Must still be tired from being woken up in the middle of the night to find a drunk guy sitting on me." His response caused the table to explode into laughter.
"Touché," Qrow told him, finishing the rest of the meal without complaint. When everyone finished, he slammed his hand down on the table, causing them all to jump. "Okay, brats. Now that we are all awake and fed, it's time to go over our plan of action today." The air suddenly changed as the relaxed atmosphere vanished. The tension could be cut by a knife. "Ruby, Yang, Ice Queen, and I will be heading off to check out the mine." He unrolled a piece of paper and pointed to a section next to the city.
"How far away is it?" Ruby asked.
"Roughly one and a half miles," Qrow answered. "Not far by any means, but it is off the plateau, which means plenty of Grimm. The people here made some makeshift barricades to slow down larger Grimm, but they do break down occasionally. This was the last known sighting, so we are going to check it out for any clues."
"If there isn't any?" Yang asked. "What's next?"
"We check out the possible Grimm nest," Qrow pointed to an area north of the mines. "Beowolves tend to gather here, so it's possible this new type went there. If it's not there, we clear out the nest anyways to help out the city."
"What about communications with Blake and Touma stationed here?" Weiss asked.
"Long range communications won't reach out here," Qrow answered. "They have a small tower that can be operated in an emergency to reach Vale, but they won't let us use it. I asked. Keep an eye on your scrolls for short range communications. There may be a time period where we are out of range. Don't panic." Blake and Touma nodded. "Just monitor the signal and check in when you see it. If we go silent for over… let's say four hours without notice, notify the mayor. At that point, it may be a big enough emergency for him to authorize access to their tower."
"That's… well planned out," Weiss stated, sounding impressed.
"Just because I drink a lot, doesn't mean I don't know what I'm doing. Alcohol just takes the edge off."
"We told you Uncle Qrow was a licensed Hunter," Ruby replied.
"Ice Queen, zero. Us, one!" Yang declared, high fiving Ruby.
"Pssh." Weiss rolled her eyes. "All the times I had to correct you two put me way out in the lead."
"You didn't have to, you just wanted to," Yang countered.
"How long are you guys planning to scout?" Touma asked. "Should we expect you back before nightfall?"
"Unless we run into the Grimm…" Qrow paused and rubbed his chin. "I would prefer to check out as much as possible, but I expect us to be back before nightfall. Fumbling around in the dark is way more trouble than it's worth."
"Especially without alcohol," Touma replied.
"I'm sure you knew me better than that," Qrow continued, unfazed at the joke. He pulled back his vest to reveal a flask. "I always have some." Touma face palmed and then started placing the dishes into the sink. He stood up and headed toward the bathroom. All that alcohol was bound to hit sooner or later.
"Now's your chance," Yang whispered to Blake.
"What?" Blake hissed back. "I swear, if you tell me I should jump him when we are alone-…"
"No, I mean if you want to… but that wasn't what I was referring to." Blake regretted her words because Yang now knew her teasing was getting to her. "Take the time to get to know him. Try opening up. He's easy to talk to, but even if you're in the same room as him, you don't speak much."
"I'm not a talkative person," Blake said passively, refusing to go into more details. Yang shrugged.
"Not saying you have to turn into Weiss lecturing Ruby," she explained. "Just… ask questions or something. Maybe tell a little bit about yourself."
"What are you up to?" Blake asked suspiciously. "Are we part of one of your matchmaking delusions?"
"Actually," Yang corrected her. "I was hoping your actions might help Ruby. Look." Blake turned to see Ruby standing next to Touma, smiling and helping him wash the dishes. "Do you know the last time Ruby helped me wash the dishes voluntarily?" Blake shook her head. "She was seven." It was obvious to them and, judging by the curious expression on Weiss's face as she watched her partner, it was to her as well.
"Then why are you trying to set us up if Ruby likes him?" Blake pressed in a hushed whisper, aware Weiss was now listening in.
"Pretty sure he likes you," Yang muttered, keeping her eyes on Ruby's back. "Or maybe he's just interested. It would be good for Ruby to become more assertive in her interactions with boys. Jaune barely counts, he's as big as dork as she is, and Ren has Nora."
"Don't you think that problem lies with you chasing away every boy who shows interest in her?" Weiss pointed out and Yang frowned.
"I only chased the boys away who were trying to take advantage of her," Yang protested. "Problem was, all the guys her age want something. Touma is the first one who doesn't and, if Ruby likes him, she needs to be the one to initiate it. I was hoping if she saw you going for him, it might force her to step outside her comfort zone."
"You do recall they are trying to get home," Blake reminded her. "Home, as in another dimension."
"There's a chance they might not," Yang countered and the atmosphere grew dark. None of them wished for that to be the case. A small part of their brains refused to let them lie to themselves though.
"Let's say Ruby did try to date him," Weiss prodded, changing the subject. "Would you sit back and let them work it out on their own?"
"Of course not," Yang replied immediately. "I'll tease them every step of the way. After putting the fear of Yang into him if he tries to do anything to her."
"What's wrong?" Ruby asked Touma from her position of drying off the plates. A shiver had run down his spine, something she noticed.
"I just felt like my life was in danger," he replied and brushed it off. "Thanks for the help."
"I helped Yang with the dishes back home," Ruby lied. "So it was kind of second nature."
"I still appreciate it," Touma assured her.
"I was also hoping you could tell me about your school back home," Ruby continued. "You saw how Beacon is run and you mentioned your friends, but not what all you study or what the classes are like. Do you have interclass matches with abilities?"
"Occasionally," Touma answered. "There's a popular sports festival where we do stuff like that. Classes battle using abilities, brains, and strategy. There are rules so no one gets badly hurt. Not to say it didn't get rough."
"Tell me about one," Ruby begged. "It sounds like the Vytal Festival here."
"Our class faced off against this one school where you are required to knock down a pole while keeping your pole standing," Touma said, remembering one that happened not too long ago. "Their teacher had some rivalry against ours and upset her. Naturally, we couldn't take that standing down. The problem was the other class had much stronger abilities.. They attacked us with a series of exploding gas pockets from two students combining their powers-…"
"Cool!"
Ruby listened attentively to Touma's story. Unlike Port, who droned on and on, Touma kept it short, but with enough details to let her imagine the carnage. While Academy City didn't fight with weapons like they did, they had abilities that their lives were more centered on. Semblances were only discovered after years of having Aura, when you learned more about yourself. Having an ability at a young age, especially a powerful one, would easily shape who you were. She was beginning to see why Accelerator was someone who tried to push people away.
I bet people wanted to be his friend because he was strong.
"Enough goofing around!" Qrow declared, sauntering into the room. "Grab anything you need for our excursion and get your butts moving. We are burning daylight."
"Here," Touma offered, putting several small bags on the table. "I made some lunch for you guys. I avoided anything with a strong smell in case that attracts Grimm. I wasn't sure if they were attracted to the smell of food…" He trailed off under everyone's stares.
"Are you sure you slept last night?" Weiss asked.
"Were you always a housewife or was this something recent?" Qrow demanded.
"Good morning!" Nora greeted.
Accelerator's response was to growl at her.
"Not a morning person?" Ren asked, passing over a couple pancakes Eliza was making for the group.
"No."
"These pancakes are delicious," Nora told Eliza. "Almost as good as Ren's. Not that yours are bad. Ren just makes awesome ones."
"Thanks you," Eliza replied, understanding Nora was trying to compliment her.
"How did everyone sleep?" Jaune asked, sitting down on a stump. They had set up camp in a small clearing, while taking turns as look out. Each watch was manned by a group of two. Since they only had three tents, it made dividing the watch up easy. Jaune bunked with Accelerator rather than Pyrrha, who went with Eliza. Naturally, Nora went with Ren. "Not sure I like the short nights. I'm just glad we had the first watch. Waking up in the middle of the night would kill me."
"Beacon's sleeping bags are quite comfortable for being so light," Ren commented.
"It was almost like being on a bed," Nora agreed. "Though being out in the night air camping makes everything better. Ren and I camped out tons before Beacon." Accelerator looked at her. For just a moment, her eyes lost their glow. It was so fast, he might have been imagining it.
"I slept fine," Pyrrha answered. "It has been a long time since I've been out in the wilds like this. I think I was eight or nine the last time."
"With your parents?" Jaune asked and she nodded.
"My dad wanted me to learn to be more self-sufficient and build character," she answered. "My mom liked to paint the scenery. After I started seriously training for some competitions, we never had a chance to come back."
"Did they stop because of the snoring?" Eliza asked and failed to stifle a yawn.
"I'm sorry!" Pyrrha apologized while everyone laughed. "It's not that loud, right?"
"It's not that loud," Nora reassured her.
"You get used to it," Ren added.
"One of my sisters is worse," Jaune finished and Pyrrha's face flushed in embarrassment. She held her head low while she ate.
Thought she had breathing problems at the beginning, Accelerator thought, but kept his mouth shut. Pyrrha was nice, not too talkative and, even after being crushed by him in the arena, treated him with respect, but not fear. If Yang had been the one to snore, he wouldn't let her live it down.
"How long until we reach the lab?" Jaune asked Eliza.
"At least half a day," she answered, looking at the map. "Maybe more depending on the terrain."
Accelerator frowned again. None of the others said anything, but they were worried about his condition. It was no secret his body was not made for this kind of strenuous exercise. The others had Aura to reinforce their bodies and physical training as Hunters and Huntresses. Nora even carried his share of the supplies. Without the Dust healing he had received, Accelerator would never have been able to keep up on a crutch. Still, his ability was the only thing allowing him to keep up. From his experiments and experience using his ability since he arrived, prolonged use of his ability tired him out. He would like to know why that was the case, but there was no prior documentation on Dust and abilities mixing. He developed a compromise to maximize the time available.
He kept his ability use to a minimum.
Exhaustion had hit him hard that afternoon and he fell asleep almost the second the tent was set up, waking up only to eat and listen to the others talk. This morning he was feeling a little better, though still sore. The pain was nothing to being shot or seeing the brat get hurt, so he wasn't complaining. That didn't mean he would move until it was required. Somehow the others saw through his act and helped make it easier for him. Their kindness irritated him, as he hated being weak. At the same time, it felt nice. Again, they were helping him and hanging out with him because they wanted to. There wasn't an ulterior motive.
He appreciated that more than they probably knew.
"There is one problem," Eliza continued.
"Those people who showed up before us," Ren stated and nodded.
"Do you really think they are part of the White Fang?" Nora asked.
"I threw that out as a possibility." Eliza corrected her. "Unless we encounter them, there's no way to know for sure. They could be a mercenary group. Those do exist. Shoot, we might not even see them."
"Do you really believe that?" Accelerator asked, finally speaking up.
"…No." Eliza pursed her lips. "I hope that's the case. In all honesty, it's not."
"Because of timing?" Pyrrha asked.
"And the fact there is one human among them," Eliza continued and Nora's eyes widened.
"You think it's that Torchwick guy?"
"I thought his name was Ray Teal?" Jaune pointed out.
"It's the same initials as Roman Torchwick!" Nora declared and raised a finger up high. "That diabolical mastermind. No one would have ever seen it coming."
It was obvious, Accelerator thought.
"From what Team RWBY told us," Pyrrha stated. "Roman Torchwick likes to stand out. He probably hated having to use an alias. I would have to agree we should assume it it's him. He also has knowledge of Accelerator's situation." She turned to Eliza. "Any idea how he knew you were researching this?"
"Not in the slightest and that worries me." She sighed and stood up. "Time to pack up, kids. We need to get moving. Don't expect a hot meal from now on. The further away from town we get, the greater the Grimm presence. Or the White Fang. Pray it's the Grimm. They are easier to fight."
"Doesn't matter to me," Accelerator muttered, standing up and walking toward the tents. He was going to pull his own weight, even if it was a pain. Letting others baby him pissed him off. He kicked the tents once and they collapsed. The stakes flew into the air and fell down into his outstretched hand, while the poles slid out seamlessly. "I'm ready to go anytime."
"You live in the city, right?" Jaune asked and Accelerator replied with a short nod. "Take the time to enjoy the wilderness then. I bet you've never gone camping." Accelerator really wanted to snap at him, but Jaune was right on the money.
"Not like I had a family to go camping with," Accelerator muttered. He froze when he felt a pair of eyes on him. "Shit…"
"That's so sad!" Nora cried. Before Accelerator could do anything else, she wrapped him in bone shattering hug. "You can come camping with me and Renny anytime."
"Get off!" Accelerator was forced to push her arms off with his ability, but stopped at actually throwing her. "What did I tell you about hugs!?"
"You want more of them?" Nora asked innocently.
"You know damn well that's bullshit!"
"Nora's really helping him open up," Jaune said to Pyrrha, as they rolled up the tents.
"She's always been good at that," Pyrrha agreed. "Though you give yourself too little credit. He talks a lot with you too."
"Think so?"
"He kind of reminds me of Blake in the way he doesn't talk much," Pyrrha continued. "Once they open up, you find out they don't mind talking."
"Opposite of me then?" Pyrrha giggled at him.
"I admired the way you could say what's on your mind to even complete strangers," she informed him. "It was the first time I was ever spoken to like that."
"That was only because I didn't know your reputation," Jaune reminded her, as he started stuffing the rolled up tent into a bag.
"Even after you found out," Pyrrha continued. "Your attitude didn't change at all. You still treated me as me. Learning my likes and dislikes, habits, good and bad…" She trailed off and Jaune chuckled. "It meant a lot to me and I bet it means a lot to Accelerator too, even if he doesn't want to show it. I'm really glad you became my partner at initiation."
"I was lucky when you decided to spear me against that tree." Pyrrha smiled and her cheeks turned red. "I'm really glad we were able to become such good friends. Imagine if I've been paired up with Cardin or someone." Pyrrha's smile became rather fixed at his words.
Tell him! She yelled at herself internally.
Jaune was one of the nicest people she knew. His greatest flaw was he didn't notice her feelings. Pyrrha knew she had to tell him straight up, no beating around the bush, about how she felt about him. No matter how hard she's tried in the past, she never could. Jaune liked Weiss, that much was obvious. Since Weiss liked Accelerator, Pyrrha hoped he would move on and notice her. Their relationship was more like a brother and sister. While Pyrrha treasured that, she wanted more. It was the fear that stopped her. The fear if he rejected her they could never go back to normal.
That scared her to death.
"Let's get going!" Nora cheered and started singing. "A hiking we will go. A hiking we will go…" Ren smiled and hummed along for her amusement.
Accelerator huffed, double checked to make sure he didn't leave one of the few possessions he had behind, and followed the others. Ignoring the pain signals his body was telling him, he reached into his pocket and fiddled with the one dust crystal he still had. It slipped between his fingers as he thought about Weiss. She had left it with him and never bothered to ask for it back before they parted ways on their missions. The fact he even thought about her didn't escape his notice.
He actually felt bad about what he did.
Logically, Accelerator did the right thing. It was better to stamp out any kindling of emotional attachment she was feeling for him before things got serious. Even at the cost of talking about something that should have remained hidden. At some point, Last Order, the hero, and he would all find a way back to their world and Remnant would become nothing but a memory. He had warned Last Order about it and she still insisted he make friends. One bridge was probably burned beyond repair though. He had deliberately avoided eye contact with the princess before they left. The sensation she was watching him prevented even a glance in her direction. Part of him wanted her to speak her mind.
Why the hell do I care about that? Accelerator thought annoyed. It was the right fucking decision.
There was plenty of time to ponder this as they hiked through the forest.
"It's quiet," Ruby said, as the four of them staked out the mine.
"Too quiet," Yang agreed.
"I swear if you two try to jinx us," Weiss warned.
"Going to actually agree with Ice Queen on this one," Qrow added. "Every movie in existence shows why you don't say that." Weiss had given up on trying to persuade him to call her by her actual name. "Keep formation until we are absolutely sure the area is clear." They moved out, far enough away from each other that they weren't getting in each other's way, but close enough they could assist anyone being attacked.
"There really is nothing here," Weiss finally spoke up, looking around. They were standing at the mine entrance, away from the tree line so nothing could sneak up on them without plenty of warning. The outside of the mine was deserted. There were piles of dirt and rock, some discarded tools, and a few carts, but no signs of life. She stared down into the dark cave. "Could it be inside?"
"That's what we need to check out," Qrow replied. "Firecracker, you and I are going to go inside." Yang nodded and bumped her fists together. "You two need to guard the entrance." He pointed to Ruby and Weiss. "First sign of trouble, contact the others. Cave might be spotty, so be ready to move."
"Aww," Ruby complained. "I wanted to go with you."
"Sorry, squirt," Qrow ruffled her hair as she protested. "Yang's better at close quarter combat in confined spaces. You're better in open areas."
"Fine," Ruby huffed.
"He's got a point," Yang admitted. "Be careful you two."
"You too," Weiss replied. Yang and Qrow disappeared into the mine. The glow from their flashlight grew dimmer until vanishing completely. Ruby's eyes kept sweeping the tree line with Crescent Rose in its gun form clutched tightly in her hand. Weiss was standing on the other side of the mine entrance, imitating her action. The minutes passed and they both were growing restless.
A Bullhead passing over them was the most exciting thing that happened.
"It's all clear," Qrow reported when he and Yang exited the tunnel. "It was there, but left."
"How do you know?" Ruby asked.
"Lots of claw marks along the walls, much deeper than normal Beowolves." Qrow scratched his chin. "It would be bad if it left the area. Let's go check out the other spot. Might be some Grimm to stave off the boredom."
"All right," Yang cheered. "I'll get rusty without some action."
"You're a splitting image of Tai," Qrow commented. "Including your terrible tastes in jokes."
"Hey!" Yang protested. "My jokes are Yang-tastic."
"Boo!" Ruby and Weiss cried.
"Ugh. This brings back memories. You know how long I had to listen to his jokes on missions? Don't make me tape your mouth shut."
"Do it!" Ruby cheered.
"You love me too much to do it," Yang laughed and elbowed him in the side.
"Whatever, brat." Qrow rolled his eyes and looked up as another Bullhead passed over their head.
"So are we going to check out that Grimm nest then?" Weiss asked.
"Not much else to go by," Qrow replied with a shrug. "Keep an eye out for tracks."
"Like that?" Ruby asked pointing. Everyone turned to see where she was referring to and saw a large clawed footprint in the mud. It resembled a Beowolf's, even if it was much larger.
"Didn't think to point that out before and save us some time?" Weiss demanded.
"I just saw it!" Ruby cried defensively.
"Good job," Qrow complimented and crotched down next to it. "Even an Alpha isn't this big. It's also much heavier based on the depression in the ground. The ground's soft, but it's not pure mud. This guy's got some weight behind it."
"It's our target then," Yang concluded and saw another footprint up ahead. "Seems to be headed north."
"To the Grimm nest," Qrow muttered. "Beowolves are pack Grimm, so it wouldn't be unusual. If it can lead the others, we might have a problem."
"A few Grimm shouldn't be a problem," Ruby pointed out. "All of us have plenty of experience with them."
"You're thinking of normal Grimm," Weiss reminded her. "This one is different. Smarter, tougher, stronger, plus whatever magic… ability… whatever it may possess from another world."
"That's what I'm worried about," Qrow said and everyone looked at him. "Let's say this Beowolf can pass on intelligence or breeds to make more. This town… no every city will be in trouble. We can only deal with large Grimm forces because they can't think and plan long term." He gripped the handle of his sword. "I'm not going to suggest a suicide run, but if there is an opportunity to take this thing down, we take it."
"Sounds good," Yang agreed. "What happens if we can't take it out?"
"We report back to the city and discuss options," Qrow answered seriously. "Worse case, we abandon the city and bring in reinforcements."
"They… won't like that," Weiss pointed out.
"Human-Faunus relationships would sink even lower," Qrow agreed. "Which is why I would like to handle this now." He started walking and the others followed. "Don't make so much noise. I'm serious this time. The last thing we need is for them to know we are coming."
The forest wasn't too thick, so there wasn't any issue navigating. Light poured down through the leaves and they were able to follow the tracks. There were only a few times they disappeared where the ground was dryer. This is where Qrow came in handy. His experience allowed him to point out smaller signs, like broken branches, disturbed shrubs, and scuffed rocks. Slowly, they saw a pattern. It wasn't heading directly north, but northeast. The mine had been to the east of the village, so they were getting farther and farther away.
"Almost out of range," Ruby reported. "Should we let Blake and Touma know?"
"Send them a message we are going off the radar for a bit," Qrow replied and Ruby obliged. "Let's see." He looked down at his map. "The nest is a bit north of here while our target seems to be going toward a gorge. Heh." He chuckled. "With a little luck, we might be able to trap it."
"Good," Weiss said, brushing some dirt off her sleeve. "I'm getting sick of the outdoors."
"Maybe you shouldn't have worn heels out here?" Yang suggested and Weiss huffed. She had stumbled twice due to random rocks jetting up out of the ground.
"This way," Qrow ordered. The four of them continued their journey as another Bullhead flew over their head. "Weird."
"What is it?" Ruby asked.
"Lots of activity today," Qrow muttered.
"Didn't the mayor say they received periodic supply drops?" Yang asked.
"They do." Qrow rubbed his chin. "I vaguely recall someone say they received the drop off just a few days ago. It would explain how Touma actually got bacon."
"Maybe you shouldn't have been drunk and you would be sure," Weiss huffed. There was a note of irritation in her voice due to the fact Qrow was perfectly happy to call Touma by his name.
"Can't change the past," Qrow said passively. "And I'm too old to change my habits now." Weiss glared at him while Ruby giggled. "Canyon up ahead. Scout and find any way down. Be on high alert. It could be anywhere. Groups of two. Yang and Ice Queen take left, Ruby with me." The two groups split up and performed a quick scouting operation, examining the edges to either find a way down or signs of the Grimm. Yang and Weiss won this contest.
"Here," Yang told Qrow and Ruby once they arrived. "It's not really a path down, but there's enough ledges to climb up. Then there are those." A quick look was all it took. Deep grooves decorated the walls and ledges. Something had been climbing up and down multiple times.
"We're going down," Qrow declared and jumped down, bounding down the ledges effortlessly. The girls looked at each other, nodded, and followed. Ruby just zipped along the wall with her speed, reappearing next to Qrow. Weiss conjured glyphs and just slipped down like she was taking the stairs. Yang imitated what her uncle did and leaped from cliff to cliff.
"These grooves are fresh," Qrow reported, rubbing his hand along the ground. "Weapons at the ready. I will tell you this now. If I say run, you get out of here as fast as possible. No arguing. Even if it means leaving me behind. Do you understand?"
"We can't-…" Ruby tried to protest.
"Do you understand?" Qrow repeated. Ruby gulped and nodded. Yang and Weiss shared a look. For the first time, Qrow was acting like a real professional.
"…Yes," Ruby squeaked.
"Will it come to that?" Yang asked, cocking her gauntlets.
"It shouldn't," Qrow responded and Ruby looked a lot more relieved. "Doesn't hurt to take precautions against the unknown. You live longer that way." The gorge was about fifty feet wide and thirty feet high and weaved a bit. It made ambushes much easier. He took that all into account. "I'll take point. Firecracker, you're in the back. Ruby and Weiss in the center. Be prepared to act if something jumps down from the ledges."
No one missed the fact he used her name.
It didn't make anyone feel better. Since Grimm fed on negative emotions, they were sure to run across them. The four of them continued through the gorge, weapons held tight in their hands and eyes glancing in every direction. Their footsteps echoed, no matter how much they tried to silence them. At this point, anything in the canyon knew they were here. The silence was nerve wrecking and they could swear they heard their own heartbeats. As they turned a corner, Ruby caught a hint of movement on the wall to their left.
"QROW! DUCK!"
Qrow reacted to his niece's scream immediately. His knees bent while simultaneously turning and raising his sword. A black blur passed right over him.
The ear screeching sound of metal being scraped echoed everywhere.
"Nice try!" Qrow hollered, holding up his blade in a ready position. "But you will have to do better than tha-…" His voice trailed off when the Beowolf turned back towards them and stood up to its full height. "Huh, you look bigger in person."
A normal Beowolf stood as tall as a full grown man. An Alpha was easily one and a half times as big, along with having several more plates of armor like bone. This one was easily twice as tall as Qrow. Large segments of bone covered most of its body, though plenty of areas were left open to reveal the black fur. Its arms and legs rippled with muscle and it flexed claws large enough to rip a person apart. The crystalline ice structures protruded from its back like porcupine spines. A thin layer of frost covered its body. Its breath was visible, even though the day was warm. The air around them grew colder.
"Where did it come from?" Weiss asked Ruby.
"It was hanging on the wall, there!" A quick glance was all the others needed. Deep claw marks were carved into the wall where it had been waiting. This wasn't the strategy of a normal Beowolf. It was a sign of intelligence.
"You okay?" Yang asked, assuming her own fighting stance while shifting slowly to the other side of Qrow.
"Its strength isn't a joke," Qrow informed them. "Don't let it grab you." He glared at the Grimm before them. "So, I heard you can talk? Care to share a few words?"
"You… are a threat."
"It can talk!" Ruby gasped.
"We knew that already," Weiss replied, though by her tone she was just as shocked. The Grimm's voice was raspy, like someone severely dehydrated. It sounded like it wasn't used to talking. From what they could infer, the words were deep and somewhat masculine.
"What are you?" Qrow asked.
"Threats must… be destroyed," the Beowolf continued, ignoring Qrow's question. "The Hunter… becomes the… hunted."
"Good thing we found your tracks," Qrow said. "Before you had time to develop real intelligence." The corners of the Grimm's mouth twitched and Ruby would have sworn it was smiling.
"Lead… you here."
Three little words. Three words were all it took for dread to seep into them.
"Shit!" Qrow cursed. "It's a tra-…!"
His words were cut off when the Beowolf threw its head back and howled.
"Ahhh!"
The girls cried out, covering their ears. Qrow wasn't in much better shape, even though he managed to avoid yelling out. The shockwave from the howl rattled their bones and made it impossible to concentrate. The added echoes from being in the canyon only amplified the attack. They quickly righted themselves as the sound slowly died away, panting slightly, but unhurt.
"You're going to have to do better than that," Yang challenged and the Grimm's head tilted to the side.
"Fools…"
A movement from above drew their attention. Ruby and Weiss gasped as what they saw. Qrow cursed and Yang froze.
Easily fifty Beowolves were leaning over the edge of the cliffs, looking down at them. As they took in the ambush, more were appearing. Qrow gritted his teeth and turned his attention back towards the leader.
"...die!"
It leaped forward, teeth gleaming in the light. At its order, the other Grimm began piling into the canyon.
The sound of gunfire echoed across the treetops.
"Subtlety does not appear to be a priority," Ren commented, as he and the others gazed down into a valley from a cliff. Everyone was laying down and looking through binoculars.
"Why would it?" Eliza asked. "They are here on official business and killing Grimm is considered normal business out here. Even if someone else ran across them, all they have to say is say there was an attack. No one would second guess them."
"Do you think they found it?" Pyrrha asked. "They have had half a day head start."
"Why are you slackers still bothering with a few Grimm?!" An annoyed voice rang out. "Find what we came for."
"I take that as a no," Jaune replied.
"He's still yelling at a couple White Fang members," Nora informed the others. "That's the Torchwick guy, right? He looks like the picture we saw after the Breach."
"It is," Ren agreed. "His outfit and hair style has changed, but there's no doubt that is him."
"What are we waiting for then?" Accelerator asked. "Let's just go down there, kick their ass and get what we came for."
"The reason is simple," Eliza explained. "We don't know where the lab is. They don't know where the lab is. All we know is supplies came out here and we have a rough idea of the layout. Now, unless we want to dig all over the place, we need to find the entrance. I figured there would be a cave of some kind, but now that doesn't look like the case. Why not let them find the entrance for us?"
"Wouldn't that give them the opportunity to retrieve the data before us?" Jaune asked. "Couldn't they transfer it back or something? I thought the idea was to prevent them from getting it."
"They couldn't," Pyrrha realized, glancing at her scroll. "There's no service out here and they haven't set up any communication equipment to amplify signals."
"Why do you think that is?" Eliza asked, not looking away from the action down below.
"Because transmissions can be intercepted and traced?" Jaune asked.
"Precisely," Eliza confirmed. "Even secured transmissions can be tracked to some degree. What they are doing out here, they don't want others to know. Same as us."
"So we just gonna waiting for them to do our work for us?" Accelerator asked, sitting down on a rock. "Guess I can live with that. This trip's been a drag."
"Hey, Ren?" Nora poked him. "Does something about that tree look weird?" Ren frowned and examined the area where Nora was looking. "That one tree branch." She continued. "I thought I saw light sparkled off it."
Ren didn't doubt her as tried to find the branch. Nora may exaggerate, be easily distracted, and had some destructive tendencies, but she really didn't lie. At least with ill intent. However, the two of them have been together since they were very young. Being orphans, they didn't have many options except to rely on each other. Nora always had good eyesight and something that was different or unusual always caught her eye. If she said she saw something, something was there. At last, he located it.
"Guys?" Everyone looked at him. "Nora found something." It didn't take very long for everyone to turn their attention to that branch. "What do you think?"
"I think we should go examine it," Eliza answered. "Looks like it was a good idea to come up here. Nice job, Nora." Nora smiled and tried not to look too pleased with herself.
"Hate to be the bearer of bad news," Jaune spoke up. "But that area is crawling with the White Fang. I don't suppose you know how to get rid of them?"
"As a matter of fact," Eliza replied. "I do." She turned to Accelerator. "You want to cause some destruction, right?"
Accelerator grinned.
"It's just one thing after another," Roman sighed and lit a cigar. "First we get forced to come out to this god forsaken land, then your commander abandons us…"
"He said an emergency occurred yesterday," one of the grunts tried to explain.
"…and now we have all these Grimm prowling around the area," Roman finished, ignoring the peon's comment. "Clear them out and then get back to searching. The less time here the better."
Roman watched the grunt run off to relay his orders. A few minutes passed as he puffed on the cigar, contemplating where his life went wrong. The very first time he met that woman, Cinder. That was definitely the start of all this. She had waltzed into his empire, burned half of his contacts so badly their corpses were unrecognizable, and then demanded he worked for her. That woman had a presence that Roman detected immediately. Even Neo was afraid of her, so there weren't any other options that lead to him living, besides saying yes. The only good news was she paid well for him to rob Dust stores. The two stooges that always accompanied her were skilled, though not nearly as clever.
Things went downhill when he met that one girl he affectionately called Red. Who would have expected a girl with a giant scythe coming in and wrecking all of his plans? Then there was that time at a dock, where a ginger, Red, a cat, and a monkey messed up his plans. How was he supposed to know a bunch of brats would show up there? The White Fang grunts were useless in dealing with them. After another semi-failure, he laid low until the heat died down.
That was when Neo decided to bring him another kid.
In all honesty, which Roman tried very hard never to follow, that kid was actually pretty useful. He sped up the operation in Mt. Glenn just by being there. He also kept Neo entertained, which was saying something. Her entertainment usually involved some serious injuries and mysteriously falling objects. The mission, however, was interrupted again by a bunch of brats. They just kept multiplying. It was only thanks to his ingenuity and cleverness, with a little help from Neo, that he got away unscathed. The boy wasn't bad in that regard either. He survived the train crash. Losing Neo, that was the biggest blow to Roman. Regardless of the fact Cinder wanted her there, Neo's absence was like Roman losing a hand.
Hope she remembers not to cause problems. Her job is to scout and keep eyes off of Cinder's group.
A couple gunshots rang out and then Roman's radio began to go off.
"We got intruders! A girl with a giant hammer-…AHHH!"
"For the love of…" Roman gritted his teeth. "Okay you animals. We got brats incoming. I want them taken care of." Several replies came back and he saw the White Fang taking up positions in the clearing. Movement from the tree line caught his eye and three people emerged. Two he recognized and the third reminded him of a girl on a report.
"Hey, Greenie!" Roman called out, leaning on his cane. Ren's expression didn't change, but his hands on his guns tightened ever so slightly. Nora was standing behind him, her hammer held in both hands. She looked ready to attack. Accelerator, who Roman recognized from the picture Touma showed him, looked bored with his hands in his pocket. "And you brought friends. Well, Whitey there I recognize. You ever meet up with your friend? I told him where you were."
Accelerator's eyebrows narrowed. Roman knew full well Touma was in Beacon and was just enjoying himself.
"No response?" Roman asked. "I thought Greenie here would be avoiding me. After that thrashing I gave him last time."
"You just got lucky!" Nora yelled out angrily. "Now that we're here, we're going to kick your butt!"
"Don't be like that Pinky," Roman replied, twirling his cane in his hand. "If you wanted my autograph, you just had to ask. I adore my fans." He smiled. "Besides, I'm an adult. Why would I play around with kids again?" He raised his hands out as more White Fang appeared. All the scouting groups were returning. "Let me show you what happens when you mess with me."
"Now!" Ren ordered.
Accelerator stepped forward right when the White Fang opened fire. The ground in front of them shattered and large chunks rose into a makeshift barricade, absorbing the bullets. Simultaneously, Nora's hammer hilt collapsed into the head as she shifted her weapon in its ranged mode; a grenade launcher. Nora grinned, aimed over the wall, and fired several shots.
"Look out!"
Explosions followed the panic shouts from one of the grunts.
"Think that got their attention?" Nora asked.
"Oh, I think it did," Ren replied.
"Enough flirting," Accelerator snapped. "Let's go unless you want to take them all down here." His side hurt, but he didn't let it show on his face. Ren nodded and motioned to Nora to follow. They turned and ran into the tree line as a large explosion took down the earth wall Accelerator had made.
"Don't just stand there!" Roman roared, lowering his cane. "Get them!" Every available member of the White Fang started chasing them. "Do I have some weird attraction for brats?" he asked no one in particular, before following everyone else. A minute passed, before Jaune, Pyrrha, and Eliza emerged from the opposite side Ren, Nora, and Accelerator had.
"They fell for it," Jaune stated in amazement.
"Because they can't let people know they are here," Eliza explained. "Now, let's check this out before they return. We don't have much time."
The plan had been simple. Out of all of them, Ren and Nora had the most survival experience besides Eliza. Those two would be the distraction to draw away the White Fang. Accelerator went with them because he would provide firepower if things got rough. Even if Accelerator was trying to hide it, he was tiring out. There was no telling how long he could use his ability at full power, which was why Eliza vetoed the direct assault. He should be able to retreat easily enough with the others in his condition.
"I hope they are okay," Pyrrha said worriedly, as they approached the tree.
"We know how strong all three of them are," Jaune reassured her. "They won't get captured that easily."
"Sorry, this was the only option since they beat us here," Eliza apologized, stopping beneath the tree. She looked up, took a step back, dashed forward, and kicked off the tree trunk to reach the branch. The second she grabbed the branch with both hands it slipped down like a lever, followed by the sound of grinding gears. Jaune tripped and fell backwards as the ground where he had been standing slid away, to reveal a dusty stairwell leading down into the darkness. "Here it is," she declared happily. "Let's hurry and get the information before they return."
"You sure this is safe?" Jaune asked.
"Safer than staying up here," Eliza replied, descending down the stairs.
"What do you think is down there?' Pyrrha asked, following Eliza.
"Broken equipment, lab reports, maybe some old chemicals," Eliza replied. "Anything alive down there would be long dead."
"Oh come on!" Jaune protested. "Haven't you two seen any scary movies? That's a death flag. There's probably a race of giant Grimm spiders or something."
Pyrrha shivered.
Little known fact, Pyrrha hated spiders.
"Idiots. Could they have been any more obvious?"
Roman observed from a distance as Eliza, Jaune, and Pyrrha descended into the lab. It was easy to infer what their strategy was. Based on fast the other brats retreated, Roman correctly deduced they were just a distraction. The question was what? Were they leading his men into a trap or trying to distract them. His guess had been right on the money. A small force slipped into the hidden entrance using a fake tree branch. As he watched, the door slid close.
"Impressive," Roman muttered. "We didn't expect a tree to be the key. All of that work looking for a cave was a waste." He glanced over his shoulder at the small force of White Fang members he brought with him. "Okay you mutts," he announced. "We found the lab, but some mice have broken in. It's time to exterminate them."
"Wouldn't it just be easier to wait until they come back out?" one of the grunts asked.
"This is why I'm in charge." Roman turned around and pressed the tip of his cane under the guy's chin. "What do we do if there's a back way out? Let them leave with the information? We are going to go down there, grab what we came for, take anything else that may be valuable, and head back to the comforts of civilization. You know how long it is been since I've spent a night in a tent? Not long enough. We give them five minutes and then we go in." He smirked. "Let them disarm any traps."
"What is with all the visitors today?" Remus growled to his assistant. "You said you only had a friend dropping in, Belinda. Why are there three Bullheads full of people?"
"My friend is an important person," Belinda replied, brushing her brown hair with green streaks over her shoulder. She was wearing an emerald colored dress with a slit in the side to allow maximum movement. Her eyes resembled those of a snake and were zeroed in on Remus. "It's only natural he would bring in some security, especially out here."
"I would have appreciated some warning," Remus growled back. "Now I have people calling me about letting in a bunch of outsiders and if the Grimm problem is causing this." He rubbed his temples. "Next thing you know, Vale is going to send its military out here and take over."
"That will not happen," a male stated in a cold tone, as the door opened. Remus recognized the voice and tensed up. The hairs on his neck were standing on end. A name escaped his lips before he could stop himself.
"Adam Taurus."
"Remus Argenti, it's been too long."
Adam pulled off a cloak he was wearing to disguise himself and placed his white mask back on. He was wearing his normal long-sleeved black trench coat and red undershirt. The cloak was to prevent himself from drawing attention. It wasn't like most people in the area would recognize him, but a certain girl in the city would easily. Belinda had been in contact with him to make sure she was on the far side of the city before he came in. He sat down on the other side of the mayor's desk.
"Tell me what you want," Remus demanded. "You know full well I retired from the White Fang. Now I'm trying to keep this city safe from Grimm. I don't need you bringing trouble."
"I see our old friendship means nothing," Adam replied and sneered ever so slightly. "How many times have we risked life and limb to hijack Schnee transports and protected countless Faunus from human oppression?"
"Your methods are only causing us more problems," Remus countered.
"My methods are working!" Adam countered. "The reason this town can even exist, is because humans fear us now. The ones brave enough to come out here keep their heads down and out of trouble. They wouldn't dream of discriminating against us."
"They probably do dream!" Remus argued, slamming his hand down on the table. "The humans that come out here are the ones forced out like many of our kind are. Most of them aren't types we would want. They are just the only ones who will come out here. When humans fear us, they start treating us all like monsters. You push them too far and it's going to end up causing another war."
"If it comes to that," Adam stated. "We will win. Members of the White Fang are stationed in all levels of government, except Atlas, which is controlled behind the scenes by the Schnee." He leaned forward. "Speaking of Schnee, I heard one came here. Why isn't she dead?"
"She's only a child," Remus explained. "A child who is clearing away a Grimm problem for us. I hate the Schnee, sure, but I'm not petty enough to slaughter a child for merely being born. Unlike some people." His eyes narrowed and then he shrugged. "If she dies killing it, I'm not going to bat an eye. I, however, won't be responsible."
"You always were one who never liked wasting resources," Adam conceded. "You were just soft when it came to doing what needs to be done."
"It's easy to say that from the front lines," Remus said. "When you look at the big picture, you have to understand violence can only do so much."
"Violence wasn't working because we kept stopping before it made a difference," Adam continued to argue. "All the raids I've personally conducted lately have yielded results. Fewer stores are discriminating against Faunus because they know what we would do to them. More jobs are opening up because Humans understand what will happen if they don't."
"Arguing with you is pointless," Remus muttered. "Now, again. Tell me why you are here."
"I'm here to catch up on my long lost love," Adam replied. "She left the White Fang on… less than positive terms. Now that I've found her, it's time to talk some sense into her. She will come back. She has to. Of course, there's the human boy who has caused some… unfortunate events. He will have to be disposed of so she understands."
Remus stood up.
"Get out," he hissed. "Take your troops and leave this place. You are insane. Doing whatever it takes to make the world a better place does not involve you satisfying your own lust."
"I'm sorry you feel that way." Adam sighed. "Shame it has to come to this."
Remus's hand flew down to his belt to grab the hidden pistol there, but was far too slow. A long red blade found itself sunk deep into his chest.
It all happened in an instant.
"You…bastard…" Remus coughed up blood, before slumping forward. It was only a sign of their history that Adam slowly removed the sword and lowered Remus back into his chair.
"Did… did you have to kill him?" Belinda asked, finding her voice. Her face was deathly pale and it was a miracle she didn't scream.
"He's a remnant of the old regime," Adam replied, not sounding upset at all over what he had just done. "It's time for a change. The weak need to be replaced by the strong. No longer are we going to hide and just protest. We are taking the fight to them." He flicked the blood off his blade and sheathed the sword. "Now, will you follow me? You still hold a lot of sway with members of the White Fang after you persevered in Atlas."
Belinda shifted to the side and revealed her right side.
She was missing an arm, cut off at the shoulder.
Her eyes flashed as she remembered the torture she had experienced at the hand of those working for the Schnee. She turned her gaze toward Adam, who nodded at the change in her expression.
"I'm glad you understand. Now, go take the guards and round up all the humans, lock them up somewhere until we decide what to do with them. Any sympathizers, do the same thing. Let the others know they can use lethal force if required. As for Blake and that boy, leave them to me."
"Understood, sir." She left the building and Adam looked out the window, to the direction of the wall.
"Soon, my love. I'll make you come back to me."
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. He was sick and couldn't review so others took up the slack. Thank you, FrodoFighter and Maderfole.
Ah, at last, the action has arrived. It's not RWBY without awesome fight scenes.
