This chapter was a reminder why I shouldn't write when I'm not feeling 100%. SilverFang pointed out I had a lot more issues than normal early on during the first pass when he returned. No idea what happened but the quality was far below what I normally put out. We had to work a bit to get it up, but it's finally done. This chapter focuses on mostly on Team JNPR's side rather than then RWBY. I wanted most of one chapter devoted to them, so there's only a little bit of set up on their adventures. Other than that, I'm expecting some new shipping names soon due to two characters meeting.

ENDDRAGON369: He was fine. It was just all the other work he had to catch up delayed things.

Dragonrails: Touma has level 100 housewife skills. Adam was such wasted potential in the RWBY series. I'm debating if I want to give him a bigger role. Touma never considers himself being a hero. Ruby might say he's one, Accelerator would say he's one, but Touma would never say he is one. There's only so much you can talk about with inequality before readers start getting bored.

botman69420: Never.

Awardedall: You're welcome. Thanks for reading.

VGBlackwing: Accelerator gets to meet someone better. That's Adam's character for you though. He's somewhat insane and focuses on the ends justifies to means. It's one of the reasons Blake left. She couldn't stand the hypocrisy. Yeah, Blake had a lot of character building early on before SV started. It kind of makes her character feel more static as I write. There will be some development though.

Ahsoei: There's some Touma side here, but it's most JNPR/Accelerator this chapter due to making the RWBY side one chapter.

unclecreepy16: Not this chapter, but maybe next one if people are… unlucky? Lucky? Depends on which side they are on I suppose.

Kami: Don't think they will. Yang could if Touma laughs at her puns and raises a flag, but it would be tough.

Oriongamer: I wonder.

TheB: Nope, not at all.

guerilla sam: I don't know. It could help Blake's and Touma's relationship.

Orakle: No problem.

LL: It warns him, but doesn't give enough information for him to know where it's coming from. Punching Adam is going to be tough. He knows about Touma's power. IT wrecking him? That's possible. Cinder fight is going to be great. I have ideas for both scenarios. Neo would order using Beacon's funds. Touma doesn't really have money here. Nah, she's probably driving Glynda mad and getting Last Order in trouble.

Fernandamichelleraya: Just a normal day for Touma. Making food and keeping everything clean. Nope, Accelerator is androgynous and doesn't count. The concept of personal space doesn't exist for Nora. She also is fiercely loyal and Accelerator is considered part of Team JNPR's family now. Weiss smashing Jaune's feelings is just another normal day at Beacon. He won't learn otherwise. I'm sure Touma will be fine. He won't be disARMed anytime soon. Probably. Insert Yang laughing here. My friends and I thought Silver Eyes was an ability from a third god granted to humans to help them combat magic and choose their own destiny. Since it worked on Grimm and maidens. Well, that information tells us how the series is going to end most likely. Ruby freezes Salem in stone.

ShadowBloodedge9396: Cliffhangers are great. They make you come back for more. Ah, Komoe is kind of crushing on Touma. We all know that. She just has professionalism preventing her from acting on it. Glynda is probably the same way. Doesn't mean she might not show favoritism once in a while. For Penny, I'm debating how this would. Would an artificial soul be permanently negated by IB? Would she be able to tell Touma's dangerous to her? So many questions I have to decide the answers for due to this being a crossover.

Touma is the son Qrow always wanted. The time he is given with his nieces, he wants to make the most of it. Nora and Jaune have that way of making people open up. Pure souls who just want to help with no ulterior motives. Adam knows Touma's power, so he won't underestimate it. A single touch could change the tide of battle.

Kami: Lots of good fight scenes being set up.

Chroma: Well, Touma says things he may not necessarily believe. It's his way of giving others a second chance and to motivate himself. Nora and Accelerator should never be on the same side in a fight. Too many casualties.

Guest: Remnant logic is different from Academy City logic. Index trained him well for these situations. As for Nora and Accelerator, she approached him with no murderous intent so he didn't see it coming. He had to use his ability to get her off him though. Not used to physical contact and all that. Torchwick gets mentioned in this chapter and what Accelerator notices.

IllusionBreaker: When the dragon emerges, a few people will see it.

WiliamZ0: Writing Hamazura takes some work, but it can be done. Seems kind of soon for Silver Eyes. Qrow is there and he should be able to handle things. Intelligent Grimm, Remnant's worst nightmare. There's nothing Torchwick can do against Accelerator. Adam's going to destroy Touma. Accelerator lost due to his lack of battle experience. Adam doesn't have that weakness and he has knowledge of Touma's power. The dragon is a trump card. I feel Kamachi is never going to tell us what the dragons are. Of course they will. That's going to be a huge plot point.

HydraLightning: Maybe.

Mr. X: 1) Nah, just a joke we have on discord. He's a guy. 2) That's stupid. 3) I still need to finish NT21.

Wiliamsusanto: Now we know why Adam really hates the SDC. That's a common complaint. There was a lot that could have been done with him. Of course, we don't know he's dead yet. The body disappeared underwater. Touma would be the one person who could understand. The question is, will Adam believe that? Weiss's dad needs a Touma punch for sure.

Kamisato: Wait no more.

A certain guest: Yeah, it seems like a natural conclusion. A different entity? Like what? A giant turtle or something? Most of the females in Beacon train to be fighters. Jaune, Ren, and Touma have housewife skills due to their circumstances. Don't think I'm going to involve WR at all.

Guest13: That's a good question. If the dragons escape will his Aura flare up? It would vanish immediately once they return though. Semblance takes a long time to unlock. People usually have their Aura for years. There's the reason you want Touma to have an illusion power. You ship Neo and Touma, don't you?

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


"…and then it ended up with us being involved in some sort of turf war between two Skill-Out factions," Touma said to Blake as the two of them patrolled the border of the town. "I'm not sure how, but Tsuchimikado found the boss of one side and Aogami found the boss of the other. Would have been fine if they separated them to stop the fight, but no... They brought them together, right on top of my position."

He sighed and rubbed his head.

"Hmm." Blake made a noncommittal noise, looking out over the forest from her position on the wall. Although Touma couldn't see it, the corners of her lips were tugging upwards at his story.

"Ah… sorry if I'm boring you," Touma muttered. Blake's eyes widened a bit before jumping down off the wall and landing beside him.

"It's not that," She assured him. "I was the one to ask about your friends in the first place." She pursed her lips together thinking about how to explain her actions. "I'm not the most … talkative person, but that doesn't mean I'm not listening."

"Not talkative?" Touma repeated and this time he was smirking. "Really? I had no idea."

Blake rolled her eyes at him.

"Your story was pretty funny," She continued. "Unlike Yang's stories, which are filled of terrible puns."

"I could see how that would get tiring if she does it too much." Touma admitted.

"Ruby grew up with her," Blake reminded him and they both chuckled. "So please don't take it personally if I don't always respond with more than a few words. I do enjoy talking to you."

"Glad to hear it." Touma remarked with a laugh, though it was brief and his voice dropped down as his chuckle died away. "Hey, Blake, can I ask you something?"

Her eyebrow rose ever so slightly, but otherwise she nodded. It would be a lie to say she wasn't curious about what Touma wanted to ask her. A lot of guys would usually ask her if she was seeing anyone or wanted to go out on a date. Her Hunter training kept her fit and, as Yang had so elegantly put it, their team was hot. However, she didn't think that was what Touma was interested in asking, so she didn't push back. Answering questions about herself wasn't her favorite pastime, though she did ask a few things about Touma's world while they were patrolling. He seemed keen enough to talk so the least she could do is return the favor.

"You told me why you joined and left the White Fang," Touma continued. "But are you from Vale or somewhere else? Weiss said she was from up north in Atlas once and Yang and Ruby were from a small rural town.… Patch, I think? "

Blake bit the corner of her lip for a moment, thinking.

"Menagerie." She answered finally. "It's an island nation in the south east."

"So it has to be warmer than Atlas," Touma commented. "What's it like?'

"A good portion of it is desert," Blake admitted. "Or full of dangerous wildlife. The majority of people live near the shore. It's a little crowded, but it's relatively safe for Faunus."

"For Faunus?" Touma asked, sensing there was something more.

"Menagerie was given to Faunus for their participation in the Great War." Blake explained. "It was the first time a kingdom granted us equal rights and a place to call home. Menagerie wasn't the best reward by a long shot, but it was a start after an era of severe inequality. There's still injustice, but I have seen positive steps in the right direction."

"Do you miss it?" Touma asked, as the two continued around the border.

"I do," Blake admitted. "My family lives there and… I didn't leave on the best of terms."

"They didn't want you to join the White Fang, did they?" Blake stopped suddenly at Touma's words and turned to him. She was visibly distressed, something he noticed. "Sorry," he apologized immediately. "I take it that's something personal."

"…It's complicated," Blake admitted. "The White Fang had changed and I was blinded by… faith in someone. It took a long time for me to realize who he really was. What he was doing to me." Her arm began to shake and so she gripped it tightly to cease the limb's quivering. "I took the opportunity to flee and came here. To make a difference and correct my past mistakes."

"That's all anyone can do," Touma reassured her. He briefly thought about putting a hand on her shoulder but wasn't sure she appreciated physical contact like that. He shifted nervously once Blake's amber eyes focused on him.

"I told you before you were strange," Blake commented. "Yet you seem to understand me more than most. Maybe that makes me strange too."

Touma, in an initial response, simply shrugged.

"To me, you're pretty normal," He explained. "Back home, there are a lot of people like you. People who want to make a difference. Who fight for equality. Some of them get blinded by the end goal and make mistakes. Sometimes they just need someone to help them remember why they fight and not think the end justifies the means."

Blake nodded slowly, unsure what to say.

"Besides, compared to the rest of your team, I think you're pretty normal. My first meeting with Ruby? She fell through a roof." Blake's unease cracked as she laughed while Touma explained things in a little more detail. It seemed that Ruby left out some important information when she found Touma.

"You might want to keep that encounter a secret from Yang." Blake suggested.

"Why?"

"Oh, just a piece of advice." Her eyes rose to the sky as another Bullhead passed over them. "It seems there are a lot of ships today, doesn't it?"

"Maybe it's a supply day?" Touma suggested. His eyes narrowed slightly as he tried to see in the distance. There was a nagging feeling in the back of his mind.

"Maybe."

Her instincts suggested there might be something more, but there wasn't anything that came to mind. It's not like the city was valuable enough bandits would come here. The trip alone was dangerous if a random Grimm like a Nevermore showed up. There was a chance the knowledge of a new type of Grimm could have leaked out, which would lead some scientists here to try to study it. If that was the case, staying away to avoid giving them information was their best bet. At least until the others returned with their findings. Besides, it wasn't like these ships would bring Grimm for them to worry about.

They waited in silence for a bit before Blake spoke again.

"So, is it my turn to ask a question?"

"I didn't know we were taking turns," Touma replied and shrugged. "But, sure?"

"Why are you so good at household chores?"

Blake couldn't help smiling when he gaped at her. Yang was right. A little teasing now and then was fun.


"We might have to split up," Ren suggested, as he, Nora and Accelerator retreated. "That way someone can circle around and meet up with the others. The other two can keep drawing their attention."

"I can do that." Nora volunteered.

"No." Accelerator denied. "I will."

"Are you sure?" Ren asked, shooting over his shoulder.

"You and your girlfriend attract a lot more attention with your firepower." Accelerator stated, ignoring the pair's protest about how they weren't together-together. "They won't notice me if I keep my power usage at a minimum. Even if they do, it's not like they can beat me."

The meaning was clear.

Accelerator would be fine on his own.

"Got it," Ren said with a nod and glanced around. This was easier than arguing. "There's a thick tree line over that way." He gestured with one of his guns. "Nora, think you can draw their attention to us as we climb that hill?"

"It's going to put us out in the open," Nora muttered in thought and then grinned. "Perfect chance to fire several grenades. They will believe I'm using covering fire instead of a distraction." She glanced at Accelerator. "Good luck! Make sure the others are safe."

Accelerator grunted and darted forward into a thicker area of trees. Using the absolute minimum force to virtually glide on the grass, he disappeared silently into the foliage. Limiting the gravity vectors on his body helped a lot too. The shouting grew louder as the White Fang grunts caught up, but it was quickly overshadowed by several explosions. Nora was a champion at drawing attention to herself and was proving her skills once again. Accelerator paused behind a large tree as one last White Fang straggler passed and then made his way back toward the lab. There was another reason why Accelerator wanted to go instead of the others.

Roman Torchwick was nowhere to be seen.

Accelerator didn't believe that guy was a match for him physically. Mentally, not so much either, except for maybe one important aspect.

Forethought.

From what he knew about that guy, Roman was a criminal who had been eluding police and Hunters for years. That implied he had to have at least some intelligence or security on Remnant was completely useless. It was possible it could be a little of both. Accelerator also heard from the others he was strong enough to take them on without too much trouble, so he was skilled to some degree. If Roman wasn't here, there was only one place he could likely be.

He knows about the others.

Sure, there was the chance Roman was with another group still looking for the lab, but Accelerator tended to act on the worse case scenarios so as to avoid being surprised. Without too much trouble, as the grunts were already past him, he made his way back to the clearing. Being smart, he didn't step out into the open but lingered along the tree line. He was panting a bit heavily to the point that he was forced to lean against a trunk to catch his breath as he looked around.

No one's here, Accelerator thought to himself. Besides the metal branch, he didn't know anything else about the entrance to the lab. There were a lot of crates scattered around and some abandoned tents. Guess I'll head back to the meeting spot. Then again, I could stay, I suppose. The White Fang left a bunch of supplies so they should be back. It wouldn't be hard to just crush them all.

He took a deep breath and thought better of it. He was tired and wanted a break. Besides, with Jaune's luck, which was almost as bad as the damn hero's, it was sure to end with a Grimm army showing up.

He moved to the other side of the clearing and was about to propel himself upwards, when he felt something. His head turned looking for the source. A presence, something foreboding, warned him someone was nearby. It was the same feeling some of the people from Academy City gave. A person with skill who worked for the dark side and wasn't afraid to kill. However, there was no one here. An explosion echoed way in the distance, but nothing else. The only living thing within site was a black bird perched on a branch a few trees over. It seemed to be watching him.

Accelerator frowned and kicked a rock.

The rock flew at breakneck speed at the bird, missing it by a fraction of an inch.

Accelerator smirked when the bird jumped back unnaturally.

"Come out," He barked. "Or the next one is going through your skull; and I won't miss."

The bird landed on the ground and gave him a weird look. It was something akin to annoyance and interest, though it was hard for him to read a bird's expression. Accelerator's eyes widened and his mouth fell open at what happened next. The bird suddenly grew larger, like it was having a growth spurt into a new form. In seconds, a woman with a lot of pitch black hair stood before him. She was wearing a shallow cut black and red dress, five necklaces with an assortment of beads, a red girdle-belt, and a pair of matching gauntlets.

After living in a city full of kids with powerful supernatural abilities, something like this wouldn't surprise him. Especially after witnessing all sorts of shit in Russia, including a giant humanoid construct with wings people called an angel. He had expected that bird to be something after his test. The rock he launched at it was designed to miss but be close enough to look like it would hit. The second that bird jumped back, he knew it wasn't a real bird. A normal bird would have flapped after the rock passed and flown off.

So it wasn't the fact that a bird turned into a person that surprised Accelerator.

No, what surprised him was the woman looked almost exactly like an older Yang; just with black hair.

"That it?" Raven asked, sarcastically. "You noticed me, called me out, and now you're speechless?"

Finding his words, Accelerator mustered the only response he could think of.

"Didn't expect Yang's mom to be here."

"Oh, you know Yang?" Raven smirked. "Heh, I doubt she considers me her mom."

Accelerator blinked.

He didn't expect to be right that time.


"Think there's a light switch somewhere?" Jaune asked, as he, Pyrrha, and Eliza reached the bottom of the stairs.

"The labs been abandoned for years," Eliza reprimanded. "I doubt anything is still running. The most we can hope for is that the data banks are still function-…"

An alarm above them beeped, a green light turned on, and the door in front of them slid opened.

"…or that happens," Eliza amended peering into a dimly lit hallway. Emergency red lights had flickered on, casting an eerie glow all the way down the passageway.

"Should we get going?" Pyrrha asked. "We don't know how long this will take. Then we have to think of a way out of here."

"I think the way out will be easier." Eliza admitted, a hand on the holster carrying her gun. "A paranoid scientist like Merlot? There's sure to be a backway out. That's why I made us decide a meeting place away from here. Not only to avoid detection, but to also ensure we know where to go if we can't exit the way we came in."

"How often have you done this?" Jaune asked suspiciously.

"Once or twice." She took a step forward carefully and checked the walls, ceiling, and floor. "Huh, no pressure sensors or holes for motion detectors. Thought for sure there would be traps."

"Why do you keep trying to jinx us?!" Jaune demanded and Pyrrha had to stifle a giggle.

"Let's go," Eliza ordered, ignoring his outburst. The three of them walked down the hallway to a much larger metal door. There was a beeping sound and a panel slid open to reveal a number pad, covered with half an inch of dust. "No one's been here for a long time." She pressed a combination and an annoying beep echoed down the hall. She frowned and tried again, only to get the same sound.

"Something wrong?" Jaune asked.

"Passwords from previous labs aren't working." Eliza replied, trying again with no luck. "Can't say I didn't expect this, but too many incorrect inputs are sure to cause a failsafe or lockdown." She tried once more and the panel slid shut, almost pinching her fingers. "Yep, like that." Her eyes darted upwards as a panel slid partially open before jamming. The sound of air moving was heard before being replaced by the sound of grinding gears. Said sound was replaced again by silence as it all this noise abruptly ceased. "Heh, looks like the traps are too old too." She cracked her knuckles. "Guess we do this the old fashion way."

"Mind if I try?" Pyrrha offered.

"Be my guest."

Pyrrha walked up to the door and pushed. The door wouldn't budge even a millimeter. It was made of heavy reinforced steel. Even if all three of them pushed together, it wasn't budging. However, Pyrrha had something most other people didn't have. She concentrated and felt her Semblance take over. A black glow covered the door and she began to pull slowly.

"You might want to cover your ears." Pyrrha suggested, as the screeching sound of metal tearing reverberated around them.

"Geez, girl!" Eliza called out over the noise. "You have telekinesis?"

"Polarity," Pyrrha answered, once the door was off its hinges. She lowered it slowly down the ground with barely a thud. "I can only affect metal."

"Which makes up nearly every weapon and building in the world." Eliza deadpanned, stepping into the next room.

"I… guess," Pyrrha muttered, rubbing her foot on the ground nervously. "I don't use it much. It's not like it works on Grimm or if people use a weapon made of something besides metal."

This was a sore spot for her.

She was already a gifted fighter and rarely ever used her Semblance. Sometimes in tough matches, she used it to slightly alter the course of attacks so they barely missed her. Yang was the most recent example of that. People already called her the invincible girl in the ring. If they knew she had the power to completely control their weapons, no one would ever compete against her. They would only put her on an even higher pedestal.

"Keeping yourself well-rounded is something everyone needs to learn." Eliza agreed, leading the way. "I'm sure some people are jealous of your skills."

"Maybe." Pyrrha answered diplomatically.

"Hah." Jaune laughed, earning glances from the other two. "Pyrrha's one of the nicest and sweetest girls I know. No one could hate her. The only reason she's so good is all the time she puts into her training. Even then, she still finds time to help others out." He put his arm over her shoulder. "Anyone who says anything bad about her will have to answer to me." He pointed to himself with his thumb on his free hand.

Pyrrha held up a hand to her mouth, a smile forming and instantly feeling better.

"Good to see you two get along." Eliza commented, making eye contact with Pyrrha and winking. That only made the poor girl flush crimson. "I've seen partners who never could and it leads to their team falling apart."

"Jaune's a greater leader, friend, and partner." Pyrrha confirmed.

"Aw, love you too, Pyr." That boy really had no idea what his words did to that girl.

"Looks like this is the check in room." Eliza commented, getting a little sick at how sweet those two were getting. She was surprised those two weren't banging constantly. Her knuckles rapped against a large wall of glass. Due to the lights behind it being off, they couldn't see what laid beyond. "Reinforced glass, huh? I doubt an Ursa would be able to break through something this thick."

"So they wanted to keep people out?" Jaune asked.

"Probably, but it could be used to keep something in." Eliza walked to the far side to another metal door. "Pyrrha, if you please?"

"On it!"

Eliza and Jaune covered their ears to avoid the teeth rattling sound as Pyrrha tore the door down. The three of them then walked into the large dark room behind the glass and held up their flashlights.

"Hah," Eliza said triumphantly. "Nice, it's the computer room. Find a light switch and see if it works. If it does, we won't just have to guess what's on the hard drives here."

They fumbled around for a minute until Jaune eventually located a switch. The lights came on along with the sound of a fan. The room had a row of monitors hooked into a wall, chairs in front of each one, a table in the middle of the room, and rows of file cabinets. Everything was covered in dust. It seemed the lab really was deserted.

"I'm going to see what I can find here. Can the two of you start checking out the rest of the lab? See if there's anything else that might be useful?"

"Like mutants?" Pyrrha joked and Jaune turned to her in horror.

"It's dialogue like that which makes you the first one to disappear." Jaune warned her.

"Stick together then," Eliza suggested, hitting the power button on one of the monitors. A grin formed on her face when the system began to boot up. "I'll be here for a while. Probably have to hack their security system."

She said this as she pulled out a small computer and a connector from her backpack.

"Let's go this way." Jaune suggested to Pyrrha, who nodded.

The two of them left Eliza to check out another hallway as well as the adjacent rooms. The first room looked to be sleeping arrangements. Bunk beds, three high, lined the wall with dusty chests next to each one. They split up and checked out the trunks systematically. The dust was just as thick here as it was in the rest of the facility.

As they were about to leave, a sudden female shriek echoed around the room. A second later, Eliza burst into the room, gun drawn and ready to take action.

"What's happening, Pyrrha?!" She yelled. The scene that met her was Pyrrha standing back staring at the bed in the corner and Jaune scuttling backwards on the floor, gasping. "Oh, sorry. I heard a female scream and thought… never mind. What happened?" She asked again.

"Sk-ske-skeleton!" Jaune answered, stumbling over the word. Eliza holstered her gun and stepped forward.

He was right.

Lying in the bed was a single skeleton, not sun bleached, and covered in dust.

"Someone trapped here?" Eliza muttered and pulled back the sheet. "Ah, no." The bed was stained tan with some dried liquid. "He was silenced."

"That's… horrible." Pyrrha looked pale. Jaune had turned green.

"Sorry," Eliza apologized. "I should have warned you there might be scenes like this."

Jaune gulped and stood up.

"We have to see stuff like this eventually, right?" Jaune asked. "As Hunters if… we are late…"

Pyrrha looked as uncomfortable as he did, but knew Jaune was right.

"Yeah," Eliza confirmed. "It's not pretty and it's not something you should get used to. But, as Hunters, you have to remain strong regardless of the situation." She gestured to the door. "Shall we get a move on?"

"What about hacking the computer system?" Pyrrha asked, following her.

"My computer does it remotely," Eliza answered, holding up her Scroll. "It will notify me when I'm done."

"Let's hope there aren't any more surprises." Jaune muttered and Pyrrha secretly agreed with him.

"Isn't that something someone would say in a horror movie?" Pyrrha asked, smiling. Jaune's eye's widened and he face palmed.

"Great," He moaned. "I joined in on the jinx."

"Come on, you big baby," Eliza told him. "It's not like zombies exist and this place hasn't seen movement in years. Grimm and bandits hiding out would at least disturb the dust." She stopped at a pair of large doors leading to another room and waited for Pyrrha to unlock them with her Semblance. Stepping inside the darkened room, Eliza fumbled around the wall until she found the light switch. "The most we will find is damaged elec...tron…ics…"

She stopped without warning, causing Jaune and Pyrrha to glance at each other in concern.

"Okay, zombies might be possible."

"What?!" They cried out and looked around the corner of the door into the room.

"This is… disturbing." Pyrrha mumbled in obvious distaste.

"See!" Jaune declared, though his heart wasn't into it. "I told you something like this would exist. Merlot was trying to create super people or something and ended up locking the zombies down here."

The room was full of equipment that began to stir to life. Lights flickered and gears turned. There were computers and consoles on one side of the room, but it was the other equipment that was the cause of their reactions. Large cylindrical containers were lined up in rows with tubes attached to the top. The bottoms were cemented into the floor. They were full of a dark green liquid, which began to bubble as all the electronics warmed up. Something else was inside each one, differing from container to container. It only took a few seconds for the three of them to identify what they were.

It was Grimm.

More specifically, segments of different Grimm.

One of the nearest containers had the upper half of a Beowolf, minus an arm. The one next to it, the leg of an Ursa. After that was the poison stinger of a Death Stalker. Each container had some part of some type of Grimm. Eliza stepped forward and peered closely at a couple of the preserved segments. Jaune and Pyrrha entered the room too, but hung back.

"I thought Grimm disappeared after they died." Jaune said to Pyrrha.

"They do," She agreed. "Or they are supposed to."

"Whatever this liquid is," Eliza muttered, her eyes sparkling. "I bet it somehow preserved the bodies of Grimm." She clapped her hands together. "This is astounding! Do you have any idea what this means?"

"Zombies?" Jaune guessed and Pyrrha elbowed him in the side.

"One of the hardest things for a scientist to do is study Grimm anatomy." Eliza answered, ignoring Jaune's smart mouth. "Their bodies vanish into smoke. The smaller the piece, the faster it goes. Something like an organ separated from the rest of the body. Vanishes in seconds. With this, we could finally get a full understanding of these creatures. Maybe find weaknesses that we can exploit. This could push advancements by years, if not decades!" She rushed over to a console and began typing furiously. "There has to be some documentation on what it is or what Merlot was doing with this."

"This room gives me the creeps," Jaune muttered to Pyrrha, as Eliza worked. "What do you think?" No response. "Pyrrha?"

He turned to his partner to see her frozen in place, staring at one of the tubes. He placed a hand on her shoulder and she jumped. Her arm flew back and almost smacked him in the face.

"Oh, Jaune, s-sorry."

If the slight stammer in her voice was not clue enough that something was wrong then her slightly paled face surely did. At first he figured the place was getting to her too, but then he saw what was in the tube. It was a Grimm, fully intact, about the size of a small dog. Black fur covered its entire body and eight legs. A white mask covered its face and several red lifeless eyes stared into the distance.

A type of Grimm known as a Spyder.

"It's okay," Jaune reassured her, putting his arm over her shoulder and steering her away from it. "It's dead and not going to come out."

"I know that," Pyrrha told him stiffly. "I just… really hate spiders."

"Have you fought them before?" She nodded and shivered. Jaune knew she didn't like spiders, but he didn't know anything about this specific Grimm. He slept a lot in Grimm Studies.

"They are… difficult… They like to spin nests and their webbing is really tough. You get stuck in it and there's almost no way out. Usually, burning the entire area is the best way to get rid of them."

There was more to that story and Jaune knew he would have to figure it out at some point. For now, Pyrrha just needed some reassuring to get her back into her invincible self.

"Satisfying?" Jaune asked.

"So very satisfying."

"Check this out, you two!" Eliza called out from her computer.

They quickly made their way over to her and she hit a key dramatically. The monitor in front of her swapped to a video clip and began playing. An old man with a robotic, glowing red eye appeared. He had disheveled gray hair, a matching mustache and beard, and prominent eyebrows. Adorning a gray jacket with a high collar and a red shirt underneath, the man cleared his thought and looked directly at the camera.

"This is Dr. Merlot."

"I was right," Merlot declared through the static on the old video. "These Creatures of Grimm, they can't be natural. They are far superior to humans. Their composition, their physiology, it all directly defies the laws of this world. Oz said I was mad, but I knew better. I knew understanding them was the future of mankind's survival!"

"He knows Ozpin?" Jaune muttered and Eliza shushed him.

"It took years of work," Merlot continued. "The… unfortunate incident at Mt. Glenn slowed progress, but at last, I have harnessed the Power of Grimm into an energy source capable of traveling between worlds."

"What?!" Pyrrha and Jaune gasped, eyes wide with shock, whereas Eliza's narrowed.

"Compound NX-1304 has successfully slowed the Grimm decay to almost pure stasis." A 3D image of a molecule appeared in the upper right hand corner of the monitor. "By limiting the decay into only a few particles at a time, I can successfully convert them into raw energy. With this, mankind will no longer have to rely purely on Dust. The creatures we once feared could be used to power our cities." The video shook as if he slammed his hand on a table. "It was thanks to this discovery… that I discovered these creatures should not be part of our world. Something brought them here."

Pyrrha's and Jaune's eyes remained widened as they shared a look at each other.

"I always theorized there could be multiple worlds," Merlot continued. "Worlds were mankind has technology beyond what we could imagine. Primitive worlds using sticks and stones, and worlds where mankind may never have existed at all." He took a breath. "However, my experiments never bore fruition. Dust was not providing the necessary energy to the Gateway."

"What is the Gateway?" Pyrrha asked.

"Be quiet and listen!" Eliza hissed.

"It wasn't until my machines noted a reaction when a Grimm specimen escaped and was ultimately terminated." Merlot continued. "At that instant, I realized I needed to delve further into this theory. After countless failures, I discovered compounds that would slow their decay. After the fine tuning was complete, a major breakthrough occurred. Draining the life force from Grimm could be used as an energy source in addition to the energy created by Dust. When placed side by side, their functions served the same purpose. When combined, they react and cause friction in the form of a brand new type of energy."

Merlot, for some yet-to-be-spoken reason, smiled into the recorder.

"This energy provided the Gateway with the power to puncture the Veil between worlds! For one glorious moment, before the machine fried, I saw flashes of new worlds. Cities built on clouds, worlds populated by dozens of humanoid creatures, and worlds with living dragons. Places that have never seen or even heard of Grimm. To defeat your enemy, first you must learn about them. Gateway number two is in progress and will be operational within the week."

He paused for a moment.

"The Grimm Essence, as I have named it, does not seem to have the same components as normal energy. As a scientist, I hesitate in saying this, but all leads must be documented. There have been no indication Grimm could evolve naturally. They had to be created by something. If they indeed originated from another world, this hypothesis wouldn't be so unlikely. Rumors of a power unrelated to Semblances or Aura do exist. It is called… Magic. There is a possibility Grimm were created this way. As my experiments indicated, Magic is not supernatural, but simply a power we have yet to fully understand. I will research this in more depth once the Gateway is fully operational."

The video shut off and Eliza leaned back in her chair.

"So? Think it was worth coming out here?"

"If this Gateway thing works," Jaune replied. "We might be able to get them home."

"There are multiple worlds," Pyrrha pointed out. "We did consider that at one point, but how are we going to pick the right one? If Weiss was right, there could be infinite possible parallel universes."

"Knowing Merlot," Eliza answered. "He was working on something to navigate between rebuilding the Gateways." She checked her phone and grinned. "I broke the firewall and I'm in the system. Luckily his technology is years out of date. Things could have been problematic otherwise. Downloading everything I can relating to this Gateway, Controller, and Grimm Essence. Anything else is just extra. Don't think I can get store everything though. A lot of this is just order form documentation. He was always a perfectionist and counted every single piece of equipment and shipment."

"This Gateway," Pyrrha asked. "Do you think it's complete or that it even works?"

"We could check it out," Jaune suggested. "That is if it's even here; which it sounds like it is."

"I was about to suggest that myself," Eliza agreed. "Stairs are at the end of the hall."

"What do you think about this energy from Grimm… thing?" Jaune asked. "It's like something out of a Sci-Fi novel."

"Every living thing has tons of potential energy stored in their body," Eliza pointed out. "Plants and animals. Grimm have a completely different anatomy than us, so it would make sense any energy from them would be unique. What do you two think of Merlot's discovery?"

"Before we met Accelerator and the others," Pyrrha said. "Magic was always just make believe. Something we told children to entertain them. When Touma told us about magic from his world, I was a little skeptical I admit. However, it's not like I can apply our rules to their world. They've showed the differences in powers. If magic is a different power source that follows different rules, I can go along with that. From what we know about Grimm, they don't need to eat or sleep. A body made of magic? That's a possibility."

"You have an analytical mind," Eliza complimented. "Tuned from all those sparring matches I bet. Trying to guess every attack available to your opponent and how to counter them?" Pyrrha nodded. "What about you, Jaune?"

"Got to agree with Pyrrha," He answered. "Though, part of me thinks magic is just something we can't explain. When I was a kid, my sisters told me magic made the sun rise and set. I believed them until I grew older. Couldn't this be the same thing? I want to believe it exists because it would be cool to have magical powers. I could fly, shoot fireballs, or maybe teleport."

"Heh." Eliza couldn't container her amusement. "Skepticism is important for any science. Saying something is magic and explains everything that way is just a copout for ignorance. Not saying a system or set of rules couldn't be called magic. We could call it anything we want. As a researcher, studying documents from centuries ago can be difficult because they understand things differently than we do. Merlot was a genius, lacking morals sure, but a genius nonetheless." She pushed open the door to another stairwell. "Now, let's take a look at the Gateway's progress."

"What're the odds of us finding a world full of something soft, fluffy, and not scary at all?" Jaune asked.

"I wouldn't mind that," Pyrrha added.

"Kids," Eliza huffed. "No sense of adventure."

"Pretty sure coming here counts as an adventure!" Jaune protested, causing Eliza and Pyrrha to laugh. Their footsteps echoed down the deserted hallway and slowly disappeared down the stairs.

The echo covered up several other footsteps that did not belong to them.


"Whatever," Accelerator huffed, once he had regained his composure. "I couldn't care less who you are related to; scram."

"You should watch your mouth," Raven suggested, her eyes narrowing slightly and her hand rested on the sword handle strapped to her belt. "People have lost their lives for less in front of me."

"Yeah, yeah." Accelerator rolled his eyes. "You've been watching us for a while, haven't you?" Her eyes didn't even blink as a response, but Accelerator took her silence as confirmation. "I'm not going to ask why you're here. I know damn well what you want. This is a warning and the only one you're going to get. Do not get in my way or you will die." He grinned maliciously. "Or do you doubt me."

"I don't," Raven answered. "Your eyes don't lie about what you are capable of." She smiled. "I've gotten tired of seeing the weak eyes of the villagers. Living every day ignorant of the world around them. Only willing to fight when their lives are threatened. You… your eyes tell me we are a lot alike. People who have seen the true darkness of this world. As well as the futility."

"Everyone says that shit," Accelerator replied, bored. He kicked a stick and sent it flying at her head. With the least amount of movement, the Raven tilted her head to the side to avoid it. "Fuck off."

"Shame," Raven mused. "I thought you might be willing to reach an understanding."

"Not interested."

Accelerator turned and walked past her, planning to meet up with the others. His path took him within three feet of Raven, easily within attack range of that sword on her hip. He expected her to try something. There was no way she knew what his ability was based on what he did against the White Fang so far. Most people would probably assume it's some strength or shield Semblance. To his surprise, Raven let him walk by without trying to stop him.

"Do me a favor and don't tell Yang you saw me." Raven said to him. "The last thing I need is for her to chase me down before she's ready."

Accelerator's footsteps faltered slightly.

"I wasn't going to," He admitted. "Because I hate getting involved with other people's business. Now that you told me not to, though? Well, now I want to."

Raven lightly chuckled at that.

"Maybe that's what I want you to do?" Raven suggested and Accelerator frowned.

"Deceptive, bitch."

"Perceptive are you?" Raven mocked and crossed her arms. "But whichever you choose, I don't really care. You, on the other hand… I saw the way you fought. Never defending, bullets reflecting off your skin, and can tear or throw anything with the slightest touch. You aren't trained to fight, yet you can. Your power overwhelms your opponents, doesn't it? Thus there was no reason to learn."

Accelerator remained silent, but slowly turned his head toward her.

"Why not come with me?" Raven suggested. "Under my tutelage, you could master your power in ways you couldn't imagine. I have taught other… special individuals."

"You're sure overestimating yourself if you think you are even worth my time," Accelerator said. "And my patience is waning."

"There are benefits for joining my tribe," Raven told him. "The strong rise to the top and the weak submit. There's even certain… privileges offered if you accept."

Accelerator froze. A single eyebrow was raised, which belied his overall shock. There was no way this was happening.

"Are… are you propositioning me?"

Silence lengthened for a moment as the two looked at each other.

A weird sound escaping Raven's throat broke it.

"You really are a child," she stated, holding her hand up to her mouth to hold back the laughter. "Did you think people just throw themselves at others?"

"You daughter tries throwing herself at me all the time," Accelerator replied, mocking her. "Figured it ran in the family."

"No, if you want to bed me, you have to earn it, brat." Accelerator's face flushed ever so slightly and he turned away.

That was the moment Raven was waiting for.

In an instant while he was distracted, she drew her blade and slashed at superhuman speed. A speed which combined years of practice, natural talent, and Aura strength. The blade would have cut through a lesser being without issue.

Unfortunately, Accelerator did not let his guard down.

"Agh!"

Raven gasped, as her sword flew backwards away from Accelerator. Yet her grip on the weapon never loosened. It was only thanks to her training and experience she held on. Still, the pain of the sudden directional change strained her arm and it was only thanks to Aura the bone didn't break. She jumped backwards to avoid Accelerator's arm, every instinct refusing to let him even land a grazing blow. The second one foot touched the ground, she sheathed her sword. This wasn't a gesture of retreat, but an offensive maneuver. The handle of the sheath began to turn in a clockwise rotation to land on a red colored mark. This time, when Raven drew her blade, it was shining the same blood red color. Accelerator had barely taken a step towards her when she lunged forward.

The ground between them exploded.

Raven held up an arm in front of her face to protect it from shrapnel and then darted to the side to avoid Accelerator's hand reaching through the debris. She swung her red Dust blade underneath Accelerator's arm and it made contact.

Only to shatter.

Accelerator grinned.

Instead of only reflecting, he deliberately changed the vector calculations to destroy the blade. Wind whipped around them and Raven was lifted off her feet. Her eyes narrowed while her jaw tightened as she was thrown backwards, crashing into a tree trunk, and splintering it. Her Aura took a bit of a hit, but she had taken worse. Pushing herself up, she froze as Accelerator walked toward her.

On his back was wings made of swirling vortexes of wind.

The power was eerily similar to another, yet he couldn't have that power. Only females could.

"Your daughter's been pissing me off nonstop," Accelerator said in irritation. "Think of this reaction as me venting."

The ground beneath his feet exploded as he barreled forward. His hand pressed against her face and pushed her through the tree. The fragments of tree bark flew in every direction as Raven was slammed down onto the ground, forming a small crater. Accelerator straightened up, turned around, and started walking away.

"Just be glad that as annoying as your daughter is," Accelerator spat. "It would leave a bad taste in my mouth to kill her mom."

"Heh." Raven laughed as she sat up. "What's with that weakness? Don't tell me you fell for me after that."

"I think I threw up a little in my mouth."

"Aww." Raven stood up and brushed herself off. His blow did significant damage to her Aura, but he was holding back. That kind of power was something she wanted. Something her tribe needed. "Are you going soft? Listen, if I'm not your type, my apprentice is a completely different build. I'm sure she would suit your fancy."

Accelerator glanced over his shoulder and rolled his eyes. He stopped when a red portal appeared behind Raven.

"If you want to find me, look for Raven of the Branwen tribe. I'll find you. After all, we share a special bond now." With a smirk and a quick step back and she disappeared.

Accelerator stared at the spot for a moment and the continued to move. The last thing he needed was for the White Fang to show up. While he hoped that display of power would discourage her, like it did so many others, he forgot he was on Remnant. Women here liked those kinds of displays. Sighing to himself and feeling a headache coming on, he trudged along. The continual use of his power was exhausting him. He needed a break. If Raven continued to fight, there was no doubt he would win. It's just how much attention the sound of their battle would draw.

Bitch, Accelerator thought. I didn't even ask for your name.


"I feel like we discovered alien tech," Jaune said to the others. "Welcome, ladies! To the Gateway room."

"How did you know?" Pyrrha asked, keeping a determinedly straight face.

"Hunter's intuition." Jaune answered, puffing out his chest.

"Very funny." Eliza pushed past them, rolling her eyes. "Quit goofing around and let's see what we got."

The room was perhaps the largest one they visited in the lab. On the far side, a giant machine in the shape of a circle outline was attached to the wall. The metal outline was roughly two feet wide and had countless wires, tubes, and devices heading outwards in all direction. A ramp led up and stopped right before the Gateway. As they got closer, they estimated the diameter of the inside of the circle was roughly ten feet or so.

Eliza whistled once at the sight in front of her, before going down a ramp to a computer console. Once there, she sat down and got to work in seeing if there was any information available. Jaune and Pyrrha, on the other hand, continued to inspect the room.

Lights hung from the ceiling and walls, but only a few had turned on when they flipped the switch. Most remained dark and a few spluttered a few times before going out again. Piles of parts and excess equipment lined the walls. Several broken metal plates were discarded unceremoniously in a corner. The machine next to the Gateway was what drew their attention the longest. On one side, there were several glass windows that allowed them to actually look inside the machine. Peering in, they found Dust crystals of different colors were secured inside their own separate compartments.

"He must have been collecting larger crystals." Pyrrha commented. "These are easily four or five times the size you see normally."

"It's not like he could ship them out here very often," Jaune pointed out. "He needed ones that would last. It's not industrial size ones though. I've seen the size of a few crystals in power plants."

"Those would attract attention," Pyrrha said. "These were probably the largest ones he could get and still remain under the radar." She stepped over the ramp and to the other side. "I'm curious about this one though. I can't see inside, but the main tube here," She pointed to a long cable. "Intercepts with the Dust generator at the top of the Gateway." Jaune's eyes followed her finger. "Then there's tubes coming from the roof and walls, which I assume is from the floor above…" Her voice trailed off for a moment. "This machine has to be the container of the Grimm Essence."

"Can't make anything out inside of it," Jaune told her, looking around the machine. He pressed a hand against the metal and quickly pulled it back. "It's cold. Well, I mean all of the equipment is cold, but this one is like ice."

Pyrrha frowned and placed her hand on it as well.

"Yeah," She confirmed. "Weird. Was it always on or is this essence naturally like that?"

"That's part of what being a researcher is about," Eliza called over to them. "Seeing things, questioning it, and then finding out why." She banged on the monitor and cursed. "This one's dead." Her eyes darted around the room and then she made her way to the Gateway. "Impressive piece of machinery. I downloaded its schematic, so I have a rough idea on how it works… sorry, how it's supposed to work. This one isn't done yet."

"How far along do you think it is?" Pyrrha asked.

"Well, the main structure seems complete," Eliza muttered. "And the generators are up and functioning. A couple panels seem to be in the process of being replaced here and there." She pointed. "I have to assume after the first one broke down, they didn't start from scratch. They replaced the segments that broke and improved on the issues. It makes more sense to reuse what did work."

"I don't think we can move this," Jaune said. "Even if the White Fang weren't up top, it's not like we can carry everything ourselves. Nora might, but not us."

"We don't need to," Eliza told him. "Everything here can be replicated as long as we have the plans." Her eyes fell on her scroll. "And the download has just finished. Let's do one last quick look around before we head out."

"I think I found something!" Pyrrha cried out and held up a small dusty leather bound book. She opened to a random page and began reading. "Day 56. The Gateway has begun stabilizing. Dr. Merlot's theory of a new energy created from the void of Dust and Grimm Essence appears to have merit. For a moment, it was like looking through a window. Not long enough to see anything, but there was a world beyond it. This… words can't describe what we are about to accomplish. The Grimm origin may be discovered here and how to get rid of them once and for all."

Pyrrha promptly closed the book once she had finished reading the written log post.

"Nice to know some people who worked for Merlot were doing this for selfless reasons." Jaune commented.

"Or just wanted their name in the history book," Eliza added. "Hold on to it, Pyrrha. It may have some additional information. Anything else?" Pyrrha shook her head. "Well, we wasted enough time down here." She crossed her arms. "I doubt we can get out of here without fighting. It really depends how much the others distracted them."

"Didn't you say there might be a backway out?"

"Might." Eliza emphasized with frown. "Well, no point in trying to make things more complicated than they need to be. Let's head out the way we came and decide from there. Have to head up there anyway to grab the data."

A loud clanging sound caused her to jump.

"Sorry!" Jaune called out. "Metal tube."

"Be careful," She hissed. "Some of this equipment is still operational." Her eyes turned to Pyrrha. "Keep that journal safe."

"A journal you say?" A drawling voice called out, causing them to freeze. A red haired man stepped out from the door onto the ramp, twirling a cane. He was dressed all in blue and his expression was a combination of amusement and mockery. Behind him, several masked members of the White Fang flooded in, guns raised. "How about you be so kind and hand them over?"

"Roman Torchwick," Eliza growled. Jaune and Pyrrha rushed next to her, shields raised.

"I see my reputation precedes me." Roman gave a short bow. "Since you are a fan, I'm going to make a deal with you. Probably the best one you can get in this circumstance. Give me that Journal and the information you downloaded from here, and I'll let you go. Sounds good, right?"

"And if we refuse?" Pyrrha asked.

"Then my associates gun you down," Roman answered. "I thought that was obvious." His eyes narrowed in recognition. "Aren't you Pyrrha Nikos?" Pyrrha remained silent. "Yeah, I won a few bets back in the day before you were famous. Good times."

"Sorry," Jaune replied. "We can't give you this information. Someone else needs it and I'm pretty sure he would kill us if we didn't bring it back."

"Shame." Roman pulled out a cigar and lit it. "I do hate shedding unnecessary blood." He glanced over at the White Fang. "Go ahead."

The sound of gunfire rang out in the room.


"Think the Grimm is still here?" Touma asked Blake, who shrugged.

"Ruby said they were following a trail and might be out of range." Blake reminded him. "With Qrow there, I doubt they will have too much trouble."

"I really hope Wellen isn't causing trouble." Touma muttered, slightly angrily. "It's bad enough I helped out Roman unintentionally, but he's actually helping monsters attack people willingly."

"It's not your fault." Blake told him sternly.

"If we had stopped him earlier-…" Blake smacked him in the back of the head, cutting him off.

"It's not your fault," She repeated. "You can't control other people. Even if you could, it's not right. Everyone is free to choose their own path. It might be hard for some, but they have a choice."

"I guess you're right," Touma admitted, sighing as he rubbed the spot she had hit him. "I wonder if Jaune's team and Accelerator are having any luck."

"Knowing them, it's either going to end in complete disaster or a complete success." Blake's lips twitched upwards.

"Extremes, huh?"

"With Nora and Pyrrha on one team? Yeah."

They stared out across the forest from the city wall in silence after that. A pleasant breeze was blowing and, if their missions hadn't been a search and destroy one, this place would have been a pleasant outing. Blake tucked a strand of loose hair behind her ears; drawing Touma's undivided attention. She was really attractive and the stoic demeanor she had made her so much more mysterious. However, he had caught a few glimpses of the passion she had for her cause. Yet she wouldn't cross a line like so many others. If he could be a little bit biased, being from Japan, the cat ears of hers were really cute. Blake's eyes turned toward him and he immediately looked away to avoid being caught.

It was a futile effort.

Blake was no stranger to guys looking at her. Though she wasn't vain, she knew she was attractive. Being a Huntress was a tough job and required a lot of training, which gave her a very tone and athletic body. Pretty much her entire team was in a similar position. Guys considered them hot and would constantly ask them out. Yang was the only one who seemed to be interested in their advances though. Ruby was kind of young, Weiss would shut them down, and Blake tried to politely decline. It was something she had to expect and learn to deal with. Most of the time she just ignored them, unless they actually tried to get physical then all bets were off. A lot of the lecherous gazes were kind of disturbing, but she didn't mind Touma.

He was different.

Blake didn't have a lot of experience with romantic relationships, regardless what the rest of her team thought. Most of her advice and knowledge came from real life experience. But anything related to dating was based on common sense or books. The one person she loved, or had thought she loved, was during her time in the White Fang. He was her mentor, friend, and a little more. She had thought they would be together forever, making the world a better place for Faunus.

At first, that goal seemed within reach.

Then things began to change.

He became more violent, lashing out at little things, and would kill without needing to in self-defense. Fear and hate was his new method. People began to fear the Faunus, rather than respect them. The results showed his tactics were working, which only reinforced his ideology among the others. Blake couldn't be part of it. She had tried to reason with him. Tried to get him to change his ways and go back to being the kind person she knew. The one who trained her when she was just a little girl. It didn't work and he got worse. There was no other choice left. She abandoned him on a mission and went to Beacon.

"Are you okay?"

Blake jumped slightly. Lost in her own thoughts, she had forgotten where she was and who she was with. Her emotions must have showed on her face for Touma to notice.

"Was just thinking," Blake replied. "About someone I hadn't seen in a long time."

"Ah." Touma shifted uncomfortably. "Family?"

"Not anymore." Blake's tone changed and grew harsh.

This change did not go unnoticed, and so Touma wisely decided to drop the subject. It didn't sound like she wanted to talk about it. When her head suddenly turned toward the forest and the bow on her head twitched, he knew something was up.

"Did you hear that?" She asked.

"Hear what?" Touma focused but didn't hear anything besides some normal city noises.

"Not sure," Blake frowned and closed her eyes. "It sounded like… a howl? From a Grimm? It had to be pretty far away."

"Well, you have better hearing than I do," Touma pointed out. "What's the plan?"

"Not much we can do here," Blake answered. "Unless it becomes a threat to the city." She paused. "There's still a possibility I imagined it. Wanted to imagine my team taking care of the Grimm before it threatened the city."

"I don't think you're the kind of person to imagine something like that." Touma corrected her. "You trust your team too much. I bet you did hear it."

Blake smiled.

"I suppose-…"

BANG!

A loud noise interrupted Blake.

"Please tell me we both imagined that." Touma begged, but he was already jumping down the wall.

"Gunshot," Blake hissed. "And it came from the village." They darted toward the city center. "How? We didn't see any Grimm patrolling the border. Only ones that could fly could reach here that fast, but someone would have spotted it."

"Maybe it's not a Grimm." Touma muttered darkly. Blake frowned, understanding his meaning.

An internal strife of some kind.

"Duck," Blake ordered in a whisper, pulling Touma behind a building after her. They peaked around the corner and her worst fears were realized.

"Get out," a White Fang member ordered, his face obscured by a mask, pulling a woman out of a house. "You are to wait in the town hall until we tell you otherwise."

"No!" The Faunus woman shouted back. "We told you before, we don't want your group here. We have enough problems without Vale's military raining down on us!"

"You don't have a choice in the matter," The grunt growled. "Don't make me shoot you or the brats."

"Mom!" A boy called out.

"Lock the door!" The woman called out before the stock of his gun cruelly struck her in back of the head.

"Geez. You should have just-…" He never got the chance to finish his sentence before Blake pounced. With a quick swipe, she hit the grunt in the same spot with her sheath. He fell like a sack of bricks. At the same time, Touma ran over to the woman and half picked her up, half dragged her to the house. A loud creaking was heard as the boy opened the door for Touma to bring her inside.

"She's okay," Touma reassured him. "Wrap her head up in a bandage. We will try to stop them from hurting anyone else." The clearly shaken child could do nothing except nod as tears welled up in his eyes. "Stay strong, and watch over your mother." The front door closed with an abrupt start and Blake crotched behind it. The White Fang member was tied up and gagged.

"There are several guys checking the other houses," Blake reported. "All armed. They have been planning this."

"Why?" Touma asked, helping the woman onto the couch.

"No idea. They have never gone after Faunus villages before." Blake rested a hand on her weapon and was lost in thought. "Do you think they are after the Grimm? You were around them for a bit."

Touma shook his head.

"They never mentioned that. Of course, they didn't tell me a lot about their plans. Makes sense they didn't trust me. I'm a human."

"Then I'm going to take a look and see if I can figure out why they are here." Blake said. "Stay here and keep your head down."

"No, I'm coming too." Blake narrowed her eyes and looked at him.

"Listen," she said firmly. "These guys are armed with guns. You don't have Aura to protect yourself and your hand won't reflect bullets."

"I've dealt with armed guards before," Touma retorted fiercely. "I can handle myself. You need someone to watch your back, Blake. Remember the first time we met?"

She did and her face flushed in embarrassment.

"Ruby's never going to forgive me," Blake groaned. "Fine. But please, stay back. We don't know the full extent of their forces." She cracked the door open and glanced outside. "It's clear. Let's go."

Before Touma left, he gave a reassuring grin to the kid. The two of them slipped out and ran behind a couple houses and then hid behind a row of bushes. Several more of the White Fang walked by, ushering more villagers into the town hall.

"Why are they doing this?" She muttered. "It doesn't make any sense. The only thing I can think of is they are looking for something."

"Or someone," Touma added and Blake nodded. "One of the villagers might know something. What about the mayor?"

"Best bet," Blake agreed. "On my mark, we rush forward and I'll knock out the two guards." Her eyes darted back and forth to make sure they were alone and let the other White Fang leave. She could feel Touma tense up next to her. Once they were clear, she drew her weapon. "Go."

She darted forward and the two guards had only a second of warning before she knocked them both out with the flat of her blade. Touma grabbed their guns and kicked one in the head to knock them out. Touma reached forward to open the door and realized something.

"It's locked."

"Stand aside." Blake stepped up and raised her sheath.

"There's no need to do that, my love. I'm right here to answer all your questions."

Blake's blood froze, her eyes widened in horror and her face became deathly pale. That voice was familiar to her. There was no way she would ever forget it. Her body slowly turned around to see a red haired man with two small horns walking toward her, flanked by around twenty White Fang members. The man was wearing a long-sleeved black suit jacket with red designs. The way he walked, full of confidence and authority, informed everyone he was in charge. That wasn't necessary as both Touma and Blake knew him.

"Don't you think it's time to end this chase and come home?" Adam asked. his hand on the sword strapped to his belt.


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. SilverFang is finally back so we can start blaming him again.

SF88: Fuck you Dark.