I bet a lot of you are surprised. After how long it's taken to update some of my chapters, you get another one in like two weeks? What's happening here? In all seriousness, there is one main reason I've been able to update this so quickly. You, the readers inspired me. After I posted the Last Shattered Vale chapter, people immediately started reading and commenting. Many of you may not know this, but seeing people take the time to comment does encourage us to keep writing. We may be writing our ideas, but authors do enjoy getting feedback. With so many people wanting more, I figured I had to oblige. You may get another update before the New Years. First though, I want to thank everyone who has read this far and hope you continue to enjoy it.

DN Works : Plot, humor, and a little romance helps move things along. Didn't really consider Illa for Cinder's team, because that might raise some questions if they meet.

Thanatos 2018: That would be his normal life if he would notice their feelings. Touma and Adam will meet again. I can assure that.

Maelaeran: Reason I try to keep the plot moving.

a54321: Ironwood gets his first impression of Accelerator.

Classic Mecraphone chapter: They all have different priorities.

Ahsoei: I definitely did not have to double check my writing to remember that.

JumpingToaster: It's hard to progress, because it's not like Accelerator is going to just tell her everything. At the same time, Weiss is smart enough to realize that. She can plan and move slowly. Touma could probably save Emerald from Cinder, and maybe even save Salem. But Cinder… there's some issues there. Dark is short for Darkbetrayer. SilverFang's just being a weeb.

BlueJack22: A long, exciting night.

Fernandamichelleraya: Everyone enjoys shipping. That's the joy of RWBY. Relationships are fun to explore. Though, I wanted to start separating them from the same ones over and over. It's the reason Nora and Ruby had the talk. I kind of want to have Weiss and Touma have a private talk and then have Accelerator and someone different, maybe Blake. Your skit is more likely to be canon here than an omake for sure.

Cbustroyer: Adam isn't that petty (Heh). Ruby's fast and skilled in so many ways, except being social. Ruby is great and it's so fun to write her being adorkable. James Ironwood is a nice guy who can joke around, but is serious when it matters. Being a military general and all. Touma would be happy with a single girl who loves him. 1) Because there is a good reason that would be explained until the end of the story. 2) I actually don't know the anime theme songs enough to make a good decision. 3) I've been debating this, but don't have to make a decision for quite a bit. 4) Yes. There will be dancing.

Passenger: Yeah, this new chapter doesn't have Accelerator, though he will have more in other chapters. Final pairings have not been decided.

WriterAdam: She feels that way every day. Getting close for sure, but they might not fully understand the experiment.

Kyugan: It was actually not Adam who was in charge of this.

Lawoi: The urge to troll you was strong.

Awardedall: No problem. I enjoy writing them.

Inacio: Because Qrow x Winter is a better pair. Nah, got to split them twins up. And yes, Adam is obsessed over Blake.

Jujudude: There's a good chance they get back home at the end. Seems like a good conclusion. The world only warps when two harem kings fight for a girl. Touma and Jaune are after different ones.

Temsen: Possible, hehe.

Theanimemaster9000: That… is pretty fucked up. Yeah.

tylerbraden13: Thanks. That means a lot.

Batthan the Dark Knight: Qrow and Touma should hang out more.

G119: Ah, the elements of a good story. Emerald's a lot like Ayu in all honesty. She fell and no one was around to pull her up. Cinder took advantage of that. Neo is pretty great. Maybe that situation between Emerald and Touma could be arrange.

LL: Adam's known for his rational thinking, right? I have a name now and it will be in Japanese. Qrow would suggest that Winter wants them to double team her. I've always wondered if Emerald even knew how to flirt. Ah, a cat. Where they are a god and you mortals are lucky to feed them.

Koda Nine: Ruby will have to learn the hard way about missed opportunities.

Masterx01: Nope, first time. Going to try to change that going forward. Different universe, different rules that modified connection between the physical body and ability. It didn't change the power, just… modified the energy source. You know what? Fine. We shall bring back drunk Touma and destroy the White Fang.

Frozenseed: Glad you like it. Some people want it to move faster and there will no doubt be times it does jump forward a bit. Since no relationship is completely smooth. I don't know about giving up going home though. He has family there. Not blood-related, but family nonetheless. Winter trying to get Accelerator to act right will be hilarious.

Blindfold Snake: Minor characters in this story.

SlothDGod: Maybe I can update a little faster.

Nox Deus: Yes, I can assure that will happen. There is a specific trigger I'm waiting for.

zerofire210: There are a lot of fun events I like to add. I just have to be a little selective so the plot can continue to progress. Otherwise the story gets stuck.

SamGuy: Wait no more.

Shikaku Zetsumei: Not sure, actually. He might be interested.

Mr. X: 1) No. I just haven't gotten around to opening my kindle and reading them. 2) Ruby mentioned it earlier. 3) Probably full of female OCs, with at least two Faunus.

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


"Haha! You really can't dance."

"I warned you," Touma muttered to Miltia. "Glad I can make you laugh, at least."

"That's a good way to get a girl's attention," Miltia pointed out, though she jabbed a finger in the direction of Jaune and her sister. "But, we can't have my slutty sister showing us up." Touma glanced over and saw the two of them moving to the beat without much issue. Turned out, much to Touma's own surprise, Jaune was killing it. Who knew he could dance? "So I made the DJ put on a slower song after this. It's easy enough that even you can dance to it. Just follow my lead."

"As you wish." Touma told her sarcastically, adding a bow.

"Such a gentleman," Miltia purred. "I have to be careful not to tire you out or you won't have fun later once we clear the riffraff out."

"What do you mean?"

He never got an answer to his question.

Miltia simply laughed.

There was a strange sensation of worry and anticipation in the pit of his stomach. Time, however, was not available for him to dwell on that feeling. The music changed and Miltia dragged him to the center of the floor. Jaune was also unceremoniously guided there by Melanie. They shared a look of men going into war, but there was also a hint of satisfaction. This was turning out to be pretty fun and it wasn't often that they got to meet a pair of hot girls like this. Touma found the dancing here a lot easier as Miltia pulled him effortlessly around the dance floor.

Eventually, Junior came along and had to force the twins to do some work. Turns out they didn't have a day off and there were some unruly people. They promised, though it was more of them just telling Touma and Jaune, they would be back during their breaks.

"I'm not sure I can deal with forward girls like that," Jaune muttered, plopping down at a table. "I feel like prey that's about to be eaten."

"Tell me about it." Touma agreed, taking his own seat across from Jaune. "Though I have to say, they are really hot. I wouldn't be a man if I said I didn't like it a little bit."

"Here, here." They fist-bumped.

"Enjoying yourselves?" Mercury plopped down at their table, a couple drinks in his hands. "Figured first round can be on me since I kind of pushed my way in here with you two."

"Hey, man," Jaune said and then looked at the drink. "I don't drink much. What's this?"

"Grimm Slayer." Mercury said. "Most popular item here. Got some for free since you two know the Malachite sisters." He raised up his glass and the other two guys imitated his action. They all chugged together, but Jaune and Touma stopped halfway through.

"Holy shit, it burns!" Touma gasped. "What is this? Paint thinner?"

"Don't be a bunch of pussies," Mercury told them, draining his glass and slamming it down. "Man up and drink like a real Hunter."

"It's not bad," Jaune admitted, putting it down. "Little strong, but no worse than a couple parties back home where some idiot spiked the school punch bowl."

"Oh?" Mercury raised an eyebrow. "What happened?"

"Besides people vomiting all over the schoolyard, a couple people were found in some… precarious situations." Jaune shook his head. "Funny at the time, but looking back, it could have been bad. Luckily, none of us could drive back then."

Mercury knew what he was going to do at the dance now.

"So how did you two score with the twins?" Mercury asked. "From what I heard, those two are really picky."

"I would tell you, but I really have no idea." Touma admitted. "I came here… before attending Beacon with some people who were definitely up to something." His face darkened and Jaune knew who he was talking about. The thing neither of them knew was that Mercury understood as well.

Roman Torchwick.

"And I was with this girl who was later put on my team, Neo." Touma continued. "Well, I helped them out with some drunk guy hitting on them. After that, they sort of just kept making me sit at their table."

"Are you sure you helped them out?" Jaune asked. "Pretty sure those two can beat up most people."

"I didn't know that at the time." Touma muttered. "I just saw Q… a drunken older man being rude."

The more they talked, the clearer it became to Mercury about what had likely happened. He was trained as an assassin and part of that training was realizing why something happened and how you can exploit it. Most likely what happened, based on what he heard about the sisters, was Touma's reaction to them after he told off a drunk. Most guys would have tried to take advantage of the situation and ask them out. Since he left, it must have damaged their pride. A young guy actually ignored them.

That would not stand.

Then there was the fact he knew Roman Torchwick. Junior was an informant, but was never actually working for Roman. He would buy and sell information only. That was the limit of their interaction, with occasionally renting out a backroom for private meetings. However, while Roman was caught during The Breach, there was sufficient evidence that he was involved to some degree. It forced him to go underground. Touma, on the other hand, was still around and had contact with Neo. She was Roman's enforcer and a dangerous individual by any means.

An honest soul with some mystery involved. That combination attracted the Malachite sisters like flies to honey. Now that they were learning about who Touma was, and his friend Jaune, the interactions were probably along the lines of bullying and corrupting them. Mercury figured the twins would get those two guys drunk by the end of the night and fuck them in a backroom.

He was fine with that.

In fact, there was a napkin in his pocket with three numbers on it already.

It became obvious that Touma was a lightweight. Jaune was large enough he could take a few and Mercury was experienced. Touma stopped after two drinks and slammed his head on the table.

"I'm out."

"You're going to have to learn to drink or your 'girlfriend' is going to leave you." Mercury joked.

"I know my limits," Touma countered, face still pressed against the table. "Plus, a lot of weird things happen when I'm drunk. People always act weird the next day when they see me."

"You must be one of those drunks that get crazy," Jaune suggested. "You should definitely do that."

He high fived Mercury while Touma promptly flicked him off, still not looking up.

"Hey." A gruff voice interrupted their fun. The three of them turned to see Junior. "I need a word with you," he pointed to Touma, "and you." He pointed to Jaune. "Privately."

"Why?" Touma asked.

"Because I said so, now get up." Junior was a big man, so the two of them got up without any further argument.

Mercury's eyes narrowed and his demeanor changed. Junior didn't normally bring people into the back room and that's exactly what was happening. There was some kind of meeting going on. Not one that Cinder had planned. He didn't like this; someone was operating under the table. The question was, who? Junior was smart and got those two to go with him without causing a scene. Plenty of guards lined the wall and, while Mercury could dispatch them without breaking a sweat, it would draw a lot of attention.

All he could really do was sip his drink and watch the door.


As the door slammed behind Touma and Jaune, they were greeted by a single person in the room.

"Long time no see."

Touma stared in disbelief at the man sitting behind the desk before him.

Jaune was in equal awe.

"That was my reaction too," Junior huffed, arms crossed and expression stern. "He paid well and called in the last favor." He really emphasized that one word. "Then I'll never see this bastard again."

"Always a joker," Roman told him and tipped his hat to him as Junior left. "Nice guy, little too serious sometimes." He kicked his feet up on the desk. "You two can close your mouths you know. Meeting me is quite the honor, yes, but we can skip the pleasantries."

"…Why are you here?!" Touma demanded, finding his voice.

"Why are we all here?" Roman asked, twirling his cane. "One of life's great mysteries mankind has been pondering-…"

"You know what I mean." Touma growled.

"Then say what you mean and be specific if you don't want people to misconstrue you," Roman told him. "Lesson one of Torchwick's School of Hard Knocks, soon to be accredited."

"After you caused the breach, you have some nerve to show your face here!" Touma told him, his hand clenching into a tight fist. "How many people died because of that?!"

"Not many if any," Roman told him, sipping his drink. "Your Hunter friends at Beacon did a nice job at keeping the Grimm contained."

"That doesn't make it right!" Jaune yelled, slamming his hand on the table. "That explosion injured a lot of people."

"Right and wrong are all perceptive," Roman commented mildly and shrugged. "Is it wrong to fake transcripts to get into a school to do good?"

"…What?" Jaune was a little taken aback.

"I know you kid," Roman told him. "It's the reason I let you come back here. You don't think it was Junior who made your transcript to get into Beacon, did you? He's the muscle, I'm the brains. I had to cover trails, made references that would be hard to disprove, and keep your transcript at a level that seemed believable. It's the reason it was so expensive. You can thank me at any time you want, by-the-by."

Jaune slumped back in his seat. It was hard to argue right and wrong when he did something so unethical, In all honesty, without Pyrrha saving his ass, he would have died at initiation. No Aura, barely any training, and only the most basic of weapons did not give him a good chance to live. Roman wouldn't have cared; a job was a job to him.

Touma, on the other hand, was under no such dilemma.

"You can't compare killing someone to just forgery!"

"Look at it this way then." Roman told him sternly, poking him in the chest with his cane to push him down into his seat. "This kid next to you entered a school for Huntsmen without the necessary skills to survive. He gets put on a team. What if he wasn't lucky? His incompetence could get everyone killed. That's what Grimm are; they kill us without reason and without remorse. There's only a couple humans who are worse."

"Like you?" Touma growled.

"Kid, I actually dislike killing." Roman flicked the rim of his hat and sounding slightly appalled. "It's messy, it draws attention, and stops business. If I can go in, rob a place, and leave without casualties, I'd prefer that. Insurance pays for the loss and I'll come back some other time to steal their stuff again. If I kill the shop owner, there's no guarantee it will reopen. Most of the people I've killed are those who tried to kill me first."

"Is that why you're working for someone now?" Touma asked. "There's someone stronger than you?"

It was a long shot and Touma didn't expect it to work.

However, Roman's confident expression flickered ever-so slightly.

"A warning to you kid," Roman said seriously. "Speaking about stuff like that is a sure way to get you and your friends killed."

"I knew it," Touma muttered. "Someone has something on you."

"Lot more than that, but leave your speculations there." Roman advised.

"So why did you come here?" Jaune asked. "You're the most wanted person in the city at the moment. Atlas has military troops all over and your face is plastered on every street corner. It seems like a suicide move to stay here."

"Little brains in there." Roman tapped his head. "Guess that's how you survived this long. Let me explain the genius of my outstanding move. Those idiots at the top of law enforcement? They forget the simplest things. Everyone expects me to have fled Vale, so where do you think the safest place is? Right under their nose." He frowned. "Though, since Neo decided to run off after you, things have been a little tougher."

"So you didn't send Neo to follow me?" Touma asked, suspiciously.

"Ah, skepticism." Roman put a hand over his heart. "I'm proud of you kid, actually questioning things now." He shrugged. "Maybe, maybe not. I'll tell you this: Neo and I have a history, but she will do whatever she wants. If you interest her, she'll pursue you until you don't. That's just how she is. Plus, she's pretty powerful for a shrimp. I would not want to stand in her way once she has made a decision."

"Yeah… I could see that." Touma grudgingly muttered in agreement.

"Why are you telling us all this?" Jaune asked. "What's to stop us from leaving and reporting you?"

"Couple reasons actually, I'm glad you asked." Roman chuckled. "You see, I actually came to see how Neo was doing. I kind of consider her my daughter you know. She adapting to Beacon?"

"As much as to be expected," Touma told him. "She likes to prank people a bit too much and some of them are getting fed up."

Roman actually laughed at this.

"Ah, she did that to me too. It's how she keeps you on your toes. For others… it's her way of venting frustration."

"That would explain a lot," Jaune agreed with a small nod of his head. "Being stuck in Beacon is sure to be frustrating for someone used to doing whatever she wanted."

"Exactly," Roman agreed. "It's like jail with better food. Freedom is an important commodity for many people, especially for me. I'll do whatever it takes, lie, cheat, steal and survive."

"Then why show up in front of us?" Touma demanded. "What's to stop us from taking you in?"

"First…" Roman held up a finger. "Even together you couldn't take me. If I wanted to, I could kill both of you right here and Junior would dispose of your corpses… for a fee, that cheapskate." He muttered that last bit. "I know your weird power kid and this one…" He jabbed his cane at Jaune. "… isn't nearly skilled enough to face me. I've squared off against actual Huntsmen and won."

Touma fell silent.

"That still doesn't stop us from letting authorities know about you." Jaune was trying to bluff, but he was a little nervous. The only thing that kept him going was Roman just wanted to talk for some reason. If he wanted them dead, there were easier ways than this. "Then you'll be rooted out pretty quickly."

"That is a possibility," Roman admitted. "But I don't think you two will tell anyone. At least, anyone that matters."

"Why not?" Touma and Jaune said in unison.

"A couple reasons," Roman continued and pulled out a cigar. He lit it and puffed a couple of times before continuing. "First, do you remember all that time you spent with me in Mt. Glenn, kid? I made sure to capture plenty of video footage of you helping. I wonder what people would say if that was… released to the public? I know people in the TV business." His eyes flickered to Jaune. "With that, maybe some information about kids at Beacon with fake transcripts slips in. The media would love that."

"You're an asshole." Touma spat out.

"No need to compliment me."

"Has he always been this much of a headache?" Jaune asked Touma.

"Not at first, but looking back, there were a lot of signs."

"Though, I have no reason to get either of you in trouble." Roman continued. "Think of it as honor among thieves. If I sell you out, people won't trust me enough to be willing to deal with me. Not a good business model. Outing you is just a failsafe for me. In the underworld, nothing is free and everyone wants to get leverage over others."

"Okay, so you're all that and we are but measly peons compared to you." Touma rolled his eyes.

"Flattery will get you everywhere," Roman said with a smirk. "Nice to know you recognize my greatness."

"You still never told us why you would reveal yourself to us," Touma continued. "You keep avoiding the topic."

"Ah." Roman tapped the floor with his cane. "Let's just say I saw you here and felt like catching up. I just brought your friend in so you didn't feel like I was trying to isolate you."

"Bull." Jaune and Touma spat out.

"You caught me." Roman shook his head. "Listen, kid. I'm not going to lie…"

"That will be a change." Touma interjected.

"Wow kid, what happened to you?"

"Exploding trains change people." Jaune actually snorted at Touma's response.

"Touché." Roman actually looked mildly impressed. "It's actually partially true. I'm here on business, trying to make sure Junior's men don't shoot me on sight. Seeing you here alive, it warms my soul." Touma and Jaune both stared at him with disbelief. "You caught me, but I was rather impressed at your plan. When Neo decided to go after you, I figured you had to be alive. Saying hi was just on a whim."

"That sounds more like you." Touma pointed out.

"Though, I don't feel bad for tricking you," Roman continued and Touma's eyes narrowed. "I do believe you earned a… little bonus you could say. I advise you, when the Vytal festival is about to end, make sure you are far away from Vale."

"Huh?" Touma was confused. "Why?"

"Things are going to get grim, that's all I can say." Roman stood up. "Say hi to Neo for me."

"Wait!" Touma shouted. Roman sighed and turned around.

"Yes?"

"If you ever… decide to turn your life around like Neo has, I'll put a good word in for you."

Roman and Jaune stared at him.

Before Roman burst out laughing.

"Ahahaha! That's a good one kid. I knew I liked you." Roman shook his head. "I'm far beyond something stupid like redemption. Atlas would give up James' left testicle for my head. You would be fighting a losing battle there."

"We'll see..." Touma muttered.

Weirdly enough, Roman didn't laugh.

"I suppose so. See you around, or not." He left out the back door without another word.

Touma slumped back in the chair when the door slammed shut.

"Asshole." He muttered.

"Seems like he's trying to warn us." Jaune said. "You mentioned he may be working for someone else, right? Sounds like whatever that person is planning is going to get us involved. He wasn't exactly subtle about it."

"So what do we do?" Touma asked. "I already told Ozpin about that possibility. Plus, he's got dirt on us so it's not like we can tell people. Who would believe us?"

"Our teams would." Jaune pointed out. "We can keep an eye out I suppose, since we will be right in the middle of it." He shrugged. "Not like we can do anything right now."

"Shit… Are things usually this bad here or is this my misfortune following me around?"

Jaune thought about it for a moment.

"With the Grimm, I say it's pretty even right now. Maybe we'll know tomorrow."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence." Sarcasm oozed from Touma's words.

"Anytime, man. Want to get back to Mercury before he drinks himself into a stupor?"

"Shame Neo isn't here. She would draw on his face."

"We could do it in her memory?"

They both laughed.


It was quite late by the time Ozpin was sitting in his office with Glynda, Eliza, and Qrow.

"White Fang attacks at the same time as the mutated Grimm," Ozpin said. "We know these are centered on our guests. For now, we need to discuss the next course of action."

"Do you know how long it would take to replicate The Gateway Merlot made?" Glynda asked Eliza.

"Months, and that's just rebuilding the incomplete structure." Eliza replied. "It's also going to take longer because we are setting it up in a bunker outside of Beacon in the Emerald Forest. It takes time to move equipment out there discreetly."

"After the implosion caused at Merlot's research site, I cannot risk the safety of my students by building it within Beacon." Ozpin stated firmly.

"I know." Eliza sighed and leaned back in her chair. "We've finally started cracking Merlot's security. Despite being years old, I'm still shocked at how advanced it is. We might be able to upgrade Vale's security using some of the information that was gathered."

"Did you figure out how to replicate the power source?" Ozpin asked. "Based on your report… he was using decomposing Grimm combined with Dust to activate The Gateway."

"I verified that in his reports too." Eliza said, passing over a folder. "Here are the details on how he did it, but it requires a pretty sophisticated chemical compound."

"I see." Ozpin flipped through the documents. "It seems Merlot was much farther ahead than we imagined. It might be worth investigating leads of other possible laboratories."

"Already on it, Oz." Qrow said. "Some of my contacts have informed me of a couple building projects that sort of disappeared. The thing was, the supplies arrived at nearby cities and left, but no one knows what happened to them. A lot of it is out of date, by easily five to ten years, but if something was built, it will still be there. I can scout those areas out if you want."

"Thank you for the offer, but no." Ozpin said. "I can pass that off to Eliza's team. She can hide this as a simple research expedition. No, Qrow, I need you here."

"Really?" Bemused, Qrow shook his head, leveling Ozpin with an inquisitive gaze. "You've had me spying on Salem's activities for so long and now you want me to stay?"

"If we have any more sightings of Wellen's Grimm, we can only send people who know about the situation." Ozpin pointed out. "If I send Glynda, or go out myself, that would draw more suspicion than a teacher taking students."

"You do realize that taking a bunch of kids against something like that isn't smart." Qrow pointed out. He paused and took a swig of his flask. "That thing wasn't easy to kill. It was a challenge for me too."

"That's what I told him." Glynda agreed.

"Which is why we need to train our students even harder." Ozpin stated. "Qrow, while you are here, you will take over Combat Classes for Glynda."

"You okay with this?" Qrow said with a slight smirk to Glynda. "Don't want to step on your toes or anything."

"I will still be attending every other class to make sure you are not slouching off." Glynda huffed. "You can rest assured. Though, your assistance will let me focus on other matters."

"Sure, sure." Qrow glanced out the window and thought he saw movement outside. Heh, kids still sneaking out in the middle of the night. "I suppose I can help out."

"Very good." Ozpin nodded. "I know removing you from the field has its own risks, but I weighed both sides and determined keeping you here for now will be the best choice of action. Should we receive more sightings, you will be deployed at once."

"You're going to make me blush if you keep complimenting me like that." Qrow said sarcastically before turning to Eliza. "So, what are you going to do with the big Gateway thing once you get it working?"

"The goal was to send those three children home." Eliza stated. "Though, the odds of getting the machine working, gathering the energy source, and finding the right world for them… I think they might just want to get used to living here."

"I'm sure people back in their world are looking for a way to get them home as well." Ozpin assured her.

"No, no." Qrow shook his head. "I meant after we sent those brats back. Obviously you aren't going to destroy that machine."

"Heavens no." Eliza looked shocked at the very thought. "Think of everything we can learn. If another world exists, there must be more. We could learn and share knowledge that would be impossible without it. There's no limit to the potential in this."

"Long as you don't go overboard," Qrow pointed out. "Last thing we need is for certain groups who like to build deadly weapons to get a hold of more."

"We can discuss what to do with it after it works." Remarked Ozpin, sighing aloud and reaching for his mug of coffee.

"You look pretty tired." Eliza commented.

"Vytal Festival, this, the Grimm, I have a full plate." Ozpin replied after taking a quick sip from his beverage.

"Yet most of the Vytal Festival planning I do and you just sign the authorization documents." Remarked Glynda, her eyes boring holes into the man as her nostrils flared.

"And I want to thank you for everything you do. Again let me tell you how much of a valuable member of the staff you are and Beacon could not operate without you." Ozpin had the decency to look and sound somewhat sheepish as he made these glowing compliments.

"Much better."

Qrow, meanwhile, started to make a whipping sound before abruptly stopping a few seconds later.

"Oh, Oz, I almost forgot. You know how Wellen and Salem met?" Ozpin nodded. "It's not a huge issue since we already knew, but the talking Beowolf mentioned Salem in front of the girls."

"What did they say?" Ozpin asked quietly.

"I played it off for now and it seems like they forgot at least due to the White Fang attack." Qrow replied. "As long as they don't talk about her, there shouldn't be any issues."

"Glynda." Ozpin turned to her. "Please keep an ear out for any rumors."

"There's not much the students discuss that gets by me."


"So what were you two doing?' Mercury asked, his feet kicked up on the table. An attractive girl was sitting on his lap with a pink drink in her hand. "Oh, these two are my friends." He said to the girl.

"Sup." Jaune said and Touma nodded briefly in acknowledgement.

"This is…" Mercury blanked and looked at her. "What was your name again?"

"Jerk!" She slapped him and stormed off.

"How much have you been drinking?" Jaune asked.

"Just a little." The empty bottles in front of him said otherwise.

"I need a drink." Touma plopped himself in a seat across from Mercury and grabbed one of the full glasses.

"About time you got in the mood." Mercury knew whoever they had been talking to caused some kind of problem. Jaune didn't look to be in a parting mood either. "So, why did Junior call you out back? Did you have to fight him to date the twins?"

"No, but I wish." Touma muttered, downing the glass.

"It was an old friend of ours," Jaune said. "He was leaving, but saw us come in and wanted to talk a bit about the old days. Reason he didn't come out here was…" The pause was slight, but Mercury could tell he was thinking fast. "…he didn't want to get sucked back up in the party."

"Ah, probably busy then." Mercury replied evenly. "Sucks for him."

"Yeah, he's not doing well and…" Touma reached for another glass. "I think he's going to get in trouble."

"The good or bad kind of trouble?"

"Bad." Both Jaune and Touma answered at once.

"Well, I suggest cheering up and fast." Mercury told them. "Your girlfriends are on break and they look feisty."

"Junior mentioned you two need some more fun." Melanie said, leaning over the back of Jaune's chair.

"So quit being a downer and come dance some more," Miltia added. "Unless you want to blow this place and come upstairs."

"Our rooms are soundproof." Melanie finished with a smirk.

"Dancing's fine." Jaune said quickly, standing up.

Touma downed the remaining glass in front of him and stood up too.

"Yeah, that sounds good." Touma agreed. "We just had to deal with an asshole so let's forget him."

"Oooo." Miltia winked at Melanie. "Seems my guy has a mouth when he gets drunk."

"Then make him put it to work tonight." Melanie suggested, tugging at Jaune. "I'm going to see what surprises this guy has."

Fucking bastards, Mercury thought a little jealous. Sure, he got several girls numbers, but the twins were a step above those random girls.

Hours passed and Mercury was enjoying himself. He was at a club, got to party, flirt with girls, and had plenty of opportunities to spy on his targets. Due to the Malachites constantly making those two move around, neither of them passed out. Mercury briefly considered swapping the drinks to hard alcohol and see what those two were like completely plastered, but decided against it. First, the twins would know, as the bartender would definitely rat him out. And second, any information he could get from those two being drunk was off the table.

Some of the stuff he already knew, like Pyrrha Nikos, a person of interest to Cinder, was Jaune's partner. How Jaune became the team leader was beyond Mercury. He learned a bit about their friends at least, especially Team RWBY. Most of it he knew from observing them in classes, but there were a few pieces of information about their personalities he was going to relay to Cinder. She couldn't get mad at him for partying all night if he was acquiring information.

It was sure to piss off Emerald at the very least.

What really piqued his interest were a few things Touma had mentioned. When they were taking a break at the table, they would all talk for a bit. The term Japan and Academy City came up sporadically. This might have been overlooked by a normal person, but not Mercury. As far as he knew, there weren't any locations with those names, unless it was a brand new hidden settlement. That didn't seem to be the case this time. Being in close proximity, Mercury also got a chance to confirm Roman's words.

He really doesn't have aura, huh.

Yet the kid had the power to erase Grimm and Aura. Part of him wanted to see Touma actually erase a Grimm. He even considered trying to get those two drunk enough to agree to go face some. Again, this idea was shot down as the twins wouldn't want their new boy toys to leave. They probably were going to take those two back up to their room afterwards and fuck their brains out. After that, they probably wouldn't call them again; the girls were fickle like that.

Around 2 am, the patrons were beginning to get ushered out.

"Partysh, over?" Touma asked.

"For those boring nobodies," Miltia assured him. "For us, the party's just beginning." She wrapped her arms around his neck. "We got a special room above the club."

"Err…" Jaune wasn't quite as drunk as Touma was, so he knew something was off. It wasn't like he had much experience in these kinds of situations. Though it finally clicked what Miltia was implying. "We probably shouldn't. Out teams back at Beacon will be-…"

"Shhhh." Melanie put a finger over his lips. "You're not seeing anyone right?"

"No." Jaune admitted.

"So there's no problem."

"But… shouldn't that be done with someone you like?"

"You're such a dork, but I like the innocence." Melanie smiled. "Well, I like you. Are you saying you don't like me?"

Mercury had to stifle a laugh as she pouted and pretended to be hurt.

"Ah, I mean, I do." Jaune corrected himself. "I just… we haven't known each other very long."

"It's our third date." Melanie protested.

"Third? Isn't this only the second time we've met?"

"Close enough." She tugged at him and Jaune once again found out she was a lot stronger than she looked. "Are you going to say no to a pretty girl? I wouldn't be able to show my face around anyone again if you are."

She began to pout again and Jaune felt bad.

If he was sober, it wouldn't have been as effective.

"Don't be a schick in the mud." Touma told him, waving his hand. "These two are nicsh."

"What he said." Miltia agreed, pulling Touma's head into her chest.

Lucky bastard, Mercury thought and then grinned. He secretly took a couple pictures of that scene. If Neo really likes him, she might want a picture or two.

"…soft." Touma mumbled.

"The Bullheads aren't running to Beacon anymore," Melanie whispered into Jaune's ear. "You might as well stay the night."

"If it's no trouble, I guess we can." Jaune muttered, his resolve crumbling away due to the way Melanie was pressing herself against him. Along with her seductive voice, lots of alcohol, and a little logic about not being able to return to Beacon. "Though, I need to use the bathroom first. Excuse me."

"Good idea." Touma agreed, escaping from Miltia's hold.

Once they were out of earshot, Miltia turned on her sister in a huff.

"You just had to push blondie there and make things awkward."

"Please, Mil." Melanie scoffed. "There's no way I'm letting you have a booty call without me having one."

"Bitch."

"Slut."

"…I'm not sharing." Miltia told her.

"Neither am I." Melanie countered.

Mercury coughed and the two finally spared him a glance.

"As if." They both said and sniffed at him in disdain.

That hurt, but he brushed it off.

"Sorry, not what I meant." Mercury told them. "Just saying, both of them are pretty inexperienced with women, but I'm sure they will go along with what you want if you're assertive. I'm heading out, got some girls numbers I'm interested in calling anyways."

Emerald and Cinder were technically girls.

The twins looked on at him for a few moments longer.

"Tell the bartender you get 20% off your drinks," Melanie told him. "If he gives you crap, tell him to complain to us."

"Beautiful and generous." Mercury replied.

"Flattery won't work on us," Miltia told him. "We know your type."

"Well, thanks for the discount anyways." Mercury swaggered away to the bar to pay, pulling out a wallet that wasn't his.

Some idiot is going to realize he's broke without it and Mercury laughed at the image.


"Ahhh!"

Jaune and Touma relaxed in the bathroom as they stood over the urinals. Drinking for hours tends to cause some unnecessary waste.

"We doing this?" Jaune asked.

"Why not?" Touma replied. "It'sh not like we have any reason to refush…hic."

"They are hot." Jaune admitted and before Touma had a chance to answer, the door to the restroom burst open.

"Freeze and put your hands above your heads!"

Jaune and Touma turned around, before immediately following orders. Two White Fang members holding Dust rifles aimed at them stood in the doorway. Drunk, unarmed, and in a precarious position, it wasn't like they had any choice. However, being drunk, both of them forgot something obvious and was causing a mess.

"For god's sake, pull up your pants!" The first one said.

"You told us to freeze and put our hands up!" Jaune yelled back.

"Shouldn't it be handsh up then freeze?" Touma wondered. "Heh."

"Shut up!" The second one said. "For the love of god, just finish pissing and pull up your pants. No one wants to see this shit!"

"Thanksh." Touma turned around and continued.

"How are you so calm?" Jaune whispered, sweat forming on his head.

"If they wanted ush dead, they would have shot already." Touma replied. "They want something…hic."

"No talking!" The first White Fang grunt snapped.

"I'm not going over there to stop them," The second one muttered. "They pissed all over the floor."

"You shut up too or I'll throw you into the puddle myself."

"What do you want?" Jaune asked, as he and Touma got handcuffed once they had finished their business.

"Someone important wants to talk to him," The first guy told him, jabbing a thumb at Touma. "You're coming as insurance in case he tries something. We know what he did to Adam."

"Shit." Touma muttered. "Listen, I'm shure we can talk this peacefully." He staggered and almost fell due to hands bound behind his back along with not being sober.

Gunfire echoed through the club.

"Too late for that," the second one White Fang member told him. "Looks like Junior's men won't go down quietly." He swore under his breath. "The plan was to slip in and out. On to Plan B."


Neo was pissed.

Normally such an event would be followed by a couple people missing or laying in a pool of their own blood. At this time, neither of those two stress reliefs was possible. The only two people in the room were Accelerator and Last Order. While the girl was easy prey, the boy could kill her with a flick of a finger. There was also the problem of being kicked out of Beacon. Being arrested she could avoid, but staying next to Touma? That would be impossible unless she kidnapped him.

She had considered it.

Touma would be upset with her and she needed to avoid that.

This led to her current situation where it was after two and he had not come back. She received an earlier message about going into Vale with Jaune, so that hadn't worried her. Neither of them were the kind of guys to go out trying to pick up girls. The only risk was a girl would try to pick them up. Luckily, Touma was pretty oblivious to girls' signals. He still hadn't picked up her own not-so-subtle hints. If things didn't progress, she would just throw herself on him naked and make him a man.

Accelerator didn't seem to worry or even care that Touma was gone. When 10 p.m. rolled around and Neo asked him about it, his exact words were as followed:

"He can handle himself. Not my business."

Touma hadn't even called her to let her know he would be late.

She would have to make sure he understood how rude that was.

The reason she woke up wasn't because she thought she heard him. Neo was way too professional to make a mistake like that. If someone entered the room at night, she would know. Being a light sleeper was a survival tactic. Assassins loved to ambush sleeping victims. She would know, it was her favorite tactic. No, this was for a routine checkup with Roman.

Careful and silently, Accelerator was also a light sleeper, she made her way to the bathroom. Her feet didn't make a single sound and only the soft whoosh of her silk nightgown in the air disturbed the silence. The bathroom door closed silently behind her before she flipped on the light. Even if Accelerator woke up, all he would see is her using the bathroom. Nothing suspicious. Neo pulled out her communicator with Roman and sent a short message.

'News?'

She didn't expect the answer he sent back.

'Seems like our boy Touma ticked off the White Fang.'

Neo froze and then she licked her lips.

'Do you want to die?'

'He was with two friends. All were at Junior's club. A firefight just ended.'

'Is he okay?'

'He and the Arc kid are gone.'

'I see.'

There was a pause before Roman responded again.

'Don't be rash.'

Rash? Her? Roman must have been smoking some funny cigars.

'I promise no one will find the bodies.'

'Damn it, Neo!'

Neo ignored the following message as she already had a plan.

No one had questioned how she arrived at Beacon. Ozpin might have assumed she just hid on a Bullhead. That assumption would be somewhat accurate, but not quite. Neo had stolen a small personal Bullhead, used for one or two people and their luggage. It was hidden outside of Beacon disguised as a rock pile. The nice thing about her illusions was that they remained active unless someone interacted with it. There was nothing there for the Grimm to bother and it's not like the students would have a reason to investigate some rocks, so it should be untouched. All that was left to do was to find Touma.

Situations like these were the reason she installed a tiny tracker in his shoes.

Neo pulled out her tablet and waited for it to connect. It felt like hours, but it was really only less than a minute. Her eyes narrowed as the dots began to move outside of Vale. Roman seemed to have been right that Touma was captured. The White Fang really didn't understand their position. Neo made it clear that he belonged to her. Anyone threatening that relationship would be dealt with. Some of those White Fang bitches always seemed to be in heat and would try to steal any male that looked their way.

It was easy enough to sneak out of the room without being heard. Even if Accelerator noticed, he probably wouldn't care since Last Order wasn't involved. The hallways were silent, but Neo made sure to block all the cameras with her Semblance. Once she was safely outside, she began making her way to the wall that officially separated Beacon's grounds from the forest.

A rustle of leaves was the only sign she received, but it was enough.

Metal clanged as Neo spun around on one foot and swung her parasol upwards to have it collide with a sheath.

Neo's lips curled into a grin as Blake's face came into view.

"I thought I saw you sneaking off." Blake told her, landing on her feet and not lowering her weapon for even a moment.

Neo pointed to her eyes, to Blake, and then back to herself.

"Of course I was watching you." Blake huffed. "I heard from Pyrrha that Jaune and Touma hadn't returned yet. That was sure to set you off. Now we have proof you've been breaking the rules Ozpin set on you."

Neo glared at her.

Technically, Blake was right, not that Neo really cared. She was more pissed at herself for not cloaking herself. That one lapse in judgment allowed Blake to spot her. Though, Neo was a little impressed that Blake could read her like that. Maybe she was getting soft spending all this time here. The question was what to do now. Running through the options in her mind, she narrowed it down to two. The first was to try to get away from Blake. This would most likely lead to a fight and waste precious time. It wasn't the smartest or most efficient choice. Blake was a pretty good fighter.

Which left the second option.

Neo lowered her weapon slowly, an action that seemed to surprise the Faunus; which was what she wanted. She held up her tablet and began typing frantically. Blake's weapon wavered ever so slightly as she watched. When Neo held out the tablet, Blake took it hesitantly and began reading, while making sure Neo wasn't trying to stab her when she was distracted.

"You expect me to believe this?" Blake asked and Neo shrugged. "How would you even know?"

Neo pointed to Blake's pocket with her scroll.

Not a single word was said by the mute girl, but Blake understood. It would be easy enough to determine if a White Fang attacked Junior's club. It wasn't like Blake believed that story. First, Jaune and Touma in a club was pretty unbelievable. The second was; why would the White Fang attack Junior's club? Yang mentioned that place before and the only thing that came to mind was there was some information they needed. Though, that should have been kept quiet. A gunfight would bring the police down on them.

Blake's eyes widened when she saw the recent news report.

Neo's expression couldn't be any smugger.

"Okay, so I'll believe you this time." Blake felt like she wanted to vomit saying that. "Do you have a way into Vale? All the Bullheads have stopped running from Beacon. And how do you plan to find him anyways?"

Neo grinned and nodded, motioning for Blake to follow her. Both girls stored their weapons away, which lowered the tension by a very minor fraction. Blake wasn't sure what Neo was doing, but she seemed to exude confidence for now. The silence let both girls ponder what to do about the situation. Funny enough, they both came to the conclusion that they would probably have to infiltrate wherever the White Fang were keeping Touma and Jaune. Something both of them were quite skilled at.

Blake was so lost in her thoughts, she didn't realize Neo stopped and almost ran her over.

"Rocks?" Blake asked and Neo rolled her eyes.

The ice cream-colored girl walked forward and gently placed her hand on one of them. Ripples ran through the smooth service and the rocks began to vanish. Hiding inside of them was a small personal Bullhead. It wasn't what Blake was used to, the commercial ones. Its cargo hold was not designed to transport a large number of people.

"Well, now I know how you got here." Neo nodded at her words. "I guess to save Touma, I'll put aside my differences. Though, you need to drive."

Neo silently agreed, but refused to give Blake that satisfaction.


Touma and Jaune were shoved into the back of a Bullhead.

The kidnapping had not gone smoothly.

First of all, the White Fang had severely underestimated the number of Junior's men at that club. That should have been obvious after The Breach. Security had been heightened everywhere. While they managed to knock out the men guarding the back entrance and sneak a small squad in, they were quickly spotted after two of them slipped off to kidnap their target. The second was the amount of firepower Junior's group had severely outstripped them. The third problem was only discovered once they started dragging Touma and Jaune out of the club.

The twins did not approve.

They may not have been Huntresses, but those two were born and raised in the underbelly of Vale. Fighting and killing was not unusual to them. Fueled by anger, alcohol, and Aura, several members of the White Fang were quickly taken down. Miltia's claws cut through them like butter and Melanie's bladed shoes did too.

However, the White Fang had numbers. It eventually became a shootout and during the chaos, the two boys were dragged into a van and took off. They didn't know what happened after that. The next thing they saw was a Bullhead at a landing site where they were being dragged into. The pilot waved them all in hurriedly and started the engine the second the door was closed. Jaune saw their White Fang escort consisted of two females and four males.

"What the hell was with that security?" Asked one of them, slouching far back into his seat. "Our reports said they had a limited number of guards."

"That was because you decided to rush in there without checking first!" One of the two girls told him. She had a long fluffy white tail similar to a ferret and long light brown hair. "You're lucky these two didn't put up a fight."

"That was because of my plan." The White Fang guy pulled off his mask to reveal reddish-brown hair and two small tusk-like teeth that were different than normal people. "We waited until they were drunk so they wouldn't put up a fight. Aren't you glad we didn't move to Plan B and have you seduce them, Lily?"

"Thank god." Lily replied, rolling her eyes.

"If she even could," One of the other guys said, his features sporting tall jackal ears and black hair. "Lily would probably yell at one of them and punch the other one."

"Like I'm going to do to you if you don't shut it." She growled and the girl next to her laughed.

"Speaking of our captives," Another guy pipped up. "I'm surprised they aren't trying to talk or fight back."

All six of them turned to look at Touma and Jaune. Touma was asleep and leaning against the metal of the wall. Jaune was leaning against the wall, though slumped forward, his face hidden by his hands. One was completely relaxed and the other was acting weird, like he was sick. None of them believed a Huntsman would be sick and out partying like they were.

"The high leader should be pleased by this catch." The boar Faunus with the weird teeth said, puffing his chest proudly.

"If you try to take all the credit for it, Tusk." The Faunus with the jackal ears said. "I swear I'll report all the food you've stolen at the training camp."

"No idea what you're talking about." Tusk said. "Besides, this was a group effort to prove we can work together in the field anyways, Craig."

"Are we sure this is the boy that defeated Adam?" One of the other two guys said, looking at Touma. "He seems completely harmless."

"Cause he's drunk," Tusk said again. "Even powerful warriors can succumb to alcohol."

"Like you at graduation party?" Lily pointed out, earning a round of laughter from everyone before giving the boy beside her a closer look. "This is definitely him though. I actually met him back in Vale when we were working with that asshole Torchwick. He was really nice and I never thought for a moment he was an actual fighter."

"Just that he can erase Grimm, right?" The second girl said, to which she nodded.

"Still don't believe that." Craig said and Tusk agreed.

"I was there and saw him force a Goliath out of our way." Lily huffed. "If you're calling me a liar, maybe I should cut out your tongue."

"There's the firecracker Lily we know," The guy at the far side of the Bullhead said with a chuckle . He was brave because he was out of range of her strikes.

Not for long because she started to stand up.

Suddenly, the Bullhead shook as the pilot ran through some turbulence. She stumbled and fell back into her seat, while everyone else grabbed rails to stabilize themselves. There was a groan from Jaune, but they ignored him. What distracted them all was what happened to Touma. The shaking vehicle pushed him off the wall and he fell over.

Right into Lily's lap.

Everyone stared at the sight in silent shock. Everyone in the cabin simply waited for Lily to beat the daylights out of him.

It did not happen.

"…Mmm, soft." Touma muttered and then snored lightly.

Lily looked over at her friend, who was trying to hide her laughter, but couldn't hide her snickering. Two of the guys joined in, amused at Lily's reddening face. Tusk and Craig were the only ones who did share the amusement; they just looked pissed. Lily lowered her gaze back at Touma and seemed at a loss for words. She placed a hand on his shoulder and shook him lightly, but to no avail. Her cheeks flushed deeper when Touma shifted back into place, his head in a dangerous position should he roll over.

"What's up with Lily all of a sudden?" Craig asked, his agitation creeping into his tone. "She went all docile on us once that kid passed out on her."

"I've been hitting on her for weeks and all I've got to show for it is a handshake!" Tusk fumed. "Yet that bastard is getting himself such a cozy spot on her lap. Ooooh, I wanna hit 'im."

"You know I can hear you idiots, right?" Lily asked sarcastically.

"That's the point." The two of them responded in perfect unison.

"And you wonder why you two are single." Lily growled and the other girl nodded. It seemed focusing on those two were making her cheeks return to normal. She placed a hand on Touma's head. "This guy at least doesn't insult a girl right to her face."

"Hey, it was a compliment when I said you could eat us out of house and home." Tusk protested, causing both girls to glare at him.

"For a human, he's still better than you." Lily replied. "Maybe I'll let him rest of my lap while you watch? It might teach you some manners."

"You know these two are supposed to be prisoners." Tusk reminded her.

"Well, this guy is my prisoner." Lily snapped

"I'm happy being here...hic." Touma muttered.

"That bastard's awake!" Craig declared angrily.

"He's trying to take advantage of the situation!" Tusk angrily told Lily.

"Uh huh." Lily raised an eyebrow.

"At least one of you two know how prisoners need to act." Craig said, glancing over at Jaune.

"Don't talk to me." Jaune muttered, his hands still covering his face as the ship lurched again.

"Both you and him look too comfortable." Tusk growled, glaring at Lily and Touma.

"I know, but he's just so cute when he's like this. Look at his baby face." Lily, poking at the boy's cheek, was enjoying getting a rise out of Tusk.

"…you're cute…too." Touma mumbled, a grin on his face.

The girl responds to his drunken words by brushing a lock of hair behind his ear, the faintest of pinks dusting her cheeks. Her friend leaned over and glanced down at Touma. She smiled and then chuckled at the expression on Lily's face.

"He is kind of adorable." She admitted. "It's hard to believe this was the guy who defeated Adam."

I hate that kid.

The thought crossed through the mind of all four male members of the White Fang. Jaune could care less.

"...Even in his sleep he's smooth."

"Well, at least blondie over there is a bit more behaved...sorta." Craig said, jabbing his thumb in Jaune's direction.

Jaune wasn't even trying to act scared. It was taking all this determination not to make a fool of himself. Plus make everyone wish they died instead. He leaned back and rested his head on the cool metal hull of the Bullhead and tried to sleep. Being slightly drunk seemed to help his motion sickness a little.

The two men opposite of the girls, both suffering from crumpled pride and shattered ego, pulled out their scrolls to distract themselves. Craig's ears twitched when he heard Tusk snicker and looked over at his friend.

"Good to see some things don't change. Still reading that action-junky garbage as usual."

"What!?" Tusk immediately rounded on him. "You're acting like this masterclass in writing here isn't better than most of those shitty rom-com stories you read."

"Watch it, Tusk! At least mine is grounded in some degree of realism here. Masterclass in writing? Please! I'm surprised you can say that with a straight face when the protag has a freakin' harem."

"Don't insult the delicate dance that goes into such a relationship with your petty words. The author that wrote that book off the failures of his personal love life. This baby right here was created with the intent to show the intricacies of a polygamous relationship in the making. Adding in a refreshing dose of action to offset the romantic elements of the plot."

"Excuse me!? Failures of a personal love life? This is a glorious novel that showcases the value of an actual committed relationship between two very different but compatible individuals. That garbage you have there is just some fantasy devised by a lazy author who, as an indecisive piece of shit, just threw his hands up and made the protag get with every woman who walked in his general direction."

"Now you take that back you piece of shit! Every single girl has a rightfully deserving place beside the protagonist! Each girl has a unique story to them, something that makes them stick out among the sea of generic tropes and faces. They've all earned their place beside him after the many trials and tribulations that came their way. You can't just waltz all over their hard work with your unrelenting stupidity!"

"Oh, god." Lily groaned. "They are at it again."

"I never saw the big deal," Her friend replied, equally nonplussed by the ensuing argument taking place. "I like romance and action."

"Oh look, someone's feeling pretentious because 'they all deserve a piece because of blah-blah-excuses, excuses, excuses.' That's why that garbage you read is crap and this is so much better. There's nothing dividing the focus between the two in this novel. No distractions, no bullshit. It's these two and the experiences they go through trying to make the improbable into something real. And on top of that, I bet it pisses you off because you know I'm right."

"Yeah, yeah. Like having to surpass the great hurdle that is another shitty high school love story is anything to get excited about. Oh no, more hormonal teens facing their emotions. Are they by chance going to proclaim their love for each other atop the roof for the whole school to finally see that no matter your differences, love can bloom for anyone? Fucking grow up. That shit has been done to death. Same generic story, same generic protagonist, same generic girl."

"That's it, come here you fucker!"

Craig began to put Tusk in a headlock.

"Bring it, you rom-com dimwit!"

They both engaged in a minor scuffle, though never leaving their seats. Their Scrolls did clatter to the floor as the two of them found their hands full. Lily scowled at how juvenile those two were being. After the two degenerates started their brawl, the resulting noise awoke the unlucky drunk. Who, now gazing upon the two blurs in his vision duking it out, made a move to resolve the issue. Only to be pulled back down by Lily, who kept him from getting involved in the scuffle.

"Aogami, Tsuchimmmmikadoh...will you two idiots stahp..." Touma muttered.

"Go back to sleep cuti-I-I mean, kid." Lily whispered. Due to the fight, only her friend heard her words. "Don't worry about the noise."

"But Onee-san..ish have to…" His remaining words were nothing but mumbling.

"No, no. It's fine, those two idiots will tire themselves out eventually. Just be a good boy and sit still."

"If you shay shooo…" Touma's words trailed off as he fell back into the girl's lap.

"What's an Onee-sa...you know what, never mind. You just stay riiiight here, right here on...um, Onee-san's lap, okay?"

Lily's face was beet red as she stroked his head. However, she realized too late the fighting stopped. Looking over at the other White Fang members, she saw they all has similar 'what the fuck is an Onee-san' look on their faces. To which she just shrugged and kept combing through his spiky hair.

"Mmm...I knew bhig busty Onee-sans are de bhest...funyah~...so comforting.."

Waves of annoyance to spread through the entire cabin of the Bullhead.

"...well, at least he's honest about what he likes." Lily muttered

"Doesn't seem to discriminate either." Her friend agreed.

"It's not like you're big breasted." Tusk pointed out.

The temperature in the cabin dropped to near zero as a dark scowl formed on Lily's face. She may not have been the biggest around, but she did have breasts. Her hand reached down to the floor and picked up one of the dropped Scrolls. Smiling sinisterly, Lily chucked it at full force into Tusk's face. The force sent him slamming into the wall behind him, causing Jaune to bolt up.

"I don't know what he was so adamant about, but I'm more of a 'younger girls' kinda guy," Craig said, casually his comrade's current state of pain. "Being pampered is nice and all, but seeing their cute blush, and their petite physique when you're the one to do so, is what I'm all about."

"You just can't beat having a little someone to take care of." Tusk pointed out, hissing and rubbing his now sore nose.

"You know, that's actually a good point...so then, why exactly where you going after Lily if that's what you're into? Unless you're just a bold-faced liar."

"Hey, I never said I wasn't flexible like that." Tusk shrugged. "Nor did I say I don't like to be the one pampered. I just prefer doing it, and having more options available is always nice. Unlike you, the generic rom-com type of guy."

"You looking to get your ass kicked for a second time, Tusk? I can make it happen for you if you'd like, you indecisive bastard."

"I'd like to see you try, Generic Craig. Even your name sounds boring."

"Come on then, porky. Let's see what you got."

The two of them once more got into a scuffle, and the resulting struggle caused them to crash into Jaune. Jaune slammed against the wall and groaned. His resilience wavered and his face turned an ugly shade of green. Tusk and Craig were fighting on the ground, the girls watching them in disgust. One of the other two guys looked up and saw Jaune's expression.

"Is he… OH SHIT!"


The pilot and copilot of the Bullhead were doing their job exactly as they trained for. Getting White Fang members from point A to point B. They were just glad that, besides a little turbulence, they weren't being chased by fighters trying to shoot them out of the sky. The plan had been to drop them off, grab the kid that High Leader mentioned she wanted to meet when Adam told her what happened, and hopefully get a reward.

The thing was, this entire expedition was not official.

A bunch of new White Fang members wanted to show off how capable they were and to gain favor. It didn't sound like the High Leader was going to actually go out and find him, but they figured she would reward them for them for being proactive. The two pilots were just making small talk and laughing now. The flight would take another hour or two, but everything was going perfectly.

Until a blood-curdling scream erupted from the back cabin.

It was immediately followed by several more.

The main pilot jerked the controls and looked at his copilot in horror.

"What's happening?!"

"I don't know?!"

The screaming did not stop, but they heard words now through the door.

"Get away, get away from him!"

"Holy mother of-… it's freaking everywhere!"

"Open a window for fucks sake! No, open the cargo door!"

"Are you an idiot!? We can't do that mid-flight!"

"Then open your mouth!"

"Sweet merciful heavens! Land this fucking thing, do it!" There was pounding on the locked metal door. The reason it was locked was to prevent their captives from trying to fight back and hijack the Bullhead. "Do it before they come closer! No, no, stay back, Chris. No, noooo! Urgh-"

It seemed like a good choice now.

"Keep it shut?"

"Yep."

The exchange between the pilot and copilot was kept brief. Both of which choosing to continue flying and ignore the sound of screaming and sobbing in the back. It wasn't their job to deal with unruly prisoners and, with what they were hearing, there was no way they were going back there without a platoon of armed guards.


Far outside of Vale, the Bullhead finally landed outside of partially concealed building built into the side of a hill. Standing outside was the Lieutenant with a small group of armed warriors. His chainsaw was strapped to his back and he had his arms crossed. It was obvious he was not pleased. The soldiers next to him were shifting anxiously. This was not a scheduled drop and they knew some recruits were missing. Three Bullheads had been taken without authorization and the first one had just returned. The Lieutenant started walking toward the Bullhead once the engines turned off when the door opened.

He stopped as six White Fang members scrambled out, acting as if they had been prisoners for years and just were given freedom.

"What is-…" He started to say as a terrible stench hit his nose. "…that smell?!"

"Fresh air!" Tusk cried, "I need a shower, change of clothes, anything!"

"I'm so sorry!" Lily begged to the Lieutenant. "I'm sorry for going along with these idiots. Please let me into the showers!"

"Two hours!" Another member cried out in agony. "That stench… I'd rather be in prison!"

The Lieutenant's eyes immediately focused on the Bullhead, as two more people stepped out. One he only recognized because of a picture. The kid had been part of the assault squad on the train and helped contain the Breach. The other was quite famous among the White Fang now. The kid who could scare and erase Grimm, not to mention the one Adam had lost to.

"It wasn't that bad!" Jaune called out, still looking green. He stumbled out, looked around, and immediately vomited again into the bushes. The armed guards all stepped back automatically. None of them even considered drawing their weapons at this display.

"Eh, it smells better than Index's food." Touma admitted. He was leaning against the Bullhead, holding his head. "All that yelling though…"

"...I don't want to hear another word from you two." Craig growled, pointing toward them.

Touma and Jaune wisely kept their mouths shut and looked away out of guilt.

"What... what are you two doing here?!" The Lieutenant roared and then looked at the White Fang members who had escaped the Bullhead. "Explain, NOW!"


Feel free to leave a review, comment, suggestions, or ideas, I love reading them. If you have a question you wish I ask and would like a quick answer, feel free to message me directly. I try to respond to those within a day or two. Comments, I tend to respond to in the next chapter. All mistakes are SilverFang88's fault.

I feel the White Fang in a lot of stories are just boring grunts. This chapter allowed us to see that, while they may be misguided, they are just like us. Touma even sees similarities. I can also use names now instead of Random White Fang Grunt A and so forth.

HC: Yes, these White Fang grunts are quite… inspired. It's almost as if I know one of them...

DB: Oh, Healthcare helped beta, so you can blame him for any mistakes because he's new.

SF88: I also liked seeing these particular White Fang members showcasing fun personality traits. It was a fun ride...up until the motion sickness kicked in. I'll try to convince Dark to do more segments like these with White Fang grunts if an opportunity presents itself for him to do so. Oh, and before I forget, fuck you Dark.