Finally, my betas finished. Got this finished before the new years and it just took a long time with holidays. Family keeps people busy. Then computer problems and the time just kept extending, even though I wanted to update this sooner. Three separate fights that show Salem's influence growing with the knowledge from another world. Plus we'll get some introduction to a few magical systems from the Toaru franchise. Those that are familiar with the series will see what's happening here. Enough chatting up here now, quick comment responses then onto the main story.

JumpingToaster: It was only natural, as they are born from magic so having access to more magical knowledge would speed up Salem's work.

D N Works: Well, it was bound to happen.

Mr. X: 1) Yep. 2) Might try to hold back on his crassness.

WwEpsilonwW: I'm sure it will just be a massage and a movie. Neo is quite innocent, haha.

Guest: A lot of those sights are for original work, not fanfics. Since this is just for fun, I don't think this story would fit on other sites.

SlothDGod: Volume 8 had some… ups and downs in RWBY, not going to lie about that. But I'm not here to argue that here. It's a basic world of super powerful kids vs monsters. Most stories can fit that narrative in some way or another.

HYDE-BERSERKER: I would see Yang having fun teasing Ruby, Blake, and Weiss about their crushes.

Guest: That… would be a huge spoiler in the future.

Sarcasm Sage 626: I felt kind of bad on my RWBY fic with Jaune and Pyrrha breaking apart. I had to give them a little love in this story. The mutated Grimm are really improving and gives me options for future fights to make it more entertaining. A good leader will always take new information in stride, especially when that power will help him face the true enemies.

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


Gunfire erupted as Team RWBY and the two Faunus escorts unloaded their weapons onto the Wereursa— Wereursa being its tentative name since they couldn't think of anything better fitting for the monster. Ruby had Crescent Rose in rifle mode, firing high-caliber bullets. Blake was unleashing a barrage of her own from her Gambol Shroud's gun form, and Yang was firing off several shotgun blasts with her Ember Celica. Weiss even sent a jet of flames to try to melt the ice armor that was protecting the Grimm. Even the two soldiers fired their dust rifles, trying to find a weak point.

None of it was working.

The bullets were nothing more than a mere nuisance to the Wereursa.

Team RWBY didn't want to engage in close-quarters combat quite yet. This Grimm was a mutated form of the old Ursa with Wellen's magic, and until they had a better idea of its combat prowess, they didn't dare risk fighting it directly. Based on what they saw when it arrived, the Wereursa was immensely strong. None of them, except perhaps for Yang, would survive getting hit by one of those powerful, tree-shattering blows, and for all they knew there could also be other nasty surprises hidden beneath the ice that coated most of the body.

Rounds after rounds of bullets were fired at the beast before Blake had a sudden realization.

"The eyes!" She shouted amidst the noise of the gunfire. "It's protecting its eyes!"

There was a look of exasperation and relief on everyone's faces when they looked back upon their memories of the fight thus far. Blake was right. While their attacks did little if any damage to the Grimm, the Wereursa had been covering its face with its arms for protection. Furthermore, logically speaking, even if the rest of its body was coated in armor, the eyes couldn't be, or else it wouldn't be able to see. So of course, they would be its weak point. Since even the joints weren't taking any real damage.

"Hold it down!" Ruby ordered, zipping back and preparing for her usual hit and run style.

"Easier said than done!" Yang yelled, jumping back to avoid an incoming blow. The force of the hit slammed into the ground like a gigantic sledgehammer, leaving a large print with clawed grooves in the earth. "It's going to take a lot to keep that thing pinned!"

"Quit your whining and go for its legs!" Weiss told her before nodding to Blake.

The raven-haired girl understood instantly and threw Gambol Shroud, ribbon attached, at the creature. It flew in front of the Wereursa toward Yang, who reached out and grabbed it. This wasn't the first time they used this combo. Moving in tandem, the two girls wrapped the ribbon around the Grimm's legs, pulling it taut. The monster may have been larger and stronger compared to the girls, but it was now on two legs instead of four— its center of mass and sense of balance would be entirely different. Caught off guard and unused to its new form, the Wereursa tripped and stumbled within the ribbon, falling to the ground with a sickeningly loud crash as the earth beneath it rumbled.

With a swipe of Weiss' rapier, a sheet of ice trapped the Wereursa to the dirt, using up the majority of her remaining Dust.

Following that, a whirlwind of rose petals swept right in front of the Grimm's face. As the petals cleared, there Ruby stood, weapon in rifle-mode and aimed directly at the monster's right eye.

"Nighty-night!"

Bang!

"RAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWRRRRRRRRR!"

Pain and agony radiated out alongside the beast's cry, enough so that Ruby jumped back on instinct. Black blood flowed from the Wereursa's wounded eye socket. The eye was completely gone.

"You got it!" Yang cheered for a moment.

Suddenly, the ice encasing the monster started to crack, causing everyone to pause in disbelief. It continued to struggle, the Wereursa gaining more and more freedom until it finally shattered the remaining ice and stood tall.

"Or maybe not…" Yang amended, a hint of embarrassment in her voice.

"That bullet should have gone straight through its head," Blake muttered, partially in shock.

"At least we know it's not completely invulnerable," Ruby replied, holding up her weapon. "We'll just have to keep chipping away at it until it's dead."

"Enough… is enough…"

No matter how many times they heard the Grimm talk, its raspy voice still felt wrong. The Grimm stood up, still covered partially by the remains of Weiss' ice. Slowly, the icy coat shifted around the Wereursa, moving unnaturally to fuse with the beast's own corrupted, black-veined ice. Then ice began to wrap around the Wereursa's eyes, acting like a protective transparent shield.

"Weiss!" Ruby panicked. "Stop! You're making him stronger with your ice!"

"I can see that, you dunce!"

It wasn't like Weiss had much more ice Dust left anyway. From their previous experience, mutated Grimm were much more robust than their counterparts. To account for that, Weiss had fortified her original style of attacks and used much more Dust than she would normally have needed. It had worked initially, but the Wereursa was much stronger than they had realized.

"Hope you ladies have a plan," The male scout said, taking a step back, his tone almost pleading.

"Yeah, uh… we sort of make it up as we go," Ruby told him sheepishly.

"Usually works." Yang added.

"That's not very encouraging…" The female scout muttered.

"I'm tired… of these games…"

With a display of dexterity that the group previously didn't think was possible of the Grimm, it reached down and took hold of the ribbon. With one solid yank from the Wereursa, Blake was sent flying. Her body didn't even have time to process letting go of her weapon. She eventually severed the ribbon at the hilt, but the momentum was already there. Amber eyes widened as she saw the large clawed paw slashing down upon her. The only possible way to dodge was to grab the hand and twist around at the last moment. If the timing was a fraction of a second off, her body would be torn apart. It was her only choice.

Then a flash of white light appeared in front of her.

It was one of Weiss' glyphs.

Blake turned midair with a grin, feet meeting the glyph platform. Her knees bent as she fought back against the carried momentum and barely managed to jump back at the last second. A massive claw struck down upon the glyph where she had stood only a moment ago, shattering it like cheap glass. At the same time, a yellow figure appeared behind the Grimm.

"No one tries to touch my partner!"

Yang's mighty fist crashed into the back of the Wereursa's head. As the beast staggered forward for a moment from the weight of the blow, a shotgun blast from the Gauntlet in the blonde's hand erupted, sending a shot at point-blank distance. The force also rocketed Yang backward, putting herself out of reach. Or that was the plan at least. A backhand from the Wereursa swung backwards as it spun around.

Another glowing glyph appeared between the hand and Yang's body, this one darker instead of snow-white.

While it didn't last longer than the first one, there was one slight difference. The clawed hand's direction altered ever so slightly. The claws missed Yang's arms by a hair. The wind from the powerful blow swirled and pushed Yang back even faster, but to a Huntress, that was nothing. She somersaulted and landed on her feet, using one hand on the ground to stabilize herself.

Weiss frowned.

Her goal had been to reflect the Wereursa's blow right back at it. If the claws impaling the beast didn't finish it, at least the arm would have broken from the force. That was Accelerator's favorite passive defense. Her glyph worked fundamentally differently than his ability, which caused the difference in outcomes. She couldn't instantly change the blow's direction. Instead, she used gravity dust to stop attacks and send it back. It worked fine on the mysterious intruder using shards of glass previously. That attack was a lot lighter though.

The most she had done was deflect the blow slightly before her glyph broke.

Still, progress was progress, and it did help save Yang.

"Gunfire isn't working," Blake told them. "We should retreat and use some of the city's defenses."

"We shouldn't bring this thing anywhere near town!" Ruby shot back worriedly.

"It's going to get to the town if we can't stop it anyway!" Yang countered.

"Give up and die!" The Wereursa roared, charging Yang. While it was faster than it had been and could move like a person, it still wasn't faster than a Huntress. The blonde managed to jump to the side, letting the Grimm crush several trees and a bolder.

"Ruby, Weiss, plan?!" Yang called over her shoulder.

"Yang, your blow managed to hurt it a little!" Ruby pointed out, trying to analyze the situation. "Our weapons just don't have enough firepower to pierce its skin. We'll have to go in close and get a clean shot. Yang, get mad!"

"How do I do that!?"

"When have you ever had that problem?!" Weiss demanded. "Imagine Ruby having a boyfriend or something!"

"HEY!" Ruby yelled furiously.

The two Faunus scouts exchanged a look of disbelief. The situation was looking dire and these girls were acting stupid. Neither of them really wanted to stay here a moment longer. The female already radioed the city in case things went south.

"We have to break its defenses!" Ruby called out, making a decision at last. "Checkmate!"

Blake and Weiss darted forward. It was risky getting within striking range, but they didn't have any other options right now. Dust and bullets did little except annoy the Grimm. They would have to strike it hard and fast, avoiding its claws. Blake was agile as long as she was touching the ground. Weiss could propel herself at high speeds with her glyphs. From the way the Wereursa moved, it wasn't as agile as the mutated Beowolf they fought before. That thing was fast and dexterous, enough to keep up with Qrow. This Grimm was just insanely strong.

If they were ever combined, that would be a nightmare.

Blake ducked under an outstretched claw and struck with her weapons at the Wereursa's knee. While the ice and bone armor covered most of the body, the joints couldn't have as thick of protection, or the creature wouldn't be able to move. That was their only shot. Plus the weight of the large body on the legs seemed like a weakness to exploit.

Weiss used her rapier to jab the knee on the other leg. Instead of dodging the claw, she propelled herself forward, causing the Wereursa to only swipe at thin air. The beast's reactions weren't quick enough to catch the high-speed heiress. Which was for the best as one blow would probably break her. Weiss didn't have the most substantial Aura reserves as Yang or Jaune did.

The Wereursa collapsed on its knees as its legs gave way.

Rose petals appeared as Ruby exploded at an inhumane speed to flank the Grimm. Spinning her scythe, she struck the tip into the Wereursa's elbow, trying to keep it from being able to attack. This was purely to help her teammates, as the honor of the finishing blow wasn't for her, but for her sister.

"AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Yang's primal scream rang out as she charged. Heat flooded from her body and her hair was glowing slightly. She would never admit it, but she had taken Weiss' advice. Imagining Ruby with a boy worked wonders, but not just any boy. Someone like Jaune or Ren were too nice to get her upset. Her imagination wasn't that good without some situation for her to misconstrue. The blonde had to imagine Ruby with an ex-boyfriend of hers. The boy two years ago was an asshole.

That was more than enough.

Yang charged forward and before the Wereursa could react, she delivered a powerful knee right into the snout. The Grimm let out a roar of agony and several teeth fell out as it fell backwards, bending from its knees. For a moment, it looked like they won.

"UMPH!"

A paw hit Yang in the chest as the beast flailed around, sending the girl flying.

"YAAAAAANNNGGG!" Ruby cried out. Her sister hit the ground with a loud thud and skitted across the ground before smashing into a remaining tree trunk. "Are you okay?"

"Anyone get the license of that trunk?" Yang muttered groggily, pushing herself up to her feet and shaking her head. "Yeah, I don't want to get hit by that again."

"What is it going to take to knock that thing out!?" Weiss demanded, holding her rapier up as the Wereursa began to rise.

"That hurt… I will repay that pain tenfold!"

The thing was a tank.

"Look out!" Weiss's high pitch shriek broke through Yang's haziness.

Lilac eyes widened as the blonde saw the beast charge her, dashing forward on two legs. The Wereursa's blood-red eyes radiated ferocity and its claws were fully extended. Yang gritted her teeth and dove to the side at the last second, kicking the Grimm in the knee. Maybe multiple strikes would weaken the armor covering the body and start causing real damage. The monster didn't stumble this time and crashed through two full-grown trees as if they weren't there.

The environment was taking most of the damage during their fight.

"It's adapting." Blake realized, dashing forward with the others ladies. "Before it was waiting for us to come to it, now it's actively moving against us."

"What's that mean?" Ruby asked worriedly.

"It means we need to finish this quickly," Weiss growled. "Before it grows more accustomed to our fighting style."

"Easier said than done, Ice Queen." Yang hissed.

There was a crash as they retreated to avoid being crushed by a tree the Wereursa tossed.

"The biggest issue is hitting it hard enough to do enough damage to stop it," Weiss muttered. "Yang proved that her kick to the face did have at least a little effect."

"If Yang's raged kick only dazed it, I'm not sure any of us can hit it hard enough to do much more." Blake pointed out.

"What if we're not the ones to hit it?" Ruby asked, her expression thoughtful as she observed the Grimm turning back to them.

"What do you mean?" Yang glanced over at her sister.

"Weiss… remember what you did back at the CCT?" Silver eyes turned to face her partner.

"I tried that already," Weiss informed her grimly. "It barely altered the trajectory of one blow."

"But it did work a little!" Ruby seemed excited. "What if you really focused on it?"

"The Grimm's blows are strong enough, so it might work." Blake agreed thoughtfully.

"I told you, a glyph isn't strong enough to stop it!" Weiss almost yelled, frustrated.

"Then use several!" Yang raised her hands exasperatedly. "Also… INCOMING!"

They scattered as the Grimm charged them once more, trying to grab any of them with its powerful claws. The roar was more of annoyance than anger. The beast seemed to realize it was only a matter of time until someone's reaction was a fraction too slow. If they retreated, then it could go on its way, causing more destruction. The girls couldn't run and the Wereursa knew it.

The Wereursa skidded to a stop, spun around, and lunged at Ruby.

The speed at which it did wouldn't have been unusual or exceptional for a Huntsman or Huntress at Beacon. The thing was this Grimm was much bigger than a person and beforehand, was much, much, slower. Its speed suddenly tripled at least. With Ruby, it might as well still have been moving in slow motion as she vanished in a whirl of rose petals. The claws harmlessly passed through air.

The girl was still unnerved by the change.

"Weiss?" Ruby asked worriedly, appearing near the others. "I don't think we have much choice."

The heiress gritted her teeth as she thought about what Yang said.

"That might be an idea," Weiss mumbled to herself more than her team leader. "It's going to be risky though and it's not something I've done before. If this thing adapts, I might only get one chance."

"We'll give you an opening," Ruby promised. "Bumblebee! Flank it!"

"You're so demanding!" Yang called over her shoulder as she and Blake split apart, dashing to either side of the Grimm.

The Wereursa roared and slammed a meaty hand down, trying to squish the pesky gnat striking its leg, but Blake dodged the attack without any effort. Agile movements and dodging was second nature to her. Swinging her sword and her sheath, she struck the Grimm's wrist. Knowing it was pointless to attack any armored body parts with her blades, Blake only aimed for joints. There was at least some reaction there, even if it wasn't much.

The claws scraped across the ground and unearthed a large barrage of dirt and rock. Blake did not expect that as the debris obscured her vision. The massive claw then pierced through the cloud.

Right into Blake's body.

The girl looked surprised and then shimmered into nothing.

Now it was the Grimm's turn to be confused. It wasn't aware of Blake's Semblance. Thinking it had finally struck a lethal blow, only to find the girl vanishing right before its eyes. Making clones of herself was one of the best ways for Blake to avoid hits. The next moment, the Faunus appeared beside the Wereursa's head, swinging her sheath like a cleaver.

It smacked into the side of the face with a loud thud.

No visible damage appeared, but the large mass jerked back with the head as the force must have done something. A shockwave can still run through flesh into the brain if Grimm even had them. Not a lot was known about their anatomy, after all. This attack wasn't the main strike though. All it did was move the creature's head back slightly. The real blow was coming from the other side.

"Hyaaaaah!"

Fist struck the opposite blind side of the Grimm's face.

Since Ruby took out one of the eyes before protecting itself, the Wereursa couldn't see at a wider angle than someone with two. Yang took advantage of this, along with the most minor force from the Grimm's head moving toward her. Like the difference between kicking a ball that's rolling to you verses running up and kicking one that's just sitting on the ground. They wanted every bit of power they could muster. Yang's eyes were blazing red as she followed through with her fist.

There was an audible crack as the ice plating broke at last.

The Wereursa fell over, crashing into the ground with a load crash. Yang, meanwhile spun in midair before landing on her feet, fists raised.

"That… actually… hurt." The Wereursa growled as it pushed itself back up.

"There's plenty more where that it from." Yang grinned, bashing her fists together as her hair began to glow slightly.

"NO!" The mutated Grimm roared. "I am above this! Must… destroy everything!" The girls looked confused and worried as the Wereursa fell on all fours and seemed to hide. Like a porcupine trying to protect itself by curling into a ball.

"What the…?" Ruby trailed off as she watched.

"Get down!" The female scout suddenly yelled from her position in the back. No one in Team RWBY had the opportunity to ask for any follow-up.

The sound of rapid explosions followed her words.

Moving at speeds that were almost too fast for the human eye to catch, the ice spikes on the Wereursa's back, fired off in every direction. They were like mini rockets. The long ice spikes went right through trees, rocks, anything that came into contact with it, was speared through without mercy. Thanks to the warning, Team RWBY hit the deck as the missiles flew over their heads.

"AHHHHHH!"

A cry of pain rang out as the male escort was grazed. A chunk of his leg was shaved off by just the ice spike brushing against him. Bright red blood splattered the ground from the wound. He fell and grabbed the wound, trying to staunch the flow.

"Are you okay!?" Ruby cried out.

"Don't worry about me and kill that fucker!" The man shouted back, dragging himself around with the help from his female partner.

Due to the seriousness of their predicament, Ruby didn't even flinch at the cussing.

"My power… is far greater than yours!" The Wereursa's head rose from its balled-up position, and its voice sounded almost… mocking?

"Did it just…?" Yang asked the others.

"It sounds like a kid." Blake realized. "One who gets mad if his opponents fight back."

"That gives me an idea." Weiss glanced over at Ruby. There was a small chance she could do something here. "I need you three to get it to do that again."

"Is that what you want to reflect?" Ruby asked, raising her weapons. "You didn't sound so sure before."

"Not quite, but I have an idea. You need to get that Grimm to fire that ice one more time."

"You heard her!" Ruby dashed over by Yang and Blake. "Smack him until he cries all the way home!"

Ruby fired another shot from the end of her rifle, aiming for the other eye on the Wereursa. Due to the ice visor blocking the bullet, nothing happened besides the round ricocheting off into the distance. There wasn't even a crack. Still, the Grimm flinched ever so slightly. This confirmed all their suspicion. With the increased intelligence from Wellen's magic, the Wereursa had some self-preservation instincts. Losing one eye made it protective on the other one.

So they were going to capitalize on it.

Yang dashed forward and fired a shotgun blast into the back of the Grimm, where the spikes had been moments before. Explosions went off as Yang continued to fire shot after shot from her gauntlets, trying to take advantage of the holes in the armor. Again, the ice and bone armor, along with the iron-like fur stopped any noticeable damage. This didn't stop the creature flinching from the shockwaves.

"The ice spikes are regrowing!" Yang warned the others loudly.

"Don't let up then." Blake countered, striking several parts of the Wereursa while flipping over the body. Strike after strike collided with the tank-like mass. Each one was followed by the sound of metal hitting stone. "It's not invincible!"

Blake and Yang continued to hammer the Grimm, who seemed content to curl back up into a ball. It was kind of a cowardly action, but they determined unlike the mutated Beowolf, which had been a leader, this mutated Ursa was more childish. Someone who just wants to show off their strength and gets upset when people pushed back. And yet, without Qrow there, this was an even harder fight. They would run out of ammo and stamina before this Wereursa did.

"Ruby, take this!" Weiss tossed a small vial of red dust to the leader, who caught it easily. "If this doesn't work, you might need this to distract it."

"What is it?"

"The last of my fire dust!"

"WAAAAA?!" Ruby almost dropped the vial. "Why are you giving it to me? What if I explode again?"

"What I'm planning is going to be exhausting, so I need someone I can trust." Weiss smiled. "You'll know when to use it. Use that crazy head of yours."

"Sure… I'll t-try." Ruby stammered and pocketed the vial.

"Annoying!" The Wereursa roared, lashing out with an arm at Yang and Blake. "I will… spear you all!"

"Incoming!" Yang yelled, as she and Black pelted away from the Grimm.

"Weiss?" Ruby moved away.

"Trust me."

Weiss took a deep breath as she stepped forward. Far enough away from the Grimm to react to those jet-propelled spikes, but close enough to implement her plan. Concentrating, she raised her rapier pointed straight up, and ran two fingers along the edge from her other hand.

The rapid explosions went off once more, sending countless ice spikes in every direction. One flew directly at Weiss and she was forced to sidestep, spinning around as if she was dancing on ice. Her rapier flowed with her movement and a black glyph appeared behind her. It was slightly angled in the path of the ice spike. Then, right before the makeshift spear collided with the edge of the glyph, it began to turn to the left ever so slightly. Not much, as her glyph wasn't that powerful, but enough to be noticeable. The spike would have flown off into the woods at an angle.

If it wasn't for another glyph appearing, angled slightly more behind it.

The slightly deflected spike hit another glyph, moving a little to the left once more. It wasn't directly hitting either of the glyphs, as the gravity Dust imbued in them pushed it. Then a third glyph appeared as the second one faded once it used up all its Dust. Over and over, Weiss kept making black glyphs, angling the direction of the spike constantly, forming a complete U-shape around her. About halfway through, Ruby and the others know what she was doing.

Weiss had wholly changed the spikes course 180 degrees.

Without lowering its power.

That was the problem Weiss was worried about. If she stopped an attack before it hit and pushed it back with gravity Dust, there was no guarantee she would be able to propel it with enough power to piece the armor of the Wereursa. Unlike Accelerator, who could instantly alter the direction without lowering the destructive force. This way, the spikes lost almost no power as she applied force to the side of the projectiles. At last, the ice returned from where it came from.

As the spike pierced the armor on the Grimm's back, Weiss couldn't help but smile.

Then she covered her ears as the creature roared in pain.

"RAAAAAAAWWWWWRRRRR!" The Wereursa's cry reverberated through the woods all around them, scaring any remaining birds within a mile or two.

"Oh, just shut up already!"

Yang jumped on the back and pushed the ice spike down further into the Wereursa's back.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!"

This scream of pain sounded less beastly and more human.

The Wereursa finally stood up and lashed out, throwing Yang off its back. The ice spear had gone all the way through, from the entrance on the back to the stomach. Black blood leaked out, but the black veined ice was already beginning to patch the wound. The beast was still roaring in pain, causing Yang and Blake to raise their weapons. Weiss had fallen on one knee, panting. Using so many new glyphs one after another was taxing, physically and mentally.

There was one girl who was already moving.

"Take this!"

Ruby appeared in the air near the Grimm, throwing the vial of dust into the roaring, gaping maw. The Wereursa was too busy crying in pain to notice the useless vial falling down its throat. The young leader wasn't done and raised her beloved Crescent Rose, already in rifle mode.

A single shot was fired.

She was in the air above the Grimm and was facing downwards. The single bullet traveled past the razor-sharp teeth and collided with the vial of fire Dust in the back of the Wereursa's mouth..

BOOM!

The giant fireball from the highly concentrated dust exploded outwards, engulfing the beast. Ruby flew backward from the hot shockwave into the waiting arms of Yang.

"Thanks." Ruby said gratefully."

"Nice shot, sis." Yang praised, letting Ruby down. "Think that was enough?"

"Looks like it," Blake commented, pointing.

The Grimm's head was completely gone, and the remains collapsed. Then slowly, it started to vanish into black smoke.

"Thank god…" Weiss panted, sitting down. "I didn't think that would be so taxing."

"That was AWESOME!" Ruby ran over and hugged her partner. "We need to use that at the Vytal Festival!"

"Nice job with the Dust too." Blake added.

"Yeah," Yang nodded and then made a finger gun with her hand. "Boom, headshot."

Her words were followed by a series of groans from her teams.


'What does it want?'

That question was why Neo didn't try to attack the shimmering thing slinking through the fortress. Curiosity filled the girl as she silently tailed the creature. It had to be a living thing based on the movements. A machine wouldn't slip around obstacles like that. Thinking it through, she rationalized it had to be some kind of Grimm or Semblance. That was what led to her main question.

The multicolored girl was leaning to Grimm.

Grimm that could camouflage wasn't unheard of. Rare, yes, but not new. They tend to sneak up on their victims and kill them quietly at night. Still, sneaking this far into a loud military base in the middle of the day was strange. The camouflage wasn't perfect, so it would need to move at night to avoid complete detection. As Neo's instincts warned her, it appeared Grimm could plan distractions. If people knew about this, panic would set it for sure.

'Or it's one of those mutated Grimm that magician made.'

Part of Neo wanted to attack the creature immediately and reveal it in the center of town, but she held off her violent tendencies. Seeing what it was after was a priority. Or so she kept telling herself. Thinking through it logically, the girl couldn't imagine who or what that Grimm would be after. All the big shots would be on the walls, surrounded by soldiers and weaponry. Only someone foolish would attack at this time.

'Unless it's not after someone. Maybe something? But what on Remnant would it want?'

The question kept running through Neo's mind as she followed the blur. Her illusions were much better and the mute girl took pride in that fact. Skills obtained from being a criminal allowed her to follow the creature without being heard. Soon, she began to grow impatient as the Grimm continued to move. Silently, Neo urged it to go faster. She wanted to know what it was after!

It didn't take long to find herself in a familiar place.

The square with the statute and the lamp part of her wanted to steal-… examine privately was up ahead.

'Wait… is it going for that?'

Neo's mouth nearly fell open. The blur began to move carefully toward the statue. Maybe it wasn't a Grimm and it was a Semblance. Who else but a thief would want to steal a golden lamp? That sheer audacity of some low-class thug wishing to take something Neo wanted. They would have to be taught a lesson. The best part was that a little violence would be perfectly okay in this situation. Smiling to herself, the hidden blade in the pink and white parasol slid out silently.

The blur reached upwards toward the lamp hanging from the statue's hand.

The dagger flashed as it sunk into the camouflaged creature. As blood began to flood out from the wound, the blurry air vanished. Neo's eyes widened as she instantly retreated, jumping backward and putting distance between herself and… whatever that was. It wasn't human and had to be some sort of Grimm. Not a Grimm Neo ever saw before.

The head and body were reptilian in nature. Like a large lizard Grimm. That wasn't actually unusual. Those types of Grimm were normally found down south. It was unusual to find one in Vale. Then there were the legs. Instead of four legs, it had eight total. Each leg did not belong on a reptilian Grimm. Those legs resembled giant spider ones. Eight, hairy, black monstrosities with white bone segments. Then there was a tail. It was as if someone grafted a Death Stalker scorpion tail to the back of the Grimm.

All in all, this Grimm was the nightmare people had of seeing a bunch of Grimm body parts being stitched together.

Some kind of Abomination.

The wound on the back of the Grimm stopped bleeding as the hole closed and the head turned to stare at Neo with blood-red eyes. The pupils dilated then shrunk, over and over. Like it was determining if Neo was a threat or not. Deciding she wasn't, it reached a spindly leg back up toward the lamp. A frown formed on the girl's face.

'It ignored me?! I'll show that thing what happens when people turn their backs to me!'

Instantly, Neo took off to strike the Abomination Grimm, moving so fast she was a multicolored blur. Now that the Grimm was visible, her blade could find a more vulnerable spot than just randomly in the back. Deciding the back of the neck was the best place, the girl aimed there. That area wasn't armored and it was a weak point in all creatures. Separate the head from the rest of the body and the thing dies. Anything that had physical anatomy would suffer the same fate. Since the Grimm didn't seem to care about her at all, this was going to be simple.

The former thief got careless.

Hissing loudly, the Abomination Grimm spun around and jumped up onto the statue, out of Neo's reach. The weight forced the stone construct over and it slammed into the ground with a loud crack. The next moment, the arms broke off and the main body snapped in two. Reaching down with its head, the Grimm scooped up the lamp in its mouth in one fluid motion. Its movement was way more agile than Neo would give it credit for. The speed stunned her for a moment.

The tail was forgotten.

Neo ducked at the last moment as her body reacted automatically. A few strands of hair fell as the sharp tail had been mere seconds from taking her head off. The Grimm eyed her once more and then turned away, once again determining she wasn't a threat.

The nonchalant attitude pissed off the mute girl. It was almost ironic how the same strategy she used on people like Yang worked so well against her. Neo charged forward and jabbed one of the legs, trying to slow the Grimm down. If it got stuck in the fortress, Neo could watch with sadistic glee as the fort's defensive weaponry gunned it down.

A short shriek of pain followed her attack and the creature spun around, hissing.

Neo smirked and held up her parasol, making a come hither gesture.

The Grimm's eyes flashed and it charged. The spindly spider legs clicking loudly on the stone street. The size of the Grimm wouldn't pose a problem. It was slightly larger than an Ursa, so her blade would be able to piece vital areas. The main threat was the tail. Neo didn't know if the tail was poisonous, so she assumed it was to err on the side of caution. Getting hit by the stinger was off the table. With a fluid movement, she slid under the Grimm, between the legs, and sliced upwards at the soft underbelly with a fluid movement.

Or what she assumed would be soft.

The flesh was oddly hard. Not like armor, but strong leather. It would take some force to cut. Piercing the Abomination was a better bet for her over slashing. Her physical strength was above average, but dexterity and agility were where she shined. Grabbing the tail she spun around and prepared to stab the back of the Grimm again.

A crack followed her movement. Not a crack like stone hitting road, but like bones breaking.

'Shit!'

She barely saw the movement as the scorpion tail bent virtually in half, swinging at an unnatural angle. The tip cut her leg as she flung herself off the Grimm. The wound was shallow, but the effect was near immediate. Neo's eyes widened as she felt her leg go numb. It didn't feel like poison, more like someone just filled her right leg with an anesthetic.

Nothing.

No pain, no pleasure, no smooth cloth from her pants. It was like her leg had just died. Such an awful feeling as the flesh and bone just dangled limply as the girl crashed into the ground. Neo pushed herself up and wrapped herself in an illusion as she stood on her one good leg. Vanishing from the sight, the Grimm stopped hissing at her and looked around, nostrils flaring.

Before lunging where she was standing.

'Damn it! The fucker can smell me!'

The lamp may have been in the Abomination's mouth, but a full-on charge would definitely hurt. Not to mention pinning her down while the tail finished her off. The illusion shattered like glass as the Grimm collided with it. All Neo could do was dive to the side with her one good leg, grabbing a lamp post to stabilize herself. Cursing silently, the situation didn't look good.

'If it had been an arm, I could have escaped. Damn leg. I'm getting soft!'

Panting, her multicolored eyes fell on the Grimm turning towards her. A long snake-like tongue flickered around the lamp as it approached. The scorpion tail snapping back into its normal position. Neo blinked and prepared to throw herself down an alleyway in hopes she could escape the beast.

"Hey, Ugly! Get away from her!"

Neo's ears twitched as she heard the familiar male voice. Part of her refused to believe it at first. Even if the boy noticed her vanishing, there was no way he would have known where she went. The fort was a big place and with the Grimm assault, the place was chaotic. Abandoning his position was also problematic, as military personnel tended to froth at the mouth if anyone even thought about doing that. Yet, as the partially paralyzed girl turned, she saw the familiar spikey hair.

Her opponent heard the cry too. Normally, Neo wouldn't have expected the Abomination to turn for anyone else. Grimm tended to focus on weakened pray first before worrying about others. That wasn't the case here. What could only be described as fear appeared in the Grimm's eyes, something Neo recognized all too well as the pupils dilated.

The creature scuttled away as fast as those spider legs could carry it until it was well away from Neo before the threat could reach them.

"Neo!" Touma yelled, skidding to a stop in front of her. "Are you okay?"

Neo nodded but pointed to her leg. It was still completely numb and useless. Holding onto the light pole was the only way she could stand up easily.

"What is that thing?" Touma asked, his eyes narrowing on the Abomination. "And… why does it have the lamp?" Instantly his eyes had zoned in on the item between the Grimm's teeth. "Neo?"

The girl in question rolled her eyes and shrugged her shoulders. Like hell if she knew.

"I guess it doesn't matter," Touma admitted. "If it's after that lamp, we can't let it have it." The boy stepped forward. "And I won't forgive it for hurting you." He actually sounded angry.

That surprised Neo, as her eyes widened. The Grimm took a step back as Touma approached it. Even with its unique body, the creature still feared that unnatural hand. Neo smirked as Touma continued to push the Grimm back. Though, her smirk fell from her face when she noticed the boy's arm.

The air was shimmering slightly.

That had never happened before, at least what Neo had seen. Was this something special with Touma's hand or was it just her imagination after following the Abomination's camouflage? Could his anger at her being hurt cause it? Whatever the reason, the Grimm didn't like it. The sound of thudding boots caused Neo to glance over her shoulder at the soldiers rushing toward them. Being out in the open, it was only natural someone would eventually notice. The Grimm also raised its head as they approached. Obviously, it was in trouble and knew it. The creature opened its mouth, the handle of the lamp still caught in its teeth.

"DANGER! DANGER! DANGER!"

Everyone felt like their mind was about to explode.

The shrill screeching sound washed over them, causing their ears to ring out and their minds to slam against the insides of their skull. Neo slipped off the pole and hit the ground as she covered her ears. Even the soldiers in the distance paused and grimaced. The sound attack wasn't supernatural, as Touma was covering his ears too.

He couldn't think.

All the thoughts in his mind were just the repetition of the word 'Danger.' Touma wasn't sure what to do in this case. If it was a supernatural sound attack, his hand would negate it. Even covering his ears didn't stop the sound. It was like nails on chalkboards going through a megaphone at point-blank range. Without the ability to negate noise, the sound pierced his skull directly.

A warm liquid leaked from his ears.

They had to do something or the sound would tear their brains apart. Gritting his teeth, the boy charged, eyes blurring from the pain jarring his mind. The Grimm didn't seem to expect that and quickly jumped up on the building, the spider legs clutching the wall with ease.

At least the screeching shopped.

Boom!

A rocket flew through the air and hit the backside of the Grimm. The explosion left a hole in the building, along with blowing off the scorpion tail. Black blood sprayed everywhere as the large stinger hit the ground with a dull thud and began to vanish, but the main body of the Abomination was still intact. It hissed and vanished into a shimmering form before dashing off across the roofs to leave the fortress.

"Get it!" One of the officers yelled at his men, who began chasing, before pulling out a walkie-talkie. "We got a stealth Grimm running around inside the fortress, heading toward the West wall. Men are in pursuit."

"What was it after?" Came General Taupe's response.

"It… er… took the Golden Lamp."

There was a pause.

"What the fuck do you mean?!"

"It's what I told you, sir!"

Touma was ignored and so he went over to pick up Neo, who was shaking her head. A little blood dripped from her nose but stopped shortly after. Her leg was still numb so Touma let her lean on his shoulder as they made their way to the medical bay. The boy didn't say anything about how he found Neo, so she took the initiative and gestured.

'How did you find me? I thought I left quietly to avoid people saying I couldn't.'

"I figured you were bored since these kinds of large-scale battles don't suit your fighting style. And the Center area was the only reasonable spot you would go in a fortress like this."

The real reason was a little different. When Touma noticed Neo was gone, he had the sinking suspicion the girl had regressed back to her old ways and was planning to steal the golden lamp. Her gaze when she first saw it indicated that the girl was interested in it. The unlucky boy hated thinking of her like that, as she had actually been on her best… relatively… behavior. When he saw Neo about to be killed by the Grimm, his emotions flared. Some at himself for thinking badly about the ex-thief who was changing her ways.

So he told a small white lie.

The best part? She didn't hit him.


"It's amazing how many stars there are when you're outside the city," Pyrrha commented, as she and Jaune walked around the town wall. Nora and Ren had finished their shift and it was around 1:30 in the morning. Pitch black except for random street lights and lanterns.

"Not as many back when we were with Eliza," Jaune reminded her. "No lights there at all."

"No, I suppose not." Pyrrha didn't want to tell him her real feelings about this. It was their first time walking under the stars as a couple. "I just don't get many opportunities to do this. Early to bed so I can get up the following day."

"When you become a Huntress, you'll have plenty of chances," Jaune pointed out. "Our professors keep telling us we'll be spending a lot of time out in the wilds."

"When? Not if?" Pyrrha noticed the word choice. "You got faith in me."

"No one's blind enough to see you aren't destined to be the second greatest Huntress ever."

"Wait… second?" Pyrrha blinked as confusion overtook her. "Who's the first?"

"Me, of course." Jaune wasn't even trying to hold back his grin. "You'll have the honor of telling people you got to train me. Luuuuckyyy."

Pyrrha couldn't help laughing. A crystal clear laugh that proved it was one hundred percent genuine. However, a comment like that couldn't be let off and she lightly swatted his arm. It was this kind of stuff she loved about being with the blonde boy. Fame and fortune didn't matter to him. He liked her for her and even after dating, he hadn't changed. Willing to joke, would be a strong supporter, and always encouraged her. They didn't even change their current training regime as Jaune wanted to be strong enough to stand by her side, in and out of combat.

'I hope he's ready when the press gets wind of this. I know a few people that broke up because of fame.'

Shaking her head slightly, Pyrrha pushed those nasty thoughts away. They would cross that bridge when they came to it and she had warned him about the pressure already.

"Any signs of Grimm?" Jaune asked a guard as they passed a watchtower.

"Nope looks quiet tonight. Thanks for helping with the patrols."

"Our pleasure," Pyrrha assured them, as they were about to continue on.

Click, click.

"Did you hear that?" Jaune asked, freezing in place.

"Shhhh." The guard warned and flipped a switch in his tower. Lights flickered to life around the outer wall as Jaune and Pyrrha climbed up the ladder to see. "Shit…"

Rows of red eyes lined the trees. Big bug-like eyes were gazing at the town. As they watched, more and more appeared. Dozens of unblinking eyes were gazing up at them, and they continued to hear the clicking sound.

Jaune stopped dead in his tracks when he realized what lay before them. His hand drifted to his sword, snapping it from its sheath and fixing the shield to his arm. Pyrrha, who seemed to have taken note of the situation and was slightly calmer, had already retrieved her weapon, sitting cradled and ready to fire at a moment's notice. She shared a brief look with her partner before giving a slight nod of assurance. Jaune did his best to reciprocate as his mouth went dry. He wasn't used to fighting this many at once.

"I'm letting Nora and Ren know…" The boy began, but really, it was all for naught.

A shrill piercing sound rang out through the town as the guard hit the alarm. Instantly, the militia began to swarm from their respective homes to man the walls. The few windows Pyrrha and Jaune could see from their position were already being barricaded. It was evident what life was like outside the safety of Vale proper. The people here were used to Grimm attacks and were prepared.

"Where do you want us?" Jaune asked the guard, who was aiming a rifle.

"Try not to let them breach the wall," Came the gruff responses from the man, who didn't even turn to look. "If they get into the town, take them down quickly."

"On it." Pyrrha raised her rifle and prepared to help fire.

The Grimm didn't seem to be leaving the safety of the tree line. The skittering grew ever so slightly louder. A steady crescendo of clicking and scratching. The sound of boney claws and spines scraping the bark that made up the forest edge around the town. The guards were all lined up, prepared to defend their homes, but didn't fire blindly into the darkness. Ammunition was scarce out here and they couldn't afford to waste any.

"Why aren't they attacking?" Jaune whispered to Pyrrha, after calling Ren and Nora. Nora wasn't happy to be woken up so soon, but quickly got over that when she heard what was happening. "Beowolves and Ursa would just charge us, right?"

"Night Dancers like to ambush, remember." Pyrrha reminded him. "They won't blindly charge against a fortified area. Waiting for us to come to them would be their forte."

Then a loud shrieking sound reverberated through the woods.

All at once, like a flood, the Praying Mantis Grimm began to emerge. The outer shell was white, resembling armor, while the underbelly was black and hairless. The red compound eyes formed of thousands of lenses were blood red. The two front appendages formed deadly white scythe-like blades. The pictures Jaune and Pyrrha saw did not do these Grimm justice. The insectoid Grimm didn't stop there.

The Night Dancers charged, their claws scraping against the ground as their mandibles clicked together menacingly.

"I thought you said they wouldn't attack!" Jaune was forced to yell as gunfire exploded around them.

"I was wrong, SORRY!" Pyrrha cried back, as she fired her own rifle at a nearby Grimm.

The good news was the Night Dancers were not armored. Basic Dust rifles were strong enough to bring them down with a well-placed shot. The bad news? There were so many. How they could have hidden such a large strike force was a mystery to all of them. The Praying Mantis Grimm were also fast, closing the distance between the tree line and the wall in seconds before climbing over. Jaune struck at once with his sword, but the rest of the walls weren't so lucky. There were only so many guards and the Grimm began to invade the interior of the city.

"They aren't going for the guards!" Jaune realized. "Pyrrha!"

"I'm with you!" The redhead called back, as they hopped down off the wall and raced after the Grimm slipping between the buildings.

It was a sign of how strong their bond was that few words had to be said between them to work as a team. Pyrrha threw her shield into the back of the head of the nearest Grimm. The force caused it to fall forward and skid on the ground, long enough for her to jump and stab her spear into its body. Jaune kept running forward and raised his shield in front of her, as another one sliced at him with its scythe-like blade. Jaune didn't stagger as he held his ground.

"Glad they rely on sneak attacks," The boy grunted. "A lot easier than holding back Ursa."

"But it makes chasing them down more difficult," Pyrrha answered, throwing her spear directly between the eyes of the second Night Dancer. She jumped over Jaune and grabbed her weapon a second after the Grimm hid the ground. "They are spreading out."

"We have to contain them at-…" Jaune started to order when a loud shriek interrupted him.

"HEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLPPPPPPP!"

Jaune and Pyrrha were already rushing over to one house, where the front door had been knocked down. A female dog Faunus was trying to barricade the door while a young girl was behind her, frozen in terror on the ground. Pyrrha recognized the girl as Cindy, that girl who wanted her autograph. Two Night Dancers were trying to get in, slashing at the woman. With the terror the two civilians were feeling, it wasn't a surprise that another Grimm was climbing down off the roof.

"Get away from them!" Jaune yelled, charging forward.

Pyrrha covered him with rifle fire as she raced after him, forcing one of the Grimm to back up and cover its face. Jaune raised his shield and ran directly into the creature trying to get into the house. With his Aura enhanced strength and the Grimm being more agile than strong, he managed to push the Mantis out of the way. He severed one of the arms with a slice of his blade as he stood in front of the two Faunus.

"Get into an interior room!" Jaune called over his shoulder. "We got this!"

The woman was almost crying in thanks as she picked up her daughter and went further into the building. Jaune quickly moved forward and began to slash up and down, left and right, as fast as he could against the Night Dancer. After a series of eccentric blows, the beast eventually went down. Then a second Grimm fell off the roof and slammed onto the ground next to him, a bullet hole between its eyes. Pyrrha smiled as she walked toward him, swapping her rifle back to the spear form.

They couldn't enjoy their timely rescue as the village was still under attack.

"Why are the Grimm going for civilians and not the people attacking them?" Jaune asked as they rushed after the other Night Dancers.

"Some Grimm like to go after helpless people over soldiers," Pyrrha answered through gritted teeth. "It causes panic and attracts even more Grimm."

They rounded a corner and nearly were beheaded by a Night Dancer trying to ambush them. Pyrrha dove under the sharp claw, and Jaune raised his shield. A bang followed and the jolt caused the Grimm to freeze for a moment. Quick on the uptake, Pyrrha wasted no time in taking advantage of the pause. She shoved her spear upwards with a single perfectly aimed jab straight into the torso. The Grimm let out a shriek that send a short shiver down their spine and then went quiet.

"Which way n-…" Jaune started to ask when an explosion went off.

"REN! DON'T LET THEM ESCAPE! DEATH TO THOSE WHO DISTURB MY SLUMBER!"

"Looks like Nora has the east side." Pyrrha couldn't help giggling even in the dire situation. "Let's head west and try to corral them in the middle." Splitting up completely wasn't smart with how these Grimm operated, and they needed to stick together. While causing havoc amongst the townspeople, the Night Dancers were still willing to set up ambushes for the Beacon students.

"Good of plan as any." Jaune agreed instantly with a nod of his head.

They just left an alleyway between two houses when the whistling sound filled the air. Jaune paused and looked around, confused where the noise was coming from. Then something above him blocked out the stars.

"MOVE!" Jaune roared as he dove to the side and Pyrrha was right behind him.

He hit the ground hard and rolled as a large shape slammed into the dirt nearby. Pyrrha was already up on her feet. Shield raised even as the earth shook beneath her. The gears clicked and whirled as her spear retracted into a sword. Jaune pushed himself up to gaze at the large Grimm that had just landed in front of them. The top half was a Night Dancer for sure. The head glanced around as the mandibles clicked. It was the lower half that was different. Just like they were told, the lower half looked like a grasshopper. Powerful hind legs that were throbbing with what they presumed to be muscle.

"It's the boss!" Jaune scrambled to stand back up.

"If we take it down, the others should flee!" Pyrrha called back.

The two students moved forward to flank, with Jaune taking the front. The plan was for him to try to slow it down and prevent it from moving by taking the Grimm's attacks. Pyrrha would be the attacker, as Jaune wasn't as agile to strike the weak points. That was the plan anyway.

Things didn't work out.

The Mutated Night Dancer didn't even seem to pay them any attention as it crouched. Then, with one swift fluid motion, it jumped. Jump might have been a weak descriptor for what it did. With legs that must have been like giant springs, it literally leaped over a house and landed on the other side. The magnitude of that jump caused Pyrrha and Jaune to gape at it for an instant before they could grasp what just happened.

"It literally jumped over houses." Pyrrha gasped.

"No wall on Remnant will stop that thing!" Jaune realized, understanding the actual danger this Grimm posed. "We need to stop it."

"It's heading to the center of town," Pyrrha reported as the two chased after the leader of the Night Dancers. "What do you think its target is?"

"Random people?" Jaune had no real idea either. "I'm used to the Grimm around Beacon. They just like to attack us directly. It's why Ozpin sent us here. These mutated Grimm are abnormal in their goals."

A loud crash in the distance indicated where their target was. The earth shook once more from the impact.

"That's… the mayor's office." Pyrrha recognized as they drew close.

It was the mayor's office. Half of the building lay decimated in a pile of rubble as the Night Dancer Leader appeared to have landed on the building. The height of the jump combined with the larger and heavier lower body caused the Grimm to act as a giant sledgehammer. Anything beneath it was crushed by the bulk being carried by the force of gravity. The Mutated Night Dancer began to rummage around in the building remains, searching for something.

"It's after something!" Jaune realized. "But… it's a Grimm…"

"Is Wellen controlling it?" Pyrrha hypothesized as they drew close. "I don't think we can just ask it."

A pink explosion went off a couple of streets down from them and the remains of a normal Night Dancer littered the area.

"That's the tenth one!" Nora called out and waved to Pyrrha and Jaune. "Our side's cleared!"

"Nora, wait up!" Ren chased after her, panting.

"Good timing," Jaune pointed to the leader of the attacking Grimm. "A little help, Nora!"

"Woo, you always find the best prey, Jaune-Jaune!"

Nora and Ren raced over to Pyrrha and Jaune. The four took their positions and prepared to face off against their opponent. Because it was not normal, they weren't taking any chances. They would face it as a team. The Night Dancer didn't seem to really pay attention to them as it continued to rummage through the rubble, before finally pulling out a metal item.

"Is that the staff we saw?" Ren asked as he gazed at the object.

"What does it want with that?" Nora asked, raising her hammer. "Guess it doesn't matter. We just have to smash it."

"Well, I hate to disappoint." Jaune tried to sound tough. "Team JNPR! Mov-…!"

"You got a lot of nerve coming into my town and wrecking the place!"

The kids froze as they felt a wave of anger wash over them. Walking toward the large Grimm was none other than the mayor, Linn Scarlet. Her official-looking uniform was discorded for a suit of blood red armor. Thrown over her shoulder was an enormous greatsword. Behind her laid two dead normal Night Dancers, cut neatly in half. Jaune could swear the air around her was shivering from the rage she was putting out.

Her emotions caused the Leader of the Night Dancers to look up, the staff clutched tightly in one appendage.

"Stealing from us too?" Linn demanded, stepping toward the creature without the slightest trace of fear. "Oh, you are so dead." In an instant, she covered the distance between her and the Grimm, swinging her greatsword that was almost as long as her body.

With a single hand.

Turns out they were right about the mayor not being a normal person.

The Mutated Night Dancer didn't seem to want to stick around and find out how abnormal she was. It crouched and prepared to jump, as it appeared to have what it was searching for. It wasn't fast enough for Linn. Right when the Grimm leaped upwards, she slashed down, severing the left arm and the left leg of the beast.

An ice-cold shrieking filled the air as the beast still managed to escape, but black blood rained down on the streets and the roofs of buildings it passed. It seemed to be heading away from the city now.

"What are you waiting for?!" Linn yelled at them. "A dinner invitation? Help us round up the last of these bugs!"

"Yes, ma'am!" The group of them couldn't resist replying in unison as they took off toward the sound of guns.

"She's my new hero," Nora whispered.

"Mine too, Nora," Jaune replied. "Mine too."

It didn't take long to clear out the rest of the Grimm. With the leader gone, the Night Dancer didn't have a clear direction. As the Grimm were fighting in a way outside their instincts, the town guards and Team JNPR made short work of the insects. Once the Night Dancers were all dead, they scouted around the city to ensure none of the Night Dancers were hiding, waiting to ambush an unsuspecting person. It was another two hours before the city began to quiet down and they were satisfied with the outcome.

Pyrrha had finished her patrol and waited outside the inn for her teammates to return when a soft voice interrupted her thoughts about the situation. They still hadn't found out why the Mutated Night Dancer wanted that staff.

"Excuse me?"

"Yes?" Pyrrha turned to see the dog Faunus girl Cindy with her mother, also a Faunus with near similar ears.

"I wanted to thank you and your team for saving us." The mother told her.

"It's what we are trained to do," Pyrrha replied with a smile. "I'm just glad we could help."

"Your boyfriend is really cool," Cindy told her. "Sorry about saying otherwise earlier."

"I forgive you," Pyrrha tried not to laugh. "He is pretty cool, isn't he?" She looked up to see Jaune returning with Ren and Nora. Her boyfriend looked exhausted, but still somehow still managed to find the energy to listen to Nora's stories.

She supposed they all deserved some sleep and they could worry about what Wellen was up to the next day.


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.

This chapter was mostly focused on the RWBY characters, but those who are familiar with the Magical Index franchise might have an idea what's taking place. For those that don't, you'll find out next chapter. Ozpin isn't going to be happy when he learns.

Wishez: PC was broke, so I couldn't edit. Hopefully things go smoother next chapter. Also, still looking for new betas. I might need a replacement soon…