"Do you have any idea how dangerous, foolish, and completely and utterly thoughtless what you did was?"

If anyone had been able to hear the angry bellows coming from Beacon's combat instructor, they would have given the room a wide birth. Fortunately, or rather unfortunately for Theodore, when his mother had connected the dots about a recent attack in Vale and learned through eyewitness accounts about her students' involvement with the incident, well… suffice it to say she was not happy.

"Mother, I-"

"What happened at the docks was one thing, which I only let pass because your actions were born of concern for miss Belladonna, and the fact that you all helped stop a huge scale theft." Theodore has never seen his mother so upset, storming back and forth across her office. "But this time, you knowingly and willingly put yourself and others directly in harm's way, not to mention conducting an illegal sting operation on a terrorist assembly site, which led to thousands in property damage and civilian injuries when you led an Atlas mech on a merry chase down fucking main street!" She stops to turn her searing glare to him.

Theodore awkwardly clears his throat. "We didn't exactly plan on that," he mumbles quietly, jumping when his mother's fist slams onto the desk.

"It seems to me that you didn't plan at all, other than the best way to get yourself killed. RWBY I somewhat expect these antics from, even your partner, but you… I honestly thought you would have had more sense than to not only allow, but go along with this." In her unbridled rage Miss Goodwitch doesn't even notice objects around the room start to shake slightly as her semblance acts out, nor does she care when Surtur hides a little further down Theodore's back. "You should have come to me, or Ozpin, or the police with your concerns, especially if you knew where the White Fang were going to be. What do you think would have happened if you or anyone else had been killed or captured, held hostage?"

A silence creeps over the room, neither of them wanting to acknowledge any potential 'what if' scenarios. On her part, this outburst is just as much from concern as it is from anger. The damages, legal headaches, foolishness and even the act itself pale in comparison to her worry for her son's safety. Deep down she knows Theodore can fend for himself, she taught him herself, but a mother worries… and gets very pissed off when her authority and teachings of common sense are thrown out of the window.

"Well", She finally says, leaning back against her desk. "What do you have to say for yourself?"

Theodore is not yet sure how to answer his mother and remains quiet for a moment longer before answering. "I stand by what I did."

"What?" Those simple words stun her more than any others could have.

"It may not have been perfect, or gone how we thought it would, and believe me if I could have avoided the collateral damage I would have… but we set out that night because we thought there was a clear and present threat to Vale and its citizens, and in the end we may have prevented a much greater catastrophe." Theodore himself knows that most of what he just said is at best a half-truth, at worst an outright lie.

The truth is that their actions had been spurred on mainly to quiet Blake's mind and potentially gain information on the partnership between Torchwick and the White Fang; destroying the mech and learning what little they had was just a happy accident.

"We knew that Torchwick was working with the Fang, but we didn't know why, or what they might have planned. So, we decided to take the initiative and try to find out, like Huntsmen would." Again, what a Huntsman would or could do is not certain, and many had played fast and loose with the authority they possess. Clearly, his mother knows this too; her eyes narrow. "Maybe we didn't fully consider the risks," he continues, "and you have a right to be angry… but we were trying to help, to save lives, to stop a threat before it became incredibly dangerous."

"Yes, but Theodore there is a right way to go about these things and a wrong way… what you did, trying to keep it a secret, disregarding the law, being reckless, was certainly the latter." His mother sighs, removing her glasses and pinching the bridge of her nose, her anger slowly fading despite her efforts to keep it.

"I know…" Theodore admits quietly, thinking how differently he would have done things had he known what would happen. "But given the fact we not only broke up a terrorist rally but also stopped the sale of stolen military equipment, I'd say what we did was still better than nothing."

"Those are the only minor positives in all this. Believe me, Ozpin and I will be having a thorough discussion with the General about how this mech was stolen, and what else might have been taken with it." His mother is already going over how she'll chew out Ironwood for the fact that one of his war machines almost killed her students. Even she dare not imagine the hell she'd have unleashed upon him if Theodore had been hurt, or killed.

"We only wanted to help." His mother looks tired. He feels no small amount of guilt for upsetting her so severely.

"I know. But you are not ready yet," she replies with a deep sigh.

"I don't know what you want me to say… You and Ozpin raised me to do what was right, to one day fight to protect people who can't protect themselves, to stand against cells like Torchwick and the White Fang." Theodore stands a little straighter as he speaks, seeing his mother's shell crack just a little. While he doesn't want to upset her more, he needs to say this. "I know how dangerous what we do is, but I can't save lives or halt wrongdoers if I don't take risks? You say you want to help me become a defender of the innocent, but when I do that or use my semblance you berate me. Do you want me to be a Huntsman? or an inattentive bystander?"

After a pause he adds, "we made mistakes but we'll learn… isn't that the saying, 'You spend your whole life learning'?" He asks a little wryly.

"Not a Huntsman," his mother counters quickly, "unless he doesn't want to live long." She looks at him for a long moment, as if struggling to recognise her own son…. "You know that's why we are strict and why we ease students into tougher missions over their four years here."

Both of them take a moment to digest what the other has said. Miss Goodwitch in particular wants to make sure that, despite his conviction, Theodore understands the weight of his lapse in judgement.

Theodore decides to try to break the sour mood. "So, is there any chance the consequences for this won't interfere with my plans on Wednesday?" He looks sheepishly at his mother.

A small smile comes to her lips, as the tension of their recent conversation is overtaken by something else. "Your plans? Would they happen to include Miss Schnee?" She feels a tug of endearment when Theodore looks down in embarrassment, somewhat relishing his reaction to having to ask her if he'll be un-grounded for a date. She shakes her head. "We'll see."

The sun shone brightly over Vale, with the bustle of people in the streets below and the birds chirping in the sky above. Few cars were on the roads, unsurprising given the early hour. The morning rush would be coming soon. However, until then the city remained fairly quiet, which suited both Theodore and Weiss just fine. They'd met up first thing to head out for breakfast together, Weiss being guided to a little café near the city centre. Theodore had spoken very highly of it. After being seated and ordering, they quickly started chatting, broaching a wide range of topics.

"So, how did you find this place?" Weiss asks, idly taking a sip of her drink as she and Theodore wait for their food.

"Well, I'm afraid there's no great story to it." Theodore takes in the light bustle of the café, briefly glancing outside. "I was just out in the city one day, decided I wanted lunch, everywhere else was really busy but this place was just quiet enough. That and they had a very interesting sign."

Weiss cocks an eyebrow. "A sign?"

"Yes, you know, one of the ones that do something colourful or has odd wording or a clever pun. The kind that forces you to stop and look at it; I thought the fact I had to do just that meant this place was worth a go." He smiles as he watches Weiss take another look around at the café's interior.

"I agree that it has personality." She had been surprised by the shelves of knick-knacks and plants upon entering, the style of the place being 'cobbled together', but it worked in an odd but appealing kind of way.

They spoke more of the city, with Theodore telling her about all the most charming aspects. But he does confess he prefers the large central park to almost anywhere else, describing much of the city as too noisy. He gestures to his head. The arrival of their food didn't slow the conversation at all, now with Weiss answering questions about Atlas and how she came to be at Beacon. Though when matters turn a little more personal, she seems to shy away somewhat.

"Everything alright?" Theodore asks, noticing her pause and fumble ever so slightly. He dreaded the thought he might be boring her.

"Yes, of course." She turns to him quickly, looking him in the eye for a moment before taking a breath. "It's just that, well… I've never really been on a date before, not a normal one like this anyway. So, I'm finding it rather enjoyably normal…" She blushes, clearing her throat before she can ramble further.

Theodore smiles, drinking some of his tea before speaking. "I understand; it seems like decorum dictates everything in Atlas… so, normal must be pretty good." There is a hint of wryness to his tone, relaxing Weiss and allowing her to regain her composure. "And to tell you the truth, I've never been brilliant at the whole dating thing either… this is kind of my first proper date as well."

"Really? So, there were no fleeting childhood romances here in Vale then?" Weiss asks.

Theodore watches her butter and put jam on a piece of her croissant. Even in this she is refined, smooth and deliberate in her movements and returning everything to its proper place before eating.

"No, I was quite… introverted growing up; perhaps the odd crush here or there, but if any girls were sending signals back I was too oblivious to notice them." A few such crushes sprung to mind, leading him to briefly wonder where they were now. "What about you? Any yearnings far from Atlas?"

Weiss pauses, her face momentarily falling. "No, not really. I never had the opportunity, and if I had I wouldn't have been allowed to act on it. I understood from a young age my 'romantic life' would be as fake as everything else I had that was 'mine'." She looks at him wistfully.

"Then it's a good thing you get to stay here in Vale now, and that after graduating Beacon you can go on to do whatever you damn well please." Theodore raises his glass to her, the gesture as dramatic as his tone.

Weiss chuckles, gently raising her tea and taking a sip. "Cheers to that."

Upon returning to Beacon, Theodore and Weiss find that due to an issue with the transports they have actually missed their first lesson, that being combat class with Miss Goodwitch. Both cringe a little at the thought of how she'll make them pay for it later. Weiss is initially a little upset for having been careless with her timings and lack of planning for a potential delay, but ultimately decides one missed lesson is an easy price to pay for a first date. They see students filing out of the main building to cut across campus to their next lesson, RWBY, JNPR, and Eliza among them.

"Well, I had a lovely time this morning, thank you." Weiss is a little sheepish. She clasps her hands in front of her stomach, feeling her heart flutter when Theodore smiles.

"So did I." He looks at her for a moment uncertainly. "Perhaps next time we could go out on the weekend, really make a day of it." He tries to sound confident, doing his best to cover up his own awkwardness. For the most part he's happy he didn't do anything to ruin the date.

"It's a date…" Weiss replies coyly, calling on her inner Yang for a moment. "Another date, of course, I… ahem, I look forward to it." She takes a breath, once more becoming a serene heiress, then turns her head to see Ruby waving her over.

Theodore smiles, inclining his head. "Great. But for now, it looks like duty calls. Until next time, Weiss." As Weiss walks over to her team, he calmly approaches Eliza, who has picked out a spot to wait for him. As he does, he notices Pyrrha seems a little out of sorts, and senses something odd in his head.

"Just FYI, you and Weiss are not allowed to make out in the dorm, and especially not in front of L'gaan." Eliza's teasing smile and lecherous tone break into his thoughts, making him blush, which makes her grin wider. "But seriously, looks like things went pretty well."

She looks pleased, but Theodore hears annoyance in her words and isn't sure what's going on. "Um, yes, everything went great. It was… nice." He doesn't notice himself smiling or register Surtur eagerly landing on his shoulder. But the strange uneasy feeling returns. "Why do I get the sense things aren't so good here on campus?"

"No idea. Nothing mindboggling happened other than you on a date. Blake is still kind of distant, but other than that…" She shrugs, wondering what had prompted him to ask. "Oh, and some new guy asked to fight Pyrrha, but then just have up halfway through." She adds casually.

"Some new guy?" He cocks an eyebrow.

She nods. "Yeah, one of the students here for the tournament. He was kinda weird, gave off an aura that said he could back up his tough talk but then…" A raspberry accompanies her downward thumb. She starts moving down the hall. "Shame too, I wanted to see Pyrrha lay him out like she did CRDL. What did your mum say his name was? Conrad, Clark…"

"Cloud?"

"That was it." Her head whips back. "Wait, how did you know that?" Theodore is looking across the campus, at Mercury and Emerald.

With a small frown, he sets off toward them, Eliza jogging to catch up. He sizes up the two students as he approaches, trying to recall everything he can about their brief encounter in Vale. They notice him. A look passes between them before they turn to face him and Eliza, Aya, aka Emerald, has a polite smile on her face. Theodore isn't quite sure what yet, but something is off about them… strange.

"Hello, nice to see you both again." He puts his hand out towards them, Emerald shakes his hand, but Mercury gives a disinterested wave.

"Do we know you?" Emerald asks, frowning slightly.

"We met briefly; Tukson's bookshop in Vale, you'd caught him on his lunch break, and I came to deliver something." Theodore feels Surtur slowly slither around the back of his neck. "You'll forgive me, I'm terrible with names, but it was Cloud and… Aya, right? You were giving Tukson a message?"

Emerald's expression falters for a moment before her whole face lights up dramatically, eyes widening slightly. "Yes, sorry, we'd been asked by an old contact of his in Vacuo to deliver a personal letter, since we were coming to the city for the Vytal tournament."

"So, you're students from Shade? If I'd known, I could have helped you get to Beacon a lot sooner. I know how tedious the check-in service for the exchanges can be." Theodore smiles, resting on his umbrella. Emerald giggles, pausing when she hears someone clear their throat next to Theodore. "Oh, this is my partner, Eliza." Mercury and Emerald smile at her briefly.

"This Vacuo guy couldn't just use the postal service? Or send a text?" Eliza asks raising an eyebrow, folding her arms across her chest. Normally, she'd ignore Theodore greeting someone, he seemed to be forever greeting people around Beacon, but she sensed this was different.

"Nah, he was a proper old coot; thought all his letters were getting cut open and looked at." Mercury tells her, finally acknowledging the conversation, sweeping back his hair and leaning against the wall. "But he was a friend of a friend, so we got roped into helping him out 'cause whatever was in that letter was for Tukson's eyes only."

Theodore hums in contemplation for a moment. "That's a shame, I was hoping you'd know what happened to him." His tone is sad as he locks eyes with Emerald, briefly flicking them to Mercury when he scoffs quietly.

"What do you mean?" Emerald asks, trying to seem genuinely concerned.

"Yeah, Goodwitch, what is this all about? I thought you wanted to know about the fight?" Eliza flicks her hair away from Surtur's tail. "You weren't half bad by the way," she tells
Mercury, "had some fancy kicks… briefly." She mumbles the last word just loud enough to be heard.

"Well, it's just that less than a week after he received this letter from you, he just dropped off the map. he closed the store, left all his books, and hasn't been seen since." Theodore idly undoes one of the buttons of his jacket, watching them both carefully; he doesn't quite trust them. "He didn't leave a note, just left; I just wanted to know why, he's a friend, and no one has a collection quite like Tuksons."

"Sorry man, but we can't help you." Mercury seems to be trying to avoid frowning as he speaks.

Emerald nods. "We just delivered the letter, as a favour. I've no idea where he is, but we'll let you know if we hear anything."

Theodore sighs, wishing he knew what could make Tukson vanish so suddenly. "Okay, thought I'd ask. Anyway, I just came over to say good luck in training for the tournament and welcome to Beacon." His smile is warm as he gestures to the campus around them, eliciting a natural smile from Emerald.

"Thanks, shame we didn't realise you were from Beacon when we met in Vale, you could have given us the private tour." Her smile becomes sultry, her eyebrows raising a little as she takes a half step towards Theodore. Her smile widens in satisfaction when she sees Eliza bristle. "Well, we have to get going, hope to see you around."

Theodore frowns as he watches them leave, his hand coming up to scratch Surtur gently.

"They seem… odd." He says almost to himself.

"Gee, ya think?" Eliza rolls her eyes, seeing he is still lost in his own world.

"Maybe. I'm probably just a little paranoid after everything going on with the White Fang," he mutters, rubbing his eyes a little and blinking in the sunlight. "Speaking of which, Blake still seems, upset… and we still need to discuss your, um, extra appendages." He pushes away the temptation of using his semblance on Aya or Cloud for the moment to focus on more immediate issues.

"Mmm, well, it's just a few feathers. But, sure, we can talk about it later if you want." Eliza smiles, nudging him in the shoulder as they set off to their next class.

"And so, we find ourselves here once more, although now the positions are reversed." Theodore gently closes the door as Eliza casually flops down on her bed, kicking off her shoes and taking off her academy blazer as if she hasn't a care in the world.

"Very dramatic, Goodwitch." She lays back on her pillow and looks at the ceiling. "Now stop being all sagely and philosophical and ask your questions, I'll come clean." Her tone is huffy and impatient, though Theodore knows it's a façade, and he doesn't need his semblance to tell him that.

He takes a deep breath. "Well, you didn't come clean last time, did you? Were I more of a hypocritical man I'd say you lied to my face… but then again, I suppose I tried to avoid the truth till the last minute as well, so, I guess I'm hardly one to talk." He smiles, stepping around L'gaan to stand beside her. Her expression doesn't change. "You told me your 'Shamanism' just made you far more in tune with nature."

"It does." She sighs. "Everything I told you was true, I can kind of sense the land, the animals, even communicate with them, in a way."

"Hence L'gaan not eating our faces." Theodore smirks.

She scoffs at that. "He wouldn't have done that anyway, but… yes. I've got an instinctual bond with nature… I feel more alive when I'm out there, more energised but also more at peace. Once my aura and semblance activated, I also felt that much more agile, faster, even got a little heightened awareness. But it all works better out there." She gestures first to her head and then to the window.

"But, this connection is a little more physical than you let on." He's trying to probe gently, which wasn't her method for him, but ultimately… they're best friends and partners, and he wants to understand so he can support her. Like he knows she does him.

"Don't get all judgey. You didn't want to tell me how you discovered your semblance at first." She huffs, making L'gaan growl in response.

"I know, which, given everything that happened that day begs the question… why didn't you tell me?" His mind has already concocted a myriad of possible causes; trauma, fear, loathing, awkwardness, insecurity… but none of them seem to fit Eliza. She isn't scared of anything and doesn't seem to care what others think about her, and even if something horrible does lurk in her past she would have rushed to confront it rather than let it hold her back. He just can't wrap his head around it.

"I just didn't want to make a big deal out of it," she snaps.

"So, does that mean people have made a big deal of it before?" He frowns and leans towards her.

Eliza glares at him, hating him for being so calm and analytical. "It's a giant pair of wings that can fold in and out of my back, even for a semblance that's… weird." She grits her teeth; clearly something happened.

"If you say so." He waits, hoping she'll confide in him, and thinking there have been stranger semblances, though perhaps few that affect one's biology in such an extreme way. A long silence ensues, which Theodore breaks. "But that still doesn't explain why you were hiding them. I only want to understand… I can't do that if you don't trust me."

Eliza is mulling over how to respond. She chews her cheek and shuffles her shoulders, looking everywhere but at him. But she can only do this for so long, and eventually her eyes slip to his face and she sees Theodore watching her with concern. She sighs.

"I come from a small place, where everyone knows everyone." She huffs, seeming to both smile and frown. "You did something bad as a kid, or broke up with your boyfriend, and the whole damn town would be talking about it. So, when it inevitably came out that I had these wings, everyone had to talk about it or come see for themselves. And my parents just seemed to roll with it." Her brow creases into a frown as she crosses her arms.

"Roll with your new semblance? Or everyone looking at you like an exotic animal?" Theodore asks confused.

"Both!" She waves an arm out before taking a deep breath. "I mean, I love my parents, and they were really chill about their little girl being an 'angel'… but it got overbearing. People always asking if I was that angel kid, or if I could fly yet. And if the other kids weren't suddenly trying to be my best friends, then they wanted nothing to do with me because I was 'different' now." Theodore sits quietly opposite her as she vents, watching her hair curl and flare with her frustrated body movements.

"I just felt suffocated. What's worse is that when my parents noticed I was upset, they became even more supportive. Telling me that no one would really treat me differently out in the real world, it was just a small town thing, and that I'd fly eventually." She looks towards him briefly. "That was before I could fly, obviously. Well, first I just told them I didn't care how people treated me, and the second… well, what the fuck did they know about how and when I'd learn to fly?"

"Maybe they didn't handle your semblance very well, but it must be hard for parents of kids like us if they don't have a semblance themselves, and most people don't have the experience my mother does." He frowns.

Eliza looks down. "I know they were doing their best. But it seemed to become the be all and end all of who I was back home. People always asking questions and talking about what I would or wouldn't be able to do. Like I needed my wings in order to be great." Her chest shakes as she takes a deep breath, trying to expel her annoyance. L'gaan pads over to rub his head against her leg. "But at the end of the day anything I did or didn't accomplish would be none of their business."

"Is that how you met Tusk?" Theodore asks, clasping his hands together. "Following that desire to break away, to get out there and be great."

"No… maybe, I don't know. I guess it was just a convenient excuse to leave, to escape being the weirdo of my home town." Her lips purse and she sighs. "Look, as a kid, I never really cared about fitting in, even before the wings came or even when I was out with Tusk…" She admits, pausing for a moment, her expression softening. Her fingers awkwardly trace her knee as she speaks again. "And when I was pushed into coming to Beacon, I thought I wouldn't care if I fit in here either, but then I actually met you, and the others… and I kind of wanted to."

"Did you really think we'd treat you like some kind of weirdo at Beacon?" Theodore asks, cocking an eyebrow.

"After that whole debacle with Blake, I didn't think any of you would ostracise me for being some kind of pseudo-Faunas. And people did seem to get over Pyrrha's fame after a while…" She feels her heartrate slow down, and the nerves in her stomach mellow slightly. "But I really didn't want my wings to become the be all and end all for me here. I know they tend to ruffle people's feathers." She grins, earning a small chuckle from Theodore.

"Anyway, long story short, once people back home knew, I just felt like they saw me as something, rather than someone… rather than me. I hated that." She returns her gaze to his face, bobbing her head a little. Theodore sighs quietly, nodding along with her words. "I didn't want it to happen here."

He is silent for a time, digesting all she's told him. "So, that's it? You don't want the drama, or to feel like your wings are worth more than you?" His breathing slows and he idly scratches Surtur, before Surtur flies off. "After everything you said about supporting me with my semblance, and how I should have come to you… you really didn't say anything just because you didn't want a spotlight on you? Because you don't want people to ogle, or think you rely solely on your wings?"

"Not everyone is as vain as you, Goodwitch." She says, brushing past him and heading for the bathroom.

"What about your tattoos?" Theodore asks, gesturing to her shoulder.

She pauses briefly. "Appeared with my semblance, it's where my wings seem to come from. Never understood how." She replies casually, running a hand through her hair, scoffing with a small rebellious smile. "Mum and dad weren't so keen on that, their pre-teen daughter with full back tattoos."

"Eliza." He catches her wrist softly, holding her back. "Like you told me… you shouldn't hide a part of yourself like that. Your wings are a part of who you are, like Blake's ears. And I hate to say it, but people are going to be awestruck by them… so you'll just have to do what you do best."

"Which is?" She asks quietly.

"Own it." He tells her bluntly. "Your wings rock, and if anybody thinks differently then why would we care?" He releases her hand. "You'll also find that a surprising amount of people here have likely seen stranger."

"But-"

"And we all know for a fact that you don't need your wings to be incredible." He smiles.

She stands for a moment, letting the warmth of the 'we' seep through her.

"I am pretty great!" She nods softly, turning to smile at him before turning back to the door.

"You can tell me exactly how it felt the first time you soared through the air when you come back…" Theodore calls after her.

One floor away, Emerald, Mercury, and Cinder are inside their dorm, discussing their plans. At first they'd thought that settling into Beacon would hamper their progress, but instead they've found their first few days there rather useful, they've been able to ask all sorts of questions without suspicion, but digging deeper to find what they really want to know will increase the risk of getting caught.

"And then there's Pyrrha Nikos." Emerald swipes through the Mistral champion's details on her scroll. "Favourite daughter or Mistral, the 'invincible girl'." She scoffs at the title.

"She's smart, but I wouldn't say invincible." Mercury says, looking up from his magazine.

Cinder, who is sat on the bed across the room, she purrs at his words. "Do tell."

"Her semblance is polarity, but you'd never know just by watching." Emerald tells her.

"When she realised my boots were metal, she was able to move them around however she wanted." Mercury sits forward, throwing away the magazine. He scowls at the memory of backing down in the arena, his pride still aches from it. Then he smiles coyly. "But she was subtle."

Emerald bobs her head. "Just enough to make it look like she's untouchable, making an opening for herself here, or deflecting a blow there. She doesn't broadcast her power, so it leaves her enemies at a disadvantage." She shows Cinder a recording of the battle between Pyrrha and Mercury, so she could see for herself.

"Interesting," Cinder says quietly, drawing in a deep breath and frowning. "Add her to the list."

"You should still be able to take her no problem." Mercury tells her.

"It's not about overpowering the enemy, it's about taking away the power they have. And we will, in time." Cinder replies coolly, brushing some hair over her shoulder. The gears and cogs turn in her head and after a moment she nods to herself. "Good work. Anything else."

Emerald and Mercury share a look before turning to look at her.

"There's one more thing. That Huntsman who interfered at Tuksons, he's here, and he's asking questions." Mercury shrinks back a little when Cinder's whole demeanour changes, the temperature in the room rising. "He seemed intent on talking to us, like he knew something was off."

"He's onto us? Already?" Cinder fumes, knowing she should have made sure Roman handled Tukson sooner. "Yet again your rash actions, and consequent fuck up has left us in a bind, only this time you've-"

"We don't think he has any real suspicions yet." Emerald quickly assures her, noticing how the bedsheets have started to smoke under her mentor's fingers. "He was concerned about Tukson's disappearance, but we threw him off the trail. Then after we left, I thought it would be prudent to do a little digging on him as well." She and Mercury relax as Cinder leans back once more, the temperature returning to normal.

Cinder sighs. "And what did you find?"

"Turns out he's a first year, like Red and her team. That's why he was there fighting Roman at the docks, he was helping her team out." Mercury breathes a small sigh of relief, sure now he won't get burned. "We asked around and word is he's good, high grades in all categories, and that's not all… even some of the upper years seem to know him, particularly people talked about him and CFVY."

"His name is Theodore Goodwitch." Emerald smirks. "Turns out, he's Miss Goodwitch's son, been at Beacon as long as anyone can remember, but only officially started this year. Got put in a two person team with a girl from Mistral, who worked with Ebony Tusk." Emerald shows Cinder his and Eliza's official photos.

"Miss Goodwitch has a secret, mysterious son? An interesting opportunity for leverage if the need arises. Any details on the father?" Cinder asks, earning a shake of the head from Emerald. This changed things, in ways both good and bad… they'd have to play their cards just right. "What about his semblance, and combat abilities?"

"That's where it gets interesting. He's no slouch in a fight and neither is his partner, Roman can attest to that, but like Nikos… nobody we asked knows what his semblance is." Emerald narrows her eyes, dissatisfaction clear on her face, knowing Miss Goodwitch and Ozpin were certainly off limits for questioning about it.

"But some guy had a weird seizure after a fight with him, seemed freaky apparently…" Mercury adds, losing interest and going back to his magazine.

Cinder hums to herself as she considers all she's heard. Perhaps she should get a sense of Theodore for herself. Either way, they needed to keep an eye on him. "Hmmm, add them to the list as well, just in case. He might be a very interesting variable…"

Hello, been a little while. This was one of those chapters that just took forever in editing, and if I let myself I'd spend another age on it. So, I thought I'd force myself to just get it out there :) I'm also trying to seriously consider how and when I'll more largely break from the original story, maybe go in a completely off tangent direction... not sure.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and that Eliza's semblance discussion wasn't too akin to Theodore's. Then again, I won't learn unless I do, so if it is then please feel free to say so. I also hope you enjoyed everything else, obviously. Oh, and the title was just a spur of the moment thing, so... yeah.

Thank you again so much for reading. Any comments, reviews, and criticism are appreciated. Have a nice day.