Chapter 7:

Hat Kid stood at the caboose of the Owl Express, looking over the distant canyons. It was not as technologically advanced as the train Blake had busted into, but it was much more roomier and comfortable.

"Lass!"

She turned around to come face to face with the Conductor.

"I heard from some very reliable Owls that yer've been bringin' DJ Grooooooves more actors!"

Hat Kid's eyes widened. Oh dear. The Conductor was not going to be happy today.

"Well then, if yer going ta give that lousy peck neck an inch, yer gonna give one ta me, understand?"

Hat Kid was confused as to what the Conductor was asking.

"You are gonna get me some actors too, capisce?" The Conductor clarified.

Hat Kid nodded.

"Good! Come back when you've got those actors!"

Hat Kid sighed, flashing back to her ship. She wanted to let her friends study, but she really had no choice. The Conductor wouldn't budge now that she had brought Jaune and Ruby to participate in DJ Grooves' movie. They weren't technically allowed to be there, as they weren't legally birds as Hat Kid was. So the Conductor promised not to call DJ Grooves out if he gave Hat Kid two extra passports to give to two actors who would participate in his movie.

Hat Kid had decided on asking Yang and Ruby to participate, as Yang hadn't been on an actual adventure with her yet, and Ruby seemed into making movies like what the Conductor made.

She flashed over, finding herself inside a bathroom. Walking out, she seemed to be inside a castle of some kind. She guessed this must be the place where Ruby and her friends studied.

Hat Kid looked down the hallway. It was really long for someone as small as she was, and there were rooms all over the place. How she could know which room Yang and Ruby were in was beyond her.

She switched to her Scooter Badge, and sped across the hallway. She sneaked into rooms through vents, hid behind plants, peeked through doorways, and grappled over chandeliers.

Her search was going nowhere. Where could they be?

"Hello there. Are you lost?"

Hat Kid turned around. A girl with bunny ears stood behind her, kneeling down so she was at eye level.

Hat Kid waved.

The girl smiled sweetly. "What's your name, little girl?"

"Hat Kid." The child said.

"Ah, of course. Fits the person." She remarked, giggling a little. "What're you doing in Beacon, Hat Kid? This is for big kids, you know."

Hat Kid pulled out one of the passports. It had a drawing of Yang on it in crayon.

"Federal Union of Birds Passport?" The girl questioned, looking at the book. "Well, I don't know anything about that, but that girl has class in the room I'm going to, which is about to end. Would you like to accompany me to the room?"

Hat Kid smiled.

"My name's Velvet. It's nice to meet you, Hat Kid."

They walked down the hallway, Velvet held Hat Kid's hand as they walked. They stopped at a door.

"Here it is, Professor Port's class." She said, looking through the viewing glass of the door. "Class appears to still be in session, but we can wait a bit."

Hat Kid was a little agitated. She didn't have time to wait. The Conductor would start the show without her, and she would lose her chance to get a Time Piece! Guess desperate times called for desperate measures.

She took out Ruby's passport and scribbled over it. Velvet looked over.

"Oh, that's so cute! Are you drawing me now? How adorable." She said, kneeling down to look at it.

Hat Kid then pulled out her keychain.

"What's that?" Velvet asked.

Hat Kid put her hand to it, and with a flash, they were on the ship.

Velvet's eyes were wide as plates. "Woah! Wait, what did you do?!" She exclaimed, looking at the diary room.

Another flash of green light, and they were on the Owl Express. The Conductor rose from the seat on the caboose.

"Ahh, yer broug-Wait, this isn't one of them. We agreed it'd be the lass in red and the lass in yellow, are you tryin' ta pull somthin'?" The Conductor asked.

"Is that a talking owl?" Velvet said, still completely blown away.

"Of course I'm a talkin' owl, ya peck neck!" The Conductor replied in his usual fashion. "All owls can talk! That's like askin' if I'm a talkin' cat!"

"What?"

"Anyways, this won't cut it, lass. No way insurance will buy that she's a bird." The Conductor said to Hat Kid.

Hat Kid looked down at the ground. In two flashes, they were back at Beacon.

"What just happened?" Velvet asked.

Hat Kid shrugged, tipped her hat as a way of saying goodbye, and then walked to the cafeteria.

"Velvet, where have you been? Class started 5 minutes ago!" A girl with sunglasses said, approaching her.

"Coco, this has been the weirdest 5 minutes of my entire life." Velvet replied.

Hat Kid ran over to the room, searching for Ruby or Yang. Not finding them, she ran into another hallway, before bumping into a box. She got up and looked to her side. There was Ruby, standing next to the Headmaster, talking. She seemed upset. Hat Kid beamed. Another chance to cheer her friend up would be icing on the cake for her.

"HAHAHAHA!"

Hat Kid turned to the box. Sitting on the box was the Mafia Boss, surrounded by a posse of Mafia members.

"That's right, my loyal Mafia! Search those lunches for something useful! We will show rude teenagers what happens when they wake the Mafia Boss up!"

He then turned to Hat Kid.

"Ahh, the rude little child! I hope you're ready for my revenge! How you got here, you ask? Simple! I bought one of those keychains, and found the exact coordinates for this planet! And now, I am free to make these kid's lunches my own! As I have with many other things!"

Mafia members rummaged through lockers, opened backpacks, and emptied lunch boxes into a giant sack.

Hat Kid wasn't about to let this fly.

"Oh, what're you going to do? Poke me with that little umbrella? Actually, don't do that that's a bad idea and I'd hate for you to-OW!"

Hat Kid whacked the jar onto the floor with her umbrella.

Each of the Mafia looked over at her.

"Mafia have a bad feeling about this." One of the Mafia spoke up.

"A leader isn't just a title you wear into battle, but a badge you wear constantly. If you are not always performing at your absolute best, then what reason do others have to follow you?" Ozpin continued on with his lecture with Ruby.

"You've been burdened with a daunting responsibility, Ruby. I advise you to take some time and think about how you will uphold it."

Ruby looked down at the ground, then over at Weiss, at the other side of the courtyard. She smiled. She was going to be the best leader, for her.

"DOWN WITH THE MAFIA!"

Ruby and Ozpin looked down the hall to be treated with the sight of Hat Kid chasing several muscled men in mustaches, one of them carrying a purple jar, another had a huge sack slung over his shoulders, and occasionally food would come flying out of it.

"What are you cowards running for?! Get over there and punch her!" The jar barked.

"Aaand, enter Hat Kid, stage left." Ruby quipped. "I guess this is one of my daunting responsibilities."

"Best to keep an eye on her, as much as I'm sure she's doing fine on her own." Ozpin said. "I think those men may have stolen some of the kid's lunches."

"You mean my chocolate milk's in there?!" Ruby said, eyes wide. "Those little punks!"

She chased after the horde. "Give me my chocolatey goodness, you unholy fiends!"

"Hmmm. Hopefully my mustard-and-smoked ham sandwich isn't in there." Ozpin muttered, walking back down the halls.

Ruby ran over to see Hat Kid and a Mafia member fighting over someone's sandwich, pulling it towards each other. Hat Kid released the sandwich.

"Haha! Mafia is superior to small child! Mafia knew all along!" The Mafia member cheered.

Hat Kid then bopped him on the head with her umbrella, causing the sandwich to fly into the air and land into her hand. She then put it inside of a lunch box.

"Is my chocolate milk in there?" Ruby asked, diving into the sack. She pulled out a brown carton.

"Yeees! It's here! Hat Kid!" She said, turning to the child. She saw that Hat Kid had once again planked it on the floor, fast asleep. All the Mafia members were gone, as well as the jar.

"Hmm. Again. Does she ever just go to bed?" She asked, scooping up the child. She walked back to the team dorms.

Placing her on the side of her bed, she dressed into pajamas, and grabbed her study materials. Then, doing as she did in Hat Kid's ship, she ran her fingers through her hair, before planting a kiss on her forehead.

"Goodnight, Hat Kid." She said. "Sweet dreams."

Weiss opened the door.

"Hello Ruby."

Ruby turned to her.

"Hey, Weiss. Hat Kid's taking a nap in our dorm, if that's okay." Ruby said.

"Fine by me, as long as she's sleeping in your bed." Weiss answered. She grabbed Ruby's empty coffee mug.

"How do you take your coffee?"

"I-I don't-" Ruby began.

"Answer the question." Weiss said, slightly stern.

"Uh, cream and five sugars!" Ruby spat out.

Weiss sighed. "Don't move." She ducked down, then returned with a full cup. "Here." She said, handing it to Ruby.

"Um, thanks Weiss." Ruby replied.

"Ruby, I think you have what it takes to be a good leader. Just know that I am going to be the best teammate you'll ever have." Weiss stated, pumping her fist. "Good luck studying."

She then went back down, before coming back up. "That's wrong, by the way."

"Hey Ruby?" She said, opening the door.

"Uh-huh?"

"I always wanted bunk beds as a kid." Weiss finished, before walking out.

Ruby smiled to herself, before returning to her study.

A green flash of light appeared throughout the dormroom.

"Ahaha! I have found the annoying teen's secret base! Now, I am free to-ack!"

Hat Kid immediately awoke and picked the jar up.

"Hey, no! Put me down! This isn't funny anymore!"

She went over to the window, opening it.

"No, wait, don't drop me! AAAHHHHHHH!"

She then hopped back on Ruby's bed, pulling out a keychain with a mustached face smeared on it in red paint. She clicked the green button.

"Nice one." Ruby said, patting her friend. "By the way, what were you doing. Y'know, before you saw them take my chocolate milk."

Hat Kid handed Ruby her passport.

"Federal Union of Birds?" Ruby asked, looking at it. "Does this mean I'm legally a bird now?"

Hat Kid shrugged. She pulled out Yang's.

"Oh, you got Yang one too? Interesting. Did you want some more help with those movie-making birds?"

Hat Kid nodded.

"Hmm, tell you what. Meet us at the courtyard next week, after first period. We'll be there. Then we can get you that Time Piece."

Hat Kid closed her eyes, lulling back to sleep.

"Good night again, Hat Kid." Ruby said, pulling the blankets over the child.