We broke outside the dorms with promises to see everyone off tomorrow. Peyton and Elin outpaced us to the room. They were eager for a nice cuddle session.

The others invited us to hang out, but we had our meeting with Oz, I needed to visit team CFVY and then Elise and I had plans for the rest of the evening. Midnight was going to come too soon.

"You should tell the rest of the team. I think Peyton and Elin deserve to know." She said a little before we got back to the dorm. I frowned a little. Should I tell them?

"You should do it, Dahlia. They'll be upset if they figure out you told me but didn't tell them." She argued. "You made me tell you!"

She conceded but didn't change her argument.

"For that matter, team RWBY and JNPR should know too. Especially since one of those teams has a certain little sister on it, who will be mad to know that you're in love and didn't tell her."

But what would they think?

Oh, I know. They'd think I was disgusting obviously.

I was in love with the school's Headmaster. A man whose age was still unknown but he was clearly much older than I.

And yet, Peyton and Elin had a controversial relationship. Two boys? Maybe they would understand that I didn't have a choice in who I loved any more than they did.

The others didn't mind the two boys... but would they accept me... and their Headmaster?

No. No, they wouldn't.

"Team meeting then visit to team CFVY, then Ozpin's going to brief us on this 'mystery assignment'." I told everyone when I walked in the room. "Is this assignment going to affect our extra secret one?" Elin asked, snuggling closer to Peyton.

I shook my head. "We'll still work on it no matter what. It's really important. Our shadowing takes second place when compared with the safety of the kingdom." I said, sitting down.

"Good." Peyton said firmly.

Elise cleared her throat. I blushed. "Boys, Dahlia has a secret to tell you." She said casually.

If looks could've killed, Elise would have been annihilated.

"Oh? Really? The mysterious Dahlia is giving up some of her mystery?" The boys said rolling over to fix me with equally interested looks.

"We've all been wondering about Dahlia's secret lover. We've gone back and forth for months and today I finally weaseled it out of her." Elise said proudly.

Elin looked excited and Peyton looked mildly interested. "Do tell."

I fidgeted.

"Tell them." Elise demanded. I winced. "I-ah-ummm- yeah... the... P-Professor..."

Elise sighed gustily. "She's been seeing Professor Ozpin since the beginning of the school year." She finished for me.

"WHAT?!" Both boys exclaimed.

I winced. "It's true."

They went silent and I felt them processing all of it. "But he's so old!" Elin said shell shocked. I got defensive. "He isn't that old." He snorted but Peyton knocked Elin on the head before I had a chance.

"Don't be an idiot. She didn't judge us. In fact, if it weren't for her I don't think either of us would have ever been brave enough to talk about our feelings. She is trusting us with something important. The least you can do is not be mean about it. If she loves him, then it is precious, just like my love for you is."

Elin felt shamed and Peyton wrapped his arm around his slim boyfriend.

"Though I'm definitely interesting in hearing how this... relationship came into play. You two have never seemed like anything more than teacher and student."

Elise jumped in. I had a feeling I wouldn't need to talk much. Elise was excited enough to do it all for me. "I know! That's what caught me so off guard. There was no hint at all. But boys, it's so cute! It took me a few minutes to get used to the idea but god they are adorable. You just have no idea."

"Tell us then!" Elin cried, looking eager. Elin was truly a sucker for a good love story.

Elise looked at me. I sighed. "Go ahead."

She took a breath.

"Okay, so it all began when their eyes met the first day of school..."

An hour later after my secret was finally revealed and Elin nearly fainted from awing so much, and incredibly Peyton finally admitted to being a tech Semblance and Elin told Peyton about his Chameleon Semblance. Secrets were shared all around.

I had time to visit team CFVY. I examined each member, Healing what needed healing, whether physically, mentally or emotionally, and had them all drink the tea I made for them and ensured sure they got the rest they needed.

Soon it was time for our briefing. All three of my team members felt oddly excited to see Oz again and configure all the new information into their idea about the stoic Headmaster.

I felt nervous. What if one of them said something?

I resolved to nip that one and just tell Oz that they knew. I'd sworn them to secrecy, putting emphasis on the consequences of people finding out. People would use him to hurt me. They would accuse him of helping us through school and a million other things. It would put us all in danger... well, more than we'd already gotten ourselves into.

So the four of us, dressed in our daily attire made our way to the conference room 2B, where inside, sipping his tea was Oz.

"Ah, team DEEP. Right on time." Elin snorted. "As if with Dahlia we could be anything but."

The twinkle in Oz's eye shined on us and I felt fondness flow from him for my teammates. He studiously avoided meeting my eyes.

"Please, have a seat. We have a few things to discuss." Peyton held the chair out for me to sit in. I kept Orchid in my hand and leaned her against my right shoulder. Elise sat between me and Peyton with Elin on the end and her eyes were riveted on Oz's face.

Such interest was noticed and puzzled over by him.

"Now, I'm sure you've been wondering why we assigned you a mission instead of letting you work your way into the position in the Southeast quadrant on your own." I blushed. He knew my plan all along. "And with the tech Semblance, it would have been quite easy for you to do it, wouldn't it have been?" Peyton turned red and stammered a disclaimer.

"Let me ease your fears and confirm your thoughts. You have been assigned to the South east. But in a different way than the rest of your school mates."

I looked at my team and I saw confused expressions on every single one.

Suddenly there was another presence in the room. I could feel them but they were simply observing. Ah, this must be our Huntsman.

"Since the beginning of the school year, this team has shown a remarkable affinity for a special kind of fighting. I've studied you fighting as a group. Together you have become one of the best teams in my Academy. You have a very hard to match style when fighting in real combat. Does this look familiar to you?"

He turned his Scroll to show us.

I felt panic from my teammates. The was Protocol 331 Nightstalker. He must have gotten a hold of some of the highway security footage. You could barely see us in the shadows.

"Somehow, you have developed a peculiar style for the hidden strategies. Relax, you aren't in trouble. While in school you show a similar style to the one we teach here. Yet you also have this one. This leads me to think that you have been secretly training in a different manner than what we teach." He said smiling gently.

My teammates looked guilty.

I sighed. "It's true, Professor. I've been training my team in a... different fashion than everyone else's. We have our own practices separate from our peers."

"How long have you been doing this?"

I paused and thought. "Since about a week into the school year. Mostly during extra free time."

He nodded.

"Well, it certainly is impressive to see such a large boy move with such precision and silence." Peyton demurred. It was true. My team was very adept and took to my lessons like fish to water. Even Peyton, which was strange for his size.

"This extra training of yours has provided a unique opportunity for us. You see, your sister team, team RWBY has been assigned to the Southeast. I bent a few rules to get them there, since they'd end up there either way... much as I expected you to do. But team RWBY does not have this... skill you have developed. So I sent them in as the cover group."

My brow crinkled. Cover group?

"Simon, please show yourself." Oz asked to seemingly no one.

Suddenly, there was a man behind Oz leaning against the wall. My teammates jumped except for me but I had known he was there.

He was average looking. At least twenty five to thirty years old.

He had tousled sandy brown hair, dark brown eyes, and a smattering of freckles on his face. His body was lean and long, like an acrobat but I sensed whipcord strength in him. He wore what looked like dark camouflage armor and silent soft boots. Across his chest, two bandoliers of throwing knives and at his hips were two longer blades.

He smiled. I eyed him carefully. This was the kind of man that, except for the clothing, you would pass during the day and not notice. His face doesn't stick to the brain, there isn't anything incredibly special about him.

He was forgettable and that made him dangerous.

"Team DEEP, meet your Huntsman, Simon Altrich. Simon, meet your first year team." There was a little bit of disdain in Simon that set me off him. I didn't like him at all.

"A pleasure." He said. Even his voice was not too high nor deep. Forgettable.

"Ozpin usually doesn't ever assign me first year shadows nor any shadows at all. This will be an experience for all of us, I suppose." He said, meeting my eyes.

Oz sighed internally and felt anxious about this particular Huntsman.

"Simon, if you cannot tell, is not like other Huntsmen. He has a very specific set of skills that I think will assimilate with your developing ones nicely. You and he will be assigned to the Southeast as a support team for team RWBY and an investigative squad."

That quiet average smile didn't leave Simon's face.

"You leave tomorrow. Simon here needs a bit of rest after such a long journey."

Simon looked at us. "We depart before dawn. I hate to waste time so be ready." He said neutrally.

"You are dismissed." Oz said.

I stood up slowly, leaning on Orchid for support and Elin pushed my chair in for me. I was following after my teammates when I heard these words slipped from that man's lips. "You didn't tell me this team had a cripple on it."

I don't know who's rage I reacted on but I reacted.

I gripped the end of Orchid in my right hand swung Orchid's full length in a horizontal arc as I twirled back and I nailed Simon in the face, breaking his nose easily. He fell to the ground.

Limping slowly I leaned over him, my silver hair falling over my left shoulder. "Don't EVER call me a cripple again. I don't care who you are or who you think you are. I. Am. Not. A. Cripple." I said softly without changing my facial expression. "You broke my nose!" He cried.

I placed my hand on the hand he held against his face and healed his nose in a few moments. I had broken it cleanly after all.

Simon looked stunned.

I stood back up, tall and proud and limped from the room. I met Oz's eyes and shrugged. It couldn't be helped.

I picked up on his disgruntlement. This was not how he thought our first meeting would go.

"We'll be at the dock bright and early, Mr. Altrich." I said evenly and we all slowly left the room. There was only the quiet click of the door behind us.

Elise sighed.

"Well. That went well."