Author's Note: Sup everyone! Next chapter of Deception Game, hot off the press! Let this epic tale continue and be immersed in the story!

Thanks to the reviews and kind words of those who've given me feedback. It really encourages me to work to my best!

Did anyone else see the RWBY finale? My heart is broken ... in honor of the brave huntress, you shall never be forgotten!

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY

Beta: Yuvinile


"Sup Sindria… long time, no see," Dante chuckled as he hugged the bull faunus back.

Athena watched the small exchange, racking her mind around where she'd heard the name before. 'Sindria… Sindria… Oh! That Sindria,' she thought as she looked at the woman as she let go of Dante before turning to Kiara. Sindria suddenly looked somewhat bashful, glancing down at her hands for a moment before looking at Kiara, her eyes seeming to be carrying a question. Kiara looked a little nervous as well but then she slowly opened her arms in an open invitation.

Sindria beamed at that before rushing forward and hugging Kiara as well. As Athena looked on she recalled some of the things Dante had told her about Sindria over the week break. She was his age and had been a close friend back in Othrys Academy. From what she'd been told, Sindria was a usually docile person with an aptitude for academics and a hidden daring side that led to innocent mischief. Not the strongest in singular combat but well balanced and a team player.

Glynda cleared her throat sharply making Sindria and Kiara break the hug, each taking a step back as they turned their attention to Ozpin.

"Well, it seems some of you are already familiar," he said as he gestured to the girl with the slate colored hair and the brunette with golden eyes. "Ladies, if you would…"

The golden eyed woman nodded before looking at them. "Names Asteria Larhipae, leader of team LZRS (Lazarus) and this is Samara Varus," she said with a gesture to the other woman. "As for the last 2 members of my team, I'm not exactly sure where they are." Athena could see the irritation in Asteria's eyes even as her wings twitched behind her.

The girl with black hair spoke next. "Hi, my name is Orelia Torrisi, leader of team OSRS (Osiris) and apparently you already know my partner, Sindria Voltier. As for the other 2, Solair is currently still seasick in bed and Ru is looking after her. They should come around later."

"Hey," Dante replied. "I'm Dante Argentum, leader of team ASCZ (Assassin). This is Athena Sapphirus, Lucian Ze'ev, and Crato Jofur."

"I guess I'll do ours since our leader isn't here," Thantos spoke next. "I'm Thantos Aingeal, member of team ACHN (Acheron). Next to me is Cicero Lucilius and Kiara Nyekundu."

With introductions completed, all turned to Ozpin, waiting for further instruction. He scanned them over briefly before he cleared his throat as he laced his fingers. "Well, then… It seems that a full meeting disclosure of the details to your stay is in order. Dante, begin with a simple overview of this semester's past transgressions."

Dante nodded before he turned to the new Slayers, preparing to begin his debriefing…


"I'm gonna catch you!" Ruby called as she chased after Lily, Jaune not too far behind.

Lily squealed in delight as she ducted around the trees lining the front of the academy grounds. Ruby was quick but Lily was too unpredictable as she ducked left and right, the rest of team RWBY along with Pyrrha, and Velvet giggling as they watched. The group had moved on to the open spaces after the Slayers left, knowing that Lily would be more at ease in less populated areas. It had taken all of 5 seconds for Ruby to suggest tag to Lily and the 3 immediately started to run and play.

Lily had tried to get more of them to play but several excused themselves on the grounds that they were too tired from their rather vigorous food fight. It was obvious Jaune was still dizzy from some of the hits he took seeing as how he kept tripping himself up. As for Nora and Ren, the 2 had left to shower since Ren was adamant on getting cleaned while Nora naturally tagged along. Weiss had tried for the same excuse to leave but couldn't avoid Lily's 'pouty bat face', a freshly learned skill curtesy of Kiara.

As some of the group relaxed on some of the nearby benches, Velvet looked around the group while wondering how was it they had managed to not only start an apocalyptic food fight but also partially destroy some of the cafeteria. Apparently Yang had even been used to create a new sunroof. As they had been walking out Velvet had asked Blake why they had even thought it would be a good idea. Her only answer was an embarrassed look, a claim that it had been Ruby's idea, and that it sounded fun.

All Velvet could do was chuckle at that and even go as far as to tell Blake that she looked adorable saying that which only seemed to worsen her blush. The others didn't have any better defenses so she dropped it, deeming her slight teasing as enough for the underclassmen. 'I'm just glad Coco wasn't there,' she thought in relief. Her leader would not have only participated but likely dethroned Nora as the queen.

Just the thought made a chill run up her spin. She shook it off, returning her attention to those playing tag, now joined by Yang with Ruby being the one to run this time. Lily was riding on Jaune's shoulders as the 2 chased the redhead while Yang tried to corner her. She then looked to Blake sitting beside her, the cat looking like she was heavy in thought with her ears twitching under her bow and her brows furrowed together.

"What's up Blake?" she asked softly. She wasn't sure if Blake wanted the others to notice so her voice was just low enough to be covered by the sounds of the others playing.

Blake looked at her in slight surprise. "Oh… not much," she answered as she glanced at the others. "Just wondering about some things."

"And that would be?" Velvet persisted with a quick look over her shoulder, noting that Weiss and Pyrrha had been dragged into the game.

"Well… aren't you a little curious about what happened on Dante's trip?" she asked.

Velvet thought about it for a moment before answering. "I guess… but why do you look so worried about it? They came back just fine."

"I know but… something just seems a little off," Blake said, her voice getting even lower.

"What do you mean?" Velvet asked as she leaned closer.

"Well, after Dante and Athena left I tried asking Kiara what was so important about the trip but she just stuck to it being family business. All the other Slayers said the same thing but I noticed that Lucian and Kiara were almost nervous whenever they answered," Blake explained.

"So then it was more serious then they let on," Velvet said seeing at as the logical conclusion.

"Yes but for them to keep it completely under wraps? Plus, before you arrived I heard Dante whispering to Ozpin about needing to talk to him in private. Then there is Lucian's odd behavior," Blake continued. "The day we all went into Vale, he kept scanning through the crowds like he was expecting someone, arrived late to the restaurant and looked antsy for the rest of the afternoon."

With the more Blake explained her reasoning, the more Velvet started to piece together the odd behavior. By nature she wasn't an intrusive person but she did notice that the Slayer had seemed on edge a few days before Dante and Athena's trip and the break itself had been odd. Thantos training himself into the ground at night, usually with team CFVY for an hour or so but then remaining until who knows when, Havasu running off for solo training in the forests, Lucian's almost erratic visits to Vale.

There was a tension in the air and though part of her knew she was better off not knowing, she still wanted to go up to Dante and ask what is it that is bothering him. She wanted to help in any way she could but doubted it would do any good. They were Slayers after all. Elite hunters that were fully trained and experienced. Just what could some huntress trainee do other than be an additional burden.

Her ears flattened down as she thought about it, a bitter taste in her mouth as she looked at her clenched fists. Blake noticed her gaze, slowly moving her hand to cover over Velvet's before giving a gentle squeeze. Velvet looked up to Blake's eyes, the kindness showing in them that reassured her. She faintly smiled at Blake, glad to have someone like her in the pack. Blake was not one to use grand speeches and demonstrations to cheer someone up but through subtle gestures and being a friendly ear. Velvet's smile grew as she looked at the cat for a few more moments before a breeze rolled through, her nose twitching as she caught a sadly, familiar scent.

A slight tinge of rusted iron mixed into other natural scents, the trademark smell of blood. Blake caught it too, the 2 looking down the courtyard towards the landing pads. Even with her eyes trained on the pathway and the 2 approaching figures, she could hear Lily stop playing as well, likely catching the scent herself. The others soon noticed how the 3 fauna present had their focus placed on the pathway and so looked at it as well, all the while the 2 figures got close enough to be distinguishable.

One was a man, standing somewhere around 5 foot 10 inches. He was dressed in a black, sleeveless hoodie with the zipper undone to show the dark red sleeveless shirt underneath. His military style pants were jet black at the top with a steady change to red at the feet, ending with black converse. He had what looked like a machete strapped to his left hip, the smell of old blood wafting off the blade making Velvet want to gag. His skin was deathly pale, as if he'd never stepped in the sun, with numerous scars and even some open cuts lining his arms.

His hands looked even worse, almost like he'd stuck his hands in a pile of hot embers leaving them coated in burn like cuts. As Velvet took in his appearance, her gaze trailed up to his head. He had pale, snowy white hair fashioned into an undercut similar to Sun's blue haired friend. The last thing Velvet noted was his eyes. You'd think she'd be used to distinct eye colors, especially those with red variations such as Yang's nearly glowing, bright red eyes, Kiara's wine red eyes, and Lily's eyes that looked like flawless rubies but this man's were unnerving. They were red but much more like blood on the verge of clotting, giving him a cold and calculating expression.

"Creepy," Blake mumbled beside her. Velvet couldn't help but agree.

Not wanting to chance any form of eye contact with the man Velvet shifted her eyes to the girl practically skipping beside him but she was slowly starting to regret that decision. This girl stood about 5 inches shorter than the man, wearing a blue skirt, a light red shirt, and light blue converse with little spots of red. Her shoulder length hair was a bright sheen of pink ending in blue highlights at the tips matching her eyes, the inner irises being pink while the outer edges were light blue.

There was also something off about her that Velvet couldn't quite place. There wasn't any killing intent or intense pressure coming off her and yet it just felt … negative. It was harsh and cold, making Velvet shiver as her gaze roamed back to the girl's eyes. 'Just what is wrong with her?' she wondered as she looked at the odd eyes.

Velvet liked her eyes even less than the man's. She couldn't quite explain it but her eyes made several chills run down her spine. They lacked any sign of kindness, compassion, or empathy. The girl was smiling but her eyes held only disdain. As if someone had spotted a beautiful flower, cursed it for its beauty, and wished to pluck it only to watch it wither and die. Only one word came to mind… psychopath.

Velvet took her eyes off the approaching pair, suddenly feeling concerned for the safety of the others around her. Lily was practically hiding behind Yang and Ruby with Weiss, Jaune, and Pyrrha standing close by. Luckily or not, it seemed that the pair was walking towards Blake and herself. She kept her gaze low as they got closer, noting how Blake got more rigid along her peripheral. They stopped a few feet from them and stood silent for a few seconds, the quiet making Velvet's heart race.

"Excuse us," the woman said in peppy yet empty voice.

Velvet slowly looked up, her focus being maintained on the woman's chin rather than her eyes.

"Yes?"

"Do you know the quickest way to the central tower?" she asked, one hand placed on her hip.

"Umm," Velvet hummed as she glanced to the academy and the tower in the background. "If you go straight past the auditorium you'll get to the inner courtyard and cafeteria. Once you pass that, there will be a hall to your left. Follow that and you'll get to the base of the tower."

"Oh," the woman quipped, her eyes still focused on Velvet while her companion stayed quiet with a bored look.

Velvet wasn't sure why she was getting the attention but she tried to bear with it, forcing a neutral face. After a few her companion spoke in a sharp tone, his eyes seeming to flash as he looked at her.

"Rayne…" he said, his eyes washing over Velvet and Blake before returning to her. "Enough, don't go getting any ideas…"

Rayne looked back at him with a small smirk. "You know me, I can't help myself. I mean, just look at how… cute she is," Rayne said as she glanced at Velvet, a dangerous glint in her eyes.

Velvet felt her skin crawl as Rayne said that, her fight or flight instinct picking up as her ears lowered down and a slight growl escaped her, Blake's own eyes shifting as she glared at Rayne.

"Oh?" Rayne chimed as her smirk grew. "Some nerves huh…"

By this point some of the others were getting closer, namely Yang, Jaune, and Pyrrha while Lily stayed behind Ruby and Weiss, each looking at Rayne warily. She might not look like much but Velvet could feel the hints of her strength from the malice that was beginning to radiate around her. Velvet could feel her legs shake as she stood up, now looking down at the shorter woman while her companion silently looked on. The air was starting to get stifling as the 2 starred off, Rayne's smirk growing by the second as her hand rested on her hip.

As a breeze rolled by Velvet caught a familiar scent, this one similar to that of roasted almond mixed with the sour tinge of sweat. Velvet broke the eye lock as she looked down one of the adjacent paths of the courtyard, a new figure approaching. She released a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding as she took in his appearance, her nerves subsiding by a small margin. It was Havasu, dressed in his usual sleeveless leather jacket, sweaty orange shirt, and some worn jogging pants. He looked tired judging from the slight slouch and slow pace but she could tell his eyes were trained on the pair in front of them.

The pair noticed his approach as well, their gazes falling on him as he neared the group, some of the other students visibly relaxing as the Slayer approached. They stood silent as he stopped a few feet away, his eyes looking them over before falling on Velvet's.

"Yo," he said as he glanced at the other students before looking to Rayne and her companion. "Can I help you with something?"

Rayne's smirk faltered for a moment as she looked up at him, raising her left hand that'd been on her hip with a flick, as if surrendering. "No thanks, just asking for some directions," she said with a tilt of the head.

"I doubt that," Havasu asked in an even tone, his eyes suddenly closing before he stepped to the side while drawing a knife from seemingly nowhere and swiping it over his shoulder.

There was a spark and the sound of metal colliding before a crescent blade, barely 4 inches, fell to the ground beside him. 'What the hell!? Where did that come from?' Velvet wondered as some of the students flinched as they turned to the downed knife in shock.

"You saw that?" Rayne chimed in slight surprise.

"Your hands were sloppy with the toss," Havasu retorted making Rayne's eyes flash in irritation.

"What did you sa—" Rayne began but Havasu cut in.

"You're the other 2 members of team LZRS right? The Slayers from Mistral?" Havasu asked, the knife in his hand still held at the ready.

Before Rayne could reply her companion spoke up. "Yes… name's Zack Rojos. The pain in the ass beside me is Rayne Sleyd. And you would be?"

Havasu looked him in the eyes before replying in a dry tone, "Havasu Tiypn, leader of team ACHN. Now, I believe your team leader as well as Professor Ozpin are expecting you. I suggest you get going."

Velvet could tell that by his tone it wasn't a suggestion. It seemed that the 2 picked up on it as well, judging by how Rayne clenched her fist while directing a cold glare at Havasu. Before she could say anything Zack put his hand in front of her while giving her a side glance, his eyes as cold as ice.

"I guess we shall ... excuse us," Zack said as Rayne started walk past Havasu, Zack following close behind.

As they walked past Havasu crouched down to pick up the curved blade. He then glanced back at the retreating Slayers before flicking the knife in his fingers. "This is yours by the way," he said as he tossed the knife at Rayne's neck.

Velvet almost thought it was going to hit her but like a whip, Zack's hand lashed out and caught the knife in between 2 fingers without even looking back. "Thanks," he muttered as he put the knife away and continued walking away.

They all watched as the Slayers left but the atmosphere remained tense as they directed their gazes to Havasu, an obvious scowl on his face as he watched them leave. Once they were out of sight Havasu let out a tired sigh as he finally turned to look at the student's his usually cheery demeanor bubbling up.

"Sorry about that… little display," he said while running one hand through his hair.

"It's ok," Blake said as she glanced down the courtyard. "I'm just glad you got here before they did something."

"Just why are they here?" Weiss asked as the others grouped up, some mumbling their own thoughts on the matter as they looked to Havasu expectantly.

"I'm not exactly sure myself," he replied as he pulled out his scroll. "I just received a few messages saying that other Slayers would be arriving from Thantos and to meet up later."

"So will they be here long?" Yang asked.

"Don't know," Havasu replied before mumbling under his breath. "Though I really just want to sleep."

"You look like you need a shower," Ruby said as she noted the obvious dirt stains on his arms.

"Heard that," Havasu quipped as he spun on his heel to face the academy. "Then I'll just get on to my dorm. Catch you all later."

They watched as he walked away as well, soon disappearing into the structures of the academy. Velvet then looked over the others, noting how whatever mood they'd been in before to play was thoroughly doused. She sighed as she looked to Lily, the little vampire looking particularly shaken as she held Yang's hand.

"I think that's enough playing for now," Weiss spoke up as she examined her uniform.

"Agreed," Blake and Pyrrha responded.

Velvet was about to add to that but then she got a message on her scroll. She pulled it out quickly and noted that it was from Dante before reading through it.

"What's is it?" Blake asked as she leaned closer.

"Dante. He said he's going back to his dorm so we can bring Lily back," she answered as she looked to the little vampire. "How about it Lily? Want to head back?"

Lily nodded before letting go of Yang's hand and walking closer, waiting for Velvet to say when.

"If you're taking her then I think the rest of us will head back and get showered," Weiss said.

"Aww," Ruby whined with a pout. "But I still wanted to play."

"We can play later," Weiss sighed as she started to pull the redhead by the hood with a chorus of complaints about not pulling too hard.

"Then we'll see you later," Blake said to Velvet as the rest of the group departed, leaving Velvet and Lily alone.

Velvet watched them leave before thinking back to Rayne, her legs starting to feel shaky at the thought. Only now did she realize how very real the danger had been. She couldn't even read their movements and it looked like they weren't even trying. 'Am I really that vulnerable?' she wondered as she looked down at her feet, her previous worries resurfacing.

She was pulled out of her thoughts when she felt a gentle tug on her skirt, reminding her that Lily was waiting beside her. She looked at her, her ruby red eyes looking back with concern.

"Are you ok?" Lily asked as she reached for her hand before gently holding on.

Velvet couldn't help but smile as she gave Lily a soft squeeze. "Yeah… just a little distracted," she answered as the 2 started to walk towards the dorms. As they walked Velvet thought about her training. She hated these feeling of vulnerability, of weakness, of being powerless. She needed to do more, to be the one protecting, to fight at his side…

...


"Here we are," Velvet said as she arrived with Lily to Dante and Athena's suite.

She didn't even hesitate as she reached for the door and opened it, Lily going in first before she followed along. She closed the door behind her before turning to see Lily hugging Athena as she cooked something. She guessed some tomato soup from the smell but she didn't pay it much attention as she looked around their apartment but didn't spot Dante anywhere. She looked back to Athena questioningly as she filled a bowl with tomato soup and went to the table, Lily following close behind.

"Um Athena. Where's Dante?" she asked as she walked closer to the table.

"Hmm? Oh, he fell asleep," Athena replied as she pointed to their room, the door slightly ajar.

"Really?" she continued as her ears swiveled around to catch the sound of light breathing. "How come? It's the middle of the day."

"He was feeling tired," Athena answered simply as she took a spoonful of the soup.

'That's odd,' she thought as she joined Athena at the table while Lily went to her room to find something, probably her drawing book to show Athena.

"So …" she started as she looked at Athena. "How was the trip?"

Athena looked at her curiously before answering. "It was … interesting. Dante's parents are pretty nice and Vacuo is lovely this time of year."

"Really? What were they like!?" she asked excitedly. She had been wondering what Dante's parents were like after they left for the trip.

"His mom is really pretty. She has these amazing eyes that look like kaleidoscopes with tints of golden yellow and aquamarine," Athena replied. "And she's really strong!"

"How strong?" Velvet asked in wonder as she tried to imagine such eyes.

"She made Dante get serious when he sparred against her," Athena answered in a voice full of admiration.

"No way!" Velvet shot back, almost unable to imagine anyone pushing Dante that far.

Athena nodded with a grin. "Nearly beat him the first time too. His mom's semblance is similar to his so he didn't really have to hold back. In the end he was simply stronger and faster."

"Wow! She sounds amazing!" Velvet almost cheered.

"Completely floored me though," Athena added with a shrug. "But what can you do? Anyways, how was the week?"

"Well," Velvet started. "The week was ok. Spent a lot of time with team RWBY and JNPR, Kiara and Lily, trained, and caught up on any studies. Not much else really."

"Hm. Sounds pleasant enough," Athena said as she glanced at her soup bowl. "Oh, would you like some? Kiara made it and there's plenty."

Velvet shook her head as she replied. "No, thank you. I already had lunch."

She then noticed Lily come back out of her room with her drawing book in hand. She sat beside Athena while tugging her shirt to get her attention. Athena looked over to see what Lily was showing her, giving the little vampire encouraging smiles and nods as the two went through the pages. Velvet watched with a content smile, glad to see Lily in such high spirits even after what happened in the courtyard. After a few minutes Velvet glanced again towards the room Dante was in again, hoping that he would wake up soon so she could speak with him.

"You can go and wake him up," Athena said calmly as she glanced occasionally to the pictures Lily was showing her.

"Really?" Velvet asked hesitantly. She didn't want to possibly anger him if he was feeling tired.

"He won't be upset," Athena said as if she could read her mind.

"O-ok," she replied as she got up and slowly walked towards their room.

She softly pushed the door in and looked around the room. She'd never actually been inside it before so she was curious. It was a rather simple layout. One large room with a connected bathroom and closet, two large drawers, a desk and some chairs, and then a queen sized bed to her immediate left. There, sleeping soundly was Dante, dressed in a pair of dark shorts and green shirt, the sheets thrown to the side.

'Maybe it was too warm,' she wondered as she stepped to the edge of the bed before slowly leaning forward to tap his shoulder. She gave him a slight push but he didn't stir, his breathing remaining the same.

"Dante," she whispered as she gave a stronger poke but all he did was grunt a little snuggle deeper into his pillow.

'Heavy sleeper,' she thought as she put one knee on the bed to get a better angle to shake his shoulder.

The moment her hand landed on his shoulder Dante's hand shot out and grabbed her wrist before suddenly pulling her down with a squeal. In a flash she found herself lying beside him, one of his arms around her waist while the other laid under her head and wrapped her shoulders. Their faces were barely a few inches apart, his warm breath over her cheeks as his smell filled her nose. It had a silvery tinge to it, as if the metal was being heated, along with what she guessed might have been some sort of bark like smell but she couldn't guess what exactly.

She laid in a daze for a moment before realization dawned on her, her cheeks beginning to burn in a blush as she tried to wriggle free but she was stuck. His arms weren't tight or anything but even with the snug embrace she could tell his grip was set like steel. She knew that she couldn't even dream of breaking out by force so she tried to wake him again.

"Dante … Dante …" she said as she slowly raised her hands up from her belly to her chest level before tapping his chest.

He only mumbled something too low for her to make out before pulling her closer, his chin now touching her forehead. Her blush deepened as she heard and felt him sniff her before sighing contently as he tightened the embrace. She could practically feel steam billowing out both sets of ears as she looked around before whispering as loudly as she could.

"Athena! Athena!"

It took a few moments before the ravenette walked in, her eyes widening in slight surprise at the sight before her.

"Ooh … should have mentioned that," she said as she tapped her chin.

"What!?" she squeaked out, finding it rather alarming how Athena seemed so nonchalant about this.

"Whenever Dante's really tired and falls asleep, he's nearly impossible to wake up unless you haul him out of bed," she explained as she got closer to lean slightly over Velvet's shoulder. "And he tends to grab onto anything that smells familiar."

"So what now?" she asked as she adjusted to better look at Athena.

"Nothing," she replied with a shrug. "Unless he lets go while sleeping, you're stuck until he wakes up. I've found myself in the same situation a few times."

"Wait! Aren't you going to help?" she asked as her heart raced. She could feel every bit of contact between Dante and herself and she wasn't too sure if she wanted more or not.

"Nope. I don't feel like getting stuck too and he really needs the rest," Athena replied with an impish smile. "Enjoy your nap."

She then turned to leave but Velvet called her again, her voice this time coming out rather softly. "But … you're ok with this?"

Athena glanced back, a tender smile on her face as she glanced between them. "You know … part of being his mate is understanding how much he cares about you, Blake, and Kiara. I mean, he cares about team RWBY and JNPR but pack members are special … especially considering what he's experienced."

"…" Velvet didn't know what to say to that. She found Athena's words rather soothing, and she said them so confidently. She really could see that Athena didn't mind, in fact, she could have sworn Athena looked happy.

"Just relax," Athena continued with a smile before she looked to the door and walked out.

Velvet stared as the door closed, leaving her in bed with Dante, the dragon sleeping soundly as he slightly nuzzled the top of her head. Velvet turned her head back to face him, her blush lessening slightly as she looked at his face. He looked so peaceful and content, his warm arms wrapped around her. She felt so safe in them, all her previous doubts slowly melting away as she listened to the steady beat of his heart.

She felt a small smile tug at her lips as she snuggled into his neck while her hands rested against his chest. She felt her body relax in his embrace, a sudden drowsiness taking hold as her eyes slowly began to shut. As she slowly drifted off, she couldn't help but think back to the smile Athena had as she left. 'Athena … did you plan this …' she wondered just before she finally nodded off …


Author's Rant: There you have it folks, some bonding, more introductions, and oh so much more ... Hope everyone enjoyed!

Any and all feedback appreciated!

I'll see you all again in 2 weeks! A pleasure, Jbubu