AN: first off, I want to apologize for taking another hiatus. I have been working on getting this ready, and almost have Volume six finished, so I have at least 12 weeks of content for you. I would also like to apologize for the quality of the chapters. I have lost my Beta Readers to School, so they probably won't be as good as previous chapters. I do have two friends I use as soundboards to come up with ideas for chapters and future chapters, so, I hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer: violence, language, racism, and death. Viewer discretion advised.

Geoff was pulled from Morpheus embrace by a knock on his door. He got up and walked to the door.

"Yeah?" He yawned as he opened the door, scratching under his shirt.

"I'm sorry to disturb you Master Geoffrey." Awena said. "But Clifford sent me to get you."

"Okay." He spoke. "Let's Go."

"He told me to tell you to prepare yourself, but not bring your weapons."

Geoff was fully awake now. "Okay."

Awena led Geoff to the room that they used as a medical room.

"What're we..." He began but stopped when he saw the blood.

"Wha' happened?" He asked.

"Geoffrey!" Cliff urged. "Grab something to help me stop the bleeding!"

Geoff grabbed a dust cover and hoped that Jason wouldn't care too much. He ran over to Cliff and stopped when he saw who Cliff was helping.

"Oh shite." He said when he saw Mercury bleeding out on the pool table, looking extremely pale.

"Now is not the time for that!" Cliff chided, grabbing the dust cover.

Geoff snapped back to reality and helped Cliff try and stop the bleeding. "Wha' happened?" He asked.

"It would appear that someone ripped his legs off."

"There's a few people I know who's angry enough ta do tha'." Viridian said.

"Jason comes ta mind." Geoff said.

"Don't ferget Loki, Coral, or Scott."

"No. I know Scott." Geoff defended. "He wouldn't do this."

"Wouldn't he?"

"No. He wouldn't."

"Not even after he helped take Jason's legs, threatened ta kill Yang, led Grimm ta th' city, killed many o' innocent civilians, killed many Hunters, killed many Hunters in Training... need I go on lad?"

"No. Tha's enough."

"We need ta get him ta a hospital."

"He'd never survive the trip!" Cliff explained.

"There's a way tha' he can." Geoff said. "It'll be painful, but he'll live, long enough ta make it ta a hospital."

"What is it?"

"Viridian. Give me a fire Dust Crystal."

"Master Geoffrey?" Awena asked.

"We either do this and it saves his life, or we don't, and he dies."

Viridian tossed Geoff a Fire Crystal from the fireplace and Geoff walked over to Mercury and nodded at Cliff.

Cliff moved his hand farther up and Geoff activated the Fire Dust Crystal before pushing it to one of the stumps.

The manor was filled with an agonized wail as the fire dust Cauterized the stump.

Geoff held the fire dust to the second stump, cauterizing it.

"If you'll excuse me." Geoff said before he bolted, dropping the spent Dust Crystal.

Cliff picked up Mercury and ran for the hospital. He'd have to work fast if he wanted the boy to live long enough to redeem himself.

"Master Geoffrey?" Awena asked. "Are you okay?"

"No." Geoff said. "No, I am not. "I Jus' Cauterized th' stumps o' someone who is responsible fer th' hell tha' happened at Beacon all those months ago. He's th' reason I have a cybernetic spine and rib cage. He's th' reason one o' my friends has cybernetic legs. He did all o' those terrible things, and I still feel terrible fer what I did ta him."

"It's because you're a good person Master Geoffrey."

"Lad!" Viridian yelled. "Get outta th' bathroom! We need ta get a pair o' legs ready fer th' piece of Shite!"

"You really don't like him, do you?"

"He took my surrogate Nephews legs! O' course I don't like him!"

"Viridian!" Geoff yelled, slamming the door open. "Don't yell at Awena!"

"Oh. Shite. I'm sorry lass. I'm not mad at you."

"It's okay." Awena said. "Do you guys need help?"

"Yes. We will need Yer help lass. Let's go."

The trio ran to the workshop and Geoff and Viridian began working.

"Don't you need to get his measurements first?"

"Oh. Yeah." Geoff said. "I'll go get them."

"Do you want me to come with you Master Geoffrey?"

"Yes. In case I need ya ta pull me away from him."

"Okay Master Geoffrey."

"I mean it lass. If'n I start ta get irrational, I need ya pull me away."

"Okay Master Geoffrey."

Geoff and Awena made their way to the hospital.

Cliff ran into hospital and laid Mercury on a gurney. "Please! He needs help."

A healer came over to him. "What happened?"

"I found him on the streets."

"He was probably attacked by a filthy Faunus!" The Healer said as he wheeled Mercury into a room.

Cliff sat down and waited. He waited until Geoff and Awena showed up.

"Any news?" Geoff asked.

"They just took him back."

"HEY!" Someone yelled. "We don't serve Faunus here!"

"She's my assistant!" Geoff defended.

"Doesn't matter! No Faunus!"

Geoff felt his temper rise.

"Tell her to leave or I'll make her!" A security guard came up and pointed his Tonfa at Awena.

Geoff stepped in front of the guard. "Back! Off!" He snapped.

"Or else what?"

"Master Geoffrey. I'll just go."

"No." Geoff said. "I'm trying ta make Atlas a better place, and it starts now!"

"Leave! Now!"

"No! I'll leave!" Awena yelled. "You need to help him. You don't need me for that!"

"Listen to the trash." The guard said.

"THAT! IS! ENOUGH!" Cliff said getting in the guard's face. "How dare you! How dare you talk down to another person!"

"Leave! Before I make you!"

"Do you have any idea who I am!?"

"Faunus loving human trash?"

"No! I am Clifford Horizon! Butler to the Todd family for some thirty years and former Master Grimm Hunter. I keep the manor tidy, take out the trash and take care of filth like you."

"Is that supposed to mean something to me?" The guard asked.

"I don't know." Cliff Said As his twin Auras began spiraling behind himself. "Have you heard the stories of the Paladin of Death?"

"Say what now?" Geoff asked.

The guard took a step back. "No! That's just a story to get children to listen to their parents?"

"Am I!" Cliff asked.

"No! You can't be real!"

"Can't I!"

Geoff took out his scroll and began searching for Paladin of Death. The search brought him to an article about a man during the war who was able to amplify his body to ten times its potential making him strong, untouchable, and extremely durable. Apparently, he was able to move so fast that if you saw him, it was already too late.

"Now." Cliff said. "Would you like to start again?"

"I-I'm sorry sir, b-but ou-our policy State-states that we can-can't let Faunus in th-the hospital!" The guard was sweating and looked to be on the brink of tears.

"I think your policies need to start changing."

"What's going on here!?" A voice that made Geoff cringe demanded.

"We're here to see a patient." Cliff said.

"Not with a filthy Faunus you're not."

Geoff could feel his hands clench into fists and realized that he'd left the 'Junkers Toolkit' at home. "Apologize." He said in a dangerously low voice.

"Make me."

"Master Geoffrey." Awena Said. "Please. I'll just leave."

"No. Stay. I won't let you be treated like this anymore."

"And how are you going to do that?" Harriet asked. "How are you going to change the entire kingdom?"

"By showing Humans that Faunus are people too!"

The entire hospital with the exception of Geoff, Cliff, Awena, and a few humans burst into tears of laughter.

"You're pretty funny." Harriet said. "I think I'll keep you around after I've killed your assistant and that foo foo you're fucking on the side."

An intense passion burst from Geoff's stomach, and he glowed white before Cliff placed a hand on his shoulder.

"If you will allow me Geoffrey. Allow an old Butler to do his job, and... take out the trash."

"What did you call me!" Harriet demanded.

"Trash." Cliff said. "Noun, Discarded matter; refuse."

Harriet snarled and ran at Cliff on for Cliff to glow black and white and a spiral to appear in front of him causing Harriet to fly through the portal and fall to the floor on the other side, unconscious.

"What did you do to her?" Geoff asked.

"Wrath of the Gods." Cliff Said. "Have I explained my Semblance to you yet?"

"No."

"Wrath of the Gods was created when my late wife transferred her Semblance to me."

"I Didn't know that was even possible."

"It is, but only of the two Semblances are compatible, and both are willing. Not like Master Jason's Alpha Ability to take another's Semblance by force, oh no. This is much more civilized. When two Semblances are compatible, and the participants are willing, those two individuals may transfer one into the other. The outcome is a new Semblance made up of the two. In mine and my late wife's case, my Semblance, Tenfold, and her Semblance, Righteous Fury, combined to create Wrath of the Gods."

"What did Righteous Fury do?"

"Righteous Fury allowed my wife to channel what she believed was right into her body to amplify herself."

"Then how does two enhancement Semblances do that?" Geoff pointed at Harriet's body.

"When my wife gave me her Semblance, the combined Semblance went through a Metamorphosis. It changed. I was laid up for quite some time. When I was well enough to leave my bed, I found out that the two Semblances had drastically changed. Now, instead of being an enhancement Semblance, my Semblance was more of an emitter Semblance."

"What? What's this about Enhancement Semblances and Emitter Semblances?"

"Beacon wasn't very good at teaching you about your Aura or Semblances, were they?"

"Did you tell Jason about the different Semblances?"

"Of course, I did. Do you think that I wouldn't tell Master Jason that his then thought to be Semblance was an Enhancement type Semblance."

"What are the different types of Semblances?"

"You have Six different Semblance types. There are the: Conjurers, Manipulators, Emitters, Transmuters, Enhancers, and Specialists. Tenfold and Righteous Fury were Enhancement type Semblances. Wrath of the Gods is an Emitter type Semblance. Can you guess what type yours and Awena's Semblances are?"

"I change my pain into power." Awena said. "So... that would make me an enhancer."

"And I would be a Manipulator since I manipulate my Aura into explosive force."

"Correct. Now. What is Miss Belladonna's Semblance?"

"A Transmutation type Semblance?" Geoff asked. "Since she is able to create copies of herself with different Dust?"

"I was actually thinking Manipulator." Awena said. "Seeing as she Manipulates Dust."

"Both Good Guesses, but also wrong."

"What?"

"She does both. This makes her a Specialist."

"Oh." Both said in unison.

"Yes. You see. If your Semblance does more than one, then you are a specialist."

"So, was Analysis a specialist Semblance?" Geoff asked.

"If it had been a Semblance, then yes, it would have been classified as a Specialist Semblance. What is Penumbra Barrage?"

"It's a Conjuration Semblance because of its versatility." Geoff said.

"It could also be a Transmutation or Manipulation." Awena said.

"It's all three actually, which means..."

"Penumbra Barrage is a Specialist Semblance." Both said in unison.

"Correct."

"What about Jason's other Semblances?" Geoff asked.

"What do you think?"

"Well... he has the Strength Semblance, and that's an Enhancement Semblance. His Portal Semblance would be a Conjuration Semblance?"

"Yes."

"E-excuse me." A voice said.

The group turned to look at a doctor. "We've stabilized him. Y-you can go see him now."

"Thank you." Cliff said as the group walked back into the room."

Geoff looked into the room and didn't recognize the person lying in the bed.

The figure lying in bed had a buzz cut with a scratch across his face.

"What happened to him?" Geoff asked.

As Cliff ran through the streets of Atlas, he looked at Mercury. If he didn't want Mercury to be arrested on the spot, he needed to act quickly. He grabbed Mercury's hair and cut it all off with a quick motion.

With that done, he took the knife and slid it across the boys left eye giving him a scar across the left side of his face.

"Brothers forgive me." Cliff said before running to the hospital.

"That's what happened." Cliff said.

"I see."

"Yes. I'll leave the rest to you." Cliff said before leaving.

Geoff looked at Mercury's unconscious form. "Look." He said grabbing the bed frame. "I don' like ye. I don' like what ye've done ta my friends. I don' like wha' ye did ta Beacon; but I can't leave ye like this. I mean... if I were Jason or Scott then maybe, but I'm not! So, here's wha' I'm going ta do. I'm going ta repair yer legs, an' then I'll get ye ta... somewhere. I'd have half a mind ta turn ya over ta Ironwood, but he's not thinking clearly. So probably some sort o' house arrest."

"Uh... Master Geoffrey? You do know that he's unconscious, right?"

"Aye lass, but this is th' only way I can talk ta him wit'out becomin' emotional."

"You're doing a terrible job." Mercury said.

Geoff jumped. "Oh. Ye're awake."

"Yeah."

"Fer how long?"

"Since you started you're whole: "I don't like ye." Speech."

"Oh. Well. What do ya think?"

"I think that I'm fucked either way, but I have a third option."

"And tha' is?"

"Hire me."

"What?"

"Hire me. Pay me to help you guys. That way I don't get killed."

"Unless a better offer comes along."

"Pay me with my life and a paycheck then. Can't go wrong there."

"I suppose not."

"Do we have a deal?"

"I reserve th' right ta alter th' deal."

"You're Holding all the cards here."

"Then yes. We have a deal."

"Shake on it."

Geoff shook Mercury's hand and was surprised when Mercury didn't try using him as a hostage.

"Don't worry." Mercury said. "I don't turn on employers. Especially Employers who have friends who can come up with incredibly creative ways of killing me."

"Good ta know?" Geoff asked. "Let's get ya back ta Todd Manor an' th' workshop."

Geoff picked him up and carried him out of the hospital and made his way to Todd Manor.

Cliff walked behind them and paid for the bill.

The faculty, staff, patients, and visitors watched in confusion, not sure of what to do.

Geoff, Awena, and Cliff walked into Todd Manor and down to the workshop.

"Okay." Geoff said. "Time ta go ta sleep, cause this is gonna hurt."

"Wait, what?" Mercury asked as Cliff administered a sedative.

"Let's get ta work." Geoff said.

The next day.

"Mercury woke up the next morning, staring at the ceiling. Had yesterday really happened.

He swung his legs over the bed but realized that he couldn't.

He moved the covers and saw chunky, bronze prosthetic legs that were glowing black.

"Hello?" He asked.

"Good morning Master Mercury." A familiar voice said. "My name is Clifford Horizon. Butler to the Todd family for some thirty years and former Master Grimm Hunter. I keep the manor tidy, take out the trash and will take care of you. You have heavy Prosthetics. Designed that way to train people to walk again. I have a remote that I can use to lower the level of gravity Dust..." the Prosthetics felt lighter. "... or heavier." The prosthetics felt really heavy. "If I feel that you are going to run, I will increase the gravity on them. Are we understood?"

"Gee. Why so hostile gramps?"

"Perhaps because you blew my charges legs off." Cliff said coldly.

"I was paid to do that. Im working for you guys now."

"For now. Don't make us regret it."

"I won't."

"Good. Now that we have come to an understanding, come with me."

Mercury got out of bed and followed Cliff.

"Here we believe that everyone should be treated like a person... including Faunus. So, any Anti-Faunus sentiments you have are to be left at the door. Understood?"

"Yeah, yeah. Don't hate on the Faunus."

"Your pay will be in the form of a weekly stipend like what they do at the Academies. You can buy your own food if you like, or if there is something special that you would like to get you can. We keep the manor stocked with food."

"Okay. I'm not too picky of an eater, so I don't think that'll be a problem."

"You will not be given a weapon until we are sure that you won't betray us."

"Probably a good idea, not one that I like, but a good idea."

"Quite. Your job will be to help around the manor. You will be allowed to roam freely seeing as we can watch you through the cameras and track you with the nano-trackers given to you by Master Geoffrey..."

"Wait. You injected me with Nano-trackers!?"

"Don't be absurd, that would be barbaric. No. Master Geoffrey coated you in Nano-trackers that will explode at the activation codes activation."

"What the hell!" Mercury yelled. "Why the hell would you do something like that!"

"An odd question coming from someone who was paid to blow an adolescents leg's off and kill him." Cliff said in a passive aggressive voice.

Mercury gulped.

"Now. You can start by helping Tyra in the kitchen. Next you can help Viridian in the armory, just so you know he is very keen, very grumpy, and thinks that we should feed you to Bob."

"Who's Bob?"

"His pet Ursa." Cliff said with a straight face.

"Uhh...? That's a joke, right?"

"No. No, it is not."

"Uhh... okay."

"After You're finished with Viridian you can find Geoffrey. He'll have something for you to do."

"Okay."

"Now, off you go."

Mercury walked away to find the kitchens. He found them and saw a couple whispering in a corner, smiling, and laughing. It looked like they might have been getting closer into each other's space until they were practically standing in the same space. They were just about to kiss when one of them looked up.

"Yes?" She asked.

"Um... Jeeves told me to come help Tyra in the kitchen."

"His name is Cliff." The girl said, breaking up the snuggle fest or make out session; whatever it was. "You'll be helping Coco and I make dinner. It's my turn to cook, not that I need any more help in here."

"It didn't look like you were going to get much done to begin with." Mercury snarked. "Any closer and you guys would have been one body."

"Keep it up!" Coco snapped. "We can make your life a living hell."

"As if my life before getting my legs ripped off was better than this."

"I don't believe in the past actions affecting a person's future." Tyra said. "I also wasn't there when Jason lost his legs, but we believe in new beginnings in this house. So, the fact that you are here and not dead means that you have some potential to change. Prove that you deserve this second chance."

"Oh yeah. Cause Jason and the big guy ripping my legs off is a totally cool way to start a new life."

"And who was it that blew Jason's legs off back at Beacon?" Coco asked. "Oh, that's right. It was you."

"Let's get one thing straight! I was paid to do that! Jason and the big guy did it out of petty revenge!"

"So, because you were paid makes it noble?!"

"Coco!" Tyra snapped. "Go cool off."

"What?"

"Go." Tyra urged.

Coco stomped out of the kitchen and into the game room so she could kill people on Kingdom Warfare 3.

"Look." Tyra said. "I won't side with you, and I won't side against you, but you have a chance to change. Use it. You can be something more than just a gun for hire, if you choose to do so."

Mercury scoffed. "You don't know me."

"Mercury Black." Geoff said walking in with Velvet leaning into him. "Son o' Marcus Black, trained as an assassin fer a few years. Yer father took yer Semblance so ye'd learn how ta fight wit'out it befer he'd give it back. Ye killed him after a bad trainin' session and he damaged Yer legs ta th' point tha they had ta be amputated. Not sure where yer first prosthetics came from, but they were designed poorly so tha' ye were reliant on th person who made them. I'm working on a pair tha will be more resilient an' durable, an' will help ya when yer runnin'. I really should thank ye fer blowin' Jason's legs off cause I was able ta learn how ta make extra durable prosthetics. Ye should see th' wear an' tear on his old Prosthetics. It's not pretty."

Mercury looked at Geoff as if he'd grown a second head. "How did you..."

"Ironwood had me dig up every scrap o' info on ye when I was well enough ta move around after Cinder crushed my spine an' rib cage."

Mercury grimaced at that. "Your spine AND rib cage were shattered during the fall of beacon?"

"Yes."

"How are you..."

"My rib cage an' spine are cybernetic. They had ta fuse my spine an' rib cage wit Cybernetics."

"If it makes you feel any better, Cinder is dead."

Geoff and Velvet blinked. "CINDER'S DEAD!" They shouted in unison.

"Yeah. Not sure about the details, but she died at Haven Academy."

Geoff and Velvet let out sighs of relief.

"I know that you guys didn't like her, but why are you so relieved that she's dead?"

"I fought her." Geoff said. "I fought her an' survived. She fought like she was possessed. She fought like th' thought o' killin' excited her like nothin' else mattered. Maybe I shouldn't be happy she's dead, but now she can't hurt anyone."

"I need to leave." Velvet said.

"Why?" Mercury asked. "Do I bother you that much?"

"Not me, but I can sense all of the evil you've committed, and I want to kill you."

"You want to go?" Mercury snapped. "I already told you that I'm a mercenary! I go where the money is!"

Geoff stepped in front of Velvet. "Ye don't want ta do tha'. She'll win every time."

"What! Is she supposed to scare me?"

"No." A dark demonic voice said. "But I am! So much evil committed by your hands for such a long time. Your soul is ripe for searing."

Mercury looked at the flaming skeleton with rabbit ears. "Nice trick. I'm not afraid of you."

"You should be." Geoff said.

"Is This your plan? Trap me and kill me?"

"No." Geoff said. "Velvet. Please come back to me."

The flames dissipated, leaving Velvet standing there. Geoff held her and she held him with a shiver. "I need to go." She spoke. "I can't be around him. If I stay around him much longer, the Bounty Hunter will kill him."

"I'll come find you later."

"Make sure you shower first. The stench of his evil will be all over you."

"Okay." Geoff said kissing the top of Velvets head.

Velvet left and Geoff looked at Mercury. "I get tha' yer not used ta people helpin' ya, but we want ta help ya in case there's even a chance tha' ye will help us."

"Are you expecting me to turn on you?"

"A little, yeah."

"Good. Cause if someone gives me a better offer, I'll take it."

"Then I hope ye don't run inta Velvet on yer way out. She'll sear yer soul."

"What?"

"Tha' thing ye saw when she caught fire an' everythin' Tha's called th' Bounty Hunter. It Sears souls and sends them ta th' Grimm Tar tha' makes th' Grimm. Th' body moves around on its own, without a purpose until someone kills it or takes control of it."

"You're joking right?"

"I wish I were, but I'm not."

"Stuff like that doesn't exist."

"But Maidens do?"

"That's different."

"How? Maidens have th' power o' th' elements themselves."

"Each person has a Semblance."

"Tha's one trait. Maidens can access every Element, plus they have their Semblance."

Mercury grit his teeth.

"Wha' if'n I sweeten th' pot?"

"How?"

"Jason recently gained th' ability ta take Semblances. I'm pretty sure tha' means he can give Semblances too. Help us, an' I'll convince him ta give ye a Semblance."

Mercury glared at Geoff. "Do you really think I need a Semblance after all this time!?"

"No, but I think tha' ye still want one. What was yer Semblance before yer da' took it?"

"The ability to completely disappear into my surroundings."

"So, camouflage."

"Yeah."

"Don't think Jason has tha' in his arsenal, but I'm sure he'll have one fer ye."

"Excuse me, Geoffrey." Tyra said. "I'm working on dinner and need Mercury's help."

"I'll leave lass." Geoff left. "T'ink about Wha' I said." He said over his shoulder.

Mercury turned to Tyra.

"You can start by peeling and shredding the potatoes. Once you've done that, I'll tell you what to do next."

Mercury looked around. "You want me to peel potatoes?"

"Yes. Why?"

"That just seems so... normal.

"Is that a problem?"

"Not really."

"Then get started."

Mercury peeled the potatoes and looked at Tyra. "What now?"

"Rinse them in cold water then use the shredder."

Mercury did so and looked around for the shredder.

"Cupboard closest to the fridge." Tyra said.

Mercury dragged himself over to the cupboard closest to the fridge and looked inside for the shredder. "What does it look like!?"

"A wedge with different cutting blades on each side."

"That doesn't..." Mercury found a wedge and pulled it out. "This thing?"

"That's it." Tyra said. "Now. Shred the potatoes but be careful. That shredder is sharp."

Mercury began shredding the potatoes until he felt pain in his thumb. "Ow! What the fuck!"

"I told you to be careful." Tyra said coming over. She took his hand and ran it under the water. "Maybe you should keep your Aura active until you get the hand of it."

Mercury activated his Aura and his skin closed up.

Tyra tossed the potatoes out and washed the bowl. "Try it again."

Mercury did and cut his Aura a few times while getting the hang of it. "Done." He said when he finished.

"Rinse them in cold water and get out an onion, salt and pepper, butter, Colby Jack and Cheddar cheese, and a can of cream of chicken soup."

Mercury dragged himself around the kitchen and gathered the ingredients. "Now what?"

"Get out a bowl and the glass pan."

Mercury grabbed the bowl and the pan.

"Cut the Onion As fine as you can. Activate your Aura and focus it around your eyes."

Mercury did so and cut the onion till it was almost a paste.

"Good. Now. Mix the Cream of Chicken soup, a half cup of melted butter, a cup of Colby Jack, a cup of Cheddar, the onion, salt and pepper into the bowl."

Mercury did so and looked at her. "Now what?"

"Drain the potatoes and lay them on a straining board, then make up a second mix, but use Cream of Mushroom soup, and get a second glass pan and bowl."

"Then why didn't you tell me to get that out when I got the other ingredients out!"

"Baby steps. You wouldn't tell someone who's never killed before to kill a master assassin, would you?"

That caught Mercury off guard. "Maybe." He spoke. "Depends on how much they pissed me off."

"Well, would you have rather me fire hose you with all of the ingredients or tell you what to do in steps?"

"Steps... I guess."

"Good. Now. Hop to it."

Mercury mixed up another batch and looked at Tyra.

"Make sure all of the water is drained, and fold half of the potatoes into the Cream of Chicken mix and the other half into the Cream of Mushroom mix."

"Fold?"

"Yes. It's like Mixing, but you fold it in."

"Because that makes a lot of sense!"

Tyra walked over to Mercury and folded the potatoes into the Cream of Chicken mix. "See? Fold."

Mercury folded the potatoes into the Cream of Mushroom mix.

"See. Just like That." Tyra said. "Now. Grease the pans and pour them in before pouring the potato mixes into the pans."

Mercury did so and looked at Tyra.

"That's all I needed your help with. Go talk to Viridian."

"Where's Viridian?"

"In the Armory."

"And the Armory is?"

"Oh. Right. Sorry. "HEY GEOFFREY!"

Geoff slid into the kitchen and grabbed a wall to stop himself. "Yes?" He asked.

"Take Mercury to the Armory."

"Sure thin' lass." He spoke. "Come on." He tilted his head to the doorway.

Mercury dragged himself out of the kitchen and followed Geoff. They passed the Foyer and he saw something that caught his eye.

In the Foyer hung a portrait of Beacon Academy.

"Jason bought tha' at a Gala tha' Jacques held ta flaunt his money an' make a big show o' Marryin' Weiss off." Geoff said.

"Jacques approved of Jason?"

"Oh hell no. He was goin' ta marry her off ta some punk who's da was gonna take advantage o' her."

"Jacques was going to do that to his own daughter?"

"He left his son ta die at the hands o' Faunus who wanted better working conditions, pay, an' benefits."

"And I thought I was heartless."

"Jason threw Jacques outta window fer insultin' Weiss. There'r few thin's tha' Jason'll kill someone fer. Weiss is one o' them."

"Noted."

"Best Not keep Viridian waitin'." Geoff led Mercury to the Armory.

Viridian was in the Armory working on a pair of Prosthetic legs when his scroll buzzed. He looked at it and saw a text from Geoff.

Geoff: Mercury will be working with you. I sent you a file on him. READ IT.

Viridian read Mercury's file. "Why is it tha' every kid I come across has issues?" He asked.

He looked at the picture of Mercury. After reading what he'd been through he kinda understood why he was the way he was. It didn't excuse his actions, but how many people had Jason attacked who didn't think they deserved his wrath. Granted he tended to attack people who were going to hurt others, but still. He tended to go overboard a lot of the time.

There were days that he wondered if it would have been better to have just left Jason alone the first day he'd come into the shop.

He was brought out of his musings when he heard scraping on the floor.

"Geoff said to come help you when I was done helping Tyra." Mercury said.

"Ye can help me by movin' tha' scrap over ta th' smelter." Viridian pointed at a pile of junk metal.

Mercury began moving the scrap metal over. It took him nearly three hours to move the entire pile. "Okay." He panted. "I'm done."

"Good lad. Now ye can help me by droppin' th' scrap inta th' smelter while I smelt it inta reusable material."

They spent the next few hours smelting the only into new, adding dust to make up for the lack of material.

"Ya see this lad." He pointed at a finished piece. "This is called Gravmium. It's made by adding Gravity Dust and Osmium ta th' Molten Metal. When ye activate it, the Gravmium begins getting heavier and heavier. It's wha' yer prosthetics are made of. Not ta mention Jason's Prosthetics, and Scott's Wrist Weights."

"So, my legs will only get heavier?" Mercury asked.

"Tha's right lad. So ye should try an' adjust ta them as fast as possible. I took a look at yer original prosthetics, and I'm embarrassed ta even look at them. Th' tech tha' went inta it is pretty high tech, but other than tha' they were complete shite."

"Geoff said the same thing."

"Well, he knows his stuff. If'n ye don' believe me, come look at 'em."

Mercury looked at his feet and thought about moving them. He took one step, then another, and walked into the side room of the armory. On a table laid his old prosthetics.

"These were designed ta break down." Viridian handed him two bolts.

"Tell me which bolt is made o' better Material."

Mercury looked at both bolts and immediately saw the difference. One of them looked old and worn where the other one looked shiny and new.

He growled and crushed the old one in his hand only to feel pain. He looked down and saw the bolt had cut into his Aura. He crushed the other one and felt it break in his hand.

"What the hell?" He asked.

"Which one do ye think is mine?"

"I don't know. I thought it was the shiny one, but now I'm not sure."

"Mine is th' older one. It was one of th' ones I used ta make Jason's first pair o' prosthetics. Jus' cause it looks new doesn't mean it is lad. Yer old legs were full of shiny bolts that're brittle as hell. Th' only thin' keepin' 'em together was Yer Aura.

"What? How?"

"Most likely, yer Aura recognized 'em as part o' yer body an' healed it like it would yer body."

"I won't pretend not to know why they would do that. They were using me and making me rely on them."

"Tha' they were lad. Now. Run along back ta Geoff. I'm sure tha' he'll need help wit' somethin'."

Mercury walked out of the Armory and found Geoff in the foyer looking up at the portrait of Beacon.

"Remembering the good times?" He asked.

"Sort of, yeah."

"Viridian told me to come back and help you if you needed help."

"Not right now. We're getting ready for dinner."

"Okay."

They walked into the kitchen and saw dinner set out on the table.

They sat at the table and waited for everyone to get there before they started eating.

After dinner they heard a knock at the door. Geoff went to answer it, but Velvet dove at him, knocking him to the floor.

The door exploded and gunfire tore through the foyer.

Geoff looked up and saw a group of people. "What!?"

Everyone grabbed their weapons and began defending against the attack.

Mercury ran at the invaders and jumped before he brought his foot down on one of them and transitioned into an axe kick which turned into a spin kick, and finally a roundhouse kick before he stopped moving from sudden pain in his stomach.

He looked down and saw that he was bleeding from a hole in his stomach.

Blood trickled from his mouth, and he fell to his knees.

"Mercury! NO!" Geoff yelled, throwing 'Junkers Toolkit', and releasing the bombs he kept stored in it. He ran at the men and glowed white, releasing all but 25% of his Aura into an explosion that knocked all the attackers back.

Velvet ran outside and used her Stare to sear the souls of the attackers, all but one. "Who told you to attack us!" She demanded.

"We were told that you were offering Sanctuary to Faunus filth!" The man spat.

"WHO TOLD YOU TO ATTACK US!"

The man was about to say something when he was decapitated, the only clue a blur of yellow.

Velvet growled and dropped the man before grabbing Geoff and bringing him inside. She saw Mercury bleeding out on the floor and looked at him. He'd defended their home.

"Are you okay?" She asked, changing back.

"This way..." he coughed. "... I can go out on my terms." He coughed again and blood trickled out of the corner of his mouth before falling silent.

Velvet felt tears burn the corners of her eyes. Why? Why was she crying for this person who had done so much bad? Was it because, in the end he'd helped them? Was one day of good deeds enough to absolve his wicked ones? She likely wouldn't know, but she knew that Geoff would feel terrible when he woke up.

"Total Souls gained." The Bounty Hunter said. "45. Souls needed to save Yatsuhashi's, 55."

Velvet grit her teeth. She didn't need that right now. She took Geoff back to his room and closed the door. She took Mercury out back and buried him in the back yard with the rest of CFVY and Tyra.

Viridian came out with a metal slab.

Here lies Mercury Black

A friend and comrade.

May he now find peace.

The group went back inside and found Geoff standing at the table with nine glasses.

"I know tha' we didn' know Mercury fer very long, but I'd like ta thin' tha' he'd have been one o' us, given enough time. Today we los' one o' us because o' a rumor spread about us. Le's make tha' rumor True."

"What?" Coco asked. "Offer sanctuary to the Faunus in the city?"

"An' Faunus sympathizers. We'll bring 'em here, screen 'em, and if'n they pass, we take 'em ta Beacon II."

"I agree." Tyra said without hesitation.

"Let's not let Mercury's sacrifice mean nothing." Cliff said.

"To Mercury." Geoff raised a glass.

"To Mercury." The other's raised their glasses.

"Right." Geoff said. "We need ta make this house th' most defended house in Atlas. We need ta make it so tha' th' Faunus know they'll be safe here, and those who'd attack 'em tha' they aren't welcome here. All while not lettin' anyone know wha' we're doin'. So tha' means tha' I need ta keep up appearances at Atlas Academy."

"We'll take care of thing here Master Geoffrey." Cliff said.

"Thanks Cliff. Now, le's move."

AN: Mercury's Redemption arc was heavily inspired by Jet's Redemption Arc from Avatar the Last Airbender.