The days following the Grimm attacks on Beacon were used in making repairs to the damaged buildings and recovering from any injuries. Ozpin had requested that SHDE and AGIS meet him in his office, the window had been broken by a stray Nevermore feather and it was still lodged in his desk.
The two teams waited outside Ozpin's office. Shayne didn't like waiting and was getting irritated; he decided to go in anyway.
"Aah Shayne, I was wondering where you were"
"I was waiting outside" he gestured towards the door
"That's unlike you, you normally just walk in"
"I think Cross got to me, I haven't been able to think straight since the attack"
"Well never mind that right now, fetch the others in would you" Shayne nodded and opened the door, AGIS and the rest of his team walked in.
"Professor, you asked to see us?"
"Yes I did, now as you know the recent attack on Beacon has revealed several weak areas in our Grimm counter measures. Shayne, as the most in tune with the Grimm, you will oversee the project, this will not interfere with your classes. As for the rest of you, you will need to be on hand as a first line of defence in case, Cross is it?" Shayne nodded, "Sends the Grimm back, now, off to class"
Ozpin waved them out.
"Oh, Shayne, Jiang, could you both stay behind for a moment, I need a word" Shayne sent his team back to the dorm, he whispered something to Dundra and he nodded before leaving. Jiang nodded to Lance who then left with the others.
"Yes Professor, what is it you needed?"
"I've kept you two back as I need some people to run an OP for me"
"Why aren't our teams here for this?" Shayne said relaxing on the sofa and putting his feet up on the coffee table.
"This is a sensitive matter and I don't want it getting out until it's ready" Ozpin said pushing Shayne's feet off the table.
"What's the OP?" Shayne said as Jiang walked over to where Ozpin was.
"I want some more information on this Cross person, I want to know how he operates and I want to know if there is any way we can prevent another Grimm attack"
"and how do you propose we go about finding this out?" Jiang said putting down the papers she had been handed.
"I have several people that have arranged to meet with you and im sure your teammates will have others that they can contact Shayne"
"I know they do, what's the price for the information that your contacts have?"
"I didn't think this would come up so soon but its 5'000 Lien per contact"
"But won't that cut into the schools budget?"
"Jiang, we can spare 20'000 Lien so don't worry" Ozpin said, Shayne wasn't so sure.
"Ozpin, how about I make this really simple, you let me worry about paying the contacts, im owed some favours anyway"
"Shayne these guys won't take no for an answer"
"Then its lucky were hunters" Shayne said standing up.
"Professor, what about the other teams?"
"They are not to know, this needs to be small as we don't want any unnecessary attention"
"Why don't we want any attention?"
"Because Jiang, none of this is going to be legal" Shayne said as Ozpin showed them the door.
The remaining members of SHDE and AGIS went back to SHDE's dorm room.
"So what do you think they're talking about?" Hanna asked walking backwards
"I don't know, but whatever it is they'll tell us when either Ozpin says they can or they feel comfortable to" Dundra said without turning around.
They arrived at the dorm and entered to find the twins arguing.
"Ashe, you know if you tell him it'll only complicate thi-"Ashe had gone silent, Vossler turned and saw the others.
"Anything you want to tell us guys?" Eddi asked, cocking her head slightly
Vossler looked at Ashe and he skulked away out the door. Ashe stood nervously at one end of the room. They dropped the subject, all except Silver, who went and sat beside Ashe.
"So, what were you two arguing about?" She whispered
"I don't want to talk about it"
"C'mon I won't tell anyone" Silver rested her hand on Ashe's shoulder.
*sigh*"Fine, I'm in love with Sun"
Sliver blinked twice in astonishment.
"Well does he know?"
"No of course not, I haven't had the chance to talk to him about it" Silver was thoughtful for a few moments.
"Why don't I talk to him for you?"
"What! Why would you do that?"
"Because I can see it in your eyes that you're telling the truth, and I think it'd be fun" she said smiling broadly.
Ashe smiled as Shayne and Jiang walked in. everyone looked at them, making Jiang slightly uncomfortable. Shayne walked over to Eddi and Dundra.
"We need to go dark, you know what to do" SHDE was used to this, it had happened before.
Dundra pulled the curtains closed and fixed shutters in place, the lights turned on automatically. Eddi opened her scroll and activated a scrambler.
"We're good Shayne" he nodded and turned to Ashe.
"Ashe could you give us a minute or two" she nodded and left quickly.
"Uh Shayne, what's going on?" Ralen asked
Dundra secured the door and gave Shayne a thumbs up.
"Ozpin's got a job for us; the reason for the lockdown is that it isn't to leave this room"
"That still doesn't explain anything"
"Ralen just let him talk" Lance said reclining on the sofa.
"Ozpin wants some information and he needs us to get it"
"Why does he need us, we're just kids"
"Well the rest of us are, Shayne isn't"
"Oh right, you're almost twenty, how are you here then?"
"That isn't the point, me and Jiang are going to be heading this, Eddi, you and Ralen need to co-ordinate the technological aspects, Lance and Dundra, you're going to be the muscle should the need arise and Silver, Hanna, you two are going to be our infiltrators as from what I read in the files Jiang and I we're shown we're going to have to break into a storage facility"
"Everybody got that?" Jiang asked, almost coldly.
They all nodded and Shayne handed Eddi his Scroll for her to get the files from. The others brought the room out of lockdown and returned to normal. Shayne went back to adjusting the tension in his gauntlets and the others did homework or just hung out.
Lina arrived half an hour later, AGIS had left and the twins had come back but were ignoring each other. She put her hands over his eyes and he smiled.
"Guess who…"
"I don't have to guess you know that" he span on his stool taking her off of her feet, she laughed as he looked her in the eyes.
*Ahem* Eddi faked a cough and they looked at her.
"Sorry guys, Lina I need to talk to you anyway" Shayne stood up and walked to the roof.
They stood looking out over Vale for a while before Shayne spoke again.
"Lina I've been meaning to talk to you since Mistral and I haven't had the chance to"
"Shayne, what is it?"
"Lina…"
"Shayne, we have some unfinished business" Shayne rolled his eyes and turned to Kameron.
"For god's sake Kameron, I thought you'd dropped this"
"Then you thought wrong, I still hate you for what you did and I still want you to pay" Shayne let go of Lina's hand and she ran inside.
"Kameron, I'm giving you the chance to walk away"
"I'm not walking away until you're dead" he drew his Falchion as Dundra, Eddi, Lina, and strangely Blake, all walked onto the roof.
"Guys, this is between me and him" Shayne drew one of his Katanas, it glinted in the moonlight.
They crossed the distance in two strides. Shayne hit him once in the face with his fist, before kicking him in the chest, Kameron went sprawling backwards. Shayne let him get back to his feet. Kameron rushed Shayne swinging wildly, Shayne parried most of the attacks but a couple got through leaving large gashes in his jacket and shirt, one even drew blood.
Shayne parried a thrust and sent the blade flying from Kameron's grasp, Kameron had been expecting this, and as Shayne let his guard open he jumped on him, his wrist blade firing out. He brought his arm down rapidly, aiming to stab Shayne in the eye, Shayne saw this coming and grabbed his arm and flipped him off of him, straight into the others. He collided with all four of them, Eddi, Dundra and Blake all fell backwards onto some ventilations ducts, Lina and Kameron both fell over the edge, they were both clinging onto the side of the building by their fingertips.
"Lina!" Shayne ran over to the edge of the building and slid off the edge, grabbing hold of the roof and reaching for her.
"Shayne, help me!" she screamed back at him.
Dundra and Eddi, being the good people they were, were trying to help Kameron not to fall to his death. Blake had secured Shayne's arm using Gambol Shroud, once she gave him the signal he let go of the roof and dropped to Lina, he wrapped her in his arms before letting her climb onto his back. He shouted up to Blake and Dundra. They began to haul them up the side of the building. Eddi had Kameron at gun point, she was watching him closely, ensuring that he wouldn't move.
Once Shayne and Lina reached the edge of the roof, Dundra helped Lina safely up and walked her back to the door. Shayne hauled himself up and untied the ribbon from his wrist before walking over to Kameron.
"Do you know why I'm not going to kill you Kameron" he shook his head
"Because I just think you're misguided and need help, Eddi, let him go" she holstered her pistol and walked over to Lina.
Shayne turned to do the same, then Kameron struck, he sprinted forward and stabbed Shayne in the lower back, he triggered a small mechanism and a searing pain shot across Shayne's body and he dropped to his knees, writhing in pain. Dundra tackled Kameron seconds after the last of the poison entered Shayne's blood stream, Dundra wrestled him to the ground and held him there.
"Shayne!" Lina ran over to him and knelt down, resting his head on her lap.
"Well, shit….tonight could've gone better….." Lina was crying, she could tell he was dying, his face had turned pale.
Eddi turned Shayne on his side and inspected the small wound on his back, it was red and inflamed, she tried touching it but a small amount of liquid came into contact with her skin, it burned like acid and she recoiled in pain.
"What did you put on that blade?"
"Homebrew venom, I mix it myself" Dundra punched him as a smile spread across his face.
"So there's no antidote?" Blake sighed, Kameron shifted uneasily.
"Well if I'm going to die I might as well say what I wanted to before all this"
"Shayne…"
"Lina….will you marry me?" Shayne pulled a small red velvet box from his jacket pocket, It was a little beat up from friction and blades.
Lina opened it and Shayne crawled over to Kameron.
"You wanted to make me pay, looks like you got what you wanted" Shayne felt his blood course to his left hand, he felt sweaty so he removed his gauntlet and wiped his hand on the concrete. The blood fizzed and he felt the pain dissipate.
Kameron was visibly struggling against Dundra; Shayne stood up and showed him his hand.
"Looks like your plan B failed, the Grimm doesn't want me dead" Lina was still knelt on the floor looking at the ring.
Shayne picked her up off the floor and carried her inside; she clutched his lapels and buried her head in his chest. She didn't let go of him all night.
"Thanks for meeting me, Blake said you're waiting on some information before you decide what you're going to do"
"Well, I could always go home but there's nothing left for me there, so I'm going to stay and keep an eye on her, so what do you want from me kitty?"
"I'm a tiger, and I'm here on behalf of someone else" a slight click echoed around the room.
"So what do they want?"
Silver handed him her Scroll and he studied the images and text.
"So, who's she?"
"Her name is Ashe Genesis, she has seen you around town and she 'likes' you"
"Really? And what makes you think that I'm interested in her"
"Because she's like me, though her Faunus heritage has been somewhat…questionable, she's definitely a tiger"
*Sigh*"So when do I meet her?"
"I can set up something for this weekend" Silver removed her pistol from his head.
"Fine, and thanks for not pulling the trigger"
"Next time, don't call me sweetheart, kitty or slap me on the ass" she walked away and he fixed his collar.