A/N: What is up everyone! I am here with the 22nd chapter of OOO! Remember, I will be following not only the RWBY episodes with some additions but also the OOO series (The Greeed, meeting Ankh, introducing Kougami, etc., but no Birth [Maybe]).

Henshin!

Third Person View

'Thought'

Greeed/Yummies

A day has passed since the dance, I was left in my thoughts upon yesterday. The dance was nice and all but it left me with the strange feeling I have been feeling for a while now ever since the one thing that Blake did: the kiss on the cheek.

I placed my hand over the spot once again, the feeling in my heart racing slightly upon the memory. "What is this feeling…?" I muttered to myself.

When we danced, it was like it was just the two of us and the music. Nothing else seemed to matter. I looked into her amber eyes and also how she smiled. She really did have a lovely smile. It was the kind of smile she wore when reading a good book.

And just remembering that time, made my heart race more. I shook my head, keeping myself together as I try to calm myself down. After a couple of minutes, my heart slowly went to its normal pace as I took a deep breath.

"Maybe some training can help me clear my head…" I muttered to myself before heading to the training arena to practice my skills again.

When I made it there, I got Medajalibur out of its sheath as I got into a fighting stance. I took a couple of deep breaths before doing a few practice swings, pretending I was striking something.

"Your stance is off…." A familiar voice rang behind me.

I looked back to see Pyrrha standing there with a soft smile on her face.

"Oh hey, Pyrrha, surprised to see you here," I responded. "I'm just practicing to clear my head."

"Want a sparring partner?" she offered.

Hearing this made me look at her. Usually, I sparred with Blake or Cinder but hearing this would be nice to have another partner to spar with. "Sure why not," I accepted.

She smiled, brandishing her spear and shield as she got into a stance, ready for me to start it up.

I got into my stance as well as the both of us stare down at each other. One thing I recall about Pyrrha is that she is considered the 'Unstoppable Girl' and with her Semblance it makes her an opponent that you would have trouble fighting against.

Pyrrha smirked as she quickly rushed me, already in her weapons length as she lunged her spear, luckily I blocked int time as I only skidded back. She took that opportunity to send a few rounds at me, to keep me on my toes and not focusing on her.

I grimaced as I stepped away from the rounds she fired as a few problems the rounds lowered my Aura a bit. I raised my head to see her charge towards me in which I quickly raised my sword but when she got close, I felt the position of the blade move a few centimeters to the right. "Crap," I muttered before she delivered a hit to my chest with her shield.

And like that, the spar ended quickly. Pyrrha chuckled, holding out her hand to me. "You alright? Sorry about that…. Kinda got carried away." she apologized.

"I'm okay," I groaned before grabbing hold of her hand as she helped me up. "And it's alright, it's just a spar after all," I assured.

She smiles and nods, "Ready to go again then?"

I smiled, "Sure."

Remnants of Desires

Chapter 22: Condor Medal, Zwei, Field Trip

After training once again with the Medajalibur a spar against Pyrrha, I decided to head to the library to read some books to pass the time. Just as I turned the corner, I saw Blake as she was walking in the hallway. "Hey Blake," I called out as I approach her. However, when I got close, I noticed the bruise on Blake's cheek.

"Are you OK?" I asked.

"Oh, this? It's nothing," she shook her head.

"What happened?"

Blake was hesitant for a moment before she replied, "Ruby found my Ninjas of Love book and..."

Flashback…

Blake was frantically searching for her book in the bed when she found it missing. "Where is it?!" She gets up and turns left with an embarrassed face to Ruby standing there with "Ninjas of Love" in her arm and a growling grimace. She hesitantly points at the novel. "Ruby, is that my book?"

"THIS IS FILTH! FIIIILTH!"

With a sudden twirl, she smacks Blake across the floor into her bed using her own sordid literature before storming off.

Blake raises one arm as she asks, "Can... Can I have my book back?"

"Later!" She answered before leaving.

"Did she give it back?"

"She said she'll give it back to me later."

"Don't tell me she is gonna read it," I mentally panicked. When I first saw Blake read it, I was wondering what it was and when I found out, I didn't read a single book for nearly a month.

"I think she already has. Would explain her reaction."

"Might wanna make sure Yang doesn't know since she cares about Ruby," I reminded. Blake paled. No doubt that if Yang found it, she would be beyond angry. Knowing how it is for family, it can be very troubling when it comes to a situation like this. "Still, Blake why do you read that kind of book anyway?"

She blushed, turning away from me, "I-I…. rather not say anything…."

I rubbed the bridge of my nose before looking at her. "Well, I'll be heading to the library." I smiled. "Try not to let Ruby find it again and not let others know you read those kinds of books."

"O-Okay…"

I waved before heading to the library and once I got there, I grabbed a few books that caught my interest before sitting at a table to read. I enjoy reading since it was one of those things that get me interested.

"Pardon me, Enrique?" I turned to see Glynda walking up towards me."Ozpin would like to speak with you."

I blinked before closing the book I was currently reading before getting up from the chair. I wonder why Ozpin wants to see me?

Curious as I was, I followed the professor to the Headmaster's office to see him as I entered the elevator.

When I exited the elevator, I saw not only Professor Ozpin but also Kougami and Felix. "You wanted to see me Professor Ozpin?" I asked.

"Yes, I called you up here because there is something that Kougami wanted to give you," Ozpin answered, nodding to Kougami. The head of the Kougami Foundation had a grin as he presented a tiny box and handed it to me.

Wondering what it was, I removed the tiny ribbon and lifted the top, only to be greeted with something that caught me by total surprise.

"This is…" I got out as I was staring at a familiar red Core Medal. The Core Medal in question had the image of a condor.

It was one of Ankh's, the Condor Medal

"Consider it a reward for all your help!"

I looked up at the man with a surprised look, "How did you even get this Core?"

"Now that is a secret," He grinned. "I have also learned from Ozpin that you possess nearly all of the Full Combos."

I slowly nodded in confirmation, "Y-Yeah… GataKiriba the Strongest Combo, RaToraTah the Scorching Combo, BuraKaWani the Legendary Combo, ShaUTa the Marine Combo, and now this…" I looked down at the Condor Medal since we have Taka, Kujaku and now Condor, making the Blazing Combo.

"Make sure to put it to good use, alright Enrique?" He smiled, "That will be all."

"A-Alright," I nodded before heading back to my dorm. Still…. How in the world did Kougami get the Condor Medal? First it was that Kujaku Medal and now this?

I entered the dorm as Ankh was looking through his Scroll while Akira was making his usual Oden meal. Remembering the two Cores I still kept, I took a deep breath and approached the Bird Greeed. He took notice of my approach, making him look away from his scroll. "What is it this time?" He asked irritably.

I didn't give no reply, only to dig in my pocket and brought out the Kujaku and Condor Medal. Ankh's eyes shot up and he quickly jumped off his bunk as he saw the two Cores. "Where in the name of Oum did you get these!?" He asked, more like demanded.

"It wasn't easy, Ankh but all that work and training you showed me, I thought it was about time I do something to return the favor." I explained. "So…" I gestured to the two Cores. "I managed to get them so you can have your powers back. Look, for the past two semesters, you may have been a jerk to us but to me, I didn't care. To be honest, I see you as a mentor, as a friend. Someone that I can count on to help me along with Team RWBY, and Team JNPR. I trust you Ankh even if you are a stuck up jerk." I handed it to him as he stared at his two rightful Core Medals. "Everything isn't about desires, it is all about those around us that makes us achieve what we did so far."

He stared at me dead set in the eyes and what felt like minutes, he finally scoffed, "Whatever…" He looked at his Cores before absorbing them. Before we knew it, red energy surrounded his body as it formed a left wing, feathers spilling from it before it vanished.

Ankh looked at his Greeed arm before clenching it. "Something wrong, Anko?" Akira raised an eyebrow upon seeing the Bird Greeed's expression.

The red Greeed didn't reply as he stared at his Greeed arm, now I was starting to get worried. "Ankh?" I called out.

"Nothing's wrong…" He replied before making it vanish, reverting the arm to its normal form. He looked at me. "... Thank… you…." He struggled to say.

Wait, did I hear that right?

"Ankh did you just say-"

"Do not finish that sentence," He warned, Greeed arm appeared on his arm. Not wanting to piss off Ankh, I just kept quiet with my hands raised in defense while Akira ate his Oden as usual. Still, it was nice to finally hear the Bird Greeed say something kind to me for once. But seriously, I swore I remember to why Ankh didn't get his actual body since I watched the show 2 ½ years ago. Just what was it?

"Well I'm gonna see how Ruby and the others." I suggested before walking to the dorm across from mine. However, I noticed Ruby about to enter the door. "Hey Ruby." I called out to her.

The young huntress-in-training turned around, seeing me. "Hey Enrique." She acknowledged me with a smile.

"Did something happen?" I noticed her down look.

"Well… I'm kinda worried…." She admitted.

I looked at her a little more until I said, "Is it about what happened last night? Ankh told me what happened."

She nodded, "What are they planning anyway? It's not like we know what they are doing exactly. Even more with Kazari working with the White Fang, we just don't know what to do…"

My eyes soften upon this. She was concerned to what Torchwick and the others are planning. To cheer her up, I patted her head on which she looked at me. "I'm sure we will stop them. After all, it's what we do."

She smiled up at me, nodding before she opened the door, greeted by our other friends. "About time you two got here." Weiss huffed.

"I had to give Ankh his two other Core Medals; Kujaku and Condor." I answered but hearing this surprised the group.

"Wait you mean he got back two of his Core Medals and since he has two of his Taka Cores that means-"

"That's the thing, he didn't regain his body for some reason." I answered, recalling how his real body didn't form.

"But, how is that possible? Shouldn't he have everything by now after getting some of his cores?" Yang questioned.

"I wish I knew… Even he is wondering why he hasn't got his real body back." I crossed my arms. "Something must have happened 800 years ago that is preventing him from getting his real body. But what exactly?"

This left us with many questions to why Ankh didn't get his real body until Ruby noticed something by the desk. "What's that?"

Yang turned her head as we all notice the package. "Oh yeah, dad sent it to us, I thought it would be nice if the both of us opened it."

"Ooh, something from home!" Ruby squealed before she does to the package as she was on Yang's back, trying to reach for the package.

In seconds, the wrapping paper was torn to bits, revealing a small tube, Yang knew what it was as she made one large swing, as a clump of fur fell from the bottom part of the tube. It rustled slightly before it popped into form, showing a corgi, with grey and white fur as it barked at us.

"ZWEI!" Ruby cried joyfully, scooping up the canine into her arms and beginning to cuddle with it like it was her firstborn.

"He sent a dog?" Blake stated.

"In the mail?!" Weiss added on.

Ruby was now giggling as she rubbed noses with the small dog, making multiple noises of affection that were somehow still in the range of human ears.

"Oh, he does stuff like this all the time." Yang rebuked, scratching behind Zwei's ear with a free hand, the mail tube nestled under her arm.

I was still looking at the corgi and the mail tube that Yang held. How was that even possible for a dog to fit into something that small!? Even more, how is it still alive?! "Your dad or your dog?" I asked in total surprise before Weiss leaned towards Zwei, scrutinising him with a harsh eye.

"Are you telling me that this mangy... drooling... mutt...?" Weiss began. "... is going to wiv with us foweva? Oh yes he is, yes he is! Oh aren't you adorable!"

Huh, never expected for Weiss to like the corgi that quick. Either she has a thing for cute things or it is the dog having soulful eyes because Zwei looks like a nice dog to have around.

"Please keep it away from my belongings." Blake informed.

"Will all first year students please report to the amphitheatre at once?" Professor Goodwitch's voice echoed through the room, reverberating from a hidden speaker. Weiss looked back to Zwei, scratching his chin.

"Well, we can't just leave him here while we're gone for a week." She pointed out.

"Weiss is right about that. We can't leave Zwei with Ankh either since he is also going." I agreed. "I don't know about Akira either knowing him."

"Wait, there's a letter!" Yang pointed out, pulling out a folded scrap of paper from the mail tube. Flicking it open, she began to read.

"Dear girls, I've got to leave the island for a few days, so I'm sending Zwei today for you to take care of. Enclosed is all the food you should need. Love you both, Taiyang."

As Zwei ran back to Yang's side, she shook the mail tube, unleashing a cascade of canned dog food tumbling onto the small dog. As Zwei's head emerged from the mound, he glanced around. Okay, now I was utterly confused and astonished to this. First the corgi and now that many cans of dog food? What's next, a can opener?

"What's he supposed to do with all that?" Weiss asked in wonderment. Yang shook the tube one final time, and a metallic object emerged, clonking Zwei on the head, and bouncing onto the floor. One quick glance showed that it was a can opener.

I stand corrected.

"Well, that settles it! Come on, team! Zwei will be here when we get back!" Yang said, tossing the letter and the mail tube aside, and walking to the door. As Weiss followed, she knelt down to Zwei, and continued with the cutesy talk, scratching his ears.

"Oh, I'll miss you so much, we're going to be best friends, I can't wait to see you, I can't believe how cute you are..." she rambled, as Blake leaped from Ruby's bed to a desk to the door. As Weiss left, I edged around the little corgi and out the door, pulling up alongside Blake.

When we walked out of the dorm, Ankh walked out of our dorm as he had an annoyed look.

"I can't believe I have to go with you to this crap…" He muttered. "I rather collect cell medals than go to a mission with you five."

"Cheer up, Ankh," I assured the Bird Greeed, only to receive a glare from him. I looked at Akira who was by the door of our dorm. "What about you Akira?"

"You can go on ahead, I am gonna hold the fort from here. That and I'm getting me some Oden." He said as he carried the milk tank before going on his way to that oden stand that is in Vale while the rest of us when to the auditorium.

When we made it to the auditorium, close to Team JNPR. Every aisle was taken with various students, of varying uniforms. Clearly, whatever this was for wasn't just limited to Beacon Academy. There was a plethora of chattering, as whispers emerged from a number of groups, wondering what this could be about.

Ruby finally caught up with us as she was carrying a backpack but I swore I saw it move a bit. As I stare at the bag more, I got out of my thoughts when Professor Goodwitch tap on the microphone.

"Quiet! Quiet please. Professor Ozpin would like to share a few words before we begin."

And with that, she stepped to the side, letting the Headmaster take the spotlight.

"Today we stand together, united. Mistral. Atlas. Vacuo. Vale. The four Kingdoms of Remnant. On this day, nearly eighty years ago, the largest war in recorded history came to an end. It was a war of ignorance, of greed, and of oppression. A war that was about much more than where borders fell or who traded with whom, but about the very idea of individualism itself. We fought for countless reasons, one of which being the destruction of all forms of art and self-expression. And as you are well aware, that was something many could not stand for. As a result, those who oppose this tyranny began naming their children after one of the core aspects of art itself: color. It was their way to demonstrate that not only would they refuse to tolerate this oppression, but neither were the generations to come. And it was a trend that is held to this very day."

Upon hearing this, it made more sense to why most of the names were based on a color. Not that there were a shortage of 'regular' names still in use, they were just seldom these days.

However, the real irony here comes in the form of my name, and the funny thing is that it embodies the exact OPPOSITE of what my name even entails since the OOO armor once belonged to the Multi-King.

This includes the word "home", as that is something that I lost and found myself without…

To be honest… over the past few days, I haven't thought much about home.

"We encourage individuality, expressionism, and unity through diversity. As I have said, today we stand together, united. But this bond cannot exist without effort. Which is why today, while the rest of the world celebrates peace, Huntsmen and Huntresses will work to uphold it. As first year students, you will be tasked with shadowing a professional Huntsman or Huntress on a mission. Some of you may be taken out of the Kingdom for several days. Others may work within the walls for the rest of the week. But no matter which path you choose, remember to be safe, remember your training, and remember to do your very best."

And with that, Ozpin left the stage. As the crowds began to file out of the amphitheatre, Ruby looked to us with a smile on her face.

"This is perfect! All we have to do is shadow a Huntsman working in the southeast!" She cried gleefully.

"Yeah, we'll follow them around by day, and give them the slip by night!" Yang grinned.

"Not in a million years," Ankh reminded with an irritated look. "I'm stuck with you lot, remember? "

"That's right…. They'll know if Ankh is gone." Ruby pointed it out before her shoulders slumped in disappointment. "Aw…"

"Come on, Ankh. I'm sure you can just lie to them." Yang said.

Ankh glared at the blonde before he scoffed, "You all already caused some mishaps, remember?" He pointed at Yang. "You don't think twice in your mind of what to do." He pointed at Blake. "You and that monkey boy made that criminal use a stolen Atlas weapon and chased after you." The next person he pointed at was Weiss. "She doesn't know the difference between pride and wanting to make things right." The next was Ruby. "She may be younger than you four but even she can make mistakes like at the initiation. Even more eating those cookies. She eats more cookies than I eat my own treats." He finally pointed at me. "And he is an oblivious idiot when it comes to certain things in life."

"Hey!" I exclaimed, offended by his words. "How am I an oblivious idiot!?"

"That is because you don't know that-" Before he could finish, Yang quickly covered his mouth, the Bird Greeed flailing his arms, trying to get Yang to let him go.

"Anywho~, We should get going and figure out our mission?" Yang said, dragging Ankh along with them.

"Uh… what was Ankh gonna say?" I asked the busty blonde.

"Oh, something about him liking that bird seed I gave him." She said to me, as colorful words were being muffled from Ankh. The Bird Greeed detached from his host and flicked Yang's forehead.

"You forget I can do that you moron. And I hate bird seed!" Ankh reminded before looking at me. "As I was saying, the reason for you being an oblivious idiot is because you don't even realize that-"

Yang quickly grabbed Ankh and covered his hand, using her strength to make sure he couldn't escape or break free, "We'll see you guys there. I need to get him to some bird seed pronto." She chuckled a bit before rushing off. Along with carrying Ankh's host

I looked at the other three. "Seriously? What was he gonna say?" I asked the other three members of Team RWBY.

"Oh it's nothing to worry about Enrique." Ruby smiled as she, Blake and Weiss headed to the board.

Still, what was he gonna say?

After that little fiasco, Ankh was back to his host as a tick mark was present as he and Yang approached us as we headed to the board. "I hate you." Ankh growled at Yang.

Yang reeled her hand back and smacked him upside the head hard, "And that's for flicking at me." She turned to him and frowned, "And almost blew the surprise…" she whispered to him.

Ankh's eye twitched. "You all are idiots." He said to us.

"What was that?" Yang asked, holding up her fist to him.

"Woah, woah, woah, let's not start a fight!" I panicked, standing between the two. "Yang, I don't know why you stopped Ankh from talking a couple of minutes ago but fighting isn't the answer." I then looked at Ankh. "Ankh, whatever Yang stopped you from saying, I don't know what it is but at least be glad that you have some of your abilities back."

Ankh stared at me before he huffed, "Fine, whatever. I would have beaten the blonde anyway since I got back some of my abilities."

I looked at Yang. "Yang."

"Heh it's all good." She smiled, turning to Ankh, "And to note, I still can beat you, pigeon." she smirked.

I sighed, rubbing my temples to prevent an oncoming headache before we approached the board. Ruby was looking through the list of mission until she saw one that caught her attention. "Here we go! Quadrant 5 needs some Grimm cleared out."

Looking over the holographic board of missions available to us, all our eyes had quickly scanned for any missions destined for the southeast of Vale. From what was available, the 'Search and Destroy' category had a mission to, of course search and eliminate the Grimm in that area.

"Well it is the southeast like you mentioned before." I observed. "So I guess we should take the mission."

Coming to an agreement, Ruby quickly tapped the board, followed up with putting the team name to request the mission. But to our disappointment, red letters blinked on the screen.

MISSION UNAVAILABLE FOR FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS

"Wonderful…" Weiss groaned sarcastically.

"Any other ideas?" Blake asked. Ruby turned to the rest of us, a smile on her face.

"We mail ourselves there!" She suggested.

Ankh and I facepalmed upon this. "I don't wanna know how all of people, you would think of that idea." Ankh muttered under his breath.

"That is one idea though…" We all turned to see Ozpin walking up on us as he had his Scroll.

"Unfortunately, we determined that the concentration of Grimm was too extreme for first-year students. As a matter of fact, that area is intensely popular, for some reason. But regardless, I have a sneaking suspicion that you will make your way there, no matter what mission you choose."

Ruby rubbed her head nervously.

"Uhhh...what makes you say that?" She tried to sound innocent but it was barely passing.

"I'm still curious on how you made to the docks last semester, along with the several fights against unknown Grimm that resemble Faunus, and that incident at the highway." He added on. "And I certainly wonder why witnesses reported seeing a giant robot suit chasing two teenagers down a highway, with two bikers in pursuit and an individual who sped past them, wearing armor."

"Well…" I started until Ankh elbowed me with a look that says, 'karma hurts doesn't it?'

Ozpin though smiled softly, "I doubt I'll ever know… So, instead of waiting for you all to break the rules, why don't we just bend them a bit?" He said, pressing a few buttons on his scroll as the mission was now opened for us to submit our Team.

"We won't let you down. Thank you Professor." Ruby nodded to Ozpin. The said professor just gave us a stern look.

"Do not thank me for this. Teamwork, persistence, and vigilance have carried you this far, but you must understand, the things that await you beyond the protection of the kingdom will not care. Stay close to the Huntsman you will be assigned with at all times. He will be leading you on this mission, and should he find your skills to be unsatisfactory, he will send you back to Beacon. Good luck." He said before going on his way. We all glanced at each other worriedly before heading to the landing pad.

"He wasn't kidding either," Ankh muttered before he huffed.

"Well? What are we waiting for? Let's go!" Yang beamed.

Exiting the auditorium, we made our way to meet the Huntsman we will be assigned to.

At first we thought we would be assigned to a Huntsman who has a lot of experience, only for our sights to be met with none other than Professor Oobleck. We were all in shock, terror, and disbelief upon the fact we will be shadowing him. Ankh looked like he wanted to tear him apart knowing the coffee-addict and his love for coffee.

"Of all the people…" Ankh uttered before grasping his head, willing to scream out in sheer irritation. "I am stuck with you five who will be shadowing Oobleck of all people! I really hate this!"

"Oh, come now Professor Ankh. No need to get hostile." Oobleck said, sipping his coffee.

The Bird Greeed's eye twitched. From what we can tell, there are some things that annoy him greatly: Being called Anko, teaching us, not getting much Cell Medals, Akira, the teachers, and Oobleck's talking. The Bird Greeed marched past Oobleck, not willing to wait as the five of us looked at Oobleck who spoke up.

"I'm afraid those bags won't be necessary you five, seeing as you've opted to shadow a Huntsman on what is now essentially a reconnaissance mission. I can assure you, we will not be establishing a single base of operations; rather, we will be traversing several miles of hazardous wasteland and making camp in any defendable locations we may stumble upon. I packed all the essentials myself, plotted our air course, and readied the airship. And…" Professor Oobleck paused mid pace and turned to us "It's Doctor Oobleck. I didn't earn the PhD for fun, thank you very much!"

We looked at each other, giving a vocalisation of confusion. No one got to interject, as the good doctor dashed back to his earlier position, getting our attention again.

"Come now, children! Already we are now three minutes behind! ...schedules! And with that Dr. Oobleck crossed the distance between the courtyard to the helipad where our transport was awaiting. Ruby perked up.

"Well, alright then! We're going to save the world with Doctor Oobleck… yeah, it sounds worse when I say it out loud…" Ruby started off joyfully but realized it was bad enough already as we heard Ankh shouting, hearing some words from the airship, showing that he is already pissed.

"Come on… We better get there before those two go at it…" Weiss sighed, walking ahead of us first.

Ruby followed her, then Yang, while Blake was standing there, almost in a daze in which I took notice. "Hey Blake, you okay?" I asked.

She blinked, snapping out of whatever she was in as she turns to me, "Huh? Oh, yeah. I'm fine Enrique. Just thinking about something is all." She replied to me.

"Well if you need someone to talk to, you can let me know," I offered.

She smiled softly and nodded, "Of course, Enrique. Thank you" She said before walking ahead of me.

Seeing her smile, it made my heart race again, it was that same feeling again. I shook my head to keep myself together before I followed the others to the airship. Still… what is this feeling…?

Ten minutes, later, the airship was soaring over the clouds and we had engaged in a conversation with Dr. Oobleck. Ankh on the other hand was looking at the clouds as he was ignoring us, not wanting to hear from the professor.

"Well, I guess I never saw you as much of a fighter, Doctor. Well, there's Mr. Akira of course." Yang stated. Ruby nodded in agreement. Despite Akira being a Wandering Medic, he fought as a Huntsman and with the Birth System, he now helps out with fighting the Greeed and Yummies.

"Yes, well, I admit I fancy more of myself as an intellectual, but I can assure you as a Huntsman, I have had my fair share of tussels." The doctor responded.

"Like the mushroom?" Ruby asked in confusion. Blake leaned over to her.

"Those are truffles." She stated.

"Like the sprout?" Ruby asked again, now more confused. Yang leaned over to her.

"Those are Brussels." She clarified.

"Like the chocolate?"

"Oh for Oum's sake, the coffee-addict was talking about fighting!" Ankh shouted in frustration.

Oobleck cleared his throat, giving us our attention again. "Anywho, given my expertise in the field of history as well as my dabblings in the archaeological surveys, our dear headmaster saw fit to assign me to this particular assignment!" He stated.

"Che, why you? I rather take the blonde teacher than you…" Ankh scoffed.

"If you must know, I know about the history of the location we are heading to." he responded. "The southeast quadrant outside of Vale is home to wild forests and deep caves, but! It is also the location to one of the kingdom's greatest failures!"

"Mountain Glenn?" Ruby piped up. Looking at her, Doctor Oobleck gave the leader a smile upon the answer.

"Correct, Ms. Rose! As I'm sure you're all aware, Mountain Glenn was originally an expansion of the main Kingdoms of Vale." Dr. Oobleck confirmed but for me I didn't know nothing about the place he was talking about but I decided to keep quiet and follow along so I can know more about the place he was talking about.

"Yeah it was… But it shut down due to the overpopulation of Grimm, to where it became an abandoned city ever since." Blake added on.

"Correct. And to this day, it stands as a dark reminder." He finished.

"Che, like it can't be any darker than the Lost Kingdom 800 years ago…" Ankh scoffed until I elbowed him, the latter giving me a glare upon that. He may be a jerk but there comes a time when he pushes things too far, this being one of them since I know my respect and understanding about dark times back on Earth.

"But it does sound like a place for a hideout," I responded to Oobleck.

"Precisely!" Oobleck finished, pushing his glasses up to the bridge of his nose with two fingers. The airship began to turn, and the side hatch opened, revealing a decimated town. Partly destroyed buildings cast looming shadows over the streets, and abandoned debris cluttered the foundations. We all landed on the ground as my eyes were set on the place. Even with this place being a ghost town… it was rather troubling and sad place. I mean this was once a place meant to expand the kingdom but now it is nothing, only an abandoned city.

Even Ankh was quiet for once when he laid his eyes of the ruined city. His eyes showed the look of nostalgia before he shook his head to ignore it.

"Ladies! Mr. Alderete! You may still be students but as of this moment, your first mission as Hunters has begun! From this point onward you are to follow as I or Professor Ankh say! Do you understand?" Dr. Oobleck stated. We all turned to look at him and nodded but he then took notice of the bag Ruby was carrying.

Wait, why is she carrying it when we were not suppose to bring our bags?

"Ms. Rose! I thought I told you to leave your bag at the Academy!" He scowled.

"But… uh, you hadn't told us to listen to you yet. So I didn't." She said nervously.

Oobleck blinked before pondering her answer, "She isn't wrong though." He admitted, "Very well, leave your bags here, and we can get them later on."

"But I, uh…"

Before she can finish, a bark was heard from the bag in which all attention was on the bag she carried. We then saw a familiar dog's head pop out from it. "Get back in the bag…" she whispered to the corgi, keeping eye contact with Oobleck.

"We're here, on a dangerous mission, filled to the teeth with Grimm and danger, and you brought…. A dog?" Oobleck said to her, as if she was about to be scolded.

"I, uhhh-"

"GENIUS!" The doctor exclaimed, much to our surprise. Oobleck rushed past her, snatching Zwei out of her bag and causing Ruby to spin around and fall dizzily to the floor. Oobleck just spun around, Zwei held aloft in his arms.

"Dogs are historically known for their perceptive nose and heightened sense of sound, making them excellent companions for hunts such as ours! I wish I had thought of this plan myself, Ms Rose!" Dr. Oobleck grinned, while Zwei barked happily in his hands. Ruby turned to us with a smug smile on her face.

"I'm a genius!" She stated. Yang and Weiss facepalmed, unsure how to deal with this as Ankh scoffed.

"Sure you are," he rolled his eyes. "It's only another piece of annoyance."

Oobleck was the next to speak up as he turned to us. "As you've been informed, the southeast area has been marked as a recent hotspot for Grimm activity. Now, there are several possible explanations for this behaviour, one of which being… Grimm." He explained. Ruby scratched her head at the redundancy.

"Uhh, wha?"

"Grimm. A creature of Grimm approximately one hundred yards ahead of us." Oobleck pointed it behind us. We turned around and saw he was correct indeed. A Beowolf was prowling ways down the street, pawing at the ground, as if it was searching.

We got ourselves ready to fight until Oobleck held out his hand in defense. "No wait. There are a number of reasons why Grimm will congregate in this particular area, but the most likely cause is their attraction to negativity. All qualities of negativity that are likely held by our hidden group harbouring ill intent." He explained.

"So, what now?" I asked.

"We wait, we follow. If we follow it, it will lead us to it's pack, therefore our prey." Oobleck noted.

"And how long will that take?" Ankh questioned with an annoyed look.

"Uncertain. Hours? Days? Weeks? Why, lone Grimm have been know to separate from their packs for whole mon- And there's the whole pack…" What came out of the alley way near the first Grimm were several more Beowolves as they sniff around before they looked at us.

"And now they've seen us." Oobleck noted.

"What?" Weiss got out.

"AND NOW THEY'VE SEEN US!" Doctor Oobleck shouted right into Weiss's ear, somehow mistaking her vocalisation of shock for one of inquiry.

"So tracking them down is out of the question?" Ruby asked.

"What do you think?" Ankh scoffed.

"Girls. Mr. Alderete. Show me what you got." Oobleck said to us, wanting to see our skills and abilities.

I quickly unsheathed Medajalibur as the others except Oobleck got their weapons out while Ankh simply walked to the nearest rooftop to watch before we charged towards the Grimm.

After nearly two hours, we finally finished off the Beowolves that saw us, the bodies of the Grimm disintegrating. Ankh already finished three of his treats, tossing the sticks over his shoulder and jumped down from the rooftop while Doctor Oobleck finished writing a few things down on some paper as he walked up to us.

"Ah yes, very good you all. Now, shall we continue? The day is still young after all. And we're still far from done with this mission." Oobleck said, sipping some more coffee.

It had been hours since we'd arrived at Mountain Glenn, and the Grimm just refused to offer a moment's peace. After I had killed that first group of Beowolves, I was in the TaToBa armor, with even more Grimm had revealed themselves to us. Beowolves, and Ursai, along with some I didn't recognize. Right now, the sun had begun to set, casting an orange glow over most of our surroundings. Another Beowolf pack had revealed themselves, and had begun to attack me. But it wasn't long before the tide had turned, and with a combination of Tora Claws, swift strikes, and quick movement, all my foes lay dead on the ground, their bodies having begun to dissolve into wisps of smoke.

"What of you, Mr. Alderete? What made you decide to embark on a Huntsman's path?" Dr. Oobleck's voice rang out, startling me slightly. Yanking the yellow claws out of the final Beowolf, I immediately came face to face with the doctor, as he sat on the edge of a crumbled fountain, which trickled softly with stale, stagnant water.

"What do you mean?" I asked. Dr. Oobleck merely shrugged, and began to write down something in a notebook. I couldn't see what it was, but I had a feeling this was some kind of assessment. Seeing no way to escape the question, I decided to answer his question.

"Well, when I arrived in Beacon, all I cared about was helping people…" I explained. Dr. Oobleck looked up and raised an eyebrow.

"I can understand how such a life would be of interest to you, but the police would also provide a similar lifestyle. My question is, why did you decide to become a Huntsman?" He asked.

"Um…" I paused, trying to think. For such a simple question, the answer was difficult to give. I mean sure that I decided to join Beacon because all I cared about was reaching out to help people. "To be honest... all I care about was reaching my hand out to help people. If I don't then what good comes to that?"

"I see..." Dr. Oobleck said, before scribbling into his notebook, and walking away. I just stood there, the sun's glows shining the armor a bit, as disappointment bubbled within me, along with questions.

However when he left, I looked at my gauntlets of the Tora, left with questions in my head. Why become a Huntsman? More importantly, why did I decide to accept the mantle as a Kamen Rider…? Was it due to my reason to help others… or was it something more to it that I don't even realize it.

It was beginning to get dark, and the population of Grimm had taken an enormous downturn. Where they once littered the streets, prowling for their next meals, now the town was seemingly empty, as if the Grimm had been present for only a few days, instead of years.

"Oi, the flare is up," Ankh informed, jabbing his thumb to the back.

Looking up, I saw a blue flare soar into the sky. The signal to regroup. The Tora claws folded back onto the armor, before Ankh tossed me my bag, and the both of us made our way back to where we had landed in the city.

Arriving in the square, I was greeted by the sight of Ruby playing keepaway with Zwei, using a whole roast chicken impaled on the end of Crescent Rose. I sighed, and shook my head: even if that was valuable food going to waste, Ruby and Zwei's cutesy look would soon shut down any form of objections. Looking up to see Dr. Oobleck approaching from another street, Ruby hastily removed the chicken from her weapon, and stowed both away.

"Sorry! So, uh, are we gonna keep going?" She asked, as the rest of the team appeared.

"No, I believe we've done enough today. It will soon be getting dark." Dr. Oobleck stated, pushing his glasses further up the bridge of his nose. Whirling around, he threw a bag towards Yang, who caught it with a grunt.

"You five, set up camp in… that building." He ordered us, pointing to a partially crumbled, but still standing four storey building. As we all turned to look at it, I looked back to Dr. Oobleck.

"What about you and Ruby, Doctor?" Yang asked.

"Ruby and I will secure the perimeter. We don't want any… unwelcome surprises in the night, do we?" He answered, before walking away. As Ruby turned to follow him, he looked back to us.

"Oh, and do make sure there are no more of those… creatures lurking about." He added, before resuming his pace, Ruby at his side.

"C'mon, we should move." Blake said, before turning to walk towards our campsite. We all followed her, and soon got to talking about the day's events, as we set up sleeping bags, rationed out food, and soon had a small campfire burning away. Most of the chatter was about three things: how many Grimm we had killed each, any sights of Uva since he has been on the down low which brings concern to me on what he is up to and whether we had seen any trace of the White Fang in the area. In all honesty, I had spent a little too much time focussing on not dying at the hands of the Grimm. But it was a moot point, as nobody had seen hide nor hair of the radical group.

Death is what I feared ever since that day.

"I can't believe we didn't find anything." Weiss scoffed, looking out of a crumbled wall and to the darkening sky.

"We've always been fortunate enough to be in the right place at the right time. I guess we can't always have luck on our side." Blake remarked offhandedly, as she continued to scribble in that book of hers. I didn't know what she was writing, and frankly, I didn't dare to ask. Just because Blake had revealed her secret past to us didn't mean we should pry any further. I know how she feels about hiding one's past but I opened up to her, telling her about my past. Ruby, Ankh, and her are the only people who know about my past.

"That's not what I meant." Weiss responded, looking back to the fire, and warming her hands against the blaze. Blake looked up in confusion.

"Huh?"

"Earlier, about... upholding the legacy. There's more to it than that." She clarified.

"Yeah... No, me too. I mean... I don't know." Yang agreed.

"I don't know, either. I know what I want to do, but I figured I'd always take things one step at a time." Blake sighed, snapping her book shut, and stowing it away.

"Sorry, but am I missing something here?" I asked, confused about what was happening. The girls looked to each other, before Weiss turned her gaze back to me.

"The professor asked us all about why we became Huntresses. Did he ask you too?" She inquired. I nodded.

"Yeah. I mean, I wanted to help others. Ever since I came to Vale. But it feels like there's more to it than that." I explained, fishing in my bag for a granola bar, unwrapping it, and taking a bite while Ankh got out a cold pack before pulling out a bar of ice cream. Yang just sighed.

"Sounds like you had a better time than we did." She said sadly, taking a bite out of a bread roll.

Swallowing, I looked to her.

"Whaddya mean?" I asked. The three girls looked to each other, before Weiss glanced at me.

"Well, I wanted to uphold my family's legacy. Carry the Schnee Dust Company forward, and free it from the controversies that surround it." She explained.

"I just wanted to fight injustice, but… how?" Blake breathed. Yang swallowed a mouthful of buttered bread, and finished up.

"I… I dunno. I just wanted to enjoy not knowing what'll come next." She sighed. I looked into the crackling flames, and shrugged. If neither Weiss, Blake or Yang could answer the same question…

"Hmm…"

"Ah, wonderful! A textbook campfire!"

Dr. Oobleck's voice startled us, as the professor suddenly appeared from nowhere, with Ruby and Zwei quickly rounding the corner after him. Ruby squealed quietly at the sight of the blaze, and dashed forwards, warming her hands against it, Zwei by her side.

"Very good! Eat your dinners and hurry to bed. We have a lot of ground to cover tomorrow and we'll need you to take turns keeping watch over our temporary abode. Any volunteers for first watch?" Dr. Oobleck asked. Before he could even finish, Ruby raised her hand to volunteer, without even tearing her eyes away from the fire.

"Yo."

And with that, Dr. Oobleck sped away further into the building. As Ruby got up to take watchposition, Yang stood up, and began to ask her something.

"Hey, did Oobleck ask you why you wanted to be a Huntress? I mean... what did you tell him?" Yang asked, a serious look in her eye. Ruby looked away briefly, deep in thought, before turning back to her.

"Hmm... No, he didn't. Weird. Oh, well; good night, guys!" She saluted, before taking position in a hole in the wall, with Crescent Rose at the ready and Zwei by her side. She looked down, and scratched his ears.

"Don't worry. Things will be better tomorrow." She reassured, looking back out to the night sky. As I lay down my head against the bundle of down, I tried to sleep. But no matter what, my eyes just wouldn't comply.

Things will be better tomorrow...

Somehow, I don't think so.

Tossing and turning on the sleeping bag, I just couldn't get comfortable. No matter where I lay, spiny pebbles dug into my back, and the harsh glare of the moon was helping in no way whatsoever. It just didn't seem like this night was going to bring me peace. I'm used to the non peaceful sleep but this was different.

Ankh on the other hand was sleeping by the edge of the windowsill like he was used to this kind of stuff. Then again, he often leans against tree branches for the bird he is.

"Blake, are you awake?" Yang's voice, even if it wasn't directed at me, roused me from troubled slumber.

"Yeah." She muttered, rolling onto her side.

"Why do you think he asked us about being a Huntress? Like, what was he trying to say?" Yang asked. Blake just shrugged.

"Maybe he was just curious." She responded, a little uncertainty in her voice.

"You think?" Yang asked, concern apparent with the question. Blake didn't answer for a bit, before rolling onto her back, and looking up at the starry sky through the shattered roof.

"No." She muttered. Yang looked into the embers of the crackling fire, before turning to Weiss.

"Weiss, are you awake?"

"Of course I'm awake! You two are talking." She snapped. Yang winced, as Weiss continued to talk.

"And I think he... When I said I wanted to honour my family's name, I meant it. But, it's not what you think. I'm not stupid. I'm fully aware of what my father has done with the Schnee Dust Company. Since he took control, our business has operated in a... morally grey area." Weiss paused.

"That's putting it lightly." Blake muttered. Looking at Weiss, I half expected her to shoot the Faunus a dirty glare, but she did nothing of the sort. Instead, she hunched her shoulders, and continued to talk.

"Which is why I feel the need to make things right. If I had taken a job in Atlas, it wouldn't have changed anything. My father was not the start of our name, and I refuse to let him be the end of it." She finished, clenching her fist at the mention of her father. Blake sighed.

"All my life, I fought for what I thought was right. I had a partner named Adam. More of a mentor, actually. He always assured me that what we were doing would make the world a better place. But of course, his idea of a perfect future turned out to be not perfect for everyone." She explained.

This made me turn my head to look at her. I never knew she used to have a partner before she met us.

"I joined the Academy because I knew that Huntsmen and Huntresses were regarded as the noblest of warriors in the world. Always fighting for good. But I never really thought past that. When I leave the Academy, what will I - how can I undo so many years of hate?" She finished.

"Hey, if anybody can, it's you." I reassured. Yang nodded at me, then looked back to Blake.

"Enrique's right. You're not one to back down from a challenge, Blake." She reassured.

"But I am! I do it all the time! When you learned I was a Faunus, I didn't know what to do, so I ran! When I realized my oldest partner had become a monster, I ran! Even my Semblance! I was born with the ability to leap behind a shadow of myself; an empty copy that takes the hit while I run away!" Blake vented, her voice cracking slightly.

"At least you two have something that drives you. I've just kind of always, gone with the flow, y'know? And that's fine, I mean, that's who I am. But how long can I really do that for? I wanna be a Huntress, not really because I want to be a hero, but because I want the adventure. I want a life where I won't know what tomorrow will bring. And that'll be a good thing. Being a Huntress just happens to line up with that." Yang explained, rolling onto her front, and looking towards where Ruby was sitting as lookout, around the corner.

"Really?" I asked. Yang looked to me and nodded, before turning her gaze back to where Ruby was sitting.

"I'm not like Ruby, she's always wanted to be a Huntress. It's like she said, ever since she was a kid, she'd dreamt about being the heroes in the books. Helping people and saving the day, and never asking for anything else in return. Even when she couldn't fight, she knew that's what she wanted to do. That's why she trained so hard to get where she is today." Yang finished.

"Well, she's still just a kid." Weiss interjected, with a hint of worry apparent in her voice.

"She's only two years younger. We're all kids." Blake pointed out. "And Enrique is two years older than us."

"Well, not anymore. I mean, look where we are! In the middle of a warzone and armed to the teeth!" Yang sighed. No one spoke for a while, before a howl emanated from somewhere nearby. We all looked up, hands on weapons, ready just in case. But when nothing happened, we all relaxed, and I felt a familiar feeling deep in the pit of my gut. A sick feeling, one which I knew all too well since I'd arrived in Remnant.

Fear and death.

I sighed, deciding to get my issues out.

"At least you guys know what to do here. Me? I'm pretty much a pretender. I don't know what I'm doing half the time, so I just… pretend to know what to do. But to be honest, I'm out of my depth. I always avoid the dangerous places outside of my home" I summarized. Weiss looked to me through the fire.

"You've done alright so far, Enrique." She reassured. I just rolled onto my side to look at her.

"Maybe, but how long until I slip up? I just learn from Ankh's teachings since he is one who has been teaching me how to fight." We heard the said Bird Greeed snoring as he sleeps. "It's the only reason I decided to fight: because I only want to save people, to help them." I finished. Blake sighed, while Weiss sat up, and gazed into the embers.

"Regardless, it's the life we all chose."

"It's a job. We all had this romanticized vision of being a Huntress in our heads! But at the end of the day, it's a job to protect the people! And whatever we want, will have to come second."

I rolled over, and thought about what we'd all said. Weiss wanted her family's company free from the controversial reputation, Blake wished for justice and equality between human and Faunus, and Yang only strived for a better tomorrow.

I, meanwhile, had been brought here to stop the Greeed from making the world fall into desires. A scared young man, who once had hardly any idea of how to fight, brought to a place where I didn't even belong, to save this world from falling into the clutches of the Greeed. No one wants that kind of burden. But I'd been saddled with it, and no matter what, I'd have to see it through, regardless of whether I wanted to or not.

As the flames continue emanating its warmth, Weiss interrupted the silence.

"Hey Enrique, there has been something we wanted to ask you." Weiss wondered.

I turned my head to them, "What do you want to ask?"

"What was your life like before you met us…?" She asked.

I sighed. Guess it was time for share. I got up from the sleeping bag and pulled out the dog tags that hung under my shirt.

"To sum it up, there were high points and low points. Which would you want to hear first?"

"What made you want to help people?"

"It started when I saw bullies pick on other kids, I couldn't help it. I stood up to them but made myself a target instead." I explained, remembering my times back home. "There were times that I get picked on or beaten. I even ended up in the hospital at one point."

"Seriously? How did anyone let that happen?" she gasped.

"I simply told others it's nothing to worry about…" I responded. "Others would try to help me but… I just kept on pushing them away…." I looked at the campfire. "The reason to why I never fought was because the fact that I was enrolled in a normal school. I wasn't much of a fighter, only someone who tries to enjoy his day like any other normal person. But… it's wasn't normal for me… it never was..."

"Enrique…" she frowned.

"I endured many things as the years go by as well. The bullying, the name calling, the beatings; I endured many hardships in my life."

"I'm so sorry about that."

"My reason to why I want to be a Huntsman…" I summed up. "I want to reach out to help those who need a hand to help. That's all I ever wanted to do for the past 5 years." I reached for the dog tags and motioned the girls to approach me. When they got close, I pressed the hidden switch, causing the dog tags to open, revealing my old family photo of my parents, myself, and my little sister.

"Is that… your family?" Yang asked. I slowly nodded.

I pointed at the man in the photo. "That's my dad. He was a man who had his beliefs in protecting people." I explained. "He always told me when I was little that protecting someone isn't a task, it's a promise that you keep their life safe. Help them have a better future…"

"What happened to him…?"

"He died when I was eleven." I answered, causing Yang and Weiss to have pity looks and Blake knew about my family since she was the only person I first opened up to. I then pointed at the image of the woman. "That's my mom. She was a school teacher, not a combat school, but a normal school for kids. She was the mom that I often talk to when I was little. After my dad died, I distant myself from her. I talk to her sometimes but not that often like I used to."

"What about her?" Weiss points to the young girl.

The image was that of the little girl who was hugging me when I was little. "That is my little sister, Marie." I stated.

I took notice of Yang smiling upon seeing the image. "She smiles like Ruby." She noted.

"She was a girl who knew how cheer someone up." I explained with a smile. "If you were sad, she was there to cheer you up. She would always call me bro…" I finally felt a small tear come down, remembering my days with my little sister, my mom, and my dad.

"So they really…" Yang tried to ask before I slowly nodded, "My mom and little sister died in a car accident when I was 14, on the same day I lost my dad, three years apart." I lowered my head as I began to remember the darkest memory that was stuck in my head for the past five years. "And I was there when it happened… they died right in front of me… I was the only survivor of that accident; I have been a survivor ever since. Surviving to live my days as I was being watched over by a family friend."

I took a deep breath as I look down at my hands. "There were times in the past that I… wanted to end my life from all that happened to me." I removed my watch to reveal old scars on my wrist. It was true too, after what happened to my family and the bullying, I was on the verge of suicide. I wanted to do it but…. I was alway ending up in the hospital, asking myself why I am still there...

Yang and Weiss, even Blake gasped quietly upon my statement. They discovered that my family died on the same day, three years apart but also hearing I wanted to end my life back then. "Enrique… we never knew you were in that much pain…" Blake muttered, her eyes softened.

"It's okay…" I slightly shook my head. "I'm still here aren't I? I had to stay strong not for myself but for my family. I promised on their very graves that I will reach out to help people, to save them." I closed the dog tag locket. "It is what I have been doing for the past 5 years… when I make a promise, I keep it to my word… to my own life." I looked at the three. "We all may have dreams but in the end…. It is something we have to work for to achieve…. Some things in life aren't given to you… they can be taken away… making you see the reality of the world." I put back on my watch to cover the scars once again. "To me… I care about my friends… The reason why I fight is to protect those around me… to reach my hand out to save them from losing everything like I have…"

"Enrique, we never knew you went through that, we so sorry to hear that from you…" Weiss, being the first one to say that, the other girls nodding with her.

"No!" I backpedaled, my hands help up front. "I shouldn't have bothered. I mean, I bet you guys have been through a lot worse…I'm sorry..."

Blake furrowed her brows, "There's nothing wrong with talking to friends about your problems."

"I know, but... I just feel like I'm… kinda taking advantage of your sympathy - which I'm not doing, just in case you guys think that - I'm really not… I'm sorry." I shook my head, avoiding eye contact.

The others looked at me with unreadable expressions, and I was afraid that I might have just given them the wrong impression. "Look, you can talk about it, but don't expect anyone to give you pity points just because you happen to have had a shitty hand dealt to you," Yang remarked sternly, "life isn't some competition about who's had it worst. Let's just agree, that all of us have had some pretty messed up crap happen to us, okay?"

All of us silently nodded in agreement, a knot of shame forming in my stomach; who was I kidding? In a death world like Remnant, there are probably scores of people who've had seriously shitty lives, and compared to mine? I could only imagine; or perhaps just barely, my mom and sister being torn apart by Grimm. It sent shivers throughout my body, and even more shame. The car accident might as well have been a mercy, but still a nonetheless cruel one.

After a while, with Yang being the one on watch now, the young Multi-King finally fell asleep as Blake looks at the Rider. Ruby overheard everything from the four as she kneeled down next to Yang. "I… overheard everything. He really misses his family..." Ruby muttered. She understood how it felt knowing that she lost her mom.

"Yeah…. To think he had this pain all along…" Yang replied, "And I thought he was this invincible warrior with that armor… "

Ruby looked at the sleeping young man. He lost everything he once had, and all that was taken away from him. "Losing someone he looked up to when he was 11 and then three years later on the same day… losing the only people left in his life…." Yang muttered. It was like with her and Ruby when their mom died but for him, his own mom died right in front of him. There was no doubt he suffered severe trauma from the crash and seeing her corpse.

"Still… To think he had his own troubles…" Weiss muttered.

Blake was quiet as the others talked. She really felt pity for him… he kept away all the suffering he went through. He simply took it and allowed himself to continue on, even with the pain that was in his own heart, the pain of losing people he cared about. The pain from being pushed around and bullied. He endured all of it. Even more was the fact that he thought of ending his life in the past…

He wasn't trying to take advantage of their sympathy, he just wanted to tell them about his troubles but he felt ashamed since he thinks that they assume he was but they weren't. Sure his wasn't as worst as others but it was still something to understand.

Blake gently stroked his hair, the young man's sleeping eyes softening as his head slightly turned away causing a soft smile to appear on her face. She knows that she is in love with him but every time she had a chance, she only ran away for she was afraid of telling him.

She was afraid of the rejection too.

"Hey…." Yang placed her hand on Blake, the latter glancing at the busty blonde. "He'll tell you soon. We know it."

Blake looked away, hiding a soft blush that was forming on her cheeks. She looked back at her friends seeing them back on their sleeping bags, resting while Yang was back on watch. She looked back at the Rider before she went to her spot as she laid on her sleeping bag, looking at the small flames of the campfire. She began to remember her times when she talked to him. He was a good person at heart, even through everything he went through.

He may have lost everything in the past… but now her, the rest of Team RWBY, Team JNPR, Team CFVY, Ankh, and Akira are here for him. He now has friends to be there for him.

CURRENT MEDALS:

Taka (x2)

Kujaku (x1)

Condor (x1)

Lion (x1)

Tora (x1)

Cheetah (x1)

Kuwagata (x1)

Kamakiri (x1)

Batta (x1)

Kobura (x1)

Kame (x1)

Wani (x1)

Shachi (x1)

Unagi (x1)

Tako (x1)

Gorilla (x1)

Zou (x2)

(NEXT TIME)

"We're not just looking for an underground crime network, we're looking for an UNDERGROUND crime network!" He replied, gesturing to the hole.

"There's too many of them!" Ruby shouted.

TA~JA~DOL!

Next Time: Mountain Glenn, the Breach, the Blazing Combo

A/N: Well that is it for this chapter folks! I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter as well the interactions between characters.

Anyways look forward to the next chapter as well as the debut of a certain full combo.

Also updates for my stories will be a little slow since I'm back at college and with work, it will make things more busy for me. I do apologize but I promise I will update them and do my very best to make the chapters good. See you all later! Stay in the shadows everyone.