Alright, the next chapter is here! Originally I was gonna have everything between the last chapter and the next big arc in one chapter. Then the first two scenes ran away from me. Chapter would have been huuuuuge if I had tried to do that, so I cut it at the (rough) halfway point and decided to post what I had done. Hope you enjoy today's update!
As usual, I don't own RWBY or Highschool DxD, or make a dime off of this.
The morning comes entirely too soon. They hadn't teleported back into their dorm until three in the morning. Then they had all needed long showers. Not wanted, needed. The amount of filth that they had been covered in would have required throwing all of their bedding out, there would have been no saving it had they slept as they were. That, and still being coated in the filth they had had to fight their way through come morning, would have led to some very pointed questions being asked come morning. Which meant they also had to sneak to the dumpster behind the dorms to throw out the clothes they had been wearing during the fight. Again, to dirty to be worth trying to save, and any huntsman or huntress, in training or licensed, has a few sets.
The end result being that it wasn't until four in the morning that team JNPR had gotten to bed. With breakfast starting at seven in the morning, and first period eight sharp. "Come on Pyrrha, we gotta get up. Its almost breakfast time, and the teachers will notice if you still have a depleted aura because you didn't eat breakfast."
"Pyrrha isn't here. Pyrrha went away. Come back later." his partner whines into her pillow. Ren had been out of his bed as quickly as Jaune. The entire team had just grabbed whatever was handy to sleep in. He and Ren just slipping into fresh underwear before passing out in their beds. Nora clambers down, her hair even more chaotic than it is most mornings, deep bags under her eyes, which have a dangerous gleam to them. From what he can see, she just grabbed one of Rens t-shirts. Jaune is just going to assume there are underwear beneath the knee-length shirt, and leave it at that.
"Shower, then pancakes." the normally chipper hammer-maiden growls out as she goes to get a uniform and her shower caddy. They're all still pretty ripe, despite having showered before sleeping.
Jaune shakes the bed post. That gets a growl from his partner. He shakes it again, bumping it into the wall, and a pillow is thrown, missing him by a wide margin and messing up Noras- okay, the pillow skidding across Noras desk doesn't really make things worse. Pyrrha had never been much of a morning person, being reincarnated as a devil had shifted her to full blown night-owl. Jaune steps under her bed, grabs two opposite bedposts, and starts shimmying the entire thing. "Please stop." she mewls.
"We have a test first period." Jaune reminds his partner. That gets a pained moan out of her, and the telltale shuffling of someone exfiltrating themselves from their blankets.
A few moments later Pyrrha drops to the ground, shoulders slumped, eyes bleary and hair in an unruly tangle that could make Yangs usual wild mane look well kept. "This is all your fault. I wouldn't have to deal with getting up with so little sleep if you'd let me stay dead." A few weeks ago, the comment would have been cutting. By now he is used to just how little Pyrrha enjoys rising for the early hours of the day, and has learned to ignore or roll with whatever she says just after being roused. Currently clad in a misprint orange Pumpkin Petes t-shirt, the text wrapped around her left side at an angle and advertising 'Pankin Potis' it dangles down to her thighs, and rests at an angle leaving her right shoulder bare. Beneath the shirt she has a black and silver pair of – she stole a pair of his workout shorts to sleep in again. Whatever.
Jaune pads over to his partner and holds out her shower caddy, a towel and one of her uniforms. "You'll need to grab you're own undies, but we gotta be quick if you want to get some food and coffee in you before classes start." She nearly drains an entire pot by herself before they get out of the cafeteria.
Classes, are rough. First is the test in Grim Studies, which Jaune is confident enough about, all things considered. Ruby and Weiss nearly explode again during Applied Dust Theory, which isnt abnormal, but is far from relaxing. During History, Oobleck spills half his thermos on a few students that had chose to sit in the front row, which makes the already hard to follow professor even harder to concentrate on through the snickers and giggles.
The entire team is tired and sore, of course. Team RWBY just assumes they had had to make the hike up to Beacon from Vale after missing the last bullhead. Nora is able to stave off any questions about her aching arms with a simple "I thought climbing would be quicker." during lunch. Yang laughs, Ruby offers to carry some of her books. Blake and Weiss are still too caught up in debating, spiritedly but civilly now, what had pushed the White Fang to its current extremes, and how to properly address the inequalities between humans and faunus, to acknowledge anyone else properly.
They try to take a nap during the free periods they have after lunch. But they had chose to do so out on the grounds with how nice of a day it is. Some other freshmen, either bribed or threatened into it by Cardin or Suriel probably, make sure that doesn't happen. Three hours of being constantly poked, splashed or scolded by teachers later and they are phoning it in to make it past Goodwiches class. Picking up on their melancholy, she has all four of them in bouts in the main arena. Bouts they all nearly lose. Badly. The relative calm of their floor of the dorms is a welcome sight. Despite the friendly faces and cheerful waves, none of them feel much like socializing, and simply trudge on towards the safety and solitude promised by their own dorm room.
They are clearly tired enough that, when the octet of teens gets back to the dorms after dinner that evening, team RWBY doesn't really comment on them turning in early. It is the honest truth after all. Then Jaunes scroll starts trilling at him. He fishes it out of his pocket, and barely suppresses a groan when he sees who it is. "Hey Rias, whats up?"
"I hear congratulations are in order, Jaune." She promptly replies, though, something in her tone feels, off. The call is audio only however, so he doesn't have much to go on. He nearly sighs, but, since that would probably turn into a yawn, bites down on it.
He flops onto the teams couch, dropping his books on his desk on the way over. "Yea, first successful stray hunt for my peerage. I guess word travels fast. But as grateful as I am for the call, we're all pretty tired still. I was kind of hoping to turn in early with my peerage."
Rias pauses, and lets out a small sigh, before she replies. All of his team is looking at him curiously now. "I know, my peerage and I all felt like reheated garbage after our first stray hunt too. Which is why I wouldn't be calling you right now if it wasn't important." Jaune is about to open his mouth to ask what it is, but Rias presses on. "A few nights ago, Riser, made some demands. A big, public declaration of our engagement. Something to move it from an open secret among the Pillars to common knowledge across the Underworld. The sort of thing I wouldn't be able to get free of the engagement afterwards. I said no, Grayfia said I have no choice. There's a mock rating game on Saturday. I win, I'm free, he wins, that's it. I... we, need an edge. I would have called you earlier, but you had your stray hunt to worry about."
Jaune pinches his nose with his free hand, and once again resists the urge to sigh. Rias is a good friend, and in serious need of help. "I take it you have a summoning circle ready?" Rias replies with an affirmative, and after the usual end of call pleasantries, he turns to his team. "So, Rias has a mock rating game coming up, with the arranged marriage she wants nothing to do with on the line. Her peerage is having a training camp, but they need an edge."
Ren looks over to him from his seat in front of his desk "I take it you're going to unlock their auras?"
"If it can be done for someone who is already a devil, yes." Jaune answers, already feeling the tug of the summons at the back of his mind. "It's never been attempted on a devil before however, so I don't know how well it will work. I'd bring all of you along to meet the rest of her peerage, but..."
Pyrrha waves his off. "They need to focus on training for the coming match. Making new friends can wait until after. I'll make sure Ren and Nora get it while you're gone, Jaune. He nods appreciatively at his partner and queen, then the dorm room disappears in a flash. The dull tones of an early autumn evening in Vale filtering through drawn blinds and curtains is replaced by a sweltering Japanese morning. Well, it could be the Underworld too, timezones and seasons can be weird when traveling between different worlds on different planes of existence that way.
"Issei, Asia, this is Jaune Arc. A good friend of mine who was promoted to King from my cousin Siaroargs peerage a few months ago. He's here to give us an edge against Riser." Rias introduces him after offering him a curt nod for a greeting. Straight to business, she must be really worried then.
Kiba greets him with a firm arm clasp and an honest smile, while Koneko offers a lazy half-wave and a "Sup moron?"
Akeno offers that too innocent smile that always means someone is going to be in a world of pain soon, and a cutesy wave. "Long time no see Jaune, how've things been going for you?"
He shrugs, an easy smile on his face despite being bone-tired. "Oh, you know, the usual. Hunting down strays, getting into fights with rogue fallen angels, starting up my peerage."
"Whats this I hear about you being able to get us an edge Jaune?" Kiba queries, clad, like most of the rest of the peerage, in a tracksuit. His, like Issei's is gray and white, while the girls are all wearing dark pink and white striped ensembles.
Jaune makes his way over to where Rias had been standing in front of her peerage, before beginning his explanation. "So, I'm a reincarnated devil. No big secret there. What the Bael, and a few of my friends from other families don't like to share around is that Earth isn't my home-world. I come from Remnant, a planet infested by nightmare monsters called grim that are attracted to negativity, and where humanity is mostly stuck in four mega-cities save for a handful of almost safe settlements outside the walls spread across four and a half kingdoms that don't have any royalty."
Silence falls across the wide clearing Rias had gathered her peerage on. It would probably be a good place to spar, all things considered. Issei, proves himself to be a master orator as he lets forth a confused "What?" into the resultant silence.
"Anyways" Jaune continues, once it looks like the confused devils before him have their wits back about them "Remnantians have a set of abilities to fight back against the grim. It's something that can be unlocked in anyone, as far as we know. Since I started at Beacon Academy, I haven't just recruited to my peerage, but I've had my aura – that's the power – unlocked. On a basic level, it provides a boost to your strength, senses and reflexes, as well as increasing what you're upper limits are the same as being reincarnated as a devil does. With training and focus, you can also use it to manifest a protective field, as well as, eventually, gaining access to a power unique to each individual."
Silence reigns again, though, this time it is less from confusion, and more from his friends trying to process what he had just laid at their feet. Akeno is the first to speak "That, is an awful lot. Will we be able to learn all of that by Sunday?"
Jaune nods "If you train with your auras up, that should become something you reflexively do once a fight starts by then. Semblances – that's the term for the unique power you will gain – take more time, personal awareness and training. Or an intense fight you feel very strongly about. Or at least part of the fight or someone in it."
"So, how's it work?" Koneko prompts, one of two people not in matching track suits, instead clad in a plain white t-shirt and black short-shorts. It takes Jaune a moment to realize that she is actually wearing the stereotypical Japanese schoolgirl gym uniform.
He then ignores what he had just noticed to continue with his explanation. "I touch you, recite an aria, channel some of my aura into you, then your soul takes care of the rest."
"Recite a what now?" Issei interjects, still blinking in confusion.
"Our souls?" Asia asks, voice tremulous and hopeful.
Jaune nods "The words vary between cultures, and even some of the more powerful noble lines have their own." He pauses, and looks at all of the gathered devils, letting his gaze fall on each of them for a moment. "The light show when it is first unlocked hurts, but, since your aura is the projection and expression of your soul, it isn't theoretically possible for it to harm or damage you. Any volunteers for going first?" Issei steps forwards almost immediately, a determined scowl on his face. Jaune nods, and walks over to meet the pawn. He puts a hand on the guys shoulder, and starts, acting on instinct rather than reciting the same verse Pyrrha had for him. He is unlocking the aura of a devil from the Underworld, not a Mistrali huntsman after all. "For it is through desire that we become mighty. By this ascension we become idols of power and decadence to lord over all. Limitless in strength and unbound by time. I release your soul, and by my hand elevate thee."
Jaune steps away from the pawn, doing his best to hide the stagger that comes with moving after burning through so much of his aura so quickly. A lurid pink sheen is coating the pawn, who is grunting in pain. At least until he notices what color is enveloping him. "Seriously, PINK?!" He turns to face Jaune again, looking more than a little angry. "WHAT THE HELL MAN?"
Akeno, face almost resting in her spread palm, half chuckles out "I think it suits you, Issei."
"What the hell Akeno! How does pink suit me?!" Issei bites back as Jaune checks his aura levels, fifty five percent left. Holy crap, he's going to have to break this up over the next few days.
Rias giggles at her only pawns plight, before interjecting "Most girls have a friend or two that color hidden somewhere in their bedroom."
Issei seems to calm at that, but he looks more confused than angry now. "What?"
Koneko, voice as deadpan as ever, having taken a step away from the shameless pervert, decides to explain to him what everyone save, maybe Asia, has already figured out. "Dude, your aura is sex toy pink."
"What?"
"They aren't all that color." Akeno corrects Koneko, who now has a light dusting of pink on her cheeks and is looking away from everyone.
Rias shrugs "It's still the most common color. All of mine are that shade."
The peerages only active bishop makes her way to stand in front of Jaune, who, like Issei and Kiba, had decided to keep out of the conversation, him for fear of making an ass of himself. Cheeks a deep crimson, a stricken look on her face, she rapidly babbles out "I'll go next if you don't mind Mr. Jaune." Clearly, her silence was from embarrassment.
Unlocking her aura goes even smoother than Issei's had. The blonde bishops aura glows a gentle green somewhere between olive and the bright shade Penny had had on her outfit and weapons. He checks his aura levels again. Down to twenty five percent. While Asia and Issei both have their auras raised to the point of glowing, and are poking at the shields experimentally. The rest of the peerage is looking at him expectantly. He lets the sigh he had been holding back out, and stops trying to clamp down on the trembling exhaustion that he had been trying to still show. Going through three quarters of his aura reserve in less than ten minutes isn't fun at all. "I think that's all I'll be able to do for today." He announces.
Rias and the rest of the peerage are pretty good about hiding their disappointment, but he knows them all too well to not notice it. Koneko grabbing a snack from one of her pockets to aggressively bite into. Yuuto looking off to the distance, face turned away from everyone. Rias and Akenos too serene faces, hands clasped behind their backs. "Summon me again tomorrow, I can unlock a few more of you. It drains the reserves of the person doing the unlocking the same as going through too much magic too quickly. I'm down to a quarter of my maximum just from those two."
"Is that, normal?" Rias asks, walking over to Jaune to start checking him over for signs of illness or injury.
He shrugs, as Issei and Asias auras fade away, getting worried, shocked looks from both of them. "I don't know, I'll ask Pyrrha when I get back, she unlocked mine, and probably knows more about the process than I do. Issei, Asia, what just happened is normal. Usually your aura can only be seen if you are overexerting yourself, take a particularly hard hit, or when it breaks."
Kiba looks back over to the group, his usual easy, polite smile back in place. "What do you mean, when it breaks?"
Jaune steps away from Rias and towards the rest of her peerage, again doing his best to give all of them an equal measure of attention. "That ties in with what I mentioned earlier. Every individual has a different reserve of auric energy. Whether you're using it to ablate the damage from attacks, if its passively healing you, or when you use your semblances, once you find those, the amount of aura you have is lessened. Normally rest, food and time will replenish your reserves if you do run out, even if it is completely drained in battle, or 'broken' to put it more simply."
Asia, looking around nervously from where she and Issei are still rooted in place, trying to process the shift in, well, everything, that comes with having your aura unlocked. "If you dont mind me asking, Mr. Arc, how much do Issei and I have?"
Jaune waves her off "Just Jaune, please. And, while I don't have any of the tools to scientifically evaluate your auras, having unlocked them, I do have a general feel for how much you two have. Issei, you're in the same ballpark as me, we're both well above average for how deep our reserves run. Plus side, we can take a real beating in a fight and keep going; but that also means training to increase our aura is an absolute bitch, since, like muscles, you need to tear it down for it to build back up stronger." He pauses and looks over to the former nun "You, on the other hand, have about the same reserves as one of my friends from Beacon, Weiss, who is on the low side. She focuses on speed and technique in fights to get around that in battle."
Akeno looks over to Asia "She may be a back line fighter, but from what you just said, I think we'll need to get her worked into the sparring rotation Issei has to build that up." Rias nods in agreement with her queen, and Asia wilts with a small whimper. They must really be putting the guy through his paces.
"That would be a good idea. Even if she isn't going to be rushing into the thick of things, being able to at least defend yourself in an ambush or bad situation is always a good thing." He takes a step back, grinning. "Now, if you guys don't mind, I'm going to go eat half a cow then pass out for the next ten hours. I'll see you all tomorrow."
_-*R-DxD*-_
The blinding light fades and Pyrrha finds herself not in a house, but what looks to be some sort of office. "Wait, that whole 'summoning a devil' shit actually worked?" An older, gruff sounding mans voice exclaims from a few feet to her left. She turns to face the man who had summoned her. A decently fit man in the tail end of middle aged, with streaks of gray in his otherwise black hair, which is in a neat high and tight cut, with a well trimmed mustache resting between his thin lips and small, pointed nose. His uniform is disheveled, shirt only half tucked in, belt draped over the office chair he is sprawled out in, a bottle of scotch and half filled high-ball glass within arms reach.
"Pyrrha Nikos, devil in the service of the Arc peerage, at your service." Pyrrha introduces herself, before walking over to one of the nearby desks to claim a chair for herself.
The tipsy officer spins his chair around to look at her for the first time. His piercing gray eyes have deep bags under them, and are more than a little bloodshot. But its clear the officer still has his wits about him. "Wait, THE Pyrrha Nikos? As in, four time Mistrali National Tournament Champion, Pyrrha Nikos!" The man sneaks a glance to his drink, then looks back to her. "Is that how you, you know..."
She knows she is scowling at the officer, and that she probably wouldn't be before being reincarnated, but cant help herself. She still reigns it in in fairly quickly however. Getting offended isn't going to help net her her first completed pact. "Oh no. This," She spreads her wings, and, for good measure conjures up a tongue of her strangely-hued fire, glad she had been putting in extra practice on the roof after her team had all fallen asleep. Up until just before this summoning, anything short of a ravaging pillar of destruction had been impossible for her to achieve. Nora might believe the word overkill is a form of blasphemy, but Pyrrha is a precision sort of girl. "is a new development. I've only been a devil for a little over a month, officer..."
The man shakes his head, a rueful grin on his face, then replies. "Deputy Police Chief Oran Cog, 75th Valean precinct house. So, hows this work?"
Pyrrha folds her wings back to invisibility and dismisses the fire – the noise is grating – then, crosses her legs as she replies. "You tell me what you desire, what you want. I do it, or help you get it, then you give me something of value or worth, and the pact is sealed."
"What I desire? You mean, like, anything I desire?" The officer asks, eyes wide in shock in the dim, half lit precinct house.
Pyrrha shoots him a flat look. "If you wanted that I've been assured that the specialist network catering to lechers has already extended to Remnant. Since I am here, it is clear you desire something less, basic."
Oran raises his hands placatingly. "Sorry, bad joke. I'm just, trying to process, figure out if I'm ready to do what I want to if I really have supernatural backup." He tilts his head, then asks "So, what is it you get out of this, anyways?"
She shrugs "Alot of people apparently pay with money or valuables, so for most devils its a living. Then there's the power boost devils get from fulfilling desires. And finally, completing contracts is how you move up in underworld society." She pauses to take a breath, then continues "As a newly reincarnated devil, I may as well be a beggar from the worst part of the slums as far as more traditional, high society devils are concerned."
The man nods, sets his chair spinning, and, after three rotations, stops it facing her again. "Right, that settles any moral worries I had about doing this. If you were wondering why a deputy police chief is drinking in his abandoned precinct house when there should at least be the night shift here, you're about to find out. If you weren't, well, its why I summoned you, so you're getting told anyways." Pyrrha chuckles at that, and the officer shoots her a grim smirk. "We have a gang moving coke and pimping in our precinct. Real scumbags. Problem is, their boss is smart. Too smart. We cant get a damn thing to stick on them. We know where they operate from, what their doing, who they are, but can never actually get enough evidence together for a search warrant or to bring any of them in. They started going after officers families today. Retaliation for our latest sting attempt, I think."
Pyrrha can feel a devious smile spreading on her face. "I take it you have officers watching their base of operations?" The officer nods. "I think I can solve your problem, Officer Cog. We'll just need a way to get in touch again tomorrow morning."
Pyrrhas team is more than a little surprised when she is the first one awake in the morning. However, after explaining to them how her summoning the previous night had went their expressions quickly changed from teasing surprise to honest joy for her. Jaune is the first one to figure out why she isn't jumping around excitedly. "I'm guessing you're going to need to skip classes to day to seal the pact?" Pyrrha nods dejectedly. She's a good student. A good person. She has absolutely no clue how to go about skipping class. Especially without drawing attention to herself or getting in trouble. Jaune walks over to rest his right hand on her shoulder. "For what its worth, I'm sorry."
She is about to ask him what for, when his left hand, small magic circle spinning in his palm, touches her stomach. Her gut churns, her throat heaves, and her eyes go wide. One hand over her mouth, the other thrown out in front of her to slam the door to their dorm room open. A few of her neighbors are in the hallway, and nearly get bowled over in her mad dash to the bathroom. Two more powerful dry heaves nearly assail her on the way. She slams the girls bathroom door open with enough force that it bangs on the wall and she has to stop it from hitting her face when it rebounds. Pyrrha is vaguely aware of a scream and a splash as she searches for an open stall. Another powerful heave, and she has to swallow back bile and chunks of sick as she dashes for the first open one she spotted.
Hunched over the porcelain bowl, emptying her stomach of everything she's eaten since last week, she is tacitly aware of someone yammering "Eew eew eew eew eew!" from the bathroom. Another, equally familiar voice shouts "Coco! Pyrrhas spewing her guts out!" cuts through the sound of her throat straining and chunks of sick being launched into the water. Then a strong hand is rubbing her back, another keeping her hair more securely free of the toilet bowl and stream of vomit.
When her stomach is empty, and the dry heaves stop, she looks up to see Yang knelt at her side, a worried look not to dissimilar from the one she had had on her face the night she had, the night she had killed three men on her face. Behind her, Coco is leaning against the stall, a bottle of water and mouth wash in one hand, damp washcloth in the other. She offers Pyrrha the two bottles, and asks "Any idea what happened that has you this sick this morning?"
After thoroughly rinsing her mouth and cleansing her throat, Pyrrha answers "I ordered the seafood platter last night." That isn't even a lie. Team JNPR had went out for dinner last night. Behind the two girls that had moved to help her, Ruby is struggling to keep whatever is still in her stomach from last night from coming back up.
Coco shakes her head "Let me know what restaurant your team ate at so I know not to go there then." before handing the warm washcloth over to the still queasy devil. Pyrrha nods as she wipes her face down. "I'll let the professors know you're sick for you. If you aren't feeling better by noon, I expect to hear you went to the infirmary Nikos." Pyrrha nods, and hands the cloth back to their RA, before grabbing some toilet paper and cleansing her nose.
Yang helps Pyrrha stand, and after she makes it a few steps from the toilet, after flushing of course, the blond brawler lets her stand on her own. "So, you're positive it was bad sea food, not, ya know..." Yang doesn't so much rub her stomach as make a cupping motion towards the bottom of it.
"You know how things still are with Nora and I when it comes to them." Pyrrha shoots back. More crossly than she had meant too, actually.
Yang flinches back a hair "Aaaand you're understandably grumpy about it. My bad."
"I'm sorry." Is all she can really say to that, before heading back to her dorm room. She passes her team on their way to the showers. Jaune shudders to a halt, looking more than a little sheepish and rueful under her gaze. "You owe me for that, Jaune." She does her best to get across just how unhappy she is with her partner right now.
He doesn't look very chastised. "You sure about what you just told me Pyr?" A too chipper voice echoes down the hallway.
"Yang! Be nice!" The blonde menaces sister and leader chides her, just loudly enough for Pyrrha to hear as she enters her room. She waits until the rest of the freshman had left for classes before taking her shower, no need to poke holes in her cover story unnecessarily. The dorms are actually kind of eerie when you are the only one in them, it turns out. Still, it isn't much more than an hour after classes start that she is ready to set out into the city. Leaving the academy is tricky, but explaining to the bullhead pilot that she is feeling sick, and her team is out of ibuprofen, antacids, cough drops, and well, pretty much anything a sick person may want to have on hand gets her a sympathy flight quickly enough.
After fake shambling away from the landing pad, she starts walking normally again, and sets about finding somewhere to eat. She ends up having to settle for a greasy breakfast burger from a MacDonnels she spotted, but a full stomach is better than empty, even if it is about as far from the healthy diet recommended that any huntsman or huntress maintain you can get. Her next stop is a corner pharmacy to grab a few bottles of pills – she hadn't been lieing in telling the pilot that her team doesn't have a single thing for one of them to take if they are feeling under the weather in their dorm room.
Stomach full and errands ran, she sets off to the agreed upon meeting point for herself and officer Cog. Its a dingy back alley with a decent view of the warehouse the gang has been using as a headquarters. She pulls out the burner scroll he had given her and shoots the desperate officer a message. Part of her wants to lean against one of the walls while she waits, but between the mold, the stains and general filth on what had once been red bricks make leaning there a non option. The dumpster she had stopped near is actually cleaner looking, and could be an option to lean against. However, there is a veritable minefield of rotten food, mounds of mold that had likely been rotted food, and dead vermin. Plus, the stench emanating from the dumpster tells her something else dead may be inside, so she instead opts to squat awkwardly in a cleanish stretch of uneven, cracked pavement that leaves the dumpster hiding her from the main road the gangs current hide-out is on.
About half an hour of waiting later, Officer Cog strides into the alley from another part of the warren of narrow, dirty walkways that runs the breadth of Vales older business districts. He picks through the filth as carefully as she had, properly dressed in his sharp blue uniform and looking far better than he had the night before. She has plenty of time to stand up and straighten her combat outfit before he reaches her. "I have three stakeout vans along the street, a few squad cars canvasing the area, plus a VSPRD squad and a SWAT team on standby a few blocks off. You get us our opening, and the pact is sealed."
Pyrrha tilts her head "And my payment for the pact? I expect you'll be quite busy when this works out."
He shoots her a winning smile "If this works, keep the burner. I'm guessing you aren't the only thing that goes bump in the night in Vale. If you need the police to not look at something too closely, let me know. It can't be too blatant, but if your people are halfway competent that shouldn't be a problem." he pause, then adds "As a sweetener, I'll start spreading the word to the other precincts brass that if they need any, extraordinary, help with something, that the whole summoning circle schtick on the dustnet is the real deal."
Pyrrhas smile is swift to match the officers "I believe this will be the start of a beautiful working relationship, Officer Cog." He nods in agreement, then turns and ambles back down the alleyway he had come from, and Pyrrha makes her way to the mouth of her alley. She has a decent view of the warehouse the police desperately want to get into, and, thankfully, a clean enough stretch of wall that she wont be spending her day awkwardly standing around. Things are, boring, to say the least. For the longest time, nothing happens that she can use to help the police as she had promised. A bit after noon, a box van rounds the corner of the main street she can see from her vantage point, going more than a little over the speed limit. She holds her hand out, and her eyes flutter nearly shut as she focuses on her semblance. The trucks front right wheel, no longer connected to the vehicle by anything now that her work is done, rolls free and bounces off the warehouses facade.
Seconds later, the truck smashes through the wall of the gangsters base of operations. Angry shouting is the first thing that can be heard after the near-deafening crash. Pyrrha, a concerned citizen, calls the police to inform them of the accident. Moments later, the first few squad cars screech to a halt in front of the drug dealers warehouse. The truck driver dives to the ground behind his wrecked vehicle when the first few shots ring out. Not long after the SWAT van and VSPRD armored personnel carrier join the regular police. An ambulance and fire truck arrive as more regular police set up a perimeter, and Pyrrha decides its time to make herself officially known.
She strides from her spot in the back alley as the SWAT and VSPRD officers charge into the warehouse. Officer Cog is talking with a few other police officers, but she ignores him. Heading instead towards the VSPRD Inspector who had stayed behind when his squad went into the criminals hideout. A conical police helmet resting on his head in the same shade of navy as the short sleeved shirt he has tucked into his uniform slacks. His thick black belt has a holstered sub-machine-gun on either hip and his black combat boots almost reach his knees. "Inspector?" She greets him. "I know I need to talk to someone after calling in the accident, but, did you need any help?" Pyrrha presents her Beacon I.D as she finishes her question.
The man looks away from the active gunfight, looking at her appraisingly. Three filled in teardrop tattoos under his right eye, and the edges of spiderweb tattoos peek out from under his right shirt sleeve and the fingerless glove on the hand attached to the same arm. "Trainee, Nikos, it is?" She nods "You're calling in the accident is help enough. Now, give me a reason I shouldn't be calling a truancy officer on you."
Pyrrha comes up dry at that. She had been expecting a retired huntsman or huntress for the Inspector, not a hardened former criminal who had been 'recruited' to the VSPRD out of prison. "Cheif Balaur wont be happy to hear that I ran into a member of your team twice in one week either. You aren't in as hot of water as the Ruby brats, but the Chief doesn't like to hear about any Beacon students until their senior years."
Pyrrha recognizes him as the man she had seen escorting Blakes new friend away from the aftermath of their fight by the docks over the weekend. However, before she can reply, a slender huntress with flowing black hair strides up to the two of them, I.D. Already held out "Indigo Karaka, team Aquamarine." she introduces herself, running the otherwise free hand through her long locks to throw it over her shoulder. Her left hand is burdened with an over-sized heater shield of all things, and she is clad in a shoulder-less black and purple diamond patterned combat dress. As she slips her ID back into her pocket, she continues "I came here as soon as I saw the notice for the firefight on my scroll, how can I help?"
The Inspector sighs. "Its a mess in the warehouse, and now we have a trainee that thinks she's ready for this sort of work, mind babysitting?" Pyrrha bristles at that. She doesn't try to use her fame to get her anything, but he should know she can be of help! The new huntress, glances at Pyrrha, something about her seems familiar, but Pyrrha cant put her finger on it.
"What are you doing here, Pyrrha?" The older woman asks her, voice flat and nearly emotionless, though her eyes hint at concern.
Pyrrha takes a step back from the pair of judgmental, protective adults. "Do I, know you?"
Something moves off to the right, but before she can look to better discern what it is, Indigo has already pulled a handgun out of her shield and fired three times. Pyrrha snaps her head to the side to see a thug crumple to the ground, arcs of electricity skittering across his now prone form. "I'm part of Jaunes older sisters team. We ran into each other after you passed initiation." She slides the gun back into the back side of her shield, which, Pyrrha notices contains a veritable arsenal. Guns, swords, explosives and knives, but that's all she can make out before the weapon is tilted so that she cant make out the reverse side of it again. The huntress had barely shifted her head before taking that shot. "What. Are. You. Doing. Here?"
The Investigator is glaring at her as well, arms crossed and foot tapping. The sounds of gunfire already dying off from inside the warehouse. Pyrrha glances across the rest of the gathered police, briefly making eye contact with officer Cog. He shoots her a quick thumbs up before going back to whatever it is he had been doing. Pyrrha fakes a sigh, then replies "I was feeling sick this morning, I puked, actually. Our RA called in sick for me, and said if I was still feeling ill by lunch I should go to the infirmary. I wasn't, so I decided to take a walk, I saw the crash and called the police. Then this happened, and..."
"Stay out of the way. Better yet, get back to Beacon, trainee.." The Investigator clips at her, before stalking towards the warehouse.
Indigo fixes her with a level gaze. "So help me, if you were feeling sick because Jaune forgot to use protection, child support will be the least of his or your worries." The woman spins on her heels and trots after the aura enhanced police officer. Pyrrha, blushing fiercely, jogs away from the active crime scene to find a place to teleport back to her dorm room. At least she formed a pact.
_-*R-DxD*-_
Weiss feels beyond foolish. It's utter lunacy to even humor the possibility that what she had found after looking more into what she had seen Pyrrha researching over the weekend might be real. Yet here she stands, alone in her dorm room, stupid printout of one of these supposed 'summoning circles' laid on the floor. At least she will have a few hours to herself to get over her embarrassment. Ruby is with Jaune in the machine shop, working on his 'dart launcher gauntlet' idea. Yang is down at the sparring rings being a menace. Blake is in the library studying with Pyrrha and Ren. Nora has her own homework to see to, and is closed off in her dorm room working on it.
So, feeling like an utter fool, she follows the steps outlined on the forum to summon a devil. Most of the people who had said this works had been using the variant with Jaunes emblem at the center of the circle. So, looking to prove that this isn't just one of Jaunes relatives playing a prank with their semblance, she had selected the circle that would, supposedly - "have summoned the Lady Ravel of the Noble Clan Phenex. What do you desire?"
The blonde girls eyes open, and she relaxes her hands to rest at her sides naturally, instead of holding them out at an angle as the fires that had sprung to life in her dorm room subsided, leaving nothing damaged, thankfully. "Ravel?"
"I... I don't know who that is?" the girl dumbly defends herself.
Weiss pinches her nose. It actually worked. Which leaves her with, questions, for Jaune. Questions she isn't sure she knows how to ask. "I take it that you and Rias aren't from Vacuo then."
She slumps her head "I didn't know it existed until last month." She admits.
"I take it that Jaune..." Weiss trails off, not even sure how to posit the question at the tip of her tongue now.
Ravel holds a hand up "I'm sorry, but I refuse to reveal any secrets that aren't mine to tell. A Lady of the Phenex has the reputation of her family to consider."
Weiss sits at her desk, and motions for the apparent noble devil to sit as well. "Then, if you don't mind my asking, how do you know the lecher?"
Ravel blinks, and rearranges the filly pink abomination of a dress she is wearing under her ridiculous drill-like twin-tails, before asking back "Who?"
"Jaune!" Weiss snips back at the devil, utterly baffled at how the girl isn't aware of his depredations.
Ravel shakes her head, somehow looking to be honestly confused at Weiss observation. "What makes you think he is anything but a gentleman?"
"He accosted me less than a minute after we met!" She hotly snaps at the clueless devil.
Said clueless devil tilts her head "I've known him for nearly a decade now. He has always been a perfect gentleman, so, please, explain to me how my friend 'accosted' you." Weiss recounts the encounter in detail. Ravel actually has the gall to laugh at her. Her hand doesn't even come close to hiding her grin, despite the girl holding it near her mouth like Pyrrha does. "Oh, it seems Jaune has something of a crush on you. Ironic that even in his homeland the lummox manages to have aspirations above his station." She mockingly demures, looking across the room to Blake and Yangs bunk.
Weiss can feel her anger rising, and does her best to reign it in. However, knowing what she does about this girls family, she knows that the best she can hope is to curb it. "So I see that all members of your family take matters of the heart as flippant trivialities then."
Ravel snaps her head back to glare at Weiss "And what is that supposed to mean?"
Weiss, doing her best to maintain a calm facade, shrugs. "As much as I want to blame your cad of a brother for what is being forced on the Lady Rias, the true blame lies at your fathers feet. Your stance on Jaunes lack of restraint in his, alleged, desires to court me, only confirms my suspicions."
"What did you call my brother?"
"Only what he is. The man, apparently, has a harem. Despite being engaged to a woman of equal station." Weiss explains plainly, crossing her legs and folding her hands in her lap. "Furthermore, he knows that Rias wants nothing to do with him, and hasn't done the gentlemanly thing and requested of your father that the arranged marriage be called off."
"Risers engagement to Rias is a perfectly legitimate means to join our houses." Ravel clips out, face starting to flush in anger.
Weiss takes a deep steadying breath. The girl doesn't know her families history. "Arranged marriages are nothing short of barbarism, Ravel Phenex."
Glaring at her, the blond devil flares her wings. "You act as if you are a member of high society, but I am beginning to think that you are simply putting on airs."
Now its Weiss' turn to glare. "The Schnee family is one of the wealthiest in Remnant. My Grandfather built the Schnee Dust Company from nothing to the most powerful business on the planet. We are as close to true royalty that lives in the modern era." Ravel again adjusts her dress, clearly looking for more than just a pedigree and bluster. "However, he only had one child. My mother, Willow. She worked in my fathers company, but, was never much of a businesswoman, despite spending nearly all of her spare time working. My grandfather wanted to hand the company down in the family, but, naturally, was worried. More than a few well to do families knew this, apparently, it was not uncommon for any social event my mother was brought to to be flooded with potential suitors for her. None of them caught her eye, nor were any of them skilled enough for my father to consider anything beyond his daughters wishes."
Weiss pauses to clamp down on her emotions. She wont turn this devil around to her way of thinking if she is anything but calm. "Then, one of my fathers employees, Jacques Gelé, began speaking to my grandfather about his plans for the company after his passing. Nicholas Schnee's intent was common knowledge in the company, but most of the executive board, Jacques included, were understandably worried about a human resources middle manager being given the reigns. Jacques, apparently, was quite persistent. He reasoned, cajoled, reminded and pressed my grandfather. All while seeing to the purchase and smooth integration of four other dust mining and processing companies."
Ravel arches an eyebrow "While I don't doubt that your families history is riveting, why should I care?"
Weiss ignores the barb and presses onwards. "Jacques was charming, well spoken and driven. But only interested in the Schnee, not Willow." That got a flinch out of Ravel, she must have struck a nerve. "So, until my grandfather died, Jacques was the model husband, even when the two of them were simply engaged, not wed."
"How do you know this, you weren't even born yet?" Ravel asks, clearly uncomfortable with the direction the conversation was headed.
"My personal butler, Klein, was mothers before it was decided that I was old enough to have my own personal staff." Weiss replies easily. "Jacques actually died his hair white after grandfather passed away. Took the Schnee name instead of his own when he and mother were finally married as well."
Ravel crosses her arms, the light of early evening casting deep shadows across the room "Is there a point to this, history lesson, you are forcing on me?"
"You are defending your brother. I am presenting you with the inevitable outcome of the life he is imposing on Rias and himself." Weiss replies primly.
"And I don't see how your mothers tragic tale is anything more than tangentially related to my brother and his betrothed."
Weiss doesn't relent, however. "Your brother may be strong, he may be a skilled leader. But he is, from what I know and have heard, a reprehensible person not deserving the support and adoration you clearly offer him."
Still glaring at Weiss with her arms crossed, Ravel nearly shouts "You have spoken to me twice now, and never even met Riser. You make assumptions you cannot possibly have verified."
Now Weiss' crosser her arms, and begins tapping her foot. "I spoke with Jaune about Rias and your brothers situation. How you're father all but forced the arrangement using the Gremory families compromised position and line of inheritance. I asked more questions about you as I could, especially your, relationship with him when he revealed that you are, apparently, a part of your brothers harem."
Scowling, Ravel bites out "He never actually does anything like, that, to me."
Weiss stands up and starts pacing back and forth. "But he, apparently, doesn't do anything to dissuade people from thinking he does either. Quite telling."
Ravel all but leaps to her feet as well, crossing the distance between them to do her best to loom over Weiss. Being the same height as the Schnee heiress ruins any intimidation factor that may have had, however. "Be that as it may, you are still making wild assumptions and accusations on a matter that has nothing to do with yourself."
"It is a matter I have decided to involve myself in because Rias is someone whom I believe will be a friend once I get to know her better. From what little Jaune has told me, I think you may be as well, if you are able to remove the blinders you seem to have placed on yourself when it comes to your brother and his engagement." Weiss snaps at the blond devil, planting her left pointer finger firmly on the hollow of the other girls neck.
Ravel tilts her nose skyward "And you have yet to prove to me that your theory on how Risers marriage will turn out the way you think it will."
Weiss ignores the other girls attempt to snub her, and, as calmly as she is able, gives her response. "I know how it will turn out because Riser want the marriage for the same reason my father did. And I know how it will turn out because Winter and I were in the room during the last argument our parents had. The spent nearly an hour screaming at each other, but, do you know what my father said when he realized he wasn't changing mothers mind?" Ravel shakes her head for a response. "He told her, and I quote 'I've already gotten everything I need from you. Do what you wish with the rest of your life.'"
Ravel steps back and turns to face the window. For a few minutes the dorm room is silent. Finally, she asks "Did you have anything in mind for why you summoned me, or is forming a pact off of the table?"
Weis sits back down "I, have some questions, about devils, and the supernatural in general, now that I know for a fact it is real. And, maybe, if there is time, I suppose a person such as yourself may understand some of the things I want to, vent, about. Considering who my teammates are."
"I believe that I can oblige, in that case."
_-*R-DxD*-_
Jaune teleports back into the clearing where Rias peerage is once again waiting for him. Issei looks far more exhausted than he had yesterday, and Asia looks absolutely dead on her feet. "Hows the training camp going guys?"
Issei offers a tired grin and a thumbs up "I'm getting better every day!"
Koneko, Kiba and Akeno make similarly optimistic replies. Asia, however, mewls out a pathetic "I thought Rias was nice, I really did."
Jaune pats her on the shoulder as he makes his way over to Rias "Dont worry, the first few weeks of getting fit are the worst of it. Once you get past that first barrier it gets easier." The petite blond shoots him a glare. Well, tries too. She looks about as intimidating as a soaked kitten. "So, did you pick whose aura I'll be unlocking today Rias?"
She nods "I did. With how tired Issei and Asia left you, I thought it would be best to get Kiba and then Koneko next."
Jaune nods "Makes sense. Have any of you made any big strides since starting this camp out?"
Grinning Issei interjects "I'm better with my aura than Asia is."
Akeno shoots him a flat look, hands planted on her hips. "That would be because she is just getting used to physical training. It can't be easy to focus like Jaune said you need to at first when it feels like your entire body is on fire." she turns to Jaune "More importantly, how is your peerage coming along?"
Jaune finishes with Kibas aura, then turns to face Akeno, panting for a few minutes as he tries to catch his breath. He checks his scroll, he had burnt through forty percent of his aura unlocking Kibas. "Well, Pyrrha figured out her Sacred Gear. Ren and Nora are both figuring out their magic as well. So, aside from the rogue fallen angels we have to deal with, things are going well."
"Wait, what do you mean, 'figuring out their magic' Jaune?" Akeno asks, crossing the clearing to plant herself directly in front of Jaune, hands planted firmly on her hips and a judging scowl on her face as the light yellow sheen of Kibas aura slowly fades.
Jaune takes a step back, Akeno takes another ahead to keep the distance between them nearly nonexistent. "I, I taught them about magic the same way Sairoarg taught me." He defends himself, sidestepping the scowling Priestess of Thunder to start unlocking Konekos aura.
"Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Kuisha, Coriana and Misteeta handle your arcane education after your meat-head of a former king failed to provide you any useful training in that regard."
Jaune flinches at Akenos spot on recounting of his magical training. He nearly misspeaks the aria. Akeno flinches as her aura flares to life for the first time, a black and gold swirl that fades nearly as quickly as it had appeared. "You, you arent wrong, Akeno." He admits as he checks his remaining aura, down to thirty percent. Crap.
Rias is giggling at him, Koneko looks about ready to say something snide, and Kibas attempts to keep his face politely neutral may as well be raucous peals of laughter. Issei and Asia, seated on a nearby boulder, look confused, but that isn't exactly an outpouring of support either. "Bring your peerage with you tomorrow. I'm still going through the basic visualization exercises with Issei, so a few more students wont be too much of a bother."
Robbed of his objection that she would be too busy with her own training, Jaune simply flops onto the ground, first sitting, than laying flat on his back as he tries to catch his breath. "I can do that. For now, while I'm resting at least, I'll walk the four of you with auras through the basics of manifesting them, and how to figure out your semblances."
_-*R-DxD*-_
Ren arrives in his first regular summoners dingy studio apartment to a far different scene than he is used too. Lacey is normally standing right along the edge of the summoning circle. Eyes wide and bright, eager for the next bit of advice, more shared notes or some other bit of help along the road towards her dream of becoming a huntress. Today, however, the small rooms sole light is off. The resident mouse faunus is no where in sight. Well, not clearly in sight, Ren quickly notices the small mound of blankets on one side of the futon, rising and falling in time with the quiet sobs.
He quietly makes his way over to the girls mostly prone form. "Lacey, is something wrong?"
Her head peeks out from under the blanket she had curled up under "I got fired today."
Trying to be the voice of reason, to boost the spirits of the girl somehow. "I'm sure you'll find another job. You were a passable waitress. This is only a minor setback for you."
The girl reaches her hand out to grab a tissue from the small box of them sitting on her nightstand and blows her nose. "I, I know. Its just, every time I feel like I'm making progress something else happens to keep me from getting to my dream."
Ren sits down and rests a hand on the girls shoulder. "It isnt like you can control how well the diner was doing. This is just a small thing, you'll make it through just fine."
A small growl escapes the girls throat, before she replies "Oh, the diner wasnt doing poorly. The owner is just a racist asshole."
Ren looks down at her "What makes you say that?"
"He fired me and the two other faunus waitresses earlier today. He had our human replacements working our shifts while he did it." She replies, voice trembling. "And now I might have to sell Resonant Chord to pay rent this month." The firmness in her voice fading as she delivers the next piece of bad news, swiftly shifting back to nearly crying.
Ren pats her shoulder again, before advising "Don't do that, you'll never get your weapon back if you sell it. But I think you did the right thing summoning me about this. I have a friend who might know the right people to help you out."
She looks up at him, voice tremulous and eyes watering again "You do?" He nods, and not long after the petite faunus is crying into his shoulder. Having spent so long with Nora, he is no stranger to providing a girl a shoulder to cry on. But considering he had been planning on offering the girl a spar to help her along with her goal to get into Beacon, this is not how he had planned on spending his evening either.
So, yea, things are gonna go, differently when Rias and her peerage make it to their mock rating game, to say the least.
Love it? Hate it? Terribly constipated and wish you could just have a dump already? Drop me a review, I love those things!
5/17 edit: I missed some blatant, embarrassing name/activity blunders. fixed that.