Two updates in (about) two months!? Unheard of.

I've got about a month till school starts again, so I'll try to pump out another chapter or two before then. And of course, when school does start, I'll try to maintain a decent upload frequency. Anyways, it's 2am, enough of my rambling, onto the review:

Druidic: I'm glad you like it!

And on that note, enjoy

Disclaimer: I don't own shit

He was being followed. Had been for some time now.

It wasn't the first time, and it certainly wouldn't be the last.

Still, bringing trouble back home wasn't in the cards, so it was time to get to work.

Coming to a halt, Sett let out a bored sigh. "Y'know, most people wouldn't have noticed ya." He called out, turning his casual gaze to the barren path behind him. "But I'm better than most people."

For a moment, one might've assumed he was just losing his mind, given that he had this part of the forest all to himself. Then a figure stepped out from behind a tree, several dozen feet away.

With the element of surprise lost, the stalker took his time closing the distance. Since it gave Sett time to get a quick stretch in, he didn't really mind. He could still feel some kinks in his joints after a long day of brawling. Though, as the stranger drew closer, his unfamiliar garments were enough to give the pit fighter pause, before letting out an unimpressed scoff.

"Nice mask. You'll need it after we're done here."

"..."

The stranger merely stared back, as still as the trees surrounding them.

The lack of a response threw Sett off a bit, who bristled in annoyance. "What, are you mute or something? Cat got your tongue?" It was then that the stone-cold facade was broken by a frown.

"I have no reason to converse with a villain like you."

Sett raised a brow. "Villain? That's new-" he muttered, as a blast of blue light slammed into his chest.

In an instant, a fist was planted on his sternum, staggering the pit fighter back several steps as his assailant pressed the attack, following up his first strike with a succession of carefully placed jabs. Whoever this guy was, he was definitely stronger than the local riff raff.

Not stronger than Sett of course (in his humble opinion, that is), but strong enough to give him some trouble. And yet-

-the pit fighter threw an uppercut, hitting nothing but air as his opponent leaned to the side-

-strength didn't mean anything if he couldn't use it.

What his attacker lacked in force, he made up for in finesse, dodging yet another swing from the pit fighter. And to his annoyance, each time Sett missed it was always by a sliver (which seemed like luck if you asked him). It was as if he was being read like a book.

Not that it mattered really, all he had to do was land one good hit and-

A strike at his windpipe stalled all thought, forcing Sett to cough as he struggled to breathe.

With growing frustration, the pit fighter threw a wild swing, only to regret it as the stranger ducked underneath before springing up, the heel of his palm smashing into his chin.

Grunting, Sett took a step back, only to be gifted a roundhouse kick in the chest for his troubles.

Flying into a tree, Sett shook his head in an attempt to clear his disorientation as the assailant closed the distance with alarming speed. The pit fighter swung his left, easily getting blocked by an arm, before the stranger's other hand came crashing into his face, nearly breaking his nose from the impact.

It hurt like hell, but this was the break the pit fighter was waiting for.

Yes, Sett was nowhere near as quick as this guy. But as long as he could stay in the fight, it would only be a matter of time until-

Snapping out his right hand, Sett palmed his attacker's face with an iron grip.

-an opening presented itself.

Stepping to the side, Sett slammed the head in his hand into the tree, shaking off several leaves and splintering the wood further.

'My turn.'

Releasing his grip, the stranger began to stumble, only to be nearly sent to the ground as a fist collided with the top of his skull. He would've fallen, had a second fist not tried to put a hole in his gut.

On the offensive now, Sett grabbed a handful of the smaller, bowled over fighter before lifting him overhead-and slamming him onto the dirt path. To his surprise, his attacker simply sprung back onto his feet in a single move, quickly getting into a solid stance.

But the pit fighter wasn't just standing by and waiting for his opponent to ready himself. Unwilling to be put on the back foot again, Sett had charged forward, a fist already in motion-

-Only to feel his knuckles hit a barrier, rather than a face.

And in that split second of shock, the smaller fighter summoned a blast of lightning, engulfing the nearby area in electric blue light. Before Sett knew it, his feet began to sting-then his calves-all of his legs threatened to shake uncontrollably. He was wide open and he knew it: so did his opponent, wasting no time in hammering the weakened pit fighter.

A double-chop to the throat.

A barrage of strikes to the ribs.

An elbow to the jaw.

And then he leapt, his extended foot crackling with power, twisting his body in the blink of an eye-

-When his ankle felt resistance sooner than it should have.

Tightening his grip on the leg, Sett quickly spun, hurling his opponent into the damaged tree-

CRACK!

-before tumbling to the ground.

Rising with noticeable shakiness, the human missile had just lifted his head when he realized this fight was over.

With a roar, Sett slugged his adversary in the face, snapping his head back far enough to give whiplash. Falling back onto the ground, the stalker slumped against the tree.

For a moment, all that could be heard was the heaving for air.

Then Sett gave a content sigh, happy to meet someone who could give him a run for his money, more so than what any of the locals had to offer. As for how he physically felt…Well, he'd never admit it, but he felt pretty worse for wear: it was hard to breathe and he was pretty sure he'd broken more than a few ribs.

But he refused to show that weakness on the surface. Rolling his shoulders, the pit fighter stood over the stalker, his blazing red eyes making his glowering all the more intimidating.

As the stalker stirred, Sett closed his fists. "You done? I'd love to go a few more rounds, but I've got some questions for you." No sooner had the words left Sett's mouth, the attacker snapped his head towards him.

"You may as well kill me now, villain! Nothing you do will force my tongue." He shot back, unwavering despite the circumstances.

Sett groaned in exasperation. "Again with the villain thing-what's up with that? I haven't done anything to anyone!" He paused. "Well, anyone that didn't have it coming to'em, that is."

"And what of the man you crippled?!"

"...Which one?" Sett asked, his expression blank as he racked his memory.

Disbelief crossed the masked face. "The one with black and white hair, with a caved in chest-"

"-and a hunchback? Oh, that guy deserved it. He tried to burn down my home and he used to do shake downs for 'protection fees.' I'm sure you can guess what he did to those that refused."

The monk lowered his head, silent, before snapping it back up. "The boy with a shattered leg-"

"Used to beat me when we were younger, him and his gang of idiots. He got off easy, if you ask me."

"And the woman with a head wound-"

Red eyes hardened. "She picked a fight with my Ma. All I did was finish it." Sett said, all traces of levity in his voice gone.

To his irritation, the attacker began to laugh, shaking his head. "Is that all you can offer? Do you truly expect me to believe your claims, that the people's grievances with you are all unjust?" The mere chance of that being true was astronomical.

"Nope."

"...What?"

Sett shrugged. "I don't really care if you believe me or not."

That only created further confusion. "Then…why speak at all?"

Another shrug. "I was curious. You don't look like a local, so I wanted to see if you were any different than the other humans here." He gave a disappointed look. "Looks like you're not."

"And for what reason is being human relevant?"

That garnered a raised brow. "Well, now I know you're definitely a tourist." The pit fighter crossed his arms. "If you're human, you're treated like a person here. If you're Vastayan, you're treated like an animal. At the best of times." And no one knew that better than the half-breed himself.

"Why?"

Now it was Sett's turn to be bewildered. "...Because Vastayan's are 'dirty animals' that don't belong on human land?" Did this guy live under a rock or something?

The attacker remained motionless, processing what he'd just heard, before turning towards the general direction of the town. "So. This is one of those settlements."

"You make it sound like a bad thing." Sett said, carefully observing the human.

"How in the dragon's name could it ever be good?!" The stranger cried out, rising to his feet in a flash. "It is this exact form of idiocy, of injustice, that is responsible for the vast unwarranted suffering across Ionia!" He fervently finished, leaving Sett internally dumbfounded at this unexpected outburst.

On the outside, however, he appeared as casual as ever. "Honestly, you just get used to it after a while."

"No. I will not let this continue any longer. These narrow-minded beliefs must be eradicated!"

"Yea? Well good luck. Reasoning with those losers is like talking to a stone wall." At this point, Sett was just humoring the guy, who was basically declaring war on racism. But something about the stranger's conviction was refreshing.

"Maybe so, but the moment I defeat the Rich Men, that is precisely what I shall do."

Now that was an interesting thing to say. "That bandit gang? They cross you or something?"

The stranger shook his head. "No. I was not wronged. But many travelers have been." His fists began to crackle, growing in intensity as he recalled each grisly scene. "The Rich Men will answer for their crimes on the countless innocents they have mauled! Every. Last. One." Just when he looked ready to burst, he took a calming breath, the power fading away. "I believe I've tracked them here, but…"

"Trail's gone cold?" The stranger nodded, just as Sett suspected. "Yea, it's easy to lay low here if you know what you're doing." Red eyes narrowed. "None of that explains why you attacked me though." Things seemed to be cordial now, but it never hurt to be sure.

"After my attempts to locate the scum were met with failure, I was approached by an individual who claimed to have the information I sought. He swore one of the Rich Men, a Vastayan brute, was spotted in the woodlands east of the Suntai Village." Sett hummed in understanding.

"So you volunteered to do the guy's dirty work." Really, what better lie to use in order to get rid of the outcast. "You get his name?"

"Julimo Xareyo." Sett stared at him, eyes wide, then began to snicker. "You are familiar with this person?"

Sett merely smiled. "He's just one of the many assholes that don't want a 'half-breed' in the pit. He's also the ringleader of the Rich Men."

"..."

"...What."

"Mhm. It's common knowledge 'round these parts. They've been here long enough that any of the locals can tell you that. They probably won't though, since anyone who stands up to'em is either run out, or run down." Not that it mattered to him. None of those people were really 'innocent' anyway.

As the final piece clicked in place, realization dawned within the bandit-hunter. "I see now. I see why the citizens refused to aid my search: they did not wish to incur the wrath of these thugs. And in my frustration, it was all too easy for the cowards to guide-misdirect me…"

Noticeably calmer than before, he shook his head, disappointed. "How foolish of me. To be so blind to the truth laid out for all to see." To Sett's amusement, he bowed slightly in front of him. "You have my utmost apologies. And my gratitude for showing me the error of my actions."

With a crooked smile, Sett crossed his arms. "Think you're taking it a bit over the top, but it's nice to be appreciated." The guy's antics were kinda funny, but he seemed to mean well. That was good enough for the beast-boy bastard.

With the ensuing silence, Sett scratched his head. "So, what happens now?" He asked, turning his head in the direction of civilization.

The bandit-hunter did the same. "Well, it is clear that you are not involved with the bandits I seek. And now that their presence is known to me, it's only a matter of time until they are finished." He declared, as if their fates were sealed.

Which was all fine for Sett, who began to turn away, happy that he could go home now. "Welp, good luck with that-"

"Would you like to join my efforts?"

The half-breed stopped, unsure if he'd heard that right. "Come again?"

"I could defeat them myself, but with your help, justice shall be served with greater haste." The hunter said, as if they didn't just spend the last few minutes beating one another. "And due to our fight, I am no longer in the ideal condition to handle this." He admitted, gently laying a hand on his head.

"..."

Then again, that was probably why he was being asked, since he'd shown what he could do.

"...If you do not wish to punish these vermin-"

Sett folded his arms."Oh don't get me wrong, I'd love to do just that. The less things I gotta worry about the better." And it was true. No Rich Men meant less idiots who might mess with his Ma or him. "But just so we're clear…You want to work…with me?" Again, not a scant few minutes had passed since they traded blows.

The stranger misunderstood the uncertainty. "Your appearance and your heritage bother me not. Only your character holds weight with me." The hunter held out an arm, an open invitation. "Do I have your aid?"

Well, if he wasn't going to hold a grudge, why should Sett?

And he was always game for a beatdown.

After that, there was no more hesitation. "I'm in." The two clasped arms, pleased with the mutually beneficial outcome. "And it just so happens that I know where their hideaway is."

"By all means then, lead the way."

"Despicable." The monk named Lee Sin spat out in disgust. "It seems you were correct: foul creed plagues this place indeed." He muttered, as the two dragonmancers navigated through a bustling outdoors market.

"Told you." Most of the remarks were directed at Sett, but some were targeting Lee by association.

"I can feel their gazes and hear their poisonous whispers." The monk steeled himself, eager to fulfill his duty. "I have quite the task ahead of me, it seems."

Sett glanced over. "Hey, one thing at a time." He said, as he stopped in front of what appeared to be the backdoor of a large complex. "This is the place. You ready?"

With a nod, Sett took a step back, pulling his fist and-

BAM

-blowing the door clean off its hinges. He swaggered in, uncaring of the dust that had yet to settle. "EVENING GENTS! You all know who I am, and I'm sure your boss knows my friend over here." Sett thumbed to his side, where Lee stood as tense as ever.

"Vile bandits. Words can not describe my loathing of your kind." He said, voice filled with righteous fury as lightning began to flicker around his clenched fists. "So I will only say this once: surrender."

The sound cracking of knuckles filled the still air. "Or don't. That'd be more fun." Sett said, an excited look in his eyes.

Spread throughout the courtyard were over a dozen men, each sporting weaponry of all sorts and looking quite unamused at this intrusion. One bandit with a sword and an arrangement of daggers hanging from his belt ambled his way over, smiling a smile that didn't reach his eyes.

"Surrender? Don't you know who we are? You got guts bursting in here, making threats. You think we're scared of a couple kids?" He reached over his shoulder, palming his sword. "We're the Rich Men. We didn't get here by backing down from runts and empty words."

Sett feigned a yawn. "That's a lotta posturing for someone who's about to get their shit rocked."

Lee, on the other hand, maintained his blank facade. "Your courage is commendable…but pales in comparison to your cowardice." A frown flickered on his face. "You claim to be men, and yet no men worthy of respect prey on those who can not defend themselves."

"That's funny, you thinkin' we care." The bandit, who was clearly one of their leaders, pointed at the intruders.

"Take them."

The rest of the criminals rose, brandishing their weapons and stalking slowly at their targets.

Which would've been undoubtedly menacing, had it been anyone but the two dragonmancers.

Raising his fists, Lee took a fighting stance. "Through me, Ao Shin's will be done."

Grinning, Sett rolled his neck. "Guess it's on." Sett cracked his knuckles, fists glowing red in anticipation. "Ready?"

"Without question." Electric power coursed through Lee's body, an apt representation of the duo's unshakeable mettle. "With the dragon's blessings, we shall be victorious!"

"WHEW! Man, now THAT was a rumble."

"Indeed. Much was destroyed in the fight." Lee noted, speaking quietly as he surveyed the destruction all around them.

What had once been an ordered compound was now comparable to a warzone. Walls were shattered, pillars fractured, furniture overturned, and broken weapons lay scattered across the floor. The bandits were in no better shape, strewn about this way and that, groaning in pain and wisely staying down as the victorious duo basked in their triumph.

Well, one of them took it all in. The other appeared surprisingly nonchalant about the whole thing.

Sett gave the monk an odd look. "You're pretty calm for a guy that just put a few dozen bandits on their asses." Throughout the brawl, more thugs had poured in from all directions, which was a-ok to the pit fighter.

The monk, on the other hand, felt indifferent. Lee shook his head. "I do not enjoy combat as you do. I only take satisfaction in knowing I have brought order in some capacity to the people. That is all I need." After all, that was the whole point of his crusade: to bring justice to the people of Ionia.

The pit fighter raised a brow, before deciding to roll with it. "Hey, to each their own, right?" Sett cheerfully said, lightly slugging the monk on the shoulder.

"Er…I suppose."

As the town guards (who had been conveniently scarce up until now…) began to pour in, rounding up the bandits while wisely avoiding the two that defeated them all, the dragonmancers made their way outside, where life went on as usual. Now however, the looks they got were more wary, fearful…but a scant few were also grateful.

Ignoring it for the moment, Sett glanced at the monk. "Anyways, I certainly enjoyed myself. We make a pretty good team, yea?"

While not thrilled with the destruction, Lee was pleased with how their teamwork had played out. "Agreed. Perhaps we could continue our cooperation beyond this settlement?"

It took a moment for Sett to understand what he was proposing, before instantly shooting it down. "Ah. No can do, I'm here to stay. Gotta look out for my Mama. Family first, y'know?" He had nothing against the monk, but Sett knew where he needed to be.

Lee dipped his head. "My family does not share blood, but I do understand."

Good. No hard feelings then. "Glad we're on the same page." With the job done, the pit fighter turned to leave, then stopped. "Listen, if you're ever in the area and you need a hand, you can find me at The Pit. I'd hate to miss something like this down the road." With a bright grin Sett extended an arm, returning the gesture offered to him.

Lee paused, before a small smile of his own cracked his neutral visage. "I extend that same offer to you, friend."

And the two clasped arms once more.

"-And that's exactly what we've been doing. Once in a while I help Lee take care of, uh, business, and he looks out for my momma when I need him to."

As the long-awaited story came to a close, its listeners within team RWBYS room digested the tale-among the dozen other bits of information they'd learned about the dragonmancers, Ionia…and Runeterra.

Whether they were talking about the legends of the dragons, the heavy presence of spiritualism in Ionian culture, Vastayans and magic (those two had been rather popular topics), or Ionia itself, the fact that Sett and Lee were so easily forthcoming with their knowledge left for three possibilities.

First: they were the best liars and actors across Vale, and this was all bogus.

Second: they weren't lying about their home-but it was isolated enough that no one had heard about it before.

Or third: they weren't lying at all.

While a healthy amount of skepticism had been present before, no one had been suspicious enough to believe the first option. After all, the past few months spent with Sett prompted the Remnantians to at least give him the benefit of the doubt. He deserved that much.

The second option was much more likely. Even for the best deceivers, it would've been immensely difficult to discuss such outlandish and unheard of subjects without letting something slip through the cracks. So maybe they were confused and thought they'd been sent to another world, but in reality had been taken so far from home it might as well have been another planet. That would explain the gaps of knowledge Sett had when he'd first arrived in Vale.

This was the popular belief…until Lee brought Ionia to them.

When doubts had been voiced, Lee had privately communed with his master, before a portal flashed into existence. While not large enough for someone to walk through, it was easily large enough for all to see through it.

With the portal opened at a high vantage point, the surrounding landscape quickly brought admiration, enrapturing some and peaking the interest of others. Though it appeared to be the middle of the night, the moonlight was enough to showcase the unparalleled beauty of Ionian nature.

And then the view shifted to show the moon itself.

The whole, unshattered, moon.

And with that revelation, any remaining doubt quickly vanished, giving way to a considerably less dubious conversation.

Lee swept his gaze around the room. "What else would you all like to discuss?"

A hand shot up as if they were in class. "Oh! How'd you know who I was? Back at the docks I mean." Ruby asked.

The others, even Sett, looked on with curiosity. "Before I arrived, my master spent a considerable amount of time relaying to me what he knew about your world. The identities of Sett's allies were one of the many things I was made aware of before I left Runeterra."

The monk gestured to each student in kind. "The juvenile leader. Her frivolous sister. The aristocratic perfectionist. The recluse." He turned to the other team present. "The tumultuous lunatic and her somber counterpart. The champion. And the aspirant." Each student took in their respective description with varying reactions.

"The aspirant huh?" Jaune murmured.

"I am not juvenile. I drink milk!"

"Renny, what does tumultoose mean?"

"Tumultuous, Nora. It means you're…very excited."

"Oh. Why not just say that then? Why say overly fancy words when I can just say-"

Rolling her eyes, Weiss ignored the ceaseless rambling, bringing up a question of her own. "But if the dragon isn't even on Remnant, how'd he learn anything in the first place?"

Lee gestured towards his fellow dragonmancer. "Sett served as his link to this world. Through him, he was able to see what he saw. Learn through his senses, in a very literal way."

Yang blinked. "That's kinda weird...and still doesn't make much sense, but sure, why not." She shrugged. Just another thing to add onto the list of weird otherworldly occurrences.

"Yea. He's not my dragon, so how does that work?" Sett chimed in. To his knowledge, he hadn't felt any different ever since he got dragged here.

To their surprise, Lee gave a weary sigh, crossing his arms. "I am not certain. That piece of information was not divulged to me. If I had to assume, after Master Ao Shin brought Sett to Remnant, the obsidian dragon shared with him what he had assimilated from his connection with him."

It was clear that it didn't make much sense to Lee either.

Clearing his throat, Jaune leaned forward from his chair. "So, you guys are called 'dragonmancers' right? Sounds like a pretty exclusive bunch. How many of you are there?" Sett glanced at Lee, who had been automatically deferred to for the vast majority of dragon-related questions.

"Currently? Not more than a dozen. Each is chosen by a dragon, of which are few in number. The tranquility dragon, the duality dragon, the fae dragon, and the carnage dragon are some of my master's brethren." While Lee had met most of his fellow dragonmancers, he had yet to meet the rest, such as the carnage dragon's chosen.

"And each of them have abilities like yours?"

Lee nodded. "Correct. Each dragon is a force of nature, having once ruled the entirety of Ionia together in ancient history. And as you know, each dragonmancer has an affinity that reflects the master. Sett?" With a meaningful look, the obsidian dragon's chosen simply grunted, getting up from his comfy spot to stand by Lee's side.

Before anyone could ask what they were doing, the two began to glow, raising brows as an illuminant dragon materializing around each Ionian. Sett's dragon looked rugged with burned, lava red scales, while Lee's dragon took a much more regal and composed appearance, its bright gaze full of steel. "When we call upon these blessings, we channel the essence of these legendary beings in our own actions." Lee said, as the summons faded out of existence.

"...That sounds ridiculously overpowered." Ruby muttered.

Lee full-heartedly agreed. "Truly, it is befitting that there is no might that can rival-"

Sett groaned. "Please don't get him started with that. He'll just talk your ear off about how amazing the dragons are, and how deserving they are of worship." He deadpanned, clearly having experienced whatever spiel Lee was about to give.

The monk simply shook his head. "For someone fortunate enough to receive a blessing, your lack of reverence to the dragons continues to astonish me. I still question why your master tolerates your insolence."

"Hey, just cause I'm not an ass kisser-

"Swear!" Ruby blurted.

"-doesn't mean I don't appreciate the big guy. He's helped get me this far."

"Appreciative or not, don't you think some respect is due?"

"Nah. I'm doing him right with his power, which is respect itself if you ask me. That's good enough." He yawned, before leaning back onto his bed, unbothered.

Lee pinched his nose in exasperation. "Unbelievable."

As the students continued to converse, the morning hours quickly turned into minutes. It was only when Nora complained about being hungry did everyone realize it was already the afternoon.

Thus, since no one was opposed to taking an intermission for lunch, the gang found themselves in the crowded cafeteria.

"So, what're your guys' plans for the semester break?" Yang asked, sitting at the cafeteria table, snatching up her sandwich and chowing down.

"Binge watch some shows."

"Read."

"Train."

"..."

All eyes shifted to Beacon's newest 'transfer' student. Only Sett continued demolishing his plate, unperturbed.

"...Really?" Yang incredulously asked. "I mean, I know you just got here, but don't you want some time to get settled?"

The monk frowned. "Time is a precious resource I can not afford to waste. Not while Brand still possesses a threat to the people. So until he is found, I shall do all that I can to prepare to bring him to justice."

Blake averted her gaze, stewing on her inner turmoil.

While the monk was not pleased with the idea of staying at Beacon until Brand was found, he eventually conceded to the simple fact that in this foreign land, it would be better for the natives to do the searching.

"Y'know, you coulda just said you enjoy training." Sett mumbled through a mouthful of food.

"I did." In response, Sett lifted and dropped his shoulders in a gesture that clearly said fair enough.

Jaune let out a sigh, lowering his head. "I was just gonna relax, but I should probably do that too."

Now it was his turn to be gawked at.

"Are you sure?" Pyrrha cautiously asked, knowing firsthand how rough training could get for the 'aspirant.' While Jaune had been making steady progress, there were still some nights where he nearly collapsed from exhaustion.

Head still lowered, he nodded. "I think so. I mean, I'd love to kick back and rest while I can." Jaune lifted his gaze, a spark of tenacity in his eyes. "But I've still got plenty to learn and catch up on, and it would be nice to get a head start for next semester."

And in an instant, that determination was replaced with uncertainty. "That is, um, if you'd be ok with that. The training and stuff." He stumbled, forgetting that he couldn't do this on his own.

Not that Pyrrha seemed to mind, smiling at this pleasant revelation. "That sounds like a wonderful idea." She said, easing Jaune's worries and fanning the flames of his ambition.

"Thank-"

"Boooooooooo," Yang half-heartedly teased, a twinkle in her eyes. "We've been doing that ever since we got here! We should do something fun for once." Getting stronger was cool and all, but some relaxing couldn't hurt. Everyone needed some time to unwind after all. As for what they could do-

"Oooh, we could set up some fights! Like with Sett and Pyhrra, but this time we can charge people who want to watch." Nora suggested, bouncing in her seat at her genius idea. Maybe this was how her and Renny were going to get rich!

Unfortunately, her partner's blank expression indicated otherwise. "Nora, the only place we could do that is the gym. Which is open for everyone to use." Ren pointed out.

The ditzy girl pouted at that. "Yea, but we could totally make some money from fights." She grumbled, not willing to let this go easily.

"If we can't charge for admission, we could set up betting pools instead." Sett offhandedly mentioned, humming thoughtfully before realizing he'd spoken aloud. "I mean, who am I to say no to making some quick cash?" It's not like he was new to this kinda thing.

The monk shook his head. "I suppose some things never change." Lee said wearily.

"That's not always a bad thing y'know."

"Look, I don't mean to shoot down your plans, but I doubt gambling is allowed at the academy." Weiss noted, though she doubted rules of all things would bar her friends from carrying out their little scheme.

"Ah c'mon Weiss cream, live a little. Besides, not all of us have deep pockets like you do." Yang retorted, drawing a murmur of agreements around the table.

"Hey!"

Ignoring the scathing glare, the blonde grinned. "All I'm saying is, it would be nice to have a little spending money." The princess rolled her eyes, mumbling under her breath about avarice and brutes before a ghost of a smile appeared.

With the attention drawn elsewhere, silver eyes discreetly flickered left and right. It had been quite some time since initiation, and there were plenty of times where things got rough. But as Ruby witnessed how the two teams interacted, hope flourished within: hope, that things were really coming together.

Fueled with this optimism, she couldn't help but smile. "Well, we've got a week to kill before classes start again, so there's plenty of time to figure something out!" The team leader cheered, looking forward to the days to come.

Beep! Beep!

"Or not." Blake muttered, pulling out her scroll and scanning the brief text.

Ren blinked. "They called for both of our teams? Interesting." He stated, observing with interest how everyone appeared to receive the same message.

'You and your team's collective presence has been requested by Headmaster Ozpin. Please cease current activities and report to his office as soon as possible.'

Letting out a mighty belch, Sett pushed himself out of his seat, grabbing his trash and navigating through the still-jam packed room. "This outta be good." He grumbled. It better be, since it forced him to rush through his meal.

"Something tells me our break is about to get much shorter." Jaune mused, as the rest of the gang proceeded to do the same.

"Please don't jinx it."

Days prior…

It was minutes till noon, which was about the time most adults took their lunch breaks.

With the sun shining brightly overhead, people had already begun to trickle out of the confines of their offices, eager for a breath of fresh air. Food stands and restaurants quickly attracted customers, lines forming as the trickle of hungry folks evolved into a steady flow.

What had been a quiet haven moments ago was quickly becoming a hub of activity, with the growing noise reflecting this sudden change. The idle chatter, phone calls, and shouts from kitchens filled the premise and brought about a vibrant atmosphere.

At the center of this bustling action was a park, one with spacious fields, ample shade from trees, benches and walkways for pedestrians, and playgrounds for the young.

One of the playground sets was occupied by a group of children, competing with one another to see who could make the best paper airplane. As such, one of them leaned back before launching yet another plane into the air. This time however, a gust of wind blew it off course, directing it towards an occupied bench.

A robed figure was the only person seated on the bench, his hood blocking out the rays of light from his face. Just as the fragile plane was about to make an emergency landing, a hand snapped out, snatching the paper craft out of the air.

"Whoa! Did you guys see that? That guy caught mine without even looking!" The boy said, aghast as his friends 'ooh'd' and 'ah'd' in amazement. "Nice catch, mister!" One of the girls shouted.

Unbeknownst to them, the man smiled.

But his smile wasn't for them.

Within the line of sight of the man was a large clock, one that could be seen by everyone in the center of town. And the clock hands were just about to hit noon…

Gong…Gong…Gong

There.

The smile widened. And a tiny flame took hold of the toy.

As always, compliments and criticisms are welcome. If I can improve my writing quality, I'm all for it.

Thanks for tuning in y'all, see ya next time!