Forsworn

HP/VS

XXVI: Brace for War

"She's going to bloody kill me. But what a way to go." Harry thought as he watched Velvet sashay her way to the bathroom.

"Velvet's doing that walk of hers…not going to lie, Harry, but if I had the slightest interest in her I'd be wanting to tap that." Fox chirped up, Harry fell back as he looked at the blind Faunus.

"Now, now, no hitting the visually impaired with the mind-reading semblance." He let out a groan as a hiking boot hit him in the chest.

"He might not be allowed to…but I am. Oh and morning Harry…" Harry stiffened at that voice. Her throat might be dry and rough but it was unmistakably Coco. "...Oh my, you really have been through the grinder. Your body's a masterpiece of trials and tribulations what happened there? On your left forearm."

"Basilisk, a snake, a highly venomous one, bit me. Death should have been in a minute but I survived…"

Coco's eyes widened "That's why you've stated 'Let's see what's worse me or a King Taijutu…your blood is certainly toxic.'"

"Yup…"

As they were talking, they didn't realise that the bathroom door was partially open. Velvet was listening in as the warm water cascaded around her, too say she was worried that her teammates would split her and Harry up hadn't been much of a thought before now. "Why are you telling them and not me? No, Velvet, Harry would tell you…this appears to be very watered down…" a smile crossed her lips, Harry was talking about his past in the vaguest way possible.

She shut the water off, wrapped the towel around herself and walked out of the shower. "Harry, I thought you'd have wanted to join me." CFVY fell apart laughing as Harry turned bright red. There was even more laughing as Fox projected into their minds Harry's mental response of 'You should have asked.'

Harry quickly showered and pulled on his ratty trousers that resembled more like shorts and his barely functioning boots. "Let's get going, Velvet, we can make a day of it."

The Rabbit Faunus could not keep her eyes off her boyfriend. The scars and scratches that littered his chest revealed a story of trial, hardships, victory and loss and a story that Velvet would truly understand in time. For it is the nature of time that allows for the incomprehensible to become comprehensible.

Harry strapped his sword to his back "Now, what's this about shopping?"

Velvet nodded "Time to give you a new look…the 'Grimm Chewtoy' look is so yesterday. Good for impressing idiots and giving off the 'Hero of Damsels' but for keeping a woman, like me, something else is needed."

Harry chuckled "Something more elegant and eloquent, not to overly formal and only useful at the high-society meet and greets, but something more practical and tactical." With that Velvet pulled on her boots, which Harry quickly realised, were of a similar make to his own. Only hers were much more intact than his.

Coco had quickly gotten dressed and with that, the two female members of CFVY escorted Harry down to the dining area to get breakfast. "Can we trust you to behave?"

Harry looked at them "I can promise not to start anything…But I can't promise to behave if someone instigates something."

Velvet nodded "I can get behind that. So to prevent any…misbehaviours you're with me to get breakfast."

They arrived at the food hall just as breakfast was being served, Harry got into the line and ordered a small mountain of food "You sure you're going to eat all that?" One of the cooks asked with concern.

"I need around 8k in calories a day to take maximum mileage of my semblance. I've been daily, back at Beacon, getting close to 6 and doing pretty well."

The cook nodded and proceeded to load up his plate. With a towering plate of eggs, sausages, bacon, toast, something resembled black pudding, fried tomatoes, beans, hashbrowns and something that resembled crabs' legs it was going to be his first meal and he was intent on not letting anything set him off. "Hey handsome…"

Harry's blood turned to ice in his veins as he observed Team NDGO…He'd clocked them when he arrived "Ah…the four bitches of this Academy. What can I do for such cravens this fucking hot day?"

All four of them bristled "Cravens? Us…you have…"

"Balls, or Nerves to call you out on the fact that you cut and run…Here is how things are going to be; stay out of my way. Don't come anywhere near me unless you have explicit orders too and even then you're going to need a warrant, witnessed by someone who isn't part of your little clique. Now if you'll excuse me I have food calling me and I'm not too sure my clothes will survive the beating I'm going to give you if you don't leave me be."

(Ruby et al.)

Hermione, Dean and Seamus had found themselves fitting in rather nicely after the rather frosty initial meeting with Ruby. The silver-eyed girl had not wanted anything to do with the brunette for the first couple of weeks. "Hermione, Ruby's got a reason for her grudge against you, she sees you as someone who almost immediately yanked her brother away from her without even so much as telling you. She's also walked from one side of the fucking continent to the other and experienced hell on earth. So, Hermione, cut her some slack."

Hermione nodded "I'd feel much better trying to find Harry…"

"And just how would you do that?" Weiss stated "I don't know Harry that well, nor am I a big fan of his style of dealing with problems; mainly because Ruby seems to idolise him."

"Hey! He's my brother! Why shouldn't I look up to him!" Protested Ruby.

"It's because he's headstrong, volatile and likes to hit things first and question later."

"Never gets around to the questioning…" Neville retorted.

Ruby stared at them "Fine, I'm off to read my comics…" With that she headed off to her room. Ren and Nora looked at one another before grabbing Jaune and headed back to the makeshift training ground; he'd come a long way but there was still more for him to learn.

Qrow gave the teens a look "I need to track down some leads." Before slouching out, his semblance causing a mirror to fall off its hooks. Outside the suite of rooms that Leonardo had provided for them he encountered Dean and Seamus; his sons…apprentices from the lack of a better use of the word. "You ready for this?"

"Snooping around, breaking and entering and destroying the liver in the hopes of finding the best Hunters in the largest landmass of a Kingdom that scarily follows the Northernmost Kingdoms moves like a pimp and his whore…yeah." Seamus drawled, as he pulled his hood up.

Qrow snorted "Harry informed you of the Kingdoms, the way I told him."

"Probably with a lot more four-letter words to describe some of the people, he also used some gestures that got him some extremely dark looks."

Qrow cocked his head and doubled over as Seamus quickly snapped an iconic salute, followed by an equally well-known phrase "They led a genocide numbering into the millions over four years."

"Oh."

Seamus and Dean nodded "You were on point, to find our potential reinforcements?"

Qrow nodded "Follow me, discreetly, I'm hoping my son taught…"

"Harry doesn't really do discreet, he can…but then everything goes wrong and then he blows something up…Really good at teaching us how to deal with Grimm." Dean explained.

"No, Dean, he wasn't…He chucked them at us and expected us to kill it and told us to 'learn on the job'."

"That's normal…Harry was taught that by myself and his Uncle…Taiyang's nothing like the lump of shite Harry was raised by. I am waiting for the day that Harry and I go out on the lash together."

"Why is it that you're intent on doing everything solo? I thought Hunters were supposed to work in teams."

Qrow stiffened "Impress me and I'll explain."

(Adam et al.)

The fighting had long since died down; Team DANK wasn't the worst for wear but they'd seen better days. Nanuuk was looking very much like he'd been caught with his pants down and bamboozled by a bunch of Winged Fauni; which he had.

An Eagle, a Peregrine and a Bat to be precise. He was shaken and beaten but not all that stirred, he'd seen and experienced stranger and weirder things; such as Harry during their training sessions doing to him what the three-winged Faunus had tried to do.

"Nanuuk, are you okay?"

"I'm fine Isabella, they hit weaker than Harry…in fact, after punching him I'll be thanking him."

Adam groaned, he was glowing faintly "Try fighting Chimp and Gorilla Fauni…"

Blake giggled "I leave that to you and Harry…"

(The Crown)

Pearl Valentine, a stereotypical shop owner, but also an agent of the Crown frowned. Here she was operating her clothing store front whilst smuggling her colleagues and more recently the inner-most circle of the Crown.

She was bricking it; she hadn't expected or anticipated the Asturias Siblings to be such handfuls. The pair of them were out of their minds! Yet here she was aiding them in trying to take over the country. She was brought out of her musings when the door opened "Welcome to Valentine's Clothing…"

"Morning, the ladies with me are saying that what I'm wearing is borderline public indecency, able to help me out?" Pearl looked up and her eyes widened, her parents had been Hunters, she knew of Team STRQ, especially Qrow.

"If I live and breathe Qrow's son is here."

"And how exactly did you know that…" Qrow's Son replied his hand going towards his blade as the back door to the shop opened revealing Jax Asturias.

"Hadrian Branwen…I was wondering when you, my slippery servant, would be returning to us."

Harry growled at the claims "Jax Asturias, Your Highness, apparently, I mistook you."

Velvet and Coco could tell that the situation was about to explode "Would you mind telling us why you're here?"

Jax smiled "Why to overthrow Shade Academy, kill the Headmaster by the means of an Assassin, who told me that he'd get it done. I must profess my curiosity when said Assassin hasn't done his job."

Velvet's eyes widened "Harry, you told me you'd gotten yourself mixed up in something you…"

"I'm not going to lie, but I'm not going to admit anything. Jax, you've hired me to do a job and I quote 'Let me do it my way', does that ring a bell."

Jax snarled everyone felt his aura flare before he quickly restricted it "You have a point. But why is it taking so long?"

"Target, Location, Execution, Escape Route, Extraction or Backup. First is found, Second is going to be dramatic, Execution sorted, the Escape and Extraction or Escape and Backup…I've not had reassurances of any sort."

Jax sighed "You have my word, as the rightful ruler of Vacuo, do your job and message us. We will occupy Shade Academy."

Harry nodded, he had to conceal a grin "That works and goes right into my hands." "Very well, your Grace, now I have the final preparations to do. Be prepared to move very soon."

"So soon."

"Call it…a Leap of Faith, I am about to become one of the most wanted felons in Vacuo after all."

Coco and Velvet could only watch in horror, although Velvet was paying more attention to the small details and the vagueness that Harry was conveying. "Harry, you've better pray that everything turns up heads, this is possibly your biggest stunt that I've ever seen you do."