Chapter 2

The Other Side

"Salutations! This is a robbery!"

Ruby stared, unsure of how to process what she'd just heard. There she was, minding her own business reading the latest in weapons weekly (really she'd been looking for the funny comic strip as it didn't have anything she didn't know or use already) when this girl had come up behind her and tapped her shoulder. Ruby had turned to face her and took off her headphones when this ginger-haired girl wearing a face mask had, with a bright smile, said those words.

"Huh?" Ruby eloquently replied.

The girl blinked for a moment, and then spoke again. "Salutations! This is a robbery! Please place all of your Dust and Dust products inside of this bag!" She then held out a brown paper bag, which already held a few Dust cartridges.

…

Okay. I guess I'm fighting today, Ruby thought, her hand immediately reaching for her scythe. The girl's eyes widened as the weapon was drawn, appearing from behind the cloak to partially open into its sniper form. Ruby hopped into the air and pulled the trigger, launching herself forward.

The magazine hit the floor as Ruby hit the robber and carried her out, flying through the store and crashing through the window. They hit the ground, where Ruby rolled and popped onto her feet, transforming her weapon into its full scythe glory.

Other robbers in suits filed out from the store, armed with swords and cleavers and guns. The one female robber stood, brushing herself off. "Aha! A feisty hero reveals herself to challenge the mighty Enigma! Minions! I command thee! Strike down this hero (non-lethally please)," the girl, Enigma(?), declared boldly, though she ended in a loud whispered request not to kill. Ruby at least appreciated that wish, even if she wasn't going down without a good fight.

The black suited men charged, and Ruby launched into motion. Combining Semblance with gunfire, she sped across the street in a blur of crimson petals. Twirling, she spun her scythe and used it to trip up one bandit after the other, using the blunt end to knock them down and out.

The ginger girl nodded as she watched. "Ah, indeed. A valiant hero rising to defeat the evil minions. But as the noble antagonist of this scenario, I, the grand and powerful Enigma, must partake of the bloodshed!" With that, she raised her arms and flicked her hands. A moment later, she held a pair of swords. She jumped forward as the remaining thieves opened fire to pin Ruby down.

Ruby responded by dodging the initial slashes and then opening fire on the thieves. Each one went down after a single shot of her sniper rifle, their Auras flickering. The main thief charged after her, and Ruby brought her scythe around to block the slashes. "Foolish hero! A polearm lacks its power in such close range!"

Not wrong. But that's not all I have. Ruby grinned and stepped back, letting one blade slide off the haft as her weapon shifted once more. The blades compacted as the haft telescoped into itself, with the head twisting around. Ruby spun and used that momentum to catch one of Enigma's swords in between her blade's new position and the hilt.

Using her new axe, Ruby wrenched the sword from Enigma's grip and threw it to the side. "Oh, sensational!" Enigma said, grinning. "What a fine hero and rival!"

Axe clashed with sword in quick succession. Enigma was good, her sword work talented and precise. So precise Ruby assumed some Semblance was helping her out, as there was practically no wavering in her actions. She would assume it was robotic if it wasn't for the fact that robots weren't this human looking.

However, while Ruby was dextrous with her movements, unlike her sisters, she wasn't all that strong. Her axe swings lacked the power needed to break Enigma's guard open. But as they each launched their flurries of attacks, Enigma suddenly pouted and jumped back towards a nearby building.

"Hero! Alas, I must cut our fateful duel short this day! But fear not! In the future we shall battle once again I am sure! The threads of our fate have been tied together, dear rival! Mwahahaha!" With that, a pair of blades launched from her back up to the ledge of the roof, before she suddenly went flying upwards. A cable shot from her hand, connecting to the discarded sword before it dragged it back up to her as she crested the roof and flipped on top of it. "Goodbye!"

Ruby immediately gave chase, switching back to her scythe and using another gunshot with her Semblance to rocket up the side of the building. When she reached the top she found Enigma climbing into a Bullhead, inside of which a man in black armour with a weird dragon-y knight helm was waiting. Ruby heard him sigh as he drew a pistol and opened fire on her.

"You were followed," he said, his voice distorted somehow. Ruby ducked and dodged and blocked the bullets as they came. He was slow to fire, but his aim was good.

"Apologies! This hero is persistent! Which I would expect from such a fine example of-"

The man interrupted Enigma midsentence. "We don't have time for that! We should-" But before he could finish, someone else dropped in from above. A woman, with blonde hair and a purple cape, wielding a riding crop. "Damn! Huntress!"

The man turned his attention to the new arrival while Enigma pulled out another sword, which transformed into a rifle before she opened up with bursts of fully automatic gunfire. The woman pushed up her glasses with one hand and waved her crop in the other, stopping the bullets in midair before launching them back.

The Bullhead began to pull away as gunfire was traded back and forth, with Ruby joining in to try and stop their retreat. However, the man eventually threw out a Dust crystal and shot it in midair, causing it to explode in a burst of flames. While Ruby and the Huntress ducked to keep themselves safe, the airship pulled away from the building and flew off, using the chance to escape.

The woman sighed and then turned to Ruby, who stowed her weapon and glanced up at her with shining eyes. "You're a Huntress! Can I have your autograph!?"

Ruby let out a sigh as she gazed up at the night sky. They're going to be pretty mad, huh? she thought, glancing around. The police station was thankfully quite quiet at this time of night. A few officers were keeping an eye on her, just because she was underage and waiting for her parents.

They all seemed very nice, although she could probably beat up most of them, at least one on one.

Then came the roaring of a motorbike, a very familiar one, and Ruby let out another sigh. Here we go. She stepped out of the station and there, getting off of the yellow and black bike, were her sisters. Two of them, each blonde, taller than many, and really strong. The pair of seventeen-year-olds put on annoyed faces as they walked up to Ruby.

"Why are you getting taken in by the police!? What were you thinking!?" Yang yelled, though her concern was so naked that Ruby only felt guilt at making them worry.

"We were really worried when we got the call, you know," her other sister, Jeanne, said. She pouted, as she often did, and as usual, it was quick to make Ruby feel even more guilty. No! I did good! I helped out! I shouldn't feel guilty! At least… not too much…

"I tried to help…" Ruby muttered.

Yang sighed. "Ruby… you're still just a student…"

"So are you!" Ruby replied. "Just because you're about to go to Beacon doesn't mean you aren't a student…"

This time, Jeanne sighed. As the tallest of the three, having just recently broken six feet in height, the girl was easily able to insert herself between them. "Okay… okay. We're all students. But you were reckless, Ruby. It's okay to help out, but chasing after them wasn't your job…"

"Yeah, exactly. Once you're a Huntress-in-training you'll have more leeway. You've just gotta wait two more years." Yang said, now smiling reassuringly.

But Ruby shook her head. "Nope!" She exclaimed, popping her p. "I just met Professor Ozpin, and he invited me early! I'll be at Beacon with you two!"

"WHAT!?" A shout came from behind them. It was a very, very familiar voice. One that made all three pause before turning to face the now very annoyed woman.

If there was anything people would say about her, it was that she looked exactly like an older Ruby. If they would say anything else, they'd say that she looked battle-worn. Her hair was worn in an elaborate rose-shaped bun, while she wore a red and black dress. A white cloak sat upon her shoulders. Her left arm was completely covered in a long black sleeve, while her right arm was in a detached red sleeve. The most striking thing was perhaps her twitching right eye, the silver colour shining in the night, and the contrast it had with the eye patch that covered her left eye and its surroundings.

She stomped up to the trio and reached out, pinching Ruby's cheeks. "How do you go from getting into a fight with criminals, to being taken to the police, to getting to go to Beacon two years early!?"

"Mom, shtop pleash!" Ruby whined, her words harder to understand when her mother, the indomitable Summer Rose, was pinching so tightly. After a moment she let go and then turned to the station.

"OZ, ARE YOU STILL HERE!?" She shouted, barging into the building, leaving her daughters waiting on the street. The sound of wood and glass breaking echoed from the police station as they stared after the angry woman.

"Aaaaand she's already gone inside," another voice said, as their father arrived at a brisk jog. "Of course. Alright, you lot. Come on. Car's around the corner. We can discuss things back at home," he said, sighing.

"Daaad, Ruby said Professor Ozpin invited her to Beacon this year." Yang said.

"Yaaang!" Ruby whined back at her, incredulous.

Now it was time for Taiyang's eyes to twitch. But as he glanced at the station, he could only sigh. "Summer will handle it. Come on. Sarcy's waiting for us to get home. She's already ordered takeout." With that, he turned around and started walking away. With nothing else to do, the others began to follow. They soon arrived at the car, a truck with plenty of space in the cabin, and piled in, with the bike going on the back.

Summer soon arrived as well, looking annoyed. She climbed into the passenger seat, buckled in, and then glanced back at them. "Family meeting after dinner."

"It'll be fine, Summer." Taiyang said.

"..." Summer didn't reply, she just stared down at her left arm. All the way back home, nobody uttered a word, even when they boarded the ferry.

Ruby couldn't help but feel a bit bad…

The island of Patch was a good place. A fun place. A safe place, for the most part. Now, in the house she'd spent so many years in, it felt like an ill omen had struck. Jeanne glanced around the room at her family.

There was her younger sister Sarcy, a sickly blonde girl with glasses who never really left the house much. There was Yang, who was Jeanne's age, who was so much more confident that she felt jealous. Then there was Ruby, the youngest but also perhaps the most talented, and she had her own confidence that felt more… inspiring than anything.

Summer was a super mom, always there for them when they needed her. Jeanne had needed her a lot over the years, especially in her early teens. They had been confusing times, but she'd made it through thanks in large part to Summer. Taiyang was just as… comfy of a father as Summer was a mother. Though when he led training, everyone thought of him as a drill sergeant for how hard he pushed them.

But now, nobody wanted to talk.

Is it… that bad for Ruby to move up two years? Jeanne wondered. Summer was the one who seemed the most annoyed; she just kept looking down at her arm, her eye tight with… anger and worry. Eventually, Taiyang broke the silence.

"I give permission, Ruby."

Summer immediately looked at him, shocked. "Tai, that…"

"Summer… you know he wouldn't invite her if he didn't think she could handle it. Yang and Jeanne will be there too. The hardest part will be going in without most of your friends, especially with Lunus heading to Haven, but you'll do great," he said, turning from Summer to Ruby.

"Dad… thanks," Ruby replied, grinning.

Summer looked between them, then let out a sigh. "Fine. But there's only a couple of days to go. I'm running you through the toughest training I've ever done. Got it?"

"Yes ma'am!" Ruby replied, looking ecstatic.

After a moment, Summer smiled and ruffled Ruby's hair. "I'll work you hard. Just… make sure you take things seriously, okay?" It was a line she'd said to Jeanne too, a year ago. She was sure that Yang had gotten it as well. She just wants us to stay as safe as we can.

Soon enough, the meeting came to an end and everyone split off for their own things. Jeanne went outside to practice swinging her greatsword around for a while. The woods were calming, especially in the evening as the owls awoke and gave their inquisitive hoots. The sound of air being dispersed was all she needed though.

Swish. Swish. Swish. She raised and slashed her sword down over and over again. Ensuring she had the stamina to do so as much as possible was important, as who knew how long it could take to kill some Grimm.

As she was nearing the end of the routine, she heard the front door open and close. There she saw Summer making her way to the back of the house. After a moment to think, Jeanne sheathed her sword on her back and followed.

Summer had brought her axe with her and was heading to a small sheltered area just inside the forest, where there was a pile of wood and a large stump. She grabbed a log, put it on the stump, and chopped it in half. Then, she grabbed another, repeating over and over.

"Are you… okay?" Jeanne asked. Summer paused for a moment, then sighed and kept going.

"I'll be fine. Don't worry about me. You… you all should be worried about yourselves. Being a Huntress is a difficult thing…" she replied.

Jeanne frowned and looked away. "I… I know. I've always known. Father kept trying to hammer it into our heads…"

"... You don't talk about them much." Summer stopped at this point, leaving her axe in the stump. She turned and walked over to Jeanne, smiling softly. "I know where they were coming from. I disagree with how they… tried to get it across but still… if I could choose your path for you lot, it wouldn't be that of a Huntress."

Jeanne nodded. "I know…"

Summer reached up to hold Jeanne's shoulders. "But I don't get to choose. All I can do is prepare you as best I can, and ask you to please… please come home. No matter what." There were tears in her eye, and Jeanne felt her own heat up.

Pulling Summer into a hug, Jeanne nodded. "I will. I'll make sure they do too." As Summer returned the hug, Jeanne asked a question she found important. "Is it… really so bad for Ruby to go two years early?"

There was a sigh, but Summer didn't pull back. "I… I never wanted any of you to follow in our footsteps. But when you all decided to try… I knew I had to make sure you were ready. Two years is a long time, and Ruby could be so much better prepared with that time."

"She's on the same level as Yang and me though. Is that… not enough?" Jeanne asked.

"It's not about what's enough. I want each of you to be as well prepared as you possibly can be for your first missions. If Ruby can be stronger before she reaches them, then she should be. That was my hope, at least. But… Ruby wants to go, and Oz thinks she's ready… I can't do much more than hope all of your missions go as planned." She squeezed Jeanne tighter for a few moments before letting go and pulling back.

"Mom… I… thanks for looking out for us. We'll make sure to come back." Jeanne said, her eyes alight with determination.

Summer looked up at her with a smile. "Saying that while being taller than me… you're becoming a lot like Tai."

Jeanne spluttered in response, causing Summer to laugh. She was already a bit anxious about her height, having Summer only reach her shoulders was something she wasn't used to at all yet. But, despite that, it made her feel a little better about it. If people wanted to compare her to Taiyang? Well, he was a great person, so she didn't mind much.

"Alright," Summer said as she grabbed her axe and started walking back to the house, "let's have some ice cream!"

"Oh, should I grab Ruby? She did just move ahead two years." Jeanne asked, smiling as she followed.

"But if you tell Ruby, then Yang will find out, which at that point it'd be cruel not to get Sarcy, and then Tai will be giving me the sad puppy eyes tomorrow!" She pouted.

Jeanne giggled. "Food is better with more people, right?"

"I'm pretty sure there is an upper limit there, but you're not wrong," Summer replied as they entered the house. She then cleared her throat and bellowed up the stairs: "DESSERT!"

The familiar stomping of Jeanne's sisters racing to get down first filled the house with noise, and made her smile all the wider. Once, she'd had an even bigger family. A family she lost, aside from Sarcy. But now…

Well, when it came down to it, she had no complaints about her new family.

""Jeanne!? No fair!"" Ruby and Yang complained when they saw her in the kitchen. Being the first there always meant choosing the 'best bowl'. She gave the two a wink and then took another bowl of delicious mint chocolate chip ice cream, this one to give to Sarcy.

Yeah. I love this family.

"Well… that was a mess." Roman let out a sigh as he dropped down onto a couch. "How did you manage to get zero Dust and attract a Huntress alongside that little in-training girl?" He asked, looking at Enigma from around his hat.

Hm. How to describe the meeting with my new heroic rival? Enigma pondered for a moment. "Alas, luck was against me. My rival was lying in wait, prepared to ambush me the moment I revealed my intentions! She used the most powerful cover of all - shopping for magazines - to fool my attuned senses. Then, she defeated my erstwhile minions with ease. Our duel had to be cut short when The Dragoon called me back."

Roman blinked and shook his head. "How the hell did she..? Actually, never mind. Guess Junior's men aren't as good as his dad's. Alright. How'd the Huntress get involved?"

The Dragoon shrugged. "No idea. Must have been nearby and heard the sounds of battle. Just showed up."

Enigma nodded. "Perhaps the shopkeeper contacted the authorities. Either way, she interrupted our escape."

"Gods, you just cause trouble, don't you?" Roman let out an explosive sigh. "If Neo were here this would be much easier…"

"She isn't. We'll have to make do. Junior's men weren't up to the task and I doubt he'll be so… forthcoming with them again. So? Who's our next muscle?" The Dragoon asked.

Roman sat up and pulled out a cigar. "Well. Could ask Lil' Miss." Both he and The Dragoon cringed at that. "But neither of us want the Spiders in Vale again. Nah. I suppose we'll have to rely on our… employer. She should have the White Fang under her thumb by now, right?"

"I don't really want to work with terrorists…" The Dragoon replied. Penny had to agree, however, as Enigma she had to do what was necessary. Quite a conundrum for her.

"Think of them as… never mind." Roman sighed and waved it off as he lit his cigar and gave it a few puffs. "I'll work with them. Enigma, I want you to keep an eye on Beacon. Try and hack in and figure out how many problem children we might need to deal with. Don't tell the boss either."

Enigma saluted. "Alrighty! Why not?" She asked, cocking her head to the side.

"Worst case, we need more intel than her so we can swap sides properly. Best case, we can sell it to her to secure our value," he replied easily. "Either way, knowing is important."

"Enigma is on the case!" She declared, planting her hands on her hips confidently.

"Jaune, I need you on standby in case things go wrong." Roman continued. "But, I know you don't like this. So, I'll give this to you now." He then handed over a card to The Dragoon, who narrowed his eyes at it.

"... You're sure she's back?" he asked, face filled with anger.

"Yup. Miltia saw her herself. She's back with her gang, arrived few weeks back from Vacuo. Up to her old tricks again too, but this time… she's targeting younger kids too." Roman replied, his face stone cold.

"... Younger kids?"

"Mhm. Word on the street is that someone put up an info bounty for people with strong Semblances or large amounts of Aura. Junior thinks it coincides with a few kidnappings that have taken place in the last couple weeks. Right when she came back."

The Dragoon let out a slow, deliberate breath before pocketing the card, which Enigma noticed had a face and info on it. "So, she's aiming for kids that have unlocked their Aura and have lots of it or strong Semblances? Kids aren't strong enough to fight back even with them unlocked…"

"Exactly. And I bet she's got a buyer lined up, probably in Vacuo. Lots of rogues out there without a single line they won't cross."

"... I'll take care of her. Call me if you need me." He turned and started stalking away before stopping. "Enigma. I could use some help. We can go undercover to investigate her and Beacon."

Enigma nodded vigorously. "I will assist however I can! Such villainy deserves to be punished."

He let out a laugh. "And I'll happily be her judge, jury, and executioner. Meet up tomorrow?"

"Sounds good." Enigma accepted his request. With that, he left the room and headed out into the forest surrounding the hideout where they had landed.

Roman sighed. "Keep an eye on him, would ya? He doesn't deserve to shoulder all this alone, and with Neo away and me dealing with this shit… he'll need somebody at his side." His eyes were earnest even if his smile tried to hide it with a sense of smugness.

"Of course. Jaune is a friend. I'll help him through everything." Penny replied, speaking as herself rather than as Enigma. "That goes for you too, Roman. Don't work too hard. I'll be reporting to Neo when she comes home!"

His eyes twitched. "...Well, better make sure you have good things to tell her." He stood up and then glanced at her. "By the way, seeing as you're free enough to watch both of us, you can be the one to clear the codes and bring the Bullhead back to the city next week."

"What!? Nooo!" Penny whined, going along with the joke. It wouldn't take long at all to make sure the Bullhead was clean to return to the city, and she always enjoyed a good flight. Still, the others weren't really fans of the work, and it took them a lot longer.

For her it'd be a break from hacking more than anything.

Roman chuckled and mussed her hair before leaving the hideout. Penny pouted after him and fixed up hair before retrieving her hat. Father will be interested to hear how today went. Ooo I can't wait to tell him about my new rival!

And so, she too left the hideout, locking it up behind her.

"Cinder Fall, Mercury Black, Emerald Sustrai, and Mint Chocola. Together, you reached the bottom of the mountain and defeated a host of Grimm while showing incredible skill and natural teamwork. From today on you are… team Cucumber(CMBE), led by Cinder Fall."

Neo felt like gagging as she stood on stage, wearing her hair in black twin tails, alongside a black and white dress and mint green eyes. Such was her disguise for Haven, Mint Chocola. She could have come as herself, except that would cause issues during the tournament or if Lil' Miss found out.

So here she was, listening to some old fearful man talk about the importance of unity and blah blah blah. So boring. She could already tell that he was involved in their team forming—no way they landed so close together naturally—and that meant he was corrupt. A standard thing in Mistral of course.

But could he at least look like less of a scaredy cat? Wasn't he supposed to be a lion Faunus or something? Mentally she was already checking out. Classes were going to be such a damned pain too. What are the chances of the teachers understanding me without using my scroll? Probably none, right? Ugh. She really didn't want to have to use text-to-speech again.

The big celebration of a successful initiation soon came to an end, and Neo was allowed to escape to the dorms. Here in Haven, the dorms were a common room with four individual bedrooms coming off of it. This was nice for her, as it meant she didn't have to see Cinder's silly attempts at smug or menacing grins all the time.

It did work out for them too, as they could more easily… keep things from her. She'd have to live with that.

Ignoring the common room she made her way into her bedroom and immediately began searching for bugs and hidden cameras. She found a microphone hidden in the corner, which she broke right away. No recording her, even if she wasn't making much noise. At least it doesn't have the mark of the Spiders.

Her hair returned to its normal tri-colour as she pulled off her hair ties and flopped onto the bed. Wonder what they're up to… she let out a soundless sigh and pulled up her scroll, trying to look for Valean news. White Fang Protest. New Spruce Willis movie. Spate of kidnappings. Ah. "Dust Store robbery thwarted by Huntress in training and Glynda Goodwitch of Beacon Academy. New criminal known as 'Enigma' on the run." Hm.

There was an interview with Goodwitch that she skimmed over. Seemed they'd used Junior's gang and got caught by some student before Penny retreated. She mentions fighting a guy in armour and forcing them to retreat. Guess Jaune was around too. Well, at least they're safe.

Neo wished she was back in Vale, making fun of them for their failure and poking Jaune until he pouted at her. She wanted to see all his adorable reactions again, even if it hadn't been all that long since she'd last seen him. It wasn't just him either. Roman's confidence and his whining whenever she took away his death ray plans. Penny's adorable chuuni-like behaviour as well as her helpfulness and hugs. Jaune's warmth and cute voice and strong arms and comfortable hugs and funny little remarks and the adorable facial expressions she teased out of him…

All she could do was text them. She had to live half a year here with only texting as a way to talk with them. The festival can't come fast enough.

With a huff she got out of bed and opened her suitcase, pulling out a large plushie of a two scoop ice cream cone, neapolitan flavoured of course. She'd wanted to bring her giant pink cat plushie, but that would have been a hassle, so she'd settled for the ice cream one instead.

Returning to her bed, she plopped down and hugged the plushie tightly. Maybe I should just kill Cinder in her sleep. Does she even sleep? If I fail then we'd all be in danger too. I can't make that choice for them. She sighed and rolled around on her bed. Gah. I just want to go back to how things were…

As she rolled around pouting, memories came to her unbidden. Memories of many years ago, when everyone called her Trivia, when she first left the house, when she first met him…

There was no way to know what that day held, what it would mean. Nobody would have guessed what it would lead to, nor what it did for her. It was a day of firsts, and a day when their fates intertwined.

"We're having a party tonight, but it'll be terribly boring. A bunch of stuffy adults around isn't going to be entertaining for you, so stay in your room tonight. We got you some new games to celebrate," Papa had said, his smile not reaching his eyes. Trivia nodded, knowing full well that it was just an excuse.

Papa had gotten a major business deal to go through, and so he was celebrating with a party. And as usual, she would just be seen as an eye sore. So she would be stuck in her room once again, hidden from the world.

Trivia held in a soundless sigh and complied, heading off to her bedroom. As she entered, the brown haired girl saw the ever colourful Neopolitan pouting at her. The other girl motioned for them to leave, to ignore the box of video games and to get out there.

But that was dangerous. Trivia didn't want to anger her parents, especially not in public. The consequences would be… bad, she knew. Neo however had another idea. It wasn't about going out to them, but out away from the manor. Why stay here when they could leave and take a bus to the commercial district and have fun?

They would be back before her parents found out, Neo argued.

In the end… she agreed. Putting on her best adventuring gear: a white shirt, a brown blazer and pants, as well as her favourite pair of white shoes with pink hearts on them, Trivia snuck out of the house through the back door. Once she took one of Papa's cards, of course, just in case her own money wasn't enough.

It was easy to get on a bus and journey to the commercial district. The vibrant lights shone so brightly it felt like daytime, but with a vastly different vibe. While families still walked the streets together, it felt all the more… relaxed. Nobody rushed around to get to work, and there were a lot more groups of kids and teens wandering around.

With Neo at her side, never seen by anyone else as usual, Trivia meandered through the streets looking around at everything she could. Store windows shined with their troves of items on display, arcades rang with the sound of play, and theatres were packed with people trying to get in, all while the scent of food cooked on stalls filled the air. Excited to try everything out, Trivia struggled to figure out where to start.

In the end, she decided to buy a milkshake, chocolate and vanilla, and continue her wandering. She had limited time, so she just wanted to see whatever she could in the time allowed. Neo looked on jealously at the milkshake, but there wasn't much Trivia could do about that.

Ah, it's heaven! Trivia thought as she took her first sip of the milkshake. Her differently coloured eyes half closed as she enjoyed the perfectly balanced drink in her hands. However, her enjoyment was short-lived.

"What's up with your eyes?" a voice asked as a trio stepped in her way. Three girls blocked her path, all looking very similar to each other. Pale blue shirts, black short sleeved jackets, miniskirts with silvery chain belts, and black chunky boots with green laces. Each of them had added green streaks to their hair, with the lead keeping hers short and spiky.

They had to be a few years older than Trivia, fifteen or sixteen maybe. She was only twelve, and that only served to highlight the differences between them. The small, tiny girl against three teens.

"Psh, what is she wearing? I mean, look at those shoes!" Another of the girls laughed and pointed at them. Trivia's face burned red as she backed up slightly. Neo was glaring daggers at the trio, but she was ignored as they couldn't see her.

"She's just a kid…" the third said, looking sad and annoyed.

"OMG, nobody asked, Heather," the second girl replied dismissively.

Trivia took that moment to try and make her escape, lowering her head and turning to leave. But the first girl stepped in her path again, blocking her. "Hey now, where are you off to? We just want a chat." Trivia backed up again, shaking her head and touching her throat, wishing they would understand. "What? Don't want to talk to us? Mommy and daddy tell you not to talk to strangers? Well, I'm Cookie, that's Mags, and - ugh - that's Heather. There. Now we aren't strangers."

They didn't understand. They didn't understand at all. Trivia was stuck, surrounded now by these three girls. Cookie didn't seem to notice or care about her distress. "We'll let you hang out with us, if you buy us some shakes! I'll have a mint chip~!"

"I'll take butterscotch." Mags added, pressing in closer with Cookie. Heather alone shook her head.

"I'll pass," she said, but her refusal lacked the conviction to try and stop the mounting peer pressure. Trivia swallowed, nervous as Neo prowled around behind them, scowling with fierce eyes.

"Come on, why don't you tell us your name?" Cookie asked, wrapping an arm around Trivia's shoulder. "Don't you want to be friends with us? Friends don't let friends go out dressed like… well like that! We could go clothes shopping together. There's a place nearby, real nice."

Trivia frowned and shook her head, pulling away from Cookie's arm. Neo motioned threateningly at the trio as Trivia decided enough was enough and made to push away, but Cookie pushed her back. As Trivia stumbled back into the centre, she glanced around at them, scared and worried.

Heather let out a groan. "Guys come on! We should just leave-" but before she could finish, Trivia saw a foot snake around Cookie's and then pull back, like a hook. Catching her ankle and pulling it out from under her, angled slightly so she fell diagonally onto the pavement with a crunch.

Standing there was a boy, blond and fair skinned, if it wasn't for the dirt coating him. His ratty clothes and matted hair gave him the look of a boy she should avoid, but his bright blue eyes shone in a way that made Trivia… intrigued?

"Ow! Ow ow ow ow!" Cookie groaned as she sat up, clutching her face as she sounded like she was starting to cry. Tears weren't the only thing flowing freely however, as blood poured from her nose and stained her shirt. The other two girls quickly helped her stand up while the boy grabbed Trivia's hand and gently pulled her to his side.

"Leave her alone, you bullies!" And with that, he turned to her with a bright smile. "Come on!" he said, pulling her along with him. There was shouting behind them, at first just the girls but then what sounded like adults. The boy ignored it and slipped through the crowds, bringing her with him through people and alleyways and across streets.

Eventually they came to a park where they finally stopped. "There we go! Are you okay?" The boy asked, to which she nodded. "That's good. Oh, uh… I'm Jaune. Jaune Arc. What's your name?" He nervously smiled as he asked.

Trivia shook her head and touched her throat again, even though she knew he wouldn't- "Oh, is your throat too sore to talk? That's fine. Let's see…" She was stunned for a moment. It wasn't… quite… right, but yet… he'd accepted it? That easily?

Jaune pulled out a wallet and started taking out all the Lien. She tilted her head slightly, sipping on her milkshake in confusion. Once he had grabbed all the Lien and put them in a pocket on the inside of his tattered hoodie, he tossed the wallet onto a nearby bench. "She won't mind paying for stuff for us, after trying to force you to do it," he said with a conspiratorial grin.

Starting to lead her away again, Jaune continued talking. "Piece of advice; keep important stuff in your inside pockets. Outside stuff is easier to grab." Trivia nodded her understanding, but she didn't have anything like that in her jacket. Not this one anyway. They moved around the park to the other end, where Jaune then asked her to wait a moment as he entered a store. Trivia sipped on her milkshake, waiting patiently while Neo paced nearby. Jaune soon came out holding a small bag and led her over to a park bench. Sitting down, he took out a notebook and pencil and handed them to her.

"If your throat hurts too much to talk, you can use this!" he said, smiling brightly. She felt like facepalming, but it wasn't as if he had realised. So she took it and opened to the first page, noting that it was a simple normal notebook and not anything overly… girly. Then, she began to write.

"I'm Trivia. I'm mute. Thank you for before." It was always annoying trying to write while someone waited for you, but he was patient. Once she handed it over and he read it, he looked at her shocked.

"Wait, mute? Oh! I'm sorry! I assumed you just had a sore throat…" He cringed and handed the notebook back. "Guess it's a good thing I got this too." Rummaging around in the bag he pulled out another notebook and wrote in it, showing it to her afterwards.

"You're welcome!" It said in awkward, messy handwriting. Barely legible even. But still, in spite of that, he had chosen to… write with her? "I got this in case you needed a second one," he added a few moments later.

"Nobody else did this. Thank you." she replied. It was a slow, unwieldy method of communication. Yet it was nice in spite of that. She had always felt so self conscious when she had to write or type for someone, and now with Jaune she understood people's impatience with her writing.

But yet, here he was slowing down to talk with her in the same way she talked back.

While she now understood how annoying it could be to wait for someone to write to communicate, she now also understood how simple and easy it was to manage. How easy it was to accommodate.

A fresh burst of anger at her parents flared through her for a moment before it puttered out. They were busy people in politics, not a tattered urchin on the streets. Of course they had less time to wait for her to finish writing…

Right?

Regardless of such a question, Trivia found her journey out had become something far better than she could have ever hoped for. Ignoring the bullies, she had found her first friend! Well, aside from Neo, but she'd been with Trivia for so long neither knew a life without the other. Jaune was a first proper friend. Someone she could hang out with all the time.

Not just whenever Neo decided to appear. Plus, everyone could see Jaune. Nobody could claim he was a figment of her imagination.

They sat there, talking and joking via notebook for so long that the crowds thinned. Trivia almost panicked when she realised how late it had gotten, but Jaune simply smiled. "The buses are still running. Where do you need to go?" he asked.

She quickly wrote down her address, which he read and then hopped off the bench. "Come on. A bus should get here soon, I think. I memorised them 'cause people getting on or off are, well… easy." He glanced away, looking less than happy about such a need.

Trivia felt a bit sad. They'd talked so long she hadn't been able to get him anything from the stalls, or anything else for herself. And despite his kindness he had to resort to such activities…

"Where can I find you?" she asked. She had to know.

"Well… I come here every Saturday. Sundays I'm off in the northern end. Weekdays I spend in the residential districts. I don't spend too much time in one spot…" Jaune explained as he led the way to the bus stop. "So… if you wanna meet… come here on a Saturday and wait near that fountain over there. I'll find you." He pointed to a fountain with a statue of a rabbit-eared woman in robes holding a spear, point skyward.

Trivia nodded to show she understood. Soon enough they reached the bus stop just as the bus she needed was rounding the corner. Jaune grabbed another item from the bag and held it out to her. It was a slim silver chain. "For your wallet. If you don't have inner pockets, one of these helps. Attach an end to the wallet and then the other end attaches to a belt loopie thing. Then people have to steal your pants to steal your wallet!"

She looked between him and the chain for a few moments before laughing, a mostly silent thing. Taking the chain, he quickly showed her how to attach it. With her wallet now secured, she waved to him and made her way onto the bus, homeward bound.

He waved from the stop, going until the bus left, before rushing off to disappear into the alleys and crowds once more.

Trivia had thoroughly enjoyed her trip, her escape. She couldn't wait until the next one, even if it would be more difficult without a party to cover her sneaking. But, I want to hang out again. And next time I'll make sure to buy him stuff back!

However, it'd be a while before she managed to sneak out again…

A/N: And the second chapter, this time focusing a fair bit on what could be called our "heroic protagonists": Jeanne and Ruby. Also Summer, she's here. Partially just because Guide My Way really inspired me to do something with Summer and this was a good opportunity. Also we do some diving into the past, during the events of the book Roman Holiday, or how they've changed anyway. Trivia is adorable and deserves all the hugs.

I hope you enjoyed and I'll see you next time.