Imu Chapter 2: What Lies In Shadow, a rwby fanfic

…

… … … … …

It doesn't seem to matter where I look or how far I travel, all I see are monsters. It never ends. All around me, clueless people holding and fawning over cuddly little Grimm, none of them with a single care about that fact. Ugh… I never imagined I'd live in a time where I would wish for the old days, when Grimm were just Grimm and we all had enough sense to know a monster when we saw one.

For all these years, I thought I was alone on this twisted, broken planet… the sole person who still had any sense… yet now I know otherwise. I've finally found someone who's just as disillusioned with this world as I am. Someone who might truly understand me. A possible ally to the cause.

However, I can't assume too quickly. I've been burned way too many times in the past to blindly trust the first sign of hope that walks into my life. It hurts, but I'll have to watch and wait. I can't say anything yet.

I need to be sure.

… … … … …

…

"Um… you're wearing a skirt-"

"That is a factual statement, yes."

Adrian took his time loading the dumpster with today's garbage bags. He wasn't in any particular hurry. Misty stood around 20 feet away, idly scrolling through a news feed on her device while leaning against a wall. Oobleck's orders, however annoying, were not something the diminutive leader was willing to challenge, even for something as simple as a garbage run first thing in the morning.

Amy Currant, a first-year, stood nearby with her own load of garbage bags on a cart. "Okay, um… I'll rephrase… WHY are you wearing a skirt?" she said as she adjusted her rectangular glasses with two fingers.

Adrian grunted as he tossed the final bag into the bin, then looked down at the dark fabric draped about his knees. It wasn't terribly uncomfortable, just drafty. "Because my leader said so." He quietly thanked his lucky stars that Misty gave up on the pink blouse part of her threat, mainly on account of neither girl owning a blouse big enough that he wouldn't destroy it just trying to put it on. It wasn't worth the loss.

Amy glanced down at the skirt, then over at Misty (who was still ignoring them). "I'll… take your word for it," she muttered.

"Wise decision. Need a hand with those?"

"Nah, I can handle it."

Her load was just as big as Adrian's had been, but her tone of voice left no room for argument. Adrian shrugged, then moved his cart over to the incinerator and began unloading the rest, this time the ones sorted as burnable trash. This pile was a good deal smaller than the non-burnable trash, at the very least.

Amy seemed to be in more of a hurry than Adrian was, so her bags flew into the bin with somewhat greater speed. Her black ponytail nearly hit her in the face a few times, and her chocolate brown arms glittered in the morning sunlight. "If you want my advice, though… you ought to stick with long pants. Your knees are hideous."

Adrian stumbled a bit, chuckling lightly. Well that was a first. "I'll… uh… keep that in mind."

He just caught sight of Amy's grin before getting back to work. The different year levels of Beacon never really interacted on a regular basis, even throughout the school's long history, and the modern era was no different. Amy Currant was one of the rare exceptions, and even then only out of necessity. She and Adrian were in a similar boat in that both of their teams were becoming well known for all the wrong reasons. Outside of his own team, there were few people in Beacon, or even in Vale itself, he'd consider a friend, and Amy was one of those. Barely.

Granted, she still publicly disavowed all association with him due to his stance on the Imu, but they weren't in public right now.

The Vacuan girl stretched her shoulders for a moment and said, "You'll be happy to know that the Imu Police Dog proposal was shot down yesterday."

Adrian's eyebrows flew up. "Seriously?! With how hard they were pushing it?"

"All I heard was that it was a really close call. I think it was a difference of, like, 4 votes."

"Damn… That's enough to make this a good day for me."

"Even though you know those little darlings would be adorable next to the cops…?"

"Amy, think about it for a moment: Have you ever seen an Imu grow larger than a lap dog?"

"No."

"And if they were on that job, how many people would turn to crime just for a chance to be 'caught' by one? And then to post pics of the 'arrest' and earn themselves 15 minutes of online fame?"

"As much as I want to say people aren't that stupid, I do know better. Damn you and your logic."

"You're welcome.~"

It was just another talk during just another morning garbage run. They might not have been actual friends, but he essentially relied on her for small updates and rumors like that one – he never got that kind of information himself mainly due to the way everyone shut the hell up anytime he was nearby. That and he'd been perma-banned from all forms of social media. By request.

And no, those headlines on the Scroll's feed were no better than rumors. Nine times out of ten they were written with a clear bias, and almost never one that Adrian himself agreed with. Better to listen to someone who he actually trusted.

"Hmm…" Amy finished with her garbage at the same time Adrian was done with his burnables, and she gave a sigh, "If you've got a spare minute, I need… a second opinion on something. From one outsider to another."

Adrian glanced over at Misty, finding the redhead still engrossed in whatever she was doing on her Scroll and doing everything she could to not pay attention to her charge. "Well, as long as it's not about the Imu… or skirts… I'm all ears."

"It's about my education. In particular, a school that's set to open sometime next year…"

"Oh yeah, Elysium Academy."

"That's the one."

Adrian may not have had any social media accounts, but Opal was very well connected to any tidbits related to the first new academy on Remnant for almost half a century, and the rabbit Faunus willingly shared this info whenever she had the chance. The new school was allegedly a big deal, but no one knew exactly where it was being constructed. Apparently this was a security move, as they wanted to make sure no one could sabotage it. Or something like that.

The most important part for the students was the way the new school's first-year roster was being filled – prospective attendees were being hand-picked from all of the various academies all over the world, and if chosen, were immediately put in with no entrance exam or tuition fee of any kind. And at Beacon Academy, the choosing was done by the school Guidance Councilor.

"Are you saying that Ruby- I mean, Ms. Rose picked you out to go to Elysium?"

"She did, yeah. But… I'm not sure that's where I need to be."

Amy pulled a silver locket from under her top, motioning for Adrian to look. The locket held a picture of a young woman who had to be related to Amy herself with how similar their faces were, a fact she confirmed a moment later.

"My sister graduated from Beacon a few years back. I've always wanted to do the same, to follow in her footsteps… our family's never been known to produce professional Huntsmen, and she was kind of a trailblazer… but Elysium is supposed to be a really big deal…"

"Hmm…" Adrian tapped his chin for a moment, though he already knew what he'd say. He just needed a moment to compose the sentence. And the right tone of voice. "If you're worried about what she'll think, then I'd say it depends on her opinion more than mine. If your sister wants you to follow in her footsteps, then yeah, I'd say you're better off staying here, but if you think she'd be more proud of you for becoming your own trailblazer and joining a brand new academy, then there's really no debate."

Amy looked up at him, her purple eyes quivering slightly.

Adrian held up both hands, "Hey, you wanted an outside opinion."

"I did, yeah," Amy tucked the locket away, then smiled and wiped her eyes. "I just… hadn't thought of it like that. Thanks. You know, you're a lot nicer than people say you are."

Adrian scoffed playfully, "I'll have you know I'm a perfect gentleman… as long as you don't talk about those demon puppies that are trying to take over the world."

Amy hissed at him like a cat. Both students had a laugh at the exchange.

Just before he turned to leave, Adrian hit the button on the incinerator and watched as the machine lit up with a burst of orange light, going from a full machine to an almost empty one in mere seconds.

Accelerated Fire Dust was very good at turning things into a pile of ash.

…
…

Back before the war, Vale used to sit right on the coast. Beacon Academy sat atop the cliff overlooking the whole thing, kinda like a monument to mankind's longevity. It was a well-protected location with easy access to the bay, mountains on all sides, and a Huntsman Academy guarding its eastern border. Adrian had seen photos of the old city, but he hadn't been old enough to visit before the war demolished it all.

And by 'the war,' in this case that meant a Leviathan Grimm, similar to the one that tried to destroy Argus when he was just a toddler. Adrian had seen footage of the battle itself, and how hard everyone had fought to protect the city, but it wasn't enough this time. Vale burned before they could drive the thing back. According to the official monument that still stood at the center of the ruins, the attack cost exactly 2,977 lives (734 of them Faunus, a few would be quick to point out).

Instead of rebuilding, the survivors of Vale decided to move the city proper up onto the hill and take down almost all of the Emerald Forest. Based on what he'd seen between current Vale and past Vale, they made no meaningful changes – every storefront, every office building, every parking garage, all of it was simply rebuilt in the new location. They liked what they had, apparently. Now rather than standing tall over the city, Beacon Academy faced the bay, somewhat like a sentinel standing guard, protecting the city and her people from whatever may come at it next. In a way, it was both hopeful and kind of sad.

On the plus side, nature took no time at all reclaiming the old city for its own. Verdant Woods now filled the ruins of old Vale, trees and wildlife making the place look like it had been abandoned for decades rather than a few years. All in all, it had a beauty that no amount of civilization could outdo. Adrian had taken his initiation in those ruins just last year (as did all new Huntsmen trainees now), and much of his time had been spent just looking around in awe before Misty literally bowled him over.

But that's another story…

The only part of the old Emerald Forest they left behind was the original ruins where the former Headmaster, Ozpin, once hid his relics for up and coming students to find. It sat squarely in the center of what they now called Emerald Park. All around this patch of woods were benches for weary civilians and people of all walks of life to relax. A few of these benches faced the storefronts, and here is where Adrian sat waiting today.

The sign above the shop door read 'I (heart) Imu' in big, round letters.

Adrian tried not to dry heave.

Back when the Imu first appeared on the world stage, the very first thing humans and Faunus alike did in all four kingdoms was begin trying to breed them – keyword: trying – but to their shock-horror, all of their attempts failed. The things multiplied all on their own and in total secrecy. Right after that revelation came the Imu Pet Shops, businesses devoted solely to the distribution of Remnant's favorite little demons and everything that resembled them, from chewy toys to board games and everything in between. They even carried specialized dog food and offered low-cost medical exams (for the Imu, not the owner). Business was good, and had only gotten better over time.

Adrian tried as hard as he could to remain on the bench and wait, but it was difficult. He stared at the display window from across the street, actively despising what he saw; dozens of tiny black dogs that were not dogs, all with those hideous bone-white masks the Grimm always had, but smaller and… 'cuter' as one magazine article put it. Outside of their looks, they were indistinguishable from real doggos, all hopping and yipping anytime someone came close. They even had realistic pink tongues with which to taste their prey- sorry, 'future owners.' Ugh.

Opal stood among the crowd at the window ooh-ing and ahh-ing at the adorable creatures that were begging for attention. This was one of her conditions for coming into town with Adrian today; she wanted to oogle the Imu pups a little. He didn't have to join her, but she rarely ever had the chance to just indulge.

Those lifeless, burning red eyes they all had… how could anyone find that cute?

…
…

"You'd change your mind if you just tried holding one, you know," Opal said about 10 minutes later as the two of them sat some distance away from the shop, the rabbit Faunus well and truly satisfied. For now. "They're all so adorable!"

Adrian snarled, "I would become subject to the 'You Break It, You Buy It' rule."

Opal's ears drooped low on her head as she pouted.

Normally Misty would be his chaperon on trips like this, but she had other duties that required her attention today – such was the life of a Responsible Team Leader™ – so she sent Opal with him instead. Thankfully Misty didn't insist that he wear the skirt outside of Beacon, so he was safe in his trousers. Full length, as Amy recommended. Still no sign of the pink blouse, but he kept his eyes open anyway.

Opal perked back up enough to finish her drink – small latte, no sugar, extra cream – and said, "Do you need to stop anywhere else before we head back?"

"Nah. I got everything on Misty's list, and even grabbed that thing of carrot juice Crim asked for."

"The sugar-free one, I presume?"

"Of course. That's not something I'll forget more than once."

"Well, well, well," came an irritatingly familiar voice from behind him. "Not often I see you without your bodyguard, Double-A."

Once again, Clifford Kelly sauntered over to him from seemingly nowhere, this time dressed in what he obviously considered casual wear: his gold armor worn over a black long-sleeve shirt and white pants. Unlike at the school, the stares he drew in town were only marginally benevolent. Good gods, he even posed with his hands on his hips like a superhero. Honestly, if there was one guy on the planet begging to be mugged…

Behind him walked one of his teammates wearing the normal school uniform, a tiger Faunus that Adrian knew next to nothing about. She stood at equal height to Opal (minus the ears), with naturally spiky hair that blended brown and red strands in such a way that her hair appeared to be on fire if you looked at it from the right angle. That and her eyes that shone like hot coals gave the impression that this woman had a short temper.

"Cliff," she said while glancing at her watch, "We don't have time to waste here."

"I know, Henna," said Cliff. "I'm just greeting a couple of classmates. So tell me, Adrian… kick any puppies lately?"

Adrian didn't move a muscle in response.

"No? How about old ladies? Trip anyone new lately? I'm sure there's a few around just waiting for you."

More ignoring.

Cliff apparently wasn't in the mood to deal with a cold shoulder; he grabbed Adrian by the collar and pulled him to his feet. "Look at me when I'm talking to you, you little-"

He never finished his threat. Opal was already behind him, holding herself up and next to his head with one arm and pressing the tip of a ballpoint pen against his throat with the other. She was smiling, but it was the smile of a girl about to do something horrible without feeling any remorse. "Put him down, blondie.~"

To his credit, Cliff did not flinch right away. "Are you trying to threaten me, Cottonball?"

"Are you aware that I've disemboweled three Ursai in the past month?" Opal pressed the pen harder against his neck and actually giggled, "I even used Howlett on one of 'em!"

For the record, Howlett was the name of her weapons, a set of lethal claws attached to a pair of reinforced gauntlets. Opal had a lot of nicknames for them, 'can-openers' being among her favorite. Often when the can contained her daily dose of 'whoop-ass.'

Cliff eventually decided not to push his luck and finally let go of Adrian, letting him stand on his own two feet again. Opal immediately pulled back and stood beside her teammate, still holding that terrifying smile. Cliff held his grin and didn't say another word, turning on his heel and striding away like he'd never once lost control of the situation… but Adrian noticed that Henna, his teammate, was chuckling at the scene.

"I get the feeling she doesn't like him all that much," said Adrian as they started walking the other way. "Didn't even try to stop you."

"Nope," said Opal, who was finally smiling naturally again. "Most of Beacon admits to being his fans, but his own team is absent from that list. If anything, they actively look for ways to mock him for being such a narcissist."

"That almost restores my faith in humanity."

"What would restore it?"

"… … …You already know the answer to that."

"Adrian Arc, what is your problem with the Imu?!" Opal whirled around and stopped in front of him, arms folded and mouth turned downward.

Adrian sighed, scratching the side of his head. "It's… a long story."

Her frown softened. "How long?"

"Hard to say. I've never had to tell it to anyone before."

"You can practice on me, then! Maybe we should we get a room… so you can tell me all your secrets? In~ pri~ vate~?"

"…I need an adult."

"Pbtbtbtbt~ Fine then, would it be easier to tell all of us at once?"

Adrian stopped and considered for several minutes. That was a good question, and one he never really considered how to answer. The obvious choice was to tell them, as they were a team in training to become Huntsmen and this was ultimately a matter of trust… but on the other hand, it was a deeply personal matter to himself. Did it matter enough in the grand scheme of things to let them all in on it?

He shrugged, "I'll… think about it. No promises, though."

Opal let her arms drop and nodded, seemingly satisfied. Her rabbit ears flopped cutely when she did.

"I suppose we oughta head back soon," he said.

In the instant following that sentence, all went quiet; the wind stilled, the pedestrians all around them parted ways, and even the noise of traffic along the street, all of it died down all at once, and in that singular moment of absolute stillness, a terrible sound came to him.

A man screaming in pain.

He'd watched enough fights in his day to know the sound of someone getting the absolute shit beaten out of them, and this was somehow… worse. Like the guy was getting killed. It was faint, but nearby.

He moved before his mind could catch up with him, quickly turning and scanning the side streets and alleyways for any signs of someone having problems. That moment of silence was long gone, the noise of the city returning to full volume, but he knew what he'd heard. Still… "Opal, did you hear anything just now?"

The red-eyed Faunus blinked at him. "Um… I hear a lot of things… big ears, you know how it is."

"Someone was getting attacked. They might need help."

She instantly perked up those rabbit ears, rotating them like fleshy radar before they locked at an angle. "There! A fight!" She darted forward without a moment's hesitation, Adrian right at her heels. He could only hope they'd come up on some random group of punks having a brawl, or a couple of drunks duking it out over the last bottle of hootch. Something the two of them could actually deal with.

They didn't have to go far into the alleyways; just behind a few buildings lay the apparent source of the noise.

And he was already dead.

The shocked, motionless face and total lack of chest movement made that very obvious.

"Good gods- call the cops!" said Adrian. Opal stayed back, already dialing, as Adrian looked around to see if anyone else was nearby, either witnesses or suspects. Not a soul in sight. He took a quick breath to calm himself, then used a careful eye to try and study the scene.

The victim was an older man, probably in his mid-40s, wearing the uniform of a cafe waiter. A cafe he never went to, so he had no idea who the man was (aside from the name badge that read James). Adrian didn't dare move the body or get too close, but a quick glance told him there was no blood in the immediate vicinity. The guy's uniform didn't appear damaged at first glance, and there was nothing pooling behind or under him, but he was willing to bet there were a few injuries hiding under his clothing. Bruising, if anything. Adrian quickly pulled out his Scroll and started taking pictures of his surroundings in an effort to capture the scene undisturbed, in case they unintentionally screwed something up by just being there. A little tactic he picked up from his Uncle.

As he moved around, stepping carefully, Adrian noticed a ring of purple bruises on the man's neck. He photographed these as well. Once done, he stood up and joined Opal while keeping his eyes open.

Someone killed this man. Choked him to death, by the looks of it. Either that or they snapped his neck.

And there was a good chance the killer was still nearby.

The next minute passed by in tense anticipation, Adrian ready to summon his Aura shield at a moment's notice. Opal, finally done on the call, sensed his mood and also kept her eyes on their surroundings. "You… you think whoever did this…?"

"I heard the cry only a few minutes ago. They couldn't have gotten far… if they ran at all."

Nothing happened right away. No masked killer burst out and attacked them, no raging lunatic emerged with a knife, nothing. Adrian, however, was certain the murderer was close. Waiting. Watching. He could almost feel the bloodlust radiating from the corners and doorways all around them. Even the edges of the various roofs were suddenly hiding places for something dangerous. His mind urged him to summon his Aura anyway, to be ready for the inevitable fight, but his rational mind won the struggle and decided that it wasn't worth the wasted effort if he was just being paranoid.

They were in the middle of the city, in broad daylight, and yet… somehow he felt like he was deep behind enemy lines. In a place he was not welcome. Deep in his gut he knew, without question, that if he stayed here he would die. His Huntsmen training wouldn't be enough to stop whatever was watching him right now.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, a whooping siren broke the tension.

Adrian breathed a sigh of relief, already feeling the darkness receding, and said, "There they are. I'll flag 'em down, you keep an eye on him." Opal only nodded in response.

Adrian had only been living in Vale for a couple of years, but in that time he'd made a concerted effort to familiarize himself with the local police force, not the least because Uncle Jaune was basically in charge of it. Unlike most of the Beacon students he'd dealt with so far, Adrian was the only one who seemed to understand that Huntsman weren't intended to be the end-all-be-all peacekeeping force in the world; police were still a vital part of maintaining everyday order in the cities of the kingdoms. He respected them. And at times he felt like the only guy on the planet who did.

As the squad car pulled up, he recognized the two officers within – Vasilius and Wukong, a pair that was due for evaluations soon. He hadn't interacted with them too much yet, but they seemed friendly enough. Sarge put up with them, so they couldn't be all that bad. All he knew for sure was that they had some Huntsman training before they joined the force.

Officer Vasilius, one of the rare men who was taller than Adrian, stepped out from the driver's seat and said, "Somebody die out here?" He quickly whipped out a comb and straightened his blue hair, though the look was slightly spoiled by his 5 o'clock shadow. Huh… didn't he have a mustache a few weeks ago?

Before Adrian could even open his mouth to answer, Opal cut him off from behind with a piercing scream.

Wukong, who had only just gotten out of the car, moved faster than Adrian expected; the blonde man made a standing leap over both the car and Adrian's head, landing lightly on his feet and darting around the building in the time it took the taller boy to get his head turned all the way around. Adrian just barely caught sight of his tail disappearing around the corner. Vasilius was already gone.

Wow… they were both trained Huntsmen alright.

Adrian let himself grin for a moment before putting on some speed himself and following. He arrived in time to hear Opal's terrified voice delivering news that made Adrian question if anything in the last half hour had actually happened:

"I-I-I swear, I j-just turned away for t-t-two seconds… and it was g-gone!"

James the cafe worker had vanished. The spot where his body was lying was now totally empty and clean.

As Opal gave Vasilius a summary of what happened to lead them there, Wukong began sniffing around the area. Literally. He even got down on his hands and knees to get a better whiff. He was quite the sight, his uniform shirt hanging wide open and his monkey tail sticking out of his pants. "Yeah, there was someone here alright. Neither of you guys smelled like coffee, but it reeks right here."

"Does it lead anywhere?" Vasilius paused his questioning to ask his partner.

Wukong whipped his head around in several directions, but he clearly was getting frustrated. "Dammit… nothing. At least he didn't get up and walk, or he'd have left tracks-"

Adrian pointed, "Like those?"

About 30 feet to his right, near the end of the alley, was a puddle of water… and emerging out from that puddle were wet footprints. Wet footprints that were not there a few minutes ago. They didn't go very far before trailing off, but it was enough.

"Good eye, kid." Vasilius quickly whipped out a proper camera and photographed them before they dried completely.

Adrian took his own pictures, and blinked as he realized something; these footprints were from bare feet. The dead man had been wearing shoes. That meant there was indeed someone else out here, and they were somehow able to pick up and carry away a full-grown man without alerting the rabbit Faunus that was right next to him.

Who the hell could pull off something like that?

…
…

"You guys are from Beacon, aren't you?"

Adrian nodded, "Second year. Team MOCA."

"Yeah, thought so. Sun and I used to be in your shoes, although we went to Haven Academy." Officer Vasilius checked to be sure he'd received Adrian's photos, then pocketed his device and gave the tall boy a pat on the shoulder. "Nice work out there. You'd be surprised how many times we get to a scene just to find a bunch of you students fucking everything up."

"No I wouldn't."

Wukong apparently always wore his uniform top completely unbuttoned, exposing his gut. According to Uncle Jaune, he used to be far more physically fit than he was now, but he still looked like he could bench-press their patrol car. He chimed in, "Even worse is when they don't even bother calling it in, they just charge off to go catch the crooks on their own."

Vasilius shook his head, "…You mean like we used to do?"

"That's different! We were Junior Detectives, that was part of our job!"

"And if you took this job a bit more seriously, we'd be actual detectives by now!"

"Don't remind me, Neptune…"

"If I don't, you'll just forget again, partner…"

Vasilius and Wukong seemed to glare at each other for a few moments, then sighed and gave each other a fistbump as the blonde man got into the car. Adrian glanced between them and wondered what kind of history these two might've had together. Is that what having a brother is like…?

"Better give the boys a call," Vasilius muttered. "Time to dig into the ol' paperwork again."

Adrian blinked, "It's still a crime scene? Even though there's not a body anymore?"

"Thanks to your photos, yes it is," the tall man nodded towards him. "If we didn't have that evidence, we could just write it off as a mistaken report. Now we have to go through all the red tape and process the place according to protocols."

His tone of voice made it clear he didn't much look forward to what was coming. Adrian couldn't help but grimace.

Vasilius nodded to Adrian before pulling out his Scroll, giving the boy a tired grin, "Thanks again, kid. We'll handle the rest. I'll be sure to tell Sarge how much help you were."

Adrian waved, "Tell him I'll call him when I get a chance."

"Will do."

Adrian and Opal walked away before any more squad cars came around. Neither one spoke right away, though the rabbit Faunus was still down in the dumps. Her ears were hanging low over her face. "I'm so… sorry…"

"Hey, it's not your fault," Adrian wrapped one arm around her shoulders, rubbing her back lightly. "Something weird happened back there. Nobody expects you to be perfect, me least of all."

"But you asked me to… *sniff* …keep an eye on him, and I blew it," Opal was close to crying now. "I let you down."

"Oh come on," Adrian pulled out a tone of voice that was slightly playful. He hoped, anyway. "It's not like you to get all sad on me. Please cheer up… I really don't wanna have to dodge bullets if we get back and your brother sees you crying like this."

Opal finally cracked a smile. "Bold of you to assume he'd let you dodge…"

"We are still on a team together. I'd like to believe he'd fire warning shots first-"

"I wouldn't."

"The fact that you can say that with a straight face is more than a little terrifying."

At long last Opal giggled, a bright sound in an otherwise dreary situation. Adrian smiled as they finally began the walk back to the tram station, and from there to Beacon. Their day on the town was well and truly done. She leaned close as they walked, even wrapping herself around his arm.

"Do you ever think you might've… missed your calling?" said Opal as they reached the first empty car.

"My calling?"

"You know… that you might've been better off becoming a cop rather than a Huntsman?"

"Absolutely not," Adrian replied without even the slightest hesitation. "I'm exactly where I need to be, and no power on this planet will ever change that."

Opal didn't react right away, and Adrian looked down to find her staring up at him with an unreadable expression. She didn't seem angry, or surprised, or anything. Just… staring.

A few seconds later, her look melted into relief. "Ah, that's good to hear. The cop from earlier seemed to know you, so I thought-"

"Uncle Jaune is the Captain of the V.P.D. but everyone just calls him Sarge," said Adrian with a little bit of pride in his voice. "He graduated along with Ruby Rose as a full Huntsman. And now he's fighting to keep everyone safe here in the city."

"Ooh~" Opal hugged his arm even closer as they boarded the tram. "Sounds like a hero to me."

"He really is."

"Were you ever gonna follow in his footsteps? Did wittle Adwian twy and weau his unkew's big shewsies?"

"Oh gods, not even Crim would forgive you for talking like that."

"You didn't answer me."

"For the hero part, sure I did… but in case you haven't noticed, I'm not that good with puzzles."

"Or girls, clearly."

"No comment."

The duo took their seats as the doors shut, Opal almost sitting in his lap. She hadn't let go of his arm yet. "Well I'm glad you're here. With me." She then maneuvered his arm up and over her head so she was essentially snuggling him.

Adrian was trying not to panic. He had not once forgotten that Opal was incredibly cute, and had always thought as much, but to have her this close… gods preserve us. He was keenly aware of her bodily warmth, the soft sound of her breathing, the sensation of her weight pressing against his, the feeling of one of her rabbit ears casually draped over the back of his neck, all of it. He was also keenly aware of his own bodily reactions, and tried to shift himself in such a way that she wouldn't discover his raging-

"OoOOoh… what do we have here~?" she purred.

Too late; Opal's hand was on his crotch. And she wasn't moving it away.

Shiiiiiiiiiiiit. Crimson, please don't kill me!

…

{Running. Scared.}
{Animals chasing, barking, angry.}
{So close. Walked all night, tired. So tired.}
{Barking louder. Running. Hollow under a tree. Hide.}
{Barking, jaws snapping close behind. Barely made it.}

{No time to calm. Jaws digging at tree bark.}
{Panic, looking around. Small tunnel in the dirt.}
{Only way out. Dig through, follow to the end.}
{Hope for safety. No energy, hope all that's left.}

{Calling. Urging. Have to keep moving.}
{Must find it.}

…

"I must say, you did well out there. Not many people would keep a level head if they encountered a dead body."

"Thank you Ms. Rose."

"Please Adrian, call me Ruby when we're in my office. I hate being too formal when it's not needed."

Once again they sat together in a more casual meeting, for once when Adrian wasn't in any trouble. She had offered herself up in case he needed to talk, and he simply chose to exercise that offer.

"That… just sounds weird to me."

"Would you rather I call you 'Mister Arc' …?"

"Ick, no. Fine, I guess I can call you Ruby."

"Good boy. Have a cookie."

"Err… thanks."

Today had left the boy shaken, of that there was no doubt. Not only had a man died, but someone had even stolen the body. And on top of that, there was virtually no way to know who, why, or how such a thing could have happened when he was with a Faunus, a race well-known for enhanced senses. It was like a ghost had taken James the Dead Waiter.

"Now about today… I already had Opal give me a few details before I called you in, so you don't need to worry about explaining everything. And I do have to agree with her sentiment – you would certainly make a fine policeman."

"Once I graduate, I'll be happy to join the force. Until then, I'm not going anywhere."

"I assumed as much."

"Though I have to ask… what are the chances of you putting me in that Elysium Academy everyone's been talking about? It would get me out of here-"

"Unfortunately, the qualifications for our selection process are rather complicated. And I'm sorry to say that you will not be considered."

"Figures."

And if he was being honest with himself, he just wanted to be here. Ruby was more than just a beautiful woman, she was a living legend. Her very presence gave him comfort, leagues more than his team would ever hope to accomplish. Those silvery strands of hair at her temples glowed in the evening light from the window, almost giving her a natural bit of ethereal jewelry.

"No need to be down about it, Adrian… in a way, you're actually over-qualified. Right now I feel you're, as you put it, 'exactly where you need to be.'"

"That's… more annoying to hear than I expected."

"And besides, I prefer to keep you close by."

"I guess… that's not so bad…" He had to fight back his suddenly surging heartbeat. That was not a sentiment he could handle more than a few times.

She giggled, "Don't you worry about it right now. Just know that I'm doing everything I can to make sure you make it through the rest of this year. As well as the years to come."

"Uhh…" a sudden thought leapt to the forefront of Adrian's mind and he couldn't stop himself. "What letter is in the middle of the alphabet, anyway? I never did figure it out…"

"Ah, yesterday's Poozle," Ruby grinned, running a finger through her bangs. "Pretty sure it was a trick question, they do that sometimes. Not often, or else people would quit playing."

"Misty said she solved it-"

"She probably realized the same thing I did; there is no right answer. Every letter would've been incorrect."

"Well that sucks…"

"Agreed. In any case, for now just go on back to your room and get some rest; I know we'll have plenty of other things to discuss later."

…

=^..^=