Imu Chapter 3: Will to Endure, a rwby fanfic

…

… … … … …

I can remember a time when I was still happy. Back when my family was whole, the world made sense, and I didn't have to worry about the opinions of fools. They didn't matter. What mattered was the people I loved, my allies, and my friends. I didn't have to worry, because I knew they would always be alright. I made sure of it.

I can remember when I still had my faith. Man… I miss those days.

No matter what it takes, I swear; I will make it right.

… … … … …

…

Adrian's teacher back at Pharos Academy, Mister Greene, had told him the name of his martial arts style one time, when Adrian had just started training under him. To this day, Adrian could not remember it for anything. It wasn't that important, though; what mattered was how he used it.

It just so happened that martial arts was his best option for a combat style, too. Adrian's large, clumsy fingers could never manipulate a sword, spear or even a dagger in the way he needed them to, and any sort of gun was out of the question. On top of that, his Semblance was all but useless – Adrian could channel a little of his Aura at a time into his fists, which he could then send into his targets to give them a small shock. That's it. By itself the ability was so weak that nobody ever really felt it, so he'd spent most of his training time back in Mistral either perfecting his fighting skills or fine-tuning his weapon. He was determined to make some kind of difference in combat, dammit.

BAM!

"Guh… This is the part… where you lose… Didn't you get the memo, Double-A?"

WHAM!

"Sorry… my receptionist threw it away before I could see it."

Clifford Kelly, on the other hand, was one of those irritating individuals that seemed able to pick up almost anything and master it within a few days. He was well known across campus for winning two separate duels against fourth-year trainees during his first month of classes, and he somehow even earned the respect of Professor Adel, the weapons instructor who was infamous for treating all students with an equal measure of apathy (unless she decided you were cute). The guy had spent his entire first year freely changing weapons and forms, never settling on any one combination. That is, until he decided to add another item to his list of 'How To Drive Adrian Crazy' options by nonchalantly starting and mastering his own choice of martial arts just to piss him off. And he didn't bother being subtle about it; Cliff made sure the entire school knew how much better he was than his rival.

Gods alone knew why Cliff had such a hate-boner for him. Aside from the Imu thing, anyway.

Adrian wore what he considered his standard combat attire today, a dark brown jacket with small armored plates over the shoulders worn over a beige t-shirt, and warm gray trousers with dark brown steel-toed boots. He kept his armored fists close to his face, guarding it, and kept his feet moving at all times, bouncing on the balls of his feet to stay loose. His style focused mainly on punching, with some kicks added in whenever the occasion called for it. With this in mind, he'd gone out of his way to reinforce his hands as much as possible – Duster, his set of gauntlets, could let him punch a concrete wall and barely feel it. They also enhanced his shocks to a point where he could temporarily stun his opponents, but only once every few minutes. Useless.

Cliff wore a set of armored gauntlets, armored elbow and knee pads, a partial helmet that didn't even bother trying to protect his face, and boots that were both armored and weighted, all of it gold to match the rest of his ridiculous getup. Rather than punches, Cliff opted to focus on kicking with his fighting style. According to him, it was more 'flashy.' and therefore cooler. As far as Adrian was concerned, Cliff just wanted any chance to display his junk for the adoring fangirls.

The grinning blonde let his hands hang loose while he waited for his opponent to attack first. Adrian darted forward, fists automatically moving to the pattern of motions he'd drilled into his head over the last few years. A series of punches that could at least make Mister Greene give a nod of approval. Cliff couldn't have cared less – the few he didn't outright dodge, he simply batted away with his own gauntlets.

He didn't simply take the blows, of course; Cliff followed up with his own flurry of punches meant to throw off Adrian's guard, but he knew what was coming next and only used one hand to deflect them – Cliff's weighted boots came right after, flying faster than their weight would imply and nearly catching Adrian right in the chin. Duster was built to handle a lot, though, so he was able to absorb and counter nearly all hits.

All but one. Cliff's barrage of kicks ended with a cheap shot to Adrian's knee, sending him to the floor.

"That's enough, Clifford."

The sudden and very welcome voice of Professor Goodwitch cut through the roaring of blood in Adrian's ears. Thankfully it reached Cliff at the same time; one of his boots had stopped mere inches from Adrian's face. Saved by the bell.

Or in this case, the monitor. Adrian had fallen below 25% Aura. He'd lost the match.

On the other hand, Cliff was down to 52%. This was the lowest Adrian had gotten him so far.

Small victories.

Both boys were breathing hard as the older woman strode out onto the training field, her riding crop in hand. Professor Glynda Goodwitch was a sight to behold, mostly due to a strange sort of agelessness about her; depending on the angle you viewed her face, she could be labeled anywhere between 31 and 65 years old. She was not smiling, but that was normal for the school combat instructor. "Mister Kelly, excellent form as always. Your Aura control is improving, though I would advise you to maintain your temper during these matches – hitting below the belt has always been, and continues to be, severely frowned upon."

Cliff looked away and grumbled, "Yes, ma'am."

Adrian shifted his weight onto the other leg, wincing. That knee was gonna hurt for awhile.

"As for you, Mister Arc," Goodwitch turned her intense green eyes to him next. "While I can say that your technique continues to improve whenever you step into battle, I still expect much more from a second-year student at Beacon Academy… especially one so adamant about our… duty as yourself."

It took a lot of effort to keep his temper down. Professor Goodwitch may be overall neutral in terms of the entire school trying to get him expelled, but that didn't mean she wouldn't taunt him now and again. And naturally, Headmaster Pine never said a word.

"Did you hear me, Mister Arc?"

"Yes, ma'am," Adrian could barely keep a steady voice.

"Good." The older woman slapped her open palm with the crop, effectively telling her students to fuck off. "Send in Miss Ecru and Miss Tempest next, if you would please."

Adrian limped his way off the field, annoyed at letting Cliff get a lucky hit like that, but also annoyed at how much fanfare the guy always got as he walked off the field. Those idiots loved him. And it was safe to assume they approved of Adrian's new injury. Bastards. He was already channeling what little Aura he had left into healing it.

"You okay?"

Opal's bright red eyes displayed her concern as she handed him a chilled bottle of water. Only then did he realize he was panting. Might've overdone it today. He gratefully took the bottle and put it to his lips-

-before kissing a potato-sized rock. Dirt and soil rained onto his shirt.

Adrian looked up to find Cliff holding his bottle and wearing a true shit-eating grin as he said, "Thanks buddy!" He maintained eye contact while gulping down half of the water in one go, then laughed as he walked away.

That, by the way, was Cliff's Semblance; he had the ability to short-range teleport small items anywhere in a range of about 20 feet around himself. It had a lot of uses in combat, but for the most part he only ever used it for pranks. Like stealing a bottle of water. Or taking a pancake from someone's plate and putting it on their seat.

If he weren't still wearing his helmet… and they weren't surrounded by his Adoring Fans… Adrian would've considered throwing that rock at his big, stupid head. But he knew full well that if he did, the crowd would've torn him apart.

Opal had no such reservations; she stared after Cliff, and Adrian could see a dark aura engulfing the girl. "He doesn't need those intestines of his, right? RIGHT?!"

"Cool it, Opal," said Crimson as he and Misty approached from behind Adrian.

"Crim, that was an industrial grade Dick Move. I just-"

"I know," Crimson said with a tired sigh. "That's pretty much an everyday thing for him."

Adrian added, "And if I let everything he pulled get under my skin, one or both of us would already be dead." He tossed the rock to one side, wiping the dirt off as best he could. A lot of it stuck to his sweat. "Besides, he's a team leader. What the hell am I gonna say? I'll just grab another water in a few minutes."

"I'll save you the trouble."

Adrian blinked at the familiar voice, though the setting was all wrong. Another cold bottle of water hovered before his face, and the dark-skinned arm holding it was connected to a first-year that normally only spoke with him around the dumpster.

"Amy? What are you doing here?"

"I happen to be a student at Beacon Academy, ever heard of it?" Amy Currant manually placed the bottle in his hand, then she and Crimson all but forced Adrian to sit down on a nearby bench. "Well, I mostly came to find you, but since you were busy I stuck around to watch your fight."

"Watch Clifford Kelly hand me my ass, you mean?"

Amy sent her hand upside his head with a bap. "Don't talk like that. You did fine. If Cliff hadn't gotten that cheap shot, you guys would've tied."

Misty scoffed, "I fucking doubt that. Mister Perfect would've found a way to break some other bone."

Opal stood with her arms crossed. "He'd better hope our teams don't have to fight each other anytime soon. Asshole might get his own knees clawed off… acCIdeNTalLY.~"

Adrian gave a weak chuckle as he rubbed his injured knee. Amy adjusted her glasses and said, "You want me to numb it a bit?"

Amy's Semblance was almost as useless as his own – she had the ability to make other people's injuries and wounds go numb, but she could do nothing to aid in their healing. Good in the short-term, but bad when the injuries flared up again afterwards.

"No thanks," Adrian shook his head, then finally indulged in the water. He relished the coldness flowing into his belly. "Ah~ much better. Uh… what did you want me for?"

Amy clasped her hands behind her back, looking bashful all of a sudden. She glanced at the rest of his team, then back at Adrian again, before a smile washed over her face like a sunrise. "I've accepted Miss Rose's invitation. I'm going to Elysium!"

Adrian's eyebrows shot up at the news. "Oh yeah? Well congrats, I'm sure you'll do great," he said. He tried to make sure his voice carried only pleasure at her good fortune, and not the deeper disappointment he felt at the loss of his friend. He knew he'd miss her.

Misty stood just behind Adrian and muttered, "You'll get over it, fuck-face."

"…?"

"Nothin'."

Crim and Opal both gave the girl a hug, "Congratulations, Amy! Oh it's so exciting… I can't wait to see the place when it's finally open!" said Opal.

Amy blinked. "Oh… are you going, too?"

"Oh no, no… Mama's a major investor in the project, but she won't tell me much about it. She's promised to give us both a grand tour once it's done, though."

"Yeah, that sounds like my big sister; Yang always did like to show off."

Yet another new voice came towards them. This one, at least, Adrian was more than happy to hear.

The whirring and clicking of her mechanical legs always preceded the appearance of the school guidance councilor; Ruby Rose wore a stunning dress the color of pomegranates that was still somehow professional, along with her signature red cloak and hood. She had her deep red-and-silver hair tied into a ponytail today, long enough to reach the small of her back.

"Hey Aunt Ruby!" Opal gave a cheerful wave.

Ruby gave the twins' hair a quick ruffling, smiled at Amy, then turned her silver eyes onto Adrian. "You did good out there. And don't worry about Cliff; I'll have a chat with Goodwitch about that blow to the knee."

"It's f-fine," Adrian tried to argue but found his voice rebelling. His knee gave an angry throb. "I'll g-get over it."

"No, it's not fine. A hit like that can end your career before it's even begun. Our Aura might be strong, and it might be capable of healing a lot of injuries, but there's only so much damage a human body can take."

Adrian glanced down at her legs.

Ruby sighed, then turned her attention back to Amy. "Anyway… the transport leaves tonight. Are you all packed?"

"Yep!" Amy fidgeted under Miss Rose's attention. "I'm just… saying my goodbyes, I guess."

"That's good to hear. Contact with the outside world is gonna be pretty sparse in the beginning, so it's good to make sure all your loose ends are tied up." Ruby gave the girl a comforting pat on the back and smiled, "Don't worry… you're in good hands. Now if you've got a few minutes I'd like to go over a few things-"

"Um, actually," Amy glanced back at Adrian, then at his gathered team, "Could you give us a few minutes? Alone?"

Ruby chuckled and herded the other teens away, though Opal was more hesitant than the others. Misty just gave Adrian the stink-eye but said nothing. Once they got far enough away, Amy motioned for him to follow her outside, likely so their conversation had less chance of being heard by anyone else.

It took a few minutes but he made it, found another bench and parked himself while Amy sat just beside him. She cleared her throat a bit and said, quietly, "I'll miss this place."

All Adrian could say was, "Why?"

"Reasons."

"You'll do fine, Amy. Just remember that we're all cheering for you."

"Yeah…"

She fell silent again, staring at the concrete sidewalk beneath her feet. Adrian didn't disturb her, sensing she had something else to get off her chest.

Eventually she found her voice, "Did you have any plans to attend the Eclipse Festival?"

"No plans, but I wouldn't complain if I got the chance to go."

"That's good to hear. I, um… If I can get some free time at the new school, do you… would you consider going with me? I'd have way more fun with some company…"

"Isn't it in Mistral? I recall they were going to hold it in Argus…"

"I think that was the final decision, yeah."

"Hmm…" Adrian sat back and rubbed his head. Argus was his hometown. Going back was pretty low on his list of priorities. "My schedule isn't going to be much better, you know."

Amy looked at him but said nothing.

Adrian clicked his teeth, "Tell ya what… if both of us can get some free time to go, then I'll be there."

Amy grinned, "I think Miss Rose can make that happen."

I hope not. "I hope so."

If not for the location, he would have wanted to go – the Eclipse Festival was going to be a once-in-a-lifetime event centered around a super rare celestial event. Remnant's shattered moon barely moved through the night sky, so the fact it was due to eclipse the sun at all was supposed to be something special. People all over the world were preparing for it with varying levels of fervor, but the EF was considered the main celebration. Bigger than the Vytal Festival indeed.

The problem was that the EF was set to happen in the city of Argus. Where that woman still lived.

He'd rather eat his boots.

Amy hopped up, did a little twirl and ruffled Adrian's hair. "Thanks. I'm looking forward to it now. And, uh…" she stopped twirling and blushed a bit, "…I kinda lied. The one I'm gonna miss… is you."

"…?"

She didn't bother explaining before she walked away, but he could see her face turning red just as she rounded the corner. Adrian was left alone on the bench, but at least he had his water.

He chugged the rest of it and sighed. Girls, man.

Eventually his team leader came out to find him. Misty opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted by a sudden beeping – Adrian's Scroll. A message from Uncle Jaune:

… … …
'Hey, bud. If you're not too busy, I need you
to come out to the station for a talk. Right now.
It's about the other day.

'And no, you're not under arrest.'
… … …

Adrian suddenly felt ill.

'The other day' referred to his and Opal's trip into town three days ago. They'd found a dead man and reported it, only for the body to up and vanish from right under their noses. If Sarge needed him to come in, then there was a good chance something went wrong. Either Adrian had fucked up the scene somehow, or failed to do some other little thing that could spell doom for the force as a whole; lawyers were notorious for finding the tiniest mistakes with which they would absolutely fuck up your day.

This may have been his Uncle they were talking about, but he couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that something was wrong.

…
…

'Right now' turned out to be delayed by an urgent phone call. At least he had time to take a shower.

Adrian sat in the waiting room with Misty in the otherwise empty Vale City Police Department, or VCPD for short. He'd only been inside a few times, usually on an errand or two for his extended family, but never on a business matter like this. Family or not, assurance or not, he was nervous. He leaned forward in his chair, one knee bobbing up and down, as he watched the clock.

The other knee remained still. It wasn't fully healed yet, but Adrian had been focusing a small amount of Aura into it every few minutes. Right now he simply wore a wrap under his pant leg. It was better than nothing.

Misty, on the other hand, sat browsing news articles on her Scroll. She was also dressed casually today, wearing her standard blue jeans, dusty green vest over a white shirt and an old pair of cowboy boots. Adrian initially wanted Opal to come along, as she'd been there when he found the body of James the Cafe Worker, but Misty insisted.

A thought suddenly hit him; Adrian pulled out his device and pulled up the fan site for the Poozle game. The answer to the other day's puzzle was up, and his curiosity had not fully diminished. After a moment of scrolling, he found it… P.

"P?"

The letter in the middle of the alphabet was… P?

"I'm not explaining it," Misty said without looking.

"Of course."

Not having any real expectations for figuring anything else out, Adrian went ahead and sought out today's brain tickler. It was a wordy one, but he didn't have much else to do right now:

'As I was going to St. Chives,
'I met a man with seven wives,
'Each wife had seven sacks,
'Each sack had seven cats,
'Each cat had seven kits,
'Kits, cats, sacks, and wives,
'How many were there going to St. Chives?'

"Ugh… a math problem?" Adrian could already feel his head throbbing. He quickly shut his device and put it out of his head for now. No way he could spare the brain power for something like this before the meeting with his Uncle.

"Huh… apparently there's a bunch of studies going on to test the Imu's intelligence levels. So far they've found a significantly higher degree of understanding in Imu over normal dogs." Misty idly read through the highlights of the article without even checking to make sure Adrian was listening.

He was, of course. "There are plenty of animals out there smarter than dogs. Get back to me when they can prove the things know how to read."

Misty was barely phased. "They haven't gone that far yet, but… oh wow… one test they did proved that Imu are capable of solving simple puzzles. Look at-"

"Not interested."

Misty was about to hold up her Scroll so he could see it, but sighed as he shot her down. She closed the device and exhaled loudly through her nose, clearly trying not to make a scene in the middle of the police station. "What the fuck did the Imu ever do to you?" she grumbled.

"… … …It's a long story."

He heard Misty blink beside him. "Is that what Opal was talking about?"

"Yeah… it's been a private thing until now, but… I'm starting to think I'd better let you all in on it. I'll explain later tonight, but I do have some… other issues with the Imu. More than just the fact that they're Grimm."

Misty huffed and crossed her arms. "Coulda fooled me…"

Neither of them spoke again until they were summoned into the back offices. Adrian walked as fast as his limp would allow, but it was slow going; along the way he glanced a few officers working at their desks, one or two in plainclothes – those would be detectives, then – while others were uniformed. He spotted the familiar blue hair of Officer Vasilius in the back, but didn't bother waving. The guy was busy. Wukong was nowhere to be seen.

Once inside his office, Adrian started to take a seat… only to stop when he spotted a curiosity. Sitting at the corner of Sarge's desk was a small gallows with two ropes hanging from it, and within the nooses were a pair of thick brown mustaches.

"I'm leaving those there as a reminder," said Captain Jaune Arc of the VCPD. "Sun and Neptune haven't been taking their jobs seriously enough to make detective, so we came to an agreement; once they earn their promotions, they get their 'taches back."

Misty stared at the fake lip fur and scratched her arms. "That's… weirdly creepy."

"Uncle Jaune, this is Misty, my team leader," said Adrian as he took his seat.

Jaune gave the shorter girl a warm smile and shook her hand, "Nice to meet you, Misty. I hope my nephew isn't too much trouble for ya."

Misty opened her mouth at the exact moment Adrian cleared his throat. She closed her mouth again and gave him a glare.

Jaune Arc was apparently about the same age as Ruby Rose, though they both looked about a decade older than they should have; his blonde hair was already starting to show strands of gray and the lines around his eyes and nose had gone deeper than the last time Adrian had seen him. His wide mustache hadn't changed a bit, though. That feature, plus his immaculate uniform, was an iconic image around the city. It was no coincidence that everyone called him Sarge.

"You're limping. Are you hurt?"

"Took a bad hit this morning. I'll be fine."

"Ice can work wonders for a sore joint. Now… there's actually two things I need from you, Adrian," said Uncle Jaune. "First is another copy of that photo you took of the dead man. We had a power surge in our servers the other day and the file got corrupted."

Adrian was already pulling out his Scroll, "Well that's easy enough."

"Yeah, it's amazing how much longer these things take when people don't make proper BACKUPS! !"

Three officers flinched through the window.

A few moments later, the file was transferred. Jaune smiled, "Ah, there he is. Good angle on the face, too."

"That does tend to be important," said Adrian.

"Indeed." Uncle Jaune paused as he sent the file to a nearby printer. "The other matter is a personal debriefing. Neptune got a statement from Opal, but he forgot to get one from you as well."

"You know, I was wondering about that…"

And so they spent the better part of half an hour recounting the events of three days ago; arguing with Cliff, hearing the cry of pain, finding the body, calling for police, the body disappearing, and the brief talk with Wukong and Vasilius afterwards. Sarge wrote down as much as he could, though he seemed interested in hearing about the behavior of his officers. Misty remained quiet the entire time.

"So you're sure those wet footprints weren't there before 'James' vanished…?"

"Quite sure. I checked everything."

"And I believe you." Jaune looked over his notes, sighed, then put them in a folder along with the printed photograph. "Ashens will wanna take this one. Lieutenant?"

A tall woman poked her head into the office at the summons. Her russet hair was done up in a ragged bun and her eyes bore dark circles underneath, but otherwise she was quite pretty. "Yes, Captain?"

Jaune held up the folder, "File's ready." He handed it to her without another word.

Uncle Jaune once described Lieutenant Brand Ashens as a woman who had a chronic case of the Mondays. Her position basically made her Sarge's assistant, and she handled all the small jobs he was too busy to deal with, including managing most of the officers in the precinct. Aside from that, all Adrian knew about her was that she had an odd disdain for Huntsmen, with Uncle Jaune being the sole exception. Even now, as she took the folder and walked out of the office, she made sure to give Adrian a withering glare.

"One of these days I'll make her take some vacation time," Jaune said quietly.

"You guys busier than usual?" said Adrian.

Jaune ran a hand through his bangs and sighed, making his mustache ripple in the breeze. "Not really, but she's been taking all the missing persons cases over the last few months. If I didn't give her that one, she'd just take it when I'm not looking. I'm worried she's gonna over-work herself."

Misty said, "Have there been a lot?"

"I have noticed a steady increase over the last year or two, but she usually heads me off whenever they come in. And I don't have the nerve to confront her about it."

Adrian nodded, then said, "About the dead guy… did you make any headway since I reported it?"

Jaune stared at his desk and considered for a moment, then said, "Normally I don't discuss this with civvies, but I'll make an exception for you. While I wouldn't call it a 'lead,' we did discover that his employer, Cafe Prime, has had prior connections with the Vale mob. They've been investigated for money laundering in the past, that kind of stuff. Add to that the fact that a career criminal called Alexander Stone works for the mob as a clean-up man AND has a strong dislike of shoes… and we have ourselves a trail."

"Stone… a big guy, I'm guessing?"

"He could arm wrestle me, Sun, and Neptune at the same time and win."

"Damn. If he's that strong, he could reasonably carry a body away with some speed."

"That's what I was thinking as well. Tomorrow I'm heading over to Junior's place to discuss the matter, whether the Lieutenant approves or not. Junior happens to be fairly high-ranking in the criminal underworld. And don't worry… I'm making sure Sun and Neptune, as well as a whole squadron of armed officers, are standing by just in case."

"Well that's a relief."

"No kidding. With any luck, this whole thing will be done and dusted in a matter of days. Now then-"

WHAP !

Jaune slapped his desk with one hand, making both Adrian and Misty jump. His blonde mustache curled into a grin.

"Who's hungry?"

…

{So weak.}
{Tired.}

{Dark all around. Hole opened. Big empty space, no lights.}
{No barking. No danger.}
{Safe.}

{No urge. No pull forward.}
{Quiet.}

{Safe? Not safe? Unsure.}
{It was… not sure.}
{It was… it is… it…?}

{Tired. So tired.}

{Small light ahead. Narrow.}
{Door… way… Human smell beyond.}

{Sleep… … …}

…

"When you said you and Opal found a dead body, I thought you were fucking kidding."

"Why would we lie about something like that?"

"Have you met Opal?"

"…Good point."

Adrian sat at a large dinner table, Misty right next to him, as he enjoyed the first home-cooked meal he'd had in well over a year. Uncle Jaune sat at the head of the table, his radiant wife at his side – Pyrrha Nikos had always been a stunning woman, even in her youth (Adrian had seen a lot of pictures), and married life had not dulled that in the slightest. Her fiery red hair could almost light up the room. She simply could not stop smiling at the two of them, quite pleased to finally have guests.

"Why do they call this 'country fried' steak? It's just breading with hamburger thrown in as an afterthought."

"I dunno. I guess it's a traditional recipe or something."

"Traditional. Fuck that. You should see the steaks Daddy can cook up. Now those'll put some hair on your chest."

"I have enough hair, thank you."

Misty had seemed anxious ever since Uncle Jaune all but kidnapped them and took them to his home in the north district of Vale. He and Pyrrha lived in a nice apartment, quite spacious actually – it even had a loft-style bedroom for Pete – though Jaune's better half was constantly talking about getting a house in the suburbs. That was her dream home, though this one was nice enough for now. Once Aunt Pyrrha's cooking was in front of her, Misty's anxiety melted away.

"These taters are pretty good, I'll give 'er that."

"I'm sure the cook is delighted to have your approval."

"I'm just sayin', is all. And fuck me these green beans are killer! I might need another helpin'!"

It was rare for the diminutive redhead to let her country accent slip through, and Adrian didn't dare say anything about it. They slept in the same dorm room, remember? He wanted to wake up in the morning with the same number of breathing holes as the night before.

Dinner was quite pleasant overall, but Adrian knew his peace and quiet wouldn't last. Once Pete was done eating, it was video games upstairs for the two of them for no less than an hour. Even now, he could see the gleam in the boy's blue-green eyes as he shoveled mashed potatoes into his face. He'd practically been at Adrian's heels from the moment they walked in the door.

Petralkos Arc, 'Pete' for short, was one of the rare people in Vale that fully enjoyed Adrian's company. He might've only been 11, but the kid was well and truly attached to his Bro. That wasn't to say Pete hated the Imu like Adrian did, far from it in fact, but he demonstrated a remarkable level of restraint around the taller boy. And for that, Adrian was more than happy to oblige when Pete wanted to go a few rounds in Call of Honor.

As Misty dug into her second (or was it third?) helping of beans and potatoes, Adrian said, "Me and Pete are gonna be upstairs after this. You okay with sticking around here for an hour or so?"

"Fuck yeah, I'm good!" Misty didn't hesitate for a moment. "Hot damn, I gotta get the recipe for these beans! I know folks back home who'd sacrifice their firstborn for a taste a' this!"

Aunt Pyrrha both glowed and grimaced at the mixed praise. Uncle Jaune gave her a pat on the shoulder.

…

"Well, they're off. That was a wonderful dinner, sweetheart. Best one yet."

"I'm always happy to cook for more than just the three of us, you know.~"

"I guess that explains why Sun and Neptune eat over here so often."

"Oh, don't be like that. They're not just your men, they're our friends."

"While true, I still have to think of them as my officers first and foremost. Our shared history as Huntsmen has to come second. Speaking of… what did you think of Adrian?"

"He's huge! And to think he started out so little…"

"I feel like he only looks huge next to his team leader. Misty, was it? Based on how long the two of you chatted, I'd say you hit it off pretty well."

"We certainly did. She reminds me a little of Nora, actually. At first we discussed my recipes, but then we moved into more… private topics."

"You mean 'girl talk'?"

"Yep."

"In that case, I won't ask."

"Wise man. And handsome. I got the whole package, didn't I~?"

"Hey, I'm only keeping this mustache because you said you liked it."

"Mmhmm… makes for a good handle."

"Ow…"

"Now then… Pete's already in bed… so why don't you pull out the cuffs and… read me my rights~?"

…

"T-H-E-A-L-P-H-A-B-E-T."

"What?"

"The Alphabet. Spell it out and P is right in the middle."

"… … …Are you fucking serious?"

"Hey, don't get mad at me for not realizing the question was, you know, a fucking RIDDLE."

"…Fair point."

Just over an hour after dinner, Adrian and Misty were walking back to the dorms. Both were full and in a good mood. Adrian's leg was finally good enough that he could walk without a visible limp. And the sun was just touching the horizon.

"So those two were your Aunt and Uncle, huh?"

"That is what I called them all evening."

"Their boy was pretty cute."

"Pete can be a handful, but he's a good kid."

"Didn't know you had family in town. I thought you were from Mistral."

"I am. Born and raised in Argus."

"I knew you were a city boy the moment I clapped eyes on ya. You went to Pharos Academy, I presume?"

"Yep."

"What brought you all the way out here? Wasn't Haven closer?"

"I… let's just say it's related to what I'm going to talk about tonight."

"What, no hints~?"

"My Mother disappeared. I had to leave."

"Oh. Fuck."

Conversation died out after that. The pair kept pace as they drew closer, though Adrian glanced down at his leader every now and again, hoping to figure out her mood a little. Her hair was rather dull in the evening light, which either meant she was more subdued than he'd ever seen her before… or that his eyes were going bad. He couldn't see enough of her face to get a read on her, though, so there was no telling-

"Sorry," Misty suddenly said. "You've been through a lot more than I… than I gave you credit for."

"I didn't want anybody's pity," replied Adrian. "That's why I've kept it to myself."

All at once, Misty darted in front of him and stopped, her face still downcast. Adrian blinked, waiting for an explanation. They were only a few feet from the door.

"I know you don't want pity… so you keep this between us. I ever hear that you told anyone, Opal most of all, I'll draw and quarter you."

"What're you-OOF!"

Adrian's breath was cut off as Misty suddenly tackled him from the middle, but she didn't try to throw him or preform any kind of grappling move. She just… held him, her face against his gut.

She was hugging him.

Once he got his wits back, Adrian awkwardly rubbed Misty's back – trying to return the hug would be quite difficult with their height difference – and the shorter girl let go, seemingly satisfied, then poked him in the belly and just said, "P."

"…?"

She turned to head in, but Adrian just caught a glimpse of her blushing face before she went inside.

Well that was weird… what is it with girls around here?

As soon as that thought entered and left Adrian's brain, Misty darted back outside in a panic, "Get in here, something's up!" Adrian didn't waste a moment getting inside and taking in the scene, much like he did back in town.

Nothing immediately stood out as unusual in the room, aside from a small crowd of people gathered around the janitor's closet. No dead bodies, no cars crashed through the front windows, nothing. Just a crowd. Misty was bouncing around the outskirts of the gathered bodies, trying to see what everyone was looking at, but gradually Adrian noticed that nobody had their Scrolls out taking pictures. And in this day and age, that was noteworthy all by itself.

"Hey, back off fuck-nuggets!" Opal's voice cut through the din. It came from somewhere around the doorway. Once the crowd parted, Adrian and Misty could both finally see what all the fuss was about. Misty gave a sharp gasp, hands over her mouth in dramatic fashion, as she knelt next to her teammate.

Adrian had to fight to keep from calling his weapon locker. He was already calculating the landing coordinates.

Because lying on the floor of the janitor's closet was an Imu.

On campus. In the dormitory.

In range.

It lay there panting, pale pink tongue hanging out of its maw, with an emaciated body and no visible signs of life aside from its panting. And his teammates were making it blindingly obvious that they were planning to nurse it back to health.

Adrian watched as Opal leaned down and showed Misty something on its face, to which the tiny woman responded with shock. More quiet words were exchanged between them as Opal tried to pick the thing up in a few rags. It moaned and squirmed away from her, but Misty calmed it right down and picked it up herself bare-handed.

This was not unusual – Misty Montana had the power to calm the Creatures of Grimm. With enough Aura applied, she could even tame one and ride it for a short time. A tiny pup like that would offer no trouble.

Misty stood up with the creature and started for the stairs. Adrian took one step forward… just one… and was suddenly met with a dozen arms holding him back; the entire crowd that had gathered earlier had stayed, waiting for the resident Imu hater to make a move.

"Adrian," Misty's red hair was suddenly bright red again. Uh-oh. "We had a good day today. Let's not ruin it now."

"Where do you think you're taking that thing?"

"To our dorm room. She needs help, the poor dear. In the morning we can see about finding a vet."

"You-"

"Adrian Arc, if you so much as make ONE MOVE to hurt her, so help me I will never forgive you!"

That took the fire out of his spirit, if only for a moment. Misty's green eyes, normally so full of apathy towards her irritating partner, were now filled with a fiery rage. She meant what she said. Adrian shrugged off the hands holding him and turned away, unable to look at her anymore.

Nobody said a word as the crowd dispersed and Misty took the abomination up to their room. Opal went with her. Because of course she did.

"It's in our nature to help wounded and starving creatures," Crimson suddenly said from next to him. "Don't be too hard on them."

"That's not a 'wounded creature,' Crim… that's a monster."

"An opinion you alone hold right now."

"That doesn't make me wrong."

"…Fair point," Crimson Scarlatina-Long crossed his arms and followed Adrian's gaze out the windows, into the rest of the Beacon Academy campus. Evening had come and the sky was now a blazing orange, but it would be dark soon enough. Thankfully they weren't facing west. Adrian didn't want to watch the sun vanishing at a time like this.

"Why aren't you with them?" said Adrian.

"Because I'm worried about you."

"I didn't attack it (yet)."

"Not that. Adrian, you're pushing everyone away. You can't keep this up."

"They're pushing me."

"From where I'm standing, it's the same thing."

"…"

"Adrian, I… I worry about you. I really do. And I've been thinking… maybe what you need is a good friend. Just someone who can be there for you. Someone to open up to."

"Misty's my partner, Crim."

"That's not the same thing and you know it. While I admit you and Misty are closer than you used to be, I'm talking about just… a regular person. You and Amy were pretty close, right?"

"We were, yeah… but I guess that's over now."

"So you've got an open slot…?"

Adrian turned to regard the rabbit Faunus for a moment. Seeing what was essentially Opal's face with short blonde hair and brown eyes was a bit odd, but those eyes were filled with a genuine concern that Adrian rarely saw in anyone. "I suppose I do, yeah."

"So…?"

"Crim, I appreciate the gesture, but being friends with me can be… hazardous to your health, if you catch my drift."

"Oh, don't worry about me… anyone who I can't headshot from 1,000 yards, Opal is usually able to decapitate with little effort."

"If you were joking, I still wouldn't laugh."

"Neither would I."

Adrian sighed, then rubbed his hand through his hair. Eventually he met Crimson's gaze one more time and said, "Alright, I'll give it a shot, happy? Now go on upstairs before your sister has a fit."

"What are you gonna do?"

"I need some air. Once I've calmed down I'll join you guys. And then… I've got a bit of explaining to do."

Crimson smiled, then rubbed his hand over Adrian's back before turning to head upstairs. Adrian took another few breaths, trying to keep that little demon off his mind, then turned and walked outside. The cool night air helped refresh him as he started walking laps around the dorm building. His bad knee gave a throb to remind him it was still healing, so he refocused his Aura into it as he walked.

Misty had been with him all day, even letting her guard down during dinner. She'd seen for herself that he was just as human as she was, even going as far as empathizing when she learned that his Mother had disappeared. But then, as soon as one of those things showed up, she turned her back on him.

It was like 5 years ago all over again.

Because of that, Mom up and left. Because of that, he'd gained more than a few anger issues, turning to Pharos to try and vent his frustrations. Because of that, he'd gotten into a fight almost as soon as he'd started at Beacon.

And because of that, Oobleck had ordered that Misty remain with Adrian from that moment on. Which she currently was not. Adrian stopped walking when he finally remembered he was alone…

…One second before a sack was pulled over his head.

He never had a chance to focus his Aura; the first blow took him right between the legs, immediately followed by a savage hit to his bad knee (he felt something pop inside the joint this time), and Adrian was curled up on the ground in an instant, helplessly taking brutal kicks and blows with blunt weapons. Metal, by the sound of 'em. There were no spoken words to give away his attackers' identities, only grunts and growls. It wouldn't have mattered anyway, as one blow hit his head and left his ears ringing. Three distinct cracks could be heard from his ribcage. Somebody stomped on his bad knee, but by this point his legs had gone completely numb.

Yet at no point did he scream. It hurt like all hell, but screaming would only make the beating worse. Instead he thrashed, and the sack eventually inched its way off his face.

The last thing he saw before blacking out was the final hit; a kick to the face from a weighted golden boot.

…

Author's Note: Adrian's combat style is meant to be a combination of boxing and Tae Kwon Do, and I have no idea if such a style exists in real life. Cliff's combat style is meant to emulate what someone might learn by watching Cowboy Bebop a few dozen times.

=^..^=