A/N: Hey there, everybody! Welcome back to Ben 10 RWBY as well as the return of Friday updates! Yeah, the streak had to end at some point, but hey, I expected it would happen soon. And besides, I'm kinda glad we're back on Fridays. Helps end the week off with a satisfying feeling, you know? But, in any case, we've got a LOT of stuff to go over in this chapter, so let's get to it, shall we? This is…

Chapter 69: Bounty-ful Surprises

…..

It had been a while since Ben had taken a drive by himself. Usually, it would be Team RWBY joining him on almost every excursion, especially on patrols, but not today. Today, Six had been kind enough to give them the day off after the hectic mess that was last night. 'Well, okay, it wasn't a TOTAL mess, but still, Rex at least needs a break from it all.' Ben rationalized in his head. Ever since finding out that his arch-nemesis was still alive—and leading a cult no less—Rex was very clearly upset and needed some time to come to grips with all of this. Thankfully, Weiss was quick to take him out on a date… but even then, his disposition was still quite dower when they left. 'With any luck, she'll be able to help him cheer up…'

As for him, the Omnitrix wielder had just dropped Yang, Pyrrha and Nora off at the mall, his girlfriend promising the two redheads that she'd find some nice casual outfits for them after they saw the new gear she'd set Blake up with. And right now, he was driving straight toward Plumber base, ready to do something he had been both anticipating… and was somewhat apprehensive about. The moment he saw his grandfather's hardware store come up on his right, he also caught sight of Gwen and Kevin already waiting for him out front. 'Well, here goes nothing.'

Ben pulled up to the curb, parked, and got out of his car, smiling at his two closest companions. "Hey guys. Enjoy your break?"

"Yeah, it was… eventful." Kevin said, giving Gwen a knowing glance. "We definitely worked out ALL of our frustrations, I'd say."

"In more ways than one." Gwen added curtly, cutting Kevin off before Ben could catch on to what he meant. Clearing her throat with a slight blush on her cheeks, she smiled to her cousin and greeted him with a hug. "But I'm glad that you gave us this break, we definitely needed it." But then, her expression became more sympathetic. "Sorry we couldn't help out with the whole Pack thing last night, though."

"Ah, it's alright. We'll get 'em." Ben assured. "Rex might not be too happy about it now, but hopefully Weiss will help him get in a better mood by the end of the day."

Gwen's smile returned at that and she nodded. "Hm, yeah, of course. By the way, Jaune told me that Zak was back in town…" Her grin grew into a smirk as she raised a brow. "I take it that Ruby's excited?"

"Oh yeah, everyone is." Ben assured, beaming with eyes full of intrique. "We had one heck of a time last night talking about what's been going on. Zak's been in Peru for the past week and lemme tell ya, some of the Cryptid stuff he's been dealing with sounds insane. Did you know that Auhitzotl is an ACTUAL thing? Because I thought it was just something that My Little Pony made up."

However, as Ben rambled on, Gwen's features twisted awkwardly and her eyebrow twitched, her cousin having totally missed her meaning. 'I was hoping to get some more deets on how Ruby and Zak are getting along specifically, but I guess I was a bit TOO eager there.' All the same, she decided to get things back on track. "Y-Yeah, I knew it was. But we can save all that for later. …Are you ready for this?"

Ben bit his lip at the question, knowing exactly what she meant. "Hmph… kinda-sorta. In all honesty, I don't think any amount of preparation could help me get ready for something like this." His gaze shifted toward Kevin. "So, did he answer the messages?"

"Oh yeah, we got 'im." Kevin confirmed, giving his best friend a chuckle. "Heh, he was pretty keen to see you in particular, bud."

The hero's lips tightened at that. "Yeah, I'm sure. Hmph, why is it always awkward dealing with my former villains?"

"Hey, look at it this way; he's coming to speak on Charmcaster's behalf." Gwen reminded. "And if he can reform and walk down a better path, then she should be able to as well."

"Yeah, well… the situations between her and him are pretty different." Ben reminded right back as the trio finally entered the store. "The fact that HE reformed without even being arrested, arraigned, given parole all right out from under our noses STILL gets to me. How the heck did he avoid the law for so long again?"

Gwen rolled her eyes, the three of them crowding into the still very unsanitary bathroom. "Ben, he's a magician, of course he'd be able to avoid the law for so many years."

Reaching up to pull the chain and activate the elevator, Ben narrowed his eyes at his cousin. "Gwen, he's one of your TEACHERS at COLLEGE. And I only found OUT about this when I came to investigate that creepy stuff going on there!"

"Ah! Are you saying that I should've snitched out my own teacher?"

"I'm saying that you're very lucky that it was Darkstar pulling that creepy crap and not him."

As the two cousins went back and forth with one another, Kevin could only stand there and take it. This debate had been a thing between the two of them for half a year now. Thankfully, he hadn't heard it since they had been transported to Remnant, but now that THIS was happening, of course the topic just HAD to come back up. Thankfully, he didn't have to listen to it very long as they came to the main hub of the Plumber Base… and the object of their conversation stood not too far way. "Oh hey, speaking of, there's ol' Skullface himself!"

The Tennyson cousins stopped their small spat and whipped their heads down to see a middle-aged man standing casually in the center of the room, wearing a red and black three-piece suit with matching shoes and tie. His black hair was styled into dreadlocks and pulled back into a short ponytail, but his most prominent feature was that his face was entirely tattooed over by a white skull, with most of his neck and certain other parts colored dark black to make it stand out even more. His yellow eyes were also quite startling… but they were full of happiness when they landed on his redheaded student. "Gwendolyn! Hah, so good to see you again!"

Gwen smiled and respectfully bowed her head toward her college history teacher… and former enemy. "Mr. Hex, it's good to see you too. How's your summer been so far?"

"Splendid, I will say." Hex replied, stepping nearer the trio with his arms outstretched to his sides. "Although I WILL say that having to deal with the ones who've taken summer classes can rather… bothersome."

"Why's that, Mr. Bones?" Kevin smirked, calling him by the "affectionate" nickname he'd given him. "They stupid or somethin'?"

The reformed villain sighed and shook his head. "No, Mr. Levin, simply… lacking in certain fields. There is a reason why they opted for summer classes, after all." The warlock's gaze trailed over toward Ben, the hero keeping his eyes narrowed onto him the whole time. "Ah, Benjamin. It's certainly been a while…" Hex gave him a knowing smirk. "…hasn't it?"

"I know I should say "not long enough", but I feel like that'd be too cliché." Ben responded with a sigh.

Hex chuckled and extended a hand. "Hmhm, I keep telling you, boy, you have nothing to worry about when it comes to me. I have been changed, rehabilitated through discovering the joys of teaching youth!" He sounded emphatically passionate as he described his career, wearing a jubilant smile that always put Ben off since it almost didn't even seem like the Hex he once knew. "Honestly, Benjamin, I have no intent of regressing to my former ways, I can assure you."

Ben raised a hand to the man. "Oh trust me, I know. Gwen's pretty much had to drive that home for me like, over a DOZEN times." He gave his cousin a brief stink-eye before going back to his former villain. "And while I still can't get over it… it's important that I come to terms with it." His expression grew softer as he continued. "And well… I knew you wouldn't have come if you didn't care about your niece in this situation, so I can respect that."

"Hm, yes…" Hex's smile disappeared and he turned back to Gwen, bowing his head. "And on that note, I must sincerely thank you, Gwendolyn. For being there for Charmcaster when I could not be."

"Oh, it's no trouble at all, really." Gwen promised. "I just wanted her to have a fair shot at reformation just like you did, Mr. Hex. …Albeit this time a bit more known to the Plumbers."

With a solemn nod, Hex agreed. "Right, right, I can see why. After all, my situation was rather… unorthodox, so I doubt you would want a repeat of that…" He trailed off as a feeling of guilt began to weigh in his gut, making him sit down on a nearby bench and rest his chin in his hands. "Hah… this is all my fault. If I hadn't been so obsessed with gaining the power of the Charms of Bezel all those years ago, perhaps Charmcast—er, Hope wouldn't have ended up the way she did. Truly, I was an awful influence on her."

Ben glanced off to the side. "Well, you won't find me arguing—oof! Oh, come on, it's the truth!"

Gwen, having elbowed him in the side, glared at her cousin for his remark. "Well, you don't have to be so rude about it." Focusing back on her college teacher, she went over and sat next to him. "Hex, we all experience things we regret and wish we could take back. I wish I had been a better person to Hope earlier, too." Her eyes shifted down sadly. "Maybe if I had reached out to her then… we could've avoided a lot of things." Taking a deep breath, Gwen set a determined gaze onto Hex. "But that's in the past, and the best we can do now is to do better for the future. So, let's make sure Hope has the support of all of us…" She raised an eyebrow at her cousin. "And I do mean ALL."

As unsure as he was about all of this, Ben gave her a nod of acknowledgement, only for a nearby door to open as Max walked in. Tetrax was also following close behind. "Morning, grandpa, Tetrax." Ben greeted the two. "How's it going?"

"Mornin', kids." Max greeted with a smile. "It goes pretty good so far. We're just about ready to bring up the lady of the hour." He caught sight of Hex sitting next to his granddaughter, his countenance growing a bit more serious. "Hello, Hex. Glad you could make it."

"Maxwell, it's good to see you." Hex returned, standing up and straightening his suit out. "I apologize if my presence is… off-putting to you. And thank you for watching over my niece, I appreciate it greatly."

Max raised a hand to him. "Think nothing of it. As far as I was concerned, she's been a guest, not a prisoner. We've made sure she's been treated as well as possible, even if she felt like she shouldn't have been." The old Plumber's lips curled into a slight smile once again. "She's got a good head on her shoulders."

"I know… which is why I only feel all the more terrible about my past deeds." Hex absentmindedly straightened his tie nervously. "Hah, I can only imagine what she'll be like when she sees me. She probably doesn't even know I'm—"

Tetrax stepped in to clarify. "Don't worry, we made sure to tell her about you coming here beforehand so that she was prepared."

"Right, we weren't just gonna throw it on her at the last minute." Max affirmed.

With a sigh, Hex rested his hand over his chest. "Hah… good to hear. Well, if that's the case, I'll—"

*ding* An elevator door suddenly rung, bringing everyone's attention to the other side of the room. "Oh, that must be them now." Tetrax noted

…Which sent Hex into a spiraling panic. "Oh gods, by the gods, I am not ready for this!" He spun around to Gwen, hoping that she would be able to help him in this time of need. "H-How do I look? Am I at least presentable? Oh gods, I can't take this, she is going to be so furious when she sees me, I—"

"Uh… Hex?" Gwen poked his shoulder to get his attention and pointed behind him… where a certain voice spoke up.

"…Uncle Hex?"

Hex felt his stomach drop and then fling back up right into his throat. He had spent hours trying to mentally prepare himself for this reunion… and he still was FAR from ready. '…But it's happening right now, Hex.' he told himself, taking a massive breath and standing up straight. 'No going back, rip the bandage off.' Hex turned around and opened his eyes, seeing his niece standing there before him. She was flanked by two Plumber guards and her wrists were bound in energy cuffs, her eyes wide and full of shock as they met his own, sad gaze. "Charmcaster… Hope… it has been too long."

Charmcaster let go of a breath she didn't know she was holding before speaking back. "Huh… it certainly has." Astonishingly to Hex, she didn't sound upset or angry, but rather… disappointed? "I'll be honest, this was not what I was expecting when it came to our eventual reunion."

Hex raised his eyebrows, intrigued. "Really? What were you imagining?"

"Well, before all of… this," Hope gestured to Gwen and the others for context, "I pictured me standing over your defeated body after letting out all of the pent-up aggression I'd built up over the years." That made Hex suck in his lips, now feeling extremely awkward. "But… this?" She waved her hand at him as best she could, pointing out his new appearance. "With the suit and the dreadlocks and the loafers? This was NOT on my list of what to expect."

Clearing his throat, Hex gave an anxious laugh. "Ah-haha, yes, um… well, we all discover something new about ourselves when we hit middle age…" He trailed off under his niece's scrutinizing gaze, leading him to sigh once more. "Hmph, Hope, please listen to what I have to say. I'm not about to make any excuses for what I've put you through. What I did was exceedingly awful, especially after we had lost our home in Ledgerdomain. I was so desperate for power that… I took advantage of the only family I had left." He fell to both knees and bowed his head profusely to her. "You not only have every right to be ashamed of me, but I do not blame you one second if you resent me for the rest of your life. Still, I am here because I wish to appeal your case to the court, and with any luck, you will receive the second chance you so rightfully deserve."

There was a long pause as not just Charmcaster, but everyone took in Hex's words, astonished by how forthcoming he was. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Hope gave her response. "…Have you been eating well?"

That took Hex aback, lifting his head suddenly in confusion. "I… what?"

"I said, have you been eating well?" Charmcaster pointed down to his hands. "Because just from seeing your hands alone, you seem to have gotten a LOT skinner since the last time I saw you."

The sorcerer stood up, still astonished. "I-I don't understand. You said you were angry with me—that you dreamt of defeating me." He placed his hands on his chest. "I stand before you now, so please, feel free to take out any aggression you—"

"I already told you, remember? I let all of that out a long time ago." Hope interrupted, furrowing her brows seriously to her uncle. "And, while you're still not exactly my favorite person at the moment… I can't bring myself to hate you." She hung her head low, growing more forlorn as she recalled her past. "When we escaped Ledgerdomain all those years ago, I was as upset at the world as you were. And while living under you wasn't pleasant, to say the least… I didn't really make much of an effort to improve my situation. I just leaned further into it" Her gaze became more sympathetic as she lifted her head, meeting her uncle's eyes. "And, seeing the person standing in front of me right now, I can tell that you've changed a lot." A small smile came to Charmcaster's features. "…I can only hope that I'm capable of that same kind of change as well."

Hex was easily thrown for a loop by his nieces unexpected speech, feeling his anxiety slip away as a lump of emotion formed in his throat. Still, he swallowed it down and returned the smile in kind, nodding in support. "Hm, I believe you already have changed quite a bit, given what Gwendolyn told me. Tell me, would you have come as fast as you did to the conflict here if this had happened three or even two years ago?"

"…No, probably not." Charmcaster shifted her smile over to Gwen, who reciprocated in kind. "It's why I'm glad that no one gave up on me, and that there are people who believe in me…" But then, she took up a more neutral expression as she glanced over to Ben. "But even then, I know that there are still people I need to prove that to, and I do hope that I can."

"Hm, so do I." Ben concurred. "As much as I don't trust you much at the moment, I look forward to seeing if I'm proven wrong." He nudged his head over to Hex with a smirk. "Let's see if you can be a surprise success story like your uncle, eh?"

The sorceress exchanged an amused grin with the hero with a slight chuckle. "Hehe, I'll take you up on that, Tennyson. So, when do we leave for this parole hearing?"

Max reinserted himself into the conversation. "Very soon. But first, there's a quick stop that we need to make down in the lab." The old man glanced to his grandchildren knowingly. "Kids, the Lewodans have finally dropped off the device that Cooper asked for."

This piqued both cousin's interest, as well as Kevin, too. "The crystal refinement machine is here?" Gwen said excitedly. "Hah, alright. Cooper's going to be thrilled!"

"I'm sure he will be. But the Lewodans want something in exchange before they just hand it over." Max explained, addressing Ben specifically. "They're asking for you, sport. And it sounds pretty important."

Ben's eyebrows knitted together, uncertain what that could mean. The last time he had dealt with Lewodans, it hadn't exactly been a positive experience. 'Last time I willingly jump down a Pantophage's throat.' he thought with disgust. Letting out a breath, Ben shook his head and accepted his fate. "Hah, alright. This machine's important to Cooper—even if I don't know WHAT he's gonna use it for—so might as well see what they need. …But if it involves another Tiffan almost getting eaten, they can forget it."

…..

Ben and Max went down to the lab by themselves, with Tetrax escorting Gwen, Kevin, Hex and Charmcaster to the transport room to wait. When they got there, the hero's eyes were immediately captured by a rather large machine that he knew hadn't been there before. It was about as tall as two adults, with pistons, gears and pipes visible all throughout, along with a big compartment of some sort near the back and a small hole on the front with a dispensing tube coming right out of it, complete with a faucet knob. It was very complex, to say the least.

And, standing in front of it waiting for them, was a tall, elderly Lewodan. Signature of his alien race, he had milky white skin that extended to his whip-like "hair", which was very swirly on the top of his head and curled on each end of his "mustache". He also had a monocle over his right eye and wore a set of blue robes, with a purple collar that had two gold badges pinned to it. Seeing the two enter, he greeted the hero first with a smile. "Ah, Ben Tennyson! It is truly an honor." he bowed graciously. "My name is Caitiff, leader of the Republic of Lewoda."

"It's a pleasure." Ben returned with his hands placed on his hips. "I heard that you have a proposition for me in exchange for that machine you're willing to loan out."

"Oh, no, no, the machine is yours to keep!" Caitiff explained, waving his hands. "We have plenty of crystal refiners on our planet, so we can surely spare a single one. However, in exchange, there IS something that I wish for you to consider aiding us with."

"If this is about another Tiffan—"

"Oh, heavens, no." Caitiff denied. "Ever since Artificial Tiffan-flavored snacks became a thing, we have since abandoned that practice." He coughed into his hand and added; "On a side note… thank you for saving my grandson. My daughter is forever in your debt."

That took Ben by surprise, but he rolled with it. "O-Oh, sure! Of course. Please, tell her thank you." Caitiff smiled gratefully before the hero asked; "So, if it's not about that, then what IS it about?"

With a deep sigh, Caitiff explained. "Yes, well… for a long time, our planet has been in conflict with the Appoplexians. I'm certain that you are familiar with them, yes?" All of a sudden, Ben became very stone-faced, taking Caitiff and Max off guard. He simply stood there in silence, staring seemingly a thousand yards into the distance as if he was in the middle of some intense thought. "…U-Um, Mr. Tennyson? Are you… alright?" The president went to Max in concern. "Is your grandson okay?"

"Pretty sure." Max peeked at Ben's eyes, only to see the boy's bangs casting a shadow over them. "Ben? Everything good?" The two elders stood there in stunned silence… ignorant to the depth of memories the Omnitrix bearer was going through in his mind.

"LET ME TELL YA SOMETHIN', PANTOPHAGE!"

"LET ME TELL YA SOMETHING, KEVIN E. LEVIN!"

"Let me tell ya something', Gwen Tennyson…"

"LET ME TELL YA SOMETHIN', STUPID RATH-SIZED HOLE!"

"LET ME TELL YA SOMETHIN', GUY WHO SOUNDS LIKE ME!"

"Let me tell ya something', Yang Xiao Long…"

"LET ME TELL YA SOMETHIN', SIENNA KHAN!"

"GIVE IT UP, GRAVITY! YOU CAN'T BEAT RAAAAAAAATH!"

Finally, after what felt like forever, Ben snapped out of it, lifting his head and making both men yelp. "I'm familiar with them, yes."

"O-Oh… well, that's good." Caitiff coughed into his hand, regaining his composure. "Ahem, well, in truth, we and the Appoplexians have been in conflict with one another for the past several centuries. Our ideological and temperamental differences clashed almost immediately when they first came to our planet in search of our naturally growing energy crystals, you see."

Ben raised an eyebrow. "Let me guess, they went to violence first and didn't even bother trying to negotiate a trade?" Caitiff gave a solemn nod. "Hah, had a feeling. Though I have a feeling that neither side is blameless in this situation."

"Hm, you would be correct. The Lewodans are far from guilty when it comes to the wrongs we've wrought against them. One of my previous predecessors even once had an entire outpost of theirs destroyed." He gave a frustrated sigh and set a hand to his head. "This conflict must be put to an end before a true war breaks out, but they are just so frustrating to negotiate with!"

"…And you want me to be your mediator?" Ben guessed.

Caitiff placed his hands together and, much to Ben's shock, got on his knees. "Yes! Please, Ben Tennyson, I implore you! Please, be the mediator that helps put an end to this before a war is declared!"

However, the hero winced. "Er… I dunno if you'd want ME to be your mediator. Last time I tried to end a war, it didn't exactly go well."

But Caitiff wore a hopeful smile regardless. "Oh, but I'm certain that this time will be MUCH different! After all, I hear tell that you've recently unlocked a Galilean!"

"Wait, Gravattack?" Putting his hand to the Omnitrix, Ben brought up Gravattack's hologram, looking upon it with intrigue. "You're saying that he could help end your conflict with the Appoplexians?"

"Of course! It makes so much sense." Max said, slapping a hand to his forehead. Seeing his grandson tilt his head, the elder Plumber explained. "Ben, while Appoplexians and Lewodans don't agree on many things, they both recognize that Galileans are incredibly wise and patient beings who are recognized by many races as being capable of resolving many problems through careful thought and deliberation. Perhaps Gravattack has some inherent intelligence can help you through this."

This made Ben hum in thought to himself, recalling all of the previous times he had transformed into Gravattack. "You know… now that I think about it, I DID kinda feel a bit smarter as Gravattack. Not as smart as Grey Matter or Brainstorm, but maybe a bit wiser…" He trailed off, thinking on the Lewodan president's request as he knelt before him, practically pleading for his help. 'Maybe… this COULD go better than last time.' With that final thought, Ben grinned down to the alien man and placed a fist over his chest. "Well, alright. I'll give it my best shot."

"OH, PRAISE BE!" Caitiff shuffled forward and took Ben's hand, shaking it enthusiastically. "Thank you so, SO much, Ben Tennyson! The crystal refiner is yours to keep, and thank you so much for accepting this position." The Lewodan stood up and bowed to the two Tennyson men. "Our negotiations will begin in two weeks. We hope to see you there, and thank you once again." Lifting his head up, a shimmer engulfed Caitiff before he ultimately disappeared, leaving Ben and Max alone in the lab with the refinement machine.

Max rested a hand on his grandson's shoulder. "Well, that was eventful. Hope you'll be ready for this, Ben."

The brunette could only shrug. "I'll be as ready as I can be, at least. But right now, we've got other things to worry about. C'mon, we should go." Before the duo walked out of the lab, however, Ben eyed the alien contraction with dubious skepticism. "Cooper, I have NO idea what you're gonna use this for, but it'd better be worth it."

…..

"…I don't know WHICH god assigned you to follow me around, but it'd better be worth it." Sun grimaced at the woodpecker that had been on his shoulder practically since this morning, the little bird simply minding its own business as it flittered about. It cocked its head at him only to start nipping at his shirt, making the monkey boy cry out and shoo the bird off. "Agh! Hey! Watch the threads, man!"

Blake rolled her eyes as she walked side-by-side with him through the crosswalk, making it to the other side of the street before chastising him. "Oh, Sun, would you be nicer to your new bird companion?" The woodpecker landed on her shoulder, giving a single nod of approval before getting scritches on the head from the happy cat girl. "I honestly think he's kinda cute."

The monkey boy was immediately concerned hearing that. "Blake, do NOT fall for his tricks! He may seem cute one moment, but the next he'll be pecking at your head like there's no tomorrow! You yourself saw it!"

Giving her boyfriend a deadpan stare, Blake raised a single brow at him. "Well, maybe if you were nicer to him, he'd stop irritating you." Sun raised a finger to argue that, but much to his frustration… he had to admit that she had a point. And Blake knew that he knew. "Uh-huh, I'm right, aren't I?"

"Ugh… well okay, maybe I could stand to be nicer to Pecky."

"We are not calling him that."

"What?! Aw, c'mon, I already thought it up and everything!"

"Sun, it sounds extremely inappropriate." Blake argued as she cupped her hands around the woodpecker and held him, giving him more head scritches. "And we don't want this little guy to have a bad name, now do we? No, no we don't."

His lips falling into a deep frown, Sun couldn't believe that this bird was getting more attention from his own girlfriend than he was. And, as much as he knew it was cruel, visions of him wringing the bird's neck flashed through his mind. 'Lucky little sonova—'

But then, Sun's train of thought was cut off when a familiar voice rang up from behind. "Hey there, you two!" The Faunus couple turned around and were greeted with Weiss and Rex walking up to them, the former wearing a very elegant, white sundress and matching wide-brimmed hat with sunglasses and heeled, open-toed shoes. Rex was still in his standard get-up, and seemed a bit less excited than his girlfriend. "Fancy meeting you here." Weiss greeted.

"Oh, hey Weiss." Blake smiled back. "Yeah, we were just passing through on our way to the bookstore." Her eyes trailed over to Rex, noticing the EVO keeping his head slightly low. "…Rex?"

A short gasp escaped Rex's throat before abruptly saying hi. "O-Oh, uh, h-hey there Blake, Sun. How's it goin'?"

However, the cat and monkey duo were left astonished, seeing the deep, dark circles under Rex's eyes. "Dude! Holy crap!" Sun exclaimed, while the woodpecker covered its eyes with its wings. "Did you get ANY sleep at all last night after the mission?"

Rex winced and rubbed his eyelids tiredly. "Hmph… barely. After I got back to base, I stayed up for a long time talking with Six, Holiday and Bobo about it. Hell, I even called Caesar over in Remnant to fill him in." He pursed his lips regrettably. "…He wasn't too happy that I woke him up, but he was glad I told him about it."

"I see." Blake nodded, placing the woodpecker on Sun's shoulder so she could walk up and place a hand on Rex's shoulder. "Listen, Rex, I've been where you're at right now. When Adam and the White Fang first appeared in Vale, I spent many sleepless nights trying to track him down. It was only when Yang talked some sense into me that I was able to see I was getting no where fast." She furrowed her brow seriously at him. "My main point; don't make the same mistake I made. I understand that you're concerned about Van Kleiss being on the loose, and him having Breach doesn't make it much better. But if you focus everything you have on searching them out with absolutely no rest, you're gonna collapse before you make it that far."

Weiss put on a victorious smile, folding her arms as Rex eyed her. "See? Even SHE agrees."

His shoulders slumping with an exhausted breath, Rex lazily nodded. "Yeah, yeah I see." His eyes settled on Blake with a weary smile. "Thanks for the advise, Blake, really. Weiss actually just read me the riot act about this not too long ago, so don't worry, I'm definitely not gonna run myself into the ground over this." Taking a deep breath, Rex straightened his back, collecting his thoughts. "But still… this is a big deal. Kleiss finding a way to make his own nanites is no joke. I'm not sure how he's doing it, but it NEEDS to be stopped."

"Agreed." Weiss affirmed, going up and putting a firm hand on Rex's chest. "And we will, but not without a proper plan. We need to free Breach first so that he can't get away easily anymore and so that he can't hide in her pocket dimension. After that, it's all a matter of finding out how he's making nanites and taking that out next." She reached up with her other hand, taking a gently hold of his collar. "But for right now, let's get you home. You need rest."

Rex's eyes snapped open, seemingly fully awake but not totally. "W-What?! But Weiss, you told me we were—" It was then that he noted that Weiss and Blake were both wearing matching smirks, and it didn't take long for him to figure it out from there. "…You two planned this intervention from the start, didn't you?"

"Yep, did it last night." Weiss confirmed.

"I could see the signs that you were on the same road I was on not too long ago, Rex." Blake explained. "And the last thing we wanna see is you exhausting yourself over this."

Sun went up and nudged Rex's shoulder. "You gotta pace yourself, bro. Head back to base and take a deserved nap. And don't worry, we'll all manage the stress of Kleiss and the Pack together."

All of a sudden, Rex could feel his eyelids grow increasingly heavy, the reassurance of his friends and girlfriend giving him a sense of relief. "Th-Thanks guys, I… I appreciate… hawwwwn…" With a mighty yawn, Rex's eyes drifted closed and he fell asleep on his feet. At least, for all of two seconds before he began listing forward.

"AH! Rex!" Weiss and Blake went to grab him from the front while Sun rushed behind him, pulling his arms around his midsection to keep him up right.

"Gah! Holy crap! Didn't expect that." the blond boy said in shock.

As Rex began snoring lightly, Blake inspected his face, searching for any sign of illness just in case. "Hm, well, he doesn't seem sick. The weight of everything that happened probably just hit him like a truck." Seeing Weiss's features etched with concern, she suggested; "Let's take him to Plumber HQ and have Holiday get him to bed."

Weiss was all too quick to agree. "Hm, right. Give me a sec…" Without her weapon, she'd have to concentrate much harder to focus on her Semblance, but eventually, she was capable of bringing forth a Summoning Glyph. From its center emerged her Sphinx, the massive, winged feline letting out a mighty roar and disrupting everything going on in that section of town. "S-Sorry, sorry!" Weiss apologized as she, Blake and Sun hefted Rex onto its back. "Official hero business going on, we'll be out of the way soon!" Once Rex was secured, she and the Faunus duo boarded the Grimm and it took to the skies, flying straight for the Plumber base.

…..

Meanwhile, across town, a certain other trio were currently preoccupying their time with their own mini-fashion show. At least, that's what Yang had thought of it. Seeing Nora and Pyrrha trying out all of these outfits she was putting together, it really felt like they were a bunch of fashionistas just out on the town, doing their thing and indulging in their love of trendy clothing. 'Coco would be SO proud if she could see us.' The Blonde Brawler thought to herself. Of course, they probably wouldn't actually buy a lot of these clothes—Max had warned them about breaking the Plumber's bank—but it was still fun to imagine.

Just then, Pyrrha emerged from the changing room once again… and Yang was left quite surprised. "AH! Pyrrha, hold up!"

"Hm? What is it?" the Invincible Girl peered over her shoulder.

"That's perfect." The outfit Pyrrha was wearing was rather simple compared to most of their Huntsman gear, and intentionally so. After all, when your gear was thick, heavy armor, you needed something casual to wear when NOT out on the job. Most of the rest of the team could get away with going about in their gear, but Pyrrha was a very notable exception. It had been Yang's intent on bringing her here to get her some new decent threads… and she was fairly sure she succeeded. Leading her over to a nearby mirror, Yang showed Pyrrha her reflection. "Take a gander for yourself!"

Once she did see herself, Pyrrha had to admit, she was making it work. Yang had advised going for something that complimented her hair, so of course, the thin jacket she was wearing was colored red. And what's more, beneath this unzipped jacket was a golden yellow tank top that, much to Pyrrha's hesitancy, showed off her belly a little. Her legs were adorned with white capris pants that were somewhat similar to Blake's, but instead of boots, she wore a pair of red and white sneakers. Pyrrha had also removed her signature circlet, giving her bangs more prominence.

"Hm… not bad." Pyrrha nodded slowly.

"Not bad?" Yang repeated incredulously. "Girl, you are on FIRE right now."

The compliment made Pyrrha blush slightly. "Y-You really think so?"

Yang wore a sly grin at the question. "P-Money, trust me, when Jaune sees you in this, he's gonna be kicking himself for not realizing his feelings sooner." The blonde bit her lower lip and pointed to Pyrrha's stomach, where her abs were on full display. "Ooh, and those? Those'll kill Ladykiller. Seriously, you could grind meat on—"

"AHAHA! OKAY, that is quite enough!" Pyrrha exclaimed, now completely beat red as she zipped over to the changing room to collect her valuables. "You've convinced me, I will BUY this set!"

"Yeah, yeah you will." Yang nodded in approval before eyeing the other dressing room. "Yo, Nora, we found somethin' Pyrrha's sold on! What's your status?" There was no response, which both confused and concerned the two ladies. "…Nora?" Yang drew closer to the changing room door… only for it to suddenly FLING open, making her and Pyrrha scream.

…What came out next was something neither of them were expecting. It was Nora… in more black leather than either of them would've ever expected. Her short-sleeved jacket? Black leather with silver spikes on she shoulders. Her skirt? Black leather. Her fingerless gloves? Black leather with studs on the back. Her boots? Black leather with steel toes. The only article of clothing that WASN'T black on her was her pink undershirt… which had the word "BADDIE" written on the chest in black lettering.

Yang and Pyrrha's jaws dropped as Nora walked up, wearing black sunglasses while chewing on a toothpick. Wearing a sneer, she took the toothpick out of her mouth and pointed it at the girls. "Well ladies… whaddya think?" she asked huskily.

"…I think you should get your head examined." Yang replied.

"Nora, what in the world are you wearing?" Pyrrha deadpanned.

Lifting her sunglasses, Nora's tough-girl façade dropped and she returned to her usual bubbliness. "Oh, I just found these puppies out on the rack and I thought; "I would SO regret it if I DIDN'T try these on". And guess what? They FIT!" She returned her sunglasses to her face with an excited grin. "Do you think Ren would like it?"

"I, um… I think he'd feel SOME way about it." Yang replied hesitantly.

"Well, no matter what, I'm buyin' 'em!" Nora cheered. "I'd be dumb to let an outfit like this escape me."

Pyrrha wore a small grimace as she placed a hand on her teammate's shoulder, being mindful of the spikes. "Nora, just so long as you don't wear this in public beyond this moment, you may indulge in… whatever THIS is."

Nora pumped her fists into the air victoriously. "I'll take it! C'mon Pyrrha, let's go pay for these!" The two members of Team JNPR gathered their things and started making their way to the front desk, though Nora quickly noticed that Yang seemed to be wanting to break off in a different direction. "Hm? Yang? Where're you off to?"

"Oh, I'll catch up in a little bit." The Blonde Brawler assured. "I'm just gonna go browse around and see if any little accessories catch my eye."

"Hm, very well." Pyrrha approved. "We'll come and find you once we're done, okay?"

Giving a thumbs up, Yang parted ways with the two and made for the accessory section. "Gotcha! See ya in a bit!" As she walked through the area, Yang could see that there were TONS of things to choose from. Of course, there were her personal favorite accessories—sunglasses—but she felt like changing things up a little. Taking a glance around, she could see necklaces, bracelets, earrings and more types of jewelry all around… all of which would be very problematic with her fighting style. 'Don't wanna risk getting an earring torn out and blood getting everywhere.' she winced.

Finally, she came across some hair-related accessories, which was much more her speed. Of course, she cherished her long, blonde locks more than almost anything, but it didn't hurt to change things up once and a while. Of course, she had recently added a cowboy hat to her collection thanks to one of her favorite huntresses gifting it to her, but it was summer and it had gotten a bit too hot to wear it recently. Her eye was caught by a few orange, purple and green scrunchies, which she kept in the back of her mind for now.

"Hm, let's see… ooh, maybe this." Yang reached down and took a purple hairband from the shelf, pulling her hair back and slipping it onto her head. Finding a nearby mirror, Yang inspected herself, judging how well the band did to accentuate her bangs and keep the rest of her hair back. "Hm… this could work… maybe in a different color, though?" Yang took the band off her head and went to put it back, but it ended up slipping off the shelf when she grabbed a black one behind it. "Ah! Whoops!"

However, another hand belonging to someone else quickly shot down and caught the band. "Woah, don't worry, I got it." the owner said in a light, feminine voice, giving a little giggle as she placed the band back on the shelf. "Hmhm, these little things can be surprisingly slippery."

Yang was taken aback by the unexpected assistance. She couldn't see the girl's face, but she could tell that she was pretty young by her voice, probably even around her age. She had short, dark hair, but was keeping her head low as she browsed the shelf herself. "Ah… hah, y-yeah, they are." Yang agreed. "And thanks for catching that."

"No problem. You doing a little shopping for yourself?"

"Yeah, though I don't know if I'll actually buy anything yet…" Yang returned to the mirror and slipped the black headband on. This time, she smiled as it definitely worked better for her, contrasting with her hair more. "The challenge is finding what you're happy with and something that'll make others think you look good, too."

"Haha, don't I know it?" the girl laughed. "I'm trying to find some accessories that I'm happy with, too, but I can be kinda fickle when it comes to that stuff."

The Blonde Brawler grinned as she took the purple headband off, turning to the girl to try and see her better. She had on a pink backpack, and she seemed to be wearing a lavender, long-sleeved hoodie and a white skirt, her feet adorned with white tennis shoes. But still, Yang couldn't make out any features. "Hehe, I know, right?"

The girl perked her head up, seemingly interested in something. "So, you hoping to catch someone's eye with these accessories?"

Yang could see hints of a smirk peeking out from behind her hairline, which confused her but she reserved herself and corrected her. "O-Oh, no, no, I've got a boyfriend already…" Her gaze shifted down to the headband as a thought occurred to her. "But you know… I'm not really sure if he'd care if I have accessories or not. He usually tells me I look great in everything…"

"Yeah, Ben can be a total sweetheart like that."

"Hm, yeah, he's… wait, what?" Yang's eyes widened a little as her head snapped back up to the girl, catching her glancing over her shoulder at her. "H-How did you…"

"Know about you and Ben? Well, how couldn't I? After all, it was pretty much all over the news when you first came to this world." The girl finally turned toward her and Yang was left absolutely stunned. She was a young, Asian-American girl with fair skin, soft lips and almond-brown eyes, her short, black hair styled into a bob cut. "And let me just say, I was relieved to see him back… though hearing that he and met someone new over in that other world was a big shocking, I'll admit. But all the same, I'm glad he met you… Yang Xiao Long."

Yang let the headband slip out of her hands, her astonishment clear on her face. "Y-You… Y-You're—"

"Hey, Yang!" A gasp escaped the young woman's lips as both she and the other girl jumped at the sudden interruption. Yang turned around and the other girl peered past her to see Nora and Pyrrha coming over, the duo carrying their gear in their arms. "We've got our new clothes all bought and we're ready to—huh?" Nora shifted her eyes between her friend and the other girl, sensing a bit of strange tension in the air. "…Are we interrupting something?"

Pyrrha tilted her head, similarly confused. "Yang, who is this girl? Do you know her?"

The only thing that came out of Yang's mouth were baffled stammers before the other girl piped up with a laugh. "Haha, well, she might as well know me, even though I haven't introduced myself yet." That only confused the two redheads even more, with Yang only staring at the still unnamed girl as she bowed her head in greeting. "You must be Nora and Pyrrha. It's nice to meet you." Lifting her head back up, the girl finally revealed her name. "I'm Julie Yamamoto. …And I'm Ben's ex-girlfriend."

Just like that, everything clicked into place for the JNPR members, wearing similarly stunned expressions as Yang and Julie stared at one another. After a few silent seconds, Nora took it upon herself to break the tension. "…Awkwarrrrrrd."

…..

"HAHAHA! No way!"

Back at the Tennyson household, Ruby couldn't hold back her laughter as Zak regaled her with a story from his childhood, one of the many he had experienced while on the search for the Kur Stone. …However, it wasn't exactly one of his proudest adventures, at least from his perspective. Still, he'd be remiss if he didn't tell it at least ONCE since it really was so notable. But it didn't help that everyone there seemed to be getting a good chuckle at his expense, including his cryptid siblings. "Yeah, yeah, go ahead, laugh it up." he said dryly.

Ruby wiped a tear from her eye, apologizing profusely. "Haha, I-I'm sorry, I'm sorry! But Zak, you have to admit, it IS kinda funny."

"Yeah, I mean, you're saying that the Blue Tiger, which is supposed to bring good luck, instead brought you bad luck specifically." Jaune recapped, making the black and white-haired boy frown at him. "C'mon, it's at least a little bit funny."

Zak sighed and shook his head. "Yeah, sure, until I realized that the whole reason it did that was because I was using my powers on it." He shrugged his shoulders and reclined on the couch. "But I didn't exactly have a CHOICE if I wanted to save it from the crook who was trying to steal it for himself."

"Yeah, you said his name was…" Ilia trailed off, unable to recall.

"Shoji Fuzen." Zak finished. "Trust me, he wasn't a good man." He gave a smile and placed his hands behind his head. "Thankfully, no one has to worry about him anymore. After my friend Wadi stole a part of his jetpack, my dad pushed him right off a cliff and straight to a rocky landing. Pretty sure he died after that."

Everyone couldn't help but gawk at Zak after he said that. "Woah, dude… your dad's hardcore." Neptune commented.

"Yeah, you got into some pretty heavy stuff as a thirteen-year-old." Ilia murmured.

"Living the life of a Secret Scientist is never easy." Zak affirmed. "Especially in our business when people hunt cryptids to make a profit." He and Fiskerton both wore serious faces. "You guys saw it for yourselves when you helped us fend off those hunters in the Appalachians. People will do anything to get their hands on a rare creature that's only thought to be mythical."

Ren gave the young researcher a nod. "Hm, you're right. You must be pretty proud to be able to stop these people."

Zak's smile came back at that. "Yep, sure am. Though thankfully Cryptid hunters aren't as common these days. At least not since the whole Kur debacle with Argost." He reached over and took up his claw, staring at its talons with a determined gaze. "Which gives me more time in re-honing my powers. With any luck, I'll be able to use them like how I used to, without getting headaches all the time."

Ruby put on a grin of her own and balled her hands into fists. "I think you'll be able to do it, Zak. In fact, I KNOW you'll be able to do it."

"O-Oh, uh… really?" Zak's cheeks flushed slightly.

"For sure." Ilia reenforced. "After all, if you did it once, you can do it again, right?"

"Hah, if only it were that easy. When Argost died, most of the Kur and Anti-Kur power was taken with him. I was only left with a small fragment of it…" Zak's grip tightened around his Claw, pursing his lips in slight frustration. "Even though it's enough to still control cryptids a little… I think it'll be a long while before I'm able to do it perfectly again."

Penny stood up to show her own support. "I will admit, as an android, I am fairly inexperienced when it comes to mysticism. However, even now, my readings show that you DO hold a great power within you, Zak." The boy was taken aback as Penny practically stared a hole into his midsection. "It is small right now, but I can tell that there is something residing within you, just waiting to break free."

That made Ruby's hopeful smile widen. "Wow! You hear that, Zak? Penny's readings doesn't usually lie!" She met his eyes once again as she stood up as well. "Maybe you CAN regain the power you once had!"

"We'll even help ya train." Jaune added enthusiastically. "That is, if you'd allow it."

"W-Woah, hold on, this is going kinda fast, don't you think?" Zak questioned, raising his hands defensively. "I-I mean, I don't even know if—oof!" Without warning, Fiskerton gave him a firm SMACK on the back, and the Lemurian gave a low grumble as he narrowed his eyes at his brother. The message was clear to Zak; "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth." Still, he couldn't help but give a sigh. "Sheesh, Fisk, you too?"

Ilia crossed her arms, giving him a smirk. "Come now, Zak, listen to your brother…"

Zak responded with a stern finger and narrowing his eyes. "Ilia, don't. I swear, I get enough of that from my mom already." All the same, everyone was still looking at him expectantly, hoping that he'd come to accept their help. Finally, Zak hung his head, and relented to their wishes. "Hah… alright, I'll consider it. But I can't say this means I'll be joining your team or not. Mom and dad probably wouldn't be totally on board with that yet."

"Hey, that's okay!" Ruby stated. "You don't gotta commit to anything team-related so long as the team is the one helping you."

Ren raised a single finger, adding; "That said, you'll want to prepare yourself. Because we don't hold anything back while we're training."

"Heh, that doesn't surprise me." Zak chortled, when suddenly… *ding-dong* Everyone did a doubletake at the doorbell ringing, with Zak and Fisk both staring at it inquisitively. "Uh… you guys expecting company?"

"Nope." Neptune denied, standing up to answer the door. "And last I checked, Ben wasn't either…" Pulling the door open, however, the blue-haired boy was met with a surprising sight, for sure. "Woah, Rook?"

Standing there with his head just barely grazing the doorframe, Rook waved in to the team. "Greetings, Neptune, everyone. I hope I am not intruding."

Jaune waved back, ushering for him to come in. "Oh, no, not at all, Rook. Come on in, the more the merrier."

Bowing his head graciously, Rook ducked slightly as he walked in. "Thank you, but it is not just myself who is here today." He made sure to give Ilia a knowing eye. "You see, I have come to make a special delivery. Take a guess as to who has the day off?"

"Here's a hint!" Not two seconds after Rook said that, Swift popped her head out from behind his shoulder with a cheeky smile. "It's me!"

"HAH!" Ilia gasped. "Swift, what're you—AH!" …And then proceeded to fall out of her chair. Thankfully, her head missed the coffee table, but it was enough for Swift to give a shout and rush right into the house.

"ILIA! A-Are you okay?!" Kneeling down, Swift reached down and helped Ilia up carefully. "I-I am SO sorry. If I'd known you'd react like that, I wouldn't have—"

"Swift, i-it's okay, really!" Ilia interrupted, reaching up and grasping the Aerophibian girl's shoulder for reassurance. With a gentle smile, she stood up with Swift's help. "I just wasn't expecting such a sudden appearance. I thought you had to work today…"

With a shake of her head, Swift clarified; "Nah, Hump Day's my day off, thankfully." She nudged her head over toward Rook. "And it just so happened that my parole officer over there was free, too, so I asked if we could head out and visit around a little." Swift wore a sheepish grin as she went on. "Although, when we got to Kevin's place, his mom told us that you came over here for the day, so we were given the roundabout a bit."

Ilia's hand covered her mouth to stifle a giggle. "Hrk, oh my gosh, I can't believe it. Sorry you were sent on a wild goose chase like that."

Rook furrowed his brow inquiringly. "Again, I must ask, why do water fowl always come up in these conversations?"

"Rook, that's not—you know what? Never mind." Ilia facepalmed.

Zak cleared his throat, hoping to get some clarification on what was going on. "Ahem, so uh… friends of yours, I'm assuming?"

"Oh, that's right!" Ruby went over to the two new arrivals, leading them straight to Zak. "Guys, I've gotta introduce you! Zak, this is Rook and Swift. Rook's a Plumber and Swift is… er…" Ruby eyed the Aerophibian girl in concern. "How do I describe your past without being harsh?"

Swift rolled her eyes with a snicker and answered. "Former juvenile delinquent. Currently on parole to try and make a new life for myself." She placed her hands on her hips, walking up close to Zak to size him up a bit. "So, you must be this "Zak Saturday" that Ruby's been raving about, hm?"

Both Ruby and Zak's eyes nearly bugged out of their heads at Swift's words. "U-Uh… "raving"? About me?"

Ruby gave Swift a deadly warning glare from behind, slashing her hand over her throat to signal her to cut it out. …Swift continued anyways with a wily smirk. "Oh, hell yeah, boy. When she got back from that camping trip, she couldn't STOP talking about how awesome you and your family were. I'd say you've got quite the admi—HMPH! Mph-mph!"

"AHAHAHA!" Ruby laughed awkwardly as she jumped up and clamped her hands over Swift's mouth, stopping her from saying anything more. "Sh-She's overexaggerating, Zak, seriously. I-I mean, don't get me wrong, I do think you and your family are amazing, but Swift's really embellishing here."

"Oh, um… okay?"

"Yeah, okay! One second, please." Ruby pulled herself off of Swift and yoinked her away from the group, huddling in the corner and speaking in a harsh whisper; "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

After a short cough, Swift held up her hands defensively while still wearing a smile. "Hey, c'mon, I'm trying to earn you some points here!" She added a little wink and jerked her thumb over her shoulder at Zak. "After all, you'd be foolish to let HIM slip out from under you."

"I don't even know if I LIKE him like that yet!" Ruby blushed with an accusing glare. "Besides, don't YOU have your OWN feelings to sort out first? Why're you trying to set ME up when you SHOULD be making the moves on Ili—MPH!"

Returning the favor, Swift clasped her hand firmly on Ruby's mouth with a grimace. "Alright, alright, I see your point. …Hah, okay. I'll do it soon. Now let's get off each other's cases like this never happened, 'kay?" Ruby nodded and Swift removed her hand, the duo sighing as they went back to the group.

Rook, meanwhile, was staring up at Fiskerton, which was something he wasn't too used to doing on Earth. Most humans were shorter, or at least as tall as him. Fiskerton, however, was slightly put off by how Rook was just… staring at him. He tilted his head… and Rook tilted in kind. Fiskerton raised a finger, and Rook mimicked again. The Lemurian scowled, and this time, Rook was taken aback, which made the Phantom happy. "GYAHAHA! Maj ju rook!"

"Um… yes, I am Rook." the Revonnagander confirmed.

"Hehe, no, no, he said "made you look"." Zak explained.

But this only confused Rook more. "Look? I did not look at anything."

Zak's expression fell as he glanced over to Jaune, nudging his thumb at the blue alien. "…Is this dude really THAT dense?"

"When it comes to Earth lingo? Yes." the blond knight deadpanned. "But he's still a cool dude."

Ren stood up and addressed Rook himself. "Well, now that you're hear, I've been meaning to ask… did anything happen at base after Rex debriefed everyone about last night? Anything from Six or Max?"

"Hm, Magister Tennyson and Agent Six have both agreed that the Pack posing as a cult is much more of a threat than they initially thought back when we assumed they were simply a group of unknowns." Rook went to sit in a chair, lacing his fingers together as everyone's attention went squarely to him. "I am admittedly unfamiliar with this "Van Kleiss", but from how Rex and Six described him, he certainly poses a great risk to this world just by being in it. And given that he has somehow been able to create these nanites from scratch, I doubt that will change unless we actively do something about it." His gaze trailed across the room, seeing how serious everyone was taking this. "So, it would stand to reason that they have become an increased priority for the Plumbers, now equaling the Ministry and Vilgax."

Ruby interjected, adding; "And the Forever Knights, don't forget about them."

"Oh, yes, you are correct." Rook acknowledged. "The Knights procuring the ancient tablet that supposedly leads to Ishar's armor DOES still pose a problem."

Neptune placed a hand to his chin. "Come to think of it, though, we haven't heard anything from them since their initial attack from Bellwood. Weird."

"Perhaps they are less confident now that we aren't on vacation?" Penny guessed.

"Could be, but we can't let our guard down." Ilia reminded. "After all, we saw what happened the LAST time we did. We don't need a repeat of what happened last Thursday."

Zak's eyebrows rose at that. "Oh, yeah, I've been meaning to ask you guys about that. My family and I saw what happened on the news. And while the pictures were a bit blurry… I swear, I could make out someone surrounded by lightning and wielding a hammer against a bunch of giant dudes." He leaned forward intently, excitement dancing across his features. "Please tell me that was who I think it is."

Jaune chuckled and nodded in confirmation. "Hehe, yep. The God of Thunder came and paid us a visit." His gaze shifted to his teammates, who had all brightened up at the recent memory. "Loki came knocking with some Jotunn friends of his and Thor helped us fend him off when the Ministry attacked on the same night. We were successful on stopping HIS plans, at least, but… the Ministry got what they wanted. Wanton chaos and FIVE new members of their crew."

The happiness didn't last long when the team were reminded of that, for which Zak sympathized greatly. "Oh… man, I'm sorry guys. That sucks to hear. Trust me, I've been there."

"Ah, it's alright. Thankfully, no one was hurt or worse, so that's one positive to take away." Penny noted.

"We just need to get on our game more." Ruby furthered. "We need to get better if we wanna beat the Ministry and put a stop to their tricks."

Ren folded his hands with an uncertain countenance. "That's easier said than done. Ever since they've allied themselves with more of Ben's enemies, it seems they've just been getting stronger by the week." He knit his brows together seriously. "If we want to beat them, then we don't just need training, we need a significant increase in power, for everyone."

"Again, easier said than done, Ren." Ilia pointed out. "Weapon upgrades are one thing, Semblance training is another, but with the kind of threats we meet, we'll need MUCH more than just that."

Ren nodded in agreement. "You're right. But there's at least one among us who's the closest to achieving something like that." Setting his eyes on Ruby, Ren continued. "Ruby… I know it's not something you have a handle on yet, but your Silver Eyes might be the best advantage we have against Salem. If you can harness their power, the Grimm don't stand a chance."

"…I know." Ruby took a deep breath, closing her eyes. "But at this point, I've tried everything I can to get them working, but nothing's happened so far." She clutched her knees as her frustration grew. "…At this point, I don't even know if I CAN actually use these things correctly."

Just then, the Hooded Huntress felt a gentle tap against her shoulder, bringing her sights back up to Zak. "Uh, I think you're forgetting something important, Ruby. My mom said herself that she'd help you find something to harness your power, remember?"

"W-Well, yeah, but—"

"Ah-ah, hold on, please." Zak wagged his finger. "Hear me out; we think we managed to find something that'll work for you."

Everyone in the room had their interests piqued at Zak's words, and Ruby herself was astounded by the news. "W-Wait, really? W-What is it?" Right as Zak was about to answer, though… Ruby caught something in the corner of her eye, something shining through the window. It was a split second later that she saw the round, cylindrical shape to it… and it didn't take her long to recognize what it was. "AH! GET DOWN!"

The team gave a shout while Ruby tackled Zak to the ground, a powerful laser blast breaking through the window and just nearly missing the two of them. Before long, several more blasts came peppering through the windows, wall, and even the front door, leading Rook to shout; "Hit the dirt!"

Clamoring behind the furniture, everyone waited out the hailstorm of blaster fire for a good fifteen seconds before it finally stopped, the young huntsmen keeping a firm hold on their weapons all the while. When the lasers ceased, everyone peeked their heads up from the floor, seeing the front of the house now full of holes while the other side of the living room was practically scorched. "Oh, man! Sandra's gonna be livid when she gets home!" Ruby exclaimed… only to notice how close she was to Zak and quickly stood up. "O-Oh, sorry! Are you okay?!"

"U-Uh, yeah, sure am." Zak stammered, standing up as well with Fiskerton coming over to his side. "What the heck was that?"

"I don't know." Ilia responded, keeping her Lightning Lash directed to the door as Swift remained hunkered down. "But I advise we be ready for anything…"

It didn't take long for something to happen, when from outside, a deep, gravelly voice with a thick southern accent came calling. "Alright, that there was yer only warnin' barrage. Now, if'n any of ya haven't passed on from this mortal plane of existence, I suggest ya'll come out with yer hands up in a peaceful form o' surrender!"

Then came a higher, much more nasally voice; "Yeah, that's right! Yer hands, er any other grabby parts ya might have!"

"…No." Swift muttered in disbelief. "You've gotta be joking."

Rook, to the surprise of many, suddenly grew enraged when he heard the demand. "…Those voices!" Without pausing for a second thought, the Revonnagander took his Proto-Tool off his back and went up to the door, with everyone else following after.

"H-Hold on, Rook!" Neptune tried to halt the Plumber. "Let's not get to hasty—" *BAM* "…Never mind."

The whole team filed out as Rook kept his weapon trained on whoever was on the front lawn, and it was there that the team were met with… a couple of bumpkins. Or, at least, that's what they assumed going off their clothing. They were grey-skinned, humanoid beings, one being skinny and lanky while the other was bigger and more rotund. Both of them were in matching red overalls, brown leather gloves and big, black muck boots, and also had on matching red and orange caps. The only difference between their clothes was that the skinny one was wearing an orange undershirt and had his cap forwards while the big guy went shirtless and his cap twisted back. Their facial features were very similar as well; big chins, black muttonchops, and nose-less faces with dark eyes. The bigger alien was carrying two massive hand cannons while his shorter compatriot held a laser rifle.

"Oh god, it IS them!" Swift said in disbelief. "The freakin' VREEDLE BROTHERS?!"

Zak's eyes darted back and forth between the armed strangers, baffled by what was going on. "Wait, the who?!"

Ruby, recognizing the danger, brought out Crescent Rose. "I've heard of them! Octagon and Rhomboid Vreedle. Ben told us that these guys were once bounty hunters who ended up joining the Plumbers. …Though I guess that ship has sailed now."

"You would be correct." Rook affirmed, with a vitriolic sneer that left the Omni-Hunters taken aback. "They are the most heinous, most vile, the absolute WORST villains in the galaxy! They are both BENEATH contempt!"

Those word managed to make Rhomboid crack a smile, bringing one of his weapons up to scratch his head sheepishly. "D'aw, why thank ya kindly!"

"Woah, woah, Rook, cool your jets!" Neptune attempted to calm the Revonnagander down, seeing him almost seething in rage. "Dude, this isn't like you at all."

Penny stood her ground, raising her head toward the Vreedles. "Considering that they aren't with the Plumbers any longer, it would be safe to assume that they must have done something quite abhorrent to get them kicked out."

Octagon seemed to take offense to that. "Hey, hey now, why're ya quick to makin' the assumption that we were excommunicated an we didn't simply depart on our own terms?" The bounty hunter received several deadpan stares from the heroes at his statement. "…Well, I didn't deny yer assumption, now did I?"

"These two vermin destroyed the Plumber Academy's ammunition dock." Rook spat as calmly as he could.

"An' the Academy proper." Octagon furthered.

Rhomboid put on a proud grin and shrugged. "We couldn't help ourselves. But dang, did we blowed it up REAL good!"

"It's in our nature." Octagon reaffirmed with a nod.

But this only managed to further upset Rook. "I had to take my final exam in a temporary trailer…" He clawed one hand and thrust his head forward in anger. "…ON AN ASTEROID!"

"The Plumbers have been huntin' us down since." Rhomboid finished, only to shake his head. "But we ain't 'bout to get caught, 'specially not when we've got such an' important bounty to fulfill!"

The Omni-Hunters all took defensive positions, with Jaune raising his shield. "And let me guess, Ben's your target, right? Well, too bad, because he's not here!"

However, Octagon waved his hand in denial. "Oh, naw, naw, you misunderstand, my armored acquaintance. We ain't here fer Tennyson. See, we heard through the grapevine that this domicile is where we could find…" He reached into the pocket of his overalls and pulled out a rolled-up sheet of paper, which he unfurled to show them. "THIS boy!"

The teens were left absolutely astonished at what they saw. It was a wanted poster… for one Zak Saturday. And the reward was 100000 Taydens. Zak's jaw dropped to the ground, and Fiskerton let out a loud scream in astonishment. "WHAT? You… your target is ME?!"

"Yup, an' yer lil' pets, too." Rhomboid produced several more wanted posters from his pockets, all of them with Fisk, Zon and Komodo on them. …They were priced significantly lower than Zak. "Now, ya'll can either come quietly…" The larger Vreedle cocked one of his hand cannons, powering it up. "Er we can MAKE ya come quietly."

"Boid, I hope ya ain't implyin' what I think you's is." Octagon reprimanded. "The client specifically requested that we bring in this kid alive an' breathin', just like his parents."

That left everyone all the more shocked, a cold chill going through them all… but especially Zak. "W-W-WHAT?! M-My mom and dad… th-they've already been—"

"Yessir, they's been nabbed by SixSix an' SevenSeven, they has." Rhomboid answered.

Octagon tipped his hat and shook his head. "Such a cryin' shame, really. They never coulda seen it comin'. But we ain't 'bout to let 'em get the WHOLE reward, so once again, we ask that ya come quietly an—GWAH!"

Everything stopped when, from out of nowhere, Zak slung his Claw out and hit Octagon directly in the head, sending him crashing to the pavement. Retracting the taloned weapon back to its handle, Zak glared at the duo through his bangs, his features contorting into a vengeful grimace. "I… am not going ANYWHERE with you bozos!" He pointed the Claw at them as Rhomboid went to pick his brother up. "What YOU dumbasses are going to do, is you're gonna give me the name of whoever put that bounty on our heads, and then you're gonna LEAD me to them so I can free my parents! Am I clear?!"

"Yeah, you tell 'em, Zak!" Ruby said in support. "Bring us to your client or else!"

Rhomboid let out a short whimper as he hustled his older brother to his feet. "You okay, Octagon?"

"Mrph… depends on yer definition of "okay", Boid." Octagon glowered back at the group as he took up his laser rifle. "An', in this particular happenstance… I'd say I am not okay. An' you know what we do to things that don't make us okay." Taking the cue, Rhomboid picked up his hand cannons once again, aiming them forward. "…Light 'em up, Boid."

"Everyone, behind me, NOW!" Jaune ordered as he raised his shield. The group followed his directions, though they were unsure how a simple shield was going to protect them as Octagon and Rhomboid unleased their next barrage. But they soon found their answer as Jaune slammed down on a new button on the back of his shield... and a voice spoke up;

"BLINDING BARRICADE"

And from there, its edges suddenly separated from the center, with a massive, hard-light blockade expanding out and covering everyone. The group were left awestruck at Jaune's arm-mounted barrier, which almost seemed to absorb all of the incoming laser fire. "W-What the—Jaune!" Ilia exclaimed. "When the heck did you get THIS?!"

"This morning." Jaune explained. "Luhley and I have been brainstorming all week on ways I can upgrade my gear. She figured I should be able to make use of my shield to protect EVERYONE on the team, so here we are."

Neptune let out a laugh in disbelief. "Hah, bro, I dunno how you manage to keep pulling this off, but this is amazing."

"Yeah, it is… but it's not something that's infinite." Jaune explained. "Once the hard-light Dust runs out, that's it. So if someone has a plan to stop them, we gotta get it done now."

Rook wholeheartedly agreed. "Yes, without question. Ruby, Penny, can you shoot their weapons out of their hands?"

Both peppy girls gave a similar salute. "You betcha!"

"Excellent. Ren, Ilia, from there, we will go forward and bring those two low lives down." Receiving a nod from the two stealthier members of the team, Rook gave the signal to commence the plan; "And… go!" Quick as a flash, Ruby and Penny both leapt straight up to the corners of Jaune's expanded shield, propping themselves on the metal edges before taking aim with their ranged weapons. With a single shot from Crescent Rose and two from the Floating Array blasters, they shot the Vreedles' weapons out of their hands, making them shout.

"Gaw! Dagnabbit!" Rhomboid shook his head.

"Consarnit!" Octagon winced as he went to reach for his rifle, only for it to be shot away immediately. "W-What the—OOF!" He didn't have time to react as Ren rushed up and kneed him in the jaw, leaving him to sprawl back on the ground.

Rhomboid grumbled angrily as he went to crush Ren with his own hands. "Grr, why you! No one does that to my—GYAAHAGHAGHAGHA!" He didn't even get to finish that sentence as Ilia snuck up and shocked him with her Lightning Lash from behind, making him fall face-first into the driveway.

From there, Rook used his Proto-Tool to launch an adhesive net at the two, which wrapped around both of them and left the pair squirming on the ground, helpless. Smiling to the team, Rook bowed his head gratefully. "Excellent teamwork, everyone. You all did very well to apprehend these two."

As Jaune lowered his shield, though, Neptune couldn't help but glance off to the side. "Uh, thanks, but pretty sure some did more than others…"

"Grr, this ain't over 'til the fat lady sings." Octagon warned.

"Might wanna leave your mother outta this, man." Swift advised right back with a cautionary scowl of her own. "Now, tell Zak what he wants to know!"

Zak stomped forward and took Octagon by the collar, with Fiskerton growling directly at Rhomboid. "Right! Where's the guy who hired you? And where're my parents?!"

Despite the threats, the Vreedles could only chortle in amusement. "Hehehe, we know exactly only ONE of those two things." Octagon replied.

"An' even then, we won't tells ya nothin'." Rhomboid added.

"…Is that so?" Zak put his fingers in his mouth and let loose a loud whistle. At first, nothing seemed to happen… but then, from straight over the roof of Ben's house, Smokey came bounding over and Zon flew straight up and stooped down, both of them landing directly in front of the Vreedles with threatening snarls and screeches. Finally, Komodo appeared seemingly from thin air, spooking both Vreedles and making them jump. "Funny thing, my siblings here haven't eaten since this morning. So, unless you wanna become Smokey's next chew toy…" The Smoke Wolf snapped his jaws violently with several loud barks, leaving the Vreedles cowering in place. "You'll tell me where your boss is. NOW."

Sharing worried glances, Octagon and Rhomboid both came to a silent agreement. "…Seein' as our present precarious predicament isn't an ideal one to be in, we've come to the decision that we'll let ya in on who's behind this operation."

"Good answer. Now TALK."

"Y-Ya see, there's actually TWO masterminds to this whole thing." Rhomboid quivered as Zon snapped her beak at him, prompting him to go on. "Some fellers with REALLY odd names. One's called "Shoe G." an' the other is "Fuse N.", if ya can believe it."

At first, Zak was absolutely baffled… but as the names rang through his head multiple times, a connection was made, and his eyebrows snapped up in realization. "No… No, i-it can't be…"

"Boid, yer gettin' yer facts discombobulated again." Octagon said with an eyeroll. "It ain't TWO people, it's ONE individual. An' his name is—urk!"

He was interrupted when Zak took hold of his collar again, the name dripping from his lips with enough venom to kill a horse. "…Shoji Fuzen. Where is he?"

…..

Deep underground, unaware to Zak and the others, Doc and Drew were being forcefully led down a dark corridor by two strange beings, their hands cuffed and their weapons confiscated. They weren't sure what these tall hunters could be, but they could only guess that they were aliens given their two-toed feet and sharp, clawed hands. Both hunters were decked out in sleek body armor; one that was crimson with purple accents while the other was magenta with black accents. They both also had X-shaped visors on their aerodynamic helmets, which only served to make them even more mysterious and intimidating.

Of course, Drew wasn't about to take this lying down. "GAH! I don't know who you are, but if you've done anything to hurt our kids, I SWEAR, I will KICK YOUR ASS—oof!"

The magenta armored alien gave her a firm shove, not enough to knock Drew down, but enough to get her back in line. "Ekh von dack var!"

"Drew, we shouldn't do anything to provoke them." Doc recommended, giving the crimson one a side-eyed glare. "We won't find out anything if we don't comply… at least for now."

"Grr, this is so frustrating!" Drew threw her head back, teeth clenched and eyes screwed shut. "After so many years of NOT being hunted down, it's finally come back to bite us…" Her expression was full of worry and concern as she looked to her husband. "But… the boys. D-Do you think—"

"I only hope not." Doc sympathized. "But given that they're with the Omni-Hunters, I doubt they'll make easy prey for any bounty hunters coming after them." Before long, they were brought to a set of double doors at the end of the hall, to which the crimson-clad alien reached out and opened them.

Inside was a small office of sorts, one with a large window that framed the central desk and chair at the very end. The Saturdays were led in by the alien bounty hunters and, from behind the chair, a hand raised up, accompanied by a voice; "Thank you, SixSix and SevenSeven. Please, stay. I will need you to escort them back to their cell once we're done here."

Both aliens bowed their heads to the man… which Drew could swear sounded very familiar. "Who are you?" she demanded.

"Why have you brought us here?!" Doc snapped as well. "What've we done to—"

"Oh, what HAVEN'T you done, Mr. Saturday?" Swiveling around, the man finally revealed himself, and Doc and Drew were absolutely stunned by what they saw. There, sitting before them, was a dark-haired Japanese man in a three-piece white suit with a black tie and blue undershirt. He was VERY familiar to them both, however… but the cybernetic eye was something new. And, as he stood up, he also revealed something ELSE new about himself; a pair of bulky, cybernetic legs that were integrated directly into himself, which made wearing pants impossible for him. Sneering at the duo, Shoji Fuzen's robotic eye shined bright red as he repeated to Doc; "What haven't you done to me?"

…..

A/N: To be continued… don't ya just hate it when minor villains come back to bother you? Ben should know, pretty much EVERYONE he's crossed has a vendetta against him. But in this case, it's the Saturdays who're gonna get a piece of this now with the return of Shoji Fuzen, now with enhanced, cybernetic upgrades and a new criminal empire under his operation. And given that he's in business with alien bounty hunters like SixSix and SevenSeven, I think it's safe to say where he's working from.

However, we can't ignore all of the other stuff that's going on, now can we? Especially with a lot of stuff happening all at once. For one, not only is Charmcaster's parole hearing coming up… but it's also served as a reunion between her and her uncle. That's right everybody, Hex is back and, just like in Omniverse, he's become a teacher at the academy that Gwen goes to. Also, yes, this implies that the events of the Omniverse episode, "Mystery Incorporeal" happened PRIOR to the Ben 10 RWBY series, though obviously with different circumstances, namely that Ben didn't go Ghostfreak there since he still has trouble doing so. That said, the reunion itself was actually fairly smooth and even a little touching given that Charmcaster was worried about how well Hex has been taking care of himself. Now we only need to see how they handle one another going forward, as there's still a LOT that needs to be aired out between them.

In addition, the Crystal Refiner machine that Cooper asked for has finally arrived! Although, in exchange, the Lewodans have asked Ben for his assistance in helping negotiate a peace between them and the Appoplexians, so you guys probably know where THAT'S going to be headed. But, now that the machine is finally here, it's time to see if Dust Crystals can be used in it, and if they can, then Project Build is one step closer to reaching is goal…

Gotta appreciate Blake and Weiss planning a little intervention for Rex, as well as the fact that Blake brought up how she went down a similar road when the White Fang were in Vale. No need to become a forced insomniac, Rex, so get some dang sleep! Meanwhile, that woodpecker just won't leave Sun alone, hehe…

Hoo boy, this moment was BOUND to happen at some point and I promised myself that I'd do it this year, so here it is; JULIE'S BACK! And right off the bat, she's found and met Yang, much to the latter's shock. Though astonishingly enough, she's very cordial with the girl who's dating her ex, so maybe it won't be so bad. We'll just have to find out in the next chapter… but until then, feel free to get a kick out of Nora's new duds.

Uh, hey Rook, might wanna put a cap on your vendetta against the Vreedles until AFTER Zak's parents are found, eh? Sure, them blowing up the Plumber Academy was NOT cool, but there's some more important things at stake. But yeah, Vreedles! They were ALSO bound to be back at some point, so here they are… and they're just as thick in the heads as ever. No wonder Rook has it out for them, they're basically his exact opposite in ever way. Meanwhile, more Swift and Ilia moments! Ya love to see it!

But now, we're gonna be rolling right into NEXT TIME as Fuzen explains how he managed to survive his fall… and what he intends to do with the Saturdays. However, after sending out an emergency call, Ruby has all of the Omni-Hunters on Earth regroup back at the house so that they can go find Doc and Drew… though not before having to deal with even MORE alien bounty hunters. Unfortunately, Ben and the others on a delay thanks to the parole hearing, but thankfully, they've got a bit of extra help… but will it be enough to overcome the likes of SixSix and SevenSeven? Tune in next time to find out! Until then, thanks for reading everybody, and I'll catch you all later! Stay safe out there!