Welcome back.
There's not much to say; I wanna thank you all again for the followers. It's insane how many people have come out to read this story, and I appreciate all of you.
I've read all your comments and will continue to do so. It's a lot of fun seeing what people think, and I'm more than happy to respond if there are any questions within reason.
By all means, keep arguing about a pairing; I love watching debates!
Let's get into this.
Beta Readers: Chris72637, Luxutor, MegaDumbo, and Tupjunk
...
It was a new day. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and Yuji's leg only hurt a little bit from getting his shins destroyed the night before.
All in all, a good morning.
The vessel was sitting on one of the outdoor fields Beacon had on-site, glancing through his scroll at a flurry of messages from Professor Oozeblock...or whatever his name was.
He ranted about random things, making hundreds of typos with every second, going from coffee to ancient ruins to somehow talking about how the moon isn't really broken, "they" just wanted you to think it was.
Yuji just looked up at the early-morning sky, clearly seeing chunks floating off from the giant rock, his eye twitching, wondering who "they" were.
Eventually, the guy got on track, telling the teen about an extra credit opportunity if he made a presentation about his home country for his classmates.
The sorcerer grumbled, falling back as his head hit the soft grass, really wishing he had Megumi or someone else to help him with this.
To say Yuji wasn't doing well in Boozelock's class was an understatement; he bombed every test and assignment given to him without getting a single question right, defying the statistically impossible odds of multiple choice with his sheer ignorance.
Yuji might not be the brightest guy, but he at least passed when he went to school in Japan...in certain subjects. History was just so boring to him.
Itadori never cared much for why stuff is the way it is or where people come from. Why's that matter here and now? It sorta felt like a waste of time to him, and being in a foreign country surrounded by...foreigners wasn't doing him any favors.
He watched the clouds go by for a second as the light reflected off his brown eyes, soon dropping his annoyance, figuring it would be future Yuji's problem to worry about.
Pushing off the ground, the sorcerer landed on his feet, immediately blazing through a series of stretches before giving a thunderous clap, "Alright, let's do this!"
He took a stance on the track field, hands on the painted white line, counting down as an invisible referee held a flag.
3
2
1
*FWOOOOOOOM
At the same time, a certain team of Huntresses were groggily marching their way across campus, with only their blonde leader in high spirits. The rest were practically dead on their feet.
Ruby bounced her head up and down, eyes half closed, "Yaaaaang, why do we gotta go with to your stupid fiiggght?... I'm tired."
The bombshell glanced over her shoulder, "Well, you know what they say Rube-"
"Please don't..."
It did no good.
Yang raised a finger like the genius she was, "If you run behind a car, you get exhausted. If you run in front of one, you get tired."
*CRUNCH
Ruby faceplanted into the dirt, only getting dragged along the ground as Weiss pulled the scythe wielder by her hood, "I know you...hoodlums enjoy a good brawl, but why does it have to be our problem?"
The blonde shrugged, putting her hands behind her head, "What's the point in doin' anything if you don't got people to see you look cool?"
The heiress huffed, "Are you really that egotistical!?... It would do you some good to be humble once in a while."
Blake looked up from her book, a blanket draped over her shoulders like a cape, "...Says the Schnee."
A vein bulged on Weiss' forehead, her prideful self-image cracking, "And what exactly do you mean by that?"
The dark-themed girl just rolled her yellow eyes, glancing off to the side, "I wonder..."
The rapier user shook her head, "Say what you want, but I know you won't. You sit there in your little ivory tower and think you're so above everyone else."
Blake just stared at her, "Again, says the Schnee."
Yang grumbled, pinching between her eyes, "Guys, come o-"
"At least I have the gall to say it! Do you think I don't notice you silently judging everything I do? If I had to guess, I'd say you're a coward afraid of a little confrontation."
The black-haired girl stopped in her tracks, brow furrowing, "You don't know anything about me."
Weiss just nodded, "Mhm, because you actually have to talk for people to know you. Instead, you live in la-la-land with those stupid books of yours, but you somehow think it's fine to critique what I do?"
"When you're in everyone's face about it, yeah, I think I can, not like you know what it's like to let someone else have the last word."
"Excuse me?"
Blake blew air through her bangs, "It's always me-me-me with you. Maybe next time no one wants to listen to your nonsense, take the hint."
Yang stopped her march, rounding about on her heels toward the pair, "Seriously, this is getting out of hand!"
The heiress ignored her, getting in Blake's face, "What's the saying again, 'Don't come to the kitchen if you don't want to get burned?'...Grow up."
Blake scoffed, looking down at the girl in disbelief, "Oh, I need to grow up? You're the one talking about how her family is so great, how they make so much money, yeah, off the backs of Faunus you enslave."
"How dare you?! My family does no such-"
The pistol user just slapped a hand against her hip, "Don't even deny it. You can make all this big talk about how I don't want anything to do with you, but do you seriously think I want to talk to someone who treats every Faunus she sees like dirt?"
Blake didn't let her respond, "Why are you even here?"
"Enough!"
Ruby shot up from the ground, wiggling her way between the two, pushing them apart with her palms, "Stop fighting...please!"
Every time Weiss tried to look over Ruby's shoulder, the girl would leap at her face and give her a jumpscare, "Nope!"
"I just-"
"Nope!"
"Stop doing that!"
"Nope!"
After a few tries, the Schnee dropped her guard in a huff, looking off in another direction, "Fine!"
Blake just went back to her indifferent stare, "...Whatever."
Yang crossed her arms in a huff as she watched the group, "Don't you guys ever get tired of doing this? Why can't we just be like Pyrrha's team for five seconds?"
Weiss snorted, "That's easy; one of her teammates doesn't care about anything, and the other two share a brain cell; it's no wonder they get along so well."
Ruby started stomping on the ground, "Gah! You're still on this!?"
Yang quirked a brow, "On what?"
Her sister met her stare. "I don't know! Weiss has some weird grudge against Yuji and won't let it go!"
"It is not weird!"
Weiss looked at them like they were crazy, "I can't be the only one that thinks he's up to something, right!? Think about it: he doesn't have an aura, but he somehow does all those weird things!"
Yang raised a hand, "He's a sorcerer?"
"And what is a sorcerer!?"
The heiress paced back and forth, "I can't believe any of you just take what he says at face value! He's from a place we've never heard of, has abilities we've never heard of, and apparently fought creatures we've never heard of! It's common sense to think that's a little bit strange, don't you think?"
Ruby tilted her head, "Then why don't we just ask him if you're being so freaky-deeky about it?"
"Rigggght, because everything he says is coherent and not garbled gibberish."
Blake let out what sounded like a silent hiss, "There she goes again."
"What does that mean?"
The dark-themed Huntress just shrugged, "Has he actually done anything for you to treat him like that, or are you doing this because you can't accept that a Faunus is better than you?"
Weiss clenched a fist, swiping it behind her, "That has nothing to do with this-" but soon crossed her arms in a huff, "And besides, there's no way a tactless fool like him can beat me..I've seen his test scores."
Weiss glanced toward Ruby, reaching out a hand, giving her hope for some kind of affection, maybe a pat on the head-
"They're worse than yours."
The scythe wielder slumped over "Awwww."
Yang listened before breaking out into a hum, an interested glare flickering in her purple eyes, "Wellll, if you're so sure...Wanna bet on it?"
Blake deadpanned toward her partner, "...What is it with you and bets?"
The brawler just hummed, tapping a foot on the ground, "Wellll, now that you ask Blakey, I dunno if you're ready to hear it. Tellin' jokes at the poker table can get kinda...dicey."
Her sunglasses appeared like a gift from the Heavens.
Her team's silent stares just made Yang roll her eyes, looking off with a twinge of red coating her cheeks, "...I'm bored...happy?"
Blake let off a huff, walking away, "I don't think anyone here is happy right now, Yang."
The blonde remained undeterred, looking down at the Schnee, "I'm still not hearin' a no, Weiss-cream."
The short girl just growled, "If I win, will you stop calling me that stupid name?"
Yang just shrugged, "Why not? And if you lose...we'll figure it out."
"That hardly sounds fair."
Ruby appeared out of nowhere, leaning down toward the girl, a smug look crossing her face, "It's not."
"...Did you just hold a grudge?"
"Nope!"
"You did. You're doing it right now!"
"...Maybe."
Weiss couldn't help but think this was some kind of karma as the two sisters dragged her off.
...
A few minutes later
The Schnee's eye twitched again as they got to the track, watching an inhumanly fast blur zooming around like a Tasmanian Devil, going an entire loop in seconds like a never-ending whirlwind.
She deadpanned, her teammates seeming indifferent to the insanity going down ahead of them, "...There's no way he's normal...you know that, right?"
Yang completely ignored her teammate, cupping her hands together like a megaphone, "Hey, Pinkie!"
The zooming never stopped, but the ground suddenly shook as the vessel launched off in a long jump, flying overhead until he crashed onto the hard pavement behind them, popping out of the smoke non the wiser, giving an excited wave, "Yo!"
The blonde just gave the guy a confident smirk, "Happy to see me?"
The comment went clean over his head.
His grin grew, "Yeah, I like seeing all my friends!"
He did not notice her pout.
Looking over the group, the sorcerer threw a thumb back toward the outdoor fields, "But we're gonna have to hurry up if you wanna fight. I gotta do some project for Ooglemech."
There was a pause.
Weiss closed her eyes and took a breath, feeling like it was way too early for his nonsense, "It's...Oobleck...and what assignment are you talking about?"
Itadori shrugged, awkwardly looking away, "Oh, he's making me do extra work."
She just tilted her head, "...Why?"
The vessel responded with a happy grin, "I'm failing!"
Ruby's eyes became dinner plates, "Why are you smiling about that!? That's bad, Yuji!"
The sorcerer indifferently shrugged his shoulders, "Nah, I gave up on that class a while ago. As long as I pass, I don't really care what I get."
Blake impassively stared at him, "...You should really set higher goals for yourself."
He just scratched his cheek with a finger, gazing off into the distance, "Maybe, but real sorcerers don't care about that sorta stuff. You just live for yourself, and what you're interested in is all."
Yang hummed, circling the vessel with a keen eye, "Hmmmmm-"
"W-what?"
She kept humming, "...Does Pyrrha know you're bombing the class?"
His eyes widened, not wanting to see that horribly helpful smile ever again, "...Please don't tell her."
The last time Pyrrha found out he screwed up on his homework, she got all sad and said she was a bad leader; it made him feel so guilty he spent all day reading to make it up to her.
Yang stopped beside him, resting a hand on his shoulder, "Are you gonna try?"
Yuji was shaking, whether out of fear of her or the possibility of having to try in school, none could say. "W-why's it matter to you?... I'm not on your team!"
Her fingers clenched, looking him straight in the eye, "Out of everyone in this school, you're one of the only fun people I got, and I am NOT letting you drop and leave me here, got it?"
He was trembling but soon slumped over, knowing he had lost, unwilling to insult the pun Lord who had taught him so much, "...Yes, ma'am."
That earned him a pat on the head before she let go, "Good! Now, whaddya presenting on anyways?"
Yuji idly cracked his neck, "Sensei wants me to teach you guys about Japan, but if I dunno what's going on with your part of the world, how are you gonna get mine?"
Realization crossed Yang's face, "Ohhhh, that's why you aren't doin' so hot. Did you know like...anything about the kingdoms when you got here?
The vessel just shook his head, "Nah, I sorta crawled outa the ground, and here I am goin' in blind, and it's worked for me so far. After all, I met you guys, and you've been awesome!"
Yang just stared at him, wondering what kind of analogy that was before dropping it.
She just slugged him in the arm, grin ever present, "Awww, I'm glad we started this-"
Ruby screamed, covering her ears, "NOOOOOOOO-"
"With a Yang."
Ruby fell into Blake, who awkwardly caught her with her book, still reading through the girl's parted black hair.
Yuji matched her energy, "So, you wanna get this started, Yang?"
She sadly shook her head, "Nah, as much as I'd like to show you who's boss, we got sort of a girl's bet going."
She reached out to the side, pulling a certain heiress into her chest as the girl thrashed around like a rabid animal, "How'd you feel about fighting Weiss instead?"
"...Pass."
Yang stopped, and so did the Schnee, who just hovered midair in the blonde's arms, "...Pass?"
Itadori just shrugged, "I'm only doin' this 'cause you wanted to train, Yang. I don't wanna fight if I don't have to."
With that, the sorcerer turned to start walking off, "Anyways, guess I gotta go work on this project, I'll see ya."
The blonde just stared at his back, her confusion turning into a cocky grin, "Oh, I get it, you're afraid to lose, aren't you?"
He didn't look back, "Not really."
Ruby looked up to Blake, who had absently started petting her head instead of reading, "Is he being serious?"
The yellow-eyed Huntress indifferently shrugged, continuing her weird behavior, with Ruby staying there because she liked the attention, putting two members of team RWBY out of the fight without a single blow.
Yang all but dragged Weiss with her as she caught up with the vessel, "Dude, what's up? Why are you being all weird out of nowhere?"
Yuji let out an audible breath, "Nothin' to it, I just don't like fighting."
"Since when?"
"Since always. Just fight each other if it's that big of a deal."
Weiss seemed entirely indifferent to this, but it might have been because Yang had slung the tiny girl under one of her arms, and she was just hovering above the ground with a blank expression.
Yang faced the ground for a second, then got a glint in her eye, "Oh Weiss-cream, what would you say we settle our terms right now?"
"...What?"
The blonde glanced up at the sorcerer, "Yuji, how about you win, and she has to help you with that project?"
"Don't volunteer me for things! I don't want to-"
Yuji waved her off, "Nah, I'll handle it. You don't gotta get dragged into my issues."
Yang just watched him go, an incredulous look on her face, "Man, this sucks. Hey Weiss, why don't you try asking hi-"
The heiress huffed, crossing her arms, "Not happening."
"Why not?"
"One, I don't want to, and two, you're holding me like a bowling ball."
"You wanna get rolled like a bowling ball?"
Yang stared at Weiss.
Weiss stared at Yang.
Moments later, the pair approached their teammates with the blonde running a hand through her hair, "Looks like that idea's a bust...wonder what his issue is?"
The Schnee clicked her tongue, "I told you he's an oddball, and I seriously doubt that presentation of his will do us any favors."
A lightbulb dinged over her head, "I know, we should-"
"PLAY INVESTIGATORS"
Weiss let out a shriek as Nora's upside-down face popped into existence beside her, hanging down from the rafters with nothing but the tips of her shoes. "What are you doing here!?"
The ginger grinned, "Sleepin' on the roof."
Ruby hopped to her feet, approaching the hammer wielder, "Is Pyrrha still mad about the pancakes under her pillow?"
Nora deadpanned, "Maybe...good thing she doesn't know my other hiding spots, hee hee, the ones she found were all decoys!"
Ren hopped down from above, landing in the middle of the group as he held out his arms to catch Nora, who just clambered down him like a monkey, "Sometimes she hides them in her friends' rooms."
A haunted look crossed Weiss' already pale face, "Nora...you didn't..."
The ginger pulled out her hammer from seemingly nowhere, a dangerous glint appearing in her blue-green eyes, "They know too much."
Before the girl could crush her opposition, Ruby appeared between them in a swirl of rose petals, "Waitwaitwaitwaitwait!"
Seeing the hammer a few inches from her face, the Huntress let out a huff, pushing it aside to look at the two members of team PYRN, "Soooo...quick question, how much do you guys know about Yuji?"
Ren was the first to speak up, to their surprise, "...Not much. He talks about things but...you know-"
The entire group seemed to deadpan at the same time, "Yuji answers."
It was a long and drawn-out list of things that usually made no sense, like the one time in History class when they were studying piracy during the Faunus wars, and the sorcerer kept talking about needing to find the One Piece and wishing he had stretchy arms.
His constant yelling about it being real got him kicked out of the lecture that day.
Weiss glanced toward Beacon Tower as it loomed in the distance, "How he's related to Professor Ozpin, I'll never know."
Yang hummed, tapping her lips in idle thought, "They really aren't all that different if you think about it, I mean...Yuji's not that...-"
Ruby chimed in, "...smart?"
Her big Sis nodded, snapping a finger, "Bingo, but both of them got that mysterious vibe goin' for em', sorta like you, Blakey."
The book reader adjusted her ribbon with the swipe of a hand, "...Yuji talks a lot more than I do."
"True, but it'd help if we actually knew what he was talking about half the time...it's not like I think he's lying or something, but-"
Nora bounced in, landing on Yang's shoulders with a thud, "He don't make no sense!"
The blonde just looked up at the orange howler monkey perched on her shoulders, "Yeah, that."
Ruby looked off toward the distance, where the guy had walked off to, "Well, it's gotta be pretty hard for him being so far from home, don't you think? Maybe he just doesn't know what to talk about with us?"
Weiss rolled her eyes, "I doubt it. That Neanderthal does nothing but smile all day. I can't imagine much thought goes through his head, and after all, ignorance is bliss."
Yang bit her cheek, "I don't think you guys give him enough credit. I mean, yeah, Yuji's not good with class and stuff, but the dude's given me some pretty solid advice, and he throws a mean right hook."
The heiress just huffed, "One meathead likes another, shocking."
The blonde just smirked, "I call it like I see it, but besides, you were the one going on about how he's hiding something. Why aren't you out there looking into it if you're so sure?"
"Hmph, I have a few hundred better ways to use my time than waste it on petty game-"
"GAMES!"
Nora took a sudden leap from Yang's shoulders onto Weiss, making the tiny girl crumble like a crouton as the ginger slammed into her at top speed, "Can we play investigators now?! Pleasepleasepleaseplease-"
"Get off of me!"
Weiss tried to fight back, but Nora outmuscled her to the point where it wasn't even funny, so the hammer wielder just held the Schnee in place by kneeling on her stomach.
Ruby's silver eyes shined, a smile growing on her face, "That's a great idea! Nora, you're a genius!"
The ginger's face became chiseled, "I know, but hold the flattery...and replace it with a plate of pancakes."
The hooded girl ignored her demands, "We sneak around, keep an eye on Yuji, and see what's up. That way, Weiss can stop complaining-"
"HEY!"
Ruby ignored her, too, "And we can see what his deal is. I bet he's lonely without his brothers and just doesn't wanna admit it!"
Ren crossed his arms, "So, you want us to spy on him?...like a bunch of ninjas?...why not?"
Blake wordlessly approached, her eyes somehow glowing even brighter as her book snapped shut, "I'm in."
Yang's forearm came down on Ruby's head, resting there as she looked down from overhead, "Count me in, baby Sis, but we might need Blake's blanket for that-"
The Huntress somehow knew she would regret asking this.
"...Why?"
Her sunglasses dropped on their own, "We're gonna be...undercover."
Ruby turned ghostly white, "...I don't wanna play anymore."
The bombshell wordlessly picked her sister up and hurled her over a shoulder, patting her on the back to help detox from pun overload, "How about the rest of you?"
Nora kicked her feet back and forth, ignoring the relentless hisses from Weiss as her heels bounced against her side, "Nora's in!"
The Schnee growled, closing her eyes in a huff, "Well, count me out; I want nothing to do with your nonsense."
Yang only sighed, "...Alright, I wish it hadn't come to this-"
"...What are you doing?"
"Nora-"
An evil glint appeared over the boxer's face, "Give her the spinny spin."
The ginger gleefully smiled, "YAYYYYY!"
Weiss paled as the hammer wielder picked her up by her shoulders, holding her up like she weighed nothing, her eyes widening in terror as she remembered what happened to Pyrrha during initiation, "WAIT, I CAN PAY YOU, PLEASE, LET'S TALK THIS OUT-"
"Do you have pancakes?"
Ruby's head rose a mere few inches through great struggle, "...Cookies...would...also...be...acceptable."
Nora, the powerful, nodded, "Cookies would also be acceptable."
The Schnee was trembling, "I can buy you some. Just give me time!"
"...No deal."
Eh?
The heiress's screams could be heard for miles as she turned into a whirlwind.
...
Later
Weiss gave an upset huff as she followed behind her team, led front and center by the self-proclaimed Sherlock Valkyrie, carrying a massive magnifying glass she got from who knows where.
The world briefly started tilting again as the dazed Schnee caught herself on a wall, her furrowed brow only tightening as Ruby popped up next to her, "...Are you still mad?"
The Huntress got no response, only a glare that made her shrink, "...Yeah, you're still mad."
Weiss clenched a perfectly manicured fist, "I swear, I will get back at you for this-"
"It wasn't even my idea!"
"You're guilty by proximity!"
"What does that even mean!?"
"What am I, your dictionary!? It means you didn't stop her from hurling me around, and she who is not with me is against me!"
Nora sank below the crowd, popping back up in front of the two, a sad pout on her face, "You didn't like the spinny spin?"
Weiss could feel her blood pressure rising, "Don't you have to be stupid somewhere else?"
The ginger looked at a nonexistent watch, "...Not until Four."
The heiress stopped talking entirely, angrily stomping along with the group, unwilling to admit she was terrified of getting spun again, so there she was, dragged along for the ride.
Their investigation started slow, with most of the group's effort spent trying to keep Nora from blowing their cover whenever something happened to get her attention, which was about every few minutes.
They had the benefit that Yuji was eternally unaware of his surroundings, seeming to just bounce from one place to the other as random people waved at him, with most of the campus warming up to him over the past few days, whether that was for his character or his family connections, no one could say.
But the group came to a sudden stop near the edge of campus, each member slamming into each other like dominoes as a booming voice rang out.
"Ah, Mr. Itadori, how are you on this fine morning?"
From the back of the line, Ruby whispered, "Who is it?"
Yang rolled her eyes, pulling out her scroll as Flappy Nevermores loaded up, "Eugh, it's Port. This should only take forever."
From a nearby building, a blob of red hair poked through one of the windows, seeing the group stacked up against one of the walls, and out emerged Pyrrha, amicably approaching, "Hey guys, what are we- EEEP!"
Yang had all but forced the girl into formation, pointing toward the scene ahead with a whispered hush.
Yuji just laughed, "Ah, it's goin' Sensei, you know what I mean?"
The aged Professor joined him, dropping a hand on the sorcerer's shoulder, "Haha! Trust me, my boy, when you reach my age, nearly every day can get quite dull if you let it, but that's one of life's many challenges, making each moment interesting enough to remember! I don't suppose you could spare some time to give your teacher a hand, would you?"
The vessel shrugged, "Sure, why not...so whaddya need help with?"
The Huntsman reached to the side, pulling the veil off an assortment of cages, "Ah, nothing an aspiring student like yourself can't handle. You see, I'm teaching a course for the upperclassmen, VERY advanced Grimm Studies, and let me tell you, they are a voracious bunch, only accepting the greatest dangers this world has to offer, but we all start somewhere!"
He slapped the roof of the container, "I need you to help me catch a live Beowolf for today's lecture, and in return, I'll keep writing you those out-of-uniform passes you so desperately need!"
"You don't gotta do that for me, but I appreciate it, Sensei!"
The man waved him off, "Bah, it's no concern, though, might I ask...why are you so opposed to wearing the Beacon uniform?"
The question hit team PYRN and RWBY like a truck...Yuji never once wore his uniform; it was always the same shiny black jacket and pants with his red hoodie, or on days off, he wore casual things like a bright t-shirt and shorts...and if Port was involved...ohhh, that's why Goodwitch wasn't on his case about it.
Yuji made a dull face, "Oh, I dunno how to work a tie."
Half the observing group deflated from sheer proximity to near-lethal levels of Yuji logic.
But the sorcerer soon snorted, "Nah, I'm kidding. Jujutsu users gotta be mobile if they wanna win a fight, so wearing some super uncomfortable clothes just doesn't sit right with me, you know?"
The teacher gave a firm nod, "Ah, I'm hardly one to judge why students chafe at dressing up when they'll never touch the blasted outfits again once they graduate. Huntsmen must do whatever necessary to ensure both their own survival and the well-being of others, and besides, worrying about some tradition is more Oobleck's domain, wouldn't you agree?"
With a nod, the student and teacher wandered off into the Emerald Forest, with Itadori lugging the massive cage on his shoulder as if the thing weighed nothing.
All the while, the various team members clambered through the treeline or snuck through the brush to varying degrees of success.
Pyrrha might have slammed her shield into a tree on accident.
Nora might have chased an imaginary birdie.
Ruby might have been said birdie, who then ran face first into Yang, sending the blonde barreling through a boulder.
Weiss just stood there because she didn't want to be there in the first place.
Honestly, the only people who did their job right were Ren and Blake.
Within minutes, Port was heartily drinking a cup of coffee as a nearby bush rustled, a mass of black flesh and white bone popping out as it sniffed the air.
With a bellowing roar, the beast lunged, claws outstretched as it threatened to engulf the man whole, only for a figure to launch straight down from the trees above as a red sneaker slammed the beast face-first into the ground.
As the vessel held the thrashing Grimm's jaw shut with a hand, he threw it like a baseball into the cage, the door slamming shut behind it as Port grinned, "Good work, my boy, that pretentious beast never saw you coming!"
The Beowolf rattled inside its new prison, trying to lunge at the man's hand in vain.
Itadori shrugged, swiping the dirt off his sleeves, "Ah, it's no big deal. If I can use what I got and make someone's day a little easier, then I'm happy to help!"
The lecturer huffed in approval, "You certainly did, but indulge an old man's curiosity, will you?... How do Huntsmen stack up against the mighty sorcerers?"
Yuji hummed, tapping a foot against a tree, "Hmmm...It's hard to say. Don't tell anyone, but I'm sorta high on the food chain back home, and we got a whole different way of judging people than you guys."
The teacher raised a brow, "Keeping secrets, are we?"
The vessel shook his head, pushing a hand through his pink locks awkwardly, "Nah nah, it's just...I dunno. I don't want my friends to think I'm bragging or that I'm better than them. Things get weird when people start to see the gaps between you...ya know?"
Itadori looked up to the sky between the trees, "Look, I won't bore you with the specifics, but there's four grades of sorcerers, with four at the bottom and one at the top. I'm what's called a special grade...we're above that."
Port hummed, scratching along his giant mustache, "...And you're concerned they might view you differently if they knew, is that what I'm hearing?"
Yuji bit his cheek, "Sort of...Working with non-sorcerers is just new to me, is all. We aren't like Huntsmen, you guys are public, we're-"
"In the shadows?"
Itadori gave him a nod, "Yeah, at least...before, but our fight with Cursed Spirits is different from yours with Grimm...some Spirits are just as smart as you or me, and for a while, they got the upper hand, and last I saw it, things weren't good."
The student gave off a slight sigh, leaning back on a tree, "I'm not tryna complain, but...sometimes I just wish I could go home and see if my friends are okay...or if...any of them are alive, cause right now, I don't know, and it's driving me crazy...I get that it's not fair to my buddies here but-"
A glimmer flashed over Port's eyes, "Ah, I think I understand. Are you worried you might have to leave them behind? Well, if they're any bit as determined as you are, I'd say your friends back home are doing just fine. Give it time, and you'll see that even the weakest links just might surprise you."
Yuji just stared off at nothing, "But I don't even know if I can go home. I... I left because I knew me sticking around was just gonna cause my friends more problems, and now I'm here, and I still don't know a thing about what happened after."
Port studied the growling Beowolf below, "Loss is a terrible thing, and it does little good to anyone involved, but regardless, I think you aren't placing enough trust in your friends here, young man."
"Whaddya mean?...I really like all the people here, but I'm just setting em' up for disappointment if it's only gonna end one way."
The teacher approached, dropping a hand on his shoulder, "I think you're burdening yourself with things that haven't yet happened. No matter what course you take, whether home is something you can reach or a distant memory, you can always start again, and in fact, you already have. Don't think I haven't noticed how your peers look up to you. Throwing all that away isn't what I'd expect from a kind boy like yourself, but keeping these things to yourself won't help your case, not when there are ears willing to listen."
He met his stare with a proud smile, "You're part of Beacon now, and that means sharing your burdens with those you care for, and just because you may or may not fly off someday doesn't mean it revokes the time you've spent here, does it? Forgive this old fool for droning on, but regardless of what you've come from, you're a Huntsman now. Live this life to the fullest, and if you're bound to leave, do it with no regrets."
Itadori just stared at him, thinking back on all the insanity he had lived through in the span of a year, wishing he had someone, any one of his old friends, or even just another sorcerer to talk to, but it was just him.
He couldn't imagine telling Ruby, Yang, Weiss, Blake, or even his own team and Partner about his past. He didn't want to dump that on anyone, but the longer he lived here, the more the vessel was starting to understand Gojo and how lonely it all really was.
Could he really keep doing this without even knowing if his friends back home were okay?
Even Yuji had limits.
He closed his eyes in reluctant acceptance, "...I'll try, Sensei."
Port just patted him on the shoulder, "Atta boy, now help me drag this cage back to campus, would you?"
As the pair left with a vicious Grimm in tow, two teams remained, none really moving, just staring at the sorcerer's disappearing form, a sinking feeling overwhelming each of them, feeling as if they listened in on something they were never meant to hear.
Weiss was the first to leave her cover if you could even call it that, but as the others emerged, each had a strange look across their faces, "What, were you expecting something nice?"
Yang looked conflicted but shook her head as she waved the Schnee off, "...Just shut up, Weiss."
The heiress watched as the blonde wordlessly turned around, walking off in another direction, the group seeming to disperse into their own cliques.
Nora and Ren dragged Pyrrha off while the rest of her team meandered after Yang, leaving her standing there, an annoyed sneer across her face, "What?"
Blake was the only one to stop, turning to face the white-haired Huntress, "Did you not listen to a word he said?"
Weiss crossed her arms, "Everyone misses someone. It doesn't give you a free pass to do whatever you want."
"And what has Yuji done to you, Weiss?"
The yellow-eyed girl took a step forward, "Because from what I've seen, he's gone above and beyond to try and deal with your nonsense, way more than you deserve, and you're still terrible to him because what? He's a Faunus, is that it?"
Blake just stared at her for a second, "I'm gonna give you a news flash. Everyone has problems. You aren't the only person in the world who hasn't gotten their way, but at least you have someone to complain about it to; I don't even think he has that."
"Stop looking at yourself for once. Then maybe you'll get why no one wants anything to do with you."
Weiss couldn't even respond before the girl rounded on her heels and marched off after her team.
Soon, they were gone, and she was stuck there by herself, her chest starting to rise and fall faster and faster as her hands shook, conflicting thoughts running wild in the girl's head.
Everyone saw her actions as irrational, but to the heiress, they only made sense. Weiss knew what the Faun...No...what the White Fang were capable of and...what they would do to the few people she loved in this world if they ever got their hands on them.
You could say it was hateful, that her attitudes were driven by prejudice, and you wouldn't be wrong. But...although she would never admit this to anyone, there was only one right answer-
It was fear.
Weiss' pale hand slammed into a mighty oak, feeling the bark buckle beneath her, looking toward the grass below, "What do you know?"
She let herself fall, leaning against the tree as her thoughts stayed garbled.
Weiss hated this, the endless sinking pit in her stomach whenever someone brought up her behavior, but what else could she do? People like...him, that pink-haired moron, and the endless amount of concern he put onto other people he hardly knew... it put her on edge.
No one in this world was kind; everyone was out for themselves. Weiss was raised to think and live with this idea in the back of her head at all times, but there she was a day ago, begging him for help like some emotional vagabond, unable to even call her own sister...it was pathetic.
To her, Yuji HAD to be up to...something, anything that could explain why he went out of his way for someone like her, so why was she still listening?
Weiss let out a sigh, "Am I really that desperate?-"
Her head clunked against the tree, "You meet one person who says they get it, and you throw everything Father said in the trash...what a terrible daughter you are...no-"
"I'm just the worst, aren't I?"
There she was, insulting someone and then expecting they'd help her, and he did...but if it was such a big deal like everyone kept saying, why wouldn't HE say something?
Wasn't this his fault for not speaking his mind?
How was she supposed to know what was going on in his life if he hadn't told her? Or maybe she never asked?
Weiss didn't know the answer, and she hated it. Her bubble kept shrinking the longer she was at this school, and things stopped making sense.
At some point, she had started walking, aimlessly wandering back toward campus without a destination in mind, that same question hitting her over and over.
'Why are you even here?'
A million pre-made answers ran through her mind in an endless loop; her family was both everything and the source of all her problems.
Weiss wanted to make Winter and her Father proud, but both had pulled in such radically different directions that it left the Schnee with a hole in her life, not knowing what to do or who to chase after.
Who know-
"Weiss?"
Reality seemed to phase back into place as a metallic clank echoed out, with the Huntress realizing she was surrounded by...gym equipment? Was she in the weight room, when did-
The Schnee looked down, seeing one of the many sources of her headaches these past few days as his dull brown eyes stared at her from below a barbell as he lay on one of the benches.
Of course, it was him. Did she autopilot her way into following him somehow? How she even got here, the Huntress had no idea.
Yuji raised a brow as she noticed him, "Hey, didn't expect I'd see you here."
Her eye twitched as she observed the bar nearly snap in half. He raised it with no effort, holding an inhuman amount of weight as it snapped into its holder, letting the sorcerer sit upright.
The Schnee sighed, not angry, not sad, just-, "...Hi."
He let out a slight laugh, "What's with that answer? Where'd all the sass go?"
She didn't respond, making him tilt his head, "...Somethin' wrong?"
...
...
"Weiss?"
Her face was scrunched up, eyes tightly shut as she gritted her teeth-
Yuji just stared at her, utterly lost, "Wha-"
Her face scrunched up to near-impossible levels, "I'm...I'll only say this once, got it!?"
Itadori had no clue what was going on.
"...Okayyyy...about what?"
She took a deep breath before looking down, her blue eyes opening to meet his stare, "...Thank you for h-...helping me with my Sister."
...
...
"Oh, no problem."
The Schnee deadpanned, "That's it? I work up the guts to-"
She let off a monumental sigh, "You know what?...I don't get you, Yuji; I really don't. I-...why did you help me with this?"
The vessel idly tapped his fingers against his knees, "I dunno, I just like helpin' people is all, and besides, you did all the work. I just got you two on the phone; how're things with your Sis anyways?"
Weiss let out a breath, trying to keep her cool, "Don't change the subjec-...She's...She's fine. We're going to try and talk at least once a week from now on."
His smile bounced back, "I figured it was something good! You've been different today."
Her eyes narrowed, "In what way?"
Yuji shrugged, "Hmmm, you just seemed a lot more...mellow this morning. I mean, you let Yang pick ya up without much fuss, and now you're talkin' different."
His ever-present smile grew, "Ah, sorry, I'm kinda ranting, aren't I? I'm just happy for ya, is all."
She felt oddly embarrassed and looked away in a huff at anywhere but him, "...stupid-"
"What's up?"
Weiss just grumbled, "Nothing, nothing at all...-"
Like everything in his life, the comment just bounced off the sorcerer, but Weiss was the one who kept talking, "...So...how goes that project of yours?"
Itadori shrugged, reclining back as he faced the ceiling, "Ehhh, I started it, but there's a lotta stuff you can say about home, ya know? Figured I'd think it over while workin' out."
He patted the bar, "Wanna turn? I can spot you if ya want!"
The Schnee's eye twitched at the mental image of her doing something so barbaric, "...I don't think...bulking would do my swordplay any good."
His eyes widened, "Ohhhh, you use a sword?-"
"Well, it's a rapier-"
She saw the question mark over his head, then slapped her face, remembering who she was talking to, "...Yes, it's a sword."
Yuji just hummed, "Ah, I gotcha. You got the look of someone who likes that sorta thing. But I figured you weren't the type to throw a punch like Yang when you're so tiny!"
His innocent smile did little to dissuade her from getting mad over that comment.
Her pride swung back in full force, "How dare-...I am not tiny! See, I can-"
Weiss tried to grab the bar over his head with a free hand and couldn't budge it an inch, with the sorcerer watching from below, "Uh...you good?"
The Schnee growled, "Shut up! I can lift this if I-"
Both hands came down this time, pulling with everything she had as the near thousand pounds of weight started to shakily move. Weiss' face turned red as her heels kicked against the floor, finally getting one side to rise just a bit, a satisfied smirk appearing on her face.
"Ha...Ha...I told you I could-"
*FWING
Her sweaty hand slipped, and she watched the thing crash onto his head in slow motion, swearing she saw him mouth the word, 'Why?'
*CLANG
The entire set collapsed with the sorcerer as he impacted against the ground, the bar resting on his head as Weiss stood there like a deer in headlights, with the few people present across the gym staring at them, "Ah-AH, I didn't mean-...Itadori?"
"Yuji?"
She poked him as if he was a deadbody with a finger, and he let out a silent 'whyyyyy?' into the floor.
She just blankly stared down, wondering if she was somehow affected by one of those curses he kept talking about.
Even when Weiss wasn't trying to be mean...she was mean.
...
One infirmary trip later
Sat on one of the chairs in the library, Weiss watched as the sorcerer slumped his bandaged skull against the cushioned pillow, wondering what to say.
Why was she here? Because the sinking feeling only got worse after that screw-up.
The Weiss of a few days ago would've just walked away, and part of her still really wanted to, but the Huntress needed to prove to Blake...no, herself, that she wasn't like that.
She clasped her hands, forcing herself to talk, "I knew you were thickheaded, but I didn't think you'd walk that off with just a concussion."
Yuji was lost in his thoughts, wondering if he looked like Gojo with all these bloody rags around his head, "Yeahhhhhhh, too bad for you, I'm kinda hard to kill-"
Weiss blustered, "I wasn't trying to!"
He waved her off, "I'm kiddinnnn'."
The Schnee pouted, crossing her arms, "Hmph...jerk...why don't you just do that thing you did during the trial...with your arm?"
The Jujutsu user was quiet for a second, sinking further into his seat, "Ahhhhh, brain stuff is a lot harder to fix...cuz that's where ya store the info to heal in the firsssst place, ya dig?"
"Are you sure you're alright?"
He shrugged, "Probablyyy...maybe...gimme like a few hours tops...ah crap I gotta make that presentation like this?"
He let his head drop, "Ah, I'll sleep on iii-"
His face slammed straight into a glyph before the force sent him bouncing back, meeting Weiss' angry glare, "I'm not about to let you give yourself brain damage, you dolt."
Her chin landed on her palm, "Honestly, if you just activated your aura, this kind of thing wouldn't happen to you in the first place. I could do it for you right now."
Yuji pushed his head back as he tried to keep his eyes open, "That's a baaaad idea."
"Why? I can't imagine having an aura is a bad thing; if anything, it'd save you the trouble of getting 'hit' as you call it."
"You're the one hitting me most of the timeeee."
She closed her eyes, looking toward the ceiling, "I have no idea what you're talking about. But seriously, if you want to get this assignment done, let me-"
"No."
The Schnee stopped mid-sentence, never hearing him take a stern tone even once before, only seeing one of his eyes staring at her from beneath his bandages, "...He doesn't like it when people touch his soul."
Weiss stared at him, at a loss, "...Who?"
Yuji's head slumped back as he started to pass out again, earning an annoyed growl from the Huntress who shot to her feet, storming over, "Oh, for God's sake."
The heiress grabbed him by his jacket, violently shaking him, ignoring everyone in the library staring at her, "Wake up!"
One of his eyes shot open again, "Wha-what?...What were we talking about?"
She took a breath, "Forget it...How do you expect to get this done when you can't even keep your head up?"
He tried to shrug her off, but Weiss held him in place, "No-No-No, you need to stay focused on something, so you're going to work on this, and I'll help you, but then we're even, got it?"
"Do I get a choice?"
Her face contorted into a bitter smile, "No."
Yuji couldn't help but hallucinate that Kugisaki was right in front of him...with pretty white hair...man that was not a good look for her...then again, she did dye her hair to look the way it did, so maybe-
Weiss yelled at him to stay awake, driving him out of his thoughts.
The pair worked for hours, with the Schnee keeping him aware with a constant flurry of questions about his home country and him being forced to answer over and over until she got a satisfying answer.
But given that this was Yuji, and he was working with the girl that had the shortest tempter at Beacon, there were a lot of...incidents that may or may not have gotten them kicked out of the library.
Itadori didn't remember much of it, and Weiss would never admit to getting angry about his refusal to say her last name right, unable to tell whether her breaking point was when he called it "Sneeze" or when he called it "Schnitzel" on some dazed rant about 'Germans and Europeans.'
Whatever those words meant.
...
Later
With the ring of a bell, a green-haired figure zoomed around the room powered by his famous go-go juice as it disappeared and refilled in the blink of an eye.
Professor Oobleck bounced on his heels over and over, "Begin class! Today, as expected, presentations...presentations, yes! On what? You're currently thinking, aren't you!? Of course, you are!"
*FWOOM-FWOOM
He disappeared and reappeared in front of Ruby, yoinking a scribbled drawing of himself out of her hands, "Mhm-mhm, penciled lining, ancient Vale methodology...indeed, five points!"
He rubber-stamped the page with his coffee mug, leaving a massive stain on the center as she just stared at him, "Uh, five points for what?"
"Unknown, studies show point system increases productivity, yes, yes indeed, a stimulated mind is a happy mind!"
*FWOOM-FWOOM
Yuji swore he saw the guy breakdancing for a split second before he was somehow across the room, sitting at one of the desks.
"Guest presentation from foreign guest Yuji Itadori, home Kingdom, unknown body of Japan, begin!"
To everyone's surprise, not only did the sorcerer walk to the front of the class with a bloody bandage wrapped around his head, but he also had Weiss Schnee, of all people, working the projector behind him.
The vessel lazily yawned as he plucked a piece of chalk up and started scribbling, drawing a white backdrop and a giant red circle in the middle of it as the lights dimmed around him for dramatic effect.
The spotlights came down as he spun around, taking intense poses as his brother Todo had taught him so long ago. "Ninja!"
Blake's bow twitched.
"Samurai!
People started to pay attention.
"From the mighty Shogun to our glorious Emperor, Bonzai!"
Ruby knew that word!
A map of an archipelago consisting of many islands appeared on the chalkboard behind the sorcerer as he gave a casual wave, "Yo! I'm Yuji Itadori, from the town of Sendai!"
He was lucky he had so much random stuff saved on his phone, or else they'd think he was crazy.
He pointed a finger at an isolated corner of the nation, huddled all the way in the northeast, tapping it for added effect.
His grin grew as he studied his friends in the crowd, "Bethcha guys don't know about my country, well same for me cause the Japanese hate outsiders, and almost none of us leave home, and there's a lot of us!"
He completely missed team PYRN and RWBY's faces fall when he basically screamed, 'No foreigners allowed!' with a smile on his face.
Weiss took the stage, notes in hand, "Japan is an ancient Kingdom whose monarchy stretches back over two thousand years, and like much of Remnant, began as disconnected civilizations, who, after uniting, some few hundred years ago, began a period of massive isolation from the world, until recently-"
Yuji watched the Schnee go with a smile on his face, glancing toward Bootleck as the man furiously burned his way through entire notebooks. This was going great!
They just might nail thi-
"But everything changed after the death of the Fourth Hokage-"
Yuji stopped, the veins around his eyes bulging.
What?
"But when the Nine-Tailed Fox attacked, their brief era of peace had come to an end-"
How long was he zoning out?
"And the subsequent massacre of the Uchiha Clan some many years later, leaving the Hidden Leaf Village in disarray."
No
"Their savior was a boy named Naruto Uzumaki, who would go on to unite the warring factions and help bring about true stability as their national hero."
No.
*TSSSSSS
With an unconscious burst of Cursed Energy, Itadori's brain started working as it should, its singular gear turning to disastrous consequences.
Yuji held his head as displaced images flooded back in, mouth wide open, first sitting at a picnic table with his brothers for some reason, then moments of a jumbled conversation with Weiss came rushing in.
His entire body turned into stone as he realized, at some point, that the vessel had told her a poorly written summary of one of his favorite mangas.
Itadori wasn't much of a history buff, but even he felt like he should try and correct some of this, it was his country after all, even if it meant failing but...Weiss put so much work in just trying to help him out.
He couldn't do that to one of his friends, even if it meant ruining his country's reputation forever...hopefully he didn't lose his citizenship over this.
The damaged sorcerer had to stand there, enduring the insanity of having his home's history relegated to an anime with a poorly received sequel, adding in occasional comments, with an all too forced smile on his face when someone asked if he could use chakra.
Weiss turned to the final page, "And with that, with the defeat of Madara Uchiha, the fourth great ninja war came to an end, ushering in peace forever more for the nation...and I quote, 'We do not speak of Boruto'...thank you."
They received thunderous applause while Yuji held a dead-to-the-world smile, silently apologizing to all of his friends for what he had done.
He was so getting punched by one of them when he died.
Oobleck raised his empty mug, somehow refilling it through thin air, "Exemplary narrative! Both students earned maximum credit today, yes, yes, yes!"
Weiss' blue eyes shined with delight, "Oh, thank you, Professor, you're too kind!"
Yuji would have to take this secret to his grave. He couldn't destroy that smile.
A hand shot up from the back, drawing the teacher's attention, "Speak, Valkyrie, speak! Time of the essence, all that, yes, yes!"
Nora was currently held in a headlock by Pyrrha to stop her from trying one of the famous Might Guy 'Dynamic Entries,' mentioned during their lecture, "If Japan is like supersupersupersuper duper far away...how'd you get here, Yuj?"
The sorcerer pointed a finger straight down at the floor, "The ground."
...
...
What?
Oobleck's eyes shot through his glasses, popping the lenses off as they shattered on the floor, "Time, yes, five minutes till might as well be five minutes overdue if you wait ten minutes, therefore class dismissed!"
Everyone just stared at him.
"What?"
The Professor, oh so calmly, picked up his shoe and hurled it at the bell, missing multiple times before it finally clanged once, "Class dismissed; go enjoy living history! Bye-bye, get out!"
Yuji briefly heard the guy calling a certain hole in the ground his 'precious,' whatever that meant, before vanishing in a cloud of dust, last seen running off into the Emerald Forest with a shovel in his hand.
Itadori ended up standing there, dejectedly, before throwing his concerns to the wind, turning to face the Schnee that both caused and...kind of fixed this situation, "Look, I know I'm not the smartest guy to work with, but-"
His bubbly personality shined bright with his goofy smile, "Thanks, you really saved my skin, Weiss."
The Schnee started to roll her eyes but stopped herself halfway, crossing her arms as she looked up at him, "You seriously need to put more effort into your classes. What do you think would have happened if I wasn't here to bail you out, hm?"
He clicked his tongue in thought but dropped the idea in seconds, "Who knows? But when I got people like you lookin' out for me, it doesn't seem so bad, right?"
"That doesn't-...If you're going to ignore-"
She looked in every direction, slapping a hand on her forehead before sliding it down her face in exhaustion, choosing to just take the compliment, "...Whatever, next time just...talk to me before it gets out of hand, alright?"
As the vessel gave her a glowing thumbs up, Yang popped out of the void, leaning an elbow on Weiss' shoulder, "Awww, the Ice Queen has a heart of gold after all-"
A vein bulged on the Schnee's forehead, "Shut it!"
The moment didn't last long.
Yang pretended to look hurt, "Well, that's just...cold."
Yuji just laughed at her expense, "Haha, You really got some crazy mood swings, don't ya, Weiss?"
She jabbed a freezing finger into his chest, "You're on thin ic-"
The heiress stopped herself, refusing to acknowledge the mutual glint Yuji and Yang had in their eyes.
The blonde wasn't done, her finger guns cocked and ready, "Ahhhh, ice see what you did there!"
Itadori held out a hand, "I dunno Yang, puns aren't good ice breakers."
"Ayyyy!"
"Ayyyy!"
Weiss was turning red, "I hate you all."
To her annoyance, Yuji plopped a hand on her shoulder, nudging her back and forth, "Ah, come on, Weiss, we're just havin' some fun, we're buddies, right?"
She puffed up, looking off with her eyes closed, but didn't deny it this time.
Yuji circled her like a shark, "Come on, you know you wanna say one!"
She rotated away from him with the power of sheer anger, "No, I don't."
"It's not hard to make an ice joke. You just gotta be slick about it!"
"Never happening."
Yang let off a sigh, pulling the sorcerer to the side, "That's never gonna work, dude. You gotta play hardball-"
"Whaddya mean?"
After a lot of hushed whispering, Weiss cracked an eye open to see them talking and snickering about something, looking away the second the vessel turned to face her.
Yuji had a vision, one where he would say the perfect joke about a falling snowflake, and then Weiss would say one; then everyone would say one; it was perfect...hopefully she didn't get mad before the gag landed.
He approached, a cocky smirk on his face, "Ah, don't like that, Weiss-"
In the blink of an eye the sorcerer grabbed her by her shoulders and hurled her straight upward, so fast she couldn't even respond, "No one likes a snowfl-"
*CRACK
Yuji stopped.
Yang stopped.
Everyone left in class stopped.
The sorcerer was shaking in silent terror, watching as the Schnee went straight through the ceiling with only her legs dangling down as scattered bits of debris rained down from above.
Uh oh
The ceiling started to freeze over with a layer of ice.
Uh oh.
He saw his breath and the specter of death looming through the bitter cold.
She had white hair and blindingly blue eyes.
Uh oh.
Ruby appeared behind him in a swirl of rose petals, pushing him toward the door at max speed, "RUN YUJI, RUN!"
The vessel let out a totally manly scream, fleeing for his life at maximum speed, only for a blob of orange to latch onto him like a monkey on his way out, hopping down beside him as they raced off, "Nora!?"
The ginger looked at him with tears building in her blue eyes, "I gave her the spinny spin!"
"YOU WHAT!?"
A sudden explosion racked the building as Weiss destroyed the entire ceiling, shattering it like glass as she landed, trudging her way after them, only for a figure dressed in black to stop her.
It was Blake, holding Gambol Shroud out for the heiress to take.
She gave a light smile, "We can talk about what happened later, but...I think you've earned this."
Weiss took it, stomping out into the hallway as a glyph appeared behind her, roaring to the heavens above, "YUJI, YOU ARE SO DEAD!"
As the single brain cell duo ran, Nora's confidence returned, "I think we're losing her! Do ya think that slow poke Atlesian is gonna-"
*BOOOOOOOOM
A wall behind them exploded into dust as Weiss came running outside, her speed boosted by an endless array of ice-themed glyphs, making Nora's eyes bulge with giant Xs in them with a scream.
Yuji's legs turned into a blur, "RUN FASTER, NORA!"
They raced across campus, racing between buildings, with Weiss barrelling after them, spinning Gambol Shroud like a lasso as its ribbons extended.
The grapples shot out, hovering over the hammer-user for a moment before latching onto her shoulder, pulling her back toward certain death, "YUJIIIII-"
*BWOOOOOSH
She vanished in an explosion of fire dust, making the sorcerer flail his arms in fear as the Schnee came running out of the fallout, the lasso taking the shape of his head, making him run that much faster, heading straight toward Beacon Tower as Weiss screamed after him, "GET BACK HERE!"
The sorcerer took no chances, making the ground explode beneath him as he launched into the skies, crashing straight through a glass window as his upper body entered Ozpin's office.
The man was currently talking to Goodwitch, who just stared at him with both anger and utter perplexion on her face, but the Director took charge, lazily sipping his cocoa, "Ah, Yuji, to what do I owe the unexpected pleasure?"
"GRAMPS! YOU GOTTA HELP ME SHE'S-"
A grapple landed around his ankle, pulling him back as the vessel dragged claw marks on the floor before it gave way, with him disappearing over the threshold, followed by a massive explosion from below.
Glynda let off a sigh, and with a flick of her riding crop, the window was back in place as if the teen hadn't crashed through it again; all the while, Ozpin happily watched the beatdown below, "Ah, to be young."
Goodwitch just stared at him, wondering why she listened to anything he said.
...
Meanwhile, in the snow-covered mountains of Vale.
A pair of eyes stared out at the world, concealed behind a white-plated mask coated in a fine red paint, their long black hair billowing in the frost-coated breeze, causing the beads dangling around her pale neck to sway with the flowing winds.
They stood atop what was once a broadcasting tower, their black heels holding against the rusted metal below, watching in disinterest as a bullhead came down in the distance, with four figures emerging as it took off, leaving them stranded in this isolated land, not knowing what was lying in wait.
A faint voice rang out, "C-...cc...Coco, can I please put my hat on? It's F-freezing!"
The beret-wearing leader let out a puff of air, her stylish back swaying as she turned, "I'm doin' this for your own good, Velv. How's a cute girl like you gonna get a guy if you're wearin' tube socks on your ears? Strut your stuff!"
"F..ffff...For who?! There's no one out here for miles!"
The stylish girl clicked her tongue in disappointment, "That's just it, little rabbit. You don't dress up just cause people are there. You should look good ALL the time! That way, you're never caught off guard, right boys?"
Fox ran a hand through his copper hair, "Yeah, I can see it now...oh wait, no, I can't."
Coco slammed her heavy bag into his arm for that, almost sending him flying, "Jerk."
Yatsuhashi didn't respond, but his massive form marched through the snow, gently cupping the girl's bunny ears in his hand with a comforting smile, earning a happy smile from the girl, "Aww, thanks, Yats."
Coco adjusted her sunglasses, looking out over the frost-covered wasteland, "Tch, can't believe they'd send us out here to this dump."
Fox idly scooped up a snowball, tossing it in his palm, "Welll, someone's gotta get those comms up and runnin' again. Never heard of a Grimm chewin' on some wires before, though, have you?"
The minigun user shrugged, her many layers of accessors jiggling as she moved, "Stupid things do stupid things, Fox. That's why we keep you around-"
The guy smirked, running a finger along his dark chin, "Not for my dashing looks and good personality?... You'd have to tell me if I lost one of those things."
"Yeah, yeah, gloat it up, smart guy, let's just get this over with and get outa here; these boots aren't made for hiking."
The figure watched from a distance as the four began a slow march up the hillside, their red eyes gleaming from within.
Moments later, they would raise an armored hand, staring down at a grainy image of a boy with pink hair and tiger stripes beneath his eyes, held between her exposed fingers.
Her mind flooded with images and memories, with all roads leading to the same nonsense, decades of conflict stretched across centuries, if not longer, all leading back to two beings that refused to die.
Both were toxic in different ways and where one would simply kill you for getting in her way, the other would manipulate you into playing into his endless games, too cowardly to fight his own battles, getting others slaughtered just to move on to the next victim.
Beneath her mask, the figure's brow furrowed in silent hatred, refusing to let another piece be added to this conflict.
Ozpin and Salem were enough of a threat on their own, and if this truly was what she thought, it needed to end before the problem got out of hand.
She'd see to it herself for the good of her tribe.
It was just a matter of setting the bait.
The image burned away into ash as she looked off over the horizon, "No more deceit...no more players."
She disappeared in a whirlwind as the team crossed over one of the many hills on the horizon, with them only accompanied by the eerie silence of the wilds beyond civilization.
But as they marched on, some couldn't help but question why a bird circled a mountain as barren as this.
...
And that's a wrap. Hope you're looking forward to the insanity planned for the next volume.
It's gonna be a lot of fun.
With all that said and done, take it easy, and I'll see you all in the next one; peace!
Sidenote: I'm aware of Yuji's actual rank as a Grade One, I'm doing my own thing.
Discord:
/pcf5eEmB4s
