It's been a while, hasn't it? I wanted a break to work out some ideas here and after the last chapter, the set up was perfect for a short time skip. There just wasn't anything really important happening between the last chapter and this one that couldn't be summarized. It would just unnecessarily stretch out the story. It's time to finally move toward the Vytal festival where big things are bound to happen. Of course, with the new plot going on, events won't happen the exact same way as in canon.
Thank you for being patient everyone. I know it's been a few months, but with a time skip, it was just a good spot to pause updates for a little bit. Then my beta's had some RL delays, otherwise this would have come out earlier this month. Not much we can do about that. We're all volunteers. So take a moment to thank everyone who helped out. This chapter was edited by Wishez.
Disclaimer: I do not own Toaru Majutsu no Index or RWBY.
"One more day, one more day!" Ruby and Nora chanted at breakfast.
"You two have been counting down for the last week," Weiss sighed, rubbing her temple as she felt a headache coming on. "For the last time, we KNOW!"
"They are just excited." Pyrrha giggled from down the table. "Haven't you been looking forward to the Vytal Festival Tournament too?"
"Yeah, Ice Queen." Yang waved a fork at her. "You're the one who wants to keep going over our team strategies."
"So we don't embarrass ourselves." Weiss sniffed, cheeks slightly red. "A lot of people will be watching us."
"You will when you fight our team and our super secret weapons!" Nora pointed at Weiss. "No crying when you lose."
"No telling them about our super secret weapons." Jaune reminded Nora, sounding unusually serious. "They could come up with countermeasures." Pyrrha was hiding her laughter behind her hands as Ren was quietly eating with a smile of his own.
"Should we be worried?" Ruby wondered, looking at her best friend.
"Yep." Jaune nodded and winked at her. "It took a lot of work, but we're ready." He turned his gaze to Yang. "Sorry ahead of time."
"Wait, why are you looking at me?" The blonde girl was suddenly confused.
"Now I'm suspicious." Weiss narrowed her eyes and looked over at Accelerator and Last Order. Accelerator was rolling his eyes as the young girl next to him was trying to hold back her laughter like Pyrrha. "Something is going on." Her gaze shifted to Touma, who was deliberately looking away from everyone. "And one of you is going to spill it."
"MISAKA is sworn to secrecy, MISAKA swears as MISAKA covers her heart with her hand." Last Order replied as she put her right hand on her chest.
"Don't ask me; I don't pay attention to their stupid plans." Accelerator yawned.
"You know if you don't tell her, she's going to hound you until you do," Blake warned Touma, looking up from her book. "She's very persistent. Even more than Ruby and Yang when she wants to be."
"Yeah, she is." Ruby agreed. "Tell us, Touma!"
"You promised not to!" Jaune reminded him, turning in his seat. "It will ruin the surprise."
Touma looked around at everyone sitting at the table before his eyes darted to the cafeteria doors. All of his friends were staring at him intently except Accelerator, who was ignoring the situation, and then Neo, who was cracking up silently in her seat. Through his eyes, they could see he was debating if making a break for it would be worth it.
"Ruby can catch you." Yang dashed his hopes immediately to prevent the attempt.
Taking a deep breath, Touma prepared to answer.
"Jaune was going to bribe Neo to replace him so she could beat all the teams."
Everyone instantly stopped eating at his words. Even team JNPR was gaping at him. No one expected that answer, and Touma had promised not to talk about it when he heard the real plan from Jaune. However, taking it in stride, Neo knew exactly what to do. A small doll size illusion of Jaune and Yang appeared on the table. Jaune was leaping around in ways the real one could never do and proceeded to punch and kick the tiny Yang to the ground. The small boy then shimmered to reveal a Neo illusion, standing on top of Yang, raising her hands in victory.
"HEY!" Yang shouted. "You're so lucky you can't compete, squirt!"
Neo stuck out her tongue and then created pink letters spelling out H-E-R-O in mid-air.
"You were right; she's still milking it." Weiss sighed, shaking her head.
"But… Jaune… were you planning to cheat?!" Ruby gasped in horror. "That's not like you!"
"I was just joking… OW!" Touma tried to do damage control with a grin but then winced as he felt someone kick him under the table. It was either Weiss or Blake, but he wasn't sure which one it was. "Seriously? Kicking?"
"Did you deserve it?" Blake asked innocently.
Now he was sure who did it.
"I thought we were just going to have Last Order boost me before each fight?" Nora asked Ren, who tried to shush her. Too late, as Team RWBY heard her.
"Nooooo, that's cheating too!" Ruby declared, pointing at them. The last time they faced an electrified Nora was still fresh in her mind. Her body remembered the agonizing pain from being hit by that girl's hammer into a wall. "You can't dope!"
"Technically no, and Jaune asked Professor Goodwitch ahead of time if it was," Pyrrha muttered sheepishly. "Shocking yourself before a fight isn't against the rules…"
"MISAKA is helping her friends! MISAKA declares proudly as MISAKA puffs out her chest." Last Order beamed at them all with a huge smile on her face.
"Aren't… aren't we your friends too?" Yang asked quickly. "Come on, Last Order. You don't want to give them an unfair advantage. Don't you want to see us battle it out with only our skills?"
"Noooo!" Nora leaned forward so she could look around the others at Last Order. "You should want to boost me. It's so much fun. The point of this tournament is to enjoy ourselves! Don't you want to see me at my best? Ren, help me out!"
"It's not cheating," Ren agreed, as he also wanted his team to win. While usually quiet, that did not mean he didn't have a competitive side. "It's called strategizing. Nora's Semblance relies on electricity, which would be no different than using a generator or electric Dust."
"Except Last Order is much cuter," Nora grinned. "And a friend, so she should be allowed to help us out.'
"MISAKA will help out then! MISAKA decides."
"Weiss, do something!" Ruby begged, giving her partner her famous puppy dog eyes. "You're closest to her!"
Weiss looked from her team leader, acting like a child, to Accelerator, who now had an amused grin on his face as he still pretended not to be listening, and lastly her eyes fell on Last Order. The girl was beaming at Nora and excitedly planning their team's downfall with a huge smile on her face. Truth be told, this should probably be stopped. Nothing good would come up from pumping Nora with what amounted to electrical steroids. There was only one option the white-haired girl could do.
"If Last Order wants to help Nora with her ability, it's up to her." Weiss sipped at her coffee, expression passive.
"Traitor!" Ruby and Yang complained loudly.
"I'm actually surprised you're so accommodating," Accelerator muttered from across the table. "Don't you want your team to win?"
"Yes, of course, I do." Weiss huffed, pushing Ruby away from her as the girl continued to complain. "But I'm also not going to ruin the dreams of Last Order to help out. If Professor Goodwitch said it was okay, then there's nothing to complain about. It's actually a pretty smart idea to maximize Nora's Semblance. Like how some students build weapons or create devices to work with theirs. Seriously, look at her and tell me you could say no to that."
The two white-haired individuals glanced over at the happy girl still chatting away with Nora.
"You got a point," Accelerator admitted.
"Cowards, both of you." Yang growled.
"You tell her then." Weiss snapped.
"Er… later." Yang looked away.
"Thought so." Weiss crossed her arms and looked smug.
"I take it you're going to at least make it to the finals, right?" Accelerator asked Weiss. "She would be upset if you didn't."
"Naturally, though we decided Yang will probably fight in the finals," Weiss replied. "It starts as a four versus four match but eventually becomes a two versus two and then a one versus one in the end. I'm going to be participating in the two versus two with her…"
"What made you come up with that joke earlier anyways?" Blake asked Touma as the others were dealing with Last Order's desires and the upcoming tournament. Neo looked up at him interestedly too. "Is she rubbing off on you?"
"Probably," Touma nodded seriously. "I mean, she is a hero after all… OW!" He flinched as she kicked him again under the table. "When did you get so violent?"
"I don't know what you mean," Blake replied innocently. "Maybe she's rubbing off on me too?" Neo crossed her arms and smirked at them both.
"Even if Neo wanted to participate, she couldn't," Touma continued, reaching down and rubbing his sore leg. "You know we're supposed to be escorting Sienna Khan around while she's here." Neo raised an eyebrow and pointed at him. "Well, me, but Ozpin said our team needed to stick together while Last Order can watch the matches with others. Accelerator was the hardest to convince, but I think Weiss helped persuade him."
"You know Sienna is using this as an opportunity to get back at you," Blake warned under her breath.
"I do," Touma sighed and looked tired. "She's hardly subtle about it. But it's not the worst way I've been used by people smarter than me. It's going to help Faunus Human relations to see her here as Ozpin's guest, so I'm hardly going to refuse."
"What are you going to do if she wants you to show off your… dragon form?" Blake asked.
"I'll do what I always do, grunt, look like I'm constipated, and try, only to disappoint everyone. I'm sure people will buy it."
For a brief moment, a smile almost flickered across the girl's lips, but instead, Touma only got an eye roll. Truth be told, Nora and Ruby had been disappointed that Touma couldn't activate that transformation again. Not that they said it directly, but everyone could see it in their eyes. The two girls who would have loved to examine that form the most weren't even lucky enough to be at the scene of the terrorist attack. For now, they gave up on trying to figure out how to trigger it, as Team RWBY and JNPR had to prepare themselves for the tournament.
Today they were taking it easy so that they wouldn't be tired for the first round tomorrow.
"It's not like you have any experts on your powers here." Blake reminded him.
"Pretty much word for word what Ozpin said." Touma sighed and looked up. "The letters asking for the 'Dragon Faunus' are getting a bit much, and a lot of people are saying Beacon and Sienna Khan are hiding me from everyone."
"If you stay here, isn't that true?"
"They aren't doing anything, though. I'm free to leave when I…" Neo tugged on his sleeve and gestured to the door with her head. "Right… we should get going."
"Where are you two going?" Ruby asked, noticing the signal.
"It's our last free day for a bit until the festival is over since we're supposed to be escorting Sienna around," Touma explained, aware the other table was listening in. "I promised Neo we would hang out today. She got a disguise for me and everything so we can go out into Vale without being recognized."
"By disguise…" Pyrrha asked curiously.
"Literally a wig and some different clothes, so people can't recognize me. It's not like she can use her Semblance on me. I just hope it doesn't make me look like an idiot."
'Would be tiring to keep it up on him the entire day too.' Neo typed it out on her pad. 'And you already look like one.'
"Is it a date?" Nora asked eagerly, leaning forward to look around Pyrrha and Jaune at them. She didn't register Blake and Ruby glaring at her, but Yang did. Her partner's reaction was obvious, but it was kind of adorable seeing her sister jealous about a boy. She was growing up so fast. At least Ruby had gotten over the embarrassing kiss at the dance. Since Touma didn't bring it up, they all seemed to pretend it didn't happen.
It took a lot of effort on Yang's part not to mention it.
"No." Touma answered as Neo made the word 'Yes' in pink illusionary letters over his head. Before Touma could look up, she erased them as Jaune and Nora laughed. Neo then tugged at his sleeve again, and Touma eventually stood up. "Alright, we can go. Catch you all tonight." Neo clung to his arm as they dropped off their trays and left the cafeteria.
"Going to follow them?" Yang asked Blake instantly.
"No, that would only make things worse," Blake answered. "I'm at the point where I believe she really just acts like this to annoy us. The fact that she snuck into the conference and saved lives by disarming those bombs makes me believe Touma was right about her. She's adjusting from a criminal to a Huntress, but her personality is just…"
"Annoying?" Yang provided.
"...Eccentric," Blake answered instead. "I'm sure she hates being cooped up here after living freely. I can't say I don't completely understand that sometimes."
"Did they mention anything… unusual… about what they were going to do?" Weiss asked Accelerator.
"Not that I'm aware of, but I only vaguely know her sign language, so there might be hidden meanings in some of it." Accelerator admitted gruffly and yawned. "He'll be fine. He's harder to kill than a cockroach. Even collapsing a building on him does nothing."
"You can say that again." Jaune pointed out, earning a few chuckles.
"He's got his own mission," Ruby declared. "So let's put on a good show for him by winning the tournament, Team RWBY!"
"Yeah!" Her team cheered.
"By winning, you mean second place, right?" Nora asked. "Because we're coming in first!" Jaune, Pyrrha, and Ren all crossed their arms and nodded.
"It's going to be a great tournament! MISAKA agrees as MISAKA can't wait for tomorrow." Last Order then addressed Accelerator. "You promised to come with MISAKA to hang out all day today with Penny too, MISAKA reminds you."
"Right…" Accelerator had forgotten his promise to spend the day with Last Order and her robot friend. Those two always knew what the other was up to. He was pretty sure the small girl could use her electricity to connect to Penny and share information to some degree wirelessly, but he couldn't prove that for sure. Anytime he asked, she kept evading the question. Her ahoge always seemed to twitch when Penny was nearby. "Fine, let's go."
"Have fun." Weiss wished them, giving the child a small wave.
"We will! MISAKA assures her as MISAKA waves back." Last Order and Accelerator got up and left on their own, heading down the hallways of Beacon. Penny usually didn't come to breakfast because some people might wonder why she never eats in front of others. Since she was a terrible liar, it was best to avoid that. "MISAKA notices you seem to be having fun, MISAKA whispers. If you want to hang out with the others, MISAKA understands."
"What are you talking about?" Accelerator demanded as his footsteps slowed.
"MISAKA has been watching you closely. MISAKA explains. Besides Weiss, you open up more around everyone else, especially Jaune and Yang!"
"She just annoys me, and the knight watches out for you too, so I owe him a little." Accelerator dismissed.
"Is that really the reason? MISAKA asks as MISAKA observes you closely." Last Order turned around and looked up at him with big brown eyes.
"It…" Accelerator started to respond but then stopped. Since arriving at Remnant, the biggest change, besides the physical ones to his body because of that crazy bitch's Dust healing, was him trying to be more honest with himself. "It's complicated."
"MISAKA knows it helps to talk about things! MISAKA pushes seriously. Didn't you feel better after talking with Weiss to start dating?" Last Order reminded him of probably the most unusual thing that had happened to him since arriving in this world.
"Ever since I was healed, brat." Accelerator snapped. "Something hasn't been right. Not like in Russia when everything inside of me finally clicked into place. It was like I was broken again and set up differently. I've had to deal with being even weaker than before, physical changes, and trying to adapt to another world. Of course, I'm going to act differently than back in Academy City."
"It's not because you have friends who are just your friends without ulterior motives? MISAKA asks quietly as MISAKA grinds her foot into the ground nervously."
Somehow, Last Order hit the nail on the head. How the hell did that little brat get so perceptive? It wasn't like Accelerator didn't realize Team RWBY and JNPR were like that. Logically, he knew that. There was just always a small voice in the back of his mind that kept whispering people didn't associate with him unless they wanted something. Power, money, protection, fame, it was always something. The kids here were far too innocent and wore their thoughts on their sleeves. Years of being used left a mark deep within his soul. His hormonal levels were balancing, but he still felt more emotional than he ever did back home.
"You should hang out with them more then if that's the case! MISAKA explains again, as MISAKA waves her hands to indicate the importance of her suggestion." Last Order spun around on one foot as she waved her hands.. "MISAKA knows Weiss is awesome and fun to be around, but you should try to be friends with Ruby and Yang too."
"Ugh, one step at a time," Accelerator clicked his tongue, thinking of the torture of trying to hang out with someone like Yang. "I promised you I would spend the day with you and Penny. We'll be busy the next couple of days playing nice with that White Fang leader. Stupid Hero…. Volunteering us for things."
"Isn't it more rewarding to help people than hurt them? MISAKA asks as MISAKA can't help a smile forming on MISAKA's face." The girl put her hands behind her head and laughed as she ran ahead, dodging Accelerator's hand as he reached out for her head.
Unable to deny the girl's claim, Accelerator followed, feeling slightly better.
Touma felt a little bad about lying to his friends, but the details on what he and Neo had planned later today couldn't be shared with them. Except for maybe Jaune, but it was better to keep him out of this too. He doubted any of them would appreciate what they were going to do. Blake would probably smack him around hard enough to make Yang proud. Not that she could talk. She did the exact same thing.
They were going to meet Roman Torchwick.
A few days after the attack on the White Fang Peace Conference, Touma got a call on his Scroll from an unknown caller. Naturally, he didn't answer and ignored it, as spam calls were common back home. The boy finally decided to answer when the person called back six more times. Persistence should be rewarded to some degree. If they were calling that much, it probably wasn't a telemarketer or scam.
"Hello?" Touma sighed without looking at the screen. "Who is this?"
"Hey, kid. How's Neo doing?"
Touma almost dropped his Scroll.
"R-Roman?" Touma stammered before he was able to regain some composure and stare into the face of the wanted criminal casually calling him. "W-what the… h-how… w-why?"
"Of course, I know your Scroll number," Roman laughed. "But enough about me. You're making a name for yourself out here. Why did you never tell me you were a dragon Faunus? I would have introduced you to some people."
"It's not like that…" Touma facepalmed and shook his head exasperatedly. "You know I'm human."
"Who knows with you?" Roman shrugged on the screen. "You're full of surprises, kid. Enough about you, though. You never answered my question. How's Neo?"
"Rambunctious and deadly." The boy answered, thinking about it.
"Sounds about right. Good to see she's not losing her touch."
"What about you?" Touma asked. "Last I heard from you, it was at the bar with Jaune."
"Been busy," Roman laughed. "We all can't goof around and save terrorist leaders from collapsing buildings. That's a Tuesday thing."
"You called me for a reason," Touma accused, his eyes narrowing suspiciously. "Why? I doubt it's about the conference unless you're trying to use me for one of your business deals."
"Perceptive," Roman's amused demeanor faded. "Can't tell you much, but think of it as a gift to Neo's sweetheart."
"You too?" Touma decided not to argue about this right now.
"During the end of the Vytal Festival, stay far away." Roman told him seriously. "Best if you can leave Vale. It's not going to be safe here."
"What do you mean?" The man knew something and purposely did not reveal any details to Touma that would be useful. Roman expected him just to do what he suggested. "You need to tell me more than that!"
"Sorry, got to go, my head is too pretty to be caught on fire."
The criminal hung up without answering any more questions. Touma only stared at the blank screen for a minute, completely dumbstruck. Anger slowly began to bubble to the surface as the boy gritted his teeth and made a fist with his free hand. The urge to throw the Scroll against the wall was there for a brief moment. After a couple of deep breaths, he managed to calm down. Getting upset wasn't going to solve anything, and Roman might have done this to rile him up for some reason. The only way Touma would know for sure is if he visited Roman on his own terms.
The problem was he had no idea where that guy was, and trying to call back was fruitless. That number didn't exist when he checked the Scroll's history. Roman would have covered his tracks if Touma decided to turn him into Beacon. Part of him considered doing exactly that. The other part knew it was pointless. A criminal mastermind wouldn't get caught so easily unless it was on purpose. Finding him would require someone on the inside who knew him inside and out.
It was time for a deal with the devil.
"I need you to set up a meeting with Roman," Touma told Neo when they were alone in their room. "As soon as possible." Naturally, Neo just stared at him incredulously and then began to gesture, indicating she was innocent and hadn't talked to him since she came to Beacon as promised. Being forced to raise his hand to interject, the girl stopped moving. "We both know you have a way to talk with him. You're smarter than me, and I know you have one. I just haven't been looking because I'm putting my trust in you."
Pink and brown eyes blinked before the girl tilted her head curiously.
"He gave me a cryptic warning…"
When Neo's eyes widened in understanding, Touma's resolve to meet Roman again was reinforced. She knew something was up. If it was going to cause problems with peace talks with the White Fang, he needed to know. Ozpin and Ironwood needed to know. This was the start of real possible peace between humans and Faunus. Something that would make Remnant better for everyone. While it wasn't Touma's home world, many people, including his friends, lived here. If there were something he could do to help, he would do it.
That led to the current situation. What Neo did was lost to Touma, but she had informed him that they could meet Roman today. However, they couldn't just waltz up to his hiding spot in the middle of the day. That would draw unwanted attention. Leaving late that evening would too. Having a date and shopping trip all day? People would stop worrying about them in a couple of hours. They would then stop by on the way back, keeping all suspicion at bay.
As long as no one recognized Touma, hence the disguise.
With Touma's face plastered all over the TV channels for days, waiting until the talk shows turned to other topics would also make it slightly harder for random people on the streets to recognize him. Neo hadn't been lying when she said it would be tiring to put an illusion on someone else all day. An hour or two? Sure, she could do that easily. Herself? All day without breaking a sweat. Besides Touma's spiky hair, he was rather unassuming, so a wig would actually do a lot for him.
"I'm beginning to regret this," Touma muttered as they stepped off the Bullhead. He now had a moppy brown head of hair, and his outfit wasn't that much different than his old clothes, a dark blue and orange shirt and jeans picked out by Neo. Not flashy enough to draw attention, as many people were adept at recognizing people under disguise. Neo, on the other hand, was in complete disguise herself, as she was a little too well known in the underbelly of Vale. Someone might see her and follow.
Neo's hair was black with lighter streaks, where her white streaks would normally be. It was done up in a twin-tail hairstyle with white bows. The heterochromia eyes of hers were now pure green. Her attire consisted of a sleeveless black blouse that exposed her midriff, white frills on the chest and collar, and a black ribbon bow hanging from the front of the collar. She wore a knee-length skirt with a white belt along with the blouse. To anyone looking at her, she was a cute girl, but not so breathtaking she would draw attention. To Touma, she was Neo version 1.6, or however many different disguises she had.
Whenever she wanted to, she could become a completely different person. Real or fake. To keep their appearances up, Touma had no choice but to let her drag him away from the Bullhead. Anyone looking at them would only see a boy and girl on a date in Vale. A perfect disguise by hiding in plain sight. People tend to be suspicious of those hiding in the background, not in the middle of everything.
It was just that they had a lot of time to kill, and Touma was worried.
A bored Neo was an unpredictable Neo.
Back at Beacon, Cinder was looking at Ilia, eyebrow raised. Emerald and Mercury were in their room too, listening to their leader speak. It seemed as if Ilia was a little concerned about the progress of their mission.
"There's nothing you need to do besides help us win the first round. After that, your job is finished."
"Adam said the final attack will be at the end of the tournament," Ilia reiterated. "I can escape with our men, but what about you, Mercury and Emerald?"
"Worried about us?" Mercury grinned. "Awww, I knew you liked me."
"Gross." Ilia shivered.
"That's usually my reaction when he tries that kind of stuff." Emerald agreed.
"Should I at least keep trying to get close to the targets?" Ilia asked, turning back to Cinder. Her tone was almost desperate. "I'm pretty much in with Team RWBY, and Team TAN doesn't suspect a thing. I'm the only one in a position to really intervene with them if something happens."
Ilia was different from the type of girl who liked to wait. She took things into her own hands. It's one of the reasons she joined the White Fang. In the past, she tried to hide, pretending to be human alongside others. Being a chameleon Faunus, her unique gifts made it quite simple by hiding her splotches. Ilia thought she had friends and even ignored them bullying other Faunus because it wasn't her. That was a mistake, and she should have stepped in. When her 'friends' found out she was a Faunus, they turned on her too. The White Fang accepted her, and she vowed to stop hiding and work toward her goal.
Like Blake used to.
"No, there's no point in doing so," Cinder decided, examining Ilia closely. "The tournament is tomorrow, and all you need to be wary of is not drawing attention to yourself. If we recuse ourselves now, no one will suspect anything. We are resting or doing last-minute training. Most of the other teams are doing the same thing."
"Okay…" Ilia took a deep breath. "I'm going to take a walk then for some fresh air. Being inside a room all day is suffocating."
"Go ahead." Cinder waved her hand dismissively. "Just be ready for tomorrow. We must win the first round."
"Of course, I'm a trained fighter; I won't lose so easily," Ilia promised, turning around and leaving quickly.
"Emerald, keep an eye on her," Cinder told the green-haired girl.
"Do you think she's going to betray us?" Emerald asked, sitting up and preparing to leave. Once Cinder gave an order, you followed it. "Adam chose her personally for her loyalty to the White Fang."
"If they only knew what we were here for. Their little attack is just a distraction for us." Mercury snickered at that.
"They will never find out if things go as planned." Cinder glared at him, voice like ice. "Speaking of such things will lead to an early grave for you, my dear Mercury." The woman turned her golden eyes back toward Emerald. "As for Ilia, she's loyal to the White Fang, not me. She also seems attached to Blake Belladonna due to their history. That worried me when Mercury found out."
"Childhood friends, and I'm positive Ilia has a massive crush on her," Mercury explained. "You can trust me, as I'm the cupid of love. Look how I got Pyrrha and Jaune together."
"Everyone in the world could tell Pyrrha Nikos was crushing on him!" Emerald snapped.
"But Mercury got them together, which is another weakness on top of the ones we know about her," Cinder pointed out, silencing Emerald. "Jaune Arc… is weak, which means if we need to, he can be a target to distract the Invincible Girl. She'll rush to his side, regardless of the dangerous situation."
"Perfect trap material." Mercury slammed his fist into the palm of his other hand.
"Precisely." Cinder nodded at his words. "And while Emerald hasn't been able to get close to that Touma Kamijou…" Cinder paused and seemed lost in thought.
"It's not my fault!" Emerald protested. "I tried, but no matter how much I flirted, he just brushed it off like I was trying to tease him. That guy even asked if I dropped something when I bent over. He practically made a fool of me!"
"I did warn you," Mercury reminded her. "Guy's denser than a rock when it comes to girls' affection. Plus, he's got that… What did Yang call it? Right, he is always with Belladonna. Not like you had much of a chance with that Bellabooty. Your ass is fine, but hers is a legend."
"Do you want to die, you sick pig?" Emerald asked, gritting her teeth as her face flushed in embarrassment and anger. Her hand reached her waist automatically, trying to find her weapon before remembering it was put away since they were in the dorm room.
Cinder was silent as she pondered the situation. Initially, she had been the one who was supposed to get close to Touma, as Neo wouldn't try anything if it were her. That girl had developed some possessive crush over the boy. As long as it didn't affect the mission, she could have her fun. What made Cinder send Emerald was the sensation Cinder felt whenever they drew near. A fear welled up within her. The Grimm parasite inside her might have been reacting to whatever power Touma had. Roman had told them about his ability to repel Grimm.
Rather than take any risks, Emerald was supposed to do it instead. While she wasn't as manipulative as Cinder herself was, the girl was attractive and could flirt easily enough. Failing her task had been quite a surprise, even with Mercury's warning. He was actually achieving a lot more than Cinder thought. Being an assassin, his skills outside of combat were limited, but they found him pulling his weight here. Weirdly, being himself was working among the targets.
"Enough, Emerald." Cinder finally said. "Go and observe Ilia for now. Make sure she doesn't do anything foolish."
"Yes, ma'am!" Emerald turned and left the room, eager to carry out her orders.
"Anything you want me to do, boss?" Mercury asked.
"Stay out of trouble."
Ilia, meanwhile, wasn't planning to do anything to jeopardize the mission. If things worked out as Adam planned, the world would understand that humans could no longer treat Faunus as second-class citizens. Not even a kingdom would be safe when the Faunus' wrath raised down. They will have no choice but to really embrace equality or the human kingdoms would fall. It's not like this wasn't a long time coming. The White Fang gave them plenty of chances to fix the issues. Peaceful protests kept leading to dead ends, though. The violence got results, so that's what the White Fang was forced to do.
Her hands involuntarily formed into fists as a question passed through her mind.
'Was this right? Should we really do something to this degree?'
Blake didn't think so, that's why she left. Part of Ilia couldn't forgive her completely for that betrayal to the cause. The other part wanted her friend back. Several times she almost blurted out to Blake secrets that could have caused a lot of problems. It was hard to let go of the past. Not only that, Ilia had met several humans here that actually weren't bad. Ones that seemed to actually like her, Faunus and all. Though that could just be an act. Many humans could conceal their true intentions while plotting your downfall.
"Hey, there's my sexy date!"
Ilia stiffened up instantly, her blood growing hot, as her skin swapped hues to bright red. Turning around, she was greeted by a pair of lilac eyes and lots of blonde hair from the tall girl.
"Anyone tell you that your color-changing power is sexy as hell?" Yang told her, winking.
"Y-Yang!" Ilia stammered, her skin turning pink for a brief moment before she controlled herself. Once her tan skin was back to normal, the girl continued, her voice steady. "Can I help you?"
"Why so formal?" Yang laughed, throwing an arm around her shoulder. Ilia's eyes widened as her head was propped up to the side of the most glorious valley around. "Come on, we've been on a date or two, and we share the same best friend. We're totally close."
"The dance was as friends, wasn't it?" Ilia asked, struggling to escape before she found her determination slipping and just accepting having her head be squishing into those breasts.
"Why, were you expecting more?" Yang asked curiously, letting her go. The smile was still plastered on her face and her eyes twinkled. "You know how many people would kill to have a date with me? And you won the grand prize!"
"Blake is right. You can be exhausting sometimes." Ilia rolled her eyes, but couldn't resist grinning. "Although, I can't say I dislike how forward and honest you are."
"That's the Yang Xiao-Long guarantee," The blonde assured her. "Honest, caring, and bluntness, wrapped up neatly in a smoking hot package with a side of being the best big sister in the world."
"I should ask Ruby if that's true," Ilia considered, putting a finger on her cheek. "Or Weiss. Doesn't she have a sister?"
"Please, Ice Queen doesn't know squat," Yang waved her hand dismissively. "Ruby always says I'm the best big sister, and we all know she's honest and impartial."
"Impartial… right…" Ilia chuckled. "Whatever you say. So what's up?"
"Nothing, that's the problem!" Yang explained, throwing up her hands. "We're taking it easy today, and training is banned. We'll do a light warmup tomorrow before the first round, but that's it. I'm dying of boredom."
"And you want me to entertain you?" Ilia extrapolated from the blonde's words and actions.
"We can entertain each other," Yang corrected her with a grin. "I'm sure you got some great stories about Blake when she was younger. She wouldn't tell me otherwise. And I can tell you some stories about her from here."
Ilia's ears twitched at this. It was tempting.
"There are some things I can't tell you about us… we did some stuff that others can't know."
"If it's about your time with that organization, we already know." Yang assured her.
"You know?!" Ilia gaped at her. "Even Weiss Schnee? And they are still on the same team." Blake had mentioned something about that now that she thought about it. It was hard to believe though.
"You'll be surprised what people will accept when you sit down and talk." Yang pointed out, throwing an arm over her shoulder. "You have your reasons. Blake had hers. She told us you were one of her best friends, so that makes you okay in my book. I want to get to know you."
Ilia's throat went dry as she heard this. A human… wanted to be friends with her. For no other reasons except she was Blake's friend. Being a Faunus didn't matter to Yang. At first, Ilia had been suspicious, but quickly realized Yang didn't have ulterior motives. She was just outgoing, the exact opposite of her and Blake. Yet, deep down, Ilia knew what trying to go against Yang was futile. Most people realized that at some point.
Besides, she did want to hear what Blake had been up to. Blake told her a bit, but she was sure she left out anything embarrassing. Yang was nice enough that Ilia could open up to her a little bit. Maybe there really were good humans out there.
Which made what was going to happen all the more bittersweet.
"Please, Neo… can we take a break?" Touma begged, his arms ladened with bags.
The girl stopped and looked around, her arms free of any obstructions as she continued to peruse the stores. Neo blinked at him and examined the number of bags he was carrying. For a brief moment, it looked like she was about to be considerate. Touma knew better. That girl would tease him for a bit first, then give him a break. When she flexed at him and then made a few up-and-down movements with her arms, his suspicions were confirmed.
"No, I don't think carrying bags is good strength training for a Huntsman."
Neo dismissed his concern with a wave of her hand and then pointed to a bench. Touma plopped down on it, welcoming the break. All day they had been shopping, going from shop to shop, buying clothes, jewelry, and pretty much anything that caught Neo's eye. What made it difficult is she would buy one item at one place and then would move to the next, not skipping a single store. Every item purchased added to the boy's discomfort. Still, he held his tongue. This was Neo's first shopping trip in a while, and she was splurging. Sighing, Touma leaned back and stretched his arm as the bags sat at his side.
"Neo…" Touma blinked and looked around. "Great… she's gone." His tone was dry and sarcastic, not thankful at all. "She wouldn't just bail on me here." Closing his eyes, he sat there and relaxed. A few minutes later, something cold pressed against his cheek and he opened his eyes. "I knew you would come back." Touma grinned as he stared into the mismatched eyes.
The girl smirked back and pushed a drink she had placed on his cheek into his hand.
"A smoothie?" Touma asked. "What brought this on?"
'Didn't you drink that smoothie Ren made recently?' Neo signed.
"Yeah, it was a little bitter, but it wasn't bad." Touma admitted, sipping at the one Neo bought him, thinking back. "The way Ruby and Jaune talked about it, you would think it was poison. Yang almost knocked it out of my hand when I first tried it." If it hadn't been for his danger sense, she would have. Protecting his food was something ingrained into him by losing so much to his bad luck. With limited money, eggs were his primary source of protein, and he couldn't count the times they broke before he even got home.
He wasn't aware of Neo eyeing him suspiciously.
'Do you have a stomach of steel?' Neo inquired, waving her hand around as she signed.
"What makes you say that?" Touma looked confused. "Sure… I've eaten stuff past its expiration date, but I'm not Index…" He noticed her head tilting. "You know, my roommate back home and…" His hand holding his drink shook slightly. "I hope she's okay. She's not very self-sufficient. I know a friend of mine will help out, but she's probably lonely. Even with her there…"
Neo was having trouble figuring out who this other girl was. Touma's expression was weird. It wasn't fondness nor irritation… acceptance, maybe? Like he didn't have a choice in the matter? That worried Neo for a moment. Touma had been in this world for a while, and he was still thinking of other girls back home. It would be better if he just stayed here in Remnant.
Finishing her drink, she tugged at his arm.
"Where are we going now?" Touma asked, resigning himself to his fate.
To his surprise, Neo pointed in the direction of apartments instead of another store. With it getting late, the sun was beginning to set. It would be dark in a couple of hours at most. Since Neo was moving away from the shopping district, Touma knew what was coming next. Still, the boy kept an eye out as there was a chance Neo might be trying to mess with him once more before the meetup. No love hotels were nearby, which was a welcome relief with her.
The apartment building looked nice but not extravagant. With Roman's tastes, Touma was sure his safe house would be some five-star resort palace. No one would think to look for him there. Or maybe they would, as that master criminal was hardly subtle about his likes. The slums would be the most likely spot searched for wanted criminals. So a normal apartment in downtown Vale? Hiding in plain sight? Pretty much a genius strategy for Roman, and Touma was slightly impressed at the foresight.
As they entered the apartment building, a flicker to his right caught his attention as the air shimmered around them. A camera faced the door they had entered, and Neo held a finger to her lips as she looked back. Touma nodded and remained silent as he struggled to carry the bags silently. It's not like they could leave them in front of the building. That would be sure to draw unwanted attention.
Neo led them up the stairs and then made a few rhythmic knocks on a door. Pushing it open, she and Touma slipped inside, before locking the door quickly behind them.
"Welcome, kid." Roman was kicking back in a chair in the kitchen unit, his feet propped up on the table. "I heard you missed my charming personality and fashion sense."
"Something like that." Touma set the bags down and crossed his arms. "Did you think I was going just to accept that cryptic message you sent me before?"
"The old me would," Roman shrugged and then drained his coffee. "You were really gullible early on. This new you? Nah, Neo keeps me up to date with your antics." Touma glared out of the corner of his eye at Neo, who looked back innocently. "You think I would just sit back and ignore you after what you and your friends have done? The white-haired kid? Seriously, that guy is a monster."
"He's strong, but he's hardly a monster." Touma brushed it off. "Don't call him that, though."
"After seeing him rip out an underground bunker, meeting him is not on the top of my to-do list." Roman pulled out a cigar and lit it. "Tell me what you want. I'm only entertaining this meeting because Neo begged me… OW!" Neo kicked him in the side before walking over to the table and sitting down. "Tsk, fine. I'm doing this cause I like you kid. You remind me of a young, less handsome, me."
"I'm surprised you have a place so… normal." Touma admitted, looking down at the apartment designed for a bachelor. "The police don't search here, huh?"
"Got it." Roman gave him a short finger gun. "But I have safe houses all over the place. Most are registered completely legally, under aliases. This one is under a Mr. Rick Tanner."
"R.T. huh?" Touma raised an eyebrow.
"Honestly, I wouldn't normally be using those initials either, but Atlas and Vale police departments are surprisingly dull. It's sad in a way." Roman shook his head back and forth. "No wonder we leave everything to superpowered kids. You fit right in, Mr. Dragon Faunus."
"Thought you said you didn't believe that."
"What I believe doesn't matter to public image. If I can use the fact people believe that, you can bet your bottom LIen I'll do so."
"Ugh, why am I not surprised." Touma caught Neo snickering silently off to the side and decided he should focus on the main topic of conversation before he got completely caught in their pace. "I'm here because I need to know what's happening at the end of the Vytal festival."
Roman didn't immediately say anything and took a long drag from his cigar.
"With what you've been up to," Touma continued. "The train to break Vale's walls to let the Grimm in, the attack on the laboratory where my friends were doing a mission at, both of those times were with the White Fang. Are they blackmailing you? This doesn't seem like something you would do. Even being paid."
The man glanced over at Neo, who shrugged and gestured, including pointing toward Touma a couple of times.
"Perceptive," Roman finally admitted. "If I had known you were like this when we first met, I would have taken even more precautions."
"To be fair, you could have tricked me a lot harder than you did," Touma reminded him. "I owed my life to Neo there, and you took me in when I was trapped in an unfamiliar world."
"What can I say? I'm just a good-hearted man." Roman laughed, earning a snort from both Touma and Neo. "As for why I'm working with the White Fang, the money's good, but other incentives were just too good to refuse."
"Like what?" Touma raised an eyebrow.
"Like keeping my life." The answer came brutally, and Touma stared at him. "Seriously, kid. One minute, I was making some typical deals. Passing along stolen merchandise, setting up some trades between gangs as a neutral third party to take a cut of the profits, when we were attacked. Seeing people's heads burst into flames tends to make you listen to someone. I was told I needed to steal Dust and work with the White Fang for now, or they would dismantle my entire enterprise and kill me. Even Neo wouldn't have been a match for them."
That took Touma by surprise, and he turned to look at the multicolored girl. Her lips were pursed together, and she seemed thoughtful. Though, reflected in her eyes, was a little bit of fear. If someone as strong as her was afraid, then this person who attacked Roman must be in a league of their own.
"N-Neo couldn't handle them?" Touma spluttered. "But she's so strong…" Neo grinned slightly and patted him on the back like she was comforting a child.
"Neo's a great fighter, but her style is suited for assassinations and agility," Roman explained. "Direct fights really aren't her forte. Taking a few students down? Easily enough. This person controlled fire effortlessly. Having your head engulfed before you can even draw your weapon is tough to counter. Many fights are like rock paper scissors. Sometimes you have a skill or weapon that completely counters someone else."
"Couldn't you reach out to Ozpin for help?" Touma asked. "He seems like the kind of person who might be willing to work with you."
"Ozpin's not going to be around much longer, kid." Roman warned. "From what I gathered, this group wants to take him down. During the Vytal festival is prime time to make a statement. The White Fang is planning to do some kind of distraction. What exactly, I don't know. After the failures due to you kids interfering with all my tasks, from Little Red to her friends, to the Arc kid's team, things just haven't been going my way. I remember when things were simple. I walked into town, stole what I wanted, and left without superpowered teenagers getting in the way."
"Maybe crime doesn't really pay." The boy joked.
"Neo and I could both disprove that instantly with our bank account. How's being a Huntsman-in-training at Beacon? Making tons of money?" No response came back. "Thought so. Lien makes the world go round here, kid. You want Grimm killed? You pay Huntsman. You need help pulling a job, you pay people. You want equality… that's more complicated, but you do have to pay for supplies, bribes, and advertisements. Money is involved in all aspects, kid. Preaching morality is all well and good, but you have to be able to back it up."
"You told Jaune and me once that you hated killing." Touma reminded him. "But drawing the Grimm into Vale to kill people? Seems like a way to lose out on a lot of money if Vale falls." Morals and ethics aren't going to influence someone like Roman or Neo. He needed to make them see things using their logic.
"Killing is messy," Roman agreed. "Less suckers means less targets for sure. As I told you about the train, I didn't have much choice. A reduction in monetary gain for a short time isn't as bad as dying. Once you're dead, it's over. We all get one life so enjoy it to the fullest."
"Then shouldn't you be doing something about the people forcing you to work for them?" Touma demanded. "It's interfering with your life."
"Easier said than done, I don't want to die." Roman's argument was pretty sound.
"I've fought plenty of people who can use fire," Touma assured him. "I know how dangerous they can be. But the moment you gave up, you stopped being a top-class thief. You're just a flunky." Neo snickered a bit in her seat as Roman glared at her.
"Sure, I'll just go up to Ozpin and explain what happened. I'm sure he'll welcome me with open arms." Sarcasm oozed out with every word. "If Ironwood didn't have his goons shoot me the moment I showed up."
"I could vouch for you…" Touma offered, realizing how stupid the words sounded as he spoke them. "Seriously, I already told him there was a group working with you that was behind all this. If you give him the information on them, we might be able to stop them."
"I'm being monitored," Roman revealed suddenly. "The moment I try to go anywhere near Beacon or contact them, they will know, and my life is forfeit. It took some work on Neo's part to get you here without being detected. You may have thought she was just having fun all day, but we were passing coded messages while I was there in disguise."
"She did say pretending to have a shopping trip would throw people off our trail."
'I said date!' Neo gestured, scowling as he refused to use the right word.
"Neo is a pro, trained personally by me." Roman huffed smugly. "Of course, she would know how to disguise her true intentions. You won't believe the first time we met. She was just a stray I found on the street… OW!" Roman glared at the girl as Neo looked away, arms crossed. An exchange beneath the table had occurred, and for once, Touma was lucky it wasn't him.
"You care about her, huh?" Touma looked between them.
"Probably the only thing more important to me than money, kid."
Neo's eyes widened, and her mouth fell open, before her cheeks flushed bright red. Touma knew Neo held Roman in high regard, even if she joked about him constantly. Looking closer, and taking what Roman just revealed, their relationship seemed to be familial. Yes, it seemed like Roman saw Neo as a daughter, and Neo saw him as a father, not that they would ever admit it, but it was almost like they needed each other. No matter how far down in criminal life someone was, they always seemed to crave something from a simple life. Touma had seen it in his world multiple times.
"Then why are you going to risk attacks on Vale then?" Touma responded, his voice stern. "If a kingdom falls into ruins, wouldn't that threaten her too?"
"I already explained that to you, multiple times." Roman snapped back. "Clean out the wax from your ears. That's probably why you're always in the mud."
"When you're willing to ask for help, I'll do what I can, Roman." Touma stood up. "You and Neo did a lot for me, even if it was for your own reasons. Ozpin gave Neo a chance to change her life, and I'm sure he would give you a chance too."
"Like what, a teacher at Beacon?" Roman laughed loudly. "Oh, I would kill to see Ironwood's face if that ever happened. He would have a stroke."
"I can't say you don't have skills that would be valuable," Touma admitted. "Though, maybe an accountant for Beacon or something. You're good with finances." Neo and Roman both snorted at the suggestion. "What? Play to your strengths."
"You're using that saying incorrectly." The man rolled his eyes. "My strengths are far beyond simple money management." He took one last drag from his cigar and put it out. "Tell you what, if everything comes crashing down around me, and I'm out of ideas with nowhere left to go, I'll come find you and you can repay the debt you owe and help me out."
"Debt?" Touma raised an eyebrow.
"You may have paid Neo back for her help by taking care of her at Beacon, but you still owe me for room and board when we met."
"Didn't I help you transport things?"
"That was volunteer work, not paid work."
"I'm going to bill you for those hours."
"Go tell a lawyer and I'll see you in court."
Neo was laughing silently at their banter. There was no way any of that was going to happen, but it was fun to imagine for her. Touma trying to get a lawyer to take his case about not being paid for working with a criminal, followed by Roman actually showing up to a court date. Police have been trying to arrest him for years. Atlas military never even came close to catching him and they have the best technology around. If he did show up, it would turn into a ring circus.
It would honestly make a great TV show.
"Arguing with you gives me a headache." Touma shook his head. "But my offer still stands."
"Yeah, yeah, you miss me and want to spend time with your favorite mentor." Roman waved his hand dismissively. "I'll think about it when I have nothing left to lose."
"Well, at least you'll think about it." Touma sighed, turning around. "I think we're done, Neo. We should get going before the others start wondering where we are.".
Neo jumped out of her chair and waved goodbye to Roman, before sending a few more messages Touma decided to avoid looking at.
"Good to see you too, squirt." Roman told her. "Take care and keep him out of trouble."
'That's asking for the impossible.' Neo signed and then turned away. Her smile turned into a frown when Roman couldn't see her. After Touma grabbed her bags, they left together and ventured once more into the city.
"I hope he sees reason." Touma muttered darkly. "There's a better path than what he's on."
'Are you going to tell Ozpin?" Neo asked him with her sign language, back in her disguise.
"I'll tell Ozpin we verified that someone is using force on him," Touma decided. "I'll keep your name out of this. Roman contacted me because of the incident at the conference and I met with him. Ozpin will understand. It might give him leniency later or the opportunity to join us in order to stop them. At the least, he'll know there's something planned against the Vytal Festival."
Neo frowned and pointed at him and then back toward the apartment.
"Yes, I do want to help him, and I know for a fact you want to help him too."
Unable to deny his words, Neo walked ahead of Touma as he struggled to carry her things. Absentmindedly, her hand reached into her pocket. Fingers wrapped around a small data stick. One that just had to be slipped into a computer. Neo knew once Roman discovered it missing, he would be furious. She hadn't planned on taking it, but after what he said about her? Something inside just moved automatically and she swiped it.
—sort of a failsafe.
Feel free to leave a review, comment, suggestions, or ideas, I love reading them. If you have a question you wish to ask and would like a quick answer, feel free to message me directly. I try to respond to those within a day or two. Comments, I tend to respond to in the next chapter.
Wishez: Come on now Dark, all this writing for no plot progression? My $200 invoice has been sent to you, I am waiting for my payment.