As team MACE was busy trying to figure out what exactly they were doing with their time in Mantle, a much more destructive group was doing what they did best in the forgotten city.

And then some.

With a blank face and a cold glare, Rey sat by a table with his legs crossed. The moon shining the only light into the room from the window. His rainbow hair in a tight ponytail with a few loose strands falling over his eyes. The buttons of his suit undone. His elbow was resting on his thigh as he covered his mouth and held up his chin with his hand. Breathing in heavily, his nostrils flared up as he heard the door open. Exhaling, he tossed his scroll onto the table before closing his eyes. Uncrossing his legs, he leaned forward while reaching up to rub his face. "What?" He huffed out.

A pair of hands soon moved around his shoulders as Dion leaned over. "You're stressing too much." He tilted his head, his shaggy purple hair swaying. His eyes softly gazing into his. "You need to relax a little. Alright?"

"I'm pissed and I will relax once Mantle is free from Atlas' control." He brushed him off while standing up and stepping away. "And those damn kids are out of my way." He snarled.

"Rey, come one." He sighed, stepping up behind him and draping his arms over his shoulders. "I know they're a pain but just breathe, alright?" He leaned onto him while reaching up to pull his hair down. "Our girls are unloading the truck right now. So how about we just take a moment. What do you say? Hmm?" He outstretched his fingers, letting the hair tie fall down onto his wrist.

Sighing to himself as he felt his hair fall down around his face, he rolled his head around to stretch out his neck. He stared off for a moment before attempting to pull away. "Whatever."

"Rey..." Dion shook his head, holding him steady for a moment before moving his hands to his shoulders. There, he gently massaged his muscles. "You're tense. Really tense. That isn't good." He dug his fingers in deep, helping him ease up.

Slowly exhaling, he began to relax. Softly shaking his head back, he reached up and grabbed his hands. "I don't know how you dealt with these brats in Vale. I didn't know children could be so infuriating."

"Tell me about it." He rolled his eyes before trailing his hands down his arms. "But I knew I could escape from any cage they put me in. I learned from the best after all."

He scoffed, turning around and crossing his arms in one quick and fluid motion. "Some of your greatest feats were before you met me even. Do I have to remind you of your own miso soup prison escape?"

"Ah, one of my best." He smirked with a small shrug. "You should have seen the Mistral Police Force's faces. Priceless." He exhaled, his smirk turning into a devilish grin. "You know," He reached up to tug at the collar of his purple shirt. "It's getting a little hot in here."

Rey rolled his eyes, taking a step closer with the same exact look on his face. "Well then, if-" He was cut off, hearing a heavy crash from outside of the room. He blinked once, his face going blank as he flashed his teeth and began to growl. Pushing the purple haired man aside, he began to walk towards the door. "Ivory!" He shouted, slamming the door open with enough force to make the hinges screech. "What did you do this time, Miss Luce?!"

Scrambling on the floor, the white haired Faunus quickly tried to pick up the scattered Dust crystals and place them inside a crate that had one side broken off. Her ears were folded downward while her movements showed how frazzled she was. "Nothing! N-Nothing sir!"

"What do you mean nothing!?" His voice rumbled in the air as he stormed towards her. As he did, she began to tremble more. "You're on the ground like some animal! Trying to clean up a mess you made! Do you know what would have happened if that Dust would have triggered! It's Schnee Premium Dust! It could blow this place to pieces! Are you trying to kill us?!"

"N-No..." She barely whimpered out in a soft and quiet tone. Her hands shaking to the point she couldn't pick up or even grab anything. "I-I just..."

"You just what!?" He harshly snapped, flipping his cane around into a reverse grip while bringing it close to his chest. "Huh!? Don't just squabble on the ground! I have a Kingdom to free! I'm doing you and your sister a favor letting you help me out! Your family will be at the top of the food chain when we're done here! But that's only if you listen!" He raised his can with his arm across his chest. "Do you even know how to listen!?" He bared his teeth at her

"Wait! Wait!" Sliding to a stop in front of him, Ebony heavily exhaled while holding up her right hand. Tucked under her left, a crate much like her sister was next to. Breathing softly, she kept her voice quiet and low. "I told you not to get angry and yell at her, remember?" She gestured with her hand for him to calm down. "Okay? Relax, take a chill pill, alright? We'll pick it all up. Don't-"

Letting out a low growl, the rainbow thief pressed his cane against her neck and pushed her back. "Don't talk back to me." He snarled, his jaw clenching as she was pushed against a wall. "I gave you a chance that night. The chance of a lifetime. And later you tell me that if I still want you to work for me you have to drag along some little half pint who acts like a complete idiot." He spat out, pulling his can away. As he did, he leaned his face in towards hers. His hot breath trailing across her skin as he placed his can between her legs. He then scoffed, jerking away. "You're lucky your semblance is useful." He mumbled before storming off.

Keeping still, she waited until she heard the door shut. She exhaled through her nose, glaring across the room as she slowly relaxed. Closing her eyes, she took a moment to breathe before quietly setting her crate down and making her way towards her sister. "Hey..." She softly spoke.

Still trembling terribly, Ivory sat on the floor with her arms wrapped around her legs. Her snow leopard ears fully folded down as she stared off with wide eyes.

"Okay, okay." She clenched her teeth, aggressively tapping on her thigh before crouching down in front of her with a sigh. Keeping her distance, she bit her lip. "Okay..." She took a deep breath. "Well, I know I don't sing as well as mom so..." She thought to herself before smiling. "You know, we have a little extra lien. Maybe we could pick up a few groceries after we're done here before we head home. Mom could make her homemade pasta and dad could make his sauce from scratch." She leaned in a bit. "What do you think? I know you like helping me make the meatballs perfect."

She let out a small sound, scrunching up a bit more as she lowered her head and closed her eyes.

"Fuuuck..." She quietly groaned, rolling her head back. Reaching up, she rubbed her face. "You love spaghetti... that was supposed to help."

"...cursing is still bad..." She very quietly muttered, glancing up at her with slightly blurry vision.

Blinking, Ebony began to grin devilishly. Leaning forward, she crossed her arms. "Really? You're still giving me that shit?"

"Hey...!" She let go of her legs and shifted around. Repositioning herself, she crossed her legs and then pointed towards her. "Stop. I'll tell mom."

"And what is that old ass hag going to do?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Ebony!" She raised her voice slightly.

"Yes, Ivory?" She smiled back, resting her chin on her knuckles with her elbow against her thigh. "Did you know you stopped shaking?"

Blinking a few times, she narrowed her eyes at her sister. "I don't like you."

"You know you love me." She chuckled a bit while standing. "Now, how about I help you finish up, alright?"

"Yeah..." Ivory took a deep breath, slowly getting up. Her brow furrowing slightly before she shook her head.

Staring, she let out a small sigh back. "You know, you could just stay at home while I do this. You don't have to get yourself involved."

"I know." She glanced over with a smile. "But I want to. You're my sister. I want to be with you. Even if it means doing things we shouldn't."

Watching her go back to picking up the mess she made, the dark haired Faunus shook her head with a sigh. Closing her eyes, she reached up to rub her them. Her thoughts trailing back to the first night she met Rey. The day that changed everything forever.

It wasn't all that long ago. After an exhausting day working down in the Dust maintenance part of the city, Ebony was counting her spare lien as she made her way down the nighttime streets of Mantle. It wasn't much, but it was just enough to get her father a bottle of rye whiskey. She knew it wasn't the best for him, but it did help him relax. And with everything that had happened to him in the past two decades, he deserved all the relaxation he could get. He deserved any distraction from the pain he couldn't forget. She took a deep breath, shaking off the ever lurking negative thoughts plaguing her before entering a small bar with purple neon lights lighting up the outside.

Stepping in, she glanced at the man sitting alone at the bar. His multicolored hair tied into a ponytail with a few loose strands. Other than him, no one else was in the quiet and dimly lit place. A few chairs and tables were scattered around and a flickering jukebox was set up in the corner. Sighing, she rolled her head back and softly called out. "Mr. Ysus! It's Ebony!"

"Ah, here to pick up something for Mr. Ombra again?" Leaning out from the back, Dion flashed a grin while running his hand through his hair. His tight purple t-shirt clinging to his skin. "How much do you have this time, hmm?"

"Forty." She stepped over towards the counter before holding out a couple lien cards.

"Hmm..." He let out a soft sigh before taking them. "I'll give you top shelf anyway, alright? Maybe you can pay me back later." He winked while taking a step away. He then chuckled as she rolled her eyes. Glancing at the man who was sitting alone, he gave a shrug. "Come on, I was joking." He defended himself from the look he gave before stepping into the back again.

Shaking her head as he left, Ebony took a deep breath before looking over. "What do you want?"

Staring at her, the man sitting at the bar slightly smiled before downing the drink in his shot glass. "You look tired." He raised an eyebrow at her.

"I am." She said bluntly. "Dad hasn't been able to work for years and no one wants to hire my Faunus mother or my Faunus sister."

His head tilted a bit. "Doesn't that make you a Faunus too?"

"Wanna see?" She snarled a bit, flashing her teeth in his direction.

"No, no, it's quite fine." He waved his hand a bit before holding it out with a genuine smile. "It seems my friend has taken a liking to you. I'm Rey."

"I don't care." She hissed before looking away. "I'm just here to get a gift for my dad. So shut up and leave me alone."

"Well damn, you're edgy, aren't?" He softly exhaled before shaking his head. "You know, instead of barely scraping by to get him some with a job you honestly hate, how about you come work with me? You'd actually be able to afford top shelf then."

"I thought I told you to shut up." She glanced back at him without moving her head as she crossed her arms. "I don't care what you're selling. I'm not interested. Unlike you, I have people to look out for."

"Okaaay." He took a deep breath, grabbing his second shot glass. "This isn't working. Dion said you were difficult. We're going to do this my way." He grinned, downing his drink before holding up his hand. "The Other Side by Hugh Jackman and Zac Efron." He chuckled a bit before snapping his fingers. As he did, Dion stepped back out front with a sigh and shake of his head. A look of here we go again in his eyes.

With wide eyes, Ebony glanced around a bit as music picked up out of nowhere. In her confusion, the rainbow thief took his chance. Standing up, he placed both his hands on her shoulders and pushed her down to sit. He quickly did the same, both their stools letting out soft clicks before he began to sing.

"Right here, right now

There's a proposal out

I don't want to stress you out

I know you feel it," He pointed to her before gesturing to himself with a small scoff.

"You work with me

And I will let you sing

Out of this prison cell and hell you hide in," With a grin, he tapped on the counter twice. Pulling out a large sum lien card, he showed it off and laid it down. As he slid it towards her, Dion set her bottle of rye down and pushed it across towards her. Though, instead of her catching it, Rey snatched it. Quickly opening it, he refilled his empty glasses.

"Swap this unspeakable for something colorful

And if it's madness, breathe in the madness

You can play it logical, think it's all impossible

Or you can change it all with me," Tossing the open bottle back to Dion, he quickly down one of his drinks as he stood. Patting her back, he quickly slid away.

"Don't you want to get away from the dreadful life you're forced to play

'Cause I have what you need, so come with me and take my side

I'll give you a much better life," Spinning her around in her seat despite her murderous look, he let out a silent chuckle before sitting back down in his. Picking up his second shot, he leaned in towards her while motioning towards himself.

"'Cause you can live like you do

Or you can live like me

Stay in your cell, or you can finally break free

Oh, damn! Suddenly you're free of strife

I'll give you a much better life." Swallowing his drink, he flashed her a smile. Reaching back behind his head, he pulled the hair tie out of it. With his hair falling down, he flicked the hairtye away only for Dion to catch it as he stepped over and began to refill both his glasses. Scoffing, Ebony glared at him before rolling her eyes and standing up as she began to sing.

"Okay, good sir, you want to bring me in

But I hate to tell you that it just won't happen

So thanks, but no

I think I'm good to go

'Cause I am fine with this life you say I'm stuck in," Tapping on the counter, she stepped to the side before harshly taking the now open bottle of rye she had originally came here for. Exhaling, she slowly turned to stare back at him.

"Now I admire thieves, and all their epic schemes

They're onto something, really it's something

But I don't live among the yeggs, I don't pick up empty kegs

I'll have to leave that up to you," Se turns back around and goes to leave. Both Rey and Dion glancing at each other before softly shaking their heads. The two both took a shot as she scoffed and continued.

"Don't you know that I am fine with this same old boring life of mine

'Cause I got what I need and I don't want to risk the strife

I don't need to have a better life," She paused at the door and looked down at the alcohol in her hand. Taking a very deep breath, she turned around and pointed towards the both of them. Doing this to assert herself as well as try to convince herself.

"So go and live like you do

I'm good to live like me

Not in a prison so I don't need to break free

Oh, damn! Can't you see I'm doing fine

I don't need to have a better life." Half snarling, she moved away while grabbing the doorknob only to stop as Rey started back up.

"Now is this really how you wish to spend your fun?

Whiskey, gin, brandy, and the errands you run?" He raised an eyebrow at her before she flashed her teeth and turned around to glare at him.

"If I was messed up with you, I'd be the laugh of my fam

A disgrace and disowned, for eternity damned." She shook her head, looking away as he sighed back at her. Slowly getting up, he stepped towards her.

"But you would finally breathe a little, finally smile a little

Just let me give you the freedom to see

And it'll wake you up and soothe your aching

Take the chains and start to break 'em

Now that's a deal that seems worth taking," He placed a hand on her shoulder, staring quietly for a moment before letting it fall.

"But I guess I'll leave that up to you." He pulled away with a smile as he watched her shoulders fall. Clenching her jaw, she glared at the doorknob before taking a deep breath and turning around to eye the rainbow thief.

"Well it's compelling, but going could cost me greatly

So what lien amount of your take would I be keeping?" She put a hand on her hip as he grinned back at her.

"Fair enough, you want a cut of all the profit

I'd give you fifteen, we could shake and we can lock it." He held out his hand, taking a step back as she took a step towards him. As she did, she set the open bottle on the counter.

"I wasn't born this evening, forty would be alright." Her eyes narrowed at him. He rolled his eyes, snatching up his cane that was leaning against the bar. Twirling it, he tapped it on the ground before he leaned forward onto it with a smile.

"Why not just go ahead and ask for lien every night?" He shook his head, baffled by her offer. She tried not to groan, baring her teeth at him as she forced her panther claws outward.

"Thirty." She said bluntly while stepping closer as he shook his head.

"Twenty-five." He held out his hand while taking a step towards her as well.

"And?" She crossed her arms. Glancing at the open rye bottle, he smiled.

"And some rye?" He shrugged a bit as her eyes narrowed.

"Fine." She exhaled, retracting her claws. Smiling, Rey glanced towards Dion who shook his head back. He just smiled more, nodding before holding out his hand. Glaring silently for a moment, Ebony slowly reached out to shake his hand. The two of them both singing together this time.

"Aren't you ready to live the whole new life you're going to be in

'Cause I got what you need, so come with me and take my side

To a better life

So if you live like I do

So if you live like me," They both pulled away from each other as she continued on her own.

"Forget the prison, 'cause I know how to break free

Oh, damn! Suddenly I'm free to fly

We're going to a better life

So if I live like you do

So if I live like you

'Cause if I do we will go to a better life

We're going to a better life..." She softly exhaled, lowering her head with a soft expression as the music began to fade away.

Grinning, Rey bowed forward and outstretched his arms to end his semblance. As he did, he stood up straight while inhaling. Awaiting his aura boost, he blinked a little in confusion as he watched his bright light aura fizzle in place and her black aura do the same. A purple aura fizzling and splitting evenly between the two of them. He stared for a moment, blinking in shock.

With wide eyes that looked all around, Ebony took an aggressive step towards him. "What the hell did you just do to me?!"

At a loss for words, he slowly looked over towards Dion who had an equally shocked and confused expression. "I don't... that's new." The purple haired man mumbled before shaking his head and stepping away to grab another bottle of rye.

Shaking his head, the rainbow thief smiled while extending his arm. "What do you do exactly, Miss Ombra? Hmm?"

Still glaring coldly, she eventually exhaled and crossed her arms. "I can cause a distraction. If that's what you need for whatever you have planned. I'm good at that." She mumbled quietly as he grinned back at her. "I'm sure you'll need that when you do whatever it is you do." She took a deep breath. "So let's get to work."

As usual, this chapter took longer than I wanted. I had a rough week. But here we go, it's done. And you know, since they released all of RWBY's birthdays, here is MACE's. Also with RWBY's 100th episode coming out, let's just say my 100th chapter will be... interesting to say the least. But here's the birthdays:

Kris, December 25th. Obviously.

Elise, April 22nd. Earth Day.

Chey, February 29th. She's was meant to have bad luck.

Kagami, October 2nd. I don't know really. I like this date and she's definitely a Libra.

That's it for now. Remember to be nice to everyone.