Back at Beacon on the next day, Ozpin looks out his newly refurbished window, with multiple men inside his office who were fixing the rest of the damage caused by the fight. Ironwood steps in, dodging a worker that was holding something, before standing beside Ozpin.
"Are you sure it was one of my works?" Ironwood said it to Ozpin straight.
It took some time for Beacon's Headmaster to respond. "It looked about your design, if I'm honest."
Ironwood sighs. "How did this happen?"
Ozpin seemed hesitant, "This isn't the type of corruption Salem is known for."
An alert plays, alerting that someone arrived on the elevator.
They turn their heads to it, with Ironwood quickly whipping his gun to this intruder. With the previous events, he felt on edge.
Aiden entered the room, and he saw the weapon and instantly put his hands up, "Wow-wow! It's me!" Aiden quickly said, panicked.
Ozpin would lower James' arm to put the gun down. "Forgive him for being… Extra cautious."
"Yeah… Cautious…" He looks around the room, "Dang, your office has seen better days, sir." Aiden says, observing the scene. "What happened?"
Ozpin sighs. "Well let's say we had an attack from a rewired machine." Trying not to make Ironwood look bad on what happened in his office.
"Rewired… Wait, was Olmotack the one who…?" Aiden began, dreading the thought.
Ozpin assured him. "It wasn't his fault. He had no choice but to run."
"Oh." He sighed in relief, "Do you think this had something to do with what happened last night with the masked figure?" He asked Ozpin.
Ironwood would rather not have this conversation go on that involves his machines not working. "That is a possibility. If only there were some leads." Ozpin said.
Aiden crosses his arms, "I couldn't see their face due to them wearing a mask, but I will admit… The aura of that stranger seemed familiar, as if I've seen them before…"
Ironwood walks up to him now. "You do? How familiar is it?"
"I... I can't explain... I'd have to see them again to really tell... I was... Distracted, when I last saw them." He said, regretting being so blinded at that moment, but he shook it off, "Maybe I'll find out soon... I did hear their voice, but they seemed to have made it deeper to disguise their identity. It seemed feminine though."
Ironwood would glare at him, hoping he would be right. "I hope you're right."
As he leaves, Ozpin walks up to him. "Don't mind him. He tends to be overly cautious about things." He then sighs. "Can't say I blame him."
"I suppose I would agree..." Aiden says, looking back as well, before facing Ozpin once more, "Another detail I got was whenever she attacked, her clothes would light up when attacking, using primarily fire-type attacks... I did overhear her say something about a base southeast, outside the kingdom... Ruby was there too, so maybe she could give more detail on that note."
He nods. "I understand. I'll get around asking her later once I know she is fully healed up. In the meantime, go back to your team. And have a good day." He said as gently as possible with a hint of authority.
Aiden gives a slight nod, "Yes sir. May the good Lord bless you with a wonderful day as well." He says as he leaves. Once he approaches his dorm, he opens the door to ASSN's room, where his teammates look at him, "What?" Aiden asked.
Sun would speak up. "Well? What happened? You didn't tell us what was going on."
He shrugged, "I went to Ozpin to have a few words, nothin' major. Just about last night is all." He says looking casual, "Ruby back with her team yet?"
The blonde faunus points to the dorm rooms behind him. "Oh, I heard she's on her way back to her room. Probably there by now."
Aiden nods, "Well I'll head over to check on things..." At this, Sun would smirk,
"Is that all you're going there for?" Sun asked in a knowing voice.
"Y-Yes! N-now stay off my case!" Aiden says embarrassed, crossing his arms.
"Geez, I'm supposed to be their leader, but they really know how to push my buttons." Aiden says in his mind.
"I'll come back in a while for our daily exercises." To this, they nod. Aiden leaves with a friendly wave, heading towards the room of RWBY. When he arrived to their door, he overheard Blake,
"Your father or your dog?"
"Dog?" Aiden said to himself, before peeking in the room, not alerting the girls.
Weiss can also be heard. "Are you telling me that this mangy… Drooling… Mutt! Is going to live with us forevah?! Why yes you are!" She actually sounded happy to have a dog in their room, which they apparently have.
Aiden enters, "Well well, so the ice princess herself has a soft side for puppies... How surprising." Aiden says, closing the door behind him and leaning on it, smirking.
Weiss's body stiffened as she heard him. "Y-Y-You! What are you doing here?!" She points to him dramatically.
He shrugs, "Here to see my favorite team; save mine of course." The dog jumped from their arms and instantly went onto Aiden, which he lifted the puppy up and it licked his face, "Where'd ya get him?" Aiden asked, petting the dog.
"Oh he was just mailed to us." Yang casually responds.
"By... Whom?" Aiden asks, very curious.
"Our Dad." She smirked, mentioning him. Just then, he noticed a letter from the mail. "Speaking of which..." Zwei would get sent down as he notices Blake on Ruby's bunk bed, acting as territorial as a cat would against a dog.
Blake would look to see Aiden scratching his cheek, as he was at a loss at the sight before him, "You are a cat Faunus, after all..." Aiden said, as Yang and Ruby began reading the letter.
"Enclosed is all the food you should need. Love you both, Taiyang." The same bag that had Zwei had a bunch of dog food.
Just then the voice of Glynda Goodwitch can be heard over the P.A. "Will all the first year students please report to the amphitheater?"
Weiss would respond to this. "Well we can't exactly leave him here while we're gone. And what is he supposed to do with this food?" Not alright with leaving the dog on his own.
A can opener falls from the package, bouncing off Zwei's head.
"Well that settles it! Come on girls, Zwei will be here when we get back!" Yang takes her leave, while Weiss continues to say tons of nice, cheery, and baby-like things to the dog, while Blake jumps out of the room while Zwei was distracted. While everyone was gone, Ruby stayed behind, glaring at her pet in thought.
Aiden raises a brow, "Oh no, you have an idea." He says, with a knowing glance.
Ruby looks innocent at Aiden, "I don't know what you are talking about." She says in an innocent tone, making Aiden squint his eyes.
Later on, Ruby is wearing a large backpack as she enters the auditorium with other students. She then puts it down next to other students' luggage before rejoining her team, who are standing in front of Team JNPR and ASSN. Aiden gave a friendly high-five to Juane, who welcomed the gesture, before Glynda spoke up,
"Professor Ozpin would like to share a few words before we begin."
The headmaster walks in and takes over the mic. "Today we stand together, united. Mistral. Atlas. Vacuo. Vale. The four kingdoms of Remnant. On this day nearly eighty years ago, the largest war in recorded history came to an end. It was a war of ignorance, of greed, and of oppression. A war that was about much more than where the borders fell or who traded with whom. But about the very idea of individualism itself. We fought for countless reasons, one of which being destruction of all forms of art and self expression. And as you are all well aware that was something many could not stand for. As a result, those who opposed this tyranny began naming their children after one of the core aspects of art itself. Color." This truly inspires Ruby as everyone quietly listens with their own thoughts of his words. "It was their way to demonstrate that not only would they refuse to tolerate this oppression, but neither the generations to come." Blake, in particular, thought deeply of this. "We encourage individuality, expressionism, and unity, through diversity. But this bond can't exist without effort. As first year students, you will be tasked with shadowing a professional huntsman or huntress on a mission. Some of you may be taken out of the kingdom for several days. Others may work within the walls for the rest of the week. But no matter which path you'll choose, remember to be safe, remember your training, and remember to do your very best." Everyone applauded his speech.
Aiden would be inspired by his words, until Sun taps him in the shoulder. "Come on man!" His team walks up to get their job, as their leader follows.
Aiden looked back at Blake, and she was looking at him. He winked, indicating to her that he'll see her soon, and follows his teammates. "So, where shall our journeys take us?" He would ask his team as they left together.
In town, they see a man in a broken down hat and dirty looking dark jacket inspect his magnifying glass in front of them. "What do you see?" He suddenly said.
Sun would speak. "Uuuuuuh… A crazy man off his rocker?" Sun nervously said.
"Wrong!" He puts his glass away and smacks his hand on a chart showing the whole city of Vale and circles around certain locations. "Nothing is what they seem on the surface. You young ones need more than just what you see. Information is the key to all truth, yet it can be fabricated. Only you can use the key to bring all the truths of the world."
There was an awkward silence. "That's deep man..." Scarlet said, finally speaking up.
"I suppose it's true... Looks can be deceiving. Even in nature, animals who look innocent and cute at first can become the most vicious of beasts that will stop at nothing to devour you..." Aiden says deep in thought.
The veteran huntsman would slam his hand on the chart again with enthusiasm. "You get it! And this kind of knowledge is paramount to be a huntsman! But it's more than just hunting Grimm. Negativity of the human spirit attracts the beasts. And humans are naturally impressionable to all kinds of emotions." He then walks past the team to the door. "I will show you." They walk around a normal day in the city, Sun not seeing anything out of the ordinary.
Aiden watches attentively, noting his surroundings. He seems to have taken a liking to this man!
Sun looks around. "So… Uh..."
"You are no doubt asking for my name, which I shall repeat myself, for I Derek Tracy do not like to repeat himself."
"Riiiiight… What are we looking for again?"
"Your surroundings. The air. The atmosphere." He brings out his magnifying glass again and looks all around.
Neptune would look around and also see nothing. "Everything doesn't seem weird to me. Everyone seems fine."
Derek would grit. "Of course it looks that way. But can you feel what they are feeling? Of course not. But they can be subtle, or not. As you can see." Aiden notices one faunus cat that kinda reminds him of Blake being a bit tired, like something is stressing him out. "But when the collective feels the same negativity, this invites Grimm. That is why bringing order to the town is as important as hunting Grimm."
"I agree..." He says observing the Faunus.
"That Faunus there... He seems to be tired and suffering from stress..." He says, observing the Faunus from where they are, "I can tell by his body language, and how he carries himself... Is that a good example on what to look for, sir?" Aiden asked.
"Indeed. He is a victim of circumstance. Although he is merely one individual. And our job doesn't take into account the individual. It's up to him to pull himself out from the dark. The collective consciousness, however, is what attracts the Grimm. Public panic is a worst case scenario that we are pulled to prevent. What is the easiest method to bring panic in the city, hm?"
The team thought of many possible answers. Sun would give out his guess. "...uh… Taxes going up?" Letting out a shrug.
"Perhaps the threat of conflict?" Aiden would state after a bit of silence. "There has been talks about some sort of conflict going on, due to the more prominent Grimm attacks."
Derek turns to the team which startles them. "Once again, Aiden has it close. The answer is crime. When order is disrupted, the shield of safety is cracked, and the people begin to panic. This is why Huntsman and Huntresses are called up for small jobs to keep the peace when crime becomes too much for the law." Aiden nods in affirmation to this information, highly intrigued. His team would look at Aiden, and would decide to follow along like Aiden.
Derek then continues to walk in front with the team following. "And currently, crimes are more common now. We are looking for leads on certain figures. One for today...The Leaper. He has caused many crimes due to cybernetic enhancements thanks to the black market. Capturing him and finding the source will keep the peace."
"Guessing his name comes from his ability to leap great lengths due to cybernetics?" Aiden asks with a raised brow.
He would turn again towards Aiden. "Quite the observer, you are young Aiden."
"I'm sure even we can figure that one out." Sun let out.
Aiden nods, "Where to first, sir?" Aiden asked their mentor.
"He is formidable, but predictable. He would go out of his way to rob banks despite how heavily guarded they are. He looks for a challenge, so we shall give him one."
Aiden nods in agreement, as they continue to follow the directions of Derek.
Time passes, and they are standing on top of a building near a national bank that wasn't robbed just yet. So they wait until the cyborg criminal makes his daring move. Eventually, he jumps through the reinforced windows with his robot arm and quickly threatens the people and makes his getaway. This is where Team ASSN jumps in.
"I don't think so!" Sun jumps in to battle him hand to hand. He quickly overwhelms the Leaper, so he would use his robot arm to smash the ground to get him stunned and ran out, which has both Neptune and Scarlet dive down to strike him down, only for them to miss him. Then like his name, he leaps up in such a great height.
Aiden, coming from the shadows, grabs the Leaper's leg and slams him back to the ground, making him tumble down, "ALRIGHT, IN FORMATION!" Aiden yells, as ASSN begins to maneuver in coordinated fashion around the area, and begins to strike.
Sun and Scarlet would speed blitz him as Neptune jumps in to throw his trident towards the ground where he stands, and electrocutes him, including his robot arm as he falls down smoking. The citizens watch this and cheer for the heroes.
ASSN would arrest the suspect, and ASSN would give each other a celebratory high five,
"Wonderful work, guys!" Aiden states
Just then one citizen would let out a smirk and walk up to the group that was close up to the cuffed Leaper. But just as he was about to do a selfie, the Leaper suddenly was free and took the citizen hostage.
"Whoa what?!" Sun was baffled, and Scarlet noticed the cuffs were cut.
"Must have some cyber gadget in his arm or something." The red haired member comments.
"Don't move!" Leaper would shout as he walked back to make his getaway. But Derek seems to be in thought, looking at the hostage than Leaper.
Aiden also observed the situation, and was looking for a plan to save the hostage, and take down the suspect.
Just then Derek brings out a bronze looking gun and shoots a lightning filled blast that hits the hostage and by contact, the Leaper as well as both were knocked out.
The group was surprised. "Dude! What the hell?!" Sun shouts out.
"You hit the hostage!" Neptune also expressed his shock.
Derek flips his gun back to his hoister. "If you look carefully, the so-called hostage seems calm. Not even a single drop of sweat."
Scarlet seems to be the only one getting it faster as Aiden is still trying to understand this. "That seems like a miniscule reason."
"Perhaps. But then think about it. Something as two dimensionally primitive as this can't consistently rob heavily guarded banks. Not without help. And from my previous investigations, he consistently hides out in the open while these robberies are happening."
Aiden understands and slaps his forehead, "That's right! Gosh I overlooked that!" Aiden states
Sun and Neptune were also mind blown. "Wow!"
"So cool..." Neptune says in awe.
Derek then walks off. "Come! There are far more criminals to investigate.
ASSN quickly followed him, "Teach us!" The boys said at the same time. Days past and crime Team ASSN would learn more and more about Derek's way of deducing and looking into small details, and Derek, impressed by how dedicated and skilled the boys became, decided to make them honorarily Junior Detectives.
The team would have lunch together after many successful missions, cleaning up crime. Sun having his tea, along with Neptune, Scarlet, and Derek. "Man, we were killing it lately!" Sun gleefully exclaimed.
Derek sips his own cup. "Hm. Numbers only work when the group is collectively in tune. I have made much more progress due to this experience. But the job is never done."
Neptune smirks. "Well it doesn't hurt to take breaks here or there."
"That kind of thinking leaves you vulnerable, even if it's for a second." Derek says bluntly.
"But then again, you should admit, if you are always on the job and always being paranoid all the time, it can wear you down much faster... It's good to be aware, sure, but perhaps learning how and when to be able to calm down and ease up could keep you in good shape. Can't be aware forever, we as humans, or even Faunus, have our limits." Aiden says, sipping tea. "Can't always be there for every threat every time, as we are not perfect... Least that's what I think… And besides, it gives time to internally evaluate information that is gathered, and form a conclusion…"
Derek hums in thought. "You have a good head on your shoulders young Aiden. You must make sure you don't have it cut off though." He sips his tea again.
Sun would find that last comment awkward. "Okay, ignoring that disturbing thought, we're almost done with this whole thing and I feel a whole lot like a badass now!"
Neptune nods in agreement. "Yeah, me too. We're like detectives now!"
"Junior, Detectives." Derek suddenly said. "I merely gave you the means to deduce better."
Aiden scratched the back of his head and blushing, "As a kid... I actually wanted to be a detective before wanting to become a hunter, and I liked watching those detective police shows. So I know a thing or two from that... So I should really thank my younger self, ha." Aiden bashfully says.
Derek would be in deep thought and had the first genuine smile since he met them. Just then, they hear a sudden crashing sound somewhere on the other side of the city. "What was that?" Scarlet asked while both Sun and Neptune stiffened from how loud that was. Just then they hear even more loud sirens.
Aiden stands, alarmed, a hand over the handle of his weapon on his back.
Derek stood up. "Seems like Grimm infiltrated the city. You know what to do."
Sun and Neptune grins. "Aw yeah! Time to show everyone what we can really do now that you taught us everything you know."
The professional huntsman would sigh in annoyance as they all rushed into the danger. "Now then, first we make sure the citizens are evacuated."
"On it." Scarlet would jump toward a building to get a better look and hop to the civilians. When they arrived at the scene, instead of just Grimm, they saw it was the two of the new robots, and they were attacking a cloaked man using a large halberd to defend himself.
Derek looks in interest. "Well this is unusual. Sounds like a job for us."
They jump into action, Aiding the man who was being attacked. As they were attacking, Derek would notice the purple electricity and lights coming from the robot, as it bombarded them with attack after attack.
He jumps back to dodge them then brings out his customized revolver that shoots his own special dust powered bullets. Although he has electric dust, his body began to glow to give it even more voltage at will. The bullet hits, and the robot short circuits, and the head part blows up, as the hooded man, Aiden, and the other members of ASSN defend, with Aiden cutting off one of the robot's arms
Derek notices the hooded man and aims his gun to him. "Hands up."
The hooded man looks startled, and has his hands up, pulling his hood off, revealing himself to be Olmotack. ASSN quickly dispatched the robot, Aiden giving a flurry of cuts at the mech, slicing it into pieces from the fire dust that made the blade extra hot.
"Alright, stay right where you are." Derek said with authority. He attends to have him taken in for questioning.
"I'm sorry sir… I really am… But I need to go, I've stayed here long enough, you are all in danger!" He says, in a flash, taking his halberd and flipping it, blasting into the air and leaving dirt dust in the air, temporarily blinding Derek. Olmotack was getting away, and fast.
He would attempt to shoot his shocking blasts, only to miss them all. He would walk up to Aiden to check up on him.
Aiden, huffing after delivering such fierce blows, would turn to Derek, "Should we follow?" He asks, as ASSN recovers from the recent skirmish. People began coming around, curious about what was going on.
"There is still some Grimm around. Might as well clean the rest up." He runs up to the direction where the original explosion happened that started the panic, with ASSN following.
Team RWBY would be found fighting a horde of Grimm in an empty town with a whole train sticking out of the ground. Aiden and Derek approach the area, weapons at hand.
Aiden would instantly jump into the fray, going back to back with Ruby, as she looked behind her in his general direction and smiled, as they worked together in unison.
Ruby would slice one Grimm's head off, with Aiden doing the same, soon after she turns her head with excitement. "Aiden!"
She jumped and hugged him tight, him hugging her back, "Good to see you, Roobs!" Aiden stated happily.
"Yeah. We were just cleaning things up." She said with a chuckle, letting her best friend go.
"Oh ha ha! Very funny!" Weiss can be heard as she is having trouble with the overwhelming numbers of the Ursa.
The ursa, some of whom corrupted by the dark corruption, attacked fiercely, and Aiden and Ruby jumped back in to help. Aiden had flipped and landed, and Blake so happened to also land beside him, "Fancy seeing you here." Aiden said with a smirk and a wink at her, before he roundhouse kicked a charging Ursa, landing perfectly on his feet.
She smiled at the sight of her close friend. "Good to see you too. So where's your team?"
Just as she said that, Sun and Neptune would dramatically walk in. "Nobody moves! Junior Detectives!" As Sun shows off his badge Derek apparently gave him during their time working for him.
Neptune shows off his own. "We have badges so you know it's official." With that, they fist bump in satisfaction.
Blake could only glare, unimpressed. "What exactly were you guys doing?"
Aiden shrugged, "We followed a good detective around, and he taught us a lot of things, including on the importance of being observant. We did a few cases, and it worked out fine." Aiden replied.
"That's… Reasonably integral." Blake admits to herself. Just then they feel a shake, and suddenly ships releasing the Huntsmen and Huntresses of Beacon show up to the fight, along with Team JNPR.
Atop of a tall building, far from the view of the others, Nightmaratack looks down at the chaos, observing each and every person there. He then turns his head to Cinder, who is watching from behind him, "You are joining that tournament, aren't you...? Well... I suppose this will be educational for studying your opponents." He says as he turns his head again to look down on the fight.
She would smirk at his comment. "I'm surprised you never thought of that. Perhaps you aren't fit to run things like you thought you do." Letting out a bit of snark after how he treated her.
Nightmaratack raised a hand in a choking motion, as she suddenly felt pressure at her throat, as if a pair of hands were wrapped around; Nightmaratack didn't like the comment, "I'm sorry, what did you say? I suppose my hearing could use some work." he said menacingly
"UCK! I... I said nothing… UGH… Of importance! Let… Go!" She continues to gasp out for air.
He lets go, "As I thought... Now sit and watch... This will be important for you." He says as his attention turns back towards the battle below.
She grunts, gritting in anger. She would stand up and see the fights going on, and none of the students impressed her. Aiden though, in particular, seemed to be the stand out. Not that she'll ever admit any kind of compliment to the other students.
Aiden would work with ASSN and the other teams work together to bring down the beasts, with Aiden jumping from monster to monster, spinning, shooting, slicing effortlessly. He seemed to be having fun. In another part of the city, Olmotack was running away, as multiple Dark Grimm were chasing him through the streets. He was fending them off as he went, and they seemed to keep coming. He'd then dodge a shot, and crashed down to the ground. Before him, stood Roman and Neo. Olmotack got up quickly, into a battle stance, as the Grimm were behind Olmotack, ready to strike. Roman and Neo's mission was to bring in Olmotack, by Nightmaratack's orders. Roman was impressed by Olmotack's abilities, and how he was able to hold his own for so long against Nightmaratack's creatures and hacked robots.
Roman would wipe off some dirt from his suit and groan in annoyance after getting knocked out by Blake and being a part of a huge train crash that gave him a rather rude awakening. Just then Neo appears behind him, holding his hat he was missing after the crash. "Ah, thanks Neo." The master criminal puts it on and walks up to their target. "Well boy, you really are a cut above the rest, I'll give you that. So much that I'm willing to go easy on ya and give you a chance to come to the winning side. What do you say?"
In response, Olmotack hits the butt of his halberd on the ground, activating it menacingly, "How about I take your head instead? A much better option." He says as he flips his halberd and takes position waiting for a fight.
The red haired criminal sighs. "Always the hard way with you kids..." Neo would smirk as she brings out her own blade. Roman then aims his cane and starts shooting his explosive rounds from said cane. Olmotack dodges quickly, as he jumps in the air, aiming the barrel of his halberd type rifle, and fires a beam that froze everything in its path at Roman, before flipping and fending off Neo.
Neo knows her mission to capture him. But she can't help but fight a lot harder and more lethally after his ice blast. She often can't help but be rough at times. She would use her dynamic gymnastics to dodge everything Olmotack has to offer, although he doesn't seem to have many weak points she could exploit. So she would use her more reliable technique. With her incredible speed, she would move around him and bring out glass clones to attack him in all directions. As skilled as he is, Neo is slowly overwhelming him, as she plans to tire him out.
"ENOUGH!" He slams his blade onto the ground, creating an explosion of ice, knocking Neo and Roman back, as Olmotack continues his onslaught at Neo with more ferocity. As Neo was getting overpowered, Roman was able to find an opening to knock out Olmotack as he was distracted. With Olmotack, clashing blades with Neo and forcing her down, and him about to pierce her skull, Roman quickly went into action to knock out Olmotack. He'd smack his cane as hard as he could towards his head to save Neo's life. He was flung back, and rolled over, unconscious. Neo felt her head, and found she had a cut. it wasn't too deep, but deep enough for bleeding. They knew they had to act fast in order to get Olmotack and leave.
Roman would focus on helping Neo back. Which the henchwoman would be very much flattered by. "Come on! Time is money!"
Olmotack was carried by Roman, and his halberd was carried by Neo, which she thought was very heavy.
They would quickly go to leave, although Neo still felt a little sore from her fight and Roman can notice. "Put your back to it Neo. We're just about done." Assuring her as she carries the halberd the best she can.
A vehicle drives in front, and Nightmaratack is inside, "Get in. We're done here." He says, Cinder silently also sitting at the seat in front of him
Roman smirks. "Now this is service!" As he happily enters along with Neo.
The wheels skid and they leave quickly, as the others of ASSN, RWBY, and everyone else who came to defend see that the beasts perk up, and retreat out of the city.
Team RWBY would be tired out of everyone who just got there. "Yeah! Huff.. Puff… You better run!" Yang shouted, clearly out of breath.
Aiden felt uneasy, "I dunno... Kinda... Huff... Off for them to just randomly do that." Aiden states.
Ruby knows what he means, but she couldn't wrap her head around it. Blake feels the same way.
Eventually, everything would be cleaned up as Aiden would keep to his thoughts with his team. Sun, Neptune, and Scarlet would talk to each other about their recent escapades as Junior Detectives, although Aiden would notice their window and see Team RWBY sitting together to see the sunset. Aiden sighs, looking at them, deep in thought.
He'd soon grab the courage, and approaches RWBY, "So... That was wild, huh?" He says with a grin
Blake would be the first to speak as the rest of the team took notice of him. "That's one way of putting it."
"Hey Aiden. You wouldn't believe the time we had with Oobleck." Yang said casually.
Aiden strokes his chin, "That sounds interesting... You must tell me." He is intrigued, as RWBY and ASSN start walking off together.
As Ruby explains with full enthusiasm. Yang would add in her own bad puns at some points, much to everyone's dismay. Weiss not exactly anything much to the story. Blake would mostly walk next to Aiden as she slips her hand on his.
Aiden looks down and blushes, and she does too. He smiles though, clasping firmly, as they walk off. Sun sees this, and grins to himself.
"Well… What do we have here?"
Blake would then panic and swipe her hand away. "Uuhhhhh… What are you looking at?!" She would get a bit defensive.
Aiden would narrow his eyes at Sun, visibly really annoyed by him.
In a dark room, a lamp above Olmotack turns on. The room is still dark, the only light being from the light cascading above his head. Olmotack, his vision still blurry, looks around and shifts, realizing he is bound to a chair. A cackle emerges from the dark, as Nightmaratack reveals himself, alongside Salem, "Wakey wakey, boy." Said the wicked voice of Nightmaratack, as he revealed his face. His eyes were that of a snake, and glowed a purple hue. His horns were sharp, his teeth sharper, "Recovering well from your little headache?" He asked mockingly. Olmotack jerked,
"NIGHTMARATACK! Grr, when I get outta here-"
"Don't be so sure of that, boy… Luckily those two were able to subdue such a strong asset as you… Now that I have you… I suppose I should at least try to offer the easy way" He gets close to Olmotack, "Join us, Olmotack, and together, we can-" As he said this, Nightmare flinched after Olmotack spat on his face.
"As if I'd join the likes of you, demon… And you…" Hhe looks to Salem, "You don't know what he-" But then he'd be punched in the gut, and he lost his breath, it was Roman who punched him. Nightmaratack wiped the spit off with a handkerchief provided by Salem.
"Well… I knew it would come to this… No mannerism at all... Well, I at least wanted to show, I tried." He'd then smile wickedly, turning to Salem, "Tell me, Salem, would you like to see this new product I plan to sell to the White Fang?" He says pulling out a syringe of dark liquid.
She would lean forward in interest. "Show me."
Olmotack struggled, and was held down by Roman, as Nightmaratack injected the serum into Olmotack, "You see... I'm a man of my word." He says finishing the injection and stepping back, "It does grant increased strength and speed..." Olmotack, shaking from the serum, would clench his teeth, and rip from the bonds as his strength increased, but before he could lunge at Nightmare, he held up a hand, making Olmotack stop midway, his face becoming blank. "However... It also gives me control of the person who is injected... Thus, once the White Fang have a false sense of security... We can easily have our pawns without having to waste our breaths to manipulate, and they'd do EXACTLY as we desire, no questions asked... SIT." Nightmaratack ordered, and Olmotack obeyed. Salem noted the purple veins around Olmotack's body, and his eyes were glowing purple, as he stared emotionless. "This serum won't change humans or Faunus into heartless beasts, not like it would for a grimm... So it's a perfect way to gain trust." Nightmaratack said, admiring his work.
Salem smiles. "Impressive. Nothing new, but I appreciate giving your own spice on it."
He bows, "Anything to aid in your cause, Ms. Salem." He says. He'd then snap his fingers, "Roman. You will take Olmotack and bring him into the ranks of the White Fang… He shall be a tremendous asset, and with him as our main fighter, those who oppose us will fall easily. Use our new pawn wisely." He says, before turning to Salem, "We shall leave… I have something else to show you." He says to Salem.
She shows great interest in what this could be. "I look forward to what else you have to show next."
They leave the room, leaving Roman alone to deal with Olmotack. Roman would walk around him. "Hm… You were pretty good, kid. I don't usually compliment young upstarts, but you are indeed special."
He doesn't respond, as he is still in a trance, and looks blankly forward, awaiting orders.
He would wave his hand over his face to see if he reacted, still nothing. "Well, maybe you can make a better help than Neo." She would pout, showing how she feels about that. "I'm only kidding." As he pats her head.
Nightmare and Salem head into a room where a large table lay, and he unfolds a blueprint. On it, a machine is seen, "This machine... Once I lure my vessel here and capture him, with enough parts the loving Schnee Company will "give" us, this machine will make me whole once more... Then we can enact phase two." Salem views the blueprints carefully, inspecting every detail.
Nightmaratack then rolls out another blueprint, this one longer, and scrawled with symbols, and Salem gasps in shock. "Over time, I learned dust can be harnessed into objects... If my plans are to come into fruition, I will be able to wield great power... And once all is finished, I will become the most powerful being known to this world... And you will have your wish granted of humanity being destroyed, and your curse broken..." He'd then go on, "You see, Olmotack is also very special... He too is not of this world... Yes, he comes from a world far, far off. He holds an ability that is very hard to obtain..." He'd be silent for a moment, as Salem inspects the blueprints further... It was a tower, but it seemed like one big machine. "The power to bend, warp, and traverse reality at will." He finally says. "With Olmotack, I will sample his blood, and use it as a sort of fuel... And then, I will rip a hole into the sky... Then..." He clenches his fist in front of him, "I will gain access to any world or timeline I desire... Every timeline... Every world... At the palm of my hand. Then I will shape every world to how I desire... And with dust... It will make it easier to do… This tower cannot be built by machinery alone... No, this must be built once I am whole, using my magic. The Tower of Dark... Yes, I once owned it long ago... Before that war... " He'd trail off, seething silently in anger.
She would be amused by this. "You seem to take this little project seriously."
"Indeed..." He says, clasping his hands, "And with your assistance, I shall claim what is mine, and you, yours, as I am bound by our deal." He states, rolling up the plans, "I have already planned our next move so we can quickly get the machine that can make me whole again." He looks at his hand, his inky dark hand. "This form is incomplete... To even remain intact, I absorb a human man, taking their essence, and ensuring this body remains physical... With me whole... I won't have to do so anymore, and my magic will be increased tenfold."
"I look forward to seeing your true self like this." Salem was liking this more and more. Nightmaratack nods his head, "Now that I have you filled in... I must be off now. I have taken enough of your time." He opens the door for Salem, and she steps out, and he follows. He then gives a slight bow, "Until, we meet again, lady Salem." He says in a respectful tone, before leaving and snapping his fingers. Roman, whom was poking at Olmotack's face to get a reaction, would jump when Olmotack suddenly sprang up and followed Nightmaratack.
"Likewise." As she leaves the room.
Nightmaratack cackles to himself, and stops when Roman and Neo follow.
"Very smooth." Roman states.
"We have much to do. In this next mission, we won't bring any White Fang, as we would arouse suspicion... Instead... We shall bring my Grimm, and stage an attack. Once the plan is in motion, I will task you with stealing certain pieces of technology while chaos ensues. You will need something very big to transport. I have already marked the next scheduled shipment to a specific factory in general, from there, we will steal those, and any other machinery we can get our hands on."
The orange haired criminal likes the sound of that. "Nice. Liking your leadership skill. An improvement to the last one, if you know what I mean." Taking a jab at Cinder after she and her minions gave him a hard time.
He chuckles at that statement, "Very well." He is amused, as they leave.
In a distant world, in a large lab area, a tall, lone figure walked through. He had been having visions, visions that spoke to him seemingly, drawing him towards something, and it made him restless. The man walked through the dark lab, a blue flame encased his right hand, lighting the way, as a cane on his left tapped on the ground as he maneuvered through the open and large room, arriving at a large machine. He observed it, looking at it carefully… Another, smaller, feminine figure would approach the man from behind. The figure had a small body with a large round head that floats. She has a white face with big blue eyes, eyelashes, pink blush, and seemingly no mouth or nose. She has straight magenta hair that was tied into a bun behind her head. She donned a dark and business-like outfit. She wore a tailored blazer with a subtle pinstripe pattern, a coordinating pencil skirt, and a crisp white blouse, and she seemed to float in the air. She wears a sleek, silver brooch that carries the emblem of the supremacy she works for. On her head, she donned a headset that looked very advanced, and as she approached, holographic screens were being moved by her left and right, and would all soon fade as she approached the figure,
"My overlord… With all due respect, I am unsure why you're in the dark like this, looking at the Universal Teleportation Device." She exclaims.
"I only have a… Feeling. The coordinates- are they set?" He asks.
"Yes, my lord, it is set." She says, respectfully bowing.
"Good… With these new prototypes, traversing other realms should be much easier. With a few more tweaks, we can make more revolutionary breakthroughs at a higher pace…" He turns to the small business woman, rubbing her head gently, "Thank you, Susie… You may go back to your post. Ensure the scientists get all the calculations correct."
"As you wish, sire…" She said, slightly annoyed by the physical gesture, but would compose herself, "I do urge you though… Try to get some rest this time. You've been working hard lately… Some of us worry for your health." She said, concerned. The man just smiled,
"I'll be fine. It seems I am needed in another realm, is all I am feeling… But I'll try to take it easy for now until then. Let me know when the machine is ready." He says, and she would nod, and leave him. He'd then turn back and would look at the large machine before him. He'd then sit down, and would meditate… He could feel the exact location they were targeting, the exact world and timeline. He focused on it… Then focused on a select individual.
At a gravesite, Ruby and Aiden stand in front of Summer's Gravestone, Ruby's cloak billowing in the wind, as well as Aiden's cloak. Aiden carries a solemn expression as he looks down at the grave. Hands clasped and hood up, Ruby Rose stands over the white stone memorial.
"Hey Mom. Sorry I haven't come by in awhile. Things have been...Well things have been pretty busy. Oh! Dad's here too! He's… You know… Dad. He's still teaching at Signal. But he told me he's going to be going out on some mission soon. I think he misses adventuring with you." She sadly smiles. "I miss you too..." She looks at Aiden and is now a bit more happier and continues. "Haven't gotten kicked out of Beacon yet! So that's cool. I think being on a team with Yang helps. I keep her in line. Heh… That was a joke. She's actually a really great fighter, you can tell she's learned a lot from Dad. Well so are Weiss and Blake. Oh! They're my Teammates. Together we form Team RWBY. And yes, before you ask, that does cause a lot of confusion. Anyways, I made a bunch of new friends... I also met some… Lets say odd teachers. Oh! We've also stopped some bad guys too! I guess it's like they say: Like mother, like daughter… I still wonder why Ozpin let me into the school early. But uh, I guess he'll tell me one day. You know how he is. It's funny, the more I get to know him, the more he starts sounding like Uncle Qrow... Oh, sorry Mom. This is Aiden. Remember him? Met him recently when I first came to Beacon, actually." Introducing Aiden to the gravestone.
Aiden steps up, "Glad to see you see you again, ma'am..." He bows respectfully, "I'll have you know I am taking good care of your daughter. And I will say, she's one of the best fighters I've seen thus far... You'd be proud of her." He says smiling warmly at Ruby, before turning back to the grave, "I promise I'll keep protecting her when I can... And she will become an excellent huntress. I know it." He says, placing flowers he had in his arms on top of the grave. He was teary eyed a bit, but he wiped his tears.
Ruby would be very flattered by his words and his respect. Just then she heard Zwei's barking. She looks back to see someone waiting for her. "Oh! Looks like Dad's back! Gotta go! He's dropping me off at Beacon for the tournament match before he goes back on his next mission. Wish me luck!" She walks off optimistically with Aiden following. She stops to say one last thing. "It was good to talk..."
Aiden looks back for a moment, then follows Ruby, before quipping to her, "Luck is for the ill prepared." He said with a smirk.
After days of preparations, the time came for the teams to finally show their skills, as the Vytal Tournament was already on the way when Team RWBY fights their way together against another team, ABRN of Haven Academy.
Aiden and his team would cheer for their friends as Team RWBY puts their teamwork to good work against Havens team.
Meanwhile, at a factory owned by the Schnee company, Neo, Roman, and Nightmaratack walk casually, with Nightmaratack cloaked. They reach the gates, which guards try to stop them, but Nightmaratack throws a black substance at them, and it hits, as they scream in terror and writhe on the ground, as Roman blasts the gate open. They would then proceed to wreak havoc, standing no chance against the demon and his team. Roman would be visibly impressed. "And who said good help is so hard to find? We just have our biggest break Neo!" She nods in agreement.
As Nightmaratack opens the doors to the factory, he sees all the technology, "Yes... This will be quite useful... Alright, I want as many things collected and scavenged as possible. Afterwards, I'll leave a little "present" to keep any hunters occupied so they cannot follow our trail..." He says as he casually walks through the building, throwing more substances at the people, and dodging bullets effortlessly, leaving Roman and Neo to do their own thing.
"Alright then, are you ready Neo?" She only lets out a devious smirk.
Ruby cheers out as she hangs with her team after their victory. "WE DID IIIIIIII-now I feel hungry..."
"I may have worked up an appetite." Blake bluntly said. Then a huge grumble would come out of her stomach, startling the girls. Since they are already around the festival with plenty of food stands, they follow Yang who knows a place. Weiss would notice her phone vibrate, revealing her Father calling her. With a scowl, she ignores it.
Blake suddenly jumps when she feels a hand on her shoulder, and it was Aiden, giving her a warm smile that made Blake blush, "You did amazing! I'm so happy for you!" He said joyfully.
She would smile warmly. "Oh, it was nothing."
"What do you mean nothing? We won!" Ruby cheered.
Aiden would chuckle, and would get close to Blake's ear, "Hey, I wanna show you something." He says quietly to her.
She would wonder what it is. "Hey, I'll be right back guys, set the food for me!"
"Okay! Bye Blake! Bye Aiden!" Ruby waves to her.
Aiden waves at Ruby, then takes Blake's hand, and they silently walk together, Aiden leading her. After some time of walking, and going onto higher elevation, and somewhere quiet, Aiden would stop, "Here we are." He says as they had traveled somewhere where it had a beautiful view. "Found this place awhile back. Thought I'd share it with someone." He said as he looked off. He'd then reach into his jacket, pulling out what appeared to be a cat-shaped cookie, "Want one?" He offered, holding it out for Blake.
She would smile more brightly as she took it, "Thank you." She would eat it, very much hungry for anything.
They'd sit together in silence, enjoying each other's company, "Yknow, ever since I came to this world… It mystified me every step of the way... Dust... These creatures... It was... Incredible. Makes me almost interested in seeing what other worlds have." He says as he chuckles, then continues, "Olmotack… The guy with the large halberd, he stayed by my side for a long time... He was like a brother to me... But once I was close to graduation, we... We fell apart. Wasn't until later I found out he became a self-made hunter that is- almost, world renowned." He sighed, "I never had friends really... Ruby was all I had... Now I see her as a little sister... And... I really want to protect her... But sometimes I think, am I even strong enough?" He sighs, but would continue, "I know I can't be there all the time to protect her, and that's what worries me..." He pinched his nose, frustrated, "I'm sorry, I've just been... I dunno, a lot has been on my mind ever since Ruby got hurt..."
She would be enamored by his confession, and places her hand over his shoulder. "I might not comprehend everything about your life, but I'm sure I understand enough to tell you that you did the best you could. And Ruby is coming on her own. She's my leader, and I am willing to follow to the depths, cause I trust her. But if she ever needs help, I'll be there to help her in your place if it comes down to it."
He sighs, "Blake..." He looks down, "I... Thank you..." He says as he embraces her. They hold each other for a moment, before he'd let go. They look at eachother deep in the eyes, as if reading each other's souls, and slowly they inch closer, closing their eyes, before their lips close the gap. Blake felt electrified at the sensation, her body growing numb, as she melted into the kiss. Aiden felt his heart beating out of his chest, and his mind going blank. He'd always liked… No… Loved Blake, every aspect. From the way she is reserved while reading, from her fighting style... He fell for her the first day they met... Never did he expect this though. She too, never expected this, but all she knows is she is glad she came to Beacon to meet him and all her friends… In this moment, she felt like the happiest Faunus girl to have ever lived.
As they slowly parted, each taking a breath, he smiled, "Well that was..."
"... A thing… Yeah..." Blake admits. She can't help but feel Yang has rubbed off on her, recalling a similar choice of words her blonde friend said.
He chuckled, "Well... I guess this makes us a uh... Thing then, huh?" He says bashfully, scratching the back of his head.
"Yeah… I guess." She slyly smirks, in a teasing manner.
They both smile at each other, "Should we go back then? Or would you like to stay a bit longer?" He says, still smiling and staring into her beautiful yellow eyes.
She would think about it, then spoke in an almost disappointed tone, "Maybe we should get back. They probably got our food ready by now."
He shrugs, "Your move then." They rise to their feet, and begin to walk off, Aiden taking Blake's hand.
Meanwhile at the factory, it was decimated, and parts were being moved out with succession.
"You sure we couldn't have brung that kid here? He could lift all this- junk!" Roman says lugging more parts onto a ship,
"He is only to be used in our most dire of needs... We shall put him to use soon." Nightmaratack responds. "Is that everything?" They would confirm they got everything they could, and Nightmaratack smiled, "I assume they are sending their more professional hunters at us..." He'd then pick up what appeared to be a bug, "Won't they be surprised by the little present..." He'd crush the bug in his palm, and it started to mutate, covered in the dark liquid, and Nightmaratack tossed it away.
"If you don't wanna see what present I am leaving for them, I suggest we get a move on." Nightmaratack said, wanting to make their escape quickly.
Roman would look around to see if said Huntsman are close by. "I'm almost welcoming them. This is far too easy." He smugly remarked.
"Well, I am not about to sit around and risk anything. Now get on this ship, and get us out of here." The area rumbled, as they heard a distant growling, "Better hurry before you see your end." Nightmaratack said, entering the ship, going to the controls, Neo sitting in the passenger seat.
"Gee, no pressure." He smirked as he gets the ship hovering and they make their exit.
They lift off and make their escape... In the distance, some hunters are arriving at the factory to investigate... In a deep part of the factory, in one of the basements, a large mass roamed the darkness... It roared loudly, spreading tendrils, as the bodies of the dead began to animate once more.