Jaune will admit that a hero's duty is often not all about combat. As he was learning right now, among other things, it heavily implied most other kinds of work to get to the bottom of things. A prime example is what he did for the last few days after the big battle in the Malany Neighborhood. He's been going to church. A lot…Even now, he was standing in the back row of the fifth church he has visited so far, and the last one being anywhere close enough to the homes of those he got arrested.

He was right; those people did frequent a church. A few rounds as Night Terror to visit the ones he locked up got them to confess as much, but they refused to tell him anything else. He even possessed the one who led the group, but... nothing. It wasn't that he had a strong enough will to resist the possession; rather, Jaune only learned bits and pieces.

He learned that, most notably, those people had most of their memories erased—or rather, selectively chosen. Whoever he was dealing with was very secretive. After each gathering or meeting, he altered the memories of his followers. He only confirmed that most of those people were neighbors, and this added to his belief that those people were going to a place close by.

He checked all the churches in that vicinity. This was the last stop, and once the sermon was over—beautiful lectures, all of them, with no traces of Faunus-oriented extremist beliefs—he left the church and took in the morning air. Most services were held at seven or eight in the morning and usually lasted from one to three hours. This was a short sermon, only one hour, starting at seven.

But while it is good that none of the places he went to are corrupt, it still meant that the actual place where those people gathered continued to elude him. "Maybe I need to expand my search area? It is possible that they walked a fair bit more to another church. But then again, this area of Vale is densely populated by Faunus, yet only one neighborhood was actively harassed. They might be hiding in some secret lair or have no set location. Ugh. Paradox was right. Being a hero is not always about fighting the bad guys and winning."

Truly, he was quite stumped as far as his little investigation went. He had no more leads he could follow. His time wasn't endless. The Omnitrix had a limit on how much he could stay transformed without risking mutations, and he was not about to risk becoming goo again.

His only choice…Was reaction. He had to wait until they made another move, then act to stop them and hope he could uncover a new clue to where their hideout was. Or better, learn who is leading them. But for now, it's best to wait. He can use the time to do other things, such as going back to his apartment and watching a movie.

Or taking a stroll through Vale to see the sights.

Or better yet, stop the speeding van going down the street with masked tugs shooting - Wait, what?

Turning his head, Jaune saw a van being driven dangerously fast as multiple police cars gave chase. His eyes widened seeing the scene, but he also knew he couldn't stay and watch. He went away and ran inside an alley, bringing the Omnitrix out. "Alright, time to be Ardix once again." Blinding light followed.

"Eat this, pigs!" One of the thugs shouted as he leaned out of the window of the van, firing from a semi-automatic rifle at the police cars chasing behind them. The bullets hit the vehicles and hit one in the wheels, causing the officer at the wheel to pull over and let his colleagues take over. "Shit! Need to reload!"

The man entered back into the van, where three other men wearing masks stood around several small crates. They didn't steal Lien—they stole Dust! Additionally, despite wearing masks, they had a strange model to them. The four of them were wearing masks modeled after Grimm, of all things! But their suits, black with bright red ties, were a clear indication of who they were.

But that didn't matter! "How long until we are in the clear?" One of them asked the driver.

"If we can keep going straight on this road, we should reach the bridge going over Vale Canal! If we timed it right, it will raise just as we're passing, letting us through but keeping the cops off our backs!" The armed thug nodded his head as he peeked once again to shoot. "5 minutes!"

"Plenty!" The armed thug began to shoot again, making the cars drive dangerously to avoid the hail of bullets coming their way. However, he jolted as he saw a blur speeding right past them, a reaction followed by the driver.

"What the fuck was that?!" The driver asked, but then the mystery was easily solved as they saw Ardix in front of them, standing on the road. Jaune had used Nitro to get ahead of them, and now, he was going to stop them in their tracks. "Shit, it's that guy, Ardix!"

"Who cares?! Run him over!" One of the other thugs shouted, and the driver pressed the pedal to the metal, pushing the van to its limits. But as they approached, Jaune pressed the dial on his chest, letting his body erupt in bright light. "What the- WATCH OUT!"

The van crashed roughly, but it didn't strike something. No, it was caught. Two large arms grabbed the van from the sides, and as the robbers looked ahead, they saw what caught them. Standing at over three meters in height, with thick, light-brown scales and a beige underbelly, with golden glowing eyes, was something they could only describe as a monster from the old tales. Lastly, the Omnitrix was placed in the center of its chest. "Reptilo Rex…" Jaune muttered the name of his form. This was the Vaxasaurian DNA sample of the Omnitrix.

"What the…" The robbers were shocked and terrified by what they saw. But Jaune was not going to give them time to recover.

"Out of the van with your hands up and your weapons on the ground." He demanded, his voice a thick and rough pitch. But one of the robbers was not easily convinced.

"Eat this, you damn monster!" One of the robbers seemed to be braver and began to shoot Jaune with their weapon. Jaune was forced to use a hand to block the bullets from hitting his eyes, the projectiles failing to penetrate his thick skin. However, as he was blinded, the robbers did open the side door to the van.

"Come on!" One of them shouted as all four of them tried to get away. "The Dust ain't worth it! This freak is way above our payday!" He kept shooting Jaune, but the young hero had enough of their bullets and spun around, striking the robbers with his tail. Two of them were sent flying roughly back as the police arrived.

Several patrol cars surrounded the area, and the officers came out with their weapons drawn. "Freeze! Drop your weapons!" They shouted, and the robbers, seeing they were surrounded, actually threw their weapons away and put their hands up. It was over for them.

"And that is that," Jaune said, but then he heard the click of guns next to him. Turning around, Jaune was met with a sight that didn't quite sit well with him. "What?"

"Freeze! Don't do anything, or else we WILL open fire!" The officers shouted AT HIM this time.

"What? But I stopped them. I am not the bad guy here!" Jaune argued.

"Don't be so sure, freak!" A new voice came from the side, and Jaune turned around again to see an older man coming to him, completely bald with a goatee. He wore a uniform like the rest, but the moment he put on the hat, Jaune realized who this was. The Captain of the Valean Police. At least one of them, likely from the nearby station. "The Council has issued a warrant on your name: Ardix. For charges of open vigilantism, destruction of public property, and assault on Valean citizens. And those are just the top of the list."

"A warrant?" Jaune echoed softly, his hand slowly going to the dial on his chest. However, the Captain put his hand up, and his officers trained their guns at him.

"I saw the recording and noticed that you need to touch that fancy badge to change forms. Tap it, and we WILL fire!" The Captain pressed on.

Jaune hesitated for a bit, but then he made his reply. "I'm sorry." And slammed the badge, causing light to erupt.

"FIRE!" The Captain shouted, and the police officers all opened fire on Jaune's location. However, their shots were useless against the form Jaune had chosen to take. The bullets simply got stuck in the slimy body of Jaune's first-ever transformation.

Slime. That is how he decided to name his Polymorph DNA sample. "Later!" The device on his head flew away, taking the gelatinous mass with it. However, the Captain quickly ordered his officers to get in their cars and give chase, but Jaune was smarter. Before they had the chance, he dove for one of the sewer caps and used his acid to melt through it. He escaped via the sewers. The Captain tightened his fist in frustration.

"Sir? Do we give chase?" An officer asked.

"No…No, he has escaped. There is no way we can chase him through the sewers, especially if he switched to that fast form of his. For now, we take those four to the station, process them, and return the Dust to where they stole it from." The Captain replied. "But ensure swift response at the earliest news of him appearing again."

"Understood, Sir."

"Damn it…" Jaune sighed as he finally reached back to his apartment, collapsing on his couch. "Damn it! Why do I- I helped those people!"

"That you did, Jaune. That you did." Jaune turned around sharply, seeing Paradox sitting beside him. "But such an outcome was impossible to avoid. Besides, they did have a point. It would help if you kept in mind that you are not exactly acting within the safety of the law, Jaune. Heroism is no professionally recognized profession."

"Still, don't they see that I was helping them? Why aim their weapons at me like I was the bad guy?" Jaune asked again, failing to understand things from a general point of view. Having guns aimed at him by the cops shook him a bit. Luckily, Paradox understood that feeling. Perhaps a little story would help.

"You know, the original wielder of the Omnitrix, Ben Tennyson, was in a similar predicament once," Paradox revealed, getting Jaune's attention. "People didn't really feel that comfortable with his aliens back when he was anonymous, nor did he confirm the fact he was one person."

"Oh…Did I make a mistake?" Jaune asked.

Paradox shrugged. "Hard to say. Your decision has no overall negatives to it other than making people aware there is only one of you and not a horde of creatures roaming Vale. In fact, that might be a good thing! Helps people sleep easier at night. But you see, Ben did have his fair share of trouble after his image became public. It was not by choice, but people began to somehow…Resent him."

"Resent him? Why? If he was a hero for longer than I, shouldn't they have known he was on their side already?"

"Most did! But there is always the one man who refuses to believe the truth, even when it is shown right before his eyes. There was also a person who kept feeding the paranoia that Ben was a threat and not a hero, as he claimed. But as the days kept being counted, more and more people saw the truth. Jaune, this entire situation might seem bad. It is like the people are against you despite your sacrifice to protect them, but know that is not true. Give the people time. They are afraid and worried for their friends and families."

"I…I understand, Paradox. You are right." Jaune scratched his head. "Still, it would be nice to know when the police might show up."

"Why haven't you been listening in to the police frequency using your Omnitrix so far?" Paradox's question made Jaune freeze.

"I-it can do that?!" Jaune brought the Omnitrix to his face. "Omnitrix!"

"Affirmative. When the Omnitrix was forming, it used the item called a Scroll for additional material and incorporated its functions for easier adaptation. I hold the same functions as the Scroll and all the information that was on it, in addition to being able to access the main CCT network of Vale. Its security is insufficient to deny me full administrative access, which I can use to eavesdrop on the private police channels."

"I…I wish I'd known that sooner…Well, can you access it right now?" Jaune asked, and the Omnitrix swiftly got to work, which he finished just as swiftly. The screen beeped twice, indicating that it was done, and Jaune got a new pop-up on his little HUD.

"Patrol Number 7 here, requesting plate numbers to ID a possible stolen vehicle, over."

"It works!" Jaune exclaimed. "Omnitrix, can you filter out the unimportant ones?"

"Negative. Everything is considered important; however, I can archive and prioritize the higher priority coms that might indicate dire situations."

"Great." Jaune put the watch down, then turned to Paradox, seeing the man with a grin on his face. "Something the matter?"

"Nothing, Jaune. Nothing. Just pleased, that's all. You have been getting the hang of your Omnitrix and managing the limited amount of time quite well. You learned how to use the basics pretty quickly, so I think you deserve a small revelation." Paradox reached for the Omnitrix and turned the dial to the left once, then to the right twice, making a new image appear on the dial. But this was a strange one. It was the emblem of the White Fang?!

"Paradox, what is this?" Jaune asked, with Paradox clearly able to sense the shock and small amount of panic in Jaune's voice.

"Relax, the Omnitrix just needed a logo. Omnitrix, if you'd please."

"Affirmative. During the first 24 Hours of the user's possession of the Omnitrix, a group of Huntresses, identified thanks to your contact list as Team RWBY of Beacon, found us, and their member, Blake Belladonna, touched the Omnitrix. This led to the Omnitrix detecting the foreign, undocumented DNA and taking a sample."

"Wait, what do you mean by that? I thought you already had human DNA from me." Jaune asked, but then, as the pieces clicked in his head, he realized. "Blake's a Faunus?"

"Affirmative. Thanks to my newly acquired connection to the CCT, I was able to discover several bits of information about her. Her name is, indeed, Blake Belladonna, the only daughter of Ghira and Kali Belladonna. Ghira Belladonna is currently the chieftain of Menagerie and the founder and first Great Leader of the White Fang before Sienna Khan took it over. From what I can gather, Blake had served in the White Fang…Until recently."

"Served the- She was a terrorist?!" Jaune exclaimed in shock. "And what do you mean by ' until recently'?"

"Her status in the White Fang was not wholly anonymous, but whatever document or evidence existed to attest to this past and possibly be used to charge her has apparently vanished from the system, leaving behind a relatively clean record."

"She got a cover-up? But…It makes no sense. Beacon would never accept someone who- Wait…Ruby got in two years earlier…I think I heard something about Yang too…Omnitrix, can you check the Valean Police data for the names of every member of Team RWBY?"

Paradox arched an eyebrow, but the Omnitrix obeyed. And what Jaune learned shocked and angered him at once. "I only falsified my Beacon transcript…Yet, Blake, Yang, and even Ruby have done things worse than that. Blake, a former White Fang member. Yang thrashed an entire club in a tantrum, and the authorities somehow overlooked it, and Ozpin saved Ruby. And Weiss…I guess anything on her would be all the way in Atlas."

"Jaune…Don't blame Ruby and Blake." Paradox stated strongly. "Trust me. Blake is dealing with her demons, which hunt her. Ruby is innocent. You cannot blame them, let alone anyone, for what happened with your transcripts. I know their reactions were hypocritical. You will get the chance to point it out to them someday, but right now, you need to focus."

Jaune took a deep breath. "You're right. Beacon…It is in the past, and I have to worry about other things now. So, Omnitrix, what of this Faunus DNA?"

"After acquiring the sample from Blake Belladonna, I've managed to break it down and obtain several other DNA strands inherited from her ancestors, granting me several Faunus types. However, I have also been silently scanning every Faunus that got close enough, and by comparing, mixing, splicing, and even reshuffling DNA, I have obtained the base Faunus genome, allowing you to access any Faunus type and every trait on Remnant."

"So, I can become any kind of Faunus I want?"

"Indeed. Additionally, since Faunus and Human DNA matches at more than a 90% rate, you need not worry about needing to turn back. Faunus DNA carries no risk of mutation."

"Really? That's great! It can greatly help me with several things, especially stealth." Jaune began to fidget with the dial, scrolling through his options.

"So many options…"

"Well, I reckon that is my piece done," Paradox stated as he got up. "As always, I trust you will be able to handle things on your own, Jaune. But should you need my help, just shout my name. "

"Will do, Paradox. Say, can the Omnitrix-" However, the man was already gone. Jaune sighed. "Well then, in that case, I need to see about it myself. Omnitrix! Hack into the Vale Police frequency."

"Compliance." The Omnitrix replied, and the dial turned for a bit, but it quickly returned to its initial position. "Process complete. Currently, there doesn't seem to be any major incidents going on, only the usual calls to complain about something from the people of Vale."

"This should help us keep track of things more and be more active. Good." Jaune sighed, and then he activated the Omnitrix again.

"Something the matter?"

"Our search was a waste," Jaune replied. "All churches within the area are clean, or at least seem clean. I need to see how to locate them." He turned the dial, attempting to select Night Terror and scout the underground of the churches. However, the Omnitrix had another idea.

"I believe that Ectonurite is unfit for this."

"Then Glace Bleu?"

"Negative. Perhaps you do not require something that can go through walls but something that can think more logically. A smarter approach." Jaune turned the dial a bit more, landing on quite the alien.

"I see…In that case, here's to hoping he can help us." He then pressed down the dial of the Omnitrix as soon as the respective DNA was selected. Light enveloped him, and he found himself feeling…Shorter? But so much smarter than before. He resembled a giant crab with a very large head, two arms with claws sprouting from the sides of his head, and four pointy legs for walking at the base of his stubby torsos, and he had small spines poking out around his face and on the top of his head. His face was composed of only two eyes and a mouth, strangely enough, as he didn't feel like he could open said mouth.

Lastly, the Omnitrix was located on his midsection, which was surrounded by a golden band with a black line in the middle. "My word, this is the most intriguing transformation yet! I feel so much knowledge in my head, and…Of course!" He scurried away on his legs to the table, grabbing a piece of paper and trying to hold a pen. Trying.

"Blasted thing!" He cursed. "How could I- Of course!" Suddenly, his head split open, revealing two plates that made up his head. As they rose, they exposed the pinkish brain underneath, enlarged in this form. Then, Jaune focused, and a thin line of electricity went to the pen, picking it up. "There we go. Now, if I am correct, then my enemies are likely using a secret location. This might imply that they are not, in fact, an official cult. Still, the fact they likely have police officers on their payroll indicates that they have been operating for some time. Clues so far also indicate that the memories of those who join get altered after each meeting, erasing any trace that can be used to track them down."

"But they failed to account for my intellect! Yes, I can see it. The fact that the Malany neighborhood seems to be experiencing such raised levels of racism is no coincidence. It isn't that those people are going OUT of the neighborhood! I was looking around, but outside of the Malany, which was my main mistake. The enemy is not outside of it; it is inside the Malany neighborhood somewhere, hidden. Bold of them to hide within a strongly populated Faunus neighborhood, few would conceive that they are hiding in such a place. But where is the location in question? Hmm. Hard to say. The neighborhood is not small, and they could have set up their operations outside of it, sending people in…Possibilities upon possibilities. I will need to go there myself and look for clues, there is-"

"Alert! A police report has just been filed! Robbery in progress!"

"This can wait." Jaune pressed the dial, turning back into himself. "Woah…My head feels funny. That whole experience was…shocking…Shellshock! That's going to be his name!" The Omnitrix beeped once, registering the name. "Right. Omnitrix, where is the report from?"

"The location has been marked on your HUD's navigation system. You are also informed that you only have 26 minutes left of safe time."

"That is plenty. Let's go!" And so, Jaune tapped the Omnitrix yet again.

"Come on! Get the Dust, and let's be on our way!" It wasn't long since the police caught the guys who tried to escape via a van, but now another robbery was in progress. Several men, all dressed similarly to those who were caught, were robbing a store of its Dust. The leader of the group was keeping the owner at gunpoint, the poor, elderly man standing on his knees on the floor.

"Please, just take the Dust! Just don't hurt me." The owner begged.

"No promises, pops. That is up to you, whether you behave or not." The leader said as his boys kept getting the Dust. "Move it, you lot! Roman wants this Dust as soon as possible! After the fiasco earlier, he is really not in a good mood…"

"Sir, what if…What if the freak comes for us?" One of them asked, making their leader groan.

"Are you really dumb? How'd he know of this? We are on the other side of fucking Vale! He might be able to move as fast as lightning, but I doubt information does. By the time he shows his ugly muck, we'd be long gone with the Dust."

"If you say so." The grunt got back to work, taking as much of the Dust as they could carry. They had a car outside, waiting for them to make a clean getaway. Hopefully, they will have more luck than the last guys. Their boss, Junior, was even more displeased than Roman! Having to work overtime to get his boys out of jail is no fun task.

Those robberies didn't begin long ago, but the amount of Dust that had already been stolen was crazy to them! What Roman wanted to use it for, they had no bloody clue, but they were not being paid to ask questions. No, they were being paid for the dirty work. However, no one has paid them to deal with some freak able to change forms into Gods-forsaken monsters!

"I'm full!" One of them said, lifting their case, which was filled with dust crystals, and going to the door to deposit it into the car. It was still day outside, but today, it was not crowded. Besides, they had guns, so any civilians who wanted to be a hero would get just that.

A hero's death.

Their friend went outside, and the driver opened the trunk, allowing him to put the Dust inside. "Say, Mike, what are your plans this weekend? I was thinking about going to the library." The man waited for a reply from the driver, yet the man never did reply. "Mike?"

The thug went to the front of the car to look at his co-worker. He saw someone at the wheel, but looking closer, he revealed a hooded person. And when he looked to the backseats, he saw his colleague, knocked out cold. "Mike!" Then bright light erupted from the car as the hooded figure slammed their wrist. "Agh!" The man was blinded and stumbled back, and the others inside the store were looking at the vehicle as the glow caught their eye.

"No…" The one holding the owner at gunpoint said slowly as he realized what had just happened. A mass of yellowish slime came out from within the car, guided by a strange device above it, and slammed into the thug, which was unfortunate enough to be too close for comfort. It hit him into the glass display, knocking him right through and into some shelves before it formed into a more humanoid shape. "It's the freak! Ardix!"

The thugs dropped what they were doing and aimed their weapons at Slime; even the one he had slammed through the window got up slowly and picked up a handgun, aiming it at him. The leader, however, noticed he was about to move and pulled the owner up harshly. "Don't move! Otherwise, this geezer gets it!"

Jaune stopped in his tracks, staring at them. He had arrived earlier and saw them doing their robbery. It was easy to take out the driver quietly with Night Terror, and he had used some of the time he got to recharge a bit. He knew they had a hostage and tried to think of something to do, but the other guy found him sooner than he wanted.

Now, he was stuck in quite a tricky situation. But Jaune knew better than to obey them. Moreover, he knew one more thing: they feared him. As Paradox said, most people will give up the moment they see him. Even if people begin to get used to him, and slowly, villains begin to fight back, that is no excuse for him NOT to improve. And on that note, who was to say a hero had to follow the rules?

"Then what?" He asked, surprising them. It was time to gamble. They didn't know about his time limit, but since the cops could review footage of him to figure out how he changed forms from one to another, he likely had to be more careful from now on. "Think about the situation as well. You have a hostage - the only reason you lot are not on the ground, groaning in pain. So ask yourself this: You shoot him, then what? I will still beat the living snot out of you."

"Umm. He has a point." One of them said to the apparent leader of the group. "I mean, what can we do, man? This old man's our only safety right now."

The leader girths his teeth and then lifts the old man. "Aren't you some hero?!" He shouted. "Protector of the people?!"

"I am being realistic. If that man is harmed, then what stops me from coming at you?" Jaune repeated his question, watching them look between themselves left and right, trying to decide what to do. The leader was clearly frustrated by his attitude, not expecting him to act like that. Jaune didn't like what he was saying, but he knew it was the only way he could buy time for the cops to arrive. Or for him to think of some way to solve this situation.

"You…Fine then!" The man threw the old man away and then aimed his gun at Jaune. "But you are not walking away from here ALIVE!"

They all opened fire at him, but Jaune maneuvered his gelatinous body to attack them. The one closest to him fell first, grabbed, and thrown out through the window into the street, followed by him knocking one of the other robbers away with his arm. Their bullets were hitting him but doing no damage, thanks to his body being impervious to such means.

"Fuck! What does it take to stop this thing?!" The leader asked, taking a step back. However, in doing so, he stepped over some of the Dust they were trying to take, one light-blue crystal rolling out. He grinned at the sight, picking up the crystal and throwing it at Ardix, shooting it. Jaune had little time to react as the Dust crystal activated from the bullet and hit him right on, causing his entire body to freeze.

"Shit! I can't move!" His entire body was frozen! It wasn't that he was trapped in a literal ice cube, but he was frozen completely!

"Ha! In the end, he wasn't so bad." The leader said as everyone began to get back up. "Get the Dust, and let's get out of here!"

"What about the hostage, Sir?" One of them asked, after which the leader groaned. The old man had hurried himself away under the counter during the shooting, yet the leader was too tired now to deal with him.

"Leave him! An old man can't do shit and-"

"This old man still has some fight left in him!" The old man shouted as he threw a fire dust crystal at Ardix, the Dust igniting and freeing him. Upon being released, Jaune immediately slammed the Omnitrix again, enveloping the entire shop in bright light. When the light died down, however, the guns of every single robber found themselves taken away by the power of Polaris, who then threw them out in the street.

"No more!" He declared, then switched forms again to deal the final strike. And this form was bound to bring them quite the shocking revelation that they chose poorly in life. "Now then!" He popped his neck, and the robbers could only watch as a new being stood before them. He had a black body with one eye in the middle of his head, two antennae, and a tail that looked like plugs on the end. Four fingers on each hand, with similar plugs on the tip of each finger, and two toes. "Who wants to get their first?"

"Get him!" The thighs all jumped at him, but Jaune moved faster, kicking one away and using his antennae to wrap the other and throw him into the roof. The robber collapsed unconscious, then Jaune leaped at another one, drop-kicking them into the wall, then using his tail to strike another in the chest, pinning them to the wall. Then he grinned as he used this form's ability.

"AGHHHH!" The robber screamed in pain as electricity rocked across his body, making him a smocking mess by the time Jaune dropped him to the ground.

"Shit!" The leader shouted, rushing outside to try and escape. On his way, he found the guns and attempted to get to them but found himself cut off as one of his men was thrown into the street.

"Hey, I am not done with you yet!" Ardix shouted, then jumped out of the store after the last robber. He had the man effectively cornered as he tried to back away slowly.

"Look, you don't have to do this! You-...Surely, the whole hero shtick doesn't pay much, right? I can give you money! Or at least arrange for you to be paid handsomely. Just let me go." He begged, trying to reason with Ardix.

"As if! Were you going to let the store owner go after you finished taking the Dust?"

"Yes!" He lied, of course. Their policy was no witnesses, and that old man had seen too much to allow him to stick around.

"Tch. Yeah, right. You realize I didn't ask that because I was expecting an honest reply, right? Oh well…" Suddenly, he used his tail to rip off the car's hood, then he plugged his tail in, extracting the electricity from the car's battery. His eye glowed as the energy flowed through him, and arcs of lightning jumped across his fingers and antennae. "Oh, that's the stuff!"

"H-help…" The robber sobbed, falling to the ground.

"Now…" One of his antennae flew to the robber, stopping right before his forehead. "Sleep." A good jolt ran its course through the man, and he fell limp, unconscious, on the pavement. With that done, Ardix went inside the store to check on the owner. "Hey, sorry about that whole stuff earlier. I was trying to buy time, or get them to do something stupid, or…Something! It's my first hostage situation!"

"No worries." The old man replied, finally breathing easily. "I am just glad you took care of those punks. Thank you, Ardix, for saving me."

"Heh. Thanks as well. Had you not thrown that Dust crystal, I would be a popsicle even now!"

"Even Heroes need help from time to time, young man." The old man told him. "Don't be afraid to ask. I am not the only soul with some guts left in this kingdom."

"Heh. Thanks, old timer." Ardix replied, but then the badge on his chest began to beep, showing a red flash. He turned the dial, stopping the alarm, but he knew what it meant. He changed forms too many times, and now he was nearing his limit. 'Looks like I need to go. Think you can manage?"

"I think they will." The sound of sirens echoed in the street as a few police cars pulled up in the street. "Go. Keep fighting, young man."

"Thanks, old timer!" And so, he ran through the back, arriving in an alley. Once there, he jumped up between the buildings, climbing onto the rooftops. Once there, he focused his energy and, directing his tail and antennae down, took flight. "OOOOOHOOOO! This is amazing!"

The police on the ground simply watched as Ardix flew into the distance as they rounded up the robbers. "Woah…That one is new." One officer said, referring to the form that had yet to be documented.

"Yeah…"

"What are you looking at?" The Captain appeared. "Round those guys up! Stop looking at him!" His gaze shifted to where Ardix flew off to, narrowing his eyes. "PunkOK

"OK, OK, I get it!" Jaune, in the form of the alien he dubbed Conduit, landed in an alley near the park, where he allowed himself to turn back. Checking the Omnitrix on his wrist, he saw it was not red, still yellow, but the AI within had some words for him.

"Limit almost reached! You were 1 minute from reaching your limit."

"I know I was close, but come on!" Jaune defended himself. "I had to change forms to defeat those guys! They were armed! Not to mention that they had a hostage!"

"The Omnitrix doesn't scold you, Jaune, only points out the obvious. However, you are informed that the Omnitrix is suggesting you wait ten minutes before attempting to use any of your alien powers again."

Jaune sighed. 'Acknowledged. Where am I, anyway? Haven't exactly grown up in Vale." Using his navigation system, Jaune answered his question. "The park? Well, don't mind if I do! It would be nice to get to relax on a bench from time to time."

Walking out of the alley, Jaune stepped foot into the street. The streets were not that full, which was strange, considering the size of Vale. Still, he believed that most people were off to work, school, or who knows where. The few people he did see, however, seemed to be enjoying their day well. It was still fairly warm despite the season changing to Fall. Why, there was even an ice cream vendor in the park!

Not able to resist, Jaune went to them and walked up to the small stand they were selling from. "Welcome! What should it be?"

"Can I get one scoop of vanilla and one scoop of bananas, please? In a cup." Jaune placed his order, and the man nodded his head as he scooped up the ice cream, placing both scoops into a cup. He then handed it to Jaune, along with a small spoon to eat the ice cream with.

"That'd be eleven Lien, please." The vendor asked. Jaune placed the ice cream on their stand for a bit, then took out his wallet and gave the man a twenty-lien card. The man nodded his head and put the Lien away, fishing through his small box of money to get Jaune his change. "Here you go. Have a good day!"

"Thank you, Sir. Likewise." Jaune then went away and found a nice, quiet bench to sit on, relaxing his body after a full day so far. Looking at the time on his HUD, it was revealed that there were only four in the afternoon. From what he knew, crime spiked at night, so he had to return to his apartment to rest and be ready for tonight after he had eaten his ice cream, of course.

The sweet flavor of the sugary treat melting in his mouth sent bliss throughout his body with each taste. Some people might find vanilla and banana a strange mix, but he liked it. Today was a beautiful day, except for two consecutive robberies in broad daylight. He hoped, sincerely hoped, that those were the only major robberies going on.

At least for the next seven or so minutes while his DNA recovered from changing forms so much. Luckily, the Omnitrix was quiet in that regard, so it was unlikely that he'd have to change and fight again. Like, what were the odds of another robbery going down, third time in one day?

"Alert!"

Jaune sighed. "I'm pretty sure I still have six minutes of waiting time."

"I wasn't referring to a crime alert. The Omnitrix has picked up four familiar scroll signals." "

Jaune nearly choked on his ice cream while listening to the watch. "W-who?"

"I'm telling you, Ruby, he likely went home." Quickly pulling his hood up and trying to hide his face as best as he could, Jaune was trying to stay under the radar as the group of voices entered the park. Yang was in front of the group, speaking to her sister. "Like, I know that guy said he saw a strange creature flying with lightning, but that guy smelled like booze!"

"So? Uncle Qrow smells of alcohol all the time, and we trust him!"

"I think you are mistaken about being able to trust family in contrast to strangers," Weiss said, correcting Ruby's words.

"The description did match what we heard. Ardix acted not long ago, a few streets away. There was even a person who claimed to have seen him land around here." Blake added. "But then again, he could either be hiding or using one of his forms to hide."

"Which only reinforces my belief that our search is fruitless," Weiss stated once again.

"Actually, it might not be too fruitless. Look! Ice-cream!" Ruby pointed at the ice cream stand, then sped to it without a care for her team.

Weiss sighed. "Why do I bother?"

"Hmm. I guess a scoop wouldn't hurt. Come on, you two!" And, of course, Yang dragged the others with her. Weiss wasn't exactly fond of ice cream, but she'd indulge, at least for the sake of her team. Of course, this didn't help Jaune any. His hood and lowering his face worked to hide him, they didn't spot him, yet, but he had to go. He had finished his, but now he had to wait two more minutes before the Omnitrix was ready again.

Two more minutes.

He heard team RWBY order their flavors, pay, and then take a seat on their own bench to enjoy the treat. And chat quite a bit. Yet, as there was one minute left, something caught his attention.

"Do you really think Ardix knows where Vomit Fraud is?" Yang's question had Jaune perk up a bit. They were not very close, but not far enough that you couldn't hear them if you stayed quiet and paid attention.

"Vomit Fraud? Great, more awful nicknames. Just what I wanted…" Jaune sighed, then kept listening to them. It wasn't lost on him that they must have realized Ardix was the same being they faced in the forest, given the badge/Omnitrix. What surprised him was the fact they seemed actually to be looking for him. "I'm pretty sure Yang and Weiss hate me, though. Ruby doesn't, and Blake…I'm not sure. Still, half the team wouldn't bother looking for me, so why are they?"

"He was there, at the cliff where he vanished, his entire slimy body over his belongings." Weiss pointed out. "Even if it was some incredible coincidence, if we do find him, we still must capture him and deliver him to the nearest police station for his vigilantism."

"Why aren't I surprised?"

"If he does know, that will ease Professor Goodwitch's workload. Rumor has it that Ozpin blew a fuse over it and tasked Glynda to find and bring Vomit Fraud back, or else."

"What? Hold on-"

"The Omnitrix is ready for use. No police reports of significant importance had been made, aside from some purse snatchers. Still, do you wish to proceed with that?"

"Wait, I need to hear more of this!"

Jaune kept listening to their conversation. "I still cannot think of a reason Headmaster Ozpin wishes to bring him back so badly. He's a fraud! He faked his way into Beacon and got his due punishment."

"Is possibly being kidnapped and starved considered as fair punishment in Atlas?" Blake shot back at Weiss' statement, surprising both Weiss and Jaune to a certain degree. "Right now, we shouldn't think of what he did but about where he might be. He made a mistake and was already given the consequences of it. Anything else? We know next to nothing about him to decide if more is deserved or not."

"Blake's right! Besides, I don't think Jaune was a bad person. I might be bad at socializing, but…I felt how genuine he was when we met." Ruby's words pulled at his heartstrings, alright. A lot. What can he do here? Let himself be easily seen and likely taken to Ozpin? Whatever the Headmaster wants with him must be important, or who knows?

Or does he keep being Ardix on the streets? He…He needs to talk this over with Paradox. There is just no other way. He cannot make this decision without the seemingly wise man's advice. He needed a distraction, though…

"JACKPOT! A guy speeding on a bike with a feminine purse? Well, the Omnitrix did mention purse snatchers about.

"What the-" Weiss whipped her head to the side just in time to see the man speeding off on a bike with the purse in their hand. 'Is that a purse snatcher?"

"Sure was…" Yang replied slowly.

"We need to catch them!" Ruby shouted, but then, as their attention was diverted, Jaune made his move. Bright light shined next to team RWBY, and when they looked, they saw Nitro there, his face unveiled.

"Until later!" Then his visor went down, and he sped off, chasing after the purse snatcher.

"He was…Here the whole time?" Weiss asked slowly, processing things. She did notice a strange person sitting on the bench, eating some ice cream, but she didn't think it was Ardix of all the people there! Wait a minute…Ice-cream…The vendor! Maybe they saw his face and could give a description. "Excuse me, do you-"

"Recall his face?" The vendor completed her sentence. However, they then shook their heads. "Blue eyes. I was never good with faces, but that much I recall. Sorry, but I see a lot of people daily, so, yeah."

Weiss growled in frustration. "After them!"

"Wait, how do you propose we catch up with them?" Yang asked. "He took off with that fast form we saw on the videos on the CCT!"

"We need to catch him somehow! He has been listening in on our conversation, meaning that he KNOWS we are looking for Jaune! If he is really a hero, don't you think he would have offered to tell us where he is?" Weiss reasoned.

"Maybe he spooked him?" Blake reasoned. "If he really is the same being we met back then, it could be that he doesn't trust us. That is why he ran."

"Possibly," Yang admitted. "But then again…How often can we brag about fighting a guy like that? Come on! If we hurry, we might be able to see him in action at least!"

"Wait, Yang, that is now why-" Ruby watched as Weiss and Yang took off, leaving her with Blake. "Ugh. Why don't they listen to me?"

"We best follow them in case they do something foolish," Blake told Ruby, who nodded to her and followed the other half of their team.

Nitro was the best choice for chasing the purse snatcher. Jaune simply ran ahead of the man and used his tail to knock him off his bike, making him fall onto the road. His motorcycle went off without him and eventually fell and crashed into a nearby light pole. The pole bent, but no one was hurt. People on the street began to look as Ardix was in action and got their scrolls out to record him.

Ardix approached the man on the ground, watching him groan and slowly get up, purse still in hand, then looked at him, seeing the new hero in town right on him. He shuddered and took a step back. "A-Ardix! You're that Ardix guy!"

"And you are a purse snatcher! If we are done calling out names, I think it is time you return that purse to its rightful owner and then turn yourself in to the police." Ardix explained in a calm voice to the man, watching them gulp.

"Can't do that." The man said slowly, as his hand went behind his back, reaching for something. "Recently got out of jail, and I am not keen on going back."

"You should have thought of that BEFORE starting to steal again." Ardix pressed on, ready to attack if the man tried something foolish.

The man, however, just laughed. "I was not in for stealing." Then he pulled out a gun, aiming it at Ardix. "I was in for MURDER!" He squeezed the trigger several times, but the bullets moved in slow motion for Ardix. He moved, grabbing each bullet and making sure they ended up shooting themselves into the ground before he charged right at the man and used his tail to knock the gun out of their hand. "Agh! You fuck-"

Before the man could speak more, he swept his legs swiftly and then used his tail to slam him painfully onto his back. "Any more bright ideas, genius?"

The man, realizing he was caught, didn't struggle more. However, he did seem a bit…Giddy. Laughing? "Just words. Padre sends his regards." From within the purse, three spheres came out, each of a different color. One was bright yellow, crackling with electric bolts, one was pale blue, and the final one was bright red. Ardix's eyes widened under his visor as he dodged the projectiles of lightning, ice, and fire, respectively.

Of course, to do this, he was forced to back away, putting distance between him and the man, who just stood there, smiling. "You are with those guys!"

"Shut it, you Faunus-loving freak. Padre sent me to deal with you, and I intend to do so! He even gave me those blessings to help me out." The man revealed, smiling in his direction. "We are the children of the God of Light, not those animals! Not you…"

"Your delusions are not backed by divinity," Ardix claimed. "Even those so-called blessings are nothing more than the product of some semblance."

"Heresy!" The man shouted. "I will hear no more of this! Here and today, I will put you into the dirt at the order of Padre!"

The spheres began to move toward Ardix, who responded by speeding right between them in an attempt to strike the man himself. However, upon moving from his position, he found his speed working against him as the ground was frozen. "Woah!" He lost control and almost ran past the guy, but he managed to catch himself and stop speeding just in time. However, with the window presenting itself, the red sphere fired at him, forcing him to speed off again, but with the ground still frozen, he lost control again this time and fell onto the pavement to the side. "OK, note to self. Do not use Nitro on ice. Doesn't work."

"Ha! The blessing of light might not be enough to take you out, but Padre, send me with the blessings of ice, lightning, and fire! The elements created by the God of Light, which humanity harvests for its ever-lasting development!"

"I swear, this religious preaching is going to give me a headache!" Ardix spoke as lightning came his way, forcing him to dodge. By this point, the people began to run away, leaving the two to fight it out. This gave Jaune time to think. Ice, fire, and lightning, and last time he fought light. This seemed a bit odd to him, this elemental variety, but all in all, he remembered how he beat the previous sphere. Redirecting its attack at it. He can use Conduit for the lightning one, but he has almost nothing else for the others.

Assuming they were as invulnerable as the last, that is. Luckily for him, he had a plan, but he needed more durability and mobility, less speed, and, preferably, some ranged options. Time to change forms again, so he approached his hand to the Omnitrix. "Oh no, I am not letting you! Get him!" The spheres moved toward him again, with the ice touching the ground and further freezing it to limit his mobility.

The lightning and fire ones fired at him at once, but he still pressed the dial, making bright light envelop him. It blinded the man, making him unable to see a large figure jumping up into the air and opening up its wings to fly. "I will say it again…This religious nonsense is only going to give me a headache."

Flying above was a white humanoid with black hands and feet, a purple face with four red eyes, along with eyes on their chest. Above their black hands and feet are grayish splotches that temper off before the elbows and knees. The wings it was using to fly revealed the orange underside, two pairs that were originally folded around the body, and two additional pairs that covered the stomach, which, now exposed, revealed the tentacles coiling underneath.

This was Jaune's Highbreed DNA sample. Nickname: Noble. The Omnitrix had quite the bio on them. Their race was originally doomed to extinction due to incest, born from apparent racism - all in all, their race was a hot mess. However, they were saved from extinction and became peaceful, and with time, the fix done to them before also became undeeded, as their DNA was fixed with time, allowing them to keep living and recover. Additionally, evolution apparently said its word, giving them a new perk.

A weird one. But it's a perk nonetheless.

"What the- This one's new…" The man said slowly. Then, Ardix scoffed before folding his wings back up and falling to the ground. He pulled his fist back and, with one strike, shattered the concrete street below them. The man was thrown off balance, yet the spheres were not affected. It was then that Ardix's plan came to fruition as he pulled out a water pipe from under the ground.

He saw a fire hydrant close, meaning that there were pipes providing water to it. Bingo. The spheres began to fire at him, yet he simply used his sharp claws to cut the pipe and let the water out, aiming the strong jet at the spheres. He was right. The fire sphere fizzled out and grew gray before it collapsed and broke, and the ice sphere just froze itself solid. It fell on the ground and shattered. The lightning one seemed to have a short circuit and fizzled out like the fire one.

Those things might be impervious to physical attacks, but when you match their elements with a counter, they become very fragile. The man, however, seemed to realize the danger he was in and tried to run away, but several projectiles shot in front of him had him stop. Looking back, he saw Ardix with his arm outstretched. "Don't even consider running away."

At that moment, several police cars arrived at the scene. "Freeze!"

"This is my time to leave." He spread his wings again.

"He's getting away!" An officer shouted, but it was too late to stop Ardix as he took off. He went up into the sky, attempting to get away as the cops were getting the other guy, but as he was trying to make his getaway, he felt something around his leg.

"What?!" Looking down, he saw what it was. A large ice cube had formed around his leg. But how? He destroyed the sphere of ice!

"You are not getting away this time!" Weiss Schnee herself showed up, Yang not far behind her.

"What the- Huntresses?" The officer said, looking at them. "Thank the Gods you're here; we need to catch this guy!"

"Don't worry; I'm sure we can help you out," Yang said with confidence, cracking her knuckles and looking up at him.

"You…" Ardix growled and brought his leg up, punching the ice into pieces. "Don't chase me anymore! I've done nothing to Jaune Arc!"

"How do you know the name, then?" Weiss asked.

"That is the one question you will need to keep asking yourself. Officer! Do not allow them to act!"

"And why would I listen to you? They are Huntresses!"

"In training. Isn't that right?"

"How do you know that?!" Weiss gasped.

"Wait!" Ruby and Blake arrived, the two looking up to see the hero flying high in the air. "Weiss, Yang, don't fight him, what are you- Oh…OH! Oh, my Gods, it is him!" She looked up at him.

"What the- How young- Know what? It doesn't matter! Is it true you lot are in training? No official licenses?" The officer asked.

"So? We can still fight!"

"Not legally, you can't!" The officer warned Yang. "Leave him…Let him escape. As much as I don't like this, I cannot exactly catch a flying escapee. Besides, I have to see the guy I put in my car to the section. "

"What?! You can't let him get away!" Weiss argued.

"I'm not. I just cannot stop him."

"You are wise, officer. I hope to meet you again." And so, Ardix flew away, leaving team RWBY and the police officer behind.

"What is wrong with Vale's Police Department?!" Weiss asked aloud. "He was right there! We could have stopped him!"

"Legally? I don't think so. This reminds me that you used your semblance on him there, and you two are carrying weapons. Without a license, I can arrest you two for similar charges as Ardix: Vigilantism. But, you did want just to help, so go. I am letting you two off with a warning."

"A warning?! Why would-"

"We'll take it. And we will leave." Blake said, cutting in and preventing Yang from escalating things with the officer. "Ruby? What do you say?"

"Right! Yang, Weiss, let's go. Sir? I'm sorry for how they acted; as leader of the team, it was my responsibility to keep them in check." She was saying what Blake told her to say for the most part, but Ruby was not going to deny the help given to her by the only teammate who seemed to have a head on her shoulders still.

"Just try not to get into too much trouble, alright? Now, if you excuse me, I will take this guy to the police station, process it, and see if we can get a confession. He might be related to those religious nutjobs we've arrested before. I swear, those racists just WANT another war with the Faunus."

Landing on the fire escape of his building, Jaune reverted to his original form and used the window to climb back inside his apartment. Once in there, he let out a long sigh, collapsing on his couch. Today was just full of surprises, wasn't it?