Volume 2 Intro Song: Finale (Original Mix) by Madeon.

Hedge walks into the cafeteria, thinking how he wants to ask Anne out to the dance.

"Hedge, over here."

Anne calls out to him where her, Zion, and Leonidas are sitting at eating lunch, Leonidas typing on his scroll, then puts it away as Hedge walks closer.

Hedge: "Sorry I took so long. You know how Ruby gets with asking questions."

Zion: "Heh, the youth nowadays are like that, boss. I'm still surprised she's the leader of her team, at her age."

Hedge: "You know Weiss wanted to be the leader of Team RWBY at first."

Zion: "Now that doesn't surprise me," as he munches on his hamburger.

Hedge: "I'm going to go get me something to eat." Anne and Zion wait until Hedge gets out of ear shot, then look over to Leonidas.

Anne: "So what did Rackley say, Leo?"

Leonidas interlaces his fingers together. "It seems that Hedge's semblance is able to go through an evolution, but it has two different evolutions."

Zion: "Two? I thought semblances could only go through one evolution, acquired through intense focus?"

Leonidas: "That's true, but Hedge's secondary evolution is apparently acquired through intense anger."

Anne: "Which he would've potentially unlocked if those Grimm didn't intervene our fight with Team GREN." Leonidas nods at her. "Hedge has been able to keep his anger under control since his loss to Gable last year in the Vytal Festival, but seeing him again seemed to only reignite that anger."

Leonidas: "Rackley talking about Hedge's semblance didn't help either. I'm surprised he didn't go all out on him and Gable right then and there, even with the Grimm appearing. Plus, Hedge hasn't removed his bracers on his wrists and ankles for a long time. I can only imagine how much power he would release if he did that on top of using his anger evolution. I also saw a faint glow from Destruction."

Zion: "Here he comes." They resume eating as Hedge walks to the table with his food tray: a cheeseburger, fries, and a banana, along with a soda on top. "Healthy and unhealthy food. I like the way you think boss."

Hedge: "Well we were out of the kingdom for four and a half days. I think I'm inclined to have a meal like this," as he takes a bite out of his cheeseburger.

Leonidas: "So what have we missed while we were out on the mission?"

Hedge: "According to Team RWBY, they were able to find out more information on the White Fang. They seem to have a secret hideout in the southeast, and apparently stole some of Atlas' technology, something called a "Paladin." Torchwick also seems to have recruited a new henchgirl as well and had helped him escape."

Zion: "A Paladin? I haven't kept up with the latest Atlas inventions since I started attending Shade, so I don't know much about those. I did notice all the Atlas ships flying around the school. We can maybe ask the General if he knows anything about it."

Leonidas: "I don't think that would be a great idea. Him and Professor Ozpin would probably ask how we knew about that while out on our mission, in a complete opposite part of the continent, and would probably tell us to leave it to actual Huntsmen and Huntresses." He finishes his water and gets up from the table. "I'm going to go and train for a bit. Care to join me, Zion?"

Zion takes a final bite to his hamburger. "Sure, I can practice some more with my sniper forms, and get better tuned with my sword strikes and blocks." Both leave Hedge and Anne in the cafeteria while Hedge continues eating his food, but also seems a little flustered about something, which Anne notices.

Anne: "Something on your mind, Hedge?" Hedge was in the middle of taking a sip of his soda, and was caught off guard, making him choke a bit on it. Anne starts to laugh. "I'll take THAT as a 'yes.'" Hedge continues to cough for a few seconds, and Anne pats him on the back to help.

Hedge: "I can't seem to hide anything from you, can I?"

Anne: "Nope." Hedge clears his throat.

Hedge: "Well shit. Kind of takes the fun out of what I was thinking of doing then."

Anne looks at him perplexed. "Oh? And what would that be?"

Hedge: "You've always had a thing for me, ever since we first met back at Shade." She starts to blush. "Though at first I was more self-centered, over time…" he turns to look at her. "I started to like you too. Would you like to go to the dance on Sunday?"

Anne beams with energy. If Hedge didn't know any better, he could mistake her as Ruby with a wig with how happy she looked. "Of course I will." She throws her arms around him to hug him. "Oh, but now I need to go and get me a dress. I'll talk to you later, okay?" She kisses him on the cheek, smiles, and then runs out of the cafeteria using her semblance.

Hedge: "Well that went better than expected." He resumes back to eating, but then gets a message on his scroll. It's from Pyrrha. "Heard you were back from your mission from Ruby. Planning on doing more training with Jaune tonight. Want to join in?"

He smiles and responds back, "Sure, back up on the rooftop of the dorm?" She quickly responds with, "Yup." He puts his scroll away to finish the last of his burger and fries. He takes his soda and banana with him and leaves the cafeteria to head back to his team's dorm room for a bit, but not before thinking of something else.

Hedge: "Gotta make a quick run into town." He teleports away with his semblance.

--

Few hours pass and Hedge is in the dorm room with Zion and Leonidas. He had just informed them that he asked Anne out to the dance.

Zion: "Woah. Never would have expected YOU to be the one to ask HER out. I always expected it to be the other way around."

Leonidas: "For once, I have to agree with Zion. Every time you weren't around, we always heard her talking about you, and how much she liked you." He chuckles. "Finally grew some balls to ask her out, huh?" Zion laughs at this.

Hedge: "Oh hush you two. I may not have shown it, but over time I have grown to like her as well, and…" He walks over to the dresser and opens his compartment to take something out. "I've decided to take it a step further." He shows them a small container. Zion jumps up from his bed, and Leonidas, who was lying down on his, sits up straight on his bed.

Leonidas: "Is that…?"

Zion: "What the fuck?! You're going to propose to her?!"

Hedge: "Keep it down, alright? I don't want the surprise to be spoiled. I'm going to do it at the dance. It feels right. Plus, with our profession, things can go bad real quick, including losing our life. And, I'd like you guys to be there at the dance to see it, even if you don't find dates. Yang was going to take me to go get a suit probably tomorrow, so if you'd like to join us, you're welcome to come along." He puts the container back in his compartment and then grabs Chaos and Destruction to put them in their sheathes.

Leonidas: "Where are you off to now?"

Hedge: "I do training sessions with Pyrrha to help out Jaune and his fighting style, so I'll be out on the roof with them for a while."

Zion: "Pyrrha? As in Pyrrha Nikos?"

Hedge: "Yeah. Why?"

Zion: "I went to Sanctum Academy as well. She was a natural. I kept up-to-date with news headings from there and always saw one of her. Let me come and watch."

Leonidas: "I guess I'll wait here until Anne gets back. I assume she's out getting an outfit for Sunday?"

Hedge: "Yeah. That was hours ago. She should be back soon, but knowing how she is with shopping, you might still be waiting a long time. We'll be back after a while."

Hedge and Zion leave the room and head to the roof, where Jaune and Pyrrha are waiting. Leonidas' face turns back to worry as he resumes to thinking about Rackley's warning about Hedge's power.

Leonidas: "Just how much power is Hedge keeping stored up with those bracers of his? And if he was to lose control, can we even stop him?"