Here is the forty-first chapter in this story released in accordance with my release schedule for this story. I know it's later than expected but such is life, hopefully it won't take this long again but I can't promise that. Anyway, the start of Asta, Noelle, and Nero's first mission as interns for the Black Bulls, as well as the first mission for Yuno and Mimosa in their internship with the Golden Dawn, hasn't exactly started on the right foot. Already Asta and Klaus have gotten into a shouting match that has devolved into a pointless competition to find the records room all while Luck, who's supposed to be looking after Asta, Noelle, and Nero, has already sprinted off into the compound for his own reasons leaving the trio to enter alone. It's not going great but it can't get worse, can it? That is all that I have for the administrative stuff I have for y'all and while there are no questions to answer here there are two guest reviews that need a response, one of which will involve a question to y'all, so I will do that now. Do keep them coming as your support is the best motivation for me to keep producing chapters at this kind of rate.

To Nathan Ramos (guest), thank you for your review and suggestions. Yeah the way this story is integrated into the MHA canon and lore, Luck and Klaus would know each other moderately well so I can broaden that and have some fun there with Luck adding the whole Miro thing and how he is still the top student despite the new characters. The flashback is an idea but it would really be easier to one day, likely when this story is over, to actually just do a spinoff like Vigilantes that is a prequel and covers Mirio's first year with the new characters and shows how they all met and all that but that's going to be a long time off. As for Mirio v. Asta, the key there will be can Asta bring his sword to bear and can Mirio avoid it. I'm sure that someone as talented as Mirio would be ready for Anti-Quirk when the time comes, which will of course only push Asta hard to surpass his limits. Do keep reading and enjoying my work.

To Guest (guest), yes the dungeon adaption is underway and it's going well I feel though it will be a bit longer in terms of chapters than expected as I realized that it made more sense to break it up a bit (and it also means they will be a bit shorter so I can hopefully get them out a little faster). All characters who have been added from Black Clover and RWBY will, when the time is right, have explanations of their Quirks when they are used so that y'all can see how I've adapted them to this series and understand with at least one of those explanations coming in this chapter and another in the next one. Yup, Julius really failed to hide at the Sports Festival but he was too distracted by the amazing Quirks on display to realize his mistake. Do keep reading and enjoying my work.

That is it for this slightly shorter than usual pre-chapter note so it is time to sit back and enjoy the forty-first chapter in Black RWBY Academia.

Disclaimer: I own nothing related to these three great franchises.

Chapter 41: Encountering Diamonds

Asta led the way with Noelle and Nero just behind him as they all ran down the sloping path from the entrance to the Diamond Company base not sure what they'd encounter and the girls at least were a little nervous about the coming mission. After all, their chaperone of sorts, who was just a third year at U.A., was a battle mad freak who'd run off without warning because he was nuts and any potential aid was either Yuno and Mimosa who were first years like themselves or Klaus who was a third year like Luck but was also an arrogant, classist, ass that Asta had just provoked and ended up in a competition with.

In both cases, the two third years had already headed into the compound though at least Klaus took his charges with him. This wasn't a great start and to make matters worse none of them had any idea what the layout of this formerly secret base was nor did they have anyone who could aid as the only one present with any instant scouting skills was Luck and he'd already left them behind.

That ensured that they were basically charging in blind with no clue where to go, how large the base was, and whether or not they'd run into anyone once they were inside it. There may be no Grimm, at least as of recently according to Yami, but that didn't mean that there weren't people here, people who might be hostile or opportunistic given what an abandoned Diamond Company base might contain so they had to be careful. There was also the chance of traps, this was a base of a former foreign agitator after all so they may have placed booby traps to protect it and the information that might still be here.

Alas nothing was going well for the three first years from Class 1-A and they were about to get potentially worse as they came to a fork in the path as the path leveled out and came to an end with a solid concrete wall before them. However, there were two paths off it to either side. One was a set of stairs leading down and into blackness and the other a smooth straight line running on for a good while but also pretty dark as none of the lights beyond the ones along the entrance corridor seemed to be working which given that this was an abandoned base wasn't unexpected.

"Which way?" Asta asked confused as he looked from side to side trying to decide which was better. "Also, this is a lot larger than I expected it to be."

"This is only a fraction of it." Nero said as she looked down the stairs while something tickled Noelle's sensitivity to water and she reached out to it to confirm it. "Making a base like this in this day and age really isn't hard. All you need is the right Quirk and a bit of tech and you can achieve it really quickly. I know for a fact that Power Loader's Quirk is really good at excavating for example, so it stands to reason that whoever built this place had a Quirk or two in the building crew. Plus this is the Diamond Company and while I don't know much about them other than what we were told earlier, what we were told indicates that creating these things are well within their skillset."

"I see." Asta said slamming a fist into his palm as he tried to understand what Nero was saying and failing. "Actually, I don't."

"It's fine Asta, you grew up in the sticks of the sticks and something like this is more of a Support Course specialty than a Hero Course." Nero said, not adding that she'd actually applied to the Support Course as well and likely would have joined it had it not been for running into Asta right at the start of the exam. "No one expects you to get it. Just be ready for when we need your power."

"Understood." Asta said with a nod. "Though I will learn."

"We all will and I'm sure we'll cover this and the Diamond Company itself more as the year progresses." Nero said before she glanced at Noelle having noticed something. "Noelle, you've been quiet for a moment, what's up?"

"Yeah Noelle, do you have an idea of where to go?" Asta asked.

"Not where to go but I can safely say that I know where Mimosa, Yuno, and Lunettes went." Noelle said pointing to the corridor to the left, the flat one. "They went that way and I have a feeling that Luck didn't go in that direction though that's more of a hunch than anything else."

"Well that's pretty obvious." Nero said. "Lunettes made that ugly chariot thing and it can't go down stairs."

"True but he might be able to make it do so with his Quirk, though I don't really get how it works, or they could have used Yuno's stars to get down stairs." Noelle said. "But that's not why I know they went that way."

"It's not?" Asta asked. "How then? Also yeah with Yuno stairs aren't an issue."

"Fair point, I concede there." Nero admitted.

"I know because I can sense Mimosa's Quirk at work." Noelle said. "It's too dark and what she's done is too fine to see without light but the entire area there starting a few feet down the corridor is covered in roots and they stretch past my range."

"You can tell that there are roots there?" Asta asked looking out down the corridor but without any lights on he couldn't make anything out. "Wow, that's really impressive Noelle."

"Yeah it is." Nero added as Noelle flushed at Asta's praise. "How?"

"Oh, well, plants have water in them." Noelle said. "Even the ones Mimosa can make bloom from her seeds have trace amounts despite not being natural and even though it's only a little bit I can still sense the water. I can't do anything with it, it's too small and these roots don't have much in them, but I can feel the water with my Hydromancy Quirk."

"So cool!" Asta said stars in his eyes. "What's that like? Is it always on or something? Can…"

"If you start to turn into Midoriya and geek out over Quirks while asking several annoying questions I will seal your mouth shut." Nero threatened. "We don't have time for that."

"Thank you Nero but in sum I can passively sense water around me." Noelle said. "Of course I have to actively use my Quirk to actually control water and after so many years of being able to sense water I just got used to it so usually I don't notice. However, we're underground and not near any pipes or natural roots, nor does there appear to be any underwater reservoirs here, so it's clearer. That said, I should have expected it."

"You should have?" Asta asked. "Why?"

"Because I know Mimosa's Quirk pretty well, we did grow up in the same circles and she was often praised for her control and skills whenever our families met each other." Noelle said a hint of annoyance in her voice though not at Mimosa as it wasn't her fault. "And she more than earned that praise. One aspect of Plant Seeds is that Mimosa can cover an area in roots from a special seed that she creates with all the roots interconnected no matter how many of the seeds she makes. All those seeds and roots are tied to a singular flower that will use pollen to create a 3D map of the area based on what the roots are in contact with. It was her biggest accomplishment with her Quirk at the time so it was the talk of the great houses."

"Damn that's so cool and useful." Asta said. "Mimosa is amazing, isn't she!"

"She's a Vermillion, she should be." Noelle said with a slight huff at Asta's praise that Asta missed but Nero didn't and just rolled her eyes as it would take more than simply jealousy for Noelle to realize anything. "As much as I hate that this is how it is, but she was bred to be strong, so was I in fact. It should be expected from us."

"So your families still practice Quirk Marriages then." Nero noted.

"Not in the traditional sense, that would be illegal." Noelle said shaking her head. "It's more a formal courtship between mutually interested parties within the upper class with the goal for strong children. Parents will play matchmaker but there are not dowries, no money exchanged, and if there is no spark or connection then there is no marriage."

"Ah a loophole then." Nero said. "Though that does explain a lot. You're Quirk is insanely powerful Noelle, it's no wonder you have control issues. It's similar to Midoriya's in that sense."

"I've figured but it's frustrating." Noelle said. "It makes me a failure in the eyes of the upper class."

"You're not a failure though and getting there, and once you do you'll be one of the best Quirk Knights Noelle." Asta said with a grin that made Noelle flush again. "I know you can do it."

"Th, thanks Dorksta." Noelle said still flushing and not looking at him. "I, I know I'm getting better and it's thanks to coming to U.A. so I will show them one day."

"Anyway, if they've gone that way and there are roots that might trip us up, we should take the stairs then." Nero said. "Perhaps Luck went this way and we may find a map or a power generator down there. Certainly if there is an electrical problem we have that sorted with Luck, if we can find him that is."

"The stairs it is." Asta said turning to them. "Let's go!"

The girls could only nod as Asta began to descend but both pulled out their phones and used the flashlight on them to illuminate the way before Asta could fall down the stairs as they continued to go deeper into the base. They didn't realize it yet but they'd chosen the right path to take them to Luck. However, they didn't know yet what that would mean until they found him and the situation he'd ended up in thanks to what he'd sensed while they were outside.

"Man, why are you lot so weak?" Luck asked with more than a hint of annoyance in his voice as he held the 4th defeated Diamond Company grunt aloft by his face as lightning crackled from the glove and gauntlet he'd created to fight these grunts. "But you do seem to just be grunts. You on the other hand, you are much stronger than they are."

As Luck finished speaking he tossed the grunt to the side not caring what happened to him as he turned to face the final man present in the room with lightning in the form of boots still crackling though he no longer had his gloves or gauntlets on following his discarding of the final grunt. This was the man who Luck had sensed from outside, at least he thought the man was, and expected him to at least be a challenge.

All around Luck there was mild destruction in the lit room where he'd found the small party of Diamond Company soldiers who he'd run into when he'd rushed into the compound and to the source of the presence that he'd sensed from outside with the scouting aspect of his Quirk. Presumable they were here because the Diamond Company had been alerted to an intruder to their long abandoned compound, which was the case, and had been quickly dispatched to retrieve what was left here before the Quirk Knights could.

It would certainly explain why this room, a large canteen so almost certainly the mess hall for the soldiers and other personnel that had once been based here, was lit when other areas were not. They'd no doubt found a generator and lit the place up though why they were here and not at the records room, wherever that was, was a mystery. Not that Luck particularly cared about their reasons, he just wanted a good fight when he rushed in but alas it had not been a good fight.

Instead, Luck had burst in on 4 low tier grunts in the typical hooded outfits that they wore and proceeded to dispatch them in moments. One was slumped at the base of a wall, another had been blasted through a metal table and lay in a heap on his back on the floor, the third was the one that Luck had tossed to the side and was lying on his side on the concrete ground, and the fourth was sitting out cold at the base of an industrial fridge that had been wheeled out for some reason where Luck had knocked him into it with enough force to dent the doors.

It had been that grunt who'd alerted Luck to the location of the true challenge who was currently sitting atop the fridge looking down on Luck. The man was older than the grunts, mid 30s if Luck had to guess, and had medium length, slightly lanky and greasy, black hair with a wispy moustache and pointed chin beard.

The man wore a simple pale green tunic with a deep cut in the middle that just about showed part of a diagonal scar across his chest that clearly ran from his left shoulder to right hip, light brown pants, a black belt, and brown boots. Over it all he wore a robe that was black from the ribs down and white above it but for the black fur cuffs and thick collar that had three red diamond shaped gems in each lapel in descending order of size from the largest at the top to the smallest at the bottom. Likewise he wore a silver circlet around his head with the three red diamond shaped gems set in it just above his right eye.

"Now I'm not so sure I'd go as far as say that I'm stronger than the men you just dispatched." The man said in calm voice a smile gracing his lips. "I'm not one to raise expectations in people, it will only lead to disappointment. Besides, you have so much raw, young power, it's rather intimidating if I dare say so myself. All that considered, you must be a graduate of U.A. or perhaps Shiketsu if you have that kind of power, after all how else could you have impressively taken out my underlings so quickly."

"Well they are underlings and yeah I'm a third year at U.A. and I'm going to be a Quirk Knight when I graduate" Luck said with a laugh as the lightning boots sparked and glowed with more power as Luck got ready for the next fight. "And if they're underlings then they can be weak so long as you're powerful and I can tell that you are. See, I like to fight powerful foes so I make it a goal in class to know how to spot if someone is or isn't powerful and I can tell by the diamonds on your cloak and headband that you're no mere soldier for the Diamond Company. Based on that you're an officer, possible even a General though not one of the 8 Shining Generals who command your forces which is a shame as I'd love to fight one of them."

"I see that you are a resourceful one but that I what I'd expect from a U.A. student and a future Quirk Knight, which I would have guessed based off that robe you're wearing." The man said his expression not changing in the slightest. "And your Quirk is lightning or electricity based, you generate it and then cloak your body in an armor of it and that's just the applications of it that I've seen so far, I bet there's more to it that I'm not seeing. Very impressive, not only is it defensive but fully offensive at the same time so I bet it packs quite a punch. Plus, it's lightning so it no doubt increases your speed as well. Add in that youthful vigor of yours that feeds it and it's no wonder you're a U.A. student. I'm a scared old man right now."

"Nah you're not scared, I can tell." Luck said smiling seeing through the man's words. "You're strong and ready to fight so tell me, what is the nature of your Quirk?"

"My you are an eager one." The man said as he shifted his weight on the fridge his preparations complete thanks to his grunts distracting the kid before him as well as this little chat that was needed to ensure that it was fully in effect. "I presume you are here in our old compound to find the record room that all of these have. I do tell my bosses that we shouldn't have them in our field bases but, well, they're sticklers for data and records so it's a treasure trove of intel. That means that we can't let you Quirk Knights get your hands on it, who knows what it might reveal to the Japanese authorities and I'd rather not deal with that."

"Yeah that's why we're here but others are going after that." Luck said as lightning formed over his hands. "I'm here for some action and the moment I sensed you I knew that I wanted to fight you so let's do that!"

"Oh I don't know…" The man said as he leapt off the fridge and suddenly turned and began sprinting away from Luck and down the long canteen to an exit at the far end form where they were. "After all how about we just have a footrace instead of fighting. That ensures that we have no violence or bloodshed so sounds good to me."

"Not going to happen!" Luck said excitedly as he blasted off the ground with enough force to crack the concrete, his lightning boots boosting his speed well beyond that of a normal human as he tore after the Diamond Company officer. "Fight me!"

With that he closed in and flipped in the air to kick the man but clearly he was ready for Luck as he turned at the last minute and suddenly thick black smoke erupted from his hand as he moved it across his body to block out Luck's vison while also shifting his weight to the side the moment that Luck's vision was obscured. The result was that Luck kicked through the smoke and burst out the other side as he turned and landed on his feet on the ground and slid back over it amazed that the man had dodged the attack but pleased at the same time as it showed that he had better battle sense, and more power, than the grunts.

"So you have a smoke based Quirk." Luck said as he looked at the thick, unnaturally moving, blob of black smoke that fully obscured his opponent. "Interesting."

"How terribly frightening." The man said as the smoke parted just enough to reveal him standing there as the smoke seemed to billow off him and condense in the cloud around him as he stood there unharmed which alone told Luck that the man had some level of manipulation when it came to the smoke that he created. "You're quite determined but then again I can understand it, after all the Diamond Kingdom does attack Japan along with the other nations that surround the Pacific on a regular basis, and we've even invaded this country before. That would make anyone angry. I truly apologize for the inconvenience that our actions must cause you."

"Er…" Luck said unsure how to answer but he was grinning at the thought of the battle. "What does that have to do with our fight? You're an enemy and that's all that I care about."

"But you see, we aren't a recognized country so we have to float around and support ourselves." The man continued ignoring Luck's statement. "As such we are constantly running low on resources to sustain our facilities, research, and of course ourselves. Therefore, what choice do we have but to attack the countries that won't recognize us and take what we need to live. It's simple survival, one that the world forced upon us by not recognizing us, and we all have to live even if it is so very hard at to live at times. Hell, I even have 3 daughters of my own that I have to provide for so I have to be successful to do just that."

"Oh yeah well whatever, 'old man.' "Luck said as he shot out at the man once more but he again dodged only this time Luck bounced off the fridge that was behind him thanks to his attempt to run away, then up to the ceiling, and then down at the man for a second pass but he again seemed to dodge it as Luck landed in a crouch his smile broad and lightning sparking all over his body. "None of that matters to me because I'm just happy to be fighting someone powerful. Been a while since I got that as I had the misfortune of facing Valkyrie in the Sports Festival again and she's the antithesis of my Quirk which doesn't make things fun. This, though, this will make up for that."

"You know kid…" The man said with a chuckle as a line appeared on his right cheek that began to bleed freely showing that Luck's speed had been enough to land a grazing blow. "You're a real piece of work, I hope you know that. You may even make this old man cry."

Luck just grinned broader at that as the lightning sparked even more. This was just the fight that he was looking for. Not since his last sparring match with Xiao Long had he had something that really got his blood pumping, and even then it hadn't been enough as his Quirk didn't work on Xiao Long the way a more physically based one would, so he was going to really enjoy this. With that he shot at the man once more as he made his third attack run.

What ensued was a series of passes and exchanges as Luck charged the man but he used his smoke to obscure and evade the attacks so that Luck never landed a single one after the graze he'd landed on his second attack sequence. It was frustrating but thrilling at the same time for Luck as he attacked the leaving craters in the ground and ceiling along with breaking a few tables with his misses while the room filled with black smoke and sparked with lightning from the attacks. However, the longer it went on the slower Luck seemed to be getting while the man seemed perfectly fine with what was going on.

"You're really hot blooded, you know that right?" The man asked after Luck missed yet again this time creating another crater in the ground. "Even for a youth you've got some extra vigor to you. I'm really impressed, I wish some of our youths had the same level of energy as you."

"As much as I enjoy trying to hit you it really isn't as much fun as it can be if all you're doing is dodging." Luck said as he began to run around the man, his attacks having cleared a good area for the brawl to take place while also avoiding the grunts though that had been the man's work not Luck's and he'd even used his smoke at times to help move them out of harm's way. "Come on, I know you're strong so fight back! Make this interesting before I beat you."

"Maybe I will." The man said as he suddenly moved behind Luck as if traveling on the smoke before pulling back and disappeared into his smoke just as Luck turned to kick him with a sigh of relief. "Or maybe I already have but now that I see you up close I can make out the insignia on your chest. I know that robe."

"You do?" Luck asked as he laughed glad that the man had at least tried to attack as the smoke was now all around him so he couldn't see him but Luck could still sense his location with the low grade sparks that he was sending out. "That's surprising."

"Yes you're a Black Bull, or at least a work study student with them if I recall the terminology for a student who's working for a hero agency regardless of the branch." The man said as he crouched on the ground, the smoke clearing so that he could see Luck. "I'll recognize it anywhere as I had the honor of fighting your Captain on the battlefield during our last invasion of Japan. He was a real piece of work like you only he was a gruff bastard and not a cocky one."

"Wow! I can't believe you got to fight Captain Yami." Luck said turning to the man his smile broadening. "I've been wanting to do that for ages! What's it like to fight him? Just how good is he?"

"Unforgettable, he has a rather odd and unique fighting style for someone in modern Japan." The man said as rose and pulled back the collar of his tunic to show off his scar. "And I can't forget him even if I wanted to, not after he left me with this splendid memento of our fight. After I received this I wet my pants and ran away as fast as I could because he's one scary fellow. I can see why he's a Quirk Knight Captain. To this day he's still the only person younger than me that I acknowledge I can't defeat."

"After that you're totally worth fighting then." Luck said his happiness through the roof at facing someone who'd once dueled Yami. "If you can survive Captain Yami then…"

However before Luck could finish he suddenly let out a gasp and staggered on his feet as he felt his heart suddenly palpate for a few beats. Something was wrong, Luck knew it instantly and his vision was starting to blur as a result while the man just stared at him with a smile on his face.

"You don't look too well kid." The man said simply. "Is there something wrong perhaps? Did you inhale something you shouldn't have?"

"No…it's nothing." Luck said shaking his head briefly before he attacked again only this time it was significantly more sluggish. "I, I'm fine."

"I don't think so, you're too slow now." The man said as he simply shifted back and to the side the way a matador would move if a bull charged him so that Luck sailed past him without the need for any obfuscating smoke to cover the man's movements. "There it is, I can tell that you're feeling it now. That means that it's time for your to go down, down into the abyss."

"What, what's going on? What did you do to me?" Luck asked as he turned to face the man before suddenly staggering where he stood unable to move anymore though the lightning boots he had created remained on. "Is this part of you're Quirk? I don't recall seeing you do anything. Just who are you old man?"

Adjutant General of the Diamond Company, Lotus Whomalt, aka Lotus of the Abyss, Quirk: Abyssal Smoke. Lotus can produce smoke from his body and so long as it is still connected to his body he can manipulate it as he sees fit though any smoke he cuts off takes a while to dissipate which helps him hide in it. This allows Lotus to condense his smoke and make it act in ways that smoke is not supposed to act such as being able to grab and bind people or be used as a form of transportation. For the most part it's jet black, however Lotus can, with enough time and concentration, create a colorless smoke that can be used to incapacitate as Luck is currently learning.

"The name's Lotus and I'm a lower ranked General called an Adjutant General and I didn't reach this rank in the Diamond Kingdom for nothing." Lotus said with a chuckle using the proper title for his nation and not the one the rest of the world called it. "And so I have something to confess kid."

"What." Luck gasped out.

"Well, you see, while my Quirk does produce black smoke that I can manipulate so long as it's touching my body, I can with enough time and concentration also produce an extremely thin smoke that is too fine for the eye to see." Lotus explained as he smiled at Luck. "I call Garden of Plundering Smoke, it's my Ultimate Move as you heroes would say. Problem is that it's a very draining to produce and I'm positively exhausted by it hence why I needed the time you were dealing with my underlings and chatting with me to fill the room with it as I can't keep it up and avoid you at the same time. You know how Quirks are, it's hard, if not impossible, to use multiple aspects of them at once."

"My body's not moving as it should." Luck said with a gasp his breath becoming shorter and shorter as the seconds ticked by. "I see, your smoke, it can reduce physical ability, how?"

"Training and practice." Lotus said. "See, I've learned that visible attacks have a limit to what they can do as they are easy to dodge, especially when your Quirk is smoke based and thus not particularly fast like mine is. So I developed this less subtle approach to deal with my enemies right away as I'm immune to it so all I have to do is wait you out, which I can do with my smoke. I will have to thank my underlings for their distraction because their defeat while regrettable wasn't in vain as their sacrifice gave me the time I needed to fill this room with my special smoke."

As Lotus was speaking Luck was panting harder and harder until he fell to his knees while Lotus just stroked his short beard as he looked down on the kid before him. He was smiling now, enjoying the moment a little as he added just a bit more so that Luck knew exactly what was going on and how badly he'd messed up by coming after Lotus.

"But even I was just a distraction." Lotus said. "Because I'm not the strongest person here, I'm just the shiny thing you're supposed to find while he does the real work. See, teamwork truly is vital in any operation and unlike you Quirk Knights, we of the Diamond Kingdom have it. In any mission, what you really need are friends that you can count on, that you can trust to have your back and you clearly don't have that kid. Anyway, sorry about all this but I've got things to do and places to go, you know how it is."

At that Lotus turned and began to walk off sure that his ally and the greatest weapon that the Diamond Kingdom currently had, the augmented and rising star Mars, was in position. All Lotus needed to do was aid him using his own knowledge of the compound, he had once been a senior officer stationed here after all, and they'd sort out what they had to and then destroy it so the Japan couldn't use what was hidden here against the Diamond Kingdom in the future.

All Luck could do right now was watch Lotus leave as he panted there but as he did he heard the voice of his late mother, the only person who'd believe in Luck growing up and who had always supported him before her untimely passing, repeat a single word to him in his head. Win. That was all that Luck needed, the motivation to push forward, to go beyond his limits and surpass them the way that U.A. and Yami taught him to do. It allowed him to get his breathing under control as he forced himself to calm down and push past the effects of the smoke as a wide grin spread across his face.

"Hold on, old man." Luck said, lightning flared up around him, crackling and leaving a scent of ozone in it as he slowly rose to his feet, the sparking sound of the discharge filling the air around him and Luck pushed himself past his limits the gloves and bracers reformed while his boots changed as he poured more of his power into them. "It's been far too long since I've faced someone this interesting. The kids in my class are good but they either go down too easy, negate me entirely, or aren't good matchups while for the most part the villains we face in the field aren't all that challenging. You, though, you're a General in the Diamond Company, you're powerful and you're making me go plus ultra!"

At that Luck yelled and leapt at Lotus and this time all Lotus had time to do was create enough smoke to partially obscure himself before Luck was on him. It ensured that he could move slightly due to it but not fast enough to fully avoid the attack and he suffered another cut to his right cheek, this one cauterizing as it hit leaving his cheek smoking, as Luck landed on the ground behind him but facing him as Lotus turned to the kid. The moment he did he saw the change in his lightning armor as it now had clawed hands and feet, it also looked more defined than it had before.

"Oh yeah!' Luck said excitedly his grin as broad as possible and a crazed look in his eyes as he met Lotus's gaze while Lotus grimaced at him amazed that the brat had been able to fight off his power and stand back up let alone increase his Quirk's output. "Time for round 2 and this time fight me properly!"

"You have so much potential kid." Lotus said as he fully turned to Luck. "I'm almost sorry to extinguish it but we can't have someone like you growing any stronger and becoming a real thorn in our side now can we?"

With that Lotus got ready for the renewal of the fight. He was fine with it as he trusted Mars to be in position and handle any other opposition because this kid had already mentioned that he wasn't alone. All that meant was that Lotus would handle the Black Bull and he was ready to do so unaware that even as the second round began Luck's own teammates were incoming and ready to shift the balance of power in the battle to the point that they could crush diamonds.

Meanwhile, while Luck was dealing with Lotus and Asta, Nero, and Noelle were rushing to catch up to him and aid him in Lotus's eventual defeat and capture, Klause had expertly navigated the Golden Dawn trio, with Mimosa's help, to an office where Yuno was able to find a map of the compound. From that they had been able to use the map to get to a large, high ceilinged, training hall with a single door leading into it from the rest of the compound and a single set of thick blast doors at the other end all while Mimosa kept spreading her seeds so that they could navigate out if they lost the map.

It hadn't been too hard, Klaus had known that a Diamond Company compound would be a sprawling, interconnected facility as they'd studied them in their second year at U.A. and he was one of the top of his class academically, so he knew that they followed a similar basic design when they were underground and not set into a mountain or underwater. First you reached a fork that either took you down into the living quarters where the barracks and officer rooms were located along with the kitchen, canteen, gym, and training facilities, or they took you down a corridor to the administrative side of the compound.

Naturally, Klaus had taken the corridor and quickly had Mimosa spread her roots out while Yuno used a lantern he'd brought to light the area for them as the Hunter Hero who'd cleared the area of Grimm had apparently decided not to leave the lights on for some reason. That annoyed Klaus and if he ever met this Qrow man he'd have a few stern words with him about inter-branch cooperation and general professional courtesy but that would have to wait as they had a facility to search.

This started in earnest once they were down another ramp down and had reached the area that he expected to have administrative offices, the commander's personal office, a communications suite, and the intel gathering suite along with other similar rooms. This was, after all, how these compounds worked with only the records room where all information was collected and stored being unknown as that changed from compound to compound. As such they needed to find an office where a map might be located which was where Mimosa's Flower Guidepost really came in handy.

As expected from a Vermillion, she'd performed outstandingly and they'd quickly found the office that had been used by the commanding officer which was the best place to start when it came to finding a layout of compound. So as to keep the chariot active, Klaus couldn't get off it or disconnect from the steel and as such had Yuno go in, after blasting the lock off with an offensive star, and search for a map, or if not that a set of blueprints that would be almost as useful albeit less easy for Klaus to read.

Thankfully, Yuno had found a good map in the desk and brought it back to Klaus who studied it as Yuno held it up for him while Mimosa shone the lantern on it. It took a few moments to find the room that didn't fit as many of the storage facilities were unmarked, but in the end Klaus deduced that the records room had to be the room at the back of the large training hall that had it and plotted a route to it.

Given that they'd not found Luck yet, Klaus was certain that he'd ended up in the living quarters and as such the best path to it was to take the slightly longer path that connected the administrative area to the training facilities attached to the living quarters via the storage area of the compound. That way they likely wouldn't run into Luck or the others and thus reach the records room first.

With the plan in motion they set off as fast as they could. They did have to use Yuno's stars to light the way as they were bright enough to ensure that they could travel faster than just using the lantern, along with a large transport star like the one he used in the Cavalry Battle, to descend the stairs that led down in several places, but in short order they reached the storage corridor that connected that area to the training wing and the chariot trundled through it as fast as Klaus could make it.

The doors on either side almost certainly contained food storage with long expiration dates, necessities like toilet paper and cleaning products, weapons, and other items you'd need to run a compound like this. However, all of that was of no interest to Klaus as he moved past them and to the end of the corridor where he sharply turned the chariot to the left and moved it down to the large training hall rather than go right which led to the canteen.

Due to the speed of the move none of them realized that the lights in the canteen were on as they sped down past a few small gyms, weight rooms, and what the map had said was a dojo until they burst out and into a large, illuminated space that was the size of Gym Gamma back at U.A. and just about as unadorned as it. This was the large training hall, likely specially built for Quirk training, and the final room that they needed to reach before they got to the records room.

"Why is this lit up?" Yuno asked as they entered the area and all three noted that the light fixtures in the ceiling were glowing with a bright light. "Everywhere else was dark after the initial corridor."

"Likely because the records room is there." Klaus said nodding to the blast doors at the end of the room that they were heading towards. "They have to remain sealed so that no one can break in which makes sense and that requires a power source given the appearance of those doors. Add in that there are computers there digitally storing records as well as potential paper records and they need to keep power on. As a result this room probably has to have power as well and it's so deep no one would notice. Well, it's that or the Hunter who cleared out the Grimm used this as a place to lure them to but I doubt that as he didn't leave the lights on anywhere else."

"If it is the former, then what's the power source though?" Mimosa asked as they neared the door. "Surely if this place has been abandoned for so long it would run out."

"Potentially geothermal or it could be some tech we don't know as the Diamond Company is known for their innovative tech though the cost of it is that they don't tend to follow any international laws in the creation of it." Klaus said as he pulled the chariot up and along the wall to the left of the doors. "And we may find out inside this room which could be useful if it can be reversed engineered by our support companies. Now get off, this wasn't much of a compound at all it seems."

"Yes sir." Mimosa said as she hopped off the back of the chariot followed by Yuno while Klaus cut off his Quirk from his hands and feet so that he could turn and get off the now useless chariot while surveying the room as he did. "It was a pretty simple journey; I was expecting a few booby traps but there weren't any. Not that I mind a simple journey that is."

"Sometimes simple is best." Klaus said as he turned to the doors having seen nothing in the barren training hall. "It just means that we can get this done with quickly and get back to headquarters without any injuries."

"True though this is an obstacle." Yuno said as he stepped up to the doors and put his hand on them. "What's your plan for getting past this? They feel like they're solid steel and given their appearance I wouldn't be surprised if they're reinforced as well. It would take my stars a long time, and a lot of power from me, to cut through it."

"And it doesn't look like the Black Bulls have managed to find it yet." Mimosa said. "Or else the door would already be open."

"Well of course they haven't, they are the Black Bulls after all so despite their bluster they never stood a chance of beating the like of us." Klause said as he looked at the doors. "But Yuno is right, these are heavy doors and there doesn't seem to be a mechanism to open them which means that they were opened via a remote. As loath as I am to ask it, do either of you know if the Black Bulls have someone who can manage it? I doubt it but…"

"They do." Mimosa said before Klaus could finish whatever insult he was about to say. "I know them pretty well, they were my teammates in the Cavalry Battle, one of them has the perfect Quirk for this. We just…"

"Look out!" Klaus suddenly yelled as he held out his right hand and steel flowed from it.

Mimosa turned in shock at Klaus's exclamation and just in time to see a line of jagged, white, crystal-like things shoot towards her right before a steel barrier that was still connected to Klaus's palm formed before her. The crystals smashed into the barrier and then burst through it but the barrier slowed them down and blunted them enough that they didn't pierce Mimosa when they slammed into her chest.

However the impact did blast her back and into the blast doors of the record room with enough force to make her cough out blood indicating that she'd broken a rib or two and snapping her head back into the metal doors. She stuck there for a few seconds before she slid down and onto her side in a heap, the front of her clothes torn from the impact though thankfully her bra remained intact thus preserving her modesty.

Klaus stared in shock at that as he disconnected the remains of the steel from his palm as he quickly rushed to where Mimosa had fallen. He'd only just sensed the attack because he'd heard the sound of the crystals forming but the power was another level as it broke through his steel to hurt Mimosa. Just who had this kind of power?

"Mimosa…" Yuno began worry in his voice.

"Few, she's still alive, my steel blunted that attack and her clothes are no doubt somewhat reinforced as they are made for field work." Klaus said cutting Yuno off as he reached Mimosa who was moaning in pain before he looked out at the jagged line of crystals that extended out to the entrance to the training hall showing that he'd somehow missed someone in his rush to get here. "This isn't natural so it has to be a Quirk but what kind of Quirk can create something like this?"

There was no answer to Klaus's question but he could hear the hard, sure, footfalls of a person approaching them. That meant that the person who'd attacked them was coming towards them so it at least the answer to who had this kind of power would soon be upon them.

"Who goes there?" Klaus asked as he rose and turned to face the approaching foot falls just as a man appeared from behind the crystals with Yuno to the side and behind him looking at the approaching enemy as well. "Who are you? What do you want with this place?"

"You're in my way." The person, a male by the tone, said in a cold voice as he fully emerged never breaking stride as he walked towards them clearly ignoring Klaus's questions. "Now move unless you want to die."

I can never resist a good cliffhanger and this was just too good of one to ignore. Admittedly I had initially planned on this chapter first covering the whole mission but it quickly became too long for that so instead I broke off the post initial fights into the second chapter (so from when they entered the records room) but even that ended up being too long due to Luck's initial clash with Lotus so I decided to end this right before Luck's fight resumed after his recover (and right before Asta and the girls reach him) and right as the Golden Dawn encounter Mars so that the main fights can be their own chapter, which is of course coming next. This means that it is likely that this arc will be broken into two more chapters after this which does mean that they will be shorter (by this story's standards) and thus I should be able to get them out quicker as we continue to soldier on through the Hero Killer arc and the expected confluence on Hosu when the time is right. Anyway, that is all that I have for y'all for this chapter and y'all know what to look forward to next chapter so I will leave it off here. If you like this story please follow, favorite (this story and me) to keep up with it and leave a review or PM; your support is what helps motivate me to keep up this work and any questions posed before the next chapter is uploaded I will try to answer. Until next time.

Stringdog