Well, back for another!

Just to explain a few things, while the ship is Naruto and Velvet, that does not mean there will not be a relationship between Naruto and Neo/Trivia.

It's just not a romantic one. It's gonna be more complicated than that, although expect the smut to come from this particular relationship (On Ao3).

Anyways, let's get to the story, shall we?

Just what was that she witnessed?

In the blink of an eye, everything changed.

The arrival of this man as soon as the trio had called her changed her very perspective of things. What he did…

Reminded her of the Flash… On a smaller scale.

While everyone still alive today, outside of the young children, knew what the Flash felt like, she knew better than most…

She was near the epicenter when it went down.

To this day, she didn't know how she survived beneath the rubble…

Sun… Velvet's eyes glistened over momentarily at the thought of her—friend.

The last person she saw before the end.

"Everyone alright?" The man's voice echoed with surprising optimism as her attention was drawn to the man… Faunus?

Velvet flushed and turned her head as he caught her gaze. It wasn't anything personal… Their race had become extremely rare since the Flash… Seeing another Faunus was abnormal… And comforting.

She could count on one hand the amount of other Faunus she had seen since the Flash, so seeing another… Gave her hope.

"Oh, no! They got me good. Right here, you see?" Trivia bounced up from the jeep bed, her hands cupping her well-endowed bosom before huskily calling out to the Faunus. "You should come hold them up for me… My arms are so weak… Oh, I don't understand what is wrong with me!"

"Later." The Faunus responded in stride without hitching a step, kneeling in front of Velvet and Emerald. "You look a little weary… Let me help with that."

Before she could accept or refuse his offer, he was already reaching out with his bandaged right hand and placed it on her left shoulder. It was uncomfortable for someone else to touch her… No one had since…

A gasp left her lips as calming warmth spread throughout. Her fatigue and exhaustion inexplicably ebbed and faded away. Muscles and ligaments that had been aching and sore for ages felt rejuvenated. She could even feel scars and old wounds that never fully recovered…

"There you go! All good!" He chirped, brightly beaming at his work before extending his hand toward her for a greeting this time. "Ah, right, name's Naruto! Sorry about that! Went on auto-pilot and forgot to introduce myself! I didn't think I'd ever see you again, much less awake!"

Velvet couldn't muster the strength to answer. He had essentially rejuvenated her and healed all her wounds in seconds! And that was after he caused the world to bend to his power and parted the sandstorm! And then she saw that the Nyghtmares turned into Dust when exposed to sunlight…

She was struggling to cope with everything that had just happened in such a short span and struggled to speak. Just what was this man known as Naruto? And how could he perform such miracles? And…

Again?! Wait… Was he the one… Who… Rescued her from the crack?

"Boss, think you broke her." Mercury rose from the bed of the jeep, glancing down at Velvet. "Think that was too much all at once to handle. You can't go around acting like a Messiah and expect things to go normally… Look at what you did with this freak… Fuck! My kidney!"

Exhaling at the interaction on top while palming her face, Emerald shook her head as Trivia smashed Mercury hard in the back and dropped him to the jeep bed. The jeep began to rock as she repeatedly stomped downwards…

"Appreciate the assistance…" Emerald groaned before smiling at the Faunus. "We weren't in a defensible position when we found her. Even if it was a lesser horde without any Shades, it was still a dangerous one with their numbers."

"Just call when you need me. I'll come as fast as I can." Naruto faintly smiled. "Can't say no, ya know?"

"You and your hero complex… Thanks." Emerald muttered and rolled her eyes.

"You're not wrong! It's just who I am!" Naruto chuckled and rubbed the back of his head.

"Yeah, yeah. I know… We'll take it from here. This is our job. Get back to running the base." Emerald waved him off while placing her hand on her hip and glanced toward Velvet. "Velvet, that's your bike over there? Think you can get it running? The storm will swarm this direction soon, and we gotta get to the ruins before we can take you back. Supposedly, a caravan was seen out this direction."

"You know, I could…"

"Get out of here, would ya?" Emerald glared at the blonde Faunus. "Don't want to give her any more reason to dislike us any further… Tough enough as things are."

"You know she's one of the few that supports you guys, right?" Naruto muttered before sighing as he began to levitate in the air. "If you need something, just radio it in. …Gonna get back before Glynda realizes I was gone. She hates it when I leave without a word…"

"Tell her to ride it or back off!" Trivia shouted with a growl before gleefully smirking. "She could always jo…"

"I liked you better when you couldn't talk…"

"I'm gonna end your ability to talk ever again if you keep blocking me!" Trivia roared, stomping into the jeep again while Mercury cried out.

The Faunus simply groaned as Emerald drug her hand over her face at the display. Velvet wasn't sure what to make of the interaction, but she didn't have the opportunity to think more of it. He had brought his attention back to her and smiled at her. "Good to see you made it out of the crack…"

"Thought I lost one of the survivors of that hell hole when the Nyghtmare first attacked…"

Velvet's eyes shimmered widely. Her body tensed before shivering. That golden glow… She thought it was familiar… It was the same one she saw on that day!

The day the world changed forever.

What happened… Where was she?

Why was everything so dark… Why couldn't she see anything? Why couldn't she move?

Were those voices… Who was that? Coco? Fox? Yatsuhashi?

Wait… Was that a fiery golden light… So pretty… Sun? Is that you? Did you… Sun, I'm right here…

"Is she alright?"

What? She could hear them… But she couldn't respond?

"Yeah, but she's just like her… She's not waking up even after I restored her."

She was healed? Then why couldn't she get up? What was this? Who were these people… She thought she recognized the first voice…

"Shit! Do you think the same thing happened to her?"

Her? Who was that? Was someone else experiencing this paralysis? Oh, she wished she could say something!

"Hard to say—Don't know what's going on—showed up and putting ever—together, ya know?"

It was beginning to become more burdensome to continue listening to them. No, was she fading back to unconsciousness? No, she wanted to know more…

"...Are you—ding out a–in? …can—with…"

No… Everything was becoming too muted for her to listen on! What was happening? Why was she like this?

Sun… Don't leave me…

Come back!

The storm had returned with a blistering fury. The sand stung, and their engines revved. If any Nyghtmares were close by, they would be drawn to the sound.

But they had made it to the ruins… The city looked as she expected it to.

Weathered and eroded. It may have been only seven years… But with how vicious the storms could get, it made sense how ruined everything had become…

All the encampments she had encountered these past years were constantly scavenging for materials to improve their defenses.

"There!" Velvet heard Emerald call out and point toward the old warehouses. "I can see a concentrated defense outpost over there! Must be where the caravan is! Follow us in!"

"Rodger," Velvet pulled in behind their jeep, scrunching her face as she saw the girl she knew as Trivia happily bouncing on the Gatling gun like a maniac.

She swore she seemed familiar… But for some reason, she couldn't put a finger on it… Was she their short black-haired teammate they had during the Vytal festival?

Shaking her head of that thought as they pulled into the warehouses, her eyes snapped to the front as they came to a stop, a few men rushing out of the buildings to meet them. "We have shelter here, friends!"

"We could use every person we got to hold up for the storm if you could lend a hand in the fortifications!"

This was highly amusing.

She loved this job… Put her skills to good use… Be of use to the one person who valued her.

Give him all he could handle…

She refrained from giggling to herself. Couldn't get away with that anymore… He gave her the ability to be heard… Which currently was a downside.

But when he was listening to her… Oh, it was the greatest gift.

Her eyes twinkled in amusement. Even if the world had gone to hell… It was always hell for her, so nothing really changed.

She only had a few years of blissful freedom before the only thing that mattered was taken from her. This was as free as she had ever been before… And she loved it!

Trivia didn't have to pretend any longer… And be someone else who was stronger to survive. She could be herself.

"Now what's in here?" Trivia quietly mused to herself, noticing a single caravan guard standing before a rather unassuming door.

Her eyes shimmered as the man crumbled to the ground in a heap, swiveling her head to make sure no one saw her. Never saw her coming. Just how she liked it.

"Now, why did you have this place locked…" Trivia pursed her lips, taking his key and propping the door open.

Repressing a snarl, her eyes glistened with rage. Without hesitation, she dragged his body inside and glanced at the sight before her as her visage shimmered into existence, glass shards shattering around her. "Just as the rumors said… Are you all okay? We're here…"

"What? You?! You're alive?!"

This caravan didn't seem to be bad. Wasn't one of the worst she had stumbled across.

At least these guys weren't dealing in the slave trade…

Or dealt in Dust as it had become an even rarer commodity.

The sandstorm had yet to subside. The golden Faunus may have parted the storm, but he did not stop it. However, that gave them the time to arrive at the ruins of Vale and find the caravan… Where they were heading through the storm as well, it seemed.

Dilapidated warehouses and buildings provided excellent cover. It was no wonder why people frequented the Ruins of the Kingdoms or lived within them. They were easily fortified, and if you kept quiet, the Nyghtmares wouldn't usually find you…

At least the typical variants couldn't.

Yet she couldn't completely let her guard down. There was always the chance they would find them. So she needed to make repairs as quietly as she could… No accidental drops that could alert them. She may have finished working up on their vehicles, but Bumblebee could use a few touches as well…

"How's it coming?" Velvet took her attention from the filtration system, removed her wrench, and glanced toward Emerald as she slowly and carefully approached before kneeling beside her. "Your ride looks like it has taken a beating…"

"It's not mine." Velvet's dust-bitten ears curled as her expression soured.

Emerald's shoulders hunched as she winced. Velvet turned back to Bumblebee, gently pulling the system apart so she could clean the clogs out. "She runs… That's all that matters."

"Yeah, I can see that." Emerald mused, taking a look at the modification Velvet had made. "A shield you can manually operate to keep the engine from choking… Makes overheating a real issue, but we work with what we got. I don't even understand all the modifications Pietro…"

"Doctor Polendina is at your encampment?!" Velvet's attention snapped toward Emerald, causing her to flinch away.

"Um, yeah… You know him?" Emerald gave a slight nod before frowning.

Letting out what was almost a whimper, a sullen smile spread on Velvet's features. "I do… He and my father worked together in Atlas… He even helped teach me a little about mechanical engineering alongside my father."

"Explains why your gear is still in incredible shape despite… Everything." Emerald mused before grimacing as she looked to the shielded gates of the warehouse. "How things can change… I honestly miss having to deal with the Grimm instead…"

"And Dust being less scarce than what it has become." Velvet returned her attention to Bumblebee and exhaled. "Trying to make this thing more efficient even in these conditions has been a chore…"

"I imagine," Emerald smirked, seeing the glower form on Velvet's face as she glared at Bumblebee. "Still something we struggle with as well. It's a main reason we track down caravans to trade with and offer safe haven to…"

"How long have you known that the Nyghtmares were made of Dust?" Velvet reached into her pouch and withdrew the shards of Dust the Nyghtmare had turned into and scowled. "I've always heard the rumors that they were weakened in the sun and watched them retreat as the sun rises or the storm fades… But I have never seen them combust in such a way."

"For a while… Not sure how it happened, but it's likely something caused by the Flash. Also explains why Dust has become so rare…" Emerald responded in a whisper, hearing rumblings outside. "It's a difficult process to replicate as they instinctively avoid the sunlight… And like the Grimm, they don't do well in captivity and often die soon after capture."

Nodding in understanding, Velvet's eyes trailed along the walls as the sounds vibrated alongside the warehouse, sending shivers down her spine. There was no real safe place from them… You could hope you could rest as they were unable to find you…

Noting how nervous even the caravan members were acting and warily keeping stock of their inventory. She frowned. They seemed a little more finicky around their stock, considering the situation…

However, there were two faces she had noted were not around. Her eyes narrowed, and she shifted her intent back toward Emerald with a frown. "Where are your partners?"

"Around," Emerald replied flatly, her crimson gaze steely bored into hers. "Don't worry about them… As loud as they are…"

"They're doing their job." Emerald finished simply before sighing as she carefully stood up, her movements measured.

Velvet's frown only deepened as she furrowed her brow. Job? Was there a particular reason they were out here besides to escort the caravan?

Or was there something else she was missing?

"Thank you so much for helping fortify our base, friends." The scruffy and heavily cloaked leader of the caravan merrily laughed. "Been a rough go of it the last few weeks. Those damn Nyghtmares had been picking us off one at a time…"

"They can be a nightmare." Emerald smiled, gently bowing toward the man. "We appreciate the hospitality and allowing us to take cover in your shelter. We could escort you to our base of operations. Give you a little more security…"

"It's fine! We're making due at the moment!" The man joyously refused, smiling as he shook his head, his eyes gleaming. "But on our return trip back to Old Mistral, we'll be sure to stop in your direction. And miss, we are indebted to your work on our rigs! If you need anything at all…"

"Oh, no need! Pleased to help." Velvet genuinely beamed, her ears curling out of embarrassment.

Even after all this time, it was still difficult to receive praise. She had gotten used to it over the years and helped others in ways she could assist in… But it still was weird to hear people praise her.

Only a select few ever did…

However, her face fell as she heard Emerald letting out a deep and annoyed exhale, her gaze sharply looking into the man's. "Fine… If you're gonna do this the hard way…"

Velvet stumbled, her eyes flickering as a flash of jungle green steel was directly aimed between the man's eyes. "There's no laws out here. I could put one right between your eyes for what you've been doing!"

"Boss!" Several of the caravan members tried to draw their weapons.

But they were suddenly stuck and knocked back into one another, a daunting figure walking toward them and stomping his heavy metal boot into the skulls. "Stay down! We ain't got time for this."

"I don't know what you are talking about!" The man fearfully froze, petrified in fear at the gun pointed between his eyes. "Why are you doing this?! We're just humble…"

"Shut it, scum!" Emerald snarled as her finger held steady on the trigger for Thief's Respite. "Save it for when the boss man judges you and your caravan personally… Put it down, Velvet."

"Drop yours first!" Velvet sneered, reacting as soon as the shock wore off and drew Crescent Rose in rifle mood, holding the barrel to the back of Emerald's head. "There's no reason for this! They haven't done anything!"

"Oh, they most certainly have!" Mercury scoffed before shoving his thumb to the back. "Why don't you go check out what the little bitch found? These guys are fucking slave traders."

Velvet's grasp of her sniper rifle wavered, but she held it trained at the back of Emerald's head. They were… Was that why she couldn't find Trivia anywhere? That she was…

"No!" The leader vigorously shook his head, his eyes shimmering in horror. "That's not what is going on here! We were just securing them…"

"And leaving them in this condition?" A familiar voice seethed, and a light shimmered in the back.

Velvet's eyes quivered. Crescent Rose lowered, and her body trembled. Watching as dozens of young men and women were escorted from the back with assistance from several people, she immediately recognized one, in particular, she wished she never had to see again….

Even if it was far more flattering to see him helping people so selflessly…

And behind them all, Naruto slowly emerged from the shadows alongside an unflattered Trivia, dragging several merchants behind her. "For what you have done… I'm not gonna show you any mercy… But I'm not going to make this quick for ya, either…"

"I'm gonna make sure every last bit of usefulness of each of ya is drained until you are husks of men," Naruto growled, clenching his fists as his eyes flashed scarlet for the briefest of moments, carrying a feeble and trembling Faunus woman…

Velvet's heart skipped a beat. Her grip of Crescent Rose faltered, and it clattered to the floor. She jumped to his side in a heartbeat, terror filling her being as she stared into blank golden eyes, absently glancing at everything around her without a care in the world.

As if nothing was there.

"BLAKE!"

Edit - At the end with Blake, rape is not implied. I will admit, with humanity trafficking, it's possible something like that could happen and will not discount that it may have happened, but that is not the intent.

I hope you enjoyed the chapter!

If you have a moment, I would like to hear back from ya! Your comments keep this fire going and means so much!

For now, I hope you have a pleasant rest of your day, my friends.

Peace.