Ben 10 RWBY Volume 2: Ultimate Omniverse

by The Omni-Remnant

Having returned from a massive adventure in the world of Remnant, Ben, Team RWBY, and the rest of their friends find themselves faced with new challenges at every turn on Earth. Be it villains old and new… or even things that they never imagined to be real. It's going to be a challenge unlike any they've seen before, but they're up for it. It's Hero Time! (Cover Art credit inside)

94. Say Uncle

A/N: Morning, one and all! Welcome back to Ben 10 RWBY Ultimate Omniverse, and today… well, we're gonna be shifting focus back to stuff that's happening on Earth. Just because Ben 10 is in the title doesn't mean he has to get ALL of the focus, after all. We can go a couple chapters without seeing him while he's on vacation, can't we? So now, it's time to focus on Ruby and Cooper as they lead the team on Earth and, trust me, they'll be dealing with their own problems soon. With that said, let's dive in, shall we? This is…

Chapter 93: Say Uncle

…..

The first thing that Jaune was aware of when he woke up was the feeling of something weighing down on him. But not in a suffocating way, thankfully. More like… in a gentle way. Something that pressed down against his body tenderly and… lovingly. 'Oh yeah… we're by ourselves.' His subconscious reminded him as he began to properly stir from his slumber, eyelids slowly opening to see the incredible beauty that laid on top of him. Jaune's blue eyes met the emerald green orbs of his beloved Pyrrha, the redheaded warrior beaming brightly at him.

"Good morning, sleepy head." the Invincible Girl giggled, her arms snaking their way around his neck.

"It certainly is." Jaune affirmed, reaching his hand up to caress her cheek. "So, what did I do right to earn this wake-up call?"

Pyrrha shook her head, swinging her legs back and forth behind her. "Nothing in particular. I just noticed you were about to wake and I thought I'd make it special." She drew closer to him, fluttering her lashes. "After all, it's just us. By ourselves. For another… whole… week." A chuckle escaped Jaune's throat, making his chest rumble beneath her. And that was all it took for her to lose her last shred of patience and close the gap, locking their lips in a morning make-out session. Of course, it started gently, but between peppering each other with kisses and feeling one another up, things quickly escalated, all while the couple laughed into each other's lips.

Eventually, though, both of them required air, so they were forced to separate, no matter how much they didn't want to. "Hah… hah… good god, I was such an idiot." Jaune panted.

Her brows etched in confusion, Pyrrha asked; "F-For what?"

"For not noticing you sooner." Jaune went to sit up, taking hold of Pyrrha so he could shift her into his lap. He held her close as both regained their breath. "I mean… I'm still kicking myself for the fact that it almost took LOSING you in order to realize how I felt." He locked eyes with her once again, this time more solemnly. "If I'm being honest… I don't deserve—"

"You do."

"But I—"

"Jaune Arc, if you continue to deprecate yourself, I will run you through a hundred training drills this morning alone." That managed to get the blond to zip his lips, which made Pyrrha's smile return. "Thought so. Now, let me make this perfectly clear; you are the ONLY one who has earned my affection. If that were not the case, we wouldn't be here right now, would we?"

Pursing his lips, Jaune relented. "…Probably not. …But I can't help but think… we also wouldn't be here right now if you had died."

A sigh passed Pyrrha's lips, reaching her hand up to take hold of her boyfriend by the chin. "You need to stop dwelling on that, Jaune. Professor Paradox said himself that it is better to not dwell on the "what if's" and to instead focus on what's happening here and now." She shoved her hand out for emphasis. "Let those other timelines and universes have what is theirs. Right here, right now, it is just you and me." Her smile widened as she ran her hand through Jaune's hair, which managed to get him to crack a smile as well. "And I would not have it any other way."

"…Me either." Jaune leaned in and captured Pyrrha's lips once again. But, before things could get heated once again…

*knock-knock-knock*

Their heads shot up when a rapping came at their door, followed by Natalies distinctive, motherly tone; "Jaune, Pyrrha, are you two up yet?"

"O-Oh, good morning, Natalie!" Pyrrha called back in a hushed tone, pushing her hand against Jaune's mouth. "I'm just getting changed, but Jaune hasn't woken up yet."

There came a skeptical hum from the other side of the door, which caused Pyrrha to leap off of Jaune's bed and land on her own in record time, scrambling to her dresser for some clothes. "Well, alright. But be sure he gets up soon. Breakfast is almost ready."

"Okay, will do." Pyrrha affirmed. The sound of footsteps moving away from the door assured the couple that they were alone again, and Pyrrha let out a sigh. "That… was too close for comfort."

"I'll say." Jaune whispered. "I hope Edwin finishes up that new base of ours soon. Some privacy would be nice. Plus, uh…" He wore a bashful smile, which Pyrrha reciprocated with a sly grin of her own. "I-I'd… really like it if we shared a bed."

Pyrrha felt like she was on Cloud Nine after hearing that. "Oh… that is all but guaranteed to happen, my dear." She turned to her dresser and began shedding her nightgown… without pulling the curtain that separated the men's side from the ladies'. "If not sooner, then later… but preferably the former. Until then… we have a few minutes." She discarded her nightgown… and Jaune's jaw hit the floor. "I say we make them count."

Far be it from a knight to leave his fair lady disappointed.

…..

After the… rather quick, quiet, and yet intense "game" the couple had played, they got armored up and headed downstairs, where they were met with the sight of the other resident couple already up and practicing in the living room. "198… 199… 200!" Winter proclaimed as Kenny hung upside down from a steel bar in the living room, the redhead having just gotten through an impressive exercise. "Very well done, Kenny. Take five."

The young man didn't have to be told twice as his feet loosened and he fell to the floor, spread-eagled and panting in exhaustion. "Hah… hah… good god, that was exhausting."

"But you feel…" Winter encouraged.

"Oddly… kinda good." Kenny huffed out as his girlfriend extended a hand down, prompting him to take it so she could help him up. "Gotta say, I never thought I'd be able to even do something like upside down crunches."

Winter nodded to him with approval. "The miracles of having a military agent as your personal trainer, hm?"

Kenny smiled back and approached her, bringing Winter into an embrace. "Hmhm, yeah… and it also helps that she just happens to be the best girlfriend in the entire world."

"Eh, I might fight you on that one, Kenny." Jaune challenged, prompting the two couples to lock eyes with one another. "Winter's fantastic, for sure, but you'll forgive me if I show my bias and say that Pyrrha's even MORE incredible."

The knight's declaration made Winter's eyebrows raise, but Kenny took the opportunity to stand up and confront his houseguest about it. "Hah, is that so? Well, far be it from me to say that Pyrrha's not great, but when it comes to Winter, there's no one better."

"Ah, so you're asking for that fight, then?" the blond asserted, lifting his chin to the older man.

Flexing his fingers, Kenny then brought them into a fist. "I've been getting better, Jaune. I may not have a sword… yet… but I think I could still take you in fisticuffs."

"Still holding out hope you'll be chosen for Cross-Z?" Jaune snickered as he unsheathed Crocea Mors. "Please, as someone who's been trained by the best blade-wielder in Remnant, I think I'm a shoo-in for that Rider suit."

As the two men locked horns, Pyrrha and Winter had slunk off to the side, observing the back and forth is it happened. "…Boys." the younger warrior sighed.

"Indeed." Winter agreed, rolling her eyes with a smirk. "So much testosterone on display… but their point raises another that I haven't really thought about until now." She glanced down to Pyrrha, who eyed her back curiously. "For as long as we've known each other, we have only practiced with one another in training, Pyrrha. But what we haven't done is have an actual spar to see who would come out victorious."

Blinking in surprise, Pyrrha pondered on that revelation, finding that she couldn't recall any moment where they had truly clashed. "Huh… I suppose we haven't." Her smile reappeared as she gestured to the white-haired woman. "Well, then I suppose that has to be something we'll have to cover soon. …Perhaps in today's training?"

"YES!" Without warning, their boyfriends both echoed one another, spooking the girls as they showed their respective support. "You got this, Pyr!" Jaune cheered. "I know you can take her!"

"Show her you're a military specialist for a reason, Winter!" Kenny supported.

"…I'm starting to regret this suggestion." Pyrrha muttered, only for the sound of pitter-pattering feet to catch her attention. Running into the room from the kitchen was none other than Romulus, the wolf pup barking up a storm as he rushed at his parents. "Ah! Good morning, you little scamp!" Pyrrha smiled brightly, kneeling down to meet Rommy with love and affection… only to find herself pounced on and brought down to the floor. "Ah! O-Oh my!"

It was only then when it hit her… Rommy had gotten quite a bit bigger since they had found him two months ago, standing head and shoulders over his initial height of half a foot. How he had to have been two feet at the shoulders, easily. "Woah, you okay?" Jaune asked before giving a stern look to his pup. "Rommy, be more careful. You're not lapdog sized anymore."

The statement made Pyrrha a bit sad inside. She had enjoyed babying the pup, but it was evident that he was growing into a full wolf before her eyes. 'If this is what he's like only after two months… what will he be like in a year's time?' Reluctantly, she shook the thought from her head. 'No… Pyrrha, he is a wolf. He is born to hunt, and you must teach him how. It is your duty as his mother, after all.' She reached up and scratched Rommy behind the ears, eliciting a happy noise from him. "Oh, Jaune, I'm fine. A little tackle won't hurt me. Now, have you eaten, yet?"

Kenny nodded. "Yeah, he has. He got up WAY before you guys, so I set him up."

"Thank you." Pyrrha stood up, collecting herself with a deep breath. "Well then, today's an important day, isn't it? Ceasar's finally returning from Remnant and he has several surprises in store for us, supposedly."

"Heh, yeah, Penny's probably having trouble containing herself." Jaune chuckled. "C'mon, let's get—"

*ding-dong*

The four of them were caught off-guard as the doorbell rang, much to their surprise. "Company?" Winter spoke. "This early in the morning?"

Before any of them could answer, Natalie and Frank both came strolling in from the kitchen. "Oh, we'll get that." the Tennyson matriarch said. "It's probably our church group coming for our weekly meeting…" Reaching the door handle, Natalie swung it open… but was met with something that was FAR from what she had expected. "AH!"

Out on her front lawn, the first thing she noted was the HUGE DEER standing on her front lawn, easily the size of a moose with huge antlers that had glowing, blue crystals growing inside the bone. Its pure white fur also seemed to shine with a golden hue, giving it an ethereal glow as its blue eyes focused on her. It let out a bellow and shook its head when Natalie gasped, pawing at the concrete walkway with its massive hooves.

And directly in front of it was… a teenager. A girl, to be precise, who appeared to be between 15 and 16 years of age. Her long, blonde hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and her eyes… were silver. She was also donned in a white toga, and had a pair of sandals that were bound to her feet with leather straps. On her back was a quiver and a silver bow with moon-shaped engravings along its surface, her right hand donned with an archer's glove. Overall, the combo of small girl and giant deer was something that left everyone completely dumbstruck.

The girl reacted apologetically when she saw Natalie's reaction, though. "Oh! A thousand pardons, madame." she bowed. "Forgive me for intruding so early in the morning, but I was told that this was the residence of Gwen Tennyson."

"…Um, it is." Natalie replied. "But how exactly do you know that? And what business do you have with my daughter?"

"My step-brother informed me." the girl explained, raising her head to give a kind smile. "But I have not come seeking your daughter, madame. I was told that this was the current abode of…" But she trailed off when her eyes trailed into the house… spotting the redhead donned in golden armor and wearing the pelt of the Nemean Lion. "…Pyrrha Nikos."

Pyrrha blinked and shifted her eyes around, only to point back at herself. "Me? You've… come to seek me?"

"That's correct, young one." the girl stated, which only left them more confused. "Oh, but where are my manners? I've yet to introduce myself…" Reaching back, the young lady produced an arrow… that formed out of shining dust that she pulled from her quiver. "I am Artemis, Greek Goddess of the Hunt. And I've come seeking you, young Pyrrha, to undertake an incredibly important task… that is, if you are up to the challenge."

There was a long, drawn-out silence for a while… before Frank broke it. "Hah, well then…" he clapped his hands together. "Who wants to discuss this over cocoa?"

In an instant, Artemis brightened up at the prospect. "Oh! A splendid idea, good sir! …Though I would appreciate it if you do not add the white, puffy confectionaries made out of…" the goddess glanced back to her deer before whispering; "…Animal hooves." Despite her hushed tone, the deer reacted anyway, letting out a loud bleat.

"…And here I thought we'd have a NORMAL week with Ben gone." Jaune mumbled.

…..

Across town, meanwhile, Ruby and Blake had just arrived at Plumber HQ, having to get there by portal via Raven. Of course, that they had to wait until their uncle got there with the others FIRST, but they weren't stressing too much about it. Though granted, the duo were having… a bit of a time trying to get used to not having their friends around in the house, but they were slowly managing. It'd only be seven more days until the others returned, so they wouldn't have to wait TOO long, thankfully.

Waiting outside with Qrow were Neptune, Penny and Ilia, the trio greeting them with smiles. "Ah, there they are." the uncle said before he was greeted by a hug from his niece. "Heh, and how was your mornin', squirt?"

"Pretty good, Uncle Qrow!" Ruby smiled back before directing her attention to her friends. "So, taking guesses now; whaddya think the big surprise is gonna be?"

"No clue, but I can't WAIT!" Penny exclaimed, pumping her fists into the air. "I've been thinking about this for days, Ruby! Cooper should never have said that this surprise was for me, because I've been dying to know what it is!"

"Heh, well, you won't have to wait much longer, Pen." Blake assured, only to notice that a few of them were still missing. "Hey, um… where's Jaune and Pyrrha? And Winter, for that matter? Weren't they supposed to be here?"

Ilia shook her head. "We're not sure about that, either. We tried messaging them, and Pyrrha did respond… but she said that we should go in without them because they have something important to take care of." The chameleon girl's face scrunched in concern. "She didn't even say WHAT was so important… it's a little concerning."

"Hm… strange indeed." Raven's brow furrowed. "I wonder what could be going on?"

But Ruby didn't seem too worried about it. "Ah, I think they'll be fine. I'm sure Jaune and Pyrrha will call if they need our help, anyway. C'mon, let's head in. They're probably all waiting for us."

With that, they entered the hardware store front and went down into the base, where they were immediately directed to head down further into the lab. Once the automatic doors opened for them, they immediately saw Cooper, Team CFVY, the Saturdays and, surprisingly, Charmcaster all gathered around a large table as the blond genius seemed to be putting something together. "And with this last panel, we should be—hm?" Hearing the door open, Cooper perked his head up, prompting everyone to set their sights on the group coming in. "Ah, morning, everyone! Right on time!"

"Hi, guys!" Ruby waved. "How is everyone?"

"Doin' good, Rubes." Coco replied with a slight adjustment of her sunglasses. "Tech Head's just puttin' the finishing touches on the newest addition to his arsenal."

"Or rather, the FIRST addition to the next Rider's arsenal." Zak corrected with a big grin. "You guys have GOT to see this."

The team strolled over and peered down to see… something that was still in several pieces. But just from the shapes alone, they could tell what it was going to be; a small, robotic dragon. The head and tail were slotted on either end of the main body piece while the front panel for the body was still dethatched, no doubt what Cooper was putting the finishing touches on. They could see the legs, back and wings of the tiny dragon on said panel, all brought together by a dark blue and gold color scheme with hints of red throughout. There was also a large slot in the middle of the body, which for all intents and purposes was made for a Fullbottle to be inserted.

"Ooh... hello little friend." Neptune rubbed his hands together eagerly.

Zak deadpanned at him. "Hey, that's my little friend, bucko."

The two boys started glaring at one another, but Drew put the kibosh on that real quick. "Uh-uh, no, this is NOT happening." She got between the boys, raising a hand to Neptune while taking her son by the scruff of his hair. "The two of you are NOT getting into a scuffle over something like this, especially when the decision isn't yours to make."

"Exactly right, Drew." Cooper asserted. "It'll be the dragon's."

"…I'm sorry, what?" the white-haired woman asked.

Cooper pushed himself away from the desk and stood up from his chair. "You heard me right! Hope, it's time. You bring the stuff?"

"I certainly did." Moving over to a different table, Hope picked up a bowl that was filled with glowing, dark blue liquid, as well as two crystals of Hard Light Dust. "It's time we get this started. You guys ready to see something amazing?"

"Depends. What exactly IS that?" Raven questioned.

Hope came back over and set the bowl down, pointing to it. "This is the liquid Dust that Gwen and I made for the Dragon Fullbottle. It hasn't been poured into the actual bottle yet because we need it for one last thing…" She put the two Dust crystals into the bowl and snapped her fingers, creating a magic circle underneath that made the bowl glow even more intensely. The others backed away for fear of what would happen as Charmcaster began reciting an incantation, all while waving her hands over the bowl in a certain way. But then, to their surprise… the Hard-light Dust began changing color to match the dark blue of the liquid, which receded in the bowl a little bit. Then, with a brief flash of light… the spell stopped, and Hope breathed out a small sigh. "Hah… it's done."

Clapping his hands vigorously, Cooper laughed and pumped his fists victoriously. "Hahahaha! YES! I had a feeling that'd work! Great job, Hope!"

But the rest of the team was still astonished by what happened, staring at the new, dark blue Dust that was resting in the bowl. "W-Wha… What did you just do?!" Ilia exclaimed.

"Oh, ya know, just causally created a new type of Dust." Hope replied, plucking the two crystals out of the bowl. "No big deal. Everyone, allow me to present… Dragon Dust."

"…Dragon Dust?" Fox repeated as the rest of Team CFVY peered closer at the crystals. "How in the world does THAT work?"

"Dragons innately possess primordial magics within their bodies, Fox." Hope answered as she handed one of the Dust shards to Cooper, who went back to the unassembled Cross-Z Dragon. "How else do you think they're able to breath fire and fly despite their large bodies? In that respect, the primordial magic is what has taken root within the Dragon Dust itself, and it is what will power our little friend here."

Cooper nodded as he inserted the Dragon Dust into the metallic beast, causing several systems to suddenly come online. "Exactly. And once I put the final piece in place… we'll get the chance to meet him." Thus, Cooper picked up the front plate of the Cross-Z Dragon's body and steadily lowered it down, only for several arcs of blue energy to rise up and snatch the plate out of his grasp, doing the job for him.

Once the whole thing was assembled, the dragon's eyes lit up bright green and it let out a shrill cry, hopping into its four feet as its small, golden wings spread out wide. Its head and tail thrashed about as it let out what could only be described as a rhythmic roar; "Da-da—da-dan—GRAAAAHH!" Within seconds, it shot up into the air and began flying over their heads, much to their shock.

"Woah! DUCK!" Velvet shouted, the mechanical dragon rushing across the room at surprising speed.

"AH! O-Okay, I know that magic is what helps dragons fly…" Yatsu said, keeping his hands protectively over his head. "But what about this one? It doesn't seem aerodynamic at all."

Cooper, the only one who didn't duck, raised his hand and beckoned the dragon to him, which it did without question. "Hover technology built into the underside. Pretty neat trick, if I do say so myself." He set his sights upon the dragon, smiling down at it. "Alright, little guy, you know what you're programed for." With another melodic roar, the beast hopped around and began scanning everyone's faces, taking note of each one. "The dragon is programed to take note of everyone it comes across and then keep track of their actions, and through that, IT will decide which one of you is worthy of becoming Kamen Rider Cross-Z."

"Woah, wait, ALL of us?" Blake uttered. "So that means—"

"Sun and the others are MISSING out!" Neptune laughed, balling his fist in determination. "I am NOT about to miss this chance, though! I'll prove I'm the one who's worthy to be a Rider."

Once again, Zak took umbrage with that. "Heh, not before I do, man. Let's not forget who's more familiar with this whole franchise, after all."

Before another fight broke out, Blake cleared her throat. "AHEM, before I was do rudely interrupted…" She gave the boys a nasty side-eye, which got them to zip their lips. "…I was going to say that means that anyone of us could be seen as contenders for Cross-Z… including them." She nudged her head toward the Saturdays and Branwen twins.

Cooper quickly realized that himself when the Cross-Z Dragon began flying around the adult's heads. "Oh, shoot… erm, probably should've taken that into account. I-I can do a quick reprogram if you guys want."

"Ah, don't worry about it too much, Coop." Doc assured as he gently pushed the Cross-Z Dragon away from his head. "The chances of that happening are pretty unlikely."

"Exactly." Drew echoed, stepping away from the group slightly. "We'll just have to make sure it doesn't follow us anywhere…"

*CHOOM*

The conversation was brought to a halt when a portal suddenly opened up in the middle of the lab, causing many to gasp in shock and for others to put their guards up. However, the familiar, green vortex quickly assured the group that this was not Eon's work. "Oh… hah, well, guess I wrapped that project up at the right moment." Cooper said as someone came through from the other side.

Strolling into the lab came none other than Caesar, the spikey-haired scientist appearing… somewhat disheveled, but thankfully better than the last time Cooper saw him. "Ah-ha! Hola, mis amigos! Oh, it feels GOOD to be back!"

"Hiya, Caesar!" Ruby greeted first. "How's it—oh." Before she could finish, she noticed what Caesar was bringing through the portal behind him on a massive, rolling lift. It appeared to be a large, white pod that had smooth, rounded surface, a big, green V-shaped window near the top, and seams across the surface, indicating how it opened up. Also, as it came through, the team also saw that someone was helping Caesar wheel it in from behind…

"Gah! Made it…" huffed none other than General Ironwood, who met the team with a small grin. "Hello, everyone. Good to see you all."

"General Ironwood?!" the Omni-Hunters exclaimed as the portal closed.

Qrow and Raven were equally as stunned. "Jim? The hell're you doin' here?" Stepping forward, the scythe-wielder placed his hands on his hips. "Usually, ya give us a heads-up before ya hop over to this side."

Raven raised a brow to him. "Indeed, James, what's the occasion?"

A sigh escaped Ironwood as he brushed off his coat and placed his hands behind his back. "Hah, well, aside from getting away from work a little—as advised by Glynda—I've come to give you all some… rather important news from Remnant." But it was only then that he noticed… only half of the team was there. "Erm… where's everyone else, by the way? And Ben, I was hoping for him to hear this especially."

"Uh… about that." Ruby rubbed her neck awkwardly. "They're… on vacation. In space."

"…Vacation. In space." Ironwood echoed, receiving a nod from the girl. He let out a sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Hah, great. Maybe I should take a cue from him and see about going on an extended getaway. Well, no matter. With all they do, they deserve a little R&R." His sights then found Blake and Ilia. "At any rate, I'm glad that you two are still here. I was hoping to get your thoughts on the news I've got."

The Faunus girls shared a glance and Ilia gave a shrug. "Um, sure, general. So what IS going on?"

Fishing out his scroll from his pocket, Ironwood brought up what he had to show them. "Last night, there was a successful break out at Vacuo's High-Security Prison. A group of unknown individuals managed to aid… this man's escape." He showed the inmate's mugshot, and immediately, the Omni-Hunters and the Branwen Twins were aghast.

"AH! It's that bat guy we fought on Menagerie!" Neptune pointed.

Ilia's brow furrowed at the sight. "Yuma…"

While Cooper and Team CFVY all looked to one another gravely, Charmcaster and the Saturday family were all left perplexed. "Uh… who?" Zak asked.

"His name is Yuma Kuromori." the chameleon girl answered, turning to those not in the know. "He was part of Adam Taurus' insurgent force within the White Fang. They sought to overthrow Sienna Khan, the current leader of the Fang, because they viewed her leadership as not harsh enough against humans." Her eyes trailed down, becoming a sad shade of blue. "I… am ashamed to admit that I too was part of this insurgency, but I abandoned it when I saw what depths they were willing to sink to just so they could destroy the human race."

"They believed in Faunus dominancy to the point where they were willing to kowtow to Trumbipulor of all aliens." Blake sneered. "And it would've gotten even worse if we hadn't stopped them from fully allying with Salem. But now…" Her sights shifted back to Yuma's mugshot. "Someone's helped him escape. Question is, who?"

Ironwood brought his scroll back, swiping to the next image. "That's what we were hoping you could maybe enlighten us on." He showed them the picture that was tellingly taken from a security camera, showing Yuma running behind five hooded figures. "No one was able to get a good snapshot of these criminals, unfortunately. We suspect they may have been remnants of Adam's coup, but neither Sienna Khan or your father know anything. And ideas?"

Both girls pondered on that, quite curious themselves. "That… I'm not quite sure about." Ilia admitted. "I'm pretty sure a majority of Adam's insurgents were in Kuo Kuana when we defeated Trumbipulor."

"If any were left out there, I'm not sure where they could've gone." Blake pursed her lips in frustration… and fear. "But this makes me thing… if they went to these lengths to break Yuma out… could they…"

"You think they'll free Adam, too?" Ruby said in horror, receiving a shaky nod from the cat girl. "Oh, Blake…"

Raven saw the girls' despair and quickly asserted to them; "That will not be allowed to happen."

Ironwood affirmed the Spring Maiden's statement himself. "It certainly won't. The fact that these people went to free Yuma first proved to be a mistake on their part. Because of this incident, security has been tightened extensively in the Atlas, Vale and Mistral prisons." He lowered his head somberly for a moment. "After all… two men lost their lives during this incident." That earned a small gasp from the group before he lifted his head back up. "Rest assured, this will NOT happen again."

Caesar spoke up, resting his hand upon the massive pod. "And now that we have this, we've got another asset to help us in our battle against Salem. And I have no doubt that it'll come in handy in finding this Yuma gringo, too."

"Okay, so… what exactly IS this thing, anyway?" Qrow interjected.

"Hehe… it's Penny's supresa."

Penny didn't have to translate ANYTHING to know what that meant. "AAAAAHHH! Yes, yes, YES! I have been waiting for this!" She rushed over to the pod, placing her hands on it as it began to shift up vertically. "Is it a new weapon? Oh, I'm certain I can integrate it into my systems, if it is!"

"Oh, even better than that, Penny." Cooper assured as the pod stopped, putting his own hand on the front as he presented it to the group. "Now, as you all know, I've now retired the Centurion Project in favor of Project Build. However, there WERE still two models I was planning before my inspiration for the Build Driver struck. The Mark VI is one of them, though that armor is still under construction. But this…" He pressed a few buttons on the side and the panels opened with a loud hiss. "…This is one I wanted to finish first. Ladies and gentlemen… the Centurion Mark V."

The crowd watched on in silence as the pod opened up revealing… a rather slender suit of "armor" inside. Its armor was primarily white with black parts underneath, and there was several green line details strewn across the limbs and along the torso. Most notably, in the center of the chest, there was a big, green power symbol… that was strikingly similar to Penny's. Also, the "helmet" of the "armor" was very sleek and round with a silver faceplate and a big, green visor that was shaped like a big "V". It was so big that the ends of the visor came OFF the helmet, pointing out at either side.

The group were… rather confused to say the least. "Uh… Coop?" Velvet muttered. "Who's supposed to wear this?"

"Yeah, Tech Head, this seems WAY too small for any of us." Coco added. "Least of all, Penny."

The redheaded android wore an awkward smile, trying her best to be wowed by the gift. "O-Oh, well… I appreciate the effort you went through to make this for me, guys, but… I'm afraid they're right. I won't fit in this. And even then, I don't think I'll need it."

The intelligent duo smirked to one another before both burst out into laughter, leaving the team even MORE baffled. "Hahahaha! I told you!" Caesar pointed at his blond lab partner. "I TOLD you this is how she'd react!"

"Hahaha, yeah, that one's on me." Cooper shrugged before turning to his android friend. "Penny, this armor isn't for you or anyone to wear… namely because this isn't armor at all. You see, the Mark V…" He placed a hand on the shoulder of the "armor". "…is a fully fully-fledged robot."

Just like that, things started to make more sense… and yet at the same time, not so much. "A… robot?" Penny said worriedly, side-eyeing the lifeless metal humanoid. "You… you aren't replacing me, are you?"

"No, NO!" Cooper insisted. "We aren't replacing you, dear god, no! Nothing could ever replace you."

"Well, aside from maybe a clone, but I don't even know if that's possi—URK!" Caesar's ramblings were brought to a stop thanks to Ruby elbowing him in the gut, all while giving him quite the deep scowl. "Er, I mean, of course! Penny, you're irreplaceable! Rather, the purpose of this robot is instead to mainly help Cooper and to act as your companion… of sorts." With that, Caesar began working on the feminine bot's head, ready to turn it on.

"A… companion?" Penny brought her arms up, gesturing to everyone surrounding her. "But I already have plenty of those."

Cooper smiled and gave a small chuckle. "Heh… maybe so. But THIS type of companionship is quite special. In fact, it's with someone you already know, and through this, they'll finally be able to express how they truly feel."

Nothing but confusion could be felt throughout the room as the new, robotic lifeform was brought online, its green visor lighting up. "Alright, she's on." Caesar backed away from the pod as the robot began moving her hands and legs. It was slow going at first, no doubt so she could get used to her new limbs. She brought her hand up to inspect it before glancing down to her feet, getting them to move forward steadily to take her first steps. Once she was standing up and out of the pod, the humans all backed away, giving her room to move. No sooner did she start walking did she stop, though, and she began craning her head around, scanning all of the faces that surrounded her… until she saw Penny. Her head abruptly stopped and she instead turned her body toward the redhead, as if preparing for something.

"…Sal…"

Penny blinked. "H-Huh?"

"…u…" Just then, the robot bent herself at the knees, putting herself in a lunging position. Then, before Penny could even move… "…TATIONS!" The robot's back and boot thrusters erupted to life with green energy, propelling her forward so she could SLAM right into Penny and then hoist her up into the air… in an embrace. "AAAH! Penny! It is so good to see you!"

The redhead was understandably baffled by the reaction… but then she noted how familiar this voice was. "W-Wait… are you…"

"Haha, I am surprised you did not recognize me sooner!" The robot's visor shifted up onto her forehead, becoming a large chevron and revealing her green optics as the faceplate split in half and shifted into her cheek vents, revealing dainty, feminine facial features and a bright smile. "Sister, it is me!"

Penny broke out into a massive smile of her own once the robot confirmed her identity. "VADOS?! AAAAAHH!" The girls screamed in unison, their delight emanating through the room and making everyone else smile as well. "Ohmygosh, ohmygosh, OHMYGOSH! H-How?! When did this—WHEN did…"

Lowering them back to the floor, Vados explained; "Well, when the Centurion Project was being shelved, Cooper had decided that he wanted to create one final unit in order to cap it off with a success. Thus, he and Caesar resolved to make the Mark V into a robot that could defend itself, rather than a suit of armor. And, since I was already a ready and able artificial intelligence, Cooper asked if I wished to be the one operating this body, which I was more than happy to accept!"

"So THAT explains why he modeled it to look like a girl!" Ruby smacked her head. "Oh my gosh, I literally CANNOT believe this is happening."

Coco, however, let out a knowing chuckle and nudged her boyfriend in the side. "Heh, I can. Ya felt bad about the idea of leaving Vados behind, didn't ya, Tech Head?"

The blond genius could only shrug. "Well, I mean, wouldn't you? Why just leave her in the suit if General Ironwood's more than a capable pilot? So, I figured, why not build her OWN "suit" to pilot instead?"

Penny did a quick scan of her sister to get her specs… only to find something astounding. "Oh… oh my. Well, you boys certainly did an incredible job designing my sister's body, that's for sure."

"Ah, so you have noticed already, hm?" Vados grinned eagerly. "Caesar, would you like to expound upon my features to the others? I am certain they will find it fascinating."

"I'd be happy to, my dear." Caesar accepted without hesitation, explaining to the others; "You see, Vados isn't just ANY plain old robot. Her form may appear incredibly solid—and it is, don't get me wrong—but what you see isn't various pieces of armor plating. Vados, if you would…" The others watched as Vados raised her arm… and then were left completely slack-jawed as the limb began to undo itself at near-microscopic levels, all of it moving as if it were flowing through the wind.

Doc couldn't believe his eyes, rubbing them to make sure he wasn't seeing things. "By god… what am I looking at?"

"Nanomachines, hombre." Caesar said with a wide grin. "Mi especialidad."

Blake brought a hand to her chin as she watched the nanomachines that made up Vados' arm start forming back together until they were a solid limb once more. "That's… amazing! So you're telling me that Vados is like… a robot made up of Nanites?"

"Not Nanites specifically. These machines are much more robust." Caesar reached his hand out and Vados extended her arm, allowing him to run his fingers along her armor plating. "You see, whereas Nanites are made to integrate with an organic host, these Nanomachines are meant specifically to only interact with one another, which is what allows Vados to change her form at will… or to adapt to whatever she is equipped with."

Neptune tilted his head. "Equip… does that mean she's got weapons?"

"In a sense, yes." Cooper affirmed. "She's got all of the standard weaponry that the Centurion armor is outfitted with. However…" Cooper reached into his pocket and pulled out the Rabbit and Tank Fullbottles, stepping closer to Vados. "If we give her one of these…"

Reaching out her left hand, Vados took the Rabbit Fullbottle while lifting her right arm, bending her elbow inward to reveal a hidden slot inside it. "I believe the phrase is… "It's Showtime"!" She inserted the bottle and all of the green detailing on her became red, including her optics. "RABBIT!" Within seconds, both of Vados' legs began changing shape, becoming a pair of red, mechanical rabbit legs. …And she also got a pair of metal bunny ears that popped out of her head. "Ah-ha! Success!"

Needless to say, everyone was astonished by what just happened. "O-Oh my god!" Drew gasped.

"AWESOME!" Zak pumped his fists. "She can interact with Fullbottles?!"

"Indeed, I can!" Vados affirmed, taking the Rabbit bottle out before putting the Tank one in her other arm. "TANK!" The same arm began to reconfigure itself until it became big, blue, and very heavily armored, along with a massive cannon affixed to her forearm that glowed with blue energy, just as she did. "And I can do so with ANY of them. I can even perform… a Best Match." She tossed the Rabbit bottle back into the air and lifted her arm, allowing it to drop right back into her elbow. "RABBIT! TANK! BEST MATCH!" On that note, her optics changed from blue to purple, the two colors blending together… before her entire body began to change.

The team all took several steps back as Vados transformed… into what could only be described as a metal Rabbit-Tank hybrid. The body was mainly that of a rabbit, but its front paws and back feet had tank treads on the bottoms, as well as missile pods built into its long ears. She was brought down onto all fours when a large turret assembled on her back, with a pair of tank barrels sticking out over her head. Once the transformation was completed, she performed a big jumping backflip… all while a familiar guitar jingle played and she declared;

"The Steel-Plated Moonsault! RabbitTank!"

She peered up at her comrades, all of whom were absolutely stunned. "Well? What do you think?"

"…I think Cooper and Caesar might've outdone themselves." Neptune stated.

"W-What he means is… this is incredible, Vados." Ilia said.

Vados beamed happily, showing off her bunny tooth. "You think so? I will say that even I am impressed with the results." She stepped around toward Cooper and Caesar, her massive, treaded feet making the floor shake. "My compliments to the chefs, as it were." she paid respects with a bow.

Hearing that, Fox couldn't help but quip; "Heh, you can say that again. Because those two COOKED when it came to your robo-body."

The two geniuses shared a high-five at their handiwork. "Well done, my friend." Cooper complimented.

"Same to you, amigo. Oh! One last thing…" Unzipping the bag he had strapped around his shoulder, Caesar reached in and pulled out… another Build Driver. "Second one came out even better than the first one, in my opinion."

"OOH! Excellent!" Cooper reached out and procured the Driver, which Neptune and Zak instantly had their eyes on. The Cross-Z Dragon flew down and landed on it, sniffing the device as if it knew it was meant for it. "Yeah, that's right. Your future partner's gonna get THIS one."

Hope seemed a bit wary of the device, though. "…You're certain that this one won't have the whole "energy burst" problem that yours had?"

"Positive, señorita." Caesar assured. "After going over the data from Cooper's first transformation, I've calibrated the Driver so that the problem is all but taken care of. No one's gonna go boom with this one."

Neptune rubbed his hands together eagerly. "Well, that's good news. 'Cause I plan on doin' LOTS of work with that baby in the future."

Once more, Zak got in Neptune's face about it. "Oh-ho, we gonna be doin' this again, dude?" However, neither of them would be able to do anything against one another. Because at that moment…

*BWAM! BWAM! BWAM!*

The Omni-Hunters were immediately on high alert as the emergency alarm sounded out throughout the base, which also spooked Vados a bit. "AH!" She ejected the Fullbottles from her body and transformed back to her normal form, shuffling toward her sister cautiously. "What alarm is that? Are we under attack?"

"N-No, I don't think so." Penny shook her head.

It didn't take long for them to get an answer, though, as Agent Six came charging into the lab with Tetrax at his side. "Everyone, get in gear." the Providence agent ordered. "We've got problems going on in Undertown. A massive brawl's broken out between a group of troublemakers and some unknown vigilante. I need all of you down there to break things up on the double."

"Ooh, getting some action today!" Neptune smirked over at the small dragon that would soon be his. "Perfect! This'll give the Cross-Z Dragon the perfect opportunity to see how I roll!"

"Heh, you kidding? I think you mean it'll see how I role." Zak insisted. It only took a second for the boys to start growling in each other's face, racing neck and neck out the door before anyone else could say a word to them.

As the alarm died down, Tetrax raised an eyeridge at the display. "Uh… what's going on with those two?"

Drew sighed and rolled her eyes. "Ugh, teenaged competition. I should probably go with them to make sure that they don't strangle one another."

"Right behind you." Doc asserted, taking his Power Glove out of his back pocket. "Besides, it's been a while since we got into a scuffle." He nodded to the remaining Omni-Hunters and Team CFVY. "Well, team, you ready?"

Cooper picked up the two Fullbottles and took out his own Build Driver, placing it around his waist. "You know it, Doc. Just give me a moment to put my good suit on…"

Rabbit! Tank! Best Match!

ARE YOU READY?!

After furiously cranking the Driver, Cooper struck his battle-ready pose, yelling; "Henshin!" before going into a static stance, allowing his Rider suit to snap over him.

Hagane no Moonsault! RabbitTank!

YEAH!

Now in RabbitTank form, Build took out his phone and inserted the Lion Fullbottle into it, tossing it into the air so that it could enlarge and transform into his Machine Builder motorcycle. He mounted his ride and revved it up, nudging his head toward his comrades. "Well guys, we ready to begin the experiment?" He received a collective "YEAH!" as he rode his bike right out of the lab, with everyone following after.

However, Ironwood wasn't about to let everyone leave. "Raven. Hope" The general spoke up, stopping the Spring Maiden and the young mage just as they were about to head out with Qrow. "Would you two mind sticking around for a bit? There's something I'd like to discuss with you…" He set his sights onto Six and Tetrax as well. "ALL of you, actually."

"Hm? What is it?" Hope inquired.

"…Something very important regarding what's been going on in Vacuo." Ironwood replied. "I want to make sure that you all know before I tell the kids, because… it's something that we may need a lot of help with."

Raven hummed, noting just how serious James' tone was. "Hm… I understand. Qrow, go with the kids. We'll fill you in when you return."

The grizzled huntsmen let out a short scoff and shrugged. "Heh, fine by me. I'll take ass-kickin' over meetings any day of the week…"

…..

Back at Gwen's house, things had been quite… interesting, to say the least. There they were; Frank, Sandra, Kenny, Winter, Pyrrha, Jaune… and Artemis all sitting in the living room, the Goddess of the Hunt having just finished explaining what brought her here. But still, Pyrrha just couldn't believe it. "So, let me see if I got this straight; you're saying that Hercules regaled our feats to the Gods of Olympus and you were so impressed that you wanted to give us a trial?"

After a sipe of her cocoa, Artemis quickly corrected the warrior. "Oh, no, no, just you, young lady. Hercules specifically told us of how YOU were the one to slay the Nemean Lion AND the Lernaean Hydra, after all."

"…I helped." Jaune muttered under his breath quietly.

Unfortunately, Artemis heard him anyway, and he received a rather pointed look from her. Not exactly upset, more unimpressed. "I am well aware, young man. But even you must realize how much your beloved outranks you in terms of skill. After all, you were taught by her, were you not?" The couple were both taken aback, to which Artemis went on; "How do I know that? It's honestly fairly obvious just by looking at the two of you." She smiled as she gazed upon Pyrrha. "The natural born warrior whose brilliant mind was able to find a way to conquer both beasts…" Her expression changed to a dull one as her sights went to Jaune. "…And the inexperienced swordsman who has picked up on some techniques from the master, but relies on gimmickry and false magic in order to get by."

Jaune couldn't help but be crestfallen at that. "…Gimmicks?" His gaze settled down to his sword, remembering just how many different modes it had, along with how it utilized Dust for more powerful attacks. "…I-I—"

"I think you forget that we ALL rely on "gimmickry" and "false magic" in order to fight." Winter piped up, bringing up a small glyph in her hand. "Huntsmen and huntresses of Remnant all utilize transforming weapons and their Semblances, Pyrrha included."

The Invincible Girl also went to her boyfriend's defense. "She's correct. Goddess or not, I will not stand having you insult my partner in such a manner."

The gesture made Jaune smile a little, but the sight of Artemis with an expressionless face didn't inspire much confidence in him either. But thankfully, the Greek goddess seemed to relent with a sigh. "Hah… my apologies. Too often do I speak my own opinions without considering the feelings of others." She gave a brief bow, explaining further; "As a virgin goddess, I have not been afraid to express my aversion to any and all romantic relationships, be it those of others or rebutting anyone who would dare try to court me." Her eyes shifted between Winter and Pyrrha. "In reality… the two of you would be perfect candidates for my band of huntresses… if you hadn't forsaken your maidenhood. I suppose I was a little sour about that, but the way I expressed so was unbecoming of me. So again, I apologize for my harsh words."

The redheaded and white-haired women eyed one another, the former folding her arms over her chest. "I… suppose I can understand where you're coming from. But still, I would greatly appreciate it if you do not speak down to Jaune again."

"Of course." Artemis smiled. "Now, shall we finally get to the reason why I am here?"

"Sure, but one last question…" Frank titled his head and raised a brow. "If you're a centuries-old goddess… then why do you look like a teenager?"

"Ah, that's an easy one." Artemis gestured down to herself. "I simply prefer this appearance. Nature is ageless, and in that way, I like to follow suit."

Natalie gave a small hum. "Hm… wish I could be like that."

Setting her cocoa on the coffee table, Artemis went over to the nearby window… where her steed, the Ceryneian Hind, had stuck its head through. She stroked its head as it mewled in satisfaction, the goddess finally getting to the reason behind her arrival. "Now, as you are aware, Pyrrha Nikos, you have been re-experiencing the same labors that my step-brother, Hercules, was put through several thousand years ago."

"Yes… the Lion, the Hydra, and the Stymphalian Birds… but that last one came out of order." Pyrrha noted. "It was the seventh labor, wasn't it? Not the third?"

"Correct, which leads me to believe that this is no coincidence." Artemis turned to the others, placing her hands behind her back. "Recently, ancient beasts from ages past have been stirring, causing the old gods to emerge from our long slumber." She gestured out to the streets. "And here, we find ourselves in a world that has become reacquainted with our stories, and there are even people who have started worshipping us again. It's quite jarring to be sure… but my guess is that these monsters that you have been fighting have a lust for revenge against my brother… and they are taking it out on the warrior who slayed the first of them." She directed her attention back to Pyrrha after that.

"…Oh. me."

"Yes, you." The goddess sat back down and went on. "And some beasts are even coming out of order as a result of this festering anger. So already, you have cleared three of the twelve labors."

Her brow furrowing, Pyrrha asked further; "…And I suppose that means that you are here to give me my fourth?"

Artemis nodded. "Correct. After all, Hercules was sent to fetch my beloved Ceryneian Hind, so I feel it is only fitting that I give you this task."

Kenny leaned forward, intent on hearing more. "And what IS this task? I mean, your deer is right here, so obviously Pyrrha isn't going to have to catch it, right?"

"Indeed, young man. Rather, there is a matter of grave importance that must be dealt with before it's too late." Reaching into her pocket, Artemis pulled out a golden cell phone—an IrisPhone, to be precise—and pulled something up. "This image was sent to me by one of my head huntresses just a few days ago. Be warned, it is far from a pretty sight."

Everyone gathered around as Artemis showed them… but indeed, what they saw was horrific. It was a big, black, iron cage that had some sort of creature chained up inside, and standing before the struggling animal was a shadowy figure, hands placed on their hips with pride. "W-What… what is this?" Winter said in disgust.

"A poacher?" Frank guessed.

"Indeed, good man. Not just any poacher, though, but one who excels in capturing mythical creatures." Artemis grimaced as she brought her phone back. "And unfortunately, my huntresses were unable to procure the creature before they made their escape. Mortals like this make me sick. They see the mythological world as one ripe for the picking, intent on selling the fauna for a quick buck."

Pyrrha's lips curled into a sneer of her own, her fists clenched at her sides. "…And you wish for me to find and rescue it?" The goddess gave her a nod, which was all Pyrrha needed to know. "I accept. Do you have any idea where it could've been taken?"

"I would not have come to Bellwood if I didn't." Artemis affirmed. "It is here… or, more specifically, it is in the place that you know as "Undertown"." Jaune, Pyrrha and Winter were taken aback by that, but they didn't get to express their shock before ALL of their scrolls started going off one by one, filling the room with stereo ringing. *brrring* *brrring* The three all peered down at their scrolls, seeing that Ruby, Blake and Qrow were calling all of them at once. "…Are you not going to pick up? It could be something important." Artemis hinted.

Winter sneered down at the name that was calling her, not wanting to talk to the former drunk. "Would it mean something to you if I said that I don't want to?"

"Oh, fine, I'll do it, then." Jaune rolled his eyes, picking up Ruby's call. "Ahem… hello?"

Ruby was quick to answer. "Jaune! Hah, thank goodness! We've got an emergency situation! Someone's starting a HUGE fight down in Undertown! We need you, Pyrrha and Winter here on the double!"

The Hooded Huntress' words took them all aback. That might've been the biggest coincidence ever… if it hadn't been for the knowing look on Artemis' face. "…Understood." Jaune replied. "We'll meet you down there. Don't do anything until we get there, though. We might have some info relating to this."

"H-Huh? What do you mean?"

Jaune shook his head. "I-I'll explain when we get there. See you soon." Before Ruby could say another word, Jaune hung up, prompting the three hunters to stand up. "Okay, we need to get to Undertown, fast."

Artemis smiled and gestured to her steed. "Take my Hind. It is in tune with nature and can sense your quarry's energy. Best of luck to you all."

"Thank you, Lady Artemis." Pyrrha bowed her head, only to ask one more question. "Before we leave, though, I have to ask… what IS the mystical creature we seek? Something Greek, like a gryphon? Or perhaps a hippocampus?"

"You are close with that last guess, but no, it is not Greek in nature. This animal is an equine that was captured from the British Isles." Artemis furrowed her brow. "The creature you seek to free… is a Unicorn."

…..

Below the surface of Bellwood, things were incredibly hectic in Undertown, something that was evident to the team right as they flew in. The Saturdays had taken the Omni-Hunters in their Griffon jet so that they could get down there quickly, though Cooper still opted to ride down on his Machine Builder anyway. …And yet somehow, he still managed to get there before the others had. "Dear god." Doc said as they flew after the Kamen Rider. "Just how fast IS that bike?"

"Trust me, it's like lightning." Coco winked. "As someone who's ridden on it before, I can attest to that."

Toward the back of the craft, Penny and Vados had moved toward the exit hatch, the sisters eager to get things started. "So, Vados, ready to see the upgrades that I've gotten recently?" The robot girl nodded vigorously, prompting her android sister to change into her Upgraded form, the black and green bodysuit sliding over her in an instant.

"AH! Oh my goodness, what an astonishing display!" Vados clapped her hands. "Your Mechamorph half has certainly unleashed itself upon you, sister!"

"Hehe, I guess you could say that." Penny nudged her head toward the hatch. "Now come on! Let's fly after Cooper and see if we can get in on the action early, huh?"

"Sounds sensational!" Vados agreed, to which Drew opened the hatch for them and they jumped out, flying over the streets of Undertown side-by-side.

Ruby couldn't help but smile at the scene. "Man, I am SO happy for those two."

Next to her, Blake wholeheartedly agreed. "Yeah… makes me kinda jealous, honestly."

"Same. Wish I had a sister like that." Ilia said. But the chameleon girl put the sappiness to the side as she spotted something in the distance through the windshield. "Look alive, everyone! We've found our scuffle!"

Sure enough, down below, something big was going down. A large building was currently getting blasted through from the inside, with laserfire going out in all directions through walls, windows and doors. One of these doors was quickly blown open when a man in a black suit was thrown out, one armed with a laser rifle that fell out of his hands. Then, crashing through a window, was a sight that no one expected to see; a man with a jetpack holding another black-suited man by the collar, slamming him right into the nearest adjacent building to knock him out.

"Woah! What in the world?!" Yatsu exclaimed.

"Certainly seems like quite the fracas, that's for sure." Velvet determined.

Drew placed a hand on her husband's shoulder. "Let's land here. No sense in risking damage to the jet." Her husband agreed and set the Griffon down, allowing the team to disembark.

That didn't stop Penny, Vados and Build from getting right into the thick of it, though, right as more suited goons came charging out of the building. The man with the jetpack turned around to confront the group, where they could get a better look at him. He stood at six-foot-two and was donned in a mostly black ensemble; a pair of long pants and a shirt that had its sleeves rolled up to his shoulders. Over that shirt, he wore a brown, collard vest with a gold zipper at the front and a white "X" emblem on the right pectoral. He wore matching brown gloves and boots, and on his head was a helmet that covered his entire head. It didn't have many notable features, though the rectangular eye and mouth holes made it seem like a generic robot face. The man went to raise his arm, which had a wrist-mounted gun on it to fire at his enemies…

…Only for Build to come riding in and pop a wheelie, activating the energy saw blade feature in his front wheel so he could mow the grunts down in one fell swoop. He skid to a halt and propped his kickstand up, hopping off his bike in swift, sleek motion. "Hah, and THAT is how you do crowd control." Cooper stated, summoning the Drill Crusher into his hand.

The masked man was taken aback, but quickly found himself amused by the Rider's presence. "Hah… well, I'll be. Kamen Rider Build in the flesh." Build peered over his shoulder as the man folded his arms over his chest. "Guess all the reports WERE true."

Cooper, however, was taken aback for a moment. 'This dude sounds like Kenny… but I know it can't be him. He doesn't have access to these kinds of weapons or a jetpack. Plus, he sounds a bit older, too.' But the momentary distraction proved costly as one of the grunts went to sneak up on the Rider, prompting the masked man to shout;

"On your left!" With a lunging kick, the man batted the mook away, which Build took as a sign to start fighting, too. Using the Drill Crusher, he slashed away all of the guns from suited henchmen, only to then pull the weapon's trigger and make it spin. With a single swipe of the weapon, he sent the men flying back, all laid out on the ground unconscious. The masked man finished off the final two with a literal flying double clothesline, coming back around to land next to the Kamen Rider. "Hah, nice teamwork. You know, my nephew's a big fan of yours."

"Saying that won't be earning any brownie points from me, Mr. Vigilante." Build flicked his hand and brought out his Plumber's Badge, which had been specially redesigned to incorporate his split gear logo. "As a duly deputized agent of the Plumbers, I'm gonna have to take you in."

"Huh? Vigilante?" the masked man tilted his head. "Dude, I'm a repo man."

All of a sudden, a certain voice called out to Build from across the way. "Cooper, DON'T! That's—"

*BOOM*

Without warning, Zak was cut off when the front of the building suddenly exploded out, sending both the man and Build sprawling back. A huge cloud of dust was kicked up as a result, but through it, the Omni-Hunters could see a figure come stomping through… and many were left slack-jawed when the unknown enemy fully emerged. He was a Caucasian man with slicked-back black hear, wearing a tan, button-up shirt and black tie under a distinguished brown coat. …However, his upper and lower halves couldn't be any more contrasting. Because rather than a pair of legs, this man had an ENTIRE ROBOTIC SCORPION, pincers, legs, stinger and all. He glowered at his adversaries with disdain as he spoke in a Transatlantic accent;

"This has gone on FAR enough! BLACKWELL! I will have my revenge upon you!"

Build snapped his head over to the man… to see that his helmet had fallen off. Lying on the ground next to him was a fair-skinned man with a bright red mohawk, the sides of his head having been shaven down. He had two gold piercings in his left ear and dark brown eyes, which glared back at the robo-scorpion-centaur man. "In your dreams, Finster. You've haven't beaten me yet and you never will!"

"That's BARON Finster to you, you swine!" Raising his mechanical tail, Baron Finster brought the stinger down to strike at "Blackwell", only for him and Build to roll out of the way. "You shall not interfere with the business I have here in Undertown! I have an auction to get to!"

"Heh, that's the whole reason I'm here, Finster." Blackwell smirked. "I've got just as much reason to go to that auction as you do. Only I'm not lookin' to buy."

Cooper stood up and jumped between the two, holding his hands up to both of them. "Alright, ENOUGH! I have no idea what's going on here, but whether you like it or not, I'm bringing BOTH of you in for questioning—"

"You will NOT!" Drew suddenly shouted, causing several of the team to do a doubletake as she pointed to the redheaded man. "If arrest my brother, then you'll have to answer to ME!"

"…Huh?" Build uttered.

Zak and Doc rushed to the man's defense as well. "Yeah, dude! That's my uncle!" the younger Saturday exclaimed.

Blackwell seemed just as surprised as everyone else, but no less overjoyed to see his family. "Hah! Well, isn't this a welcome surprise? Hey, fam! Saved me the trouble of having to come find ya."

"Doyle, what in the WORLD have you gotten yourself into this time?" Doc said with a disapproving eye.

"Would ya believe me if I said "trying to save an endangered animal"?"

But before anymore could be discussed, Build waved his hands to get their attention back on him. "Woah, woah, woah, so let me get this straight…" He pointed to Doyle Blackwell first. "YOU are Drew's brother?" Doyle confirmed that with a nod. "And that makes you…"

"The good guy."

A simple answer, but one that Build was more than happy to take. "Oh, well this makes things a lot easier, then." He raised the Drill Crusher, rallying his friends to join him. "Omni-Hunters! Team CFVY! Let's take down our… what is it now… THIRD scorpion-related villain!"

Ruby and the others didn't need any more convincing, all of them prepping themselves for battle. "Seriously, though, what is it with bad guys going for the whole scorpion motif? Why not a spider, or a cobra? Or even a BAT?" the Hooded Huntress criticized. "Just… get creative, is all I'm saying!"

"Don't jinx us." Blake admonished. "They might hear you…"

"Who?"

"The universe."

Baron Finster simply scoffed at the heroes as they rallied against him, snapping at his underlings who were just coming to. "Get up, you imbeciles, and FIGHT! I didn't upgrade you for nothing!" At his behest, the Baron's followers all did something that no one could've seen coming; their arms all burst out of the sleeves of their jackets, revealing them all to have hidden weapons. From swords, to maces, to hammer to scythes, their array of weaponry was very eclectic. "Ha! See how you handle THIS, whelps!"

The Omni-Hunters all eyed one another, seemingly unimpressed. "…That's it?" Coco questioned with a smirk, seeing the Baron's expression twist with rage. "Heh, let's show ya what REAL weaponry is like." The fashionista untethered Gianduja into its mini-gun form as the rest of her team brought out their own weapons. Neptune followed suit by brought out Tri-Hard while Ruby, Ilia and Blake unsheathed their own blades as well. Penny activated her Mechano-Crusher arms as Cooper took out the Gatling Fullbottle and tossed it over to Vados, allowing her to insert it into her arm.

"GATLING!" the robo-girl exclaimed as her arms both began to change shape into twin gatling guns, locked, loaded and ready to fire. As the Saturday family armed themselves up with their own weapons to finish things off, Baron Finster suddenly found himself feeling… smaller compared to the hoard of heroes.

"Well, how d'ya like that, Baron?" Build made a "come and get us" motion with his hand. "Still feelin' confident?"

"O-Of course, you pest!" Finster thrust a finger toward the heroes, ordering his minions to; "ATTACK!"

…The battle was over before it even started. Mechanical limbs were sent flying as they were shot, sliced and even punched off, leaving all of Baron Finster's henchmen on the ground defeated and leaking fluid from their ruined servos. Cooper even decided to go all out with a Rider Kick to a particularly large individual who was waving around a pair of maces, blowing his arms off in a fiery… VORTEX FINISH! YEAH! "Sorry, Baron." Build said as he landed, running his finger along his antenna. "But the winning formula… was in our favor."

The mechanical scorpion-man was understandably not happy. "AAAAAUUGHH!" He screamed as he blindly attacked Doyle in a fit of rage, only for the "repo man" to bob and weave around every attack. "This is YOUR fault! You ALWAYS ruin my plans!"

"Comes with the territory, Baron, what can I say?" Doyle dodged a stinger strike and grabbed hold of the Baron's tail, using some impressive strength to pull him off one set of his mechanical legs. But then, the Baron's pincers managed to latch on to his midsection, eliciting a pained yell. "GAAH!"

"Uncle Doyle!" Zak aimed his Claw at the Baron's other set of legs, wrapping the weapon's tether around one and successfully pulling it out from under him. Doc and Drew followed suit in bashing and slicing the other legs off respectively, causing the Baron to topple over.

Still, the villain wasn't about to give in. "AGH! Insolent FOOLS!" He swung his tail around with Doyle still clinging on, intent on slamming it into the Saturday family. But then… *shhhhink* "AH!" the Baron gasped as his mechanical limb was sliced off from behind and fell to the ground, with Doyle rolling away. "W-What in the name of—"

"Hey." Baron Finster snapped his head around… and was met with a hard slug to the face by a ringed finger, belonging to one Qrow Branwen. "Might wanna keep your stinger to yourself, bub." He switched Harbinger from scythe mode to shotgun mode in an instant, aiming down and blowing off the Baron's pincers in two shots. "Or here's an idea; maybe don't put 'em on anyone at all."

With his right eye swelling up like a balloon, the Baron was somehow still going. "I… I will NOT be denied—" *CRACK* But he was finally silenced by a hard punch to the jaw from Doyle, sent sprawling to the ground as his consciousness left his body.

"Hah… hah… and STAY down." Doyle kicked the metal half of the Baron's body before giving a smile up to Qrow. "Hey, thanks for the assist, stranger."

"No problem." Qrow extended a hand, which Doyle happily shook. "Seemed like you could use a hand."

The rest of the team gathered up, with Zak and Ruby letting out equally loud cheers. "WOO-HOO! Uncle Qrow with the surprise assist!" the silver-eyed girl pumped her fists into the air. "That was AWESOME!"

"You bet it was!" Zak agreed as he went up and hugged his uncle, getting a laugh out of the mohawked man. "And another successful take down for the one and only Doyle Blackwell! Nice one, unc!"

"Heh, you betcha, Zak." Doyle ruffled his nephew's hair as Doc and Drew approached, offering them an apologetic grin. "Sorry for not calling ahead. When I saw my trail was headed to Bellwood, my first priority was coming to find you, but… well, as you can see, I got distracted."

But Drew waved the apology off. "Ah, don't sweat it. Come here." The Saturday matriarch pulled Doyle into an embrace, which he more than happily reciprocated. "It's so good to see you, baby brother."

"Same here, sis." Doyle nodded as Doc approached as well. "And ol' One Eye. You seem well."

"So are you, Rooster Head." Doc quipped back as he and Doyle shared a handshake. "But what brings you here, Doyle? I know you and Baron Finster usually cross paths a lot, but I never would've expected for you to do so here in Undertown."

Doyle's gaze went down to the unconscious Baron with distaste. "Neither did I. Heck, I didn't even know he was still alive before today. Always thought Argost had him killed way back when." He shook his head to get back on track. "But no, I'm here for a different reason… and it's not exactly a pleasant one." He reached into his pocket and procured his cellphone. "I got a notice a couple days back that someone managed to get their hands on a pretty rare animal. No specifics on what species, but some are speculating that it's a cryptid of some sort."

That made the Saturday family do a doubletake. "W-Wait, WHAT?!" Doc shouted. "How were we not informed about this?!"

"This info was kept pretty quiet, honestly. Only those on the black market would've known, and they've been keeping tight-lipped." Doyle smirked and nodded to the group. "Probably because the perp knew you'd be on their tail."

Drew furrowed her brow at her brother. "Do you know who this perp is, by any chance?"

"Nada. I've tried all my contacts and they don't know squat about who did it. What they DO know, though, is that they're somewhere down here in Undertown, planning an auction that'll see whatever animal they caught be sold off to the highest bidder."

Zak snarled at what his uncle said. "That's just plain WRONG! Ugh, it makes me SICK when people wanna sell off cryptids!"

Doyle smiled reassuringly to his nephew, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, kiddo, don't worry. We'll get back at 'em, that's a promise." He jerked a thumb to himself. "Your uncle, the Repo Man, has come to collect, after all."

"So THAT'S what you call yourself, eh?" Ruby piped up with a small smirk. "Gotta say, you're definitely the coolest repo man I've ever seen."

The mohawked man chuckled at her compliment. "Hehe, glad that someone thinks that. So, Zak, I take it that these are the "new friends" you told me about in our last call?"

"Oh! That's right!" Brightening up excitedly, Zak wasted no time in introducing the team to his uncle. "Guys, this is my uncle, Doyle Blackwell. And Uncle Doyle, these are my friends, Ruby, Blake, Neptune, Ilia, Penny, Coco, Velvet, Yatsu, Fox and Cooper—Kamen Rider Build." He felt a tap on his shoulder and was met with a smiling and waving Vados, reminding him of her new existence within a body. "Oh, right, and Vados, too. She's kinda new to the team."

"Salutations, sir!" Vados saluted.

Doyle returned the gesture heartily. "Haha, same to you! Man, gotta say, I've been watching you kids on the news for a while now, and it's awesome to finally meet you all. …Or, at least, I guess half of you." He scanned his eyes across the group, raising a brow. "Pretty sure Ben 10's supposed to be on this team somewhere, right? And his spunky blonde girlfriend that everyone's talkin' about?"

Ruby's eyes widened. "Oh, that's my sister, Yang! She, Ben and some of our other friends all went out into space for a vacation. They're due back sometime next week."

"Ah, gotcha." Doyle put his hands behind his head. "Can't say I blame 'em. The work you kids do must be pretty exhausting. Sure as hell know I wouldn't be able to do all that day in and day out." He nudged his head down to Finster. "I get enough excitement just running into THIS asshole every now and then."

"Eh, ya get used to it." Coco shrugged. "But the way you fight, I think you'd actually make a pretty good Huntsman, Mr. Repo Man."

"Uh… Huntsman?"

Qrow was the one to clarify that. "Ah, yeah. See, in our world, Remnant, we have creatures of darkness called "Grimm" that terrorize the populace. So, to take care of them, there are Huntsmen and Huntresses who seek out and kill them before they can kill people." He placed a hand on his chest. "In fact, not to brag, but I myself am a huntsman. Qrow Branwen, nice to meet ya."

"Same here." Doyle nodded. "Ruby there said you were her uncle, right?"

"Yup. But hey, the Barrette Girl's got a point. You wouldn't make a half bad huntsman, my guy."

The idea seemed to amuse Doyle a bit. "Huh, interesting. I'll keep that in mind if I decide to go for a career change." A smirk came back to the repo man as he sent his nephew a knowing smirk. "So… did you guys enjoy the care package I sent?"

Within seconds, the group's eyes lit up as Zak answered; "Oh, you BET we did! Dude, freaking Bionicle? Who was this guy you repossessed all that Lego from?"

"Eh, just one of many people who think they can get rich off of old toys by selling them on the aftermarket for exorbitant prices." Doyle rolled his eyes. "Seriously, there's more of these jerks out there than you think."

"Well, we're all VERY glad that you sent us all that Bionicle!" Ruby beamed. "Seriously, it was like stepping back in time to an era that I didn't even get to experience! It was great!"

"Glad to hear it… because you kids might be getting that second year of product very soon." Doyle winked, causing many of the Omni-Hunters to break out into excited squeals. Just then, however… a certain smell came to his nostrils. "Hey… does anyone smell something burning?"

After mentioning it, the others began noticing the smokey scent as well. "Yeah, I—WATCH OUT!" Blake screamed, taking hold of Neptune and Ilia from behind and forcing them to duck. Just in time, everyone else did as well, just in time to avoid a stream of smoldering fire from hitting them. Instead, the flames made contact with the ground behind them, creating a dangerous wall that cut them off from any easy escape.

And then… they heard laughter. Very familiar laughter. "AHAHAHAHA!" The Omni-Hunters, Team CFVY and the Saturdays all snapped at attention, glaring at the five figures being silhouetted by yet another wall of flame. Cinder, with her hands ablaze, smirked at the group with sinister intent. "Hmhmhm, well, well, it seems we meet again, Omni-Hunters. Been a minute, hasn't it?"

"…Guessing that these aren't more friends of yours, right?" Doyle asked his nephew.

Zak shook his head. "Far from it. They're the bad guys."

"Gotcha. Kinda figured that."

"Cinder!" Ruby shouted. "Gah, of course YOU guys would be interested in that auction, too."

This left the Ministry genuinely confused. "Auction? What auction?" Rojo asked. "We just came to find you and beat the hell out of you for ruining our plans."

Neptune pointed at them with Tri-Hard. "Well, whatever you're here to do, we won't let ya! You guys really need to learn to quit when things aren't going well for ya!"

Mercury scoffed at the blue-haired boy. "Hmph! Now where's the fun in that?" Beside him, Neo nodded in agreement. "Besides, we're not about to take that defeat you handed us back in Tokyo sitting down." He glared at Build in particular. "Especially since we lost to the likes of you, Kamen Rider Build."

"Ah, good, so Salem sees me as an actual threat!" Cooper raised a fist victoriously. "That's good! I was worried she wouldn't take me seriously."

"Oh, she takes you very seriously." Emerald assured, her smirk slightly increasing. "So much so that she ordered some very quick action to be taken against you. Once we got our new ally, she put him right to work in developing something to counter you."

Build wasn't afraid… at first. "Ha! Well, if you wanna try, go right ahe—wait, did you say "new ally"—" *POW* "URK!" Without warning, a loud shot went off and struck Cooper in the back, making him stumble forward.

"TECH HEAD!" Coco exclaimed, rushing right to his side.

Vados came in as well, immediately analyzing his vitals. "Sir, are you okay?"

Despite the unexpected jolt, Build stood back up straight, a light cough escaping his throat. "Hak-hak, I-I'm fine, trust me. I made this suit to withstand a lot, after all. …Still, that hurt a lot more than I was expecting."" He peered over his shoulder, intent on seeing who his assailant was. And when he did, his eyes widened beneath his mask. "YOU?!"

Behind the team, standing with his arms crossed and wearing a smile of superiority, was none other than Red Son. "Greetings, peasants!" the demon prince spat as the Omni-Hunters were all now on very high alert. "I see you're all still meandering about like aimless sheep." Red Son scanned his eyes across the group, noting the absence of a certain monkey Faunus. "Tell me, where is the Noodle Boy? I have a score to settle with him!"

Despite never seeing him in the flesh before now, Blake knew exactly who this guy was just from the fact that he called her boyfriend "Noodle Boy". "Sun isn't here right now, Red Boy." she sneered back at him. "The Monkey King took him on a training excursion and they won't be back for a while. So you're out of luck."

Red clenched his teeth in ire, his hair igniting into flames. "GAAAH! That's RED SON!" He clenched a fist, preparing to launch a fireball at the cat girl's head… but then held himself back. "Hooo… no, no, do not let the whelps get to you. They will have what's coming to them in due time." The flames on his head died down, allowing him to brush a hand through his bright red hair. "Ahem, no matter! The fact that Kamen Rider Build is here is good enough! It's time I exact my vengeance upon you for humiliating me!"

"Wow, only been three days and you're STILL holding onto that?" Cooper quipped, earning a chuckle from Team CFVY. "Red, I'm just gonna warn you right now; you made a BIG mistake allying with the Ministry. I don't know HOW you met up with them, but rest assured, you're going to wish you hadn't."

"Oh, contraire, Mr. Half and Half." Red Son dismissed. "Because it is YOU who will be the one wishing I hadn't met these fine people. Because in doing so, I have been granted an incredible opportunity… to show you up with OUR scientific superiority!"

Build didn't like the wording on that one. "…What do you mean "our"?"

"The fine Madame Salem has allowed me to collaborate with the incredibly intelligent Dr. Psychobos—" All at once, the Omni-Hunters groaned in unison, as if they were tired of hearing that name. "Gah! Would you let me FINISH?! I was TRYING to say that Psychobos and I have developed a new system to combat against your Rider System. And I promise you, it will blow your fancy belt out of the water!"

Balking at that, Cooper challenged the demon prince's word. "Hah! I'd like to see you try! Psychobos is only good at creating cheap knock-offs! Whatever you're gonna use to try and fight me, I'm not scared of it."

Clicking his tongue, Red Son wagged his finger at the Rider. "Tsk, tsk, ah, but I am not the one using it. Rather, we procured a fine test subject who was keen on getting his own revenge, and now he wields this system. In fact…" Red Son stepped to the side. "He's the one who shot you with it."

It was then that another figure was revealed standing behind the young demon… and simultaneously, several jaws dropped when they saw who it was. "…Oh god." Blake uttered suddenly feeling quite uneasy. "I… I should've known."

Standing there across from them, with a large pistol in his hand, was Yuma. The bat Faunus glowered at the Omni-Hunters with malicious intent, sneering as he called over; "Hello, heroes… remember me?"

"Y-Yuma?!" Ilia exclaimed before whipping around to the Ministry members. "YOU'RE the ones who freed him?!"

"Hahaha! Correct." Cinder affirmed. "Quite the acquisition, wouldn't you say?"

"Though he definitely wasn't an easy one to convince at first." Rojo admitted. "He outright refused to work with us because we were human. …But once we mentioned we had a way for him to get revenge on you guys, things quickly fell into place."

Lifting his head, Yuma shouted at the two Faunus girls; "BLAKE! ILIA!" With their attention on him, he snarled and vowed; "Rest assured, ALL of you will know my wrath! But I will make your suffering especially excruciating for going against Adam's will!"

Blake's features twisted in disgust. "If Adam's "will" involves subjugating and exterminating humanity, then I don't want ANY part of it!"

The chameleon girl unwaveringly took her friend's side as well. "Yuma, I once believed that Adam had the right idea, but I've come to see otherwise." She extended a hand. "Please, don't take the same short-sighted path that he set himself down and—"

"SILENCE!" Yuma pulled the trigger on his gun, sending a purple laser blast out at the group. Fortunately, Build deflected it with the Drill Crusher just in time. "Hah… hah… Ilia… you have become brainwashed by these disgusting humans. To that end, I will free you from that stranglehold… even if I have to do it the hard way. But… not before I deal with you." The bat Faunus sneered at Build. "I've been specifically assigned to dispose of you, Kamen Rider Build, before Salem aids me in my own agenda… that being freeing Adam Taurus from the clutches of Atlas so that he may resume his takeover of the White Fang!"

"Huh, not gonna happen, pal." Build rebuked. "I'm not afraid of some two-bit, low-level terrorist. I can take you on, fancy gun or not."

"Ah, but this isn't JUST a normal gun." Yuma stated as he started shifting the hand that held it. "I was told that you'd have quite the reaction if you saw what this weapon really looked like… from the side." He presented the gun's right side to Cooper… and he let out a terrified gasp.

The gun was mostly black with a curved grip that had a silver butt-end, but it on the main body, it was covered by a thick, silver plate that was held on by large screws and silver pipework. In the center of the plate there were black and yellow caution stripes, and at the top of the gun, near its angular muzzle, there was what could only be described as a small "chimney" sticking out the top. Directly below on the underside, there was also a slot and rail system that seemed to be made for a Fullbottle, and from this slot there was a set of small yellow, red and green pipes that led into the weapon, no doubt leading into its energy core.

Most of the team were perplexed… but both Cooper and Zak knew exactly what this was. "H-Hold the phone!" Zak stammered. "You're kidding me! You… you actually made that?!"

"Uh, mind explaining, please, Zak?!" Ruby asked frantically. "Some of us haven't exactly gotten around to watching all of Build yet!"

"Short answer? …We might be screwed."

Cooper's fists were shaking at his sides, both in fear and anger. "How… HOW?!"

"Hmhm, amazing what a simple search on this modern marvel known as the "internet" will accomplish." Red Son chortled sinisterly before gesturing to Yuma. "Now, Mr. Kuromori, if you'd please…"

Reaching into his pocket, Yuma pulled out a Fullbottle… but this one was MUCH different from Cooper's. This bottle was mostly clear purple with the top and bottom molded in coppery brown metal, complete with a silver bat head molded into it and a matching silver cap on top. "…Gladly."

"DON'T!" Build screamed, thrusting his finger forward as Penny and Vados both flew in. "STOP HIM! Get that Lostbottle!"

The Omni-Hunters followed his lead and went to charge in… only to be stopped when Cinder came in, letting loose a powerful bolt of lightning and gale of wind that stopped them in their tracks. "Ah-ah, not yet!" The Fall Maiden chastised. "The fun is just about to start!" She nudged her chin toward Yuma, telling him to; "Do it!" Wasting not another second, Yuma inserted the Lostbottle into the Transteam Gun…

*CHK-WHRR*

BAT!

And, following that deep, foreboding voice… came the heaviest, dankest… and funkiest beat they'd ever heard.

*Insert Transteam Gun standby loop*

The music was both extremely menacing… and insanely catchy. Behind them, they saw Rojo, Emerald, Neo and even Mercury going all-out to the beat, banging their heads, waving their arms and—in Rojo's case—playing air guitar. And, despite themselves… some of the Omni-Hunters couldn't help but bob their own heads, too. "AH! W-Why am I doing this?!" Neptune hollered while tapping his feet.

"It's… too… catchy!" Fox cried out as he, Velvet and Yatsu found it hard to resist as well.

"Keep it together!" Doc aimed his Power Glove at Yuma, as did Drew with her Fire Sword, unleashing a combined energy attack.

…But it was too late. "Vaporize." With that word, Yuma pulled the trigger and unleashed a veil of black smoke around his body, which actually deflected the attack, much to the Saturdays' astonishment. And with the smoke came a much creepier tune, as well as the deep voice again;

Mist-Match!

Ba-Bat… Ba-Ba-Bat…

FIRE!

As if on cue, within the smoke, they could see a golden glow in the shape of a bat with its wings spread out wide… and from Yuma's body shot several fireworks that exploded around him, causing the team to shield their eyes. With a swipe of his arm, Yuma dispersed the smoke, revealing his new form.

The suit he wore was mostly black, at least on the bottom, dotted with several small rivets that kept the seams together. From the legs down, the suit seemed to be made of a thick, leather-like material, with black boots that were strapped to his feet. At his waist was a belt that was secured in place by two silver plates on each hip, but the further the suit went up, the more things got MUCH more heavily armored and complex.

The armor he wore over his chest was mainly silver with a golden bat emblem in the center, featuring sharp, pointed bits on the wings and ears. There were also long pipes that stuck out at several points; two that went around each side of his torso, two that were mounted up near the collar, and finally two smaller sets on each shoulder pad. The tips of the shoulder pads were also quite sharp, and there were similar sharp "fins" that were on his biceps and forearms. He wore black gloves with silver cufflinks, and there was also red and green wiring that ran from his abdomen toward his back, going down his arms and over the back of his helmet to his forehead.

The helmet itself was also mostly black with a golden visor that matched the bat emblem on his chest. There were silver intake parts on the cheeks and there seemed to be a respirator-like piece over his mouth. Finally, sticking out of his forehead was a single horn that was shaped like a tall chimney.

The newly changed Yuma Kuromori stepped forward, lifting his hands as he presented himself. "Ahahaha! Well?! What do you think of THIS, heroes?!"

None of the Omni-Hunters could breathe a word. They were too stunned to even speak. "…No." Build uttered harrowingly.

"Things just got pretty heavy." Doyle managed to break the silence.

Zak let out an anxious breath of his own. "You have no idea, Uncle Doyle."

"…There's your bat villain." Blake muttered to Ruby pointedly.

"I take back everything I said, I'll happily take scorpions." the Hooded Huntress meekly replied.

"Okay, I give." Qrow glanced to the others. "What is he?"

Yuma strode forward, feeling incredibly confident as his bat wings spread, revealing that they too had been modified from the transformation. They head easily doubled in size and wingspan, with the same red and green wiring strung across their black webbing. "Not "what", idiot, but "who"! From here on, I am… Night Rogue." Spinning the Transteam Gun in his hand, Night Rogue aimed it at the heroes, specifically toward Build. "Now… who wishes to test me first?"

…..

A/N: Leave it to the Ministry to come in at the absolute wrong time to flex a new weapon… or rather, a new member wielding a new weapon. For indeed, if Kamen Rider Build is to be a thing, then the villains will follow suit in creating their OWN masked warriors in order to combat him, the first being… Night Rogue. And from there, we'll naturally get into the conflict of who can one-up each other with their own systems, so that'll be interesting to see happen.

But, to get to what ELSE happened in this chapter… it's a meeting of the uncles! Indeed, Doyle Blackwell, the badass former bounty hunter turned repo man is here, ladies and gentlemen! And of course, Zak's ecstatic to see him, along with Drew and Doc, of course. And hey, one badass uncle's already getting acquainted with the OTHER badass uncle! Expect to see more comradery between Doyle and Qrow in the future, for sure. That said, though, sounds like Doyle's here on a pretty important mission…

…Which just so happens to link up with PYRRHA'S important mission. Seems like the Tennyson homes just seems to be a hotbed for gods to come knocking, because this time, we've got Artemis! But indeed, rather than her Ceryneian Hind being the animal that Pyrrha has been assigned to fetch, instead, she's going after a poacher who has apparently caught a Unicorn. And from the sounds of it, it seems like she and Doyle might be after the same person. It's probably gonna get pretty hectic watching how these two groups meet back up with one another, that's for sure.

On the flipside, though, we've got the introduction of the Cross-Z Dragon… and, subsequently, the creation of a new type of DUST! Indeed, seems that Charmcaster's found a way to infuse the Dust Liquid she and Gwen made BACK into Hard Light Dust to create Dragon Dust, which in turn, is now being used to power the Cross-Z Dragon. And you know what that means… we're probably not far long from seeing our NEXT true Kamen Rider, especially with Caesar coming in and having constructed a second Build Driver.

And finally, this one's been a LONG time coming; the culmination of the Centurion Project; the Mark V. Or, as many of us know her; VADOS! Though now, all of the uppercase letters are now lowercase since she's no longer JUST an onboard computer; but her own robotic lifeform! And with a body made up of nanomachines that can reshape to her will, her fighting style is gonna be quite dynamic, especially since she can use the Fullbottles just as effectively as Cooper can. Oh, and hi Ironwood! Always good to see ya! That said, what DOES the General have to say to Raven and the others?

Well, we'll just have to find that out NEXT TIME, though in addition, we'll also have a brief flashback to when Yuma was first brought to the Ministry's base and given his new Night Rogue powers. But then after, Jaune, Pyrrha, Winter and Kenny meet up with the heroes, beating a hasty retreat to go find this poacher while Cooper and Team CFVY deal with the Minsitry. But when they come across this poacher… the Saturday family will definitely be in for a shock. Thanks for reading, everybody, and I'll catch you all next time! And of course, as always, stay safe out there!