Blue skies. Birds floating by. People walking down the street, plugged into their own little worlds. It could almost be considered peaceful to some. But for Mercury and Emerald, it was anything but business. Mercury leaned against a wall, waiting not so patiently for his partner to get the directions to a bookstore, From Dust Til Dawn. All he wanted to do was a workout leaving him sore for days on end, read comic books, maybe play a video game now and then, but even Mercury knew when business needed to be done. He reviewed the information on who their target was in his head. Tukson, wolverine Faunus, owner of the bookstore Tukson's Book Trade, 36 years old, unmarried with no children, and current Lieutenant in the White Fang. 'At least, that's the image he wants people to see.' Mercury thought to himself, his mind drifting as it usually does in cases like this.
The circumstances that lead to the hit were just as mysterious as the Faunus who gave them the information. If Mercury was forced to describe Russel Faraday in one word, it was creepy. He had met members of the White Fang, even that best Adam Taurus who left Mercury with a bad taste in his mouth much like being around his dad, but something about being around Faraday was worse than even his dad. And that's saying something. That damn song he sings is one thing (worlds' biggest fucking ear worm, he called it), but the Faunus's presence just wrong; no other words could describe it. It didn't take long to come to blows, but Faraday told them the one thing that set any distrust aside for the moment: enemies to the White Fang. Despite his activities, Tukson was not loyal to the current regime; no, he was one of the last members of the White Fang loyal to the founder, Ghira Belladonna. If what Faraday told them was right, he was gathering information on military bases, Dust warehouses, receipt operations, every fucking sensitive piece of intelligence he could before defecting to return to Menagerie. If he does get away, he will disappear for good. If the information was true, Mercury knew his associates would be spending a hell of a lot of time figuring out how Faraday got that info.
Just as he was going to bark at her to hurry up, Emerald had finished chatting up the shop keep nearby and was walking past him. "I knew you were lost." Mercury commented, not being able to help himself. Emerald stopped in her tracks, turning back and walking to Mercury.
"Mercury, I will seriously pay for you to shut up." As if her words weren't clear enough, she pulled out a wallet and waved it in front of his face.
Mercury couldn't help smirking at her pathetic attempt. "That's not your money."
"But it can be yours for five minutes of silence."
"Mmm… No deal." Mercury shrugged. His entertainment at her misery was worth it.
"Fine." Emerald rolled her eyes and tossed the wallet aside and started walking away from him.
"Whatever. You want me, especially if Tukson is as tough as the stories go." They walked through the streets of Vale, which had emptied as people went to work. "How much further is it now?"
"Just two more blocks."
Mercury groaned. "Good. This city is so dull!"
It was Emerald's turn to shrug. "Eh. I kind of like it here. Tall buildings, diverse culture…"
"And nice dopey people to…" He was going to say but Emerald placed a hand on Mercury's mouth.
"Just shut up while you're ahead. Do you want people to be alerted to us?" She hissed. Mercury sighed into her hand but saw her point. His mouth was about to run away from him again. When he didn't say anything, Emerald took her hand off his mouth and they continued walking in silence. Finally, they reached Tukson's Book Trade, an inconspicuous place with a green awning out front, and entered. Mercury never considered himself much of a reader but even he had to admit it was impressive just how much there was.
"Be right there!" The shopkeep's voice called. Mercury strolled over to the action novel section, browsing it. Again, he hadn't considered himself much of a reader but browsing them, at least the covers, had its fun. After a second, Tukson stepped into the room. He looked exactly as the pictures described him; taller than him, buff, black hair that spreads to prominent sideburns and wearing a red pullover with black pants. He hesitated for a moment upon seeing them, making Mercury's eyes widen. Damn, did he see them while snooping around? The hesitation was enough to convince him of Faraday. "Welcome to Tukson's Book Trade! Home to every book under the sun. How may I help you?"
"Just browsing." Mercury said, shutting a particular book he was beginning to find interesting.
"Actually," Emerald stepped in, "I was wondering if you have any copies of The Thief and the Butcher."
"Yes, we do." Tukson said, with a rather prideful look.
"Oh, that's great!" Emerald said excitedly. Mercury had to fight a snort. Of course she'd be interested in something like that.
"Would you like a copy?" Mercury had to give him credit, what shock he saw earlier disappeared and now was just a normal boring guy. It might have fooled even him.
"No, just wondering. Oh. Oh! What about Violet's Garden? In paperback?"
"He's got it in hardback too."
"Alright. Options are nice."
"Eh, no pictures. Do you have any comics?"
"Up near the front."
Just as Mercury was making to leave, Emerald continued on with her queries. "How about Third Crusade?"
This time, Tukson looked hesitant. Another moment of fear but again, went away in a hurry. "We don't carry that one."
"Oh?" Mercury asked, slamming closed the next book he picked up.
"What was this place called again?" Emerald pressed, her previous excited tone gone for a colder one.
"Tukson's Book Trade."
"And you're Tukson?"
"Correct." Tukson's voice was becoming tighter now.
"So I take it you're the one that came up with that catchphrase."
"Yes."
"And what was it again?"
"Home to every book under the sun."
"Except the Third Crusade."
"It's just a catchphrase." Tukson tried to shrug it off, but the conversation was starting to making him more nervous, that much was obvious.
"That's false advertising!" Mercury stepped back in.
"You shouldn't make promises you can't keep, Tukson." Emerald said as Mercury took several steps backward to the switch lining the left side of the doorframe. He clicked it with his hands resting behind his back. There was a sudden claxon and metal drapes dropped onto the windows, the second lock clicking in place. "We hear you're planning on making for Menagerie to contact one Ghira Belladonna. Your brothers in the White Fang don't appreciate a mole in their ranks. You seem to have figured us out, have you?"
"Yes." All pretense of professionalism was gone now, a small growl at the back of his throat.
"Do you plan on fighting back then?" Emerald smiled again, this one a cold one belonging to the tundras of Atlas.
"Yes!" Tukson snarled, jumping onto his desk. True to his Faunus heritage, his fingernails elongated into talons. "Fight me!" He lunges for Emerald, hoping to tear her throat out. To his confusion, he only felt air. He was distracted from this confusion as Mercury raised a boot and kicked Tukson in the face. He flew into the air, landing on his feet easily enough. "You cowards! Fight me fairly!"
"Why should we? You might win." Mercury said, getting ready to lunge himself. Tukson spread his arms out, ready to attack. A counter-attack he would never achieve. He felt a knife punching into his back, dropping his Aura considerably. He looked back; Emerald was standing her, holding a hybrid of a pistol and knife. She smirked, pulling the trigger. The Fire Dust hit him squarely in the stomach, the explosion engulfing his vision.
"Aah!" Tukson shouted, falling to the ground. He rubbed his eyes, trying to clear his sight. All he could do is make out shapes, and Mercury standing over him.
"You thought you could rip off the White Fang and get away with it?" Mercury taunted, raising a leg. "There'll be consequences for that. Maybe something to do with his daughter?"
Before Tukson could utter a word, Mercury brought his leg down. CRACK! Tukson's neck snapped from the impact, and Tukson went limp.
"I thought he'd be tougher than that." Emerald said, making her way to the back. "Grab whatever you'd like. I'm going to stick the circuit breakers."
"You got it." Mercury said as Emerald made her way to the back. It was genius really, using meltable glue to pull the circuit breakers then turn on everything that could run on electricity. By the time the shop burnt to the ground, they would be long gone. Mercury deactivated the Grimm repellant system before returning to the action thrillers again. "Nah." He shook his head, another time then. He made his way to the comic book section, browsing. Most of them were more boring than the action novels. "X-ray and Vav. The Fantabulous Adventures of Breaker. Give me a break." Mercury was beginning to wonder if he should give the books another chance when his eyes fell upon a comic that he'd never seen resting in the antique comics section. This one looked old and tattered. It was a picture of a kid in his bedroom. He was wearing a disturbing smile reading a comic of a beast with the body of a man and the head of a crocodile bending over a screaming woman, ready to eat. Outside of his bedroom window was a skeleton wearing a blue cloak. The comic read Gray Partrice's Creepshow and if the label could be trusted, it was one of the last intact copies left. "Alright." Mercury grinned as he swept the comic off the cover. To his delight, there were three other Creepshow issues behind it so Mercury took those too.
"All set." Emerald came around the corner, walking out the door followed by Mercury. Emerald glanced at the cover. " Creepshow? What's with that?"
"Don't know, but I will find out soon." Mercury grinned. Hopefully the pictures inside were as good as the cover. A flash of movement caught his eye and glanced up. A crow was flying in circles overhead before landing on the ground in a nearby alleyway, hearing its caws even from where they were. "Whatever." Mercury muttered to himself. A crow shouldn't even make even his mild interest list, but something about this crow felt off.
"You kids have fun in there?" Both Mercury and Emerald froze in place. Even after 12 hours, they had come to know the voice very well. They looked to the alleyway where the crow flew to but stopped crowing. Russel Faraday was standing there, grinning that fucking ugly smile to them. His fox tail swished behind him more than the other night, but otherwise, he looked exactly the same as ever.
Mercury felt himself sweat a little just being nearby, and just with a glance, could tell Emerald was starting to freak out. Where the hell did he come from? "What the hell…"
"…Is this shit?" Grif shouted, gesturing to the TV in the dorm room. "You mean to tell me Spooner was the bad guy this whole time?"
"Language!" Ruby said, "And yes." She was no longer shouting or pointing fingers which was a bonus.
"Well, can't trust anyone these days." Grif huffed, taking a massive swig of his cherry soda.
"They seem to be getting along." Jaune whispered to Pyrrha who silently nodded while humming. It was not just them either. The entirety of RWBY, JNPR and Delph were in Juniper's room for pajama, pizza and movie night. It was a welcome respite in the weeks leading up to final exams for their first semester. Blake and Ruby in particular were relieved that they were still enrolled at all after the Docks incident some weeks back. The police certainly seemed ready to arrest them but someone had called the chief and ordered them to back off from 'Hunters who had just arrived to the scene of the crime.' Neither of them knew who put in the call, but they're very thankful to whoever it was. Only one person was missing in the group.
"How's Percy doing?" Yang asked, looking to the door of JNPR's room.
"Got him to take some pills. He'll be out the rest of the night." Harry explained. For the last hour, Percy started gagging without warning and was basically bed-bound since.
"We should visit him in the morning." Pyrrha said, also concerned for him.
"I agree." Jaune added, grinning.
Ruby got up and made her way to the digital player. "What do we want next?"
"No more action movies." Weiss pleaded, filing her fingernails.
"You're no fun." Ruby pouted.
"How about that new adaptation of Beast and the Butcher?" Pyrrha suggested.
"Yes! We should do that!" Weiss exclaimed, smiling widely at that.
"Ugh! It's boring." Nora whined, leaning against Ren's shoulder.
"It's called classic." Blake piped up, watching the menu with keen interest.
"Do I need to repeat myself?" Nora shot back.
Blake rolled her eyes. "Why do I bother?"
"How about X-Ray and Vav?" Midoriya suggested, spotting the name in the list.
Yang rubbed Midoriya's hair, much to his protest. "Look at you, picking out the superhero movies again."
"Why is that, by the way?" Ren spoke, the first he did so that night. Midoriya looked over to Ren, confused. "Your corner of the dorms has Huntsman posters spread out, read the comics when you aren't working out or studying, you only watch superhero films. Are you interested in being a superhero yourself?"
The room was silent as everyone looked from Ren to Midoriya. The green-haired boy started sweating heavily, not meeting anyone's eye. Midoriya let out a sigh before looking to the ground. "Alright, alright." His voice was dejected, not the usual energetic and enthusiastic one they're used to. "I've been wanting to be a hero since I was four. I got diagnosed with Magenta-Cyan Syndrome then, and a lot of the other kids held it over my head. Some were more physical about it." Ruby gasped while placing a hand over her mouth, and she wasn't the only one. But his teammates took it the worst; Harry's eyes darkened and Grif's grip on his soda tightened so much the lid burst off, soda dripping down his hand. "What got me through those years was an old video. I… I haven't watched it in years, it's probably long gone now. It was a video of a Huntsman who saved 100 people after a horrible train crash. His laugh, his smile, his call of reassurance he was there." Midoriya looked at them now, and they were surprised at the face he was making. His eyes were darker, and his grin was very un-Midroiya-like. "'Citizens, It's fine now. Because I'm here!'" The voice boomed through the room, making shivers travel down many spines. The face was gone now, returning to Midoriya's normal look. "To my eyes, he wasn't just a Huntsman. He was a hero who wanted to save people with a smile. Who wouldn't want to be like that?"
No one spoke for a long moment before Ruby made her way to Midoriya and hugged him. "That's amazing!" Ruby said, tears forming in her eyes. "You're really something!"
"Dang, kiddo." Yang said, slapping the back of his shoulder playfully. "I knew you had a pair on you, but they're bigger than I thought."
"Yang! Gross!" Ruby shouted, looking disgusted. Yang simply laughed it off.
"I think that's awesome!" Nora chimed in. "Break Grimm's knees and save people, you'd be unstoppable."
"Thanks, guys." Midoriya said, blushing at the compliments.
"That is quite the goal." Blake said, smiling. It was a genuine one for her too; she'd never put much stock into superheroes due to their hockiness and lack of reality, but someone trying to be one, Blake had nothing bad to say about that. Her smile then slipped when she noticed something odd. "Uh, Midoriya? Are you okay?" All further questions stopped as they stared at Blake questioningly.
"Oh, yes of course." Midoriya said. "Why wouldn't I be?"
"Your legs are shaking." She said, unknowingly at the same time as Ren, both staring at his legs. The rest of the room turned. Midoriya's legs were shaking in the seat he was sitting in.
Midoriya let out a long breath, his legs relaxing. "In order to control my Semblance, One for All, I need my body to be in the strongest form. If it has limits, I need to push past them if I'm going to not be a liability. When I used One for All during Initiation, my legs were just sore rather than broken and I spent a long time trying to figure out why. It occurred to me after a human and Faunus anatomy class with Professor Peach. Thelegshavemoremusclemassthanarms, , and…"
"Whoa there." Grif said, slapping the back of Midoriya's head. He yelped, rubbing his head.
"Was I muttering again?" Midoriya asked.
"Uh, yeah. It's fucking creepy." Grif replied. Ruby gave a quiet 'Language' but said no more, more interested in the story. "Pretend I'm an idiot. What're you getting at?"
Midoriya nodded at Grif. That was fair enough in Midoriya's mind. "I need to strengthen my legs more than my arms now to bear the weight of my Semblance. We sit all the time for classes, that's wasted time that isn't exercising so it occurred to me one day, if I keep my buttcheeks lifted an inch from the chair and hold it, it will maximize what time is lost."
"You're kidding." Jaune said, his jaw hanging open. "And you've been doing this for how,long?"
"For the last two weeks." Midoriya corrected.
Yang shook her head. "Man. And I thought I was committed." She laid a hand on Midoriya's shoulder. "Look, you're quite something. Don't take this the wrong way, but how about taking a break from this whole hero stuff?"
Midoriya blinked at Yang, confused. "What?" It was a sentiment shared by everyone else in the room.
Yang held her hands up in surrender. "I'm not saying give it up." She quickly said, "I'm saying measure it. I get the desire to do something, it burns in you like a furnace making you want to keep going. What can also happen is get you into the wrong situations that not even a tough body can handle."
"But that hasn't happened to me yet." Midoriya replied, confused.
"Trust me, it happens." Yang replied darkly, her purple eyes shifting. "Everyone's got their breaking point. What I'm saying is don't reach yours." She sat back down.
Midoriya mulled it over in his mind. He didn't quite understand what Yang was saying but it was enough for him to not dismiss. "I'll think about it."
"That's all I ask." Yang clapped. "So, enough of the heavy stuff. What will we watch next?"
" The Butcher and the Thief?" Blake asked hopefully.
"Yeah, alright." Weiss got up before Nora could protest and put the movie on. They all resumed their places and watched.
"Men, on your feet. On the double!" Harry Potter rubbed his eyes, putting on his glasses. Or at least, he tried to until he was forced onto his feet. He couldn't make out who it was specifically, but the orange look gave him away.
"Grif, can I at least get my glasses on?" Harry grumbled. He felt just like he did every morning of Quidditch practice which meant it was stupid early.
"Fine, but I'm not through with you." Harry grabbed his glasses, putting them on. He was surprised at what he was seeing. He was standing in line next to Midoriya who looked alert as ever, and Percy on the far end. His face still had a grey tint and he was swaying to where he had to grab onto the table for stability.
"Is there something wrong, Grif?" Midoriya asked, confused. And it was easy to see why; it was 6 am. Grif never woke up earlier than 8 if he could help it.
"Oh, you better believe there's something wrong, Midoriya." Grif answered, walking along the line formed by his teammates. Harry couldn't help feeling that he was in the middle of an action film, the way he walked from one to the next.
"Please, let me sit down…" Percy groaned, his voice ragged and weak.
"Grif, can you please tell us what this is about?" Harry asked.
"Shut up and listen to your leader!" Grif shouted. Harry blinked in shock. Grif had never exuded his leadership like this, well, ever. He continued his walking. "Gentlemen, we have had a breach. A major fucking breach of security."
Alarm bells went off in Harry's mind. "What happened? Did some Grimm break onto Beacon grounds?"
"How about the White Fang? Or other villains?" Midoriya asked, looking just as alarmed.
"I honestly don't care what's happening." Percy grumbled, leaning against the desk more now. "Thanks for asking."
"No!" Grif screamed to the ceiling. "This is a fucking breach the universe has never seen before! Last night at 0600 hours, someone in this Academy stole from my secret food stash!"
Harry stared at Grif in disbelief. "You can't be serious."
"Oh ho! I'm very serious, Harry!" Grif said, missing the tone in Harry's voice. "But it wasn't just any old food that is missing, presumed eaten, it's the greatest treasure I got. It's a Little Debby jelly cream pie that I reserve for only the most urgent of emergencies."
"A Little Debbie? We can find you another one of those." Midoriya piped up, his mouth twitching in the corners.
"You don't understand, you'll never understand!" Grif said, whirling on him. "There're some things that can never be replaced. Debbie and I had a very special relationship. I'd been hiding it since I started Basic in the Red Army."
Percy held a hand to his mouth, his face starting to turn a little blue. "I'm sorry, what?"
Harry himself started feeling himself turn a little green when he heard that. "And how long would that have been again?"
"Three years, 6 months and 14 days." Grif said. "Normally, I would get you to find Debbie for me. But I won't need you. I know who the murderer is." He started walking along the line again, unfazed by the questions. "It could only have been done by someone in this campus. And despite each of you knowing about my food stash, there's only one person I ever told about it. And in a moment of trust that was easily shattered, I even showed the sick bastard my real works. Do you deny it, Jackson?" He stopped in front of Percy, glaring at him.
Percy said nothing for a long moment, then belched. "I think that was the last of my kidneys." Percy moaned.
"Fuck you, Percy!" Grif shouted, getting into his face. "I thought you were one of the good ones. It turns our you're a lazy, good-for-nothing dirtbag that only the plague rats could love!"
Harry's fists balled, and he started seeing red. "Shut it! Leave Percy alone! Can't you see he's sick?"
Grif whipped around to face Harry. "Shut it, Simmons!"
A pause as Harry processed exactly what Grif had said. Why the bloody hell would Grif call him Simmons? He knew full well that Grif knew his last name. It came so far out of left-field Harry couldn't even understand what Grif was getting at. Not to mention his voice had deepened and took on a different accent than he usually spoke with. "Simmons?" Harry repeated, just to be sure he heard right.
It seemed Grif was in just as much disbelief as Harry, looking down to his hands in horror. "No. What's happening to me?" He looked to the three boys. "Did you put something in the water?"
"No." Midoriya shook his head. "Your voice did take on a deeper accent too. Were you trying to imitate someone there?"
"Imitate?" Grif repeated. If Grif looked shocked before, he looked mortified now. "No. I'm becoming Sarge." He fell onto his knees and screamed, "NNNNOOOOOOO!"
The door to SLPH's room opened, and both Weiss and Pyrrha were standing there. They watched the scene in utter confusion. Harry wasted no moment shoving the door open and running past them. "What's going on in there?" Pyrrha asked.
"Grif's freaking out," Percy moaned out, "And I'm regretting my life choices." His cheeks puffed out and he ran for RWBY's dorm. There was an audible 'Hey Percy' from Ruby followed by loud hurling and several girls screaming at once.
Weiss cringed where she stood. "What is going on with Percy?"
"He ate something funny." Harry answered. "How about we continue this conversation in your room, Pyrrha?"
"Yes, let's." Pyrrha said, also looking a little green and made their way back to JNPR's room. All the while, the girls of R_BY were still screaming at Percy and Grif's sobs filled the air.
Jaune, Ren and Nora were already awake and looking confused at the noise. "Hi, Weiss." Weiss rolled her eyes at Jaune's greeting. Harry wondered why Jaune kept doing that when she clearly wasn't interested in him. "Pyrrha, what's with the noise?"
"Let them explain." Pyrrha said, shutting the door.
"It turns out Percy got into Grif's food stash," Midoriya said, "And found something really foul."
Nora shuddered. "Been there. No more bearded pancakes."
"Really don't want to hear any more." Pyrrha shuddered. "Tea, Harry?"
Harry looked to see Pyrrha already has a tea kettle smoking with two tea cups nearby. It was such a welcome sight and smell to Harry he couldn't help grinning. "Yes, please!" Pyrrha pulled down a second white mug, poured the water in then got a tea box. Harry's heart stopped when he saw the box.
"Uh, Pyrrha?"
"Did you change your mind?" "Uh, no. Can I see the box for a second?" Pyrrha looked confused by that but handed the box to Harry which he accepted. As he examined it, his suspicions grew. "Where did you get this box?"
"I got it imported from Mistral." Pyrrha shrugged. "I haven't tasted it yet. Mom mailed it to me last night, said it was really just wonderful. She met the maker while hiking once. Said he was a bit flirty but a nice man."
"He sure is." Harry's grin widened, looking again at the Gyffindor symbol emblazoned proudly on the tea box with the name Black's Emporium Tea. "Well, don't worry about your mom. Sirius always loved his own hair more than the girls, I hear."
Pyrrha's eyes widened. "How did you know the teamaker's name?"
Harry looked back up, seeing the other's confusion. "Sirius Black is my godfather. He took care of me after my parents died."
A hush fell over the room. "I'm sorry." Pyrrha said, looking embarrassed now. "If you're mad about it, I can give you something else."
"No worries." Harry smiled at her. "It was a long time ago."
"If you insist." Pyrrha still looked uncertain but took the tea back and scooped it in.
"Thanks." Harry sat down in a nearby chair, taking a sip from it. The taste took him back to Grimmauld Place, having breakfast with the Weasleys, Lupin, Moody and Kingsley sitting all around him. Most of all, there was Sirius sipping from the same tea and smiling at him. The memory felt so long ago, he ached a little at it. Harry shook the memory off, he would see them again, he had to. "Black with some vanilla in it. That's Sirius alright."
Weiss was hesitant but took a cup herself. Her eyes lit up when she tasted it. "That's sublime. Harry, why didn't you tell us you had such a talented godfather?"
Harry took another sip of tea as he thought it over. "It just never came up, I suppose."
"Oh." Weiss looked disappointed, just sipping in silence.
Pyrrha poured more for Midoriya and Ren, and they drunk in silence. "So, does anyone know what we're going to do today?" Pyrrha asked after finishing her cup.
"I would like to continue training." Jaune said.
"I heard from some the second years there was a nice garden hidden in the Beacon courtyard." Ren added on, standing up. "I'm going to try and find it."
"Ah, fooey!" Nora waved him off. "If Renny is going, then I go too. Maybe I can find someone's knees to smash, like Cardin's." Jaune grimaced at the mention of Cardin but said nothing. And from the stories he heard of their relationship, Harry couldn't blame him.
"Does anyone know what happened to them?" Midoriya asked, finishing his tea next.
"Why are you asking?" Weiss asked, her voice frosty at the question.
"Nothing. It's just that I haven't seen them in weeks. Can't help but wonder." Midoriya said. And Harry couldn't blame him. If he wasn't such a prick, Harry would have started worrying about him more.
"Eh, leave them to their own devices. For their own good." Nora gave a grin that made Harry take a step back. It was the kind of grin Fred and George would give, the type that promised pranks galore at your expense. Percy had it to an extent, but nothing like them.
Weiss glanced back at Harry and seemed surprised by something. "Uh, Harry. Do you have any other clothes to wear?"
Harry looked down. He had on a plain white shirt with red sweatpants. "Uh, no."
The conversation stopped. Weiss looked like someone told her her beloved dog had died. "I must have misheard you. Could you please do me a courtesy and repeat that?"
"I got this and my Beacon uniform. I could only take the essentials with me to Beacon." Every word Harry said was the truth, but the way Weiss stood up and was glaring at him, he knew he screwed up somehow.
She whipped around to Midoriya. "And you?"
"And what?" Midoriya asked, sweating a lot. Harry knew full well he only had the Beacon uniform, a casual shirt and training gear.
Weiss looked between the two, and even Pyrrha looked rather appalled. "That's what I thought." Weiss said. "Put something decent on. We're going to get you taken care of."
"Isn't this enough?" Harry asked, feeling the dread worsen than before.
Pyrrha got up too. "Weiss is right. If you're going to be Huntsmen, you need to look presentable. Look like someone who knows what they're doing."
Jaune and Ren, even Nora, looked traumatized. "It's your turn now." Jaune said, his voice trembling.
"Is this really necessary?" Harry Potter asked, rubbing his glasses to make sure he was reading this right.
"Absolutely." Weiss grinned. "Erin's is the best shop in the world for Huntsman gear." Shop was underselling it in Harry's opinion, the whole bloody business took up a city square! It might as well be the size of Diagon Alley.
"I don't know about the greatest." Pyrrha replied, smiling. "But it is good. I got Miló made here."
"The Destroyer. That's appropriate." Percy said. He still looked pale, but he looked much better than he did before.
"Yes, it is." Pyrrha beamed at him. "I didn't know you spoke Mistrali."
"I know it by instinct now." Percy said.
"So, Pyrrha." Weiss whirled to her. "How do we want to do this?"
Pyrrha placed a hand on her chin in thought. "I think we split Team Delph evenly. I take two, you take two."
"Fair enough." She said, then glanced to Grif who had fallen asleep already while standing up. "So how are we going to divide them up?"
"I'm standing here, Sarge." Grif mumbled, before snoring again.
"Uh, Sarge?" Weiss looked confused.
"We'll explain later." Midoriya said. "How about we draw straws?"
The two girls looked to each other. "I got Dust crystals on me." Weiss pulled out two fire Dust crystals and two Energy. "I got lucky with my pick. Energy geos with me, fire with you, Pyrrha. Grif, your helmet now."
"Fine." Grif took his helmet off and gave it to Weiss.
"Thank you." She said, dropping the crystals inside and shaking it. "Each of you, take a crystal." Harry reached into the helmet. It seemed he got something good about his time at the Dursleys, he knew what spotless was and the smell was long gone. He pulled out an Energy crystal. "Looks like you're with me, Harry." Weiss seemed happy about that. That was, until Grif reached in and pulled one out too. "Fine." She smiled, but it was forced compared to before.
"Yeah? Joke's on you, you're stuck with me. Lead on, lackey!" Grif shouted, grinning.
Weiss rolled her eyes but led them into Erin's anyways. It really was a lot like Diagon Alley, shops with glowing signs lining them on each side and moving stairs right in front of them. Harry thought he had adjusted to all this strange machinery, but he felt just as lost as he did when he first got here. "First, we start with the standard wear. I think a week should be enough."
They made their way to the nearest shop. Harry honestly couldn't keep track of any of it, Weiss holding shirts up to him and when she saw something, demanding he go to the changing room. The amount of times he was in and out of that room was like diving around Bludgers.
"Is this good?" Harry asked, barely hiding his annoyance as he walked out. He was now wearing a green pull-over with a white undershirt and black slacks.
Weiss looked amazed. "Wow." She whispered, her cheeks turning red. "You look good. That shirt brings out the color of your eyes."
"Does it?" Harry looked down. The color, with Weiss's words, brought to mind his first Christmas at Hogwarts when Mrs. Weasley gave him a sweater and said the exact same thing. "Yes, I suppose it does."
"Yes." Weiss beamed. "Greens, blacks and scarlets seem to suit you best."
"Thanks, Weiss." Harry said. It felt right that he was returning to Gryffindor colors.
She seemed to brighten at that, taking the clothes and placing them on the counter. She then looked back. "Come on, Grif! I'm paying."
"Couldn't I help you with that?" Harry asked. It was when he said that he realized a small problem. He had gold in Gringotts, not on him now. Sirius was making his own money, but Harry had no job and was at an isolated castle so he couldn't exactly make something himself. He needed Weiss to get all this, and God, it was pricey. He felt helpless at the moment. Was this how Ron felt when Harry bought stuff? Harry made a mental note to apologize for blowing him off for so long. If he ever saw him again, Harry thought in the back of his mind.
Thankfully, Weiss did not seem to pick up on this. "No, this is all my treat today." She then tapped the table. "Just don't come to me whenever you want to buy something, okay?"
"Of course."
Weiss was satisfied now, glaring to the changing rooms. "Come on, Grif! We're waiting on you!"
"Fine!" He shouted, walking out. He wore an orange shirt with palm trees smattered over it that fit him well enough with khaki shorts. "By the way, I don't give a shit. I'm getting this."
"Go ahead." Weiss said as Grif went back in to put on his armor and the Grif Shot. Weiss pinched the bridge of her nose. "I swear, Grif's going to be the end of me."
"Hey, at least he's upfront about his disinterest." Harry shrugged, looking down at the green shirt. He more he wore it, the more he thought it actually was good.
Weiss chuckled. "Fair enough." Grif stepped back out, fully armored again and carrying his clothes. "Wait." She held up a hand. "You're getting the one set?"
"No." Grif grunted. "I'm getting two of these for special occasions."
Weiss's eye twitched. Harry thought she was going to erupt but simply said, "Alright. Bring it up." Weiss brought out her little card (was there money stored on it or something?), and once everything was loaded into bags, she shoved them into Grif's arms. "You're carrying today."
"Fuck you." Grif said but took the bags anyways.
"Thank you for service today!" The shopkeep shouted as they left the shop.
Weiss strutted out, looking satisfied with herself. It probably helped that she got a new white dress that was a mixture of short dress and jacket with buttons and accompanying knee-high boots. "That concludes the first part of our day."
"First part?" Grif whined. "Oh, why did I go along with this Hell?"
"Shut it!" Weiss snapped. "You're stuck with me today. I'll hear no complaining from you, got that?"
Grif grumbled something Harry would prefer never to repeat but relented. They made their way up the stairs. At the top was a man dressed in a blue guard outfit. "License please." He said, sounding bored.
Weiss handed her his card. And when he read it, his eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. "Ms. Schnee. I'm honored that you're here."
"The honor's all mine." She said, smiling as she walked past. The guard looked nervous as he asked them for their licenses.
"Have a good day, gentlemen." Grif and Harry walked past. Weiss was now standing in front of a shop with gun racks lined in front of them, the sign reading Bart's Gun Shop. "Come, come." Weiss said, beckoning them in.
Grif and Harry looked to each other, nervous. "What do you think's gonna happen?" Harry asked, trying to hide his nervousness.
"Dunno, don't care at this point." Grif said. Harry nodded and they walked in. Harry had heard the stories of how Americans love their guns, and he could only imagine how they would react to this store. Rows upon rows of guns that Harry only had the most rudimentary understanding of. They had standard weapons, form-changers, mounted weapons!
"Welcome to Bart's Gun Shop. I'm Bart, no relation, how can I help you?" The middle-aged man standing behind the counter asked.
"Hi!" Weiss said, placing her rapier on the counter. "I was hoping for a tune-up for Myrtenaster."
Bart took the rapier. "Rotating revolver cartridge." He examined it further. "Minor dirt and contaminate buildup. Scalded metal around the edges. Give it 5 minutes for a tune-up."
"Gladly." Weiss waited as Myrtrenaster was laid on the counter, the platform lowering into the desk before sealing off. "Go on, see if you want to get anything." Harry looked around at the guns. Percy had trained him with a sword and Pyrrha with marksmanship. Percy really was doing what he could, and Harry was beginning to develop some muscle after months of training, but he still frankly stunk with a sword. It's too long and heavy for him. The marksmanship is frankly how he's done as well as he has so far. But he still felt incomplete. He needed to be in the air, that was where he was most comfortable. Wind whistling through his ears as he rode the Nimbus 2000 or the Firebolt, he wanted that sensation again. Maybe he can be talked into still using a sword, but how could he get into the air? Harry wandered to the far end of the store, his legs carrying him along. Harry blinked, finding himself in front of a long rack of rifles. He walked along the row, painfully conscious of Weiss watching his every move. Really, there's more interesting things to see, Harry thought annoyed.
His eye was caught by a gleam of gold in the corner of his eye. Harry turned to look and was instantly in awe. There, resting inside a glass case, lights shining down from above, was a jetpack. It was probably the length of Harry's torso with two jet engines protruding on either side, a large body but small enough for ideal aerodynamics. On the top of each jet engine was a glass tube, likely to store Dust into. Resting next to it was a pair of gold goggles with green lenses, shaped just like his own glasses. The jetpack was a bronze color. Harry remembered Diagon Alley the day the Firebolt came out, how it gleamed with the same light. There were some things Harry wanted different, but it was perfect. This was his solution. Harry turned back to Bart and Weiss who were watching him, Weiss moreso with surprise. Grif was minding his own business in the rifle section. "How much is this?" Harry gestured to the jetpack.
Bart blinked, looking surprised. "You got an odd eye, sir. That there is the Eclipse-2000. It was donated to us by Red Andrecks, a retired Huntsman. Are you sure you want it?"
"More than anything in the world." Harry surprised himself with the conviction in his voice.
Bart looked hesitant for a moment, typing something into the computer near him. Bart looked stressed for a moment before letting out a sigh. "Alright. I just talked with the big man, and he said if you insist. I do have to run you down through how it works."
"Hit me." Harry said, walking to the counter.
"The Eclipse-2000 there is 20 years old. It is one of the last machines that runs on concentrated air. Basically, there are vents on the top of the machine that take care air in, and when activated, they shut closed automatically. The air trapped inside is transferred here," he gestured to the engines on either side, "And concentrated to higher volumes than normal pressure. If any of it leaks, you'd better hope you land somewhere soft or you'll be a red splotch on the pavement."
"I'm good at taking care of that equipment." Harry said. "I'm guessing then the air is pushed out for propulsion?"
Bart nodded. "If you are running out of air, you can stick tubes of raw Dust into the tops here," he pointed to the capsules, "to give a little extra thrust. Don't do it too early or the pressure will cause a chain reaction of Dust and blow you out of the sky."
"Low air, add Dust. Got it."
"Okay. You also have an extendable rim, custom-made, where you can mount rifles or pistols to your liking. Because of the age, it does have a tendency to stick even after years of tune-ups."
"I doubt I'll use it much but if I do, I got a pistol on me I'd like to match with it."
Bart sighed. "Alright. You're committed to it, I can tell. It has no style like the rest of you kids like but it gets the job done. Come, let's pay up and I will get you measured for it."
Harry nodded. "I do have one request as well."
"Yes?" Bart seemed to brighten up a bit.
"I would like to give it a different paint job."
Bart's face fell. "Alright. Let's get you taken care of." He snapped his fingers. "Gary here will take care of you."
"You want to get measured for the Eclipse-2000?" Gary asked, sounding interested.
"Very much so." Harry said, not being able to fight the smile on his face.
"Come with me." They went off into a side room. Gary got out a tap measure, asked him Harry's weight, age, dominant hand, parental information (the latter Gary spent profuse time apologizing for), and more. All the while, he measure Harry in every way he could. When he was done, he put the Eclipse-2000 on his back. It wasn't the Firebolt, but Harry was going to fly again! The joy continued as the measurements resumed, adding or cutting off straps to hold him in. Apparently, Red had huge legs as the thigh straps were cut the most. Then came the goggles, placed over his head. Harry looked around. It gave off a green tint, as if he were in Emerald City, but it had various sensors. Thermal, radiograph, and so much more. Harry took off the goggles, smiling. "This ought to do it."
Gary laughed. "It's been so long since I'd seen anyone get excited over the classics." He looked back to Harry. "You said you wanted a paint job as well for it?"
"Yes!" Harry instructed him on it. It would keep the bronze color as the frame but be silver on the jet engines, fading to a deep hazel for all three components. The mobile rim was kept the same but the pistol Harry was so used to using was fitted so he could mount it at any time when placed at chest level.
"And that does it." Gary looked up as he finished packaging the jetpack into a silver metallic case. "I hope this jetpack suits you well."
"You be sure of that." Harry took the jetpack case and walked out. Weiss looked nervous as Harry re-entered the main room. To Harry's surprise, Grif had gotten a modification as well. His Grif Shot kept the same wide ugly blade but in the gun's place was now a triple-barrel grenade launcher with ports on top for storage.
"You've made some good purchases today." Bart said. "I hope you enjoy them."
"Thank you for your help today. You've been real helpful." Weiss said, then strolled out of the room. Grif mounted the Grif Shot on his back as they followed Weiss.
"I think that should do it for us." Weiss said, glancing over to Harry. "Harry, why did you choose that jetpack you got? It's an antique."
"That may be," Harry said, glancing down at it, "But it should still work."
"Could you please at least tell me what use you would have for it?" Weiss asked, in an almost pleading manner.
Harry raised an eyebrow at her tone but chose not to comment. "I plan on using it a lot. When I was in school before I came here, flying was the best thing I could do. But I lost it in my last year. The guns and swords are nice, but nothing beat being in the air. And with the Firebolt here, I hope to be where I belong again."
Weiss's nervousness seemed to abate somewhat, and she sighed. "You named it already?" Upon Harry's nod, she smiled. "I like it. Let's see if we can meet up with your friends." They took the escalator down to the bottom-most level where Pyrrha, Percy and Midoriya were waiting.
"So good to see you again." Pyrrha said, giving a good-natured wave. "Looks like you had fun."
"More than I expected." Weiss replied, slipping back into a smooth smile. It was almost scary how easily she could do that. "What did you find?"
"I got this." Percy said, showing off his right wrist. On there was a silver watch and when Percy tapped the edge, a silver shield sprung to life on his wrist. "Along with some of the most kick-butt armor coming up next weekend."
"You got a shield. Big whoop." Grif said, pulling out the Grif Shot. "Got this bad boy here modified so I can shoot three times the number of grenades I could before."
"That's great!" Midoriya said then gestured. Harry looked. Midoriya was wearing thick, metallic boots that were white with green trimming. "These are shock absorption boots. And these," he gestured to his bracelets of the same color and trim. "Are metal gloves that can expand to encompass the hands." He pressed a button on the side. They expanded to where white and green metal encased all of his fingers and extended back to halfway up his elbows. "The metal here is thick, perfectly able to resist One for All." He turned to Harry. "How about you, Harry? What did you get?"
Harry set the case down and opened it to show them Firebolt. "This is going to be my prized possession. I would need to train harder and differently, but Firebolt is just what I've been missing."
Grif got something ringing on his mechanical Scroll and stepped away as Pyrrha went over to look. Even Weiss was slightly amazed at how it looked with the new paint job. "It's beautiful."
"Uh, guys." Grif said, his Scroll at his side. "I hate to rain on the parade, but we need to get going. That was Ozpin. He said he wants to meet with us."
"What about?" Pyrrha asked, looking rather scared. About what, Harry had no clue.
"Not you two." He looked to his teammates. "Just us."
"Why?" Percy asked.
"Fuck if I know." Grif shrugged. Though with the way he said it, Harry couldn't help feeling that something was very wrong. And Harry would soon find out how right he was.
