Rock grumbled and groaned as the paramedic tended to his injuries. Being taken care of did grate on his nerves, to be certain, but what he found especially frustrating was that he had escaped with relatively light injuries compared to his teammates. Seeing Nigel and Lucia stuffed into ambulances and driven away made him realize that they had fought much tougher opponents than he had, and he couldn't stand it.

"Will you please hold still?" the paramedic complained.

Rock shook the man off. "I told you, I'm fine. I'll just sleep it off."

Rock went to Giallo, who was explaining to a police officer what had happened inside the bank. The cop had a look on his face that Rock couldn't quite place, something like embarrassment. Rock pushed it out of his mind as Giallo walked up to him.

The team leader motioned towards a squad car. "They're saying that we need to go to the station to make a statement or something. Come on."

following Giallo, Rock climbed into the back of a police car and waited to be driven to the station. He looked in the rear-view and watched the view of downtown shrink into nothing.

XxX

Minutes later Rock was sitting in a gray room with a single table in the center and a flickering light overhead. He'd spent most of hi life in interrogation rooms just like this one, but this was the first time he was here to help the police with anything. He waited for someone to come in, and in time the door swung open and someone did come in. Rock felt a bristling all over his body as he saw the man who walked in.

"You," he growled.

"hey, kid. How's it hanging?" Detective Cotton asked.

Rock shot up from his seat and stomped up to the old man. He lifted Cotton up by his collar and slammed him into the wall.

"Got a lotta fuckin' nerve showing your face around me. I should rip your head off right now."

The detective coughed as he felt Rock choking him. "Did I do something to piss you off?"

"You set me up! Sending me off to be your errand boy, that was a load of shit. You sent me after a fucking serial killer. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't break your neck right now."

Cotton grinned. "You're supposed to be one of the good guys, aren't you?"

Rock ground his teeth in anger, but let the man drop. He stomped back to the other side of the room and took a spot on the wall.

Cotton straightened out his tie and took a seat. "So, you and your friends decide to jump into danger, why exactly?"

Rock shrugged. "Our leader said go and we went. Why never really factored into it."

Cotton wrote something down on a notepad. "I see. And once you were inside the building, what happened?"

"We split up, each took out who we found. Then we left."

"Yeah, that matches up with what your friend said." He pulled a piece of paper out of a folder and placed it on the table. "Just sign this statement saying that everything you've said to us is accurate and you're free to go."

Rock scrawled his name on the paper. Cotton picked it up and stuffed it into a folder. As he went to leave, the old man turned back around.

"One last question, off the record. I've seen your rap sheet. You've got a record as long as my arm, I'd be more inclined to believe you participated in this attack than help stop it. What made you wanna change up?"

Rock blinked, suddenly at a loss for words. A silence hung in the air.

"I don't know, really. One day it just hit me. I wanted to be something… more, I guess."

Cotton chuckled. "Don't we all. See you around, kid."

The detective left the room with Rock following behind him. Once he was outside, Rock met up with Giallo.

"Cops grill you too?" Rock asked.

Giallo shrugged. "Yeah, but I just told them the truth. Come on, let's go. Hospital isn't that far from here."

The silence of their walk was broken up only by the sounds of sirens in the distance and the occasional speeding car. Rock sighed. He needed to break the ice somehow, but Giallo was the one person on his team he knew the least about. He couldn't recall ever having an actual conversation with him.

"Giallo, mind if I ask you something?"

"What?"

"Why'd you have us pop out like that? I mean, me and the rest, we're always down to squabble, but why'd you have us get involved in that shit?"

"We of the Illuminated Path are duty bound to use our abilities to save people. I knew that somewhere there were people in danger and I needed to help them. When I was a kid, I just followed my mom from place to place, helping anyone we could. After a while, it just came naturally to me."

Rock rubbed his chin. "So you were born into this shit. I get it. Shit, I was too. Coming up in the slums you either ran with some crew or you starved."

Giallo laughed. "Scratching, clawing, working yourself to the bone just to get by. I know that feeling."

"What, your religion didn't keep you fat with donations?" Rock teased.

"Nope. We're strictly nonprofit. If I didn't find someone in need of saving then I just didn't eat that day. Let's just say my mom got really good at making grass soup."

The two boys laughed as they walked to the hospital. When they approached the building they saw Lucia and Nigel waiting outside.

"Hey," Giallo said. "You guys alright?"

Nigel rubbed the back of his head. "I had a few busted ribs and some lacerations, but that just took a few minutes and some aura to fix."

"I just needed a shot to get rid of the poison," Lucia said. "It's a shame I couldn't go with you. I've never been arrested before."

"Nah, it wasn't that," Rock said. "Believe me they would have been a lot less cordial if we were under arrest. I've been knocked around enough times by those Vale cops to know that much."

"That's horrible," Nigel said.

"Shit, just the cost of doing business. Could be worse. Not like they're as bad as the cops in Mistral. Back home I knew a guy that got locked up; cops stuck a broom handle up his ass."

"Why'd they do that?" Lucia asked.

"What the fuck are you asking me for? Do I look like the anal expert around here?"

Lucia giggled. "Well-"

"Shut up," Rock said.

The other boys all laughed and made to leave, but then…

"Nigel!"

A shrill scream made them all stop in their tracks. Before anyone could react someone had Nigel scooped up in a crushing hug. Nigel flailed helplessly as he was swung back and forth. The others stiffened, not knowing if it was another enemy.

"Mom!" Nigel shouted. "What are you doing here?"

"Mom?" Rock said.

The woman hugged Nigel even tighter and peppered his face with kisses. "Oh I was so worried. The headmaster called me and said you were in the hospital. What in the world happened?"

"I got in a fight. Can you let me go, please? My ribs are still sore."

Nigel's mother slightly released the hold on her son, but still held him tight and stroked his hair.

"You have no idea how worried I was. Are you okay?"

Nigel returned his mother's embrace. "I'm fine. I promise."

"Wow. Is that what having an actual mom is like?" Rock asked. "I'm kinda jealous."

"Oh, yeah," Nigel said. "Mom, I want you to meet my teammates."

Giallo stepped forward and took the woman's hand. "Hello ma'am, my name is Giallo and I'm the team leader. I assure you that your son's safety is my highest priority. And might I say you are quite the lovely woman. Has anyone ever told you that you look like a young Shelley Duval?"

Nigel's mother laughed. "You're such a charmer. I'm sure my son is in good hands if you're his leader."

Giallo laughed as well. "Yes, Nigel is a valued member of the team. If you like, we could talk about this more, perhaps over dinner?"

"Giallo, stop hitting on my mom!" Nigel shrieked.

"Tell your mom to stop being so hot," Giallo replied.

Nigel stepped forward and forcibly shoved Giallo aside. "Anyway, Mom, these are my other teammates. That's Lucia over there without the shirt, and the one in the hoodie is my partner Rock."

Rock waved. "Hi, it's nice to meet you. You wouldn't be looking to adopt, would you?"

Nigel's mother couldn't hold back her laughter. "You all are a laugh riot. I'm glad Nigel has such wonderful friends."

"Actually," Nigel said, "is it alright if they all spend the night at our house. It's too late to take a ship back to Beacon and we haven't had a chance to eat dinner."

"Of course, Nigel. I'd be happy to have your friends over."

As they all piled into the woman's car, they all were filled with a sense of elation. Their first (unofficial) mission as a team was a resounding success. For them, this was a good night.

XxX

"Come inside. Actin like you've never seen a house or something," Rock complained. Nigel had already walked his mother inside, but Lucia and Giallo stood outside the door. Lucia looked around like he was unsure if he was even supposed to be here, while Giallo was praying, hands clasped and muttering to himself.

"I admit this is out of my depth," Lucia said. "This will be my first time entering someone's home with their permission."

Rock grabbed Lucia and pulled him inside. "Just don't steal the silverware and you'll be fine. Giallo, hurry the fuck up."

Giallo went inside, shutting the door behind him.

The front room was quite ordinary. A couch with a television, a few paintings, and a glass cabinet in the corner. Giallo looked at the cabinet and saw that it was full of trophies and plaques all with Nigel's name on it. From the look of it Nigel had won tournaments all over. Giallo looked closer and saw a faded, worn picture in a frame. The picture was of a young boy with messy brown hair and a toothless smile. The girl next to him had blue hair down to her shoulders and held the boy like they were close. Giallo raised an eyebrow. The boy was obviously Nigel, but the girl was a blank. Nigel never mentioned having any friends, much less a girl.

"Hey, Nigel, who's the girl?"

Nigel snatched the picture out of Giallo's hand. "No one. Come on, dinner's ready. My mom made pork chops."

After eating dinner the four boys were gathered in Nigel's room.

Rock took a look around, and saw the walls covered in posters, a cabinet filled with anime figurines, a large TV and gaming console and a cabinet filled with various DVD cases.

"You're a real nerd, aren't you? How do you even afford all this shit?"

Nigel shrugged. "Dunno. I have a lot of money and not much to spend it on, I guess."

Nigel let out a long yawn. "I'm pretty tired."

"It's been a long night, we should all get to bed," Giallo said. "I'll take the couch in the living room."

Lucia flopped onto the bed. "I'll sleep with Nigel."

Rock shivered. "Well I was just gonna sleep on the floor, but I've seen enough horrible shit for one night. I'll just sleep out there."

Nigel grabbed Lucia by the arm and dragged him to the floor.

"I'm sleeping by myself, thank you," Nigel said.

Lucia pouted, but simply took his spot on the floor. He seemed to be more comfortable on the hard wooden floor than he was on the bed. It didn't take long for him to fall asleep.

"I don't understand this one," Rock said.

Nigel carefully stepped over Lucia's sleeping form. He reached in his closet and pulled out a rolled up sleeping bag.

"Here," he said, handing it to Rock, "I guess you can sleep in the living room, or next to Lucia if you want."

"I'll take the living room," Rock quickly answered. "Oh yeah, before I forget I just wanna say thanks. I would've died back there if you hadn't been training me. I appreciate it."

Nigel blushed slightly. "We're friends aren't we? Friends help each other. And you should give yourself a little credit. Most people couldn't progress as fast as you have. I think you're one of the best students I've ever had."

Now it was Rock's turn to turn red. He quickly turned away from Nigel and went for the door.

"Thanks," Rock muttered, his voice barely audible.

XxX

Detective Cotton leaned against a lamp post in the department's parking lot. The flickering yellow light seemed the perfect backdrop as he enjoyed his cigar. The case involving the bank was down, and now he had nothing to do but wait for another case to hit his desk. For now, he could relax.

Or at least try.

"We have got to stop meeting like this," he said. "People will talk."

"You aren't my type," Professor Ozpin replied.

Cotton laughed. "Figures. I'm not exactly easy on the eye. So if you're not here to flirt then what do you want?"

"I believe I made it clear the last time what would happen if you involved my students in your affairs a second time."

"Hey, it wasn't me this time. They did that on their own, I just happened to take their statements. Believe me, I want as little to do with your world as possible."

Cotton took another puff of his cigar. "I'm out of my depth with this. I came up in the gang unit. I liked it, it was simple, predictable. In a gang you see ten people get in two cars to do a drive-by to kill one person. Tonight just one of your huntsmen killed fifteen people."

Ozpin frowned slightly. "The people who perpetrated that attack were not huntsmen."

Cotton scoffed. "Really, then I guess it was a shitload a grimm did that, then. You can split hairs all you want but they had the weapons, the powers, the training, what's the difference between them and your people? And all those kids in that school of yours, how are you so sure they won't turn out the same way?"

Ozpin was quiet for a moment.

"I believe in my students," was all he said before walking away.

Cotton tossed aside his cigar and went back towards the building.

"Like you believed in Gin?"

XxX

Sunday afternoon, Rock was back at the school wandering around with nothing to do. Nigel had said training so soon after a mission was a bad idea, and Rock could see his point. Rock felt wired, like there was a buzzing inside his brain that he couldn't get rid of. Maybe taking a day off would be good for him. If only he could think of anything to do. He didn't feel like going back into the city, and the only other people he knew were Yasmin and Professor Alder, and they were busy with their own things.

"Damn, I need to make some friends."

"There you are, Mr Rock. I've been looking for you."

Rock stiffened slightly when he heard the assistant headmaster's voice. There was something about hearing it that put him on edge all the time. Even when she looked calm he thought she was seconds away from laying someone out. It reminded him a bit too much of some of the women he grew up around.

Rock sighed. "Hi, Miss Goodwitch. I don't know what you want from me but I'd really hate to get detention on my day off."

Glynda raised an eyebrow. "Why would you be worried about that? Have you committed any infractions that I'm unaware of?"

"No, no. I was just thinking out loud. So, if you're not here to bust my chops again then what did need?"

Glynda pulled a folder out of her jacket. She opened it and thumbed through the papers inside.

"I heard about your team's excursion last night. I'm glad that you and your team are safe."

Rock scratched the back of his head. "Thanks."

"Incidentally, the individuals you eliminated were wanted criminals with bounties on their heads. Normally only licensed huntsmen can collect bounties, but I've been informed that Professor Alder has taken you on as an apprentice and has collected it in your stead. If you wish to receive the money, you can speak with him."

Rock blinked. "Gramps did that? Why?"

"Who knows. Perhaps he sees some potential buried deep, deep within you. Understand that this is not a decision one makes lightly. From now on your actions will reflect on him, both good and ill. He is showing the utmost faith in you by doing this. I hope you do your part to uphold that faith."

"Yeah. I get you."

Glynda nodded. "Good. As for the second matter, you and your teammates are to see Doctor Sapphire tomorrow for a psychological evaluation."

"What? Why?"

"Standard procedure. You were involved in a self defense situation during which you employed lethal force. We need to ensure that you're of sound mind and spirit. Of course we cannot allow you to attend class with the other students until the evaluation is complete."

"Look, I don't want to sound cold, but that's nothing I'm not used to. Besides, the guy I fought isn't even dead."

"Mr. Rock, I read the reports. The scene was like an abattoir. Forty-two people died that night. Some of the bodies were so badly damaged they barely resembled human beings, and you would have had to travel through that to reach your targets. You're saying that all of that carnage and blood didn't bother you at all?"

"Yeah, that's what I'm saying."

Glynda leaned in close. "That is exactly why you need to see Doctor Sapphire."

As Rock watched Glynda walk away he was overwhelmed with a strange feeling. It was something he had never felt before. Someone actually believed in him. Someone thought that he was actually worth something. That was new. In the past the most anyone had ever needed him for was to hold a gun or bust someone's head open. That was all they expected from him.

Frankly, he had no idea how to feel about that.