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)

77. A Breath of Paris

A/N (Important, Please Read): Hey there, guys! Welcome back, and immediately, I owe you guys an explanation. Sorry that the story didn't update yesterday, but certain circumstances resulted in the writing of this chapter to be held up a little bit. However, the chapter IS here now, so hopefully you all enjoy it. HOWEVER… just to let you know ahead of time, the next couple of chapters MAY also have to be delayed a little, since that's when things are going to get REALLY action-packed. We'll see what ends up happening, but for now, let's get to this chapter, shall we?

Oh, and also, thank you to everyone who's contributed to the TV Tropes page so far! I'm gonna keep plugging this for a while, so make sure that you all check it out and start contributing! Now, let's get started! This is…

Chapter 76: A Breath of Paris

…..

Several hours past since the first meeting between the team and Dr. Garnier, and things had gone into full swing. The Saturdays and Ruby had returned to the Airship via the Proto-Truk, Rook having flown them out to its location before making a swift return to the city. The Hooded Huntress had gone with the family so that she could start training with her new Fang as soon as she could, while Rook had taken up the responsibility of being a chauffeur for the evening. Of course, Ben and Yang had gone off on their own, as did Rex and Weiss. That left Blake, Sun, Ilia and Swift to hitch a ride with him… at least, that was the plan. But that was before Blake had seen Juliette's library, and now the cat girl was practically glued to one of the chairs and scanning her eyes across one of the doctor's books.

Standing with her arms crossed in front of her best friend, Ilia pursed her lips and tried to get Blake's attention. "Ahem." Nothing. "A-hem." Still nothing, and at this point, the chameleon girl grew impatient. She reached down and pushed the book out of Blake's line of sight, substituting it with her own face. "AHEM!"

"AH!" Blake flipped out of her seat and jumped behind the couch in shock. "I-Ilia, what the heck?!"

"What do you mean, "what the heck", Blake?!" Ilia retorted with a furrowed brow. "Haven't you looked at the time?"

Her eyes snapping to the nearby clock on the wall, Blake saw that it was now 6 o'clock, and out the window, the sky was changing from blue to a light orange with the sunset. "…Oh. Right."

"Yeah, we need to leave soon." Ilia said with a sigh. "Honestly, you get absorbed into reading WAY too easily."

Blake scratched her head with an award wince. "Sorry about that, Ilia. It's just… this place is gorgeous."

Ilia couldn't deny that, but she wasn't about to lose Blake's mind to a book. "I realize that, but we're in Paris. A new city to us! We shouldn't waste what little time we have here just staying inside and reading, right?"

"…Yeah, you're right." Blake affirmed, setting the book down on the coffee table. "So, is Rook back, then?"

"He just got back." From the doorway, Hope announced her presence to the two, stepping in with a smile. "I'm guessing you two are on your way to your double date then?"

Both sets of eyes widened while Ilia broke out into a profuse blush once again. "I-It's not a double date!" she whispered harshly. "I-I mean, it kind of looks like one, sure, b-but I-I'm not even—"

"Woah, slow down there, Ilia." Charmcaster raised a gentle hand. "Don't overdo it before you even get out on the town. I'm sorry for assuming." But then, a knowing smile appeared on the sorceress' face. "That said, I'm fairly sure you MUST be planning on confessing to her soon, am I right?" Just a glance down to the floor from Ilia was all the answer Hope needed. "Hmhm, I thought so."

Ilia breathed a heavy sigh, her shoulders slumping low as she rubbed her forehead. "Ugh, I'm just so nervous. W-What if she says—"

"Hey, none of that." Blake admonished, taking Ilia off guard. "I won't be having you browbeat yourself into submission on what could be one of the biggest nights of your life."

"I have to agree." Hope supported as well, raising an imploring hand. "Ilia, you can't let yourself get scared when this is something YOU came up with in the first place. You brought Swift all the way to the other side of the world so you could ask her out, right?"

Biting her lip, Ilia knew there was no backing out of that. "…Yes. B-But I also just wanted her to have a break from her job, you know? She may be on parole, but that doesn't mean she shouldn't be restricted to Bellwood."

Hope gave her a nod. "And that's very admirable. But at the same time, you have to follow up on your own motives, otherwise you'll have to find another opportunity to ask her out. And let me ask you this…" She gestured toward the window. "What better opportunity will there be than the one you created for yourself?"

"I… you're right." Ilia's expression hardened and she slapped her hands to her cheeks, snapping herself out of her own self-doubt. "I can't stop hesitating! If I do, I'll never get the happy ending I want for Swift and myself." She bowed her head to both Blake and Hope. "Thanks girls, I needed that. Now, I'm going to go find her. Wish me luck."

"Hmhm, of course." Blake chuckled. "Good luck."

"Yes, the best of luck." Hope echoed before Ilia went out of the room, leaving the two girls by themselves.

Blake tilted her head to the mage first. "Alright, I'll bite. Why give Ilia relationship advise when you've only really known her for less than a day?"

That got a little laugh out of Hope before she answered with a shrug. "Because I'm a hopeless romantic?"

"…I mean, okay, valid, but I think we ALL are."

Both girls broke out into laughter at the remark before Hope gave another answer. "Hahaha, okay, okay, if I had to be completely transparent… Ilia honestly reminds me a lot of myself." This took Blake by surprise, but she allowed the magic user to explain. "As you can imagine, I didn't grow up in the best environment. The entire world I had known since I was little was overtaken by a power-hungry turtle, I had to be raised by my uncle who had a mental relapse and became a bad person, and in the middle of all that, I let my own anger get the better of me and I became spiteful toward someone who I should've been easy friends with." She sat down on the couch, taking a deep breath as she propped her elbows on her knees. "And then I spent the last two years with borderline crippling anxiety, fearing that same person wouldn't ever forgive me for what I've done."

Blake was left speechless for a few moments, trying to find the right words to say. "Wow… I-I don't know what to say, but… I am sorry that you had to go through all that."

"Thank you. I appreciate that." Charmcaster smiled to Blake briefly before returning to the subject at hand. "But from what I've heard, it sounds like Ilia also had a bad time growing up. Being shunned just because of how she looked, her parents dying and leaving her all alone, having to move to Menagerie at a young age…"

"…And then the White Fang taking her in." Blake concluded, clutching her hand over her chest. "After that, Ilia gave in to the anger she had festered in since her parent's death. …Didn't help that I didn't notice her feelings for me at all at the time."

Hope's eyebrows snapped up. "Woah, that part I wasn't privy to when Gwen was telling me about you guys, but… wow."

Blake joined her on the couch, giving her a nod. "Yeah, that one's all on me. A part of me thought that Ilia never truly be happy again…" Slowly, her lips curled back into a smile. "But then, she met Swift. Then Ruby and Penny. And before she knew it, she had a WHOLE bunch of new friends. Human, Faunus, Alien, you name it."

"Hmhm, and now she wants to take it a step further with Swift." Charmcaster leaned back in her seat, gazing up toward the ceiling. "So in many respects, we're a lot alike."

"…Believe it or not, you and I are pretty similar, too, actually." Her attention garnered once again, Charmcaster's eyes shifted back to Blake. "And whether she wants to admit it or not, so are you and Weiss. Our pasts are laced with tragedy, but… thanks to meeting the right people, we've been able to overcome them and move forward. Heck, we've even got significant others out of it. Which leads me to ask…" Craning her head around, Blake raised a brow, asking with a knowing smile; "…Did you ever—at any point—have a crush on Gwen?"

The question immediately made Hope's entire complexion change to beat red and her eyes grow as wide as dinner plates. "I-I—who—wha—HUH?!"

"Neither of that was a yes or no. I need some definitive answers here." Blake deadpanned.

After pinching herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming any of what Blake was saying, Hope gave a very firm; "N-No! I have not now nor have I ever had a crush on Gwen! Blake, she was ten when I first met her!"

The cat girl's expression was one of surprise as she remembered; "Oh yeah! I keep forgetting about the age gap between you guys! I always think you're the same age for some reason."

"Yeah, no, I'm at least five years older than her." Charmcaster affirmed, trying to calm herself down so she wasn't so red in the face anymore. "Back during that time, that would've been VERY problematic, and same goes for when we met up five years later."

Blake raised her hands defensively. "I'm sorry, really! I'll admit, my bad."

"No, no, I'm not blaming you or anything." The sorceress insisted. "Really, I-I can see where you'd come up with that assumption." Her hand went to her neck, wearing an awkward smile. "Honestly… she and I do kind of act closer than we actually are sometimes. But really, we're just good friends. And that's how I want it to stay now."

"I completely get that." The cat girl gave an understanding bow. "And again, sorry for dropping that on the spot. …But that said," Blake tilted her head inquiringly. "Do you perhaps have any interest in finding a romantic partner?"

Narrowing her eyes a heavy sigh, Charmcaster leaned back in her seat, glancing over to Blake. "Hah… you're quite the crafty one, Blake Belladonna." She cracked a smirk and chuckled once again. "Hmhm, I can respect that. But to answer your question, I don't have any solid plans on a romantic partnership right at the moment. …Especially after how the LAST one ended up."

Blake's lips curled into a disgusted sneer. "Oh, yeah… Michael. Gwen told me ALL about that. Sorry you had to put up with that bullcrap."

But Hope simply shrugged. "Eh, yeah, it sucked. But at least it was a learning experience to not wear my heart on my sleeve so easily. Whenever I find that someone, I want it to be a person who earns my trust, not someone who'll just try to sweep me off my feet right off the bat. But on that note…" She pointed behind the couch. "I believe you have a date of your own to get to."

Perking up, Blake spun around… and was met with a sight that left her mouth hanging agape. There was her boyfriend, dressed in the same black button-up he had worn when he'd taken her to the Beacon Dance. But THIS time, he wore MUCH more than just that. Beneath was a white undershirt and his legs were adorned by a pair of fresh, NEW jeans. To top it off, he wore a set of black and white high top shoes that matched his clothes very well. Peering down at her, Sun extended his hand.

"Madame, I believe now is the time to treat you to a night on the town." He gave her a wink. "Shall we see what this romantic city has to offer us?"

"…God, I'm so frustrated right now." Blake huffed as she puffed her cheeks out.

"Hm? And why's that?"

Blake practically shot up from the couch and turned to him, keeping her annoyed glare up. "Because you cleaned up really good for this date while I was too caught up in reading and talking to do ANYTHING with myself!" Looking down at herself, Blake pursed her lips. "…You look so dapper while I'm… normal." Her hand subconsciously went up to her short hair. "Not to mention anything about how my hair is now…"

Sun's smile transformed into a frustrated expression of his own, reaching out and grasping Blake by the shoulders. "Blake, I want you to listen to me; you are FAR from normally dressed. I mean, for one, you practically just GOT that new outfit of yours." His words managed to tear her eyes away from herself and back to him. "Second; no matter what you or anyone else thinks of your short hair, I think it looks amazing. And third…" Sun cupped her cheek, bringing her face squarely up to him. "There is no one in this city—no, on this planet—that can match how gorgeous you are."

That did it. Before Blake could even think about crying at Sun's words, she grabbed him by his open collar and whispered; "Kiss me, you dork." Sun didn't need to be told twice, bringing Blake's lips to his in one quick motion as the cat girl wrapped her hands around his neck, hoisting herself up as his own hands found her waist.

'Well, let it never be said that they're not shy about showing their affection.' Charmcaster noted, feeling very out of place in the living room at the moment. After about twenty seconds, it was obvious that the Faunus couple were lost in their kiss, so Charmcaster cleared her throat, forcing them apart. "Ahem, well, while that was incredibly nice to watch, I really should be heading back to the ship myself."

"O-Oh, um… sorry, Hope." Blake blushed profusely.

"Yeah, forgot you were there for a second." Sun added sheepishly.

Hope stood up from her seat and shook her head. "No, no, you're completely fine. Just don't forget to save some romance for when you're actually out on the city itself." With her hands starting to glow purple, Hope readied her teleportation spell. "Give Ilia and Swift my best, Blake, and I'll catch you later." With a thumbs up from Blake, Hope vanished in a flash of light, leaving the couple by themselves.

"Hah… so yeah, you ready to go then?" Sun asked.

Blake winked up at him. "I'm pretty sure you know the answer at this point. C'mon, let's find the girls and go."

…..

Back at the Saturday's Airship, Ruby Rose was… incredibly annoyed. When she was gifted the Fang by Drew and Zak, she thought she would be able to use her Silver Eye powers right off the bat… but that was a no-go. No matter what she tried, she couldn't get anything to work… and that's when Drew explained things a bit clearer to her;

"Ruby, it's not going to come to you instantly. Zak had to go through several sessions of meditation and practice with the Hand of Tsul'Kalu before he mastered how to use it." Drew pressed the Fang into her hand. "And now, you'll have to, as well."

And that was where Ruby found herself; sitting cross-legged with the Fang held in both hands, trying her best to drown out all distractions and find her inner piece or something. She didn't really know what the point of doing it all was, but she knew one thing; it was boring. And what made it worse was that she couldn't stop thinking of literally anything else. 'Mmm… I wonder how everyone else is doing on their dates? Oh, I hope Ilia's doing okay. She needs a win when it comes to romance…'

"Uh… Ruby?"

She scrunched her nose as she thought of something else. 'Ooh, when we're done in France, I gotta go get the new Pokémon game. It all looks so cool… just gotta hope my copy isn't filled with the bugs I've seen online…'

"Ruby?"

A smile came to Ruby's lips as she thought about home next. 'Oh, and I've gotta make sure I get some great souveniers for everyone before I leave! Let's see, Penny wanted a little Eiffel Tower, but what would everyone else—'

"Ruby!"

"GAH! Zak, what?!" Ruby whipped around to the boy, making him reel back with a gasp. "It's hard enough trying to concentrate with all my inner thoughts going around! What do you need?!"

"…Ruby, you were thinking out loud."

The Hooded Huntress blinked as his words settled in. "…Wha?"

Zak sat back up and pointed to her. "Everything you were thinking? It was all coming out your mouth."

Eyes wide and cheeks flushed with embarrassment, Ruby turned away and pulled her hood up, hiding herself as best she could. "Don't look at me, please."

"Heh, doing that only draws MORE attention to yourself." Zak scooted closer to her and nudged his shoulder against hers. "Listen, I get it, I totally do! You think it's hard meditating? Try being an excited eleven-year-old with no patience whatsoever."

"Ugh, I might as well BE one." Ruby grumbled, falling backward on the floor with her arms splayed out, kicking her feet in the air and then slamming them back down. As her hood fell out of her eyes, Ruby could only stare up at the ceiling in frustration. "You know, I was hoping that this'd be a LOT easier."

Zak laid down next to her, placing his hands over his chest. "Yeah, that's the same thought I had when I got my claw. But it really isn't easy." He moved his head so that he was looking at her. "But you wanna know what makes it worth it?" he asked.

"No, what?" Ruby glanced to him curiously.

"Being able to use your powers whenever you want." Propping himself on his side, Zak set his head upon his hand with his elbow firmly on the ground, Ruby raising her own head slightly with interest. "Think about it; using the Fang, you'll be able to use those Silver Eyes at ANY point. Grimm will freeze with just a glimpse in their general direction from you. Wouldn't that be awesome?"

The idea WAS appealing to Ruby, so much so that she sat up at attention. "Well, yeah, it is… it's just gonna be a lot of work, I guess."

Zak sat up with her, setting a hand to her shoulder. "And like we said, we'll be there to help you every step of the way. Mom is definitely committed, and while dad's not as in-tune with his spiritual side, he's just as dedicated." He puffed out his chest and raised his head proudly. "And of course, you've got me, the expert."

Ruby rolled her eyes and scoffed playfully. "Pfft, okay Mr. "Reincarnated Dragon God", feel free to show me, a common warrior, how to do this, then."

"Wha—hey, you're FAR from common." Zak pointed at her. "I'm not about to let my student talk down on herself, got that?"

"Hehe, alright, alright, I gotcha." Ruby took a breath as both of them stood up to stretch their legs. "But right now, I think I could go for a DIFFERENT kind of training."

A challenging smirk curled onto Zak's lips, the handle of his Claw extending. "You thinking what I'm thinking?"

Reaching behind her, Ruby pulled out Crescent Rose in its compact form. "Oh, yeah. Let's do this! …Though um…" A light blush came back to Ruby as she pulled her head down slightly. "You might want to let go of my shoulder before we do anything."

His eyebrows snapping up, it was only then that Zak realized he had held her shoulder for a solid half-minute, quickly drawing his arm back with a flustered; "O-Oh man, s-sorry about that. I-I didn't—uh—I-I mean I wasn't—"

"I-It's okay!" Ruby insisted, wearing a bashful smile. "It's… i-it's honestly nice to know I have someone I can count on here. O-Outside of my team, I mean."

"Oh, hehe, r-right, of course." Zak stammered, unable to overcome the sudden tight feeling in his chest. 'Just calm down, Zak, you've got this. She's just a girl, and you've got to TEACH her. Not fawn over her like she's your high school crush.'

In the back of his mind, though, a little voice was… actually reaffirming him on this. "That's right. You don't want another broken heart, do you? A repeat of Wadi? Not a chance."

Zak was taken aback. Where did THAT thought come from? It sounded exactly like what he sounded like in his head, so it must've been HIS thought… right? No matter what, though, Zak didn't agree with it one bit. Sure, he was upset when he broke up with Wadi, but that was no reason to scorn the thought of relationships all together. 'Why the heck would I think something like THAT at all?' Shaking his head, Zak brought a hand up to try and calm himself. 'I must be imagining things…'

"Um, Zak?" Ruby piped up. "Are you okay?"

Jolted out of his head, Zak recoiled but covered for himself quickly. "O-Oh, yeah! I'm all good, never better!" He tapped the side of his head with an anxious laugh. "Hehe… it just must've been some jetlag. I-I was just going over battle strategies in my head and I got lost in there. Haha… sorry about that."

"Oh… that's okay." Ruby wasn't sure she entirely bought that story, but she wasn't about to pry. At least, not until it started showing signs of becoming TOO concerning. "Well, if you're still up for some combat practice…" She unfurled Crescent Rose, letting her baby show off in all of its splendor. "I'm ready and willing!"

Staring up at the giant scythe, Zak felt a bead of sweat fall down his face. "…I may have made a grave error in judgement." But, just then…

*FLASH*

The duo whipped their heads around and saw Charmcaster appear out of a bright flash of purple light, the sorceress smiling to them in greeting. "Hey there, Ruby, Zak. How're things going here?"

"Oh, Hope!" Ruby waved in return. "Didn't expect to see you back so soon!"

"Yeah, everyone was basically leaving Dr. Garnier's place, so I decided to teleport back here." It was then that Charmcaster spotted what was in Ruby's hand, and her eyes widened. "Wait… what is that?"

Ruby followed the direction of Hope's gaze and lifted her hand, showing the talisman off. "Oh, this? THIS is what's gonna help me focus my Silver Eye powers so I can use them properly! Behold; the Fang!"

With an inquisitive eye, the sorceress approached Ruby with a hum, running her finger across her chin. "I see… and tell me, would this "Fang" happened to belong to Zak Monday?" Hope eyes traveled to Zak's weapon. "Considering it's resemblance to the Claw, I'd say it's safe to assume…"

"Yeah, it is." Zak confirmed. "Something wrong with that?"

Hope pursed her lips at the boy. "Well, it would've been helpful to know that you had something related to your evil doppelganger still in your possession."

"She's got a point." the voice in the back of Zak's head piped up.

"Guh! Quiet!" Zak exclaimed

"Excuse me?!" Hope gasped.

Ruby's brows knit together worriedly. "Zak, what is going on? Why are you shouting at her?"

Zak felt the blood drain from his face as he realized what he said. "O-Oh god, I-I'm sorry! I wasn't shouting at her, I was shouting at myself… I-I think! GAH!" Zak winced as his head began pounding, taking a knee as an overwhelming pain came over him. "M-My head! I-I can't… I can't think—"

"Oh my goodness." Charmcaster knelt down next to him and began to muster up a spell, placing a hand to his forehead. "Dolor Disperge!" The energy in her hand wafted over Zak's head, and within moments, the pain had left him… but he wasn't anymore reassured.

"W-What… what happened?" Zak asked, feeling terrified.

"The headaches must be getting worse." Charmcaster concluded, she and Ruby helping him to his feet. "They're coming even when you aren't using your powers now… this is very worrying. Come on, we're getting you to bed and I'm getting your parents."

The boy was about to fight back. "B-But I'm not—snnrrrrkk…" But, without any warning, Zak suddenly slumped over, dead asleep, much to the two girls' surprise.

Ruby swallowed nervously, hoping her friend had answers. "Hope… what's going on with Zak?"

But Charmcaster could only shake her head. "I don't know, Ruby. I really don't know…" Even with their lack of answers, though, they still resolved to take Zak to bed, all while hoping it was just a result of jetlag as he said.

…..

Back in the city, Ben had decided exactly what he'd wanted to do with Yang right off the bat; go do some sightseeing. After all, to his knowledge, Paris was a LOT more than just the Eiffel Tower, so what better way to spend the afternoon than going around and seeing everything the city had to offer? …Though not without the proper disguises. Ben had learned a long time ago that making an unscheduled appearance in a major city was going to get him mobbed, so he discarded his jacket for the time being, instead opting for a green and white ball cap and a pair of sunglasses. He had grabbed a pair for Yang, too, who had done her hair up in a ponytail for added measure. And with that, they were off to see the sights….

…Right after a quick text to Gwen to try and get some interesting facts from her. The one thing Ben wasn't prepared for when accessing the internet in France; EVERYTHING being in French, and he wasn't about to have it all be poorly translated for him. So of course, he was very glad that his cousin was the bastion of knowledge that she was. 'Cous, I owe you BIG time when we get home.'

Finally, the couple arrived at their first location. They were in the center of a MASSIVE circle, which was in itself the center point of a whole network of avenues converging on one another. From the sky, it might've resembled a twelve-pronged star, and in the middle was a massive stone arch, one with a flat, squared off top with ornate sculptures all over it. "Well, Yang, here we are." Ben extended his hand up to the archway. "Feast your eyes on the Arc de Triomphe."

"Ooh, fancy." Yang commented, placing her hands on her hips. "So, what's so "triumphant" about it?"

"Well, uh… apparently it's to commemorate all of the lost lives from the French Revolutionary War as well as the Napoleonic Wars." Ben answered, pointing down to the arch's base. "In fact, if you go and look, you'll see the names of lots of French victories on there, along with some notable soldier names as well."

Yang hummed and pressed a finger to her chin. "I see… and they commemorate them by… putting their names on a massive arch with naked people carved into it?"

Ben fell straight on his face, not expecting such a blunt response. Of course his girlfriend would notice THAT first, and he couldn't help but laugh about it. …Even though it was a nervous laugh since they were in public. "Hahaha! Ah, Goldie Locks, never change."

"Don't intend to." Picking her boyfriend up, Yang nudged her head toward the arch. "C'mon, let's get closer!" As they drew nearer, the couple found themselves weaving around a bunch of people, no doubt all there to see the arch's magnificence for themselves. "Ah! Oops, hah, excuse us!"

"P-Pardone moi!" Ben called out with his limited knowledge of French. "s'il vous plait!" But then, much to their shock, they ended up bumping into someone anyway, making them both fall to the ground.

"GAH! Hey, watch it, man—wait, GUYS?!"

The green and yellow couple were taken aback by who it was. "Rex!?" Ben exclaimed.

"Weiss!" Yang beamed, seeing her friend in front of them. "Hah, guess we had the same idea."

"Apparently." Weiss replied as she helped Yang up, Rex doing the same with Ben. "I'd say that's a roundabout way of meeting back up with one another. By the way… why are you guys in disguises?"

Yang adjusted her sunglasses, replying; "Heh, so we don't get recognized, of course. I mean, heck, I'm surprised that YOU two aren't being flocked by people right now."

"Yeah, well, guess that comes with the territory of NOT being as well known." Rex huffed and folded his arms across his chest. "The only looks I've been getting are weird ones whenever I bring out my Ride." With a shake of his head, Rex dismissed those thoughts. "B-But never mind that, it's no big deal. So, where'd you guys go first?"

Ben set his arm across his girlfriend's shoulders. "Well, we went to a pretty fancy restaurant for lunch… though what the name of it was, I can hardly remember. All I knew was that it was four stars, so it HAD to be good."

Rex nodded and gave a shrug. "Yeah, pretty much the same. Though in our case, I managed to get us into a five star one and the food was… just kinda okay."

"I kept telling you, five stars is NOT indicative of good food." Weiss said with a finger wag to her boyfriend. "These stuck-up food critics only care about the presentation most of the time and whatever taste they rank is usually only subtle."

The EVO rubbed his neck in frustration. "Yeah… guess I learned my lesson on that one. B-But don't worry, I'll take us to somewhere better for dinner, promise." He turned back to Ben and asked; "Dude, do you at least remember what your restaurant looked like? Or where it was?"

Ben pointed down toward the furthest eastern avenue. "It was down that road there. But maybe you wanna wait until we get to the Eiffel Tower." Shifting his hand southward, the hero pointed out the structure, which presented itself in the city skyline. "That place has TWO restaurants on its different levels, so if we want a dinner with a view, we should head over there."

"Ooh, good plan!" Weiss approved, already hearing her stomach starting to grumble. "And I'm pretty sure I'm still hungry after such a light lunch."

"Well, why don't we go over there right now, then?" Yang held up her scroll, showing her chat with a certain cat girl. "I've been messaging Blake, and she, Sun, Ilia and Swift are all there right now. We could all chow down together!"

Weiss clapped in support. "Ah! An even BETTER plan. Tell her we're on our way."

Yang wasted no time in relaying her message through her phone… but a few seconds later, her response from Blake wasn't the one she was expecting. "Huh? She… doesn't want us to come right now." Receiving questioning glances from her teammates, Yang was prompted to ask her best friend the reason why. Thankfully, she DID get an answer… and it made the Blonde Brawler brighten up excitedly. "Ooh… okay, I see what's going on here."

Still, the others didn't have a clear answer. "What? What's going on, Goldie Locks?" Ben asked.

"Hmhm, let's just say Ilia's in the middle of a REALLY important mission right now…" Without warning, she gathered her friends up and began escorting them away from the Arc de Triomphe, ushering them toward Ben's car. "Come on, let's go find something to do while we wait." Sparing a glance up to the tower, Yang sent out nothing but positive thoughts to their chameleon Faunus friend. 'Good luck, Ilia. You can do this.'

…..

'I can't freaking do this.' That was the statement that kept repeating over and over in Ilia's head, all while the elevator lifted her and Swift up to the top-most platform of the Eiffel Tower. It was easily the most nervous she had ever been in her life. Thankfully, she had conquered her fear of heights LONG ago, otherwise, it would've been much worse. 'Why in the WORLD did I decide to do this? Who's bright idea was it again?! Oh right, it was MINE! Stupid, stupid, stupid!'

But now, she was committed, and the girl to her right reminded her of that. Swift was wearing her ID Mask, so she didn't have the usual Aerophibian features she was used to, but even then, that did nothing to obscure her beauty. She pretty much looked exactly how she always did, aside from the lack of a third eye, head crest and pointed ears. Her complexion was also a deep olive tan, which was all the more radiant in the setting sun. Her eyes were still red, but of course, she didn't have her tail, leaving her appearing 100% human.

Ilia was secretly hoping that there was no one else on the top platform, that way Swift could be able to remove her ID Mask. '…Especially since I want her to be her most pure self when I say what I need to say.' With a hard swallow, Ilia felt her limbs continue to shake like a leave. '…IF I can say it.'

"Hey, Ilia."

"EEP!" Changing colors involuntarily, Ilia became yellow and pink in surprise, jumping at least a foot in the air and almost hitting her head on the elevator roof.

"Oh-oh god, I'm sorry!" Swift apologized, setting her hand to her friend's shoulder to calm her. "I-I just wanted you to know we were almost to the top. I didn't think you were… well, lost in your head or anything."

Taking a deep breath, Ilia shooed away the girls' worries. "I-It's okay, Swift. I'm just… hoo, getting some flashbacks to when I was scared of heights."

Swift's eyes widened at that. "Woah, you were scared of heights? …Huh." As they reached the top, the elevator doors opened and Swift peeked her head out, making sure no one else was there before she reached up and took off her ID Mask, allowing her alien features to reappear. "You know, I was too, believe it or not."

Needless to say, Ilia was not prepared to hear that. "Wait… you were scared of heights? Really?"

"Yep, utterly terrified." The Aerophibian girl walked out of the elevator and onto the platform, moving straight toward the guardrail. "And you'd better believe it only got worse when I figured out how to fly. Heh, lemme tell ya, first time I took off, I had a panic attack and couldn't even bare to look at the sky for a week."

"That's… really crazy to hear." Ilia admitted, joining her in gazing over the city. "I had always thought you were a natural when it comes to the air."

Shaking her head, Swift chuckled again. "Heh, nope. It took me a LONG time to get the hang of not just flying, but being high up in general." Leaning over the railing, Swift took a deep breath as the wind blew softly against her face. "But I did it. And honestly, I think I owe a lot of it to natural instinct."

"Wait, you mean your Aerophibian side told you not to be afraid of heights or something?"

"Well, not exactly like that." Swift denied. "More like… prompted me to try overcoming my fears. After all, Aerophibians ARE natural fliers, and while the thought of flying scared me… it also appealed to me so much that I just took off with it." Her lips curled into a beaming grin. "And now? I love flying… or at least, I did." Her smile became somewhat sad as she lifted her leg, lifting her pants to show off the power inhibitor anklet. "With this on, I can't exactly take to the skies until my probation's up. Hah… and who the hell knows what THAT'S gonna be?"

Ilia's lips tightened and she reached her hand forward, giving Swift's a reassuring squeeze. "H-Hey, don't worry. You've been on your best behavior lately, so I'm sure that the Plumbers have taken notice." She put on her own smile, hoping to comfort her best friend. "Things will be back to normal for you before you know it, Swift. Trust me."

That elicited a short chuckle from Swift's throat. "Heh… normal. What even IS "normal" for me at this point?" She lifted her ID Mask up. "I can't go anywhere outside of Bellwood without THIS thing, I've got a permanent criminal record, and I sure as hell know my dad won't take me back." With a hefty sigh, Swift slumped against the railing, her eyes staring down to the streets below. "IS there anything "normal" with me, Ilia?"

"Of course, there is!" Ilia snapped, making Swift do a doubletake. "You have good friends who support you! A well-paying job and a boss who would give you the shirt off his back if you needed it! And—A-And you have…" She hesitated for a moment, but Ilia mentally kicked herself, making sure that it didn't last for more than a second. "And you have a p-person who cares about you… so very, very much."

Swift was pretty sure her heart skipped a beat at that, feeling her cheeks heating up at the same time. After a moment's silence, Swift managed to utter; "…W-W…What?"

'No going back. Keep going forward.' Ilia tightened her fist at her sight, digging her nails into her palm to make herself go on. "Swift, listen… we've known each other for probably a month and a half now, but in that time, you've helped me so much." She placed a hand on her chest, clenching it over her heart. "Back before I met you, I was someone who was so bitter to the world. I was so upset, not just at humanity for thinking lesser of Faunus kind, but for what happened to my parents. I wanted the world to just go away for what fate dealt me."

"Ilia…" Swift whispered, her chest churning with many emotions.

Ilia put on a smile as she lifted her head back up to her. "But then… I met you. An alien from another world who was a misfit like myself. And I mean that in the nicest way possible." As she went on, her cheeks became pink, something she couldn't control. "And the more you and I talked and hung out together, the more I realized how much the weight of the world started to lift off of me. For the first time in a long time… I felt so happy."

Brushing her hand through her hair, Swift bashfully reciprocated. "I…I-I felt the same way, honestly. Sure, Ruby was the first one to stick up for me, and Penny's just a barrel of fun, but you… Ilia, you make me immensely happy." She lowered her head, a bubble of anxiety rising in her gut. "A-And I… I think there's only one way to describe it. It makes me… excited but… also really nervous, too."

All at once, Ilia felt her stomach leap up into her throat. Swift… felt the same way. At least, that's what she seemed to imply. "I-I feel the exact same way!" With all hesitation thrown to the wayside, Ilia stepped forward and took both of Swift's hands into her own. "But I-I wasn't sure how to just come out and say it… s-so I thought a trip to Paris would help me muster up the courage to just do it."

"Ah-ha! So that's why you were so eager to come here first." Swift concluded. "An amazing view, both of us by ourselves… and on top of the most iconic spot in Paris." She tilted her head to the side. "I don't think I have to think hard on this one, do I?"

"Nope. Swift…" Ilia lowered her head and blurted out; "Will you go out with me?!"

Only mere seconds later, Ilia got her answer. Swift reached her hand under her chin, using her finger to bring Ilia's head back up… so she could smooch her on the cheek. Eyes wide and jaw slack, Ilia could only stare at Swift as an ecstatic grin took hold of her. "Color Girl, you just proved that you are WAY more confident than me." She scratched her cheek and admitted; "Truth is, I've been planning on a way to ask you out for weeks, but I—"

"AAAAH!" Suddenly, Ilia practically tackled in Swift in a tight embrace, the Aerophibian just barely keeping her balance. "Swift!" she cried into her now-girlfriend's shoulder. "Y-You have no idea how happy I am to hear that!"

"…Not even gonna give me the chance to say "I like you" back, eh?" Swift teased, with Ilia briefly taking on a horrified expression. "Ha! Relax, it's okay. I didn't mean it like that." Swift trailed a hand through Ilia's hair comfortingly. "I do like you, though, Color Girl. A LOT, in fact."

Leaning in with a thankful sigh, Ilia rested her head against Swift's shoulder, relieved that both of their feelings were now out in the open. "Hah… gosh, I can't believe I just did all of that."

Resting her arms gently on Ilia's back, Swift giggled as she soothed her. "Hehe, believe it, baby. You just hit the big shot."

"Haha, so… um, what happens from here?" Ilia pulled herself away to look up at Swift with a nervous gaze. "I'll be the first to admit… I've never been in a meaningful relationship like this."

Swift's eyes widened at that. "W-Wait, you mean you haven't? Me either!"

"You're kidding!" the chameleon girl exclaimed.

"No, girl, I'm an alien-hybrid who had to keep that secret close to her chest for most of her life." Swift gestured to herself. "And because of all this, I basically couldn't date anyone."

Ilia brought her hand to her chest again. "And I'm a socially awkward Faunus girl whose options were extremely limited! AND, might I add, I worked for the White Fang for years. You think people would WANT to date me?" The couple sat in silence for a few moments, just staring at once another… before they both broke out into infectious laughter.

"Pfft—AHAHA! Look at us, we're a goddamn mess!" Swift guffawed.

"I know, right? Hahaha!" Ilia managed to calm herself down before long and then immediately went back to hugging her new girlfriend. "Well, I guess that just means we'll have to learn as we go, then."

Swift reciprocated without question. "Yeah, and I can't wait to see where we go, Ilia. You and me… a pair of awkward messes working things out together."

A shrug was all Ilia had to offer. "It should be interesting, at the very least. Oh, and before I forget…" She stood up on her tip-toes and pecked Swift on the cheek, giving her a wink. "Just to return the favor."

"…Oh, I think we can BOTH get used to this."

*blip-blip-blip-blip*

Ilia's eyebrows snapped up and she reached into her pocket, pulling out her scroll as it went off. There, she saw a message from Blake, and she read it out loud; "Hm, seems Yang and the others wanna meet us all here for dinner." She put her scroll back and sighed in disappointment. "I'll be honest, I was hoping we'd get to have dinner by ourselves, but—"

"Hey, we still can." Swift insisted, taking Ilia off guard. "Ilia, you used every ounce of confidence you had to confess to me, so let me do something for you." With a determined smile, Swift vowed; "I'm gonna plan our first date."

"B-By yourself?!" Ilia's spots became an even hotter pink than they were before. "Y-You don't have to take on that much responsibility!"

"I know." Swift put an arm around Ilia's shoulders, leading her back to the elevator. "But I want to. Especially after you gave that confession your all." Ilia was about to argue, but Swift quickly put a finger to her lips. "Ah-ah, don't try to talk me out of it, Color Girl. I've made up my mind, and you know how I get when that happens."

Ilia pouted, but relented to her wishes. "Okay, you win… but after this, we share date ideas, okay?"

That got a laugh out of Swift as she placed her ID Mask back on, the elevator taking them back down. "Haha, you got it, babe. And don't worry, I'm gonna make sure you're SUPER surprised with this first date."

Her smile returning, Ilia nodded back. "Hmhm, I can't wait. …That being said," her grin increased knowingly. "You'll definitely be in for a surprise tomorrow, because I have one more planned for you."

"Oh my god, Ilia, you're spoiling me. What is it, Confession Part Two?"

"Hahaha! No, it's nothing like that." Ilia winked. "But you WILL be happy once you see what it is. I guarantee it. Now come on, Rook's probably wondering where we are."

Pressing the elevator button, Swift rolled her eyes at that. "Psh, alright, I'll be patient… but I think Rook's a bit too busy stuffing his face with snails to notice how long we've been gone." Bursting out laughing once again, the new couple descended back to the lower levels, where they would soon meet their friends to deliver the fantastic news.

…..

As predicted, the moment everyone heard about Ilia and Swift's new relationship status, the gathering had gone from a simple dinner to a full-blown FEAST of celebration. Even Charmcaster and Ruby made it, the Hooded Huntress practically glomping onto the couple in a massive hug while gushing about how proud she was of them. Unfortunately, that also came with her and Hope delivering the news about Zak, which put a light damper on things, but didn't overshadow the good times overall, thankfully.

By the end of the night, everyone was exhausted and they collectively returned to the Airship for some rest… where Zak was still very much asleep. But, by six o'clock the next morning, he had woken up… to a very concerned group of friends and his family all waiting for him. "…Uh, hey everybody. What's goin'—AH!"

Before he even knew what was happening, Fiskerton, Zon, Komodo and Smokey all piled onto him, snarling, grunting and barking at the sight of him. "Ragajajabah-WOOWOO!" Fisk babbled happily with a strong hug.

"W-Woah, guys, what the heck?!" Zak choked out, gently pushing his cryptid siblings off of him. "I was just sleeping, what's the big deal?!"

"Zak, sweetie…" Drew approached her son with Doc at her side, reaching out to grasp Zak's hand with her own. "We need to talk."

The boy was confused for a moment before he realized something… he didn't ACTUALLY remember ever falling asleep in bed. His eyes nearly bugged out of his head and he recoiled back in shock. "H-Hold on a sec… how long was I out for?! D-Did I miss the mission?!"

"No, you didn't." Ben replied, lifting the Omnitrix to activate its holo-watch function. "It's currently 6:15 A.M. You've been out for almost twelve hours, Zak."

"TWELVE HOURS?!" Zak reached up and clenched at his hair, trying to process that bombshell. "W-Why?! How?!"

Moving through the crowd of people, Charmcaster echoed his sentiment. "That's what we'd like to know, Zak. Tell me, do you remember anything before you fell under last night?"

Knitting his brows together in concentration, Zak tried to recall what he had been doing before going to sleep. It was a bit hard to do so, his memory feeling slightly fuzzy, but eventually he did remember. "I… I-I was helping coach Ruby on how to use the Fang." His gaze trailed up, meeting Ruby's worried eyes. "We were meditating at first, b-but… we had a conversation that led us to wanting to spar a bit. Then Charmcaster came in and… nothing."

Biting her lower lip, Ruby's fears were all but confirmed by his words. "Zak, you… you don't remember the outburst you had?"

"…Outburst?"

"You were confronted by Hope about the Fang being something from Zak Monday's world, and then… you told her to shut up."

Zak blinked a couple times, not remembering any of that at all. "I… I said that?" His gaze trailed over to Hope in astonishment. "…To you?"

"Yes, you did… but you also seemed very out of sorts." Hope extended her hand, pointing to his forehead. "But not long after, you had one of your headaches, which I took care of. After that, you fell right to sleep on the floor of the training room."

Hearing this, Zak was at a lost for words. Apparently, he had lashed out at Hope, got a headache, and then fell unconscious. And he didn't remember ANY of it. "I… I-I don't get it." Zak sat down on a nearby bench, holding his head in his hands as Doc and Drew joined him, placing their hands on his back. "I-I wasn't even using my powers, I—I don't know how I could've gotten a headache. What is HAPPENING to me?!"

"Zak, son, it's going to be okay." Doc reassured, allowing Zak to lean onto him for support. "After she did a more thorough observation last night, Hope's deduced that this probably has something to do with the energy build-up inside of you."

"Apparently, the energy ended up very erratic for some reason." Drew explained further. "Almost as if it had been agitated by something. Were you doing something stressful during the training?"

But Zak shook his head. "N-Nothing that I remember…" But then, something clicked in the young man's mind… and things started falling into place. 'I… I DID have that conversation with Ruby, though… a-and I got really nervous when I had my hand on her shoulder for too long.' He felt some nerves in his stomach start to bubble up again, but he resisted speaking his thoughts. 'I can't let them know about THAT, though. Especially not Ruby.'

A short breath passed Yang's lips, the Blonde Brawler unsure of what to make of this herself. "Well, Zak, I think I speak for all of us when I say that we're pretty worried for you. Right guys?" She got a collective nod from all of the Omni-Hunters present. "And we really don't want to see you get any more hurt."

"Which is why I've come to a decision." Ben spoke up, kneeling down in front of Zak and placing a hand on his shoulder. "Zak, I think it'd be best for you to—"

"Don't say it!" Zak shouted suddenly, grasping at Ben's arm. "Please don't say that you're leaving me behind!"

Ben wasn't exactly too thrilled about it either, but he was going to stand firm on this. "Zak, I understand that it sucks, but your mom and dad have already volunteered to stand guard outside the Catacombs to watch for any Forever Knights that might show up."

Zak crinkled his nose at that in suspicion. "Wait, the Forever Knights? Why do you think they'd show up? How would they know we're even here?"

"Trust me, it's a gut instinct." Ben asserted. "The bad guys always show up when you least expect it, so it's best we go into this prepared. So that being said, I think it'd be best if you stayed with your family—"

"Dude, come on!" Zak argued, growing more upset by the second. "I won't be a liability to you, I promise!"

"But how can you guarantee that?" Ben retorted, hoping to reason with him. "What happens if we end up having to carry you back out of there after another potential headache?"

Zak's eyes darted around desperately before he got an idea. "U-Uh, FISK! Fiskerton can come with us!"

The suggestion took the Lemurian by surprise. "Ruh?" He pointed to himself. "Meh?"

"Yes, you! Fisk, you're my partner in crime!" Zak stood up and put an arm around his brother. "We've always had each other's backs, right? So you'll have mine this time, too?"

"Ooooh… yah-yah!" Fisk nodded with an enthusiastic thumbs up.

"Haha! Yes! See? I'll be totally fine."

Ben hummed as he looked between the duo, still not completely certain about the choice. But, even then, he could see that Zak wasn't about to back down from this, so he sighed and relented. "Hah, okay, I'll trust you on this one. BUT—" Swooping in close, Ben directed a stern finger at them both. "I want you guys to make sure you uphold your ends. Zak, if you go down, then that's it, Fisk takes you out." He raised a brow toward the gorilla cat. "And Fisk, I'll be counting on you to get him away from any danger ASAP. We're going into uncharted territory and I don't want anyone getting hurt, that clear?"

Putting on a serious expression, Fiskerton stood up straight and saluted. "HMPH! Ye-sa!"

As much as Zak wished he had more liberty on this one, he knew that just getting to go down there was victory enough. "Yeah, understood, Ben. I get it." He noticed Ruby out the corner of his eye and smiled at her. "But hey, I still get to go all the same, so I'd count that as a win, right?"

"Maybe…" Ruby didn't seem as thrilled, but she reciprocated the grin. "Just make sure not to overdo it, okay?"

"Yeah, I won't. Trust me." Zak placed his left hand over his chest, raising his right one up. "You have my word. …Though, uh, just curious, but did I miss anything else while I was knocked out?"

The question seemed to make Ruby much happier in an instant, and she zipped right over to Ilia and Swift. "Oh, did you EVER! Guess who finally took a really big step!" Ruby was practically singing as she set her arms across the new couple's shoulders, giving Zak a good idea.

"Oh! Hah, no way!" Zak beamed in approval. "Ilia, Swift, did you two finally take the plunge? Hah, congrats!"

The girls wore matching sheepish smiles hearing his congratulatory praise. "Aw, thanks, Zak." Swift rubbed her neck. "It's… honestly still a lot to process, though." She brought her arm across Ilia's shoulders, pulling her in closer to her. "But still, we're together! And Color Girl here had the confidence to make that a reality."

Ilia rolled her eyes and shuffled her foot a bit. "Oh, come one, Swift, you shouldn't sell yourself short. You have plenty of natural confidence. I had to build mine up over time."

But that didn't deter Swift from nuzzling her head against hers. "I know, but you're not gonna stop me from praising you like this, just so you know."

"Hah, of course not." Ilia resigned, returning the nuzzle in kind. "Ooh, but while we're on the subject, it's time we give you that OTHER big surprise I mentioned." Seeing her girlfriend's perplexed expression, Ilia nudged her head toward the Omnitrix bearer. "Ben, I think it's time."

"Couldn't agree more." Ben obliged, approaching Swift with purpose. "First of all, Swift, I want to congratulate you and Ilia again. Honestly, I was rooting for both of you ever since the last attack on Vale."

Swift's eyes widened considerably. "H-Hold on, you mean when I swooped in at the last minute? THAT battle made you want to see us get together?"

"Well, yeah, you pulled a Superman move." Ben put a hand to his chin, giving a nod of approval. "I respect anyone who's able to pull off a classic save like that." Ilia couldn't help but giggle and give her girlfriend a pat on the shoulder, while Ben continued on. "All that said, it's undeniable that you've come really far in your probation. After all, I let you on this trip because I knew you could be trusted with a weekend away from Bellwood."

Wearing a proud smirk, Swift crossed her arms and held her head up high once more. "Hm! Yeah, not to brag, but I HAVE been on my best behavior."

Ben's visage suddenly took a somewhat sterner countenance. "But now, things are getting serious. We're headed into uncharted territory beneath the surface of Paris, deeper than even the Catacombs. And, if we encounter something dangerous, I want all the help we can get."

"…Uh, Tennyson, where are you going with this?" Swift questioned.

"This." The hero nudged his head to Swift's parole officer. "Rook, do it."

The Revonnahgander took out a remote from his pocket, complying with Ben's request. "Of course. Swift, as your parole officer, know that I am doing this in accordance with a special appeal made by Ben to the higher-ups at Plumber HQ. This will only be permitted for a day, but if you wish to know my opinion…" Pointing the remote down to Swift's ankle, Rook pressed a button… and it unlocked, falling to the floor. "You have earned a day to use your powers as you see fit."

"SURPRISE!" Ilia shouted, with Swift still taken off guard. "So, how does it feel, Swift? You can use your powers! Isn't that great?"

Blinking a couple times to let the reality set in, Swift extended her arms out, allowing her wing membranes to expand out from her body. The feeling felt—ironically enough—a little alien to her after so long of not being able to do it. Slowly, her lips formed into a small smile and she gave a disbelieving laugh. "Hah… I-Is this… is this real? Please tell me I'm not dreaming."

Blake shook her head. "Nope, not a dream."

Weiss gave her a thumbs up. "And girl, you more than earned it."

"Might be just for a day, but I'm sure you'll get PLENTY of use out of your powers for the time you've got." Ben noted as he handed something else to her. "Also, you're going to want this." In his hand, Ben held a familiar set of Proto-Tek armor; black and dark grey with white detailing. "Tetrax let you use this during the Battle for Vale, so he let me have it to give to you just for this occasion. Consider it a gift from him."

Taking the Proto-Tek armor from the hero, Swift put a hand to her mouth to keep herself from sobbing with joy, all while tears threatened to fall from her eyes. "I-I-I… god damn it, why am I crying?!"

"It's okay, let it all out." Ilia urged, bringing Swift in to unleash everything on her shoulder. "You've been so good, Swift. Keep it up and that I'll bet anklet will be off permanently sooner than you expect."

Breathing deeply, Swift fought to compose herself, wiping her tears away as she put an arm around her girlfriend. "You're right, Color Girl. And I'm going to." After a few more moments of calming herself down, Swift pulled away from Ilia and bowed her head to Ben. "Tennyso—Ben, I mean… thank you. I'm gonna go change right now. But before we go… do you think I could just fly around a bit? I've gone without being in the open air so long and—"

Ben held up a hand, giving her a reassuring grin. "Say no more, Swift. Feel free to go outside and soar. We've still got some time before the expedition, anyway."

"Thanks! I'll be right back!" Swift rushed toward the nearest bathroom to change, leaving the others to discuss things further.

"So, what's our plan of attack on this expedition gonna be again?" Rex piped up.

Sun put a hand on his hip, jerking a thumb up to the woodpecker on his shoulder. "And can we somehow convince THIS guy that being underground probably isn't good for his health?"

With a roll of his eyes, Ben brushed that off. "Oh, come on, Sun, he'll be fine. If he's an animal sent by the gods, he won't have any problems, I'm sure." With a pout, Sun reserved himself to some supportive pats from Blake, while Ben answered Rex's initial question. "As for how we're going in on this, as I said, Doc, Drew and most of the Cryptids will be remaining on lookout via their smaller aircraft outside."

"Right. With the Griffon's stealth modules, we should be able to stake out for any Forever Knights should they approach the Catacombs' entrance." Doc continued, giving the team a nod. "Meanwhile, all of you kids will be accompanying Doctors Garnier and Lenoir down into the depths. But if anyone's having second thoughts about going down in, feel free to let us know."

Ruby tilted her head at that. "Why would we have second thoughts?"

…..

~2 Hours Later, Paris Catacombs~

"…Oh, I see why now."

Of all the things that Team RWBY and Sun were expecting when they heard "Catacombs", the last thing they could've expected was the cavalcade of DEATH that was before them. At first, it didn't seem too bad, what with the massive stone carvings at the beginning. But then, the moment they all stepped into the labyrinth with Juliette and Jaqc, they were greeted by walls and walls of human bones and skulls, going on almost infinitely down into the corridors. Some of the bones were stacked even higher than most of their heads, and most were even arranged in patterns across the walls. In a way, it was dementedly artistic… but that did nothing to quell the onset of disgust that some of them were feeling.

…Mainly Weiss, who was hyperventilating into a paper bag. "WOOPH! WOOPH! AGH! Ben, what the HELL?!"

"I know, right?" Ben replied, seemingly unbothered about the situation. "Isn't it cool?" *WHAP* "Ah! Hey!"

"NO IT IS NOT!" Weiss bellowed, having hit him with the bag. "Why didn't you tell us that the catacombs would be literally MADE of human remains?!"

Rubbing his head, Ben felt compelled to correct the former heiress. "Well, for one, it's not ENTIRELY human remains, just the skeletons. And secondly, I wanted you guys to be surprised!"

"Well, mission complete on that one." Sun grimaced, reaching out to touch one of the skulls… only to have his hand smacked away by Jaqc. "Ah!"

"Non! You mustn't touch the remains, Monsieur Sun." the doctor insisted. "We have made a solemn agreement that the dead will not be displaced here on our expedition."

Juliette agreed with her partner fully. "Indeed. We have already made great strides to have this area closed off to the public for today. The last thing we need is to disturb what has already been disturbed once before."

If anything, that only made Weiss feel even more apprehensive. "W-W-What do you mean by that, Julliette?"

"Believe it or not, Weiss, the catacombs were not always the display of death that you see before you." The alchemy researcher explained as she gestured to the walls. "The addition of the bones is only relatively recent, dating back to the late 1700's. Back then, Paris' graveyards were very limited in space, and all of them were completely full."

Ruby peered closer to the bones, fascinated by them rather than disgusted. "So that means they had to bring newly dead people down here?"

"Oh, no, FAR grimmer than that." Jaqc explained. "Instead, they dug up the old dead, who by that point were reduced to mere skeletons, and then brought them here so that they could bury the new dead up there. Repeat ad nauseum for about fifty years or so and you have the close to six million corpses occupying the walls you see before you today!"

"URP!" Weiss nearly gagged as she moved away from the others, only to then come face-to-face with another skull. "AAAGH! Nope, nuh-uh, no way, not happening!" With a brisk stride, Weiss went back toward the Catacomb's exit, wanting absolutely nothing to do with this. "I am not staying one more second inside this house of horrors."

"Aw, but Weiss!" Ruby called out. "We haven't even got started yet!"

Spinning on her heel, Weiss refuted her friend's plea. "I'm sorry, Ruby, but I cannot stand the sight of all these bones. Plus, I feel just plain… off while I'm in here."

Off to the side, Charmcaster nodded. "Yeah, that's normal. There's so many malevolent spirits in here that it's almost overwhelming for me, too. Which reminds me… Spiritus Praesidium!" With a wave of her hands, Hope sent out a massive surge of energy out over everyone, taking them all by surprise. "Alright. Now we shouldn't experience any hauntings while we're down here."

Jaqc and Juliette, however, were absolutely astonished. "Sacre Bleu!" the man exclaimed. "Was… w-was that witchcraft?"

"Magic, actually." Hope clarified, lifting her hands as she summoned a ball of mana. "I'm what you might call a sorceress. Sorry that I'm only telling you this now, but I didn't really have a good moment up until this point."

"Oh… my… GOD!" Juliette broke out into a huge, excited grin as she practically zipped up to Hope, eager to hear more. "Hope, you know how to use MAGIC?! Hah, this is incroyable! Your mere existence is proof positive that extraordinary practices such as alchemy can also be VERY real!"

Hope felt a bit bashful at the compliments, turning her head away. "Oh, I don't know about that… but I appreciate the compliment. And I definitely want to help you find proof of Flamel's link to alchemy—woah!" Once more, Hope was caught off guard when Juliette began shaking her hand vigorously.

"Merci! Merci! I appreciate your assistance!"

"Y-Your w-welcome!"

Weiss rolled her eyes and huffed, going back toward the exit again. "Well, spell or not, I'm still not sticking around down here. FAR too creepy for my tastes."

Ben was a bit disappointed, but he could also understand her reasoning. "Well, Weiss, if that's how you feel, I won't try and stop you. Besides, like I said, the Saturdays could definitely use more back-up up there."

Just then, Rex started walking away from the group as well, joining his girlfriend. "If that's the case, then I'll go back up with her, too." He draped his arm over her shoulders, offering some form of ease in the uncomfortable place. "Besides, I don't want you to feel alone in this, Ice Princess. I'm personally not a fan of the décor either."

"Aw! Thank you, Rex!" Weiss cooed as she hugged her boyfriend, slipping her hand in his. "Well then, it's settled. We'll stay topside and keep on the lookout for any Knights should they show up." She waved back to her teammates. "Good luck, everyone."

"Yeah, same to you!" Yang replied with a thumbs up. "Just make sure you two don't get TOO distracted by each other, 'kay?" Weiss glowered at her blonde friend and stuck her tongue out, making Yang and everyone else laugh before the couple left.

Ben clapped his hands, garnering everyone's attention. "Okay, so with Weiss and Rex opting out, this is the final chance for anyone else to do the same. Does anyone feel uncomfortable to the point where they can't go any further?"

Looking to his shoulder, Sun narrowed his eyes at his woodpecker "friend". "Ya hear that, Pecky? Last chance to book it before something scary happens." But if anything, the tiny bird was not deterred, giving Sun a salute with his wing. "Hah, of course you're sticking around. Shouldn't have even asked." He got a nudge from Blake for his remark, much to his chagrin.

Swift waved off Ben's question without second thought. "Nah, I'm good. I actually kinda dig it down here."

"Wait, really?" Ilia uttered, stunned by her girlfriend's brazenness. "I would've thought you'd hate anywhere underground."

But the Aerophibian girl just shrugged. "Eh, not much room for me to fly down here, true, but I'm good. Besides…" She pointed toward the bones and skulls along the walls. "Stuff like this definitely fits my vibe."

"Hah… of course." Ilia smiled fondly. "My girlfriend's kind of a punk, I've gotta remember that."

"You know it, baby." Swift winked.

"Well, I guess if we're all agreed, then let's get started!" Zak opted, with him and Fiskerton taking the lead of the pack. "C'mon, let's get this started!"

Before the duo could get too far, though, Ruby pointed something else. "Uh, Zak… do you have any idea where we're going?"

On a dime, Zak stopped in mid-step, spinning back around on his heel to march himself back over. Fiskerton was a bit slower on the uptake, but he also found his way back. "Ah, hehe, okay, fair point, Ruby. So, Dr. Garnier, where exactly ARE we going?"

"Well, according to the radar readings…" Juliette produced a map of the tunnel system from the wrist device she was wearing, projecting it as a hologram for everyone to see. "The tunnel entrance that leads to the chamber itself is about 5 kilometers in, so it will take us well past the designated tourist exit." She raised a single finger to bring up another point. "However, I also expect it to be well hidden, so once we arrive at the location, we need to keep a sharp eye out, n'est pas?"

"Understood." Ben affirmed. "We'll be sure to keep an eye out, doc." Turning to his team, Ben coerced them to all fall in line. "Alright guys, make sure NOT to get separated down here. People HAVE been lost in the Catacombs many times, so you REALLY don't want to end up as a story on the 6 o'clock news." The team mumbled an agreement as they all filed behind him.

"Okay, so long as we keep to the main path, we should be good." Ruby muttered as she peered further into the catacombs. "Also… how long is 5 kilometers?"

Rook piped up, answering her question. "About 4 Earth miles, meaning we have quite the ways to walk." Activating his Proto-Tool, a bright light shined from his shoulder deep into the tunnel. "If it is alright with you, I would not mind taking point with Dr. Garnier."

Ben approved of the Revonnahgander's offer. "Sure thing, Rook. Definitely don't mind you being in the lead." As the duo shared a nod, things finally began to get underway, with everyone filing into the tunnel.

But before she entered herself, Ilia noticed the words above the entryway, and felt compelled to ask the mage next to her; "Uh, Hope? What does THAT say, exactly?"

Craning her head up, Charmcaster was easily able to translate the sign just by a single glance. "Ah, well… to be perfectly honest, it says; "Stop! This is the Empire of the Dead."

"Oh… how lovely." With that, Ilia trudged inside, her bad feeling becoming worse by the second.

Needless to say, it was quite the trek, the group walking past walls upon walls of stacked up bones and skulls. Granted, not ALL of the walls were completely decorated in human remains, but most of them were, and it gave the entire hike an overall uneasy feel. Though some of the teens had to admit, as they went further in, the bones began to get… oddly intricate with their patterns. And, in a somewhat morbid way, they were actually somewhat entrancing. There were standard level patterns, wave patterns, and even cross patterns, as if they had been set up that way intentionally.

"So, um… are the patterns MEANT to be like that?" Blake questioned. "Because they look like they were set up like that from the start."

"Yes they are, Blake." Juliette confirmed. "As said before, this place is technically a tourist attraction as well, which started all the way back in the 1800's. People got it in their head that, in order to appeal more to tourists, they should create patterns and sculptures out of the remains… and so they did!"

Blake couldn't help but wince at that. "Wow, that's one way to treat your dead."

Ruby steered clear of some stray bones on the ground as she added her two cents. "Honestly, this place seems like the perfect hangout for some Apathy."

"Uh, pardone moi, but what does emotional indifference have to do with anything?" Jaqc inquired.

"N-No, no, she means Apathy Grimm." Blake explained. "They're a type of monster from Remnant who gather only in the darkest, most chilling places where humans never go. …But whenever humans DO go to those places, the Apathy lie in wait to hunt them."

Sun gulped at the description. "Hmph, I've heard that they're terrifying, almost human-shaped like a withered corpse. And they have this… blood-curdling scream, too."

Ilia nodded in solidarity. "Long story short, we'd better hope to NEVER have to run into any of them in our lives."

By this point, the convoy had stopped to listen to the Remnantian's description of the horrendous Grimm, with Ben frowning in discomfort. "Well, consider my nightmares to be filled with horrors for the time being."

"Indeed." Rook concurred before taking a deep breath, turning back down the tunnel. "Shall we keep moving, then? We seem to be coming up on something."

"A-Ah, yes!" Juliette stammered, dashing ahead of the group to come up to the new sight. It seemed to be a dual staircase that was carved around—oddly enough—a large well just sitting in the middle of the tunnel. "Children, this well is actually fairly significant, as it was the first ever geological drilling ever done in Paris."

Swift and the others all peered down into the deep chamber, seeing nothing but darkness and the slight shimmer of water down inside. "Huh, that so? Wonder how it didn't hit the cavern, then?"

"Oh, because the chamber isn't directly under this well." Juliette answered. "We still have a ways to go until we are above it. Come, everyone, time to move along!" With that, the group were back on track, though Juliette was keen to point out more interesting facts as they went along. "You see all of these plaques embedded in the bonework? They are poetic and religious texts meant to commemorate the dead that lie here."

"Hm, well, at least they got something after their bodies were turned into an attraction." Swift commented.

Charmcaster couldn't help but grimace all the same. "Yes, well, apparently it wasn't enough compensation for them since I can practically feel all of the malevolent spirits around here. And let me tell you, they're not happy that they've essentially become glorified displays for the past three hundred years." Her words managed to get everyone to scrunch closer together, particularly the couples, to try and feel safer.

As they trekked further in, though, they eventually came across a large, open space, almost like a separate room from the tunnel itself. There were benches placed about the area, which seemed to have a distinct centerpiece… in the form of something no one could've expected. "Is… that a giant pot?" Ruby inquired.

Zak raised a brow at the "giant pot", one made entirely of bones and skulls just as every other wall was. "Uh, I dunno… looks more like a pillar to me."

"You are both correct! …Technically." Juliette spoke again, raising her hands to the room around here. "Right now, we are in what is called the Chamber of Passion. And this…" The researcher went over and pointed to the giant bone art piece. "…is the Barrel of Passion. You were very close in your assumption, Ruby. This piece was created by stacking bones around a large pillar that was situated here, and the resulting shape made it resemble a barrel."

"…Okay, one; the Chamber of Passion?" Yang's expression twisted in disgust. "I know that Paris is the city of love and romance and all, but if anyone's getting passionate in here, then they've got some serious problems."

"Oui, I am uncertain as to why it has that name as well, mademoiselle." Jaqc concurred with a sneer of his own. "I like to believe that something got lost in translation over the past three hundred years or so."

Hope, however, was not in a joking mood. "No matter what it's called, we should get a move on from this place, and quickly." She pulled her cloak's hood over her head, visibly discomforted. "This whole place is just filled with malicious spirits. It's probably the strongest I've felt them so far."

Jaqc agreed with the sorceress. "Yes, that lines up with many who have said that the spirits are most active in this chamber."

"Hold on a sec…" Ben pointed over to where the tunnel seemed to continue, seeing that there seemed to be a sign picturing a stickman walking through a door. "Are we near the exit? Isn't this the way we SHOULDN'T be going?"

"Very observant, Ben." Juliette pointed back the way we came. "The way that we WANT to go is back that way. I simply wanted you to get the full tour experience before we headed down further. Come, this way."

Following Julliette, the group came upon a gated off section of the tunnel that they had passed only seconds before, producing a key which she inserted into the lock. She got it open and swung the gate out, allowing all of them to pass on through. "Alright, everyone, this is where we begin moving into territory that the public doesn't see."

"This is where we will have to get a bit dirty as the tunnels become much narrower and the path becomes less traveled." Jaqc added with a serious gaze. "Are you prepared?"

"As much as we'll ever be." Zak gave a thumbs up. "Let's go." With his word, the team ventured in, the path becoming much darker as they went.

…..

The further they traveled in, the more disjointed things seemed to get. Many times, they'd have to duck, or even crawl through a small space just to get to the next corridor, and more often than not, they would come across graffiti left by those who had snuck through the tunnels before. The group even passed through an old limestone quarry, which Juliette explained was once used to build a majority of Paris. But eventually, they came upon their destination… which was probably the most graffitied area of the Catacombs they had seen so far. It was very large as well, with a high ceiling and plenty of space to move around in.

As Ruby craned her head up to inspect her surroundings, she felt the need to speak her mind. "Wow… when you get right down to it, the Catacombs are a LOT more than just a bone museum, huh?"

"Yeah… Weiss probably still wouldn't like it here, though." Yang quipped. "She'd comment about how the graffiti in here is gaudy or something." She set her sights over to Juliette inquisitively. "So where ARE we, anyway?"

"We are actually in what used to be an old bar cellar." the researcher explained. "It has since been sealed off after the tavern itself was shut down, but believe me when I say that this place was used quite a bit back then."

Zak and Fiskerton scanned their eyes around the area, searching for something that would seem out of place. "And you're saying this is where the entrance into the cavern is hidden?"

"Oui, so start looking, everyone!" Juliette said excitedly as she and Jaqc began running their hands across the walls. "There must be something hidden in here that will open the path for us. Keep a sharp eye out!"

As everyone began the search, though, Hope had taken to a different approach. Opening her rucksack, she produced a small vial with a cork stuck in it, which was filled with sparkling powder. Taking out the cork, Charmcaster proceeded to pour some of the powder into her hand, whispering an incantation as she impowered it with mana. She then blew on the powder and it started flying around, catching everyone's attention.

Blake had to move out of the powder's way as it practically flew in her direction. "Woah. So… what's that supposed to be?"

"I call it, "Reveal Power"." Hope explained, watching as it continued through the room. "It's made from a special flower that grows only in Ledgerdomain. When combined with a magic spell, it's capable of finding things that the human eye couldn't even hope to on its own." She gestured toward the other end of the room. "And it seems like it's locked on something. Come on." Following the sorceress, the group crossed over to the opposite side of the room and watched as the powder broke off in two directions.

A smaller wisp of it flew straight into the wall, covering one specific brick, while the other, larger cloud went straight to the floor, forming into a massive rectangle shape. The powder shimmered brightly as Hope directed; "There! This is it. We'll have to work fast before the powder dissipates."

Ben immediately went up to the brick, knowing that it had to be tied to the hidden tunnel that was no doubt beneath them. "I've seen enough episodes of Scooby Doo to know that this has GOT to be a hidden switch." Raising the Omnitrix, Ben swiftly transformed into; "Diamondhead!" and pushed the large block in first. …But there was nothing. "Hm… probably a pull, then." Digging her fingers into the stonework, Diamondhead pulled the brick out until it stopped with a *ker-chunk*. "Oh, that did something!"

"I'll say it did!" Yang exclaimed, the shining ground starting to lift up before them. Within moments, the panel raised up all the way to reveal a wide entry way, with a set of stairs leading straight down into the darkest depths.

"Haha, YES!" Zak cheered. "We found it!"

Juliette was practically beside herself with joy. "AH! C'est magnifique!" She went over to both Charmcaster and Diamondhead, expressing her gratitude. "Oh, merci beaucoup, mes amis! Because of your strength and ingenuity, we are about to make the discovery of a life time!"

Both sorceress and hero looked to one another, wearing matching sheepish smiles at her praise. "Uh, I think you might be overselling my part a bit." Diamondhead reasoned, only to point over to Hope. "But her? Yeah, we would've been here for a while if she hadn't pulled out that cool powder stuff."

"Ah, come on." Hope brushed off. "Surely one of your aliens would've found out sooner or later."

"Maybe… but I honestly didn't think to use my aliens first." Diamondhead admitted, pointing to her. "But you used your magic right off the bat. You deserve the credit here, Hope."

Ruby was all for the motion. "Yeah! Great work, Hope!" Eventually, everyone was singing Hope's praises, making the young woman blush profusely.

"O-Oh… you all are too kind." Brushing a lock of hair away from her face, Hope gestured toward the entrance. "But let's not just hang around here, shall we? It's time we see what lies below—"

*SHA-KOOOOOOMM*

All at once, an unexpected explosion from above caused the room to begin shaking, with debris falling from the ceiling while everyone screamed in terror. "EVERYONE! Around me!" Diamondhead ordered, raising an arm as everyone formed up near him. Within seconds, a massive diamond shield formed out from his forearm, protecting the group from the incoming stone. But then… they started to hear something. The clanking and clattering of metal as it fell from above. Once the stone stopped, Diamondhead began retracting his shield, staying on his guard. "Is everybody okay?"

"I-I think so—AH!" Sun gasped and leapt back in surprise, seeing several figures standing across from them once the shield was down. From under his shirt, the woodpecker flew out, flying high above to get a better vantage point.

"Well, this is unfortunate." Rook commented as he went for his Proto-Tool.

"How'd they even FIND us?" Blake unsheathed Gambol Shroud as the rest of her teammates went for their weapons as well.

Ilia narrowed her eyes at their unexpected guests, with Swift getting into a battle stance next to her. "I don't know… but I'd say we're in a fair bit of trouble."

The Omni-Hunters were left stunned as they saw several armored knights now standing in the room with them, their dark grey armor practically making them blend in with the shadows almost perfectly. The only exception, however, was a single white knight in the middle of all of them, their armor visibly much lither than the rest. A chuckle escaped the white knight as she removed her helmet. "Hmhmhm, oh believe me, child…" Allowing her blonde hair to fall past her shoulders, Emily Clotilde, the White Forever Knight, peered down to the teens past her nose, holding her head high in superiority. "Your troubles have only JUST begun."

…..

A/N: Oh dear. Seems the Forever Knights have tracked down our heroes, just as Ben predicted. But how DID they manage to find them all the way down there? And how'd they even know they WERE there in the first place? Well, those answers will have to be saved for next time, so look forward to that.

But of course, aside from the trip down into the Paris Catacombs and the little tour of Paris the others went on, I think it's important to address the OTHER big thing that happened in this chapter; another couple has officially taken the plunge! Congratulations to Ilia and Swift for FINALLY getting together after all this time. I don't even know HOW long it's been since I first started teasing them liking one another, but I'm fairly certain it's probably the LONGEST we've had to wait for a couple getting together. Well worth it, though, as I think Ilia's confession was pretty well executed! What better place to express your feelings than on top of the Eiffel Tower itself?

That said… there also seems to be something going on with Zak that's rather intriguing. What's up with the inner voices, I wonder? And why do they all seem to harbor such negativity? If it's enough to bring about a headache without him even using his powers, it MUST be pretty severe. Of course, we'll find out more about that as we move through the story as well.

And hey, let's hear it for Hope contributing greatly to the team! Gotta love it when her magic comes in handy. And she even seems to be forming a bit of a friendship with Blake as well, so there's that, too. Can't wait to see what comes about from that. Unfortunately for Ruby, though, her training with the Fang isn't exactly going according to plan, at least so far. She'll probably get a hang of it, though.

Now, with all that said, NEXT TIME! The battle between the Knights and the Omni-Hunters begins, with the White Knight's agents engaging their targets while the Black Knight makes a special appearance up top to hold off the Saturdays, Weiss and Rex. While that goes on, however, Zak, Ruby, Blake and Sun escort Juliette and Jaqc down into the cavern below… where several things are revealed to all of them. Some tragic… and some incredibly powerful. Thanks for reading, everybody, and I'll catch you all next time! Stay safe out there!