{Ruby's perspective}

All of us were still confused after last night's events. When Aaron came in without Achilles and told us to beat him up.

… But he didn't come home yet. And just like back in Beacon, I'm worried.

Yang sensed it and she assured "We're all worried about him. But right now we have to see if Aaron is alright."

So Yang knocked on the door.

No answer.

"Hey, what do you want for breakfast?" She yelled.

Still no answer.

"Aaron?" I asked.

He responded, "Go away."

"What's with you man?!" Yang yelled once more "And don't pull what you did last night. Rose does not have a hypnosis semblance!"

"Well she fucked with his mind in some way!" He yelled back. "Now go away!"

Weiss walked up to us rubbing her eyes. "It's 8 in the morning, some of us are trying to sleep because some people couldn't be quiet last night!" She complained.

Jaune and Pyrrah looked away with Jaune rubbing the back of his head.

I turned back to the door "Aaron please talk to us, we want to know what's wrong."

"Don't wanna talk right now Ruby. Please just leave me alone." Aaron replied.

Weiss shoved past us. "Let me handle this. I think I know what ails him."

She forced the door open with her gravity glyph, I didn't know she'd carry Myrtenaster with her, and after stepping though shut it.

{Weiss' perspective}

By the brothers, this room smells awful! Something definitely died in here last night.

Aaron glared at me with his puffy eyes "I told you guys to leave me alone!" He yelled.

I gave a small sigh and said "Achilles told you about his fiance, didn't he?"

He looked startled at first then angry again "Oh so he tells YOU first and NOT his best fucking friend!"

I shook my head "It's not like that. I accidentally discovered it and he told me before I could send my Giga Armas after her."

He crossed his arms as he mumbled something under his breath.

I sat on the bed across from him "I was angry too. Of the lies and deceit he displayed in my very own home."

He stood up quickly as he replied "That's different. He's my best fucking friend for YEARS and he didn't tell me!"

I remained seated as I stated "Maybe there's a reason he only chose now to reveal it to you. Maybe he figured you wouldn't believe him. Maybe he felt doing it in person was better."

His fists tightened, almost white-knuckling "Stop making excuses for him. He's dead to me right now."

I stood up and asked him "What exactly happened then?"

He told me what had happened with him and his fiance and how he told Achilles he wasn't welcome here.

I was shocked "You can't do that! Do you know how dangerous Mistral is?! Especially at NIGHT!"

He crossed his arms "Don't care. He can die again for all I care."

"Again?" I asked.

He stomped off, but not before saying "I need a beer. Don't follow." Once the door opened he then said "NONE of you follow."

He then stormed out of the house.

I couldn't help but look on as he did. Yang glanced at me and asked "What was that about?"

I gave a small sigh "We have to look for Achilles, Brothers know he's not going to."

{Justin/Achilles' perspective}

Entering the Spider's Den, I had a feeling of dread. Can't tell if it's because of how Cinder was ratted out or I'm just out of my league.

But I don't have time to acknowledge my dread. I need that information. And there Miss Malachite was, unmoved from her spot in the back of the Spider's Den.

I glanced around just in case, knowing how many adversaries are after my skin it's wise to check my surroundings.

Malachite picked up on this "Nervous?"

I shook my head "Just making sure no one else but us are in here."

She studied my face as if she was making a mental note before she said "There's nothing to worry about. Have a seat."

I shook my head. "As I said before I prefer standing."

She glanced at her guards with a shrug.

"I was told you have my information." I stated.

Malachite opened her fan as she spoke. "I do. But first a question: Why do you want to know their location? You certainly aren't a faunus."

I hid my prosthetic arm behind me with a turn to ensure it was out of her sight "That is not your business to know."

She didn't like that answer "I'm just concerned. We have people come in here all the time trying to know the location of the White Fang in a foolish attempt to snuff out the leader."

"Well… My intentions are different." I answered carefully.

"Vengeance for your arm Achilles Vermilion?" She asked with her face partially hidden behind her fan.

I haven't made my name known to her, how does she know?

The look on my face must not have been subtle. She chuckled, "It's my job to know who my clients are." She answered as if she could read my mind. "No matter how good you are at hiding information from us, we will have it." She then closed her fan and pointed at my left side "It's no secret Adam cut your arm off during the Fall of Beacon. It's also no secret you now have a prosthetic to replace the one cut off. And that you would want vengeance for that. Eye for eye and all of that."

I wrapped my hand around Kronos in case her guards drew their weapons.

She placed a folded piece of paper down in front of her "Here, the information you wanted."

I cautiously picked it up, my left hand still wrapped around the handle of Kronos, and placed it on the inside pocket of my coat.

Malachite then said "But today is certainly unique in that one client gives me double the business."

I then heard something behind me land with a thud.

I whipped out Kronos and aimed it at the source of the sound and what do I find? Tyrian Callows dramatically stands up from a splintered table beneath him, hood covering part of his twisted smile.

"Put away all of the good plates." I heard Malachite order her guard.

Tyrian put his palms to the sky as he announced "As I live and breathe! I never thought I'd meet an alive Vermilion in my lifetime!"

{Death of the Soul -Topic}

"Tyrian Callows, to what do I owe the displeasure?" I asked viciously, mocking his demeanor.

He placed a hand on his chest "Why I'm here to find a little rose and whisk her away. Do tell where she is… I look forward to meeting her."

I shook my head at him "I won't tell you anything."

He mocked a hurt expression "Why I have no intention to harm her, my queen just needs me to bring the young silver eyed warrior to her feet."

I once again shook my head at him "Over my cold dead body."

Tyrian giggled to himself "Well… if you insist."

In what felt like the blink of an eye he closed the gap between us and when I tried to fire at him he dodged it and punched me in the chest sending me skidding to where Miss Malachite was. "Lucky shot, won't happen again." I told Tyrian when I saw his pincer-like blades heading straight for my gut, I then remembered his semblance nullifies aura in a certain area. So I dodged as quickly as I could while I drew my blade.

I hope it's temporary where he swipes, I don't need an Achilles Heel right there.

His slashes were constant and I could barely find an opening until he clashed both of them on my own blade. I fired off a shot from Kronos into Tyrian's abdomen. I then grabbed a nearby plate and threw it at Tyrian.

Tyrian slashed through all of them "Is that all you can do?" Tyrian giggled "I thought the Vermilions were-" I threw a chair at him which splintered upon contact. He growled and was about to continue his onslaught When Miss Malachite cleared her throat.

"It's been real fun having dinner and a show, but I think it's time to take this outside." She insisted.

Tyrian bowed to her as I tried to go for his head to no avail. Tyrian tripped me, then kicked me in my abdomen which sent me sailing out the door onto the muddy streets due to the rain that had started.

I rolled a good few feet before I stopped, mud dirtying my coat and blood from my nose dripping down.

Tyrian walked out calmly with that sinister smile on his face. His tail whipped back and forth under his coat. As well as he hid it, he can't contain his excitement.

I stood back up with my blade pointed at him trying to back away.

Trying to fight Tyrian is suicide, especially by myself. I should have tried to run at the first opportunity.

I should have brought backup.

I should have told Aaron much much earlier.

Tyrian mocked the hurt expression "Aww… Done already? What happened to that bravado you had?" He returned to his sinister smile "Or did you think this fight would be easy?" He cackled "Why I hope you didn't think I was like those pawns and toy soldiers!"

I kept backing up, hoping to run into a crowd so I could disappear.

Tyrian made clicking sounds of disapproval "Hasn't anyone told you to never pick fights you can't win? Oh that's right, your mommy died in that fire in Fortuna La Porte"

Trying to antagonize me by bringing up Achilles' past. Good move if I actually was him.

I glanced around for a possible escape point, but anyway that I run he'll follow me. Knowing the serial killers in those movies I've watched, He's probably be just fast enough to keep up with me before he gets bored and suddenly has a burst of speed.

…

Actually that might just work.

I put away Kronos as I looked like I was going to commit to melee by placing my other hand on the lower part of the handle, keeping my blade level to his chest.

Tyrian smiled "Oh? You still wish to fight?" He took a deep breath in "Good…"

He jumped several feet in the air, closing our gap quickly as I used my grapple hook to bring me onto a roof, narrowly avoiding his attack.

Tyrian growled with disapproval "You can run Vermillion, but you won't be able to hide from me for long!" I heard him yell as I ran along the rooftops.

Judging from how high he lept a little bit ago, He probably can hop up here and is now on the rooftops with me.

I took a quick glance behind to confirm if he was following me.

He very much was with his blades out and dragging it along the roof.

That is used primarily for intimidation. I glanced back forward to see a gap in between this building and the next.

Let's see… Speed should be about 7-9 miles per hour… Distance looks to be about 10 feet… What was that formula again? Distance equals distance over time? Sounds about right, and if my calculations are correct I should be able to barely clear this small gap.

As I leapt over the gap just as my right foot reached the ledge, A thought occurred, I was probably not using the formula for velocity. Hopefully my calculations were correct. My legs have always been the most powerful part of my body, great for leaps and parkour. Though I've never done it this high before. So this'll be a first.

I landed on the opposite roof hard, buckling my knees slightly so the impact doesn't tear a muscle.

I then started sprinting again as I heard Tyrian do the same behind me. The building ahead is much further, too far to jump even with a running start. But enough to utilize my grapple.

And so I did, I shot it to a low hanging beam on the third floor and swung myself down to street level much to the crowds' shock.

I kept running as my grapple retracted. I glanced behind me to see if he was still following me.

He wasn't right behind me.

I glanced to my right.

Tyrian kept his eyes on me while keeping up with my running speed.

I decided to take a left turn to get away from him.

Big mistake.

Next thing I knew I was on the ground with my face in the mud. Tyrian turned me over with his gauntlet fully extended with that wicked smile on his face.

He tried to stab me but with some quick thinking I grappled his arm with both of my hands to prevent him from stabbing me.

His blades inched closer and closer to my abdomen, where I'm pretty sure I'm still exposed thanks to his cheap semblance.

I curled my legs under him and kicked him off behind me, jumping onto my feet in the process.

When I turned around I was suddenly hit with a sharp pain.

I glanced down to see Tyrian's tail embedded into me.

His eyes were purple as he looked triumphant.

I raised my blade up and slashed his tail off right down to the middle.

Tyrian screamed with pain as he backed away. "You BASTARD!" he bellowed.

I removed his tail from my lower abdomen and tossed it aside as I approached him as I told him "If I'm going down today, you're coming with me."

He backed up inches at a time as he muttered "She'll forgive you, she has to" Over and over again until he lept away.

I sheath my sword and grabbed my stomach as I stumbled out of the alleyway.

Tyrian apparently did a number on me. Which is thankful I'm able to walk away with just a stab wound by his tail. But that has venom in it, in which I'm hoping I get to a hospital before it overtakes me, I have no idea how much I was injected with but from what I remember about scorpions back on Earth, they're barely is able to kill a full grown adult unless it's from Asia, Africa, or South America.

I can't quite say if Tyrian is based off of one of those but with how long it overtook Qrow in the main series with just a scratch I don't have much hope.

I clung onto a building as I was starting to feel a numbness around the sting area.

…

Vision blurring…

…

Legs giving out…

…

Timber…

I turned onto my back and layed there for who knows how long staring up at the crying sky, wondering just how much venom he injected into me before I cut it. Just as my vision turned black I saw a shadow over me, one that looked familiar. Two triangles stuck out of the head of this particular individual, and I know very little faunus with a trait like that.

"... Blake?..." I weakly asked before I succumbed to the venom.

{Weiss' perspective}

Ruby, Yang and I scoured every inch of the shopping district and asked everyone we came across. Only a few were able to tell us his whereabouts and told us a vague direction he was heading. So we continued to head in the direction that they said. But one factor put me on edge, some of them said he was being chased by some guy in a brown coat. Others say they saw a scorpion tail on the guy with a brown coat. I can only assume one thing. The infamous serial killer Tyrian Callows is on the loose again.

"Weiss, slow down!" Yang yelled "What's got you worked up all of a sudden?"

I sharply turned around and informed her "Out of all the people we asked, a handful describe the pursuer as a man with a scorpion tail and a brown cloak, others say they saw pincer-like weapons on him. There is only ONE man who fits that description, Tyrian Callows."

"Who?" Ruby asked.

How does she not know who he is? "A serial killer who had countless victims before he escaped imprisonment."

Yang's eyes widened "If he's not already dead he's suffering." Yang noted.

She then heard her scroll's notification sound.

Ruby and I glanced at her confused as Yang pulled it out. "Wonder who-" She was about to ask before her face warped to a scowl "It's Blake, she found Achilles on his back a couple yards from here." She informed us. "She also took him to a hospital where the authorities are waiting… and she sent a link."

I peaked over her right arm to see what the link was. It was a new article with Jaques on the thumbnail.

Oh no…

{Blake's perspective}

The doctors say it's going to take about three days to fully remove the venom. He should be so lucky to have been seen by me when he did. I have questions of my own to ask. Especially about Weiss.

…

But for now I'm going to make sure he wakes up. Brothers know how long it'll take for the rest of them to come as soon as Yang reads my text. I glanced back down at him still sleeping.

This is now the second time I've saved him. I just wish there were happier circumstances. They had to tie his hand to the rail of the hospital gurney with a gravity bollas to make sure he didn't escape. Not that I'd let him anyway.

Yang came bursting into the room. "Oh my gods! Blake, are you okay?!" She yelled with concern.

I gave her a nod "I am. Can't say the same for Achilles. Or you Weiss."

Weiss crossed her arms at me "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Have you not read the link I sent you?" I asked.

They glanced at each other then back at me.

I pulled my scroll out, then made a bigger projection.

The face of Jacque Schnee came up with him stating: "-And I want the criminal Achilles Vermilion to be arrested and tried for raping and kidnapping my precious daughter Weiss Schnee. As well as the fraud he committed. These crimes should not go unanswered."

That sent a chill down Weiss' spine "He didn't kidnap me!"

I shrugged. "Well that's the story Jacques is going with." I put my scroll away.

Yang clenched her fists while mumbling "Bastard."

Ruby herself looked shocked and didn't say a word.

Weiss then stormed off with Yang asking "Where are you going?"

"To find Aaron." She replied as she was already out the door.

Yang sighed and shrugged a moment after she left.

I slowly glanced back at Achilles. Not really sure why. Maybe it was pity, maybe it was anger. All I know is I want answers.

Achilles groaned and mumbled "I'm sorry mom…"

{Weiss' perspective}

Checking everywhere else first and not finding Aaron, there was one last place I could look. And sure enough there, with a beer in his hand.

Ugh…

I sat next to him, making sure to make eye contact. Even if his head is down.

He didn't notice.

Glancing at the bartender he simply shrugged at me.

I tapped Aaron's shoulder.

He didn't move

"Aaron." I said as I jossled him

He batted my hand away. "Leave me alone." He said.

I crossed my arms at him "Achilles was poisoned."

"Good. Bastard deserved it." He coldly replied.

I crossed my arms "Are you serious? He could have died if it wasn't for Blake!"

He turned his head towards me and glared "How many times do I have to repeat myself?"

I can't believe this man. "He's your friend!"

"And a backstabber."

I couldn't help but sigh aggravatedly. "I get he didn't tell you that, but you can't stay mad at him forever-"

We interrupt this program to bring you a special news bulletin. The TV cut in Jacque Schnee, CEO of the Schnee Dust Company has an announcement to make.

There stood Jacques behind a podium.

"Greetings Remnant. As I'm sure you're all aware my precious daughter has gone missing. We have since recovered DNA evidence from my daughter's bed and have determined that the man you know as Achilles Vermilion was among the evidence presented." There was murmuring in the crowd as well as on the screen. Jacques raised his hand as he then continued. "Since then he has made a charge at a rental housing place in Mistral and withdrew 30,000 Lien from my personal account. Clearly this man is not who we all thought he was. And I want the criminal Achilles Vermilion to be arrested and tried for raping and kidnapping my precious daughter Weiss Schnee. As well as the fraud he committed. These crimes should not go unanswered. And those who bring Weiss Schnee and Achilles Vermilion to me will be handsomely rewarded. That is all I will not be taking any questions at this time. Thank you."

As the rest of the broadcast continued to play I glanced behind me I could see everyone in the bar was staring directly at me. Mumbling amongst themselves "Aaron, please tell me you're sober enough to get us out of here."

He glanced behind him and scanned the crowd as if he were sizing everyone up. "Yeah I'm not a lightweight like Achilles." He grabbed my wrist and teleported us outside in the alley behind the bar.

…

Then again through someone's house.

…

Then again out the otherside.

…

This repeated several times before we were back at the house. Aaron gasping for breath. "That'll sober you up quicker than The World's Hottest Chocolate." He said as he clutched his head.

I crossed my arms at him "Now are you in a better position to talk?"

He glared at me "No, and he's not allowed back here."

"Last I checked my father was the one who bought us this lovely place." I retorted.

He turned to me with a glare still in his eyes "And?"

"So really you can't make that call, only I can" I said with a thumb pointed at me "And I say Achilles is allowed. I'm not letting him on the streets after last night."

He walked slowly past me and in a very monotone way said "Then I'll go."

Of course I responded by using the gravity glyph to keep the door shut "Why are you acting like this? Are you really so angry you can't see your friend as your friend?"

He spun around and snapped "YOU MAY BE ALRIGHT WITH HIS LIES, BUT I WAS HIS BEST FUCKING FRIEND AND HE DIDN'T TELL ME ANYTHING HE WAS PLANNING!"

"BECAUSE HE'S SCARED!" I screamed back.

That made him pause for a moment. Before answering "All the more reason he should have fucking told me!"

I then got a message from Blake in our team's group text. Opening it made my head spin.

Blake: Achilles escaped the hospital. I have no idea where he is!

Yang: How?! There are dozens of lawmen around the hospital!

Blake I don't know! I chased him on the roofs he kicked me down and by the time I got back up he vanished!

I glared at Aaron "Do you know what you just did?"

"What?" He asked coldly.

"Your 'best fucking friend' is now missing because of YOU." I pointed out.

He crossed his arms at me "Don't blame me for him going missing. If anything it'll be a blessing, he has a habit of messing things up anyway. Now if you'll excuse me, I've gotta go find Pyrrha."

"Why?" I asked.

"To hunt down Rose." He replied before slamming the door.

{Justin/Achilles' perspective}

This is hell. I'm in hell. This is my punishment. I don't know what I'm being punished for but I definitely did something to piss God off.

Between Aaron now pissed at me and Jacques declaring me a criminal, I doubt I'm going to be able to do all that I planned to unless I find a disguise.

I buried my face in my left robotic hand, holding my glasses in my right.

I heard someone land next to me. Glancing in that direction I saw a blurry silhouette of a pink coat. My fiance.

I fixed my glasses on my face before answering. "Hey dear…"

She sat next to me "Hey I heard what happened."

"... yeah…"

She placed a hand on my shoulder "I can't believe Jacques would do that."

I glared at the wall ahead of me. "I can. He is a snake."

She nodded. "Well… what now?"

I sighed as I stood up and paced in the alleyway. "I have no idea… All of my plans are coming apart at the seams." I stared up at the evening sky. "I still have yet to see if I can save Sienna."

Jocelyn stood up "I think you still can. We delayed our departure to Raven's camp for tomorrow."

I glanced back at her "Oh? That gives me some time."

"Also Hazel is on his way to meet Adam."

I stroked my beard that has grown a few inches since my arrival to Mistral. "So I have a little bit of time to-" out of the corner of my eye I spotted a white blur. Following it around the corner I could identify the White Fang symbols on their backs.

Light bulb.

I turned back to my fiance. "I may have an idea."

She sighed at me, "Don't be reckless."

I shrugged. "I'll be careful."

She nodded "Before you go, if I may ask…"

I raised an eyebrow at her.

"Why don't you join me in Salem's faction, story-wise it'd make sense."

I shook my head "I may have said I hated humanity before, but I don't agree with Salem's methods. And besides, after coming here I have newfound faith in humanity."

She gave me a smile "There's the man I fell in love with."

After that I snuck after the White Fang goons.

They went down several alleyways, assuming to avoid the police. Good for me, I'm avoiding them too.

Eventually night fell and I almost lost track of them twice in that time. But eventually I came to an abandoned warehouse. They really need to diversify where they meet up.

Scouting around the perimeter I found a hole on the side on the top floor. So I climbed my way up there and onto an old catway above the main floor.

There was a stage built by the White Fang, and who should I see but Adam Fucking Taurus. Who was in the middle of his speech.

"- Sienna Kahn in recent months has proven to have weakened her resolve to our cause! She is not the aggressive leader she once was, which brought our order from a simple protest into an actual organization. So my dear brothers and sisters of the White Fang, we will overthrow the old guard and bring in a new age, one where Faunus no longer has to be ashamed of who they are. One where humans have to fear us. All hail Adam Taurus!"

The White Fang coup group chanted "All Hail Adam!" How very Starscream of him, plotting and scheming behind Sienna Kahn like this.

Welp, now I have my character motivation, Now I'll just make my exit-

The platform under me shifted with a loud screech.

My heart jumped into my throat momentarily.

And another moment it fell out under me, tumbling me down to the floor right in front of the White Fang congregation.

I stood up and dusted myself off. I glanced around to see them all angrily glaring at me.

I glanced around as if I was lost. "This isn't the bathroom… say friends mind helping me out?"

That was met with a lot of guns to my face.

"Tough crowd." I jested.

"Vermilion!" Adam bellowed.

All of the White Fang members moved out of his way, providing an unobstructed path towards me. "Quite the surprise, I figured you'd still be whimpering in the Schnee manor."

Even though my heart was beating in my ears and my right arm couldn't stop shaking, I shrugged at him "I was going to say the same for you, being at the beckon call of Sienna Kahn."

He stopped just 6 feet away from me. If I can find a way to escape, maybe I can survive.

Adam then scoffed "Nice try, your petty insults hold no ground here."

"That wasn't an insult." I retorted "An insult would be calling you a Dollar Tree Vergil wannabe."

He glanced back at his assumingly second in command with confusion.

I glanced up for a split second with my eyes and spotted a thick pipe that I figured would be able to hold my weight that is now 150 lbs due to the muscle I built.

Adam returned his gaze at me "I have no idea what that's supposed to mean, but if you think you're getting out of here alive to tell your friends. You're mistaken." He threatened while slowly unsheathing Wilt and Rose

{Under the Weight (listen until 5:00)- Masayoshi Soken FFXIV soundtrack}

I hid my right hand so as to not let Adam see it shake. I pointed behind them with my opposite and said "Hey isn't that Sienna Kahn?"

To my surprise everyone turned around. I fired my grapple to the pipe above and rose back up to the catwalk and dove towards that hole I found earlier.

As soon as I hit the pavement I ran for my life. Minutes later I heard the doors to that warehouse slam open and thousands of footsteps following behind me, closing in quick.

I spotted a place to grapple onto on a roof. So I fired my grapple and swung myself around a corner and managed to unhook it once I got to the apex of my swing.

I waited for my grapple hook to retract all the way before flipping around and firing it again at another overhang and waited for a snag before reeling in enough to clear the ground with plenty of clearance. And witnesses, but I don't care. At this point I need to vanish if I want my pursuers to stop pursuing me.

I swung overhead to a crowded street where some sort of market was as the sound of the White Fang pursued me.

I swung through more streets and tried to go in a different direction, but that was proven to be harder than I thought. How does Peter Parker do this?

After swinging my way through another street I noticed a flying fanus was following me and realized this wouldn't be enough, I needed to find a place to hide so they could stop following me.

I landed on a rooftop hard. As I ran, a big dude burst out of a door that led into the building.

Crap…

The big dude laughed "I've got you now Vermilion!"

"Wow you said that with a hard N didn't ya?" I replied with my arms crossed.

He swung at me with his greatsword "You won't live to see the sunrise!"

I deflected the attack with my left hand as what Winter taught me, redirecting it away from me as I ducked under the blade. It nearly gave me a haircut. "I doubt Adam would appreciate that very much, considering how he is. Y'know, wanting to finish jobs himself to get all the glory… to be lionized."

He swung at me again "And what do you know of Adam? All you humans see us the same!"

I jumped over his blade, unsheathing my own in the process "Y'all really trying to use a description as a slur? That's very uncreative if you ask me."

He swung again as I caught the blade and let it slide down to the guard "WELL NO ONE ASKED YOU!"

He's becoming emotional, maybe I can use this to my advantage and knock him out.

He swung more erratically as I kept dodging "I'll have you know that I'm not the one who wants to commit acts of terror against his fellow Remnantians… Remnants? People of Remnant."

I deflected another attack as he shouted "Maybe if they treated us as equal we wouldn't be inflicting this deserved pain on them!"

I deflected another attack as I retorted "You're also hurting your fellow fanus by committing these acts of terror, I've lived through a similar event and that didn't end well for either side."

"Like you know our pain!" He bellowed as he swung again.

I punched away another attack with my left hand as I went in for a counter.

Now I expected that this guy had an aura… When that turned out to not be the case I felt my blade sink into his gut if ever so slightly.

But I could tell by the expression of his mouth under his mask, that only covered his eyes but with a few different design choices. They eyeholes are big, but the way it looks more like an Ursa's mask than the normal White Fang goons says something different about him… maybe a capacity to change. I realized that I hit something vital by mistake.

He fell to the floor much to my panic. "No, nononononono this wasn't supposed to happen!" I said mostly to myself as I dropped my sword.

He gasped for air as I tried to think of something. It was then I noticed his claws looked reminiscent of a brown bear's claws.

I grabbed my scroll and called the authorities to let them heal him.

"What are you doing?" He asked.

"Saving you." I replied right before I told the authorities in my southern accent "Some guy in a red coat stabbed this guy and left him for dead. I'll administer first aid but I'm not going to stick around." I then looked at his face and realized if they see him with his mask they're probably not going to help. So I removed it and his coat for him, against his protests.

I then ripped it up and used it as well as a sleeve from my own coat to wrap a makeshift bandage around the wound that was bleeding profusely.

"What's your name?" I asked my once opponent.

"What's it matter to you?" he asked.

"So they know who they're rescuing." I replied.

He stared at me in disbelief for a moment before answering "Bress… Bress Storm."

I nodded and told the dispatcher his name.

According to the dispatcher's instructions, I kept my pressure on his wound after I made the makeshift bandage. Out of the corner of my eye his expression went from disbelief to confusion. I gave him a quick glance before returning back to the emergency dispatcher and telling her what's happening.

"Why are you helping me?" He asked.

I muted myself before I answered "Because I may not agree with the methods of the White Fang, I don't see a reason for you to die. For I see in you the potential for change. I don't think anyone deserves to die for the misbegotten beliefs of an individual… I've seen it happen too many times."

He laid his head back down as I heard an airship overhead. I hung up the scroll and put his mask on my face "May this not be the last time we see each other. And may our paths lead to us taking up arms together, not against."

I then ran towards the edge of the building before I fired my grapple hook and Spiderman my way through Mistral.

I don't know where I'll end up, but all I know is I can't go back there with Aaron still pissed beyond measure.

…

I'm starting to think he'll never forgive me.

{Oscar's perspective}

This is insane… First I followed a voice in my head to Mistral, where I met a guy that was three times my size, Then I get cornered by some crazed albino woman dressed like a witch-

I'll have you know Shion Zaiden is a wonderful person whom I respect dearly.

NOT. HELPING.

Anyways, where was I?

…

Oh yeah, then I see a guy in red swing overhead while other guys in white chase after him.

That was the White Fang. And they seemed pretty angry at my student.

"And you're telling me this now why?" I asked the voice inside my head who claimed to be Ozpin.

I keep telling you I AM Ozpin.

One of the most famous people in our time just reincarnates inside a random farmboy's head? Yeah I'm pretty sure that's not how reincarnation works.

And I keep telling you, I reincarnate into like minded souls. You are one such soul. And as for my previous answer, I think it's best that Red answer it.

"Who?"

I then heard a thud in front of me, And there I saw a guy in a red coat kneeling before me.

He greeted "You must be the old man."

"Um… I'm like 14." I pointed out.

"And yet your aura is the same as that of the old man's, therefore you possess his soul correct?"

I am so fed up with this "Sure… whatever."

Mind if I take over? Asked 'Ozpin.'

"Sure… I need a 5 or 10 anyway." I replied.

Don't think I didn't hear those air quotes by the way.

I let the old man take control of my body… Wow I could have worded that better

{Ozpin's perspective}

"It's good to see you again, Red, what word of my students?"

Red stood up, it might be that I'm inhabiting a 14 year old body, but Red looks much taller than I remember. Red reported "They inhabited a house about 20 clicks from here."

I nodded "Thank you, and Qrow?"

"In a bar, no surprise there." Red reported with a hiss.

"I can understand that you think he's not fit, but trust when I say he's exceptional." I assured Red.

He made a low growl in his throat before answering "Fine, can you find your way to their house? This place is rather confusing."

I shrugged at him "I will be fine. I have a feeling I know where Qrow is. Just remain in the shadows as I instructed."

He crossed his arms "As you wish old man…"

I gave him a soft sigh. "As much as I want to put you on the frontlines, if anyone knows who you are… what you are… it could induce confusion and panic. Which will bring the Grimm."

"I know I know…" Red then disappeared into the alley.

I gave a sigh.

He's really tense. Oscar noted.

"It's due to his past. I can almost tell by the way he walks." I told Oscar.

He told you his past? Oscar asked.

"No he has not, but with the way he scans around as he walks, he's seen things no man his age should have seen."

He looks like he's in his forties. Oscar observed.

"Maybe, but he's been through a lot of torture and suffering." I observed as I walked down the street. "For now though we should go and find Qrow, I will lead you."

You're not going to walk us there?

"No, you will."

I then switched control back to Oscar and led him to a bar I know Qrow frequents whenever he's in Mistral.