Welcome back to a new volume.

There's not much to say and a fair bit of ground to cover, so let's dive in.

Side note: Wish my Beta Reader Dumbo a happy birthday. He's done a lot of work on this fic and deserves appreciation!

Beta Readers: Chris72637, Luxutor, MegaDumbo, and Tupjunk

...

It was a morning like any other, and with the weekend coming to a close, the members of team PYRN found themselves strewn around their room, still unwinding from their mission a few days prior, some more conscious than others.

"Boop-boop"

*Snore-Snore

"Booooooooooooooooooooop"

*Snooooooooooooooooooore

A sigh rang out as Pyrrha shuffled into the room, yawning into her open palm, still dressed up in her orange button-up pajamas, stopping at the entrance, "Nora...what are you doing?"

The ginger was currently crouched in front of their resident sorcerer in the aptly named Goblin Corner, their favorite sleeping spot for who knows what reason, poking a finger into his cheek while the guy slumbered in dreamland, "Makin' music."

The redhead's eye twitched, wondering in what universe would this be anything like that.

The not-so-armored girl huffed, walking up to the pair. "Well, can it wait until later? The poor guy was up all night again. Let him sleep."

The shorter girl leaned back and groaned like a beluga whale, "Uhhhhh, you're such a mom. He's not gonna wake up. Check this."

She pinched his nose, cutting the guy's breath short

"Nora!"

"Waaaaaiiit for it-"

As if on cue, the vessel's arms lightly swung at nothing, "No...no...not the faceeee...thas mah...bread and butterrrrr."

*Pffft

Pyrrha was trying not to laugh, she really was, but somehow found herself crouching to his level, "Oh, and pray tell, who are you saving that...-"

She snickered, "-bread and butter for?"

Yuji rolled onto his side, drooling onto the floor, "...got..sta let...brother...Todo get oneeee firssst."

Nora plopped onto the guy's side, leaning an ear in, "Get one what? Ooooh I bet it's pancakes, but ohmygodjustone...I can't-I can't even!-"

He shook around, "No...no...don't want thatttt...need-"

Pyrhha leaned closer, "Neeeeed?"

"...Tall girl-"

The redhead bristled, "Eh?"

"Withhhh a big a-"

*KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK

The sound knocked the sorcerer back into his stupor, leaving the girls peeved as Pyrrha got up to answer the door, slightly more flustered than she would care to admit, taking a breath before opening to reveal-

She squinted, "Ruby?"

"SURPRI-"

The redhead's hand clamped onto the girl's mouth in a second, pointing to the knocked-out vessel, "Shhh!"

Her eyes widened before pulling back, "Oh, sorry!"

The leader just sighed, taking a glance at the dynamic duo of stupidity sprawled out behind her, "Don't be. Those two refuse to sleep on their beds-"

Nora's head popped up, "Hey, don't knock the corner till ya try it, big red!"

Pyrrha's face burned brighter, "I said I'm not calling it that!"

Ruby tilted her head, "What's this about a corner?"

The invincible girl's face became hollow, "...please don't ask-"

"I...I just did...I think."

From behind, an all too cocky voice rang out, "Ohhhh, I get it, Sis-"

Ruby could only look up as Yang rested her chin on her head, "They're there cause the corner's ninety degrees...eh?...eh?"

The scythe wielder's face became unreadable, "There's a place warmer than that waiting for you at the end."

Was that a threat?

Yang just stared down at her, completely unphased, "...You're kinda freaky...aren't you?"

"And don't you forget it."

With big sister mode engaged, the blonde gave Pyrrha a shrug, "We just wanted to check up on you guys, is all; see how that mission of yours went."

Another voice rang out from inside as Ren popped out of the bathroom, "...That's a long stor-"

*PFFFT

The bombshell was practically in hysterics, "Dude, WHAT are you wearing!?"

Lie looked down at the puffy pink bathrobe wrapped around him with frilly strings hanging off the sides, giving a huff of indignance, "I'll have you know this is peak fashion, madam, and I will not be insulted in my own home!"

Pyrrha somehow slumped over more, her back threatening to give way, "...Nora used his robe as a pancake bib a few days ago, so he's been using hers...I...I still don't know why."

The ginger played bongos on Yuji's snoring head, and he still wasn't waking up from this, "Wellll, I liiiiike, but not like-like Ren, and I looooooove pancakes, so why not both?"

The redhead looked so tired when she looked back at the sisters, "You want to come in? This might take a little while."

With a shrug, the sisters marched on in, followed by Blake, while Weiss hung around the door, refusing to touch anything someone so syrup-obsessed like Nora was around.

With a confident huff, Yang plopped down next to her favorite Pinkie, "So spit it out already. What was so crazy out there?"

Ren materialized a steaming mug of tea held in both hands, taking a sip as he let off a huff, completing his stay-at-home mom get-up to perfection, "Well, there was us getting jumped-"

The blonde nodded, "I like."

"Making plans-"

"Booooo."

Ruby gave her sister a look, "Yaaaang!"

The blonde shrugged, "What? Punch first, ask later, rule of cool, little Sis."

Weiss just stared at her indignantly, "What are you some kind of caveman?"

Yang nonchalantly stretched her arms toward the ceiling, "Hey, if I get a pet Ursa to go with it, I'd tell ya: bear with me."

*Finger Guns

"Ehhhhh...ehhhhh?"

Silence reigned supreme until Ren decided to ignore the painful atmosphere, "...Anyways, Yuji got kidnapped-"

"What?"

"We saw his powers-"

Nora shot up, waving her hands and making explosion sounds, "Yeah, he was all BOOM-BABASH-POW-ZOOM-BWOOOOSH! It was so cool!"

Ruby opened her mouth to speak, but the ginger cut her off with a lightning-fast finger to the nose, "It wasn't a gun... booooooop."

The scythe user looked like a kicked puppy.

Yang was actually kicking the ground, "Well, come on, don't leave a girl hanging! What did he do!?"

Blake looked down at her partner with a raised brow, "What's got you so invested in this?"

The bombshell's lilac eyes shimmered in determination, "Well if I wanna beat him, I gotta know what I'm gonna be up against."

"You're still on about that? Why not just fight someone your own size before gunning for the top?"

The blonde smirked, "Mama knows what she likes, and that's-"

Weiss cut her off with a snarky look on her face, "Oh, I know this one, rolling around in the mud and picking fights with vagabonds. Is that right?"

Yang raised a finger to argue but stopped, "You know...you aren't wrong."

The fist-fighter left it at that, looking back at the other team, "Alright, let's hear it!"

"Wanna see it?"

A certain ginger had a glint in her eye when she said that.

Pyrrha stiffened up, "Nora...what do you mean by that?"

A childish grin crossed the pink-covered girl's face as she grabbed the sorcerer's forearms, dragging them to eye level, "Wellllll-"

"Nora, no."

"Yuji, I choose you!"

"NORA, NO!"

"Use water gun!"

Without so much as a warning, the hammer user slammed the still-sleeping vessel's palms together, sending a lazy torrent of blood shooting out the tips of his fingers.

Time slowed as onlookers flinched away as it sailed across the room, diving out of the way as it barreled toward a certain Schnee, who happened to be looking at her scroll until a shadow blocked out the light.

"Eh?"

*BWOOOOOSH

What followed next was silence as all parties stared at the once immaculate girl, now covered in a layer of red, raising her shaking hands as she stared down at them.

Ruby tried to defuse the situation, "Now, Weiss...before you freak out-"

*SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

A scream to end all screams echoed out throughout Beacon, shattering windows as a figure blitzed across the room. The sudden noise stirred the sorcerer from his sleep as he tried to rub his eyes as a figure lunged at him, her manicured hands at the ready-

"Aw man...what time is i-

He only saw the specter of death above for a brief moment, and she had pretty blue eyes.

*BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM

"AHHHHHHHHHH MY BREAD AND BUTTER!"

Seconds went by with Yuji not having a clue what was happening before catching the Schnee by her wrists, "Gah! Can you stop, you angry little snowman!?"

He heard chuckles coming from the others who still weren't helping. If anything, it made Weiss angrier, "Look what you did AGAIN!"

"What!?"

She pried her hands free, grabbing the sides of his potato face, smushing it into mash-

"Look."

"At."

"Me!"

Yuji squinted, "...Why are you red?"

The Schnee was practically vibrating with rage, "Because apparently, you're a firehose that shoots blood at people!"

His eyes widened a bit in understanding, "Ohhhhh, I get it...hang on a sec, gimme your hand."

She gave him a look, "...why?"

He deadpanned, "It's gonna dry if you don't."

Weiss shivered at the thought, slowly holding out a manicured hand, which the sorcerer took in his own to her annoyance, "What are you doing?"

*rrrrrrrr

"This."

*SCHWING

The blood coating the Schnee from head to toe vibrated and, to her horror, shot up and zoomed along her outstretched arm, disappearing against the vessel's skin, and within seconds, he gave her his usual chipper smile, "All clean!"

"Eh?"

While the heiress sat there in a daze, their audience started clapping, with Yang slamming a hand against the sorcerer's back, "Nice trick, dude!"

Yuji awkwardly chuckled, "Nah-nah, it's nothing, just some stuff Choso taught me, is all."

Weiss looked down, not seeing so much as a drop or even a stain on her clothes, and while a normal person would say some kind of thanks-

"Why didn't you do this the first time?"

He tilted his head, "First time what?"

"The first time you ruined my clothes?... Back at the trials?"

"Did I?"

"How do you...how do you not remember it was a few weeks ago!?"

Yuji shrugged, "I dunno, you probably didn't ask me. I woulda done it if ya did."

*CRACK

Something in Weiss snapped, "How...was I supposed to know you can do that?!"

Another shrug, "I dunno, friends ask each other stuff."

She dragged her hands along her pale face, "Oh my God...you can't be this dumb...you just can't...how do you function?"

Itadori hummed for a second while scratching his chin before giving another one of his dopey smiles, "Well, I got smart people like you to rely on, don't I?"

Weiss froze up for a second, just staring at him, feeling a weird tug at the corners of her lips before snapping out of it, standing up to walk away, "I need to shower...for at least eight hours."

Yuji watched her go, but soon paused, "Oh yeah...you didn't swallow any of my blood, did ya? It'd be real bad if you did."

The Schnee ignored him, walking off back into her team dorm, leaving the others with more than enough questions.

Ruby eyed the sorcerer for a second, "Uh...besides being super gross, what makes that so bad?"

Itadori opened his mouth to speak but caught himself, "Eh...it would probably get a lot worse if I said why."

"What?"

The vessel snapped his fingers, "It's like...okay, let's say she did, right? Weiss would probably just get super sick, and that's it, but if I explained how it works? Then...I dunno, it'd probably kill her or somethin'."

"WHAT!?"

Ruby was in his face in a storm of rose petals, shaking him like a ragdoll, "IS WEISS GONNA DIE!? NONONO, WEHAVEN'TBECOMEBESTIESYET!"

Yuji raised a hand, blocking the spit flying from her, "Say it, don't spray it, dude. She's probably fine, but binding vows are no joke, so I won't tell ya just in case."

Blake appeared on the other side of the sorcerer, a fancy investigator's monocle on her face through years of reading only the finest, totally not creepy mystery novels out there, "Binding what-now?"

Yuji's head hit the wall as he looked up at the ceiling. "Ah, it's a sorcerer thing. It's what it sounds like. Ya either make a deal with another person or with... yourself I guess...or is it Cursed Energy?... Whatever...either way, you do that in exchange for stuff. You know, like a video game power-up, but you lose health or somethin' for it?"

Pyrhha crossed her arms, "And...what does that have to do with you explaining it?"

A dim lightbulb dinged over Yuji's head, "Oh yeah...well, when you make a deal with yourself, it can go from big stuff to small stuff. Let's say you were gonna stab me-"

The redhead pouted, "I wouldn't hurt you!"

He tried to wave her off, "I know, I know, I'm just sayin'!... Okay, let's imagine Pyr was gonna stab me, and I knew... 'right, I'm dead if this hits, what if I give up...I dunno, my arm instead.' If I make the vow, and it was fair enough, I'd end up tanking the hit, but I'd have to give up the limb, or some real bad stuff would happen if I broke the deal."

Itadori dropped his arm to the floor for added effect, "It's about sacrificing stuff for somethin' else, so if I explained how my ability works out loud, that gives you guys an advantage over me, so in return-"

Nora popped up, sitting on his knees, "Yo boom-boom becomes BABOOM-BOOM-POW!?"

Yuji paused, then gave a quick nod, "Yeah, pretty much...oh!"

He glanced across the room, his eyes widening, "I like the look, Ren!"

The quiet teen smugly puffed his chest out, giving Yang a look, "See? Some people know fashion when they see it."

Sparkles crackled off Itadori's face as he stared off into the clouds, "Ahhhh, I remember the first time I got to wear a robe. It was in a real fancy hotel, and I even stared out a window with a glass of wine in my hand...I musta looked so cool..."

Ruby sweatdropped, "You sure are easy to please, huh Yuj?"

"Am I?"

Pyrrha's eyes went white, "Wait...you drink?"

Yuji tilted his head, not understanding the question, "I ain't no lightweight if that's what you're askin'."

A smirk crept up Yang's face as she leaned closer, "Oh, yeah? Think you can keep up with the best party girl in town?"

He matched her pace tit for tat, snapping a finger in her direction, "Yeah! I can hang with the Yang."

She met his finger guns with her own, "Ayyyy!... Aw man, where's my shades?"

An awkward look crept up the vessel's face as he remembered a certain black flash shattering something, rubbing the back of his head in shame, "Ehhh I...sorta broke em'..sorry...but I can get you a new pair if you want."

The blonde indifferently shrugged, "It's cool, man, you can help me pick em' out...if you're down to do somethin' later, you know?"

The sorcerer just grinned, "Yeah, I'm down to clown. Bein' cooped up here has been drivin' me nuts...man, I just know there's a pun in there somewhere..."

Her lilac eyes flashed in pun-related energy, "Cashew think of your own?"

"Ayyyy!"

"Ayyyy!"

Ruby may or may not have gone catatonic during this conversation, slumped against Blake, who awkwardly petted the girl like a cat.

With everything said and done, Yuji slowly stood with a stretch, "Alright, well, I dunno about you guys, but a shower sounds awesome right now-"

Giving no warning, the vessel took his shirt off and tossed it to the side as he walked off, "Ima be right-"

"Dude!"

Yang dove for her sister, covering her eyes with her hands, "Not in front of Rub-Woahoah! Hang on a sec, turn around!"

The scythe user turned green, "Yang, don't be gross!"

"Nah-nah, it's not about that. Yuji, come on, lemme see!"

The sorcerer did as he was told, pausing at the doorway to look back at the others, "What?"

"Dude...sweet tats!"

"Hm? What are you-"

The vessel paused, looking down to see the distinctive black markings his unwanted guest brought with him standing along his chiseled frame, from jagged lines to the spheres along his shoulders.

Nora was already in front of him, zooming around at hypersonic speeds, "Oooh, pretty! Who'dya get em' from!? I wanna get one of Ren on my stomach, so whenever I eat pancakes, I can go 'Oh my God, hi Ren!'"

Lie just stared at her, "...When are we not together? Why would you even need a tattoo of me?"

"Well, sometimes when you aren't there, I wish you WERE there...all the time!"

"That doesn't answer the...whatever."

Pyrrha was looking down at her twiddling thumbs, "First drinking... and now tattoos?... At our age? It's so scandalous...I can't believe...not him...not Yuji-"

Ren's gaze shifted to the redhead, "Are you eighty years old?"

"Wh-what does that mean!?"

A certain ginger popped up in front of her, crossing her arms, "Pyr, I love ya, but you're still as spicy as a bag of flour."

This was too much for the poor girl's heart, sending her tumbling to the floor, defeated, "Not the flour joke...not again."

With Nora out of the way, Yang took her place, coming up to get a better look at the sorcerer, hands on her hips, "Dang dude, I never figured you the type, so how'd ya get em'? Few at a time or?"

Itadori let off a huff, looking away with an annoyed look on his face, as if this was something he really didn't want to talk about, "...All at once."

Her grin grew, "Hardcore!...Hm?"

She stopped, looking him over for a second, "Is... somethin' wrong? You're getting all quiet on me."

Yuji shook his head before putting a hand over his forehead, pulling his pink hair back, "Nah...it's nothing, just...-"

*Fuuuuuuu

His face briefly glowed as more dark markings appeared along his tan skin, "I'd kill to get these things off."

With that, Yuji turned on his heels and closed the door behind him, leaving them in the dust, the water turning on soon after.

Yang quirked a brow, "That was weird, right? Wonder what his deal is?"

She turned, looking at Blake, who wasn't really paying attention to anything, just cupping her chin in idle thought, "What's with you, Wakey?"

The ninja girl narrowed her eyes, "Nothing, it's just those marks he has...I-I swear I've seen them somewhere before."

She soon shook her head, "But either way, he was definitely acting weird...well, in Yuji terms at least."

Ruby watched as a shadow passed overhead before a colossal weight came slamming onto her ribs, making her eyes go wide like dinner plates as Nora took a seat, "Nah, it's not just you; he's been all upsetty-betty the past few days."

Ruby reached a hand to her sister, "Help...meeeee!"

She got a high-five and nothing else.

Pyrrha rose from the dead, pushing herself up against the wall like a wounded warrior, "Well, can you blame him after what happened?"

The redhead let off a sigh, seeing the confusion on RBY's faces, "During our mission, one of our seniors, Fox Alistair, got hurt, and Yuji's been trying to help him any way he can and...and he hasn't gotten any better-"

She glanced up at the ceiling, pouting. "I can tell it's bothering him. The poor guy blames himself for what happened and won't let go of it no matter how many times we tell him it's not his fault."

Yang tilted her head, "Really? He doesn't seem the typa' dude to get hung up on stuff."

Ren tapped a finger along the wall, "When it comes to other people, he's pretty protective."

To that, the bombshell could only nod, "Yeah, fair...well, that settles it, I guess-"

"Hm?"

The blonde shrugged, holding her arms to the sides, "I'll just have to show Pinkie a good time tonight, is all! But how hard could it be when I'm already there in all my greatness?"

Blake rolled her eyes, "Rigggght, that's totally why you're doing this..."

The fist-fighter nudged her partner with a foot, "I never said that's the ONLY reason, but you know how it is. If I don't swoop in and land a good hit, someone else will, and I don't lose to no one!"

"Didn't he beat you in like one hit?"

Yang pointed a finger at her face, "Yeah, well...shuddup."

"Wowww, you sure showed me."

Pyrrha was all smiles, "Aww, it's sweet that you care about your friends that much, Yang...I really hope you can cheer him up. Things just aren't the same with him acting like a mope."

From her early grave, Ruby could only stare at the redhead in pity, "Poor thing doesn't see the homewrecker moving in for the kil-EEEEEEEEEEE!"

*CRUNCH

Yang sat beside Nora, sending her little sister into a spasm as she sank into the floor, "I'm sorry, I didn't hear you. What did you just call me, Rube?"

"NOTHING! I CALLED YOU A...A GREAT BIG SISTER!"

"Is that right? Wellll, in that case...hey Nora?"

Ruby's face paled, "What are you doing?"

The ginger came out of la-la-land, "Hm?"

The blonde slinked a hand over her shoulder, pulling the girl in to whisper in her ear, "You know...Ruby has a candy stash she keeps on campus, and you just might get it out of her if you-"

*Whisper-whisper

The hammer wielder's blue eyes shimmered, "Play interrogators, you say? Hmm, Rennnn, do we have enough soda?"

Lie deadpanned, "If you didn't try taking a bath in it again, we should."

Ruby grew ghost white, "Wh-Why do you need soda?"

"Well, I'm gonna waterboard you, silly!"

"WHAT!?"

With the most causal stride imaginable, Yang got up, dragging Blake off with her by the wrist, "Well, have fun, Rube, and you know, don't wait up tonight!"

As the door shut, the junior Huntress could be heard clawing at the other side as if she were some kind of animatronic, "Yang, Don't Leave Me Here! Yang!...YANG! HELP ME!"

...

Later that day

Standing in one of the many garages spread around Beacon's campus, Yuji couldn't help but whistle in approval, "Sweet ride, what'd she cost ya?"

He was looking at a tricked-out motorcycle, way more advanced looking than the rides he had seen in Japan, colored in what he could only call an awesome combination of black and yellow.

Standing beside him, Yang slugged the vessel in the shoulder, "Aww, thanks! I knew you'd like her! You see, me and the Bee, rhyme definitely intended, go way back, and when I saw her, I knew I had to have her, and what's money to that?"

Yuji crossed his arms behind his head, "Absolutely nothin!'"

"Dang right! Come on, I'll show ya how she works."

Within moments, she had tossed the sorcerer a black helmet to contrast with her bright yellow, and they all but exploded out of the garage and out into the afternoon sun.

As they flew down the Highway, the vessel couldn't help but revel in the foreign sensations, from the wind dancing over his skin to the fresh air filling his lungs, so he did what felt right.

Itadori stuck his hands in the air, "Woohoo!"

Yang laughed at how excitable the guy could get over every little thing, "Enjoying yourself back there?"

Yuji was grinning from ear to ear, "Yeah! Hey, you ever try surfing this thing before?"

She quirked a brow, "Surf? Like on the water?"

"Yeah, but on a bike, you steer with your hips and just go for it! Wanna try?"

On the one hand, it was a terrible idea, but on the other-

She found herself smirking, steering through traffic as they shot through the streets like a bullet, "You're crazy, dude, but I like it! Alright, show me whatcha got!"

With practiced ease, the sorcerer's legs shot up, kicking off the sides of the bike before landing on top, one leg forward, the other back, his hands resting on her shoulders, "Alright, now you!"

"You sure about this?"

"Ah, come on, I gotcha!"

Yang took a breath, pushing off the handles, wobbling to her feet, only for the sorcerer to keep her steady, "Alright, now just lean a little to the WOAH!"

The bike took a hard right, only stopping when the vessel shot a leg out, kicking the handle back into place, as she laughed, "My bad, my bad! Nerves got me twitchy."

He waved off her concerns, "Nah, you're good. Come on, we'll co-op this then hit up the stores. Sound good?"

Sure, cars might've been honking like you wouldn't believe, and more people were calling the cops than not, but Yang wasn't even focused on that.

Her heart was pounding like crazy! It felt surreal just coasting along, doing something wild and out of pocket because she wanted to! It was more than just fun-

It was freedom and not giving a single damn about the consequences!

She found herself leaning back to get a look at him, "Think you can keep up, tough guy?"

Through it all, Yuji kept a look like this was the most run-of-the-mill thing to him, "I don't see anyone tryna stop us, do you?"

"Not like they could!"

They zoomed off toward town, outpacing anyone who tried to get in their way.

...

Sometime later

"Whaddya think of these, Pink Stuff?"

A certain blonde struck a cool sideways pose, flashing a pair of purple specs with gold rims, a lavish glint flickering off the surface.

Yuji stood, finger cupped along his chin, surrounded on all sides by fashion accessories as far as the eye could see, looking over the blonde with absolute precision.

At some point, Yang had dragged the guy into a massive mall, and he went along for the ride before ending up in more than a few clothing stores, not that he minded. Seeing what Westerners wore up close was pretty neat-

Well...it was nice to see normal clothes instead of the clown suits other students seemed to wear...the vessel still had no idea who told Weiss a Disney dress was the look for her, but at least Yang dressed like a human being.

"Hmmm...I dunno. You've got a cool, mysterious, drifter vibe going for you; purple might not be it. It gives your eyes less pop, you know?"

The bombshell snorted, "Never took you for a fashion connoisseur, but-"

She flicked her shades high, flashing him a wink, "I'm glad you like em'~"

That one went clear over the sorcerer's head, to her disappointment, with Itadori puffing his chest in pride, "I know cool when I see it, and when you're giving off a 'don't screw with me' attitude, you gotta match it! Make em' think, 'who's this cool biker chick?' the second you walk in."

Without warning, Yuji plucked a pair of black aviators off the shelf, replacing her golden set with the new dark lenses, "There, now, you just gotta time those stares, and you're balling!

She shook away her annoyance, and seeing his excitement; the blonde regained her cocky smirk, "Oh yeah? And what sorta look are you going for?"

Yuji hummed, taking a stance like he was holding a pistol, checking every direction, "If I had a suit, I bet you I could rock the secret agent look, ya know? Walk in, stand in the corner, hand on my hip, it just screams, 'Oh, this dude kicks ass!'"

"No way!"

"Huh?"

Yang flashed a hand through her long blonde hair, "You with a monkey suit? Pffft...come on! You ain't the type to wear something dumb like that. It's old man stuff!"

She looked him over, reaching to a shelf before putting a backward red cap on his head, "There, now we're getting somewhere! You just gotta embrace the 'boy from down the street' look, is all!"

He tilted his head, "Boy, from the what now?"

The fist-fighter took a step back, her fingers held like a camera, "Yeah, I could totally see it! Wear a sweet jersey and some bright shorts, get you a b-ball, and you're DOMINATING the jock vibes!"

Itadori waved her off, "Basketball?...Hmmm, we sorta play that back home, but you know what's real big in Japan? Baseball!...Wonder if they got a batting range around here..."

With a tap along her scroll, Yang flashed him a thumbs up, "Oh yeah, they do. Wanna hit 'em up?"

"Seriously?"

She shrugged, her eyes flashing in excitement, "Yeah, why not? Sounds like fun. Unless you're afraid of losin' to a little gal like me, that is?"

Yuji snorted, plucking her shades off with a nonchalant wave, "Riggght, like I'm that shallow. Ima be right back after I buy this for ya-"

She tried to catch up with him, "You don't gotta do that for me, dude, come on, lemme handle it-"

The blonde met the hand, only seeing his indifferent shrug, "Yeah, but I wanna, so I'm gonna, simple as that."

Yang just laughed, "There's no telling you no, is there? Alright, but I'm treating you next-"

A dangerous smirk grew along the vessel's face as he slammed a stack of lien on the counter to the employee's confusion, taking off into the mall at full sprint, "Not if I get there first!"

The bombshell stood there, her mouth hanging open before her eyes flashed red, grabbing her shades before taking off after him, "Oh, you dick! No headstarts!"

Yuji didn't even know where this place was, and so, came in dead last.

...

*CRACK

With perfect precision, the sorcerer smashed another homerun out of the netted ceiling and into the stratosphere, faintly smirking as Yang gave a whistle, holding a hand over her eyes as she watched it fly.

"Damn, dude, nice swing!"

*CRACK

He watched her shoot a missile of a ball into the heavens above, "You aren't too bad yourself!"

The sight made his smile briefly dwindle as he stared back down, his mind drifting to a familiar, usually angry face with brown hair and orange eyes, whispering, "Almost like you're the...Mah-kun of Tohoku."

"The who now?"

"Eh?"

Yuji's eyes widened a bit as he raised a hand in apology, "Sorry, I didn't think I said that out loud. It's just...something my friend said a while ago."

Yang tilted her head, slamming her bat into the ground as she leaned on it, staring at him between the metal cage bars, "You know, now that you mention it...you don't talk about em' too much, do ya?..."

Yuji blew a raspberry, "Not like I know much about you either-"

She waved a finger, her coy look growing, "Ah-ah-ah, no dodging...let's make a game of it; I get to ask somethin', then you get to ask me somethin', fair?"

He casually nodded, earning a hum of silent thought from the blonde, "Sooo... I remind you of someone?"

Itadori went quiet, looking up at the glowing sun, "Mmmmm, it's a lotta yes and no...see, I had this friend back in Japan-"

He pulled out his phone, scrolling through pictures until landing on one he could show her, one of him and a certain angry girl fighting over plates in a Tokyo restaurant, "Nobara Kugisaki was her name, and lemme tell ya, she didn't take shit from no one."

He smashed another dinger into the sky, watching it go, "I met her not that long ago, and since we were two of the only three students in our year at Jujutsu High, we sorta had to interact, you know?"

Yang tapped her bat along her boots, "Yeah, you mentioned your kind are kinda rare, but only three? Sounds kinda...-"

"Lame? Eh, I could see why people think that, but it really lets ya get to know someone when it's just you and them, and man...Kugisaki was somethin'...she was mean, loud, and all kinds of obnoxious, and talked more trash than anyone I ever met-"

The blonde opened her mouth to angrily cut him off, wondering how they were alike at all, but the vessel spoke first, with a fond yet suppressed smile on his tan face, "But the more I learned about her, well...the more I came to admire her I guess. We were both rural folk in the big city, and even if she didn't wanna show it, I knew she cared."

Next thing the vessel knew, he was lightly laughing, scratching his cheek, "Hehe, one time when Nobara thought I died, she made me apologize for not considering her feelings...and a while later, I found out that crazy girl left home just to find an old friend she lost a long time ago."

Yang was quiet for a second before letting off a quiet huff, taking a swing that somehow missed its mark to her annoyance, "That sorta feeling sucks more than anything...wanting to find someone but not having a clue where to start..."

Yuji tilted his head, "You looking for someone too?"

She bit her cheek, glancing down at the ground, "It's...not important, but... Did she ever find em'?...The people she was looking for?"

...

...

"Yuji?"

The sorcerer had come to a complete stop, staring blankly ahead, his mind in another place, lost in the subway tunnels beneath Shibuya, a familiar face looking at him with a content smile despite everything that had happened and how little time they had left.

'Itadori, tell everyone this for me.'

'I've had a pretty good life.'

...

...

*CRACK

A ball smashed the sorcerer in the face, harmlessly bouncing off without doing any sort of damage.

Yang approached the fence, "Dude! You good?"

"Huh?"

It only lasted a split second, but Yuji's expression rapidly shifted toward an awkward smile, looking up from the ground like nothing had happened, "Sorry, I got stuck thinkin' about some stuff, is all. Guess I lost track of where I was...but about what you asked. I-"

His face shifted, becoming dull for a moment, "I don't think she ever did."

With a clap of his hands, he was back to his usual self, a smile growing on his face, "Alright! My turn!"

That left Yang at a loss, but the topic changed so fast that she had to keep up.

Tapping a foot along the turf, Yuji clicked his tongue, "Oh, I got one! Don't take it the wrong way, but-"

Yang rolled her eyes, her grin coming back, "Great way to start a question."

Yuji gave a mock bow, "Ah, you're right... Your Highness, forgive me if I may be so forward and ask but a simple question which may cause offense-"

She delicately grazed a hand over her chest before pointing her bat at him like a sword, "Well, I'm glad to see someone respects my position as Queen Bee...I suppose I'll allow it-"

Both fell into a chuckle as Yuji rose, squinting at her, "If you and Ruby are siblings, how come you don't look all that alike?"

A playful look flashed over her face, "Oh, and how do we look?"

"Well, Rube is short, you're tall...she's got black hair, you're a blonde and uhhh-"

She leaned in, "Annnd?"

He dug deep into his thoughts for this one, "She does her own thing, and...You're the cool one?"

She pumped a fist, "Booyah! Knew it! I am so rubbing this in her face later!"

Huh, so that's what some siblings act like? Yuji could only wonder why he and Choso were never that way...they sorta just got along, not that he could hate the guy when he tried so hard to be a good brother.

With a nonchalant shrug, Yang rolled her eyes, "You should know, Yuj, you got half siblings too. We just have different moms is all."

She kicked the ground, taking a massive swing as another ball slammed into the wall, making a visible dent on impact, "How's things with your brother anyway? You talk to him at all?"

He waved her off, "Not lately, but me and my brothers don't really gotta see each other to know we're around...with our blood, we're always a part of each other...if that makes sense."

She took a second, then snickered, "Ohhhh right, the...firehose, hahaha! That was so great!... I've never seen Weiss so pissed in my entire life!"

"Yeah, thanks for helping, by the way!"

"Oooh, snarky! I coulda helped, but you only gotta deal with her like an hour or two a day, and for us, it's an all-day thing. Sorry Yuj, but a girl's gotta make sacrifices sometimes."

She could only laugh as he deflated, shaking her head in disbelief, "I seriously don't get you two. You somehow piss ice queen off more than anyone, but you're the one that gets her to back down with some cheesy one-liner. I oughta start calling you 'the bitch whisperer.'"

The vessel sweatdropped, "She's not THAT bad-"

Yang deadpanned, "Oh, she is THAT bad. If it's not you, then she's on Ruby's case about some stupid crap that doesn't even matter."

She put her hands on her hips, bouncing back and forth, "Oh my, a bag of chips left on the table? Heavens above, I simply cannot handle this disgusting abode for a second longer!"

The blonde crossed her arms, "Then, I'm like, 'Hey, come on, Weiss, we all chipped in for that!'-"

The sorcerer smirked, "Clever."

"I know, right? And she's all, 'Grrrr, I'm Weiss, no fun allowed when I'm around,' it's freaking exhausting, dude."

The bombshell let off a sigh, chucking her bat to the side, "Hey, all this ice talk's makin' me thirsty. Wanna get a drink?... If you can hang with the Yang, that is."

Yuji raised his arms, resting his head against them as he shrugged, "I dunno, it's pretty cold...might need some brrbon."

"Ayy!"

"Ayy!"

She flashed him a finger gun, tapping a foot in thought, "But where could we-"

Oh, that could be fun.

The Huntress had a dangerous glint in her eyes, "I know a place."

...

Meanwhile, in Beacon Tower

Sat alone in his office, Ozpin stared at his monitor, a smattering of electrical components strewn across his desk, with only the occasional click echoing out as he scrolled through frame after frame.

He stopped, watching as a pair of hands clasped together and a razor-like stream of blood shot across the horizon at a certain masked woman pinned beneath a snarling Grimm, a red flame ignited around her exposed eye.

"Raven...you didn't...even you wouldn't go as far as to-"

No, deep down, the elderly man knew he was wrong...the Branwen always had a vicious streak about her, obsessing over power to the point of near madness, a trait he worked tirelessly to break...and what good it did in the end.

He grimaced at another mistake made, and another life lost because of his failures...but to think she'd lose to that boy.

Ozpin had compiled the footage, seeing a myriad of extremes on his adopted ward's end...unbelievable speed and strength, moving so fast the device itself struggled to keep up, and with those strange attacks-

He moved forward to the last few frames, observing as black lightning shattered what remained of the chieftain's mask on contact, exposing her face to the world before the sheer pressure shattered the scroll in its entirety, with him needing to piece together the complete story from student accounts, leaving him with one answer he couldn't doubt.

This situation was growing beyond his control.

He tapped along his keyboard, and with the final click, a call began to ring, the sound lasting for a mere few seconds before a familiar face blipped on screen, an authoritative voice echoing out, "Ah, Oz...to what do I owe the pleasure?"

The Professor raised a mug, taking a sip as he gave the screen a curt nod, "James, it's been too long."

James Ironwood: HeadMaster of Atlas Academy and general of his kingdom's military. A firm, if strict, ruler and a bit more authoritarian than Ozpin would like, but such things were necessary in this world of theirs.

The dark-haired man clasped his hands, "That it has, but knowing you, this isn't for idle chit-chat. We're both busy men, so let's skip the formalities and get to it."

Ozpin took a breath, his eyes not reflecting any specific emotion, "Is this line secure?"

"As secure as one could hope, but you can never be quite certain who's listening... especially these days...though just so we're clear-"

He shifted to the side, revealing a white-haired woman with light blue eyes standing behind him with a perfect military posture, "Specialist Schnee is with me, and if needed, she can-"

Ozpin waved him off, "There's no need for that...this is something we need to discuss in person. You see...I found another fire and may need your help to suppress it."

The leader visibly stiffened, leaning into his desk, "I see...then we should meet as soon as possible."

With a flick of his glasses, Ozpin glanced out a nearby window as students roamed across campus, "I suggest moving up your visit by a few weeks-"

The man grumbled, "The press would have a field day with that, especially if I brought the necessary forces to keep things secure. Soldiers or not, they'll cause concern."

Ozpin nodded, "Undoubtedly, but thankfully, we have a perfect excuse and cause for celebration at that...You haven't met my grandson yet, have you?"

A faint smile crossed the stern man's face, "That I haven't...and it has been a while since you and I had a proper toast, so I suppose we can indulge ourselves a bit...I'll have my people work out a schedule and plan the events."

Ironwood looked to the side. "I meant to extend my congratulations to you about the boy... Though, I never thought you had it in you, Oz. How has grandparenthood treated you?"

The Headmaster lightly dropped his shoulders, "Given we met a mere few weeks ago, I'd say things have gone well...Yuji has shown quite a bit of promise."

"I'd expect nothing less, and I'm sure our meeting will be eventful, but if you don't mind, I have duties to attend to, so I'll have to cut this short."

"Of course, James...Oh, and tell your specialist her sister has adapted to Beacon very well. In fact, from what I've seen, she and Yuji have become quite good friends-"

Winter's expression lightened ever so slightly-

"When she isn't hitting him, that is."

And just like that, it fell into the depths of oblivion.

"Take care now."

The Director left them like that, disconnecting the call and soon wondering why he felt the need to say that...Oh well, it was something to consider later-

There was another, likely more difficult call to make.

As he dialed in the info, the Director found himself gazing out into the Emerald Forest, wondering if Oobleck had made any progress on his excavation.

There was so much mystery surrounding Yuji and so many unanswered questions...things the man dreaded having to confront the teen about, not knowing if the boy could even handle the truth in his current state...hopefully, this dig would turn over something of value.

Ozpin reached into his desk, pulling out a burned piece of paper with ritual-like markings scorched across the surface, his thoughts running wild as he grazed a finger across, feeling his entire body tremble in fear.

It was so awful-

So horrible-

He'd be a fool if he didn't recognize it... from back then.

But why was... that thing... here...and what did Yuji have to do with it?

Questions for later.

The phone rang for almost a minute before someone answered, followed by an unholy sound of beer cans collapsing to the hard floor below, a gravely voice following suit, "Ohhhh...God...what time is it?"

"Seven thirty in the afternoon, if you must know."

The man hummed, "Ehhhh, it's morning somewhere-"

Ozpin gave a curt nod, "I'm sure."

He blew a raspberry, pulling himself upright on stumbling legs, swiping a hand through his black hair before his red eyes flashed toward the screen, "Alright...whaddya want, Oz?"

The Headmaster clasped his hands, "Something's come up, and I'll need you back at Beacon as soon as possible."

"Now?... You're the one who sent me out here to the sticks, and now you're telling me to come right back? What's the deal?"

"It's a family matter."

The Huntsman stopped in his tracks, "Is it my-"

Ozpin shook his head, "Your nieces are fine. I've ensured that much."

The scythe user wiped a hand along his face, looking around at his scattered belongings in his cheap hotel room, "Oh, so it's about her...eugh, shit...alright, I can get there in a few days...at least it'll gimme a chance to see the girls...but tell me something, Oz...bad or worse?"

"...I don't know."

"You...you what? When do you not know anything?"

The Headmaster grimaced, looking down at his hands, "Circumstances have arisen that I didn't anticipate, and we're going to need to have a long discussion on where to go from here."

The man waved a finger, "Yippie..."

Ozpin's stare hardened, "I don't joke when I say this. You won't like where it ends."

The former bandit let off a sigh, shaking his head with a whisper, "Sis, what did you do this time?..."

The moment didn't last as he looked back at the Director, "Alright, consider it done. I'll be on my way back by tonight..gimme two...three days tops."

"I'll see you then, Qrow."

*Click

...

At a Certain Bar

Yuji walked across the dance floor as neon lights flashed overhead, giving an impressed whistle at how massive this place was, taking a stance at the bar as the bartender swiped a hand through his black hair, tossing a towel over his shoulder.

"The name's, Junior, what'll it be, short-stack?"

The vessel ignored the jab, knowing the game at these sorts of places, getting dragged to more than enough shady spots by Hakari Senpai, "Hmm, gimme two of something strong and fruity, and here's my ID."

A stack of lien dropped across the counter, and with nothing more than a slight smirk, the owner slid them into his pocket, "Right, happy twenty-first, it'll be a minute."

"Yeah-yeah, just don't water 'em down."

That earned a deep chuckle, "For a brat, you sure know your stuff."

"Eh, hang around enough gamblers, and ya learn a few things. Everyone's got a fever for somethin', whether it's the booze, the money, or even a good party."

"Hmph, well, keeps the lights on, so who am I to complain?... Here take your shit and go."

Drinks in hand, the vessel crossed the dance floor, seeing a certain blonde standing out in the crowd as he approached, "So, what's the deal? How come you didn't wanna talk to that guy?"

Yang plucked a drink, taking a happy sip, "Wellllll, last time I was here, I sortaaaa...wrecked the place."

Itadori only shrugged, "You sure get around, don't ya?"

"What can I say? A girl's gotta go with the breeze. Besides, I had a leed, and they didn't wanna tell me, so I mighta cracked a few skulls, nothin' crazy."

He raised a brow, taking a sip with a hum, figuring this 'poison' wasn't gonna do anything for him, but it was still something to do, "Oh...so you ARE looking for someone."

She leaned closer, a smirk growing on her face, "Wouldn't you like to know."

He waved a hand, "Oooh, mysterious."

She made a face. "Oh, that's my gimmick, and you know it! What's got you so invested anyway?"

Yuji shrugged, "Who knows? You're just interesting to me, is all, nothing else to it."

Yang laughed, "And what makes me so interesting to you? The dashing good looks? The in-your-face attitude? How much butt I kick on the daily?"

The sorcerer hummed, "I mean, yeah, that stuff's cool and all, but...it's more that someone so carefree like you seems so deadset on gettin' something. I guess I wanna know what makes you serious."

The blonde leaned a bit closer, her tone suggestive, "I can show you serious."

To her surprise, that one seemed to land, and she took full advantage-

She leaned in, whispering in his ear, "I'm looking for my-"

"IT'S YOU!"

Yang sighed, seeing Junior glaring at her from across the bar, and with a wave of a hand, the patrons cleared out, replaced by the man's hired help, "Think you could just walk back in here and start more shit with me? Not this time, Blondie!"

The bombshell hummed, "Hey Yuj, you ever been in a bar fight?"

The sorcerer loosened up, rolling his shoulders, "Does a fight club count?"

She smirked, "Close enough, and awesome!... Whaddya say we have some fun?"

The vessel rolled his eyes, not seeing much choice, "You wanted this from the start, didn't you?"

The fist-fighter flashed him a wink, shoving her drink back into his hand, "Maybe~...wanna hold that for me?"

With the flick of a wrist, her golden bracelets shot down, covering her fists as a pair of hardened gauntlets, and without warning, the blonde took off with the beat drop, slugging a suited thug across the face, sending him flying.

Itadori sweatdropped, lazily leaning back and forth as random blades, axes, and maces swung at him from all sides, leaping overhead as a chair came flying from across the bar, with the vessel landing on top, jumping off as the object smashed into the group below, sliding to a stop, back to back with his partner for the night, drinks still in hand.

"You sure we should do this? Isn't this kinda illeg-"

"DUCK!"

Yuji dropped into a crouch as Yang rounded about, sliding on her heels, sending a boot straight into a thug's unprotected face, the sheer force embedding him into a nearby wall as she flicked a strand of hair back into place.

She grinned at the vessel, raising a finger. "Yang-gang rule one: Rules are ALWAYS meant to be broken! And look around you, Pink-stuff, this place is hella illegal! Why do ya think Junior's got all this muscle? And it's not just a flex! I guarantee it!"

*Finger Guns

*BOOOM

Her finger guns turned to actual guns, firing lightning rounds in a spray, electrifying the room as the lights flickered on and off, sending sparks raining down around them.

Even in a fight, she was making puns; it was honestly impressive.

Itadori tilted his head, "...Didn't he just say it was 'cause of y-"

"Can't hear you over how cool I look right now!"

Her hands slammed into the floor, firing straight down, sending herself flying straight up before coming back down, smashing another guard into a crater, "How bout' this? You kick some crooked ass with me, and I'll tell you who I'm looking for."

Her fist retracted, showing a twitching thug embedded into the ground as she shrugged, "It's basically community service if you think about it."

A few seconds passed before the sorcerer let out a huff, not wanting a fight but not wanting to ditch a friend at the same time-

He grumbled as another group approached, making Yang raise a brow, "You in or not?"

He can't use his hands, but he has to put up a good fight...the odds weren't leaning in his favor, but what else was new? And when did he care about that sorta stuff anyways?

Life's a gamble, huh, Hakari Senpai?

The sorcerer's leg flashed into motion, sending a massive table spinning into the air as his shoe slammed against the flat surface, sending the object careening across the room, exploding into dust and wooden shrapnel as it impacted against the horde.

*CLANK-CLANK-SMASH

Junior's voice echoed out from across the bar as he dug through the shelves for something, "Get 'em girls, just a little more-!"

*BWOOSH

To the vessel's surprise, a pair of lookalikes emerged from the smoke. They had the same black hair and green eyes, and one was wearing white and the other black and red. Their bladed weapons flashed beneath the strobe light as they raced across the dance floor.

Speaking in a creepy unison

"We don't-"

"Like you-"

"You're-"

"Bad-"

Yuji tilted his head before a lightbulb dinged, "Ohhhh, is this a Shining refere-

*SCHWING

The one in white flashed a kick at his neck, the jagged edges along her heel reflecting the sorcerer's face as it passed, but the moment didn't last as Yuji leaned back like an acrobat, slamming a foot straight up, cracking the pale girl across the chin, sending her headfirst into the ceiling before she came crashing down in a heap.

The sight enraged her red doppelganger, who came charging in, her jagged claws at the ready, the mental image making the teen deadpan, "First Magneto, now Wolverine? I swear you guys are just stealing these from comi-"

Yang came running up from behind, "Ooh, pass me one!"

Yuji tilted his head, "Pass?"

...

...

Alright?

Not knowing what the girl was on about, the vessel did what felt right, moving at breakneck speeds, leaning out of the way at the last moment before slamming a palm into the possibly possessed twin's back, sending her stumbling forward, looking up to see her vision filled with yellow.

*BOOOM

Yang sent the girl flying into the bar, sending bottles and shattered glass in all directions as booze fell like a waterfall as she tumbled onto Junior, who shoved her off without a care in the world, "Oh, you're gonna pay for that one you little brat, COME GET SOME!"

Itadori's eyes widened a bit as the man pulled out a bazooka of all things from behind the bar, with frightened shouts coming from his hired help, "SIR WAIT, WE'RE STILL OUT HERE!"

Junior shrugged them off, "THEN MOVE!"

*CRACK

"Dude, get down!"

Yang to pull the sorcerer behind a pillar, but he didn't budge so much as an inch, her expression shifting into confusion as he didn't even seem concerned about it, "What are you-"

With expert precision, the sorcerer's fist ignited in cursed energy, engulfing one of the drinks whole as he took a pitcher's stance, breaching the sound barrier with his professional throw, a sonic blast ringing out as it sailed across the building.

*CRASH

Time slowed as glass shattered against Junior's face, the sudden attack sending the man tumbling back, squeezing the trigger as a hailstorm of rockets shot toward the ceiling, with droplets of colorful liquid coating the atmosphere around him.

Yuji raised a free hand, and with the simple snap of a finger, perfect lines slashed across each of the projectiles, even as they were still escaping the launcher, and within the blink of an eye, they ignited-

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOM

The resounding blast turned the bar into history, launching Junior's burnt form across the room, bouncing along the dance floor before skidding to a stop in the middle, the mere sight of him sending his hired help into a panic as they trampled through the building, out the doors and into the night.

Itadori glanced at Yang, who stared at him with wide eyes, "Are we done here?"

The blonde looked around for someone to pummel but only saw unconscious bodies and a whole lotta nothing, soon slumping over as she kicked the floor in disappointment, "Show off...coulda made that last, you know..."

Yuji shrugged, handing the bombshell her drink, "Eh, fightin's not my thing."

She snorted, swiping it before slamming the entire thing in one go, her casual grin coming back, "Oh well, I had my fun, unless you wanna go again, Junior?"

The giant man groaned, curling up into a ball, "...Please just go."

Yang rolled her eyes, "Dude's involved with half the crime in Vale, but plays the pity card when he's beat, lame..."

Yuji gave her a look, holding out a fist, "I thought you said rules are meant to be broken, Yang-Gang."

She smirked, giving him a fistbump, "Yang-Gang hates the boring rules, not the important rules."

He shook his head, leaning his head back in disapproval like a certain gambler, "Then your fever just ain't high enough. It's got me running cold."

"Pffft, ohhh, now I'm boring you? Alright, tough guy-"

Yang held her keys out to him, a challenging look on her face, "You're driving us back."

"Eh?"

...

Minutes later, on the Highway

Yuji cleared through the empty streets, feeling the engine pur as Bumblebee raced along like a blur, jumping from lane to lane without a care in the world, "Woohoo!"

With her hands around his waist from behind, Yang couldn't help but narrow her eyes, "Remember, if you-"

"Yeah-yeah, if I scratch it, you'll kill me, but come on! Don't you think this is awesome!?"

She shook her head in disbelief, "God, you're such a kid!"

A second passed before she grumbled, "And...it's sorta related to what I was trying to tell you earlier-"

"Tell me earlier?... Oh, about who you're looking for?... Look, you don't gotta say if you don't wanna."

She squeezed a bit tighter, "I do wanna tell you, it's just...it's complicated...remember how I said me and Rube have different moms?"

"Yeah? What about it?"

"Aren't you wondering how that happened?"

Yuji shook his head, "Nah, not really...I mean, my family situation is all kinds of weird...like, you'd get a headache if I tried explaining it."

Yang stared at his back for a second, "Really? I figured your dad slept around a lot or something."

"Pfft, if I ever meet him, I'd have to ask him-"

"You...you never met him?"

Streetlights flickered by as he watched the road ahead, "Nah, I never really knew either of my parents. My grandfather raised me...not Gramps. I only met him a few weeks back, but my mom's the one who...caused a lot of our... sibling drama."

...

...

She leaned her head against his back, "Then I guess we got that in common, huh?"

Yang let off a long sigh, "One day, when I was young, my mom just...left...never said a word to me, not even a bye...she was there and then...gone."

Yuji glanced over his shoulder but only saw her long hair blocking her face from view, "Did you ever find out why?"

She glanced to the side at a nearby river, passing by as they drifted along the roadway, "No...and I tried to get over it, I really did...just live my own life and forget about her, but not knowing just keeps...keeps-"

The fist-fighter huffed, bouncing her forehead off his back, "It messes with my head, you know?... Wouldn't you wanna know about your parents if you could?"

"Not really, but if it means that much to you, I get it."

Her eyes widened, "You...you don't?"

Yuji hummed, his grip over the handles remaining firm, "My Grandfather asked if I wanted to know once...about my mom and dad, and I told him no...not that it matters now. He's been gone for almost a year at this point...and I don't regret it."

"Why? Doesn't it...doesn't it bother you that they weren't there for you?"

He looked up at the moon as it glowed overhead, "Nah, cause either way, they were never part of my life...I guess I just don't care about 'em like that. It's hard to do that for people you don't know."

His brown eyes softened a bit, "I don't even know what kind of people they really were...and even if I did, I think I'd just treat 'em like strangers...I've got no memories about them, no history to look back at...but you do, and there's nothin' wrong with how you feel."

"You don't get it, Yuji."

Yang's grip tightened, "I can't let this control me, not when Ruby needs me to be there for her...I know I can be kinda tough on her, but it's because I want her to live her best life, but with this in the back of my head-"

Her face scrunched up, "I just can't."

...

...

"...You sound a lot like him."

Yang paused, "...Who?"

Yuji had a distant smile on his face, "No matter what situation I got myself in, no matter how deep in the hole I was...Choso was always there to help me out, and it was always the same thing with him-"

"He'd say, 'I'm the older brother, it's my job to be there for you'...and...damn it, if that didn't piss me off...always looking at me when I knew he was suffering too, made me feel like I could only thank him for the sacrifices he made and just leave it at that...stop talking about yourself like you don't matter, Yang. You deserve happiness, too."

...

...

He swore he heard her sniff, "Stop talking stupid."

"I'm being serious. You don't just 'let go' of somethin' if it matters to you, and I know you're the type to see things through."

The blonde let out a sad chuckle, "...I have to find one person in the entire world. Do you know how hard that is? Especially when I have-"

"Then I'll help you find her."

...

...

"I said stop talking stupid."

He shook his head, "I'm not takin' no for an answer. You might not like it, but I can't live with myself when people I care about need help while I just sit by and do nothing. If you don't like it, we can fight about it, and I'll beat the truth into that thick head of yours."

"...I don't get you, Yuji...you don't give a shit about your own parents, but you wanna help me?... What sense does that make?"

Itadori bit his cheek, "It's nothin' special. It's just...I know you, so you matter to me."

Her face burned a bit, "...You don't even know what she looks like."

"So tell me about her."

Yang let out an annoyed huff, "You are just...the most stubborn dude I've ever met, you know that?"

...

...

"...Well, my dad says I look just like her-"

She sighed, "Our hair's about the same; even got the same little flick at the top...but hers is black."

Gears started turning in Yuji's head...wait...looks like Yang? Why did that sound so familiar-

The blonde pushed ahead, "She's super pale, like...ghost white, and with the red eyes, she'd stand out in a crowd-"

Yuji paused, "...Hold on-"

"Oh, and my dad says she likes using swor-

*SKIRRRRT

The bike came to a sudden stop, pulling off onto the side of the road to the fist-fighter's confusion, "What's up? Something wrong?"

Yuji turned, giving the girl a look he had never given her before, so serious it was off-putting, "Yang."

The bombshell stopped in her tracks, "Y...Yeah?"

"I...I think I met her."

...

...

Her eyes narrowed, "That's not funny."

Itadori shook his head, "No, I'm...I'm being dead serious.-"

He hopped off the bike and walked off for a few feet, holding a hand to his head, "Back on the mountain, I fought someone who looked just like that, wearing some weird mask...talking about making me join a tribe."

A look of realization crossed Yang's face, her mouth hanging open as she took a step, almost stumbling, staring straight at him, "...Holy shit...you're being serious, aren't you?"

The vessel clicked his tongue, tapping his forehead, "I heard the police call them something after it was over...the...the...Bran-something."

"Branwen?"

He snapped a finger, "Yeah, that!... Yang?... Are you-Woah!"

The blonde was in his face in a millisecond, grabbing him by the shoulders, "What did she say!?"

"I don't know...she said a lot of real cryptic stuff, something about how the strong are always right and that it was either come with her or die."

Her face was inches from his, "Did...Did you seriously fight her?"

His brown eyes flashed, "Look, I'm sorry I had to, but she really didn't gimme much of a-"

"Stop."

Yang met his stare with her own, "I'm not gonna wail on you for defending yourself, dude...I just wanna know what happened...please."

The look in her eyes was almost desperate, and so Yuji did what he thought was best.

He told her everything he could, sparing almost no details, from the moments the mission started to Raven escaping through a portal into the unknown, only leaving out what happened with the King of Curses...figuring that was something others didn't need to worry about.

At some point during the conversation, they had ended up on the bank of the river, just sitting there as he described their near fight to the death, with her staying silent for most of it, "-And that's how it happened."

Yang wasn't talking, just staring down at her reflection across the water, "And she's still alive?"

Yuji nodded, "Yeah...she is."

The bombshell took a sharp breath, pulling her knees close "...So that's what it takes to make her care-"

"What do you-"

*CRACK

She slammed a fist into the ground, sending small cracks out around the crater, her face contorted into a snarl, "All this time I've been looking... asking everyone under the Goddamn sun if they've seen her!...but she just didn't care...because I'm still too weak for her."

Itadori tried to reach out a hand, "Yang, I never said th-"

"It's what it means, Yuji...I know her enough to figure that's why she still hasn't answered...I know it, and it's so frustrating I just wanna...ARGH!"

She fell back, looking up at the night sky, "...Strength this, power that, it's never enough...I get defending yourself...I get wanting to be the best, but what does it give you when you throw everyone away?"

...

...

"A choice."

Yang looked up to see the sorcerer looking off across the water, "...What?"

Itadori took a slow breath, "...Getting strong is a lot more than speed and strength, or whatever other stuff you wanna think of...it's the ability to make your own decisions, not caring what other people have to say on it...why bother when all the cards are in your hand, right?"

He grabbed a rock, lazily tossing it into the water as it sent shockwaves out in all directions, "At a certain point, you don't even need to question why you do certain things...because the only person you own up to is yourself."

He looked down at her, his eyes gleaming yellow in the moonlight, "You do what you want because you wanna do it...and I'm not saying it's right, cause honestly, that's an awfully lonely road to walk down, but that's just how people like her see the world."

Yang looked at him curiously before slowly pushing herself into a sitting position, leaning back on her palms, "...Then how do I make her talk to me?"

"You just said it-"

"Huh?"

"You make her."

Itadori put a hand on her shoulder, a determined look crossing his face, "You get strong, break every boundary you can think of, do whatever it takes to reach her level, and when you're finally there and above her, you'll be the one deciding what to do with her... not me, not Ruby, not anyone else, but you. Real strength is the power to decide."

"I'll help you get there, but what really matters here is that you want it more than anything and that you do this on your terms. That drive is what's gonna make you follow through with this no matter what."

Yang was just...staring at him, "But...what do I want?...I don't-"

He nodded, "You don't need to know what it is right now, but as long as you've got a feeling for it, that's enough to start."

"What I'm feeling?..."

She reached up a hand, clasping it around his over her shoulder, "And...you'll be there with me?"

Yuji flashed her his trademarked smile, "Yeah, you can always bet on me!"

...

...

She puffed up, snickering as she looked to the side "Hehe...hehehehehehe...sorry, it's just-"

Yang sweetly smiled at him, "My God, you're cheesy."

Yuji stuttered for a second, looking off in a fake huff, "I'll have you know, I'm the king of-"

*Chu

It only lasted for a second, but the sorcerer froze when she moved in for the kill, kissing him on the cheek, making his entire demeanor come to a complete pause.

"I...y..wha-"

She pulled back, a rare, bashful smile on her face, "Just doing what I wanted."

Yang jumped to her feet, sauntering off toward her bike, "Come on, don't forget we've got class in the morning, Pink stuff."

It took a few moments for him to move again, and within minutes, they were on the road again, with her driving again, but Yuji was lost in his thoughts, a raging question in his head.

Oh man-

Does a girl actually like him?

...

And that's a wrap.

Just so we're clear, I'm not definitive on any specific pairing for Yuji, but I have a feeling Yang stocks will rise with this chapter, lol.

Feel free to make your opinion on that known if you feel inclined. I read all the comments.

With everything said and done, take it easy, and I'll see you guys in the next one; cheers.

Discord:

/tF54vxtFVy