Kamen Rider Aurum

by Starpion

When an ancient threat reemerges in the world of Remnant, one young man rises to the challenge in order to become a hero and achieve victory! That hero's name? Kamen Rider Aurum!

6. Group Photo, Part 2

'It's been over an hour, the sun's already fallen,' thought Yatsuhashi as he made his way to the courtyard. 'What could be taking her so long?' He knew she was capable of protecting herself, but he couldn't help but want to protect his friends. Flinging the front door open, he looked over the front in worry. Fortunately, he saw a familiar figure moving towards him.

"Velvet, over here!" She seemed to hesitate for a moment before running over to him. "What took you so long? You don't usually stay out this late."

"Oh, I-I got lost," said Velvet. "Thanks for finding me."

"Come on, we should get back to our dorm room before Coco calls for a search party," said Yatsuhashi as he gestured to the door. He led his partner back to the dorm room, but he couldn't shake the feeling of dread that tugged at his heart with each step.

~KRA~

"Yatsu! You beautiful man, you! You found my favorite Bun-Bun!" cheered Coco as Yatsuhashi and Velvet returned to the dorm. She quickly wrapped her arm around Velvet in a half-embrace, her BFF stiffening. It was honestly adorable how she still wasn't used to her antics. "So, how did the photo taking go? Did you add a few new pics to your private folder? Or should I call that your armory?"

"I didn't take many good ones," said Velvet as she broke out of Coco's grip. She walked over to her bed and sighed. "Sorry that I worried you."

"You don't know the half of it. Coco was about to-"

"What's that?!" shrieked Velvet, jerking her head around like a meerkat.

Coco looked at Yatsuhashi with confusion, the larger student shrugging his shoulders. "Uh, Fox's Semblance? Did you really forget about that?" asked Coco, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, uh, sorry," said Velvet, putting both hands on her head. "I've just got a really bad headache."

"Want me to get some aspirin from the medicine cabinet?" asked Yatsuhashi, turning to the bathroom door.

"N-No, just… Fox, can you hold off on using your Semblance for a bit? At least on me?"

Coco turned to Fox, who glanced a blind eye in her direction. "If I have to," he relented, his actual voice rougher than the one heard through his telepathy.

"Thank you," said Velvet with a soft smile.

"Did something happen out there? You seem a little jumpier than usual," said Yatsuhashi. Coco had to bite her tongue not to laugh at his face of horror once he realized what he just said. "Sorry, I didn't mean to!"

"Why are you sorry?"

Coco's eyes widened behind her shades. She glanced at Fox and Yatsuhashi to gauge their reactions. Fox's eyebrows were high enough to be completely hidden by his bangs, and Yatsuhashi had his mouth hanging open. It was like he had seen her fabulous self wearing a garbage bag as a shirt, and she couldn't blame him. Whenever Yatsuhashi made a slip of the tongue and profusely apologized like the awkward giant of a sweetheart he was, Velvet would either tell him it was okay or playfully punch him in the shoulder. She would never ask why he was apologizing when she knew full well he was trying to avoid insensitive remarks like the plague.

"Vel, is everything alright with you? You're acting really weird."

"M-Me? No, I'm totally fine! Just good ol' Velvet!" Ouch. If she was hooked up to a lie detector, it probably would've blown up.

"I think I know what your problem is," said Coco as she took off her designer shades, her eyes dead serious as she walked up to Velvet.

"Y-You do?" asked Velvet.

Coco just smiled and put her hand on her friend's shoulder. "This is about the bullying, isn't it?"

"What?"

"Come on, it's obvious! You've been quiet ever since we met up with you, you're going out alone, and now you're acting all weird? That Cardin Winchester and his punks really cut deep, didn't they?"

Velvet's ears drooped down as she averted her eyes. She didn't have to say anything. Coco could read her like an open book.

"Look, you don't have to talk about it now if you don't want to. But once you feel a little better, please let us know what's up. We just want to help you. You know that, don't you?"

"Y-Yeah," said Velvet. "Thanks."

"Anytime. Come on, let's get some shut-eye. This greatness of mine won't last without my eight hours!" said Coco as she marched to the bathroom for a hot shower.

"Are you sure about this?" asked Fox, using a private channel for his Semblance.

"Come on, Fox. I've known Velvet since Pharos. She'd never act like this unless something was bugging her. And we've been a bit protective of her. So let's give her some space and the benefit of the doubt, and Bun-Bun will be back in no time!"

"And they say I'm blind," said Fox, forgetting he and Coco were still linked.

"Love ya too, Fox!" shouted Coco through his Semblance, laughing as the connection ended with a cut-off swear. Her team was AWESOME.

~KRA~

It was the dead of night. Team CFVY was fast asleep, not a single sound save for their soft breathing. That is, except for one of their members. Or rather, what they thought was one of their members.

The concealed Camera Umbra smirked as he got out of the bed of his prisoner. It wasn't easy to fool her friends, but with time he would gain their trust. And then he would rip that trust to shreds. He couldn't help but smirk as he silently opened their window. The faces they would make when they saw one of their friends go on a rampage! Perhaps they would question just how long it had really been her? Oh, their faces would be immortalized forever in his album of despair!

Closing the window, he jumped down to the ground. Making sure nobody saw him, he sprinted into the woods. Amazingly, his vision was perfect despite the limited light. This was no problem for a Grimm, but perhaps these human bodies had their uses.

No, wait. Faunus. That was what this one was. The Umbra slowed down as he smiled. It didn't matter much anyway. Whether human or Faunus, they were the same to the Grimm. Nothing more than fodder to be exterminated. And he was looking forward to that.

~KRA~

Mercury scoffed as he saw the snarling beast in front of him. He'd much rather be asleep now, even if he had to sleep on the cold metal floor of the concealed Bullhead. But no, Cinder had him keep watch. Yeah, watching over an invisible Bullhead. FUN.

And it was this that led to the monster before him. It was a large black werewolf with bony spikes sticking out of its joints and back. A wolf-shaped mask made of bone was on its face, red marking carved into it. It snarled and bore its claws, yellow and red eyes glaring at its potential prey. This was a Beowolf, the most basic Grimm species on the planet.

Mercury just crossed his arms as he stared at the monster. He wasn't sure if it was attracted to his annoyance or if it was wandering around, but it was here now. This would be a brief change of pace at the very least.

The Beowolf roared as it lunged forward. Mercury jumped into the air and spun into a butterfly kick, two metal boots striking the monster's skull one after the other. It fell to the ground as Mercury regained his footing and raised his leg, intent on ending its misery. As he stomped on its head, a gunshot rang out as the canine's cranium exploded into chunks. Mercury took a step back, admiring his handiwork as the corpse began to dissolve into smoke.

The door to their ship opened, Emerald stepping out of thin air as she rubbed her eyes. "Do you have to be so loud? I'm trying to get at least a minute of REM sleep before it's my shift."

"Excuse me for having a little fun with the wildlife," said Mercury as he kicked the arm of the disintegrating Beowolf, sending it flying. "What kind of maniac has us guarding an invisible ship?!"

"This isn't guarding. We're supposed to meet up with the latest Umbra," pointed out Emerald.

"Well, the sooner they show, the sooner I can get back to sleep," muttered Mercury. "And next time, Cinder's having her goon of the week stir chaos in the city. Getting real sick of this place." For emphasis, he kicked a nearby tree, flecks of bark flying as it tilted.

"Don't worry," said Emerald as she pointed deeper into the forest. "He's here."

Mercury squinted his eyes, the light from the Bullhead's interior letting him just make out a girl with bunny ears walking up to them. He got into his stance immediately. "I don't know who you are, but coming here was a mistake."

"Is that how you treat an invited guest?" laughed the bunny girl as flashes of light covered her body. Before long, she was gone, and the Camera Umbra stood in her place. Over the lens was a circular shutter.

"Oh, it's you," muttered Mercury as Emerald went to get Cinder. "I swear, you Umbrae are getting freakier powers each time."

"Jealous?" asked the Umbra.

"Hardly. I don't need some fancy shapeshifting to kill. All I need is skill, and I have plenty to spare."

"Indeed," said Cinder as she and Emerald walked out of the ship, a tap of her Scroll closing the door. "Camera Umbra, have you successfully infiltrated Beacon?"

"Easily," said the Grimm as he turned into the girl, then turned back. "She's a student. She's locked up tight in my Photo Trap. She can't see or hear anything on the outside while the shutter's closed, but it'll be wide open when I make my move. Her despair gives me power, so I want her to see every second!"

"So what's the plan? Kill her team in their sleep?" asked Emerald.

"Come on, that's no fun! I want her to suffer as much as possible, and seeing her team suffer will do just that!" laughed the Camera Umbra. "My plan is to blend in for a while, act like that skittish student until everyone trusts her. And just when nobody suspects a thing, I'll strike! I want the look of her team's betrayal and heartbreak to be burned into her eyes forever!"

"And how long is this going to take?" asked Cinder.

"A couple days, maybe even a couple weeks," said the Umbra.

Mercury smirked. That was a stupid thing to say. And his point was proven when Cinder suddenly grabbed the putrid paparazzi's arm, her eyes and dress markings glowing as she heated her hand. The Umbra screamed in pain as he dropped to his knees.

"Apparently, I didn't make myself clear when I said I wanted results. I want them as soon as possible. Leave the long game to us. As for you, I expect you to make your move by tomorrow. Is that clear?"

"Crystal! Please, master, make it stop!" screamed the Camera Umbra. Mercury laughed at how pathetic he was acting as his boss released the Grimm.

"Get out of my sight," muttered Cinder. "And know your place."

"Right, understood," said the Umbra as he nursed his burn. "The first chance I have, I'll cause enough despair to make every Grimm in the forest perk up." With another series of flashes, he was back to his disguise. "Count on it." With that, he turned on his heel and started walking away from the three.

"Come on, back to the ship," said Cinder as she opened the doors, entering the stealth ship.

"So, any thoughts on all this?" asked Mercury as he turned to Emerald, gesturing to the disguised Camera Umbra as he walked out of sight.

"Not really," she said, turning around and walking into the Bullhead. "For his sake, he had better watch himself around Cinder. You know how she feels about being disappointed."

Mercury followed her inside, eager to get out of the forest.

~KRA~

"I'll take my usual, please," said Yatsuhashi to the cafeteria staff. He had changed into his uniform, though even the largest size of the jacket was a bit tight on him. Students with his height and frame didn't come by often, it seemed.

"You got it, Yats," said the lunch lady. "Just gimme a sec."

"Thank you," he said as he turned to his partner. Velvet had stayed in her Huntress gear all day, which confused the tall Mistrali boy as she typically only wore it for her combat class. And that was their last class of the day to boot. When he asked why, all she said was that it was "more comfortable."

Once Yatsu received his usual sub sandwich, he made his way to the table Coco and Fox were sitting at. They were both in their own uniforms, though Coco kept a good chunk of her accessories (her beret, sunglasses, scarf, necklaces, and bracelet to be specific). She was the type who liked looking stylish whenever possible, he learned. Something about having to look one's best to perform at one's best.

Halfway there, he noticed that Velvet had been trailing him. Not unusual, but what was unusual was that she didn't have any food. She didn't even get a glass of water. "Velvet? I think you forgot your lunch."

"Not hungry," she said, a little quickly.

"You haven't had breakfast either," said Yatsuhashi as he turned around and stopped walking. "I can get something for you while you go to the table if you'd like."

"I'm fine, Yats. Don't worry about me," said Velvet as she pushed him out of the way.

Yatsuhashi raised an eyebrow as he continued walking to the table. 'Since when did Velvet call me Yats?'

Sitting down next to Fox at the end of the table, he took a bite of his sub as he looked over at Velvet sitting across from him, Coco having a one-sided conversation with his partner. Even considering Coco's earlier deduction, her behavior was bizarre. Whether it was his self-consciousness about his size or his good nature, Yatsuhashi considered himself a protective person. But it was hard to protect somebody from themselves. And whatever was troubling Velvet was something that she didn't want to admit.

'This can't be the result of bullying,' thought Yatsuhashi as he narrowed his eyes. 'Something happened to her last night, something she refuses to reveal.'

Turning to Fox, he gently shook his shoulder. Once Fox turned to face him, he tapped once on his shoulder with a single finger. The message was simple: a one-way call.

"What's up, big guy?" asked Fox. "If you're asking about my lunch, I'm not in a sharing mood today."

"This is more serious," said Yatsuhashi. "Could you include Coco?"

"No Velvet?" asked Fox.

"It's concerning Velvet's recent behavior," explained Yatsuhashi. "I hate doing this behind her back, but it's evident that she isn't being truthful with us. Something's very wrong with her."

Fox didn't reply for a moment, though Yatsuhashi noticed him drumming his fingers on the table. "You got it." A few seconds passed. "Testing, one two three. You there, Coco?"

"What's up, Fox?"

"Ask Yatsu. He asked for this little three-way call."

Yatsuhashi couldn't see it, but he knew that Coco's eyes were on him right now. "Why'd you leave out Velvet?"

"It's… about Velvet. I don't think she's been completely honest with us about her behavior."

Coco raised an eyebrow. "What makes you think that?"

"It's just that she's been acting much differently since she got back from her photography compared to how she acted when we met up with her in class," said Yatsuhashi. "She reacted unusually to Fox's telepathy, she hasn't been eating-"

"She might've ran into them again," argued Coco. "Look, I know you're looking out for her, but I've known her longer than either of you. So I choose to take her word rather than being paranoid. Fox, take me out of this."

"Got it," said Fox, presumably cancelling his Semblance on her.

Yatsuhashi sighed as he saw Coco go back to talking to Velvet. He turned to Fox, who was looking right at him with his blank eyes. "I assume that you think I'm being ridiculous too?"

"No, I'm only physically blind," said Fox with a half-smirk hidden from his female teammates. He frowned as he got serious. "But yeah, I've noticed it too. I know my Semblance feels weird the first time, but there's no way she'd act like that after a whole year of using it. And… there's something else."

"What is it? Tell me, and please don't leave out any details."

"Well, you know how I can sort of see by viewing the Aura of nearby living things?"

"Yes," said Yatsuhashi, unsure where he was going with this.

"Velvet's Aura felt normal when she left our dorm," said Fox. "But ever since you two came back… it's been super faint."

"Faint?" asked Yatsuhashi. "Did she get into a fight that broke her Aura?"

"If she did, then it would be back to normal by now," pointed out Fox. "No, it's like her Aura is being… smothered. But by what, I have no idea."

"Weird," thought Yatsuhashi as he looked over at Velvet, Fox ending the connection. So his instinct was right; something was wrong with his partner. But as for what that was, it was a mystery.

Unfortunately, it would seem that would have to wait as he noticed an armored student walking up to the table with a scowl. One Cardin Winchester, if he recalled. "Hey! I've got a score to settle with you!"

"Whatever your issue, I'm sure it can be dealt with in private," said Yatsuhashi. "Until then, please let us enjoy our lunch."

"This doesn't concern you," snapped Cardin as he turned to Velvet. "This is between me and your team pet."

Yatsuhashi and his teammates growled. Now it concerned them. "What the hell did you just call her?!" snapped Coco as she slapped her hands on the table and stood up.

"You heard me," said Cardin as he clenched a fist. "And I KNOW she did. Thanks to her not keeping her mouth shut, this spineless little animal bought me and my friends a whole week of detention! So I'm thinking it's time for a little payback!"

Yatsuhashi slammed his hands onto the table, the sound silencing the cafeteria. "If you have any sense of self-preservation, you will do no such thing," he said in an even tone, getting up and towering over the bully.

He saw Cardin looking around as others started to get up, notably from RWBY and JNPR. The leader of CRDL seemed to cut his losses as he lowered his fist. "This isn't over," he said. "The fact that a coward like her got into Beacon makes me sick." With that said, he started to walk away.

Suddenly, Velvet got up and started walking over to Cardin. "Velvet, what are you doing?" asked Coco. A few of the students stood up to try and help Velvet while Cardin turned around and smirked.

"Well now, it seems she's ready to make amends. Or does the coward want to grow a backbone and try to take me?" Velvet muttered something that none of them could hear, causing Cardin to lean in with a hand to his ear. "Sorry, could you repeat that?"

Suddenly, Velvet seized his arm. "I won't just try," she said before she swung him around like a hammer toss, throwing the screaming Huntsman onto his team's table. He slid across it, getting covered with food and drink as he spilled the contents everywhere. He came to a stop at the end of the table, groaning in pain.

Yatsuhashi felt his jaw drop. 'What did Velvet just do?!'

~KRA~

The sudden sound of moving metal caused Velvet to stir. Even with her Faunus night vision, the room she had been trapped in was pitch black. But the slowly opening aperture provided some much-needed light. Gasping, she ran up to the window and peered through it.

But when she did, she wished she hadn't. Cardin Winchester was lying on one of the tables, groaning in agony. And in full view was an arm pumping a fist in victory. Her arm.

"No," said Velvet as she put her hands over her mouth. "What is that monster doing?!"

~KRA~

Coco Adel had no love for Cardin Winchester. He was a pompous, arrogant kid from what she had seen. And while some people said the same about her, she had the skill to back up her attitude and had her heart in the right place. This jerk chose to pick on those he viewed as beneath him. And the cherry on top was his torment of Velvet, her best friends, for her heritage.

But despite all of that, seeing him soaked in soda and condiments while groaning in agony half-conscious didn't provide an ounce of satisfaction. All she felt for the brute was pity.

And who was the one responsible for this? None other than her best friend. Velvet Scarlatina, Ms. "violence breeds violence" herself. She had attacked and humiliated him to a far greater degree than he had to her. And the worst part? She was SMILING. And not her usual soft smile either. This one was wide and sadistic. She was enjoying the pain of Cardin greatly.

This wasn't the girl she had known since combat school. This wasn't Velvet Scarlatina. As much as she hated to admit it… Yatsuhashi was right. Something was gravely wrong with Velvet.

"CARDIN!" shrieked one of Cardin's lackeys, Russell something or other. He turned to Velvet while grinding his teeth. "Nobody hurts my best friend like that and gets away with it!" He charged forward with his fist pulled back. "See how you like this, you— oof!"

But before he could throw a punch, Velvet beat him to it with a punch to the gut. She followed up with a knee to the crotch, causing him to gasp in pain and bend over. This led to Velvet throwing a brutal uppercut that struck Russell in the nose, sending him sprawling onto the ground.

Coco couldn't move a muscle. She was paralyzed in disbelief. She was desperately trying to believe that this was all a bad dream, but it was no use. This was all happening.

"Velvet, stop!" shouted Yatsuhashi, but Velvet paid him no mind.

"So, which of you is next?" asked Velvet as she turned to the other two.

"You take her on!" yelled Sky.

"Why me?!" complained Dove.

"How about neither of them?!" Coco saw a trio of freshmen grab onto Velvet, keeping her from taking another step. The one who yelled was Yang, and the others were Blake and Pyrrha.

"Let me go!" screamed Velvet.

"I'm afraid that won't be happening," said Pyrrha. "Not until you calm down."

"I know what they've done to you, but this isn't the way to react!" said Blake.

"Who are you three to tell me what to do?!" screamed Velvet as she slipped out of their grip, running up to Dove. The boy threw a punch, but she quickly dodged it and moved behind him. She grabbed his other arm and held it behind his back, the blonde boy screaming in pain as it was bent to its limit. She slammed his head on the table, tossing the stupefied student to the ground.

"That's enough, Velvet!" shouted Yatsuhashi as he ran up to grab her, only for her to duck under his arms and hop over the table. Sky was her next target, the boy screaming as he charged towards her. But a kick to the chest sent him sprawling back.

Sky turned onto his stomach and tried to push himself up. But Velvet stomped hard on one of his hands, causing him to fall back down and scream. Coco saw him coating his hand in Aura to dull the pain, but Velvet just dug her heel in further.

"Come on, I know you have more in you! Scream more! Show me the full extent of your despair!"

"STOP!"

Velvet, those trying to stop her, and the bystanders who hadn't fled the cafeteria yet all stopped and turned to the seething Coco. She was taking deep breaths, her shock and terror turned into anger. Now that she could move again, she intended to put a stop to this by herself.

"That's enough, Velvet! You've done more than enough to them! So stop it! You're scaring everyone!"

Velvet just scoffed as she removed her foot from Sky's hand, turning to Coco. She raised her hands in the air, shrugging as if nothing was wrong. "What? Are you all going to defend these pieces of trash? If anything, I'd think I was doing you all a favor!"

"What a load of Grimm crap," muttered Coco. "The Velvet that I know wouldn't even dream of acting so vicious, no matter who it was!"

"Well, maybe you don't know me that well," said Velvet with a sneer, walking over to Cardin. "Now then, let's finish what I started with a little example!"

"What example?" asked Cardin weakly.

But Velvet just smirked. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

"That's enough! Yatsu!" Yatsuhashi was quick to respond, wrapping his arms around Velvet's shoulders and lifting her off the ground.

"What do you think you're doing?! Put me down!" shrieked Velvet as Coco and Fox walked up to her. The bunny girl flailed her arms and kicked Yatsuhashi's shins rapidly, but he remained as still as a statue. The remainder of CRDL slowly got up and shambled out of reach while some of the other students stood on standby.

"Sorry, but that won't be happening," said Yatsuhashi.

"At least not until we figure out just what the heck got into you, Velvet," said Coco. "But regardless, this ends now."

"It ends when I say it does!" Velvet knocked the back of her head into Yatsuhashi's skull, giving her the opportunity to break free as she sprinted towards the others.

But Fox was ready for her. "Sorry," he said before he swept his leg out, striking Velvet in the head before she had the chance to touch them.

But what happened next caused them both to recoil. "What?" asked Fox. He couldn't see it, but he could surely feel it. And Coco saw it clear as day. A pitch-black energy surrounding the side of Velvet's head, right where Fox had hit her.

"Oh, now why did you have to go and do that?" asked "Velvet." The voice became deeper and distorted as the sentence continued.

"You're not Velvet, are you?" asked Coco as she clenched her fists. This thing was walking around as her best friend while she was god-knows where. She felt like she was gonna be sick.

The doppelgänger just smirked before being surrounded by a series of bright flashes. Several of the students had to shield their eyes, but Coco just stood there in anger as her sunglasses reduced the flash. Once they vanished, a humanoid camera-like monster stood in her place, earning a few shrieks from the audience.

"I'm gonna go get Professor Ozpin!" That was Jaune, the boy running out of the cafeteria. A few of the other students were running out as well, either to get help or because they were terrified of the Grimm. Coco couldn't blame them in the slightest, especially since that thing had been in her dorm room last night.

"What did you do to Velvet?!" asked Coco as Fox stood next to her, getting into a stance. Several of the other students surrounded the Grimm.

"Yes, that look of anger! It's spectacular!" said the Grimm, putting his fingers around his eyepiece.

"Answer the question!" shouted Coco as she grabbed the Grimm by his collar and lifted him into the air.

"She's right here in my lens, able to see and hear all of this!" laughed the monster. Coco looked inside, and sure enough, she could make out a blurry image of somebody pounding on the lens from the inside. She gasped as she recognized it as Velvet. "Including her attacking her fellow students and having to be restrained by her despairing teammates!"

"Shut it!" screamed Coco as she decked the Grimm, sending him flying into a table only for him to get back up unharmed. "We're going to get our friend back from you no matter what it takes!"

"You're welcome to try," laughed the Grimm as he summoned his weapon out of thin air.

"You made a stupid mistake coming to Beacon, Grimm!" yelled one of the first-years, some girl whose name escaped Coco.

"After all, it's our job to stop creeps like you!" shouted a boy. The two charged towards the Grimm.

"You haven't faced anything like me!" he laughed before he shot a pair of white lasers from the camera flash on his shoulder. The blasts sent the students flying, other members of the crowd panicking. Their training hadn't prepared them for this before!

Coco wasn't about to stand around while that monster had her friend captive, and neither was her team. She threw a kick at the monster's face, with Fox dealing a series of punches to his chest. The Grimm was knocked back to Yatsuhashi by the blows from the two, the boy putting his hands together and bringing them down on the monster's head.

The Grimm groaned as he fell to the ground. But that black energy covered his body where the hits landed, the groans turning into laughter as he stood back up. "Hit me as much as you can, but nothing can stop me!"

"I can!"

Coco turned around in confusion at the new voice. Standing before the cafeteria door was a horned figure in gold and white, raising a peace sign at eye level. "The defender of justice! Kamen Rider Aurum!"

~KRA~

It looked like Aurum had arrived just in time. After he sent a message to Ozpin about the Umbra, he ducked out of sight and transformed before making his way back to the cafeteria. He certainly hadn't expected an Umbra to infiltrate the campus. They were getting bolder for sure. But he couldn't dwell on that. He had to stop this thing!

A number of the students were staring at him in disbelief, including Team CFVY. His own teammates and RWBY were looking at him knowingly, half of them with huge grins on their faces.

"Aurum, huh?" said what Aurum could only assume was called the Camera Umbra. "So you're the one I was warned about. And a mask? That's no fun. How can I take a picture of your face twisted in despair now?"

"Look who's talking, Umbra," said Aurum as he readied himself for a fight.

"Don't worry, I'll take a decent shot for your funeral either way!" laughed the Umbra as he started firing blasts of light. Aurum rolled out of the way, bobbing and weaving through the beams as he sprinted towards the Grimm. The Camera Umbra pushed past CFVY and thrusted his spear forward, but Aurum jumped out of harm's way and landed on the bench of a nearby table.

Swinging his leg out for a roundhouse kick, he struck the face of his opponent. The hit broke through his Nether and knocked him onto the ground. Aurum jumped into the air to go for a punch from above, but the Camera Umbra rolled out of the way as the hit cracked the tiles of the cafeteria.

"Back up, everyone! It looks like this guy is here to help us!" Aurum smiled behind his helmet as he got back to his feet. That was Ruby trying to keep the students out of the way. Without access to their weapons and in such a crowded space, they wouldn't be able to help him as much as they could.

He noticed CFVY minus Velvet moving to the rest of the crowd, Velvet's partner picking up a semi-conscious Cardin who seemed to be watching the fight in awe. With space to fight at his fullest, Aurum turned back to the Umbra, who was growling as he spun his harpoon.

The Grimm made the next move, charging forward with his leister. Aurum crossed his arms and blocked the lunge, pushing the weapon away to move in close and land a punch to the monster's gut. The Umbra grunted before throwing a kick at Aurum's side. Aurum could feel its power, but the Aether Armor and his Aura managed to cushion the blow enough for him to keep standing. His opponent followed with a spear strike to the face, this one knocking him off balance for a second.

The Umbra went for another strike, but Aurum recovered enough to catch the handle with the prongs an inch away from his neck. As the Grimm tried to push it further, Aurum kicked him in the ribs and forced him to release his weapon. The Kamen Rider dropped the leister on the ground and went on the offensive, dealing a series of blows to its torso before finishing with a kick to the side of the head. The Camera Umbra collapsed onto a table, turning around with his hands on the edge.

'This was almost too easy,' thought Aurum. 'But at least I was able to end this before the situation escalated.' "Victory is in my-"

"Wait!" shouted the Umbra, holding a hand out. "You wouldn't want anything to happen to my hostage, would you?"

Aurum's hand froze above the activation lever. "What?"

"What?!" asked Velvet's leader, having to be held back by her teammates. Though he doubted they would be able to for much longer.

"I've got that skittish student in my Photo Trap, remember?" laughed the Umbra as he lay against the table. "And if you destroy me while she's in there, well, what do you think happens to a camera's photos when it's destroyed?"

"Then let her go!" snapped the leader of CFVY.

"Nah, I don't think so," said the Camera Umbra as he shakily got back to his feet, stumbling a bit from the damage he received. "I'll be holding onto this one for a while!"

"Hold onto what now?" Aurum turned to see Ozpin and Glynda at the door. "So this is the emergency I was informed of."

"That creep's got Velvet!" yelled CFVY's leader, causing Ozpin to gasp.

A purple energy covered the Umbra as he started to levitate, Glynda pointing her riding crop at it. "You will release your hostage immediately, or I will force you to," she said.

"This place is getting too crowded for any decent shots," muttered the Umbra. "I'm losing the light. Time for a change of scenery!" His flash started glowing brighter and brighter before he released a massive burst of light. It was like a flashbang, Aurum forced to cover his eyes as multiple students started to shout as they were temporarily blinded. Among the confusion was the sound of shattered glass. When Aurum finally regained his sight, the window was smashed to bits, the Umbra and his weapon long gone.

~KRA~

Coco growled as Fox and Yatsuhashi let her go. That cowardly little sneak! Using her best friend as a shield, then bolting the second things looked really bad! She took deep breaths as she calmed herself down. Letting herself lose it like this wouldn't get Velvet back.

"Are you okay?" Coco turned around to see Aurum talking to Cardin, who was staring at the armored guy in awe. "That Umbra roughed you up good. Can you move okay? Any serious injuries?"

"Dude, that was awesome!" shouted Cardin, Aurum taking a step back from the sudden volume. "You took on that freak without fear and saved my butt! The whole cafeteria, even!" The leader of CRDL put his hand on the masked man's shoulder and pointed to him. "You're a total hero!"

"Wow, thanks!" said Aurum awkwardly, Coco pleasantly surprised by the exchange. She didn't think that Cardin was capable of showing anybody respect. Apparently he wasn't devoid of good qualities.

"I'm afraid that we have more pressing matters to attend to," said Ozpin as he walked up to the "Kamen Rider." "Aurum, was it? You seem familiar with that type of Grimm."

"Uh, yes sir!" said Aurum.

"In that case, I have a humble request for you. I'm entrusting you with the rescue of Ms. Scarlatina."

"Don't worry, sir! I'll return her safe and sound and deal with the Umbra!" With a brief salute, the guy in gold jumped out the window and ran towards the forest.

"We'll follow him and help," said Fox as he sprinted to the window, only for Ozpin to cut him off.

"I'm afraid that won't be happening, Mr. Alistair." The headmaster turned to the rest of the crowd. "Classes will resume as scheduled, but until Ms. Scarlatina is rescued, the Emerald Forest is strictly off-limits." Glynda pulled out her Scroll and started typing that message to send to the entire school, the students murmuring amongst themselves. But one student was a bit louder.

"Are you kidding me?!" shouted Coco. "That monster has our teammate captive, and you want us to stand around and do nothing?"

"This isn't a mission," said Ozpin sternly. "This is a delicate situation that has one of my students in mortal peril, one far out of any of our control. I can't risk any other students falling victim to the same peril." He walked up to her, taking a sip of his cocoa. "Don't worry, Ms. Adel. Velvet will be saved, I can assure you." And with that, the professors walked away with that warning in the air.

Coco sighed as she started walking out the other doors, Fox and Yatsuhashi following her. "So now what do we do?" asked Fox through his Semblance.

"Easy," replied Coco. "We're gonna head to the locker room and grab our gear."

"What?" asked Yatsuhashi. "But Professor Ozpin-"

"I know what he said. But like hell are we going to sit around while Velvet's in trouble. You boys with me?" Coco turned around to see her teammates smiling back at her.

~KRA~

"Do you think he'll be okay?" Ruby asked Pyrrha as the two emptied their trays.

"He knows what he's doing, I'm sure," said Pyrrha. "I do wish we could have gone with him, but I understand Ozpin's concerns about his student's safety."

"Didn't he launch us off a cliff just a few weeks ago?" asked Yang.

Pyrrha was about to respond, but she got a message on her Scroll. She pulled it out, surprised to see it was from Jaune. 'Does he need us to follow him after all?' But the message she read only made her sigh with a slight smile.

Jaune: Could you please turn in my history essay for me? Thanks a bunch!

~KRA~

Jaune sighed as he slashed through a low-hanging branch, having disengaged his transformation. It had been over an hour since he began his search for Velvet, and nothing. He was no closer to finding the Camera Umbra, the only Grimm that he ran into being a couple Beowolves that went down easy. And with the forest being so dense, it was impossible to use the HopperCycle. He was forced to do this search on foot.

His Scroll started to ring, the blonde sheathing Crocea Mors and pulling out the communicator. It was a call from Ozpin. He immediately hit the accept button. "Hello, Professor Ozpin."

"Hello, Jaune. Have you any luck tracking down the Umbra and rescuing Ms. Scarlatina?"

"I'm afraid not. I can't really track it, so I'm just wandering around until I get lucky. Hopefully it'll try and come to me."

"Well, best of luck. Let us know when you've rescued her, and we'll send a Bullhead to the cliff to bring you back."

"Can do," said Jaune, Ozpin ending the call. As he closed up his Scroll and drew his sword, Jaune couldn't help the feeling that he was being followed by someone or something. He moved with caution as he tightened his grip on the hilt. He could definitely feel a pair of eyes on him.

"Whoa!"

Jaune spun around, expanding his shield and getting into his combat stance. But when he saw his stalker, it definitely wasn't who he was expecting.

~KRA~

"Nice one, klutz. And you thought I would be the one to blow our cover."

"You try sneaking around a forest in high heels!" snapped Coco, looking up at Fox. She had caught her heel on a tree root as they followed Jaune through the forest, blowing their cover completely as Fox and Yatsuhashi stepped out from their arboreal cover.

The three had changed into their combat uniforms and had their weapons ready. Coco had a black handbag with golden studs lining the bottom, the strap lined with bullets. Fox had burnt orange weapons strapped to his wrist that had a combination of blades that extended backwards past his elbows and blocky knuckle dusters with gun barrels, his fingers holding onto grips with hidden triggers. And Yatsuhashi had a large copper sword with a curved edge and a hook that extended past the tip on the opposite end of said edge.

"Did it cost extra to order two left shoes?" asked Fox with a smirk, Coco growling in response. She got up and dusted herself off, hanging her bag over her shoulder.

"You're Velvet's team, aren't you?" Coco turned to see JNPR's leader sheathing his sword and clipping it to his belt. "What are you doing out here?"

"We came here to rescue our teammate," said Yatsuhashi. "I trust you don't have an issue with this?"

"What? Of course I have an issue! Professor Ozpin said that nobody was allowed in here!"

"True," admitted Yatsuhashi. "But Velvet is our teammate and our friend. We're willing to face whatever punishment we receive if it means seeing her smiling face once again, free of that monster that wore her face. She would do the same for any of us without hesitation."

"Took the words right out of my mouth, Yatsu," said Coco as she adjusted her sunglasses, a piercing stare directed at Jaune from behind the tinted lenses. "Besides, if you're such a stickler for the rules, what are you doing out here? You're just as much of a rule-breaker as us!"

"Well, uh, you see, the thing is…" Coco winced as he tried to string together an explanation, but she was smirking inside. He was busted. Hopefully, this would mean that she and the others could tag along. Velvet's safety was top priority, after all! And when he sighed and slumped over, she knew it was a victory for Team CF_Y.

But she wasn't expecting the next thing he said. "Because I was asked to."

"You were asked to come out here?" asked Fox suspiciously. "Come on! There's no way that Ozpin would have you doing this rescue mission over us!"

"It does seem strange," mused Yatsuhashi. "While none of us are doubting your skill, or at least I hope my teammates aren't, you do have less experience and personal closeness to this."

"Yeah, and the only person that Ozpin asked to go is that Kamen… Rider… guyyyyy…" trailed Coco, the hand that she shrugged with slowly falling. 'Wait a minute. He can't be… can he?'

It seemed like Jaune was reading her mind as he pulled something out of his belt. It was a very familiar slab of metal. Not fashionable at all. And she knew exactly what it was, gasping as realization struck. As did Yatsuhashi, if his own gasp was anything to write home about.

And Fox… looked confused, as she should have expected. "Okay, can either of you tell me what the gasps are for? Because for all I know, the freshman just dropped his pants."

"It's the same belt that the Kamen Rider wore," explained Yatsuhashi, not bothering to use Telepathy.

"You're Aurum?!" exclaimed Coco, pointing at Jaune in disbelief. Apparently her knight in shining armor statement was more on point than she realized!

"Yeah," admitted Jaune as he put the belt buckle back. "But please, don't tell anyone! I'm not supposed to let anybody else know about it."

"Sure, we can keep a secret," said Fox.

"But you're still taking us with you," said Coco as she crossed her arms.

"What?! Are you blackmailing me?"

"Who do I look like, Cardin?" Coco sighed as she took off her sunglasses, looking her fellow team leader in the eye. "Look, I've known Velvet ever since Pharos. She's my closest friend, bar none. And as her friend and her leader, it's my responsibility to help her out no matter the cost. I'll walk around Vale wearing nothing but a used trash bag before letting that shifty shutterbug hurt so much as a hair on her head."

Jaune looked conflicted, unable to form any words as he held the back of his neck. "Okay. You three can help. But only on two conditions."

"Sure, lay them on us," said Coco with a smirk.

"One, you have to stay in my sight."

"We can do that," said Fox.

"Two, I have to let Professor Ozpin know that you followed me when we get back."

Coco looked at her teammates, not sure how they'd react to that one. But Yatsuhashi was clear. "We accept. As I said, punishment is a slap on the wrist compared to losing her."

"Alright. Follow me." Jaune got his weapons back out and gestured to a deeper part of the forest, Coco and company trailing close behind.

~KRA~

"Do you sense anything, Fox?" asked Coco.

"Nothing," he replied. "Do you know where you're going, Jaune?"

"Not really," said Jaune. Best to be honest in this case, since he doubted he could fool these three even if he was a decent liar. "But I'm sure he's here."

"I dunno, I've seen that tree before. I think we've already passed it."

"Really?! But I'm sure I've been leading us in a straight-" But as Jaune turned around, he saw Fox smirking and Coco trying her hardest not to laugh. He had been punked. "That's not funny! Somebody's in danger!"

"Keep your hoodie on," said Coco. "You have to learn to have a sense of humor in these situations. Helps you keep a cool head and keeps the Grimm away."

"I guess you have a point," said Jaune. He suddenly had an idea as he looked down at her shoes. "Hey, shouldn't your heels match?"

"Nice try, newbie," said Coco, "but I'm not that gullible."

"My bad. Guess it was all the mud on the one."

"What?!" Coco jerked her head down at her perfectly pristine shoes, then back at Jaune. She did this a second time, then beamed to match his own smile. "I see you've learned from the masters."

"Seven sisters," said Jaune. "I know all their tricks."

"If I may, we should probably start moving again," interrupted Yatsuhashi. "We need to focus on finding— Velvet?!"

Everyone whipped their heads around as they heard heavy breathing. None other than Velvet was walking towards them. Or more accurately, she was stumbling towards them. She seemed to be limping as she clutched her side. Somehow she had freed herself and escaped!

Jaune felt his hand move to his belt, opening the pouch with the Driver. Was this really Velvet, though? Or was this a trick from the Camera Umbra? That was what they had to find out.

"Coco! Thank goodness I found you!" said Velvet.

"Velvet? How did you escape that Grimm?" asked Yatsuhashi.

"I don't know, but I'm free now. I tried to fight him, but he was too strong. I barely escaped with my life," panted Velvet.

"Don't worry, I knew you would be fine," said Coco. "Now I'm gonna get you back to Beacon. What are partners for?"

"Yeah, what are partners for?" repeated Velvet with a sweet smile.

*BAM*

Once Velvet said that, Coco took her bag off her shoulder and swung it, hammering it into Velvet's face and sending her flying into a tree. Her back smashed into a tree, causing her to gasp out.

"Coco! Have you lost your mind?!" yelled Fox. Jaune was about to say the same, but then he looked at Velvet. Her whole back was covered in Nether.

"Fool me once, shame on you. And somebody as shameless as me won't be fooled twice!" said Coco, butchering a common saying into a line right out of an action movie.

"Velvet" was covered in camera flashes as the Camera Umbra took her place. "How did you know?" he asked as he fell onto his rear, leaning against the tree.

"Velvet's my best friend, but she's not my partner. Fox is, and Yatsu is hers. And you were just stupid enough to fall for my bluff hook, line, and sinker. You may have looked like her, but you two couldn't be further apart."

The Camera Umbra growled as he climbed to his feet. "Well, don't forget that if you destroy me, the girl dies too!"

"But last time I checked, we can't kill you," said Coco. She dropped her bag, which landed with a loud thud. Just how much did that thing weigh?! She smirked as she cracked her knuckles. "So that means we get to beat you down until we can free Velvet!"

Jaune swore that he heard the Umbra gulp. "I think I'll need a bigger camera crew. Penumbrae, to me!" From the shadows, a small army of Penumbrae crawled out in front of the four.

"We should take these guys out first," said Jaune as he pulled out his Driver, attaching it to his waist. "Once that's taken care of, you three can deal with the Camera Umbra until Velvet is safe. I'll take it from there."

"Spoken like a true leader," said Coco as she swung her bag around. Fox cracked his knuckles while Yatsuhashi drew his giant sword. Jaune pulled out the Stag Huntsman Medal and flipped it before placing it in the Driver.

STAG BEETLE!

The Penumbrae and the Camera Umbra looked confused as the triumphant fanfare filled the forest, Coco glancing at Jaune while her teammates kept their focus on the enemy. "Henshin!" shouted Jaune as he pulled the lever, summoning the giant energy beetle.

ARMOR UP! STAG BEETLE! GLEAMING GOLD!

The armor covered his body as he transformed into Kamen Rider Aurum, getting into his stance as he glared at the Penumbrae from behind his mask. 'Never fought these guys before. Let's hope I can keep up with these three.'

"Alright, CFVY and company! Let's go!" shouted Coco as the four moved forward, the Penumbrae running up to them in a frenzy. The fight was on.

~KRA~

"Hi-yah!" shouted Aurum as he punched a Penumbra in the shoulder. It raked its claws across his chest, but he was quick to counter with an elbow to the solar plexus and a right hook to the head. The Penumbra collapsed onto the ground, already dissolving. Another lunged at him from the side. Aurum just barely sidestepped the claw slash and kicked it into a tree trunk from behind. He turned around to kick another in the face, sending it reeling. He felt a blow from behind him, spinning around to catch a kick. He pulled the Grimm in and kneed it in the stomach, letting go of its leg to throw an uppercut that sent it flying.

As he heard the sound of energy being built up, he rolled to the side just as an explosion appeared by his side. The force of the blast knocked him off balance, letting him see the Penumbra that shot him as another ran up with a sword. Aurum summoned the Stag Saber and Beetle Sheald, unsheathing his sword to block a swing from above. Getting up to his feet, he slashed at the monster's waist, bisecting it. Noticing the Grimm that blasted him before was charging another shot, he threw his scabbard like a javelin. It landed in the mouth of the monster with the beetle facing its face, the sheath opening into a shield and splitting the Penumbra's face open.

As Aurum reclaimed his shield from the corpse, he fastened it to his arm just in time to block a pair of sword swings, two Penumbrae right on him. He cut one across the torso, then blocked a stab from the other and hacked it in half with a diagonal cut. He spun around to block a punch from another, the same Penumbra swiping its claws across the shield wildly. Aurum pushed his Beetle Sheald forward to knock it off balance, then swung his Stag Saber at its neck, the Grimm's head hitting the ground two seconds before the rest of it. Another Penumbra charged at him, only to be pushed back by a kick. Aurum collapsed his shield and ran forward with his sword in both hands, slashing across its body as he ran past with a war cry. The Penumbra's charge stumbled as it fell to the ground.

Meanwhile, Yatsuhashi found himself surrounded by a ring of Penumbrae, each watching him like a vulture ready to fly in. He lifted his sword, Fulcrum, over his head. As the ring started to close with the Grimm rushing towards him, he swung his sword and struck the ground. The earth shook as fissures split the ground, the force of his swings releasing a shockwave that knocked the horde off their feet.

Two of the Penumbrae climbed back to their feet, both firing bursts of energy. Yatsuhashi planted his feet firmly as he held out his left arm, blocking the attacks with his sode and keeping his footing. One of the Grimm charged at him, only for the giant to sweep his arm out with a flat palm facing the ground. The sideways chop sent the Grimm flying into a tree, the impact killing it. The second ran at him, only for Yatsuhashi to swing down his greatsword and chop the monster in half, its left and right sides falling to the ground.

As more Penumbrae recovered from the miniature earthquake caused by the samurai, he swung Fulcrum around as if the six-foot sword was as light as a feather. He held it upside-down as a Penumbra slashed at him with its scimitar, swinging the sword up to bisect his opponent. He stabbed another as it tried to blast him, the blast fizzling away as he pulled out his sword. He swung his sword at another to counter its own swing, knocking the weapon out of its hands and sending it flying. Gripping it tightly in his right hand, he brought the blade down and hacked the Penumbra in half.

Another tried to hit him with its claws, but he caught it by the shoulder with the hook of his sword. Swinging Fulcrum, he threw the Penumbra at another. The arm that Yatsuhashi had hooked was ripped off as the two Umbrae hit a tree with a sickening thud, beginning to disintegrate before they hit the ground. Yatsuhashi heard footsteps as he saw three more running at him. Holding his greatsword in both hands, he cried out as he swung it with all his might, decapitating the trio in one fell swoop. With a sigh of relief as they hit the ground, he plunged the tip of his blade into the earth.

Fox found himself dealing with a crowd, sensing six Aura-less beings rushing towards him. "Thinking the blind one is an easy target and rushing him?" he asked as he raised his fists, punching one in the face as soon as it was in range. "Your biggest and final mistake." He punched the Penumbra again while it was on the ground, ending its life. As another swung its sword, he blocked it with the blades of his weapon, Sharp Retribution. An elbow strike from his right arm pierced its neck with the blade, and he swung a left hook to knock it back.

The four remaining Grimm kept charging, not caring that their companions were slain. Fox moved like a blur with a series of rapid slashes from his elbow blades. One had its side ripped open, the other was cut in half from the waist, and another had its head sliced in half. The final one went to scratch Fox with its claws, but he countered with a slash that tore off its hand. The Penumbra tried again with its remaining arm, but another slash cleaved it off from the elbow. Fox followed with a flurry of punches and slashes at the chest before finishing with a left jab to the face. Fox pulled a concealed trigger as Sharp Retribution shot a bullet through the skull of his opponent, sealing the deal.

Another sweep of his Aura Sense revealed four more Penumbrae standing behind him. He turned around and started shooting at the crowd, three of the foot soldiers falling dead. One of them sped over and swung its sword, Fox blocking with his blades. The two clashed blades for a moment before Fox threw a double-handed palm strike at its chest, knocking it back. With a flick of the wrists, Sharp Retribution's blades swung forward. The curved blades were now curving away from his pinkies, almost resembling the front legs of a praying mantis. Fox jumped into the air and swung his blades down, slicing off its arms as it let out one final cry. He stood up with a smirk as his blades moved back to the elbows.

Finally, the leader of CFVY was having little to no trouble with the mob as she kicked one in the face, knocking it off balance as it dropped its scimitar. This gave her the chance to swing her handbag, Gianduja, into the side of its head. It soared a distance away before landing with its neck bending far more than it should. Dodging a blast from another, she raised her bag and bludgeoned its head with the side. She grinned as two more ran at her. She punched one in the face before dealing the deciding blow with Gianduja, then spun around in a full circle to bash the other in the head before it could claw her. She put her weapon back on her shoulder as she admired her handiwork.

She saw another Penumbra grab the scimitar from one of its buddies, racing towards her with two swords. It swung wildly, Coco stepping back and ducking away from each slash. At the same time, Gianduja began to transform, gold plates coming out of the bag and clicking into place. In only a few seconds, it was a golden Gatling gun, the only similarity with its previous form being the strap. As the Grimm raised both swords, Coco pushed the rotary barrel into its chest, knocking it back to five others, the last of the Penumbrae. Pointing her weapon at them, the barrel started to spin as a hailstorm of bullets shot out, mowing down the six as though they were blades of grass. They were messily cut in half by the torrent of bullets, Coco only stopping once the last of them let out its final breath.

"Looks like I'll have to do all the shots myself!" shouted the Camera Umbra as he ran up to her, thrusting his leister forward.

"Don't worry, I didn't forget about you!" said Coco as Gianduja's barrels started to spin again.

"You've got to be KIDDIIIIIING!" screamed the Grimm as he was blasted back against a tree, the barrage pinning him to it. The Nether prevented any damage, but the force could be felt as the Camera Umbra shrieked in pain. Coco smirked as the bullets on her strap started to glow. Her Semblance, Hype, increased the potency of the Dust inside them. The bullets were shot out with practically explosive force, Coco having to dig her heels in to keep her aim steady. The screams of pain from the Umbra increased in volume as round after round crashed into him. The force of the assault was enough to uproot the tree he was against, said tree and Grimm toppling over.

Coco released the trigger and ended her Semblance as the barrel slowed to a stop, smoke rising from it. Aurum, Fox, and Yatsuhashi moved beside her as the Camera Umbra slowly got back to his feet. "Guess you haven't recovered from your fight with Aurum here," said Coco as she pulled her shades down to the top of her nose, looking the monster that held Velvet captive. "So consider that your only warning. Let her go!"

"You're a stubborn group, I'll give you that," muttered the Camera Umbra. "And tough to beat. So it's time I evened the odds."

"What is that supposed to mean?" wondered Aurum. The Umbra didn't answer, instead firing a barrage of energy beams from its flash. Aurum and Yatsuhashi blocked the attacks with their shield and sword respectively, but Coco and Fox were knocked back by the blasts, skidding along the grass.

~KRA~

"Fox! Coco!" screamed Velvet as she started kicking the lens, desperate to free herself. Her friends were in trouble! And for some reason, it felt like it would only get worse.

~KRA~

The Camera Umbra laughed as Nether covered his entire body, his strength increasing. None of the humans noticed it as Aurum and Yatsuhashi helped Coco get to her feet, Fox punching the ground in annoyance. By the time they were all standing, the Nether was gone.

"You'll pay for that one!" screamed Fox as he rushed forward, firing a few shots with Sharp Retribution at the Umbra. Once he was in range, he let loose with a barrage of punches and slashes, each one driving his opponent back an inch. But as he went for another slash, a bright flash of light assaulted his sensitive eyes. He covered his eyes and screamed before he felt a fist dig into his stomach, knocking the wind out of him. Closing his eyes tightly and focusing his hearing and Aura Sense, he returned the favor as the two clashed fists. Fox dug his knee into the lens on his enemy's chest, then dug the tips of his blades into his shoulders.

"So much rage! What a shot for my album of despair!" exclaimed the Camera Umbra. Fox grunted as the prongs of the harpoon struck his torso, pushing against his Aura. The Umbra swung his spear around and struck Fox twice with overhand stabs, kicking him to the ground as his Nether coated his body once more.

"Fox!" yelled Coco, watching as Fox grunted in pain. Pulling out her Scroll, she saw that his Aura was knocked down to the red while she and Yatsuhashi were still in the green. Seeing that the samurai had the most left, she turned to him as she collapsed Gianduja into its bag form. "Yatsu, you're up!"

"I'll make him regret bringing harm to our friends!" declared Yatsuhashi as he lumbered forward, swinging Fulcrum. The Umbra attempted to block the swing with his tripod, but was pushed back. Spinning his greatsword, he grabbed the handle of the weapon with his sword's hook and pulled it forward, the Umbra pulled with it. The Grimm's stumbling left him wide open for another series of slashes, Yatsuhashi putting every ounce of power he could into each blow. Finally, he raised his blade over his head for the finishing move.

But right before he could, the Camera Umbra turned into Velvet, looking up at him with a look of fear. "Please, don't do it!"

For just a second, even though it clearly wasn't Velvet, Yatsuhashi hesitated. "Velvet" smirked before turning back into the Nether-covered Umbra and driving his leister into Yatsuhashi's chest. The man in green grunted as the Grimm started stabbing him with incredible speed, unable to prevent himself from crying out in pain. With each hit, it seemed like the Nether surrounding the Umbra grew in size, no longer disappearing. "Hahahahaha! That face of yours when I transformed! That's a keeper for sure!"

"What's going on?!" shouted Coco. "It looks like that thing's getting stronger with each hit!"

"I don't think that's it," said Aurum. "But it's definitely getting stronger. Can you shoot it?"

"Yeah, but I might hit Yatsuhashi! Gianduja isn't meant for precision!"

Grunting, Yatsuhashi finally managed to bring down his blade, the Camera Umbra blocking with the shaft of his weapon again. But this time, he could feel his sword being pushed back. The Umbra fired two blasts from his flash during the struggle, causing Yatsuhashi to hit the ground.

"No!" shouted Coco, growling as she gripped the strap of her bag. "Come on, let's double team him!"

"You got it!" said Aurum. It was a little risky as he was capable of killing their opponent before they could free Velvet, but that was a risk they had to take. Pretty soon, the Umbra could be strong enough to withstand a Victory Strike!

Aurum made the first move, jumping into the air and slashing down at the Umbra using both hands. As he was bent over, Coco swung her bag over his head and smashed it into the Camera Umbra's face. But unlike the blows from Yatsuhashi and Fox, neither attack got the monster to even stumble. Aurum got back up and opened his shield as he slashed at the Umbra from one side and Coco swung from the other. But the Grimm managed to block their attacks using his tripod.

As Aurum blocked a thrust from the harpoon using his shield, he hit his Nether-covered opponent in the chest with a front kick. But while the hit bypassed the Nether, his opponent didn't even flinch. He tried a thrust with the Stag Saber, but it was caught between the prongs of the spear. The visible eye of the Umbra curved as the monster smirked behind his mask, blasting Aurum with lasers that looked far stronger than they had before. The shots knocked him onto the ground, the Kamen Rider groaning in pain as his grip on his weapons loosened.

Coco growled as she jumped back, Gianduja shifting into its Gatling gun form as she opened fire. Her Hype flowed into the Dust bullets as their power multiplied. But even with the boost of power and the continuous stream of bullets hitting him, the Camera Umbra managed to take slow steps forward.

Coco felt herself starting to sweat. 'This is nuts! I sent him on a one-way trip a couple minutes ago, and that was without my Semblance! Just how much stronger did he get?!' But she didn't have much time to dwell on it as the tripod spear struck her in the chest, causing her to let go of the trigger. A fist colliding with her face made her hit the ground hard, closing her eyes.

When she opened them, she tilted her head up to see the laughing Camera Umbra. He was once more framing his hands over his eyepiece, turning around and looking over the four sprawled-out Huntsmen in training. "Isn't this a perfect panorama? The four of you lain across the ground, faces twisted in woe as you realize that I can't be beat!"

"He wasn't nearly this tough back at the cafeteria," said Fox as he pushed himself up, breathing heavily as he lay against a tree.

"Something's happened to make him stronger!" said Aurum.

"Exactly! My power grows with the despair of my prisoner!" laughed the Umbra as he gestured to the lens. "And she's been feeling distraught seeing you pathetic mortals getting knocked around and fooled by me! And the stronger I become, the easier it is for me to crush you, and the more despair she feels! Isn't it an amazing cycle?"

"We won't let you… get away with this," muttered Yatsuhashi in defiance.

"Don't even bother trying to fight back! You won't even be able to tickle me!" The Umbra laughed as his Nether grew in size like a roaring flame being given more wood to burn. "Even the four of you put together couldn't stop me! You're as pathetic as that worthless teammate of yours! Hehehehehe, HAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"Bwahahahahahaha!" The Camera Umbra, Aurum, Fox, and Yatsuhashi turned their heads. Coco was in hysterics, laughing as hard as she could. She didn't even care if she looked ridiculous. "Oh man, that's a good one! Saying Velvet is worthless? And you said I didn't know about her!"

"What are you talking about, human?" growled the Camera Umbra as Coco climbed to her feet, taking off her sunglasses to wipe away her tears. "When I fought her, she was barely worth the effort!"

"Trust me, you haven't seen Velvet fight at full strength," said Coco as she put her shades back, light peeking through the trees and shining off the lenses. "She's one of the toughest fighters in our grade, if not the whole school! Just because she can't show off her true power that often doesn't mean she's weak! She could probably beat me in a fight!"

"And that's just in combat," said Fox as he slowly walked over to Coco's side. "Her hearing and night vision make her a better scout than even me. And if it wasn't for her medical know-how, I'd have been forced into early retirement from my Huntsman training ages ago."

"She's also a kind, compassionate woman who always strives to make others happy, increasing our morale and keeping us as the closest of friends," said Yatsuhashi. "Without her at our side, we would likely fall apart."

"What?!" snapped the Camera Umbra, his Nether beginning to die down.

"I see," said Aurum as he climbed to his feet. He wasn't as banged up as the others, but he was still a bit dizzy from ten consecutive laser blasts. "Just as a teammate relies on their team, their team relies on them!"

"Damn right, Beetle Boy," said Coco as she compacted her weapon and slung it on her shoulder. "And after all she's done for us, we owe it to ourselves to watch out for her! And that includes dealing with monsters like you!"

~KRA~

Velvet was in shock as she pressed her hands against the glass. 'Is that really how they think of me?' She berated herself for even thinking that. Of course they cared about her! And they never once thought of her as useless. All their wanting to protect her, it wasn't because she couldn't keep up with them. It was because she was too valuable to lose, both as a teammate and as a friend.

And right now, her teammates needed her as much as she needed them. And this stupid glass wall wouldn't stop her! With renewed confidence, Velvet kicked the window. This time, it didn't simply bounce off. A small crack was visible in the wall. And a second hit widened it. The Umbra must've realized something was wrong as the shutter closed, but even in pitch-black darkness, Velvet didn't give up. She hit the window harder and harder, the sounds of cracking glass becoming louder. And with one final punch, the wall was shattered as the light poured in.

She felt herself once more being ripped apart, rebuilt as she felt grass in her hands. Blinking to focus her vision, she saw she was on her hands and knees. She looked up to see her team staring at her. Fox was in disbelief, Yatsuhashi looked relieved, and Coco had the biggest smile she had ever seen.

She turned around to see the white and gold armored figure from the cafeteria, who she saw Jaune Arc turn into only a few minutes ago. To say the revelation caught her off guard was the understatement of the year. But knowing that this hero was a familiar face was comforting.

Finally, she turned to see the devil that had trapped her. Fragments of what looked like metal and glass were strewn about on the ground, slowly dissolving into dust. The lens was destroyed. The Umbra gasped as he stared at the broken lens in shock.

"Velvet!" Velvet turned back around as she heard her leader's voice. She smiled wide as she bounded over to the three, hugging them. "I'm so glad you're okay!"

"Not too tight," said Fox. "I'm a little sore."

"Thanks for everything you said," said Velvet sincerely. "That's what got me out of there."

"Anything for you," said Yatsuhashi with a thumbs-up, Velvet returning the gesture.

"You insignificant interloper!" Velvet turned to see the furious Camera Umbra glaring at her. "What have you done to me?! I'll teach you a new meaning of despair for this!"

"Does this guy ever shut up about despair?" muttered Fox.

"Jaune! Are you able to fight?" asked Velvet. Aurum looked shocked that she knew who he was. Apparently that was supposed to be a secret. Whoops!

"Uh, I might need a minute to catch my breath," said Aurum. "But then I can take it from there!"

"Then it's up to me," said Velvet as she turned to her teammates. "You don't look to be in any condition to fight. Time to return the favor."

"We wouldn't expect any less of you," said Yatsuhashi.

Velvet smiled as she turned to her leader. "Um, permission to use my weapon? Please?"

"Why not? It's a special occasion," said Coco, Velvet bouncing on her heels in joy. "Give him the Grande!"

"You've got it!" Velvet moved her camera box so that it was behind her, walking up to the Camera Umbra.

"You're going to fight me, mortal?" laughed the Umbra as he pointed his leister at her. "Even without your despair fueling me, this will be a piece of cake!"

"Not this time," said Velvet as she held out her right hand. "I've got the strength of my team behind me!" Through a hole in the case, blue beams of Hard-Light Dust shone and started moving around. They were building a shape, a solid structure being formed in her hand. Soon, she was holding a 3D model made entirely of solid light, one of Fulcrum. This was the secret of her weapon, Anesidora.

"Oh snap!" shouted the Camera Umbra as she lifted the light sword with one hand. She swung it down with all her might in a move identical to one of Yatsuhashi's. The ground split as the Umbra was knocked off balance, Velvet moving forward with the blade behind her. She swung her sword at the Umbra as he blocked it with his harpoon's handle. Another slice had the same result. But the third one was the charm. He blocked the attack, but it was soon evident that Nether didn't extend to an Umbra's weapon as it was sliced in half, the blade slashing across him.

The Camera Umbra gasped in pain from the slash as he dropped the two halves of his weapon, a trail of Nether down his body. In the meantime, Velvet willed away her copy of Fulcrum and created one of Sharp Retribution. The Umbra lunged at her and threw a punch that Velvet dodged, throwing a punch of her own. In a flawless mimicry of Fox's technique, she delivered a flurry of punches and slashes across the wrecked lens of her foe. She finished the assault with a double punch to the chest, bullets of light pushing him back.

"Why you lousy son of— eh?" The Umbra's tirade was brought to a premature end as he saw Velvet grinning at him, a copy of Gianduja in her hands. "Oh, not again!" A salvo of light bullets bombarded the Camera Umbra, knocking him back and leaving him on the ground.

"Whoa, that was awesome!" said Aurum as he ran up to Velvet. The girl smiled sheepishly as she willed away the Gatling gun, the two turning their attention to the Umbra as he stood up. He fired a laser from his flash, Aurum moving in front of her as he blocked it with his shield. The rabbit Faunus took out her camera and moved to the Kamen Rider's side, taking a picture of him to his confusion. Or more specifically, his weapons.

"I'll follow your lead and give you openings for attack!" said Velvet as she closed up her camera and put it back in its case.

"Much appreciated!" said Aurum with a thumbs-up. "Time to finish this fight!"

"DIE!" screeched the Camera Umbra as he unleashed a barrage of lasers. But two shields, one of metal and one of light, deflected the shots as Aurum and Velvet charged forward. Aurum slashed at the Grimm from the upper right, causing him to scream in pain. As he readied his next slash, Velvet imitated his attack and left him open. Aurum followed with a slash from the left, Velvet following suit. The two finished with a double downward slash that left the Umbra reeling, back against a tree once more.

"Victory is in my sight!" declared Aurum as he had the cross guard bite down on the blade of the Stag Saber.

VICTORY SLASH!

The blade of Aurum's sword was gleaming with a brilliant golden light. With one last cry of effort, he swung his sword to the side and sliced through the Umbra. The two spun around and did Aurum's signature pose as the Camera Umbra exploded behind them.

Velvet saw her team approaching as Coco let out a low whistle. "You're something else, Bun-Bun. And that was pretty impressive, Aurum!"

"Just doing my job," said Aurum as he sheathed his sword, the guard closing on the sheath.

"Don't be so modest, Jaune! That was incredible!" cheered Velvet.

"Wait, what?!" asked Aurum. "Uh, who's this Jaune fellow?"

"Oh, sorry," said Velvet. "But yes, I know it's you. I… may have seen you transform when I was trapped in there."

Aurum sighed as he turned back into Jaune. "I really need to be better at keeping this a secret."

"Sorry," said Velvet. "But thank you so much for helping me and my team. I really appreciate it."

"Hey, you were pretty cool too!" said Jaune. "How did you do that? You copied my weapons and techniques perfectly!"

"Uh, that's my weapon, Anesidora, and my Semblance, Photographic Memory. I can copy weapons from photos using Hard-Light Dust, and I can copy movements I've seen."

"It's my bad that she doesn't use it often," said Coco as she and her teammates walked up to the two. "I want her to keep it a secret. Dust is expensive, especially Hard-Light Dust. Plus her photos are one-use. She's our ace in the hole."

"But whenever I get to use it, I make every second count!" said Velvet with pride. "Um, could you keep them a secret?"

"I'll certainly try," said Jaune. "And can you keep the whole Kamen Rider thing under wraps?"

"Not a problem!" said Velvet.

"Well, now that all that's said and done, can we get out of here?" asked Fox.

"Oh, one thing first!" asked Velvet as she pulled out her camera. "Jaune, do you think I could take a picture?"

"Of my weapons? Sure," said Jaune, only for Velvet to shake her head.

"No, not that. Of you in your armor, as a memory." His smile was all the answer she needed as she got ready for the shot.

~KRA~

"There's the Bullhead!" said Jaune as he pointed to the ship in question. CFVY was quick to follow him, although the figure that greeted them when the door opened wasn't who they expected.

"Professor Oobleck?" asked Coco.

"That's DOCTOR Oobleck, Ms. Adel! And yes, it's me!" said Oobleck as he took a sip of his coffee. "Now then, all of you into the ship, chop chop! I'm sure you're all anxious to get to your next class, aren't you?"

"Not exactly," said Fox as they climbed into the ship.

Jaune was next to Velvet on the opposite end of the door, with her between him and Oobleck. The other members of CFVY were across from them as the door slid shut. While Pro— DOCTOR Oobleck zipped into the cockpit to instruct the pilot to take off, he looked at the photo on Velvet's camera. It was of him as Aurum, pointing his sword in the air with his shield and its emblem on display.

"You really got my good side," said Jaune. He was impressed by the shot.

"She's been getting really good at it!" said Coco. "And she's got some sweet eye candy in that photo to boot!"

"Come on, Coco, don't embarrass me!" said Velvet, blushing even though she had a smile. Jaune couldn't help but laugh. She had some great teammates.

"Indeed!" Jaune did a double take as Oobleck was suddenly back with the group. Jaune bit his lip as he felt the ship take off, feeling a little nauseous already. "It's been quite the afternoon, quite the afternoon indeed! Between Ms. Scarlatina's capture and Mr. Arc's, em, circumstances—"

"We know he's Aurum," said Coco.

"Ah, no need for stretching the truth then! Excellent! Anyway, I must congratulate you for returning her to us, Mr. Arc! You truly are extraordinary with that armor!"

"Well, I don't deserve all the credit," said Jaune. "I couldn't have done it without Team CFVY."

"Which does bring me to my next point," said Oobleck as his eyes fell on Coco and her male teammates. "I do not recall any of you being captured. Care to explain why you were in the Emerald Forest?"

"We wanted to help Velvet," said Yatsuhashi. Jaune was proud that he was fulfilling the bargain they made. Yatsuhashi definitely had honor. "We understand it was wrong of us, but we couldn't stand idly by given the circumstances. I hope you understand."

"Hm, I do," said Oobleck. "It was quite selfless of you to do so, Mr. Daichi."

"So you're not mad?" asked Coco with a smile.

"On the contrary, Ms. Adel," said Oobleck in an even tone, "I'm quite furious. Three days of detention, the three of you! In addition to the extra work that your professors will be giving you for skipping two classes, I'm sure!"

"And here I was hoping we'd get lucky," said Fox as the ship came to a landing at the Beacon airfield.

"Don't worry, guys," said Velvet. "I'll be sure to wait for you."

"Well, you can avoid further punishment if you can get to your final class of the day in the next… fifteen minutes. Don't dawdle now!" Team CFVY got off the Bullhead and made a beeline for their next class, saying their goodbyes to Jaune and Oobleck. Jaune was about to head to his final class of the day when he felt a hand on his shoulder. "Not you, Mr. Arc. At least, not yet."

"What is it? Did I do something wrong?" asked Jaune as Oobleck took a sip of coffee.

"I've already taken the liberty of grading your essay," said Oobleck as he held a sheet of paper in his other hand.

"I wasn't aware it was being graded," said Jaune.

"Consider it extra credit in a way, replacing your lowest scoring essay at the end of the year," said Oobleck. "One final chance to catch up with your peers. I must say, this feels a little different than your usual work. Did you receive outside help?"

"No! Well, yes, but it's not what you think!" said Jaune with his hands in the air defensively. "My teammates just helped me with the reading. Made it a bit more interesting, you know? I wrote everything in my own words."

"Hmmmmm… it seems that Ms. Scarlatina is not the only one who has an excellent team," said Oobleck after taking a sip of his coffee. "In any case, I am grateful that you are finally taking an interest in this fine field! There is nary a more essential field! And it seems that the fruits of your labor have much to show!"

As he finally handed Jaune his paper, the blonde nearly dropped it. He thought he was dreaming for a moment as he saw the top right corner. There, written in blue ink and frantically encircled, was "100" right above "A+." He did more than pass, he got a perfect score! Jaune never aced essays, he was lucky to get Bs!

"You have demonstrated magnificent, MAGNIFICENT improvement, Mr. Arc!" exclaimed Oobleck as he put his hand on Jaune's shoulder, pulling him back to reality. "But do not use this as a reason to become complacent! I am expecting excellency from you now, so please keep this up!"

"I'll do my best, sir!" said Jaune.

"Splendid! Now then, I believe your final class of the day is with Professor Greene?"

"Oh, right! I better head there now. See you tomorrow, Doctor Oobleck!" Jaune took off to his next class, still smiling as he looked at the paper. "I can't wait to show my team!"

---

Apparently, I made the right choice to split this chapter into two, otherwise I'd have a 24,000-word chapter! Anyway, this was a fun one to write. Aurum didn't have much time in the spotlight here, but it wasn't really his chapter as much as CFVY's. He'll be getting more focus next time, though. Now onto guest reviews, and there are a lot of them this time!

Guest 1: You'll have to wait and see!

Guest 2: That's Jaune for you. Mess with him all you want, but leave others out of it!

AinsleyTheGreat (1): Well, allow me to explain myself a little more. Obviously, Jaune isn't exactly the same as canon. For one, he's significantly less naive of the world of Remnant, or at least what it takes to be a Huntsman. There are a couple other changes that will be noticeable as we progress too. But for the most part, he's still an awkward, friendly guy who acts more confident than he really is.

AinsleyTheGreat (2): Don't worry, I had no intention of dragging out Weiss' jealousy arc for longer than canon, though that didn't stop me from making it far worse. Logical deduction for the other riders, I like it! But are these clues leading you towards their identities, or away from them, I wonder?

AinsleyTheGreat (3): Oh god, that's a lot to unpack in one review. I'll cover most of this in order with the biggest thing addressed at the end. First, I intend to follow canon closely while making changes that result from the addition of Kamen Rider elements. And while Jaune is a better fighter, even managing to damage Cardin, CRDL's leader is still out of his league for now. And the binoculars thing was addressed in the chapter: Jaune didn't care for history, so he didn't know the answer.

I did address why JNPR and the others, save Jaune, didn't stand up for Velvet at the moment, but I will concede your point about not helping Jaune. As such, I made sure to make them more active when it came to the bullying, whether it was from Cardin or the Umbra. But I feel I should point out that when Cardin was putting Jaune in the chokehold, he was RIGHT IN FRONT OF GLYNDA. They didn't need to step in at that point, since Cardin should thank his lucky stars that his stupidity didn't result in him being the first human on Remnant to go to space!

For shifting the paragraphs, I feel like it depends on the context. Is perspective being changed, or are all of these scenes being witnessed by somebody? Is the line worth taking up its own paragraph, even if it's only one word? I am trying to follow your advice, though.

Finally, the multiple forms. I apologize if I sound rude in advance, but did you really think I would leave out one of my favorite elements in Kamen Rider? I teased multiple forms way back in the second chapter!

Anyway, that's all for the responses! Next time, Jaune unveils his second form! Starpion out!