Stolen Hearts [RWBY OC]

It was a beautiful summer day, birds were singing, flowers were blooming, and on days like this, people like me…

Shouldn't have to be stuck in a cramped bakery waiting for a customer to finally wander in at two in the afternoon!

The sun was shining brightly outside the Lynx Family Bakery and I had a feeling that if I was out there, I would be able to feel the cool feeling of the wind brushing through my ears.

"But you're not out there Rei. You're stuck in here, cleaning dough and making cookies for the only customer that will probably show up today." I sighed as I brought my rag across the counter once more, continuing the arduous process of ridding it of the dough that had stuck there during the preparation of my latest batch of cookies.

Truth be told, I didn't mind the work, I even often found it enjoyable. But on slow days like this, time seemed to drag on forever and make my job magnitudes more monotonous.

My grandfather had always said that the best way to attract customers was to make it look like you're always busy with something. "Let's know that you're working hard and actually putting effort into what you make" he always said, and over the years of working with him I had slowly come to agree with the sentiment.

When he passed just two years ago, it had been an extremely devastating affair for me. The older lynx faunus had practically raised me after my parents abandoned me at a young age, and where I had come to see him as a father, he in turn saw me as a daughter. When he had died, he had left me as the sole inheritor of his will, gifting me everything he had owned at the time of his death, bakery included.

I had been working with him in said bakery since I was young so I more or less knew how the whole thing worked. I got up at the buttcrack of dawn to prepare the dough and begin making the first pastries for those who were going into work in the morning, and my work didn't stop until the shop closed at six.

There was something satisfying about putting in a hard day's work and being rewarded with the satisfaction of those you had served. It was…cathartic, and now there was rarely a time that I wasn't doing at least something. Whether at work or in the space I called home merely a few feet above me.

Still, on days like this there was little I wouldn't give to be curled up on my bed in the loft, reading a book on my scroll, or leaned over a table going over the plans for my next heis-

I was interrupted from my thoughts by a small jingle from the bell that hung from the store entrance.

"Reeeeiiiiii!!!" A familiar voice called out and I felt a smile flit across my face.

"Give me just one moment! I'm just about to pull your order out of the oven!" I yelled out to the owner of the voice, smiling wider at the high pitched 'Oookaaay' I received in return.

I reached into the oven and retrieved the tray of cookies that had been kept warm in there, placing them into a white box, making sure to sort them by flavour as had been requested, before sliding it closed and making my way out to my waiting customer.

I was met with the all too familiar sight of a pale girl in a red cloak, sitting at the stool nearest the counter, feet swinging merrily as she waited for her favorite treats. On the counter in front of her was a red blocky piece of metal that would look unassuming to those who didn't know the owner. I had seen the girl whip that thing out enough times to know better by now.

Ruby Rose had been a regular customer at the bakery for several years at this point, having wandered in one day while my grandfather and I had been closing up. She had such a pitiful expression on her face as she saw us throwing away the stale cookies and my old man had taken pity on her, giving her the rest.

The way her face lit up at that… Later after she left, my grandfather had taken me aside and said, "See that girl Rei, see that look on her face? That one act of kindness just earned us a lifelong customer." And he had been right, for just three days later Ruby came wandering in again, this time well before close and with a fistful of lien.

She had ordered one of every cookie we had on the menu, along with a glass of milk. Then she stayed in the bakery for the next hour or so, just scarfing down cookie after cookie until her father came to collect her, saying that she would be back next week.

Lo and behold, next week rolled around and she came back. And then she did so the next week, and the next, and the next, and the next, and she hadn't stopped doing it since.

This had led to the two of us becoming good friends, such good friends in fact, that when she heard about my grandfather's death, she had dropped everything and forced her father to bring her to Vale solely to comfort me in my time of need. Something I was extremely grateful for.

Yes, my life was brightened considerably thanks to the other girl's presence. Still, I better give her her cookies before she bursts from excitement, something I imagined would happen soon given that she was practically vibrating in her seat at the smell coming from the box in my hands.

"Ruby, I've got your order!" No less than a second after I spoke, she appeared in front of me at the counter in a burst of rose petals, making grabby hands at the bag in my clutches.

"Gimme!" She said as she nearly dove over the counter in a an attempt to get at the bag

"Hold on missy!" I laughed as I reached my arm out to hold her back, "You still haven't told me what you're doing in Vale in the first place. You usually don't come over her until you run out of treats or things for your weapon, and I know that you just refilled your supply of both." I narrowed my eyes at her playfully.

She had gone from attempting to take the bag from me to just staring at it in undisguised hunger, "Give me my cookies and I'll tell you." She bargained and I laughed, handing them over eliciting a small cheer from the hyperactive girl.

"Alright, so I originally came to Vale to get a copy of issue 228 of Weapon Magazine," I chuckled at the pun and she stuck her tongue out at me, "Don't laugh, it's a bad pun. Anyway, I was looking through the magazine for upgrades for my baby, when I was interrupted by a guy trying to rob me!"

I snorted, "And I assume it didn't go too well for him?"

"Nope!" She grinned, "I beat him up! And then I saw there were others trying to rob the rest of the store so I beat them up too! I was all like, POW! BAM! SWOOSH!" I watched in amusement as she pantomimed beating people up, sound effects and all.

"And then I fought this guy who I'm pretty sure was an ex hunter or something. He had a white suit and a bowler hat and used this cane that was also a gun and also a grappling hook and he shot at me with fire dust and-"

"Wait wait wait," I stopped her in her tracks, "Fancy suit? Bowler hat? Mascara? Cane-gun? That's Roman Torchwick! You're telling me you fought Roman Torchwick and were barely injured!?" I asked in astonishment.

Ruby shrugged, "I guess? I didn't get his name but he was really good. He had all these weird moves and I could barely keep up with him. And he got away even with my super speed!" She pouted, crossing her arms over her chest.

I just nodded, "Yeah, that's what he does. He's an expert at dueling single opponents, and from what I've heard, barely anyone at all has been able to keep up with him one on one when he's really trying. He specializes in dirty fighting and escape and he utilizes both extremely well, it honestly wouldn't surprise me if he had a cognition enhancement Semblance." I postulated.

Ruby hummed, "Maybe, I didn't see him use a Semblance but you're right, it might be internal or something." She shook her head, "Anyway, back to my story! After he got onto the Bullhead, there was this scary looking woman who shot fire at me! I would have been toast if it wasn't for that huntress with the riding crop making that barrier to block the shots. And then she arrested me." She pouted again.

I chuckled, "Sounds like Ms Goodwitch. She's a veteran huntress who teaches at beacon. She's the Vice Headmistress there last I heard. Real strict lady. She probably took exception to you stopping a robbery without a license."

"Yeah, she seemed pretty strict." Ruby nodded, before she gasped, "Oh! And get this!" She practically jumped up and down in excitement, "I got to talk to Ozpin, and he was kinda weird but he fed me cookies that weren't as good as yours and said I could come to Beacon two years early!"

I gasped at that. It was a rare thing that someone got accepted into a combat school like Beacon early, much less two whole years early! Ruby must have really impressed Ozpin for him to make her an offer like that.

"That's fantastic news Ruby!" I congratulated the other girl, "There's nobody I know who deserves it more than you." I said sincerely.

"Bah, you're just saying that." She waved off and I shook my head.

"No, I mean that Ruby, you really do deserve this after all the hard work you've put into your training." I said, watching with amusement as she stammered lightly at my proclamation.

"Well then, as a bit of a congratulatory treat…" I leaned down underneath the counter to grab a paper bag I had stashed there earlier, "I would like you to have these." I finished as I placed it on the counter.

Ruby stared at the bag in wonder as her nose picked up the scent emerging from it, and she hesitantly pulled the two sides apart to reveal the contents to her amazed eyes.

I leaned my cheek on my palm as I watched the other girl slowly, almost reverently, pull a dark brown cookie from its depths. She brought the cookie to her nose and inhaled again, shivering this time at the enhanced smell.

"It's forty percent dark chocolate peanut butter with a caramel drizzle. I know you don't like things too bitter so I tried to not go overboard on the cacao beans."

Ruby slowly put one up to her mouth and took a small bite, and the moment the treat touched her taste buds, the rest of the cookie disappeared into her mouth with astounding speed.

She hummed happily as she savored the flavour, and I watched with an amused smile on my face as she practically bounced up and down in the empty bakery.

"How do you keep making cookies this delicious!?" She asked as she reached into the bag to grab another one, "Any cookies I make are nowhere near this good. And I make good cookies." she complained as she stuffed it into her mouth and held another one out for me to take, which I did so happily

I shrugged as I took a bite of my own cookie, "It's a secret. I might tell you when you're older." I winked at her.

She flushed lightly at my actions, "But you're only two years older than me…" she pouted as she reached her hand in the bag yet again.

I just chuckled, "Two years makes a world of difference Ruby, especially when you've had a life like mine."

She just stuck her tongue out childishly, before turning her attention back to her 'meal'.

As we sat there, munching on the treats I made, I noticed Ruby was distracted, not enjoying the treats with nearly as much enthusiasm as she should be, "Is everything alright Ruby?" I asked, and she jumped as if startled.

"Oh, who me? Yeah I'm okay. Nothing wrong here! Nope, nothing at all!" She exclaimed and I just raised an eyebrow at her.

She deflated immediately, "Ok, there's something wrong. I just don't want to worry you or anything."

I scoffed, "Ruby, you've been there for me more times than I can count with a calculator. Let me return the favor, yeah? Spill, what's wrong?"

"Ok, it-I jus…" She stammered and I waited patiently for her to speak, "Rei, do you think it was a good idea to accept Ozpin's offer? Should I just wait until I finish at Signal and go to Beacon with the rest of my class?" She asked.

Ah, so that's what this was about. I hummed, taking another bite of my cookie, "Well Ruby, for most people I would have said yes. Training is important after all, and most people would benefit from a well rounded education no matter their skill level. Not to mention help from their peers."

Her gaze turned down toward the counter and I hurriedly finished my statement before she got the wrong idea, "But Ruby," I reached across the counter and grabbed one of her hands, forcing her to look at me, "Tell me, when you saw what those thugs were doing in that dust store, did you hesitate? Did the thought of running ever cross your mind?"

She shook her head as she stared at me with wide eyes, and I smiled encouragingly, "That. That right there tells me you're ready. Most people your age would have seen what was happening and panicked, or ran away in an attempt to call for help. Not you, you saw something happening, realized it was wrong, and put a stop to it. That's why Ozpin gave you that offer, not just because of how skilled you are."

"You have the kindest heart of anyone I know, you'll be a great huntress Ruby." I finished warmly, staring into her mirror-like eyes, "I know you will."

Her face was as red as her cloak and she tried to hide behind her bags of cookies, "T-thank you Rei…" There was a small moment that we just stood there, and I could just barely see her features shift, obscured as they were.

I was stunned as the containers were suddenly on the counter to her right, and the girl herself had her arms wrapped around my body in a hug. I stood frozen in shock for a moment, my own arms stuck in the air in surprise. Just as I went to reciprocate the hug, Ruby darted backwards, picking up her cookies and turning toward the door.

"OkthankyouReibutI'vegottogoYangswaitingonmebye!'

And then she was gone, rose petals drifting to the floor of the now empty bakery in her departure, leaving me even more stunned in the process.

'That girl…' I thought as I shook my head fondly at her antics. I looked down at the rose petals covering the floor and sighed. They'd disappear in around ten minutes as their residual aura ran out, but I might as well go ahead and clean them up. It would give me something to do while I waited for the next customer to roll in, whenever that may be.

As I went to the back to get a broom and dust pan, muy mind wandered to the silver eyed brunette who had just exited my store. It wouldn't be too far a stretch to say I was terribly fond of Ruby and her general mannerisms. I had known the other girl for years and she had been there for me in my darkest hours, always giving words of reassurance to me in times of hardship. She was the kindest person I had ever met.

Which was exactly why I worried for her.

I knew just how dangerous the life of a huntress could be. I didn't want to see Ruby's innocence fade in the face of the unending tide of grimm before the other girl even reached her majority. And I especially didn't want to be faced with a visit from her father saying she had been slain on a mission saving one of the many friends she would inevitably make at Beacon. I don't think I could take it if I lost my best friend so suddenly.

No, there was no reason to think like that. Ruby was one of the most skilled people on Remnant with that scythe of hers, and few grimm would be able to stand up to its dust infused edge. I would just have to trust that her training would see her through as it had for those who came before her.

It was all I could do after all.

I made short work of the rose petals, and made my way to the back to finish cleaning up the mess I made while making Ruby's cookies.

Around forty-five minutes later I was done, and I stretched my arms up to the ceiling as I took in my clean workspace with satisfaction. I looked at the clock on the wall, noting it was nearly five in the afternoon, "Welp!" I said out loud, "It's not looking like anybody else is coming in today, might as well close up early I guess."

The ears on the top of my head perked up at the signature sound of the bell on the store door ringing, indicating I had another customer.

'Well I stand corrected.' I thought wryly as I made my way out of the kitchen.

"Welcome to the Lynx Family Bakery, what can I get yo-" I stopped as I took in the appearance of the man who had entered. Black suit with a crimson tie, bowler hat and red sunglasses, and an equally red sword in his hand. This man was one of Junior's thugs, a member of the Xiong Family.

"What are you doing here? I already paid up this month." I asked as I scowled at the gang member. To operate a business in Vale, one needed to pay a 'protection fee' to the Xiong Family as they were the biggest criminal syndicate in the kingdom. Rates differed depending on where one was. Given that I was operating in the city proper, my rates were extremely high

Still I had already paid this month. So what was this asshole doing here?

"Yeah well, me and a few of my boys decided that you faunus aren't paying enough to do your business in our upstanding neighborhoods. We're upping your price." He scoffed, resting his sword on his shoulder in an attempt to look intimidating, "I'm here to collect."

I held my hands up in mock fear even as anger filled my mind, "Ok ok, I'll pay. No need to get violent. I've got the money right here, just let me grab it." I said as I began reaching below the counter.

He nodded as he stepped up to the counter, grinning smugly, "Good to hear. Maybe I should mess up this shop a bit to teach you a lesso-" He stopped talking as the barrel of a revolver was placed between his eyes.

I grinned, exposing sharpened canines while I took in his terrified expression as he came face to face with Trick. The revolver felt just as at home in my hands as it always had since I made it years ago.

Trick was the first and only weapon I had ever made. It wasn't mechashift, I never saw a reason for it given I didn't want to be a huntress, but it didn't need to be as it was for situations in which I didn't have another weapon available. Situations like now.

Trick was a high powered revolver that carried a payload of high velocity burn dust rounds, backed by a firing mechanism infused with gravity dust to further increase velocity and reduce drop off at longer ranges. The metal shell was made of a dust infused steel alloy specifically designed to handle the backlash from high powered rifles, which should tell one just how powerful it was. Hell, just shooting it without an active aura was just asking for a shattered wrist and fractured forearm.

In short, whatever Trick was pointed at when I pulled the trigger practically ceased to exist, aura or otherwise. And from the look on the thug's face, even he recognized that much.

"You have until the count of three to get out of my store before I have to call Junior to scrape your corpse off the pavement." My threat was emphasized by a menacing 'click' as I manually cocked the hammer on my revolver.

He stared at me for a moment longer, eyes indiscernible through his glasses, before holding his hand up and walking back toward the door, "You're making a mistake. You won't get away with this."

"The more you talk, the itchier my trigger finger gets." I commented, "I'd shut your mouth before I decide to scratch that itch."

He scowled, before turning on his heel and running the rest of the way out of my store, bell above the door jingling violently at his rapid departure.

I kept Trick trained on him through the glass storefront as he fled, making sure to keep his head in my cross hairs just in case he turned around and tried anything.

Luckily he didn't, and I sighed as he escaped my view, disappearing around the corner and out of sight, startling a young couple who happened to be walking in the opposite direction. They looked toward me in confusion, and I just shook my head.

I placed my revolver on the counter and ran a hand through my short hair, "Fuck!" I cursed quietly as I thought about the situation I had just been put in. This was a problem. If what he said was true, there were more like him in Junior's ranks, racists who thought faunus should have to pay more than everyone else for 'protection'. And I didn't have nearly enough lien to cover something like that.

Hell, I barely had enough to keep the lights on in the bakery, and I knew for certain I wasn't a good enough fighter to fend off any significant amount of thugs they sent to convince me without damaging my store…

"Get your shit together Junior, you just gonna let them do whatever the hell they want!?" I cursed the gang boss in my mind, "Of course you are, you don't care what happens so long as you get your cut and it doesn't make the news. Bastard…"

I took a deep breath, composing myself and gathering my resolve.

It looked like I would have to push my plans forward. That dust would be in my hands by the end of the week.

~~~
And a huge thanks to my Patrons:
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Imgur Link

I couldn't get it to post normally so here's a link directly to the Imgur I made at 2am last night

I stared down at my scroll intently as I studied a map of a small forested area outside of Vale and I wondered, was I really about to do this?

I snorted, shaking my head wryly, "Why not? It's not like I've got anything else going for me right now. Things have been dry lately and this one is just too juicy to pass up." I muttered.

I nearly dropped my scroll as it buzzed in my hands, a message appearing at the top of my screen. It was a voice message from Ruby, and I clicked play curiously, wondering what she wanted to tell me so late at night.

Hey Rei, if you're awake! I just wanted to say thanks for the cookies, they were really good! Hopefully I'll get to visit a lot more now that I'm going to Beacon! We can spend a lot more time together now that I'm not so far away. I-if you don't mind of course, I don't want to bother you while you work or anything. Even if I would probably get more cookies and hugs. W-wait, don't record that part! Stop! Yang! Stop laughing at me you butt! Come on you stupid scroll stop recordin-!" The message ended with the sound of hurried footsteps as the girl rushed to her scroll to stop recording.

I smiled fondly at the string of words from the hyperactive girl, shooting off a goodnight text of my own and teasing her lightly about what her message contained.

As an embarrassed flurry of texts reached my phone, I chuckled, before briefly wondering what Ruby would think if she knew about her best friend's true calling.

I frowned, mood turning slightly sour as I thought of the circumstances that had brought me to my secondary profession.

When my grandfather died two years ago, I struggled to keep the bakery up and running without his help. It just seemed to be one thing after another, bills stacked up, ovens stopped working, not to mention Junior's protection fee.

Eventually it all grew to be too much and what little inheritance my grandfather was able to leave me dried up. I was one bill away from losing everything for the second time in my life.

And so, to make ends meet, I had turned to stealing, thievery. And it turned out I was really good at it, my more prevent than normal faunus traits; namely my claws, ears, and night vision, making me a natural thief. It was laughably easy to build up money by taking it from those who didn't deserve it.

Oh sure, so far my heists had been limited to small things, paintings, precious jewelry, that sort of stuff. But I was extremely proficient in getting in and out with my quarry without much fuss, something that made my prospective clients very happy with me.

It was always harder to sell the things I had stolen when people knew they had been stolen, hot items don't sell, cold items do. Simple math.

"Still…I've never tried to steal something this important before." I muttered as I finished texting Ruby and read the info I had received from the buyer.

Apparently the Valean government was becoming increasingly unhappy with the stranglehold Atlas had on the dust market, and had commissioned some of their top scientists and researchers to come up with something that would give them an edge.

Apparently, said scientists had blown their expectations out of the water by creating an entirely new dust subtype, one that had yet to be discovered by even the Atlesian researchers who were on the grind nearly twenty-four seven .

This dust subtype, which they had dubbed 'Tundra dust' was a mix of ice dust, wind dust, and a special ingredient that was even more classified than the document itself. The two dust types, along with the secret third ingredient that wasn't included in the document the buyer sent, when mixed in juuust the right way, produced a reaction magnitudes more powerful than regular ice dust.

It was apparently so powerful in fact, that a single vial of the stuff was able to freeze over two hundred tons of water completely solid in seconds. If they were able to harness its power properly, it would make fighting sea faring grimm like the Sea Feilong much more manageable.

Needless to say, the council had been over the moon, and immediately increased the budget of the scientists responsible for the discovery, something my contractor had caught wind of.

They did some research into the project and took a vested interest in this dust, deciding that it would be better in more capable hands, namely theirs. And so had contacted someone to have it stolen for them.

Unfortunately the person they contacted was busy, having recently picked up a rather big contract themselves, and had instead recommended me after having heard about my recent escapades around the city.

How they found me, I was honestly too afraid to ask, but when they did they came with an offer. Two hundred thousand lien to steal the container containing a single vial of dust from a research facility in the middle of nowhere. I would have to be insane to refuse something like that so of course I accepted.

The details of the heist were left up to me, they just wanted the dust. So all I needed to do was get in, steal the dust, get out, and meet this anonymous buyer at the designated spot for payment, easy peasy. Hopefully.

Given that the entire project was supposed to be top secret, there should be very little in the way of security. I should be able to slip in, grab the container, and slip out without anybody the wiser.

Once again, hopefully.

I did one last check on my equipment. Combat knife; sharp, Sleep pellets; ready, Ball bearing pouch; full, Satchel full of assorted goodies; check, Trick; sitting on the table in front of me. All was well.

I brought my left forearm up to my eyes, inspecting the small elastic bands held on the dark grey armguard. It was a makeshift slingshot, mostly meant to deliver my sleep pellets and ball bearings further away while maintaining my accuracy.

It looked fine, so I brought my attention to my other arm, inspecting the hook and line. A grappling hook was an essential for every thief, verticality was king after all. Mine was a special design, loaded with high tension springs to increase launch distance, with reinforced steel line instead of rope to decrease weight. A simple press of a hidden button would send it soaring several meters in whatever direction I was pointing it in, even straight up.

It also looked fine, good.

All of the simple stuff accounted for, I went on to checking over my more delicate equipment, starting with my goggles.

The goggles were the most delicate and important part of my arsenal. I had created them over the course of several painstaking months in preparation for my eventual career change.

I lifted them to my face, checking for any damage in the lenses or wiring and thankfully finding none. I put them on, just hand automatically going to the dial on the side as turning it slowly.

My sight was inundated with various colors as my goggles switched from regular vision to infrared, and I turned my head as I gazed around at the various warm and cold spots in my room.

Deciding that that setting was working fine, I turned the dial once more. Instantly the walls of my loft turned a pale blue, previously hidden electrical currents making themselves known.

Anything running on electricity would show up on this setting, batteries, semblances, wall outlets, it didn't matter. If it used electricity I would be able to see it.

I flipped through the settings, making sure the night vision was also good despite my really not needing it on account of my feline heritage. It was also fine, and I was relieved I wouldn't have to make any last minute fixes. That would take hours depending on what went wrong.

I turned my attention to my mask. It was simpler, yet no more important to my goggles, and not just in the fact that it concealed my identity.

The mask was what allowed me to use my sleep pellets without any harm to myself, as it constantly filtered the air around me to be breathable. With it on, I could enter a room full of carbon monoxide gas and be none the wiser, it was an integral part of my kit. It was also capable of shallow diving should the need arise, though that would wear on the filters much faster than usual.

I checked it over, making sure the light blue LEDs were in working order as they were what let me know the status of the air around me, while at the same time making sure I still had the spare filters in my satchel. It wouldn't do for a filter to expire without a backup on hand.

I rummaged around in the satchel momentarily, making sure the filters were where they always were and finding them instantly.

Everything was in good condition and I was as prepared as I was going to get. And yet I had to resist the urge to do another once over on my equipment.

I took a deep breath, I had stalled enough, it was time to get this show on the road. I placed my goggles on my head and the mask over my face, before turning and grabbing Trick from his place on the table and placing him in the holster at my thigh.

I have one last look around the room to ensure I hadn't left anything incriminating on the very off chance that someone might make their way up here. Ruby had been known to barge in on occasion, though she never came up here and was very apologetic when she did so. Finding nothing that would reveal me, I turned off the lights and made my way over to the window.

As I undid the latch and slipped out into the chilly night, I wondered what my grandfather would say if he could see me now...

Heh, he'd probably say something like, 'Rei, if you're really going to become a master thief, make sure you become the best thief Remnant has ever seen! No granddaughter of mine is going to half ass anything in life, even crime!'

I stood on the roof of my bakery, gazing around at the sleeping city around me, and grinned as I pulled my hood over my head.

I would do my best to make him proud.

~~~

The facility wasn't so much hidden as it was extremely out of the way, nestled against a mountain outside of the city and unlikely to be happened upon unless somebody was looking for it specifically.

Like I was.

The outside of the building itself was painted a dark green to better blend in with the surrounding forest, and large metal walls covered in moss and leaves had been erected around it to give some semblance of protection against any grimm that might happen upon it.

I gazed down at the camouflaged building from my place in the trees, goggles zooming in on the facility as I took note of the guards. There weren't many of them, only four if my count was correct, and they were just boredly walking around in a mock patrol route, clearly not really looking for any potential intruders.

I could tell with just one look that none of them really wanted to be there, faces placid as they boredly walked around the perimeter of the wall in predictable patterns. Two of them walked along the length of the perimeter, while another two walked the width. A simple to learn pattern and one that I had noticed in only minutes of observation.

And with only a few minutes more, I had discovered the weak point in said patrol route. While I obviously wouldn't be able to enter through the front gate, nor simply scale the walls themselves without being seen, there was a large tree growing right beside the wall that they had neglected to prune. And it was tall enough to hang directly over the base itself. That was my way in.

I deactivated my goggles and turned to face the trunk of the tree I was crouched on. I unsheathed my claws and stuck them in the tree, planting my boots on the bark in the same motion. I quickly made my way down to the floor below, landing silently among the leaves in a crouch.

I stalked up to the tree I had noticed, keeping an eye out for the nearest patrol, and started scaling it, reaching the optimal height in just a few seconds thanks to my claws. I crouched on the branch of the tree, looking into the interior of the walls in case there were any more guards nearby.

Luckily, there were only two, and they were currently preoccupied conversing with each other well away from the entrance to the facility. If I just stuck to the other side, I would be able to sneak past them no problem. I did just that, and within seconds, I was inside the base proper.

It was eerily empty, the stark white hallway echoing my light footsteps over its surface and I shivered lightly, resolving to get the dust as quickly as possible.

'I guess the researchers are all on break or something…' I thought to myself as I slinked through the vacant white hallway, 'Oh well, more time to find the dust I guess.'

I turned the dial on my goggles, setting it to thermal mode. If the intel I got was accurate, the tundra dust would need to be kept somewhere cold as a precaution, just in case the container holding it broke. Keeping the room around it cold would lower the speed of the spread of the ice the dust created drastically.

There! A few rooms up ahead was a room significantly colder than the rest of the base, that must be where they were keeping it. Seemingly unguarded too, unless…

I turned my goggles to search for electronic signals, and was rewarded with the revelation of several cameras hidden along the walls of the hall, all pointed directly at my destination.

'I'll have to deal with those cameras before I get anywhere near that room.' I thought as I silently made my way further down the hall.

I brought a hand to my waist, retrieving a ball bearing from the pouch and placing it in the sling of my arm mounted slingshot, pulling it back tightly as I aimed at one of the cameras. I took a second to steady my aim before letting loose, band snapping forward and sending the steel bearing sailing at the monitoring device.

It impacted the camera and shattered the glass face, rendering it useless. I did the same to the others in quick succession, destroying the cameras pointed at my quarry and leaving me free to enter the room.

I hurried forward to the door and opened it, thankful that it was unlocked, before entering it swiftly and closing it shut behind me. I was on a time limit now, if anybody walked down that hall they would no doubt notice the broken cameras and come to investigate. I had to get the container and get out quickly.

I looked around the blinding white room, breath fogging in front of my mask at the cold air, and spotted the container immediately. It really wasn't all that hard to find considering it was sitting literally out in the open, protected by a glass case in the middle of the room.

I walked up to the case, checking over its surface and finding no latch or anything that would allow me to open it. That was fine though, I had other options, and there were several gaps in the glass that looked perfect for one of them.

I reached down to my side, pulling my knife out of its holster and inserting it into one of the small openings on the face of the glass and attempting to lever it open. It took a few tries, but eventually the case obeyed, opening up and relinquishing my quarry without issue. I didn't waste any time, grabbing the white container holding the dust and stuffing it into my satchel.

Dust stolen. Now to get out of the base, hopefully without being caught.

My hopes were dashed as my ears picked up the sound of the door opening behind me. I whirled around, hand coming to the pellet pouch on my waist and retrieving a small glass pellet full of chemicals. It seemed someone had noticed the destroyed cameras.

"Hey! What are yo-?!" He was cut off as I chucked the pellet at the ground at his feet, the fragile casing splitting on contact and causing a plume of white smoke to bloom rapidly, "Agh! What the hell?" He staggered as the chemicals in the smoke immediately began taking effect, depressing his nervous system and depriving his brain of oxygen, slowly sending him to sleep.

It wouldn't be quick enough though, and I could already see him gearing up to call for help. Couldn't have that.

I rushed through the smoke, unaffected thanks to my mask, and slammed into him with my shoulder, my white aura flickering around me at the impact. As I made contact, I activated my semblance, grinning at what I felt.

Semblances were said to be the manifestations of a person's soul, and that was never more true than in my case. My semblance was perfect for my line of work.

I had discovered my semblance when a heist had gone wrong and I was caught by a crime boss who I had been stealing from at the time. He had found me in his office, rifling through his drawers in search of something valuable.

Needless to say, he was not happy at all and fell into a fit of range when he saw me.

If it wasn't for my semblance activating at an opportune time, I probably would have died there. The boss had a run of the mill strength enhancing semblance, but when compared to the strength of a fifteen year old lynx faunus, it was more than enough to do me in.

As he strangled me against the wall, and as my vision began to fade to black, something sang out inside me, begging me to take what I needed to survive. And so I did.

We were both shocked when his monstrous strength suddenly disappeared, while mine grew. Suddenly he wasn't the one in control, I was. I capitalized on that, knocking him out against the wall and escaping into the night before any reinforcements showed up.

Only once I got back to the safety of the loft did I realize what had happened, I had stolen that man's semblance, taken the manifestation of his soul and used it for myself with my own semblance. I couldn't stop grinning as I went to bed that night. Finally, things were looking up.

My semblance, Borrow, allowed me to take another person's semblance-active or not-and use it for myself for up to an hour. Not only that, but while I was in possession of said semblance, I knew the basics of how it works without needing to be told, as well as the name of the semblance in question. Mine was the perfect semblance for a thief.

The man's semblance that I had just taken was perfect for getting me out of the situation I was in. It was an illusion based semblance that would allow me to manipulate the perceptions of anyone who saw me in such a way that I stayed unnoticed. A name rang out in my head, Wall Flower.

I looked down at his groaning form, making sure he wasn't getting up any time soon, before I flipped the switch in my brain to activate the semblance, and just like that, I was free to simply walk out the front door.

I left the guard lying on the ground, slowly rendered unconscious by my gas, and strolled down the hall. Several other guards rushed past me, ignoring me and moving out of my way as they made their way further into the base.

I turned my gaze this way and that as I walked out of the base, making sure that I wasn't caught by any hidden cameras. I didn't know if the man's semblance worked on electronics after all and I didn't want to test my luck this close to success.

Luckily I didn't see any cameras, and I exited the base the same way I had entered, scaling the wall and jumping down to the forest floor, dust container held securely in my satchel. The moment I landed, I broke into a run, sprinting into the forest as the alarms of the base sounded behind me.

As I got several minutes into the forest proper, I pointed my right arm up at the trees, depressing a button on the side of my arm guard and sending a hook soaring upwards to catch on the branches above. I gave it an experimental tug, testing the strength of the branch, before pressing another button and reeling in the line, sending myself flying upwards into the tree in the process.

I grabbed onto the bark with my claws, unhooking my grapple from the branch beside me and resting my back against the trunk of the tree, chest heaving with my breaths.

I took my mask off to get some fresh air, mind racing with the heist I had just pulled off. I had never pulled off anything nearly as bi

Still…My gaze strayed to my satchel and I debated for a moment before relenting and reaching inside. I retrieved the container, placing it on my lap and staring at its stark white surface, hands idly toying with the latches on the side. Something inside me was screaming at me to open it. Should I…?

My instincts had rarely been wrong before.

"Couldn't hurt right? I'll put it back before anything can go wrong…" I muttered as I unlocked the latches on the container, pulling it open and gazing at the treasure inside.

As I opened the container, I was immediately blasted by a wave of cold, goosebumps spreading on my skin as the air around me dropped over forty degrees in seconds. This stuff was powerful.

And extremely beautiful as well. I nearly gasped as I pulled the vial out of its frost lined container, turning it his way and that as I was mesmerized by its beauty.

The powdered dust glowed a bright, brilliant blue in the dim forest light. Fractals formed on the glass vial as the dust inside cooled the tempered glass keeping it contained. It was incredible and I could feel my own aura sing out with…something as I stared at the vial. It was like whatever went into the making of this little vial of dust was resonating with my very own soul.

I wanted nothing more than to stare at the vial forever. Unfortunately I had a client to meet, and I imagined they wouldn't be happy if I kept them waiting much longer.

I admired the vial for a moment longer before regretfully putting it back into the case and closing it once more. I placed the container back into my satchel and began making my way to the edge of the branch I was sitting on. My eyes darted around before spying another branch of similar thickness to the one I was inhabiting. I aimed my grapple at it and released, successfully snagging it.

I tested the line before nodding slightly and jumping down from my branch, swinging down and landing on the forest floor with a roll before I kicked back up to my feet. I took a second to get my bearings, reeling in my grappling hook and looking around to discern which direction Vale was in before making my way towards the city.

Hopefully my client would be pleased.
~~~
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I skulked through the dirty streets of the slums as I looked for the meeting point my client had specified, "Warehouse C13…Warehouse C13…" I muttered to myself as I looked around, keeping an eye out for any shady individuals. Like myself for instance.

The area I was currently in was one of the more dangerous parts of the city due to the lack of police presence, broken windows dotted the various abandoned buildings and doors hung off their hinges from where they had been broken into and not repaired. It was the kind of place where you kept your eyes forward and minded your own business if you knew what was good for you, as evidenced by the lack of gazes turning my way as I passed by the various alleys filled with loitering people.

Given my nature as a thief, I rarely ventured into this part of the city simply for a lack of valuable things to steal. That, and the fact that I hated fighting and a fight was surely to break out should I have been caught lurking where I shouldn't be.

Hopefully the meeting with my mysterious client wouldn't take too long, I didn't want to be here any longer than I had to.

Luckily, the row of warehouses was thankfully abandoned, now I just needed to find the right one. I looked at the numbers on the warehouses, searching for the one my client had specified.

A4… A12… B7…C3...C10…

There, at the end of row C, in big white letters on the side of the building itself, C13. That was the meeting spot. Now to get inside

I decided against trying to enter through the front door, instead going around to the side of the building to look for an alternate entrance.

I looked down the alley and spied a large stack of milk crates leading up to a window, perfect.

I climbed up the crates, carefully balancing myself as they wobbled underneath me, "Careful…" I muttered as I slowly made my way higher and higher, the crates becoming more precarious as I went. It would be just my luck to make it this far and then undo all my progress with a single misstep.

Luckily, it only took a few moments for me to reach my quarry, a window looking into the interior of the warehouse. There was a thick pane of glass blocking me from the inside, one I couldn't break without making a ton of noise. Thankfully, I could already tell I wouldn't need to break it.

I retrieved my knife, placing the thin edge between the pane of glass and the rubber holding it in place. With a few twists of my wrist the entire pane popped out of the rubber housing. I made sure to keep a good grip on it with my claws as I pulled it free, lest it fall to the alley floor and render all of my sneaking useless.

I carefully placed the pane on the crate beside my foot, before crawling into the now open window, falling into the dark interior of the building.

I landed inside, even my feather-light footsteps echoing in the empty warehouse. I loved my gaze back and forth, eyes rendering the surrounding darkness impotent as my heritage lit up the area via night vision.

That still didn't stop me from nearly jumping out of my boots at the sound of a voice suddenly calling out to me.

"Good evening Miss."

I startled, hand coming to my side to retrieve Trick from his holster just in case. It was unneeded however, for as soon as I saw the clothing and demeanor of the person walking in, I knew this person was there to meet me specifically.

He was very tall, clearing six feet easily. He was an older man, not a single non grey hair to be seen on either his head or in his well groomed beard. He was wearing a well-fitted dark blue suit with white gloves on either hand, in one of which he held a beautiful cane topped by a dark purple gem that gleamed in the moonlight drifting through the windows of the warehouse.

He also looked remarkably like a Schnee. He had their pale, almost porcelain skin, as well as their icy white hair and brilliant blue eyes. If the Schnee family tree wasn't public record, I could easily mistake him for one of their own.

He was flanked by two bodyguards, a man and a woman. The bald man was massive, nearly seven feet tall and all muscle, his face was sat in a stony expression as he flanked his employer. A standard warhammer sat on his back, while a large revolver was strapped to his thigh much like Trick was to mine.

The woman was much shorter around my own height at five foot seven or so, she was wearing an oni mask that obscured her face, and a shock of silver hair hung in a high ponytail behind her head. Slung across her back was a pole that was clearly mechashift, though I had no inkling as to what kind of weapon it actually was.

The both of them were wearing suits that wouldn't look out of place in a corporate meeting, and yet I could tell at just a glance that their attire wouldn't stop them from beating me up and down the warehouse floors if it came to it.

The guards stopped several feet back as the man I assumed to be my client stride forward, his cane tapping lightly on the ground with every step. He stopped two feet or so in front of me and I resisted the urge to gulp as his icy blue gaze pierced me.

"You must be the thief I hired." His voice had a deep timbre as he spoke, "I am Gerald Grull, a pleasure to make your acquaintance madam." He bowed formally, and I was reminded of those old movies with the royal aristocracy. This man practically oozed regal decorum.

I hesitated, wondering if I should reveal my real name, before deciding that it probably didn't matter as Gerard hadn't hired me under a pseudonym, "Rei Lynx, it's nice to meet you." I didn't even attempt to replicate his bow, no reason to embarrass myself.

He grinned, "A pleasure, Miss Lynx." He then rose from his bow, tapping his cane on the ground once in a soft, yet deliberate, motion, "Now, I assume since you are here, you have the item I requested?"

Straight to business, I liked that. I nodded at his question, "Yes sir, I have it right here." I reached my hands into my satchel, producing the small white container and holding it out for him to take. He did so slowly, reverently gazing at the container like it contained all of the secrets in the universe.

He slowly unlatched the latches on the sides, before gently raising the lid. The moment the lid was opened, the same feeling as before sung out inside of me, and I had to hold myself back from gasping.

Gerard did no such thing, gasping in awe as the blue glow of the dust vial lit up his features. He stared into the container, before reaching in and retrieving the vial, bathing the surrounding warehouse a soft blue.

"Incredible…" He muttered, enraptured by the glow.

He snapped a finger towards his guards, "Pay the lady for her services." He spoke to the woman behind him. She immediately reached into her pocket and retrieved a scroll, tapping on it rapidly before placing it back where it came from, resuming her silent vigil.

My own scroll buzzed in my pocket and I pulled it, powering it on curiously. I nearly dropped it in shock at what I saw.

Vale Banking App

Account number: 4483***********

Received: 250,000 lien

From Account Number: 8060**********

"There should be a nice little bonus in there for your marvelous work." Gerard's voice snapped me out of my thoughts, and I placed my scroll away.

"T-thank you sir." I stuttered as I took in the sudden improvement in my financial situation. Already my mind was whirling with all that I could do -could fix- with the money now accessible to me. Junior's thugs seemed like such a small problem now…

Gerard didn't acknowledge my thanks, simply holding the vial up to his face as he studied it intently. There was a soft look on his features, as if he was gazing at something he held very dear to him, mouth twisted in a melancholic smile.

"Remarkable isn't it?" He spoke wistfully, staring at the glowing vial. I had a feeling he wasn't talking to me so I kept my mouth shut, "How such wonder is held in such a small container? Truly incredible, almost…magical."

Something he said stuck me, and I just couldn't keep quiet, "I-is that why it felt so…weird when I grabbed it?" I asked against my better judgment. He glanced over at me in surprise.

"You felt something from the vial?" He asked and I nodded. He hummed, giving me a look I couldn't quite place, "Would you kindly explain to me what exactly you felt?"

I figured there was no harm in it, "It was like something in the vial was singing to me, like my very soul was yearning for…something inside of it. It's hard to explain."

He stroked his beard softly, "So you could feel her essence inside the dust. Curious, the only way that would be possible would be…" He trailed off, blue eyes studying me, inscrutable.

"So wait, the singing I felt had something to do with what they put in the dust?" I asked, confusion in my voice.

He chuckled, placing the vial softly back into its container. I felt a pang of disappointment as it disappeared from view, "I'm afraid you wouldn't understand, child. Though that is certainly no fault of your own. Forces conspire against you to keep you in ignorance, believing it to be for your betterment."

I could tell he wasn't going to elaborate so I just nodded.

He shook his head, "Yes well, regardless you did a swell job. A bit noisier than I would have liked but I imagine my first option would have been just as noisy if not more."

I perked up, "Oh that reminds me, who recommended me to you? I was trying to keep a low profile, I didn't know anybody even knew who I was."

He stroked his beard, "Funnily enough, my first option for this heist recommended you, a rather charming young man by the name of Roman Torchwick. When I approached him to hire him for this little caper, he said he was busy with an ongoing contract and recommended me to you instead."

I was stunned. Roman Torchwick was one of the best thieves this side of Mistral, to hear he not only knew of me but recommended me in his place was stunning to hear.

Gerard hummed, "Yes, he referred to you as a 'resident up-and-comer', if I recall correctly. It is good to see he wasn't exaggerating."

"Wow…" I whispered.

He chuckled at my awe, "Yes well, I'm quite glad he recommended you, you did a stupendous job. In fact, after such a job well done, I have an offer for you."

His gaze turned serious and he snapped his fingers once more. This time the large man strode forward to his side, grabbing the container out of Gerard's hands before returning back to his place beside the woman.

"You see Miss Lynx, this vial isn't the only of its kind, simply the easiest to obtain." Gerard explained, placing both hands on his cane in front of him, "There are three others by my calculations, one in each Kingdom. I have taken a vested interest in these experimental dust vials, and would like nothing more than to obtain them all. That is where you come in."

Gerard stared into my eyes, "I would like to hire you to steal the other vials for me. It will be a difficult endeavor, but one I am sure you are more than equipped for if your performance tonight is any indication."

He laid out his terms plainly, "I am willing to offer you one hundred thousand lien per month to keep you on retainer to steal the other vials across Remnant, as well as other jobs that may require your specific skill set. Depending on how difficult the job is or how swiftly and quietly it is done, other rewards may come into play. You will find that in my employ, money is of no consequence."

I was stunned speechless. With that much lien…I wouldn't ever have to worry about money ever again!

And yet, something told me that stealing the other vials wouldn't be nearly as simple as the first had. The others would likely be held under much stronger security after I had stolen this one. Planning the heists would take days at a time, and if any of the heists fell through…

And that wasn't even mentioning these, 'other jobs' he was referring to. Who knows what kind of danger I could find myself in. I was still a small-time thief, not a master heist maker, this was a huge step up.

I would need to sleep on it, revisit the offer with a clear head.

I looked back to Gerard who patiently awaited my answer, "Could I have some time to think about it? T-this is a big commitment."

Gerard smiled softly, "I understand Miss Lynx, take all the time you need." He motioned to the woman behind him, who once again pulled out her scroll and started typing.

My scroll buzzed again and I pulled it out. I blinked in surprise as I saw a message saying a new contact had been added. I didn't even know you could do that…

"My contact information." Gerard explained, "Let me know when you have considered my offer. I will be pleased to hear from you no matter your answer."

Gerard gave me another bow, before straightening and turning to exit the warehouse, "Farewell Miss Lynx. I hope we meet again."

I stared after him as he and his bodyguards as they exited, before deciding I might as well make my own escape.

I left the warehouse through the same window I came in through. As I got into the alley, I shot my grapple upwards and zipped to the roof of the nearby apartments, before beginning to make my way back to my home/workplace across the rooftops.

It took around an hour to get to the bakery, and I slipped into the loft through the unlocked window, turning on the small lamp on my bedside table as I began disrobing.

I shucked off my gear, placing my various gadgets onto the table beside Trick. I slipped off my dark blue jacket and shirt, throwing them into the basket by the door along with my pants, before making my way into the bathroom.

I briefly inspected myself in the mirror, taking in my weary appearance. All things considered, the day had gone great. The heist had gone off without much of a hitch, I had met my extremely rich client, and had even gotten a little bonus on top of what was promised.

I tested my aura levels, my blue eyes briefly flashing white as I activated my semblance, before going back to normal as no other semblance was around to be stolen. My aura reserves were nearly full, good. I nodded at myself in the mirror before turning to start a shower, ready to unwind.

I turned on the shower, testing the water's temperature with my hand before stepping under the showerhead, sighing as my tense muscles slowly unwound under the steamy water.

As I languished under the warm spray of the shower, my mind wandered to Gerard's offer. One hundred thousand lien just to be employed by him, along with bonuses for how well I did on the jobs he sent me on... A life changing amount of money ready to be paid over and over as I did either nothing at all, or did what I did best.

It was an incredible opportunity, one that would likely never come again if declined , so why was I hesitating?

I knew why, accepting his offer would turn my little side profession into a full time gig, something I wasn't sure I was prepared for. It would likely leave little time for my job at the bakery as I stayed on call for whenever Gerard needed me. That less time to bake, less hours open, less Ruby…

The red clad girl had been a wonderful constant in my life for years, and I had grown incredibly fond of her in that time, to the point that I knew that my feelings had become far from platonic. Losing that constant was something I would really rather not do, not before I had a chance to see if our relationship could evolve at least…

I would have to think on it more, maybe ask Gerard for some specifics. Maybe I would be able to accept his proposal while still keeping the lifestyle I had come to love.

As I dried myself, slipping into a T-shirt and panties, I couldn't help but wonder why Gerard had chosen me instead of finding another, better thief. All of my other excursions had amounted to petty theft and jewelry, nothing like what he had offered.

Not to mention that in Vale alone, even disregarding Roman Torchwick, there were dozens of thieves better at their craft than I was. So why…?

Well, that was a problem for later, for now I just wanted to sleep, no use worrying over it as tired as I was at the moment.

I slipped under the covers of my bed, mind aflutter with thoughts of what I would be able to do now that the looming threat of bankruptcy wasn't walking behind me every step I took. A familiar high pitched voice and shy giggles raced across my thoughts and I grinned softly.

Maybe I could buy Ruby something nice for when she next visited. Maybe flirt with her a bit while I was at it to test her reaction. Even if she turned out not to be interested, I still enjoyed the way she acted when she got flustered…

I fell asleep with a smile on my face, blurs of red and silver racing through my thoughts.
~~~
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Sometimes running a bakery, especially one as slow as mine, was more trouble than it was worth.

"Stupid…fucking…oven!" I grunted as I scrubbed at the metal walls, occasionally reaching back and dipping my sponge in the soapy water bucket.

I was currently waist deep in one of the many ovens in my bakery's kitchen, scrubbing at the walls and edges in an attempt to clean all the caked on soot.

This was something I had to do twice a month or so to make sure everything stayed sanitary. It took hours and was a huge pain in the ass. Not to mention that I couldn't use the oven for around an hour after I finished cleaning. The cleaning solution I used needed to dry before I baked again to prevent food contamination. Trying to dry it faster by turning the oven on wouldn't allow the chemicals to properly set, I had to wait.

I sighed, extricating myself from the bowels of the oven and sitting back on my knees, "Even with all the money in the world, some things stay the same huh?" I wiped my face free of sweat, grimacing as I caught sight of my reflection in the now shiny oven. I had accidentally left a streak of soot on my face where I wiped my forehead. Great.

I stood and made my way to the sink, turning on the tap and splashing myself in the face. As I cleaned myself, my mind wandered to Gerard and his offer.

Around a week had passed since that fateful encounter, and I still hadn't given the man an answer. It had been a week full of intense deliberation as I tried to decide what exactly I should do.

I had done some research on Gerard as I deliberated, and what I had found was both intriguing, and extremely confusing.

From what my research turned up, Gerard Grull, twelfth of his name, was an extremely rich man and head of the Grull Estate. He mostly kept to himself and was rarely, if ever, seen in public. He stayed in his manor nearly twenty-four seven, and sent his servants out to get anything he needed.

In fact, the most recent sighting of him in public was the night I met him, someone having apparently snapped a pic of him as he left the warehouse. Luckily, nothing indicated they had seen me as well.

And…that was it. That was all I could find on him. Any other information about him wasn't available to the public or simply just didn't exist. It was strange.

Most people would see that and assume he was simply an introverted man content to live on the wealth his family had accrued, but I had actually met him. And just from that single meeting I could tell he was much more than just an eccentric rich man.

Everything about Gerard exuded restrained intelligence. The change in his demeanor when I mentioned what I had felt from the vail, the look in his eyes when he had given me that offer had been nothing but pure resolve, staring intently through me towards some unseen goal known only to him.

Yes, Gerard was a man of mysteries, and they didn't seem to get any clearer the more I looked into him.

His offer was extremely tempting, probably the most tempting thing I'd ever experienced in my life. And yet I couldn't be sure that there were no strings attached, he was pretty cagey with the details.

I sighed, this was all so complicated and I couldn't help but wish things could go back to the simplicity of a few days ago.

I was interrupted from my thoughts by the slightly muffled sound of my scroll ringing in my pocket. I turned off the tap with one hand while pulling the device out with the other. I was careful not to get it wet as I placed the scroll to my ear, holding it there with my shoulder as I dried my hands with a towel, "Hello?"

"REEIIII!"

"OW!" I jerked my head away from the sudden blast of noise, sending my scroll clattering to the floor. The ears on top of my head twitched in pain at what they had just experienced and I brought my hand up to my head, rubbing the furry appendages to alleviate the pain.

"What the hell was that?" I questioned aloud as I bent down to pick up my scroll, looking at the caller ID.

Ruby Rose

Well, that explained it.

I picked the scroll back up, this time placing it to my face much more slowly, "Ruby?" I said hesitantly.

"Rei, I'm so sorry! I forgot how sensitive your hearing is!" Ruby apologized.

I laughed lightly as I began making my way from the back and into the bakery proper, "It's alright Ruby. I know how excited you can get, no harm done."

"So what's up? Why'd you call, not that I'm at all unhappy to hear your voice. Probably the best part of my day so far really." I teased her.

She sputtered incoherently and I laughed, already feeling better, "Reeeiiii." She whined.

"I'll stop, I'll stop." I surrendered. Ruby Let out a relieved sigh on the other end of the line, "So what are you calling about?"

"You made me promise to tell you about Beacon the first time I got a break, remember?"

I did not, in fact, remember that, but I certainly wasn't going to say no to a conversation with my favorite person, "All right, lay it on me Ruby."

As Ruby told her story, I became more and more glad I had decided not to become a huntress, while at the same time beginning to worry for the younger girl's health and mental state.

Simply put, these people were fucking nuts!

Getting literally launched into a grimm infested forest and told to find chess pieces?! riding on the back of a giant Nevermore in search of said pieces?!

Running up a giant cliff while being propelled by a slingshot made from a teammate's weapon and powered by gravity glyphs to decapitate the giant bird after it got rightfully angry?! All while another team caught and killed a scorpion grimm the size of a bus?! What were these people on?!

I shook myself. All that had happened and Ruby wasn't hurt in the slightest, she'd be able to deal with whatever they threw at her next.

This girl was going to give me a heart attack.

"So who all is on your team? Anybody you know?" I asked, trying desperately to change the topic in an attempt to keep my heart rate under control.

"Well, Yang's on my team. Despite her best efforts." She muttered that last part angrily.

I stifled a laugh, Yang had always been trying to get Ruby to branch out and socialize more. The redhead was adamant she was fine because she had me, but Yang had always pushed for her to have more friends.

Oh, Yang didn't dislike me or anything, in fact, we were pretty good friends, but she felt that it would massively help Ruby if she had friends who were in the same line of work.

Honestly, I agreed, it would be much less stressful if I knew Ruby would always have someone watching her back on those dangerous missions she would no doubt take as a huntress.

Hopefully her and the rest of her team would become fast friends.

"And there's also Weiss, she's a Schnee. Real prim and proper type." Ruby continued.

I knew the name, the heiress of the Schnee dust company, and also a really fantastic singer. I actually owned a few of her albums. Odd that she was attending Beacon instead of Atlas but I suppose the longer she spent away from her family, the better.

"I've heard of her. She is a really good singer." I said.

"Wait, she sings?" Ruby asked, astonished.

I laughed lightly, "Ruby, she's the one who sang Mirror Mirror. You know, my favorite song?"

I had always been a fan of the vocal aspects of songs. Nothing beat a good baseline backed by an even better voice, and few voices were as radiant as Weiss Schnee's.

"Wow…" Ruby was in awe, "I never would have guessed. She sounds so much different when she's yelling at me."

I frowned, "Why is she yelling at you?" Did I need to go over there and smack a bitch?

Ruby's tone was sheepish, "I-uh. I kind of exploded on her…"

What.

"You, exploded on her?" I enunciated carefully.

"She was the one waving that thing in my face! It wasn't my fault! And she gave me a pamphlet to be safe after we got into the auditorium! I know how to be safe!" Ruby cried.

That was…ok then.

"What about your last teammate?" I asked in an attempt to change the subject.

"Oh, she's Yang's partner, her name is Blake Belladonna. She's like a ninja or something, wearing all black and grey. And her weapon is a Kusarigama! Do you know how many people can use one of those without hitting people around them?! She's really good with it too!"

Belladonna? Wasn't that…? No, it must just be a coincidence, there's no way one of those Belladonnas would ever willingly room with a Schnee. Someone's throat would be torn out on the first night alone.

I walked to the front of my shop, taking in the empty storefront with a small sigh. Slow as always.

Oh well, not like money was an issue at the moment.

"So have you met some new people?" I asked as I leaned on the counter, "Other than your team I mean."

"Yeah! There's Jaune, he's pretty cool I guess, kinda awkward. And there's Nora and Ren, I think they're together, Nora keeps saying they're not 'together together' but anytime a girl get's close to Ren she gets all defensive and stuff so I'm not really sure what to think."

I laughed silently, sounded to me like Nora should stake her claim on her man before somebody else snatches him up…

"Oh! And get this, Pyrrha's on their team too! You know, the Mistral tournament champion?"

"Yes I know of her Ruby." I giggled, "Really, I don't know anybody over the age of four who doesn't, her face is everywhere these days. I even saw her on a cereal box the other day."

"That pumpkin cereal right? I saw that on the shelves back in patch but never actually tried it. Pumpkin flavored cereal? Yuck!"

"It's not bad. Definitely not good, but not bad. Way too sugary for me."

Ruby hummed, "Maybe I'd like it then. I love sweet things!"

I smirked, "That's true. Your cookie addiction has practically kept my bakery afloat all by itself."

Ruby sputtered, "It's not an addiction!"

"Sure, sure, whatever you say Ruby." I laughed, "Just remember to attend your weekly cookieholics anonymous meetings ok? You can't keep skipping out on them."

"Reeiii!"

I laughed loudly, " Ok, ok I'll stop. You've got so many new friends Ruby, you aren't planning to replace me are you?" I asked coyly, masking the actual pang of worry I felt.

Ruby was an extremely nice girl and the only reason she didn't already have loads of friends was because she was about as shy around new people as they come. Being introduced to a new environment with only her sister as familiar company would force her to branch out and show people what they were missing.

And while I knew it was stupid, I couldn't help but worry slightly that she would get all the attention she doubtlessly deserved and forget about me.

Luckily, she quickly reassured me of my worries. I could practically hear Ruby wave her arms in denial, "N-no way! You're my best friend Rei, nobody could replace you!" she said earnestly.

I giggled, masking my relief, "Well that's good to hear. Now, tell me about your classes, they must be interesting, yeah? Do you have a least favorite professor yet?"

She groaned, "Oh my Oum, Rei. There's this guy named Professor Port, and he is the most boring teacher I've ever had. Just yesterday he-"

As Ruby spoke about her upcoming studies and classes, my mind wandered to Gerard's offer and I wondered if I should ask Ruby for her input..

On the one hand, if I told her, she would no doubt do whatever she could to help me make the right decision. She was helpful like that.

"Rei…is something wrong?"

I was startled at the sudden question, "No, nothing's wrong. Why would you think that?"

"You're not acting like you usually do, you're quieter. You're teasing me, but…not as much as normal. You didn't even say anything about me exploding. That was like the perfect time to make one of your jokes…" she explained quietly.

I was stunned. She was right that hearing about her 'exploding' on another girl would have absolutely been the perfect time to tease her, and it wasn't an opportunity I would usually have missed. I just let the opportunity pass without even acknowledging it…

'I guess this whole situation with Gerard has messed with my head more than I thought…' I thought to myself. I ignored the rather large part of me that was happy that she knew me well enough to know that by now.

"Rei?"

"Yeah Ruby?"

"What's wrong?" She asked firmly, and I could instantly tell she wasn't going to let this go.

I debated on what to do. I could just tell her about the offer Gerard gave me and what it entailed, but that would also mean exposing my life as a thief to the girl who had been by my side since day one.

I bit my lip, my enlarged canines biting into the flesh and grounding me with a small amount of pain. I knew Ruby, me being a thief wouldn't stop her from being my friend, but it would definitely cause her unneeded worry. And if she knew about the increased danger of the heists I would be pulling under Gerard…

No, Ruby had more than enough stuff to worry about with Beacon, no need to add my minor issues to the mix. I'd just keep it vague.

"I recently got a job offer." I began hesitantly, "It pays really well. Well enough that I'd never have to worry about money again…"

"Rei, that's great!" Ruby cheered.

"Ruby! I'm trying to study!" A voice came from the background, and a smile appeared on my face as Ruby whispered an apology to who I assumed was her teammate. Probably Weiss, given the tone of the voice.

"But wait," Ruby said in confusion, "If it's such a great offer, what's the problem?"

"It's not the offer so much as what it entails." I sighed, "If I accepted, practically all my time would be taken up by it. I wouldn't be able to run the bakery full time, I would probably have to move…"

"Wow, that sounds like a big commitment." Ruby said quietly.

"Yeah." I said, just as quietly.

"Would…" Ruby hesitated, "Would we still be able to hang out?"

"Of course we would Ruby." I said immediately, "You're the person I treasure most. All the lien in Vale wouldn't be able to stop me from spending time with you."

Only after I said it did I realize just how that sounded. I meant every word of it, but I had never been so overt with my feelings towards her before. It was too late now though, I would just have to deal with her reaction as it came.

"R-Rei…" She sounded shocked and very slightly pleased, which was…good? Definitely not bad at least. I might have a chance.

There was a moment of silence before, "You should do it." Ruby said simply.

"Really? Just like that?" I asked, stunned.

"You said it yourself, I'm the one keeping your money rolling in. If this job will help you not have to worry about money anymore, I say go for it."

There was a small pause, "And if we can still spend time together, then what's the harm?" She finished quietly.

I sat there stunned for a moment. Just like that, Ruby had helped me make a decision I had spent a week agonizing over, just came up with a solution in moments.

Once again, I was reminded exactly why I felt what I felt for her. Now if only I could actually do something about it.

'Come on Rei!' I thought angrily to myself, 'Just ask her, the worst she can say is no!'

There were actually much worse things she could say, but something told me Ruby wasn't the type to insult my mother's genes so I probably didn't have anything to worry about there.

I just had to buck up and ask. What's the worst that can happen?

Why did I think that?

I took a deep breath to stop my thoughts from spiraling, "Hey, Ruby…" I began slowly, practically forcing the words out of my mouth, "Would you like to-I mean, whenever we're both free. Would you wanna-"

"Ruby, get off your scroll! You need to study! Professor Port said we have an exam on Monday!"

"Come on Weiss, I'm talking to my best friend!" Ruby whined and I sighed at the lost opportunity. It was probably for the best, I should wait until I got all this stuff with Gerard figured out before I tried to start anything with Ruby.

For now, I had found a great opportunity for teasing, all thanks to Ruby's more responsible teammate.

My voice took on a mock scolding tone, "Now Ruby, you know how important your studies are. You need to get good grades to be a good huntress, young lady." I pretended to chide her.

"H-hey! Don't take her side, Rei!" she whined again.

"See! Your friend knows the importance of studying, you should follow her example."

"But Weiss-"

"No buts! I'll not have my leader be a dumb brute who can't tell the difference between a Beringal and a Beowolf!"

"Those two are completely different!"

"Wait, they are?" And there was Yang's voice, clearly playing up the dumb blonde stereotype in an attempt to get on her teammate's nerves.

"Yes, you blonde buffoon!" And it worked.

I laughed loudly, a hand coming down to clutch at my stomach as I listened to the byplay between the teammates.

It took me a long moment to calm down, during which Yang had gotten Weiss more and more riled up until there was a large crash and a scream of rage as the heiress presumably threw something at the blonde. That just set me off again, and I couldn't help but notice that my mood has improved massively.

"R-Ruby," My speech was interspersed with giggles as I tried to stop laughing, "Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. Go study before Weiss decides to throw Yang out of the window or something."

"Are you sure? I thought you were going to ask me something." She said uncertainly.

I nodded even though she couldn't see me, "I'm sure Ruby, go study. You've already helped me more than enough." There would be enough time to gather my courage again in the future.

"Alright Rei. If you're sure…" she sounded slightly disappointed, "I'll try to visit next Saturday. If you're not busy with your new job I mean." She added on.

"I'll clear my schedule. We can hang out all day." I said happily, "For now go ahead and get to studying before Weiss explodes on your sister or something. Though I have a feeling Yang wouldn't mind that much."

"What?!"
"Huh?"
"Reeiii!"

"Bye Ruby! Good luck with your studies!" I hung up as I heard the outraged yells of Weiss in the background.

I smirked as I imagined the amount of chaos I had wrought with a single comment. That should more than make up for my little lapse in teasing earlier.

Now there was just one last thing to attend to…

I brought up the number Gerard had put into my scroll, hesitated with my finger above the call button, before I strengthened my resolve and pressed down, putting the scroll up to my face as it began to call.

The dial tone rang in my ear, once, twice, and then a female voice appeared on the line.

"You've reached Grull Estate, this is Eira, how may I assist you today." It obviously wasn't Gerard, most likely a secretary or something.

"Um yes, this is Rei Lynx. I am calling about an offer Gerard recently made to me."

"Ah, Mrs Lynx. Yes, he said to keep an ear out for you, I will transfer you to him. Please hold..."

There was a click and then the type of music you would hear in an elevator started playing softly. It was classy, much more classy than those holding songs that were just bad pop music.

I smiled lightly as I imagined some high class CEO being forced to listen to the latest hit pop music going around the kingdoms. They'd probably have a coronary.

I was brought out of my amused musings as the music stopped with the click of a phone being picked up, "This is Gerard Grull, head of the Grull estate. Who do I have the pleasure of speaking to?" The older man sounded just as refined over the scroll as he did in person.

I cleared my throat lightly, "Um, yes this is Rei Lynx. We spoke the other day?."

"Ah, Mrs Lynx! It is a pleasure to hear from you again." He actually did sound happy to hear from her, his voice lifting from its business-like tone to something much more warm and friendly, "I assume you are contacting me in regards to my offer?"

"I am." I said simply.

"And your decision?"

I took a deep breath. I doubted there would be any going back after this decision, I hoped I wouldn't come to regret it, "I accept, though I have some conditions."

I could hear Gerard's wide smile as he spoke, "I am ecstatic to hear of your decision Mrs Lynx, and I am more than willing to hear of your conditions. Although, I would prefer if we could discuss said conditions in person, if that is alright with you. There are certain things that are best not spoken of over the scroll."

I hummed, the man had been straight with me so far, and there was no reason not to meet in person given he knew much more about me than I did about him. If he had wanted to do something to me, he knew where I lived and would have done so by now, "Alright, did you have a place in mind?"

My scroll beeped in my ear and I pulled it back to find that somebody, likely Gerard or someone working for him, had sent me a message. Opening it, I was met with a link, directions to a location on the edge of Vale.

"I just sent you a link with directions to my estate." Gerard explained as I put the scroll back to my ear, "Come by this weekend and we can discuss the conditions of your employment in person. I look forward to seeing you once more."

"Oh and Rei," He said as I went to hang up, "I am truly glad you gave my offer the proper consideration. You will not regret your decision, I assure you."

As the line went silent and I brought my scroll from my ear, I really hoped he wasn't wrong.

~~~

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The next two chapters are already posted

Gerard's estate was located on the edge of Vale, completely isolated from any other buildings for several miles. It was a bit of an annoyance considering I didn't have a car to get me there in a reasonable time, but I wasn't exactly going to complain about it.

I left my bakery in the city proper at around six in the morning and was just now reaching the estate at around eight. I had enjoyed the walk all things considered, the area outside of the city was nice and tranquil this early on a Saturday, those who didn't have work deciding to sleep in instead of heading out for the morning.

The area Gerard's estate was in was especially tranquil. It was situated on a large plot of forested land that was still within Vale's walls. That meant that there were no Grimm to be found, and that nature could flourish uncontested. My sensitive ears could pick up the sounds of animals running around deeper into the forest, something I hadn't ever heard in the city.

The mansion, because there was nothing else it could be called, wasn't too opulent. It was massive certainly, but it was tasteful, not the tacky display that could be seen in the richest of Atlesian nobles. Gerard clearly had money, but it seemed that he wasn't looking to display said money ostentatiously.

As I walked up to the large gates in front of the estate, they swung open automatically, startling me slightly. The following voice however, nearly made me jump out of my boots.

"Hello!"

"AH!"

My heart pounded in my chest as I stared at the woman who had greeted me.

She was a relatively young woman, early twenties if I had to guess, with tan skin and dark hair. Said hair hung around the shoulders of her well fitted dark-blue suit, framing her slightly round face and bright green eyes.

From underneath her hair, I could just barely see a pair of furry ears on the top of her skull. They were rounded, reminding me of an otter or maybe a bear, though her slender form suggested the former. Most faunus took at least tangential aspects of their heritage after all, it was why my legs were so well-muscled despite me not really working out at all apart from my nightime excursions.

As I studied the woman further, I could just barely make out the freckles lightly dusting the bridge of her nose and her cheeks. Her expression was contorted in surprise as she stared at me

"Oh!" She exclaimed as she took in my startled appearance, "Are you okay?"

I placed a hand to my chest, taking deep breaths as I calmed down from the sudden surprise, "Yeah. Yeah I'm good… You really scared me there. I can normally hear people's footsteps long before they actually get to me."

I looked down at her feet, noting the heels she was wearing with a confused expression, "I'm not sure why I couldn't hear yours. You're wearing heels."

The woman giggled, "I have learned just the right way to walk in these so I don't make too much noise." She explained happily, "Lord Gerard doesn't appreciate unwanted noise when he's taking care of important business."

She gasped suddenly, "Oh dear, I haven't introduced myself have I? Lord Gerard would be very disappointed in me."

She curtsied, hands coming down to lightly grip the edges of an invisible dress as she dipped, "Eina Minsel, Lord Gerard's personal assistant, at your service."

I smiled lightly as she rose, offering a shallow bow of my own, "Rei Lynx, nice to meet you."

She smiled at my display, "It's a pleasure Ms Lynx. Lord Gerard informed me to expect you sometime today, though I'm sure he'll be glad you decided to show up at such an early hour. He prefers to get business done as soon as possible, you see." She explained, before turning and gesturing toward the open gate, "Please, follow me. I will take you to him."

I followed behind her, the gates swinging closed behind us as we made our way up to the large doors of the mansion. The doors were massive, metal knockers on the surface engraved with symbols I couldn't read.

Eina reached up and placed her hand on one of the metal rings and as she did so, I felt a flare of something, and I couldn't help but be reminded of the dust vial I had recently stolen. I watched in surprise as the knocker glowed a soft blue, before the door swung open to allow us entry.

"This way please." Eina spoke as she led me inside. I followed behind, glancing backwards as the doors swung closed behind us, noting the lack of any visible mechanical parts that were normally seen on automatic doors. The glow was gone and so was the feeling it produced within me.

The inside of the mansion was just as elegant as the outside. Lacquered wood floors were covered by plush blue rugs with golden designs embroidered into the edges. The walls were covered in tasteful paintings, some of nature and some of figures that bore a remarkable resemblance to the very man I was there to meet. Uncannily so actually.

I stared at one such painting. It featured what looked like a much younger Gerard, his arm thrown around the shoulders of a woman with fiery red hair and pale skin. She was grinning with something akin to resigned fondness, a small smile barely visible on her face as blue eyes looked up at the painter.

It couldn't possibly be Gerard though. While a good portion of the painting was faded, leaving much of the background unable to be discerned, the small portion I could make out reminded me of a castle, a single stone spire visible among the damaged paint. The last intact castles had fallen into disrepair long ago, relics from a bygone era that nobody but the most studious scholars cared to remember let alone preserve. The painting was clearly decades-if not centuries-old.

"Ah, I see you've found one of Lord Gerard's favorites." Eina's voice broke me out of my trance as the woman walked up behind me.

I looked back at her in confusion, "What do you mean?"

She sighed softly as she stared up at the painting, "I often find Lord Gerard spending hours at a time simply standing here staring at this painting. It holds a special place in his heart." She turned to me with a conspiratorial smirk, "Honestly, the only reason I think it's out here in the hall instead of his study is so he doesn't spend all of his time staring at it."

"What's so special about it?" Sure, it was a nice painting. But it was so faded to the point that only the center was even discernable.

Eina shrugged, "I'm not entirely sure to be honest. He says it's a painting of his ancestor Gerard the First and his eventual wife Hera, but the way he stares at it…" She stared at the painting for another moment before shaking her head, turning back to me with a smile, "Well then, we've spent long enough dawdling I believe. Let us resume our journey."

She began making her way through the halls once more, myself following close behind. I cast a fleeting glance back at the painting, and the piercing green eyes of the woman inside seemed to follow me as I exited.

As we walked, my mind went back to the doors and the feeling I had received from them, "So what was that back there?" I questioned as we made our way deeper into the mansion

"Hm?" Eina looked back at her, "What are you referring to?"

I pointed back towards the doors, now well out of sight given how far we had walked, "The doors. How did they open and close like that? They just looked like regular doors to me, no mechanics or anything."

Eina made a small 'ahh' of recognition, "Oh that. I'm afraid the amount of information I can give you regarding the specifics is limited, but you are indeed correct that no mechanics are involved."

"Is it like your semblance or something?"

"In a sense I suppose." She said hesitantly, "I realy am afraid I can't tell you more however. I honestly shouldn't even have told you that much."

Well that sucked, "I see…" I said quietly.

She seemed to sense my disappointment, and turned to me with a comforting smile. "Don't worry Ms Lynx, if Lord Gerard has taken such an interest in you to actually offer you employment, I have a feeling that all will be made clear soon enough."

Before I could unwind that statement, Eina stopped in front of a large door, "Here we are!" She placed her knuckle against the wooden surface and knocked three times, "Lord Gerard? Your guest has arrived."

"Enter!" Came the voice I recognized as Gerard. Eina placed her hand on the door handle, which once again glowed blue and filled me with the strange sensation, before a click was heard as it unlocked and opened slowly.

Gerard was sitting at a large dark wood desk near the back of the room, it looked like he had been staring intently at a stack of papers when Eina had called out to him, "Hm? Ah, Ms Lynx! It is wonderful to see you!" He placed the papers down on his desk as he rose to greet me, "You didn't have too much trouble finding the place I hope."

I shook my head as I made my way over to him, "No not really. Yours is pretty much the only place for miles, pretty easy to find honestly."

He held his hand out to shake, and I did so happily, "Yes well, I do like my privacy," he released my hand, gesturing to a small sitting area at the edge of the room, "Come, sit. Eina, bring our guest and I some refreshments please."

Said woman bowed lightly, before turning and walking out of the room, closing the door softly behind her.

I followed Gerard to the sitting area, looking around and studying as I did so. The walls were covered with thick books, times really, whose names ranged from 'History of Valean Architecture' to 'The Impossibility of Grimm Mating Rituals'.

I didn't even know grimm could even breed. In fact, I was pretty sure they couldn't.

'I guess that's why it's not the Possibility of Grimm Mating Rituals.' I mused to myself as I sat down across from my host. Gerard took the seat across from me, sighing in contentment as he sank into the plush chair.

"Hmm…" He sighed, "I truly must thank the person who recommended these chairs. Vacuo imports, extremely high quality wool linings, really conforms around your body when you recline in them. One of my best purchases to date."

"They are very comfy." I agreed as I settled into my own chair. It was quite possibly the softest chair I had ever sat in in my life, perfectly plush yet firm and supporting in all the right places.

Now that I actually had money, I was tempted to get one for myself. Though I had a feeling it would just look extremely gaudy sitting by itself in my loft. Next to my queen sized mattress that barely fit on the frame.

As we got comfortable, my mind couldn't help but go back to the vial I had stolen, along with the things I had been feeling ever since I had entered the manor. I was filled with a yearning curiosity; what exactly was causing these feelings? Was it something Gerard had done? And how was it connected to the vial?

Even now, over a week later, I couldn't quite describe the experience. It was as if something within the vial had been reaching out to my very soul, yearning to make contact with my very being and do something I couldn't even imagine. I wanted to know what exactly could cause this feeling, and I had a feeling only Gerard had the answers I sought.

I figured there was no harm in simply asking. Gerard had been more than reasonable in both of our previous talks, he wouldn't kick me out over a simple question, "What did you do with the vial I stole?"

He hummed lightly at my question, "I am afraid I cannot tell you that Ms Lynx. It is a secret I must keep very close, you see. There is no telling what would happen if someone were to find out exactly what I am trying to do. Those with dubious intentions would no doubt seek me out if they ever caught wind."

I kept my disappointment from showing on my face, "I understand. And I'm sorry if my asking offended in any way. I was just… curious I suppose."

Whatever Gerard was doing with the vial I had stolen was none of my business. And despite my mind going back to the odd feeling I had gotten both times I had seen the vial uncased, and much as a massive part of me yearned to question just what was inside of said vial, I knew it wasn't my place to ask.

I put it out of my mind, that wasn't why I was here in the first place. It was time to get down to business.

I sat up in my chair, doing my best to look professional despite wearing a jacket and skinny jeans, "I suppose we should get down to business then."

Gerard nodded, straightening in his own chair, "Yes, I suppose the pleasantries can wait until after we are done." He cleared his throat lightly, "Well then Ms Lynx, when we spoke over the phone you told me you accepted my offer of employment with some conditions."

I nodded, "Yes. Your offer is extremely generous and a large part of me wanted to just accept right then and there. I gave it some thought however and there are certain terms I need to ensure are known before I agree."

To my relief, Gerard nodded. "Completely understandable. Only a fool agrees to such a high paying position without first making their own terms known." And at his smile, I couldn't help but feel I passed some kind of test, "Please, state them plainly."

I took a deep breath, before beginning to lay out my terms, "First of all, no killing. Full stop." I stated firmly, "I'm not a soldier, I'm not an assassin, I'm a thief. I will not kill anything but grimm. If I must kill in self defense, so be it, but you will not force me to do so."

Gerard nodded lightly, "More than reasonable Ms Lynx, I hired you as a thief so it would be foolish of me to attempt to force you to be anything else."

That was good. Honestly that had been the dealbreaker of all of my terms. I could have probably been bargained with on the other two, but I had no intentions of becoming a murderer, no matter how much he paid me.

"Second of all, I want to continue operating from my Bakery." This was probably the most personal of my requests. I had promised Ruby that things wouldn't change between us-or more specifically worsen, I wouldn't mind things changing for the better. I intended to keep that promise.

"Of course." Gerard agreed, "I understand that your shop holds a good deal of sentimental value to you, I will not ask you to leave it. In fact," He pulled his scroll from a pocket inside of his coat, tapping on it lightly before replacing it back where it came from, "Give me a small while and I will have your little issue with Hei-Xiong's ruffians dealt with."

I stared at him with wide eyes. I had never said anything about Junior's goons visiting my shop, or that I actually held a good deal of sentimental value to my bakery. How had he…?

I shook my head, it didn't matter. He had found me when I hadn't even broadcasted my presence to the greater Valean underworld and had somehow discovered my real name and phone number with little difficulty. This shouldn't be surprising at this point.

"Thank you." I expressed my gratitude.

Gerard simply waved me off, "Please, no thanks are needed. I will not have an employee of mine accosted by some common grunts. It is the least I can do." He gestured towards me, "Go ahead and finish stating your terms. Misa will deal with Xiong and his gang of ne'er do wells."

I smiled lightly, "My last term is the right to veto contracts that I feel are too dangerous." Here, Gerard frowned lightly and I hastened to explain, "Outside of the vials you've specifically contracted me to steal I mean. I understand that was the entire reason you hired me so of course I won't ask to veto any of the contracts to steal them, or ones that specifically help with the heist. I simply wish for the opportunity to not go on any jobs that I know I can't complete."

That seemed to placate him, and he nodded as his frown disappeared, "That sounds agreeable, I wouldn't wish to send you on a mission you didn't believe yourself ready for."

I smiled happily at his agreement, "Those are all of my terms."

"Very well Ms Lynx, I find all of your terms agreeable. But I would like to add two of my own in addition to yours if that is alright with you." He offered.

I nodded, "You're the one employing me. It would only be fair."

"You will not disclose the nature of the contracts or training with anybody I do not specifically clear." Here, any geniality that he previously had shown disappeared as his eyes peered into mine seriously, "It is of the utmost importance that nothing we accomplish together is told to those who would seek to undermine our efforts."

That meant I wouldn't be able to tell Ruby about the contract unless he specifically said I could. And while that would be difficult, it wasn't anything I couldn't manage. I nodded in agreement to his first term.

"And lastly, you will undergo training here at my estate at least twice a week." At my confused look, he explained, "Every person in my employ has at least intermediate combat training, from the chef to my personal guards, nobody is untrained. You did not attend a combat academy did you?"

I shook my head lightly, "No I didn't. I've got my aura and my semblance, along with my weapon Trick and a decent skill in using him, but even the weakest hunter or huntress would probably wipe the floor with me without much effort."

He hummed, stroking his beard lightly, "We will have to change that, perhaps get you an additional weapon. Even those in my employ with the least combat acumen could stand toe-to-toe with most regular guardians." I had never heard hunters referred to as guardians before, but I supposed it made sense.

All in all, his terms were extremely reasonable and I couldn't find any reason to disagree with them. They were simple and concise, and honestly better than most other clients I had worked with. I nodded, "Alright, I suppose that's reasonable. I agree to your terms."

Gerard gave a wide smile, "Wonderful! Then we are in business! I am glad we could so quickly come to an agreement on this matter."

Just then, I was filled with the strange sensation that was quickly becoming familiar and the door to the room opened to reveal Eina, two trays held in each of her hands, "Lord Gerard, here are the refreshments you requested."

"Ah Eina, perfect timing. Ms Lynx and I were just finishing up." He stood and grabbed the trays from his assistant, bringing them over and placing it on the table while at the same time dismissing her.

As Eina closed the door behind her once more, Gerard gestured at the spread he had sat upon the table, "Come Ms Lynx, take your fill of the spread. I understand you are a baker at heart and you simply must try the chocolate macarons. They're an old family recipe."

I chuckled lightly as I did as he said, grabbing one of the small treats from its place among the others in the tray and popping it into my mouth.

The moment it touched my tongue, my tastebuds practically exploded with flavor. The lightly crunchy exterior combined with the creamy buttercream interior, filled my mouth with an incredible sensation, and I hummed happily as I chewed the treat.

As I consumed the treat, I couldn't help but notice just how similar this macaron was to the ones my grandfather had taught me to make; that his grandfather had taught him to make and so on and so forth.

But that was impossible. The recipes for our baked treats had been in our family for centuries, well before the war and are never shared outside of the family. There was no possible way Gerard could have it, it was probably just a similar recipe.

I swallowed the treat, wiping my mouth with a small napkin, "These are delicious Gerard. If everything your servants make is as good as these are, I'm sure I'll enjoy working with you immensely."

And I was being completely truthful. While I didn't know exactly what the future held, I had a feeling that being employed by the man before me wouldn't be so bad. Something in the back of my mind told me I had made the right decision.

As Gerard and I settled into less business related conversations, I smiled happily as I grabbed another macaron from the tray.

They really were quite good.

---

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Ruby wasn't sure if it was possible to die of boredom, but she was also pretty sure she didn't want to find out.

Unfortunately, skipping class was a one way ticket to a Weiss scream session that she really didn't want to experience.

'Wait, Weiss…Scream?' Ruby thought to herself in dawning horror, 'Oh no I'm starting to pun like Yang!'

"-and of course when presented with the sight of my glorious mustache, the foul flock of Giant Nevermore's had no choice but to flee from me!" The man at the front of Ruby's classroom laughed boisterously, and the reaper felt her eyelids droop further.

Her eyes cut to the clock in the corner of the room, and she nearly groaned out loud as she saw that only thirty minutes of the hour and a half long class block had passed. She brought a hand to her face, rubbing at her tired eyes with a sigh as Professor Port continued his story up front.

To her left, Yang had already given up on the class, and was resting her hand on her cheek as she snoozed comfortably. Behind her, Blake was staring down at her lap, clearly not paying attention to anything going on up front.

'She's probably reading that book that nobody will let me read.' Ruby pouted in her head, 'I don't get it! Ninja's are awesome! I don't know what love has to do with awesome battles with katanas and shuriken, but it can't be that bad!'

Her mind suddenly went back to something very specific. Someone very specific, and her face flushed lightly as the image of a smirking faunus in a blue jacket appeared in her thoughts.

Rei Lynx was a name that had become synonymous with flustered confusion lately and Ruby wasn't really sure what to do about that. It seemed every time they talked recently she was left a stuttering blushing mess thanks to the other girl's words.

Ruby had met the faunus when she was young, having happened upon her bakery while she was wandering around Vale with her dad. She had caught the hint of fresh baked cookies on the wind and followed it to its source, eventually finding her way to the bakery.

They had become fast friends, and soon enough Ruby was looking forward to her almost weekly visits to her newly found best friend. She found they had a lot in common, both of them preferred their hobby's over people, they both liked Spruce Willis, and they both loved baking! In fact, Ruby was pretty sure she had never tasted cookies as good as Rei's were.

And she even got paid to make them. Ruby wished she was that lucky.

Still, in the past few years something had changed in the way Rei acted towards her. Something had shifted in their dynamic, for better or for worse, though Ruby personally believed it was the former.

Ruby's mind went back to the other girl's constant teasing and she could feel her face beginning to heat up with just the memory.

Rei's passes had been pretty overt as of recently, especially so after she got that new job that she had asked Ruby her opinion on. Ruby may have been a little naive, but she wasn't an idiot, she could see what the other girl was trying to say.

Rei was interested in her. Romantically. Her. Nerdy, weapon-maniac, cookie obsessed Ruby Rose. And she had no idea what to do with that information.

Ruby had never really examined her feelings towards the lynx faunus, but now she had been made extremely and acutely aware of their existence. And now that she was, Ruby was able to look at them with new eyes. That weird fuzzy feeling in her chest whenever Rei smirked at her, or the way her eyes softened when Ruby babbled about weapon designs. The hugs.

Ruby had a crush on her best friend. And she likely had for a while now.

That revelation was not as life changing as it should have been. Sure, it definitely put some of their interactions into perspective, but it wasn't like Ruby was suddenly going to start avoiding her best friend like one of the teenage girls from those teenage love dramas that Yang liked so much.

No, instead Ruby was honestly a little relieved. A little of things clicked for her after that little realization, and now Ruby just had to decide what to do about her feelings

Maybe…maybe Ruby would give it a chance. It couldn't hurt right? She could just ask Rei on a date to the movies or something, see where things led. Unless Ruby was reading the signs completely wrong, Rei was already interested in her, so she wasn't likely to reject her.

'And even if it doesn't work out, it's not like Rei's not gonna be my friend anymore.' She thought optimistically, 'And if it does work out, then I'll get to keep her cookies all to myself. It's a win-win!'

Now to figure out how to ask Rei on a date. That…was going to be the hard part. Great.

Ruby was snapped out of her thoughts by a sharp pinch on her arm, "Ow!" She recoiled, bringing a hand up to rub at the sensitive skin as she looked towards the offender.

Icy blue eyes glared at her unamusedly from under snow-white bangs as Weiss retracted her hand. "Pay attention Dolt!" The heiress whispered furiously, "He might quiz us on this! And I don't want to lose points on the team comprehension part of my grade!"

Ruby pouted, turning back to the front as Professor Port continued his tale of adventure and battle. She sighed as she felt her eyelids immediately begin to droop once more, and couldn't help but wonder if the man's semblance was being able to put people to sleep with his voice.

As her teacher continued to regale the uninterested class in his exploits, and as her eyes began to droop again, Ruby sighed.

Hopefully Rei was having fun at her new job…

~~~

"AGAIN!" I flinched as the scream assaulted my ears, bracing myself in preparation for what I knew was coming.

There were few things I regretted more at this moment than agreeing to Gerard's offer. It hadn't even been a month, and already I was feeling the consequences of my agreement.

Sweat ran in rivulets down my face, soaking into my shirt as I panted in exhaustion. My arms felt like they were on fire and my legs were only faring marginally better. My lungs screamed at me to stop but I couldn't. She wouldn't let me.

My opponent rushed at me, muscled legs eating the distance between us in mere moments. I brought my escrima sticks up in a desperate block, focusing my aura as best I could in preparation for the blow I knew was about to land.

It did nothing. The staff my opponent wielded slammed against my own weapons like a truck, immediately breaking through my guard and slamming into my unprotected chest.

"Gah!" I cried out in pain as I was sent sprawling to the floor, weapons clattering out of my grip to land on the mats several feet away from me.

My aura sparked and sputtered around my body as I laid where I landed. Sweat soaked my face and back, sticking my tanktop to my skin uncomfortably. I winced, feeling every single muscle in my body throbbing in pain with every breath I took, and I was reminded why I hated fighting. It sucked.

"Get up." The woman who had laid me out commanded, "We aren't finished yet. You are far from up to Lord Gerard's standards."

Damn taskmaster. I rolled over, placing my arms against the mat below and levering myself up with a grunting effort. I swayed lightly on my feet, breathing heavily as I turned to grab my escrima sticks from where they had landed, before turning to face the woman who had put me on the floor.

When Gerard had said I would be showing up to train at his estate multiple times a week, I was expecting something simple to start off with. Maybe some katas to go through, or some stances to practice.

I didn't expect to show up to the dojo, be handed two sticks of wood by my apparent instructor, and then be beaten black and blue until my fucking aura broke! Like seriously, she didn't even ask me my name before she started beating me senseless, what if I was just some random person who happened to make their way inside!?

…Though I suppose that that is exactly what she would do to said person, minus the handing them a weapon bit.

My instructor, Misa, was an older short woman who was clearly of Mistralian descent. She was also more than likely the same woman who had been guarding Gerard when I had first met him. Her distinctive long silver hair fell in a braid down her back, somehow staying neat even with our rigorous training. She was also barely breathing hard, clearly more than used to this level of physical activity.

If the color of her hair didn't clue me in, then the way she used her weapon certainly did. I recalled a spear attached to her back when I first met Gerard, and clearly it wasn't just for show.

While the wooden staff in her hands wasn't a spear, that didn't seem to matter one bit as the woman dexterously used it to kick my ass up and down the dojo for the past two hours. The length of wood was practically a blur as she spun it around her body, twirling like it was just another limb and I was hard pressed to even attempt to protect myself from her constant assault.

Her guard was perfect by all accounts, and any time I tried to go on the offensive, my attacks were easily blocked and then countered, leaving me on the backfoot once more. It was tiring to say the least.

And I couldn't even use my Semblance on her! I could feel it, the power bubbling under my skin and begging me to take her abilities for my own, but as I had found out the first time I tried, she was somehow immune to getting her semblance stolen.

It was like something had erected a barrier around her soul, only allowing me to observe what was inside and not interact with it. It was endlessly frustrating, because I could just feel that her Semblance was one that could help me out.

Our most recent exchange ended better than most. And by that I mean I just barely managed to stay on my feet instead of being sent crashing to the floor as she swept my legs out from under me.

"Why are we even fighting like this?" I panted out as I got back into the stance she had instructed me in, one stick held outward to ward off attacks, while the other was more near my body and ready to strike, "I'm a thief. Shouldn't you be training me on how to get away from people instead of fighting them?"

I could instantly tell that was the wrong thing to say but the way her expression hardened. Her arms blurred and the next strike to land against my weapons was much harder, and I winced as my arms shook with the force.

"Not every heist will go the way you plan it to." Misa scolded as she stepped back, immediately going in for another strike that I could barely block, "There will be times where you have no choice but to fight. Humans, Faunus, Grimm, a good portion of them are faster than you, stronger than you, smarter than you. Knowing how to hold your own long enough to escape can be the difference between life and death!"

Along with her words came a flurry of blows that I was hard pressed to keep up with.

The dojo was filled with the sounds of clacking wood as our weapons struck against one another. My breath came in short pants as I defended against her constant assault, while at the same time my eyes darted back and forth as I looked for an opportunity to get a hit of my own.

Right leg. Left arm. Abdomen. Head. The blows came one after another, Misa's weapon was a blur as she continued her attacks, never giving me even a second to rest as she tested my guard for all it was worth.

And then, after one particularly solid hit against my escrima sticks, I saw it. On the backswing, Misa's foot stepped ever-so-slightly too far to the side and she stumbled minutely. That was my chance.

Misa was an expert, and so the momentary lapse in footing was fixed in the fraction of a second, but it was still enough time to get my attack into motion.

One of my sticks slammed into the bottom of her staff, pushing it up and away from her middle. I grinned as her eyes widened in surprise, bringing my other arm forward, second weapon brandished as I struck out…

And landed a solid hit against her side, green aura flaring out from the area my attack hit.

'Hell yeah! I finally got her!' I grinned as I made contact. I immediately brought my other stick downwards, preparing to capitalize on the opening, 'Now I just need to keep her on the backfoo-'

Something changed. Misa's guard suddenly tightened like a castle closing its gates. Her staff moved impossibly fast, slapping my arms in quick succession and knocking my hands up and away from my body.

And as my arms flew to the side and my guard was broken, I stared helplessly as Misa reared her leg back for a devastating kick, 'Oh this is gonna hurt.'

She shot her leg forward, and I was pretty sure I could feel her foot touch my spine as her boot made contact with my abdomen. I went flying backwards, my escrima sticks falling out of my hands to land on the mats as I clutched at my middle in pain.

As I landed on the floor with a grunt, my aura shattered spectacularly, white sparks flickering over my form before fading away. Instantly, my limbs became heavy and my eyelids started to droop as exhaustion set it. I tried briefly to regain my composure and sit up, but I immediately gave up and let my head hit the floor with a small thud.

"Ugh… This sucks." I muttered to myself as I stared up at the lights on the ceiling. I really missed my relatively soft bed, hell, I'd even take a rough leather couch at this point.

As I moaned pitifully from my place on the floor, Misa sighed, twirling her staff lightly as she took a deep breath. "We're done for today." She said, and I nearly cried with relief. I was pretty sure that if I kept going, I would actually die.

Misa looked down at me, expression severe as always, "Get up. The longer you stay down there the harder it will be to stand again."

I groaned, before following her order. I planted my hands on the ground and levered myself up, huffing tiredly as I stood to my feet shakily.

As she took in my pitiful form, Misa's harsh continence softened ever so slightly, "You did good today. You've taken to your training faster than most. It's been a while since one of my students managed to land a hit on me."

I tried to grin as I did my best to get my breath under control, "Thanks I guess. Didn't do me much good in the end though..."

"Don't diminish yourself." Misa stated firmly, "I have been fighting for longer than you have been alive and have fought opponents far stronger than even veteran Guardians. It would be foolish to compare yourself to me. You did well."

I smiled despite my exhaustion, "Thank you."

"So well in fact, I'd say we've progressed far enough to begin live weapons training." she finished.

And there went my good mood. "Ugh… please tell me we don't have to do it this week. I have plans, you know."

Misa scoffed as she walked around to gather my discarded escrima sticks, "And do those plans involve sleeping until noon on a Saturday?"

"No!" I yelled in denial. Misa just raised an eyebrow and I blushed in embarrassment, "I only sleep until ten now…"

She shook her head wryly, "Right. In any case, you are in luck. We will not be sparring anymore this weekend, or next week as a matter of fact. You will need ample time to prepare yourself."

"Yes! Thank you so much!" I cheered.

She ignored my outburst, "To start off, you'll need to craft yourself an actual weapon to start training with." Misa said as she placed our weapons back on the rack, "Do you have any designs in mind? I recommend dual wielding. You have become rather proficient with the escrima sticks, though I would recommend something with more reach to make up for your relatively short arms."

I pouted, but conceded her point. I had noticed early on that my reach was rather limited even with the added length from the sticks. I had solved this problem by adjusting my fighting style accordingly, but it would still be good to have some more reach for my attacks.

Luckily, I had already thought up a solution to that problem, and several others I had yet to address, "I do actually have a design in mind. Several in fact." I told Misa.

She nodded in satisfaction, "Good, I am glad to see you preparing yourself even without my instruction. I will send you the address of the estate smith. You will have to craft the weapon yourself of course but he should be able to acquire whatever you need to-"

"Oh, I already have someone who can help me make it." I interrupted her. She froze, hands still in the air as she finished placing her staff in its place.

She turned to me, and I raised an eyebrow in confusion at the severe expression in her eyes, "What?" I asked.

Misa just stared at me, green eyes piercing into my own and I automatically straightened, "Rei…A Guardian's weapon is something sacred and not to be taken lightly. It is akin to a piece of us, a very intimate piece."

"It's just a tool though. What's so special about it?" I asked, only to recoil at the stern glare I received.

"It is not just a tool." Misa stated severely, "Every Guardian's weapon is an extension of themselves. To gaze at one's weapon is akin to glimpsing a sliver of their every being. There is virtually no limit to what you can glean when looking at one's weapon if you know what to look for."

"Pieces of yourself go into every aspect of your weapon's creation. Your personality flows into every strike of the hammer, every push of the bevels. Your soul is laid bare for anyone witnessing the creation of the tool you would call your own."

"Tell me Rei, do you trust this weaponsmith to be a part of something so important. To assist you in crafting what would amount to another limb on your body? Are you prepared to give this person insight into your very being?"

I swallowed reflexively at the question as I thought. Did I trust Ruby like that? Enough to let her help me make something so important to me. Something that I would be staking my life on to protect me in whatever situation transpired?

Of course I did. It wasn't even a question.

"I do." I nodded seriously, keeping my eyes trained on Misa's own, "I trust her. More than anyone."

Misa continued staring at me for another long moment, before she nodded in acceptance, "It's your choice. I only hope you won't come to regret it."

"I won't. I'm sure of that."

"Alright then." And that was that. We finished packing up, I bid her farewell, and began making my way home.

As I walked my way through the emptying streets of Vale, I could only wonder what Ruby's reaction to my request for her assistance would be. I could practically already hear the barely comprehensible sounds of her gushing about different alloy mixes or mechashift placements, talking about taking measurements and weapon types.

I couldn't wait to hear it in person.

---

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"So what do you think my Lord?" Misa questioned her master as they made their way through the halls of his mansion, "Is she a suitable candidate?"

The man in question gave a quiet hum, cane tapping on the ground as he walked, lost in thought.

When Gerard had first been recommended to Rei Lynx, he had been more than a little leery.

A small-time thief with little more than home burglaries to her name, sent on a heist that most master thieves would turn their nose up at? It seemed like madness.

Roman Torchwick was no idiot however, the man's skill and professional integrity were well known throughout the entirety of Vale's underworld. A recommendation from him was not one to be taken lightly.

Gerard had decided to take a chance on the young lynx faunus. After all, what was the harm? If the she failed to steal the vial from the poorly guarded research facility, the absolute worst that would happen is that they would simply move it to one with more security. He would simply hire a better thief.

It had cost a pretty penny to get the girl on board, but even that much money was simply a drop in the bucket for someone like him. Especially if the young up-and-comer could actually produce results.

And he was not disappointed.

Roman had not been wrong in his assessment of the young faunus. Rei was certainly skilled in her chosen craft, in a way that few were. She carried herself with confidence that few possessed, and yet to her it seemed as easy as breathing.

From what little Misa had been able to glean from the footage she stole and erased, Rei Lynx was a prodigy of the highest degree. She moved swiftly and quietly, using simple tools and ingenuity to deal with any possible security she came across. Ball bearings and a slingshot, simple yet effective indeed.

In fact, if it weren't for that small hiccup at the end of her heist, Gerard would have thought he was dealing with a veteran aged in his craft, instead of a teenager just now nearing her adult years. The way she moved, utilizing her inherited traits to the fullest, was a sure sign of her potential.

And those goggles she possessed! A design of her own if she were to be believed, and indeed Gerard had been unable to find anything exactly like them outside of military research papers. It shocked him that the girl did not know the veritable gold mine she was sitting on, many would kill for a piece of gear as useful as that, and indeed they had before.

He supposed that it was for the best that she did not know how valuable her design was, he could not imagine what the likes of Ironwood would do with technology like that. Install it in his detestable robots no doubt. And if Gerard's theories were correct and, gods forbid, the man found out about the girl's semblance…

No, best not to think about it.

He had his theories about Rei's semblance, Borrow, he believed she called it, theories he had yet to test. Theories that all started with the vial she had acquired for him.

Gerard and his assistant came to a stop in the middle of the hallway, and he turned to face a painting on the wall. It was massive, the top of it reaching the ceiling and the bottom the floor, depicting a white haired man riding a horse, it was one of his most treasured pieces. And not just for its looks or value.

As his assistant stood dutifully behind him, Gerard raised his cane, eyes closed in concentration and soon the gem atop of it began to glow a bright blue.

The floor underneath them rumbled as hidden mechanisms were activated, centuries old gears turning slowly yet steadily. The painting shifted, rising ever so slightly off of the wall, before splitting in two in the middle, revealing a staircase that descended into darkness.

Gerard tapped his cane and a soft blue glow emanated from its gem, lighting the way as they began to descend down the stairs.

"I believe she is, Misa." He answered her as they walked downwards, " She is certainly competent in her craft, and while her combat skills may leave much to be desired, we both know that can be corrected with time."

"All things considered, she's taken to her training quite well." Misa commented, "While I have certainly had others who have learned faster, there are not many. She has already moved on to live weapons training." She paused, "Once she crafts her weapon I mean."

"And you said she declined the use of our estate smith? I cannot imagine Hawkins was very happy about that." He mused.

Misa laughed lightly, "No he was not. I practically had to hold him down to stop him from coming up from his forge to give her a piece of his mind."

Gerard shook his head in amusement, "That man does have his pride I suppose. Too much of it if you ask me. Still, whoever Rei has commissioned to craft her weapon must be very talented indeed if she declined the offer so quickly."

"I believe her smith to be a lover, or perhaps simply a partner. Perhaps they are talented, but I do not believe that is why Rei went to them instead." Misa frowned, "I hope she doesn't regret it, but I could tell she wouldn't be swayed."

"Ah, to be young again." He sighed wistfully as they came to a stop in front of a large stone door. He tapped his cane on the ground once more, and immediately the walk began to split apart, allowing them entrance further into the depths. They were nearly there.

As they began walking once more, Misa turned her gaze to her master, "Still, you actually haven't answered my question yet sir."

"Oh?"

"Do you think she is a suitable candidate?" Misa repeated.

Gerard was silent for a moment, the two of them stopping just in front of a mechanical door. He pressed on the keypad, entering a complex passcode, before placing his hand on its face. After a second or two, it beeped, recognizing him for who he was.

As they stepped inside, Misa turned to him, with a questioning glance, "Sir?"

"...I do." He finally answered as they stopped walking, "If what I felt was correct, and if what she said she felt from the vial is true, then there can only be one explanation. And if that is so, then I must guide her in her abilities."

"So you really believe she has magic?" Misa asked in awe, "But you said it was lost forever. I mean, outside of-"

"Misa!" Gerard gave her a sharp glance, firmly tapping his cane on the ground. She flinched as his sharp gaze pierced her, "We do not speak of them. Not here."

She bowed her head, "Sorry sir. I spoke out of turn. Please forgive me."

Gerard took a calming breath, lightly rapping his fingers against his cane, "It is fine Misa, just…remember what they took from me. From us. Remember why we do what we do."

Misa gave him a somber look, "Yes sir."

Gerard nodded, "Good. Now then, let's see to what we're here for." Misa gave a small nod and Gerard looked forward, gazing into the dark room they had arrived at, looking specifically in the center of said room.

Gerard gazed at the box with solemn resolution. He leaned his cane against the wall by the stairs, striding forward and extending his arm.

This was the moment of truth. There was no time for delay.

He concentrated his will, ignoring the sound of Misa moving into the room behind him as he focused. Soon enough, bands of purple light extended from his palm, wrapping around the large box before settling into place upon its surface. With a small gesture, several glyphs appeared around the box, all glowing the same purple and spinning with purpose.

Gerard sighed in discomfort as he felt a weight settle on his shoulders. If this had been mere decades ago, magic such as this would have been no mean feat, barely requiring a modicum of effort from one such as him. Alas, it seemed that that was the case no longer, and now the amount of effort expensed was immense.

Still, he couldn't give up, not when he was so close.

"The vial, Misa." Gerard held out his hand to the woman, not opening his eyes as a small click of a briefcase opening sounded out and the item was placed in his palm. Immediately, he could feel the magic inside of the small container begin to sing out to him and began harnessing it, guiding it alongside his own to suit his purpose.

The color of the vial shifted from blue to purple as Gerard exerted his will upon it, several more bands of light flowing up the arm holding the vial to the other, following the flow of his own magic into the box.

Sweat beaded on his brow and his face twisted into a grimace as he began molding the spell, his magic seeping into the runes inscribed upon the box and making them glow brightly.

"Sir! It-it's glowing!" Misa exclaimed in astonishment at what she was witnessing. The dim room was bathed in radiant purple light as the box glowed, indicating that Gerard's magic was doing something.

"Silence!" Gerard urged as his concentration began to waver. He reaffirmed his hold on the vial, grimacing as he felt just how depleted the magic inside had become in just few moments of channeling. The lights on the box dimmed slightly and he grunted, focusing his mind even harder to bring the lights back to normal.

It was all for naught however, and Gerard felt dismay as his hold on the spell began to waver, "No! No!" He shouted the glow dimming even further before beginning to flicker out, the glyphs disappearing and shrouding the room in darkness once more.

He attempted to re-engage the spell, purple streams of light once again reaching out to the box, but they flickered out before they even reached halfway.

"Dammit all!" He cursed as the room was shrouded in darkness once more. He was so close! He could feel the runes working! Could feel them accept the magic he had given them as they did as they were designed! And yet…

And yet it still didn't work. Just as it hadn't for the past sixty years.

"I'm sorry sir. I didn't mean to dustract you." Misa bowed apologetically.

Gerard shook his head with a sigh, "It wasn't your fault Misa. You simply sped up the inevitable." He looked down at the vial in his hand forlornly, noting its now colorless appearance before placing it in his coat pocket, "It seems it still wasn't enough."

He turned to walk back to his bodyguard, only to stumble as he was hit with a sudden wave of fatigue. He reached his arm out in an attempt to grab hold of something, and nearly sighed in relief as Misa appeared at his side, grabbing his arm to keep him from falling to the floor.

She looked at him with concern, reaching into a pocket and retrieving a small dust crystal, "Here sir. Take this." She handed it to him and he took it gratefully.

"Thank you Misa. It seems the process was more draining than I had imagined." He looked down at the crystal he had been handed. Red. Fire dust. It would do nicely.

He took a deep breath, before focusing his will on the crystal in his palm just as he had the vial moments before, only where before he had simply been refocusing the dust's energy, here he was taking it for his own.

Ever-so slowly, the chunk of dust lost its color, red fading to grey as the energy inside was absorbed by the man holding it. Gerard sighed as he felt his reserves of aura begin to refill, the heaviness in his limbs disappearing as he supplemented his own energy with the dust.

Soon enough, the crystal was completely depleted of its properties and Gerard stopped channeling his will into the now defunct rock. He rolled his shoulders in their sockets, feeling no small amount of relief as the stiffness failed to make itself known. He was back to normal for now.

He turned and handed it back to Misa who took it without a word, merely looking at him questioningly, "What happened sir? The box was glowing, that means it was working, wasn't it?"

Gerard simply nodded as he turned to retrieve his cane, "Indeed it was Misa, indeed it was. Unfortunately it seems that my theory was correct, despite my hoping it wasn't."

Misa frowned as she placed the depleted dust into a container simply marked 'Used', "It wasn't enough."

Gerard sighed, staring at the box with an unreadable expression, "No it wasn't. It seems that even the magic of the Winter Maiden isn't potent enough to undo the damage that was caused. We will need more if I am to succeed."

"So you're actually going through with it? Stealing the other vials?"

He nodded, "Indeed, if the other vials are similar to this one, then they may be the key to our plight. I had hoped that merely one would be enough for… No matter. We will simply get as many as is required."

"And you think she'll be able to do it?" Misa asked doubtfully, "This one was under an oddly light amount of protection. I doubt the others will be the same."

"Perhaps not. But with the proper guidance, I believe she will be more than up to the task. The fact that she succeeded in retrieving the first vial with her limited experience was a feat in and of itself." He spoke quietly as he stared at the now dimly glowing box, "I have no doubt that she is destined to do great things, and it is our duty to nurture her potential, no matter what it may be."

Truthfully, Gerard was running out of options quicker and quicker these days. Every time he believed he had a solution to his problem, life came round to dissuade him of that notion. Now it seemed he had no choice but to bet it all on black as it were.

He would need those other vials and Rei would be the one to steal them, hopefully providing him even more insight into her semblance in the process.

If his theories about the young faunus were correct, and she was indeed like him, then she could be the key to saving him from his plight. He simply must learn more about her semblance and how it functioned.

Gerard placed his hand on the box, closing his eyes mournfully. It was all he could do if he wished to keep his promise.

~~~

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Ruby hummed happily as she skipped her way through Vale, a smile splitting her lips as she made her way to her destination. Behind her, her teammates gave her looks of varying amusement and exasperation as they struggled to keep up with her excited pace.

It was a little after midday in Vale, and team RWBY had been lucky enough to get a day free of afternoon classes so they had practically the entire day free to themselves. Ruby had taken it upon herself to make it a team bonding trip to the city. More specifically, a team trip to a little bakery Ruby loved to eat at more than anything.

She hadn't shared exactly where they were going, and it had taken a bit of begging and promising to do her homework to get Blake and Weiss to come along, but she had managed it. What a great team leader she was!

Ruby had a feeling Yang knew exactly where they were going thanks to the looks her sister was giving her, but Ruby studiously ignored her. She wouldn't fall victim to the blonde's teasing.

"Ruby, can we please slow down a bit?" Weiss spoke up with a haggard expression, "I'm wearing heels, and you haven't slowed down since we got off of the bullhead. I'm not made for this kind of exertion!"

As Ruby turned back to apologize to her partner, Yang spoke up, wrapping an arm around Weiss's shoulder, "Oh come on Weiss-cream, you and I both know that's not true. I've seen the way you dance around during our spars, you're probably the most nimble one out of us all!"

Weiss gave the blonde an annoyed look, ducking out from under her arm, "Fighting and walking are two completely different things you blonde brute." She huffed, patting off her shoulders which Ruby thought was weird since she knew Yang took a shower earlier, "And besides, I have different sets of heels for fighting and walking."

"Really?" Blake said doubtfully, "But they all look the same." She pointed out.

"That's intentional. The construction of the actual shoes are very different. Some are made for walking, some for running, and some for fighting. I am currently wearing the walking ones."

"How can you tell which is which?" Ruby asked curiously as she walked around a lamppost.

"They have labels on the sole." Weiss explained, "It's not hard to figure which is which if you know what you're looking for."

"Why don't you wear, I don't know, normal shoes?" Yang asked the heiress, "Even Blake doesn't wear her heels all the time."

Blake gave partner an annoyed look, "They're not heels Yang."

Yang's eyes widened and her face morphed into a confused expression that they all knew was completely fake, "What? But-but they have heels!" She exclaimed. She looked to Ruby, "Sis, back me up here! They're totally heels right?"

Ruby giggled at her sister's antics, deciding to play along, "Sure Yang. They're heels."

"Philistines." Weiss huffed, and that set them all laughing. Ruby grinned happily as she noticed that even Weiss had a small smile on her face. She was glad the cold girl was warming up to them, Weiss was surprisingly witty when you got her talking.

"We're here!" Ruby shouted happily as they reached their destination, "The best bakery in all of Vale!"

"Lynx Bakery?" Weiss said dubiously as she took in the glass storefront, "I've never heard of that company before."

"Oh it's not a company." Ruby said simply as she bounced her way to the front entrance, turning back to her team, "It's owned and run by Rei. She inherited it from her grandfather." She explained and Weiss gave an interested hum.

"Hey Rubes, why's this place so empty?" Yang asked as she looked inside of the bakery curiously, "I've had some of her stuff before and it's really good. People should be lining up out the door!"

Ruby turned to look inside, frowning as she noticed only four people were seated at the various tables inside. Rei said she was having trouble getting customers, but she didn't think it was this bad. Ruby normally tried to come around closing time so she would have more time to talk with the Faunus, but if this was what it was like on a normal day…

Well, Rei said her second job was paying well. Hopefully it would be enough to keep the bakery running as well. She wouldn't want to see her best friend and crush lose her home.

Before Ruby got the chance to answer her sister's question, Blake did it for her.

Her black-haired teammate pointed to a specific part of the glass storefront, "That's probably why." She said, the rest of the team looked where she was pointing curiously, and came face-to-face with a poster that read Faunus Welcome.

Yang made an 'ah' noise and let out an angry huff, while Weiss made a noise of confusion.

"So she lets Faunus patronize her store, what's the big deal?" The heiress asked in confusion.

Blake scowled lightly, as she stared at the sign, and Ruby's eyes were drawn to her bow. Did it move? "It's because of the part of Vale that we're in. Most people don't around here don't even let Faunus step foot on their property, so a store with a sign like that isn't going to get many customers." She explained, and Ruby could hear the anger in her voice and wondered if the black-haired girl had Faunus friends too.

"Why not? Won't the Faunus around here just come instead?" Weiss asked.

Blake just shook her head, "Faunus stay away from this part of the city. It probably isn't worth getting slurs yelled at you just to go to a bakery, so I can't imagine many of them come around that often."

Ruby wondered how Blake knew so much about this sort of stuff. The only reason she knew is because Rei often complained that she wished more Faunus would come to her bakery. Maybe Blake had Faunus friends? Ruby would like to meet them if that was the case. Good team leaders took an interest in their team's lives.

Either way, they had stayed outside of the shop for too long in Ruby's opinion. She wanted to see Rei!

"Come on! Let's go find a seat!" Ruby called out to her team as she opened the doors. The familiar sound of the bell rang out as they entered, and Ruby inhaled happily, taking in the smell of fresh-baked treats that she loved so much.

The look of contentment morphed into a smile as Rei's voice called from the back.

"Welcome to the Lynx Bakery! Go ahead and seat yourself, I'll be with you in just a moment!" Rei called out to them.

Ruby happily made her way to the nearest booth, her team following behind as they looked around the bakery curiously. Wanting a spot at the edge, she let Yang get in the booth first before following behind her, grabbing one of the menus from the holder and looking it over eagerly.

Weiss let out a small noise of pleasant surprise across from her, "These prices are much better than most places I've been to. Twelve lien for a platter of sampler cookies is more than reasonable." she commented.

Ruby hummed as she scrutinized the text on the laminated sheet, "Rei said her grandfather would kill her if she ever tried to price gouge people. I believe it too, he was scary."

"Isn't he dead?" Yang asked hesitantly.

"Yep. I don't think that would stop him though."

"Ah."

They fell into a comfortable silence that was only slightly broken by the other patrons of the bakery, and Ruby's mouth watered as she stared at the menu, taking in the wide variety of delicious treats she could choose from.

It took excruciating effort, but eventually she decided on the same cookies Rei had made for her before she left for Beacon: dark chocolate peanut butter with caramel drizzle. And a large glass of milk of course. Can't have cookies without milk.

Ruby placed her menu on the table with the rest of her teams, bouncing in her seat as she eagerly awaited her friend's arrival from the back of the bakery.

She didn't have to wait long luckily, as only a minute or so later, the Faunus strolled out.

Reis was wearing her signature blue jacket, and a soft smile was on her face as she wiped her hand with a rag, cleaning it of flour or baking powder, Ruby couldn't be sure. All she knew was that her best friend was just a few feet away, and she hadn't seen her in person in at least a week.

So of course she wasn't just going to sit there and wait for the girl to notice her.

"Reeeiiii!"

~~~

"Reeeiiii!" Yang shook her head fondly at Ruby as she bolted from the booth, crashing into the surprised Faunus who just barely managed to not fall over.

"Ruby!" Rei smiled in pleasant surprise, "You didn't tell me you were coming!"

Ruby just smiled as she looked up at the slightly taller girl, "I wanted it to be a surprise!"

Rei gave her a fond look as she hugged the girl back just as eagerly, "Well I'm certainly surprised, mission accomplished I suppose."

Ruby gave a soft 'heh' as she buried her face into the girl's jacket happily.

Back at the table, the rest of Ruby's team stared at the two with varying expressions.

"So that's Rei is it?" Weiss said quietly as she observed the two girls, "She seems… nice."

"She's a Faunus." Blake said in surprise as she took in the girl that Ruby was still embracing. Dang Rubes, make it a little less obvious will ya?

Yang and even Weiss gave her an odd look at her words, "Dude, the place is literally called Lynx Bakery, and you're the one who pointed out the sign on the door."

Blake blushed lightly, "I thought she might have just been a sympathizer or something. Ruby didn't say anything about her being a Faunus…" She muttered as the two girls started conversing animatedly, Ruby no doubt telling the girl about their recent adventures as Rei looked on with a fond smile.

Yang just shrugged, "Rei's just Rei to Ruby. They've been friends for as long as I can remember, I doubt she even notices the looks they get when they hang out together. Rei definitely notices, but I don't think she cares."

"Though that certainly explains why people don't come here." Weiss commented as she eyed the happily chatting Lynx Faunus up and down, "If the people around here are as racist as you say they are, I don't imagine they'd be likely to patronize an establishment owned and run by a Faunus."

"No…" Black muttered as the hugging girls made their way over to the booth, "No they wouldn't."

Yang turned her attention back to her sister as she arrived. She gave them all a wide smile, gesturing towards the grinning Faunus at herbside, "Team RWBY, This is my best friend, Rei Lynx. Rei, this is my team!"

Rein gave them all a wave, "It's nice to meet the people who are gonna have Ruby's back out there. I'm glad to see she's got a good team of people around her."

She then turned to Yang, giving her a short nod, recognizing her, "Yang, How are you?"

Yang grinned, "Oh you know, I'm Yangin in there."

As the rest of the team groaned at her pun, Rei gave her a chuckle, "Yeah. That sounds about right."

She turned to Weiss, "And this must be your partner. Weiss right?"

The heiress gave her a polite nod, "That's right. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Rei gave her a grin, "I hear you've actually managed to get Ruby to study. Not an easy feat to get this girl to stay still for more than five minutes," She nudged Ruby's shoulder lightly.

Weiss gave a startled laugh, putting a hand in front of her mouth, "Yes, it's certainly been an adventure to say the least."

Rei snorted, "I can imagine."

"Reeiii! Don't embarrass me in front of my team!" Ruby whined, slapping the grinning Faunus on the shoulder.

"Sorry Ruby, no can do." Rei laughed as she wethered the smaller girl's assault. She wound an arm around Ruby's shoulder, pulling her into a one-armed, "Our friendship is built on the back of teasing remarks and flustered redheads. I'm sorry, but that's just how it is. It's too late to change it now."

Yang grinned as Ruby's face flushed a bright red at the Faunus' close contact, avoiding Rei's eyes as she let go to address her team once more.

Rei paused as she got to Blake, and Yang noticed her eyes widened minutely as they took in her partner, "...And this must be Blake. Yang's partner." She said after a moment. Blake didn't say anything, just giving her a nod and Yang frowned. Did her partner not like Rei?

Before she could wonder any more about her partner's odd behavior, Rei cleared her throat, pulling a small notebook out of her jacket pocket, "Well then, judging by the menus in your hands I imagine this isn't just a social visit. I'll go ahead and take your orders if that's alright with you." Her statement was punctuated by the click of a pen as she stared at them all expectantly.

Yang broke out of her stupor, putting the weird interaction out of her mind as she looked down at the menu again, "Oh, yeah. I'll have a-…"

Rei nodded as she took their orders, scribbling quickly in her notebook as she went around the table.

"Alright." Rei finished writing in her notebook, stowing the pen in her pocket, "I'll go grab your orders, most of the stuff you asked for is a simple ask. I'll be back in just a moment. Oh, and Ruby," She gave the girl a glance, "I need to talk to you about something when I get back. It's important."

"Oh!" Ruby looked surprised, "Yeah, ok."

Rei gave her a wink before making her way back into the rear of the bakery to prepare their orders, leaving them all in silence.

"Sooooo…" Yang broke it, drawing curious looks from her team as she looked at her sister, "You think she's gonna ask you out?"

Yang was pretty sure that her sister would have choked if she was drinking anything. As it was, her jaw dropped open and a bright red blush bloomed on her face.

"Wha-buh-I-YANG!" Ruby stuttered furiously at her sister's question, and Yang let out a loud laugh, "I don't even know if she likes me like that! She could just be teasing me!"

Across the table, Weiss scoffed, an odd sound for the heiress to make, "Please Ruby, she's all over you. Well, actually I take that back," She amended, "You're both all over each other. It's actually rather sweet."

Yang gave the heiress a teasing grin, "Oh? Is our little Weiss a romantic? I never pegged you as the type."

Weiss flushed, glancing away, "I'm allowed to have hobbies." She muttered.

"...You really think so?" Ruby asked quietly.

Yang gave her a look, "I don't think she could make it more obvious if she tried sis." She looked to the others for confirmation, and received agreeing nods in return, "I say go for it. She's clearly into you just as much as you are into her. What's the worst that could happen?"

Ruby was saved from having to respond as the subject of conversation returned, only a few minutes after she left.

"Alright you guys, I've got your orders ready!" Rei greeted them as she strolled up, a small cart pulled behind her with various treats stacked atop it on a platter. She pulled the cart in front of the table, and began removing the items from it, placing them in front of their respective consumers, "Sampler Platter for Weiss, strawberry shortcake for Yang, caramel fudge brownies for Blake, and of course, cookies and a pitcher of milk for my favorite redhead." The team grinned as Ruby's face flushed once more, "Enjoy!"

The table was once more bathed in a comfortable silence as the team enjoyed their respective foods. Yang sighed happily as she took a bite of her strawberry shortcake, the sweet fruit and spongy cake sending her tastebuds to heaven. Rei was a really good baker.

Now she had to get her to date Ruby. There was no way the blonde was going to pass up the chance to have these treats any time she wanted.

"So what did you want to ask me Rei?" Ruby spoke up to her friend in between bites of cookie. Rei blinked in surprise as she placed the platter back onto the cart, clearly not expecting the question.

"Oh uh," She fidgeted slightly as they all looked at her curiously, ears twitching on the top of her head, "My uh other job is getting a bit dangerous. So I was gonna ask for your help with something." Rei said quietly and Yang's brow scrunched in confusion as she munched on her treat. Other job? What was she talking about?

Ruby apparently knew, as her sister let out a worried gasp, "Are you okay!? Did you get hurt!? Oh! Weiss usually has some bandages with her if you need som-"

Rei held her hands up at Ruby's onslaught of words, "Woah woah Ruby! It's nothing like that!' She put her hands on the girl's shoulders, keeping her in place as she practically vibrated with worry, "Nothing bad has happened yet."

Yang looked at her curiously, "Yet? What do you mean? You're not a huntress right?" From what Yang had heard, Rei hated fighting. Hell, apart from the gun she sometimes kept on her, she was pretty sure the girl didn't even have a weapon. She couldn't see Rei willingly seeking out Grimm if she could avoid it.

Rei made an 'eh' noise, "No, I'm more like… hired muscle I suppose. My employer is paying me some good money to take care of things for him, and unfortunately I'll have to defend myself to do it. From Grimm or people."

"But you don't have any combat training." Ruby said in concern, "You're pretty good with Trick, but any first year at Beacon could beat you in a fight pretty easily!" She winced as she realized how that sounded, "No offense."

Rei just shook her head, "No no, you're absolutely right. I'm really bad at fighting. The thing is, my employer actually hooked me up with a combat tutor. I'm nowhere near your guys' level, but I could probably hold my own against a random thug or three. Especially with my Semblance."

Huh. That was interesting. Yang wondered what kind of employer the Faunus had if they were willing to pay for a private tutor instead of just sending her to a combat school.

Her mind locked onto the other thing the girl had said, "Wait, you have your Semblance unlocked? What's it do?" Yang asked curiously. She knew from Ruby's numerous stories that the girl had her aura unlocked, but she didn't know that she had a Semblance as well.

'There are a few people in Beacon who didn't have their Semblance unlocked yet' Yang thought to herself, thinking of a certain blonde team leader, 'Wonder how she got hers…'

Rei hummed in response to her question, before leaning forward and locking eyes with Yang. She held out her hand to the blonde, "Can I use it on you? It won't hurt, but it'll probably feel uncomfortable."

Yang looked to Ruby, finding her watching the proceedings in interest, and shrugged, "Sure, why not? Better not mess with my hair though." She placed her hand in Rei's own.

In front of the rapt attention of Team RWBY, Rei's irises shifted from their usual blue color, to a brilliant gold. Yang's eyes widened as a sudden and acute feeling of loss came over her, like something extremely important was taken from her suddenly, leaving a hole deep within.

"Sorry, I've heard that sucks." The Faunus began, giving Yang a look of apology as she withdrew her hand, "My Semblance is called Borrow. Basically, as long as someone is within a certain range of me, I can temporarily steal their Semblance for myself. It lasts longer if they give it to me willingly, but I can just take it if I need to. Can't keep it forever no matter what though, it always goes back to the original owner."

"Can you just keep taking it when they get it back?" Ruby asked in interest, and Yang nearly snorted as she noticed that her sister hadn't stopped staring at the Faunus' eyes the entire time.

Rei seemingly didn't notice, shaking her head in response to the question, "No, I can't steal someone's Semblance twice in a row. I have to 'renew' the charge by stealing another Semblance, or wait around an hour."

She gave Yang a glance, and the blonde noticed there was a bit of sweat on her forehead, "By the way Yang, how do you live like this? The room just shot up like fifteen degrees the second I took Burn."

"I'm used to the heat." Yang shrugged as she flexed her fingers, feeling just slightly off. Which made sense considering her sister's crush had basically just stolen a piece of her actual soul, "You mind giving it back? This feels weird."

Rei's eyes changed again, gold fading back to its usual blue, and Yang sighed in relief as her soul was put back in one piece. She stretched happily, cracking her knuckles over her head, "Oh yeah, that feels better."

"So if that wasn't it, what was your question?" Ruby asked her friend curiously, polishing off her glass of milk and sitting it back on the table.

Rei took a visible breath, blue eyes becoming serious as she stared into Ruby's silver orbs, "Ruby," She began lowly, and Yang leaned forward in interest, wondering what kind of request could make the normally laidback Faunus act so serious, "I want you to help me smith a weapon."

Oh. Oh no.

Yang quickly placed her hands over her ears as she noticed Ruby's eyes widen and her jaw pop open. Her other teammates gave her weird looks, raising their eyebrows at her actions, and Yang just gave them a look of sympathy as the keening in the back of her sister's throat grew steadily louder, quickly becoming slightly uncomfortable to the others at the table and then those beyond.

Yang wondered how long it would take for her weapon-manic sister to calm down this time.

---

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Apparently, Beacon's forge was open for use by just about anyone. It was a little known fact, not technically advertised, but it was true. So long as you paid a rather large fee and personally knew someone in the school itself, their facility was opened to you.

Money wasn't really an issue for me any more, and I was much more than a mere acquaintance with a certain silver-eyes student, so it was easy to get in.

Unlike most other places within Vale, the forge in Beacon was state of the art. It was nothing like the tiny forge I had used to make Trick, and I found myself looking around curiously, a little out of my element as I took in the various tools and machines that were strewn across the room itself.

There were a few students currently using the facility, hammers clanging against steel and fires being stoked as they worked at their latest projects, armor plates and weapons strewn about as they worked on their internals and externals.

A few of them gave Ruby and I curious glances as we passed, clearly recognising the silver-eyed girl but not the Faunus who was following behind her like a lost puppy. I gave them a shallow nod, adjusting the strap of my bag as I did so and that was seemingly enough for them to decide I was uninteresting as they all immediately turned back to what they were working on.

"Here we are!" Ruby said happily as I turned my attention back forward. She gestured at the small alcove she had stopped in front of with a happy grin, "My little piece of paradise!"

I looked around the area curiously. Apparently Ruby was in the forge often enough that an entire area had been completely dedicated for her own personal use which honestly made complete sense. Bright red pieces of metal that I could recognize would fit Crescent Rose lay scattered across a large desk in various states of repair. Several tools ranging from wrenches to welding torches were hung on the wall just behind the desk, easily in reach and ready for use.

There was a rather large furnace off to the side, coals inside of it dim with the lack of heat running through

And to wrap it all up in a way that was decidedly Ruby, there was a large poster of a Beowolf eating a cookie hanging just beside the tools. I had always found it a bit odd how we had a tendency to cutify the literal genocidal monsters that threatened to plague humanity's very existence, but I suppose there was something to be said about coping mechanisms and all that

I giggled as I sat my bag down on the floor, "Nice decor Ruby. Really livens the place up."

Ruby saw where I was looking and blushed brightly, "That's not mine! S-someone must have put it up there to prank me! Or something…"

I raised a brow, "Oh? The cookie and dog loving Ruby Rose had nothing to do with it?"

"A-anyway." Ruby quickly moved on from the subject, "We should have most of what we need to make your weapon in the forge. Materials are free to use for any student as long as they aren't purposefully wasteful, so we've got quite a bit to choose from."

I decided not to tease her further, instead looking around at the stack of ingot and various other tools, "Looks like we have a good amount of stuff. Will this be enough you think?" I asked curiously.

Ruby hummed, studying the area, "Maybe." She finally decided, "We'll likely have to go through at least two or three prototypes depending on your designs, but the forge gets a new shipment of materials every friday based on what was used during the prior week. We should be good to go."

I nodded, "That's good. If we need anything that we don't have, I can make a quick run down to Vale to get it."

"So how long were you able to rent access for?" Ruby asked curiously as she pressed a small button on the side of the furnace. The coals inside began to glow orange immediately as they rapidly warmed up, and I winced at the wave of sweltering heat that immediately soaked into my jacket.

"My job pays really well so I was able to pay for a month's worth of time." I said as I set my bag down in a corner, far away from the furnace of course, "We should be able to get it done by then right?"

"Yep." She popped the 'p', before looking at me curiously, "Hey Rei?"

"Hmm?"

"What is your job?"

I froze as the question registered in my ears. I had been hoping to put this conversation off for a little while longer, not really sure how to go about telling Ruby of my, well it wasn't really a hobby anymore was it? I knew Ruby wasn't likely to hate me for something as trivial as theft (Even the grand heists I was probably going to have to pull in the future) but it was still going to be a difficult task to tell her that her best friend had plans to be a master thief.

I wanted to tell her. Oh how I wanted to. I often found myself staring at her during our hangout sessions, words on the tip of my tongue in preparation to spill everything to the only person who was likely to understand.

But I couldn't. One of the only conditions of mine and Gerard's contract was that I wasn't allowed to tell anyone what I was doing. I wasn't willing to break a promise to the man who had practically saved me from destitution, but I was just as unwilling to keep lying to my friend's face like I had been. It was a bit of an impossible situation.

But maybe it didn't have to be. Gerard had specifically stated that I wasn't allowed to tell anyone he didn't approve of about the exact details of my employment. Anyone he didn't approve, that was the important part. If I could convince him, he could simply add Ruby to that list of approved people, allowing me to tell her everything.

Surely Gerard would understand, right? Ruby was my best friend, even if what I was doing was technically illegal, I wasn't hurting anybody, didn't have plans to hurt anybody, she would understand. But until I got his explicit permission, I would have to keep her in the dark.

'Just for a little while.' I promised myself, 'Only a little while longer.'

"I can't tell you." I said finally and watched as Ruby's face fell slightly. I hastened to explain, "I mean I can't tell you yet. There's something I have to do first."

Ruby tilted her head, confusion clear in her eyes which was much better than the tinge of sadness that was there just moments ago, "What do you mean?"

I sighed, turning back to my bag, "My employer has specifically told me that I'm not allowed to tell anyone what I'm doing without his permission." I explained as I began pulling things out of my bag in search of something specific, "It was one of the only rules he had for me when he hired me on and it's in the contract I signed. You're my best friend Ruby, but I can't tell you just yet."

It sucked, and I could tell Ruby wasn't happy about it by the way the edges of her mouth curled down slightly, but she nodded anyway, "Alright. Just promise you'll tell me if it gets too dangerous. I don't want you to get hurt." Her face was set into a serious expression, and I knew she wasn't going to let this one go.

"Deal." I said. I would talk to Gerard next time we spoke and do my best to convince him. I didn't like hiding things from Ruby.

I finally found what I was looking for, pulling a notebook from my back and holding it out for her to take, "Here. I had a feeling something like this would happen so I started making designs a while ago. These are the final drafts." I handed it to her and she hummed curiously as she opened it up.

Ruby was silent as she flipped through my notebook, and I felt a tinge of nervousness prickle the back of my neck. I was the furthest thing there was from a mechanic, much less a weaponsmith, and I had no way of knowing whether or not my designs were even possible. There was a not so small possibility that Ruby would just laugh in my face at my ideas.

'No, that's silly.' I shook my head as Ruby studied my designs, 'It's Ruby, she wouldn't do that. She doesn't have a mean bone in her body.'

That didn't help the nervousness that continued to build as she flipped through my notebook, silver eyes darting along the pages as she took in my illustrations.

"It's gonna be tricky to get all of the mechanisms working without interfering with each other." Ruby finally spoke, sounding more like she was talking to herself than me as she continued scanning the papers, "The dust chamber specifically would need to be reinforced to handle the stress you're planning to put it through, and that would severely impact its mechashift abilities. Though that could be fixed if we- No. No that wouldn't work, that would increase its weight to the point that the shifting nodes wouldn't even be able to rotate. Maybe…"

She continued muttering to herself as she flipped through the notebook, and I let out a sigh of relief as she didn't dismiss my ideas straight away. It would have really sucked to have come all the way down here only to learn that I would have to start from scratch.

"So it's possible?" I asked the muttering girl. Silver eyes blinked in surprise as she turned to me, seemingly having forgotten I was there. I smiled in amusement as her face flushed red in mild embarrassment.

"Oh, um, yeah it's possible." She said as she placed the notebook onto the workbench, "Just tricky. Some of your ideas are sound in writing but actually putting them into action will be a bit difficult."

I frowned at that, "I can change it up a bit if that would help." I offered, "There's a few features in there that I don't completely need."

She surprised me by shaking her head with a grin, "Nope! The tricky parts are what make it fun! It's super boring working with analogue stuff and your designs are pretty complex. It's pretty cool that you were able to think of something like this without going to an academy for it." She praised.

I could feel a blush warming my cheeks as I rubbed the back of my head, "I just tried to imagine what would be useful in a fight. It's nothing really."

She shook her head, "Some of the second-years here don't have a weapon this complex. You clearly put a lot of thought into your fighting style and saw what you were lacking and figured out how to fix it. That shows a level of introspection that some veteran Huntsmen don't even have!" She insisted.

If my face got any redder I was pretty sure I was going to pass out. Somehow I had forgotten how passionate Ruby got about this sort of stuff. It was odd to hear her so seriously praising something I had created that wasn't just baked treats, and it sent my heart beating slightly faster.

Ruby placed the notebook back on the table, turning to me with a bright smile. "Alright! Let's get started! I'm going to go grab some stuff we need, you start stacking ingots by the forge so we don't have to keep walking back and forth." She ordered.

I grinned at the sight of her taking charge, and gave her a mock salute, "You got it boss!"

~~~

It was a little over two weeks later, and Ruby and I had run into a bit of a roadblock with the prototypes. Namely, the fact that they kept exploding on us. The first time it had happened had been a surprise, the second had been an annoyance, and the third had been mildly infuriating.

We had decided to put the work on halt while we figured out exactly what was causing the problem, going over notes and the mangled wrecks of the prototypes to find the cause. We'd had little success, and eventually decided to call it a day.

That had been yesterday, and I looked around as I entered the forge once more, noting that it was completely empty, which made sense considering how early it was. It seemed that everyone had better things to do than work on their project at seven in the morning. Well, everyone except me and Ruby. I grinned as I walked toward the noise of metal slamming against metal, making my way to the alcove that my best friend had made her own.

I rounded the corner, Ruby's name on my lips, only to stop as I took in the redhead, brow furrowed in concentration as she worked…

In a sports-bra.

She was hammering a glowing hot piece of metal, shaping it with purpose, before sliding it back into the flames of the furnace. My eyes were drawn to the drops of sweat dripping from her hair, the wisps of silky black stuck to the skin of her forehead which practically steamed in the intense heat of the forge, before my gaze fell lower.

I swallowed lightly as I took in the surprisingly toned muscles in her arms as she retrieved the metal, hammering it once more on the table. The burning furnace cast a beautiful glow on her pale skin, light shimmering along the thin layer of sweat that had built up during her work, and my mouth dried as I imagined running my tongue along the length of her biceps, the salty taste of sweat covering my tastebuds as I-

I shook my head, 'Down girl! That's Ruby you're thinking about, your best friend! She's not just some piece of meat for you to ogle! Cool it!'

I took a deep breath to calm my raging hormones, before taking another, more analyzing look at my friend. Unlike usual, her face was scrunched into an expression of mild frustration as she removed the metal from the furnace again, placing it back onto the workbench as she began shaping it once more. Each ring of her hammer upon the molten surface was louder than the last as she put more force into her strikes, before something eventually gave, and the next strike of her hammer was upon the table itself.

She stared at the twisted and bent metal in her tongs for a moment, before letting out a loud groan, "Ugh! Not again! I thought I had it that time!"

"Everything okay Ruby?" I made my presence known as I began picking up the scatter bits of scrap metal, placing them into a pile. They weren't hot, but it still wouldn't have been right to just leave them lying around like that.

Ruby's head shot over to me, surprise evident in her eyes, "Oh, Rei! I didn't know you were here."

I chuckled, "I don't think you would have noticed if the headmaster himself walked through the door Ruby. You were really focused over there." I gave her a concerned look, "What's got you so worked up this early? You figure out what was causing the malfunctions?"

Ruby groaned as she took the metal into her tongs again, "Ugh, yes… The issue is that the alloy mixes we have here at Beacon aren't sturdy enough to properly reinforce the dust chamber for your right sword. That's why all of our prototypes have been exploding on us. The casing is compromised immediately after firing." She explained as she carefully submerged the metal into the quenching solution with a hiss of steam, leaving it there to cool, "I've been trying different mixes to try to find one that's good enough."

Here, she grimaced, "But none of the metal we have on hand is pure enough to mix properly so it just keeps coming out even more brittle than before. I've gone through I don't know how many attempts and I'm about to lose my mind!"

So that's what it was. I'll admit, I had somewhat foreseen this when I had made my designs. I had based the dust chamber on the one within Trick so I knew it could be done, but Trick was just a gun, not an mechashift weapon which was a bigger difference than it sounded. Every component of a mechashift weapon needed to be carefully balanced or catastrophic failure was all but guaranteed.

Still, now that I knew what the problem was, I might have had a solution. My mind went back to something Misa had told me she often did during our training, infusing her aura into her weapon during our spars to increase its durability.

"Well," I began hesitantly as I finished stacking the discarded failures into a pile, "I might have an idea. But I'm not a blacksmith, I honestly don't even know if it's possible in the way I'm imaging."
Ruby just gave me a tired look, "It can't be any stupider than trying to use a quenching solution made from melon juice to strengthen the metal." She grumbled as she wiped her hands off with a rag, quickly transitioning to cleaning her neck of sweat.

I snorted, carefully keeping my eyes to myself and not on the bead of sweat making its way down her abdomen, "Melon juice?"

"I was tired. Melon juice has iron in it. It seemed like a good idea at the time." Was her explanation, and I shook my head as I shucked off my jacket, placing it on a table off to the side and leaving me in just a black T-shirt.

"Right, we're taking a break tomorrow. You've been working your tail off and I'm starting to feel bad. I'll treat you to that ice cream place you love so much as a thank you." I decided.

Ruby gave a small pout, clearly not wanting to go with my idea, but the mention of ice cream swayed her decision. "Yeah, okay. That sounds nice." She smiled lightly, looking up at me as I walked up beside her, setting a bottle of water from my bag beside her "So what was your idea?" She asked as she opened it gratefully.

I hummed, taking in the numerous ingots still in the furnace. They weren't nearly as hot as the one Ruby had been working on, a dull orange instead of cherry-red, but that might actually work in our favor.

"Well…" I spoke slowly as I took in the ingots, "Why don't we try infusing our aura's into the metal while we work on it? From what little I remember from school, aura infusion on an inanimate object isn't nearly as hard as on another person right? If it takes, it should strengthen the metal while keeping it around the same weight. We wouldn't need to change the alloy at all."

Ruby froze, water bottle halfway to her lips as she took in my words. I rubbed the back of my neck sheepishly, "Like I said, I don't even know if its possible but it seemed like a good idea in my head-"

I was surprised as a pair of arms was suddenly wrapped around my back and I was pulled into a hug, "Rei, you're a genius!"

I blinked, "I am?" I said as my arms hesitantly came down around her, my shaky hands resting against the bare skin of her back. As she spoke excitedly.

"You are! I don't know why I didn't think of it sooner! Aura infusion isn't easy because of how much of a strain it puts on your body so most people don't do it, but as long as we do it together there shouldn't be any issue! If we switch off every few cycles, the strain will be reduced but not only that, it should also increase the durability of the metal several times what it would have been if I we did it alone. OOH! I"ve got the perfect metal in mind, it's super conductive. Wait right here!"

She zoomed away, leaving me standing there dumbfounded with my arms outstretched , rose petals fluttering between my now-empty arms. I slowly lowered them back to my sides, staring straight forward as I tried to come to terms with what had just happened. I guess that break would have to wait.

…She was really warm.

~~~

It was a struggle. Creating a weapon as complicated as I had designed was no easy task even for someone as gifted as Ruby, even after my solution to our problem. The internal mechanisms needed to be just the right size and shape, the metal on the outside needed to be just the right shape or it would all fall apart spectacularly and that wasn't even mentioning the science of the mechashift itself. Even by the time we were finished, I still couldn't wrap my head around it.

It was a given that I wouldn't be able to help much in the actual crafting of the weapon. Oh sure, I could work the forge just fine and hammer metal with the best of them, but the actual cutting and welding and soldering was done by Ruby. In the later stages,

I certainly didn't mind. It was really something else to watch the redhead work at something she was so very passionate about, and every time her silver eyes lit up with excitement as another component clicked into place, my own chest buzzed with something just as powerful. Something that left me staring at her, breathless as blood pulsed in my ears with the beats of my heart.

Gods. I really was smitten, wasn't I?

And finally, after nearly the entire month of time allotted to us was consumed, it was done. With one final click, the last component slid into place like a puzzle piece, and our labor was complete. A weapon, forged by our shared hands and auras lay on the workbench, dim light glinting off the newly polished metal.

Ruby's scream of happiness nearly got us kicked out, but the look on her face and resulting hug would have been more than worth it.

~~~

While Beacon's forge was open for use to just about anyone, their training facilities were certainly not. They were student-only and any outsiders caught inside could get in serious trouble for it, as well as any student helping them.

Of course, that wasn't going to stop Ruby who really wanted to do a live testing with my newly made weapon, nor me who had a habit of sneaking into places I wasn't wanted. It was a simple task to navigate to the room using Ruby's student map, sneaking through the empty halls to meet her in the training facility.

And what a facility it was. A room specifically for weight lifting, one containing a large circular ring specifically for running, and even a swimming pool the size of a baseball field. It was insane. And that wasn't even getting into the battle facility.

See, in order to keep the death counts low from students venturing into the wild to look for Grimm to test their weapons on, Beacon had opted for a more… simple solution, if you could call it that.

Holograms. Tangible holograms of Grimm that would attack the student based on the setting they had been put on, shutting off when their aura was depleted or all the Grimm were dead. I didn't even know that that sort of stuff was possible but I suppose that's why Beacon was the best Academy in most people's eyes. I was certainly all too happy to utilize the facility for myself.

My weapons fit perfectly in my hands, like they had been there all along. And as I sliced my way through fake Grimm, I couldn't be more happier with the results of our work.

Even before Misa had advised me, I had noticed that dual-wielding was the most comfortable fighting style for me. It just came naturally to me to fight with both of my arms, keeping up with two weapons not an issue at all like it was with most people. I had taken this into account when I had made my designs before giving them to Ruby, and now that I was holding the finished product in my hands, weaving between slow-moving fake Grimm I knew I had made the right choice.

Hit and Run. A month-long labor between Ruby and I, and one that turned out beautifully. They were a pair of black and blue mechashift hookswords with short range weapons incorporated into them, meant to accommodate my more personal way of fighting. While it had taken a bit of getting used to, especially since they were both around two feet longer than my escrima sticks, it hadn't taken long to shift my style to accommodate.

Run was my left weapon. It included a high-capacity SMG that worked by shooting chunks of pure dust. It was certainly an expensive type of ammunition, but one I was more than happy to use given the sheer variety of effects I could choose from. Well that, combined with the fact that money was of little consequence any more, had spurred my decision.

Hit, my right weapon, was exactly the same as Run except instead it included a low-capacity, high-caliber pistol whose barrel ran along the length of the blade. It was also the weapon responsible for the whole dust chamber issue that Ruby and I had run into, as the caliber of bullet I had decided to use was much larger than it had any right being. That was intentional however, and I was supremely glad it had worked out. Anything on the wrong end of my sword was in for a big surprise.

Truly, both weapons had come out incredibly well, and I knew I had Ruby to thank for it.

I grinned sharply as I sliced off the head of a fake blue Beowolf, the sharp hooks of my weapons clicking together as the resistance of the Grimm's thick neck suddenly disappeared. The training room was currently on its second-lowest setting and so the Grimm were much less aggressive than they would have been in the wild. But that was fine, I was here to get used to my weapons and test them out, not fight for my life.

Still, I couldn't deny that it was fun. Much more fun than I had ever had in a fight before.

I twirled as I heard movement, ducking under a swiping claw as the Beowolf dispersed into particles behind me. A simple twitch of my fingers activated a hidden mechanism in Run as I turned to the attacking Grimm, pointing the hilt of my weapon towards it as a barrel emerged.

Burning chunks of dust pelted the hologram, stopping it in its tracks with a grimace as I closed the distance rapidly. I thrust Hit forward, activating its mechashift at the same time and causing the hook to face forward in a way more akin to a standard blade. It speared through the hologram's stomach with ease, killing the fake Grimm and causing it to disperse as well.

I wasn't given a moment of rest as my ears twitched on my head as I picked up a shift in the air, and I just barely managed to dodge out of the way of another snarling hologram, my white aura flaring as fake claws scraped along its surface. As it passed me, I extended Hit outwards, shifting it back into a hook and catching the running Grimm in the leg, causing it to fall forward into a tumble as its leg came out from under it.

Knowing that it wouldn't hit hard enough to kill with the amount of ammo left, I placed Run on my back, clicking it in place into the magnetic strips located there, before retrieving Trick from its holster. Two quick depressions of the trigger, and the third Beowolf was gone as well. I placed Trick back where it came from as blue particles drifted upwards as the simulation ceased displaying the fake Grimm.

Which left just one. I kept my eyes on the last fake Beowulf as I pulled a chunk of fire dust from the bandolier around my chest, placing it inside of the now-open slot on Run, reloading it. I brandished my weapons, narrowing my eyes as the hologram roared angrily, before darting forward, swords held low in preparation.

As I neared the Grimm, I thrust my left arm forward, depressing Run's trigger and unloading red-hot dust into its stomach and causing it to let out a digitized yell of pain. As I got close enough, I shot Hit forward, the sharpened hook sliding mere inches from its neck, before I brought it back towards me with an expectant grin as it bit deeply into fake fur and flesh. And as the weapon locked around the hologram's neck, I pressed a button on the hilt, bracing my arm in preparation as a click sounded out.

With a loud bang, an explosion of fire dust emerged from a small barrel beside the blade, propelling my arm backwards and easily slicing through the hologram's neck, cleanly decapitating it even as the explosion and bullet itself reduced the head to a pulp.

The training hall was quite apart from my deep breaths, before it was broken by Ruby.

"YES!" My best friend shouted happily as I inspected my weapon with a satisfied smile, taking in the lack of cracks on the face of my right sword, "That was really good Rei! And the dust chamber worked perfectly!"

I clicked a button on both hilts, shifting them back into their regular bladed forms as I held them out for Ruby to inspect, "Seems infusing our Aura's into the metal worked. There's zero damage from what I can tell and they're still really light."

She skipped up to me happily, grabbing the Hit as she inspected it, happily noting the lack of damage evident on it. She gave it back to me before grabbing Run and doing the same, turning it this way and that as she inspected the face.

"It's really too bad we couldn't test the alt mode. But we'd need to go to the firing range for that, and the second-years are holding a group practice there; they'd definitely know you aren't a student." Ruby pouted.

I chuckled as I grabbed Run from her. I twisted the small dial on its face, causing it to jump in my hands as its components shifted around in the way that mechashift tended to do until finally, I was holding a smaller-than-average rifle in my hands. I handed it off to Ruby who hummed as she looked it over.

"I can't see any imperfections in the welds." She muttered, "The sight is a bit rudimentary, but it should allow you to fire at a relatively good range though nothing too drastic. Trigger isn't too squishy, barrel alignment is good and there's no cracks from the shift so that's good. I wonder if-"

"Let's test all that some other time." I placed my hands on hers as she began to ramble, stopping her in her tracks, "We've been working really hard this month, you more so than me with your schoolwork and all. You deserve an actual break."

She pouted as she looked up at me, "But Reeeeiii! We still have so much to test! What if the mechashift malfunctions while you're in a fight! We've got to make sure everything is perfect!"

I chuckled lightly as I took in her enthusiasm, "And we will Ruby, but later. I'm not getting into a fight any time soon so we have all the time in the world. Let's take a break."

She opened her mouth to argue, but I just raised an eyebrow at her and she closed it, "Alright. I guess a break sounds nice." She muttered and I nearly shook my head in amusement. This girl was too much sometimes.

I stared into her eyes, pools of silver reflecting my own enamored gaze, and I swallowed thickly as I came to terms with just how close we were, mere inches between our faces. Ruby seemed to realize the same thing too, as her face suddenly bloomed scarlet and her eyes darted away from my own.

My breath caught in my throat as I took her in, analyzing the way her dark hair curled along her ears and the way her rosy blush enhanced her soft features in a beautiful way.

I swallowed roughly. Wasn't this the moment in movies where the smitten couple confessed their feelings for each other? That's what it felt like, and this was the perfect opportunity to tell the girl in front of me how I felt. Nobody else was in the room, and nobody knew we were here so we weren't likely to be interrupted anytime soon…

And yet, as she locked eyes with me once more, none of that mattered. All that mattered, was that Ruby was inches away, staring into my eyes with a look softer than any I had seen before. My throat worked as I thought of what to say, rendered speechless as I did my best to get my emotions in order.

"H-hey Ruby…" I spoke quietly as I gathered my resolve.

"Yeah Rei?" she said just as softly, staring up at me.

I could do this. I could do this.

"Would you, ah- I just- Are you-" I scrunched my face as my words tripped over one another in an attempt to get out of my mouth. I focused, trying my best to calm down in order to get my sentence out in a way that was understandable. This was important, "There's that new Mistralian place that opened up near my shop. Do- Would you wanna go there sometime? Just the two of us?"

Ruby's eyes widened, "Like a date?" She squeaked out.

I swallowed, glancing away, "Well, no. Not like a date. A date." There was a small intake of breath and I looked back to find silver eyes staring into my own, wide as saucers.

My heart pounded loudly in my ears as I once again struggled to form my next words. All of my usual confidence was nowhere to be found, the teasing that I had enacted on the girl in front of me not preparing me in the slightest for something so earnest. This wasn't just me trying to fluster Ruby like I usually did, this was something different. Something real.

With real consequences if I had read this all wrong.

But she hadn't stepped back, hadn't pulled her hands free from my admittedly loose grip. That was a good sign right?

My mind shot back to words I had heard my grandfather once say, something that had stuck with me years later.

"Our lives are all about risks, Rei. You take a risk every time you step out of your door to face the world, a risk of loss, love, and everything in between. It's simply a part of life. Don't live in constant fear of risks, embrace them. It can lead to pain, yes. But it can also lead to something wonderful. Now stop sniveling and go take that man's order, he doesn't even look that scary!"

Truly, that man spouted life-changing advice at the oddest of times. I missed him.

I remembered his words, took a deep breath, and decided to take the plunge.

"I… I really enjoy spending time with you Ruby." I began softly, making sure to keep my eyes on hers so she could see how serious I was, "Ever since we were kids, you've had this way of lighting up my life with your presence alone. I don't know when my feelings changed from friendship to what they are now, but what I do know is I've been finding myself looking forward to your presence more and more every day, and basking in it when we're together. You've become a staple in my life, and I wouldn't have it any other way."

"I really like you Ruby. And if it's okay with you, I'd like to show you how much." There, I had said it. A little bit more mushy than I had expected, but upon recollection, nothing that I had said was untrue.

She was silent for a long moment, just staring at me, eyes scrutinizing as she took in my face, and my heart clenched. I had put my heart out there, laying my feelings bare for the girl who had caused them, and hoped that they weren't pushed away.

That would really suck.

Eventually, after almost too long for my heart to take, Ruby's eyes had found what they were looking for, silver pools softening as she looked down at my hands on top of hers.

"You know, it's funny." Ruby laughed softly, "Yang was telling me how there was no way you would reject me if I asked you out and I didn't believe her at first. I've been thinking about ways to ask you out all month but I just couldn't ever actually do it. And then here you go, just coming out and asking." The pit in my stomach disappeared as I took in what she was saying, replaced by a tentative hope that threatened to consume me as I awaited her answer.

She looked up at me, "I really like you too." Ruby smiled shyly, the soft blush on her cheeks making the action even more radiant than normal, "I'd love to go on a date with you Rei."

I couldn't resist, I pulled her into me, wrapping my arms around her back as she pressed her slightly shorter form into my own, the hard steel of Run digging into my jacket. I didn't care one bit; I rested my chin in her hair, a massive smile forming on my face at her words.

"That's… awesome." I said for lack of better things to say. My chest felt like it was about to explode with how fast my heart was pumping, and there was a bubbly feeling that just wouldn't stop, threatening to make me light-headed with just how happy I was.

"You won't regret it Ruby. I swear." I promised her. I could feel her smile into my jacket, hands tightening around my back as she hugged me just as tightly.

"I know I won't."

---

And as always, a huge thanks to my Patrons!
Next two chapters are posted there if you would like to read it early: Sadguychet | Patreon.

I hummed a happy tune, swinging my hips lightly along with the music currently playing from my scroll into my earbuds. I reached my hand into my backpack, pulling out a pair of lockpicks and getting to work on the relatively simple lock in front of me, inserting the picks and looking for the right angle to pop it open.

My good mood was nothing new; I had been on cloud-nine all week, practically skipping around everywhere I went and it was all thanks to Ruby, my girlfriend.

I couldn't help the smile that split my lips at the thought, girlfriend. It was almost too good to be true, the idea that our relationship had evolved in such a beautiful way and just the thought of it sent warmth racing throughout my body

Our date to the Mistralian restaurant had gone spectacularly, even now the memory instilled a fuzzy feeling inside of me as I remembered the way Ruby had blushed at my teasing and laughed at my jokes, even throwing some of her own teasing into the mix to my surprise. It had been a wonderful experience, and I sighed happily as I remembered how it ended.

The slightly chill night air brushed against my cheeks, currently stretched into a slight smile that had seemed perpetual throughout the night. The cold had absolutely no effect on me, barely registering through the warmth inundated my very being, and it was all owed to the girl beside me, fingers locked in my own.

I gave her a glance, eyes softening as I took her in. Like me, her lips were turned slightly upwards in a grin as she practically skipped along beside me. Her nose and cheeks were slightly red, from the wind or a blush I couldn't tell exactly, but either way, she looked radiant. How in the world had I gotten so lucky?

Seemingly noticing my stare, Ruby's eyes turned to me curiously, "What is it?"

I hummed as I stared at her, "Nothing. Just taking in the view." I squeezed her hand, speaking softly, "You look beautiful tonight."

And she did, I had insisted that neither of us dress up too much for this date, not wanting to ruin the easy air that often flowed between us, but we had both done a bit of freshening up so to speak. I myself had actually bothered to brush my unruly hair and had even gone so far as to put on some gentle cologne that wouldn't

To my surprise, Ruby had put on a light amount of makeup. I didn't know jack about makeup myself, but whatever she had done was extremely eye-catching, accentuating her already beautiful features and drawing my eyes even more than usual. I could also smell just a hint of perfume, roses, who would have guessed? It was lovely.

Ruby's cheeks lit up in what was definitely a blush and she looked away. That didn't stop me from seeing the soft grin on her face though, "Thank you Rei. Y-you're pretty too, I like what you did with your hair today." She said quietly.

I gave a sheepish grin, running my hand through my hair, "Do you? I don't usually brush it cause of how short it is, but I've been growing it out a little bit recently so it's longer."

Ruby nodded, "It looks really good when it's like this! It's still a little unruly but that suits your personality and I like the way that it looks against the fur of your jacket."

I raised a teasing eyebrow, "Oh? Unruly am I? I seem to recall a certain redhead making a bit of a ruckus in the restaurant earlier. I think you got that waiter fired."

Ruby's face twisted into an angry pout, "He was being mean to you because of your ears!" She defended loudly, "He tried to spill soup on you on purpose!"

I shrugged, unconcerned "I moved out of the way in time."

She turned her pout on me, "That doesn't matter! He shouldn't have tried to do it in the first place!"

Due to a lack of proper investigation on my part as well as a bit of a lack of foresight, I had completely forgotten about the inherent racism in my part of Vale. The restaurant that had opened sat close to my bakery, near the nicer, less bigoted parts of the city, but it still pulled employees from the bad part.

One such employee was the waiter we had been assigned. He had been all smiles as he approached our table, at least until he glanced upwards at the large lynx ears on top of my head. His demeanor had become decidedly less friendly after that, or at least to me. He had even tried to just take Ruby's order and completely forget about me, walking away until I called him back.

When we received our food, he just happened to have a bowl of soup for another table on his tray as well and just happened to drop it directly on my lap. If it wasn't for my quick reflexes and the fact that I had a feeling he was going to try some shit like that in the first place, I would have likely been burned by the hot scalding soup. As it stood however, I had managed to dodge the deluge of liquid as it splashed harmlessly on the booth beside me, giving the man an extremely unamused look.

Determined to not let it ruin our date, I had been content to simply ignore it after that, marking the man for later just in case he lived nearby and just happened to have some valuables worth selling, but it seemed that my date wasn't willing to let it play out like that.

It was one of the only times I had seen Ruby truly angry. The redhead had shot out of her seat at the waiter's fake apology, face red as her cloak, and had laid into him right then and there. In front of mine and the entire restaurant's shocked eyes, she verbally tore him limb from limb as his face grew red in mortified embarrassment.

Her words caught the attention of the manager that night, and when Ruby had informed him of what had happened, pointing to the large soup stain on my side of the booth, the manager had practically dragged the man off by his ear, coming back a few minutes later and informing us that our meal would be free, and that a new server would be given our table.

There weren't any more incidents after that one, and we both exited the restaurant full and happy to be in each other's company. Still…

"I didn't know you could yell like that." I said casually as I looked at her, "You really weren't happy huh?"

"I don't like meanies and that guy was a stupid jerk." Ruby grouched, looking up at me with passion in her eyes, "Your ears are super cute Rei. I like the way they twitch sometimes or turn to me when I talk, it's adorable."

I blinked, extremely surprised at her sudden barrage of compliments. Warmth flooded my cheeks and I gave Ruby a grin, feeling oddly shy, "Thanks Ruby, that's super nice of you."

She nodded happily, squeezing my hand as she grinned up at me, "Of course!"

Unfortunately, all good things had to come to an end. I let out a disappointed sigh as we reached the port for the bullhead that would take her back to Beacon. The ship wasn't currently in the docking area, but judging by the time, it wouldn't be long before it got here.

I turned to Ruby, trying to hide my disappointment as I let go of her hand, "Welp, I guess this is your stop."

Ruby looked just as disappointed as I felt, lips turned downwards in a slight friend, before it returned to her normal smile as she turned to face me fully.

We stood there, face-to-face, and my eyes were drawn to her face, the now-glowing street lights around us casting shadows on her pale features that amplified her beauty in a way that I couldn't look away from.

"I really had fun tonight, Rei. Even after that jerk almost ruined our date." Ruby said softly, staring up at me with earnest silver eyes.

"So does that mean you're open to a repeat performance? I've got a few other places in mind that shouldn't be nearly as bigoted if that interests you." I grinned down at Ruby, heart thumping in my chest as I stared into her eyes.

Instead of answering, Ruby placed her hands on my shoulders as she leaned up on her tip-toes. My eyes widened as her lips brushed against my cheek in a feather-light kiss, lingering there for a moment before retreating.

Stunned by the bold action, I didn't speak as Ruby returned to her original position, grinning up at me at my surprise, "I think I'd like that." She said cheekily, like she hadn't just done what she did.

She suddenly blinked, tilting her head towards me in confusion, "Are… Are you purring!?" She gasped, leaning forward and closing her eyes as she placed her ear near my chest. She gasped again, "You are! I didn't know you could do that!"

My face heated with my blush as I looked away in embarrassment. My chest was indeed rumbling, a growling purr emitting from the bottom of my throat as my body expressed its happiness without my consent. Ruby's eyes practically sparkled as she stared at me in shock as I kept my eyes averted from her.

My Faunus traits had always been a bit stronger than most. It was extremely useful with my sensitive ears, retractable claws and night-vision helping me in my profession, but it also came with a few slightly embarrassing caveats. One of them was the tendency to purr when I was extremely happy, as was the case right now.

At least I didn't have a thing for scratching posts or chasing red lasers. Small mercies I suppose.

Luckily for my embarrassed state, the silence of the night was interrupted by the roar of a bullhead's engines as it docked at the port. The door on the side slid open, a ramp extending downward to allow entry.

Ruby stepped away from me, looking reluctant to do so and gave me a slightly apologetic look, "Looks like I've got to go. Stay safe,Rei!"

"Yeah." I spoke, still a bit stunned and embarrassed by what had just happened, "Will do, Ruby. I'll see you later."

She gave me another wave as she ran to the bullhead, boarding it and disappearing from sight, leaving me alone, stomach full of butterflies as I was lit up by the light of the streetlamp above.

I shook my head fondly at the memory. It had taken me a while to regain my bearings, and afterwards I had to give it to Ruby, I had never been stunned like that before. It was a side of the girl I had never seen before, and now that we were together, I honestly hoped I got to see it much more in the future.

I was shocked from my thoughts as the lock to the box popped open and I blinked in surprise, realizing that I had actually opened the lock without even paying attention to it. That was really bad security.

"Well it isn't like good security would have kept me out either." I muttered as I opened up the box, revealing the treasures inside.

Gerard's contract stated that I had to steal the vials for him, and undergo training with his team. Other than that, there weren't really any rules on what I could do in my free time. So since I basically had free reign to do what I want outside of all that, along with the fact that it had been a little while, I decided to indulge in one of my hobbies.

Namely, thievery, or burglary in this case.

I was currently pilfering through some rich lady's jewelry box, sorting through the admittedly expensive accessories to find something worth selling. I scrunched my face at the extremely tacky bracelet I retrieved, covered in jewels and plated gold in a way that was extremely gaudy, before shrugging; it was definitely worth something and it wasn't like I was ever gonna wear it.

I grinned to myself as I emptied the box into my backpack, happy at the clink of the valuable metals hitting the bottom of the bag. That was a few hundred lien at least, though it wasn't really about the money any more with how much I was making from Gerard.

I was taking my time with this particular heist, not in any rush as I leisurely made my way through the house, pilfering whatever took my fancy. As always, I had spent a few days scoping out the house to find the perfect window for my entry, and boy oh boy did I.

As was usual around this time of day, the house was completely empty, the husband at work and the wife decidedly not. This was a regular occurrence throughout the week; like clockwork, the husband of the house would go to work, and two or three hours later the wife would leave as well, driving just a few houses down the street and staying there for several hours.

It didn't take a genius to figure out what she was doing down there. I had caught sight of the owner of the house once or twice and despite my disinterest in males, even I could admit he was quite the looker. She was likely cheating on her husband.

Cheaters were worse than scum in my eyes, the idea of betraying someone like that making me physically sick, and so to fuck with the woman I had left a note for her husband to find, detailing her infidelity in full. Not only that, but I put it where the woman would never look, under the toilet seat.

Of course, that didn't mean I was going to stop robbing them blind. I may be a thief with standards, but I was still a thief.

I tossed the now-empty jewelry box back onto the dresser where it came from, before moving to the drawers themselves. I was being much more sloppy than usual, stealing more and leaving behind more traces of my presence, but I already had a prospective buyer for the things I found so I didn't have to worry about the possibility of not being able to sell the stolen goods.

After a moment of rifling through junk, I let out a happy hum as I came across a sturdy-looking pair of fingerless gloves with the tag still on them. It seems that whoever had bought them had simply tossed them inside and forgotten about them, which was a pity because they looked pretty expensive and well-made.

"Oh well, another man's trash and all that…" I muttered to myself as I pulled them apart, breaking the zip tie on them and sliding them on my hands. I clenched my hands, feeling the slightly rough fabric sliding against my palms, before ejecting my claws with the twitch of a muscle. I nodded happily, "Definitely keeping these."

It was a rare occasion that I found something personally useful on these little heists, and gloves like these would definitely help me on future excursions. I had already been thinking of getting a pair to use with my new weapons so this was a happy little coincidence.

I was interrupted from my thievery by the buzz of my scroll in my jacket. Wondering who in the world could be calling me, maybe Misa had news? I pulled the device from my pocket, glancing at the caller id curiously.

Ruby Rose

Well then, that made a bit more sense I suppose. I immediately dropped what I was doing, making my way over to the rather large bed to the side of the room and hopping up on it, laying back comfortably as I brought my scroll up to my ear, "Hey Babe, what's up?"

There was a squeak on the other side, and I immediately knew that I had surprised her, "B-Babe!?" She stuttered out.

I grinned lightly at her surprise, "Yep, unless you don't want me calling you that?"

"Babe is fine!" She said hurriedly. I could almost imagine the blush on her face as she spoke, no doubt embarrassed by the idea of me calling her that, "I'm still getting used to the idea that we're… you know, together." She said softly.

"I guess I'll just have to make a lasting impression next time we're together." The ensuing squeak made me chuckle lightly, "Anyway, what are you calling about? Or did you just want to hear my voice?"

"Oh yeah! Did you hear the news? The Vytal Festival is coming soon!" She said excitedly, forgetting her earlier embarrassment.

I hummed, "That's the tournament right?" I distantly remembered watching it with my grandfather when I was younger, mostly due to all the cool Semblances on display more than the idea of being a huntress myself.

"It's not just a tournament!" Ruby said emphatically, "It's the tournament! It's the biggest tournament, the tournament to end all tournaments!"

I laughed at just how passionate the girl was about this, "Okay okay, I get it, not just a tournament." I tapped my fingers on my thigh as a small satisfied hum entered my ear, "So I assume you and your team are going to compete?

"Of course! Team RWBY has to prove we're the best there is! Weiss is really amped up about it and I think even Blake is excited! Yang is Yang so of course she wants to compete." Ruby giggled.

I was still a little more than shocked that Ruby had one of those Belladonna on her team. Despite her disguise, I could still recognize another feline Faunus when I saw one and more than that, I could recognize who she was aside from that.

What in the world was the daughter of the chieftain of Menagerie doing in Beacon of all places? Not only that, what was she doing on the same team as a Schnee? Weiss didn't seem to have the same bigoted tendencies that her father had, having not said a single non-polite word to me when I had met Ruby's team proper, but she was still a Schnee. Most Faunus wouldn't walk within fifteen feet of her let alone be on the same team for four years. So what was the deal?

Well, whatever it was, Ruby hadn't complained about any infighting in her team, and it wasn't really any of my business besides that. If something happened and Ruby asked for my help, I would, other than that I would just pretend I didn't notice anything.

"Rei?" A voice broke me out of my thoughts. I shook my head, clearing my mind at my girlfriend's concerned tone.

"Sorry, what was that?"

"I asked if you were going to come watch us compete? I think you can get in for free if you're advocated for by a student so I could get you seats no problem!" She suggested hopefully.

I laughed, "Of course I'm coming Ruby, there's no way I'd miss the chance to see you in action. I might not be good at fighting, but I love watching you in your element."

"Hey, you're not that bad! You were sort of able to keep up with me during our last spar." She defended.

"Ruby, we both know you were barely trying during that spar." I deadpanned, "I know the moment you actually get serious I don't have a chance in hell of even keeping up with you. I'm nowhere near your level and I'm okay with that. You're kinda nuts when it comes to fighting, Babe."

"I just practice a lot. It's nothing that cool." I could tell the complement made her happy by the inflection in her speech, indicating she was smiling.

"Anyway, I'll be there for every match you guys play. Even if you can't get me a seat, I'm sure I can find some nice and sturdy rafters to sit on or something. Though it'll be a pain to get popcorn." I joked.

"I think the colosseum floats."
"That won't stop me." I said seriously, eliciting a laugh from my girlfriend, one that I joined in on, softly chuckling along with her. I was extremely glad that after our relationship had evolved as it had, our talks came as easy as ever.

Just as I went to say something else, my ears perked up at the sound of tires on concrete just outside the house. It seemed that the lady of the house had returned.

"Hey, sorry to cut this short but I've got to go. Job's calling and all that." I felt bad about lying to her, but I still hadn't been able to talk with Gerard and I didn't want to tell her about what I was doing without being able to tell her all of it. It wouldn't feel fair to pretend to come clean only to hide even more from her.

So for now, I'd keep it hidden. Just for a bit longer.

"Okay Rei, stay safe! I'll check with Miss Goodwitch about the seats." Ruby said happily and I grinned slightly at her cheery attitude as I pulled my backpack on.

"Will do. Have a good day, Babe."

I hung up, tightening the straps of my backpack as a key jingled somewhere near the front door. I looked around the room, taking in the complete mess I had left behind during my looting, before shrugging. It wasn't like they weren't going to realize they'd been robbed anyway.

With that thought, I made my way over to the window I had left open, squinting at a nearby tree as I judged the distance before nodding. I crouched, tensing my legs like coiled springs, before leaping from the window.

My legs cleared the distance between the window and the tree with ease, and as I reached it I unsheathed my claws, clinging to the bark like my namesake. I swiftly climbed up the tree as shouts of dismay emerged from the house I had fled, placing my boots on a thick branch, before spinning off once more, jumping to the ground on the other side of a rather large fence.

I began making my way back into Vale proper, walking casually like I had just taken a walk and didn't currently have a backpack full of stolen goods attached to my back. I gave a small nod to a canine Faunus as I passed him on the street, and he gave me a knowing look, no doubt hearing the shouts coming from behind me. I just feigned an innocent face, adjusting my backpack, and he snorted, shaking his head as he continued on his way.

I chuckled lightly as I went my own way. This wasn't a nice part of Vale, and the word of the day was unconcerned. Good Samaritan? What's that? Everyone kept to themselves and didn't do anything to stand out, staying in their own lane to prevent any trouble. And that worked perfectly for me.

As I walked, my mood soured slightly as mind strayed back to my biggest problem of the last few days, my employer. Or more accurately, his schedule.

I still hadn't been able to talk to Gerard about Ruby. Hell, I hadn't even been able to see the man for at least a week as everytime I attempted to contact him or go to his office I was met with Eina instead. Apparently he was working on something really big, big enough that he had asked not to be disturbed for the time being.

It sucked because the longer I went without seeing him, the longer I had to lie to Ruby, something I hated doing more than nearly anything else.

I sighed, kicking a can that came into my path, "This sucks."

What was I supposed to do in this situation? I wasn't willing to break the contract, I may be a thief but my word was solid and I had promised Gerard to abide by the rules he had set.

"Could really use some of your famous oddly-timed advice Grandpa." I spoke into the air, staring up at the cloudy sky. It was moments like this that I missed him more than anything. He had always been a guiding force in my life, helping me out of whatever rut I had been in with a firm hand on my shoulders and some softly spoken words. Words that I could use more than ever right now, "I'm not sure what to do here…"

Once again, I was interrupted from my thoughts by my scroll buzzing in my pocket. I retrieved it, wondering if Ruby had called me back to tell me something else, only to blink in surprise as I saw Gerard's name as the caller id.

'That's one heck of a coincidence. Maybe grandpa is looking out for me up there.' I thought to myself as I answered the call.

Before I could get a word out, I was interrupted by my boss's slightly tired voice on the other line, "Rei, I need you to return to my estate immediately. It is a matter of utmost importance." He insisted and I raised a brow at his words.

Gerard dIdn't sound good, his voice was raspy and hoarse, a far cry from the deep, richly accented voice that I had come to associate with him. Did this have something to do with his project?

"Is something wrong Gerard? You don't sound too good." I voiced my concern even as I began to change my path to take me to his estate. I nearly tripped over my feet at his answer.

"We've found another one. It is once again time to fulfill your contract."

---

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It only took around half an hour to stow my ill-gotten gains in my home, and after a quick suit up and another forty-five minutes or so, I was walking into Gerard's office to fulfill my contract once more. There was a bullhead parked on the lawn which was a bit odd, but that likely had something to do with the reason he had called me in.

Given how important this would likely be, I was fully kitted in heist attire which I hadn't worn since I stole the original vial. My normal bright blue jacket had been swapped for one that was much more dark while my various accessories were in their normal places on my body, including Trick who occupied the holster on my thigh. My mask and goggles were on my head and neck respectively, ready to be used at a moment's notice.

And of course, the two recent additions to my roster were magnetically attached to the back of my jacket via a small harness that I wore over my shirt. It took more than a little while to get used to Hit and Run's combined weight when I was so used to traveling light, but the added protection was more than worth it.

As I entered Gerard's office, I was met with several gazes, including that of my boss himself. Misa was there, as well as the other bodyguard whose name I still hadn't gotten. Along with the familiar faces, was a man I was certain I hadn't seen around the manor. He had a very distinct appearance after all.

The man was giant and not just in height; he was extremely muscular, dark skin practically bulging out of the armor he was wearing. His warm amber eyes along with the large beard on his face gave me the impression of a somewhat jolly uncle, the type that was always the life of the party when he showed up to family gatherings.

He was wearing bronze colored lamellar armor with large pauldrons on either arm On his right arm only was a sleeve of similar armor, a manica I think it was called, likely made to protect the man's limb in place of the rectangular mechashift shield strapped to his back. If I looked closely, I was just barely able to see the edge of what looked like a trident poking out from behind said shield. Likely his main weapon.

His massive arms were crossed over his chest, as he turned to look at me upon my entrance. He gave me a warm smile as he noticed me, one I returned with a light smile of my own. Something about this man gave me the impression that he was trustworthy.

Not only that, but his semblance was open to me unlike the others in the room. I was too far away to get an exact read on it, but what I could feel was… warm. Like a cozy fire.

It certainly fit.

"Welcome back Rei." Misa gave me a nod of greeting as I walked up to the desk they were gathered around. She cast a glance behind me, taking in Hit and Run attached to my back. She scrutinized what she could see, before nodding in apparent acceptance, "You took my advice to heart I see. That's good, hookswords are a bit of an unorthodox weapon but they suit you. Give my compliments to your smith as well. I believe that even Hawkins would be hard pressed to find any imperfections."

I smiled at that, a not-so-small part of me was extremely happy that my combat tutor was happy with my choice of weapon, "I'll pass it along. I'm sure she'll be ecstatic."

I turned my gaze around, focusing on Gerard, and immediately my happy mood dipped a bit.

I wasn't sure what he had been doing while I wasn't able to get ahold of him but Gerard looked bad. His well groomed hair and beard were disheveled and there were large purple bags underneath his eyes. His skin was extremely pale, pale enough in fact, that my sharp eyes could make out dark purple veins underneath his skin, though that was likely the way the light of the room was causing them to appear.

"Are you alright Gerard? You look sick." I said in concern, more than a little worried for the man.

He waved me off with a wave of his hand, smiling tiredly, "It is simply a cold, you do not need to worry. It will pass."

I was sure that it was more than just a cold but didn't say anything. I was sure someone like Gerard had a doctor that was more than qualified to treat the man. If he said he would be fine, I would just have to believe him. It wasn't like there was anything I could do.

"Now that we are all present, let us get to the reason why we are here." He turned a soft smile to the bronze-clad man, "Arun, it is nice to have you back. Even if it is just for a small time."

"It's nice to be back, Gerard." The man laughed, the deep timbre of his voice ringing in my ears. He turned his head towards Misa, giving the woman a sly look, "It's especially nice to be back in such lovely company." He winked at her.

Misa just gave him an unimpressed look, apparently used to this. Despite that, the man didn't seem to take it to heart, merely laughing lightly, "Ha! Still as cold as always I see!"

Misa shook her head with a somewhat fond look on her face, "And I see you're still as incorrigible as ever, Arun."

The man barked another laugh, "You wouldn't have me any other way and you know it." Judging from the soft smile that had spread on Misa's face, I had a feeling that was true.

He then turned toe, giving me another warm smile, "And I don't believe we've met. It's nice to meet you miss…!" He held out a hand for me to shake.

I did so, smiling at the man's genial nature, "Rei Lynx, hired thief. It's nice to meet you as well."

He nodded, giving my hand a firm shake, "Oh? A thief are we? I sure hope those sticky fingers of yours don't find their way towards my belongings."

The sly smile on his face gave away his joking nature, and I just shrugged with a small smile on my own, "You know how it is, these bad boys sometimes just do what they want. That trident of yours is looking pretty shiny if I do say so myself." I grinned.

He laughed, shaking his head, "I would advise against that, Sidney may be a bit too much for you to handle little missy." He clapped his hands, slightly dispelling the joking mood, "Alright then, enough joking around, let's get down to business."

His face suddenly turned serious, and I was left a bit stunned at just how fast his emotions had shifted. He placed his hands on the table, looking around, "To get our new friend caught up, my name is Arun. I was a member of Gerard's little family for a little over twenty years before I retired back to my original home on the Valean/Vacuo border. Despite my retirement, I've been keeping an eye on anything that might interest Gerard as it came through the border as a bit of a favor to the man who gave me so much. I found something, though not exactly where I was looking."

"During my usual visit to the local bar to get some information," Here, Misa shot him a raised brow which he acted like he didn't see, "I caught wind that there had been an influx of Valean researchers into the region. I actually happened upon one of them in the bar itself, and after a few drinks I managed to loosen his lips enough for him to tell me what he and his friends were doing on the Vacuo border. It was more than a little enlightening."

"Turns out that he was sent to the area to help a nearby research facility that was being set up as we spoke and while he was a bit cagey about exactly what they were researching, it was enough to catch my interest."
He motioned to a paper on the desk that I noticed for the first time since I had entered the room. It was a map, and Arun pointed to a specific point near a small patch of forest, "I did some investigating and came across the facility they mentioned in one of the large cave systems nearby. They set up incredibly quickly, walls and guards patrolling said walls coming up in less than a week. It was all pretty suspicious so I did a bit more digging and made my way into the facility to see what I could find. I didn't get very far before I had to pull back, but I managed to grab some info on the way out."

He reached behind him, digging into a satchel attached to the back of his belt. He pulled out a scroll, sliding it on the table "This is what I found."

I peeked at the scroll curiously. It was displaying what looked like a research report, a bunch of scientific jargon that I couldn't make heads or tails of, other than a single line underneath the prominently displayed picture.

Readings of Subject 3-A indicate similar levels of energy output as former subjects. It is likely a similar manifestation of the same energies as the others. Further research required.

Subject 3-A was apparently a small chunk of magenta dust that glowed so brightly the camera used to take it was barely even able to capture the picture. Oddly enough, the little I could make out of the background was… scorched and slightly warped. Like something hot had been laid on it. Something really hot given that it looked to be stone.

"Ah, so you found another one! Fantastic work Arun." Gerard exclaimed happily, staring down at the picture with an expression I couldn't identify.

"Wait," I interrupted, bringing their eyes to me as I tilted my head in confusion, staring at the burning magenta crystal displayed on the scroll, "I thought we were looking for vials of dust, not whole crystals."

The other people in the room shared a look with one another, conveying thoughts between themselves that I wasn't privy to. After a moment, they turned back to me and Misa began speaking.

"While it is true that the researchers would put them in vials to better study them, the truth is that this 'experimental dust' is actually a naturally occurring, if extremely rare, type of dust. The empowered dust's natural form is rather small crystals akin to regular dust but much more powerful. The vials are simply there to contain their power so that they can research them without causing unneeded damage to their surroundings." The woman explained.

"Wait, so the dust is natural? Then how come people haven't heard of it before?" I asked in confusion.

Gerard was the one to answer this time, "This specific type of dust only emerges under very specific circumstances. Unlike regular dust which is at least somewhat abundant if nonrenewable, these crystals are the kind of stuff only seen once every generation if even that. The fact that so many of them have made an appearance so closely together is nothing more than a coincidence. A fortuitous one, but a coincidence nonetheless."

"And even if they were renewable or more common, they're powerful enough that there's no way the kingdoms of the world would ever let them get into the hands of anyone but the highest ranking military official." Arun added on.

"They're that powerful?"

"Moreso." Gerard spoke seriously, "Atlas for example, used to be powered by one such crystal all on its lonesome." Gerard revealed, shocking me. He shook his head disparagingly, "However, such a flagrant use of the crystal's power drained the energy far too quickly. Within a year, they were required to return to their original power source, leaving the crystal completely and utterly depleted in the process."

That was… something. Atlas was said to be powered by hundreds of tons of Gravity Dust. For just one of the crystals to be able to allow the entire city to float all by itself even for a short amount of time was absolutely insane. It made complete sense why they weren't known to the general public if they were that strong.

That knowledge did cause one very important question to ring out in my head though.

"So why do you want them? You're not making your own flying city are you?" I asked, only half joking.

"That's none of your concern." I nearly jumped at the new voice, and my head whirled over to find Gerard's other bodyguard staring at me with intense eyes. His face was set in a stony expression as he stared me down, "Our lord has employed you to obtain the dust for him. What he does with said dust is none of your concern."

I flinched slightly at his admonishing tone, "I-I didn't mean to… sorry."

Gerard held a hand up, giving his bodyguard a calming look, "It is fine, Mars. She is just curious, it is more than understandable."

He looked back towards me as his bodyguard resumed his neutral stance, "To answer your question Rei, I am afraid I cannot inform you of the exact details just yet, but rest assured that my intentions are in no way nefarious." He smirked lightly, "Nor do I have any plans to create a floating city. I have enough on my plate already at the moment, no need to give myself a headache with logistics of that sort."

That was a bit comforting, though I was still more than a little curious as to why he needed such powerful dust in the first place.

Still, I had already overstepped my boundaries, I wasn't going to do it again. I was sure that if Gerard wanted me to know he would tell me eventually.

Gerard motioned for Arun to continue his story and the man did so, "Now, I normally would have stolen the crystal already. There wasn't much security given how new the facility was so I likely would have had no trouble slipping in and grabbing the thing out from under their noses." Arun commented, grabbing his scroll from the table and swiping through it, "Unfortunately, this stopped me."

He placed the scroll back down, and the room was met with the image of a bunch of Grimm making their way into the cave that the facility was situated inside. There were several security guards trying to fight them off but even I could tell it was a losing battle. There were simply too many monsters for that many of them to take on alone.

"By my estimation, there were a little over two dozen of them, Grimm of various types. They came practically out of nowhere, overwhelming the security and trapping the researchers inside of the cave with the dust. I barely got out myself, and I immediately made my way back here with the information."

Arun grabbed his scroll from the table, powering it off and storing it back into his satchel, "I want to bring a small force, two or three of us at most, and eradicate those monsters. They are way too close to my hometown for comfort and I'm strong but I'll admit I probably won't be able to take care of that many on my own. My fighting style focuses on singling out my opponents, I'd be overwhelmed by that many Grimm pretty quickly." He looked to Gerard, "Preferably, I'd like to have a long range and midrange fighter to distract the Grimm, as well as someone with some stealth capabilities to sneak past them and grab the dust. Do you have anyone like that at the moment?"

Gerard hummed, stroking his beard, "Misa is our current midrange specialist, and I could certainly spare young Buck and his rifle. As for stealth… Rei?" He turned to me with a questioning look which I found slightly surprising considering that this was exactly what I had been hired to do. Maybe it was a test to see if I thought I was ready for something like this?

I thought for a moment. Sneaking past Grimm would certainly be much more difficult than doing it with humans like I normally did, but as long as the other three were distracting them, making noise and drawing them away from the cave, I was pretty sure it was doable. I'd just need to be careful.

If I was caught, I was pretty sure in my abilities to handle myself against two or three Grimm regardless of type, but after that it got a bit iffy.

Still, there was no way I was going to fail Gerard on something like this. I nodded firmly, "Yeah, I should be able to handle it. As long as there aren't too many Grimm on me at least, I'm not exactly an expert with my swords just yet."

"It will come with experience. You should be more than capable of handling yourself on a mission like this." Misa assured me and I smiled slightly at my teacher's reassuring words. Arun gave me a slightly analyzing glance, before apparently deciding that whatever he saw was good enough as he gave an approving nod. Seemed like I was up to snuff.

Gerard tapped his cane, "Then it is decided. Three of my personnel will join you on your own endeavor and acquire the crystal at the same time. Mars, inform Buck of his assignment to allow him to gather his things. You know the boy doesn't do well without the proper time to prepare himself."

The massive man gave a nod, turning to make his way out of the room, "Understood my lord, I'll get it done."

I didn't turn to look at him as he passed me, stony expression never changing even a bit. That man was certainly intimidating and I had a feeling he didn't like me very much.

Arun gathered his things, making his way to the door as well, "I'll go ahead and prep the bullhead. The sooner we get this done the sooner I can go back to retirement." He joked before casting a glance back towards Misa, "Care to join me Misa?" He offered.

I thought the woman would simply wave him off, but was instead surprised as she gave a nod, gathering her things as well, "I suppose it couldn't hurt. Who knows what kind of damage you could cause if I let you prepare it by yourself."
Arun laughed, holding the door open for the woman as she passed him, "Hey! I'll have you know I managed to fly it here all on my own." He boasted.

Misa snorted, "Small miracles. We'll have to do an extremely extensive preflight check to make sure one of the engines isn't missing."
I just barely made out Arun's laughter as the two of them made their way down the hall, disappearing even from my sensitive hearing. Gerard gave a small sigh, bringing my attention back to him, "Ah, those two are the same as ever I see. Hopefully those two manage to stay focused on the mission instead of each other this time."
I tilted my head, "Do they fight alot or something."

Gerald chuckled, "Oh, quite the opposite. Misa may pretend she isn't fond of Arun, but I assure you it is all an act. The woman is smitten with him despite her cold continence and I suspect he feels much the same."

Ah, so that's what it was. I guess my cold instructor was the type to look for love in her apparent opposite. Good for her.

As the silence stretched, I couldn't help but notice that it was just Gerard and I left in the office. This was the perfect opportunity to deal with the problem that had been plaguing me for a while. Namely, having to lie to my girlfriend.

"Something the matter, Rei?" Gerard suddenly spoke up, breaking me out of my thoughts.

I turned to look at him, a slightly hesitant expression on my face as I made my way over to him, "Not exactly sir. I just… have a request."

Gerard looked slightly surprised, "Oh? Very well, what is it?"

I took a deep breath, steeling myself, "I-I would like permission to tell Ruby about our contract."

Gerard froze slightly, before quickly regaining his equilibrium. He leaned forward, steepling his hands in front of him as he stared at me seriously, "And who exactly is this Ruby that she would give you reason to ask to go against the explicitly stated terms of our contract?"

I licked my suddenly dry lips, "S-She's my weaponsmith and more recently, my girlfriend. We went on our first date last week."

He nodded slowly, "I see, and why do you want to tell her about the contract we specifically agreed should not be mentioned."

My ears flicked nervously on my head, "I-I don't like lying to her sir, not even a lie of omission, it just doesn't feel right. She's been more than fair with me and I hate having to be disingenuous with the girl who trusts me so much. So I would like your permission to tell her at least the broad aspects of our contract."

The room was completely silent. Even my breathing seemed quieter and a tense weight settled on my shoulders as I awaited his response.

Gerard's eyes stared into my soul, the dark circles underneath his eyes giving them even more depth than usual. I gulped at the intensity of the gaze, wondering if I had once again overstepped my boundaries despite my desire not to.

Finally, moments before an apology spilled from my mouth, he spoke, "Do you have any reason to believe she would ever betray your secrets?" Gerard's face was deadly serious, indicating to me that I had better tell the truth.

Luckily that wouldn't be hard at all. I shook my head vehemently, "Never. I have known and been best friends with Ruby for over ten years at this point. She's been with me at my lowest and never once has she shown anything but compassion and understanding."

Gerard hummed lightly as he continued to stare at me, completely inscrutable, "Describe this young lady to me."

I took a moment, thinking of how to explain the depth of my feelings for the girl I had fallen for. There were so many of them, from giddiness to admiration to infatuation, and putting all of them into words was much harder than I thought it would be.

I managed it though, and soon the words came to me, "She… she's the nicest, gentlest person I've ever met in my life. I'm pretty sure she isn't physically capable of hating another person or at least if she is, she's not met them yet. She's more than a bit dorky at times but endearing all the same and nearly everything she does makes me feel like butterflies are trying to crawl up my throat."

Now that I had begun, it was much easier to describe what I felt. It was like a dam had been opened, allowing all of the words to flow forth, "I've known her for the majority of my life and I feel lucky for every second of it. From the hard times where I thought I would lose my bakery or the times that everything was perfect, she was on my thoughts or by my side."

"I don't think I've ever smiled as much as I do when I'm with Ruby. Everything she does just makes me… happy. When I'm with her I feel content, like I could spend the rest of my life by her side. She's done so much for me, been there for me at my lowest. I want to do the same for her but it's hard when I can't even tell her what I do for a living."

"She's so sincere in everything she does, from the weapons she makes to the way she eats cookies like they'll cease to exist if she looks away from them for even a moment and she has the most beautiful silver eyes I've ever seen in my life, like pools of liquid mercury that mirror the world as she gazes at it with kindness that comes so naturally to her-

"Hold on a moment child," Gerard interrupted me, snapping me back to reality. I was somewhat shocked and more than a bit embarrassed at the tangent I had gone on and I looked back to him, blushing furiously as he stared at me with an intrigued gaze.

"You said she has silver eyes? Not simply grey or white, they are silver?" He asked. I nodded, my face cooling down slowly. He hummed, stroking his beard, "And praytell, what is her full name?.

"Uh…Ruby Rose." I said, slightly confused.

Gerard leaned back, his chair squeaking lightly as he shifted his weight. He looked off into space, clearly reminiscing about something that I wasn't privy to, "I see. Rose… now that's a name I haven't heard in years."

I quirked a brow, "Have you heard of her?" Did Torchwick talk about her when he recommended me to Gerard?

He shook his head, "Not her, no. her mother. Summer Rose was… she was a renowned huntress from well before your time. Her exploits were grand for someone of her age, and it seems that her legacy lives on. That is good. I thought it lost to the Grimm."

Wait, what?

"You knew Ruby's mom?" I asked in shock.

Gerard gave me a soft smile, "We were certainly acquainted. While I wouldn't have called us friends exactly, there were some times I found myself calling upon her expertise to deal with particularly nasty Grimm infestations I happened upon. Why, out of the entirety of team STRQ, she was the only one willing to actually share a cup of tea with me." He laughed lightly, before his expression soured, "At least before… hmm."

He went silent before he finished his sentence, leaving me wondering what he was about to say.

"I had debated hiring her like I had you, once upon a time, though for a much different position," He finally continued, shocking me in the process, "Though I had a feeling that she wasn't the type to accept such an offer. She seemed a tad too… gentle, in the way she went about things. Grimm were certainly not spared her wrath, make no mistake, but she had a tendency to think the best of people, often despite their being undeserving of her kindness."

"Ruby always said her mom was the kindest person she's ever known. And her dad often says the exact same." I commented quietly.

Gerard nodded solemnly, "Indeed she was. The few interactions we had with one another certainly left an impression. It was truly a shame when I was informed of her passing, the world is worse off for her loss."

He leaned back in his chair, seemingly making a decision as the air of the room returned to normal, "Still, if Ruby Rose is anything like her mother, then I see no reason to deny your request. And although I must ask you to keep the specifics a secret, there is no harm in telling her the broad aspects why you are in my employ."

I felt a massive weight lift from my shoulders at his words, and my ears flicked happily on top of my head as a large grin split my face, "Thank you so much sir!"

Gerard just nodded, "Of course Rei. You have earned a certain degree of trust in your time under my contract. I hope you continue to do so."

I gave him a serious nod, "I will do my best. You've done a lot for me Gerard, and I want to pay you back for that."

"I have no doubt you will." The man smiled gently at me, before waving a hand, "Now you had best get going. Who knows what those two might get up to if left by their lonesome for too long."
I giggled lightly before beginning to make my way to the lawn where the bullhead was parked. That was much easier than I had imagined it would be. Gerard really was a fantastic person to work for wasn't he?

Now all I had to do was finish this heist and get back to my girlfriend so I could tell her that I was a… criminal…

My girlfriend who was currently in school to become the nearest equivalent to the monster-fighting police…

…

…Maybe I would make some cookies to soften the blow.

---

And as always, a huge thanks to my Patrons!
Next two chapters are posted there if you would like to read it early: Sadguychet | Patreon

I grimaced as the bullhead shook around me, causing me to press the wrong sequence of letters on my scroll. I deleted what was written before I sent a string of gibberish to my girlfriend, before shooting a scowl towards the front.

"Hey, Arun! You told us you were good at flying these things!"

"I said no such thing!" He yelled back, turning away from the controls to look at me heedless of the death stare Misa was giving him, "I said I got to the manor in one piece! I'm terrible at flying!"

"Yeah, I got that." I grumbled, giving my fellow passenger a look before returning to my scroll, trying my best to type clearly.

I was texting Ruby, or doing my best at least. I had already told her that I wasn't going to be in town for a few days, telling her that I needed to talk to her when I got back. She had seemed a bit confused and more than a little worried at that, but after reassuring her that it was nothing bad, I had managed to calm her down.

Now we were just talking about inane things to pass the time: Ruby looking forward to Hit and Run's field tests, her already missing the cookies I made for her or even the latest upgrade she thought about incorporating into her baby, simple stuff that we had always chatted about.
I was glad to see that even with the evolution of our relationship, some things had stayed the same between us. I hadn't lost my best friend and gained a girlfriend in her place, my best friend was my girlfriend now. And that was awesome.

I brought my face back to my scroll with a grin as it buzzed with another message from said girl.

So yeah, Yang beat Weiss in Combat Class and she's really not happy about it. She's been in the gym all week practicing for their rematch and Yang is teasing her about it which isn't really helping. Weiss thinks she's being a meanie.

I chuckled at that. Yang teasing you normally meant that she liked you; it was just how the blonde showed affection. For someone like Weiss though, who was likely sheltered for most of her life, I could see how it would come off as a bit rude.

Hopefully she'd get the memo or Yang would lighten up a bit. I didn't want Ruby to have to deal with more problems from her team.

Though, speaking of problems…

Is Blake still quiet as usual?

…
…
Yeah. She's better than she was at the start but she's still not really taking part in my team building activities! Do you think I'm doing something wrong?

I frowned, having a pretty good idea why the Belladonna wasn't willing to join in on these activities. According to Ruby, Weiss had mellowed out quite a bit from the first few weeks they were at Beacon, but she was still a Schnee and I just couldn't see Blake getting past that given her heritage.

I couldn't just tell Ruby that though, it wasn't my business to tell and would likely cause unnecessary friction in the team if Blake's secret was revealed before she wanted it to be. I could lead her in the right direction though.

Try talking to her, see what's bothering her. If she's more willing to talk with you now then she might be willing to tell you what's wrong. If it's someone specific that she has a problem with, then see what you can do to fix it. As her leader, it's up to you to try your best to keep things civil between your team.

There, that should at the very least lead her in the right direction. I doubted Blake would actually tell her what was wrong, but Ruby could be extremely observant when it came to those she cared about and would more than likely cotton on to the bad energy between her monochromatic teammates. Hopefully my girlfriend would be able to do something about it before something happened because of it.

I brought my eyes back to my scroll as it buzzed once more.

Do you think she'd actually tell me?

She might. And even if she doesn't, you showed some concern for her wellbeing. She'll remember that.

…I guess I could try that. Thanks Rei!

No problem Babe.

Oh dang, I need to go, class is starting soon and I don't want to get yelled at by Weiss.

Alright, I'll talk to you later then. Looking forward to being back already.

"You must really like whoever's on the other side of that scroll, huh? You're smiling really widely."

I brought my head up at the voice, grinning at the teen sitting across from me on his own bench, "That's an understatement. I was texting my girlfriend."

He smiled, green eyes squinting with the movement as he brought them down to the top-hat in his hands, "Ah, I see. Love can certainly be a wonderful thing."

I sighed wistfully, "That it can."

I put my scroll away before turning my attention to him fully. Buck was the long range support that Arun had requested, a bit younger than me and rather soft spoken, he seemed like an alright guy so far.

He had dark hair and green eyes, one of which was covered by a rather large monocle with softly glowing edges. His entire outfit seemed to be made to mimic a fancy butler of some sort, complete with tuxedo and the aforementioned top-hat.

His weapons were interesting. Well, I suppose it would be weapon, singular, as the rest seemed to be accessories. Apart from the main weapon, he had several grenades attached to his belt all seemingly the same type, as well as a bandolier of various grades of ammunition, small caliber and large, was slung across his chest.

His main weapon was impressive, and it was clear to see why Gerard had been so confident sending him along. It was a massive sniper rifle, so large that even while resting on the ground the barrel reached well above his head. There were segments in the dark metal of the barrel, indicating that it could possibly grow even larger

The scope was extremely futuristic, definitely more complex than anything I had seen outside of Ruby's blueprints for possible upgrades to Crescent Rose. According to the teen himself, it was made to interface with his monocle, allowing him to stay on target with extreme ease even in the most chaotic environments.

The sniper itself was made entirely out of black steel that looked heavy enough to dent the hull of this very ship with little difficulty. I looked at it curiously, comparing it to my own weapons and the problems that had arisen during their creation.

"Hey, so can that thing mechashift? It looks like it weighs a ton." I asked curiously.

The other teen looked surprised at my question but nodded, bringing his rifle up to sit it on his lap, "Yes, she can mechashift, though only her internal components." He pressed a small button near the trigger and my ears caught the sound of gears turning and metal shifting, yet I didn't see anything on the outside.

"The shifts allow me to switch the caliber of ammunition Justice uses depending on the situation." He explained, gesturing towards his bandolier, "Depending on the range or environment, I have a large variety of ammunition, including some dust variations. It helps to be prepared in every situation."

"Wow." I said, "You really are a specialist huh? Must be pretty dang good with that thing too if it's your only weapon."

Buck nodded, flushing lightly at my words, "It's been a while since I've missed a shot." He confessed, "I practice basically every day too at the manor's firing range. Nobody's beaten my score yet."

I nodded, "Glad he sent you, it's always good to have someone competent watching our backs." I said, before switching tracks momentarily, "So why'd you join up with our boss anyway? Money?"

Buck hesitated for a moment, "Well, it's a bit embarrassing honestly though you aren't too far off the mark. See, I originally wanted to go to Beacon to be a hunter, but I couldn't pay for tuition and my grades weren't quite good enough to qualify for a scholarship."

I blinked. I had completely forgotten that Beacon was technically a school and you had to pay to get in. Everyone I knew had managed to either get in through uncommon means or were good enough at fighting that they qualified for the gifted student scholarship. Heck, even if Ruby hadn't been found by their headmaster and got in early, I had little doubt that she would have gotten in based on her combat abilities alone, just like Yang had.

"In order to secure the funds I needed to get into the academy, I turned to more… unscrupulous methods." He admitted, "Gerard's manor was one that I often passed on my way to and from school, and so I knew that the man had money, even just in the artwork around his house. So I decided to take some of it for myself, just enough to secure my dream at least."

"Unlike you, I'm not nearly as suited for thievery as I imagined I would be." Buck sighed, resting his rifle on the floor once more, "I'm very clumsy and climbing through windows and slinking through hallways is not something I'm well suited for. I was caught almost immediately."
He brought a hand up to his cheek in remembrance, a light frown creasing his face, "Mars gave me quite the thrashing. That man is certainly serious when it comes to the protection of Lord Gerard."

I winced, imagining that mountain of a man on a warpath, "I can't imagine that was fun."

He chuckled, "No it was not. I've never been good at physical combat and Mars certainly was. I was pretty sure I wasn't going to make it out alive that night."

His face turned slightly wistful, "Gerard saved me from that fate, stopped Mars from doing me in and simply asked me to explain what I was doing there. When I was done, he gave me an offer. I could simply leave and not come back, forgetting this had ever happened, or I could work for him and be paid a generous stipend in the process."

So it was somewhat similar to the way I had been hired, though different in several key ways. I wondered if Gerard had a habit of hiring teenagers down on their luck.

"The choice was obvious of course. I agreed to enter his employ and the rest is history." Buck smiled, "Gerard showed me more compassion that night than I deserved, and though I technically didn't attain my dream of going to Beacon, I am more than happy serving under him. He did me a great service that night, and I will always be grateful for that."

I hummed. If what Buck was saying was true, he had been in Gerard's service for a few years. Maybe he could answer the question that had been bugging me.

"So since you've been around longer than I have, do you know what he's using these vials for?" I asked hopefully.

To my disappointment, Buck shook his head,, "Unfortunately I do not. I'll admit I didn't even know of their existence until the day you came along. It seems that Lord Gerard wishes to keep the knowledge close to his chest."

I sighed, "Well that sucks. I'm dying to know what my work is being out towards."

"Well Rei, you know what they say," Buck's eyes twinkled, "Curiosity killed the cat." He nodded to the ears on my head.

I let out a bark of laughter at his words, "Heh, that may be true, but satisfaction brought it back. And I've still got nine lives besides that." I joked.

"Hey kids! Buckle up, we're about to set down!" Arun called back to us, interrupting our chat, "And make sure you strap in tight! I've always had trouble with this part!"

Misa shot him an extremely dirty look at his words, before turning back to us and nodding seriously.

I locked eyes with Buck, the other teen looking just as nervous as I felt, before scrambling to strap myself in as the bullhead began to descend.

By the time I got buckled in, we were already nearing the ground and soon enough we were upon it.

Arun's 'landing' was more of a controlled crash than anything resembling an actual landing and I was pretty sure I could see dirt flying up past the windows high into the air as the ship rumbled and shook around us. I clutched my straps tightly, gritting my teeth as I bore with the incredibly rough landing.

After fad too long in my opinion, it was over. I breathed a silent sigh of relief as the shaking ceased completely as the bullhead came to a stop, resting against the ground in relative safety.

"Is everyone still alive back there!?" Arun called to us, looking back from his place in the cockpit.

"Barely!" I called back, slowly unstrapping myself and rising to my feet.

"Perfect! Another great landing!" Arun said happily. Misa looked like she was about to murder the man and eventually he realized this, looking much more nervous as he was faced with the silver-haired woman's wrath, "Um, let's go ahead and get out there, yeah? I'm dying to be home again." He chuckled nervously, slowly sliding past the angry woman who kept her narrowed eyes on him all the while.

We stepped from the cool interior of the bullhead out into the open air. Immediately, a wave of heat slammed into my face, warming me quickly, and I brought a hand up to shield from the bright sun, already beginning to regret my choice of clothing.

We were in a grassy field with a rather large patch of forest nearby. The grass on the ground was yellowing from the constant heat of the sun and in the distance I could see what looked like a large rocky mountain. Vacuo territory, that explained why it was so hot.

There was a city close by, buildings slightly obscured by the heat haze, and Arun began to make his way in that direction, giving us a smile on his way, "Come on, this way. My home isn't too far away and I can tell you three don't really like this heat all too much."

That was an understatement, I had only been out here for a few seconds and already I was cooking. We followed after the man as he led us down a dirt path and soon enough, into the town proper.

We made our way through the city, wandering through the dusty streets towards Arun's home. As we walked we passed through what seemed to be a marketplace, bright fabric tents shielding the various stalls from the wind and other elements.

The scent of spices flooded the air, cooking meats visible in the backs of various stalls. My stomach growled at the smell and I hoped that Arun would be have some food to eat at his house, or at least point me towards a good place to eat around here..

People gave us curious looks as we made our way through the town, clearly realizing from our clothing that we didn't exactly belong. They recognized Arun though, and it seemed that he was pretty well liked around the area, greeted with smiles and warm hellos as the townsfolk saw him leading us. By the time we had actually reached the man's house, it seemed like the entire town had said hi to him in one way or another.

Arun's house was rather nice, or at least the outside of it was, a simple one-story home that was the same warm tan as the homes around it. An older man met us at the door, opening it with a beleaguered expression as Arun knocked loudly. His expression morphed into relief as he caught sight of the armored man.

"Oh, Arun! Thank the gods you're back!" The man said, opening the door all the way, "Your little hellion is up to mischief again! I'm about at my wits end with her!"

Arun laughed, clamping a hand down on the man's shoulder, "Oh come on Pa, she's not that bad."
The man gave a scoff as he led them inside, "Of course you say that, you raised her. Which explains why she is the way she is."

As if on cue, the tiny pitter-patter of bare feet on hardwood echoed through the house and a little girl, around six or seven, came darting out of a nearby hallway with a mischievous grin on her face. In her hand, she held a dark green snake that writhed and hissed, yet oddly enough made no attempt to bite the girl herself.

I immediately recognized Arun in the girl. She had the exact same mocha skin and the color of her eyes was a dead ringer to the man who had just made his way inside. A relative?

My theory was immediately proven right as the girl gave a loud gasp as she caught sight of the armored man, "DADDY!" She shouted with a heart melting smile, immediately dropping the reptile to the ground and running towards us as fast as her little feet could take her.

"Ahh! There's my little monster!" Arun said happily, scooping her up as she got close. Her twirled her around and I smiled at her high pitched giggles as her hair flew in every direction.

As I watched the proceedings, something rang out to my senses, coming directly from the girl. I focused on it and frowned at what I found. This little girl had an active semblance.

That was slightly distressing. Someone so young to have an active semblance was always a sad thing to see as it was very rare for anyone to activate theirs through happy means. I only hoped that it wasn't too horrible for the girl.

From what I could tell, it was some sort of manifestation semblance, one that was also currently active. A presence extended from the girl, like her soul was being stretched along a thread to another place.

I followed the thread from Hazel to the snake she had been holding, lying motionless on the floor. In front of my eyes, the color faded from the creature, blue wisps fading off of its prone form and risky slowly into the air.

Eventually nothing was left of the snake, and I followed the particles as they crossed the room, floating back towards Hazel and fading into her back as her dad held her close

"Hazel, you need to stop teasing your grandpa with those snakes. You know he's scared of them." Arun chastised his daughter lightly, "You could scare him real bad one day and hurt him."

Hazel frowned, immediately looking apologetic which I had a feeling was mostly just an act. This girl gave her father piriful look before turning to the older man.

"Sorry." She muttered quietly. The older man just scoffed.

"No you ain't. But I can't stay mad at you for the life of me anyway." He muttered. Arun laughed, bouncing his daughter lightly in his arms.

Hazel turned in Arun's grip, eyes moved over the rest of the room, apparently just now realizing that her father had guests. She glanced at me and I gave her a little wave, causing her to smile, before her gaze turned to the woman just now making her way inside.

She gave a huge gasp as she recognized her, "MISA!" Hazel practically crawled over her father's shoulder, flinging herself at the woman who held her arms out to catch her like she was expecting it.

"Hello Hazel. I see you're as rambunctious as ever, hm?" Misa smiled lightly as she easily caught the girl, holding her against her chest.

The girl shook her head, "Nuh Uh! I've been a good girl!" She insisted.

Misa raised a silver brow, "Is that so? That's not what I've been hearing. I've heard you've been downright monstrous!" She darted one hand forward, fingers dancing along Hazel's ribs as she tickled the girl mercilessly, causing peals of laughter to spill out of her mouth

Arun sighed lightly, as his daughter began to completely ignore him in favor of Misa, "Guess I'll take care of the other guests then."
He looked towards Buck and I, standing awkwardly off to the side as we watched the proceedings. He gave us a grin, motioning for us to follow him, "Come on, I'll show you two where you'll be staying while you're here."

"I hope you don't mind sharing a room. There's two beds in there but it's the only guest room I have open at the moment. Pa is taking the other one while he visits." Arun explained as he led us further deeper into the house.

I looked over at Buck who just stared back uncertainly, before shrugging, "Yeah, that's fine with me. Buck seems nice enough."

"It is fine with me as well." Buck added on, "Though Arun, I have to ask, where will Misa be staying?"

"Oh, she'll be staying with me." The man said casually. I shared a look with Buck and he immediately flushed red, no doubt having come to the same conclusion that I had. I tilted my head over towards Arun before back down the hall that we had come from. Buck's face got even redder as he nodded slowly and I grinned.

Arun was blissfully unaware of our silent conversation, "Anyway, we'll take today as is and deal with the problem in the morning." I'm dead tired and it's almost Hazel's naptime."

I gave him a confused look, "Shouldn't we be focusing on the Grimm problem?" I asked.

"The Grimm aren't going anywhere. We can rest for the night." He said as he led us to our rooms. He turned back towards us, giving a sunny smile, "And besides, you don't want to miss my homemade chili. It's to die for."

I couldn't hold back the growl of hunger coming from my stomach and licked my lips. That sounded really good right about now.

---

And as always, a huge thanks to my Patrons!
Next two chapters are posted there if you would like to read it early: Sadguychet | Patreon

Arun was a really good cook.

It was the next morning and the entire house was gathered around the kitchen table, eating a filling breakfast of filled omelets with bacon and juice. A fantastic way to start the day.

It seemed everyone else agreed with the sentiment as well, as we all tucked into the delicious meal, various noises of enjoyment being passed between us.

Well, most of us were anyway. There was a certain child who had finished her food rather quickly, and was more looking towards the nearest subject of intrigue. Me.

"How do you know Daddy and Misa? Are you their friend?" Hazel asked me as she looked up imploringly, kicking her feet in her adorable footed pajamas.

I looked over at Arun, wondering if it was alright to tell this little girl what I did for a living. He just shrugged, which I took to mean it was fine.

"I'm a thief who works for the same person they do. I only met Arun a few days ago but I've known Misa for a while now." I told her. She looked confused.

"What's a thief?"

I hummed as I thought of the easiest way to explain my profession to a child, "Well, I guess one way to put it would be that I get stuff for my boss without people seeing me. I sneak into places I'm not supposed to be and take things I'm not supposed to take, all without anyone ever knowing I was there." I paused, "Well, usually at least."

The little girl's eyes went wide, "Wow! So you're like a super spy or something!? Do you do the thing with the lasers and stuff!?"

I snorted as I speared another bite of my omelet, "Sure, why not? Sliding under red lasers is just part of the job."

That sent the girl into a barrage of questions that I was hard pressed to keep up with. I could hardly answer one before another was on the tip of her tongue, again and again.

As I floundered to answer, I looked around the room to find everyone watching us with amusement, smiles on each of their faces. Even Misa seemed a bit amused with that upward tilt of her lip.

This girl was just that endearing it seemed. Though I will admit I was just as taken with her as everyone else, the little munchkin.

"...and hanging on a wire upside down is actually pretty hard so I usually just do it normally. And while I do have claws, they aren't sharp enough to cut through glass I'm afraid." I answered Hazel's latest question, eying my uneaten omelet with a great deal of hunger.

She made a disappointed sound at that, before she opened her mouth to ask yet another question. Luckily for me though, she was interrupted.

"That's enough, Hazel. Let Rei eat, she's barely touched her food." Arun chastised his daughter, "You've finished your breakfast, go brush your hair and teeth and get dressed for school."

Awww." Hazel whined but obeyed her father, pushing away from the table and plopping on the floor, "Okay. But I'm gonna use the bubblegum toothpaste!"

"That's fine sweetie, just make sure you floss after. You don't want any nasty stuff stuck in your teeth." The man called after her

She padded away and I let out a silent sigh of relief, shooting Arun a thankful look as I tucked into my omelet. I practically moaned at the incredible flavor that danced along my tongue, a wonderful mix of savory and slightly spicy that filled my entire mouth.

I was absolutely going to have to get some of whatever this spice was to take home with me, this stuff was incredible.

Arun noticed my enjoyment and smiled, "Enjoying your food, Rei?"

I let out a happy moan, "Gods yes! Arun you are a maestro in the kitchen. First the chili last night and now this! If every meal is like this, I'm not sure I'd ever want to leave."

He grinned at my compliment, beard moving with his pleased expression, "I'll write you a recipe so you can make it a home. A warning though, these spices are pretty expensive in Vale. They come from the other side of Vacuo."

"I don't care." I said seriously as I swallowed another delicious bite, "Food this good is worth it."

"Ha! Alright then! I'll go grab a pen and paper and write up the ingredients-."

"Daddy! I can't find my toothbrush!"

"Just as soon as I give my daughter a hand." He finished with a slight sigh.

~~~

Later that day, while Hazel was away at school for the next several hours, it was time to get to why we had come here in the first place.

We were all rested and well-fed, full of energy for the upcoming task as we gathered around the kitchen table where a detailed map of the area was unfurled.

We were all kitted up in combat/heist attire, weapons included. Arun's shield and trident were leaning up against the fridge beside Buck's rifle, ready to be grabbed at a moment's notice, while Misa and I already had ours strapped to our backs.

The man himself was leaning over the table, writing on the map with a black pen as the rest of us gathered around. I couldn't see what he was writing around his massive shoulders, but soon enough he pulled back to let the rest of us see what he had been working on.

"Alright, so here's what we're working with." The man jabbed a finger at a section of forest, the same one that he had shown them in Gerard's office. On the map he had drawn several black boxes and it only took me a moment to realize that they indicated the Grimm presence in the area.

Misa frowned as she took in the map, "That's a rather large Grimm presence. Has it grown since you left?"

Arun nodded seriously, "It has. According to several of the people who I asked to keep an eye on it, the number of Grimm in the forest has at least doubled since I left. They're prowling the forest and rarely enter the cave itself."

"They're forming a perimeter. Making sure that nobody can leave the cave." Misa said seriously, and Arun nodded.

"Wait, how old are these Grimm?" I spoke up, confused, "How are they smart enough to know how to do that? And why would they?"

Arun chuckled lightly, "Kid, stay in this line of work for a while and you'll quickly find out that when it comes to Grimm, you can't bet on anything.

"As for the why, there have been some reports of seismic activity in the area since the researchers were trapped." He said, "It's possible that one of them has a semblance or some sort of equipment that would allow them to break rock in the cave. It's probably spooking the beasts."

"That also means we're on a time limit." Misa concluded, "If they manage to tunnel out and escape, they'll bring the dust with them and we'll lose this opportunity."

"We'll do this fast and loud on our part." Arun said, "Misa and I will go and rile up the Grimm and do our best to kite them back towards Buck so he can take them out with his rifle."

"Are you guys going to be alright handling that many Grimm at once?" I asked in concern.

"We'll be fine, Rei." Misa assured, "Arun and I have fought more Grimm than this without the cover of a sniper. With Buck it should go even smoother than before."

"And if not, we've always got my semblance!" Buck thumped his chest armor and the warmth my semblance had been feeling from him pulsed proudly, "My semblance, Hearth, creates a barrier of positive energy that invigorates anyone around me. The Grimm absolutely hate it and won't get near unless they're really riled up!"

I raised a brow, that was an impressive semblance. One of the more impressive ones I'd seen actually, and just as I thought it fit the man to a T
"After we've got them occupied, Rei'll sneak past and get into the cave. If there's any stragglers I'm assuming you shouldn't have too much trouble taking them out or sneaking past them?"

I nodded at his question and he grinned, "Alright, great. Here, here's a blueprint of the base. It's standardized all across Vale so this one should work for the base we're working on."

He handed me a rolled sheet of paper which I grabbed and unfurled, "Study that while we make our way there and work your magic. Oh, and here."

He held out a laminated card, "It's a key card. It should let you get through most of not all of the security checkpoints in the base. Hopefully."

"Woah," I said, taking it and turning it over in my hands, "How'd you get this?"

Arun gave me a smirk, "Let's just say that I've got some friends who just so happen to be on the same side of the underworld that you are. They managed to swipe a card from a particularly drunk researcher the other day and made a copy before slipping it back to her. It should hold up to the base's security systems if they did it right."

I looked down at the card, Kin Hua, Level Four Access. I didn't know anything about how these cards worked but four sounded pretty high. Hopefully Arun's friends copied it right.

I stowed it away in my satchel for later and Arun continued, "While you're inside, Rei, sneakiness is key. The researchers and guards will probably be extremely on edge and defensive so you need to get in and out as fast as possible. Preferably without being seen."

I nodded, "Got it. I'll do my best."

"That's all we can ask."

I looked back down at the blueprint in my hands, scrutinizing it intently as I searched for optimal entry points. It looked like they had an extremely open ventilation system, likely because of the base's location. That might work if just to get inside of the base.

"Wait, what are we going to do about the researchers trapped inside the base?" Buck spoke up, staring down at the map.

"Nothing." Misa replied succinctly, "It's not our concern. Dealing with the Grimm menacing the facility will be more than enough to make it safe for them to escape. It will take a while for them to figure it out though, time we will use to leave the area before anyone is the wiser."

I frowned but conceded her point. While I wished that we could at least bring some peace of mind to the people trapped inside of the base, the only thing that actually mattered was their safety and getting the dust. It wouldn't hurt them to think they were in danger a few more hours than they actually were.

Buck also looked a bit disappointed but didn't say anything further. Arun looked around at all of us, "Alright, does everyone know their role? If we do this right, we should be in and out in just a few hours at most."

We all nodded seriously and he gave us a big grin, rolling up the map and putting it away before turning to grab his weapons.

"Alright! Then let's roll out! Between the four of us we can have this done before I have to pick up Hazel from school! And when we get back, I'll make a feast to celebrate!" He laughed happily, slapping Buck on the back as he made his way out of the kitchen, causing the teen to nearly stumble into the table.

I put a steadying hand on his shoulder, receiving a thankful grin in return. Misa sighed in exasperation as she followed the massive man out

"I hope nothing goes wrong. This is the most important mission I've been on." Buck said as he slung his rifle over his back. The barrel poked over his shoulder like some sort of greatsword and once again I was impressed by the sheer size of the thing.

I slung an arm around the other teen's shoulder, leading him out of the house, "Eh, it'll be fine. Misa's strong as hell and Arun looks just as strong. Between the four of us we shouldn't have any issues." I chuckled as I realized something, "Heh. Four people with different combat specializations fighting against a horde of Grimm, it's almost like we're a huntsmen team!"

That caused a smile to form on the other team's face, "I suppose it is, isn't it?"

"Now we just need a name! Hmm…RABM?" Wait, weren't they named after colors? I don't think that was a color.

He raised an eyebrow, "Does that make you the leader since your name is at the front? I'm sure Misa or Arun may have something to say about that."

I placed slightly at the woman's name, "Oh crap, you're right. She'd make me run laps for even suggesting it. Umm, let's just forget about the name, okay?"

Buck gave a smirk that was eerily similar to my own, "If you insist."

---

Next three chapters available at Sadguychet | Patreon

The forest was pretty quiet for this time of day which was a bit odd, but it certainly helped me keep an ear out for Arun and Misa.

I adjusted my position on the tree branch Buck and I were perched on as we waited for the pair to return, dangling my legs over the thick piece of wood as I listened to my new friend chatter away.

"That's why it's sometimes detrimental to reinforce your entire weapon." Buck finished his explanation, holding his rifle up for view, "It almost entirely prevents mecha shifting as the components are too weighty for even the heaviest duty rotors to move."

"My girlfriend and I ran into that problem when making my weapons." I said idly as I kept my eye on the forest "We had to reinforce the dust chamber on Hit but we overdid it the first few times. Not exactly a catastrophic failure but it was annoying considering that was like our third prototype."

Buck laughed, "I felt the same way when building Justice. It seemed that every time I thought I got something correct she was determined to prove me wrong." He patted his rifle fondly, "I figured it out though. Just took some time and a lot of effort. That, and someone with a degree in mechanical engineering."

I chuckled lightly, "Well I didn't have that but Ruby's just as good as any actual engineer. Better probably. You should see her scythe; Crescent Rose is absolutely insane."

Buck went to respond but was interrupted by the sounds of snarls and rushing feet. We both looked down to find Arun and Misa rushing through the forest towards us at incredible speeds.

They were being chased by what looked like two dozen Grimm of every shape and size. Beowolfs, boarbatusks, ursa and several types I didn't recognize all followed closely behind them, roaring and snarling as they tried to catch up to the two veteran fighters.

"Guess that's my cue." I said, standing from my seated position and sliding my goggles on. The forest was immediately lit an electric blue as I oriented myself towards the cave where the base was located, "Wish me luck."

"Good luck." Buck responded, scoping in with his rifle as Arun and Misa stopped in the clearing up ahead, "Be careful in there. I won't have a visual on you so you're on your own. Do you have the case?"

"Got it right here." I said, patting my satchel in which was stored a heat proof case to carry the dust in. That stuff was hot enough to scorch and melt stone so there was no way I was getting it out of there with just my bare hands.

Buck nodded, "Wonderful. Stay safe, Rei. We'll meet at the designated spot when everything is said and done."

"Will do. Good luck, Buck." I chuckled lightly at my unintentional rhyme before shooting a wire out to a nearby tree, "I'll try not to take too long."

Buck gave me a thumbs up, keeping his eye on the fight that had begun down below and I stepped off of the branch. Only a moment later, the line pulled taut, metal wire snapping tightly and swinging me towards the forest floor.

I landed in a roll, the line I had shot retracting into my bracer as I kipped up to my feet and kept my momentum, running silently along the forest floor in the direction of the cave.

Behind me, the cracks of Buck's rifle were almost deafening, echoing throughout the forest as he took care of any stragglers that might have strayed towards me in my journey, keeping an eye on both me and the others at the same time.

Thanks to his efforts, I didn't have to slow down in my journey at all. In just a few minutes, I had reached my destination, the massive cave that was holding the research station.

I slid to a stop at the mouth of the cave, peering inside only to freeze in my tracks as I caught sight of something moving the darkness, and my hackles raised as glowing red eyes opened in the darkness.

It seemed that Misa and Arun missed one. It was an Ursa, a rather old one too given the amount of armor it was sporting on its body. I cursed, backing out of the cave as its crimson eyes locked onto me, full of the incredible malice and hate that was common in all Grimm.

I got to its feet, paws beating heavy on the forest floor as it lumbered out of the cave, following me as I backed away to get some space from it.

I stopped several yards from the mouth of the cave, keeping my gaze locked onto the massive Grimm as it rose up on its hind legs and roared loudly into the air, the noise beating against my ear like the rumble of a bullhead. It was trying to intimidate me and I had to admit,not was kind of working.

But I needed in that cave. And I wasn't going to let a single ursa stop me from my quarry.

Taking a breath to calm my quickly beating heart, I pulled Hit and Run free from their magnetic strips, holding them to my sides as I lowered my stance. This thing was way too big to simply run past and it was blocking the only entrance to my quarry. To get inside, I was going to have to kill it.

"This is what you and Ruby trained for, Rei." I muttered as the massive Grimm dropped back to all fours, charging towards me, "You got this."

The monster was on me in mere seconds, swiping out with an armored arm with a feral snarl. As it reached me, I jumped, planting my feet on its massive forearm and leaping above it, flipping over its head and dragging my hooks to carve painful lines along its bone-white mask.

It roared in pain, turning and swiping at me blindly as I skipped backwards just out of its reach. I pointed Run towards it, unloading dozens of pellets of fire dust into its thick hide and armor as I dashed to the side, maneuvering around it to try to get behind again as an idea formed in my mind.

The dust scorched its armor slightly but didn't touch apart to make it angrier and its eyes followed me from behind the paw it used to protect itself. The moment that I stopped, preparing to run towards it again, it suddenly turned and swung at me once more.

I slid under the ursa's outstretched arm as it took a swipe at me, dodging underneath its claws and getting behind it. I jumped onto its back before slamming the hooks of my weapons into its chest, crossing them over its thick neck.

"Boom." I said simply, pressing the trigger on Hit and releasing its payload.

The ursa didn't even have time to make a sound as with a burst of fire, Hit slid along its neck and then through it as Run held its head in place, decapitating it cleanly and sending its head flying off in a random direction.

I jumped down off of its back and it tilted forward, smoke floating from its dissipating body as whatever semblance of life had been left in it disappeared completely.

I looked down at my blades, slightly perplexed, "Huh. That was… a lot easier than I expected it to be."

Guess Ruby was right. My training was paying off.

"Now let's get in there." I stored my weapons back in your usual places, making my way into the cave.

The cave was basically just one giant cavern, in the middle of which sat the base itself, massive steel walls shooting up to the ceiling imposingly, along with a rather large fence with a security gate set in it.

The gate was easily bypassed via my key card, and then it was just a matter of getting into the base itself. I couldn't go through the front entrance. If the researchers felt as threatened as I imagined they did, they would no doubt have barricaded the door or simply locked it to prevent entry. I would have to go around.

Scaling the wall of the base wasn't hard. There were a number of footholds that I could use and my claws could easily pierce relatively thin sheet metal besides that. Once I got up to the vent, it was just a matter of unscrewing the vent and slipping inside the chute.

My nose scrunched at the dusty metal interior, so I slipped my mask over my face, protecting my sensitive nose from any debris that might slip inside.

"If the blueprints were right," I muttered to myself as I crawled along, "there should be a way into the main hall just a few meters in. Hope I don't get too much dust in my hair.."

All was well so far. This was looking like yet another clean job. Sort of.

~~~

Arun's key card worked like a charm. While I made my way through the base, I came across several doors that I wouldn't have been able to get through without it. Checkpoints to make sure that some unfortunate janitor or something didn't accidentally wonder where they weren't supposed to be.

As I stalked through the sterile halls, I kept my eyes out for any possible guards. My goggles were already set to thermal in order to locate the dust, so if anyone did happen to come across me I would hopefully see them long before they saw me.

Fortunately (and unfortunately for the researchers) I had detected exactly nobody since I had entered several minutes ago. The hallways were completely empty, desolate and completely devoid of any and all life.

That wasn't to say everyone was dead though. My goggles were clearly around a dozen heat signatures holed up in a room together, likely for safety. That was probably whoever remained of the researchers.

I studiously avoided thinking about what might have happened to the rest of them. Twelve or so people was an extremely low number for a station this big and I knew for a fact that even the last one I had been in had more. There were clearly several missing and I hadn't seen any indication that they were still around.

I put it out of my thoughts, deciding not to dwell on it. What was done, was done. Thanks to everyone still outside, those people would be safe and no more of them would die. I needed to focus on why I was here.

I hadn't sensed anything putting off enough heat to be what I was looking for and I had surveyed practically the whole base at this point.

As I thought about my predicament, I was suddenly struck by a revelation, "Wait… if it's always hot enough to melt stone, then wouldn't they want to keep it somewhere cold?"

I looked around again with my thermal vision, adjusting the settings on my goggles to focus on the colder signatures instead of the hot ones. I immediately deadpanned as I got a hit almost immediately after changing the settings.

"I'm an idiot." I sighed as I began making my way in the opposite direction that I had been, straight towards the room that was at least seventy five degrees colder than literally every other room in the building.

It was locked with a security card scanner, level four exactly. I once again thanked Arun for having the foresight to swipe the id as this security wasn't something I could currently crack. One slide of the card, and I was given access.

The moment that I walked in, I could see why it was so much colder than the rest of the base. The room was completely filled with chilling mist and steam as cold air was pumped into the room and immediately heated by the blinding chunk of dust burning merrily on a metal platform in the center.

And yet, even with all of the moisture in the air, fire still flickered around the base of the dust. It was so hot that it hurt to look at it through thermal vision, searing my retina with just a glance and I looked away immediately, turning off my goggles so I didn't permanently damage my eyes.

At least there wasn't any doubt that this was what I was looking for, I guess.

Even through the mist and several feet away, I could still feel the heat of the dust as I strode forward. I grimaced slightly as I neared my quarry, bringing a hand in front of my face to shield from the sheer power of the dust.

It was like standing directly in front of a campfire as I finally reached it. I stared at the crystal, bright magenta pulsing with power as the heat it gave off created distortions in the misty air. It was almost…hypnotizing.

Slowly, I lowered my arm from in front of my face, suddenly unbothered by the intense heat and more preoccupied with staring at the dust. Like last time, the dust sang out to me, calling to something deep within my soul, practically begging me to reach out and…

I froze as I realized I had moved forward unconsciously. I looked down at my hand in baffled confusion as I took in my fingertips, mere centimeters from touching the surface of the dust

I jerked my hand back with a pained hiss as my skin smoldered from the heat coming off of the dust as it suddenly reappeared the moment I came back to my senses from whatever had just happened.

"What the fuck was that?" I muttered, slightly perturbed as I sucked lightly on my singed fingertips. I shook my head to clear it, still not quite sure what that was, "Get it together, Rei. You can gawk at the dust later. Grab it and get the hell out of here."

Reaching into my satchel, I retrieved the container that I had been given specifically for the task of containing the dust. After debating on how to go about getting the crystal in there without burning myself, I decided to throw caution to the wind and just clamped the case around it, slamming it shut before the heat managed to do anything more than singe the hairs on my arm.

Just as designed, the moment that the case was closed it sealed itself with a sharp hiss. The heat that had been so oppressive immediately disappeared, leaving nothing but the frigid cold as the room cooled itself in an attempt to contain something that was no longer there.

"Mission complete." I grinned, sliding the case back into my satchel, treasure safely tucked inside, "Now to get out of here…"

I turned stalk back out of the room, only to stumble as massive tremors shook the base, like a miniature earthquake that sent vibrations throughout my entire body.

I looked around warily as it ceased only moments later. That must have been the seismic activity that Arun told us about.

It was more than a little disquieting to have something like that happen inside of a massive cave; I didn't really fancy getting buried under several hundred tons of rock and stone, and so as soon as the shaking stopped I made a beeline for the place I had come in from, hoping to get out as quickly as possible.

"Hey, you!"

I froze, my heart beating wildly in my chest as someone called out to me from behind. How the hell had I not heard them coming?

I turned slowly, my gaze alighting on the person who had caught me even as I prepared to fight if need be.

Luckily, it didn't look like I would have all thT much of a fight if it came to it. The man was clearly one of the researchers, with a sterile white lab coat and a name badge to match.

He was rather tall with bright blonde hair and a neat beard and looked just as surprised to see me as I was to see him, looking at my weapons and my masked face in stark shock.

I tensed and my hand slowly reached towards my chemical pellets, only to freeze as his face suddenly turned relieved, as if he was happy to see me.

"Oh thank god!" He breathed, making his way over as I stared at him warily, "I didn't think there were any of you left!"

I blinked as he suddenly wrapped his arms around me in a tight hug. His voice sounded slightly sad as he embraced me, "You're so young… I'm so sorry you got dragged into this."

"It's… fine?" I said, wondering exactly what was going on here. Did he think I was part of their group? I cleared my throat, trying to think of an excuse for being here, "I uh, I was trying to find everyone but I got kind of lost. Sorry."

"It's more than fine! I'm just glad that one of you survived!" The man said as he let go of me. His blue eyes were relieved as he looked me over, "I told them that we should have hired more than just a few fresh graduates, but they said we didn't have the budget for it. Now look at what happened. All that wasted life…"

He shook his head, "We managed to retrieve their bodies. They're in cold storage and out of sight so nobody gets too riled up at the sight of them. That much negative emotion would drive the Grimm into a frenzy. When we get back to Vale, we'll send a team to retrieve them and eradicate every last one of those damn monsters responsible. I promise."

I nodded, not saying anything in response to his statement. I had known going in that any deaths wouldn't be preventable by us, but to hear that so many new Hunters and Huntresses had lost their lives in one fell swoop was… disheartening.

This was what Ruby wanted to do with her life? Dying to protect a few people who likely would have died anyway if they didn't possess something that my boss wanted? How horrifying.

I shook my head, clearing away the morbid thoughts as the manspoke once more. "Come on, I'll take you to where the rest of us are set up." He said, leading me down the hall in the direction I had been going, "There aren't many of us left, but with you here we might be able to make it out of here without losing anyone else."

I stared at his retreating back. He was moving in the direction I needed to go so there was no way I was going to sneak past him. I would have to stay with him until I found an opportunity to slip away.

It definitely didn't have anything to do with the fact that I wanted to see how the researchers were holding up. Not at all.

He gave me a small smile as I caught up with him, "I'm Henry, by the way." He introduced himself.

I gave him a nod, "Rei. Nice to meet you."

"You as well. Though I wish the circumstances were different."

~~~

The place that Henry led to was once the base cafeteria. The researchers had barricaded themselves inside, fortifying the massive room against any incursion via long tables pressed up against the swinging doors.

Henry got us inside via a side room that led into the main hall. Frazzled and harried faces turned towards us as we entered and eyes widened as they caught sight of me trailing behind Henry. A plus-one that they hadn't expected the man to return with.

One of them broke off from the group to approach us, "Henry! Did you find a way out?" She asked, almost desperately.

"You know I didn't, Jessica. The only place not blocked by Grimm is deeper into the cave and we both know that leads nowhere." He sighed, causing her face to fall, "But I did manage to find this girl. She's part of the group that we hired to protect us."

"Great! Just another mouth to feed." One of them said snidely, staring daggers at me.

"Put your bigotry aside for one goddamn second, Cavel! This is a good thing!" Henry immediately shot back towards the man, who just spat on the floor in response.

"A good thing? She isn't going to do anything but-"

"Enough!" Henry was incensed, "Just because you're a fool who can't see past your own hatred doesn't mean that this girl is any less capable than the rest of them."

"And look where that capability got them, Henry! Dead and shoved into a corner of the freezer! One more snot-nosed brat isn't going to make a difference! Much less one of them."

Ah, he was a racist. Odd to see one in a position that required such intellect but I suppose it takes all types.

Cavel's words set off the rest of the researchers and soon enough the cafeteria was a cacophony of shouting and angry remarks as the apparently frayed tensions snapped.

As they argued, I surreptitiously looked for an opportunity to slip away unnoticed. These researchers were completely safe, although they didn't know it. I had checked up on them and now it was time to leave. The longer I stayed here the more likely it was that they would find out that I wasn't actually one of the guards they had hired.

My searching was interrupted as one of the researchers suddenly ceased shouting at Henry and abruptly strode forward, grabbing me by the shoulders.

"Can't you call for backup or something!?" The researcher screamed, stringy hair dangling in front of his manic face as he stepped into my personal space. I winced as my ears rang from the volume as well as the spit that shot into my face. Henry saw my discomfort and immediately jumped to my aid.

"Hey! Leave her alone!" The man yelled, stepping in front of me and shoving his coworker back. Being much larger than the other man, Henry's shove sent him staggering backwards, nearly tripping over his feet, "You know that we don't get any service here! The nearest SDC radio tower is over fifty miles away and we're surrounded by dozens of feet of solid rock!"

"Then what are we supposed to do!?" A woman asked hysterically, "Just wait for the Grimm to break on and kill us all!? We should just kill ourselves right now and save ourselves the pain of being torn apart by those monsters!"

Her eyes locked onto me, wide and manic, "You, girl! Give me those swords! O-or that gun! I don't have aura so it should only take one bullet! You don't have to worry about running out!"

My eyes widened as she took a step towards me and I stepped back, my claws unsheathing on instinct as I was faced with this woman who had clearly lost her senses.

"Nobody's going to kill themselves!" Henry sounded like he was at his wits end, grabbing the woman and pulling her away from me, "We are going to get out of here alive! We have a Huntress now! She can protect us!"

"She's just a kid!" One researcher protested, making me scowl slightly, "What is she going to do against all those Grimm? We're better off waiting for-"

The argument was forestalled by another tremor, this one much more powerful than ever before. Several researchers were thrown to the floor from the force of the shaking and I was only just able to stay on my feet by grabbing onto Henry's lab coat.

"What's going on!?"

"It's the tremors!"

"They've never been this big before!"

"We're gonna die! We're all gonna die!"

My eyes widened and I turned to Henry in panic, "Wait! That wasn't you guys!?"

He looked back at me as I stumbled, falling into his side as I lost my footing,"What are you talking about!? We have nothing to do with this!" He shouted back, grabbing onto me and holding me up.

"Then what-!?" My words were cut off by a massive crack like lightning striking and I stared in horror as the floor suddenly cracked, splitting into several places that began to give way.

And then I was weightless, falling downwards as the floor gave out from underneath us all. Screams of terror escaped the mouths of the researchers and myself as we were sent plummeting into a massive sink-hole, falling into a deep darkness that was seemingly endless.

By pure instinct, I glanced down as I began to fall. My eyes widened in pure terror at what I saw as I plummeted into the hole clutching Henry for dear life.

A boney-white body, massive and scarred, was barely visible thanks to the light beaming from the fluorescents up above. Crimson eyes stared up in the darkness, waiting and watching as it's meal was brought to it by the inescapable force of gravity and I was suddenly struck by a horrifying realization. The Grimm outside weren't there to prevent anyone from escaping.

They were waiting.

---

Next three chapters available at Sadguychet | Patreon

Sorry for the long wait! Lost interest in this fic for a while and was focusing on other stuff but I'm back now and it should stay that way for a while! Please enjoy this chapter!

---

Everything hurt. That was my first coherent thought as I regained consciousness on the cold, hard floor of the cavern I had fallen down into. I looked around blearily, finding myself in a large, damp cavern that was just barely lit by the lights of the research station up above.

Large jagged scratch marks were carved into the floors and walls, clearly from the grimm that had sent me and the researchers careening down here. The question was, was it still around?

My heart thudded at the idea and I began to rise, only to hiss as every single bone in my body screamed at me, numerous shooting pains popping up along my arms and torso practically ordering me to take it easy.

I ignored my body's suggestions, rising to my feet anyway with a pained grimace on my face. I needed to be in a position to defend myself if it came to it.

As I climbed to my feet, my face twisted at an especially intense pain in my right hand. I looked down and it only took a cursory inspection to realize why that was.

My pinkie and ring fingers had been broken or at least badly sprained, red and swollen to the point where even moving them was a challenge without the addition of intense pain. That would make wielding Hit much harder.

I pursed my lips, trying to clench my fingers unsuccessfully, only to freeze as I caught sight of something just past my damaged digits.

My goggles had apparently fallen off of my head in my descent and were lying only a few feet away, lenses shattered to pieces and casing cracked to pieces. That sucked, but it wasn't what had caused me to freeze.

Henry was lying right beside them on his side. The man's back was facing me, but even from this distance I could see that he wasn't moving. Blood was leaking from his head, staining his white lab coat crimson red from whatever wound he had incurred.

Maybe it was the sudden unfamiliar and dangerous situation I had found myself in, but I could feel panic welling up within me as I stared at the only familiar face nearby lying like a corpse on the cave floor.

"Oh fuck! Henry? Henry!?" I rushed over to the man, frantically calling his name and feeling my heart sink when I got no response.

I slid to my knees in front of him, ignoring the pain the action caused as I reached out and grabbed him by the shoulders, flipping him over. His face was covered with blood running from his hair but I couldn't see any wounds.

But he wasn't moving. Hadn't budged in the slightest even when I flipped him over.

"Shit. Shitshitshitshit!" I whispered frantically, placing my hands on his cheeks hesitantly. They were still warm. Buoyed by this knowledge, I ripped his lab coat off and leaned down, placing my fuzzy ear against his chest and listening intently.

Relief filled me as I detected the steady thumping of a heart beating in his ribcage. He was alive. Damaged, but alive.

Not knowing much first aid and not wanting to damage anything that I couldn't see, I pulled off my jacket and placed it under the man's head, maneuvering his body into the recovery position like I had seen in some of the shows I used to watch.

As I stood and looked around, it became apparent that Henry had gotten the better end of the stick compared to his fellow researchers.

The fall had been much kinder to Henry and I than his friends. Those that I could see were completely still, several limbs bent at awkward angles and one of them looked to have his neck snapped, his head resting in a position that shouldn't be physically possible.

Another nearby, a ginger woman who I hadn't seen before, was laying on her side as Henry had been. I couldn't see any wounds on her and she looked mostly fine, but the growing pool of blood that was spreading around her made me think that wouldn't be the case for much longer.

I began to limp over to the woman, wanting to make sure that she was actually beyond saving, only to freeze as I caught movement out of the corner of my eye.

My heart began pounding in my chest like a war drum as I slowly turned towards it, somehow already knowing what I would see.

A massive undulating form, several meters in length, was covered in bone-white armor, dark jagged spikes jutting out from it at random points only adding to its intimidating appearance.

It wound around the column of stone and I took an unconscious step back as more of its body was revealed, long and chitinous, with dozens of skittering legs that dug into the stone like it was nothing but butter.

Its face looked like a mix between a worm and a spider, with twitched mandibles clicking together in front of a mouth full of razor-sharp teeth and several glaring crimson eyes that stared at me with so much malice it was almost sickening.

Every single hair on my body stood on end as the creature made itself known. This thing had less in common with a grimm than it did some sort of nightmare creature straight out of a children's horror story. My heart pounded in my chest and my legs tensed in preparation to flee from this monster, this predator that stared down at me like I was nothing but an ant.

But… even if I could outrun this thing, I had nowhere to go. This cavern didn't have any exits that I could see and the way that I had come in was currently blocked by the grimm and dozens of meters above me. There was no way I would be able to get to it while it was in the way.

And even putting that aside, Henry was still alive. Leaving him here would be as good as killing him myself. I was fine with leaving him and the other researchers in the base because I knew they'd be safe. Now however, that had changed and I refused to stand by and allow the man to be killed.

I sighed shakily, my mind made up. "I didn't sign up for this." I muttered almost silently as I pulled my weapons from my back.

I gave the giant monster a nervous grin, flourishing my weapons theatrically and drawing its eyes to me with the movement, "Alright then big dark and spiney, let's dance."

I burst into motion, darting off to the side of the grimm in an effort to both get a better angle on it and to lead it away from the unconscious Henry so that he wouldn't get hurt in the conflict.

Luckily, my plan worked. Seemingly more interested in a moving target than an unmoving one, the massive grimm followed after me, letting out a roar that sounded like a cacophony of all the worst and scariest sounds in the animal kingdom as it chased me across the cavern.

As I ran, I peppered its side with shots from Run, the burning chunks of dust impacting it directly as I slid to a stop, turning to face it fully.

None of the bullets did anything but scorch the boney armor comprising its body. I cursed as I dodged around one of its legs as it came down in an attempt to skewer me, skipping backwards to gain some distance.

I put Hit back on my back, recognizing that it would be useless in this situation, and instead retrieved Trick from its holster, swapping Run to my right hand so I could use it as my primary weapon.

The revolver barked in my hand as I fired three shots in quick succession. The first one missed and I immediately adjusted my aim before letting the other two loose. Unlike the dust, the bullets actually damaged its armor, biting into the bony surface and cracking the area around it as the grimm roared in pain and agitation.

In its rage it reared up, revealing its truly immense size as it lunged forward at me, its sharpened maw opened wide as it approached. As it reached me, snapping down at me with its mandibles, I suddenly reached out and shot a line between its legs, latching onto a column of stone and reeling myself in.

I slid underneath it as its face slammed into the ground where I had been. As I was reeled in, I brought Run up and peppered its underside with fire dust, scoring several hits along its unarmored belly.

Unlike all of my other attempts, the thing absolutely roared in pain, screeching loud enough that the cavern shook around us as it thrashed from the pain my attack had wrought.

My hackles raised at the noise but I couldn't help the grin as I got to my feet, "You liked that, huh?" I taunted stupidly as I reloaded my weapon with a fresh dust crystal, "Well don't worry, I've got a ton more where that came from!"

It turned to me, pure rage in its crimson eyes before it practically blurred into motion.

The leg came at me way too fast for me to even consider dodging it. I screamed in pain as it slammed into my side, sending me flying off my feet as I went soaring away with yelp.

As I flew, I could feel the strap of my satchel snag on something and snap, the accessory falling from my body and to the ground below. Seconds later, I hit the ground as well and a loud crack sounded out from my chest, leaving me breathless as my ribs screamed in white-hot agony.

I wasn't given any time to recover though. As I painfully got to my knees, the hairs on the back of my neck stood straight up. Following my instincts, I immediately dropped to the floor and rolled to the side, mercifully dodging the massive spindly leg that slammed through the stone right where I had been a mere second earlier.

I quickly got back to my feet, aura sparking around me as I did so, sputtering in and out with its lack of strength. I grimaced as blood leaked down my forehead and narrowly missed my eyes, before looking up at the grimm who was seemingly waiting for me to recover before it continued its attacks. How kind.

I panted, glaring at the thing through lidded eyes, barely able to remain upright as the thing strode towards me. In just that one attack, I was already on my last legs. My aura was about to break, two of my fingers were broken, and my ribs hurt like hell.

It wasn't looking good for me, even I could see that. I had never seen a grimm like this before, never heard of it either, but it was definitely too much for me to handle alone. This was the type of grimm that you'd send veteran huntsmen to deal with. A whole team of them! Not just one thief who's never even been to a combat academy.

Was this where I died? Underneath a cave in the middle of the forest, surrounded by the corpses of people I had met less than an hour ago?

I wonder how Ruby would react. Fuck, this would kill her.

The grimm, seemingly sensing my negative thoughts, clicked its mandibles in a twisted facsimile of happiness. I grit my teeth, clenching my weapons in sweaty palms as it slowly walked forward, looming over me as if trying to intimidate me.

"Well it's working!" I shouted at the thing, "Is that what you want!? Huh!? Congratulations you giant spindly fuck! I'm scared out of my fucking mind right now! Happy!? ARE YOU HAPPY YOU STUPID SPIDER PIECE OF SHIT!?"

I was breathing heavily by the end of my little tirade and my legs felt like they were about to give out, but I just managed to hold on by clenching my weapons extremely hard, glaring daggers at the creature who had caused the outburst.

The grimm paused at my words, tilting its head as if it could understand them. And then, as I stared in shock and horror, it began making a noise.

It was deep and echoing coming from somewhere deep in its throat, repeating over and over as the monster stared into my increasingly wide eyes.

It was laughing at me.

The dread in my soul gave way to pure rage and any exhaustion I was feeling was swept away in a wave of adrenaline.

With a scream born of pure desperation and rage at this thing that wanted to end me for no other reason than I was alive, I rushed towards the grimm, not caring about the consequences of my actions.

Holstering Trick, I retrieved Hit, twisting its dial and shifting it into its standard sword shape while I brought Run to bear and pulled the trigger harder than what was probably safe for it, shooting chunks of dust into the bastard's armored face, hoping to blind it so I could get in close.

I didn't make it very far before one of its legs slammed into me again, sending me flying away from the grimm as I lost my grip on my weapons from the force of the impact.

Hit and Run went skidding into the darkness, disappearing from view as I hit the ground with a loud *crack*, and I could feel my bruised ribs break along with my aura as I was sent rolling along the floor painfully, skidding to a stop several meters from where I had initially hit the ground.

I gasped and nearly curled up in agony as my aura fizzled around me, white sparks sputtering faintly as what little energy remained inside me was stripped away. I groaned, rolling over onto my front as my stomach churned, all of the aches in my body being multiplied infinitely by my broken aura.

Behind me, the grimm laughed again, and fear shot through me at the noise. I moved forward, beginning to crawl away from the monster in a desperate attempt to get into a position to recover for at least a moment, only to pause as my fingers bumped into something cold and metallic.

It was the dust that I had stolen. The case had apparently fallen out of my satchel and cracked when it hit the ground, allowing the magenta light of the crystal to peek through, along with the heat that it seemingly always produced.

And like always, it sang to me. I stared at it as it blurred in and out of my vision, rolling a silent question over in my mind before deciding.

"Fuck it." I wheezed as I got to my knees painfully. I gasped as my ribs cracked at the movement, before getting a hold of myself and reaching out towards the case, "I'm probably dying here anyway."

The grimm was getting closer, the sharp cracks of its legs on the ground slowly making their way towards me as I grabbed the case in both of my hands.

I huffed, using nearly all of my remaining strength to bring it over my head, before SMASHING it onto the ground as hard as I possibly could.

The already compromised casing failed to hold up to the sudden impact, breaking into several pieces all over the cavern floor. Behind me I could hear the grimm pause as the crystal inside the case went clattering to the floor with loud clinks, rolling to a stop right in front of me, glowing brightly in the darkness as it released enough heat to immediately singe the hairs on my arm.

Before I had any chance to doubt myself or rationalize that touching something giving off enough heat to boil the air around it was a bad idea, I stretched my arm out and listened to that part of my soul that had been speaking to me all this time, wrapping my fingers around the chunk of dust even as it painfully burned the flesh of my palm.

I gasped, throwing my head back as my eyes blew wide. Power, overwhelming and all-consuming filled me as my semblance activated automatically the moment that I touched the crystal, sucking whatever power had been held inside of it straight from the source.

All of my exhaustion disappeared in an instant leaving me breathless as an energy skin to the most potent adrenaline filled my body, reinvigorating me like nothing ever had before.

In wonder, I looked down at my hands as I rose from the floor, clenching my fingers and finding that while the wounds I had sustained hadn't healed at all, they didn't actually hurt anymore.

I felt good. Amazing actually! Like I could take on the entirety of Atlas's military force all at once and not break a sweat doing it…

Or shove my foot up a certain giant grimm's ass.

Heat roiled off of my body as I turned back to the monster responsible for my injuries. It looked confused and slightly wary, or as much as the living embodiment of hatred could be anyway, and as I walked forward, scorching the ground as I went, I could swear it inched back minutely.

It was afraid. Good.

"Alright motherfucker!" I flexed my newfound power just as I would activate a semblance. Magenta flames immediately sprung to life among my limbs and shirt, burning brighter than the hottest bonfire yet causing me no harm.

I grinned ferally at the grimm, "Round two!"

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