Archive of Our Own ^beta

A/N: Hello all! Bit of a note to make on this chapter as well, it's a bit different from the one on FFN, but only slightly. Considering the information on Adam we got from Volume 6, I felt like this was a necessary change. With that said, this is...

Chapter 2: Removing the Horns

If this kind of thing hadn't happened to Ben several times before, he'd probably have a hard time explaining his situation to the two girls. But Yang and Blake had been willing to listen and let him tell his side of the story. They were still in the abandoned mess hall as he told his story, as there probably wasn't anyplace better to go at the moment. He had to cut out some parts because from what he understood they were pressed for time, but they seemed to get the basic gist of it.

"So, let me see if I've got this straight:" Yang began, Ben nodding his head for her to continue. "In your universe, you're a superhero in a world where aliens exist." She pointed to the Omnitrix. "And that watch on your wrist lets you to transform into any alien that you want. And you, your cousin, your best friend and your Gramps all fight evil dudes together?"

"Yeah, that's basically it." Ben replied, hoping they would believe him.

"That..." Yang gave an intense stare into his eyes, checking to see if there was any inkling of falsehood in them. But she found none, he was telling the truth. When she realized that, she gave Ben a grin and loudly exclaimed; "is so freaking COOL!"

"Oh... uh, thanks Yang, much appreciated." 'Man, she's got energy to spare.' Ben thought to himself.

Blake's eyes widened. "Wait a second Yang... you're actually going to believe him—just like that?"

"Um, yeah." The Blonde Brawler replied with a shrug. "I mean, we both saw him come out of that portal and transform right? What other explanation IS there?"

"Well, sure, but I just feel like we should be asking more questions." Blake faced Ben. "Like how did that portal get you to this specific place? And at just the right time too?"

It was Ben's turn to shrug. "To be honest Blake, I don't know. Lucky timing I guess? To be honest, I'm not sure how this whole dimensional travel thing works... even if I HAVE done it in the past, but that's a story for another time. Right now I'd like to start asking a few questions of my own. What world am I in? Just what is it that you two do with those—admittedly awesome looking—weapons? And finally, why does the outside look like Godzilla's last stomach ache?"

"The hell's a Godzilla?" Yang asked.

Ben paused, wide-eyed from shock. Pop-culture was a no-go. "Okay so, I'm not in any normal dimension. Got it."

Blake groaned in exasperation. "Okay, in order: You're in the world of Remnant, in the Kingdom of Vale on the continent of Sanus. Yang and I are Huntresses in training. Hunters and Huntresses help protect our world from the malevolence known as the Grimm. Creatures which, along with a...group of terrorists..." she seemed to be forcing the words out of her mouth in disgust, "known as the White Fang and some other evil force that we know nothing about are currently attacking our school, Beacon Academy. Is that a good enough answer?"

Ben looked to Yang for confirmation and she shrugged again. "She basically gave you the cliff notes version, but yeah, that's it."

Ben sighed. "Okay, I'm satisfied, but I'd like some clarification on a few things later."

Blake nodded. "Sure. Now, onto more important things." She faced Yang, anger now gracing her features. "Namely, WHAT IN THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?!"

Yang put her hand's up in self-defense. "Whoa, easy Blake I was just—"

"You we're about to make the stupidest decision in your life!"

Yang began to get irritated. "Oh, so what? Trying to save my partner is a stupid decision?"

"NO! Going up against an enemy who you know nothing about is the worst decision that you could ever make! Adam could have maimed you! Or worse killed you!"

"I know, okay?! I just didn't realize it until it was too late! Besides, that didn't end up happening anyways thanks to Ben's explosive entrance."

"And that's supposed to make everything better?!"

"He was going to kill you Blake! What did you think I was gonna do, stand by and look at my boots while he did?"

"Adam wouldn't have killed me! He wanted to see me suffer by taking away everything I love! And if you had just run away like I had told you to, we wouldn't be having this conversation right now!" Blake's eyes were rimming with tears at this point.

"Exactly! Because he probably would have killed you if I had run away!"

"Look around Yang!" Blake gestured around the destroyed mess hall. "All of this destruction! Our school is in flames! And it's all because of me and my stupid mistakes!" Blake hugged her arms around herself in a vain attempt at comfort. She couldn't take it anymore, her sadness and self-loathing were clouding her mind. Her tears fell and, without thinking, she blurted out: "Maybe it'd been better off if he HAD killed me!"

"Don't you DARE say that!" That was the last straw for Yang as she grabbed Blake by the shoulders and pinned her against the wall, something that left Ben shocked. He kept his mouth shut however; this seemed like something he shouldn't butt in on. Yang glared into Blake's eyes, breathing hard, venting her anger. But as she starred into the saddened and terrified gaze of her partner, she managed to calm down, only for her own tears fall. She unpinned Blake and pulled her into a tight embrace, crying into the cat girl's shoulder. They stayed that way until Yang was able to calm down. She spoke to her partner, her voice now very hoarse.

"Blake, on the day of initiation, I went into those woods with only one sister. By the time I left... I had two more. If anything ever happened to you, Ruby, or Weiss, I wouldn't know what to do with myself. You're more than just my partner Blake, you're my family. My sister." Yang let out a few more light sobs as Blake was left stunned. "I don't know if you think of me that way... but I want you to know that I will always, always be there for you. And none of this is your fault. So please don't talk like you deserve to die!" When a few moments of silence had passed, Blake pulled Yang off of her shoulder and looked her straight in the eye.

"You... you really think of me as... family?" Blake's voice cracked. On the one hand, she was immensely happy that her partner had thought of her like that, on the other, she had realized what she'd accidentally said in her grief. And now she was immensely regretting ever saying it.

Yang wiped away her tears. "Of course I do! After all we've been through, why wouldn't I?"

Blake looked down dejectedly. "Well, it's just... I haven't been the most supportive teammate. Especially lately with the whole Mercury thing and..."

"Oh who gives a crap about that? You're part of my family Blake. And you know what? Nothing can change my mind about that."

Blake could feel herself choking up. "I...I've always wanted a sister. A-and I have thought of you guys as family for a while... I've just been too stubborn to admit it I guess."

Yang gave her most earnest smile. "Well guess what sis?" She gave her partner a wink. "You've got one now."

Blake could feel tears running down her cheeks as she and Yang hugged again, this time much softer. "Just promise me you won't do something like that again, okay?"

Yang's smile softened and she sighed. "Okay, I'll try to be careful. Just so long as you promise to not blame yourself and run away again."

"Deal." Blake dried her eyes and removed herself from Yang's shoulder, only to see Ben facing away from them. "Uh... Ben?" Blake called out, Yang looking back to the hero as well. "Are you okay?"

Ben turned back around. "Hmm? Oh, yeah, I'm fine. I just wanted to give you two some space is all. It seemed like you needed it."

"Wait, did you hear all that?" Yang questioned with a brow raised.

"Well... kind of. I only heard a little bit... sorry."

Yang smiled. "Hey, it's okay. What's an emotional moment between friends, huh?"

Ben's eyes widened. "Huh, wow, friends already? I would have at least expected a little bit of distrust before that happened."

Blake gave him a small grin. "Ben, you just blasted my abusive ex-boyfriend through a wall. I think that qualifies as being friends."

"Yeah, and if you hadn't gotten here when you did, I would have been... disarmed!" Yang raised her right arm for emphasis on the last word. "But seriously, thanks a bunch."

Ben's couldn't find the words to say at first. These two already considered him friends? Awesome. "Ah, jeez, it's really no problem. I do this stuff every day. But I really appreciate it. It both means a lot and means I don't have to be stuck in any energy tubes this time."

Yang and Blake looked at each other in confusion as if asking the same question: 'Energy tubes?' before shrugging it off and refocusing themselves back to the matter at hand. "So what happens now?" Yang asked.

"Well, while you two were sorting things out, I managed to contact my cousin Gwen and my friend Kevin. They aren't far and they should be here in a minute to pick us up. Also we should probably unearth that guy and restrain him so we can stuff him in Kevin's trunk."

"Already have that covered thank you very much." At the sound of the familiar voice, the trio's heads all whirled around to see Adam, standing on top of the rubble from the hole he was blown through, his clothes torn and burned, covered in a thin layer of dust and a fresh new scar on his face. He did not seem happy. "Now, I was simply going to go easy on you at first. Cut the blonde's arm off, maybe torture her for a good while before finally snuffing her lights out, but now..." he gave out a soulless chuckle, "now I am livid."

"Oh, I bet you are." Ben said in a smug tone, arms crossed. "Not many people can take a blast like that and still be conscious. Then again from what I've gathered, the people here aren't exactly all that normal."

"That's big talk coming from someone who was a bipedal plant." Adam insulted.

"Also big talk coming from a bi-horned bitch." Ben shot back.

"OH DAMN!" Yang shouted. "Green Boy with the come backs over here!"

Ben looked at her in confusion. "Green Boy?"

Yang smiled. "Yeah, I give everybody nicknames. Anything wrong with that, Green Boy?"

"Oh, no, it's fine. I actually kind of like it." Ben said with a smile.

Meanwhile, Blake was writing her last will and testament in her head. 'Is he insane?! He's basically digging our own graves by throwing that many of insults!'

Adam however, was not deterred. "Insult me all you want, Ben Tennyson; I am far above such poultry name calling."

Ben turned back, a smile adorning his features. "Okay, you win I guess. But, before you kill us, I just have one question for you."

"Which is?"

Ben's smile became a smirk. "Do you know what a Khoros-5 engine block sounds like?"

Adam's brow rose. "No, why would I—?" Beep Beep! Adam swerved around, just in time to be met with a pair of headlights and a roaring engine. The muscle car hit him and sent him flying, yet again into an opposing wall and burying him in rubble. Yang and Blake's eyes widened in surprise, Ben taking pride in his perfect timing.

"The correct answer was: nearly silent, until it's too late." The young hero said smugly.

From out of the car, a young man and woman emerged, the former with a proud grin on his face. "Did anybody get the number of that bitch?!" he hollered.

The pony-tailed girl gave him an irritated look. "Kevin..." she warned.

"Aw come on Gwen! At least I didn't sideswipe him this time!"

Blake never thought that the day could get any weirder than it already had. All that she knew was that when Adam got up again, they would all likely die. The two people that ran into her ex, who must have been Gwen and Kevin, descended the pile of rubble that they had rolled in on and hurried over to Ben, with the redhead embracing him.

"Benjamin Kirby Tennyson, you had us worried sick!" Gwen chastised her cousin.

"Well, not so much me, but she was definitely worried 'bout ya." Kevin corrected.

"Come on, Gwen," Ben said, "you really shouldn't be worried, I can take care of myself."

Gwen rolled her eyes. "Okay, sure, but can you blame me? First Vilgax escapes, then the entire city block blows up, dimensional travel is REAL apparently, and now we're in the middle of a war zone! Just how can this day get any..." she trailed off when she noticed that the usual trio was not alone. "Oh, hello." she politely waved at the two Huntresses.

"Hello." Blake waved back.

"Hi there!" Yang exclaimed as she stepped over to the three, Blake not far behind. "You must be Ben's cousin. Gwen, right?"

"Um, yes." The redhead answered. Blake could tell that Gwen had very little experience with exuberance of Yang-level proportions. She could see it in her face, plain as day. But dear god did she try. "And you would be...?"

"Oh, yeah," Ben realized, "I haven't introduced you. Ladies, this is Gwen and Kevin. Gwen, Kev, this is Yang Xiao-Long and Blake Belladonna. They've been helping me out since I got here."

"Aw Ben, don't be so modest." Yang said while giving him a friendly pat on the shoulder. She turned to his redheaded cousin. "Gwen, let me tell ya, Ben's been more helpful to us in the last fifteen minutes than anyone else in this godforsaken place."

Ben rubbed the back of his head. "Heh, thanks Yang. Again, means a lot."

At first, Gwen didn't know what to say, but a subtle sly smile graced her features. Blake could see the gears turning in the girl's head, almost as if she was concocting some sort of plan. "Good to know." she replied.

Blake cleared her throat and brought everyone's attention to her. "Hate to break up the fun, but Adam's going to be up again soon and we are totally out matched."

Ben was confused. "What do you mean? We out number him five to one."

"Might as well be three to one." Blake took out her scroll and brought up her and Yang's Aura levels, both in the orange zone. "Our Auras are seriously low. We're susceptible to major harm if we don't have any of it. It also prevents us from using our Semblances."

"Your what?" Kevin asked.

"Semblances, the powers we possess that makes us all unique. But if we don't have adequate Aura levels we can barely use them."

Gwen's interest had peaked. "Aura? As in life energy? As in... mana?" she asked with a smile.

"Well, yes," Blake answered as Gwen stepped behind her and Yang, "mana is a part of what gives our Aura its latent power, but unless someone here knows where we can get a fresh supply of—" Blake turned around to see that Gwen's hands now had a pink glow around them.

"Hold still!" the redhead ordered as she placed her hands on the two young huntresses shoulders. Blake all of a sudden felt like she could take on an entire army of Grimm. Her adrenaline was rushing like a freight train; she could practically feel the energy flowing through her as it made its way through her veins. And, just as instantly as it came, the feeling went, but she was feeling much better than she did before.

"HOLY CRAP THAT FELT AMAZING!" And apparently so was Yang.

Blake faced Gwen in shock as she asked the first thing that came to her mind: "How?"

"I'm half energy being. Grandmother's side of the family."

Blake turned to Ben. "And why didn't you tell us about that?"

Ben shrugged. "Because you never asked?"

The cat girl slapped her forehead while her partner laughed at her expense. She sighed in defeat. "Okay, but we're still not good enough to take Adam head on. He's so much more experienced and powerful than any of—"

She was cut off when Adam burst out from out of the rubble and looked straight at them. From beneath his mask, Blake could see his eyes, blood red with anger. "I AM VERY MUCH DONE WITH ALL OF THIS!" Adam unsheathed his blade again. "Every other worldly person here DIES today! Heroes, degenerates and red-haired bitches alike!"

Kevin crossed his arms and looked at his girlfriend "I'm going to break his arm."

Gwen faced her cousin. "Ben I think he called you a degenerate."

"Pretty sure he wasn't talking about me." Ben replied with a smirk. He looked to the two huntresses behind him and smiled. "Blake, Yang, we'll tire him out, but I want you guys to finish what you started. When I give the signal, he's all yours."

Blake was concerned. "Are you sure you can pull it off?"

"Hell yeah. Besides..." Ben turned back around to face Adam, "we've fought tougher. It's Hero Time!" Ben activated the Omnitrix, and slammed down on the core. His body started becoming encased in aquamarine crystal, from his arms all the way to his head which reformed to have a bigger chin and a large spike coming out the back of it. Two larger crystal spikes emerged from his back, jutting out right above his shoulder blades. His entire torso became dressed in black armor with white pants and black boots adorning his legs. The Omnitrix symbol situated itself in the middle of his chest. His eyes shined a bright green and he shouted: "Diamondhead!"

Yang smirked again. "So do you just name ALL of your aliens?"

Daimondhead looked back to her, his neck clinking with crystalline muscle. "Well, yeah, that's half the fun."

"And your own catchphrase?"

"Well, wouldn't you have one?"

"Well... okay can't argue with that."

"Then point proven." Ben turned to his half-Osmosian friend. "Kevin, commence operation: Remove the Horns." Kevin glanced at Adam's sword and got the message. Fortunately for him, there was a large piece of metal from one of the cafeteria tables on the ground next to him. He bent down, grabbed it, and absorbed the metal, becoming the metal himself.

Yang gave a whistle, impressed. "Nice power, what does it feel like?"

"Won't lie," Kevin answered, "it's not as uncomfortable as you might think it is." The Osmosian slowly backed away from the others, making sure Adam's concentration was locked solely on Ben the whole time.

Adam was getting angrier. "First a plant, and now a rock monster? Is there no end to this absurdity?!" He rushed forward with his blade and Diamondhead did as well, his hand morphing into a blade of his own. He deflected Wilt while rolling away from Adam, the two now adjacent and farther away from the other four. The two combatants clashed their blades thrice more before Diamondhead punched Adam away. In a split second, Diamondhead's hands turned into crystalline shards and he began firing them at Adam, who started deflecting them away, though the sheer force of the shards impacts forced him to stay in place.

In all this chaos, Yang suddenly remembered something and took out her scroll, furiously typing on the screen. Blake's brow rose. "What are you doing?" she asked.

Yang grinned. "Calling the cavalry."

Blake smiled, understanding what she meant. She then remembered something herself, leaning over to the redhead in front of her. She whispered as low as she could while still being heard, hoping Adam couldn't hear her over the clanging of his sword against crystal: "Gwen, his sheath is a gun."

"Oh, is it?" The Anodite hybrid replied with a sinister grin. "Thanks for the tip."

Back at the fight, Ben yelled out: "Hey Adam!"

"WHAT?!" the bull Faunus yelled back.

"You may want to start paying attention!" Adam heard a battle cry come from his right and he turned to see Kevin coming right at him. Adam realized that he had foolishly let his anger get the better of him, but he would not repeat the same mistake twice. Ben had stopped firing at this point so he moved his sword for a downward slice that would have gone right through Kevin... that is if the car junkie hadn't caught it in his metal hands first. Adam was stunned! No one had ever caught Wilt by the blade before, and here was this filthy degenerate... actually complementing his weapon?

"Hoo, nice blade. Love the craftsmanship. Never seen anything like it." Kevin suddenly absorbed Wilt's tempered metal, becoming the blood red steel. He gained a big smirk. "Mind if I borrow it?" Adam, in shock and desperation, moved to pull his blade away from Kevin's grasp, but Kevin had anticipated such and moved his hands in the opposite direction, snapping Wilt in two.

As the blade fell to the ground, Adam forgot his previous vow of his anger clouding his thinking. He felt like he was going to explode. "You...YOU!" He went to his belt to pull Blush from his waist and eviscerate the man who would dare to destroy his beloved weapon. However, all he grabbed was thin air. In shock, he looked down at his belt to see that Blush was nowhere to be seen. Where had—?

"Ahem!" Adam turned to see that Gwen had taken Blush while he was distracted. She was levitating his weapon in mid-air, twirling it around while she spun her finger in a similar fashion. The girl was grinning at him maliciously. "Wow, gotta admit, a sword sheath that's also a gun? Quite the smart idea. It would be such a shame if a certain red-haired bitch would do..." Gwen clenched her fist and Blush was now nothing but a crumpled up piece of metal. "That."

That was the last straw. Adam's horns were now glowing red, not just through the energy he had absorbed, but out of pure hatred for the people who were somehow beating him. He rushed forward, screaming bloody murder, and raised his right fist, intending to put Gwen in her place. But she didn't even flinch. Instead, she brought up an energy field in front of her, and before he could reel back, Adam's fist connected... and he heard a loud SNAP! He punched the wall so hard that he broke his wrist. But he didn't care. He continued punching with his left hand... but he could soon feel his own power leaving him. What was going on? He felt weaker with every blow! Then he noticed that Gwen's devious smile had grown into a full on smirk. It was then that he knew: it had to be her.

"How does it feel Adam?" she asked as her eyes became bright pink. "How does it feel to have YOUR energy drained?" She lifted her hand and pushed, sending the wall of pink mana straight into his face and propelling him backward. She yelled out to her boyfriend. "Kevin, heads up!"

Kevin heeded his girlfriend and grabbed Adam as he was flying back, spun him around by the shoulder, and began punching him in the face repeatedly. By the fifth punch, Kevin changed his left hand into a metal hammer and socked Adam in the gut, knocking the air out of him. "Tennyson, you're up!"

As Adam began refilling his lungs with air, Diamondhead charged at him, holding out his crystalline arm. "Here comes the pain train!" the Petrosapian hollered as he slammed his arm right into Adam and drove him into yet another wall. Ben turned back to the two huntresses. "Blake! Yang! It's all you!" He tossed Adam into the air, so far up that he connected with the ceiling before falling back down.

Blake looked to her partner. "Should we try our new trick?"

Yang gave a thumbs up as she readied her Ember Celica. "You read my mind sister! Let's do it!" Blake nodded and unsheathed Gambol Shroud, holding it in front of her and closing her eyes as she focused her Semblance. This was a technique that she and Yang had been practicing for months with Ruby's help. Better late than never to test it out.

When her eyes opened, they were glowing brightly, her pupils having changed to cat-like slits. She performed two backflips, each one producing a pair of purple shadow clones of herself. The four clones propelled themselves toward the still falling Adam to begin their onslaught. Each one used its own Gambol Shroud to slice at Adam's body, not cutting him deep, but still able to do some serious damage, with him being too dazed to do anything.

Yang cupped her hands together and gave Blake the go ahead. The cat girl stepped on her partner's hands and, with her impressive strength, Yang launched her into the fray. As the clones finished having their way with Adam, Blake used Gambol Shroud to cut a long, clean gash right across Adam's torso, letting loose a scream of pain from his throat. She flipped over his shoulder and did the same to his back, making him scream again.

Blake pushed him forward right as Yang crouched down and fired her Ember Celica, propelling herself into the air. Her eyes became red and she pulled back her fist. With a mighty battle cry, the Blonde Brawler punched Adam in the face, unloading a single fire Dust round from her weapon. Two things had broken: Adam's White Fang mask... and his nose. He landed on the ground in a heap while the girls landed perfectly and high-fived each other. The Alien Trio returned to the two, praising them on a job well done.

"Way to go ladies!" Ben exclaimed as he changed back to normal.

"Yeah, that was pretty hardcore!" Kevin added.

"Amazing is what it was! I've never seen any fighting techniques like that before!" Gwen praised.

Yang rubbed the back of her head while Blake gave a smile. "Thanks," she replied, "we've been working on that routine for a while and..." Blake trailed off when she noticed that Adam was still moving, gaining the other four's attention. He used his good hand to prop himself up, holding his wounded chest with his other. When he lifted his head up, quintet gave a horrified gasp. There, burned right over his left eye, was a brandmark that read “SDC”, the burn keeping the eye closed. Adam glared at the five, his eyes bloodshot from anger as his one blue eye bore into them. He breathed heavily, his nose bleeding profusely.

"This...is NOT...OVER!" He tried to get up but found that he couldn't move, almost as if something were holding him in place. He looked down to see that his arms and legs had been trapped by a black glyph... shaped like a snow flake. It was a symbol that he knew all too well. If possible, his anger had grown more. "No! NO! Not by a Schnee! Anyone but a damn Schnee!"

"Hm, well, I can't blame you for knowing my last name." At the arrival of the new voice, the five turned around, Yang and Blake both with relieved smiles on their faces. The girl was a visage of beauty, her white and red combat dress flowing with each step she took, her heels clicking across the floor. Her long white hair was pulled back into an off center bun-tail and she had her weapon, a rapier with a gun barrel in it, drawn and aimed at Adam. Her features were regal, her blue eyes focused on her prey, the only blemish being the small scar across her left eye. "As sorry as I am that you had that done to you, you also tried to kill my friends, so I'm still going to hold you in place." She smiled back at the girls. "And just what have you two been up to?"

"Hoo boy, Weiss, like nothing you would believe." Yang answered with a wink. "Glad you got my message."

"Oh, it isn't just me. NOW!" Without warning, a dark red streak flew past them all, leaving a flurry of rose petals in its wake. The streak didn't let up as it went straight to Adam and socked him in the jaw, knocking him to the ground, the glyph disappearing. The streak stopped, revealing itself to be a young girl. She had short black hair that was tipped with red, and wore a black and red blouse, black stockings, combat boots, and finally, a large red hood with a cloak. From behind her, she pulled out a strange red compartment that instantly unfolded into a large intimidating scythe. She spun it around and slammed the blunt end hard into Adam's forearm, breaking the appendage. He cried out in pain before he finally fell unconscious. The girl removed her weapon and looked down at him with contempt in her silver eyes.

"And THAT was for trying to hurt my sister!"

A/N: Note to self: Don't anger Miss Rose. Though after the day that she's had, it's understandable to want to let out some frustration by breaking a few bones. Also, I used the Ben 10,000 design for Diamondhead because I don't really like the Alien Force design. I know it's to link him with Chromastone, but there's just too much rock, not enough diamond. Alright, Next Time! We'll see just what was going on during the whole mess hall confrontation as Grandpa Max meets General Ironwood, and Team RWBY properly reunites! Until next time, see ya!

A/N: Okay, so this chapter actually sets up a romance that grew to be one of my favorites; Cooper and Coco. ...So you can imagine my utter surprise at what happened when the CFVY books came out. But I stuck to my guns with the ship, because honestly, it IS one of my favorites, and I DO actually incorporate Coco's attraction to women later on in the story. So, with that said, this is...

Chapter 3: RWBY Reunion

General James Ironwood never expected the day to go like this. Beacon Academy was under attack, his army's newest assets had been compromised and many students were already missing. Fortunately, many heads were still counted for, Coco Adel and Sun Wukong being the most helpful in their assistance holding off the Grimm. The rest of their teams had all escaped to Vale to hospitalize their injured, with Professor Port and Dr. Oobleck going with them.

Nora Valkyrie and Lie Ren were sitting on the ground behind the General, having been exhausted their Auras. They refused to leave until their entire team was present. Weiss Schnee was a pivotal advantage in the fight as she and Velvet Scarlatina were able to destroy his rogue assets almost without a problem, though Velvet had been knocked out in the process and was now on her way to a Valian Hospital. Qrow Branwen and Glynda Goodwitch were by his side as they fended off the Grimm as best as they could... but an unexpected new ally was about to make his arrival.

As strange as the day had been, nothing topped an odd-looking recreational vehicle simply appearing out of nowhere, an old man emerging from said vehicle only a moment later. He was clad in a red button-up shirt with an orange floral pattern and brown pants, but he also had a strange blue and gray rifle in his hands. The man took aim at five Ursai, lined up the shot and fired, a blue laser coming out of the gun's barrel and blasting clean through the Ursai's heads, killing all five instantly and gaining everyone's full attention. James had never in his life seen a weapon such as that! Just how powerful was that thing?!

However, at that moment, something even stranger happened. The Grimm Dragon, which had been circling the school for some time now, suddenly stopped in mid-flight. It raised its head and sniffed the air. It apparently didn't like whatever it smelled and roared in anger. It flew away from the school and right over their heads, descending the cliffs surrounding the academy and flying low around them. James and Glynda both looked on in a state of shock. A Grimm that size would never run away unless it sensed a strong sense of... hope. "What... just... happened?" Glynda asked.

"I have no idea." James replied. In a single moment's peace, James and Glynda had managed to learn the man's name: Max Tennyson. The old man was apparently not of this world as he recounted the tale of his arrival. It all seemed too good to be true! His grandson could turn into aliens? His granddaughter was half energy being? His granddaughter's boyfriend could absorb any solid material?! It all sounded like utter nonsense... at least until a column of fire erupted from behind the remains of the school from the mess hall.

"What in the world?" asked Glynda.

"That was probably Ben." Max answered. A few minutes later, a large green and black muscle car zoomed past the front of the school and rounded a bend to get to where the blast of fire came from. "And that was Gwen and Kevin." Max breathed a sigh of relief. "Good, they're all okay."

James turned back to the old man. "Mr. Tennyson, if what you've been saying is true, would it be possible if you and your family could help us in this desperate time?"

Max nodded. "Of course General, it's what we do."

"Hey, old man!" Qrow called out. "I think you got a straggler comin' outta yer rust bucket." When Max and Ironwood turned to see what the half-drunken man was talking about, they saw a tall young man trying to get out of the RV, holding a rifle of his own. And his legs seemed to be injured as he limped out.

"Cooper! Get back inside, NOW!" Max yelled.

Cooper looked back at him with pleading eyes. "Max, please, I need to be of SOME use after what happ—AGH!" Cooper had been suddenly jumped by a snarling Beowulf, tackling and pinning him to the ground. The creature's teeth were inches away from his face, threatening to rip it apart. Cooper let out another scream of terror, but as soon as he did, something hit the Beowulf and sent it flying off of him. Cooper got up and sat against the Rustbucket, clenching his chest in fear as he steadied his breathing. "Thanks a lot, I owe you one."

"Damn right you do."

Cooper's eyes widened as his savior spoke. It was a girl. Well, it wouldn't have been the first time that he'd been saved by a girl, but he never expected anyone to be brave enough to smack around a creature so horrifying! The voice also seemed to have an air of confidence around it, almost as if it was no big deal that she just smacked away the vicious beast. He craned his head up to look her in the eye and was met with a pair of aviator sunglasses. The young woman was quite fashionable what with her barrette, turtleneck, scarf, cincher and leather boots, but what had to be the most unique part of her was her hair. It was longer on the right side of her face, and on that side it was dyed so that it changed from its natural dark brown to a bright caramel color.

Cooper hadn't noticed that his breath had been taken away from him. In a metaphorical sense of course, but it could have fooled him. Whoever this young lady was, she was probably the most— 'Wait is she snapping her fingers in my face?'

"Hello? Remnant to Dumb Blonde! Wake up!"

Cooper shook his head, looking for a good excuse for his staring. "Oh, uh sorry! I was just still in shock." The technopath chuckled as he hoped she wouldn't notice his flustered state of mind.

"Uh-huh." she responded flatly.

"So...uh, to whom do I owe my thanks?"

The girl straightened her aviators. "Name's Coco. And trust me boy, I've saved more lives today than just yours, so don't go around losing it, 'kay?" She turned around to see that the Beowulf was standing again... and it had brought back up. "Ugh, really, again? It is such a bad time for this." She clicked a button on her purse and, practically from out of thin air, it transformed into a large rotary cannon! As Cooper was busy processing how in the hell THAT worked, Coco mowed down the pack of Beowulves with no problem. She turned back to Cooper who was still staring dumbly at her handbag-gun. She smirked. "Impressed by its girth big guy?"

Cooper was quick to respond this time, mostly because of the innuendo. He shook it from his head and asked what he had been questioning himself. "I'm sorry but... that should NOT be possible! How did you get that big of a gun into that small of a bag?!"

Coco kneeled down to Cooper's eye level, her smirk never leaving her. She lowered her sunglasses and winked at him. "Trade secret." Coco gave a small chuckle and put her sunglasses back to their rightful place. "You should probably stay here, wouldn't want that nice blonde head to be eviscerated right?"

"O-okay." Cooper's breath had been taken away yet again.

Back with the others, the group of adults and Weiss were discussing how best to approach the situation at hand when they were interrupted by a series of loud barks. Weiss' eyes widened and she looked down to see... "Zwie?!"

"Bark! Bark!" the corgi responded. Weiss picked him up and brought him to her face.

"How did you get here?" He responded by licking her. "Bluh, okay then where's—?"

"WEISS!" the Schnee heiress turned to the source of the call and a smile graced her regal features.

"RUBY!" the two partners ran to each other and embraced for a quick moment before separating. "Where in the world have you been?"

"I've been looking for you!" the silver eyed girl replied. "What's going on? Where are the others? ...And what's with the weird looking RV?"

Weiss paused for a moment. "Well... do you have a minute?" After explaining the entire thing to Ruby and introducing her to Max, the younger girl could only stare wide eyed at the prospect of people from another dimension coming to save them.

"Weiss... why do we have such weird lives?" she asked.

"Quite honestly, I've given up any semblance of being relatively normal a long time ago."

"Ha! Semblance! It works on two levels." Ruby said cheekily.

Weiss rolled her eyes. "Yes, a very Yang worthy pun."

Ruby's expression turned slightly more serious at that. "Speaking of which, where is Yang? And Blake?"

Weiss sighed. "I don't know, I haven't seen Yang at all and Blake left a while ago to go take care of somethi—" Suddenly, Weiss' scroll made a sound in her pocket and she took it out, her eyes widening at who the message was from. "Huh, speak of the devil, it's your sister!"

Ruby broke out into a grin. "It is?! Oh, thank goodness. What does it say?"

"Hold on a sec... "Weiss, at cafeteria with Blake. Almost got my ARM CUT OFF"?! WHAT?!"

"WHAT?!" Ruby exclaimed.

"WHAT?!" Weiss and Ruby turned to the massive collection of voices from the group behind them, all voicing their concerns.

Weiss returned to her scroll. "Wait, there's more. "I'm okay. 'Bout to fight Blake's ex. Come round back, got big surprise to show you–Yang". Blake's ex?"

"That must be Adam. He must have tried to cut off Yang's arm! But what about the surprise?"

Max interjected. "That surprise is probably my grandkids. If your teammates are with them, they're in good hands."

Ruby smiled at the old Plumber. "Thanks Mr. Tennyson, but considering that Yang's with them, we've really got nothing to worry about."

"Still," Weiss reminded, "Yang said we should come. And we need to bring her and Blake back anyway." She addressed Ironwood. "We'll be back in a moment, Sir."

The general agreed. "Right, go get your teammates. And keep an eye out for Mr. Arc and Ms. Nikos while you're out there."

"And most importantly," Goodwitch added, "...be safe."

The two partners nodded to their teacher before Ruby spoke to Max again with a gleeful smile. "I can't believe I get to meet an actual SUPERHERO! This is gonna be so awesome!" This was the light in one of her darkest days. Meeting a superhero with awesome powers sounded like good consolidation for her second home being destroyed.

Max smiled back. "Oh, I'm sure my grandchildren are going to get a kick out of you too. Now go, they're expecting you."

"Hey Weiss!" the heiress turned around to see Sun Wukong sprinting to her. "Ironwood says that I need to stay here and help. Could you... maybe... if it's possible..."

"Make sure Blake is okay?" Weiss finished. Sun stood shocked as she chuckled. "Sun, I'm sure she's fine. She can take care of herself. But still, it's really sweet that you're worried about her so much."

Sun rubbed the back of his head and blushed. "Thanks... I do know that she can take care of herself but... you know."

Weiss smiled. "Yeah, I do." She and Ruby turned around and ran as fast as their legs could to the mess hall, hoping that they weren't too late.

Moments later, with assistance from Weiss' glyphs, Ruby and the heiress had arrived outside the mess hall. "Come on!" Weiss called out. "They may need us!"

Ruby followed after her, but she skidded to a stop right outside a window to look inside, and her jaw dropped. "Weiss, come back!"

The Ice Queen turned around. "We don't have time! What is it?"

"Just look!" Weiss did as her partner asked as she peered through the broken window, and her eyes widened. In the room was a girl projecting a pink energy shield, a man who appeared to be made out of red metal, and the most awe inducing sight, a large humanoid creature made out of aquamarine crystals. All three were facing a member of the White Fang, who they quickly deduced must have been Adam.

"That must be them." Weiss concluded.

Ruby smiled. "Ten guesses as to which one's Ben." Weiss gave her partner an annoyed side glance at the remark. "What?! I'm just trying to lift the mood! Goodness knows we need it."

"Here comes the pain train!" came a deep voice from inside. The two's attention was brought back to the battle, where Ben had just clothes-lined Adam into a far wall. The crystal creature turned back around and hollered: "Blake! Yang! It's all you!" The two craned their heads to where Ben was facing and their faces lit up as their eyes settled on their two beloved teammates.

"There they are!" Ruby moved to get up and climb through the window but Weiss pulled her back down.

"Wait! Let's see how this plays out." Ruby pouted, but relented as she watched Ben toss Adam all the way to the ceiling. Yang and Blake seemed to agree on something before the two started performing a maneuver that Ruby was all too familiar with.

She gasped. "That's the new trick we've been practicing! We've been working so long on that one!" Weiss had to smile at the pride in her leader's voice. Many months' worth of hard work was starting to pay off. But it was worth it as the two watched their teammates hand Adam's butt to him on a silver platter. The group of five gathered together with Ben transforming back to normal, the three alien teens congratulating their teammates. Ruby and Weiss were about to join them, but they saw Adam start to get up. Weiss, however, would not have it.

"When I give the word, hit him with everything you've got."

"Alright!" Ruby agreed. Weiss focused her Semblance and created a gravity glyph around Adam without him noticing. When he did notice though, that's when she made her entrance.

"No! NO!" The bull Faunus cried out in hatred. "Not by a Schnee! Anyone but a damn Schnee!"

"Aw, you know my last name, how nice." Weiss entered the mess hall, aiming Myrtenaster at her foe. She had gained the wide eyed attention of the trio of newcomers and big smiles from her friends. She smiled back at them. "And just what have you two been up to?"

"Hoo, boy, Weiss, like nothing you would believe." Yang winked at her. "Glad you got my message."

"Oh, it isn't just me. NOW!" At the word, Ruby rushed past Weiss and all the others, landing a punch on Adam's jaw, sending him to the ground. But what Weiss didn't expect Ruby to do was take out Crescent Rose, spin the weapon around, and slam the blunt of it on Adam's forearm making him cry out in pain as she heard a loud SNAP! She removed the weapon as Adam fell unconscious, glowering down at him, her silvery gaze full of distaste.

"And THAT was for trying to hurt my sister!"

"Ruby!" Yang's voice was just the right trigger for Ruby to look up. Her sister was running towards her, and just the sight of her being there was enough for Ruby to tear up.

"Yang!" She half-answered half-sobbed. She met her sister with a hug and began crying into the blonde's shoulder, the day's events finally catching up to her. Yang began to slowly rub circles into her back, whispering promises of "It's okay" and "I'm here" into her sister's ear. She always knew what to do whenever Ruby cried, and it worked every time, though this time, it seemed to last a little longer than usual.

'No kid deserves to be put through what Ruby has today.' Yang decided in her head.

Kevin went to his car to fetch a tourniquet, some energy cuffs, and a metal mouth clamp for Adam, who he then promptly threw into the trunk of his car. Just to be safe, Kevin had put two pairs of cuffs on him, one around his wrists which were restrained behind his back, and a pair around his ankles. All the while, the Osmosian was thinking to himself: 'Man, I wanted to be the one to break his arm.'

Back with the others, Ben was introducing himself and his cousin to the two new girls in the hall. "So, Weiss Schnee and Ruby Rose. Nice to meet ya, I'm—"

"Ben Tennyson." Weiss finished as she looked over to the redhead. "You must be Gwen, and the boy mumbling about breaking arms is Kevin, correct?"

The two cousin's eyes widened in surprise, Gwen replying; "Um, yeah, how'd you now?"

Ruby answered for her partner with a smile. "Oh, we've met your grandpa."

That got Ben's attention. "Grandpa Max is here?!"

Ruby nodded. "Yep, and your friend Cooper's here too. They're both waiting with General Ironwood back at the docks."

Ben smiled. "Well then what're we waiting for? Let's go!"

Blake put a hand on Ben's shoulder. "Wait a second, Ben. I have to say something." She turned to her red and white teammates and took a deep breath. "Ruby, Weiss, there's something I need to tell you." Blake paused briefly before continuing. "Before all of this happened, Adam told me that he would take away everything I love. It... it had to be one of the weakest moments of my life. And if Ben hadn't gotten here when he did, one of those things might not be still here with us today." She looked to Yang, who gave a guilty smile and a shrug, Blake smirking back. "I've made my decision. No more running away. I'm going to stay, and protect everything that's important to me." She reached for the top of her head and undid her bow laces, pulling it from her hair and revealing her cat ears to everyone, though Ben, Gwen and Kevin seemed to be the only ones surprised. "I'm not afraid to hide who I am anymore. I'm staying, and protecting my family."

Weiss was smiling, though she was confused at the last statement. "That's really great to hear Blake! Although, I wasn't aware you had family in Vale. Are they close by?"

Blake's smile grew and she chuckled. "Closer than you think, Weiss."

The Ice Queen's confusion grew as she placed her hands on her hips. "I don't follow."

Ruby, however, picked up on the subtext pretty quickly and rolled her eyes at her partner's expense. "Ugh, Weiss, how can you be so incredibly dense?!" Her expression quickly changed to a smile. "She's talking about us." At that, Weiss' eyes widened as she watched Ruby bound over to Blake and hugged her, squeeing like an excited school girl. "EEEEE! I have another sister!"

The Schnee heiress looked to her Faunus friend and Blake gave the most sincere smile that Weiss had ever seen. "I-is that true? D-do you really think of me as... a sister?"

She got her answer when Yang clasped her on the shoulder and pulled her into a hug. "Yup! Welcome to the Fam, Weiss-Cream! Always room for one more!"

Weiss brought a hand up to her chest and over her heart, feeling herself tear up while doing so. "I... I really don't know what to say. I'm just so honored that you would even consider me like that. Especially considering... well... I haven't exactly been the BEST sister."

Yang shrugged. "Eh, no family's perfect. We've all got our defects, but who cares?"

"B-but where did this all come from in the first place?!"

Blake smiled. "Let's just say that I had to have some sense beat into my head." Yang smiled and rolled her eyes at that.

"Ahem!" The girls looked over to see Gwen approaching them. "Girls... I know that this might not be the best time, but I know a photogenic moment when I see it." The Anodite hybrid brought out her cellphone and turned it sideways, activating the camera function. "Now, say 'Family Photo'."

Team RWBY all smiled at each other before looking into the camera and repeating: "Family Photo!" Gwen snapped the picture as the girls all laughed amongst themselves.

The redhead looked at the picture with pride. 'Now THIS is worth remembering. Better make sure they each have their own copy.' she thought as she put her phone away. "Oh yeah, and Blake, I love the ears." The redhead complimented.

Blake blushed. "Thanks."

"Hey!" the group turned to Kevin, who was still leaning up against his car. "If you don't mind me interrupting, we've gotta get movin'. Max is probably wondering where the hell we are and we've got a package to deliver." he said while jabbing his thumb towards the trunk of his car.

Ben lightly smacked his forehead. "Oh god, right! Come on guys we'd better go." The group started walking toward Kevin's car, but the Osmosian held up his hand.

"Hold up, Tennyson. We've got a problem. My car seats five. There's seven of us. Do the math."

Yang smirked and rolled her eyes. "Psshh, you call THAT a problem?" The Blonde Brawler reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out a... key fob? "I've got it covered." She pressed a button on the fob and it went bleep-bleep! At first, nothing happened, but soon the group could hear a loud motor fast approaching. "May wanna take a few steps back, guys." Yang motioned the others back and the doors to the mess hall flung open as a yellow and red unmanned motorcycle crashed through, breaking one of the mighty doors off its hinges. The bike skidded to a halt in front of Yang, a trail of dust in its wake. She spread her arms out over the mighty machine. "Tennysons, Kevin, meet Bumblebee!"

The trio's eyes widened. "Okay, THAT is badass!" Kevin said.

"No kidding!" Ben added. "I've never seen anything like this!" He stepped up to the bike to take a closer look, much to the apprehension of the rest of Team RWBY. They knew that Bumblebee was one of Yang's two babies (the other being her hair) and she didn't like anyone getting that close to it without her permission. But oddly enough, Yang allowed Ben to approach the bike, albeit cautiously.

"Yup! She's my baby." she stated proudly.

"Sweet! How long have you had her?"

"'Bout two years. Got her for my fifteenth birthday."

"Wow, seriously?! The only thing big I got for my fifteenth was my jacket."

"Well I don't see a problem there, it's a nice jacket."

"Yeah, but, heh, no present can top your bike."

Kevin took offense to that. "Hey Tennyson, don't forget I built your friggin' car for your sixteenth, ya ingrate!"

"And it's a very nice car and I'm still very thankful for it, but come on! You said it yourself that this bike is badass!"

Kevin sighed. "Yeah, got me there."

Yang let out a laugh. "Well, I'm glad you like her Ben. You wouldn't believe how many people take bikes like this for granted."

"Hey no problem, I get it. Now what do you say we leave before anything else crazy happens?"

Kevin agreed. "Good idea. Alright ladies, one of you'll go with Yang and the rest will pile up into my car. That means you too Ben, get it in gear missy!"

Ben scowled at his friend and Yang let loose another laugh, louder this time. Ben sighed and began walking to Kevin's car before an idea popped into Yang's head. 'If he's really that into it... then maybe...' "Hey, Green Boy!"

Ben turned back around. "Yeah?"

Yang smiled and opened up a hatch on Bumblebee's rear, bringing out a black bike helmet. "Since you've shown so much interest in Bumblebee... you wanna see how she runs?"

"W-wait, are you asking me, and I mean seriously asking me if I—"

"Wanna have a ride on my bike? Yeah, sure."

There were a few mixed reactions to this. Kevin and Gwen raised their brows in surprise while Weiss and Blake's eyes widened in shock. All this followed up with Ruby almost losing her jaw to the floor. Ben contemplated his answer... for all of two seconds. "Well... I guess if you're offering... Aw what the hell. Sure, why the heck not!?"

"Now that's what I like to hear!" She tossed the helmet to Ben and turned to her team. "Girls! You go with Gwen and Kevin! We'll meet ya at the docks 'kay?" The girls all gave reluctant nods, except for Ruby who was still in so much shock that Weiss had to drag her to the car. Yang mounted her bike with Ben following soon after. "Better hold on, cause this is gonna be epic!"

"Heh, right." Ben looped his arms around Yang's midsection... and immediately became nervous about the bike. Yes, he had ridden on much more dangerous stuff in the past, but it was still something that made his stomach twist in knots. Something about the potential danger on large, high velocity motor vehicles while he wasn't transformed always got to him somehow. It was the reason he was glad that Julie never upgraded from her moped... that is until Ship upgraded it for her.

Yang however seemed to pick up on this pretty quickly as she put her hand on his forearm. "Ben," she turned around to meet his gaze, "I can already tell that if you keep yourself nervous like that, you're not going to enjoy riding on Bumblebee." She gave him a reassuring smile. "Now, I want you to take a deep breath and relax. It's important that you hold on, okay? Wouldn't want you to fall off of a high speed motorbike, right? Just remember," she winked, "this isn't my first rodeo. You're in good hands. So sit back, relax, and most importantly..." she took out a pair of aviator sunglasses and put them on, "have fun, 'kay?"

Ben blinked twice before smiling back. "Okay."

"Alright! Let's get going!" For as bombastic as Yang was, Ben had to admit, she had a really calming effect on him. Guess that came with being a big sister. He did as he was told and took a deep breath through his nostrils, and, just like that, he could feel himself rela—

'Wait, why do I smell lilacs?' Ben took another silent whiff. 'Wait, is that her hair? Huh... very relaxing.'

Inside Kevin's car, Ruby was still in a jaw-dropped coma. "Ruby?" Weiss called to her partner, snapping her fingers in front of her face. "HEY!"

"Gah!" the younger girl exclaimed, finally snapping out of it. "Oh, sorry Weiss, I just thought I heard Yang offer Ben a ride on Bumblebee."

"Uh Ruby..." the heiress pointed out the window and Ruby saw Yang and Ben having a conversation on her bike. Ruby's eyes widened in shock.

"Guys... something weird is going on."

"What makes you say that?" Blake asked. "Things seem pretty normal to me. Well... in terms of us but..."

"Nonono you don't get it. Yang hasn't even known Ben for, what, half an hour? And yet she trusts him enough ride on her motorcycle? Yang almost never lets anyone else ride Bumblebee."

Weiss interjected. "Wait, what about Neptune that one time?"

"Like I said almost. And only for really important situations like that was. She is SUPER protective about that bike and you know it."

"Well Ruby," Gwen spoke up. "Would it be too farfetched to say that Ben actually showing interest and complimenting her bike was enough for her to offer him a ride?"

"I mean... maybe, but I just find it weird that she's only known him for a little while, and she just offered to let him ride her bike!" Ruby narrowed her eyes at the two bike riders. "Something's going on here, and I intend to find out!"

Gwen smirked and rolled her eyes. 'Poor, sweet, innocent Ruby.' the redhead sighed and looked back to the silver-eyed girl. "Hey Ruby, if you let me, would it be okay if I help you out?"

Ruby was surprised at the offer. "Really? ...Why?"

"I won't lie, I'm a little curious myself. Also, I know my cousin better than anyone, so if you need help, I'm your best shot."

"That's awesome! Thanks Gwen!"

"No problem. Besides, I already have a little theory going through my mind right now."

Ruby gasped. "Really?! Ooh, let's hear it!"

"Uh-uh, not yet. Let's get out of this place first before we discuss anything."

"Ladies!" their attention was directed to Kevin. "Not to interrupt the gossip on Tennyson, but Yang's giving us the go ahead!" Indeed, Yang was giving them a thumbs up, signaling that she and Ben were ready.

Gwen looked at Ruby and smiled. "We'll continue this conversation later."

Ruby smiled back. "Okay! Let's go!" And with that, the two vehicles rolled out into the fire fueled night, with plans for the future concocting in the two girls minds.

A/N: Okay so, not much action in this chapter, but the next one will rectify that entirely. So firstly, I know that Cooper's inclusion in the story might have come off as weird, but I kind of feel bad for the guy. He disappeared after Ultimate Alien right when I thought his character was finally getting interesting so I wanted to include him. He'll be doing more stuff as the story progresses. Speaking of forgotten characters...Coco! What an awesome yet wasted character in the show! Shipped off to Vacuo after Volume 3 and no sign of her since! Seriously?! I hope I can do the badassery that is Coco Adel justice because she was one of my favorites before everyone just forgot about her. Next Time: A huge fight ensues and we get a call from our favorite knightly blonde goofball... but what will be the outcome of that call? Tune in next time to find out!

P.S. The type of the blaster that Max and Cooper were using is a Mark 12 Techadorian Multiblaster. They are an actual Ben 10 weapon... and I'm surprised that they gave the thing such a complex name even though we've only seen it twice in the actual series.

A/N: Okay, so another difference with this chapter is that I used to have an "answering comments" section up here... which I dropped entirely after this chapter. So yeah, without further ado, this is...

Chapter 4: Ready? Fight!

Cooper Daniels could not feel more useless if he'd tried. There he was, sitting against the Rustbucket while everyone else was blasting away at Grimm. It made him disappointed in himself. First he couldn't prevent Vilgax's escape, then he had stupidly gotten his legs hurt (though some would argue that was out of his control), and now he was basically being the one protected, AGAIN! First during the Negative Ten incident, then when the Hybreed captured him, and now THIS?! He didn't go through intense Plumber training for THIS! He was sick of it! He took a deep breath, trying to let his frustration go. 'Remember Coop, you're not the only one probably feeling useless.'

He turned his attention to Nora Valkyrie and Lie Ren, who had been moved so that they were sitting next to him. The normally upbeat redhead now bore a sullen expression while Ren seemed to show one of concern. Though now that Cooper's eyes had wandered, Ren looked up to meet his gaze. The two young men studied each other for a moment before Cooper spoke up. "You're worried about your teammates, aren't you?"

Ren nodded. "Yes, very much."

"Jaune and Pyrrha are like our older siblings." Nora said, catching the blonde's attention. "We've only known each other for almost a year, but it feels like forever." She began choking on her words. "If anything happened to them-hic-I just don't know what I would do."

Seeing her despair only made Cooper feel worse. He hit the ground next to him, not caring if it hurt. "Damn it! I feel so useless! If only I had some tech lying around I could force myself to walk!"

Ren was puzzled at that. "Tech? You need technology to walk?"

"Yes! Er, I mean no, well, ugh! Look, I'm a technopath, so in this situation, yes, I could use technology to will myself up onto my legs. Unfortunately, all I've got is this rifle that I can't use in this position."

"Well if you need tech, why don't you just use all of that over there?" Nora pointed over behind the Rustbucket to a cluster of destroyed white robots lying in a broken heap. Atlesian Knights.

Cooper's eyes widened in shock. 'How in the hell did I not notice those before? More importantly...' "Why didn't you tell me that was there in the first place?" he asked Nora.

"You didn't ask." The redhead replied with a cheeky grin.

Coop's face deadpanned. 'What IS this girl? She's sad one second and random the next, what the heck?' He couldn't doddle on that right now; he had to get to those bots. But he needed cover, so he called out to the first person who came to his mind: "Coco!"

The barrette-wearing girl didn't turn away from the horde of Grimm that she was mowing down, but she did hear him. "Yeah Blondie, what is it?!"

"I need you to help me over to that large pile of scrap over there!"

That got Coco's full attention and she glanced over to Sun Wukong, who was using his signature bo staff, the Ruyi Bang and Jingu Bang to fight off the Grimm. "Hey Monkey Boy, I need you to take over for a bit!"

"On it!" said monkey boy acknowledged. He separated his staff into its gun-chaku mode and took Coco's position, blasting and knocking away Grimm with every swing. Coco changed her rotary canon back to its hand bag mode and strutted over to the three. She knelt down, looked Cooper in the eye and asked:

"Are you crazy?"

Cooper's expression never faltered. "Trust me, this will work."

A moment passed before Coco relented with a sigh. "Scratch that, I'M the crazy one for agreeing to this." She lifted Cooper's arm and draped it over her shoulder, picking him up off the ground and bringing him over to the wrecked Altesian Knights. "You're sure you know what you're doing?"

"Positive, I just need a few seconds." Coco set Cooper down in front of the wrecked robots, allowing him to work. He whistled, impressed by the technology. "Gotta say, this is quite the piece of work." He set his hand on one of the robots. "But nothing I can't handle." His blue eyes began to glow brighter as the pieces of metal on the Altesian Knights began to disassemble and reasseble themselves onto Cooper's body, covering his legs, arms, and torso in the white armor. Coco pulled her shades down, making sure she was seeing things correctly.

Cooper was now covered in a suit of white, highly advanced, Atlesian armor, complimented by a jet booster pack that he made from the spare parts. He picked up the head of one of the Knights, emptied it of its electronic contents, and placed it on his head, a perfect fit. The visor lit up, what was once a dark red now being a bright blue. He now looked like a fully armored Atlesian Knight. He looked to Coco and spoke; his voice sounding like it was coming through a speaker. "Well, how do I look?"

After staring in awe for a second, Coco smirked and pushed her sunglasses back into place. "Like you're ready to kick ass and take names."

"Heh, well I'm not that ready yet." Finally able to stand up, Cooper turned his attention back to where he was sitting before and picked up his Mark 12 Techadorian Multiblaster in his right hand, Ren and Nora looking up at him in shock. The weapon began to disassemble and then reassemble to become a part of his right gauntlet. "Ranged weaponry, check."

Cooper stepped past the two still gawking teens and went into the Rustbucket, Coco following after him. Her eyes widened, what she thought would be the home of a nice old man... was still that, but with a wall of weapons above the sink, Cooper himself taking hold of a shimmering blue energy sword. He set it against his left wrist and the blade folded in on itself until it was all compacted in his left gauntlet. "Melee weaponry, check. Okay, now I'm ready."

"Great, because I think we got company!" Cooper looked out through the door and saw that there were indeed more Grimm. Some appeared to be wolves and bears while others resembled giant lizards and boars. He activated his Multiblaster, now like an extension of his own arm, and nodded to Coco who smirked back at him.

The two exited the RV and walked past the line of defense, Ironwood almost mistaking him for an actual Atlesian Knight until Coco explained otherwise. Cooper stood in front of the horde, battle ready. One of the boars immediately began spinning rapidly and charged. Just as the beast was about to hit him, Cooper punched down on it, sending it into the ground, breaking its spine. More came his way but he used his blaster to shoot holes into all of them.

A lizard Grimm suddenly jumped at him, Cooper having to deactivate his weapon so that he could catch the monster's front legs. The beast tried to overpower him, but Cooper had an idea. He swung his metal covered leg to the beast's crotch and it staggered back in agony, Cooper unsheathing his energy blade and beheaded the suffering creature. More of the lizards charged and Cooper activated his jet boosters, propelling himself forward at great speeds whilst swinging his blade at the creatures, either gutting, dismembering, or decapitating them as he went.

"These systems might not be flight capable, but they sure as hell work!" he shouted. Cooper stopped and looked behind him to view his handiwork. Many of the Grimm were now either dead or festering in pools of their own blood. There were some Grimm he had missed, but a quick glance up reassured Cooper that Sun and the others were handling the stragglers. But he also saw something else that surprised him...

"Hey Tech Head, to your left!" Coco was running after him, a slightly annoyed expression on her face. It was only then that he'd noticed that the ground beneath him was moving. He jumped away just in time for a giant Grimm scorpion to spring forth from the earth. He was taken by surprise as the scorpion lifted its stinger and thrust it down at its prey. Coco slid to a halt in between them and smacked the stinger away with her handbag. As the scorpion reeled back, Coco activated her rotary cannon and unloaded a hellfire of bullets in its face, eviscerating it. When she stopped, Cooper was once again taken aback by the weapon's power and the girl's strength.

"Okay, what was that?" he asked.

"Death Stalker. Pretty unpredictable, very poisonous." Coco smiled. "Gotta admit, Tech Head, you're not half bad. A bit sloppy in combat, but still, you've got some skills."

Cooper shrugged. "Heh, well what can I say? A trained Plumber can also be quite unpredictable." He felt a tremor beneath him. "Speaking of..." Cooper turned around and another Death Stalker emerged from the pavement, but Cooper was ready this time. He brought out his blade and activated his jet boosters while leaping into the air. Landing on the Death Stalker's tail, he sliced the stinger off, sending it plunging into the beast's head. Cooper rolled off the giant scorpion, pulling his blade back and grabbing the remains of it's tail as he did. Using his tech-enhanced strength, Cooper lifted the Grimm off the ground and spun it around, letting go on the fifth spin and sending it straight into an empty building, burying it in rubble.

Coco seemed impressed. "Hmm, again not bad. Though we should probably avoid destroying anymore buildings."

"Right, my bad." At the sound of a deep growl, the two whirled around to see more hordes of Ursai and Beowulves charging at them. Cooper glanced to Coco. "Think you can handle the fifty on the right?"

She smirked. "Tech Head, I've been doing this all day, I think I can keep this up."

From beneath his helmet, Cooper smiled as he brought out his blaster. "Couldn't have said it better myself. Let's do this!"

The mighty duo of Kevin's car and Bumblebee were rolling through the school grounds, their destination: the ship docks. Yang, being the expert motorcyclist she taught herself to be, was weaving around destroyed structures and upturned earth like a pro. She could only imagine what her passenger was thinking. "Hey, Ben! You liking the ride so far?!" she yelled.

In all honesty, the only suitable word that Ben could describe his feelings right now was: exhilarated. There was something about Bumblebee that was just hitting all the right switches in his mind. "Are you kidding?! This is amazing!"

Yang smiled. "Glad to hear it!" As she continued down the paved grounds she started to notice moving objects along their left side. She glanced left and, to her irritation, they were being pursued by at least six Beowulves. "Ah, shit!" She said in disdain.

"What is it?" Ben asked.

"On our left!"

Ben turned his head and he saw the Grimm. "HOLY SHIT! What are those things?!"

"Beowulves. Ben, I'm gonna warn you, things are about to get crazy! I need you to hold on to one of the handle bars to help me keep her steady for a minute!"

"On it!" Ben released his left arm from Yang and went for the handle bar as she removed her own left hand. The Beowulves closed in and began to leap at the bike. But Yang wouldn't let them touch it. She activated her Ember Celica and started punching with all her might, unloading a shot into every Beowulf that dared lunge at her bike.

"GET! OFF! MY! BIKE! ASS! HOLES!" she yelled with every punch. The creatures fell, their corpses littering the courtyard and forcing the car behind them to maneuver past even more obstacles, something that the driver was none too happy about. Yang took back the handle and Ben returned his arm to her middle. She yelled back: "You good?!"

"Hell yeah, I'm good! That was awesome!"

"Thanks! But I think Kevin's not enjoying the presents I'm leaving him!"

"Oh no, please keep leaving dead bodies all over the road, Yang. I don't mind." Kevin said bitterly as he swerved around said dead Grimm with a small pout on his face. He wouldn't admit it was a pout, but it was.

Gwen glanced at her boyfriend with reassurance. "Kevin, I'm sure that she isn't doing it on purpose."

Kevin exhaled through his nostrils. "I know, I'm just not really looking forward to getting all this blood outta the paint when this is over."

"I know sweetie, I know."

In the back seat, Weiss' eyes had narrowed at the two's conversation, and she finally felt the need to ask. "Hey Gwen?"

"Yes Weiss?"

"Listen... I mean absolutely no offense when I say this, and you don't need to answer me when I ask but, you two seem so different from each other so... how are you two a couple exactly?"

The Osmosian and Anodite glanced at each other before the former smirked and answered. "Roguish charm."

Gwen grinned, rolling her eyes. "And a whole lot of patience."

"Um, not to interrupt," Blake spoke up, "but if you look in your rearview, you'll see that we've GOT COMPANY!"

Kevin glanced up to the mirror and his eyes widened at the sight of seven Ursai approaching fast. "Well... shit."

Ruby had a glimmer in her eye. "Ooh, Ursai! Don't worry, I'm on it!" She removed Crescent Rose from her back and activated the sniper rifle configuration.

Kevin's eyes widened. "Wait, it's a scythe and a gun?"

"Yep." the hooded girl replied, popping the "p" sound.

The young man turned to his girlfriend. "Gwen, I know what I want for my birthday next year."

"You're going to be nineteen Kevin."

"Oh come on, it's so cool!"

Ruby pulled back the sun roof and pushed herself through. She steadied Crescent Rose, took aim and fired, the rounds hitting their marks like it was nothing. Blake was lending a hand as well. Now part-way out of the left rear window, Gambol Shroud in hand, she fired at the Ursai that had managed to move clear of Ruby's shots and were getting too close to the car. One Ursa managed to leap at her, but she quickly activated Gambol Shroud's blade, stabbing it in the neck and up through its head. She pulled the blade out and let the body tumble away.

"Um, girls, not to sound needy, but we've got more in the front!" Gwen called out. Indeed there were more Grimm coming toward them, this time of the lizard variety.

"Creeps." Weiss stated. "I've got this." Weiss rolled down her window and leaned out, Myrtenaster in hand. She focused her semblance through her rapier and created several small versions of her snowflake glyphs. She spun the barrel to her signature ice setting and the glyphs began to glow. The energy gathered and out shot several large shards of ice, firing directly at the Creeps. The shards hit their mark, either skewering the Creeps through the head or impaling them in the chest. Kevin drove around the husks and before they knew it the Ursai had stopped attacking as well, leaving them...

"Woo! In the clear!" Kevin hollered. But the celebration was cut short when he felt a tremor from underneath his car. Yang pulled to a stop in front of them and Kevin did the same, the pavement having cracked and the earth moved. Bursting forth from the surface came two large snake-like beasts, one black, one white. Both were hissing and baring their giant fangs at them, their intent to kill very clear.

"Okay, the hell is that?!" Ben yelled from the bike.

"A King Taijitu!" Ruby yelled from the sun roof. She took aim and fired at one of the snake Grimm's eyes. However, it managed to avoid the shot and lunged at Ruby, who quickly retreated into the car before she could become a snake snack. The King Taijitu pulled back its head and continued hissing menacingly. "Okay, that didn't work. Any ideas?"

"Just one." Kevin pressed a small button on the dashboard and the car transformed into its battle mode, complete with gatling guns and missile launchers. The targeting systems locked on and fired at one of the King Taijitu's heads as it hissed, the missiles exploding inside of its mouth, making its head explode.

"Now for the finishing touch." Kevin reached underneath the dashboard and opened a secret compartment that housed a big red button. He slammed it and from back of the car emerged a large plasma cannon. It took aim at the remaining head and shot a powerful laser right through its skull, making the corpse fall to the ground. Kevin sat there with a prideful smirk on his face while the girls in the backseat all sat with their mouths gaping open. Even Yang was looking back at Kevin with a stunned expression.

"What... the HECK... was THAT?!" Ruby spoke for all of them.

"A Quasar Burst Plasma Cannon." Kevin answered as the car changed back to normal. "Level Six alien tech. One of the most powerful weapons of its kind" He turned to the three stunned girls. "Now, if we're done here, how 'bout we get the lead out and get to the docks, huh?" The three girls gave silent nods and Kevin turned back around, signaling Yang to keep going. The blonde gave a thumbs up and she and Ben were off like a shot, the dangerous green car not far behind.

Cooper slammed the last of the Boarbatusks into the ground, snuffing its lights out. Coco meanwhile, was smacking around one last Beowulf with her handbag before caving it's skull in with her boot, effectively taking out the last Grimm standing. The two allies relished in their victory. "And that, Coco, is what I would refer to as a fatality." Cooper commented on her defeated foe.

"Eh, not that big of a deal. Beowulves are like the grunts of the Grimm species. Easy to take out and don't really put up much of a fight."

"Yeah, but it was still cool." Cooper pointed out. Coco smiled and shrugged before the two's attention was directed toward the front of the school. What they first thought was the roaring of more Grimm were actually the roaring of... engines. From around the bend came a bright yellow motorcycle and a familiar green muscle car. "It's Kevin! They're alright! ...But who's the girl on the bike?"

Coco smirked. "That would be Yang. Huh, and she's got a passenger."

"Actually, I think that's Ben!"

Coco's brow rose in intrigue. "Really? Hmm... wonder why she'd let him ride on her bi—" her sunglasses shimmered and she smirked as the realization hit her. "Ooh, that boy's a lucky one."

The two speeding vehicles rounded the corner into the school courtyard. At first, Ben thought it was odd that there were no Grimm, but he soon got his answer as to why.

"Hey! There's Coco!" Yang exclaimed. "But who's the Tin Man next to her?" Ben looked over the blonde's shoulder to see who he presumed to be Coco as well as the "Tin Man". Once he did, the armor clad man seemed to notice and give him a thumbs up. A knowing smile came to the young hero's face.

"I think that's my friend Cooper!"

"Oh! Cool!" Yang replied. At that moment, Yang caught something from the corner of her eye. Her eyes widened and she started pointing behind Cooper and Coco, gaining their attention. The two turned around just in time to see a giant Grimm bird swooping down at them. They dove out of the way and the creature missed its mark, swooping back up into the air and straight over Yang and Ben.

"Okay, so that just happened!" Ben pointed out. "And something tells me it'll be back!"

"Yeah! Any bright ideas?!" Yang asked back.

"Give me a sec!" After scanning his surroundings, Ben found something they could use. A bit further down the paved walkway was a bit of upturned pavement... and it seemed very ramp-like. "Okay, plan formed! Yang, I've enjoyed the ride, but I'm going to have to transform! Think you can ramp up that rubble so I can launch myself?"

"Ben, that has to be the craziest plan I've ever heard!" Yang answered. "I love it! Let's go!" Yang sped up while Ben repositioned his arms so he could work the Omnitrix. They sped past Coco and Cooper and once Ben had the alien he wanted, he stood up on the bike, holding onto Yang's shoulders. "Okay, ready?!" she yelled.

"Don't really have a choice!" Bumblebee rocketed up the unstable ramp and Ben launched himself into the air, slamming the Omnitrix and transforming. Yang skid Bumblebee to a halt while Ben landed on the ground feet fist with a mighty BOOM! Kevin's car stopped as well, the two half-breeds in the front seat smiling at the transformation, while the girls in the back seat just stared dumbfounded. Cooper and Coco stood up, the latter sliding her shades down to look at the creature. Back at the docks, everyone was staring at the transformation awestruck at what they just witnessed... except Nora who yelled:

"HOLY CRAP what the HELL is that?!"

Yang craned her head up and removed her sunglasses. The other transformations were relatively normal size. Not this one. This one was fifteen feet tall at least. Its head was huge, its tail was massive, its appearance resembling a giant lizard. Ben reared his head back; roaring to the sky as he proclaimed:

"HUMUNGOUSAUR!"

Yang could hear Nora scream from the docks: "OH MY GOD, THAT'S SO GODDAMN COOL!"

Ben's head shot up in surprise at the loud voice "She's not wrong." Yang reaffirmed. The two's attention was drawn to the sound of a loud screech. The Grimm bird had circled the school and was coming back around.

Ben extended his hand to Yang in a protective stance. "Duck!" the Vaxasaurian yelled.

"Nevermore, actually." Yang jokingly corrected. "And it's really more of a raven than a duck."

"While I appreciate the humor, I don't think now's a good time!" Humungousaur ran up at the swooping avian and when it was close enough, he jumped up and grabbed onto its underbelly, having it carry him over everyone's heads and toward the docks. Yang and Kevin both started their vehicles back up and drove in pursuit of Ben and the Nevermore, Cooper and Coco not far behind as the former used his jet boosters to propel them both, him having to (very nervously) carry the young lady.

At first, the Nevermore had no problem lifting Humungousaur, it being at least twice as big as the alien. But all that changed when Humungousaur began to increase in size, the various parts of him changing as he grew. Now sporting heavier armor and greater height, Humungousaur was able to turn things in his favor. He twisted his body so that the Nevermore was now flying upside down and he was on top, his weight forcing the avian Grimm to crash land in front of the docks. The group of people backed off, still in awe at the giant lizard.

The dinosaur alien grabbed the Nevermore's still flapping wings and snapped them, leaving them limp. The bird still fought back as it snapped at him with its beak. Humungousaur waited for an opening and gripped the beak with all his might, forcing it open further and further before finally... CRACK! Its jaw broke. Just for good measure, Humungousaur gripped its head and twisted... SNAP! Its neck broken, the creature fell limp, the Vaxasaurian giving a roar of victory before calming down. He looked down at the people, a big grin coming to his face at the first person he saw. "Grandpa!"

"Ben!" Max exclaimed. "Boy, am I glad you're safe!" The two gave each other an awkward embrace, one being the size of a two story house didn't really help all that much.

"Hey you really didn't think I'd be in all that much trouble did you?"

The old man smirked. "Well... given your track record..."

"Aw c'mon!" the dinosaur pleaded.

Max chuckled at his grandson's expense. "Just kidding Ben. Now, there are a few people that I want you to meet."

"I'm sure." The Vaxasaurian craned his head over to the person next to his grandfather, a man in tattered clothes and who seemed to be half machine. "General Ironwood I presume."

"You would presume correct." The general extended his hand. "Pleasure to meet you Ben." Humungousaur lightly shook the man's hand with his own massive one before looking over to the woman who was also next to his grandfather.

"And you would be?"

"I am Glynda Goodwitch. I must say, I was skeptical of Max when he told us about you, but now that I see it... I still almost can't believe it!"

"Eh, that's what everyone says when they meet me. Really, at this point it's pretty normal." Ben then noticed that there was another man in a gray suit and hair to match standing next to Glyda a five o'clock shadow adorning his face. However, the man seemed to be a bit... unfocused. "Um, excuse me sir, but... are you... drunk?"

"Not as drunk as you think I am, kid. Name's Qrow."

"Oh... okay then."

"I understand that you're the reason my niece is still in one piece. Now don't think that just instantly gets you on my good side, hear me?"

"Um... okay?" Ben looked over the adults to see that there was a trio of kids his age, one standing and two sitting against the Rustbucket. "Um, hi." He waved to them.

"Hi!" a short haired redhead clad in a pink skirt waved back. "I'm Nora! And this..." she grabbed the shoulder of a green clad boy with long black hair, "is my friend Ren!" Ren nodded at Ben who just nodded back.

'Not much of a talker I guess.' Ben looked at the standing boy. He was blonde, had tanned skin with a shirt that exposed his chest, bandages on his arms and a monkey's tail. "And you would be?"

The young man gave the dinosaur alien a big grin and a salute . "Name's Sun Wunkong! Nice to meet you, Ben."

Ben's eyes widened. "Wait a second!" Ben hit the Omnitrix symbol on his chest and changed back to normal. "Your name is literally Sun Wukong?"

"Yeah, why? There a problem?"

"Well... no, it's just..." He heard an engine revving behind him. "You know what, I'll explain later." 'Saved by the Yang.' The teen hero thought in relief.

Yang pulled up alongside the group and dismounted Bumblebee, Kevin's car right beside her. Cooper and Coco also returned, the young lady dismounting her temporary steed. Yang walked up, a big grin on her face as she focused in on Ben. "That... was... AWESOME!" she proclaimed.

Ben scratched the back of his head. "Eh, it wasn't that great."

Yang smirked and pointed a finger at him. "Ben, you don't give yourself enough credit! I've never seen somebody snap a Nevermore's jaw and neck before! Decapitated sure but snapped? That's just too awesome."

"Well... I..." Ben started before his grandfather cut him off.

"Now Ben, don't be rude. I thought your father and I always told you to be nice to a lady when she gives you a complement."

His face beat red, Ben spun on his heel and looked at his grandfather, a smirk ever present on the old man's face. "Grandpa!" the hero pleaded, "could you please try not to embarrass me?! I'm not ten anymore!"

"No please," came Kevin's voice, "continue to embarrass him." Ben turned back around, Kevin standing with his arms crossed and a sly grin on his face. Ben gave him his best evil glare. "Aw, come on Ben, don't give me that look. Besides, embarrassment builds character."

"Yeah, like a boot to the head." Ben said through clenched teeth.

Gwen, along with Ruby, Weiss and Blake emerged from the car, the Anodite holding the still unconscious Adam in a cocoon of mana. "Kevin, seriously, could you stop mocking Ben for two seconds while I—" It was then that Gwen had finally set her gaze onto her grandfather and her expression softened to one of happiness and relief. "Grandpa!" She set the cocoon down and in three gates had embraced the old Plumber in a gentle hug. "I'm so glad you're okay!"

The old man chuckled and returned the hug. "I'm just glad that you're okay sweetie." Max looked up to see that Kevin had joined them, and offered his hand. "Kevin, glad to see you—"

"Oh no old man, bring it in." Kevin took the hand and turned the handshake into a side-embrace, with Max gladly accepting. Ben and Team RWBY looked on smiling at the happy moment, glad to finally have a moment of peace. Ben turned to Yang again.

"Well, if it means anything" Ben said, "I really did enjoy the ride. Thanks."

"Hey, no problem." the Blonde Brawler lightly smacked his arm in response. "And if you wanna ride Bumblebee again, don't be afraid to ask, 'kay?"

"I'll keep that in mind." At the sound of metallic footsteps, Ben turned around to see Cooper, his helmet now off, smiling and offering a handshake of his own.

"Ben, good to see you're still in one piece."

Ben accepted the gesture. "Good to see you too Coop! And you're on your feet!"

"Heh, yeah. This technology is amazing! Never seen anything like it in my life!"

"Uh-huh." Ben looked past the tall blonde and over to Coco. "And who's your nice lady friend?"

Cooper stammered. "Um...w-well, she's uh..."

Before he could get out an answer, Coco moved around him and answered for him. "Name's Coco. Nice to meet you Ben."

The two shook hands. "Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Coco. I hope our resident Tech Head hasn't caused you too much trouble."

"Don't worry, I only had to save his life twice today." She looked over her shoulder and smirked at the blonde who could only give a nervous laugh. Coco turned back around, addressing Team RWBY. "Good to see ya Yangarang, Rubes, Weiss-Cream, Kit-Kat."

Yang winked at her. "Right back at ya Coco Puff."

"Short-stack! Firecracker!"

Ruby gasped at the familiar voice. "Uncle Qrow!" Ruby rushed over to the semi-drunk man and gave him a hug, Yang following soon after.

Today just seemed to surprise Blake more and more. Never did she think that in the middle of all this chaos there would be any smiling faces left, but her team and her new friends proved her wrong. She was pulled out of her thoughts when she felt a tap-tap-tap on her shoulder. She spun around and her eyes widened. Sun Wukong, the monkey boy who had somehow gained her attention from the moment she met him, was standing right there in front of her. A million thoughts began racing through her mind:

'He's here? He's alive?! Where's his team? Wait, are those bandages on his arms? He was hurt?! Wait, WHY is he still here in the first place?! I thought—'

"Hi Blake." That was all it took to snap her out of her self-induced trance and she looked up to meet his eyes... and was shocked to see that the usual brightness that was behind them had dimmed a little bit. It was foreign to her. In all the time that she had known Sun he had always been a big force of positivity, one that could only rival Yang in the sheer amount of it. She realized she couldn't stay silent forever so she attempted to reply.

"Sun... are you okay?"

"Heh, yeah, for the most part." He gestured to the bandages on his arms. "Got cut up by some Boarbatusks. No serious damage though."

"Good... I'm glad. Where's your team?"

"They've been evacuated to Vale, along with the rest of the injured."

"So... why didn't you go with them?"

"They said I could stay so... so that I could wait for you."

The answer was so unexpected that it hit her like a freight train. 'Me? He was waiting for ME? Why?' She looked wide eyed at the boy who was now glancing off to the side while scratching the back of his neck, no doubt nervous as to what she would say next. He had treated her so kindly in the months that she had known him, and it still boggled her mind as to why. 'Why? Why has he been so nice to me? Why am I of all people deserving of his attention?'

She looked to her friends, for once actually hoping that they noticed the situation she was in and would offer any kind of assistance. They indeed had, and they all wore similar reassuring smiles. Weiss and Ruby gave her a single nod while Yang sported a big toothy grin and gave Blake a thumbs up. 'What in the world are they—' Blake's eyes widened in shock at the realization... they wanted her to comfort him. She looked back to Sun, still glancing off to the side, still with the brightness dimmed from his eyes... something she realized right then that she couldn't bear to see.

"Listen, I know that it sounds cheesy," Sun continued, "but I was really worried about you. I just wanted to make sure that you were okay and I didn't know where you were so—" The monkey boy was silenced when a pair of arms wrapped around his body, a head of black hair resting against his shirt. Sun was taken aback by the sudden hug. It had taken him a full two days before Blake had opened up to him, and the only other time they'd been this close was at the dance. But, from her slight trembling against him, he could tell that she had been through something while she was off on her own. What it was, he wasn't sure, but he knew one thing: he had to return the hug, for both their sakes. He placed his hands on her back, embracing her.

After a moment's peace, Blake pulled back, craning her head up to meet Sun's gaze. "Sun, things today haven't been that easy for me. I had to confront my past, I almost lost my partner, and quite honestly, those three over there are almost too crazy for me to handle." She gestured over to the three dimension-hopping heroes who were talking to Ironwood. "But... the fact that you actually stayed because you were worried about me is really, really nice." She smiled up at him "Thank you."

Sun smiled back. "Well what can I say?" Sun replied. "I'm a bit of a worry wart."

"And that's very flattering, but you should know that I can take care of myself right?"

"Hey, after everything that's happened today, I think worrying about someone I care about is at least somewhat justified, right?"

Blake let out a little laugh. "Okay, okay, you can be worried about me. But make sure that you don't let it get in the way of leading your own team."

"If it counts for anything, they did say I could stay and wait for you."

The brightness had returned to Sun's eyes, and Blake began to feel a little brighter herself. "And that was really nice of them. Remind me to say thanks later." 'He's such a dork...' she thought. 'But I guess... I prefer him that way.'

Gwen lifted the cocoon containing Adam off the ground and presented him to Ironwood, who looked at the White Fang with contempt.

"General," Ben addressed, "we present you with Adam Taurus of the White Fang."

"The asshole's got multiple injuries. I suggest a doctor before putting him behind bars." Kevin added.

Ironwood nodded. "Right. Kevin, if you could take him on board the Bullhead, one of my men will show you the infirmary. Make sure that he's strapped in tight." Kevin agreed and Gwen removed the cocoon, allowing him to sling Adam over his shoulder and bring him on board the airship. Ironwood looked back to the pair of cousins. "I can't thank you enough for what you've done today."

"It's no problem General." Gwen returned. "We do this kind of thing for a living."

"Well, I'm just glad you showed up when you did. But this fight is far from over I'm afraid."

"What do you mean?"

Glynda interjected. "He means that we are trapped here until that... thing is disposed of." She pointed off the side of the massive cliff. The cousins moved past the Bullhead and looked down the side. What they saw next, they couldn't believe.

"Is that a freaking dragon?!" Ben exclaimed. True to form, a giant behemoth of a black, white and red dragon was circling around the edge of the cliff, almost as if it were waiting for its prey to make a move.

"Yes," Glynda answered, "a Grimm Dragon. And the source of our problems."

"It was originally circling around the school," Ironwood explained, "but once you showed up, it retreated."

"Why is that?" Gwen asked.

"Because Grimm are attracted to one thing: negative feelings."

"However," Glynda added, "Grimm can be driven back by one thing as well: hope. The moment that Max arrived, the Grimm stopped attacking for a few moments before resuming the assault. My guess is that when you arrived, you brought such a strong sense of hope that the dragon had sensed it and was driven back."

"And that means?" Ben questioned.

"It means that it might fear your power." Ironwood continued. "But a Grimm that size doesn't just give up that easily. Even if it has no soul, it's still a living, thinking being. I know for certain that it's formulating a plan. If we leave in that airship without finding some way to kill the beast, it could destroy all of us while we're inside."

Ben brought up the Omnitrix. "Okay, so if that's the case, I'm pretty sure I must have something that can kill that dragon. Just give me a few minutes and then we can lea—"

"NO!" a shrill voice shouted behind them. They turned to see Nora, now supporting herself on one of the Rustbucket's railings as she stood, though she seemed pained to do so. She pointed a finger at Ben. "Look buster, I don't care if you can transform into an overgrown lizard thingy! I am NOT leaving this school without Jaune and Pyrrha!"

Ironwood attempted to calm the Pink Dynamo. "Miss Valkyrie, I know how you must feel but you need to..."

"Wait, Jaune and Pyrrha are still missing?!" Blake questioned.

"Why didn't anyone say so? If that's the case then we CAN'T leave!" Yang shouted in agreement.

"Woah, woah, woah, hold the phone!" Ben said trying to reel everything back. "Who are Jaune and Pyrrha?"

Nora limped over to him, her hand never leaving the railing, nearly in tears. "They're our teammates. Our friends! And-and the best goddamn family that I could ask for!" At this point, Nora had lost her composure and lost her grip on the railing, Ben catching her before she could hit pavement. Nora looked into Ben's eyes as her tears fell. "Please, please find them!" Nora bawled into Ben's jacket as Ren crawled over and held onto his partner's shoulders giving her extra support. The two green clad young men shared a look and Ben's determination kicked in.

"Nora?" the redhead looked up to meet Ben's gaze. "I promise, I'll do everything that I can to find your friends and bring them back here. Okay?"

Nora sniffed and dried her eyes, giving Ben a smile. "Thank you... thank you so much." Ben smiled back, allowing Ren to take his partner and hold onto her himself. No sooner did Ben stand up did Weiss' scroll start beeping. Everyone's attention was on her as she pulled out the scroll and answered it. Her eyes widened in shock when she saw who had called her.

"JAUNE?!" At the name, everyone huddled around, hoping to see if the blonde knight was okay. In truth, he wasn't. He really wasn't. The boy seemed to be in hysterics, the first sign to Ben and Gwen that something was definitely wrong. "Jaune, where are you?" Weiss asked.

"Weiss! Please you have to stop her!"

"What?!"

"Pyrrha! She's going after that woman at the top of the tower! She doesn't stand a chance!"

"Jaune, what are you talking about? Where are you?!"

Jaune's voice rose in frustration. "DON'T WORRY ABOUT ME!" A moment after, he seemed to calm down and he leaned back against a wall. "Please, you have to save Pyrrha."

Weiss looked at Ben, his expression steeling and the two nodded to each other. Weiss turned back to Jaune on her scroll. "We will. Are you okay?"

"I... I'm fine. I'm in the city. You just save Pyrrha okay? Please." The screen went dark and everyone looked to Ben.

"A promise is a promise." Ben brought up the Omnitrix and slammed the core down, transforming this time into another crystal creature, one that was thinner than Diamondhead. Most of him was covered in purple rock, except for the pink crystal that covered its hands and face, as well as individual crystals that jutted out from his back and chest as well as the horn on his head. His two green eyes had merged to become one as the Omnitrix settled on his chest.

"Chromastone!" Without wasting a moment, Ben turned to his cousin. "Gwen, you're with me. Everyone else, load up onto the airship and be ready to leave. Once we get back, that dragon is going down." He smiled to Nora. "This won't take long. We'll be back." Nora smiled back, taking comfort that her family would be back together soon. Ben looked over to his cousin again and she gave a silent nod, her aura glowing bright pink as she lifted herself off the ground and began flying upward. Chromastone would soon follow, but not before...

"Hey, Green Boy!" Ben looked back and faced Yang, a reassuring smile on her face. "Be careful up there 'kay? P-Money's gonna need all the help she can get!"

Ben smiled back and gave a two fingered salute. "I will. See you soon, Goldie Locks!" Yang's smile grew at the new nickname, something that Ben was thankful for. He rose up, meeting his cousin in mid-air and, like a pair of rockets, flew up to the top of the highest tower, their mission as clear as crystal: save Pyrrha. Yang turned around to her friends, family and teachers who were facing up at the retreating duo.

"Okay people!" she shouted. "You heard Green Boy, let's move!"

A/N: Man, I remember when I considered THIS a long chapter. Spoiler alert; things only get longer from here. Alright, so Next time... two words: SAVE PYRRHA!

A/N: Okay, we're now (technically) at the last part of the Battle for Beacon. A lot and I mean A LOT is going to be happening in this chapter, so be ready for it okay? Hope you guys enjoy! With that said, let's get going. This is...

Chapter 5: A Warrior's Second Chance

Once most people were gifted with unlimited power beyond their wildest dreams, they would usually do anything they wished immediately after. Not Cinder Fall. She had a mission to complete. As she gazed out over the city of Vale in the office of the fool formerly known as Professor Ozpin, she swore in the name of her mistress that she would see this city brought to its knees. But something was troubling her; the Grimm Dragon had retreated from the school and had not tried to return, flying just below the high cliffs that the academy was built upon. She had wanted it to destroy the Cross Continental Transmit System, but it flew away before she could give such a command. Not many things could cause a Grimm of that size to flee... but she could think of only one...

'But a sense of hope that strong couldn't possibly exist... could it?' she asked herself. 'Hmm, no matter, I'll just have to destroy this place myself and then snuff out that hope... just as I'll do with her.'

No, she was not alone in this place, as Pyrrha Nikos, the once "Invincible Girl", was now lying at her feet, an arrow of Cinder's own creation pierced through her ankle and into the floor, immobilizing her. The young girl actually thought she could take Cinder on. How amusing. Pyrrha had tried to use her Semblance of polarity to her advantage, but with a power as great as a Maiden's, the girl was no match. The new Fall Maiden had also destroyed the girl's only weapon and knocked her shield out of reach; preventing any kind of last-minute save the girl might have pulled off. Cinder strutted toward the girl, her obsidian bow in hand.

"It's unfortunate that you were promised a power that was never truly yours." Cinder said as she bent down and pulled the redhead's chin up to meet her gaze. "But take comfort that I will use it in ways you could have never imagined."

Pyrrha wretched out of Cinder's grasp, matching the woman's look with her own hard stare. "Do you believe in destiny?"

Cinder could only frown as she answered. "Yes." She instantly created another arrow, knocked it in her bow and aimed it point blank at the fallen girl's chest, intending to end her life in an instant. But before she could, a blast of energy came straight out of nowhere and shot the bow out of her hands, destroying it and the arrow. The two women were left shocked and confused.

"Yeah, about that, I'm gonna have to ask you not to kill her." They whirled their heads around and were astonished to see a tall humanoid creature made of purple rock and pink crystal floating through one of the broken windows, a young girl around Pyrrha's age floating in beside it. "You see, I have some new friends down there who would be pretty disappointed if I came back without her."

The floating girl darted to Pyrrha's side, crouched next to her, and created a pink energy dome. She quickly expanded it to knock Cinder away, the Fall Maiden doing a backflip and digging her heals into the floor to slow herself to a halt. She glared at the girls as the dome shrunk back down, protecting them from Cinder's wrath as the crystal man dashed in front of the two redheads, creating a second line of defense.

Cinder sighed. "So, you two must be the new hope that is keeping my dragon away."

"Oh, you mean lizard lips?" the crystal creature asked. "Yeah, he's scared of us alright. Can't get enough of that positivity now can ya?"

"I see. And who exactly are you?"

The creature balled his hands into fists and put them on his hips, puffing out his rocky chest. "The name's Chomastone, and I'm here to Take. You. Down."

"Ah, I see. Well I certainly wish you luck in that endeavor. I certainly wouldn't want to be facing myself right now."

"Really? And why is that?"

"You see, I recently just acquired an immense power that was thought of to only be legend until recently. And I have her to thank back there for being too scared to accept it herself."

Chromastone looked back to girls, who seemed to be talking to each other inside the bubble before they noticed him face them. Chromastone faced Cinder again, a questioning look on his face. "...Prove it."

A sinister grin came to Cinder's face, a pair of obsidian swords appearing in her hands. "As you wish." The two charged at each other, Cinder swinging her blades down onto Chromastone's forearms as he blocked the strike. The final battle for Beacon's fate had begun.

As the two fought, Pyrrha could only watch in shock, awe and confusion as her head settled into the lap of the new redhead beside her. Her name was Gwen, but that's all she really knew from the few seconds that they had spoken to one another. As the two watched the fight, Gwen felt the need to reassure the warrior girl. "Don't worry Pyrrha, my cousin has handled much worse."

Pyrrha's eyes widened. "That thing is your cousin?"

Gwen gave her a nervous smile. "Well... yes, but Ben doesn't always look like that." She glanced over to Ben and then back to Pyrrha and whispered: "Between you and me, he actually looks worse when he's normal." she cheekily said with a wink. It made Pyrrha laugh, something that she desperately needed at the moment, but it also made her wince at the pain in her ankle. Gwen winced herself. "Ooh, right, better start working on that."

Gwen moved Pyrrha off of her lap and onto the concrete floor in an awkward laying position as she moved down to inspect the warrior's ankle. "Hmm... well, good news is that I can get the arrow out and stop the bleeding for a while. But I'm going to need Swampfire for the rest."

"Swamp-what?"

"Swampfire, another one of Ben's aliens. He has the ability to make regenerative spores. If we're lucky, six weeks of healing could only take six days or so. Now hold still while I work my magic... literally." Gwen moved her hands over Pyrrha's ankle and began chanting a mystic incantation that the warrior girl couldn't understand. The arrow glowed the same pink as her energy field and it disintegrated into nothingness, painlessly turning into pink energy. Before the ankle could start bleeding out, Gwen created a small energy sphere around the wound, holding the foot aloft to stop any further bleeding and feeding some of her mana into Pyrrha's Aura. Gwen sighed in relief. "Okay, you good?"

"I... I think so. Thank you Gwen."

Gwen smiled. "Hey, Redheads gotta stick together right?"

Pyrrha smiled. "I think that's grand." But her smile vanished as she moved her head to the side, focusing on the battle between Ben and Cinder. The two were trading blows, one with swords and the other with crystalline fists. The turning point came when Ben grabbed the blades and wrestled them out of Cinders hands. He was about to crush them when he noticed something.

"Wait a second... are these obsidian?"

"Yes, of course they are!" Cinder yelled back.

"As in... volcanic glass?"

"Yes, now what is your point?!"

Ben crushed the swords effortlessly. "Just what part of Chromastone did you not understand?"

"Then I'll try something else!" Cinder thrust her hands forward and shot a stream of fire at Chromastone, who managed to dodge it.

"Woah! Okay, new plan... interrogate and annoy." Chromastone kept dodging, all the while asking questions. "So Miss... Oh yeah, never did catch your name!"

"Cinder Fall, enjoy it for it will be the last name you hear!" Another blast and dodge.

"Ah okay, so Cinder, question, what lead you to being here? Dreams of great power? Wealth? A retirement plan?"

"Depends, do you believe in destiny Chromastone?" Blast and dodge.

"What an odd question. But if I had to answer, I'd say I somewhat believe in it. Although, I personally think that we're free to create our own destinies. You never know what tomorrow might bring so why not make the best of it?"

Pyrrha's eyes widened at the Crystalsapien's answer. 'What does he mean by that?'

"Your answer is interesting Chromastone." said Cinder. "But your idealism won't save you. You see, I have always wished for power and respect. All I needed was to meet the right person to help push me in the right direction." She began surging with a fiery aura, large flames appearing in the palms of her hands as her eyes glowed brightly. "And now that I possess the power of the Fall Maiden, I can finally thank her... by destroying YOU!" Cinder brought her hands together and sent a wall of flame straight at Chromastone. But the alien didn't falter, instead deciding to just stand there as the flames enveloped him. Gwen and Pyrrha turned their heads away from the intense light. When it stopped they could only see a billow of smoke where Chromastone had been standing. Cinder smiled maliciously, convinced she had won...

"WOW! That was some blast!" Cinder's eyes widened and out stepped Chromastone, not a scratch on him. "But I gotta say, not your smartest move."

Cinder was flabbergasted. "B-but how?! That was my strongest blast!"

"Well, other than Fire not being that effective against Rock, I may have left out a little something about myself..." The pink crystals on Chromastone flared to life with a complete spectrum of different colored lights. "You see, I am a conductor of sorts. I can take any form of energy that's thrown at me and send it back, but more powerful. In short, I am rubber, you are glue. Whatever you throw at me, bounces off and back to you." His goading served to make Cinder more annoyed and angry, just what he wanted. "That said, I think it's time we end this."

Cinder clenched her fists. "You think I care about what you are capable of? A Maiden's power surpasses that of anyone else! And I finally have that power! I can finally be feared like I always wanted! I have the strength I need to make entire KINGDOMS fall at my feet!" The intense fiery aura began to radiate off of her again. "I am Cinder Fall! And I will not be defeated BY THE LIKES OFF—"

"To be honest, I've heard all kinds of evil speeches before so let's just get this over with." Chromastone fired an intense multi-colored beam from his hands and straight toward Cinder. The young woman unleashed her own blast of flame again, but the energy just cut right through the fire. She was hit in the shoulder and sent screaming out the window. Chromastone rushed to the edge and watched as Cinder... well... fell to the ground. About half way down, she seemed to be enveloped in some sort of dark haze before disappearing all together. "Huh, weird." The hero turned around, quickly sprinting over to Gwen and Pyrrha

"Ben, is she...?" Gwen asked as she brought down her shield.

"Dead? No. She just... disappeared." Ben's attention was directed to the Invincible Girl. "You must be Pyrrha. Hi, I'm Ben."

"Hello." The warrior said dumbfounded. It was one thing to see the creature from afar, but up close was a whole different thing.

Gwen gained Ben's attention. "Ben, I'm going to need Swampfire to seal her ankle up."

"Oh! Right!" Ben hit the Omnitrix symbol on his chest and changed into... "Swampfire!" The change had been so instant that Pyrrha thought she had blinked and missed it. The swamp man knelt next to her and cupped his hands together, creating a large sum of yellow spores in his hands. He looked her straight in the eye. "Okay, Pyrrha, just giving you a heads up. These spores can heal skin and muscle tissue no problem, but bone takes longer. It's going to take a while and even then you may need help before you're able to walk on your own again. Okay?"

Pyrrha nodded and Swampfire signaled his cousin to undo the mana field around Pyrrha's wound. Fortunately, the bleeding had slowed and Pyrrha's Aura had built back up again, if only a little bit. Swampfire cupped his spore-filled hands around the wound and pushed them in, making Pyrrha wince with pain for a second. But a moment later, she could already feel them tingling in her heel. "Now for the finishing touch." Swampfire very carefully removed her grieve and boot, his hands producing a bunch of vines that gently wrapped around her ankle, making a cast for her ankle. "There we go! All done!"

Pyrrha was in awe of what had just happened. She felt obliged to ask... "Who are you two?"

Gwen was about to explain when a loud beeping came from the Omnitrix, now flashing between green and red. One flash of green light later and Ben was back to normal, the face of the Omnitrix now red. "Huh," Ben said, "Guess its recharge time."

"Not surprising considering how many times you must have transformed today." Gwen added. She faced Pyrrha. "Now, I think we owe you an explanation..."

Once Gwen had given an abridged version of her and her cousin's story, Pyrrha took a deep breath, taking it all in. "That is... quite the tale."

"Yeah, we know. Kind of unbelievable."

"Yes... unbelievable." Pyrrha lay down on the ground, her face stoic, almost sad. She faced the two heroes and asked; "Why did you come to save me?"

The cousins were caught off guard. "Why would you ask something like that?" Gwen questioned back.

"Yeah, we're heroes. We don't discriminate who we save." Ben added.

"It is just..." Pyrrha began, "I do not think I deserve it."

The cousins eyes widened and they yelled over one another; "WHAT?!" "Why not?!"

Pyrrha sighed as she sat up. "Do you remember how Cinder said that... that it was my fault that she had the Maiden powers?" They both nodded. "Well... she was right. If I had only taken the powers without a second thought... If I hadn't been so selfish then maybe..." Pyrrha started to feel tears brimming her eyes, "maybe Ozpin... a-and Amber... and P-p-penny... oh gods Penny!" She lost it. She brought her hands to her face and she let her tears fall, her sobs loud and unforgiving. She heard the quick shuffle of feet and could feel two pairs of arms encircle her frame, supporting her as she let her anguish out. She could hear Gwen's voice.

"Pyrrha sweetie, it's okay. It's all going to be okay. What happened to them?"

She answered between her cries. "THEY'RE DEAD! They are all dead because of me!"

"Pyrrha, that can't be true." Ben reassured.

"But it is! I-if I had accepted the Maiden powers sooner, I wouldn't have fallen for the hallucinations and killed Penny! Amber's powers wouldn't have been stolen by Cinder! And Ozpin wouldn't have faced Cinder alone!"

"You mean like how you were doing just now?" Ben's words had caused Pyrrha to look up at him, her eyes now blood shot. "Pyrrha, I don't mean to be harsh, but when somebody has that much power at their disposal, and you know you can't take them on, the answer is to run away. I appreciate the heroic effort, but facing that much power head on isn't going to fix everything."

"I-I tried to fix it before all of this happened. I tried to take on the Maiden powers, but they wouldn't transfer into me for some reason. But... I guess a part of me is glad that they didn't take. Otherwise, I wouldn't be myself anymore."

Ben was confused. "Wait... so, you accepted the powers even though you knew there was a chance you wouldn't be you anymore?"

"Well... I was going back and forth on it at first, but when I asked Jaune if I should follow my destiny, he said I should."

"And did you tell him any specifics?" Gwen inquired.

"Well... not exactly. I told him it was my destiny to save the world, and that's it. Nothing else. I was sworn to secrecy by Ozpin and his Circle about the Maiden powers."

"Then there's your problem. If he had known what you were going to do, I think he most likely would have had second thoughts about it. After all, if he's really your friend, he would want to look out for you right? And you for him?"

Pyrrha stared at Gwen silently before looking back down. "Y-yes. Jaune is one of the most important people in my life. If anything happened to him... I wouldn't know what to do with myself."

"Well then, I'm happy to say that he feels the same way. At least that's what I got from his call."

Pyrrha gasped. "Jaune's alive?"

"Yep." Ben replied. "In fact, if he hadn't called Weiss, we wouldn't know where to find you." As Pyrrha sighed in relief, Ben felt the need to ask what had been on his mind for a while. "Pyrrha, there's still one thing I don't know... who's Ozpin?"

"He was our Headmaster." Pyrrha spoke calmly now. "He told me that he had chosen me to be the next Fall Maiden and he offered me the choice to accept or not. But like I said, if I did, there was a chance I would lose myself to the powers. But I didn't want to lose my friends either... so in the end, I accepted... but only too late. And now... I do not know what to do about it."

Ben took a deep breath; taking in everything he had been told. "Pyrrha, did you hear what I said to Cinder? About each of us creating our own destiny?" Pyrrha nodded. "Well, I believe in that because I've met not just one, but TWO different versions of myself from two different futures." Pyrrha's eyes widened. "I know, it's weird, I'll tell those stories later, but the point is that the future is never set in stone. You never know what life is gonna hand you. The only thing you can do is take it as it comes." The hero placed a hand on the Invincible Girl's shoulder. "Also, not wanting to lose who you are or the memories of your friends isn't selfish."

"Ben's right." Gwen agreed. "You shouldn't feel ashamed just because of a choice. It's behind you now. What you can focus on is how you handle what comes next. Preferably without getting yourself killed."

Pyrrha could feel her spirit lift a little at the cousins' words. "I... I suppose so. But what will happen now? Like it or not, Cinder has the Maiden powers."

Gwen shrugged. "Well, I can only speculate, but I bet his "Circle" will know what to do. Pyrrha, if it's possible, could you please tell me who they are?"

Pyrrha was reluctant at first, but as she looked at Gwen, she could see no ill will behind her gaze. She looked to Ben and he wore a smile, with no bad intentions. They had helped and trusted her, so it was only fair that she trust them. She took a deep breath and exhaled. "Well... there is General Ironwood, Professor Goodwitch, and Qrow Branwen."

As the names came, the cousins grew more and more shocked. Gwen sighed. "Okay Pyrrha, we'll question them later. Right now we need to get you out of here. Ben and I will carry you out of the tower and back to the docks." She smiled at the warrior. "Your hyper pink friend is waiting for you."

Pyrrha gasped as she grasped Gwen's shoulders. "Nora! A-and Ren, are they...?"

"Both are fine. So is Team RWBY. And Jaune, obviously."

Pyrrha smiled, only to sigh sadly soon after. "He's probably not going to be happy with me when we see each other."

"Why not?"

"Well... I might have pushed him into a rocket locker to prevent him from helping me."

"You WHAT?!" Both cousins exclaimed.

A blush came to Pyrrha's face. "And I... may or may not have kissed him right before that. Without any prior warning."

The two stared at Pyrrha dumbfounded. "Wow, yeah that dude's gotta be a hot mess of emotions right now." Ben commented.

Gwen rolled her eyes. "Ben, just help me lift her." Ben did as he was told and lifted Pyrrha up bridal style with Gwen supporting her ankle. However, Pyrrha had some objections.

"Wait! My spear and shield." Gwen glanced around and indeed saw a circular shield on the far side of the room. At her feet, the remains of a red and gold spear lay three large pieces. She focused on the shield and floated it over, with Pyrrha grabbing it. The Anodite lifted the three pieces of Pyrrha's spear, a sad frown overtaking the warrior girl.

"Did you make this yourself?" Gwen asked.

Pyrrha nodded, "Indeed... I forged her with my own two hands."

"Then I know you can forge her again." Gwen handed her the broken pieces with a smile. "And she'll be even better than before. Heck, I'll help you out if you want."

Pyrrha stared at her new friend before smiling back. "Gwen?"

"Yes?"

"I am so glad that I met you two. Thank you so much." The two redheads shared a quick hug.

"What're friends for Red?" The two pulled away and Gwen made a mana platform outside the nearest window. "Alright, now let's get out of this godforsaken place."

Ruby paced back and forth outside of the ship, Yang leaning on the edge of the door not far behind. Everyone had made their way on board accept for them. It had been a chore to get Bumblebee, Kevin's car and the Rustbucket on the Bullhead, but they had managed. But Ruby was tired of waiting. The Hooded Huntress had never been good at patience so she did stuff like this very often. And it always got on her sisters nerves.

"Ruby, come on! You need to calm down."

"What do you think I'm trying to do? It's not exactly easy considering we have a friend who might be in danger and a dragon ready to eat us!"

Yang sighed. "Look, if anything had gone wrong up there, we would know by now. Did you see that blast? That seemed pretty powerful."

Ruby let out her own sigh. "Yeah, you're right. I guess I should just—" Out of the corner of her eye, Ruby caught sight of a pink light and she gasped in excitement. At the top of the tower, she saw Ben and Gwen step onto a pink platform and they began to descend toward the docks. As they got closer, she could see that Ben was holding something... or rather someone.

"Well, son of a bitch," Yang said, "they live!"

Ruby let her legs carry her forward to meet them as they landed a fair distance away. As she ran, she waved frantically. "Ben! Gwen! Pyrrha!" She saw Gwen and Pyrrha wave back and she yelled; "Pyrrha what in the HECK were you thinking?!"

"I'm sorry!" the wounded girl yelled back. All of a sudden, Ben and Gwen stopped in their tracks, their eyes focused up to the sky in panic, Pyrrha's following soon after.

Ruby heard Yang scream behind her. "RUBY, COME BACK!" The young girl started to question why but the answer came sooner than she thought. A dark shadow flew above her and landed directly behind Ben, Gwen and Pyrrha.

The Grimm Dragon had made its move.

As Ben stared up into the blood red eyes of the Grimm Dragon, he could only think to himself; 'I'm an idiot, I am a goddamn idiot. How in the hell could I've forgotten about THIS thing?' He should have known. It had waited for the perfect time to strike, just like Vilgax. The dragon must have sensed how powerful the Omnitrix was so it stayed away until the device shut down to recharge. It made the young hero frustrated. He should have been able to pummel the beast into the ground with Humungousaur or even Way Big, but the stupid watch just HAD to—

Bee-be-beep!Ben looked down at the watch, the green glow having returned. His eyes narrowed at it. "You know, for a watch you always have this tendency of being late."

Ben lowered Pyrrha to the ground and he faced the dragon, the beast backing away, now knowing the grave error it had made. As much as he wanted to beat this thing with his two biggest aliens, Ben knew he had to get this done quick. And he knew the perfect alien for the job. Ben activated the Omnitrix, selected the alien he wanted and transformed, his body becoming composed of copper gears and circuitry, a large twist key protruding from his head.

"Clockwork!"The two redheads stared up at the Chronosapien as the dragon continued to back away, growling in self-defense. As Ruby and Yang ran up and stopped behind the two, the key on Clockwork's head began spinning. From his chest, he shot a green time laser at the dragon as it spread its wings in an attempt to get away. The time-ray made the dragon age so rapidly that it started turned into black dust. As the beast roared in agony, its cry fell on deaf ears as its head dissipated, its body now soot on the pavement. Clockwork dusted his hands, speaking in his German accented voice. "And that takes care of that." As he turned around, he saw his cousin smiling at him while the three Remnant girls were looking at him in awe. "What? Do I have something on my servos?"

Ruby was the first to snap out of it as she looked down at Pyrrha, who looked up to meet her gaze. Ruby's eyes welled up with tears as she tackled Pyrrha with a hug. "Pyrrha! You're alive!"

The Invincible Girl was taken aback by the sudden embrace. "R-Ruby? Why are you—?"

"What were you thinking trying to take that girl on by yourself?!"

"I-I saw now other way. After what happened at the tournament I—"

"Pyrrha." Ruby pulled out of the embrace and looked Pyrrha right in the eye. "What happened was NOT your fault, do you hear me? Emerald tricked you into doing it."

"E-Emerald?"

"She's the one who caused you to hallucinate. Like I said back in the arena, I don't blame you for what happened."

"B-but she was your friend..." Pyrrha looked down dejectedly

Ruby looked down and sniffed. "Yes... P-Penny was my friend. But you're my friend too! I can't lose two friends in one day! I just can't! You're important too, Pyrrha, to my team and yours."

Pyrrha took a deep breath and exhaled. "...Can I have another hug?"

Ruby smiled and chuckled. "Sure, I'm told I'm good at giving them." They embraced again, hatchet buried.

Meanwhile, Gwen and Yang made their way over to Ben, who had transformed back to normal. Unexpectedly, Yang put her arm around Ben in a side embrace. "Gotta hand it to ya Green Boy, you're somethin' else. What the heck WAS that?"

Ben chuckled. "Thanks Yang. And to answer your question, that was Clockwork, one of my most powerful aliens, believe it or not. I haven't figured him out entirely yet, but he's basically a time manipulator."

"So you AGED that thing into a smudge on the pavement?"

"Yes he did." Gwen reaffirmed before turning to her cousin. "I'm actually surprised you went for Clockwork, Ben. No Way Big? No Humungousaur again? I'm glad you went with your head."

"Thanks Gwen," Ben said as the three made their way back to Ruby and Pyrrha, "Though to be honest, I just wanted to get it over with nice and fast." He looked at the two embracing girls as they turned to meet his gaze. "Hey ladies, how 'bout we get outta this hell hole and get something to eat? I don't know about you, but I'm starving."

The Hooded Huntress and the Invincible Girl both suddenly felt their stomachs rumble, the two blushing soon after. "Heh, guess fighting all day works up an appetite, huh?" Ruby said.

"I suppose so. I'm famished!" Pyrrha added.

"I hear that, P-Money!" Yang exclaimed as she circled her arms around her sister and Gwen's shoulders. "C'mon girls, I've had enough of this place." Ben picked Pyrrha back up and the group made their way back to the Bullhead, the ramp closing as soon as they boarded it.

"Pyrrha!" At the sound of the shrill voice, Pyrrha turned her head to see Ren and Nora, both on stretchers and with multiple bandages on them. Nora's expression was of complete and utter joy while Ren was more subdued in his relief.

"Nora... Ren..." Pyrrha croaked out her words. She truly thought she would never see them again. It was the second time that the gravity of her choice hit her. She had sent herself to fight the Fall Maiden, seeing it as the best way to save the family that she had made, but she had not considered what her family might have thought of it. There was a third stretcher next to the two and Ben placed her on it, Nora immediately reaching for her sister's hand.

"What in the hell were you thinking Pyrrha?! You could have gotten yourself killed!" Nora cried. "Jaune thought you would be a goner!"

"I know... and it was a very dumb decision."

"To say the least!"

"But I promise I'll explain everything... once things calm down a little."

"You'd better! Do you know how many pancake breakfasts you owe me for putting me through this emotional distress?! DO YOU?!"

Pyrrha chuckled. "Many, I am sure."

Ben looked on with relief. Everyone was okay, that's all he could ask for. As the rest of Team RWBY had piled in to talk with Pyrrha, he and Gwen went off to find Kevin. They eventually found him in the infirmary watching the still unconscious Adam like a hawk, Goodwitch and Ironwood at his side. After Gwen and Kevin reunited in a loving embrace, she told Ironwood that they were successful in their mission to save Pyrrha and a smiled came to his face. "Gwen, Ben, Kevin, I must say, you have all proved to be an amazing asset today." Ironwood saluted the heroes. "Thank you."

"Indeed" Glynda added. "Thank you all for saving my students. As well as everything else you've done."

"You're more than welcome," Ben replied, "but I'm afraid we have more to discuss."

Ironwood's expression fell, his arm following suit. "What do you mean?"

"Pyrrha told me everything about the Maiden powers. And now a Miss Cinder Fall has them. We've got a problem on our hands."

Glynda and Ironwood's faces fell even further, becoming ones of regret. "Oh... I see." Glynda said.

Ironwood sighed. "You're right... we do have a problem. But we should wait until we get these kids to a hospital to discuss this further."

Ben nodded. "I'm fine with that."

The usually busy streets of Vale were dead with silence, they had been for the last several minutes. The Grimm had suddenly all run away, something that no one was expecting. In this empty city street stood Jaune Arc, drained both physically and emotionally. He was in front of one of the city's hospitals, waiting for the arrival of the Bullhead that he saw approaching in the distance. He hadn't heard back from his friends so he could only hope they were all on board that ship.

But that wasn't the only thing on his mind right now... he had just gotten done talking to his dad on his scroll. When the middle-aged Huntsman had heard about what was going on in Vale, he instantly strapped on his armor, grabbed his sword and boarded the first Bullhead to Vale. He would be there in a half hours' time.

Normally, Jaune would have been ecstatic. His dad was his hero, his inspiration for wanting to be a huntsman. However, in the back of his mind he knew why his dad was coming, and that was to take him home, back to his mother and sisters. Now, Jaune loved his family... but if he went back, they most likely would not let him leave again. It had been a miracle that he was able to leave the FIRST time. If he went home now... that would be it for any future Huntman career he could have. But more importantly, he didn't want to leave the many friends he had made, including his team.

He was pulled out of his thoughts when the massive Bullhead from the academy landed on the desolate street, there being just enough room to maneuver it between the buildings. Jaune jogged to it as the ramp descended, hoping to quell his worst fears. He didn't have to wait long for as the ramp touched the ground, he was greeted Team RWBY all sporting happy smiles as they ran down to greet him.

"Guys! W-what happ-oof!" He was suddenly enveloped in a group hug by the four girls.

"JAUNE WE DID IT!" Ruby exclaimed.

"We won Vomit-Boy! We won!" Yang yelled in celebration.

"W-wait, we won?! HOW?!" The blonde knight questioned.

"It's a long story Jaune." Blake said.

"Yeah, you wouldn't believe what happened today!" Weiss added.

"Just fill me in later." Jaune dismissed. "All I want to know is if my team's okay."

"Why don't you ask us yourself, Fearless Leader?!" Jaune turned his head, looking up the ramp to see Nora with her signature happy grin, Ren right beside her as both were on stretchers. Without a word, Jaune ran up the ramp and embraced the two, tears streaming down his face.

"Thank god you two are safe!" The duo leaned into the hug, comforting their leader and brother. Jaune's eyes shot open and he pulled back. "Wait! Where's..."

"Jaune." He froze. His gut sank at the tender voice that he had become so familiar with. He slowly turned around, and there she was. Alive. The most that was wrong with her was that her foot was now in a weird green cast. Her stretcher was being pulled by a bunch of people he didn't recognize along with Sun and Coco, but he wasn't focused on them right now. All that mattered was her. They stared at each other, Jaune in utter disbelief while she had guilt written all over her face. "Jaune... I..." Pyrrha didn't even finish before Jaune sprinted over and hugged her close, crying his eyes out.

"Pyrrha! You're alive! I can't believe you're alive!" His anguished cries only served to make her do the same. She shut her eyes tight and cried, returning the embrace.

"I'M SORRY!" she wailed. "I am so sorry!" The two pulled themselves closer, fully taking each other in as they wept. They stayed that way for two full minutes before Jaune pulled away, though not fully out of the embrace.

He wiped the tears out of his eyes, speaking with a dry voice from all the crying. "Please... please promise me you won't ever do that again."

Pyrrha nodded while wiping away her own tears. "I promise." she choked out.

"Thank you, because..." he swallowed hard, "I can't stand the thought of losing you." They hugged again, this time only briefly as they were interrupted by a clearing throat.

"Ahem" Jaune whipped around to see a young man about his age, clad in green. "Hi, Jaune right?" he asked.

"Um, yeah? Who are you?"

"I'm Ben Tennyson. This is my cousin Gwen, my Grandpa Max, and my friends Kevin and Cooper. I've gotta say man, you were lucky. If you hadn't called when you did, Pyrrha probably wouldn't be here."

"Wait... how do you know about—?"

"Jaune, Ben and Gwen were the ones who came to save me." Pyrrha clarified.

Jaunes eyes widened. "R-really? You saved her?"

"Not just her Ladykiller." Yang chimed in. "These guys saved all of our asses today."

Everyone confirmed, but Ben refuted; "Aw come on guys, we can't take all the credit! I mean, yeah sure we did a lot of the grunt work, but you guys helped us out big time. If it weren't for you, we'd be running around like chickens with their heads cut off."

"Yes," Gwen reaffirmed. "And we'll probably STILL need your help seeing as how we don't have a clue how to get home now."

"Wait, how can you guys not get home?" Jaune asked.

"Well... let's just say they're not of this earth." Ruby said.

"So what are they like... aliens or something?"

"That's..." Ben began, "not IN-accurate. We'll explain inside. Come on, let's go." As the massive group got off the Bullhead and moved to the front doors of the hospital, they were interrupted by a voice... one that sounded very familiar.

"Not so fast!"

Ben swore his ears were playing tricks on him. Was he just interrupted by himself?! Well, the voice SOUNDED like him, but it seemed a lot calmer, colder than his own. And on top of it all, malicious to its core. As he turned around, he could only think of one person...

"Oh for crap's sake, is Albedo here too?! Because I swear, I have absolutely no time for—wait a second, you're not Albedo." Indeed it wasn't the Galvan-turned-human, but instead a fair-skinned man who was decked out in a grey and black outfit with spikey unkempt grey hair. Next to him stood a young woman with medium-brown skin, red eyes and mint-green hair in a straight fringe. Both were glaring at the hero, as if they had a bone to pick with him.

"MERCURY!" Yang yelled in rage.

"And Emerald." Ruby said in contempt.

Ben could only guess that they were enemies. The gray haired douche spoke again. "Oh come on ladies, is that anyway to talk to your friends? I'm disappointed Blondie, I thought for sure you'd come back at least missing ONE appendage!"

Yang's face twisted in rage and her eyes became red. Before she could wail on him, Gwen put hand on her shoulder, the redhead giving her a look that said: "not worth it". The Blonde Brawler turned to look at Ben and he gave her a knowing smirk. Yang's eyes became violet again as she smirked back. He had a plan. Ben turned back and addressed the idiot called Mercury. "Alright asshole, if you're done here I suggest you leave. Everyone's had enough for one day."

"I don't think so." Emerald replied for her partner. "See, you hurt our friend, Cinder. And for that..." she unsheathed a pair of sickles, "you're going to have to die."

"And what makes you think you can beat me when Cinder couldn't?"

"Simple," Mercury answered, "we're professionals."

"You and every other person who's tried to kill me. The only difference being that you have no fashion sense and the douchiest haircut known to mankind."

"WHAT?!"

"I mean, seriously, how much hair gel must you go through to get it to such levels of douchebaggery? Do I even need to mention the stupid asymmetrical collar just hanging there is also very douchey? What, are you just trying to earn the award for "World's Biggest Git"?"

As most of the teens in the group started laughing at him, Mercury snapped. "THAT'S IT!" He lunged forward and made a grab for Ben's collar.

"Oh, you're getting the special treatment!" Ben smirked. As Mercury grabbed at his shirt, Ben activated the Omnitrix, turning into the first alien selected. Mercury now held on to nothing, his fist resting against a big furry chest. He glanced up, meeting with the angry glare of a giant anthropomorphic tiger. The alien picked him up with its single-clawed hand and roared in his face: "RRRAAAAAAATH!"

Kevin and Gwen watched with smirks as the others looked on with a mix of shock, surprise, and astonishment. The couple always knew one thing: nobody was ever prepared for Rath.

"LEMME TELL YOU SOMETHIN' ASSHOLE GUY WHO SOUNDS LIKE ME! IF YOU WANNA PIECE OF RATH, THEN YOU'D BETTER KNOW THAT RATH COMES IN A MILLION PIECES! AND HE'S GONNA PUNCH YOU WITH EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM!"

"That doesn't make any sen—"

"Hey Ben!" Rath's head whirled around to Nora who wore a malicious grin. "Break his legs!"

Rath grinned back. "RATH LIKES THE WAY YOU THINK NORA VALKYRIE!" Rath grabbed Mercury's midsection with his other hand and turned him sideways. The Appoplexian grabbed both legs with one hand and clenched, only to feel that these legs weren't normal. "HUH?" He pulled and they came off at the knees with a flurry of sparks, Mercury screaming in pain and fear. "WHAT?! METAL LEGS? THAT'S NO FUN! BUT YOU KNOW WHAT IS FUN?" He flipped Mercury upside down, holding one thigh in each hand. "SPLITTING LEGS LIKE SPLITTING HAIRS!"

"What does that even mea-EEEEEEEE!" Mercury soon found out when Rath pulled and forced him into a complete upside down side split, clearly something that the young man wasn't meant to do. The group behind him cringed. Well, except for Yang, Nora, Ruby, Sun and Coco, they were cheering the alien on.

"OOH! FELT SOME MUSCLE RIP THERE!" Rath gleefully yelled. "NOW LET'S SEE HOW YOU LIKE..." From the corner of his eye, Rath could see Yang smirking at the spectacle, and, for a moment of clarity, he had an idea. "You Know What? Lemme Tell Ya Somethin' Asshole Guy Who Sounds Like Me, Rath Is Gonna Let The Lady HAVE HER WAY WITH YOU! YANG! HEADS UP!" Rath threw Mercury head first at Yang, whose smile grew even wider as her eyes became red once again.

"Thought you'd never ask!" Yang pulled back her fist and activated her Ember Celica. As Mercury approached at high velocity, Yang punched him right in the face with a loud victorious cry, unloading a Fire Dust round from her gauntlet. It was the second time she broke someone's nose that day. Mercury landed on the ground near her feet and she picked him up by the collar of his jacket. She then proceeded to knee him in the crotch, once, twice, three times. With all her strength, Yang threw him right into an opposing building, the broken man becoming embedded in the brickwork, the left side of his face badly burned from the Fire Dust.

Emerald rushed over to her partner and glared at the group. "Stop it! He's had enough!"

"Then LEAVE!" Yang yelled angrily. "We don't want you here!"

"LEMME TELL YOU SOMETHIN' EMERALD, GIRL WHO MAKES HALLUCINATIONS! RATH WILL TAKE OUT THAT GUY'S VOCAL CHORDS, TIE THEM AROUND HIS DICK AND USE THEM TO TEAR IT OFF... IF YOU TWO DON'T LEAVE IN THE NEXT THIRTY SECONDS!"

"Please don't" Mercury squeaked out. Emerald's eyes widened. If Mercury was in enough pain to say "please", he definitely needed help. She relented, not wanting to see her friend in more pain than he already was.

"Okay, okay, we'll leave!"

"GOOD! BECAUSE HONESTLY? I'M TIRED, I'M CRANKY, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY..."Rath's stomach suddenly gave a loud growl. "Man, I'm Hungry!" One green flash later and Ben was back to normal. "Who else is hungry?!" The group of teens let loose a loud applause as they flocked into the hospital, Yang and Ben high fiving as they went in. But Jaune was still in shock at the whole ordeal. Weiss had to drag him in as he babbled incoherently.

"B-b-b-but the g-giant tiger man was..."

"It's okay Jaune, we'll explain later." Weiss consoled the knight. Ironwood, Goodwitch, Qrow and Max followed the two inside, leaving Emerald and Mercury alone in the middle of the street. As she held her mess of a partner in her arms, Emerald could only say one thing:

"What the HELL just happened?!"

A/N: So yeah, Pyrrha lives! But the CCTS wasn't destroyed this time. And CLOCKWORK stopped the Grimm Dragon! I  was  considering Way Big, but that'd probably take too long and this chapter has already gone on long enough as it is. But what of the Silver Eyes? All in due time, trust me. That being said, Next time! The aftermath of the Battle for Beacon and what happens next for our heroes... as well as a visit from Jaune's dad and a call from the mother of a certain red-haired warrior. Stay tuned!

P.S. No, not even I could withstand the Yuri Lowenthal reference.

A/N: Okay, so we're pretty much at the end of the opening arc for this story. But trust me, things only get a LOT more intense from here. Also, yes, Pyrrha's mother and Jaune's dad are both original creations for this story (and I'm still not exactly sure who the Red Headed woman in Volume 6 was, so she won't be factoring in. That said, let's get into it, shall we? This is...

Chapter 6: Aftermath

In the Valian hospital on the fifth floor, Ben, Gwen, Kevin, Team RWBY and Team JNPR were all gathered together as they explained the situation to Jaune, who seemed exasperated at the entire thing. Aliens? Energy beings? Interdimensional travel?! What in the world had happened while he was gone?! As the group finished telling him about how the Battle of Beacon went, he finally spoke. "Wow, that's... quite the story."

"Yeah, kinda heavy." Kevin said. "But, hey, not every day you get to hop around space and time like it's a trampoline."

Gwen rolled her eyes. "What Kevin means is that we now have no way home and very little clue as to how this place works, so for the time being, we're stuck here."

Yang shrugged. "Well that isn't so bad right? I mean, you guys are still alive. In fact, we all are. Shouldn't that count for something?"

Pyrrha, now in her own hospital bed, looked down in sadness. "Not... all of us are alive, Yang."

Realizing what she said as Ruby gave her a soft glare, Yang's immediately began to apologize. "O-oh my gosh, I totally forgot! Pyrrha, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean—"

"No Yang," the Invincible Girl interrupted, "its fine, I just... I really wish things could have turned out better."

Jaune put a hand on Pyrrha's shoulder. "Pyrrha, it wasn't your fault. It was a complete accident."

Ruby put her hand on the other shoulder. "Yeah, it's like I said before, I don't hold anything against you. We're still friends."

Pyrrha sniffed and wiped her eyes. "I know but... I saw it all you two. Her emotionless face, the mangled limbs," she covered her eyes with her hand, "her dead, lifeless eyes..." she trailed off before she began crying again. But this time, all of her friends were there to lend their support. They gathered around her as she cried, making a group hug. Even Kevin, at Gwen's behest, lent some comfort, though he wasn't all that sure what the warrior girl was talking about. When Pyrrha was able to calm down, Ben looked her right in the eye.

"Pyrrha, I promise that this won't ever happen again. Nobody should be put through what all of you have today."

"How can we make sure?" Jaune pointed out. "We weren't ready for something like this to happen."

"Exactly, and you know what? I wasn't ready either when I first got this thing." Ben lifted his right arm to reveal the Omnitrix. "When I first found the Omnitrix, I was ten."

"TEN?" shouted the collective voices from everyone in the room.

"Yeah, ten. And I was FAR from ready to wield it. I had to be taught by my cousin and grandfather how to handle it responsibly."

"Guilty as charged." Gwen added.

"And you know what? It worked... after a summer's worth of screw ups, but it still worked! But Jaune's right. What happened today was an orchestrated attack that you guys weren't ready for. I respect the hell out of all of you for stepping up to the plate and defending your school, but if we want to be ready for something like this again, we gotta do something about it."

"Ben what are you getting at?" Weiss asked.

"What I'm saying is that I want to help you guys with your training." The room was shocked by the statement, even Gwen and Kevin. "After what I've seen, I think that there's a lot we can all learn from each other. In addition, I'm going to help you find the people who did this so we can all bring them down."

"Ben," Blake intervened, "I get that this kind of stuff is your guy's thing, but we couldn't possibly ask you to do more than you've already done."

"I know, but it's like Gwen said, we're stuck here so there's probably nothing much else we can do. Besides, these people hurt not only an entire school, but my new friends. And when somebody hurts MY friends, they don't get away with it."

The entire room brightened up at his words, but Gwen had to bring some reality back. "Ben, I appreciate the active approach, really I couldn't be more proud of you, but what about Vilgax? Our families back home have no way to defend against him without us there."

"She's got a point, Tennyson." Kevin jumped in. "Vilgax ain't just gonna take a vacation. He's out, and he's got a bone to pick with the whole universe."

Ben sighed. "I know, but we can only deal with one problem at a time right now. Besides, I'm sure Azmuth already knows that the Omnitrix has disappeared and is trying to find a way to bring us back... probably... maybe... hopefully."

"Well, that's very reassuring." Ren stated bluntly.

"Aw, come on Renny!" Nora encouraged. "Ben's trying his best to help us out! I say we should all give him the benefit of the doubt! Besides, training with three super heroes sounds like the most AWESOME THING EVER!"

Jaune spoke again. "Yeah, sure, but I think you guys are forgetting something." He waved his hand to the window and at the nearly destroyed school. "Just where are we gonna train ourselves? It's going to be months before the school's ready to open again and we've got nowhere to really go. So does anyone have any ideas?"

"Well..." Yang said. "I may have some idea of where we can go... if we have the room."

"What do you mean, Yang?" Gwen asked.

"If we can all fit, my dad's place over on Patch may be the perfect place for us right now. He's even got his own training facility."

Ruby gasped. "A whole group of friends all living under OUR roof?! It'll be just like a giant sleep over! Only for a really long time and we get to train like in school!"

"Sound great!" Ben said. "And I wouldn't worry about space, my team and I can crash in the Rustbucket. So how far is it?"

"Just a short ferry ride away." Yang answered. "I'll call him and let him know we're coming." She took out her scroll and began dialing the number.

"Soooo, Ben, what's it like being a famous super hero?" Nora asked.

Ben groaned. "Quite honestly, I'd give anything to have my secret identity back. Making my superheroing public is really hard to balance because every single bystander wants to get in the way to see who I'm beating up. Basically, it's a lot less awesome than you think it is."

"Awww, c'mon, there has to be SOME perks to the job." Ruby pointed out.

"Well... there IS something. Though, I really wouldn't call it a perk. More like... a really nice sentiment." Ben took out his cell phone and went to his play list. He selected the first song and it began to play, a creepy 1950's alien sound playing before going right into the guitars.

It started when an alien device did what it did,

And stuck itself upon his wrist with secrets that it hid,

Now he's got super powers, he's no ordinary kid, he's Ben 10!

Everyone's jaw dropped and Yang looked up from her scroll with a big smile on her face. "You have your own THEME SONG?!"

"That is SO COOL!" Nora and Ruby exclaimed simultaneously.

"Yeah," Ben said with a smile, "a bunch of dedicated fans wanted to give me a theme song. Who am I to say no to something that thoughtful?" When the song ended, a knock came at the door and Ben went over to answer, revealing Coco and Cooper in the hallway, Cooper now on crutches with his legs bandaged up.

"Hey guys." Cooper greeted.

Gwen gasped. "Cooper! What happened to you?"

"Yeah man, you were standing just a while ago." Kevin pointed out.

"Yeah, so, turns out that forcing yourself to stand when you're hurt isn't exactly the best idea." Cooper explained.

Coco grinned. "Tech Head's gonna be laid up for a few days so my team and I are showing him around. So, what's up with you guys?"

"Well, Gwen said that they're going to be sticking around for a bit, so Ben's offered to help us train." Weiss clarified. "So that we can be ready in case something like this ever happens again."

"Ooh, sounds awesome."

"I know right?!" Nora shouted. "We get to see more awesome aliens, and we get to fight them and then we can—"

"Nora." Ren placed a hand on the Pink Dynamo's shoulder. "Calm down, this is a hospital, and I'm sure there are others trying to rest."

"Oh, sorry." she whispered.

Cooper was surprised. "Wow Ben, never figured you for traini—"

"Dad? DAD! Calm down I'm okay!" Yang was pacing on the other side of the room, apparently trying to get her dad to settle down on the other end of her scroll. "Yes, Ruby's okay too. Yeah? Yeah we'll be home soon, in fact that's why I called. How much space do we have?"

Cooper turned to Ben with a questioning look. "She's trying to get her dad to let us stay with them while we train." The hero explained.

"Ah, I see." Cooper said. "Well, I guess we'll just leave you to it then."

"Hold up Tech Head." Coco interjected. "Did you forget why we came here?"

"Oh! Yeah, right, forgot! Weiss, Pyrrha, you're needed downstairs. You two have calls."

The girl's eyes widened, Pyrrha's in shock and Weiss' in horror. "From who?" Weiss asked, already knowing the answer.

Coco answered. "We don't know who called Pyrrha, but Ironwood told us to come get you because... Weiss, your dad's on the line."

Weiss froze in place. 'No not him! Anyone but him!' Her father, the man she had come to loathe even more than when she'd first left home had called. That could only mean one thing... "He wants to take me home." Weiss said in dismay, an intense atmosphere having fallen over the room. "I haven't even gone down there yet and I already know that's what he wants."

"Weiss, I—" Ben began before Weiss cut him off.

"Ben, please. No amount of words is going to change this. Whatever my father wants... he gets. No matter what."

"What right does he have?" Gwen asked.

"He's the head of the largest Dust mining company in Remnant! He always gets what he wants! And now..." the heiress lowered her head, "now he wants me to come home."

"Well then, we'll just have to come up with a plan so that he DOESN'T take you home." Weiss' head shot up at the red-haired Anodite's words as she placed her hands on her shoulders. "Weiss, I know that we've only known each other a short time, but one friend to another, I can't just stand by while you get dragged around by your father."

"But I..."

"Weiss." Pyrrha had spoken up, gaining Weiss' attention. The warrior girl took a deep breath and exhaled. "After what happened today, I've come to realize something. And that is that we all shape our own destinies. Our own lives. If you wish to be out of your father's shadow, now might be the perfect time to do it. But... you have to be the one to make that decision."

Weiss stood shocked at what Pyrrha said to her. Never before did she feel so inspired to do something. And suddenly, an idea sprang into her head, a smile overtaking her features. "Guys, I think I have an idea."

"Okay, that being?" Gwen inquired.

"Here's the thing, the one thing that I know my father loves the most is having his ego fed. All we have to do is tell him not what we want to hear, but rather what he wants to hear."

"Sooo, you basically want to lie to your father right to his face?" Ben asked.

"I know it's not the best plan, but it's probably the one most likely to work." Weiss looked back over to the Invincible Girl with a look of determination. "Pyrrha, let's go take those calls!"

"Grand! But first... could one of you please help me into a wheelchair?"

Once Coco and Cooper had left and Pyrrha had been moved into a wheelchair, she along with Weiss, Ben, Gwen and Jaune were all headed down the hallway to the nearest elevator to the communication room on the first floor. Kevin shut the door behind him and he sighed. "Man, wouldn't wanna be Weiss right now."

"Yeah, having the world's biggest asshole as your dad isn't cool." Nora added.

"Who do you think called Pyrrha?" Blake asked.

"Probably her mother." Ren answered. "She mentioned that the two had a strong connection, so it's the most likely answer."

"Oh, hope she doesn't want to take Pyrrha away." Ruby said.

Ren shook his head. "Not likely, at least not by force. She'll probably just be concerned like any parent would be."

Yang handed her scroll to Ruby, who immediately began talking to her dad. The Blonde Brawler smiled. "Speaking of concerned 'rents, my dad said you're all welcome to stay with us. It's gonna be a tight fit, but we'll manage. There's a ferry leaving in the morning, so we should be able to get out of here in time for that."

"Great." Kevin said. "Can't wait."

"So Kevin, what else can you tell us about your world?" Nora inquired.

"Well, let's see. There's—" a knock-knock-knock came from the door. "Oh, what now?!" Kevin flung the door open to reveal a tall man in what seemed to be medieval armor. The metal was white, but it was rimmed with gold along the edges. The helmet was a type that Kevin recognized, a Kaldor Helmet, the crest and mouth plate donned with gold while the rest was stark white like the rest of the armor. He had a shield with a golden lion's head engraved on it strapped to his back and a sword in a golden sheath strapped to his side. Kevin could only guess that this was a Huntsman. "Oh, sorry sir. Can I help you?"

The man stared at him directly through the eye holes of the helmet. "Is this Team JNPR and Team RWBY's room?"

"Uh, yes, please come in." Kevin wasn't usually this polite to people who looked official, but if he wanted to stay on this world's good side, Gwen said he had to NOT be condescending to its Huntsmen. The knight gazed around and under his helmet, his lips pursed in slight apprehension.

"Which group here is Team JNPR?" he asked.

Nora waved. "Over here sir. Half of Team JNPR at your service."

"Good. I'm glad I can finally meet my son's team in person." The man removed his helmet to reveal a man in his late-forties with a crew cut of blonde hair and a short beard and mustache to match. He had brilliant blue eyes and he wore a serious expression, though the wrinkles around his eyes suggested he usually wore a smile. But most of all... he looked A LOT like Jaune.

"My name is Jonathan Arc. Please... is my son here?"

As the group of five teens walked out of the elevator, they made a left for the Comm Rooms. Unlike at Beacon where the screens were all in one open area, the computers were all in small separate rooms within the actual room so that patients could have their privacy. It was in front of one of these doors that General Ironwood was waiting, now in a clean suit. He nodded a greeting. "Hello everyone. I trust the hospital has accommodated you well?"

"As well as eight teenagers and three heroes can be accommodated." Ben answered.

"Hmm, I see." The General looked to the white haired girl. "Weiss..." he sighed. "Your father is waiting on the line."

Weiss' expression steeled. "Thank you General." She glanced over to Gwen who gave her an encouraging smile.

"You can do this Weiss. I know you can. I'll be out here if you need me." The Anodite said. Weiss smiled back and took a deep breath, Ironwood opening the door for her as she walked in, following her soon after. There, on the video screen, sitting behind his desk was her father, Jacques Schnee. He was currently doing some paper work, jotting down something on the dotted lines when he heard the door close. His brows rose as his daughter sat on the chair in front of the screen.

"Hello Father."

"Ah, Weiss, dearest! I am pleased to see that you're alright! General Ironwood just finished telling me what happened over there."

"I see, so you know about Beacon and Vale."

"Oh yes, simply dreadful! But, it could have been far worse. We're lucky the Transmit System is still operational."

Of course. Her wellbeing always came second. "Father... Professor Ozpin is dead."

"Yes, I am aware of that too. Shame really, he was a good man, I hear. I can only assume that his next in command will be taking over as the new Headmistress."

"Yes, Professor Goodwitch will be taking over soon."

"Indeed, now I hear that things seem a bit dour over there."

"Yes father, things are looking grim..." If possible, Weiss sat up even straighter, "but I feel it is my duty as a huntress in training to stay in Vale to help."

Her father's brows furrowed and he leaned forward in his chair. "Weiss, I am afraid that is out of the question. The city is simply far too dangerous for you to stay in."

Weiss didn't falter. "I'm not questioning your judgment father, but there is still so much to do here. Besides, I'm sure that my being here to oversee the reconstruction would be good for the company's image." 'Come on, take the bait' she thought. As much as she hated feeding her father's ego, it was the only way. She'd tell him off later. And when she did, she would have a few choice words for him. Jacques put a hand to his chin in contemplation.

"Hmm... you make a good point. But the city is very dangerous to be in at this time. Where will you stay?" Jacques pointed out.

"My team and I will be staying on the island of Patch where my teammates' father lives. He's agreed to let us stay there for the duration. I'll simply go back and forth when I'm needed in the city." In truth, she had no idea of the housing situation yet, but this HAD to work.

"Hmm... well..." Jacques stared at his daughters face and she had that look. The look of determination that a Schnee was famous for. "You're dead set on this aren't you?"

Weiss nodded. "I am."

Jacques sighed and leaned back in his chair. "Very well. In light of recent events, along with the fact that you helped bring in one of the leaders of the White Fang from what James has told me, I shall grant this request. But I expect at least a few visits from you before the school is finished rebuilding. Don't forget to uphold the Schnee name, understand?"

Weiss nodded. "I understand, father." In her head she thought; 'I understand that you can kiss Humungousaur's backside.'

"Very good. Well, I have business to attend to, so I will have to say goodbye."

Weiss nodded. "Goodbye father." When the screen went dark, Weiss slumped in her chair, exhausted from the conversation. 'That was one of the most stressful moments of my life.'

"Miss Schnee, are you okay?" the General asked.

"Oh sure, fine. It's not like I just convinced my father to let me stay or anything."

Ironwood sighed as he rubbed his right temple. "Yes, your father IS quite the detestable person. But I'm glad to see you stood your ground on the matter. I'm sure your team will be very proud of you."

"Thank you General... but... can I ask a favor of you?"

"Of course."

"I know this might sound selfish, but... could you maybe..."

"Miss Schnee, if this is about your sister." Ironwood smiled. "She's already on her way here."

Weiss gasped. "She IS?"

"Yes, the moment I contacted her, she told me she was already making preparations to leave Mistral. She'll be here in a day or so. Now, let's leave shall we?" Ironwood opened the door, Gwen still on the other side.

"So, how'd it go?" the redhead smiled.

Weiss smiled back. "I'm staying."

Gwen's smile grew. "That's great! How did you convince him?"

"It... was very stressful. He didn't say it directly... but I know that he's frustrated with me. But what do I care? I'm already with my real family. But I do have another bit of good news."

"And what would that be?"

Weiss brightened up. "You guys are going to meet my older sister."

When Weiss and Ironwood went into the first Comm Room, Pyrrha, Ben and Jaune were directed to another one just a few doors down, this one guarded by Professor Goodwitch. The woman grinned as the three made their way to her, though when she saw Pyrrha in the wheelchair, there was now a hint of sadness behind her smile as she greeted the trio. "Benjamin, Mr. Arc, Miss Nikos. I'm glad you could make it."

Ben nodded. "Of course Miss Goodwitch."

Glynda nodded back before redirecting her saddened gaze back to Pyrrha, who was decidedly looking away from her. It only served to make Glynda even more upset with herself. 'She is my best student. How could I have let this happen?' She took a deep breath and crouched down to eye level with Pyrrha.

"Miss Ni—Pyrrha, I want you to know that... I have so much regret for what happened today. I know that you might think that all of this is your fault, but it isn't. It was our fault. The faculty's fault. We should have been better prepared for something like this to happen. Please, don't blame yourself. We were the ones who pulled you into this... and now we're paying the price. I do not expect you to forgive me Pyrrha, but I want you to now that... I am so very sorry." Glynda closed her eyes in shame and awaited an answer. A moment passed before she got one.

"Do you mean that?" Glynda looked back up to see Pyrrha with a saddened gaze of her own.

"Of course. You are one of my best students. And believe it or not, I do care about ALL of you. More importantly you are still young. You didn't deserve what happened to you in that tower."

"And Ironwood? Qrow?"

Glynda sighed. "General Ironwood feels just as guilty as I do... Qrow I have no clue. Though I imagine that he's drowning his sorrows in whiskey as we speak, I can't exactly speak for him."

Another moment passed... and Pyrrha smiled. "Professor Goodwitch, thank you for your apology. It means very much to me. I do not know if I am ready to forgive just yet, but I am glad that you care about my wellbeing."

Glynda wore a relieved smile. "You are very welcome Pyrrha. That means very much to me as well." The professor stood back up. "Now, I believe that you have call waiting." Glynda twisted the knob to the door and pushed it open, revealing the screen inside. On that screen was a woman in her late thirties, a beautiful face over taken by intense worry, her lovely red hair disheveled and her vibrant green eyes had widened at the doors opening. Pyrrha's eyes widened as she took in the woman on the monitor.

"MOTHER?!"

"PYRRHA! Oh my darling child, you're ALIVE! Thank the gods!" As Ben and Jaune wheeled Pyrrha into the room, she took notice of her daughter's condition and gasped. "You're in a wheelchair?! How?! What happened to your foot?! Why is it—?"

Pyrrha cut her mom off before she could begin rambling. "Mom, it's okay. I am fine. I just... took an arrow in the ankle." Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ben facepalming for some reason. "I can assure you that I'm alright, I should only be like this for a week or so."

"Oh, that is quite the relief, my dear. When I heard what was happening I was so worried about you that I almost put on my armor. Then I remembered that Vale is a day's flight away so I stopped myself. Oh! And I see that you aren't alone! Would these be your teammates?"

Pyrrha smiled and turned to Jaune, motioning for him to introduce himself. His eyes widened before looking back at the older woman. "Erm, yes Mrs. Nikos. I'm Jaune Arc."

The woman gasped with a smile. "So YOU are the one that Pyrrha keeps speaking about. Oh, It is such an honor to meet someone who has made my daughter feel so special! Please Jaune, call me Athena."

At the words, the two partners faces immediately became beat red. Jaune scratched the back of his head in nervousness while Pyrrha hid her hand behind her face as she begged her mother to stop. The two had still not sorted out what happened in the locker room. Jaune cleared his throat. "T-thank you Mrs. Ni—I-I mean Athena. I think."

Athena set her attention to Ben. "And that means you must be Ren! It is very nice to meet you!"

Ben's eyes widened as he tried to correct her. "Oh, no ma'am. My name's Ben. Ben Tennyson."

"Ben?" she turned back to her daughter. "But dear, I thought you said his name was Ren?"

Ben slapped his forehead and explained as best as he could. "His name IS Ren, but he is upstairs in the hospital room. My name is Ben. We're two separate people." Meanwhile the hero was thinking; 'For crap's sake, why do our names have to sound so similar? Doesn't help that we both wear green!'

Athena nodded in understanding. "Oh, I see, I apologize." She smiled at her daughter. "So dear, I believe we have some things to discuss about you being in Vale."

Pyrrha grew nervous. "M-mom, I do not think that I am ready to go back to Mistral, especially not in this condition. Besides... I would actually like to stay with my team."

"Oh, I completely understand my dear."

Pyrrha's brows rose in shock. "You do?"

"Indeed!" Athena pulled up what seemed (at least to Ben) like an Athenian helmet from beneath the table she was sitting behind. It was painted in garnet red and gold, complete with a gold crest and engraved with two golden owls on the sides. "And that is why I am coming to you!"

"WHAT?!" the three teens exclaimed. Pyrrha was flabbergasted. "Mom, are you seriously coming here?!"

"Indeed I am. My flight leaves in two days!"

"While I appreciate the thought mother, I don't think that is completely necessary. It's not very safe here and we might actually be moving ourselves to Patch soon."

"Oh, but it necessary! When a Huntress' beloved daughter can't come home to her, she will do everything in her power to reunite with her. This I vow! Besides, Patch sounds like the perfect place to meet up! Should be relatively peaceful on that island."

Sighing in defeat, Pyrrha smiled at her mother. "Well... I guess it would be good to see you mother. Then I could introduce you to everyone else!"

Athena smiled back. "There's that Nikos spirit. And don't worry about your ankle. I'm sure that you will be back on your feet before you know it my dear scarlet warrior."

"Thank you mom. I'll see you in a few days. Have a safe trip."

"I will. Jaune, Ben, please keep watch over my daughter.

The two young men nodded. "Yes ma'am." they said.

Athena smiled back to her daughter. "Goodbye dear. I love you."

"Love you too mom." The screen turned off and Pyrrha gave a heavy dramatic sigh as she leaned back in the wheelchair. "That was an ordeal."

Ben shrugged. "Well, at least she didn't ask about specifics to what happened. Otherwise, we'd be in a deeper rabbit hole than we already are."

"Right." Pyrrha looked up at Jaune, both gazing at each other in nervousness. "Um... listen Jaune, about what my mother said..."

Jaune held up a hand and smiled. "Hey, it's okay, I get it. I'm just glad that your mother doesn't think I'm a terrible person. But hey, I'm glad we can all meet her in person. I can't wait."

Pyrrha was worried. He was avoiding the subject, and she could tell. But they HAD to talk about it at some point... in private when Ben wasn't with them. Pyrrha forced a smile back. "I can't wait either. I know you all will love her." Ben opened the door and the trio exited the room, Gwen and Weiss waiting on the other side.

"So, who was it Pyrrha?" Weiss asked.

The Invincible Girl now wore a more honest smile. "It was my mother. She'll be arriving in Vale in a few days."

Weiss gasped. "She's not taking you home is she?"

"Quite the contrary. She's going to be meeting us on Patch so she can be with me while I heal my... heel."

"That's great to hear." Gwen said. "But we've got some more news for you." She addressed the blonde knight. "Jaune, I just got a message from Kevin. Your dad's here."

The four teens jogged down the hall with Ben pushing Pyrrha in her wheelchair, Jaune in front and in a panicked state of mind. In all the excitement, he had forgotten about his dad coming! 'How much of an idiot could I possibly be?!' He could only imagine what was going on in the hospital room as he slid to a halt in front of it. He quickly twisted the knob and flew the door open as the others stopped behind him... only to see his dad, Nora and Yang all laughing up a storm, Nora trying to force words out of her mouth as she guffawed.

"A-a-and so it turns out... HE'S ALLEGIC TO RED TREE SAP! HAHAHAA!"

Jonathan had to hold his midsection as he laughed. "HAHAHA! Oh, that boy's allergic to a lot of things. You have no idea how many types of medication he can't ta—" his eyes were drawn to the open door and his smiled widened. "JAUNE!" Everyone in the room turned to the blonde in question as Jonathan quickly got up and ran to his son and embraced him in a bear hug.

Jaune tried to return the unexpected hug, finding it difficult to wrap his arms around his father's armored frame. "ACK! Hi dad."

"Son, I can't tell you how happy I am to see that you're okay!" Jonathan released his son and grasped the boy's shoulders. "Do you know how worried your mother was when I left the house? Or how I had to calm down your sisters one by one? Including your older ones?"

"I'm sure they're all worried about me, dad." Jaune smiled.

"Jaune, your dad is AWESOME!" Nora exclaimed.

"Yeah." Yang reaffirmed. "He's been telling us ALL about his adventures. Both his Huntsman ones... and his adventures in raising you."

Jaune's face contorted in horror. "How much did you hear?!"

Yang smirked. "Enough Vomit Boy, enough."

Jaune groaned. He knew what the next several months were going to be like. He turned to his dad and smiled. "Potential embarrassment aside, I am glad to see you dad. And I'm glad you came all the way out here... but I guess you're going to take me home to see them now right?"

"Well, that WAS the initial plan, but Kevin tells me that you guys are taking a rather proactive approach to things here." Jonathan looked behind his son to the group of four still in the door way. "You must be Weiss, Ben and Gwen right? Pleasure to meet you. I'm Jonathan Arc." He introduced himself as he shook each one of their hands. He knelt down to Pyrrha. "And you must be Pyrrha Nikos."

"I am sir. It is an honor to meet you." Pyrrha shook his hand.

"No, please, the honor is completely mine. After all, I have you to thank for helping my son with his training. He's told me all about your training sessions and how much he feels he's improved since he started them. Again, thank you so much for being a good partner to my son."

Pyrrha felt herself blush, and she could see Jaune blushing behind his father. "Oh, it is no problem at all Mr. Arc."

Jonathan smiled. "Pyrrha please, call me Jonathan." Pyrrha smiled back and the knight rose back up to his full height, facing his son again. "Now, Yang tells me that you all can bunk over at her dad's place on Patch."

"Um... yeah." Jaune answered. "That's what we were hoping."

Jonathan took a deep breath and sighed. "Well... the best thing that I could ever hope for is your safety son. And if you feel safest with your friends at this point, then I guess I can't stop you from going."

"B-but what about mom and the girls?"

"Oh, they still want to see you, so you know what? Instead of taking you back to the Arc Family..." Jonathan grabbed his son's shoulder in an embrace and raised a fist to the sky. "We'll just bring the Arc Family... HEEEERE!"

"W-wait WHAT?! Dad, you can't seriously be considering bringing mom and ALL of my sisters here can you?!"

"Oh, but I am! See, when your mother wants to see you, she's going to see you. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. Same goes for your sisters. I'll never hear the end of it if THEY don't see you. In a couple week's time, when your younger sisters are out of school for break, we're going to pay you guys a visit over on Patch, okay?"

"Well... I..." As Jaune gazed into the stern yet caring gaze of his father, he knew he wasn't going to win this. He sighed and smiled at his dad. "Okay, guess there's no other option it there?"

"Nope. Not when it comes to family, Jaune." Jonathan placed a hand on his son's shoulder. "Now, I'm going to be staying the night, and tomorrow, I need to see if they can use my help here. Because let's face it, after today, things are going to be a bit hectic for a while."

"Yeah, I can tell."

"That said, I'm going to go turn in for the night." Jonathan looked around the room to everyone else. "Everyone, it has been an honor to meet you all. You have all been very brave today, and I hope to see such bravery shine in the future." He focused in on Ben. "And as for you Ben, I hope I can see one of those "alien transformations" that Kevin told me about sometime. Sounds pretty cool."

Ben shrugged. "Thanks, though I think I've done enough tricks for one day."

Jonathan nodded and turned to Team RWBY. "Girls, thank you for being there for my son. I'm very glad he has friends like you."

"Aw, it's no biggie." Ruby said.

"Yeah, we're just glad he survived the semester." Yang added which earned her a deadpan look from Jaune. She smirked back. "We'll tell our dad about your visit Mr. Arc."

"Thank you." The middle aged knight's eyes rested on the rest of Team JNPR. "And as for you three... thank you for being my son's family. As far as I'm concerned, every one of you is an Arc in your own right."

Ren nodded. "Thank you Mr. Arc. It's much appreciated."

"Yeah! And I can't wait to meet the rest of your family!" Nora exclaimed. "They all sound super fun!"

Pyrrha smiled at Jonathan nervously. As honored as she was to be considered an Arc... the fact that she had shoved Jaune in a rocket locker still weighed on her mind. But... the thought of being an honorary Arc... it made a part of her feel giddy. "Thank you Jonathan. That means very much."

Jonathan nodded. "Well, I'll see you all off tomorrow. Good night everybody." He made his way to the door and opened it. But before he went out, he paused and turned around. "Oh! Jaune, one last thing."

"Yeah dad?"

He gave Jaune an apologetic smile. "Son, hate to say it, but you gotta lose the Pumpkin Pete's hoodie. You've had it for almost three years now, it's getting too small for you."

Jaune went into panic mode again as Ruby gained a big grin. "Wait a second. Jaune, that's a Pumpkin Pete's hoodie?"

Yang smirked. "As in "send in a bunch of cereal box tops to get a prize" Pumpkin Pete's?

Before the blonde knight could deny the accusation, his dad beat him to the punch. "Oh yeah, it is. You can't see it, but it even has the little rabbit mascot underneath his breastplate. But seriously Jaune, keep it if you want to give it to any potential future children, but you gotta stop wearing it yourself. Good night!" Jonathan shut the door and the entire room was silent...

...For all of two seconds. The two sisters started laughing in an uproar as Weiss and Blake hid their chuckling behind their hands. Ben and Gwen looked to Jaune with amused yet apologetic faces while Kevin laughed, earning him a smack on the shoulder from Gwen. The rest of team JNPR were decidedly not saying anything. They had seen said bunny rabbit before and they had a good laugh about it... but they also swore to Jaune that they wouldn't tell anyone else about it. Well, they technically kept their promise...

As his shoulders slumped, Jaune promised to himself; "That's it, I'm sleeping in my armor from now on. Might as well sleep in a hole while I'm at it."

Ben sighed. "Jaune, I'm afraid the damage has been done. You might as well rip off the band aid and show it."

"Ben, you can't be serious!"

Gwen intervened. "Jaune, it'll save you a lot more embarrassment in the long run. Believe me."

Jaune groaned. "Alright, fine. If it'll get the hysterics to stop." He undid the straps of his breastplate and took it off, revealing the bunny logo. "There? Everyone happy?"

"Aawww, it's so cuuute!" Ruby fawned, making Jaune face palm with a groan.

Yang smiled. "So Jaune... how many?"

Jaune sighed. "Fifty."

The Blonde Brawler shrugged. "Eh, I've sent in more for weirder shit."

"So have I." Ben admitted. "You wouldn't believe the track record I had with cereal prizes when I was a kid." Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Gwen smirking at him. She knew what he was talking about; she remembered the Sumo Slammer card incident.

"So Weiss, how'd things go with your dad?" Blake asked.

"He was reluctant," Weiss said, "and I'm pretty sure he's frustrated at me right now, but I'm staying!" the group cheered at Weiss' victory before looking to Pyrrha.

"And what about you P-Money?" Yang added. "Who called ya?"

"It was my mother." Pyrrha answered. "She is actually coming out here to Vale. But she isn't going to take me home. She just wishes to see me."

"Awesome, you tell her we're going to Patch?"

"Indeed. She will be headed there when she gets to Vale."

"Cool, then we're good to go on everything. Earliest ferry to Patch leaves at nine tomorrow morning."

Ben grinned. "Great. That means we have..." He brought up the holographic watch on the Omnitrix. It read nine o'clock. "About nine hours for sleep. Not saying we have to sleep for that long, but after today, I wouldn't be surprised if we did."

"Okay, so how are we going to sleep? There's only one other hospital bed." Blake pointed out. As the teens started to work out the situation, another knock came at the door again, opening soon after to reveal Grandpa Max.

"Hey kids, how goes it?" the old Plumber asked.

After the others greeted the old man, Ben answered. "Everything's good Grandpa, just figuring out the sleeping situation."

"Oh, well it'll please you to know that I have just the answer." Max moved to the side and revealed four large hospital trollies full of cots, mattresses and blankets. Normally, not the most comfortable things in the world, but to the tired teens who didn't have their own hospital bed, they looked positively heavenly to sleep on. The group instantly made for the small beds and began unfolding them, the room just barely being big enough to house them all.

"Thanks Grandpa." Gwen said as she laid the mattress out over the cot.

"No problem sweetheart." Max looked over to Ruby. "Ruby, I have somebody here who wants to see you."

The Hooded Huntress was confused. "And who would that be?" Max moved to the side and a certain small corgi came running into the room, panting and barking. Ruby gasped with a smile. "ZWEI!" she picked up the little dog as he licked her face. "Oh, where have you been? I haven't seen you since we left Beacon!"

"Turns out the little guy stowed aboard the Rustbucket when we put it on the Bullhead." Max explained. "Found him on the top bunk bed."

"Thank you Mr. Tennyson!"

"Oh please Ruby, Mr. Tennyson is what my sons go by. Call me Max."

Nora spoke up. "Wow, lots of adults telling us to call them by their first names today huh?"

"I'll say." Jaune replied. "Kinda weird."

Max's attention returned to his grandson. "Ben, do you have a plan going forward?"

Ben nodded. "Yes actually, Yang and Ruby's dad said that we can all bunk over at his place on the island of Patch. Earliest ferry leaves tomorrow morning. You wanna come with, Grandpa?"

Max smiled. "Of course I will. Can't just let my family go without me now can I? But before you go to sleep, there's something else I need to tell you."

"That being?"

"General Ironwood was wondering if you wanted to hold off the discussion of what happened during the battle until tomorrow. Not only for you all to get some sleep, but also because Qrow just came back in a drunken stupor and he wants him to be sober for that talk."

At the mention of her uncle, Yang gave out an irritated groan. "Ugh, yeah, that sounds like Uncle Qrow alright."

Ben sighed as he answered his grandfather. "Don't worry Grandpa, it can wait till tomorrow."

Max nodded. "Okay then, I'll tell him that. Oh, and by the way, you left this in the Rustbucket during your last visit." Max pulled a DVD box out of his shirt pocket and handed it to Ben. It was a trilogy collection, and when the hero saw the titles, he smiled.

"Thanks Grandpa, goodnight." Ben and Gwen hugged Max and he left the room. Ben looked around the room and sure enough there was a big screen TV screwed to the wall, big enough for everyone to see. And it had a built-in DVD player. "Okay, question to the people of Remnant here... do you guys know what a dinosaur is?"

Weiss raised a brow. "The term doesn't sound familiar. Why, what is it?"

Ben strode over to the TV and put a DVD in it. "Well, dinosaurs are actually multiple different types of giant lizards that once roamed our planet, Earth, around sixty five million years ago. They're actually what inspired me to name Humungousaur after."

"Okay that actually sounds pretty cool." Yang said. "So why bring it up?"

Ben smiled. "'Cause we're going to be watching a movie about dinosaurs tonight. And I couldn't be happier that THIS movie is the first one from our dimension that you guys get to see, because it's one of my favorites. So sit back, relax..." he pressed Play on the TV. "And welcome... to Jurassic Park."

A/N: Well folks, that's it for now. So, what do you think lies in wait for our heroes? Well... stay tuned to find out. Speaking of, Next Time! The cast heads out to Patch... but not before a much needed discussion about Fairy Tales.

 A/N: So now we're post-battle for Beacon! From here on for a while, the cast is mainly gonna be interacting with each other and getting to know one another, so be ready for a bit of a lull in the action department. With that said, this is...

Chapter 7: Fairy Tale Secrets

Last night might have been crazy, but it ended on a high note. At least that's what Gwen thought. As the Anodite-human hybrid got up on instinct at 5:30 in the morning and began her stretches outside the hospital room, she thought back to how much Teams RWBY and JNPR had loved Jurassic Park. Everyone marveled at the Brachiosaurus and Triceratops, were excitedly scared by the Dilophosaurus and Velociraptor, and now Yang, Ruby, Nora, Jaune and Pyrrha were all in the club dedicated to Tyrannosaurus Rex. When Ben was about to pop in The Lost World, Gwen had to hold him off so that they could all get some rest. Her cousin relented, though not without a tiny pout.

Just as she finished stretching, there came an unexpected new presence as Blake exited the room. "Oh, there you are Gwen." The cat girl semi-whispered, gently closing the door behind her. "What're you doing up this early?"

"Good morning, Blake. I always get up at five thirty." The redhead explained. "What're you doing up this early?"

Blake's cheeks suddenly had a new shade of pink on them. "O-oh, well... you see... I'm just..."

Gwen smiled and crossed her arms. "Going to see Monkey Boy?"

Blake sighed. "Yes. I got a message from him on my scroll, and he said he wanted see me. So I thought I'd pay him and his team a visit."

Gwen chuckled. "Don't worry, I get it. Actually I'm glad you're up because I wanted to ask you something."

"Sure, what's up?"

"Well, do you remember how you and Yang took down Adam with that cool move yesterday and how I said I've never seen anyone fight like that before?"

"Yes actually, and again, thanks for that compliment."

"No problem. I was actually wondering if I could somehow study how you guys fight the way you do. I'm really intrigued by it."

"Well, there's really no easy way to put it into words but... oh! Wait a second." Blake took out her scroll and handed it to Gwen. "Our scrolls have all of our fights recorded on them, if you want to study, this is probably the best way."

"You guys record all your training sessions?"

"And our tournament fights. Mandatory by school rules. It helps us focus on what we have to work on. Trust me, you'll find a lot of stuff on there."

Gwen shrugged and smiled at her Faunus friend. "I guess I will. Thanks Blake, I'll make sure this gets back to you." she smiled. "Now, I believe Mr. Sun is waiting."

Blake's blush returned. "Heh, yeah. Tell me what you find and I'll see if I can help you out with anything, okay?"

Gwen gave a thumbs-up. "You got it."

...

After a short elevator ride, Blake and Gwen parted ways. The redhead went to the cafeteria on the bottom floor to get some food and begin her study session, while the Faunus girl only went a few floors down to the hospital room that held Team SSSN. She was curious to see what the Mistralian team's condition was, but she also had to tell Sun about the Patch arrangement. It meant a lot that Sun cared about her, and she couldn't lie, she was interested to see where things between them would go from here, but his position as leader had to come first.

Blake came to a halt in front of the room number Sun had messaged her and gently knocked on the door. A moment passed before it creaked open, Sun poking his head out with his face lighting up with a smile as he saw her. "Hey!" he whispered.

She smiled back. "Hey. So, how's your team doing?"

Sun sighed. "See for yourself." He moved the door open quietly and Blake peered inside, her eyes widening at the team's condition. Scarlet and Sage were both in hospital beds. While not in critical condition, they were both in casts, Scarlet with one arm in a sling, while Sage had a leg wrapped up and suspended. Neptune was the only one not in a bed, though he was not without injury, his shoulders wrapped in gauze. He was also the only other one awake, giving Blake a small smile and wave, to which she waved back. Neptune gave a nod to his leader and Sun smiled back, silently closing the door.

Blake was visibly worried. "Are they going to be okay?"

"Yeah, they'll be alright. Believe me, those guys are as tough as nails. They'll be laid up for a while though."

"So what are you guys going to do?"

"Not sure yet, we're hoping to stay and help out in the city a bit, but that's looking less likely for Scar and Sage, given their injuries. Neptune and I are hoping to stay at least."

Blake nodded. "I see."

"So, what're your plans?"

"Well, we've decided that we're all going out to Patch where Yang and Ruby's dad lives."

"Woah, all of you guys? Including Team JNPR and Ben's squad?"

"Yep, all of us... but Sun, I want you to remember what I said to you back at Beacon."

"You mean about... oh... you don't want me coming with you?"

"Well, of course I would, but you still have a responsibility to your team and—"

"Ahem." The two's attention was brought to the door where Neptune was standing. The blue haired boy walked out, a smile on his face. "Blake, I'm glad you're concerned for us, but really, the three of us are good here on our own. We don't need our leader here to baby sit us. Besides, once we're good to go, we'll just come out there to visit you guys anyway."

Blake's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Y-you're sure you're okay with that Neptune?"

Sun stepped in too. "Yeah Neptune, if you need me here I can..."

"Stop." Neptune raised his hand. "Look Sun, it's obvious you want to go with her. Trust me, I get it. And you know what? We don't have any right to keep you here." He put a hand on his leader's shoulder. "Do what you want to do man, we're not gonna stop you." Neptune looked over to Blake with a grin. "And Blake? I really appreciate your concern, but don't worry too much about it. We'll be alright here, trust me."

Blake blinked twice in shock. "Well... okay, if you say so."

"Great! Now, you guys have three hours before your boat leaves, so be ready for that okay? We'll be sure to see you soon. And Sun?" Neptune gave his leader a thumbs-up. "Good luck."

Sun did the same. "Thanks dude." Neptune went back into the room and silently closed the door behind him, leaving the two alone in the hall behind him.

Blake was in a little bit of disbelief. "Huh, well that happened." She smiled at Sun. "Looks like you're going with us after all."

"Yeah." Sun smiled back. "Neptune's cool like that. So... want to head to the cafeteria? We could get some breakfast and maybe talk over a cup of tea before we go?"

Blake let out a small laugh. "Sun, you know me too well."

Yang's eyes flittered open as the sun began to filter in through the window. She didn't want to get up, but then she remembered where she was; a hospital room. She sat up as the events of last night came surging back. Her eyes darted around the room, only to then settle upon another conscious body standing over by the window. 'Ah, there you are Green Boy.' She thought with a smile.

True to form, Ben was looking out the window, his signature green jacket slung over his shoulder. Yang's smile grew as she decided to have a little fun. She cupped her hands together and clenched her fingers to make it resemble a toothy maw of a beast. She quietly snuck over behind Ben and put her hands over his shoulder, moving them up and down as she quietly spoke in a raspy voice: "Rawr! I'm a T-Rex! Imma eat ya!"

Ben almost burst out in a fit of laughter but cupped his hand over his mouth to prevent anyone from waking up. He smiled as Yang stood next to him. "Yang, really? You're trying to make me laugh in a room full of sleeping people?"

Yang shrugged. "Hey, gotta entertain myself somehow. And you were ripe for the picking."

"I'm honored." Ben said with an eye roll. "So, I take it you liked the movie last night?"

"Um, try loved. How your world was graced with dinosaurs and not ours is beyond me. Plus it was just a really good movie."

"Heh, glad you think so. Well, we've got two hours before the first ferry leaves. I guess you're glad to be going home after all this?"

Yang sighed. "Yeah, a little bit." She gazed out the window and what remained of Vale. There was still a lot left standing, but there was still so much that had been destroyed. "Ben, if I told you that this city was once really beautiful, would you believe me?"

"Oh, definitely. Just from looking at it I could tell it was an awesome city. And I'm sure it will be again someday."

"Yeah, but that's going to take a while. You know, when we first came to Beacon, I told Ruby that it would be our new home away from home. I was so psyched to start becoming a proper Huntress... but I guess sometimes, life has a way of just pulling you out from the rug you're standing on huh?"

"I know the feeling. It's happened to me more times than I can really count. Heck, finding the Omnitrix was one of those times. But if there's one thing I've learned about life, it's that you roll with the punches it throws and then you punch it right back in the face."

Yang smirked. "You know Ben, I think you and I may be on the same wave length on this one. I like your logic."

Ben smiled back. "Thanks." Suddenly, both of their stomachs started rumbling. "And with that, I think it's time for breakfast."

Yang laughed. "Okay, now I know we're on the same wave length."

When Ben and Yang found their way to the cafeteria, they found it was actually pretty quiet. But the duo did see a few faces they recognized, namely; Cooper, who was sitting at a table with Team CFVY, the blonde boy's crutches propped up against the back of one of the seats. The two waved over to them and all five waved back, Cooper giving a two fingered salute to Ben.

The two then saw the table next to them was occupied by another familiar face; Gwen, whose attention had been gained by CFVY's hand waving. She looked over and a smile took over her features as she waved to Ben and Yang, giving a signal to come over. They obliged, but only after obtaining their meals.

"Morning Gwen." Ben said as he sat down.

"How's it going Red?" Yang asked she sat down next to him.

Gwen chuckled. "Good morning you guys. I'm doing fine, thank you."

"Great." Ben smiled to his technopath friend. "Coop, I see you made some friends."

Cooper smiled back and nodded. "Sure have. Ben, meet Team CFVY. You know Coco already, but let me introduce you to Fox Alistair, Velvet Scarlatina, and Yatsuhashi Daichi."

Fox waved. "Hey."

Yatsuhashi bowed his head. "It is an honor."

Velvet smiled. "Pleasure to meet you, Ben,"

Ben waved back. "Pleasure's all mine." He focused his attention to the team's leader. "I hope Cooper hasn't given you too much grief Coco, he can be quite the handful."

Cooper reeled back. "Oh c'mon Ben, what'd I ever do to you?!"

Coco put a hand on his shoulder. "Relax Tech Head, you're bud's just bustin' your chops a little." She turned to Ben. "But in all seriousness, he's been just fine. He's actually been telling us all about the world you guys come from."

Velvet's eyes lit up. "It sounds spectacular! I wish I could go there someday."

Fox leaned forward. "So Ben, is it true what Cooper's been telling us? About your watch?"

Ben raised his arm and showed the watch in question. "Every bit of it."

Fox ginned. "Cool."

"Could you show us?" Velvet asked.

Ben's eyes shifted around the room. "Not in here. You never know who might be watching. Besides, I'm trying to start fresh with my secret identity. But, I'll try to show you later."

Velvet nodded in understanding. "Oh, of course."

It was then that Yang noticed something odd. "Hey Gwen, why do you have Blake's scroll?"

The redhead looked up to the blonde. "Oh, she loaned it to me for a while. I wanted to get an idea of how you guys fight so that I could be ready for our training."

"Huh, neat." Yang said. "Speaking of, where IS Blake?"

Gwen smirked. "Oh, over there, having a little chat with you-know-who."

Yang whirled her head around to see Blake sitting at a two person table with Sun. They were having quite the conversation by the looks of it, and they both wore bright smiles, something that made Yang smile as well. "Ah, I see. 'Bout time those two actually enjoy themselves."

"They've been going like that for about an hour." Gwen explained. "Sun's coming with us by the way."

"Really?" Ben asked.

"Yep, he got special permission from his team." Gwen looked back over to the two conversing teens. "You know, I'm surprised those two aren't an item. They seem to get along so well."

"You're telling me." Yang said before taking a swig of her coffee. "Do you know how long I've been pushing for those two to get together? Five. Months. It's been ungodly irritating to just see them beating around the bush for that long."

Gwen nodded. "I can imagine. Though that's a bit ironic coming from me. It took me and Kevin around the same amount of time for our relationship to really start."

Ben smirked as he sipped his own coffee. "And you two still acted awkward around each other for another three months after."

Gwen narrowed her eyes. "Doofus."

Ben smiled back. "Dweeb."

Yang smirked as her eyes darted between the two cousins. "Am I missing something or is this just something you guys do?"

"It's just an old habit of ours, pay it no mind." Gwen waved off.

Yang shrugged. "Alright then. So Gwen, now that you've seen what we can do, what do you think?"

"Hmm..." Gwen closed the scroll. "Well, from what I've gone over, I can safely say this: Weiss is very disciplined and precise when she fights. Blake uses stealth to her advantage whenever she can. Ruby relies on Cresent Rose a little too much, but she's very good at using it. And you Yang, you're very hands on when it comes to how you fight, quite literally."

"Heh, yeah, my dad taught me how. He's a brawler like me." Her head tilted down slightly. "Though, after last night, I've realized that there's still a lot that I need to work on."

"Namely?"

Yang sighed. "Blake was right last night. I... I rushed in to help her without thinking. And..." she lifted her right arm, "I almost lost my arm as a result. I let my anger get the better of me... again."

Gwen nodded. "I know what it's like to be angry when fighting, Yang. I fought angrily when a bunch of aliens kidnapped not only Grandpa Max, but my brother too. Needless to say, I wasn't happy. Anger can be a powerful weapon, but it can also be one's downfall, just look at what we did to Adam last night."

Yang's face hardened. "Yeah, and I could have had worse happen to me. But... I don't want that to happen anymore. I want to be able to protect my team, my family, without losing my cool." She propped her chin up with her hand with a sigh. "I'm just not sure where to start."

Gwen smiled. "I might."

That got Yang's attention. "Huh?"

"Yang, I might not look it, but I'm actually quite experienced in multiple different forms of martial arts. I think I might be able to show you a few things."

"Sooo, you think showing me more ways to fight, will help me control my anger?"

"Well... kind of. You see, the kind of martial arts I practice not only focus the body, but also the mind." Gwen put her fingers to her temples for emphasis. "They involve many different techniques that help you find your center and put you in a more peaceful state... while also helping you improve your combat skills."

"And you think that'll help me?"

"Well, it's not an instant fix, but I'm sure it'll be beneficial for you. I know many people whose lives have improved after they learned these techniques, including myself. So, what do you say?"

After mulling it over in her head for a moment, Yang smiled and offered her hand to the redhead. "Well, I guess there's no harm in trying. You've got a deal, Red!"

Gwen smiled and accepted the handshake. "Great! We start tomorrow."

"Good. I just hope you can keep up with me if you decide you want to spar. 'Cause I won't go easy on ya!"

Gwen laughed. "Hehe, don't worry. If I can't keep up with you, I'm sure my darling cousin would be more than happy to be your punching bag."

That got Yang to laugh as Ben gave his cousin an incredulous look. "Hey! C'mon Gwen, I'm capable of fighting back!"

Yang put a hand on his shoulder. "Ben relax, Gwen's pulling your chain. Kind of what you were doing to Coop earlier." She smirked at him. "That said, I could totally take you on in a one-on-one fight."

After a second of stunned silence, Ben had a smirk of his own. "Oh, really? Is that a challenge Miss Xiao-Long?"

"Maaaybe." Yang said with a sly grin. "If you're willing to bet on it."

"Well, if that's the case then you are so on! What do you want to wager?"

"Well, you're going to be my guest for a while, so I guess it's only fair I let you choose how you lose a bet."

"Hmm..." Ben put a finger to his chin in thought before an idea came to his head. "How do you feel about smoothies?"

Yang smiled. "Ooh, I love me a good smoothie."

"Awesome. So whoever loses has to buy smoothies for both. Agreed?"

Yang nodded. "Sure, but only if the winner gets to choose the flavor."

Gwen's eyes widened in horror, 'Oh honey, you do NOT want to make that bet.' she thought. Before she could stop either of them, they both said; "Deal!" and shook each other's hand, sealing the bet. Gwen couldn't fathom the hole that Yang had dug herself into. 'I should have told her about Ben's addiction to weird smoothie flavors! She'd better hope she wins or else...'

However, as she observed the two, Gwen could see something in Ben's eyes as he looked at his blonde opponent, something that the redhead hadn't seen for a while; her cousin's jovial yet determined nature. It was what she had always seen when they were growing up, something that she initially thought was grating, yet grew to appreciate. But from all the ups and downs that life gave them, Ben would fluctuate with it. She could tell just from their talk over the phone yesterday that the break up with Julie had affected him a lot more than he'd let on. But now... it almost seemed like he was complete again.

Gwen glanced over to Yang and the Blonde Brawler had the same look in her eyes, though she seemed to have a bit more fire behind her gaze. It was obvious that Yang was just as fun loving as Ben was, even if she was a lot more bombastic about it. It was shocking to Gwen how the two just seemed to click. It made the redhead glad to see that her cousin had a kindred spirit in this dimension. Gwen wore a sly smile as the two future combatants went to their meals. 'This is going to be fun.'

Half an hour later, Kevin, Ruby, Weiss and Team JNPR all came down to the cafeteria, with Blake and Sun coming over to join them. As they ate, the teens began going over who was going to take which mode of transport to the ferry that morning. Ruby, Weiss and Blake agreed to ride along with Kevin and Gwen in the Osmosian's car again while Team JNPR said it would be easiest for Pyrrha if they took the Rustbucket with Max, since the RV had beds that the Invincible Girl could rest on to make things easier. Sun decided that he'd be going in the Rustbucket as well since it was the only option. As for Ben, turned to Yang and asked;

"I was actually hoping we could possibly take Bumblebee again?"

Yang smiled. "No problem! See? All you have to do is ask."

"Heh, yeah." Ben swore from the corner of his eye that Ruby was giving him a look of skepticism. He turned his head to her but she just glanced off to the side, sipping her hot cocoa. With that lingering in his mind, he decided to address his technopathic friend. "What about you Coop? What're you gonna do?"

Cooper gave a nervous smile. "Well... you see..."

"Funny you should mention that Benjamin." The group turned around at the new voice to see Professor Goodwitch approaching them, General Ironwood and Qrow not far behind. "You see, I've offered Cooper to stay here so that he could not only recover, but help us in the city. There's much rebuilding to be done and I have a feeling that his abilities will be most useful in that endeavor."

Gwen was surprised. "Is that true Cooper? You're staying?"

Cooper nodded. "Yeah, while I'd like nothing more to join you guys, I figured that my abilities are best suited here. Besides, Miss Goodwitch is offering to pay me for it, and since we're probably going to be here for a while, I might as well."

Ironwood approached the table. "Speaking of which," he pulled three gold and black credit cards out of his coat pocket with an odd symbol on them. "These cards contain Lien, our world's currency." The General passed one card each to Ben, Gwen and Kevin. "I've linked you three into a special account associated with the Atlesian Forces since I don't think you will be getting jobs here. But please, try not to drain it all in one place, am I clear?"

"Crystal." Ben said as he put the card in his wallet. "Now... about last night."

Ironwood nodded. "Right. If everyone would please follow me, we'll take this matter to somewhere more private." The entire group, Sun and Team CFVY included, got up and went back to the hospital room. The teens sat down on the cots as Ironwood took center stage.

"Alright, let's get started." Ironwood pulled back the sleeve off his bionic arm, a part of it sliding up to reveal a built-in keypad. "Now, since Mercury and Emerald claimed to be associated with Cinder Fall last night..." Ironwood typed into the keypad and a holographic screen popped up from his wrist. The screen showed a picture of four people. From left to right there was a girl with black hair in pigtails, Emerald, Mercury and Cinder. "Ben, Pyrrha, the girl on the far right, is she...?"

"Yep, that's her." Ben said immediately. "The one with the malicious grin."

Pyrrha nodded. "He is correct, that's Cinder"

Ironwood scowled at the picture. "I see, and I can only assume the other girl is associated with them as well."

Ruby's eyes widened. "Wait a second, I've seen Cinder before! I bumped into her one day at Beacon! She was with Emerald and Mercury too!"

Ironwood listened intently. "I see. Ruby, do you remember the night of the dance?"

"How could I not? I got trounced by that girl so bad... wait a second."

"Do you suppose that Cinder might have been the one who infiltrated the Comm Room?"

"It... it makes too much sense. Now that I have a good look at her, I guess she does resemble that girl a little."

Ironwood nodded and pulled back his sleeve, shutting the holo-screen off. "Right, then I'll put out an alert for these four. If anyone sees them, it is to be immediately reported."

"Good." Ben said. "Now, do we have a motive... other than the obvious?"

Ironwood sighed. "Well, if she purposefully went up into that tower, then she was most likely hoping to destroy the CCTS."

"The what?" Ben asked.

"The Cross-Continental Transmit System." Glynda explained. "It is what keeps the four kingdoms of Remnant connected in terms of communication and media."

"We're fortunate that the system is still up and running," Ironwood continued, "but there will be consequences of this, consequences that you all needn't worry about. This is our mess, and we need to clean it up."

Jaune leaned forward. "Okay, so where does the girl inside the tube in that vault fit into the equation? And what does Pyrrha have to do with all this?"

The question shocked and confused nearly everyone at the table except for the three adults, and to a lesser extent, Ben and Gwen. Qrow, who had been silent for a majority of the conversation, decided to speak up. "Listen kid, you all did good last night, but there are somethings in the world you're just not ready for ye—"

Ironwood raised a hand. "No Qrow, they deserve to know."

"Look Jimmy, I know things are crazy right now, but these kids—"

"Are not children anymore!" the General yelled with a swipe of his hand. "Not after last night." Ironwood redirected his attention to Pyrrha. "Miss Nikos, I know that this is much too soon, so if you wish to leave the room..."

"No, General." Pyrrha dismissed. "I will stay. In fact I owe it to my team to tell them myself. I have to make amends for my lies." The Invincible Girl turned to her team, Team RWBY, Ben, Gwen and Kevin, with Team CFVY, Cooper, and Sun also listening in. "Everyone... what is your favorite fairy tale?"

After a very long explanation of events, the sixteen teenagers were all in a state of stunned silence as Pyrrha sat with her head down. Ben, Gwen, Kevin and Cooper were a bit less shocked since they had experienced this kind of thing before; the concept of certain fairy tales having a grain of truth wasn't foreign to them. However, that didn't stop the others from speaking their minds about it.

"Well... damn." Yang said.

"Oookay," Coco spoke up. "That is... quite the story."

"That's putting it mildly." Weiss added.

"I... I never thought something like that could ever be real." Blake stated.

"Pyrrha... is this all true?" Ruby asked.

Pyrrha nodded with her head still down. "It is. Every word of it." She suddenly felt Jaune move a little closer next to her on the cot and she closed her eyes. "Jaune, I cannot begin to apologize enough for this. I..." She suddenly felt a pair of arms envelope her in a gentle hug, arms she knew belonged to Jaune. She felt him nestle his head into her shoulder, a sensation that felt nice, but also had a bit of grief behind it.

The blonde knight spoke softly. "Pyrrha, when you asked me if it was your destiny to save the world... is this what you meant? Taking on some weird powers from a fairy tale?"

Pyrrha could feel herself losing her composure. The most important person in her life was not angry at her. Instead, he was comforting her. She returned the embrace and silently cried into his shoulder, managing to choke out the words: "I'm sorry... I am so very sorry."

Jaune continued to soothe her. "Pyrrha, it's okay. You don't have to be sorry about anything."

"But I LIED to you! Why aren't you ANGRY?!"

"Because I could never be angry at you. Pyrrha, you're important to me, to all of us. If we lost you... I don't know what we'd do. All I care about right now is that you're still with us."

"You're... not upset?"

"No! Of course not. Why would I be?"

Pyrrha felt Nora's hand on her shoulder. "Pyrrha, we all do things that we regret. Some of us more than others. Trust me."

She then heard Ren's voice. "What Nora means is that when something like this happens, we cannot linger on it for too long or else it begins to eat away at our minds. The best thing we CAN do is learn from it."

Pyrrha let the words of her teammates sink in and she pulled herself off of Jaune's shoulder. She looked around to every team in the room, each of them all giving her friendly, supportive smiles, no ill will behind any gaze. Pyrrha's tears of pain quickly fled, now being replaced by tears of joy. "Thank you so much... all of you." she said as she wiped her tears away. "I am very glad that... that you do not hate me."

"Believe me Pyrrha," Glynda said as she rested a hand on Pyrrha's shoulder, "nobody here hates you." The professor sat down next to her student on the cot. "Really, it's our own fault for not being prepared for all of this. Ozpin brought us together to help protect the world... but now..." Her gaze shifted down, her thoughts of regret taking over. "I am ashamed to call myself a teacher. I should have never let it come to this."

Pyrrha could tell that her professor was completely upset about all of this, and it broke her heart to see the woman so distraught. Pyrrha reached out her hand and softly grasped Glynda's. This got the woman's attention as she met her student's gaze. Pyrrha smiled. "Professor Goodwitch, I do not hold this against you. It's like Ren said, the best we can do is learn from situations like this. Even teachers need to learn a few things, correct?"

Glynda was shocked, but she smiled soon after. "I... I suppose so. Thank you, Pyrrha. That means very much."

"You're welcome. And I am sure you will make an excellent Headmistress." The Invincible Girl turned to her friends with a smile. "Am I right?"

The students in the room immediately erupted into cheers for Goodwitch, who couldn't feel any happier and relieved. The students who she helped to grow were now cheering her on, ready to support her in any way possible. "Thank you everyone." she said. "I promise, when Beacon reopens, I will make certain that this does not happen again." She smiled to Ben, Gwen, Kevin and Cooper. "And you four would be more than welcome to join us there."

Ben smiled back. "Thank you Miss Goodwitch, that sounds awesome."

"Correction: sounds more than awesome." Gwen added.

"Sure does." Kevin said. "Though, good luck finding an anagram for our team name."

Glynda chuckled. "Oh, I'm certain I can come up with something. We don't just use first names in our naming system you know."

"Alright then." Ben returned his attention to Ironwood. "One more thing, Cinder said that she had been "pushed in the right direction" by someone so she could get the Maiden powers. That's a red flag if ever I've heard one. Any idea who it might be?"

"Indeed." Ironwood said. "We are most definitely dealing with Salem, an old enemy of Ozpin's. She wishes to rule the world by snuffing out the hope in humanity. My guess is that she plans to do this by stealing the Maiden powers."

Qrow spoke up again. "Believe me kid, you do NOT want to run into this bitch in a dark alley. I've seen the shit she's created and it isn't for the lighthearted. They are fear incarnate."

"Wow, dark." Ben said.

"So what will happen next?" Weiss asked "They only have the Fall Maiden powers, and the CCTS is still up. Will they try to attack again?"

"Not likely." Goodwitch answered. "They know we'll be ready for them if they decide to attack again. Although they may try to target the other kingdom's communication towers, so we'll have to inform them. We've probably set their plans back by months, so we at least have some time."

"Well that's SOME good news at least." Blake said.

"Exactly. We'll begin forming a plan, but there's still much work to be done in this city, so we'd better get started on that first. When the time comes, we'll make sure to inform all of you on what we're going to do, but right now I believe you all have a boat to catch."

"You couldn't be anymore right, Miss Goodwitch." Everyone turned to the door to see that Max had entered the room. "Morning, kids! The ferry leaves in an hour, so everyone get in gear! We leave in thirty." The old man winked. "So don't be late."

After clearing out the cots, the group of teenagers now stood in the spacious hospital room. Sun had gone to say goodbye to his team before he left, but Team CFVY was still there, waiting for Ben to keep his word. They all watched with baited breath as the hero scrolled through his options, looking for a good alien to show the aforementioned team before they headed out. "Alright, everyone ready?" Ben asked as he looked around to everyone. They were all visibly excited, except for Gwen, Kevin and Cooper of course. "Okay, here goes!"

Ben slammed the core down and began to transform. The alien seemed to mostly resemble an iguana, though it also had the qualities of a fish, such as three large fins on its back and two sets of gills on its neck. The creature was blue and it had black markings going down the sides of its face and over its eyes. It only had three fingers and it wore a black open chested shirt with white pants. The eyes were green and the Omnitrix symbol was on its chest. "Arctiguana!"

The three teams from Beacon Academy were in awe, though Team CFVY seemed the most entranced, Coco less so since she saw Ben transform thrice already. Velvet had the biggest grin on her face, Yastuhashi was staring wide eyed at the creature and Fox was surprised, though he seemed to be the most questionable. "So what's this thing do anyway?"

Arctiguana smiled as best he could for a lizard. "Take a few steps back everyone." The group did as asked and made a large space for him. Arctiguana took a deep breath and forced it out, causing a beam of immense cold to fire from his mouth. The tiled floor in front of him now had a large spike of ice planted into it.

As the group looked on in awe, Ben stepped to the ice spike. "Now, for my next trick." He pressed the Omnitrix symbol and transformed into a different alien, this one made of rock and fire. "Heatblast!" Ben touched his hand to the ice and it immediately began to melt down into water. Following that, Heatblast increased his heat level so that the water condensed even further into steam, dissipating out of the open window. Ben changed back to normal and he took a bow. "Tada!"

A round of applause came from the entire room, the teens cheering for the performance. "Not bad Ben 10," Coco said, "not bad at all."

"Not bad?! Coco, it was amazing!" Velvet exclaimed.

"Indeed, most impressive." Yastuhashi added.

Fox shrugged. "Eh, I guess it is pretty cool."

"Thanks." Ben said. "But now I think we need to head out. Team CFVY, it's been a pleasure meeting you." He shook each of their hands. "And Coco, make sure Coop over there stays out of trouble. For us, okay?"

Coco chuckled. "I'll do my best, Tennyson."

Ben nodded and went back over to Cooper, who had just shook Kevin's hand had gotten a hug from Gwen. Ben smiled and gave the blonde a handshake of his own. "Coop, good luck with your new job. I hope you visit us over on Patch once and a while."

"Of course I will." The technopath reassured. "Trust me, going by what Goodwitch told me, I'm probably going to need a break once and a while."

"Right. And also..." Ben gave a sly wink, "good luck with you-know-who."

Cooper blushed as he gave quick glance over to Coco, moving his eyes back to Ben before she could notice. "You know, you're not making this any easier for me."

Ben's grin widened. "I know." The teens exited the room and the two groups went their separate ways, confident that they would all meet again.

A few minutes later outside the hospital, Kevin closed the trunk of his car and dusted off his hands. "Alright, think that's everything. What little we have anyway." The Osmosian glanced over his shoulder at Yang and Ben, the Blonde Brawler leaning on Bumblebee. "You guys all set?"

Yang put on her aviators. "Ready as I'll ever be. After all that talk about Maidens and junk, I'm just ready to go back home and see my dad."

Ben chuckled as he put on his helmet. "I'm sure he's eager to see you too. Hope he's ready though, he's gonna have quite a few mouths to feed."

Yang shrugged. "Eh, the Xiao-Long household's always had healthy appetites so it shouldn't be a problem."

Kevin looked over to the Rustbucket to see Team JNPR loading up, Jaune having to carry Pyrrha up the stairway as Sun brought in the wheelchair. He then turned around to see Ruby, Weiss, Blake and Gwen approaching, all ready to leave. "So we ready?" Blake asked.

"Yep." Kevin answered. "So, Monkey Boy's coming with us huh?"

"Apparently so." Weiss answered. "Although, I certainly couldn't imagine why." She gave Blake a sly smile. "Would you happen to know, Blake?"

Blake blushed and looked off to the side. "I have no clue what you're talking about."

Weiss smirked. "Huh-uh."

"Well, in any case, we're almost ready." Kevin said as he opened the passenger side door and slid the front seat forward. "I just gotta check on something first." Kevin lifted the entire back seat up to reveal a secret compartment full of DVD cases, video games, gaming consoles, and most surprisingly, a bunch of books. Team RWBY's eyes widened at the reveal.

Yang tilted her sunglasses down and looked inside with a whistle. "Snazzy."

Gwen's eyebrows rose. "Oh yeah, forgot we had that."

"What IS it?!" Ruby asked.

"It's an emergency stash that Ben and I put together." Kevin explained. "It's so if we happen to be any place for a long time, we have some things to entertain ourselves."

Ben approached the compartment, picking through it. "Yep, we got DVD's of our favorite shows and movies, some of our game consoles, both portable AND stationary, and some of Gwen and mine's favorite book series."

That got Blake's attention. "Books from another dimension? Could I... possibly..."

Gwen smiled. "Yes Blake, you can read them. That goes for all of you by the way."

Weiss looked into the compartment with a skeptical look. "Is all this really necessary though?"

"Weiss, trust me," Kevin said as he lowered the seat back down, "you'd be surprised by the places this car goes. Besides, if Tennyson doesn't have anything Pokémon related for an extended period of time, he gets cranky."

"Hey! No I don't!" Ben argued. "My hobbies don't over take my life like that, Levin!"

"Um, excuse me," Ruby spoke up, "but what's Pokémon?"

The Alien Trio's eyes widened. They had genuinely never heard that question asked before. Ben snapped out of it, saying; "Oh wow, we really DO need to show you guys everything."

From behind the group came a sudden honk and they turned around to see Max pulling up next to them in the Rustbucket, giving them a thumbs-up to show he was ready to go. They could see Sun in the passenger seat as well as Ren and Nora peering out of the side windows. From the back window, they saw Pyrrha and Jaune waving to them.

Kevin turned back to the others. "Well, looks like that's our cue. Load up everyone, we're outta here!" Yang and Ben got on Bumblebee as Kevin, Gwen and the rest of Team RWBY entered his car. Kevin gave a thumbs-up back to Max and the three vehicles were off to the docks, ready to board the ferry that would take them to their new home for the foreseeable future.

Ironwood, Glynda and Qrow watched as the vehicles left the parking lot, the general sighing as they drove out of sight. "This is just one big mess."

"Tell me about it, Jimmy." Qrow replied. "But hey, at least you don't have to tell any life changing things to your fifteen-year-old niece about her mother."

"Right, I wish you luck with that by the way. When will you tell her?"

"When the time is right. I gotta make sure Tai is there for it. Ya can't just drop a bombshell that big on a girl like Ruby. It needs to be done right."

"I see." Goodwitch said. "So are you heading out with them?"

"Soon, but first, I need a drink."

"It's only eight thirty! For god's sake Qrow show some restraint!"

A/N: Alright, so now the gang are rolling out to Patch! And ooh, looks like Kevin's got some fun stuff in his car, huh? The Remnant teens are about to get a dose of Earth pop-culture! And don't worry; we'll be seeing Cooper, Team CFVY and the rest of Team SSSN all in the future soon. But next time: The gang finally makes it to Patch and meets the Xiao-Long patriarch. Though not before a rather interesting ferry ride. See ya!

A/N: And we're back! I guess it's only appropriate to label this chapter...

Chapter 8: Homecoming

The normally busy streets of Vale were now mostly silent as the trio of Bumblebee, Kevin's car and the Rustbucket all drove to the docks, on their way to catch the next ferry to Patch. From inside the Osmosian's car, Ruby Rose looked out the window at all of the damage the city had sustained in the attack. Fortunately, military from both Atlas and Vale were cooperating with many Huntsmen and Huntresses in the rescue operations. From what she could see, there had been many casualties, but there were also many men, women and children being pulled from the wreckage alive. This had been a major hit, but even in all this chaos, the silver-eyed girl could still see a small glimmer of hope. Still, the events of yesterday weighed on her mind, and from what General Ironwood told them earlier, she knew just who to blame.

'How?' Ruby thought. 'How can a woman be so soulless to want to see hope be destroyed?'

She was pulled out of her thoughts when she heard someone call out her name. "Ruby?" The Hooded Huntress looked up to see Gwen looking back to her from the passenger's seat with concern. "Hey, are you okay?" the redhead asked. "You've been like that since we left the hospital."

Ruby immediately put a smile on her face. "Oh! Yeah, I'm good Gwen, thanks for asking."

Weiss gave her partner a skeptic look. "Ruby, no offense, but I can tell that you are not one-hundred percent okay. If there's something bothering you, you can tell us."

Blake nodded. "She's right Ruby. Just because you're our leader doesn't mean you need to keep your emotions bottled up like that."

Ruby sighed as she hugged her arms. "I-I'm sorry, it's just... I can't begin to imagine someone being cruel enough to want to see hope itself die."

Gwen reached her hand back and grasped Ruby's "It's okay Ruby, trust me, hope isn't something that's easily killed. It'd take a lot to do something like that. So you know what? Let's make sure it doesn't happen."

Ruby smiled, her face filled with determination. "Thanks Gwen, sounds like a plan!"

"A very vague plan, but a plan nonetheless." Weiss pointed out.

Gwen smirked. "Thanks for the moral support, Weiss."

Blake shrugged. "Well, she has a point. We aren't experienced Huntresses, we're students with only one year of academy training under our belts. Where do we even start with something like this?"

Kevin spoke up, his eyes never leaving the road. "Well, let's see, you've got three ass-kicking world protectors and one experienced Plumber helping you train. I'd say that's a good start."

Ruby raised a brow in confusion. "And... what does plumbing have to do with fighting bad guys exactly?"

Gwen deadpanned. She was asked this question more times than she could count. "Not that kind of plumbing Ruby. In our world, there's an intergalactic law-enforcement organization known as the Plumbers. They're responsible for keeping the entire galaxy safe from alien threats. Our Grandpa Max is actually one of the best in the business."

"Oh, okay... so why do they call themselves the Plumbers?"

"I think it has something to do with "cleaning up the filth of space" or something like that. It's really weird, I know. By the way Ruby, where's your dog?"

"Oh, Zwei? I let him ride in the Rustbucket with your grandpa. I think he's taken a liking to him. Besides," Ruby glanced over to Blake with a sly grin, "better to have him in there than an enclosed space with Blake am I right?"

Gwen smiled at her Faunus friend. "Oh Blake, really? You're scared of dogs?"

Blake narrowed her eyes. "I am NOT scared of them. I just... don't like them is all."

Weiss smirked. "Says the girl who leaps over furniture just so she doesn't have to walk next to the little guy. Come on Blake, he's really friendly."

Blake crossed her arms. "Well, maybe I don't want to be friendly back."

"Okay, that's a little harsh." Gwen said. "Why don't we try to lighten the mood a bit?" She opened the glove compartment and pulled out a small purple rectangular device with a clam shell build. Gwen flipped it open, and at first Ruby couldn't' tell what it was, but as she got a closer look, she could tell it was a gaming device. It had a pair of screens, one on the top part, and one on the bottom. The bottom part had a circle pad and a D-pad on the left, four buttons marked A, B, X, and Y as well as a power button on the right. "Now Ruby, do you remember what you asked us before we left the hospital?"

Ruby nodded. "Yeah... so what exactly IS Pokémon?"

Gwen grinned as she turned the device on and placed it into Ruby's hand. "You're about to find out."

As Bumblebee zoomed through the city streets, Yang making sure to weave around any leftover debris, the two riders could see the docks coming into view, meaning their ride would have to end for now. But as they drew closer to the pier, Ben began to see another person waiting there looking out over the ocean, someone in very familiar white and gold armor.

"Hey! Isn't that Jaune's dad?!" Ben exclaimed over the revving engine.

Yang nodded. "Looks like it! Then again, who else would be wearing armor like that in the middle of the day?" The Blonde Brawler skidded to a halt behind the unsuspecting Arc patriarch, causing him to quickly turn around, a hand going to his sword in self-defense. But once he saw them, he returned the hand to his side and gave them a smile.

"Oh, morning you two. I thought I'd be seeing you all eventually." Jonathan said.

"Morning Mr. Arc." Ben waved. "How goes it?"

The knight sighed. "As well as it can go when you're aiding rescue efforts. Hey Yang, is that your motorcycle?"

Yang smiled and took off her sunglasses. "Yep! Her name's Bumblebee."

Jonathan seemed impressed. "I see. One of my eldest daughters has a bike too, but hers has a bit more of an... edge to it."

Yang's eyes lit up. "Ooh, what kind?"

"Chopper, black paint and chrome, lots of spikes and skulls."

Yang's eyebrows rose up. "Lemme guess, she's got a rebellious side."

Jonathan wore a proud smile. "Actually she's a police officer. Biking's just an off-work hobby of hers. Though yes, she was quite the rebel when she was a teenager, but that's another story. So, where's my boy?"

Ben pointed behind them to the Rustbucket, which had stopped behind Kevin's car. "Right in there, in my grandpa's RV with the rest of his team."

"Great, thank you Ben." Jonathan strode over to the RV, waving to Gwen, Kevin and the rest of Team RWBY in the Osmosian's car. He knocked on the door and it opened soon after, revealing... "Ah, you must be Ben's grandfather." He offered a handshake. "Jonathan Arc, Jaune's dad, pleased to meet you."

"Likewise. Max Tennyson." The old man introduced himself with a smile as he shook the armored hand. "You're son's right in the back." Max moved backward, allowing Jonathan to enter the Rustbucket. Once he did, the knight's eyes immediately found Team JNPR all gathered around a small bed that Pyrrha was resting on.

"Good morning Team JNPR, I hope you all had a good rest."

Jaune nodded as he walked over to his dad. "We did dad, at least as good as any rest on a hospital cot can be." The two hugged, their armor clunking against each other.

"Oh trust me Jaune, I've been there. Hell, sometimes I've had to sleep on the ground while on missions. It's just something you get used to in this business."

Nora waved frantically. "Hiya Mr. Arc! How's it goin'?"

Jonathan waved back. "Haha! There's that energy spike! I'm doin' good Nora how 'bout you?"

"Things are awesome! We've got some BIG plans for the next few months."

"I'm sure! You guys will certainly be preoccupied." The knight set his attention to the green ninja next to the Pink Dynamo. "Ren, how about you, what's up?"

"Not much." Ren bowed his head. "It's good to see you though, Jonathan."

"Good to see you as well." Jonathan then focused on the bed ridden warrior behind the three. "Hello Pyrrha."

Pyrrha smiled. "Hello again, Jonathan."

"Good to see that you're in good spirits. I'm sure you'll be glad to have your team with you as you heal, right?"

"Yes, I am very glad. But I still have more company on the way. My mother will be here in the coming days."

Jonathan smiled. "Ah, now that sounds excellent! I'm sure she'll be very happy to see you."

"Yes. I look forward to your family's visit in the coming weeks as well."

"And so do I. I called my wife last night and she's planning things out as we speak."

Jaune moved next to his father. "That's great to hear dad. Tell her I miss her and we'll see her soon, 'kay? Same for the girls?"

Jonathan patted his son on the shoulder. "Will do, son. Now, I think you guys have boat to get on." The father and son hugged again. "I'll see you in a couple weeks, Jaune. I love you."

"Love you too dad." The two separated with Jonathan ruffling his son's hair for good measure. The knightly huntsman strode over to the door and addressed everyone in the vehicle.

"Everyone, I wish you all good luck. I will see you again in two weeks' time. Until then..." Jonathan placed his helmet on his head. "Farewell!" The knight turned to the door and exited the Rustbucket with a salute, Team JNPR saluting back.

Once his dad left, Jaune looked up to the front seats. "Hey Sun, why the silent treatment? You were quiet for that whole thing. If you wanted to meet my dad, you could've said something."

From the passenger seat, Sun looked back to Team JNPR, with Zwei sitting in his lap. "Oh, it's okay dude. It just seemed like a personal moment so I didn't wanna interrupt."

Jaune shrugged. "It's cool man, my dad wouldn't have mind."

"If you say so. Now, why don't we get this show on the road huh? Or should I say... on the water?" The entire RV, baring Nora who let out a loud guffaw, groaned at Sun's bad joke.

Ben and Yang watched as Kevin's car and the Rustbucket pulled onto the ferry, them having already rolled Bumblebee onto the vessel minutes ago. Just as the green muscle car was put into park, the first passenger out was not the driver himself, but rather Ruby, and she settled her eyes on Ben. She moved past Gwen and marched right up to Ben, her gaze never letting up. She was also holding something in her hand, but Ben couldn't see what it was from her arms swinging as she walked.

The Omnitrix wielder was confused. "Huh, hey Ruby... what's up?"

Ruby stopped in front of him, a smile coming to her face. "Ben Tennyson, you have some explaining to do."

"What do I have to explain?"

Ruby's smile didn't falter as she showed him what she was holding; Gwen's Nintendo 3DS. "Why didn't you tell me about this AMAZING game sooner?! I've played many RPG's in my day but this is just too cool! How is it that your world has so many things that we don't have?!"

Yang was now just as confused as Ben. "Uh, Rubes, what are you talking about?"

Ben got a closer look at the screen and smiled. She was playing Pokémon. "Oh, looks like my cousin got to you before I could on that huh? So, which one did she give you?"

Ruby answered wholeheartedly; "Omega Ruby."

Ben rolled his eyes. "Of course." He shouted to his cousin; "Really clever Gwen! But I kinda wanted to be there to see how they'd react."

Gwen shrugged. "What can I say? It just seemed like the best time to do it."

Weiss got out of the car. "If it's any consolation Ben, I'm not really into video games, but I do think it looks rather cute."

Blake came out next. "It's definitely cute, but I'm more interested in reading your books, so I think I'll stick with those before trying it out."

Ben nodded. "Fair enough."

"Um, hello?" Yang said. "Still in the dark over here. Could somebody please tell me what I'm missing out on?"

Ruby's smile widened. "Yang, come with me to the Rustbucket and I'll show you. The others have to see this too." The group made their way over to the RV and Ruby opened the door, Zwei instantly rushing to her feet. Ruby pat his head. "Hi Zwei, hope you're enjoying the ride."

"Hey Ruby," Jaune greeted, "what's up?"

"Jaune, Gwen just showed me an amazing little video game that you HAVE to see."

Nora gasped. "You look excited. And when you're excited it usually means something good!"

"Trust me Nora, your mind will be blown." Ruby confirmed.

"Well don't keep us in suspense Ruby," Pyrrha called from her bed, "what is it?"

"Yeah," Yang said as she entered the RV, "kinda tired of not knowing."

"Okay, everyone gather around." Ruby sat beside Pyrrha's bed, everyone else grouping up around her. "Now Ben, care to explain what I'm about to show everyone?"

"I'd be glad to." Ben answered. "Alright everyone, what Ruby's about to show you guys is a game from my world called Pokémon, short for Pocket Monsters. It's an RPG that involves catching, training and battling these fantastic creatures on a journey to become the very best like no one ever was."

"That... actually sounds pretty cool." Jaune said. "So how does it work?"

"I think I'll let Ruby explain that."

"Certainly." Ruby flipped open the 3DS and the screen instantly turned on, revealing a brown-haired girl in the middle of a grassy field. "Okay, so the girl is the player avatar that I'm controlling." Ruby explained. "The story goes that you're a beginning trainer who's just gotten their starter Pokémon, one that you work with to catch other Pokémon to add to your team. To do that you just go into the tall grass and..." Ruby went into the grass and the character stopped. The screen went dark and the music picked up. There was a graphic of sweeping grass that revealed a small brown raccoon that made a growling sound before a prompt came up; "A wild Zigzagoon appeared!" Ruby's avatar threw a Pokéball, and out popped a small orange and yellow chicken, bobbing its head, with another prompt reading; "Go! Torchic!"

Sun tilted his head. "A chicken being sent out into battle, why does this sound familiar?"

Nora immediately started gushing. "Awww, they're so cute!"

Yang nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I'm diggin' it. I love how energetic it feels."

Jaune's eyes widened. "Gotta say, this music's something else. All this for a random encounter?"

"Trust me Jaune," Ben said, "the Pokémon franchise is home to some pretty good pieces of video game music."

Pyrrha looked to the screen intently. "Well, I am interested so far. So Ruby, after you send it out into battle what comes next?"

"Alight!" Ruby exclaimed. "It's time to show you how to catch and train these little guys..."

For the next hour, Ruby, with a little help from Ben, showed everyone the basics of Pokémon. Jaune, Pyrrha, Yang and Nora were definitely on board while Weiss, Ren and Blake politely declined. "Sorry Ben, maybe some other time." Weiss apologized.

"It's not that it doesn't look like fun," Ren explained, "it's just that we aren't very much into video games."

Ben smiled. "Hey, no worries, I get it. Everyone likes different things and that's fine. There's plenty of other stuff from our world that we can show you. How 'bout you Sun? You in?"

Sun shrugged. "Eh, sure, maybe some time, but I'm not in any hurry."

Nora grinned as she rubbed her hands together in anticipation. "Well then that just means more for us! Alright Tennyson, hook us up!"

But before Ben could do such a thing, Max interrupted. "Sorry Nora, but that will have to wait until later. The ferry's made land fall, time to roll out."

Yang's eyes widened. "Wow that went by fast."

Ben chuckled. "Yeah, did I forget to mention that Pokémon is also the perfect time killer? If anyone plans on doing multi-hour sessions, I ONLY recommend them on days off."

Yang shrugged. "Well, let's get going, don't wanna keep dad waiting." The teens returned to their respective vehicles, driving off of the ferry and onto the loading dock. Once they were on terra firma, Yang, with her and Ben on Bumblebee, led the group through a small seaside town and into a heavily wooded area, the Blonde Brawler confident in where she was going.

"So how far is your house from here?!" Ben asked from behind.

"Not far now! Just a bit further inland!" Yang answered. "Our dad might be a teacher, but he's also kind of a hermit!"

"Not the looney kind I hope!"

"Nah, he just likes the woods! Helps him get away from his crazy job!"

"Well sure, being a teacher is hard, but it can't be THAT bad, right?!"

"He teaches at a combat school, you'd be surprised how crazy it gets there!"

"Oh! I see!"

"You'll like him! Trust me!" A few minutes later, a large log house came into view. It was two stories tall, with a chimney on one side. There were also two large planters on either side, all filled with sunflowers. It had a very rustic feel to it, the entire place giving off the feeling that it was made by hand.

As Bumblebee slowed to a halt, Ben couldn't help to be impressed. "Wow, you live here? Cool!"

Yang rolled her eyes as she dismounted her bike. "Pfft, yeah if you like wood. But I grew up here so yeah, I love this place."

As the rest of the vehicles stopped and their passengers disembarked, Gwen couldn't help but ask. "So, where's your da—"

The front door of the house suddenly flew open and there stood a man in his early forties, a look of intense relief on his face. His skin was tanned and he had a messy head of greying blonde hair, with a soul patch under his lip and stubble around his jawline. He wore a pair of brown shorts, black shoes, and a tan dress shirt beneath a leather vest. A red bandana adorned his left arm with a single shoulder pad, leather vambrace and a fingerless glove on his right, said arm also having a tattoo of a heart. "Yang! Ruby! You're home!" The man said as he sprinted forward and wrapped his girls in a hug.

"Oof! Hi daddy." Ruby said as she returned the sudden hug.

"Hey dad." Yang sighed in exasperation. 'Jeez dad, still on that overprotective streak, huh?' she thought to herself.

"Do you two have any idea how worried I was about you?!" their father exclaimed. "When I saw what happened I wanted to get over there, but all transportation to the main land was stopped!"

"Dad, it's okay." Yang reassured. "We're alive, all in one peace, see?"

The man sighed and smiled. "I guess you're right. I'm just glad to have my girls back home."

Ruby nodded. "So are we dad." She turned to her large group of friends. "Everyone, I'd like you to meet our dad."

The man gave a two-fingered salute. "Hey everybody! Name's Taiyang Xiao-Long. But feel free to call me Tai." He looked over to his daughters' teammates. "And you two must be Weiss and Blake, right? My girls have told me about you. It's great to finally meet you both."

Blake nodded and shook his hand. "Likewise Mr. Xiao-Long."

Weiss smiled. "We've heard quite a few things about you as well."

"Oh really? And what did my darling girls have to say about me?" Tai asked sarcastically.

From behind the Xiao-Long patriarch, Weiss could see Yang doing a swiping motion across her neck, giving the heiress the message to cut it out. Weiss' smile grew. "Only that you're a bit of a jokester. So fair warning: I don't do practical jokes very well."

"Oh don't worry, I'd never dream of pranking my guests. Any friend of my daughter's is a friend of mine." Tai turned his head to the group from the Rustbucket, his eyes settling on the group of four that stood closest together. "You all must be Team JNPR, right?"

Jaune nodded and the two shook hands. "Yes sir, I'm Jaune Arc."

"And I hear from Ruby that you're the leader of this motley crew?"

"Yeah, though my leadership skills could still use some work."

"Oh, don't be silly Jaune," Pyrrha said as she rolled herself up next to the two, "you are a good leader, no matter what others may think." After the two teammates exchanged grins, Pyrrha turned to Tai. "My name is Pyrrha Nikos. It is a pleasure to meet you Tai."

"The pleasure is all mine, Pyrrha. I guess you took quite the hit here." Tai pointed to her ankle.

"Yes I did." Pyrrha answered. "But it should only be like this for a few days more."

"Great to hear. We'll just have to handle stairs a bit carefully until then." Tai looked to the two remaining team members. "And you must be..."

"Hi!" Nora waved in her frantic fashion. "I'm Nora, and this..." she put an arm around Ren, "is my best friend Ren."

Ren bowed respectfully. "Hello Tai, nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you both." Tai said. "Now, if I'm correct, Beacon's still has co-ed dorms right?"

"That's right." Jaune replied.

"Good, so you four won't have trouble sharing the guest room correct?"

"Shouldn't be a problem. We've figured out a system."

"Awesome." Tai turned his head over to Sun. "And what about you kid, what's your name?"

"Oh! I'm Sun Wukong, sir. I'm kind of a last minute addition." Sun explained.

"Hey, no problem Sun, I've got plenty of room in this place." Tai reassured while jutting a thumb to his house. "You can bunk in Qrow's guest room. He never uses it anyway, not even when he's here."

"Oh, um thanks, I think." Sun said with a nervous smile.

"You're welcome." Finally, Tai's eyes trained onto the Alien Trio and Grandpa Max. "And you all must be the Tennyson's." He pointed to them as he listed them off. "Ben, Gwen, Max and Kevin Levin, right?"

"Um yeah," Ben confirmed. "How'd you know?"

"Yang told me about you guys while we were on the phone last night."

"And how much did she tell you?" Gwen asked.

"Oh, I know everything. All that's left is to see the proof that's in the putting."

Kevin smirked. "Be happy to." He touched the Rustbucket and absorbed the metal, his entire body becoming the pale colored material. Gwen snapped her fingers and brought up a mana dome around her as well.

Tai's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Well, guess that settles that."

Ben brought up the Omnitrix. "Sure you don't want more proof?"

But Tai waved his hand. "Hold on a minute Ben, Yang also told me that you're quite the fighter, so I wanna see what your transformations can really do... in the arena."

Ben grinned. "Sounds like a plan."

Yang suddenly walked around her dad and grasped Ben's shoulder. "That sounds good dad, but just so you know, I'M taking first crack at him"

Tai's smile grew. "Ah, you and my sunny little dragon are gonna have a spar, Ben?"

Yang scowled. "Ugh, DAD really?! You have to use that nickname in front of everyone?"

Ben chuckled nervously. "Well Tai, let's just say that we have a bet to settle."

Tai laughed. "Haha, oh Ben, you're going to learn that making bets with Yang will NOT end well for you. Especially when it involves fighting in the ring."

"We'll see about that." Ben smirked.

"Oh yes we will." Yang smirked back.

Max cleared his throat to gain Tai's attention. "Well, in any case, thank you for opening your home to us Taiyang, it's much appreciated."

Max extended his hand, and Tai shook it with a grin. "It's no problem Max, trust me, being here is better than being in Vale right now anyway."

"Agreed. Now, in terms of living conditions, do you have room for all these kids in the house or do you want my group of three to stay in the Rustbucket with me?"

"Oh, don't worry about that, like I said, I've got plenty of space in my home. In fact..." he looked over to Ben, Gwen and Kevin, "let me show you three where you'll be staying. I'm sure you'll be quite surprised."

Ruby raised an eyebrow. "Um, dad, what are you talking about?"

Yang's eyes narrowed. "You didn't gut our room for more space did you?"

Tai waved it off. "No! Of course not. But while you girls were away, I did some... refurbishing. Come inside and I'll show you." The Alien Trio, Yang and Ruby followed Tai inside, through the entry way and into a narrow hallway. Off to one side, there was a small alcove that housed a lone door. Tai stepped into the alcove and spread his arms out. "Well, here it is!"

Yang was confused. "Uh, dad, this leads to the basement."

"The really old and decaying basement." Ruby added.

Tai smirked. "And like I said, I did some refurbishing." He opened the door to a wooden staircase surrounded by white walls, another door at the base of the steps. "Down we go!" The group descended the stair way and Tai opened the door, his daughters' jaws opening at what they saw next.

The walls of the basement were re-done with fresh wood paneling, the floor covered up by a white carpet. There was a flat screen television on top of a wooden TV stand, a stand which was painted black and had multiple storage spaces, a DVD player inside one of them already. There were two three-person couches, two chairs, a wooden coffee table and two end-tables each with one large lamp on them.

After a moment of silence, Yang spoke up. "Dad... what the hell is this?!"

"I like to call it our "second living room"." Tai explained. "This is what I've wanted to do with the basement for years, but was always too busy with everything else. So, when you guys went off to Beacon, I thought: Hey! Why not surprise them when they get back from school for winter break with this?! So, what do ya think?"

Ruby looked around the room in awe. "I think it's amazing! It's got a really cozy feeling to it."

Yang smiled. "Gotta say dad, I'm really impressed."

Kevin nodded as he looked around. "Yeah, pretty cool Tai. You must have committed to this thing super hard to get it done this fast."

"Oh, yeah." Tai agreed. "Months of hard work went into all this. Hell, I'm still technically working on it. But for the most part, it's done and it was worth it!"

"I agree it's pretty cool." Gwen said. "But just one thing: if we're sleeping here where are the beds?"

"You're lookin' at 'em." Tai went over to one of the couches, pulled the back cushions off and lifted the seat, unhinging a pair of large metal legs. Tai pulled and the couch unfolded into a bed, one that looked like it could sleep two. "See? Instant bed. Just in case someone decides to crash down here."

"Huh," Ben said, "You really spared no expense with this."

"Pretty much. I never like to feel unprepared for anything."

"I can see. Now, Yang told us that you have a training facility somewhere around here."

"Yep, sure do. It's where Qrow and I trained the girls on the weekends and vacations while they weren't in school."

"Cool, so where is it?"

"Well, if you look out that window right over there..." Tai pointed to a small rectangular window that was up near the ceiling, "you'll be able to see where it is."

Ben looked out the window to see a large imposing mountain peak in the distance. "Near the mountain?"

"Not near, inside." Tai clarified. "That's Patchwork Mountain, the highest peak on the island. About a decade ago, I found a small cave in the outcropping that lead into an enormous empty grotto. There were no wild animals living there, so I told Qrow it'd be the perfect place for a secret training facility. After we finished planning, we managed to get it built in a year."

"So, you had time to build a secret training facility inside a MOUNTAIN." Ben emphasized. "But you didn't have time to build this." he said as he gestured around the room.

Tai shrugged. "Hey, I had a teaching job and two girls to raise by myself. I just had different priorities at the time."

"Okay, fair enough." Ben relented. "Well, once we get settled in, could you drive us out and show it to us? I'd like to see it for myself."

"Of course, but we won't have to drive. The mountain's only a mile or so from the house, we can just hike there, it won't take long."

Ben blinked twice in shock. "A mile or so?" He turned to the Hooded Huntress. "Ruby, grab the 3DS, we're going to need it."

Ruby saluted with an eager smile. "Aye-aye, captain!"

A/N: And just like that, another chapter is done! But this isn't the end of the gang's first day on Patch. Next Time, every one heads out to the training grounds, and Yang and Ben decide it's the perfect time to settle their bet. Who will win? Stay tuned to find out!

Chapter 9: Brawling on a Bet

As noon came to the island of Patch, the new residents of the Xiao-Long household had finally settled into their new abode. Team JNPR took the guest room of course, while Team RWBY shared Yang and Ruby's room. While the guest room had two sets of bunkbeds, Tai had to bring out another set he had in storage to put in his daughters' room in order to accommodate all of them.

"Like I said," Tai stated proudly, "I don't like to feel unprepared."

Sun felt nervous as he set what little stuff he had inside of Qrow's room, a small voice in the back of the monkey boy's head telling him that the drunkard would likely kill him if he ever found out he was occupying it. As for Ben, Gwen and Kevin, they had finally finished bringing in everything from the secret compartment in the Osmosian's car and down into the basement. After a quick lunch, the group decided it was time to head out and see what Tai's secret training grounds had to offer. The only one who didn't come with them was Max, who chose to stay and make dinner (a thought that made Ben and Gwen feel ill). As the group walked the forest path, everyone was doing their own thing. Gwen was giving Ruby more pointers on Pokémon as Nora listened in, with Ren, Blake, and Weiss all walking beside them.

"It takes HOW long to find a Ralts?!" Ruby exclaimed.

"Unless you get lucky and one shows itself in the grass, yeah, it takes a while." Gwen said as she gave a sympathetic smile.

"So how was WALLY able to find one so easily?!"

"In-universe answer? Luck. Real-world answer? Pre-programed to happen. And yes, it stinks. Every. Time."

While Ruby was expressing her frustration, Kevin was asking Sun about the how his bo staff worked. "Dude, these weapons are just beyond me. How the hell does that thing hold together?"

"Magnetic clamps." Sun answered. "They're inside the barrels."

"And it doesn't hinder the bullets in any way?" Kevin countered.

"Nope! Went through a bunch of tests to make sure I got it right... which may or may not have resulted in a few small explosions, BUT it was all worth it!"

From behind, Blake grinned and rolled her eyes. "Sun, it certainly says something about a person when they think being blown up is just a minor hindrance."

Sun placed his hands behind his head. "Aw c'mon Blake, a little fire and lightning Dust never hurt anyone."

"Except, you know, everyone." Blake retorted.

As the two playfully bantered back and forth, Ben, Yang and Jaune were walking up front with Tai, with Jaune pushing Pyrrha in her wheelchair, a feat that was somewhat difficult to do on the dirt path. "Tai, have you ever considered maybe clearing this pathway of debris once and a while?" Jaune asked as he and Pyrrha made a team effort to keep her wheelchair from jostling around.

"Y-yes," Pyrrha said as she tried to hold on. "It is rather d-difficult to keep steady."

Tai shrugged. "Sorry, never expected to have wheelchairs on this path. We don't have much father to go though so don't worry. So Jaune, Pyrrha, Yang tells me we'll be seeing your folks here soon."

"Indeed. My mom should be here in a day or two." Pyrrha replied

"While my family is going to be here in about two weeks." Jaune added.

Tai nodded. "Okay then. Jaune, your family is probably going to want to book a hotel in town. Pyrrha, I might be able to find some space for your mother. She's probably going to want to stay as close to you as possible after all."

"I appreciate that, Tai." Pyrrha thanked. "And I am sure she will as well."

As they walked further in, Ben decided bring something up to the blonde knight. "Oh yeah, Jaune, I just remembered something your dad mentioned to us at the docks."

"Really? What would that be?"

"He saw Yang's bike and he said that one of your sisters rides one."

"Oh yeah!" Yang added. "He also said she was a police woman!"

Jaune chuckled. "Yeah, that'd be Noire. She's been a cop for 'bout two years now. But she makes time for her biking hobby whenever she's off duty."

That further fueled Yang's fire. "Think she'd be up for a race when she gets here?"

"Oh I know she would. She'd do anything to show up a sports bike like yours."

Yang smirked. "We'll just see about that."

"So, Jaune," Ben spoke up, "what's the rest of your family like?"

From behind, Ruby looked up from the 3DS. "Hey yeah, I never have asked about your family before. Are they as cool as your dad?"

Jaune rubbed the back of his head. "Heh, well you really gotta meet my mom and sisters in person to get the full experience. I'll just say this for now: they're all really nice people, so don't be afraid to meet them."

"Why would we be afraid, Jaune?" Pyrrha asked as she looked up at him. "You said yourself that they're nice."

"Well... a few of them weren't exactly all that keen on me going out to Beacon when I got... accepted. Noire and her twin sister Blanche wanted to nail me to the floor to keep me from leaving while Verte, Azure and Violette had actually cried after they heard the news. The only ones who fully supported me on it were my two other older sisters, Saffron and Rouge, along with mom and dad of course."

"And we should be worried about your sisters, why?" Nora asked.

"Well, considering how overprotective they are, the fact that Beacon was nearly destroyed, and in addition to dad going home without me with him, they're probably going to be upset... and they may take their frustration out on you guys since, you know, I chose to stay with you instead."

Weiss waved it off. "Oh Jaune please, we had to handle much worse last night, I'm sure we can handle a few angry women."

"Weiss, you haven't had to grow up with them, I HAVE. When they're apart, they can't do much. But together, they are a force to be reckoned with."

"Oh don't be so overdramatic! We'll be fine."

Jaune shrugged. "Okay, don't say I didn't warn you."

After walking for a while longer, the group finally made it to the base of the mountain, stopping in front of a large boulder. "Well, here we are!" Tai announced as he spread his arms out wide.

Weiss strode up to the boulder and inspected it. "It's... a rock."

"Thank you Madame Obvious." Kevin called out. "Couldn't have figured it out without ya!"

Weiss narrowed her eyes. "Grrr, I know it's a rock! I just expected something more... discernable."

Tai shrugged. "Well where's the fun in having a secret training ground if it doesn't have a secret door, right?"

With a knowing smile, Gwen walked up to the boulder. "Let me guess." she knocked on it and the rock gave off an uncharacteristic metallic bang. "Yep, it's hollow. With a very convincing exterior."

"See? This girl knows what's up!" The Xiao-Long patriarch waltzed up to the boulder and pulled a key out of his pocket. He pulled on a small pebble that looked embedded in the rock to reveal a hidden keyhole. Tai put the key in, twisted it, and pulled it up to unlock a high-tech hand scanner. He placed his hand on the screen and a bright green bar of light went up and down his hand. It spoke; "Hand print recognized, Welcome Taiyang." Next to the panel, a large part of the rock began to part ways like an elevator door, revealing hallway that led into the mountain. Tai looked back to the group. "So, who wants to go in first?"

At the end of the hallway, the group entered into an adequate sized break room. In the corner was a decent sized refrigerator next to kitchen counter complete with sink, microwave and coffee machine with a cabinet installed above it, a water dispenser also sitting next to the counter. Not far from the small set up was four sofas arranged around a large coffee table, finishing the break room aesthetic. There was a door on the opposite wall, presumably leading to the actual training rooms.

"Huh." Sun spoke. "Well, I'll give you props for one thing, you don't have any kind of distractions in here. That's a plus."

Tai smiled proudly. "Yep, the point of a training ground is to train, so Qrow and I made sure it only had the basics"

Ren nodded. "Good, the less distractions the better."

Blake felt the need to ask. "So, does this place have any emergency exits?"

"Oh sure, it's in the back room with the sparring arena." Tai responded. "But I doubt you'll need to use it. This place was made to withstand quite a bit. But it never hurts to be prepared, so in the event of something bad happening, all of the doors are preprogrammed to open."

Ben nodded. "Got it, thanks Tai. So, where does the action happen?"

"Right through here." Tai opened the door and showed them what was inside; a big gym full of exercise equipment. The black rubber matted floors housed many types of weight lifting machines, treadmills, rowing machines, dumbbells and barbells, elliptical machines, exercise bikes, punching bags, heck there was even multiple large rubber exercise balls and small medicine balls strewn about the room. There was also a stereo with a pair of speakers in the corner.

Weiss gazed around the room with a bemused look. "Ha, wow, was this place designed by meat-heads or something?"

Tai quickly rebutted. "Hey, this place was designed by two guys in their twenties who just wanted a place to hang, work out, and maybe train their next of kin someday. What can you do, huh?"

Kevin looked around with a satisfied smile. "Well I think this place is pretty cool."

"I hear that my friend." Sun shared in the sentiment.

Weiss rolled her eyes. 'Case in point.' she thought.

As she looked around, Blake took notice of the large gymnasium doors on the other side of the room. "So I'm guessing that those doors lead to the sparring area?"

"Correct again!" Tai said as he yet again went over and opened the set of doors, revealing a big spacious room. The room housed a pair of circular arenas, both with a slight elevation of two feet and each around 30 feet in diameter. On the other end of the room, there was the emergency exit, plain as day. Against the wall was a set of metal bleachers that looked rather dusty, almost as if they hadn't been sat on in years.

Weiss gave a disgusted look at the seats. "Ew, okay I am NOT sitting on those until they're washed."

Tai chuckled. "Yeah, guess I didn't really need the bleachers, but hey I wanted to give this place an authentic feel to it ya know?"

"Man, this is a pretty big space." Ben admired as his voice echoed through the room.

"Well yeah," Yang grinned, "how else are we gonna be able to throw each other around in here? Gotta have space for that."

"Do you guys just toss each other regularly?"

"Oh all the time, our Aura's are able to protect us remember?"

"Oh yeah, forgot you guys had those. Usually when I get thrown around I just change into an alien that can take the hit."

Tai spoke his curiosity. "Hold on a second, you don't have a protective Aura? Seriously?"

"Nope, none of us have one of those." Ben answered.

"Well, that's not technically true." Gwen corrected. "Every living being has an Aura, it's just that humans from this dimension seem to be able to have ones that are much more powerful than the ones from our world. I mean, I myself can strengthen my Aura thanks to my Anodite heritage but other than that, no one from our universe can use Aura like you all can."

"Buuut, you ARE able to super charge our Auras with your mana!" Yang smiled.

"Something that I still can't believe is even possible." Blake added.

Gwen shrugged. "Hey, I acted on a hunch, what can I say?"

Tai laughed. "Haha, man you kids are too much. Mana manipulation, matter absorption, alien transformations, you guys got some crazy powers."

"Hey, let's not discredit everybody else here." Ben pointed out. "These girls have shadow clones, super speed, glyphs, enhanced strength, it's like something from out of a comic book or something! If I didn't have the Omnitrix I'd love to have any of those powers naturally."

"Aww, thanks Ben," Ruby said in appreciation, "that's really sweet of you to say."

"Yeah, nice words Green Boy." Yang smirked. "So, you wanna settle our bet here and now, or wait 'til later?"

Ben gave a determined grin back. "Oh I'd be more than happy to go a round with you, Goldie Locks. Let's get this started." The two went to the nearest arena and they each took a side.

Nora was visibly giddy. "Ooh this is gonna be so cool!" She zipped over to the bleachers and took a seat, everyone else following her lead. Everybody except Weiss sat down, the heiress keeping her promise.

"Alright." Tai announced. "This'll be a standard spar. Now, how this would normally work is that you two would duel while your opponent's Aura slowly depletes from fighting, first one to reach the red zone is the loser. But because Ben doesn't have an Aura that can be measured on a scroll, we'll just go with a simple ring-out rule. First one to knock the other out of the ring wins, that sound good?"

"Alright by me." Ben agreed on his side.

"Sounds good dad!" Yang hollered from the other side. "So, who's it gonna be this time, Ben?"

Ben activated the Omnitrix as he grinned to his opponent. "Oh, somebody you're already familiar with." He slammed it down and transformed into... "Diamondhead!"

Yang grinned. "Alright! Now you're talkin'! Glad you're giving me a challenge here Tennyson!"

Tai meanwhile was in awe. "That looks so friggin' cool! I've never seen anything like that!"

On the side lines, Gwen nodded to herself. "He made a good choice going with Diamondhead."

"And why's that?" Jaune asked.

"Because he knows how much punishment that Diamondhead can take. Sure he's not made of actual diamond, but his hide's still pretty tough to crack. Yang's gonna have to rely on more than brute force if she wants to take him down."

"I see." Pyrrha said. "But do not count Yang out just yet. If anyone can go toe to toe with Diamondhead, it is most definitely her."

Jaune shrugged. "I dunno Pyrrha, I think you could take him. Well, you know, when you're up on your feet again."

Pyrrha smiled. "Perhaps Jaune, but let's see how this plays out first shall we?"

Back on the battlefield, Diamondhead hit his left fist into the palm of his right hand. "Hope you're ready for this Yang, 'cause I sure am."

Yang activated her Ember Celica and did the same thing as Ben, cracking her knuckles as she did. "You bet I am, let's get this started."

Tai raised his arm. "Alright then, if both sides are ready..." He brought the arm down. "Fight!"

Yang and Diamondhead smiled as the word was given. The two opponents squared off, immediately letting out their battle cries. They charged at each other, both of them rearing back a fist. They met in the middle and flung their fists forward, the punches colliding with enough force to cause a small boom. They pulled back their arms and went straight into fisticuffs with each other.

Diamondhead seemed to have the advantage with his hard hands, but Yang was lighter than the Petrosapien, allowing her to dodge most of his hits while dishing out her own. She could see Diamondhead react to getting hit, but it didn't seem to make a dent in him. So, she decided to go with a different tactic; she did a double punch to Diamondhead's midsection, unloading a fire Dust cartridge from each of her gauntlets as she did, pushing him back several feet.

Diamondhead dug his heels into the ground to stop himself and let out a small laugh. "Ha! Nice, but you're not the only one that can shoot stuff from their hands!" He turned his hands into shards, ensuring to make them as dull as he could to avoid causing her serious injury. Diamondhead fired the shards at the Blonde Brawler, her violet eyes slightly widening at the action.

With multiple assertive grunts and cries, Yang fired off more rounds from her Ember Celica at the incoming crystal projectiles, knocking them out of the air and onto the floor of the arena around her. It went on like that for a few seconds before Yang realized Diamonhead's legs were slightly bent, causing him to stand with his legs apart. An idea quickly popped into her head, albeit a bit of a risky one. She ran forward, bobbing and weaving underneath the dullened shards. Once she was close enough, she went into a slide, going right under Diamondhead's legs. The Petrosapien had little time to react as Yang socked him in the back with another Dust round fueled punch, sending him back toward the other side of the arena, almost to its edge.

Diamondhead stopped in a crouch to prevent himself from going any further. Thankfully, weight was both a hindrance and an advantage when it came to him. He looked up from where he was crouched down to see Yang running toward him, her fists ready for another onslaught. As she began to pelt him with punches, the Petrosapien brought his arms up and made a crystal shield from his forearms, her hits going into that instead of his face. But he knew he couldn't stay like that for long, every impact moved him back half an inch closer to the arena's edge. Diamondhead jolted up and slammed the shield into Yang, sending her careening back several feet to the center of the ring.

When Yang landed, she looked at her opponent with an excited smile. "Not bad Ben! You're quite the fighter!"

"Thanks! Now let me show you another trick!" Diamondhead brought the shield down and slammed his fist into the arena, causing several large crystals to come surging out of the ground and straight toward Yang. As the crystals got bigger and closer, Yang was forced to retreat. She quickly dove to the side and the crystals went past her, stopping at the other end of the arena.

Yang looked up at the towering crystal spikes and said; "Huh, neat." She turned back to Diamondhead as he walked to the ring's center. "You're just full of surprises aren't ya?"

"I've been told. So, what's next?"

Yang smirked as she crouched down and put her fists to the ground. "This!" She fired her Ember Celica and propelled herself into the air, straight towards Diamondhead. Yang reared her fist back and let out a battle cry, intending to end this fight here and now.

Diamondhead's eyes widened as she came closer, but he also realized something; 'Hold on a sec, this is part of the same trick she used on Adam last night!' He did the first thing that came to his mind; dodge. The Petrosapien side stepped Yang and she sailed right past him, her eyes widening in shock.

Yang tuck and rolled along the arena floor and whirled back around to the crystalline alien. "Hey! How'd you see that coming?!"

"Easy, you did the same thing to Adam last night." Diamondhead answered.

Yang blinked twice in realization. "Huh, guess I did."

Suddenly, Yang could hear her sister shouting to her from the sidelines; "C'mon sis! You can do this! Don't let him psyche you out!"

"Believe me Rubes, I know!" Yang called back, her eyes never leaving her opponent. "He's just a tough nut to crack, that's all! Besides, I'm kinda enjoying myself right now." She was looking up and down the alien, looking for anything that resembled a weak point. Her focus was then brought to the giant crystal spikes jutting out of his back. 'Bingo!' she thought with a smirk.

Diamondhead smiled. "Heh, glad I'm giving you a good fight. And I'm also enjoying this myself." He widened his stance and brought his fists back up. "But now I think it's time to end our little dance."

Yang smiled right back. "Couldn't agree more!" Yang charged at Diamondhead and slid down again. She had formed a plan during that short interlude and she hoped he would take the bait. Sure enough, he did. Diamondhead bent over and blocked the gap under his legs by slamming his fist on the ground in front of him, intending to stop her. Yang's smirk grew. 'Hook, line and sinker.' Shestopped mid-slide, tucked her legs underneath herself and quickly jumped up over Diamondhead, catching him off-guard.

As she went over him, Yang grabbed onto Diamondhead's shoulder spikes. Just as she grabbed hold, she fired her Ember Celica to give her more force to her fall, her eyes changing from violet to red in an instant. When she landed behind him, her fall combined with the extra force provided by her gauntlets, along with her own enhanced strength, gave Yang just enough power to flip Diamondhead right over herself and send him careening out of the arena and into the nearest opposing wall, ending the match.

"Ring-out: Ben!" Tai announced. "The winner is YANG!"

As the bleachers erupted into cheers, Yang slowly lowered herself to the ground, propping herself on her arms and knees to catch her breath. The feat of lifting the heavy alien over her head had taken all of her strength, and she was exhausted from it. 'Note to self, don't try to lift Diamondhead again.' She looked up to see her opponent, in a daze and embedded in the wall inside a crater made by his own impact. She smiled at him. 'Good fight Ben, you really showed me what you're made of today.' she glanced off to she side as she added; 'I rather enjoyed our little dance.' Yang got up, dusted herself off and made her way over to Diamondhead, intending to get him out of the wall.

As Diamondhead's vision returned to him, he shook his head out of the daze he was in... only to find out he was stuck in a wall. "Wait... what the...?"

Suddenly, he heard Yang's voice call to him. "See? Told ya you'd get thrown around!" He looked down to see the Blonde Brawler, smiling up at him with her arms crossed, her eyes bright and jovial. "Gotta hand it to ya Ben, you put up one hell of a fight. Awesome job!"

Diamondhead blinked. "Did... did you just throw me?"

"Yep! How else did you get up there? Couldn't have done it to yourself right? That'd just be masochistic."

After a few moments, Diamondhead slowly let out a few chuckles, followed by all-out laughing. "HAHAHA! Oh my god! I can't believe you threw me across the room! That was awesome!"

"Glad you think so, now get down from there, you owe me a smoothie." Yang offered a hand of assistance.

"Heh, right." Diamondhead grabbed her hand and she pulled... only for him to not budge.

"Huh? What the heck?" Yang asked.

"Um..." The Petrosaipen tried moving himself around a little only to realize that... "Uh, the crystals on my back seem to be... stuck."

It was Yang's turn to burst out laughing as Diamondhead continued to try and pry himself off the wall. "HAHAHA! You big goof! Just change back!"

"Ah, right again." In a bright green flash, Ben was back to normal. He hopped down from the crater and landed on his feet, a grin forming on his face. "Yang, I have to say I did NOT see that coming. I've been tossed around a lot of times but your method was a first."

"Well, guess it's a good thing you were so hard-headed then." Yang joked.

"Ha, yeah, but that didn't stop me from getting all Ben-t out of shape now did it?"

Yang's eyes widened in surprise. 'A comeback? Huh, I don't usually get those. Better think of something to counter with quick!' She was pulled back out of her thoughts when she heard Ben speaking to her.

"Uh, Yang... what's wrong? Was it really THAT bad?'

"Oh! No no no, it was great! It's just..." she smirked. "I'm the Queen of Puns here mister, and you coming on to my turf like this is liable to make me Yang-ry."

Ben's smile grew 'And now a new game has begun.' "Oh, I apologize." Ben reached down and picked up a discarded crystal shard, holding it up to Yang. "I guess that fact wasn't so crystal clear to me."

Yang plucked the shard out of his hand. "Sorry Ben, but like most crystal," she grabbed the other end and broke the shard in half, "I like to shatter expectations."

Ben shrugged. "Aw well, I'm sure I have more Omni-Tricks up my sleeve to show you."

"Oh, I'd be more than happy for a rematch, you'd just better Watch your back."

"What, you think I'm yellow-bellied Goldie Locks?"

"Well, you're certainly looking green from all these puns. Sure you don't wanna stop?"

Before Ben could retort, Gwen got between the two and held her arms out in front of them. "YES, please stop! Before... you make... me puke." She looked back and forth between them to make sure her message came across. "Look, if you two want to make awful puns, could you please take them to a smoothie shop so that Ben can make do on his promise. Please?"

"Well Gwen, first of all," Ben pointed out, "our puns are not awful."

"Yeah, c'mon Red," Yang added. "Where's your sense of humor?"

"In a shallow grave, along with the puns." Gwen deadpanned.

"And secondly... yeah I should hold up my end of the bargain." Ben pulled out his Lien card out of his jacket pocket. "Looks like this little thing's gonna see its first use soon."

"Looks like." Yang agreed. "And thanks."

"Hey, you won fair and square. I've got nothing to complain about that."

"Cool, so what time is it now?"

Ben checked the watch function on the Omnitrix. "1:30, perfect time for a smoothie."

"Well then let's go! There's a place I know in town that makes great smoothies!"

"Lead the way." Ben turned back around to Tai. "Oh, and sorry about your practice room Tai, I'll clean it up later."

Tai chuckled. "Ben, it's really not a problem. I'm just glad I got to see you and my daughter put on one hell of a show for us! We'll see ya later."

Ben nodded and he followed Yang out of the secret facility, leaving the others to their own devices. Gwen meanwhile was smiling at the two as they left. 'Those two really are quite the pair.' she thought. She was pulled back to reality when she heard Ruby give out a sudden shout of joy:

"HAHA! YES!" She said as she held the 3DS aloft. "I finally found a Ralts! And it's... huh? Hey Gwen, what does it mean when a Ralts is pink, blue and sparkly?"

The shock hit Gwen so much that her legs suddenly felt like jelly, but she had to stay upright to make sure Ruby caught that Ralts.

A/N: And there you have it! Yang won! Now this won't be the only time the two spar with each other, because like Ben said, there are plenty more aliens in that watch that can give her a challenge. Okay, so Next Time: just how long can a conversation between two people last when they're drinking smoothies? Longer than you might think when the two are Ben and Yang. See ya!

P.S. Gotta love those lucky random encounters eh? A little story for you: every time I've played through regular Sapphire I have ALWAYS run into a shiny Zigzagoon. No joke, it's really weird.

A/N: Okay, so this chapter is pretty special to me since it's technically Ben and Yang's first unofficial "date". You can tell that these two grew on me pretty quick. With that said, this is...

Chapter 10: Stories and Smoothies

It had been a half hour since Ben and Yang finished their little spar in Tai's secret training grounds, Yang having emerged the victor. Now, the two were making their way into town on Bumblebee, with Ben intending to keep his promise of paying for a couple smoothies, the flavor being Yang's to choose. As they rode through the town, Ben was able to take a few glances around. It was a quaint, adequate sized township with pleasant people walking the streets, almost as if what happened the day before had not happened at all. A few people even waved at them, though they were most likely waving to Yang since she was a local too.

Yang pulled over to the sidewalk and hopped off her bike, a proud smile on her face. "Well Ben, this is it. Welcome to Patchwork, the town that I basically grew up in."

Ben took a better look around and came to a conclusion. "Huh, you know, it's actually pretty peaceful here. Kinda wish my hometown of Bellwood was more like this."

"Why? You live in a big city or something?"

"Eh, kind of. Bellwood's really weird. They call it a town but it IS actually more like a city, it's just not a really big one."

"Hmm, weird." Yang walked over to the nearest building, a small burger joint that had two vacant tables out front and many more inside. "So, other than the smoothies, you want anything else while we're here? It's on me if you still got the smoothies."

"Tempting, but you won the bet Yang, so if we want anything else I'll happily pay." Ben was about to walk in when Yang stopped him by putting her hand on his shoulder.

"Oh no you don't Green Boy. The smoothies may be on you, but you're my guest and you haven't had anything to eat besides hospital food since you got here. You need something decent in you, so you'll get something decent in you. I'll pay for the food."

Ben was hesitant. "You're sure? Because I can always..."

"Ben, its fine. Besides, it's the least I can do after you gave me that good of a fight." Yang reassured with a smile. "Trust me."

"...I'm not winning this am I?"

Yang shook her head, her smile never leaving. "Nuh-uh."

Ben sighed. "Alright, but I'll be paying next time. Only fair right?"

Yang smirked and raised a single eyebrow. "Next time?"

"Erm... well... you know what I mean." Ben had to resist the small blush that crept onto his cheeks. 'Jeez Tennyson, nice word choice.' he chastised himself. 'Next thing you blurt out will be: "Hey I'm single".'

As Ben tried to collect himself, Yang couldn't help but giggle at his little awkward moment. "Ben, it's okay, I know what you meant. I'm just being a tease is all. It's kinda my thing."

Ben cleared his throat, his face turning back to its normal color. "Oh, okay then. So... you wanna eat inside or out?"

"I think I'd like outside actually. It's a good day and we're going to get so few of those once fall actually starts to get here."

"Alright, outside it is." The duo went inside and went up to the counter. "Now, since you won, you also get to choose the flavor. So, what'll it be?"

After giving it some thought, Yang delivered her answer; "I think I'm in the mood for some strawberry-watermelon."

"Ooh, looking for something fruity huh? I'm down with that." Ben ordered two strawberry-watermelon smoothies and Yang ordered the food, two burgers with a side of chili-fries. After paying and a ten minute wait, their food was ready and the two took it outside, sitting down at one of the tables. As Ben bit into his burger, he couldn't help but sigh in content. "Oh man, after the food from this morning, this is exactly what I needed."

Yang chuckled as she took a sip of her smoothie. "See? Told ya you needed something in your system that doesn't taste like cardboard."

Ben smiled. "Heh, duly noted." He looked around the town again, many brick and wood buildings liking the streets. "So, you grew up here huh? Must have been nice to live in a place like this."

Yang shrugged. "Yeah, I guess. Ruby certainly thought so, she loves this place. As for me, I don't hate my home, but I always wanted to see what was outside of it. You know, see the world. I'm a bit of a thrill seeker if you haven't noticed."

"Huh, really? I never would have guessed." Ben smirked.

The Blonde Brawler rolled her eyes. "Alright wise-ass, leave the snarky comments for training."

Ben gave a mock-salute. "I will try my best ma'am! No more wise-assery from here!" That got Yang to laugh, and Ben wasn't far behind as he two went into a series of chuckles. When the laughter died down, Ben resumed talking. "But seriously, this IS a pretty nice place."

"Yeah." Yang looked down the road, her gaze settling on a rather large building with several towers topped with steeples. "See that big building? That's Signal Academy, the school that I graduated from before going to Beacon."

Ben turned around and his eyes found the school. "Ah, cool. And I'm guessing that's where your dad teaches too?"

"Yep, along with Uncle Qrow, whenever they're not on missions anyway."

"I see." Ben looked at the school with a grin. "Man, I wish I could've gone to a high school where you learn how to fight. I definitely wouldn't have dropped out of the one."

Yang's eyes widened at the revelation. "You're a high school drop-out?"

Ben rubbed the back of his head. "Well when you put it like that you make it sound bad."

"That's cause it kind of IS." Yang emphasized. "Why would you have to drop...?" She saw Ben pointing to the Omnitrix and she immediately got the message. "Oh... right. Sorry."

Ben smiled. "Hey, no need to apologize. When it came down to it, I had to make the decision myself. Quite honestly, I probably made the right choice. Grades are kind of hard to keep up when you have to save the world. Even then, they won't matter if the world's destroyed anyway."

"Yeah, I get ya." Yang admitted. "But hey, I'm guessing it isn't all bad. More time for personal stuff when you're not fighting bad guys right?"

"Well yeah... almost." Ben glanced down at his meal with a hint of remorse.

The statement left Yang confused and concerned. "Ben, are you okay?"

Ben looked up quickly. "Oh, y-yeah I'm fine. It's just... I was kind of going through a rough time before we came here." His smile returned. "But you know what? Ever since we got here I've been feeling better."

"Really? Even though you're in a dimension with no idea how to get home? Don't you miss your family? They have to be worried about you."

"Oh, of course I miss them, and I'm equally worried about them too. But I still have my cousin, my grandpa, and my best friend here with me. And to top it all off, I've been given the privilege to meet some of the most awesome people ever; you guys."

Yang leaned back in her chair with a proud grin. "Well, we are pretty awesome."

Ben smirked. "Now don't get a swelled head over this. That's a hubris waiting to happen."

"Right, and I don't suppose you've ever gotten cocky in your ENTIRE life?"

Ben wore a guilty smile. "Eh, I was a dumb ten-year-old who was just gifted an alien watch from outer space. Sue me."

"For ten-billion Lien." Yang took a bite out of her burger before going on. "Actually, now that I think about it, how DID you get the Omnitrix?"

"Oh yeah!" Ben realized. "I never really did tell you the specifics, huh?"

"Nope, so let's hear it." The blonde took a sip of her smoothie in anticipation.

"Well let's see." Ben began. "The Omnitirx was being transported across the galaxy by an alien woman named Xylene, an old friend of my grandpa's. She came under attack by Vilgax, an alien warlord who also happened to be my grandfather's sworn enemy. Seeing no other option, Xylene jettisoned the Omnitrix to the nearest planet: Earth. The pod it was in was programmed to find my grandfather's DNA and home in on it. But, since I share some of his DNA, I ended up being the target."

"So what happened after you got it?"

"Well, I couldn't get it off at the time, so I decided to try and use it to help people." Ben now sported a nostalgic smile on his face. "Heh, I probably won't ever forget that summer."

"It must have been special for you huh?

"Yeah, not only did I get to fight bad guys and save the world, it was also when Gwen and I learned to not despise each other."

Yang was surprised by that. "You and Gwen used to hate each other?"

"Well, not hate, more like we found each other annoying. That's where the whole "dweeb" and "doofus" name-calling comes from. See, it started all because we shared the same birthday and it got worse ever since. But we've put all of that behind us. Now, we're closer than ever. She's kind of like my rock."

"Wow, now that's pretty cool. So what about Kevin, what's his deal?"

"Oh, I met him that summer too, but under... different circumstances. It all started when I got into a bad argument with my grandpa. I got us kicked out of our hotel when I broke a big rule."

"Ooh shame on you Benjamin." Yang wagged her finger at him jokingly.

"Hey, dumb ten-year-old, remember? Anyway, I went off on my own and met up with Kevin at an arcade. From there, we got into more and more trouble until I realized that he wasn't really a good guy. He used his powers for his own gain, something that my grandpa taught me was the worst thing you could do."

"Wait, so are you telling me that Kevin was a bad guy once?"

"Oh yeah, and that wouldn't be the last time we fought. We beat each other up many times over that summer, ending when Kevin was sent to the Null Void, kind of an extra-dimensional jail for alien criminals. He managed to get out years later and we made amends. It took a while, but now he's my best bud."

"And Gwen's beau, right?" Yang smirked cheekily.

"Ha, yeah, but that's a WHOLE other story. You'd have to see my cousin for that one."

"Oh, definitely." Yang commented before munching down on a chili fry. "So, on a different topic, other than dinosaurs and Pokémon, what other cool stuff do you have in your world?"

"Well let's see..." Ben counted off on his fingers. "In terms of pop-culture, the first things that immediately pop in my head are; superheroes, robots that can change into vehicles, teenage talking reptiles who know martial arts, adventures beyond time and space, giant monsters that wreck cities and fight one another, pastel colored horses that teach lessons about friendship—Gwen's a BIG fan of that one—and, get this: a franchise about a man whose endless quest to become stronger has continually put his world in danger, yet he always is able to save it."

"Really? How?"

"Usually involves a lot of fighting, energy blasting, screaming and tons of form changes involving spiky blonde hair."

After a moment's pause, Yang leaned in slightly, her interest piqued. "Tell me more."

A little while after Ben and Yang had left, Gwen, Ruby, Jaune and Pyrrha were on their way back to the house as well, the others staying behind to get a head start on their training. The latter two would have stayed with the others to at least spectate as they trained, but Pyrrha decided to get the bumpy ride back to the house over with. As the quartet strolled down the dirt path through the woods, Gwen and Ruby were looking down at the 3DS, Gwen thinking to herself; 'Okay, when I loaned her my copy of Omega Ruby, this is the last thing I expected to happen.'

Gwen looked to Ruby and spoke her thoughts. "I hope you know how lucky you are Miss Rose. I'd be more jealous if I hadn't already bred one with a Modest nature. It took an eternity, but it was worth it." On the screen, the two were looking at Ruby's newest acquisition; a shiny female Ralts with the ability Synchronize, and a Timid nature.

Ruby was staring at the screen with amazement. "Gwen, remind me what the chances are again?"

"In Generation 6 and onward, there's a one in four-thousand and ninety-six chance that you can run into a random shiny. THAT is how lucky you are."

"I will cherish her forever." The Hooded Huntress replied as she caressed the screen.

"You'd better. I'm just glad I got you to save your game immediately after you caught her."

Jaune chimed in. "I'm sorry Gwen, but did I hear you say that you bred a shiny Ralts?"

"Oh yeah, Pokémon breeding IS a thing in the games. It has its uses like trying for a shiny or breeding a move onto a certain Pokémon. For example, Ruby, you know the Poochyena you caught earlier right?"

"The one that stuck its tail up from the grass? Yeah, he was my first catch." Ruby replied.

"Well, the move that he has, Ice Fang, is an egg move. He can't learn Ice Fang normally."

"Oh, well that's neat!" Ruby went back to her game, sending out one of her Pokemon, a Wurmple, into a wild encounter.

"Wow." Pyrrha said. "It sounds quite complicated."

"It is," Gwen confirmed, "and if you can believe it, people devote themselves to breeding so much that they can remember all of this information by heart."

"HOW?!" Jaune exclaimed in disbelief.

"I have no clue, and quite honestly, I kind of don't want to."

"Hey Gwen!" Ruby exclaimed as she showed the 3DS to the redhead. "What's going on? I just leveled up my Wurmple and then this screen showed up!"

Gwen got a closer look and she realized what Ruby had meant the moment she saw the prompt; "What? Wurmple's evolving!" It was the evolution screen... something that Gwen had purposefully neglected to mention. Gwen smiled and said; "Ruby, you're in for a treat." Gwen pressed the A button and Ruby's Wurmple began to spin around, a bright orb of light engulfing it. Ruby's eyes widened and after a few seconds, the light flashed and dissipated, revealing a purple cocoon with red eyes. The small ball shaped monster suddenly protruded multiple spikes from itself while giving out a cry, the spikes going back in soon after. The prompt now read; "Congratulations! Your Wurmple evolved into Cascoon!" while a fanfare played in the background.

"...WHAT?!" Ruby yelled.

Gwen's smile grew. "Oh yeah, did I mention that many Pokémon are able to evolve into more powerful forms when they reach a certain level?"

Ruby, still in shock, gave her answer. "No! No you didn't! I probably would have remembered that if you did!"

"Huh, must have slipped my mind."

"D-does that mean my Torchic will evolve too? And my Ralts?"

"Yep, so will your Poochyena and Zigzagoon. But don't forget that you're going to be finding many more Pokémon as you travel through Hoenn, so you've got plenty more to meet."

Ruby had a big grin on her face as she looked back at the screen and her new Cascoon. "This game just gets better and better!" She hit the A button again and there came another prompt; "Cascoon learned Harden!" causing Ruby to ask: "Uh, Gwen? What's Harden?"

"It's a move that raises defense. If you find a Cascoon in the wild, it's the only move it knows. Don't worry, it only takes another three levels before it evolves again. Then it'll see some decent use. For a little while at least."

"What does that mean?"

"Well... early game Pokemon are usually outclassed by other Pokémon found later in the game. Your Torchic and Ralts are exceptions, but the other three are likely to have an uphill battle later on. But it's your team Ruby, it's up to you what you do with it."

"Oh... okay." Ruby said in slight disappointment.

Gwen draped an arm over the younger girl's shoulder. "Hey, I know how it feels to get attached to your early game Pokémon. Especially after playing with them in Amie. The people over at Gamefreak are evil geniuses like that. But like I said, you can keep them around if you want. Besides, it's not like your releasing them. If you do decide to switch them out for another Pokémon, they'll still be in your PC whenever you need them."

Ruby smiled. "Thanks Gwen. I guess I'm just really excited to do something so new to me."

"Hey, I get it. I was like that when Ben first got me into the game YEARS ago. You're not the only one who tried to go through the entire game with a bug in your party. Now, how far till we reach the house?"

"Ahem, Gwen?" Pyrrha spoke. "We got here three minutes ago."

Gwen looked up in surprise to see the log house standing right in front of them. "Huh, I guess time does fly when you're having fun."

Ruby grinned and laughed. "Or when you're nerding out right?"

Gwen laughed as well. "Haha, yeah exactly."

"And that is the basic spoiler-free gist of the Dragon Ball franchise." Ben concluded.

Yang sat there dumbfounded for all of two seconds before breaking out into a smile. "That sounds so freaking cool!"

Ben chuckled. "Hehe, yeah. I still can't get over how much of a world-wide phenomenon it became when it was introduced to western audiences, same with Pokémon. The 90's were a crazy time. Or so I'm told. I was born just after they had ended."

"Eh, any decade that introduces such awesome stuff like that is okay in my book." Yang said with a shrug. She picked up her smoothie and took a sip.

A smirk came to Ben's face. 'Perhaps it's time to resume our little game.' He cleared his throat and spoke up. "So, is that smoothie going down smooth enough for you Yang?"

Yang stopped mid-sip and looked Ben straight on, her own sly grin forming. She'd caught on to him. "Well, I don't know about you, but I think the strawberry is berry, berry delicious. What about yours?"

"Yeah, it's good. But when it comes to watermelon, I'm kind of melon-choly."

"Aw, well then I guess it's not as smoothie sailing for you as it is for me."

"Well if that's the case..." Ben took the top off of his cup. "You're about to make me flip my lid." He flipped the lid over and balanced it back on the cup.

"That's the last straw Tennyson!" Yang took her straw and lightly poked Ben's nose with it.

"Hey! C'mon Yang, can't we just smoothie things over a little bit?"

"Smooth Ben, real smooth."

The two stared each other down for all of three seconds before bursting out into uncontrollable laughter, earning confused looks from passersby. After a few moments of joyful guffaws, the two managed to collect themselves. Ben smiled at the blonde girl. "Yang, has anyone ever told you that you're a riot?"

"Many times, but I could say the same about you!" Yang complemented. "I've never met anyone who could consistently keep up with my puns."

"Then it pleases me to be the first." Ben fixed the lid to his drink and took another sip. "So, tell me, what was it like growing up here?"

"Eh, you know, learning how to fight, going to combat school, killing Grimm, pretty standard for a huntress in training. Just me, Ruby, dad and sometimes Uncle Qrow living the good life."

"So just you guys huh?"

"Well... not exactly." Yang looked down at her smoothie with a stern expression.

Ben had picked up on her upset state rather quick. "Yang? Are you okay?"

Yang's head shot back up. "Oh, yeah I'm good. It's just..." she glanced off to the side. "...complicated is all."

Ben held up a hand. "That's fine, we don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."

"Thanks, but it's probably best if I just get this out there right now." Yang took a deep breath and exhaled. "Ruby and I are actually half-sisters."

Ben's eyes widened. "Oh, okay that kind of makes sense."

"Yeah, Ruby's mom, and whom I consider my real mother, Summer Rose, was probably one of the coolest moms ever. Cookies, bed-time stories, kissing boo-boos, monster-killer, the whole package."

"Oh, she's a huntress?"

"Yeah, well... she was a huntress."

Ben's eyes widened as he saw the forlorn look on Yang's face. It made him feel extremely guilty for bringing the subject up. "Oh my gosh, Yang I... I am so sorry."

"It's okay Ben, it happened years ago, I've done my share of grieving already. Mom was a huntress to the end. She loved what she did as much as she loved all of us, and she's the kind of person that I aspire to be like."

Ben smiled. "I think that's pretty cool." Yang smiled back before the hero continued. "Alright, so Summer Rose was a kick-ass woman, so what about..."

Yang looked off into the distance and narrowed her eyes. "Raven."

"Okay so... wait a minute... Raven... and your Uncle Qrow... they're siblings aren't they?"

Yang rolled her eyes. "Gee, how'd ya guess?"

"Kinda hard NOT to guess what with them both being named after birds. So, what DO you know about her?"

Yang shrugged. "I know that she left when I was a baby. Dad never likes to talk about her and Qrow even less so. But... I made it my personal mission to find her and ask her why she left us. And after seventeen years of never meeting her... I finally did a few months back after she saved me on a train."

Ben's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Really? Did she say anything?"

The blonde scowled. "No, she didn't. Hell, she was wearing a mask so I didn't even get a good look at her. But Qrow actually had a message from her to give to me."

"And that was?"

"That she had saved me once... and to not expect that kindness again."

Ben sat back, taking the words in. "Wow, cold."

"You can say that again. But I'm not gonna stop looking for her. I still want answers and by god I'm gonna get them."

"I like your attitude, but where would you even start?"

"Well, Uncle Qrow also gave me some tips on where she might be. But, heh, after last night I doubt any of us will be ready to go anywhere for a while."

"Right," Ben agreed, "now's definitely not the time to go off to who knows where. But hey, you've got a lot of people who are ready to support you Yang, myself included. When the time is right, I'll help you find your mom, promise."

Yang's smile finally returned. "Thanks Ben, that really means a lot." After a moment's pause, Yang decided that a change of subject was required. "So, you mentioned that this isn't the first time you've dimension-hopped. So what WAS the first?"

Ben let out a laugh. "Ha, oh yeah, now there's a story that needs telling. Yang, allow me to tell you the tale about how I met a dude named Rex Salazar."

When Jaune had agreed to help Gwen unpack everything that they had brought in from Kevin's car, he hadn't expected to be setting up multiple game consoles. Not that he wasn't experienced in the practice, he WAS an avid gamer after all, but the consoles were just so different from the ones from his own world. He didn't know what this Nintendo game company was, but Ben and Gwen must have been big fans since they had three different types of consoles from them. A Super Nintendo, a Nintendo 64, and a Gamecube to be precise. But Kevin had his own console, a silver rectangular one that Gwen had said was a Playstation 2.

"Gwen, you're just lucky that composite cables are universal." Jaune called over to her as he showed the red, white and yellow plugs. "I'm surprised you guys still use this kind of set-up."

"Oh, not for more modern consoles," Gwen explained as she and Pyrrha went through the different types of video games, "We use HDMI cables for those. But the boys and I grew up with these consoles so those are the ones we like to take with us."

Jaune nodded. "I understand. Still, we're lucky that we still even have these types of cables installed on our video players, otherwise we'd be screwed."

"Indeed," Pyrrha spoke up as she stored the cartridges and game boxes on the shelves of the TV stand, "we have not had to use this kind of technology in a long time." She picked up another cartridge and read the title; The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. 'Hmm, intriguing.' Pyrrha noted to herself. 'Better keep this one in mind.' She picked up another one that read; The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask. 'And by proxy, this one as well.' It was then that she noticed that there were in fact three more Legend of Zelda games in the bin that had been brought in. "Gwen, just how many Legend of Zelda's are there?"

"Oh Pyrrha," Gwen smiled, "you've just stumbled upon one of my favorite game franchises. I only have five with me, but there are many more back in our world."

"Hmm, interesting."

"Would you like me to show you how to play?"

"If it wouldn't be too much trouble, yes."

"Oh, no trouble at all." Gwen waved off. "Believe me, any day I can show a Zelda game to someone is a good day."

Pyrrha smiled back. "Thank you Gwen, it's much appreciated."

Meanwhile, Ruby was just finishing up putting all of the Alien Trio's DVD binders onto the shelves. She had no idea what was in them, but in her mind she knew that the five large zippered up cases held untold secrets from a far off world that she had to see. She couldn't help herself. Ruby took one back down and unzipped it to see what it contained. The moment she opened it, her jaw opened in surprise. "Gwen!"

"Yes Ruby? What's up?"

"Why didn't you tell me that Pokémon had a TV show?!" The Hooded Huntress flipped the binder around and presented the page of four discs to Gwen, who immediately recognized it as the first discs of Season 1.

The redheaded Anodite chuckled. "Oh yeah, like all big franchises, Pokémon has had a TV show nearly since its inception, coming out about a year after the original games."

Ruby giggled with glee as she started turning the pages of the binder, looking at all the different Pokemon designs printed on the DVDs. It was then that she noticed that... there were A LOT of discs. "Gwen, how many seasons of this show are there?"

"Well, we only have the first eight in that binder since those are the ones that have been released so far, but currently there have been twenty-one seasons of the show."

Ruby almost dropped the binder out of shock. "Twenty-one?!"

Jaune was surprised too. "Wait, so does that mean that Pokémon's been around for...?"

"Over twenty-one years, yes." Gwen answered.

"Oh my." Pyrrha commented. "That is a pretty impressive amount of time for a single franchise to last."

"If you think that's impressive, you should see other franchises that have lasted even longer than that."

"Well, either way," Ruby said with a big grin. "I know what I'm binge watching!"

"And that's fine Ruby," Gwen assured, "Just don't lose sight of your training okay? That's part of the reason why we came here remember?"

"Oh I know, but c'mon, I've never seen stuff like this before! I just wanna know so much about the world you come from!"

Gwen smiled. "I'm glad you're enthusiastic about all this Ruby, but let's get everything unpacked first, then we can watch the show okay?"

Ruby sighed in slight disappointment. "Okay then." Ruby closed the binder and went over to Gwen, but then her eye caught sight of the clock on the wall. "Hey, it's 4 o'clock. Shouldn't those two be back by now?"

Gwen pondered for a moment. "Hmm, I'll check in, they're probably fine, but it wouldn't hurt." Gwen pulled out her Plumber badge and contacted her cousin.

Back in town, Yang was trying to comprehend the story that Ben had just finished telling her, their food and smoothies having been finished and thrown in the trash. "Man, Ben you live one crazy life."

Ben nodded. "Yep, I've come to accept that fact a long time ago."

"So after you and Rex beat Alpha, what happened after that? Did you guys ever meet up again?"

"Not yet so far, but I know we will someday."

"And what about the Alpha Nanite?"

"Well... he's actually responsible for us being here in the first place."

"Seriously?!" Yang exclaimed in surprise. "How?"

"Well, after Vilgax broke out of prison yesterday, we managed to confront him before he got away. But as Grandpa Max had gotten a Null Void projector ready, the projector burst apart and a portal opened up. It must have led to the Null Void itself because Alpha clawed his way out of it. But just as he did, a bolt of lightning came down and struck him and the portal, causing it to destabilize. Before you know it, here we are."

After a moment, Yang came to a definitive conclusion; "Like I said before, your life is crazy."

"Heh, yeah, guess so." Just as he was about to move on to a different topic, Ben noticed that the sun had gone down quite a bit since they'd arrived. "Huh, that's odd."

"What is it?" Yang asked.

"The sun's lower. We couldn't have been here for that long." Ben checked the time on the Omnitrix and his brows shot up. "4 o'clock?! We've been here two hours?!"

"You're kidding! It feels like it's only been what, forty-five minutes?"

"Jeez, time flies huh?" Suddenly, the Omnitrix started beeping, signaling that someone was using a Plumber badge to communicate with him. He pressed down on it and said; "Hello?"

"Hi Ben." Gwen answered on the other end.

"Hey Gwen what's up?"

"Sorry to cut into your little outing, I just wanted to see how you guys were doing."

Ben cleared his throat. "Yeah, things are going well Gwen, we just lost track of the time is all."

Yang moved to the other side of the table and talked into the Omnitrix. "It's okay Gwen, I haven't gotten your cousin into any trouble! Promise!"

On the other end, Gwen let out a small laugh. "Good to know Yang. Ruby, Jaune, Pyrrha and I are actually back at the house."

"'Kay," Ben said, "we'll be back in a bit. I'd imagine that everyone else is on their way back too."

"Yeah, probably. Alright guys, see you soon!" The Omnitrix beeped again, ending the call.

"Well, looks like we're going home." Yang got up from the table and made her way over to Bumblebee, Ben following soon after.

"Looks like, but I gotta say that I'm glad I got to see the town a bit, AND put some food in my gut." Ben admitted.

"See? A win-win. And thanks for the smoothie. It was awesome." Yang mounted Bumblebee and put on her aviators.

"Sure, no problem! Though I have to admit, I was a bit disappointed that they don't carry my own favorite flavors." Ben put on his helmet and got on Bumblebee as well.

"And those would be?"

"...Promise not to judge?"

"Of course not. Why would I judge you over a smoothie flavor?"

"Well... I kind of like chocolate and carrot smoothies... mixed together."

Ben was slightly worried when an answer didn't come right off the bat, but after a few moments, Yang responded. "...Dude, hardcore."

A smile came to the young hero's face. "Thanks Yang. You have no idea how many times Gwen and Kevin have told me how gross it sounds. But it's surprisingly good, if you can believe it."

"Really? May have to try it sometime then." Yang started up Bumblebee and turned back to Ben. "You ready?" Ben gave her a nod. "Then let's ride!" Yang pulled Bumblebee away from the curb and zoomed down Patchwork's main street, all the while thinking to herself; 'You know what Ben? If there ever is a next time, I'd be down for it.'

A/N: Alright! Another chapter done! The next chapter will be what concludes this first series of reposts on A03, so tune in tomorrow for another bunch of chapters as well. Anyway, Next Chapter! This next one will conclude the gang's first day on Patch. And what better way to do that than just simply hanging out? See Ya!

P.S. Can you guess what franchises Ben was talking about? You know, other than the obvious?

A/N: Alright, new chapter ready to go! And then tomorrow, we'll have another fresh batch up as well! After this one is through, we'll be seeing more of the training aspect of this series, though we won't be short of fun character moments either. A little action every now and then never hurt right? Now, let's get on with it shall we? This is...

Chapter 11: Twelve Teens Under One Roof

Gwen Tennyson wasn't usually one for borrowing clothes, but on one hand, Ruby was generously offering, and on the other, the redhead was still wearing the same things that she wore yesterday. It was a no-brainer on what she had to choose. The sun was beginning to set so tomorrow would have to be another day for shopping around. Until then, a short-sleeved red t-shirt and a pair of white shorts would suit her just fine. She was about to exit the bathroom she had changed in when a knock came at the door. "Just a second!" she called back.

"Gwen?" she heard Pyrrha answer from the other side. "Oh, I'm so glad I found you."

Gwen opened the door and looked downward to Pyrrha in her wheelchair. "Hey, Pyrrha. Need help with something?"

"Well... yes." On her lap were a set of clothes; an orangey-yellow t-shirt and grey sweatpants. "Ruby lent me some of Yang's old clothes and... well..."

"You need help getting them on?" Gwen guessed.

Pyrrha sighed. "Unfortunatley. My armor takes a while to remove and I have to work around my cast, so if it wouldn't be too much trouble? Please?"

Gwen smiled. "Of course. Here let me get you in."

"Oh no need, I'm perfectly capable of rolling in myself." Suddenly, the wheelchair rolled into the bathroom... by itself. "There, see?"

Gwen blinked in shock. "H-how did you do that?"

"Oh, my semblance is polarity. I can magnetically control any metal object, including the wheels on this chair."

Gwen sighed. "You know, can I just say that I'm kind of envious of your guys' cool powers?"

Pyrrha chuckled. "Well, I think it's pretty cool that you can control mana. That must take a lot of skill."

"It does. Now, let's get started shall we?" Gwen began to carefully remove Pyrrha's armor and clothing, making sure not to disturb the cast. All the while, Pyrrha seemed to be in a contemplative state, her eyes shifting in between Gwen and the window that faced the backyard. Finally, she gave in.

"Gwen, I need to tell you something."

"Sure, shoot."

"Well... Jaune and I still haven't talked about what happened last night."

"Really? You haven't tried to?"

"Well, I have... but whenever we find ourselves alone he becomes... distant, almost nervous I think. Do you... do you think he might be afraid of me?"

"Afraid of you personally or of confronting what happened? Because I'm going to have to go with the latter."

"Well I understand that but... I'm worried that... I might have ruined our friendship with that kiss."

"Pyrrha, I can tell you right now that that notion is ridiculous." Gwen stated firmly. "Answer me this: who has been the one who's always behind your wheelchair?"

"Jaune." Pyrrha answered. "But..."

"Uh-uh, who carried you in and out of the Rustbucket when we had to get here? Plus up and down the basement steps?"

"Jaune of course, but..."

"And most importantly: who said that he couldn't stand the thought of losing you?"

Pyrrha was stunned into silence as the words that he'd spoken to her last night when they were reunited came back to her memory. She answered her fellow redhead. "Jaune did."

Gwen smiled. "Exactly. Jaune obviously cares about you Pyrrha. Of that, I can guarantee. But let me tell you something; when a guy just gets kissed like that without any warning; his brain becomes a jumbled mess of emotions, just like Ben said. Something tells me that he's still trying to work through all of them. For all we know... you might have stolen his first kiss."

Pyrrha sat in stunned silence for a moment. "Gwen, what would be an apt word for my situation?"

Gwen pondered before replying; "Crap baskets?"

"Very good. Crap baskets it is then."

Gwen couldn't help but giggle. "Pyrrha, you don't have to worry about anything, he'll come around, once he's sorted everything out that is."

Pyrrha smiled at her friend. "Thank you Gwen, I appreciate your advice."

"You're very welcome." Gwen smiled back. "Now, let's get these clothes on you." Gwen carefully put on the grey sweatpants first, making sure to stretch them over Pyrrha's cast, settling the cuff under her knee. The Anodite then took Yang's old t-shirt and unfolded it. "Alright, hold your arms up."

Pyrrha complied. "I do hope it fits. Yang and I don't really share a body type if you catch my drift."

Gwen rolled her eyes. "Yes I do, but that doesn't mean it won't fit. You'll be able to fill it out, promise."

"If you say so." Pyrrha lifted her arms and Gwen put the shirt on her, the garment fitting pretty well. Pyrrha grinned and pumped her arms up in the air. "Success!

Gwen chuckled. "Alright Nikos, let's get back to the basement. It's time for an adventure in video gaming."

As Bumblebee pulled into the driveway of the Xiao-Long house hold, the duo that was riding the motorbike noticed a certain blonde knight standing outside, looking out to the horizon and the setting sun. He was out of his usual hoodie and armor and now wore a white t-shirt with blue gym shorts, clothing that Yang had immediately recognized as her dad's. It was then that she realized; 'Shit, we forgot to get new clothes for everyone today didn't we?'

As the bike came to a stop, Jaune turned around and waved to them. "Hey guys!"

Ben took off his helmet and dismounted Bumblebee, giving a two fingered salute to JNPR's leader. "Hey Jaune, 'sup?"

"Eh, not much, the girls are getting changed inside so I thought I'd come out here and watch the sunset."

Yang propped up Bumblebee and made her way over to the guys. "Hey Jaune, sorry you're stuck wearing my dad's old stuff. Guess we forgot about shopping today."

Jaune didn't seem bothered. "Hey, no worries, you're dad said it was cool with him. Besides, tomorrow will be a better day to do it. Morning training first, then we can go into town and get whatever we need."

Yang nodded. "'Kay, if you say so. So I guess Ruby's lending Gwen some of hers then?"

"Yeah, also... um Pyrrha was too big for any of your sister's clothes so..."

"Rubes set her up with some of my old stuff?" Yang shrugged the revelation off. "That's fine."

"You sure?"

"Oh yeah, totally. She may have to go through a few drawers, but I'm sure she'll find something that fits." Yang giggled as a thought came to her head. "Oh god, let's hope she doesn't find one of my old tanks, those definitely won't fit her."

Before Jaune could comprehend the awkwardness of those words, Gwen opened the door with a grin. "Hey guys, glad you're back! C'mon in, we've got everything set up downstairs. Ben, I've got a change of clothes for you too."

"Thanks Gwen!" Ben called back. He turned around to the two blondes and gestured to the door. "Shall we?" The three made their way to the door, Ben holding Jaune back for a second as Yang went in a head of them. "Ladies first, remember?"

"Yeah," Jaune answered, "though said lady could tone it down a bit with the innuendos."

"Awww!" Yang said in mock disappointment from inside. "But where's the fun in that?"

Ben smirked. "She's got a point you know."

"See?! Green Boy knows what's up!"

Jaune groaned in defeat as he went inside. "I can never win when it comes to that girl's jokes."

As he went in, he was met with a friendly yet empathetic smile from Gwen. "Don't worry Jaune, you're not the only one who has to deal with random humor." she turned to Ben and handed him his temporary ensemble. "Right Ben?"

Ben narrowed his eyes. "I'll have you know that my humor is brilliant, my dear cousin."

"He's right you know!" Yang hollered as she went up the stairs to her room to get changed.

Ben smiled. "See? Someone else with good humor agrees with me."

"Hmm, right." Gwen looked over to the blonde knight. "Jaune, could you please go down stairs with Ruby and Pyrrha, I'd like to talk with my cousin alone for a bit."

"Oh, uh sure, no problem." Jaune went down stairs and shut the door behind him, leaving Gwen and a very confused Ben. The redhead waited until she couldn't hear Yang's footsteps anymore before turning back to her cousin.

"So, how was your guys' little outing?"

A smile immediately came to Ben's face. "Oh it was great. Smoothies were good, food was good, and we talked about our lives a little bit. It went pretty well."

Gwen smiled back. "That's great! So you got food too huh?"

"Yeah. I offered to pay for my own, but Yang was insistent on paying for all of it herself. She said that paying for the smoothies was enough for me and she'd get the rest. It was pretty obvious that she wouldn't let up so I reluctantly let her do it."

"Well aren't you just a gentleman?" Gwen teased. "I hope you'll pay her back on that."

"Well... I kind of told her I'd pay for the food next time." Ben said sheepishly.

Gwen had a sly grin. "Oooh, next time?"

Ben blushed as he grew nervous. "N-not like that Gwen."

"Oh, why not?" she teased further. "I think you two would make a very nice couple."

Ben's blush intensified before shushing her. "Shhh, she might hear you!"

Gwen giggled at her cousin's expense. "Alright, alright, jeez can't a girl have a little fun once and a while?"

"Sure, but at my expense? Is that really necessary?"

"Heh, suppose not." Gwen paused for a moment before continuing. "Ben... can I tell you something?"

"Sure, go for it."

"I'm... kind of glad that we're here."

Ben was surprised by her words. "Really? I mean, yeah this place is cool and we've met some awesome people, but I figured you'd be the first to want to go home."

"Well, yes there is that." Gwen admitted. "I do miss home, but it's like you said, I'm really happy that we've been able to make friends with people who're a lot like us. Plus this world just has so much to learn and I'm really excited to start." the Anodite smiled. "Also, I'm really glad to see you happy like this again."

Ben was confused at that last part. "What do you mean by that?"

She grew serious with her cousin. "Come on Ben, admit it. That break-up hit you worse than you've been letting on."

Seeing no way out of this, Ben sighed. "Yeah, it did, I just didn't want to worry you over the phone is all."

"Ben, it's me, your cousin, you know you can tell me anything."

"Yeah, but... it was just really hard you know?"

"I know, but it's evident you've been able to be cheered up just by being here." Gwen gave Ben a knowing look. "And I think it's pretty evident who's been able to do that."

Ben's blush returned and his gaze began shifting between the wall fixtures. "I uh, I have no clue what you're talking about."

Gwen rolled her eyes and she giggled again. "Yeah, sure, keep telling yourself that. Now go get changed and meet me downstairs, you're going to help me educate Pyrrha in the Legend of Zelda."

Ben's smile returned. "Well then, adventure awaits! I shall be down forthwith!" Ben went into the downstairs bathroom, making sure to lock the door behind him.

Gwen sighed in content. 'He'll figure it out soon enough.'

After a quick shower and a change of clothes, Yang felt truly rejuvenated. It had been two days since she was able to do so and by god, she needed it. She looked herself over in the mirror that she and her sister kept in their room, happy with her choice of casual wear. Her favorite orange tank top with her symbol imprinted on it and a pair of black shorts, simple yet comfy. But she couldn't help but feel something was missing. She pondered it over for a moment before finally realizing what. She took a hair tie out of her night stand and pulled her prized hair up into a ponytail, smiling at herself in the mirror with satisfaction.

"Lookin' good Yang." she said to herself. She winked and made a clicking noise with her mouth, pointing to herself in the mirror as she did. Suddenly she noticed something else in the mirror, something behind her on the shelves. She turned around and faced them, her gaze settling on the Grimm figurines that she and Ruby used to play with.

Yang strode over to the shelves and picked one of them up. She looked into its eyes and her face hardened. 'Ruby and I used to have so much fun playing with you, but now all I see are the creatures that caused us so much pain last night.' Her grip on the figure tightened, not caring if the detailed edges hurt. She sighed and spoke aloud;

"It won't happen again." Yang took the other figures off the shelves and put them in an empty drawer, not wanting to look at them anymore. "I'll make sure of that." Yang exited the room and went down stairs, her promise never leaving her mind.

As she descended, she took noticed that no one was on the ground floor. "Huh, they must all be in the basement already." Yang went over to the basement door and opened it, going down the second flight of stairs. She could hear the commotion of her friend's voices and... music. Very cheery music. She could hear Gwen speaking up;

"It's alright Pyrrha, you're only a few minutes in and you're doing great!"

"Thank you, but this controller is very awkward to handle." Pyrrha spoke back.

"Yes it's not exactly... the best designed controller, but I'm sure you'll get used to it."

Yang finally made it to the bottom to see the five all huddled on the couch, Pyrrha propping her leg up on the coffee table. The Invincible Girl was clad in Yang's old grey sweat pants and an orangey-yellow t-shirt, slight frustration evident from her features. In her hands, the Blonde Brawler spotted what looked like a videogame controller, though one she had never seen before. Rather than just two handles, this one hand a third one in the middle, a d-pad on the left and four yellow buttons on the right, two buttons colored green and blue placed underneath them. There was a red button in the middle and directly under it, a single control stick, one that Pyrrha seemed to be struggling with.

The controller was connected to a dark grey console with a gold cartridge sticking out of it, which led Yang to look at the screen. On the television was what she could only describe as some of the most primitive 3D graphics she had ever seen. This was the kind of stuff that her dad and uncle might have grown up with. It looked like a small town in the middle of the woods, Pyrrha taking control of a short blonde boy in a green tunic and hat. She felt compelled to ask; "Okay, what the heck have I missed, and why wasn't I invited sooner?"

Everyone turned to face her, but Ruby, in her rose patterned pajama pants and black top with the heart-shaped animal head, was first to answer. "Hey sis! Pyrrha's playing this really cool fantasy adventure game."

"Hmm, let me take a wild guess where it's from." Yang said sarcastically with a smirk.

"Yep, our world." Ben affirmed, himself now wearing a green t-shirt and black gym shorts. "C'mon and take a seat, we've only just started."

Yang shrugged. "Sure, why not?" She made her way over to the couch and took a seat next to Ben, who was surprised at her hairstyle choice.

"Huh, never thought you'd be one for ponytails."

"Well yeah, I do usually wear my hair down, but sometimes I like it to be out of the way ya know? So, what're ya playin' P-Money?"

"Well," Pyrrha began, "the game is called 'The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time'. I'm in control of a young boy named Link who is living among a tribe of forest children called... um... Gwen?"

"The Kokiri." the Anodite answered. "Child-like beings that remain forever young and are always accompanied by a fairy."

"Ah, yes thank you. Link is apparently the only one among the tribe who does not have a fairy of his own, at least until the beginning of this story." Pyrrha pressed a button and a shining blue orb with wings appeared out of Link's hat. "The fairy's name is Navi and she has been tasked by a magical talking tree to recruit Link for some reason."

Yang absorbed the information. "You know, if this weren't fantasy, I'd have several questions. So, you need to get to this tree?"

"Yes, but first I must obtain a sword and a wooden shield before I can proceed. Otherwise the guard will just stand there and block me." She pointed to the screen, a small boy standing at the entry way for the path. Every which way she moved, the boy would track her movements and block her from entering.

"Yeah, that's Mido." Gwen explained. "He's kind of a jerk."

"Hmm, I see." Out of the corner of her eye, Yang saw Ben's jacket draped over the arm of the couch, and an idea crept into her head. She grabbed the jacket and held it out so Ben could see. "You'd better be more careful on where you leave your stuff Ben, otherwise someone might steal it!" she smirked.

Ben smirked back. "Oh yeah? And who's gonna take it, you?"

"Maaaaybe." Yang answered slyly.

"Would you be willing to return it?"

"Only if you say please."

"Okay then, may I please have my jacket back so I can hang it up properly?"

"Sure!" Yang tossed the jacket up and it landed on Ben's head.

"Thank you." Ben's muffled voice spoke out.

"Don't mention it!" Yang cheerfully replied.

Over where he was sitting, Jaune looked back and forth between the two in confusion and leaned over to Gwen, whispering so low that he could barely hear his own voice; "What's with those two?"

Gwen grinned and shrugged. "Search me." she whispered back. She could tell Jaune knew she was fibbing through her teeth, but he let the subject go. From there on, the group spectated as Gwen assisted Pyrrha along through the game, intervening only when necessary. The Invincible Girl obtained the desired objects and made her way past Mido and to the Great Deku Tree. After the tree explained the curse that had been set upon him, Pyrrha made her way inside the dying tree, ready to take on her first dungeon.

"You know," Ruby pointed out, "even though the graphics aren't that advanced, it still looks pretty creepy."

"Yeah, kind of impressive really." Jaune agreed.

All Ben could think as they said this was; 'Heh, just wait till we get to what lies beneath Kakariko Village.'

After twenty minutes or so of trudging through the dungeon; picking up items, defeating enemies and solving puzzles, Pyrrha finally made it to the boss room. At first, she didn't know what to do, but then she heard a familiar sound, one that she had heard throughout her journey in the dungeon. 'More Skulltulas?' she thought to herself. 'Or perhaps...' She went into first person view and looked up to the ceiling, her gaze meeting with a bright orange sphere. The camera zoomed in on it to reveal the object as a giant eyeball. The creature it belonged to fell to the floor and a prompt of white text appeared in front of it; Parasitic Armored Arachnid GOHMA.

"Holy crap that thing is gross!" Jaune exclaimed.

"AAAGH!" Ruby covered her eyes. "It's horrifying!"

Ben gave her a suspicious look. "Wait, don't you literally have giant scorpion monsters in this world? Why are you freaking out over this?"

Ruby peaked out behind her hand. "Because big things with only one giant eye creep me out!"

A thought popped into Ben's head as she said that; 'Hmm, wonder what she'd think of Eye Guy.'

"Okay Gwen, what should I do?" Pyrrha asked.

"Alright, when the Gohma's eye turns red, use your slingshot on it. It'll be stunned long enough for you to hit it with your sword." Gwen explained.

Pyrrha did as Gwen instructed and in no time, the Gohma was defeated. "HA! Take that, foul beast!" Pyrrha shouted in victory.

Jaune was surprised at Pyrrha's enthusiasm. "Wow Pyrrha, you're really into this. I don't think I've ever seen you this excited for a video game!"

Pyrrha looked over to her partner and gestured to her cast. "Well, I can't exactly fight when I'm like this, so this serves as a good substitution until I can. Plus, I just find this game fun."

"And I'm glad you do." Gwen empathized. "Now, grab that heart container, it'll give you more health."

"Grand!" Pyrrha picked up the container and an extra heart was added to Link's health gauge. From there, the group listened as the Great Deku Tree recounted the origins of the land of Hyrule; how the three goddesses created the land and made the Triforce when they left. After the passing of the magical plant, they bore witness as Link was accused of tree murder by Mido and forced to leave the village, though not before being gifted an Ocarina from Saria, a Kokiri friend of Link's. As the screen changed to Hyrule Field, Gwen was visibly pumped.

"Alright Pyrrha, this is where the REAL adventure starts."

"And I cannot wait!" The Invincible Girl raised a fist into the air.

"Yep, now all we need to do is—"

A new prompt came up on the screen; "Hoot! Hoot! Pyrrha... Look up here!"

Gwen scowled. "Oh goddamn it! Go away Kaepora Gaebora!"

Pyrrha had made her way through Hyrule Castle and back out again when everyone else got back. As Ben and Gwen answered the door, the first thing they took note of was Kevin. The Osmosian was alright, but he was covered head to toe in ash and soot. Gwen's eyes widened and she rushed forward in concern, her cousin not far behind. "Kevin! What happened to you?!"

To her surprise, Kevin laughed. "Gwen, it's okay, I'm fine. Nora just put me through a pretty intense fight today."

It was Ben's turn to be surprised. "Nora? She did this?"

"Oh yes she did!" Nora sang as she popped right out of nowhere. "Gotta say, I was surprised how long Kevin lasted! He's like a walking bomb shelter!"

Kevin spoke up. "Guys, get this; she has a rocket launching hammer! That is just too cool!"

The two cousins looked to the hyper-active redhead. Her toothy grin widened as she pulled out a grenade launcher and tossed it into the air, the weapon unfolding into a large war hammer. Nora caught it and twirled the dangerous device around before slamming it into the ground. "The bomb shelter doesn't lie!" she shouted. "Meet Magnhild!"

A short silence was followed by Ben saying; "Okay, that thing is pretty cool."

"Agreed," Gwen turned to face Kevin, "but you mister need a shower. Now go in and I'll get you a change of clothes."

Kevin nodded. "Now there's an idea I can get behind." He went inside followed by an exhausted-looking Weiss, Blake and Sun, and the ever stoic Ren, Nora bouncing her way in beside them.

As Weiss walked past him, Ben couldn't help but ask; "So, I'm guessing you guys over did it a bit?"

The heiress gave a tired sigh. "Yes, but I suppose that's our own fault. We chose to stay there after all."

Blake shrugged. "It wasn't so bad." She gave Sun a sly grin. "I got to hand Sun's tail to him, so there's that."

The monkey boy was quick to protest, albeit with a grin of his own. "Hey c'mon Blake, give me some credit, I lasted longer in that ring than you thought I would."

Blake let out a small laugh. "Yes, yes you did. And yeah, you put up a pretty good fight too."

Gwen smiled and rolled her eyes. 'Jeez, how much flirting is there gonna be while we're here?' Shooing the thought out of her mind, she asked her Faunus friend; "Hey, so where's Tai? Didn't he come back with you?"

"Oh yeah, he did." Blake confirmed. "You're grandpa just called him over to the Rustbucket. Something about dinner being almost ready?"

Gwen became visibly pale. "Oh no."

Forty-five minutes passed and everyone was gathered in the dining room, sitting around a large table that managed to fit all of them. The two cousins were in the midst of giving everyone a dire warning about the greatest threat their world had ever seen; their grandfather's cooking.

Ben was first to speak. "Okay guys, now when that food comes in, I just want you all to remain calm. Don't scream or anything, just politely decline."

Weiss had her suspicions. "Oh come on Ben, you must be exaggerating. If there's anything I've learned from growing up with some of the best chefs money can afford, it's that taste is subjective. You can't judge how food is going to be by just looking at it. I can guarantee you that I've eaten some nasty looking things that are in reality the most delicious meals you'll ever eat."

"You've never had our grandpa's cooking." Gwen reassured. "Trust me, there's a lot you're not prepared for."

Weiss waved it off. "Psh, please Gwen, how bad can it be?"

Gwen gave her a deadpan look. "Three words: Dung. Beetle. STEW!"

The entire table gasped at the redhead's words and Weiss was left at a loss. But the Schnee heiress was never one to give in easily. "Well, um... okay that IS a little disconcerting, but I doubt your grandfather would make something like that for our first meal from him."

"You'd be surprised." Ben retorted. "The first thing he presented us with during our summer trip was marinated meal worms."

That only made the group groan even more. "Weiss," Jaune pleaded, "maybe we should just accept that we won't be eating much tonight."

"No Jaune." Her tone was shaky, but insistent. "I highly doubt Max would force something like that on a group of starving teenagers."

The door to the kitchen swung open and Max came in with a smile and holding a plate with a stainless steel cover over the food. "Dinner's up kids!"

Weiss yelped and covered her eyes. "AH! Please no maggots!"

Max gave her a confused look. "Maggots? Oh no Weiss, trust me, you lot aren't ready for those yet. We've gotta break you kids in before that." He set the plate on the table and removed the cover, steam rising and covering the meal. Once the steam cleared, everyone was surprised by what lay before them, especially the cousins. After seeing the stuff that their grandfather was capable of making, this just seemed relatively tame by comparison. It still grossed them out, but still, it was pretty simple.

The moment that Weiss saw it though, she was elated. "Grilled octopus?! Oh, how exquisite! Max, you really shouldn't have."

The old man chuckled and set a pair of tongs on the table. "Oh it was no trouble at all Weiss, believe me. Octopus is an easy specialty of mine. There's plenty here for everyone, so dig in!"

"Don't mind if I do!" Weiss grabbed the tongs and set a tentacle on her plate. She cut it up and began eating, much to the shock of everyone else. "Mmm, it's not like how the chefs back home prepare it, but this is still VERY flavorful."

Seeing this, Blake took the tongs and got a tentacle herself. She took a sniff at it to see if she could pick up anything she didn't like, but when she didn't, she took a bite out of it. A small smile came to her face as she munched the mollusk. "Say, this IS pretty good!"

Sun had also taken a piece. "Yeah, don't know what you guys were worried about. This stuff rocks!"

Ren and Nora followed suit. "Come on guys, compared to the stuff that Ren and I have had to eat, this is pretty normal." the Pink Dynamo proclaimed. "Right Ren?"

Her companion nodded. "Indeed. In fact, I might have to learn this recipe."

A few were still reluctant though. "Uh... thanks Max," Yang said hesitantly, "but Ben and I just ate a little while ago so we're good for a bit."

"Yeah," Jaune added, "and I'm not really one for... tentacles."

"Uh yes, seconded." Pyrrha agreed.

"I mean..." Ruby joined in, "I like sea food, but I also have reservations against anything... squishy."

Max didn't seem bothered. "Oh, well if you kids have a taste for some tougher meat, I've got some smoked lamb shoulder in the Rustbucket. We'll just prepare some of that for tomorrow night." The old Plumber let out a yawn. "But for now, I'm bushed. I think I'll turn in for the night. Enjoy the octopus everyone!"

Ben nodded. "Alright, night grandpa."

Max hugged his grandchildren goodnight and made his way out the door. A moment later, Tai came in holding a large plate which itself held an equally large steak. "Man, your grandpa sure loves his exotic foods."

"You have no idea." Ben confirmed. "Please tell me that steak is made for more than one person."

Tai gave a nod "Yeah, knowing my daughters, I figured that they'd not want anything squishy. Dig in." He set the steak on the table and the six teens who weren't eating octopus each grabbed a good chunk for themselves.

"I still can't believe you ate that octopus." Ben criticized Weiss as the twelve teens made their way back downstairs.

"Well I can't believe you don't have a taste for exotic cuisine." Weiss shot back as she took a seat on one of the chairs. "Aside from dung beetle stew and mealworms, I'm sure if your grandfather showed me anything else, I'd probably eat it." She wore a proud smile. "Sometimes, it pays to grow up with fine dining."

Gwen shrugged. "Well, I guess that makes sense." She turned to Blake with a look of confusion. "I've just surprised that you ate the octopus Blake, didn't expect you'd be one for that kind of food."

Blake pointed to her ears and she wiggled them. "Uh, hello?" she said sarcastically. "Kinda have a taste for it if you know what I mean."

"Oh right, part cat, forgot." Gwen redirected her attention to the monkey boy standing next to her. "What about you Sun? How were you able to stomach that?"

He simply smiled and rested his hands behind his head. "Hey, as long as it's edible and tastes decent, I'll eat anything really."

Ben couldn't believe it. 'Oh my god he's more like Goku than I initially thought!' He shook the thought away before going on. "Well, we've got a few more hours before the day's done. What should we do till then?"

Nora frantically waved her hand. "Ooh! OOH! I wanna get in on that Pokemon stuff you got Ruby into!"

Ben pointed at her. "Consider it done! I'll get my copy of Alpha Sapphire for ya, Nora."

Nora gave a cheeky smile and jumped in the air. "WHOO-HOO!"

Gwen looked to Pyrrha, whom was being helped onto the couch thanks to Jaune. "Well Pyrrha, shall we continue our adventure in Hyrule?"

The Invincible Girl pumped a fist up high. "Yes! We shall conquer Death Mountain by tonight's end!"

Weiss was understandably lost at that. "Whoa, slow down a second, Hyrule? Death Mountain? What ARE you two talking about?"

Gwen smirked. "Come over and I'll show you." Weiss, Blake, Sun and Yang all gathered around as Gwen turned on the N64, booting up the game.

Meanwhile, Ruby had approached Ben and tapped his shoulder. "Hmm?" Ben turned around and smiled. "Hey Ruby, what's up?"

An innocent, yet cheeky smile gracing her features, Ruby answered. "Oh, nothing much, I just want to show you something special that I found on my journey today."

Ben nodded. "Sure, let's see what you've got."

Ruby's smile went from innocent to a slightly prouder, more sly one. "Okay, but you'd better be ready." As Ben tried to figure out what she meant by that, Ruby turned on the 3DS and selected Omega Ruby. Once she was in the game, she selected her Pokémon roster to reveal her full team; Torchic, Poochyena, Zigzagoon, Cascoon, a newly acquired Taillow, and Ralts. She selected Ralts and the stats screen for it came up. And when it did, Ben's eyes almost bugged out of his head.

"How in the heck did you find a SHINY RALTS?!"

A/N: So, anyone else surprised that someone actually enjoys Grandpa Max's food? I had a feeling that someone like Weiss would have eaten all kinds of exotic foods growing up as a rich heiress so I thought; eh, makes sense. Plus Blake, who is easy to go into her more cat-like instincts, probably has a thing for most sea-food. But yeah, if I was presented with a bowl of marinated meal worms, I probably wouldn't eat it no matter how much you paid me. But onto a different topic; Next Time will be seeing our heroes start off on their training, though not without some... emotion sickness. See ya next time!

On a side note, I kinda wanna replay Ocarina of Time 3D now.

A/N: Welcome back to the reposts everyone! You read the title right, this is a bit of a two-parter. Now that we've gotten pleasantries out of the way let's get on with it! No time to adjust because...

Chapter 12: Training Begins NOW! Part 1

As she always did, Gwen awoke at five thirty the next morning, this time in a bed that was at least a bit more comfortable than the last one. Especially considering the fact that her current pillow was her boyfriend's chest. Kevin was still asleep, her stirring not enough to even make him flinch. Then again, this was nothing new, even if the location was different. Over the past year when she had gone to college, the two had lived together in an apartment off-campus, something that she had been iffy on at first, but warmed up to the idea as time passed. Although nothing major had happened, they at least enjoyed sharing the same bed together, and not even being on a pull-out couch in the basement of someone else's home could derail that enjoyment.

Gwen lifted herself up, careful not to wake Kevin as she did, and looked over to Ben, the hero having sprawled himself out over the pull-out, earning him an eye-roll from the redhead. Last night had been insane compared to the night in the hospital, between Nora going ga-ga over her new adventure in the world of Pokémon and Pyrrha's victorious cheer as she defeated King Dodongo, it had been a real party. But after the chaos had ended, everyone decided to get some rest before the next day, as that would be the day their training would commence anew.

For Gwen, training had never been a foreign thing for her, having been invested in multiple different forms of martial arts ever since she could start taking classes. 'This should be no problem for me, I just hope the boys are up to the challenge.' She looked back to her cousin and boyfriend, the latter now holding a pillow in place of her. She smiled at the two and sighed. 'Relax Gwen,' she reassured herself. 'I'm sure they'll be fine.' Gwen put her signature clothes back on, having been washed the night before, and went upstairs to make herself some breakfast.

When she got to the top, she was surprised to see a few lights on. Curiosity taking hold, she went to the source; the kitchen. As she stepped in, her eyes settled upon the last person she expected to be up at this hour. It was Ruby, arm propped up on the table as she rested her chin in the palm of her hand, groggily stirring a spoon through a bowl of cereal. Even though Gwen could tell the normally chipper girl was tired, she also knew that there was something else bothering her.

'Well, better break the silence.' "Early morning huh?"

The words made Ruby jump slightly and she turned around to face the redhead, calming down when she saw her. "Oh, Gwen, it's just you."

Gwen strode over and took a seat. "Yep, none other. I take it you don't usually get up this early."

A moment's pause came before Ruby answered with a sigh. "Yeah, not really. I've just... had trouble sleeping a bit is all."

"Bad dream?"

"Well, kind of. I keep... reliving a bad memory when I sleep."

"Feel like sharing? I'll understand if you don't."

Ruby took a deep breath. "It's... the moment where... Penny..."

As the younger girl trailed off, Gwen suddenly had a hollow feeling in her chest. "Oh Ruby, I... don't know what to say."

Ruby looked straight at Gwen, something that caught the Anodite off guard. "Gwen... I lost a really good friend a couple days ago, and... I just have no... no idea why it..." Ruby's silver eyes were brimming with tears, and that's when Gwen knew that Ruby was about to have a break down. Gwen quickly pulled Ruby into a hug as the Hooded Huntress began sobbing into her shoulder. As she tried to soothe the younger girl, Ruby finally forced her words out in a breaking voice. "Why Gwen? Why did Penny have to die?! Why did they have to trick Pyrrha to do it?! WHY?!"

Ruby continued to cry, but Gwen couldn't find any sort of answer for her questions. All she could do was try and comfort her friend. "Ruby, I wish I could have an answer for you, but I'm afraid I don't. Trust me, if I knew, I'd tell you. But believe me, I'm no stranger to loss. Not long ago, I lost a good friend as well."

Ruby's crying had slowed down, though her breathing was still quite heavy. "Y-y-you did?"

Gwen nodded. "Yes, his name was Pierce. He was a Plumber and a half-breed like me and Kevin. He was... murdered by a group called the Forever Knights, people who didn't take kindly to aliens living on Earth. What's worse is he had a sister, Helen, who had gone a long time thinking her brother was dead from a previous incident before she found out he was alive. We were all saddened by what happened, but... she shut down for over six months after that."

Ruby wiped the tears from her eyes. "That's awful! Is... is she okay?"

"She's doing better. I don't think she'll entirely recover from her brother's death for a very long time, but she's better than she was for those long months. After all of that happened, she and her teammate Manny were assigned to a Plumber base off-planet, something that Manny was all too glad to have happen."

"Why's that?"

"Because he figured it'd be the best thing for Helen to get her mind off of Pierce. You know, get away from the place where it all happened and try to focus on somewhere new? That kind of thing."

Ruby let out another sigh. "Kind of wish it was that easy for me to leave the planet. Maybe then I could find a way to get this all off my mind."

Gwen gave her a friendly grin. "Hey, don't forget, you still have a lot of people here with you. Your team, Team JNPR, heck, you even have us now."

Ruby returned the smile. "Yeah, I know." Her face fell again, and a long pause took hold. "Gwen, the people that did this... they'll be back."

Gwen nodded solemnly. "Yeah, I know they will... I just wish I knew when."

"So do I... but when they do," Ruby's eyes narrowed, "I'll make sure they don't do anything like this again."

Gwen's eyes widened. "Whoa, slow yourself down there Ruby. While I appreciate you wanting to avenge Penny's death, it's pretty evident from two nights ago that these people know what they're doing. If we want to take them down, we've gotta make sure you guys are ready. We need to be smart and use this time to train and get you all into a better state of mind. Why do you think we've been giving you all of these things from our world like video games, movies and TV shows?"

Ruby was slightly confused. "...Because they're fun?"

"Well... yes there's that." Gwen admitted. "But it's also because we can't let you go into this fueled by negative emotions. Otherwise there could be even worse mistakes happening."

Ruby smiled. "I guess you're right. Don't wanna end up like one of those super serious comic book characters that grit their teeth all the time, am I right?"

Gwen chuckled. "Hehe, exactly. Though yes, you should take the situation seriously. Just don't overdo it, okay? Remember to have fun."

"Hehe, okay. Thanks for the talk Gwen, I think I needed it."

"Don't mention it, anything for a friend." A new thought entered the redhead's mind. "You know Ruby, I think you may benefit from something else now that I'm thinking about it."

"What's that?"

"Well, I'm going to be showing your sister some martial arts today as part of our training. It's to help clear and calm her mind while she's in battle, but for you, I think it could help you... well to put it a bit bluntly, get your mind off of this."

Ruby pondered Gwen's offer for a moment. "Do you think it'll really help?"

"Sure! There's nothing up to chance about this, so why not? And if you don't think it's working out, you can just quit cold turkey, no hard feelings. So what do you say?"

Ruby thought it over a bit more before coming to her conclusion. "Okay, I'll try!"

"Great, it's a deal!" The two shared another hug before Gwen stood up. "Now, I'm gonna get started on some breakfast. Want anything?"

"Oh, that's okay, I'm more than..." Ruby looked back to her bowl and noticed that her cereal was quite soggy. "On second thought, yeah maybe something cooked would do me good."

Gwen smiled. "Yeah, that's what I thought."

Ben awoke to the smell of... well there was no better way to describe it than breakfast. He was so familiar with the meal that he had trained himself to recognize the smell immediately. But there was one major factor that was putting him off; as small as the basement window was, he could still see out of it, and the sun was only just barely up. He could still see stars in the twilight hours of the morning, something that did not equate to breakfast. He sat up and looked around, finding the answer to his lingering question when he noticed the absence of his cousin.

"Gwen's up."

Kevin was stirred from his sleep. "No shit Sherlock."

Meanwhile upstairs, more noses were getting a waft of the smell of early morning breakfast. Blake's eyes snapped open and she silently leapt off of her top bunk bed and went to the door, poking her head out to try and confirm her suspicions. To her surprise, Sun had done the same, the two looking each other straight on.

"So," Blake began, "you smell it too Sun?"

Sun nodded. "Sure do. Kind of hard not to recognize bacon, eggs and..."

"PANCAKES!" Nora burst forth from Team JNPR's room, startling both of them. From the simultaneous yells and thuds on the floor behind her, Blake could tell that Weiss and Yang had awoken from Nora's outburst. The Pink Dynamo wasn't slowing down though. "The heavenly scent of maple syrup and the ever so slight dash of honey is calling out to us! Come on!"

Nora was off like a shot as Jaune, Pyrrha and Ren all emerged from the room behind her, the three looking quite annoyed that they had just been rudely awakened from the first decent night's sleep they had in two days. Pyrrha was the worst of it, her hair still down and frazzled whilst she herself was haphazardly sprawled onto her wheelchair. She didn't even have her signature circlet on. All that came out of her still half-asleep mouth was the word: "Why?"

Jaune yawned. "I dunno, but there had better be a good reason for it."

Ren nodded as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. "Who in the world would be making breakfast at this hour?"

Blake looked at the clock. It was six in the morning. She knew only one person who'd be doing this deed. "Gwen."

Yang stood up and tiredly supported herself against the door frame. "Blake, could you please do me a favor?"

Blake looked at her partner in confusion. "Uh, sure, what is it?"

"Can you and Weiss help me down stairs? I don't function this early without coffee."

"We are not your forklifts!" Weiss exclaimed indignantly.

Yang chuckled. "I know, I just needed a good laugh to get me started. C'mon, let's go see what Red's up to." The seven teens exited their rooms and went downstairs, Ben and Kevin already waiting at the bottom. "Mornin' guys." Yang greeted groggily with a salute.

Ben saluted back. "Hey Goldie Locks, I guess you guys weren't expecting to be up this early huh?"

Weiss narrowed her eyes at him. "No, but I think we have your cousin to thank for that."

Kevin nodded. "Yeah, Gwen's an early bird. Kind of irritating, but you get used to it."

"Can we please not?" Jaune said as he carried Pyrrha down the stairs with Ren lifting the wheelchair down after them. "I really don't want to get up this early every morning."

"Indeed." Pyrrha agreed as they reached the bottom and she was settled back into her chair. "Breakfast is nice, but it must be at a more appropriate hour."

Kevin shrugged. "We'll see. So, I'm guessing the pink blur we saw was Nora?"

"Yes it was." Ren confirmed. "She may be my best friend, but I won't lie when I say that has an obsession with pancakes that borderlines unhealthy."

The group went into the kitchen to see the aforementioned hyper girl along with Ruby already digging into the spread of food. Gwen looked over to the entering group with a bright smile. "Morning everyone, how'd you guys sleep?"

Yang made her way into the kitchen, lightly grasped Gwen's shoulders and proceeded to vent her morning woes. "Why Morning Girl?" she whined as she began slowly shaking her friend. "Why did you wake us up!?" Gwen stopped Yang's little outburst and silently pointed to the table full of food. Yang looked to the table and then back at Gwen with narrowed eyes. "You get a pass." Yang sat down and dug in, the rest of the group following soon after.

A few hours later, with stomachs full of food, the teens were now ready to take on the day. Weiss had been especially happy after getting some coffee in her system. "My sister should be here TODAY!" she squeed with joy.

"Oh yeah," Yang recalled as the group gathered in the living room, "Blake and I never met your sister did we? Rubes, what's she like?"

"Umm, well," Ruby struggled to find the words, "she's very... stern."

Weiss chuckled. "Ruby, I think the word you're looking for is: dignified. Winter holds herself up to very high standards. Why do you think she got so angry at your uncle for saying those awful things to her?"

Yang didn't seem surprised by the revelation. "Wow, big surprise, Uncle Qrow pissed a woman off, is it Tuesday already?"

Weiss rolled her eyes. "Well, regardless, I cannot wait for you all to meet her... I just hope that she likes you guys. Winter can be a bit hard to impress."

Ben shrugged. "Eh, I think we can handle it. Now, what do you say we get our training started?"

"Right." Kevin agreed as he addressed the entire room. "Okay, now here's how this is gonna go down: whoever's coming to the training grounds with me will be exercising their asses off and then sparring in the ring. Whoever stays here with Gwen gets to do martial arts for about an hour... and then they go to the training ground to spar in the ring too."

"So we really have no choice in what happens." Jaune pointed out. "We get our asses kicked either way."

"Exactly!" Kevin confirmed. "So, what'll it be?"

And with that, the group split up, with Yang, Ruby and Weiss staying behind with Gwen while Kevin and Ben guided Team JNPR, Blake and Sun through the forest to the training ground. It wasn't an easy trek though, as Nora was pouting the whole way.

"I still don't understand why I had to leave the 3DS behind. Without it, this walk is just boring!"

"Because it's a distraction." Kevin retorted. "And there will be none of those during training. You'll have plenty of time to play when we get back at noon."

Nora glanced off to the side. "I just wanted to play with my Mudkip some more." she said quietly.

Kevin sighed. "Ben, why did you and Gwen have to turn them into nerds?"

Ben smirked. "Two reasons; one: to improve their mood. And two: to annoy you specifically."

"Dude, for being the galaxy's greatest hero, you're evil."

"Well aware."

After a good twenty minute hike, they finally made it to the base of Mount Patch and the boulder door for the training ground. "Okay, so how do we get in?" Jaune asked. "Tai's not here with us."

"I know." Kevin took the key out of his pocket. "That's why he gave me this." Kevin lifted the pebble and turned the key, bringing up the hand-print analyzer. "He also gave me access to the place before we left yesterday." Kevin put his hand to the scanner and it accepted it. "Hand print recognized, Welcome Kevin." The boulder lifted and the group went inside to the breakroom. Kevin went straight to the gym door and opened it, presenting the room full of exercise equipment. "Alright guys, have at it. We'll get an hour's worth of exercise in before we start sparrin'. I wanna see actual sweat, so let's go! And Ben, that means no Omnitrix."

"Aw MAN!" The group took off to their preferred form of exercise. Blake and Ben went to the treadmills and started running, Ren went to a rowing machine, Nora started lifting weights on the heavy equipment, and Sun took to the pull-up bars. As all this unfolded, Jaune and Pyrrha stayed in place, not sure how to go about the situation considering the latter was still wheelchair bound.

"So, uh, know any good exercises that don't involve using your legs?" Jaune asked awkwardly.

Pyrrha sighed. "I'm not entirely sure if there are any. Gyms such as these are not exactly wheelchair friendly."

Sensing her disappointment, Juane placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Hey, don't worry Pyr, we'll find something for ya, trust me."

"I suppose." Just then, Pyrrha realized what Jaune had called her by. 'Pyr?' she inquired to herself. 'Did... did he just give me a cute nickname?' She shook the thought away. 'A subject to dwell on later.' She glanced back to the blonde knight. "But that doesn't mean you have to be idle. You can go exercise if you wish, I will not mind."

"Uh... well yeah I know... it's just I was hoping that—"

"Hold up a sec." Kevin interjected as he strode up to them. "I've actually got something in mind for you two."

That got the two's attention "Um, okay. What'd you have in mind?" Jaune questioned.

"From what Ren's been telling me, you two have special training sessions on the side with each other, am I right?"

The two partner's eyes widened and Pyrrha cleared her throat. "Uh yes, correct. I have been training Jaune regularly whenever classes were over."

Kevin smirked. "Good, because I've got an idea about what we can do with you two until you're able to stand again."

"So what's your point in all of this Kevin?" Jaune asked.

"My point is that while Warrior Girl there might not be able to spar with you herself, she'll still able to spectate and coach you through your fight. So..." Kevin opened the double doors to the dual arenas, the lights automatically turning on. "You and I are getting an early start." Kevin absorbed the metal of a weight lifting machine and his smirk grew. "You'd better be ready dude, 'cause I am."

All Jaune could muster was a small; "Eeep."

Back at the house, Gwen, Yang, Ruby and Weiss were all standing outside, all four wearing clothing made for exercise. As they were doing their preliminary stretches, Gwen spoke to Weiss about the heiress' desire to stay and practice with them.

"I'm surprised you stayed behind Weiss. Never figured you for martial arts."

Weiss straightened herself and replied to the Anodite. "Well, I'm willing to give this a try Gwen. After all, it seems much better than being in an exercise room that smells of sweat and rubber floors."

"I see, but just so you know, this will eventually involve sweat as well. Maybe not today, but sometime soon."

"Oh I know, it's just I feel better being outside than being in a stuffy gym all morning."

"Hmm, good point." While Gwen certainly followed Weiss' logic, it still seemed a bit petty. But it wasn't like the rich girl meant any harm in it, so she let it slide. "Okay girls, let's get started!" The three teammates lined up in front of her and she suddenly felt a little giddy. 'Wow, I'M the teacher now. This is kind of cool.' She cleared her throat and spoke directly to them. "Alright, we're going to be dedicating ourselves to an hour of martial arts everyday so let's make it count. Is that clear?"

Yang saluted. "Yes ma'am!"

Ruby followed suit. "You got it!"

Weiss politely nodded. "Understood."

"Good." Gwen smiled. "Because, let me say this now: if you think that martial arts is all just a bunch of chopping, punching and kicking, then you've got another thing coming. Ruby, answer me this: what would you say is the most important thing to keep track of in a fight?"

Ruby replied, though unsure of her own answer. "You're opponent, right?"

The Anodite nodded. "Yes your opponent is important, but it's also very important to keep yourself in check as well, specifically your state of mind. Many times your opponent will try to goad you into doing something you'll later regret. They'll try to dig into any emotion. Be it anger, sadness, pride or fear, any of these and more are susceptible to compromise. That's where practicing martial arts can help."

"And how is that exactly?" Yang questioned.

"I'm glad you asked Yang." Gwen continued. "See, when one practices any type of martial art, it's very important that you focus on what you're practicing. You must constantly be aware of yourself, block out any and all distractions from the outside world in order to devote your mind to what you're doing. If you're able to calm the storm within your mind, you can achieve much more than improving your fighting techniques."

"Such as?" Weiss further inquired.

Gwen counted off on her fingers. "Let's see, you can improve your self-confidence, sharpen your focus and concentration, and there are also major health benefits as well including keeping good mental health, building up stamina, keeping your posture, and of course, muscle conditioning."

"Ooh, sounds exceptional! Where do we start?"

"Well, I always start my workout with a little bit of tai chi. It allows me to keep calm throughout the rest of my day and in general it just helps me feel good."

Yang seemed eager. "Okay, let's do it! What do we gotta do?"

Gwen giggled at Yang's enthusiasm. "Well, tai chi is often seen as a slower martial art involving graceful movements mixed with evenly paced breathing. Now, we should probably begin with some more simple movements to warm up, so follow what I do."

"Oh, I should be good at this!" Ruby grinned. "I used to copy what Yang did all the time when we were little!"

Yang rolled her eyes. "Not exactly the same thing Rubes, but close."

Gwen nodded. "Alright, we'll start with what's called Rising and Falling. First, widen your stance to shoulder width." Gwen set her feet further apart and her students followed her lead. "Now, keep your shoulders down and take a steady breath in, and as you breathe you'll lift your arms up from your sides." She demonstrated and the girls mimicked her movements. "As your hands reach chest level, you bring them up while slowly bending your arms in and then slowly push them back down, breathing out as you do so." The three teammates copied her movements perfectly. "Very good, now let's keep that rhythm going."

As the girls continued their warm-ups, Tai looked on from the kitchen window, happy to see his daughters doing some physical activity. When they had first got here, he was slightly worried that they wouldn't want to do anything after the events at Beacon, but seeing his girls, Weiss and Gwen doing something productive put his worries at ease for the time being. But that wasn't his prime concern, at least at the moment. Without looking behind him, Tai spoke; "I was wondering when you'd show up."

From his place against the door frame, his brother-in-law chuckled. "How'd ya know I was here?" Qrow asked.

"Please, I can smell the whiskey on you from a mile away. How could I NOT know?"

"Eh, fair point." Qrow looked out the window and saw the girls doing a new motion, reaching up to the sky and bringing their hands together, followed by bringing them back down in a praying pose. "The hell're they doin' out there?"

"Gwen's showing them some martial arts techniques. Says it'll help calm their minds."

"Aaaaand why are they doing it?"

"Gwen told me that Yang would benefit from it, helping her control her anger better when she's in a fight. Ruby's doing it to get her mind off of her friend Penny and Weiss... I have no clue actually."

"Huh, neat." Qrow looked Tai straight on. "Anyway, I come bearing a message from Grouchy Glynda."

Tai chuckled. "Qrow I swear, you've had a beef with her since our early days at the Academy. Let it go man."

Qrow smirked. "And let her have the satisfaction of winning? Never!" The two had a laugh before the drunkard continued. "Anyway, she wants to see if you're game to help with the cleanup in Vale, seeing as how you're still technically active."

Tai sighed again. "I don't know Qrow. I mean, the girls just got back home. I really want to spend some time with them. Make sure they're okay you know?"

"I get it Tai, but they seriously need a lot of help over there. There are Huntsmen all over the continent comin' to help. I'd do it, but I'll just cause more bad stuff just by bein' there."

"Yeah, guess you're right." Tai admitted. "Tell her I'll try to make some time on the weekends. I've still got a teaching job over at Signal you know."

"Heh, yeah, how's things goin' over there since the girls and I left?"

"It's been... quieter. Not sure if I like it or not. You three being there causing trouble is what made the job so interesting."

Qrow shrugged. "Hey, lotta shit comes up when you're just a part-timer. Anyway, I'll pass your answer back to Glynda. Besides, Max can watch them while you're gone so you've basically got nothin' to worry about. The old man might be slowin' down at his age, but he can still supervise a bunch a' teenagers."

"I heard that Qrow." The two men turned around to see Max, standing in the doorway with a smile on his face and his arms crossed. "I might be an old timer, but my hearing is just as sharp as ever." He walked in and looked to Tai. "Even then, Qrow's right Tai, I can watch the kids while you're out on business over in Vale. You have my word."

Tai nodded. "Thanks Max, much appreciated." He turned back to Qrow. "Anyway, I think it'd be wise for you to go back, considering Weiss' sister's going to be here soon."

Qrow smirked. "Oh, Ice Queen's comin' over eh? Well if that's the case, then..."

Tai narrowed his eyes in warning. "No Qrow, you need to go. I heard about your last scuffle with her and I don't want my home destroyed just because you like egging her on. I know this makes me sound like a complete jerk, but you need to leave now. You wanna make a scene with her? Take it outside the city limits."

With a relenting sigh, Qrow turned to the window. "Fine, sheesh, a guy can't have some fun with a lady nowadays without getting shit for it." Before he made his way out, he turned back to his brother-in-law. "Tai, one more thing before I go."

"Yeah? What is it?"

Qrow's expression grew serious. "Look Tai, I know we promised to tell her when she got to the right age... but things have been changing so much and so fast over the past few days that... we may have to tell Shortstack about her... gift."

Tai's eyes widened. "Qrow, you can't be serious! She's only fifteen, she can't handle something like that right now!"

"Tai, listen, thing's aren't looking too good. Oz's gone, the Fall Maiden powers are in the enemy's hands and Vale and Beacon aren't exactly in the best shape. Keeping an important family secret is the last thing we need right now. Besides, she's gonna find out sooner or later, whether it be from us or if it decides to activate on its own."

Tai looked down in defeat. "Okay, fine... but we need to give her a little more time. It's only been a couple days since what happened at Beacon and she and the others are still recovering from that fiasco. We'll tell her after her sixteenth birthday. That's final."

"Well, that's not far off from now..." After giving it some thought, Qrow sighed in defeat. "Fine, we'll tell her then."

Tai nodded. "Thank you. See ya later Qrow."

Qrow nodded. "See ya Tai. You too Max." The drunkard huntsman made his way to the window and opened it up. He transformed into his corvid form and flew away, off to town to get a drink.

Max was... confused to say the least. "Um... do people naturally have the ability to become birds in this universe?"

Tai let out a laugh. "Ha, no it's just somethin' that Ozpin whipped up for Qrow and... his sister."

Max raised an inquisitive brow. "Your wife?"

Tai's expression hardened a bit. "No. It's... complicated. I'm not sure you'd want to listen to my sob story anyway." He looked out the window back at the girls, who now looked like they were slowly pushing against the air around them. He focused on Ruby and his heart sank as he screwed his eyes shut. "Dear god, Summer, I wish you were here. Our little girls are growing up so fast. I know you'd figure out how to tell Ruby about this, because goddamn it I DON'T!"

"Tai." The Xiao-Long patriarch opened his eyes as Max spoke to him. "I imagine that what you're keeping from Ruby is pretty hard to handle. It's really none of my business to pry, but I know that whatever it is, your daughter will be able to handle it. She's a very sweet girl, but she also has one of the strongest wills I've ever seen. I know she'll be alright."

Tia sighed. "Thank you Max, but this is a pretty big secret we're talking about. You probably wouldn't even believe me if I told you."

Max chuckled as he gave Tai a pat on the shoulder. "Haha, believe me son, in almost sixty-eight years, I've heard 'em all. Nothing you'd say would surprise me anymore."

"Trust me, you might still have one surprise left in ya."

Back at the Mount Patch training ground, Jaune and the metal Kevin had taken to one of the arenas, Pyrrha sitting off to the side-lines. Jaune was nervous, not a new feeling to him, but very appropriate in the situation he found himself in. 'How the hell am I supposed to beat someone made of metal?!' He yelled to himself in his head. 'I don't have grenades like Nora, all I got is a sword and shield!" He glanced off to the side... and saw Pyrrha with the most sincere supportive smile he'd ever seen. Initially taken aback, he quickly returned the smile with a new feeling of determination taking him over. 'Focus Jaune. Pyrrha believes in you, so you gotta believe in yourself.' He had no idea how a single smile was able to give him so much confidence... well okay he had SOME idea how, but he was still trying to sort all of that out.

"Alright Jaune!" Kevin called over, pulling the knight out of his thoughts. "You ready?"

Jaune took a deep breath and unsheathed Crocea Mors, holding it with both hands. "Ready when you are!"

"Good!" Kevin turned his hand into a blade. "'Cause man, you're in for a fight!"

The two rushed forward and their blades met, the sound of sharpened metal scraping against each other. The two backed away before clashing again, high and low strikes being repeated at regular intervals. On the fifth clash, Kevin took the opportunity to get in close and do something Jaune didn't expect; punch him in the gut.

"GAAHH!" Jaune stumbled backward as the wind got knocked out of him, holding his middle as he took in air. "What, the hell, was that?" he managed to say in between breaths.

"You're first mistake is what it was." Kevin replied. "That being: expecting your opponent to fight fair." Kevin turned his other arm into another blade. "Take it from someone who used to be a bad guy Jaune. These guys we're gonna be facing will be fighting just like this."

Pyrrha didn't exactly approve of Kevin's harsher training methods, but he had a point. "Jaune! Bring up your shield! Keep your guard up!"

"Right, shield!" Jaune unlatched Crocea Mors' sheath from his belt and put it into shield mode, keeping it raised as he moved in. Kevin moved in as well and he swung his arm-blades at Jaune who immediately blocked the strike with his shield. Kevin pulled his left arm away and tried to make a strike on Jaune's left side, but the knight managed to block it with his own blade.

Jaune pulled away and made for a downward strike, but Kevin blocked it by crossing his arm-blades and catching the sword. Kevin pulled his arms back and made more strikes against Jaune, who managed to either keep blocking them with his shield or rebound them off of Crocea Mors.

'Alright, this is getting nowhere.' Kevin thought. 'Time to put some pressure on him.' Kevin crossed his arms and charged into Jaune's shield, the knight bringing it up to take the brunt of the attack. The Osmosian kept the pressure on as he pushed against the shield with all his might, forcing Jaune to move back.

Kevin didn't seem all that impressed with Jaune's passiveness. "Come on man, push back!" he yelled. "Else you're outta here!"

Jaune glanced down at his feet to see that he was indeed getting closer to the edge, about five feet from it. A couple more good strong pushes from Kevin and he's be out. He heard Pyrrha hollering to him; "Jaune, you're doing fine! Just remember, the fight isn't over yet! You still have a chance!"

He wanted to believe her, he so badly wanted to believe her. 'Kevin's just way too tough! There's no way I can... huh?' His eyes shifted over to Pyrrha, still smiling that oh so encouraging grin, but something seemed different now. He had this strange yet familiar feeling in his gut as he looked at her straight on, his blue eyes staring straight into her green ones. It almost felt like a fluttering sensation as it made its way up from his stomach and into his chest. The final push he needed came when she shouted to him;

"YOU CAN DO THIS!"

That was all he needed. Jaune's brows furrowed as he looked back at Kevin. What he was about to do would be a bit of a risk, but he had to take it. Jaune pulled back and side-stepped Kevin, causing the Osmosian to stumble forward slightly. Kevin didn't have time to react as Jaune bashed his shield against his chest, sending him back a bit.

'Damn, where'd THIS come from?' Kevin wondered. His answer came when he heard cheering from the sidelines. He looked at Pyrrha who was shouting her support to Jaune with all her might. It was then that Kevin realized; 'Goddamn it, he's a lover boy.' Just as he finished that thought, Jaune's shield bashed into him again. Caught off gaurd, Kevin attempted to swing one of his arm-blades, but Jaune knocked it back with his own. Taking advantage of the opening he made for himself, Jaune charged into Kevin shield-first with all his might with a loud battle cry, finally knocking the Osmosian on his rear.

In a slight daze, Kevin saw Jaune standing over him, the tip of Crocea Mors pointed directly at his face. "So..." Jaune smirked as he lowered his blade and offered his hand, "Give up?"

Kevin chuckled. "For now, yeah." Kevin took the offered hand and he stood up, the metal leaving his skin. "Gotta admit man, didn't see that comin'. Where'd you get the idea to do that?"

"Well... I guess it just popped into my head." Jaune admitted. "If I can't make any progress with my sword, I'll just use my shield instead."

"Heh, yeah that's probably something I woulda done. But let me tell you this now, next time we spar I won't go down that easily. I just conceded the match to you, so next time you gotta knock me outta the ring if wanna win, got that?"

"Ha, deal." The two boys walked out of the ring to see a very happy Pyrrha, practically fidgeting in her own chair, both in pride and excitement.

"Jaune I am so proud of you!" she exclaimed as she rolled herself over to them. "I knew you could do it!"

Jaune couldn't help but smile back. "Yeah, I guess I kind of knew it too. I just needed the right motivator to help me realize it." To Pyrrha's surprise, he knelt down and gave her a hug, an act she wasn't prepared for. "Thanks for believing in me Pyr."

Pyrrha could feel the butterflies in her stomach fluttering like at the speed of hummingbirds. She reciprocated the hug, trying in vain to keep her jitters down. "Y-you're welcome Jaune."

Kevin smirked and he rolled his eyes. "Okay guys, I think it's time for a short break. Gwen and her group should just be finishing up by now, so they'll be here in a while. So now would probably be a good time to decide who'll be sparrin' each other." The two nodded and they exited the room, Kevin not far behind.

Back at the house, Gwen and the girls had just finished their exercises and changed into their normal clothing, gathering in the kitchen in preparation to head out to Mount Patch. "Good work out this morning ladies," Gwen complimented, "starting tomorrow we'll move on to some techniques that are a little more complex."

"Cool, should be fun." Yang commented. "Today's stuff was relaxing, but I can't wait to focus on some hand to hand stuff."

Ruby chuckled nervously. "Hehe, right, hand to hand... ugh."

Gwen gave the younger girl an apologetic smile. "Not much of a physical fighter Ruby?"

"Well... it's not that I don't know how to fight... it's just I'm much better with my sweetheart, than I am with my hands."

"Your... sweetheart?"

Ruby pulled Crescent Rose out from behind her and it unfolded. "Yep, Crescent Rose, she's my sweetheart."

"Hmm... I see. Well, it's okay. I understand having a preference when it comes to fighting styles. But still, it couldn't hurt to try and learn something new."

"Yeah, I know, it's just I'm just worried about how good I'll be. Or if I'll be good at it at all."

Yang gave her sister an over the shoulder hug. "Hey don't worry Ruby. You got all of us to help you. Trust me, you'll do fine. It's just practice after all."

Weiss agreed as she placed a hand on her partner's shoulder. "She's right. You essentially have nothing to worry about. It's just us after all, so no one's going to judge you on it."

Uplifted from their support, Ruby began to feel much more at ease with herself. "Thanks, you guys are the best!" She hugged both of them, wrapping her arms over their shoulders.

Gwen looked at the clock, reading 9:45 on the face. "Alright girls, time to break it up. We've got to head out there so we can get our sparring in, so let's get going."

The three girls saluted her with a; "Yes ma'am!" before going out the door and making their way to the path, on their way to the training ground.

As they walked along the path, Yang nudged Gwen with her elbow. "Hey, when you and I get there, I wanna spar with you."

Gwen's eyes widened. "Me? Really? I thought you'd want to spar with Ben again."

Yang glanced off to the side with a smirk. "Oh believe me, Green Boy and I are gonna be goin' at it again, I'm just gonna make some time off to the side to test his mettle. Right now, I wanna see what kinda tricks you've got."

"Hmm... okay sure, why not?" A sly smile came to Gwen's face. "Just promise me you won't go too hard on my cousin during those little private training sessions you have planned. Does he even know about it?"

"Not yet..." Yang's eyes flashed with determination, "but he will."

A/N: Alright, first half of the two-parter done! Tune in next time for part two, where we'll of course see Gwen and Yang's first spar... as well as Ben making a vital error as he goes up against a certain hyper-active, pink skirt-wearing girl.

A/N: (Straight from the first post, so this dates the chapter a bit) Captain's Log, Star Date: 10/31/18. Happy Halloween everyone! I have returned, and I bring with me the second part of this training two-parter! Now, without further ado...

Chapter 13: Training Begins NOW! Part 2

For the first time in two days, Pyrrha and Jaune were having a good back and forth conversation alone. The young man's confidence had been given a boost earlier thanks to his triumph over Kevin, and whenever Jaune's confidence was up, so was his sociability. They sat in the break room, awaiting the others to finish their workout regimen to see who'd be fighting each other in the sparring arenas. Pyrrha was especially glad that they were talking. After expressing her worries to Gwen the evening before, this conversation had felt like a huge weight had been lifted from between the two. Now all that was left was to address the... other thing that had gone on between them from a few nights ago...

'But perhaps I should wait for a better time when others aren't so close.' Pyrrha rationalized in her head. 'I would not want any of them to barge in on us while we're talking about something so... personal.' She went back to focusing on her conversation with Jaune, going back to the subject of his recent victory over the Osmosian. "I must say Jaune, the idea to use your shield against Kevin was quite the surprise."

Jaune rubbed the back of his head. "Heh, yeah. I just figured that since he's metal, that'd mean that I wouldn't do that much physical damage to him if I just kept bashing him with it."

"Well, it certainly paid off. He put you in quite the tough spot."

"Well, I'd say I've been in tougher ones before. Remember when Nora stole all of the pens from all of the teachers' rooms to pull a prank on someone else, and it totally backfired on me instead?"

Pyrrha burst out laughing, though she tried to stifle it behind her hand. Jaune couldn't help but grin as she tried to calm her hysterics to no avail. When she was able to calm down enough, she responded, though not without a few giggles laced in. "Hehe, how could I forget? Your face, hair and hands were blue for almost a week and a half!"

"Ha, yeah. I'm still finding flecks of that stuff in my hair by the way."

"Oh gods, really?! You cannot be serious."

"Oh very serious. Trust me, ink is surprisingly very hard to get rid of." Jaune paused for a moment before continuing. "Hey Pyr?"

She smiled at her new nickname. "Yes Jaune?"

There it was again, Jaune could feel it. The fluttering feeling in his gut that he had in the practice arena was back again as he gazed at her radiant smile. He noticed how bright her green eyes seemed to shine as he spoke to her, and that somehow got into his head even more. His brain then registered that he had to say what he wanted to tell her. "Um, look, I'm sorry if I've been a bit distant for the past couple of days. After the battle at Beacon, I haven't exactly felt like my normal self. But after these past two days, I'm feeling a lot better. Especially after that skirmish with Kevin."

Pyrrha's smiled didn't falter, in fact she felt even more relieved that he had addressed another one of her worries. "You don't have to apologize, Jaune. I understand completely. I'm a little bit of the same way actually. I'm sure that things will be okay though. Like you said, things have been getting better. Maybe not the same, but a little better."

"Yeah," Jaune agreed, "but things probably won't be the same anymore, even when Beacon reopens. Whoever goes to school there now will always be on edge after what happened."

Pyrhha let out a sigh. "Unfortunately. Perhaps we should face the fact that this time of peace we've been in is starting to leave us."

From behind them, a new voice entered; "Well then we'll just have to make sure it doesn't then." The two turned around to see Ben and Kevin near the doorway, making their way over to them. Ben spoke once again. "Guys, let me tell you something. If there's two things I've learned from doing my job it's this: one, heroes never give up. And two: evil doesn't win for long."

"You say that as if it's a fact." Jaune pointed out.

"Because it kind of is. Sure evil might get some victories here and there, but they never win the entire thing. Some way, somehow, they always get their comeuppance. Trust me, I've seen it happen dozens of times, both in real life and fiction."

"Wise words." Pyrrha complimented. "But how do you manage to get through the times when evil occasionally DOES win?"

Kevin smirked. "Easy, light a fire under your ass and get yourself in gear, 'cause there's a lot of work to be done. That's why we're here training, to make sure you guys are ready."

"So we've been told." Jaune remarked. "So, are they ready to start sparring?"

"Almost." Ben answered. "We're still waiting on everyone else to get here before we start. But, I'm here to actually check on Pyrrha's ankle and see how the spores are doing."

The Invincible Girl was more than happy to oblige. "By all means."

Ben activated the Omnitrix and transformed into... "Swampfire!"

Jaune raised an eyebrow. "Is it really necessary to shout the alien's name every time you transform?"

The Methanosian grinned at the blonde knight. "Nah, I just think it's cool." Swampfire put his hands around the cast that he'd made for Pyrrha and closed his eyes, sensing the spores inside the girl's ankle still hard at work. As he opened his eyes, Ben transformed back to his human form. "I have great news. The healing's almost done. Another day or so and you should be back on your feet, Pyrrha."

Pyrrha's eyes lit up. "That's excellent news! I will be SO happy to finally be able to stand again. Perhaps then I can get to work on repairing Milo and get some training in myself."

Ben nodded. "Right, plus your mom's gonna be here tomorrow too, so you've got a lot to look forward to."

Pyrrha nodded back "You're right. In fact, I'm waiting to see if she'll call today to tell me when her flight leaves." She glanced down at her lap. "At least, I hope she calls. It's been almost two days since we spoke over the comms back in Vale. I do hope she's doing better now."

"I'm sure she's fine now that she knows you're okay." Jaune reassured as he put his hand on her shoulder. "And hey, if she called to make sure you were alright two days ago, then I'm sure she'll call you sometime today. Besides, if MY dad, who might I add always forgets his house keys when he leaves home, can remember to call and tell me he's coming to see me, then I'm sure your mom will too."

Pyrrha brightened up at that. "I suppose so. Thank you Jaune."

"Anytime." Jaune smiled back.

"Ahem." Kevin coughed in his hand to get the two's attention. "Okay, I think now would be a good time to get to the arena room, Gwen's group should be here any—"

The breakroom door swung open fast and hard, with Gwen and three-fourths of team RWBY on the other side. "We're here!" Ruby happily greeted.

"...minute." Kevin finished.

"Well, can't fault you for one thing Kev, you were right." Ben quipped.

Weiss gave Yang a side-ward glace. "Was swinging the door open that hard REALLY necessary?"

"Ever heard of making a good entrance?" she retorted. Yang looked over to the group of four and gave them a salute. "'Sup guys? Has the party started yet or did we manage to crash it early?"

"You're right on time Goldie Locks," Ben answered, "we were just about to get started."

Pyrrha slid down in her chair and crossed her arms. "Indeed, getting started on another game of "Sit and Watch"."

Jaune rolled his eyes and took his place behind Pyrrha's chair. "Alright Miss Grumpy Pants, you heard Dr. Tennyson. You'll be up before you know it."

Ben laughed at the idea. "HA! Dr. Tennyson. Me, a doctor? Can't even imagine."

Ruby pulled out Crecent Rose with delight. "Hehe, I can't wait to get started."

Weiss nodded. "Right, but let's make sure it gets done soon so we can meet up with Winter when she gets here."

As both sets of partners went to the sparring arenas, Yang and the Alien Trio hung back for a bit longer. Ben faced the Blonde Brawler, a determined look appearing on his face. "Hope you're ready for another round Yang, 'cause I sure am."

Yang shot a similar look back to him. "I am ready, but I'm actually gonna be fighting your cousin this time around."

Ben's eyes widened. "Seriously? You and Gwen are gonna fight this time? That's... actually pretty surprising."

"I know right?" Gwen admitted. "She just asked me to spar with her on the way here. Said she wanted to see what tricks I could pull off."

"Oh... well okay, if that's what she wants then." Ben turned his attention back to the Blonde Brawler. "And here I was hoping I'd be able to win a round against you, Yang."

"Oh I wouldn't worry 'bout that." Yang smirked as she strode up to Ben. "Because I have something rather special in mind when it comes to our little skirmishes."

The hero quirked an eyebrow. "Really? What'd you have in mind?"

Yang chuckled, her smile ever present. "I'll explain later, right now we've got some sparrin' to do. C'mon, let's go!" Yang went straight to the next door, making her way through the gym and toward the arena room, leaving Ben in a state of confusion.

"Um, okay..." he turned to his cousin. "Any idea what she's got in mind?"

Gwen shrugged. "Not sure, but let's not focus on that right now shall we? I'm sure there are still plenty of people in there who're eager to fight an alien."

"You're right. Besides, I should probably get a feel for how these other guys fight." Ben pumped his fist in the air. "Let's do this!"

As the trio left the room, Kevin bent down and whispered into his girlfriend's ear; "You totally know what she's got planned right?"

Gwen whispered back; "I do. I'm just waiting to see how long it takes until he figures it out."

The entire group at Mount Patch had made their way into the arena room, eager to get started. Kevin stood atop one of the arenas, facing his peers with one goal in mind; to get them paired them up and see who can beat each other up the best. He clapped his hands together to get their undivided attention. "Alright! So, now that we've got ourselves warmed up, let's get you guys paired up for today's sparring practice. Jaune has already done his, so obviously, he and Pyrrha are the exceptions. Other than that, anyone can be paired up, so have at it!"

As the teens started pairing up, Blake against Ren and Ruby against Weiss, Ben was still trying to make a decision on who to pair up with, but his mind just kept going back to what Yang had said to him earlier. 'Just what did she mean by "something special"?' Ben turned his head and looked over to Yang straight on. The blonde noticed Ben's action and she responded with a warm smile and a wave. He waved back, but that's when a new idea on what she'd meant came into his head; 'Hold on, back in the break room, did she actually mean—wait who's tapping my shoulder?'

Ben turned around to see none other than Nora, staring up at him with a big toothy grin and eagerness in her eyes. "Hi!" she greeted.

"Uh, hi Nora, what's up?"

"I wanna fight you!" she answered cheerfully.

Ben was taken aback, not just by her answer, but by how exuberant she seemed about it. "Oh! Okay sure, why not?"

If possible, Nora became even happier. "EEEEEEEE! Awesome! I've been waiting to fight you since I saw you and Yang duke it out yesterday! OOOOHHH I'm just so EXCITED!"

"Woah, woah, calm down Nora. I get you're excited, but fighting one of my aliens won't be just a walk in the park okay?"

"I know! I just think that you're transformations are really cool! And by proxy, that means YOU'RE really cool! I cannot wait to get started on our fight, it's gonna be so awesome..."

As she continued to ramble on, Ben looked over to Ren with a look that said; 'Help me'. The ninja boy shrugged. From experience, he knew that once his best friend got going like this, it was hard for anyone to stop her. Ben sighed in defeat. 'This is a very weird day.'

Meanwhile, as Kevin looked around at all the pair-ups, he suddenly felt a presence come up from behind him... as well as the very familiar scent of bananas. "So, you wanna fight me monkey boy?"

Sun spun his Ruyi Jingu Bang around before resting it on his shoulder, a somewhat cocky grin plastering itself on his face. "You know it, Metal Head. I heard Jaune knocked you over earlier and I wanna see if you're really that easy to take down."

Kevin chuckled. "He got lucky. Kid's good, but he needs to improve in a lot of areas. You wanna fight a thug like me? You better hope that fancy stick of yours can handle it."

"Oh believe me, I've got some skills. But let's take it to the ring 'kay? Let our actions speak for us and all that."

Kevin furrowed his brows. "Bring it."

As Kevin and Sun took their places on either side of the arena, Gwen took position as referee for the spar. "Alright boys," she began, "we'll be following the rules that were used yesterday during Ben and Yang's spar, first one out of the ring loses. That sound good?"

Sun nodded. "Alright by me." The monkey boy took the time to shift his gaze toward the occupied bleachers. He spotted Blake, and just as he did at the tournament, pointed to her with a wink. She smiled back, but not without an eye roll.

'Only you, Sun.' she thought to herself.

Kevin gave his girlfriend a thumbs-up. "Sounds good to me babe!"

Gwen sighed. 'Only you, Kevin.' She lifted her right arm up and swiftly brought it back down. "Then begin!"

Kevin ran forward, sweeping his hand along the concrete floor and absorbing it as he did. Sun followed suit, holding his bo-staff at the ready. Kevin brought his fist back and punched with all his might, only to find his arm stopped just in time by the pole. Sun pushed forward causing Kevin to stumble back a bit. He then took the opportunity to get some more hits in with the staff, though Kevin was able to collect himself and blow back most of them.

It was then Sun had a new plan; he swung the Ruyi Jingu Bang down at Kevin's legs and knocked him over, the Osmosian landing on the ground with a loud THUD. Kevin propped himself up on his elbows just in time to see Sun swinging the bo-staff down at him. He rolled out of the way to dodge the attack, but he didn't expect for Sun to fire a Dust round off when the tip of the staff hit the ground, causing a shockwave that knocked both of them back. Sun was able to make a mid-air recovery, but Kevin was sent skidding across the floor.

"Ugh, okay, that was unexpected." Kevin got up as he rubbed his rocky forehead. "Alright, no more foolin' around, time to get serious." Kevin turned his hand into a large hammer and charged forward, Sun doing the same. But as he swung his hammer, Kevin didn't feel any impact. He looked up only to see Sun making a somersaulting leap over him. The monkey boy landed on the ground behind him and slammed the end of his staff onto the ground. As Kevin continued forward, Sun vaulted using the staff and dealt a swift kick to Kevin's back, causing the Osmosian to tumble to his knees.

The Osmosian was quickly growing frustrated. "Oh c'mon dude! What with all this flippy shit?!"

Sun shrugged as his cocky grin returned. "Hey man, it's just how I fight."

"Well it's really annoying" Kevin thought about that for a moment. "Which is kind of a good thing honestly. Really throws your enemy off and gets 'em pissed."

"That's the idea." Sun confirmed. "Now let me show ya something new!" Sun separated Ruyi Bang and Jingu Bang into their gun-chuck mode and lunged at Kevin. He began swinging them expertly at his opponent, every impact unloading another Dust cartridge. Kevin only just barely felt the explosive impacts, but that didn't mean he wasn't starting to feel the effects.

'Gotta think of something fast!' Suddenly, Kevin noticed the downward arc that one of the gun-chucks was coming from and he took his chance. He reached up and grabbed the barrel, stopping Sun's momentum. Kevin quickly absorbed the red metal, making sure his grip was locked. "Thanks man, now let's throw you for a loop!" Kevin pulled with all his might, spinning Sun around in a circle by the gun-chuck. On the third spin, he let go and threw him off several feet, almost to the edge of the ring.

Kevin chuckled as he approached Sun, the latter only just slowly getting up. "What now monkey boy? Metal just makes me an even tougher nut to crack. So what'll it be? You can back out, or you can get your ass kicked, your choice."

Sun smirked. "Ha! No way, I've still got a few tricks left up my sleave." He put his gun-chucks back into their staff mode and he charged ahead. Kevin turned his hands into blades and he countered every strike that Sun made with his weapon. But Sun wasn't through yet, for when an opening presented itself, he jabbed the pole right at Kevin's middle, sending another shockwave out an sending Kevin back several feet, knocking him to the arena floor.

The Osmosian quickly recovered and transformed his hand into a hammer once more. He ran at Sun, who attempted to block the strike only for the Ruyi Jingu Bang to be knocked out of his hand, skittering to the opposite edge of the arena. Kevin then punched him in the gut, resulting in the young Faunus holding his midsection as the wind was knocked out of him. He took a few steps back, hoping to collect himself before Kevin could strike again. He breathed deeply as he spoke his next words;

"Wow, heh, gotta say man, you really don't go down easily." Sun admitted.

"Ready to give up then?" Kevin asked.

Sun chuckled. "Haha, you kidding? I've still got one last trick in me." As he gathered his breath, Sun sat on the ground and crossed his legs, going into a meditative stance. He closed his eyes and began to focus himself. Kevin wasn't entirely sure what was going on here.

"Uh, dude, just sitting there is kinda the same as just quitting—what the?!" To Kevin's surprise, Sun's hair and tail began to glow an ethereal gold. From his body emerged the last thing that Kevin expected; glowing Sun clones made of light, three in total. It was only then did Kevin remember; "Oh right, Semblances."

The clones ran towards Kevin and he took a battle-ready stance. He used his hammer-hand to try and hit one of the clones. He was successful, but the moment he did, it blew up in his face. "GAH!" From out of the residual smoke, another clone leapt at him and pinned him to the ground, the remaining one also piling up on him. The moment they started to glow, he knew what would come next. He closed his eyes and prepared himself. "Shit."

BOOM! The clones blew up, leaving a large cloud of smoke in the middle of the arena. Kevin was fine however, his hacking and coughing from inside the cloud proving so. Sun quickly got up and sprinted toward his weapon, but as he was about to grab it, he felt the collar of his shirt get tugged on and he was forced to the floor, a metal hand forcing his shoulder down while the other arm was pressed up against his neck. Kevin looked down at his opponent with an angry expression... for all of five seconds before he began laughing. "Hahahaha! Okay man, I think we'll call it there." He got up and offered his hand. "C'mon, up ya go."

Sun took the hand and got up, but not without some confusion. "What? We're just gonna stop? But you can still fight, why stop now?"

Kevin waved Sun back. "Hey man, as far as I'm concerned, when I get blown up, it's a good place to call it quits. Besides, you really gave me a run for my money out there."

"Yeah, guess so, but you proved me wrong, you really ARE hard to take down."

"Comes with being an Osmosian, we're known to be a bit hard-headed."

From the stands they heard Ben shout; "Understatement of the century!" The comment got some laughs out of Yang, Ruby and Nora, though Blake and Weiss couldn't help but smirk, with Pyrrha and Jaune trying to hide their chuckles behind their hands.

Kevin looked to the bleachers with furrowed brows. "Alright, yuck it up on your own time you dorks! Blake, Ren, you guys are up!"

As Sun left the arena to take a seat, Blake approached him, greeting him with a small smile. "Hey, you did pretty good out there. It was an impressive show."

Sun rubbed the back of his head. "Heh, thanks. And good luck in your match with ninja boy. I'll be cheering you on."

Blake set a hand on Sun's shoulder. "I wouldn't expect anything less." She went off and took her place on the arena, leaving Sun with the biggest, most love-struck grin.

It was a close call, but Blake won her spar against Ren, the cat-girl having out-ninja'd the ninja boy. Ren had put up a good fight himself, but after seeing Sun fight Kevin, Blake had a similar idea to use her own shadow clones to incapacitate Ren and his aura dwindled into the red zone pretty quickly after that. She thanked Ren for a good fight and sat back down on the bleachers, right next to Sun. The monkey boy was quick to congratulate her. "Nice, I see you copied my little trick huh?"

Blake shrugged "I wouldn't call it "copying" per se. More like... "borrowing"."

"I see. So, did my cheering help at all?" he asked.

Blake smiled and glanced off to the side. "Oh, a little bit, yes."

Sun pumped a fist in the air. "Sweet!"

Blake shook her head. 'Still a dork, but a nice dork.'

Ren meanwhile sat back down with his team, Jaune giving his blood-brother a fist bump. "Hey good fight dude. You almost had her."

Ren nodded. "Thanks Jaune, I think I'm still just a little tired from getting up so early."

"Hey, I get it, trust me. Let's just hope we don't all have to adapt to Gwen's sleep schedule."

"I heard that Jaune!" Gwen called over.

"Well it's true!" Jaune called back with a smirk, his team getting a laugh out of it.

Next up was Weiss against Ruby, which ended up being a tie. Ruby managed to trip her up a few times thanks to her speed, but once Weiss managed to trick her into a glyph-trap, the match went to the heiress' favor. But in the end, both had exhausted their auras to the red zone.

Ruby crossed her arms and pouted. "Those glyphs are overpowered."

Weiss gave her partner a small side hug. "Perhaps, but you are getting better. I could barely keep up with you out there."

"Yeah, I guess so. But next time I will beat you."

"Maybe, but we'll see."

At last, Yang and Gwen took the arena floor, the former raring to get started. "Just so you know Gwen, you can always duck out if I'm too much for you to handle." Yang warned.

The Anodite wasn't deterred as she took a battle ready stance. "Are you kidding? I've been looking forward to this."

"Now that's what I like to hear! Let's get it on!"

From off to the side, the two girls heard Kevin give the word. "Ready? Fight!"

Yang rushed forward, her fist pulled back and ready to strike. Gwen on the other hand stayed put, her stance never wavering, keeping her left hand up and her right down at her side. Yang closed in and, at the very last second, Gwen swiftly grabbed Yang's wrist with her left hand and struck her in the shoulder with the palm of her right, sending the blonde stumbling back in surprise. "Gah! What was THAT?!"

"That was a more advanced tai chi technique that what I showed you this morning." Gwen explained. "It's called: "Repulse the Monkey". Handy, wouldn't you say?"

"That was... really unexpected. You gotta show me that tomorrow."

"Sure, now..." Gwen snapped her fingers and a cylindrical mana shield came up around her. "See if you can deal with this."

"Heh, easy." Yang knelt down and blasted her Ember Celica into the ground, sending her flying up and straight over Gwen's barrier. But just as she was about to land next to the red head, Gwen made a roof for her little cylinder, Yang making impact with a thud, her left cheek face practically plastered against the pink energy field. After peeling herself off, she stood on the roof, glaring down at Gwen. "Really?"

"Yep, getting frustrated yet?"

At those words, Yang finally realized what Gwen was doing; testing her patience. A grin came to Yang's face and jumped off the mana structure, facing Gwen when she landed. "I get what you're goin' for Red. Thanks. Now, how 'bout we really get started?"

Gwen nodded. "Right, just testing you." The girls immediately went into fisticuffs, Yang being more intense with her strikes while Gwen seemed to focus more on blocking or redirecting Yang's blows and then striking herself when presented a chance.

It could only go on for so long however, as Yang was finally able to get one lucky punch in that sent Gwen flying backwards, the Anodite doing a mid-air backflip and landing in a crouch to stop herself. She got up and her hands lit up with spheres of pink energy. She threw them at her opponent summoning more as she tossed them. Yang was ready though, she kept unloading rounds from her gauntlets as she charged in, the mana projectiles shattering like glass when the Dust rounds hit them.

Just as Yang had gotten in close, Gwen shot a stream of mana energy out from her hand, creating a snare that wrapped itself around the Blonde Brawler. Gwen focused on her grip, she had to keep herself concentrated or else the stream of energy from her hand, and by proxy, the snare, would vanish. "So Yang, what now?" she asked her opponent.

Yang looked down at the predicament she'd been put in and simply shrugged. "I dunno. Maybe sit back, relax, think of how I'm gonna beat ya, all that junk."

Gwen raised an eyebrow. "You sure you're not bothered by this?"

"I don't think "bothered" is the right word. I actually think it's rather comfy." A sly grin came to Yang's face. "So, ever wrap yourself and Kevin up in one of these?"

Gwen deadpanned. "Really? That old trick?"

Yang shrugged again. "Eh, worth a shot." Her eyes glowed red and an intense fiery aura surrounded her. With a mighty yell, she flexed her arms, her sheer strength making the snare she was trapped in dissipate, much to Gwen's shock. The blonde quickly shot across the arena straight at Gwen, her fist rearing back again for a finishing blow.

Gwen reacted quickly, creating an energy whip from her hand that she snapped at Yang. But Yang managed to dodge the whip and grab on to it, much to Gwen's surprise. With a loud grunt, the blonde pulled on the energy whip, causing Gwen to be pulled toward her at great speed. The whole thing was happening too fast for Gwen to process, so she did the only thing she could think of; close her eyes and brace for impact.

But the impact never came. Much to her surprise, she instead felt a gentle hand grasp her shoulder. Her eyes snapped open to see Yang, smiling and her fist still reared back. She lightly bonked the redhead's forehead with her knuckles and gave her a friendly wink. "Made ya flinch!"

Gwen could only describe her state of mind in one word; confused. "I... I-I don't... WHAT?!"

"Hehe, Gwen I gotta admit, you've surprised me. You're good, really good, and I can't wait to learn more from you."

"B-but what about the match? Nobody won."

Yang shook her head. "Gwen this was never about winning. I meant what I said, I just wanted to see what you were capable of. And I'm impressed with the results." She gave a respectful bow to her teacher. "I'm glad to be learning from you."

At first taken aback, Gwen bowed back. "You're welcome, Yang. But believe me, you kind of overwhelmed me back there. I wasn't too sure what to do at that moment."

"Heh, yeah, I guess I can be a bit over the top. So, you're still gonna teach me that "Repulse the Monkey" move right?"

Gwen nodded. "Of course, first thing in class tomorrow morning."

"Awesome." The girls high-fived and went back to the bleachers, Yang waving to the green-clad hero. "Hey Ben! You and Nora are up! Give us a good show 'kay?"

Ben got up and saluted back. "After the performance that you ladies gave us, I'm more than happy to oblige!" He looked over to his hammer-wielding opponent. "That is if Nora's ready for it."

The hyper-active redhead stood up and presented Magnhild, her eyes shining with bountiful energy. "I've been ready Tennyson! Let's go!"

As Ben took the arena floor, he couldn't help but look up into the stands. There, he saw his cousin and Team RWBY all giving him their support, Ruby cheering for him, Weiss and Blake giving him smiles of support and Yang in particular giving him a wink and a thumbs-up. Meanwhile on the opposite end, Nora took the feild, her team all calling out their support for her. He understood the favoritism, but today, Ben wanted to see if he could actually get in a win. While putting on a good show of course.

'Okay, so who would be good for this one? It's gotta be something they've never seen before...' He scrolled through the Omnitrix until he finally found something. "Ah-ha! Perfect." He looked up at Nora, a smirk settling on his face. "Alright Nora, you ready?"

The Pink Dynamo waved back. "Totally! And don't worry, these grenades are blanks!"

"Great! Because you're about to face off against..." Ben slammed the Omnitrix down and began his transformation. He became a large ape-like creature with grey skin and yellow fur, a set of sharp teeth in his mouth. The only skin that was exposed were his face, fingers and toes with sections of black fur around his hands, feet, pelvic region and head. On his forehead, there were three lightning bolt-shaped horns that somewhat resembled eyebrows, a set of metal bolts jutting out of the side of his head as well as his wrists. His eyes glowed green and the Omnitrix settled on his chest. His voice crackled with electricity as he spoke his name; "Shocksquatch!"

Nora was ecstatic. "OOOHH! Big and hairy! Can't wait to see what it can do!"

Back in the stands, Jaune turned his head to Gwen, a look of apprehension overtaking his face. "Uh, Gwen, did he just say that alien's name was... Shocksquatch?"

"Well, yeah." Gwen confirmed. "He has the power to generate electricity. Why do you ask?"

Jaune, along with everyone else, had an uneasy feeling as Gwen said that. "You're cousin might be in trouble." the blonde knight replied weakly.

"And BEGIN!" Kevin shouted from the field.

Nora threw Magnhild into the air and the hammer transformed into its grenade launcher form. She caught it as it came down and fired two grenades at Shocksquatch, the latter surprised at the unexpected move. As the projectiles drew nearer, Shocksquatch generated an electric current through his arms, shooting the stream of sparks at the grenades. They met and blew up in mid-air, a cloud of dust bursting out from the explosion. Shocksquatch kept his eyes peeled for any sign of Nora, only to be surprised when she burst out of the cloud with a loud battle cry, hammer held high above her head. She brought it down, but Shocksquatch caught the head in his hands, stopping her decent.

"HA!" the Gimlinopithecus laughed. "Whatcha gonna do now, eh?"

"This." Nora pulled a trigger and a grenade shot out of Magnhild's head, detonating the moment it was shot. The recoil caused Shocksquatch to let go, staggering back a bit from the force of the impact. It also sent Nora back a fair distance, though she was able to land on her feet while Shocksquatch stumbled to the ground. Nora ran forward as Shocksquatch began to stand. Just as he found his footing, Nora slammed her hammer against his gut, sending him back even further, almost to the edge.

"Gah!" he yelled. "Okay, so you want it that way, eh? Well then it's on like Donkey Kong!" Shocksquatch got on all fours and charged at Nora, letting out a guttural growl.

"I do NOT know what that is but I'm in!" Nora shouted back. With a guttural yell of her own, she slammed her hammer on the ground so that the handle was pointing upwards. She hopped onto her weapon and gave a salute as she pulled the trigger, resulting in the hammer launching into the air, Nora still standing on it like her own personal steed.

'Oh you've gotta be friggin' kidding me.' Shocksquatch thought. 'This is getting ridiculous!' But, as weird as he thought it was, he decided to go along with it. He lunged himself up into the air and met her half way into her decent, tackling her to the arena floor. "There will be no flyin' when I'm around missy!"

"Wasn't planning on it big guy!" Nora's hammer changed back into launcher mode and she shot off another grenade, making Shocksquatch fly right off of her.

Shocksquatch picked himself off the ground, and at this point, he was quite irritated. "Oh, come on! Seriously?"

Nora rested her hammer over her shoulders, a proud smile gracing her features. "What's the matter Ben? I hope you're not holding back. My Aura's pretty strong ya know, I could probably take anything you dish out."

Shocksquatch narrowed his eyes at the Pink Dynamo. "Well if that's the case, I guess I won't hold back then!" With a mighty roar, Shocksquatch ran forward, his fists surging with electricity.

Nora smirked. 'Bingo' She pulled her hammer off her shoulders and ran forward, her plan set in motion.

Unbeknownst to either of them, Jaune saw the look on Nora's face, and his uneasiness increased. "Uh, Gwen, if you wanna warn your cousin, now's the time!"

Gwen's eyes shifted from Jaune to the battlefield, whatever had Jaune nervous must have been pretty big, so she did as he advised. "Ben! STOP!"

"Huh?" It was too late, Shocksquatch's fist made contact as Nora caught the incoming punch. The electrical energy coursed through his hand and into her arms, the color changing from yellow to pink. The Gimlinopithecus pulled his hand away, but the damage had been done. Nora's body was now surging with pink electricity. He could swear he saw her eyes glowing a little pink as well. "Okay, first: WHAT?! Second: THE HELL?!"

"Ben! Nora's Semblence turns her into a living electric conductor!" Pyrrha explained. "She uses it to increase her strength even further!"

"Well then why didn't anyone tell me—GAH!" Nora slammed her hammer against Shocksquatch's stomach, cutting him off mid-sentence and giggling like a mad-woman.

"Hehehe, now where's the fun in that Benny-boy?" She pushed her hammer upwards and sent him flying straight into the air. As he came down, she jumped up above him and slammed him down into the ground again. Shocksquatch landed on the arena floor in a heap, but still conscious.

The black and yellow alien shook his head and began to get up. "Ugh, okay, errors have been made, but I can fix this."

Just as he stood, Nora landed in front of him, her body still surging with lighting. "Hehehehehe, really? And how do you think you—oof!" Nora was socked in the gut, sending her half-way across the arena. She landed on the ground, but she continued speaking. "Ohhh, like that."

Shocksquatch jumped up and raised both fists above his head, intending to make a finishing blow. But Nora was one step ahead of him. She held her hammer with both hands and used the handle to block the attack, the force of the impact resulting in a small crater beneath her feet. What Nora didn't expect however was Shocksquatch grabbing the handle and lifting both it and her above his head. He brought her down, slamming her down into the concrete. But she didn't really seemed bothered by it.

"Hahahahaha! This is just too much FUN!" As she laughed, Shocksquatch again tried to slam his fist down on her, but she just rolled out of the way and hit him with her hammer again, though not sending him as far as the last few times.

As he gathered himself, Shocksquatch growled as his hands coursed with lighting. "Alright Nora, we've gotta finish this! You need to burn off some of that energy and come down from that high of yours RIGHT NOW!"

Nora spun her hammer around in a showy manner before putting herself in a ready stance. "I couldn't agree more Tennyson!"

The two ran forward, Shocksquatch with an electrical punch at the ready while Nora brought her hammer back for one last swing, her finger close to the trigger. They jumped up in the air, intending to meet in the middle for their final clash.

Back in the stands, Jaune was in full on panic mode. 'When those two collide...' He looked to everyone and yelled; "Everyone behind the bleachers, NOW!" Everyone complied with his command, Jaune himself picking Pyrrha up out of her wheelchair to bring her back there as fast as he could.

Shocksquatch's punch and Magnhild's head met, Nora firing one last grenade as they collided. The resulting explosion was enough to blow both of them back and out of the ring, effectively ending the match. With a shocked expression, Kevin looked over to see Ben sit up and transform back to normal. Nora also managed to sit up, her head spiraling in a dizzy state. The Osmosian gave the word; "Aaaand I think that's a good place to stop. Training's over for today people! Nobody wins, we're done here!"

Team JNPR went over to Nora, Ren helping her up to her feet. "Nora, are you okay?" he asked with concern.

"Oh, yeah, fine." she replied in her dizzied state. "Still a little sparkly in some places but for the most part, yeah I'm good!"

Jaune wasn't all that impressed. "That was kind of a bad idea Nora. What if that explosion were bigger? You could've brought this whole place down."

Nora grabbed her leaders shoulder and hung from it, still partially out of her head. "Hey, listen Jauney, yes, it was very stupid. But now I know, and I can safely say... I probably won't fight another zappy alien again... unless it's out doors."

Jaune rolled his eyes. "We'll see. I'm kind of concerned for our well-being after all that."

Pyrrha nodded. "Indeed. Your Semblance is powerful Nora, but it can also be too much sometimes."

"Gotcha," Nora complied. "No more big booms inside."

Meanwhile, Ben was being helped up by Yang and Gwen, the blonde giving her congrats. "Nice fight Green Boy, you really went all out in that one."

A dazed Ben smiled. "Hey, thanks Goldie Locks. My electric aliens are actually some of my favorite to use. But man, that battle was a blast and a half!"

"Key word being: blast." Gwen emphasized. "Remind me to have you never use any of those aliens against Nora ever again."

"Duely noted." Ben looked over to see Nora finally coming down from her electrical high. He stood up straight and walked over to her, giving her a grin. "Hey Nora, gotta admit, I did not expect anything like that." He held out his hand. "Thanks for a good fight."

Nora immediately shook Ben's hand. "No problem Ben! Trust me, it was great!"

Suddenly, a beeping sound started to resonate through the room. After a few seconds of everyone looking around, Yang realized that it was her scoll. "Oh hey, it's dad!" She pressed a button and held up the scroll to her ear, speaking into it. "Hey dad, what's up? ...Really? She is? ...Awesome! I'll tell her right now! See you in a bit... yup bye." Yang hung up the scroll and turned back to everyone. "Guys, we're wanted back at the house."

"Is there something wrong?" Weiss asked.

Yang shook her head with a grin. "Nah, but your sister's at the house, so we'll have to..." Weiss was out of the room before anyone could say another word. "...get going." Yang finished.

A/N: And I think that's a good place to leave it. This chapter took a while to get done and to a point where I felt it was right. Fight scenes are admittedly a challenge for me. I know what I want in my head, but getting it into the written word is a bit harder to do. But that's neither here nor there. I hope you all have a great Halloween, and I hope to see you all next time. Speaking of which, Next time... Winter is... already here. I don't think I did the joke right.

A/N: Okay, so this chapter features our first villain! He's a bit of a simple start, but trust me, things only ramp up from here with the baddies. But how did he get here in the first place? Well let's find out, shall we? This is…

Chapter 15: Bugged Out

About an hour had passed since the gang left on their shopping excursion. Gwen, having done her fair share of shopping, had found a good selection of clothes relatively quick and easy. She was never too picky with what she wore so long as it was functional while also being presentable. She currently was sitting with Weiss, Winter and Ruby, the latter of whom had gone back to playing Pokémon as they all chatted at the mall's food court, each having ordered a cup of coffee. The subject of their conversation?

"So, Gwen, what IS your brother like?" Weiss asked before taking a sip of her drink.

The Anodite gave her a deadpan look. "Depends, you're not gonna try to ask him out using this information, are you?"

"What? Oh, no, I know my boundaries. I'm just genuinely curious is all."

Ruby glanced up from the 3DS. "Yeah, I mean, you guys have barely told us about your lives outside of fighting bad guys. Meanwhile, most of us have practically shared our families with you. It's only fair right?"

Gwen chuckled. "Hehe, okay, okay, I know when I've been beat. And your right, maybe I should share some things with you. But let me just tell you that the rest of my family is relatively normal compared to myself. My dad's an accountant and my mom's works from home as a finance consultant. They're the reason why I went to such a good school and part of the reason of how I'm going to such a great college."

Weiss' eyes widened at the information. "Wow, you must be sitting pretty."

"Heh, yeah, if by sitting pretty you mean in upper middle class, then sure. Anyways, my brother is pretty laid back in comparison. Whenever his band had a concert, he always snuck me and my friends in back stage. And he drove Ben to his first soccer practice in his car."

Winter nodded as she listened in. "I see, so he is a musician?"

"He is." Gwen confirmed. "He plays the bass in his band, but he's actually pretty good at a lot of instruments. Ever since he was little, he always had a love for music. He loves it so much that he went to college for a degree in musical arts."

"I see." Winter took a sip of her coffee before going on. "And you mentioned that you don't see him too often?"

"Well… not recently." Gwen cupped her hands together on the table. "Ever since he graduated college, Kenny's been out trying to make a life for himself. You know, get a job, a decent place to live… maybe get a stable relationship, it's all a big thing for him. So much that he hasn't really had a lot of free time to see me and our parents."

"I'm sure, though you must be proud of him correct?"

"Oh god yeah, I can't even express how proud I am of my brother, I'm just being a bit selfish. Hell, if I wasn't so busy with my own college life, I would have probably just gone to see him myself while we were back in our world. But unfortunately, that wasn't the case."

Winter nodded once more before putting a hand over the redhead's. "Gwendolyn, I understand how you feel. I too know what it's like to be far from a sibling you care about, as I'm sure is another person at this table." Winter eyed Weiss in a side-glace, the younger Schnee responding with a wide grin and a small shrug. "Believe me when I say that you will see your brother again, one way or another."

With a smile, Gwen thanked the elder Schnee. "Thank you, Winter. I appreciate the kind words."

"You are very welcome, and remember, you still have loved ones here with you as well. In fact, here comes one of them now…"

"What up ladies?" At the sound of the informal greeting, Gwen rolled her eyes with a grin and turned around to see Kevin, a shopping bag in each hand. "Got my shopping done."

"Really?" Gwen asked. "Please tell me it isn't ALL black."

"What? 'Course not! Some of its grey."

"You're hopeless."

"Hopeless for you." Kevin gave Gwen a peck on the lips, eliciting a chorus of "AAWWWW's" from Weiss and Ruby.

"That is SO sweet!" Weiss exclaimed.

"Yeah, well don't get used to it princess," Kevin countered. "I've still got snark to last a life time. So, what were you guys talkin' about?"

"Gwen was just telling us about her brother." Ruby explained. "You must've met him, right Kevin?"

"Ken? Yeah, he's a cool dude. Met 'im a few times, talked cars with him." Kevin's eyebrows shot up and a wide grin came to his face. "Oh! PLEASE tell me you told them about the "Awesomobile"."

Gwen had a sinking feeling in her gut at the mention of her brother's old car, a feeling that only sank further when Ruby pressed the subject. "What's the Awesomobile?"

Kevin set the scene. "Okay, so get this: Gwen and Ben are going on and on about how Ken's so friggin' cool. Then they bring up how his car's called the "Awesomobile". I figure it's some sorta hot rod or low-rider, something like that. I finally see the thing, and it's a goddamn rattle-trapping Junker! It makes the Rustbucket look like a street racer!"

Both Weiss and Ruby burst out laughing, the laughter only increasing when Gwen put her face against the table out of embarrassment. The redhead looked up at Winter, only to see her hiding a smile beneath her hand. "Oh, come on Winter, you too?!"

"I apologize Gwendolyn, but you must admit, it is rather humorous." Winter said with a slight chuckle.

Gwen just crossed her arms with a huff. "Well… I thought it was awesome."

"I still don't get why we have to do this." Sun griped.

Blake meanwhile was trying to get him to wear something other than his chest-exposing shirt. "Because you can't just wear the same clothes every day, Sun." she counteracted. "I'd like to think we're above that, thank you." She pulled out a few shirts from the rack of clothes she was going through and went over to the monkey boy. "Now try these on, they look your size."

Sun took the shirts, but not without a bit of sarcasm. "Pfft, okay mom."

"Oh, don't you MOM me, mister!" she shot back. "I'm not standing anywhere near you if you plan on wearing the same clothes all the time, got it?"

Realizing he couldn't argue against that, Sun sighed in defeat. "Okay, I'll try 'em on."

Blake smiled. "Thank you. Just remember, you're not just doing this for me, but for everyone you're going to be living with."

"Yeah, sure… but mostly for you." Sun went into the changing room, leaving the still ginning Blake to wait for him. But as she waited, she suddenly felt a new presence behind her.

"So, having fun bossing him around?" Yang asked.

Blake sighed. "Not really, no. I just wish he'd stop acting so immature."

Yang looped around in front of her partner. "Jeez, Sun's right, you really ARE acting like a mom, and that's usually my job."

"H-hey! That's not fair!" Blake retorted.

Yang shrugged. "Maybe, but you gotta learn to relax a little, Blake. Adam's long gone by now and Sun's here for you. Tell me I'm wrong." At her words, Blake glanced off to the side, her cat ears folding back. Yang smirked. "I thought not. Blake, you should really ask him out sooner or later."

Blake looked back to the blonde. "Do you really think it's a good idea?"

"Sure! He's a nice guy, and after everything you've been through, you deserve someone like him." She gave thumbs-up. "So good luck, partner."

Blake returned the gesture. "Thanks Yang, but you deserve someone nice too, so don't just support the rest of us without thinking about yourself once and a while."

Yang chuckled with a sly girin. "Hehe, don't you worry 'bout that. I'm keeping myself preoccupied…"

Blake quirked a brow in confusion. "With what?"

"Hey ladies!" The two girls turned to see Ben, but rather than in his signature jacket, he now wore a short-sleeved green polo shirt with brown cargo pants and white sneakers. "So, what d'ya think? Too much? Not enough? My cousin's not here with her sage wisdom so you've gotta work with me here."

Yang seemed impressed as she inspected his choice of clothes. "Wow, didn't know you cleaned up that well, Ben."

A sly grin came to Blake's face. 'Ah, I get it now.'

Ben put a hand behind his head. "Heh, well I tried at least. I'm not exactly all that fashion-forward, so I'm pretty simple when it comes to clothes."

"It's not exactly about fashion." Yang pointed out. "It's all about wearing something decent. You don't need to be fashionable for that."

Ben was relieved. "Oh thank god, that make's me feel so much better."

Yang nodded. "Good, so, would you rather wear your new clothes out or change back?"

Ben looked down at his current attire and figured; "Aw, what the heck, sure, I'll wear 'em out. Why not, right? Lemme get my jacket and stuff and I'll meet ya at the counter."

"Gotcha, but one last thing."

"Yeah? What is it?"

Yang pointed to the buttons on the polo, both of with were done up. "This isn't exactly fashion related, but it's better to keep at least one button undone on a polo. Keeping it loose gives you better neck room and is just more comfortable." She stepped forward, getting very close to the hero before unbuttoning the top button herself. "There, better?"

"U-uh, yeah. It is actually." Ben replied dumbfoundedly.

Yang winked. "Great! See ya up front!" Before anyone knew it, she was off to the front of the store, leaving a very confused Ben and a knowing Blake in her wake.

"W-what was that?" Ben asked.

"Psh, Ben, you're clueless." Blake responded coyly. At that moment, the changing room door opened and out stepped Sun, now in a short-sleeved button up shirt, complete with a pectoral pocket. He sheepishly approached Blake and asked the million-Lien question;

"Okay, so how's this look?"

Blake smiled. "It looks really nice. You clean up very well, Sun."

Meanwhile, Team JNPR had just finished their shopping, getting ready to leave the store. And Nora was as happy as a clam. "I can NOT believe that they had my BOOP shirt!" she shouted happily. "It's almost if I'd never left it back at Beacon!"

Ren nodded. "Agreed, the odds of them having an exact copy aren't impossible, but also highly unpredictable."

Jaune, with two sets of bags on each arm, one his and the other Pyrrha's, looked to the rest of his team as he pushed said redhead in her wheelchair. "Well, in any case, I guess we're pretty much done. So how 'bout we meet up with everyone else and get some lunch at the food court, huh?"

But Pyrrha objected. "Uh-uh, not so fast Jaune, there's one more stop we must make."

"Um… okay, where's that?"

Pyrrha pointed to her left. "Right over there actually." The three others looked to where she was leading them and saw a small kiosk in the middle of the store, leading to a bunch of confused faces.

"Uh, Pyr, I'm not sure what you need there but…"

"Take closer look Jaune, you'll see why."

Upon her instruction, Jaune did as instructed and noticed what she was talking about. Hoodies, the kiosk was displayed with a wide selection of hoodies of all sizes and colors with multiple types of designs adorning them. "Please don't tell me." Jaune feared.

"Yep, you're getting a new hoodie today." Pyrrha confirmed.

"Aw, c'mon Pyr, do we really have to do this today?"

Pyrrha's expression grew serious. "Yes, we do. Because your father is right, Jaune, I can practically see that hoodie shrinking on you as we speak. Just look at your sleeves!"

Jaune scoffed. "Oh come on, it can't be that bad—" It was that bad. Jaune knew it as soon as he looked at the end of his sleeve. Now, the hoodie itself was short sleeved, but said sleeves were hugging his shoulders pretty tight. And now that Pyrrha had mentioned it, Jaune was starting to feel constricted in his own clothes. "Um, okay maybe it is."

"Right." Pyrrha wheeled herself over to the display. "Now, I passed by this booth a couple times, and I think I found one you might like." She reached up and grabbed the nearest hoodie. It had short sleeves and it was black, just like his regular one. But it was a size bigger and the inside was blue instead of red. Pyrrha handed it over to him. "Now, I believe this one is made of the same material as your old one, correct?"

Jaune felt around the garment both inside and out before coming to the conclusion; "Huh, you're right, it is! Not bad actually."

Pyrrha smiled. "And the best part? Turn it around and see what's on the back."

Jaune did so and immediately his brows shot up in surprise. There, emblazoned in white, was the cross-axed symbol of Beacon Academy, starkly contrasting against the black fabric. "I… I just… wow. I didn't know they sold things like this outside of Beacon."

Nora gasped. "Jaune! You've just GOT to buy that hoodie! It'd look SO cool on you."

"Nora's right." Ren agreed. "I don't think anyone'd argue with school pride."

"Heh, well uh…" Jaune looked over to Pyrrha, who gave him the sweetest smile he'd ever seen.

"Please?" she asked.

Jaune sighed. Majority ruled, and he was slowly becoming part of it. "What the hell, why not?"

The team cheered, happy that their leader wouldn't be wearing shrinking clothes any longer. Jaune bought the hoodie and put it in one of his bags, resolving to put it on when he got home. As they exited the store, they ran into Ben and Yang, both of them carrying many clothing bags. But the first thing that everyone noticed was Ben's new attire.

"Hey guys!" the hero greeted.

"Ben! Dude, nice clothes." Jaune commented.

"Agreed." Pyrrha said. "You look quite nice. But where are your other clothes?"

Ben lifted one of his clothing bags. "All in here, jacket, jeans, everything. Yang suggested that I should show my new duds off a bit."

"That's right!" The Blond Brawler affirmed. "And by the compliments you've just gotten, I guess it payed of pretty quick, eh?"

"Ha, yeah, guess so." Ben admitted. "So, who's up for some lunch?"

"OOH! OOH! I am!" Nora exclaimed. But all of a sudden, the Pink Dynamo jumped slightly with a yelp. "AGH!" Her hand swiftly went to the back of her neck and smacked it. She pulled her and away and looked in her palm. "EW! Gross! A mosquito!"

Ben was slightly shocked. "Wow, you too Nora? I got bit just before we left the house."

Yang's face took on a look of skepticism. "Okay, first Ben, now Nora. What the heck's goin' on here?! The bugs should all be dead by now." Just then, Jaune smacked the back of his hand, then Pyrrha yelped and hit her shoulder, and Yang herself felt something on her leg. All three managed to kill the mosquitos on their person, just before they were able to bite. "GAH!" Yang yelled out. "What the hell, man?!"

What happened next was something that no one could have expected. At the sound of a scream, the teens all looked behind them to see a mob of people running in fear, all of them hollering in a panic. It wasn't clear at first, but then they saw what they were running from; out of the vents in the walls came a swarm of insects, all flying at the people, hoping to get a taste of some sweet human blood.

"Oh shit." Nora squeaked.

"My sentiments exactly." Ben concurred. Just then, he saw something on the floor; a massive winged shadow directly in front of him. Seeing no one who could have cast it at floor level, he looked up to the ceiling to see a massive skylight, and someone standing directly above it. But just as his eyes made contact with it, the figure flew straight up into the air… only to come crashing back down through the glass.

As it landed in front of them, Ben's eyes widened in horror. 'No, it can't be!' But it was, the creature that he had once encountered as a human during that fateful summer vacation was standing before him once again, a year since he himself had caught and imprisoned it. Meanwhile the others were horrified by this monstrous bug-man, Jaune even almost retching when he laid his eyes on it.

"What the hell IS that thing?!" Yang exclaimed.

"I have no clue, but it NEEDS to die." Nora replied. "Like, right now please."

"Clancy." Ben said in disbelief.

That got everyone's attention. They all turned to him, Pyrrha being the one to ask the obvious question; "You know that monster?"

"More importantly: IT HAS A NAME?!" Nora yelled.

"A relatively normal name at that." Ren added.

Ben's brows furrowed. "Guys, this thing used to be a human being. I fought him a couple times when I was a kid. He's got telepathic powers that he uses to control insects, so that explains where all the mosquitos are coming from."

Pyrrha felt the need to bring up another obvious matter. "So then why is he here?"

Ben shrugged. "Beats me, we found him in a bayou and locked him up a year ago in…" The revelation hit Ben like a truck. "…In the Bellwood Plumber Headquarters."

Yang glared at Clancy as he just stood there growling at them, preparing to make his move. "Okay, so how do we beat him?"

Just as the words left her mouth, Clancy lunged at the group, catching them off guard. But then the most unexpected thing happened; Jaune, having recovered from his near-puke experience, had jumped up front and pulled out his shield, Clancy slamming his claws into it. The force pushed Jaune back, but he was able to find his footing rather quickly.

"Jaune!" Pyrrha shouted in a panic.

Jaune glanced to her out of the corner of his eye. "It's okay Pyr, I'm fine." The leader of Team JNPR looked over to his ninja teammate. "Ren, go find Blake and Sun. Help evacuate as many people as you can!"

Ren nodded. "On it!" The green ninja swiftly left, off to find their two Faunus friends.

Jaune shifted his attention to Ben, Clancy pushing harder against the shield. "Ben! Get your cousin on the line! We need all the help we can get!" The blonde knight looked back to Clancy. He reached up, grabbed Crocea Mors' handle, and pulled it right out of the shield, slicing it at the bug-man after he did. Clancy jumped back, the blade having delivered a clean slice across his pectorals, only just barely cutting through the dense exoskeleton. Jaune's next request came instantly; "Yang! I'll need some help!"

"On it!" Yang activated her Ember Celica, intending to beat this thing into the ground. She moved in and swung her fist forward, but Clancy caught it in his clawed hand before she could touch him. "EW, gross! Hands off, bug-guy!" She brought her other fist forward and punched Clancy's abdomen, unloading a Fire Dust round and forcing him to stagger back, which got him to let go of her. Yang proceeded to wail on him with everything she had, not once letting him get the opportunity to hit back.

Meanwhile, Ben was communicating to his cousin through the Omnitrix. "Gwen, please tell me you know about the bugs."

"Sure do, I've got Kevin, Ruby, Weiss and Winter in a mana shield with me as we speak."

"Well get this: Clancy's here."

"WHAT?! Clancy?! How? I thought he was locked up a year ago!"

"So did I, but apparently not. Jaune sent Ren to go find Blake and Sun to help evacuate."

A new voice came through the Omnitrix; "Benjamin, this is Winter, can you hear me?"

"Sure can, you got a plan?"

"Indeed, we shall be there momentarily. Hold off this "Clancy" for as long as you can, is that clear?"

"I've got it, see ya in a bit." Ben hung up, only to see Clancy take to the air, away from where Yang was punching him. The hero looked around, hoping to see the hallways devoid of people, only to be let down as more people were screaming for their lives. 'Dammit!' he yelled in his head. 'Still too many people, can't transform yet—'

The thought quickly disappeared from Ben's mind when he saw what Clancy did next. The bug-man's entire face split in half down the middle, revealing a large maw of teeth. A swarm of angry hornets came spewing out of the giant mouth… and all of them flew straight towards Yang. The blonde's eyes widened in shock and horror as the deadly insects drew in.

At that point, Ben threw caution to the wind and said; "Screw it!" Before activating the Omnitrix and transforming into… "Heatblast!" The Pyronite surged forward and put himself between Yang and the swarm, letting lose a powerful blast of fire from his hand at the incoming insects. The hornets fell to the ground as they were burned alive, little more now than small piles of ash. Heatblast let out a breath of relief. "Man, that was close."

"You're telling me." Yang agreed. "Thanks for the save. Not sure if Aura can handle massive amounts of deadly stings."

"No problem, can never be too careful right?"

Nora took out Magnhild, readying herself for battle. "Well I think we should squash this bug! What d'ya say, guys?!"

"Right." Heatblast turned behind him to face the blonde knight. "Jaune, good work taking charge when it counted, now I've got something for you to do."

Jaune nodded. "Okay, what is it?"

Heatblast looked over to the wheelchair-bound Pyrrha. "I need you and Pyrrha to get somewhere safe. I don't want her to get anymore hurt when her leg's almost finished healing, got it?"

Pyrrha was aghast at the very idea of leaving. "Ben, you cannot be serious! We can't just leave you alone!"

Heatblast gave her a thumbs-up. "Hey, don't worry about it. When it comes to my villains, Clancy's small potatoes. He's nowhere near the toughest I've beaten." Clancy growled loudly at that, earning him a glare from Heatblast. "Oh, shut up! You know you are!"

Pyrrha sighed in frustration 'I HATE being so useless like this.' She looked back up to Ben with a serious expression. "Very well, good luck everyone." And just like that, Jaune and Pyrrha took off in the opposite direction, leaving only Yang, Nora, and Heatblast to deal with Clancy.

The Blonde Brawler glanced over to the Pyronite. "Think it'd be a good time for that catchphrase of yours?"

"Probabaly… but how 'bout you say it?" Heatblast suggested. "I like it when other people use it."

Yang smirked before looking back to the insectoid menace. "Sounds good to me! It's Hero Time!" As Yang gave the word, the three charged straight at Clancy. The bug man took to the air and surged forward as well, his intent to destroy them all too deliberate.

To say that Gwen and her group were between a rock and a hard place was putting it mildly. All around them, multiple swarms of insects buzzed around, the only thing keeping them away being the pink mana shield. "Out of all of Ben's rogue's gallery, Clancy is the absolute LAST one I'd expect to be here." the Anodite fussed.

"Gotta admit, it's pretty random." Kevin agreed as he absorbed the tile floor. "Bug-dude's been missing for years, gets caught, and breaks out a year later, what're the odds he'd be here?"

Ruby made a suggestion. "Well, you did mention it happened at a Plumber prison, right? Shot in the dark, but maybe some of the inmates were caught in the blast?"

"Oh, crap baskets." Gwen grumbled.

Winter wasn't discouraged. "We will have to worry about that later." She looked over to her sister. "Weiss, we need to clear the way."

Weiss withdrew Myrtenaster and acknowledged her sister. "Right." Winter drew her sword and together, the Schnee sisters created a secondary barrier of Glyphs around the mana field. "Shield your eyes!" Weiss ordered, everyone doing so at her command. A huge burst of energy erupted from the Glyphs and all of the bugs blew away, the shock of the blow killing them instantly.

As the Glyphs vanished, Winter gave the word. "Now, run!" Gwen brought the mana field down and all of them began sprinting down the mall's large hallways, hoping to find their comrades.

Ruby was using her Semblance to her advantage, taking a considerable lead in front of her friends. As she dashed through the halls, leaving clusters of rose petals in her wake, she could hear the buzzing noises getting louder and louder. It could only mean one thing: she was closing in. She stopped and turned around to the others. "Guys! This way!"

The group rounded the nearest corner and their they were; Yang, Nora, and Ben as Heatblast, all three fighting Clancy. And as their eyes laid upon the bug-monster, Ruby and Weiss echoed each other's thoughts perfectly;

"Okay, that is just too gross." the Heiress reeled back in disgust.

"More than just gross, it's just wrong on so many levels." Ruby added as she pulled out Crescent Rose. "I suggest we swat it. Right now."

Kevin was all too happy to oblige. "Don't have to tell me twice." He turned his hands into a pair of hammers and rushed forward. "Hey! Buzz-brain! Quit scarin' the people!" Clancy, caught off guard, was hit by the first strike. But on the second, he managed to catch Kevin's arm with both clawed hands. Just as fast, Clancy spun Kevin around and threw him into a store front, straight through a pane-glass window.

"Kevin!" Gwen hollered in panic.

Letting out a battle cry, Ruby lunged forward, using her speed to close in on Clancy. She twirled Crescent Rose around and brought it down, only for Clancy to catch the blade between his hands before it could make contact. Grunting in frustration, Ruby pulled back with a mid-air flip, changing Crescent Rose into its sniper rifle mode and unloading round after round into Clancy, which, while the bug-man felt, only managed to lodge themselves into his exoskeleton. Gwen took advantage of the distraction and went over to the storefront to see if Kevin was okay.

Nora also decided to take the advantage. "Hey Ruby! Heads up!" She swung her hammer and hit his back, launching a grenade from the hammer head as it made impact. The hit threw Clancy forward, propelling him straight towards Ruby.

"Thanks Nora!" The Hooded Huntress changed Crescent Rose back into scythe mode and swung it, sending Clancy into a wall. Ruby then charged at him with another downward swing… only for Clancy to bring out his wings and fly upwards, narrowly dodging the attack. Ruby's frustration only grew. "Oh come ON!"

However, as she looked up at Clancy, Ruby could see a tall figure standing above the broken skylight, its features hidden by the glare of the sun. But as soon as the shadowy figure unsheathed its sword, she knew instantly who it was. Or rather, who he was. The figure leapt down, and his sword changing into a scythe of his own. With a clean slice, he cut off Clancy's wings and the bug-man came crashing down to the ground, the mystery man landing in a crouch. Now in full view, he stood up and gave a heavy sigh.

"Ya just can't get a drink in the mornin' anymore without everythin' goin' ta shit now can ya?"

Ruby smiled from ear to ear. "Uncle Qrow!"

Over at the wrecked storefront, Kevin's eyes shot open, frustration written all over his face. "So the drunken asshole returns!"

Gwen, now by his side, was relieved to see him okay. "Kevin! You're not hurt, are you?"

"Don't worry, I'm not." Kevin answered as he sat up. "I only faked being hurt to wait for an opening on Buzz-brain, but then HE decides to show up at the last minute."

Winter wasn't all too happy about the drunkard's presence either. "What are you doing here Branwen?" she asked harshly. "We had this under control."

Qrow shrugged it off. "Relax Ice Queen, as fun as it sounds, I'm not here to argue with ya. Just here to see what the hell's goin' on." He looked around him, inspecting the sorry state of the mall. "Besides, from where I'm standing, things don't seem very "under control". Do Atlesians just have a different definition of those words than the rest of the world?"

That was Weiss' trigger. "How DARE you!" she made to step forward, only for Winter to hold her back.

"Calm yourself, Weiss. Our quarrel is not with him at this time."

"But Winter, he basically just insulted us!"

Ruby had to agree with her partner. "Yeah, really not cool Uncle Qrow."

"Aw c'mon Shortstack." Qrow pleaded. "I'm just havin' a bit a' fun is all."

Gwen's eyes narrowed. "Well if that's the case then maybe your definition of FUN is way off."

"All depends on your perspective, kid."

From where they stood, both Yang and Heatblast had heard enough. "CAN WE FOCUS?!" both shouted ad verbatim.

But it was too late. Clancy was up again, and he was angrier than ever before. His wings had been clipped. They would all die for this. His maw opened again and he began spewing out more insects down at his feet, cockroaches to be accurate. As everyone looked on in disgust, the cockroaches began to cover Clancy until he was covered from head to toe. The bugs had turned him into a large golem made entirely out of cockroaches.

"Oh yeah, forgot he could do that." Heatblast recalled.

"Everyone stand back!" Weiss called out as she withdrew Myrtenaster once again. She spun the revolving barrel in its hilt to the Fire Dust setting and pulled the trigger, the rapier instantly lighting up in a bright fiery red. Weiss made an upward swipe with her weapon and a large wave of fire shot out of Myrtenaster's blade straight at the golem. The armored Clancy turned around and crossed his arms and took the attack, the blazing wave merely scattering a few roaches off of him. Weiss was aghast at what happened. "It did nothing?! How is that possible? Those creepy little things should have burned to bits!"

Gwen had the answer. "Weiss, cockroaches have been known to survive nuclear explosions! A little heat's not going to stop them!"

Winter stepped forward and drew her blade. "Well, then perhaps this will." The elder Schnee summoned a Glyph, her concentration focused solely on it. A bright light emerged, and from out of it came a stark white Beowulf, its eyes and mouth glowing a haunting blue, a bone-chilling howl escaping its mouth as it appeared.

Needless to say, the Alien Trio were shocked at its appearance. "Huh, so I guess that's what she meant by "Summoning"." Kevin said.

The Beowulf lunged forward, pouncing onto the roach golem like it was easy prey. Clancy and the Beowulf scuffled on the ground, both dealing blows to one another. But for as many times that the Beowulf swiped at Clancy with its deadly claws, the more it seemed that the roaches weren't going anywhere. Clancy on the other hand was making powerful blows to the Grimm, slowly but surely taking the advantage. It was all too soon when Clancy took dominance and beat the Grimm into the ground, making it dissipate into thin air as it was defeated.

But what Clancy did not expect was for Winter to be right behind him as the Beowulf disappeared. The creature was but a simple distraction. Winter stabbed her blade at Clancy's midsection, but instead of a pain-filled gasp, what she got was roaches crawling down her blade, forcing her to take it out of the golem. She opened the hidden compartment on her primary blade and pulled out her secondary one. With great agility, Winter strafed around Clancy, making precise slices as she went around him. But for as many roaches that she sliced in half, more just seemed to take their place. She was getting nowhere fast, and she knew it. Clancy reeled back a fist and intended to smack Winter away, but the Altesian woman did a masterful backflip away from the golem, landing back several feet.

"Gwendolyn!" she hollered to the redhead. "How did you defeat Clancy before? That may be the key to our victory!" As she spoke, Qrow and Ruby had moved in and tried their hand at Clancy with their scythes, hoping to at least slow the golem down a little.

Gwen instantly knew the answer. "Funny you should mention that." She looked over to her cousin. "Ben! You remember which alien you were when you beat Clancy the first time right?"

"Well yeah," he pointed to himself. "I was Heatblast."

Gwen nodded. "Right, but you remember the circumstances at the time, right?"

Heatblast's eyes widened in revelation. "My cold! That's right!" Heatblast pushed the Omnitrix and he instantly transformed into a different alien, this one being a black and blue creature with green compound eyes and a lean humanoid body. His hands had three claws while his feet only had two, and a large cloak covered most of his body. But it wasn't a cloak at all, rather a set of four moth-like wings that folded over themselves to resemble a cloak. The wings unfolded and Ben took to the air, shouting this transformation's name through gritted teeth;

"Big Chill." The Necrofiggian flew toward Clancy and he breathed flurry of snow and ice onto the roach golem, freezing him in place. "Sorry to put you on ice Clancy."

Back where she was standing, Yang shrugged. "A bit on the nose, but solid quip either way."

"Thanks. You really can't beat the classics." Big Chill spoke back in his calm, raspy voice. He looked over to the younger Schnee. "Weiss, use your Fire Dust again. Shatter our ice sculpture, if you would please."

"On it." Weiss loaded another vile of Fire Dust into Myrtenaster and pulled the trigger, the blade heating up once again. She stabbed the iced-up golem and, from the entry point down to Myrtenaster's tip, the ice began to break apart, the rapier acting as a hot metal spike. Weiss removed her weapon and the ice shattered, but while the roaches were still trapped in the chunks of ice, Clancy himself fell out onto the ground, dazed and confused.

Yang had a wicked smirk as she moved over to the fallen bug-man. "Well now, looks like you've got a ticket to Hurtsville, Mr. Clancy." She picked him up and held him up high. "Just gotta make a quick stop to Punch City." Yang dealt a swift Fire Dust fueled uppercut to Clancy's midsection, sending him straight up high into the air. "Nora! Finish this!"

"Gotcha!" Nora launched herself into the air on Magnhild, sailing right toward Clancy. She met him mid-air and swung her hammer. And, as the hammer made impact, she launched one last grenade, the force sending him straight into a wall.

As the group approach him, they noticed that Clancy was still quite conscious, so Gwen was all too quick to restrain him in a mana tether. The bug-man was equally fast to start struggling against his entrapment, hoping to break free and flee however far his legs could carry him.

Ben changed back to normal and was quick to make another quip. "Sorry Clancy, but you just bugged us too much."

Yang playfully shoved him with her elbow. "Two for two, you're on a roll, Green Boy."

"Heh, thanks Goldie Locks, I try." Ben looked back at Clancy, the former human being still struggling to free himself from the mana restraints. "So, what do we do with him?"

Winter pulled out a scroll and began dialing a number. "I will contact General Ironwood at once. He will have a special containment unit on standby."

Kevin pulled his Plumber's Badge out. "And I'll call Max, let him know what happened. He'll wanna hear this."

Ruby got a closer look at the monstrous insect man. "Yeesh, he's even creepier up close."

At her proximity, Clancy snapped at Ruby, causing the girl to recoil back, but also for Gwen to visibly flinch. "Guys, if he keeps squirming, it's going to put more strain on me to keep this thing holding him." the redhead pointed out.

Yang lightly pat Gwen's shoulder. "It's okay, I've got this." She stepped forward and punched Clancy square in the face, knocking him out cold.

"So let me get this straight…" Sun began. "You guys fought a giant bug monster… and you DIDN'T invite us?!"

The whole group was now outside, Ren, Blake and Sun having escorted everyone off the premises. Clancy had since been put in two pairs of energy cuffs that Kevin had got from his car, one pair around his wrists and the other on his ankles. The bug-man was laid out on the ground, still unconscious, with Jaune and Pyrrha looking at him with unease, hoping that he wouldn't get back up anytime soon.

"Believe me dude." Jaune said. "From what I've seen, you don't wanna be eye to eye with this thing."

"You're telling me." Blake agreed. "I can't believe this thing used to be human. How did he get this way?"

"We've never been one-hundred percent sure," Gwen answered, "but we're pretty confident that it was Dr. Animo who did this to him all those years ago."

Hearing the name, Ruby brought it into question. "Dr. Animo? That's kind of a weird name."

Kevin nodded. "Yeah, the guy's super into experimenting on animals, turning them into mutated freaks. Apparently his first soiree into mutating humans into freaky animal hybrids didn't go as well as he'd hoped."

"Yeah, Animo's pretty out there." Ben confirmed. "And hey, if you wanna see worse, I can name plenty more bad guys that look WAY worse than Clancy."

"Bad guys which I'm sure are here." Gwen reminded. "Ben, we probably weren't the only ones brought here after all."

"I know, and that's what worries me." In the distance, Ben saw a familiar vehicle approaching, one that he was all too happy to see. "Look, here comes Grandpa!" At the sound of loud turbines, the group looked up to see a Bullhead coming down to land in the vacant parking lot. "Huh, and Ironwood too, it seems."

Winter nodded. "Indeed. Wait here everyone, I must debrief General Ironwood." She glared over to Qrow. "You too, Branwen."

Qrow visibly deflated. "Ugh, FINE. Have it your way Ice Queen"

As the two made their way over to greet the General, the Rustbucket pulled into the parking lot, and the first one out of it actually wasn't Max, but rather a concerned Tai who flung the door open in his rush. "Yang! Ruby! Are you girls alright?!"

"Aw jeez, here we go." Yang mumbled to herself.

Ruby waved to her father. "Hi Dad! We beat up a bug monster!"

Tai looked down at said monster with widened eyes. "I can see that, honey. Nobody's hurt though right?"

Yang rolled her eyes. "Ugh, Dad, relax. Everyone's fine, you've got nothing to worry about. Besides, it's not like we don't know how to handle ourselves you know."

Tai sighed. "You're right sweetheart, I'm sorry." He looked back down at Clancy. "But man, that thing's ugly."

"So we've been told." Ben looked back to the RV and saw Max get out. "Hey Grandpa."

Max smiled at his grandson. "Hello Ben, glad to see you're all safe." The old man looked down at Clancy as well. "So, Clancy IS here after all."

"Trust me Grandpa, I wouldn't fib about something like this." Ben's features grew serious. "You know what this means right?"

Max nodded and his hand went to his chin in contemplation. "Yes, seems like some of your villains may have followed us here by accident."

"Right, but I'm concerned as to who might be here exactly. Do you have a backup data base of the bad guys who were imprisoned at the headquarters?"

"I do, it's in the Rustbucket. When we get back to the house, we'll go over it to see who may or may not be here."

Ben smiled. "Thanks Grandpa, that'll help a lot." At the sound of approaching footsteps, Ben turned around to be greeted by General Ironwood, the man standing straight at attention. Ben felt it only necessary to salute. "Hello, General."

Ironwood returned the salute. "Greetings Ben." The General looked around to everyone else there. "And to all of you as well. I hope things haven't been too crazy these past few days."

Yang shook her head. "Nah, beating up a bug-man actually gave us a good rush, right Nora?"

"Hell yeah!" The hyper girl yelled as she held up her hammer. "After morning training, this guy was just what we needed to keep our adrenaline goin'!"

"I see." Ironwood said with a nod. "And I can also see that your results were positive…" he looked down at Clancy and sneered in disgust. "…if not repulsive." Ironwood looked back to the group. "But nonetheless, thank you everyone. You managed to defeat this monster, and I assume you also evacuatated everyone to safety."

"We did." Blake confirmed. "Sun, Ren and I made sure to get everyone out as quick as possible."

"Excellent work Blake, and again, thank you. Also, it might please you to know that Adam Taurus has been taken to Atlas and put in solitary confinement. He won't be out of there anytime soon."

In her mind, a giant weight had been lifted from Blake's subconscious. She sighed with relief. "Thank you General, it means a lot."

"You're very welcome." He turned his attention back to Clancy. "Well, I'd best get this one into a cell as well. One that's far away from any insects."

Ben stepped forward. "Actually General, before you go, there's something that's worrying me about Clancy being here."

"And that would be?"

"The explosion that transported us here actually happened in front of our Plumber Headquarters. But the thing is, that outpost also served as a prison for many of our alien criminals. So if Clancy's here, that means there could be more of my enemies here too."

Ironwood put a hand to his chin. "I see, then… that could mean that what we've been experiencing on the mainland could be the result of that as well."

That got not only Ben's, but everyone's attention. "What do you mean by that, General?" Pyrrha asked.

"Is there something going on back in Vale?" Jaune added.

Ironwood turned to Winter. "You didn't tell them yet?"

"I was going to tell them after our outing at the mall." Winter explained. "But after what happened, I believe now is as good a time as any."

Weiss was totally confused. "Winter, what're you talking about? What's going on?"

"Steady yourself little sister, and I will explain." Winter focused on the group with her stoic expression. "General Ironwood told me this the moment I landed in Vale. As it turns out, since you all left the mainland two days ago, there have been some strange goings on in Forever Fall."

"Do you think it may be the Grimm?" Ren asked.

"Ren's got a point." Ruby supported. "That could be where they all went after they attacked."

"We thought that at first as well," Winter continued, "and the Grimm are there. However, the scouting teams that were sent into the woods reported back more than just standard Grimm sightings. Many of them came back greatly injured, claiming to have seen horrid monsters that merely resembled the Grimm, but they couldn't get a close enough look at them to confirm what they were."

"Hmm, seems a bit weird if you ask me." Gwen commented. "How can there be creatures that look like Grimm, but aren't Grimm at the same time?"

"Yeah, sounds mysterious." Ben thought about it for a moment before giving his answer. "Alright, here's what we'll do. We'll go over the database of criminals here and report our findings to you tomorrow. If things over there start to get worse, call us immediately and we'll be over there to help out. That sound good?"

Ironwood couldn't agree more. "Sounds excellent, Ben. We'll let you know if anything changes." The General picked up the unconscious Clancy and began to lug him aboard the Bullhead. "I hope to hear from you soon everyone. And thanks again!"

As Ironwood boarded the ship, Winter faced her sister. "Well little sister, it seems like I am going back to the main land."

"Yeah." Weiss shrugged. "But hey, at least we can see each other more often. Maybe then you can give me some more pointers on Summoning."

Winter chuckled. "We'll see." The Schnee sisters hugged each other before Winter addressed the group. "And it was a pleasure meeting all of you as well. I look forward to working with all of you in the future."

Gwen smiled at the elder Schnee. "Same here Winter. And thanks for your help too."

"Of course, Gwendolyn. I was glad to be of service." Winter gave a respectful bow. "Farewell, may our next meeting be a positive one."

"Couldn't have said it better myself."

Meanwhile, Qrow was also saying his goodbyes. "Well Shortstack, looks like it's time for me to head back too."

Ruby was disappointed. "AW! But you just got here!"

Qrow ruffled her hair. "I know, I know, but there's still lotsa work to do. And as much as I don't wanna, I've gotta. But hey, I'll probably see you again soon, 'kay kiddo?"

Ruby sighed. "Alright, but next time you come home, it better be for a bit longer!"

"Heh, 'course." Qrow shoved his hands into his pockets and strolled away, passing by Yang on his way to the Bullhead. "See ya Firecracker, make sure you and your sister keep up your trainin', got me?"

"Sure thing." Yang furrowed her brows. "Just so long as you stop giving Winter so much shit. She's got enough to deal with outside of putting up with you, old man."

Qrow narrowed his eyes at the "old man" remark. "Man, you're serious about this."

"Hell yeah, I am."

Qrow's shoulder's slumped. "Fine, I won't bother Ice Queen… much." And with that, Qrow was the last to board the Bullhead and it took off, leaving an exasperated Yang staring after it in frustration.

"At this rate, he'll probably never learn." she said with her arms crossed.

Ben walked up to her with some words of encouragement. "Hey, don't give up so soon. One of these days, he's gonna find out the hard way that it isn't very nice to pick on people. Just give it time. It's like the the saying goes: "karma's a bitch"."

That got Yang to laugh. "HA! You bet it is. Now c'mon, I think I'm done with this place today." She began walking over to Bumblebee, looking forward to getting home.

Ben was following her in an instant. "Right behind ya."

After the group returned home and everyone put their new clothes away in their respective rooms, Ben, Gwen, Kevin and Grandpa Max got right to work going over the Plumber database in the Rustbucket. Team RWBY, Team JNPR and Sun were waiting outside of the motorhome to hear the verdict of their analysis.

"So, think the world might be in more danger than it already may be?" Jaune asked.

"Don't worry Jaune." Pyrrha reassured. "I am sure that it cannot be that bad."

"Yeah!" Nora shouted. "Besides, if there ARE any big baddies, that means this whole thing will be twice as awesome!"

Ren set a hand on her shoulder. "I'm not sure if Ben will even let us fight them all Nora. Ben mentioned that Clancy was smaller-time compared to his other rogues, remember."

Ruby seemed to think the opposite. "C'mon Ren. Ben trusts us, I'm sure he'll let us help in anyway we can." She looked over to her sister. "What do you think, sis?"

Yang grinned. "Rubes, I think this'll be the start of something big."

Just as she said that, the Alien Trio and Grandpa Max came out of the Rustbucket, with Ben having a confident smile. "Alright guys, we've finished our analysis."

"So, how bad is it?" Blake asked.

"Not bad actually." Max answered. "Sure there were plenty of prisoners here, but none of the big time ones that we'd really have to worry about."

"We know that Vilgax has escaped and is somewhere back in our dimension." Gwen clarified. "But Albedo has been kept in an Incarcecon prison for a well over a year now."

"And Aggregor was sent to the Null Void." Kevin added. "So nothing to worry about with those three."

Sun wasn't sure what to make of that. "So that's… good, right?"

"Sure is." Ben confirmed. "That means most of the ones here are mostly small-time villains with a few bigger baddies in between. Not as big as those three though, so we should be good."

Weiss inquired further. "Okay, so what does that leave us with?"

"Almost every earth-based villain I've faced. Not everyone, but still a lot of them." Ben stood up straight and addressed the group with a bit more of a serious tone. "Guys, I'm sorry for bringing most of my bad guys here with me, but if we want to round them up and get them back to where they belong, I'm going to need your help."

Ruby stood up. "Ben, you've got nothing to worry about. Team RWBY's definitely behind you."

Weiss nodded. "Right, we can't just let these freaks roam around free."

Blake joined in. "We all have a responsibility to protect our world. That's what Hunters and Huntresses do. Even if we are only in training."

Jaune followed up. "Well if that's the case, then Team JNPR's in too."

Pyrrha was all too eager to add to that. "Agreed, I already owe you all for saving my life, Ben. It's the least I can do to return the favor."

Nora jumped to her feet and pumped her fists into the air. "YES! We get to fight ALIEN OUTLAWS!"

"It will be a long mission," Ren pointed out, "but they're right. This is something we must do."

Sun shrugged. "Hey, I'm game. Better than sitting through classes every day, that's for sure."

Yang gave Ben a light punch to the shoulder. "Don't worry Green Boy, we've got your back."

Ben laughed, relieved that everyone was willing to help. "Ha, alright, so it's unanimous. If that's the case, then it looks like we've got a job to do." Ben put his hand out with the palm facing down. "So then… team?" Yang put her hand in over his, followed by Gwen, Kevin, the rest of Team RWBY, Team JNPR, and Sun, all in agreement. Ben smiled. "Well then, I guess you all know what time it is right?"

With a mighty echo, the whole group belted out; "IT'S HERO TIME!"

A/N: Hot DAMN! That's actually the longest chapter yet! (Spoilers from future me, it DOES get longer) But in any case, the plot's starting to move along. How will our heroes fair against a bunch of dangerous (and some not-so-dangerous) outlaws? We'll just have to see, now won't we? In any case… Next Time! Jaune gets a bit of a wake-up call… and Pyrrha's mother finally arrives. See ya!

A/N: Okay, so this chapter officially brings in MY version of Pyrrha's mother, Athena Nikos, who is a Huntress from Argus. She plays a bit of a supporting role in this story, so expect to see her quite a bit going forward. In any case, on with the show! This is…

Chapter 16: Mom's the Word

As the sun rose over the city of Vale, two lone figures stood at an airship dock outside of the local airport… or rather what was left of the airport after the attack three days prior. General James Ironwood, head of the Altesian Army and Headmaster of Altas Academy, and Glynda Goodwitch, the new Headmistress of Beacon Academy, were waiting for a special guest to make her arrival. Rarely was Glynda ever nervous about meeting the parents of her students, but under this set of circumstances, she could feel a combination of guilt and nervousness eating away at her consciousness. And the worst part? The General had noticed.

"Glynda, are you sure you're alright? If you feel you aren't ready to meet her, you can…"

"NO!" Glynda shouted. After realizing the volume of her answer came out louder than intended, she cleared her throat and straightened herself. "No James, I'm fine. It's just… I have no idea how she will react. Will she blame me for what happened to her daughter? Or will she blame Ozpin? Because if that's the case, she will be very disappointed that he's not here so she can chew him out."

James chuckled. "Glynda, it's alright. I've known Athena for a long time, and I can assure you that she is not one to hold a grudge."

Glynda was shocked. "Wait, you know her?"

"Indeed, I do. My position has allowed me to collaborate with many different Hunters and Huntresses around the world. Athena has actually been one of my more frequent co-workers. She and I have faced many threats, but we've managed to pull through time and again." James' brought a hand to his chin in thought. "Although, I haven't seen her for quite some time. Almost five years, really."

It was then that another rare occurrence happened: Glynda had a sly look on her face. "Ah, do I detect an old flame being reignited?"

James laughed at that. "Ha! Me? And Athena? Oh no, not in a million years. We're simply friends, nothing more. Besides, in my line of work, intimate relationships are nearly impossible to keep balanced."

"That's… rather sad James."

Now a smirk came to James' face. "And I suppose you are an expert on the subject, Glynda?"

"Ha, more than you will ever be." At the sound of nearing turbines, Glynda looked off into the distance to see an Airship approaching the city. "Well, that must be her flight."

James steadied himself. "Just be ready, Athena can be quite… exuberant." The Airship landed and its many passengers began pouring out. Almost all of them were either concerned parents or extended family, having come to make sure their children were alright. As the crowd moved past James and Glynda, the General could see something that blatantly stood out in the crowd; bright red hair. As the people moved past, the woman came fully into view and James waved to gain her attention. "Athena! Over here!"

At the sound of her name, the woman's green eyes darted in his direction and a smile instantly came to her face when she saw him. "James?! James Ironwood?! Is that you?" She set her luggage down and went over to them in a light jog.

James nodded. "Yes, it is. It's been too long—oof!"

Much to Glynda's surprise, Athena pulled James into a soul-crushing hug, wrapping her arms around him in a strong embrace. Her smile had turned into a big toothy grin, her eyes squeezed shut. "By the Gods James, it's been FAR too long! I'm so glad to SEE YOU!"

As she hugged him even tighter, James could swear he could hear a few pops in his spine. He had forgotten how much of a hugger Athena was. He struggled to get words out. "Heh, good to see you too, Athena. But would you mind letting go? I can't breathe."

Athena's eyes shot open and she released her hold on the General. "OH! James, I am SO sorry. I was just so excited to see you after all these years."

"As am I Athena." James grinned. "You haven't changed a bit since I last saw you."

Athena smirked. "And neither have you… aside from a few grey hairs. Stress I take it?"

"Heh, believe me, it suits my lifestyle." James led the Mistralian woman over to Glynda. "And I believe you know Glynda Goodwitch, correct?"

"Ah, yes! We talked briefly on the comms." Athena shook Glynda's hand with gusto. "A pleasure to meet you in person, Miss Goodwitch. I am Athena Nikos, although simply "Athena" will suffice."

As Athena rapidly shook her hand, Glynda shakily replied; "Th-thank y-y-you. N-nice to m-m-meet you t-too." The Nikos matriarch let go of Glynda's hand and the Headmistress was able to finally take the woman in after readjusting her glasses. Aside from the red hair and green eyes that she shared with her daughter, Athena was a head taller than James, which astounded her. She wore a red t-shirt and white chino pants with a pair of red and white canvas shoes adorning her feet. Glynda cleared her throat. "It's a pleasure to meet such an accomplished Huntress such as yourself, Athena."

"Haha, thank you Glynda, but I'm mostly retired nowadays. I had child to raise so I've only occasionally went on missions since my dear Pyrrha was born."

"Yes, which reminds me." James jumped in. "I checked in with your daughter last afternoon and for the most part, things over on Patch are doing well."

Athena brightened up even more. "That is excellent news! I myself called her yesterday and she did seem in good spirits. Oh, I cannot wait to get over there!"

"I'm sure." Glynda said. "What will be the first thing you do when you arrive?"

Athena seemed to calm down a little and her smile became softer. "Hmm, the first thing? The first thing I HAVE to do… will be to hug my daughter. It has been nearly a year since she left her home, and I need to see my little girl."

Glynda nodded. "Very understandable. However, the first ferry to Patch doesn't leave for another few hours yet. Would you like to join us for breakfast in the meantime? I'm sure you must be starving for some decent food, Athena."

At the mention of food, Athena's stomach grumbled quite audibly, causing the woman to blush and laugh. "HAHAHA! Oh my, it seems I AM a bit famished. It's true what they say about airline food by the way, it is awful. I would love to join you for breakfast."

James was in full agreement. "Great, it'll give us a chance to catch up after all these years. Plus, there are somethings I should inform you about before you go over there."

"Hehe, yes of course James, lead the way." Before they departed, Athena gazed across the water to see the just barely visible island of Patch off in the distance.

'I shall see you soon my dear Pyrrha.' she thought to herself. 'I cannot wait to see how being so far from home has made you grow.'

The first thing that Jaune saw as his eyes fluttered open was the darkness of the room. Confusion immediately took over as he slowly but surely began to look around, seeing the other members of his team sound asleep. He got up from the bottom bunk of the bunk-bed that he shared with Ren and made his way over to the clock, his suspicions confirmed the moment his groggy eyes saw the time;

"6:34?" Jaune said quietly. "Ugh, like I feared. Now my sleep clock's been thrown off." He had been afraid of this since getting up so early the previous morning thanks to Gwen's six o'clock breakfast. It would take days until he was able to sleep in again. "Thanks Gwen."

Jaune went over to get the clothes that he'd be wearing that day and sat down on his bottom bunk… which also happened to be directly across from the bottom bunk occupied by Pyrrha, the redheaded warrior sound asleep with her leg propped up on a pillow. The moment his eyes settled upon her from across the way, Jaune's mind went directly back to that night. The night that Beacon was attacked, the night when Ben and his team arrived and saved the day, the night he had thought he'd lost Pyrrha for good… and the moment when she had kissed him.

As that moment replayed over and over in Jaune's head, the fluttering feeling in his stomach that he had felt yesterday came back. It was a good feeling, and he didn't want it to stop. His mind began racing as his memories focused solely on that kiss. It made him feel nervous, yet at the same time, happy as well.

'How in the heck could I have been so DENSE?!' he screamed in his head. 'I should have known since the freaking DANCE and I still had no clue!' Jaune sighed. 'Oh, who're you kidding Jaune, a part of you HAD known since the dance. You just had no clue how to handle it did ya? You let your fruitless crush on Weiss blind you to Pyrrha's feelings for god knows how long. Awesome job, just awesome.'

He was chastising himself. It was a practice that he'd grown accustomed to over the years. Jaune frequently found himself belittling his own decisions whenever he'd screw up. His hands gripped the side of the bed until his knuckles turned white, his frustration with himself ever growing. He knew what these feelings inside of him meant, but he had no idea how to approach them.

As his eyes laid upon Pyrrha once again, he resolved to himself that he couldn't figure things out while in the same room as her, even if she was asleep. He got dressed and went downstairs, hoping to clear his head. But once he descended the stairs, he was surprised to hear chatter going on even further down in the basement. Sure, he expected Gwen to be up this early, but Ben and Kevin too? With curiosity getting the better of him, he went down into the basement, finding the Alien Trio huddled on a single couch and going over some sort of holographic display.

"Okay, so Charmcaster's still in Ledgerdomain right?" Kevin asked.

Gwen sighed. "Yeah, no need to worry about Hope. I'm still trying to figure out how to get back on her good side."

Ben nodded. "Yeah, probably better to have her as an ally instead of an enemy. What about the Vreedles?"

Kevin shrugged. "Last I heard, they went to Plumber training camp. But from the reports I've seen, they haven't been doing all that well."

"Ugh, as expected." Ben said as he shook his head. "Those two are complete screw-ups no matter what situation they're in."

It was at that point that Jaune decided to make himself known. "Uh, morning guys."

At the sound of his voice, the three turned around, Gwen with a welcoming smile. "Good morning Jaune, surprised to see you up. Didn't want to sleep in?"

"Heh, more like couldn't sleep in. What're you guys doin'?"

"Just going over our criminal database again." Ben answered. "We're doing a headcount to make sure we haven't missed anyone. C'mon over, have a seat."

"Uh sure." As Jaune approached, he slowly started to see another person occupying the other couch. He looked down and to his surprise, he saw the last person he'd ever expect to see up at this hour. "Yang?"

True to form Yang was laying on the full length of the second couch, still in her sleep clothes and her eyes just barely open. Next to her on the end table was one of the biggest mugs that Jaune had ever seen, filled to the brim with coffee. Her eyes mindlessly glanced to him, her irritation evident. Not at him, but rather at being up in general. "Hey Vomit Boy."

Jaune took a wild guess. "Your internal sleep clock's been thrown off too, I take it?"

"Thrown WAY the hell out of whack." She confirmed. "Been up since six o'clock. Can't get back to sleep. I blame Gwen for everything."

"Hey!" The Anodite rebuked. "I made you guys breakfast yesterday! What're you blaming ME for?"

Yang grumpily looked over to her. "You need to earn your passes Gwen, I don't give 'em out for free."

Gwen wasn't backing down. "Oh no you don't I am NOT everyone's automatic breakfast machine."

"Aw, figures." Yang huffed and turned around on her side, facing the couch cushions.

Ben rolled his eyes with a grin before getting up and making his way over to the other couch. "Alright, Goldie Locks, come on. If you want breakfast that badly, then I'll make it for you."

That got Yang's attention. She turned back over and looked up at him. "Really?"

"Sure, you're hungry and I'm getting a bit hungry myself too. So what do you say?"

With the initial shock of him offering to cook for her wearing off, Yang reached her arms up and groggily said; "Alright, but do you think you can help me up please? I'm still half-asleep."

Ben chuckled as he took her hand. "Sure, c'mon up you go." He hauled her up and Yang grabbed her mug of joe, following him close behind as they went up the stairs.

"You really don't have to do this Green Boy."

Ben smiled. "Maybe not, but I want to."

Yang let out a gentle laugh. "Ha, thanks, you're really sweet for doing this ya know."

Ben blushed at what she said. "Heh, well I try."

As the two went upstairs, Jaune sat next to Gwen and Kevin, all three of them looking at the holoscreen. "So no one's out of place, right? It's just whoever's in this database?" asked the blonde kight.

"Pretty much." Kevin answered as he continued to scroll through the mug shots. "Lotta these guys are mostly small-time criminals with dangerous abilities. If we had to handle some of our bigger threats, then we'd have a problem." As Kevin scrolled through, he stopped on a mugshot of a woman with pale skin, black lipstick and red spikey hair, her mouth twisted into a snarl. "Jeez lady, smile why don't ya?"

Jaune reeled back at the photo. "Yeesh, you're telling me. Who IS that woman?"

"That would be Rojo." Gwen explained. "Ben and I first ran into her when we were kids. Originally, she used alien tech to steal jewelry and other valuables. But since getting better knowledge of aliens and the bigger universe, she became a bounty hunter."

"Trust me dude, you don't wanna meet this bitch in a dark alley." Kevin added. "She'll probably skin you alive."

Jaune was even more creeped out by the mugshot. "If that's the case, then I don't think I'd ever want to meet her, period."

"Well, you may have to." Gwen pointed out. "You guys are going to be helping us after all."

"Heh, right, of course." As Jaune leaned against the armrest of the sofa, his mind couldn't help but go back to the subject he'd woken up to; Pyrrha. He propped his chin up on his hand and began to space out in his thoughts, wondering how he could best approach the situation he was in.

But as he continued to think, he failed to notice that he had gained the attention of a certain other redhead in the room. "Hey Jaune, you okay?"

At Gwen's question, Jaune turned his head to her with wide eyes. He'd been caught staring into space. So he did what he was good at: faking it. "Uhhh, yeah! I'm good Gwen, thanks for asking!" he said with a fake smile.

Gwen wasn't buying it. "You're sure? Because you're free to talk about anything and I'll listen."

Jaune was about to rebuke her claims again, but then he stopped himself. 'Dude,' he told himself, 'if Gwen is willing to help you, you should go for it.' He let his guard down and went for it. "Actually Gwen, yeah, there's this… awkward situation that I'm dealing with. It's a bit personal, but I trust you. Think you can help me?"

Gwen smiled. 'Checkmate.' She had known what he was talking about. Now it was all a matter of giving the right advice. "Of course, Jaune." She turned to her boyfriend. "Kevin, mind if we have some privacy?"

Kevin sighed. "Okay, sure." He pointed a finger at Jaune. "But don't get any ideas Blondie."

Jaune swallowed hard. "Uh, sure no prob—"

But Kevin just laughed. "Hey man, just kiddin'. See you guys in a bit." Kevin went upstairs, leaving a very confused Jaune and a happy Gwen behind.

"I… am getting very mixed messages from him." Jaune said.

"He's means well Jaune. Trust me." Gwen crossed her legs, moving her arm to the armrest. "So, what'd you want to talk about?"

"Oh! Right. Well… um, you see it's like this. During the Battle of Beacon, Pyrrha and I got separated from everyone else. And as you know she went to the tower to fight Cinder."

"Yes, I do, so what's the big deal?" Gwen asked, already knowing the answer.

"U-uh, w-well, before all that happened, she shoved me into a rocket locker and sent me to the city… but before she did… Pyrrha kind of… sort of…"

Gwen dropped the pretense right there. "Jaune, I know what happened."

Jaune's brows shot up and his eyes widened in panic. "W-w-what?"

"I know about the kiss. Pyrrha told both me and Ben about it when we saved her at the top of the tower."

Jaune turned pale at the revelation. "Oh… crap."

Gwen raised a hand. "Relax, I'm not going to tell anyone else. I'm not that kind of person. But you and Pyrrha have to talk about it at some point yourselves."

After a long moment's pause from shock, Jaune let out a relenting sigh. "You're right Gwen, I DO have to talk to her... it's just... I'm really nervous about it."

Gwen nodded. "Believe me, I get it, but you two can't just ignore it forever—"

"I'm not just talking about the kiss!" Jaune cut her off. He looked away for a few seconds, running his hands through his hair as Gwen's curiosity grew. When Jaune turned back, he took a deep breath and exhaled, ready to continue. "I'm nervous because... I'm starting to feel the same way about her."

Gwen broke out into a big smile. "What's there to be nervous about?! Jaune, that's GREAT news!"

"Well, yeah, but all I keep thinking about is how much of a jerk I've been to her."

Gwen's smile turned into an incredulous look. "Jaune, I don't know about you, but I'd hardly call what you've been doing for her for the last two days "jerkish"."

"I meant before all of this happened." the blonde knight clarified. "You see, for the longest time… I had a crush on Weiss." As he said this, Gwen's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "I had been trying to ask her to go out with me for nearly half a year. And every time I asked, she turned me down. Then came the school dance at Beacon. When I was stuck after trying everything I could to ask Weiss to the dance… Pyrrha gave me advice on how to just be honest and ask her out normally."

Gwen asked the big question. "And?"

"Weiss asked Neptune to the dance before I could ask her." Jaune's shoulders drooped. "I lost every bit of confidence I had."

Gwen had no idea what to say. "Jaune, I… I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I'm long over it. I stopped trying to ask Weiss out a long time ago. Besides, if the dance taught me anything, it's that you never realize how important a person can be to you… until you wear a dress for them."

Gwen's eyes narrowed in confusion. "You had me and then you lost me just as quick."

Jaune chuckled. "Heh, yeah, you see I kinda made a promise to Pyrrha that if she couldn't find a date to the dance, I'd wear a dress at the dance. Nobody asked her, which I was shocked about. And then she told me that I was the kind of guy that she had wanted to go with. So, I changed out of my tux… and into a dress that I borrowed from Yang."

At that point, Gwen's jaw had nearly hit the floor. 'My god, he's such a lovable idiot. I can see why Pyrrha's in love with him. Still, I've gotta set him straight.' Gwen composed herself, moved closer to Jaune, and narrowed her eyes at him. The blonde knight wasn't sure what was going on, but his nervousness was growing at her gaze.

"Uh, Gwen, did I say something wrong—aggh!" Gwen had grabbed hold of his collar and pulled his head down so that he was eye level with her, making sure she got the point across.

"Listen to me Jaune Arc. If you're willing to go so far as to keep your word on wearing a freaking DRESS for Pyrrha, then that shows just how committed you are, right?"

"R-right, but—"

"But nothing!" Gwen exclaimed, causing Jaune to flinch. Realizing what she was doing, Gwen took a deep breath and calmed herself, letting go of Jaune's collar. "I'm sorry Jaune, but what you've just told me was one of the sweetest, most ridiculous things I've ever heard. I mean if Kevin did something like that for me, I think I'd faint in disbelief. And let me tell you something else." Gwen pointed up the stairs. "That girl upstairs? The one that you've been partners with? She adores the HELL out of you. And Jaune, if it's any indication, you've proven to be one of the sweetest guys ever for what you've done for her. As much as she's done for you, I know you've repaid her in kind. In fact, I think you've given her even more than just that."

As Jaune looked up the stairs, he felt a switch click on in his head. Without even looking at her, he said; "Gwen?"

"Yes, Jaune?"

"I am a complete idiot."

Gwen let out a laugh. "Haha! Don't worry Jaune, we've all been there, believe me."

"Even Ben?"

"ESPECIALLY Ben! My god, if it weren't for my help, that boy would be stewing in a pot of his own awkwardness."

"And THAT isn't the weirdest image ever." Jaune said sarcastically. "So… what should I do?"

With a sincere smile, Gwen put it simply; "Easy, keep doing what you've been doing."

"You mean being her wheelchair chauffer?"

"Hehe, no, not just that." Gwen put a hand on Jaune's shoulder. "What I meant was you should just keep being there for her. Do what you can to make her happy. And then, when you think the time is right, tell her how guilty you feel about not noticing her feelings sooner. And then, if you're feeling lucky, ask her out."

Taking in her advice, Jaune was still a bit unsure. "Do you really think it'll be that easy?"

Her smile never leaving, Gwen let out a sigh. "Jaune, I don't think you have to worry about anything. Just believe in yourself and be confident. That's all I can say."

With those words lingering in his mind, Jaune finally smiled back. "You know what, Gwen? I think you and my sister Rouge would really hit it off."

"Really? Why?"

"Because in hindsight, she probably would've told me something very similar. Whenever I'd have a tough time in school or anything else, she always encouraged me to not give up. She's book smart, she's life-savvy, she gives great advice… kind of like you."

Gwen crossed her arms. "You sure it's not just her being an awesome big sister?"

Jaune shrugged. "Maybe, but then what'd that make you?"

"Someone who's had to deal with guiding her doofus of a cousin for a majority of her life. Really, once you've dealt with getting Ben's head on straight, most things after that just come naturally. But still, thank you for the compliments Jaune, they mean a lot."

"No problem. But really, thank YOU for helping me out with this advice. It really helped set my thoughts straight." Jaune sighed. "And I'm sorry if it was any trouble."

Gwen waved it off. "Absolutely no trouble at all." But then, Gwen caught a new scent in the air. "Hey Jaune… are you smelling what I'm smelling?"

Jaune took a whiff too. "Yeah it smells like…" His eyes snapped wide open. "Oh god, not again!"

From all the way upstairs, they heard muffled through the walls: "PANCAKES!" followed by three audible thuds and yells coming from Team RWBY's room.

Gwen groaned. "One of these days, we're going to have to switch to waffles."

A few hours after Gwen had her little chat with Jaune, the redhead now found herself outside once again with Ruby and Weiss, all three of them waiting for Yang. And Weiss was getting a little impatient. "Ugh, seriously, Yang's the one who wanted to learn the "repulsive monkey" move in the first place!" the heiress complained. "So where IS she?"

"Well first, it's "Repulse the Monkey"." Gwen corrected. "And secondly, I'm sure she's on her way Weiss, she wouldn't miss something if she really wanted to learn it."

Ruby was also quick to jump to her sister's defense. "Gwen's right Weiss, Yang would never miss—oh! There she is!"

Indeed, Yang had emerged from the front door, now in a better mood than she had been earlier that morning. "Hi gals! Sorry I'm late, but a certain someone just told me that she wants to join our class this morning."

This surprised Gwen quite a bit. She didn't think there'd be anyone else who'd be interested in joining. "Really? Who?"

Yang stepped out of the doorway to reveal none other than Blake. The cat girl gave them a small wave. "Hey girls."

Ruby was taken aback a small bit. "Blake? You want to learn martial arts?"

Weiss added to that. "I mean, not that there's anything wrong with that, but it's just a little odd that you've taken an interest in it only now."

Gwen agreed. "I can't help but notice that too. Why wait until the second day Blake?"

Blake began to explain. "Well Gwen, after seeing the move that you used in your spar with Yang yesterday, I couldn't help but think that learning a few extra tricks could be useful. Hand to hand isn't exactly my forte, but I'm no stranger to it. So… what do you say?"

"You want to learn how to repulse the monkey?"

Blake nodded. "Yes, as well as any other techniques you can show me."

With a grin, Gwen nodded. "Of course you can join us Blake, the more the merrier." Her grin turned rather sly. "Just so long as you don't use the move to repulse YOUR monkey."

At first Blake was confused… "What are you talking about—" …But then the double-meaning hit like a ton of bricks. She blushed furiously. "Hey! Come on, seriously?!"

After everyone had a good laugh, Gwen was quick to reassure her Faunus friend. "I'm sorry Blake. But it was low hanging fruit that I just had to take."

Blake huffed. "I can never catch a break around here, can I?"

Ruby wrapped her arm around Blake's shoulders. "It's okay, Blake. You've just gotta learn to loosen up a little. And martial arts can help ya do just that!"

"…Yeah sure, I guess."

Yang put a light jab at Gwen's shoulder. "And here I thought you didn't have a sense of humor, Red."

"Oh, I can tell a joke. I just detest puns. That's more Ben's department if you haven't noticed."

"Oh, I've noticed." Yang smirked. "I've also noticed that he's just as good of a cook as you are. Maybe even a little better in some ways."

Gwen crossed her arms. "Heh, he should be. I'm the one who taught him in the first place. But enough pleasantries. C'mon Team RWBY!" she pumped a fist into the air. "Let's get started!" With resounding approval, the group of five commenced with their lesson, the redheaded Anodite eager to see what these girls were really capable of.

As she drove her way along the forest path in the rental car that James provided for her, Athena Nikos was still trying to comprehend what her old friend had told her. Ben Tennyson, the young man who accompanied her daughter along with Jaune when she had spoken to them over the comms just a few days ago, was actually a dimension-traveling superhero. With the power to turn into any alien he wanted. And he had used said abilities to help heal her daughter's ankle.

At first, she wasn't convinced, but then James showed her something both fascinating and horrifying; a creature that was half-man, half-insect. It was apparently one of Ben's rogues that had followed him and his team from their dimension. Athena's doubts were erased, she knew for a fact that no such beast could ever be created on Remnant. Grimm were one thing, but utter abominations were another. She wanted to kill the thing on sight, but James stopped her, saying that Ben would take the monster back to his dimension when they found a way back.

The warrior woman sighed. "This is just too strange, James."she said to herself. "Just what have I gotten myself into?" Driving further into the forest, Athena noticed the pathway begin to widen until she finally arrived at a massive clearing, a large log house right in the middle of it. She parked near the entryway and got out, inspecting the grounds.

"Hmm! What a quaint home." Her eyes scanned further and she noticed five young women not far from the house, all of them practicing some form of hand to hand combat. From the pictures that Pyrrha had frequently sent her, she recognized four of them as Team RWBY, and from the description that James had given her, the redheaded girl with them must have been Ben's cousin, Gwen. Athena thought it best to make herself known at that moment. "What-ho, everyone!"

Her words gained their attention and all five immediately looked her way and began approaching. Initially they were shocked, mistaking Athena for her daughter, but as they got closer to the woman, her age became more apparent. Gwen was the first to speak. "Um, hello there! You wouldn't happen to be Mrs. Nikos, would you?"

"Indeed! And YOU must be Gwen, Ben's cousin, correct?" Athena offered her hand. "I am Athena, it's truly a pleasure."

Gwen shook the woman's hand. "The pleasures all mine but, how did you know who I was?"

"Oh, James told me all about you."

"James…?"

"You would know him better as General Ironwood. He and I have worked together many times, you see. Before I left Vale for here, he told me about your… unique situation." Athena turned her attention to the four other girls behind Gwen. "And you all must be Team RWBY, right?"

Ruby stepped forward. "Uh, yes ma'am, I'm…"

But Athena stopped her. "Oh! Wait, wait one moment, let me see if I remember from what Pyrrha told me…" She pointed to them in order. "You're Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang, right?"

The girls were flabbergasted, Athena got all of their names right first try. "Huh, wow." Yang said. "You're good."

"Well I should hope so." Athena proudly smiled. "My daughter has told me about how she's made so many friends at Beacon, I wanted to make sure I remembered their names."

Yang nodded. "I get it, well Pyrrha should still be inside, so make yourself at home!"

Athena lit up at the mention of her daughter. "Splendid! And thank you for welcoming me into your home Yang."

"Pyrrha's been very eager to see you." Weiss added.

"Yeah." Blake said. "Though she's been a bit frustrated being confined to a wheelchair for a few days."

"Oh, I'm sure she is." Athena agreed. "My Pyrrha has never been a fan of being bedridden in any shape or form. I will be sure to…" But then something caught her ear, the sound of wind at high speeds, almost as if something were closing in on them, and fast. "Girls! Stand back!" The Huntress quickly opened one of her suitcases and pulled out a crimson and gold shot gun, pointing it in the direction that the sound was coming from.

Gwen's eyes widened as she frantically tried to stop Athena from shooting. "WAIT! Don't shoot! It's just—"

The speeding object finally closed in, whipping up a strong whirlwind as it came to a stop. As the wind died down, the six ladies were now face to face with a black, white and blue lizard-like creature wearing an aerodynamic helmet. The helmet had a face cover with an oddly shaped blue visor, it's hands just a set of four black claws. It had five blue stripes going down it's tail and on the bottom of its two toed feet where a pair of spherical wheels. The visor lifted to reveal a blue face with black lips and green eyes, the Omnitrix symbol on the creature's chest being a dead giveaway for who it really was.

"…Ben." Gwen finished.

In shock, Athena dropped her shotgun, completely dumbfounded at the creature seen before her. "Ben?"

The creature turned it's head to her and it's almond shaped eyes widened as it spoke in a raspy voice; "Mrs. Nikos?! You're here already?"

"I… I am…" Athena put her hand to her head. "By the gods, even when James tells me about these things, I am NOT ready for it."

"Oh… I'm sorry if I scared you. If I'd known you'd be here, I would've given you a head's up."

"Why're you even in that form Green Boy?" Yang asked.

"And what's its name?" Ruby added. "Speedyquick?"

The creature chuckled. "Hehe, no, but you're on the mark. It's XLR8. And as for why I transformed…" XLR8 lifted his arm to show that he had a bag with a half-gallon of milk in it. "We ran out of milk this morning making breakfast, so I ran to town, bought milk and ran back."

Gwen quirked an eyebrow. "Changing back to human while you were in the store, I hope. Otherwise you would've given those people a scare."

"You think I don't know that? Believe me, after yesterday I've gotta be even more careful." One bright green flash later and Ben was back to normal. "We're lucky that nobody noticed me at the mall, otherwise there'd be reporters out the wazoo here."

"I would imagine." Athena picked up her shotgun and put it back in her suit case. "I apologize for jumping the gun, as it were. As a trained Huntress, I'm almost always on alert for any threats."

Ben wasn't bothered. "Oh, it's fine. Besides I would've been too fast for you to even hit me with any shots."

"If you say so. Also, General Ironwood told me about what you did for my daughter to help hasten the healing of her ankle. I cannot express how thankful I am to you for that Ben. It means so much to both her and I."

Ben shrugged. "Hey, no problem Mrs. Nikos. Helping people is what I do. Now, what do ya say we head inside and—"

Suddenly, the door to the house burst open, and there was Jaune, panicked beyond belief. "BEN! There you are!" The entire group whirled around, startled as the blonde knight sprinted out to them, his breathing erratic. "There's something wrong with—" Then Jaune's eyes found the Nikos matriarch. "Athena?! You're here?!"

Athena immediately attempted to calm Jaune down, a gentle hand going to his shoulder. "Yes, Jaune. Now please slow down, and take deep breaths."

Jaune composed himself, inhaling and exhaling at normal intervals. "O-okay, I think I'm fine now."

"Very good, now, nice and calmly, tell us what happened."

Jaune nodded. "Right, okay." He turned to the green-clad hero. "Ben, something's wrong with the cast of vines that you made for Pyrrha."

That got Ben's attention. "What's wrong? Did it get cut or something?"

"No, it just started… drying up. The vines are just all shriveled up now. They're not even green anymore, they're brown."

Ben's more serious look turned into a grin. "Huh, well whaddya know? Those little things got done earlier than I thought!"

Jaune was lost. "Wait, what?"

Ben chuckled as he made his way to the door. "Hehe, come with me. I'll show ya."

The group ascended the stairs, Athena leaving her luggage down in the living room for the time being. As they approached Team JNPR's room, Ben looked back and whispered; "Okay, we're gonna surprise Pyrrha a little bit okay?"

Ruby gasped quietly. "OOH! I love surprises!"

"Good Ruby, keep that spirit." Ben looked over to Jaune, Gwen and Team RWBY. "Now Jaune, ladies, I want you to go into the room, but make sure you don't open the door all the way." He looked up at Athena. "Mrs. Nikos, I'm going to stand in the doorway and I want you to stay behind the door until I give the word."

"Very well." Athena whispered with a nod.

"So is this gonna be a loud surprise or what?" Yang asked.

Ben shook his head. "Nope, this is more a pleasant surprise. Because believe me, this won't be the only surprise Pyrrha's getting."

With that confusing statement in their heads, Jaune spoke up. "Um… okay then, sure. Let's go then." Jaune opened the door enough so that only one person at a time could enter and he, Gwen and Team RWBY went in, the room instantly being filled by chatter from everyone else.

From inside, Ben and Athena heard Pyrrha speak. "Jaune! Did you find Ben?"

"I did, he's right behind us."

Ben looked to Athena. "That's my cue." The hero went in and stood next to the open door, making sure no one could see behind him. His eyes found Pyrrha, her eyes filled with worry. "Hey Pyrrha, Jaune told me you've got a problem."

Pyrrha responded quickly. "Indeed, look!" She pointed at her foot, and true to Jaune's word, the cast made of vines that Swampfire had provided had dried up, the deep green having changed into a putrid brown. "What's going on?"

Nora was quick on the draw. "You can make a new one, right Ben? 'Cause otherwise, things might get messy."

"Hold on a sec, guys." Ben said as he moved slightly into the room. "Before we do anything, I've got some news to share." He focused directly on the Invincible Girl. "Pyrrha… you have a visitor." Ben swung the door open, revealing Athena to the entire room.

A loving motherly smile graced Athena's face. "Hello sweetheart."

At that moment, everything for Pyrrha just stopped. She was here, she was really here. Pyrrha had known she was coming for days now, but that still hadn't prepared her enough. After having not seen her for an entire year, her mother was standing right in front of her. She could feel herself choking up, her eyes brimming with tears as a revelation dawned on her; if she hadn't survived the Battle of Beacon, she would have never seen her mother again. Or anyone else for that matter.

Pyrrha managed to get out a single word; "M-mom?" before bursting into tears.

Before anyone knew it, Athena rushed over to her daughter's side and pulled the crying girl into a gentle embrace, letting Pyrrha drain her tears into her shoulder. "Shhh, honey, it's alright." the mother soothed. "I'm here, I'm here." As she continued, Athena couldn't help but shed a few tears herself. She had once thought her daughter dead when she heard what happened to Beacon. But now, as she held Pyrrha in her arms after so long, she felt whole again.

Pyrrha, having exhausted her tears, pulled away slightly, not letting go of her mother for a second. She spoke, her voice still hoarse. "W-when did you get here?"

Athena smiled. "Only a few moments ago. James told me of all the exciting things that have been going on in the past few days."

Pyrrha sniffled. "James?"

Athena clarified once again. "General Ironwood, sweetheart. We used to work together a long time ago. But those are stories for another time. How have YOU been, dear?"

"I've been fine… I've been learning a lot and I've made many friends at Beacon."

Athena nodded. "I see you have." Without leaving the embrace, Athena turned her attention to Nora and Ren. "You two must be Nora Valkyrie and Lie Ren, correct?"

As it turned out, Nora was also in tears, though hers were more emotional from watching the reunion before her. "Y-yeah." she sniffed. "I-I'm Nora." she squeaked out. "Can—can I just say that this is just the nicest thing I've seen all day? Is that okay with you?"

Ren meanwhile gave a bow of respect. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance Mrs. Nikos."

"A pleasure to meet you both as well. Pyrrha's told me that you two and Jaune make quite the team with her. She's said in her letters that you've treated her as family."

"We do." Jaune confirmed. "We make sure she knows that too."

"I should hope so." Athena looked her daughter straight on, her motherly smile coming back. "Pyrrha, you've done so much since you left home. Words cannot even describe how proud I am of you. I know there will still be many challenges ahead, but I am confident that you will be able to face them. But above all else," she pulled her daughter back into a full embrace, "I am overjoyed to see you alive and safe."

Pyrrha dried her eyes. "I love you, mom."

With a tiny kiss on the cheek, Athena responded in kind. "I love you too, sweetheart." The two pulled out of their embrace, Athena not leaving Pyrrha's side for a second as the warrior woman shifted her eyes to the green-clad hero. "Now Ben, could you please fix Pyrrha's cast now?"

Ben smirked. "Actually, that's another surprise. See, there's nothing actually wrong with the cast."

At that point, everyone in the room was baffled. "What do you mean?" Pyrrha asked. "It's all dried up. And, while this is a minor complaint, it doesn't exactly feel all that comfortable to have shriveled up vegetation wrapped around your leg."

"Ah, but there's the thing… do you feel any discomfort in your ankle itself?" Ben asked. "See, the cast not only helped keep your foot straight, but the vines also provided nutrients for the spores inside your ankle to help it heal. So now that all of the nutrients are gone and the cast has dried up…"

Pyrrha suddenly realized what that meant. "Wait… you mean?!"

"Oh yeah." Ben grabbed the shriveled-up vines with both hands. "Times up!" With all his might, Ben pulled the withered vines apart, the cast coming off without any trouble at all. And there, for all to see, was Pyrrha's ankle, completely healed. Ben threw the vegetation into the nearest garbage can. "There we go! Good as new!"

After three days of not being able to stand, this came as a shock to Pyrrha. Her ankle was completely healed, almost as if the injury never happened. "I… I-I… I just…"

"Hey Pyr." The Invincible Girl looked up at Jaune who was offering his shoulder for her to hold onto. "Need some help?"

"Come now dear." Her mother said as she offered another shoulder. "It's time to get up."

"O-okay." Pyrrha wrapped her arms around both of them and they hauled her up to her feet. At first, she felt quite wobbly, her legs having slightly atrophied, but in no time, she found her strength and steadied herself on her own, standing up too the cheers of everyone in the room.

"WOO!" Yang hollered. "Way ta go P-Money!"

"Astounding!" Weiss exclaimed.

"Awesome!" Ruby added.

"So, how does it feel to stand again Pyrrha?" Blake asked.

Pyrrha let out a breathy laugh. "Ha, it feels… incredible. I almost forgot what it was like." She turned to Ben, her eyes filled with gratitude. "Ben, I cannot thank you enough for what you've done. I never would have thought I'd be standing this soon."

Ben nodded. "Trust me Pyrrha, after everything you went through, it was the least I could do."

"I couldn't agree more." Athena said as she gave her daughter another hug. "So Pyrrha, now that I'm here, is there anything special you want to do? Just name it."

"Well…" At that moment, Pyrrha remembered her self-promise. "Oh! There is actually." The Invincible Girl walked over to a set of drawers near the window, careful to take it slow. She pulled one open and reached inside. "You see mother… my ankle wasn't the only thing that broke during the Battle of Beacon." Pyrrha turned back around to her mother and presented her spear, Milo, still broken into three pieces.

Athena gasped. "Oh sweetheart, your spear!" She gently inspected the broken weapon, looking closely at the damaged parts. "My word dear, it looks like it was super-heated."

Pyrrha nodded sadly. "Yes, there was this woman who was leading the attack. I tried to fend her off, but she took my spear and used her Semblance to heat it up and break it. She was also the reason why my ankle was broken."

Athena rested a hand on her daughter's shoulder. "Well don't you worry about a thing honey. This is an easy fix. All we need is a good forge."

Ruby let out another excited gasp. "Guys! There's a great forge over at Signal Academy! We could go there to fix it!"

Yang was in full agreement. "Hey yeah! That'd actually be the best place to get it fixed. Besides, it'd give us a chance to show these guys our old stomping grounds."

"That sounds perfect!" Athena said. "Any objections?" After hearing none, Athena raised a fist into the air. "Then onward to Signal!"

Just then, a knock came at the door, Kevin and Sun letting them selves in soon after. "Hey guys," the Osmosian greeted, "so who's ready for morning train—" It was then that Kevin had noticed the scene that was going on, Pyrrha standing up, and the new woman who was standing right next to her. "Uh, what?"

"Seriously?!" Sun exclaimed. "Why do we keep missing the important stuff?!"

Little did the group know that, yet again, someone was watching them. The only difference? This one was capable of actual human thought. The figure watched through the window, using a special red visor to zoom in on them. The visor zoomed in on Ben, and the figure curled its lips into a malicious grin.

"Ah, there you are Tennyson." The figure spoke in a tough yet feminine voice. "I knew following that black and blue blur through the woods would lead me to ya." The woman chuckled sinisterly as she clenched her hand into a fist, the gauntlet on her left arm lighting up a bright red. "Just go about your business for now, kid. 'Cause when you least expect it, it's payback time."

A/N: Hmm, well, looks like we've got more trouble on our hands huh? But Pyrrha's finally out of that blasted chair, so that's a good thing. Well, anyway, there's the chapter everyone, hoped you guys liked it. I don't know how these chapters get this long, but we should probably expect them to be about this length as the story goes forward. Aw well, them's the breaks huh? Next Time! School is in session as we take a field trip to Signal Academy. But there's danger in the air as well, because after all… red is a dangerous color. See ya!

A/N: Alright, so funny thing about this chapter; in it, I introduced two Signal teachers who're based on Hansel and Gretel... and I completely forgot that's what Hazel and Gretchen were based off of already. Ah well, what's done is done. In any case, why don't we get on with the chapter shall we? This is…

Chapter 17: School Daze

"So you're telling me that you've known General Ironwood for how long?" Jaune asked.

The group were on their way to Signal Academy, with Team RWBY and the Alien Trio divvied up into their usual rides, while Team JNPR and Sun piling into Athena's rental, which fortunately sat six people. Jaune and Pyrrha were up front with the Huntress while Nora, Ren and Sun all took up the back seat. They, along with Kevin's car, followed behind Bumblebee as Yang and Ben led them to Signal.

Athena giggled as the memories came flooding back. "Hehe, for almost twenty years now. I met him shortly after I had graduated from Haven Academy. He was actually Lieutenant Ironwood at the time if you can believe it."

In the backseat, Sun shrugged. "Hey, everybody's gotta start somewhere right?"

"Indeed. Oh, but those were the days, let me tell you. We were young, full of boundless energy and reckless as hell itself. Well… I was anyway. At the time, James was so focused on pleasing the higher ups that he rarely had fun. Haha, I got that man into so much trouble though."

"With the Altesian Army?" Ren pressed further.

"Oh, heavens no. I meant when it came to hunting Grimm. Oh lord, there was one time he and I came across an entire horde Sphinx nests, while we were trapped in a cave system. We had to fight our way tooth and nail out of those. OH! And the there was the time when he agitated a Manticore to much that it went on a rampage! Hahaha! I had to snap its neck to get it to stop."

Nora was giddy as the stories went on. "WOW! You guys must have had such awesome adventures!"

"It seems so." Pyrrha agreed. "Why did you not tell me any of this before, mother?"

Athena sighed. "Well… time moves on and things change as they say. James got promoted to General quite quickly and I met your father and had you, my dear. James and I still went on missions even after you were born, but only on the rarest of occasions. My primary focus was you, Pyrrha. And if I ever told you that I was going on all these dangerous missions, you would probably worry about me. And I couldn't let you do that to yourself."

Pyrrha smiled at her mother's thoughtfulness. "Thank you, mom. Though now that I am older, I would like to hear some more of these stories."

Athena nodded. "Of course dear, but when we return to the house, okay? Because I think we are here."

The teens gazed out the windshield and saw a large campus with multiple different buildings, the largest one in the middle with multiple steepled towers, a clock tower protruding from its center. It wasn't as impressive as Beacon, but then again, it wasn't supposed to. Signal was a beginner's combat school where aspiring Hunters and Huntresses learned the basics for four years before they moved on to the more advanced schools like Beacon. It was kind of like high school… except that hitting each other was actually encouraged.

As everyone stepped out of their vehicle and Yang propped Bumblebee on its kickstand, Ruby took to the school's front steps and spread her arms out wide. "Everyone, welcome to Signal!"

Yang put an arm around her sister's shoulders and spoke to everyone as well, a proud smile gracing her features. "This school is where yours truly graduated with flying colors only a year ago. Feel free to look around, 'cause you guys have alumni to guide you through these halls." The front door to the academy opened and the sisters turned around to see their dad step out.

"And special permission from a teacher never hurts either." Tai reminded. "But she's right. I went over it with the Dean and you guys got free reign today. Go around and do what you will, but don't take over the classes okay?"

"Got it." Ben gave the man a thumbs-up. "Thanks Tai, much appreciated."

"Hey, no problem." Just then, the Xiao-Long patriarch caught sight of Athena. "Ah, and you must be Athena! Pyrrha's mom, right?" He offered a handshake. "Taiyang Xiao-Long, but most just call me Tai."

Athena shook the offered hand. "A pleasure to meet you Tai. Thank you for offering to open your home to my daughter when she needed it."

Tai waved his free hand. "Oh, think nothing of it. Any friend of my daughter's is a friend of mine." He glanced over to the Invincible Girl. "And Pyrrha, glad to see your standing up."

"Thank you, Tai." Pyrrha smiled. "And thanks again for your hospitality."

"You're very welcome. Now, you should all get started. I know that you and your mom are off to the forge. There you'll meet our head smith, Festus. He'll show you around." Tai looked to his youngest daughter. "Ruby, would you like to show them the way?"

With a big smile. Ruby whole heartedly agreed. "You bet dad!" She motioned for the mother and daughter to follow her. "C'mon, it's this way!" With that, the young Huntress went down the hall in a brisk walk, careful to abide by the 'no running in the halls' rule.

"Well, she certainly has quite a bit of energy." Athena said with a giggle. "Where does she keep it all?"

Yang shrugged. "Dunno, that's just how she's always been. Anyway, I'm off to the gym, who's with me?"

Nora raised her hand. "Ooh! I'll go!"

Ren nodded. "As will I."

"And I'll go too." Ben offered. "A good work out never hurt anyone. Kevin, you in?"

Kevin shook his head. "Nah, much as I want to, I think I'll head to the forge too. I wanna see just how these crazy weapons are made."

"I think I'll be going to the forge too." Jaune agreed. "There's something that I've been meaning to get checked out."

"Well if that's the case, then I'll head to the gym with them." Sun said. "Might as well get some training in somehow."

"Then that leaves the three of us." Gwen pointed out as she went over to Blake and Weiss. She gave the girls a knowing smile. "You ladies thinking what I'm thinking?"

The two teammates turned to each other and then back to Gwen. "Library?" they asked.

"Library." Gwen confirmed with a nod.

Tai clapped his hands together. "Alright then, now that everything's settled there, I've gotta get back to my class." He turned to Gwen, Weiss and Blake. "I've gotta go past the library to get back to my room, so I'll show you girls the way, okay?"

"Sounds like a plan." Gwen said as she ed back to the rest of her friends. "We'll meet back up front in a while for lunch, alright?" With resounding agreement, the team split up into their decided groups. Off to do what they pleased.

As Ruby led her party down the hall towards the forge, she heard Kevin call up from behind her; "So who's this 'Festus' guy your dad was talkin' about?"

Ruby snickered. "Hehe, only the coolest blacksmith EVER! When I was designing Crescent Rose, he helped me figure out how to best integrate the sniper rifle function into the scythe handle. The man's a GENIUS when it comes to weapons… if not a bit on the grease monkey side of things."

"Hey, that's just to be expected." Kevin pointed out. "You kinda get that way when you spend so much time in a forge like that."

"Exaclty." Athena chimed in. "He must be quite experienced."

"He sure is." Ruby spotted a door at the end of the hall and rushed toward it. "Here we are!" The moment Ruby opened the door, a wave of hot, musty air barreled out of the room, the smell of grease and soot not far behind. And Ruby took a big whiff of it. "Ahhh, I love the smell of weaponry being made."

Kevin also took a sniffed it up. "You got that right. Man, this reminds me of MY garage."

Jaune meanwhile were plugging his nose. "And that's a GOOD thing?" he asked nasally. "Man, what the hell DIED in there?!"

"I will agree that the odor is quite… pungent," Pyrrha concurred, "but it's just something you get used to with time. Now let's go, I'm sure he must be waiting." They went into the room, the heat not letting up for an instant, the further in they went, the hotter it would get. It was then that their eyes found the source of the heat; a giant furnace with a large metal grate attached to a swinging metal door.

Not far from the furnace stood a rather large, burly man with his back facing to them, hammering away at a piece if super-hot metal against an anvil. His hair was brown with a few grey streaks in it, but was also thinning, having receded to the back of his head. Said hair however was quite long, reaching past his shoulders. He wore a red grimy shirt with rolled up sleeves and brown tattered overalls with multiple soot stains, his hands covered by brown leather gloves. He seemed to be wearing a pair of goggles around his head.

"Mr. Vulcan!" Ruby called over. "Guess who's here?!"

At the sound of her voice, the large man turned around, revealing a face that had a large scruffy beard and mustache. His face was covered in grim and his skin was quite tanned. But for someone so big and somewhat threatening, his brown eyes were surrounded by wrinkles, indicating that he smiled quite a bit. In fact, when he saw Ruby, he immediately broke out into one, and his face just seemed more natural. His voice was loud and gravely, yet joyful at the same time. "Ruby Rose, HAHA! My favorite pupil! You have returned!"

As Ruby went in for a hug, Kevin was shocked by the man's accent. It was… German? Or what ever the Remnant equivalent was. 'How the heck do nationalities and accents work in this world?'

Ruby pulled out of her brief hug with her old teacher. "Yep! I'm back! So how's things been since Yang and I left?"

The blacksmith rubbed his bald head. "Ugh, simply horrible. Nothing entertaining happens here anymore. Without you two, this school has lost some of it's luster." He sighed. "Although at the same time, I apologize for what happened at Beacon. Are you alright? I cannot imagine being in the middle of all that, especially during your first year."

Ruby waved it off. "Aw I'm alright Mr. Vulcan. It's been a few days and I'm still with all my friends, so that's a good thing, right?"

The man brightened up at his old student's happiness. "HAHA! True Ruby, very true." It was then that he saw the rest of Ruby's entourage. "And I suppose these fine people are some of them?"

"Yeah, we are actually." Kevin answered. "Name's Kevin."

Jaune waved. "Hi, I'm Jaune."

Pyrrha bowed her head slightly. "Hello, I am Pyrrha, and this is my mother."

"Athena." The Nikos matriarch said with a slight bow as well. "It is a pleasure Mr. Festus."

The blacksmith took a theatric bow. "A pleasure to make all of your acquaintances. I am Festus Vulcan, the head smith of this Forge." He shifted his attention to Pyrrha. "Now, Taiyang has told me that you've come to my forge because you need a repair, correct?"

Pyrrha solemnly nodded as she took out what remained of Milo and presented it to Festus. "Yes sir, During the attack at Beacon, a woman who could manipulate fire did this to my javelin."

Festus inspected the broken weapon while stroking his beard. "Ah, I see. May I have a closer look?"

"Of course." Pyrrha handed the man her weapon and he began inspecting over the three melted pieces with an expert eye.

"Alright let's see here. Hmm… two melting points, three pieces… hmm. What other functionalities did you weapon have?"

"It could change into a rifle, and the handle retracted so I could use it as a blade."

Festus nodded. "I see, do you have any visual reference as to how it worked?"

Athena stepped forward. "Here, my own weapon is very similar." She pulled out her shot gun and pressed a button on it, the gun unfolding and re-folding into a javelin of her own. With every moving part, Festus kept his eye on the weapon. It was when he saw the bladed spearhead push out of the handle in individual segments that a smile came to his face.

"AH-HA! Perfect! So the blade itself collapses into the rifle when it changes. If that is the case, then this should be an easy repair!"

Pyrrha sighed with a relieved smile. "Thank you, Mr. Vulcan. But, with all due respect, I would like my mother and I to repair my weapon ourselves."

Festus was all too happy with her decision. "Oh, of course, child, I would never DREAM of repairing someone else's weapon unless they asked me. The weapon of ANY Hunter or Huntress is what makes them who they are. It compliments them in every way, how they fight, where they came from, and what they are fighting for. I will gladly supply the metal and the use of my forge, while you and your mother repair your weapon."

"I appreciate your understanding, Mr. Vulcan." Pyrrha turned to her mother. "Well mom, are you ready?"

"More than ready sweetheart." Athena confirmed. "Let's get started."

Kevin jumped in. "Hey Festus, I'm kinda new 'round these parts and I've never seen any of these kinds a' weapons up close. So, if you wouldn't mind, can I see how you transform a freakin' gun into a blade?"

With mirth in his voice, Festus gave his answer. "HAHA! Of course you can my friend! Come, I will show you how one crafts a weapon that is much more than it seems to be." His attention went to the Hooded Huntress. "And what of you, Ruby, care to join us?"

Ruby gave an eager nod. "Sure! I'll tag along. I've been wanting to see what new projects you've been working on." Ruby's gaze went to the blonde knight. "What about you Jaune?"

Jaune was caught off guard by his friend's question. "Oh! Uh, me? Nah, you guys go ahead. I'll stay here incase Pyrrha and her mom need anything."

Festus nodded. "Very well lad, we will be back shortly." And with that, the blacksmith led the boys to the inner workings of his forge.

Pyrrha grabbed a hammer and a pair of blacksmiths tongs. She gazed down at her weapon, determination etching across her face. 'Well, no more sitting around. Time to get to work.'

Meanwhile, Yang's party were making their way toward the gymnasium, eager to get started on any training they could take. The Blonde Brawler was particularly excited as she practically made small bounds every two steps. "Guys, you're going to LOVE my old P.E. teacher. She is the BEST teacher in this school."

Ben raised an eyebrow. "Wow, even better than your dad?"

"Well… okay, best teacher who isn't family." Yang clarified. "But hey, be lucky you weren't around for when Uncle Qrow worked here. She and him were at each other's throats constantly."

Nora scrunched her face. "Man, everyone has it out for your uncle, huh?"

"Well, it's not like he doesn't have it coming." Yang rolled her eyes. "Maybe if he didn't bring all this onto himself in the first place, it wouldn't happen."

Ren nodded. "Yes, though I cannot imagine WHY someone would bring all that punishment onto themselves."

"Yeah, not really sure how being almost constantly drunk is a good thing." Sun agreed.

Yang sighed. "I don't know. All I know is that I'm tired of it."

At that, Ben felt it necessary for some encouragement. "Yang, believe me, he'll get his act together someday. I know that you know he means well, right?"

As she took in his words, Yang smiled. "Yeah, I know. Thanks Ben. I'm just kind of annoyed is all."

Ben let out a laugh. "Ha, hey believe me, if I had someone like Qrow as a relative, I'd probably be feeling the same as you are."

"I hear that. Oh! We're here!" The five approached a set of gym doors and Yang pushed them open, revealing a large gymnasium, a class already taking place, a large group kids doing push-ups, sit-ups, and many other exercises. By the age of the kids, they seemed to be freshman, all of them appearing quite exhausted. And it wasn't hard to see why as in the middle of the room, a middle-aged woman was hollering at them.

"C'MON YOU LILLY-LIVERED PUNKS!" she shouted. "I wanna see you kids sweating BUCKETS! You can't expect to be great Hunters without some muscle so let's MOVE!"

Yang grinned excitedly. "There she is!" The woman's back was facing them, though from where they stood, they could tell she was fair-skinned, had auburn hair that reached down to the small of her back and wore your typical gym clothes, shorts, sneakers and a t-shirt beneath a dark green pull-over hoodie. Yang waved to her. "Miss Wilhelm!"

The woman turned around to face them and her blue eyes lit up, a smile came to her face. "YANG?!" She yelled back to her students; "Don't let up! Keep goin' till I get back." The coach strolled up to them, her eyes never leaving her old student. "Yang, my star athlete!" She pulled Yang into a hug, the blonde girl more than happy to reciprocate. "Oh my god, I was so worried about you with all that chaos in Vale! When your dad came in today, I asked him first thing if you were okay."

"Hehe, believe me Miss Wilhelm, it was crazy, but I got out fine." Yang pulled out of the hug and looked her old coach head on. "So how's thing's been here?"

"Ugh, dreadful. Yang, your class might've been the last really good one we'll have here for a while" the coach narrowed her eyes at the freshman. "I've been tryin' to whip these kids into shape, but they aren't exactly as tough as you. If they wanna be Huntsmen, they gotta learn to buck up and take the shit they've been given."

Yang scoffed. "Psh, you got that right. You pushed me hard, but I still came out okay."

The woman chuckled. "Heh, that's 'cause you were the only one who could really make me laugh. You got on my good side quick. I just wish these kids could do the same." It was there that she decided to change the subject. "But enough about that, who're your friends?"

"Oh yeah, 'course. Coach, this is Nora and Ren, some friends of mine from Beacon. That's Sun, he's from Haven Academy. And this is Ben, he's… new around here." Yang presented her coach to her friends. "Guys, this is Gretta Wilhelm, the best goddamn coach on Patch."

Nora waved. "Hiya!"

"Good to meet you." Ren said with a bow.

"'Sup?" Sun said nonchalantly.

"Hey, coach. It's a pleasure." Ben finished.

Gretta saluted. "Nice ta meet ya!" She glanced over to Yang again. "Your dad said that your sister and the rest your team would be here too, right? Where are they?"

"Well, Ruby took a group with her off to the forge to see Mr. Vulcan, and the rest of my team's actually headed to the library with Ben's cousin, Gwen."

Gretta sighed. "Well that means they're gonna be dealing with my egg headed brother then."

Ben jumped into the conversation. "Wait, so your brother's the librarian here?"

"Oh sure, my twin actually." Gretta confirmed. "Real nerd too. So what can I do for you kids?"

With her best smile, Yang presented her request. "Well… we were hoping that you could let us use the exercise room for a while. We won't be in there long, just till around noon or so."

"Ha, well I don't see why not. Follow me kids." Gretta went out of the gym and directly across the hall to another set of doors, the five teens following immediately behind her. She pulled out some keys and unlocked the room. "There ya go, the sparring arena and equipment are yours to use." She held the keys out to Yang. "Just make sure to lock up and bring these back when you're done."

Yang took the keys out of Gretta's hand. "Thanks again, coach. It means a lot."

Gretta winked. "Don't mention it, kiddo. And hey, if you see your uncle, tell him he needs to come back and clean his damn class room. It is RANCID in there!"

"HA! Can do."

"Good, well, I'd better get back to my class, like it or not." She gave them another salute. "Have a good time, kids!" And with that, Gretta went back to the gymnasium and the waiting freshman, leaving the teens behind.

Yang gestured into the room, coercing the others in. "Well? Shall we?"

Nora pumped a fist into the air. "Heck yeah! Let's go!" the Pink Dynamo went in and began using the exercise equipment, specifically the bench press. Ren and Sun on the other hand went over to the arena and began a practice spar. Ben was about to go over and spectate, but Yang stopped him before he could get far. She pointed over to a lone punching bag hanging from the ceiling.

"Hold up Green Boy, seeing as how you can't exactly go alien in here, how 'bout you and I go a few rounds with the bag over there?"

Ben looked at the bag and back to her. "Uh, sure Yang, why not?" he smirked. "But just to warn you, I won't hold back, alright?"

Yang smirked back. "Good, I wouldn't expect you to. Now strap on some gloves, time for a little boxing practice."

On the other side of the school, Tai was leading Gwen, Weiss and Blake through the empty halls, the girls eager to get to the library. Though out of all of them, Gwen was the most excited. "Finally! Someplace where I can actually read up on your world's history! I've SO been looking forward to this!"

Weiss was a little confused by this. "Wait a sec, so you wanted to wait until you got to a library to learn about our history? Why not just look it up on a computer or something? We have one at the house!"

"Yeah sure, but there's something about reading history the old-fashioned way that just feels right, you know?" Gwen turned to the cat-girl. "You get what I'm saying right, Blake?"

Blake was a bit iffy on that. "Eh, kind of. I'm more of a reader of fiction than non-fiction. The closest I've ever gotten to a non-fiction book are textbooks, and let me tell you, they aren't enticing to read in the slightest."

Gwen wasn't deterred. "Maybe not to you, but for someone who just arrived in this world, I'd say it's worth the time."

"Whatever you say Gwen, but just remember, you promised that you'd show me some of those books that you guys brought from your world."

"Don't worry, I haven't forgotten anything. Now come on, I want to see what this library's got."

"Ugh, fine." Weiss said with an eye roll. "But if I get so bore that I fall asleep, you owe me."

"Ladies," Tai spoke to get their attention, "we're here." He opened the nearest door to an expansive room occupied by rows upon rows of book shelves, tomes both old and new lining the wooden frames. And toward the back of one of these rows stood a man, wearing a white button-up shirt under a blue sweater vest with a matching bow-tie, a pair of khaki pants and brown penny loafers finishing the over-all nerdy apparel. Tai called over to him. "Hey Hans!"

The middle-aged man, apparently named Hans, turned his head to them, revealing his bespectacled face, his eyes of blue and his short auburn hair. "Tai! What a pleasant surprise!" He closed the book he was going over and made his way to them. "I was only expecting Ruby and Yang to show up… though upon closer inspection, I'd guess they aren't here either."

"No, they're here." Tai clarified. "Ruby took her entourage to Festus' forge while Yang took hers to your sister over at the gym."

Hans chuckled. "Heh, doesn't surprise me. Those two were their favorite teachers when they went here… erm, other than you and Qrow of course."

Tai jokingly pointed at him. "And don't you forget it. But anyway, I've actually got the other members of my daughter's team here to check out the library. Hans, meet Blake and Weiss. And this is Gwen, she's from… out of town. She, her cousin and her boyfriend got caught up in the skirmish over in Vale."

"Oh, that just sounds awful, very sorry to here that." Hans said as he shook each of their hands. "But in any case, I'm glad you made it out. I'm Hans Wilhelm, it's a pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise." Gwen replied. "So your sister's the gym teacher?"

"Ha, yes indeed. Though to be quite honest, even though we're twins we couldn't be far more different from each other if we tried."

"Not necessarily a bad thing though, shows that you're your own person, right?"

Hans was relieved at her words. "Oh, finally, someone who gets it! You have NO idea how much people judge us off of one another, especially the students."

"Hey, trust me, I get where you're coming from." Gwen looked over to Tai. "Thanks for bringing us here Tai."

"You're welcome Gwen, I'll see you guys later okay?" Tai shifted his gaze to the librarian. "Hans, I trust you'll show them around?"

Hans nodded. "Of course Tai, no problems here." And with that, Tai left the library and went off to his next class, Leaving Hans and the three girls behind. Hans clasped his hands together. "Alright, so, who's looking for what today?"

Gwen answered immediately. "Actually, I was hoping to see your non-fiction section."

Blake spoke up as well. "And I'd like to see the fiction please."

Weiss shrugged. "I'm just tagging along, so where ever they go, I go."

Hans puffed out his head. "Alright! Fiction and non-fiction it is then. Easy enough. Follow me ladies!" Hans led the girls over to two sets of specific shelves, with three large tables separating the two sections. "Alright, so non-fiction is on the right while fiction is on the left. We go by the Remnant Decimal System, so things are pretty well organized, but should you run into trouble, just let me know!"

"Of course." Gwen said with a nod. "Thank you, Mr. Wilhelm."

"My pleasure. Now if you will excuse me ladies, I have some returns to put back… and some notices to hand out to people who have books that're overdue."

Hans left the girls alone to their own devices, and Gwen immediately began scanning the shelves. "Alright, let's see here. If the Remnant Decimal System is similar to our system, then that means… ah-ha!" Gwen pulled out a small softcover book and read the title aloud; "'An Abridged History of Remnant for the Impatient and Curious'. Eureka!"

"That is… oddly specific." Weiss pointed out.

"And yet it's exactly what I'm looking for!" Gwen rebutted. "Well, I'm not exactly impatient, but I'm curious, so there's that."

"Well, while you do that," Blake said as she went over to the fiction section, "I'll see if I can find anything that I'd like to read for a bit."

"You got it, Blake." Gwen sat down at one of the tables and opened the book up. "Alright, Weiss, let's get cracking."

Weiss slumped over. "Ugh, what've I gotten myself into?"

"And that is the basics of crafting a transforming weapon." Festus concluded, ending the informational tour of his forge.

Kevin was in complete awe, something that only happens rarely. "Festus, my man, you've just blown me away with all this stuff. Quite honestly, it's freaking awesome. Now I wanna see what I can come up with."

Ruby grinned from ear to ear. "Really?! That's awesome Kevin!"

Festus gave Kevin a pat on the back. "HAHA! That's the spirit lad! I can tell that you have a future in crafting! You seem like the type of person who's interested in any kind of weapon, so you should be able to create many unique designs. What say you to a few lessons from an old pro, eh?"

Kevin grinned at the man's suggestion. "If by old pro, you mean yourself, then yeah, sounds good, Festus."

"HAHAHA! Excellent! But first, we must see how the ladies are doing. Come! Back to the furnace."

At said furnace, both Pyrrha and Athena were hammering away at Milo's blade, the javelin's head now back in one piece, but still in need of being reshaped into its normally sharpened form. Jaune watched as the two women struck the hot weapon in rhythmic unity, one after the other as the steel clanged against the hammers, being reforged into its once familiar shape. It made him all that much more confident in what he needed to do. He pulled Crocea Mors from his belt, sheath and all, and held it in front of him in both hands.

"I am in desperate need of an upgrade." he said to himself.

"Hmm… perhaps so." came a voice behind him. Jaune jumped in surprise and whirled around to see Festus, Ruby and Kevin all having returned from their tour, the blacksmith eyeing Crocea Mors. "Oh! Sorry lad, didn't mean ta scare ya. I must say, that's quite the blade you got there."

"Oh, uh thanks." Jaune said reluctantly. "It's really more of a family heirloom though. It belonged to my great-great grandfather who served in the war. Its been passed down through my family ever since."

Festus gave an understanding nod. "I see. May I have a look at it?"

"Uh, sure." Jaune unsheathed the blade and handed it to Festus, the smith using his trained eye to inspect the sword's condition.

"Haha, well your sword certainly shows its age." Festus chortled. "I can see the weathering points quite clearly. And you wish to upgrade this weapon?"

"Yes, but I don't think I should use that sword in particular."

Festus shook his head. "Oh, of course not. Not if you want this blade to stay in your family. I suggest we forge an entirely new blade and simply carry over any ideas you have into that one."

"Sounds like a plan." Jaune agreed. "Can't have this thing break and disappoint my family."

"HAHA! Excellent! Then it is decided!" Festus turned to the Osmosian. "Kevin! You, Jaune and I have our first project!"

"Awesome!" Kevin shouted. "When do we start?"

Festus stroked his beard in thought. "Well, let's see. It will take much longer to forge an entire new weapon rather than simply repairing one, so I think it would be best to come to my home this weekend and forge it there. I have many more tools at my disposal there."

Ruby chimed in. "Speaking of repair…" she called over to the Nikos women. "Hey, Pyrrha! Mrs. Nikos! How's it coming along?"

Pyrrha glanced up at Ruby, back down to Milo, then to her mother, the two sharing a nod before picking the javelin up with the tongs and putting in into a pot of water to quench the heated metal. As steam rose from the container, Pyrrha pulled Milo out and presented the weapon to everyone, the head of the javelin now a mix of painted and non-painted metal. "It's going well!" Pyrrha replied. "We're nearly done."

Athena wiped the sweat from her forehead and took a close look at her daughter's spear. "Yes indeed, all it needs is to go back in the furnace for a little bit longer. Then we can begin sharpening it."

Kevin's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Wait, seriously? I thought it usually took an entire day to reforge a weapon. How'd you get it to that state in just half an hour?"

Festus was quick to answer. "Ah, an excellent question Kevin. You see, the key lied in the use of my furnace." he gestured over to the large metal heat maker as Pyrrha put Milo back in. "Rather than being powered by coal like at any regular forge, the academy's forge is powered solely by Fire Dust!"

Kevin gazed at the piping hot furnace in amazement. "No kidding? That giant metal monstrosity runs on nothing but Fire Dust?"

"Yes! Fire Dust has special properties that help forge a weapon not only faster, but can help it be stronger as well. In addition, when repairing a weapon in a regular forge, the seams of the repair can always be seen in the metal. But with Fire Dust, the repair is completely seamless, almost as if the weapon never broke in the first place!"

"Huh, makes sense I guess."

After another ten-minute wait, Pyrrha used the tongs to pull Milo out of the furnace. She placed it on the anvil and grabbed a hammer, striking the heated steel once again, her mother joining her soon after. Once the javelin's head was hammered into the perfect shape, the Invincible Girl quenched the metal in the water one last time and presented the semi-finished product, a proud smile on her face. "There. It's back together."

Athena wrapped an arm around her daughter's shoulders. "And it looks exactly like how you forged it the first time, sweetheart. Now, how about we get over to the old grindstone and sharpen it?"

"Gladly, let's finish this." The two women went over to the grindstone, each grabbing a pair of safely goggles, intending to finish what they started.

In the exercise room, Ren and Sun had just finished their practice match and went over to the weights with Nora. In the meantime, Ben and Yang were still doing some boxing practice on the punching bags, constantly switching places between puncher and bag holder.

"Come on Tennyson!" Yang shouted from behind the bag. "Punch that thing like you mean it! You can't rely on your powers all the time, so put some more 'OOMF' into it!"

Ben meanwhile, was becoming quite winded, to the point where his hands were on his knees and breathing heavily. "Come on Yang, we've been at this for half an hour straight! Can't we take a break for just a few minutes?"

Yang sighed as she let go of the bag and planted her hand on her hips. "Yeah, you're right Green Boy, let's take five. But be ready, 'cause I want to try something else when we get back to it."

"'Kay, gotcha." Ben went over and sat down on the arena's edge, taking off the boxing gloves he'd been using. He laid down on his back, staring up at the ceiling as he composed himself. But just as he found himself calming down a bit, Nora popped into his field of vison, her face looming directly over his.

"Hi Ben!"

"GAH!" The hero jumped and sat upright, Nora moving out of his way as quick as she could. "Really Nora? Was it all that necessary to just hover over me like that?"

"Nope!" Nora answered cheerily. "But it WAS funny, huh?"

"I learned a long time ago that humor's pretty subjective." Ben retorted. "So what's up? Did you wanna talk or something?"

Nora shrugged. "Eh, kinda." she shifted her eyes to Yang, who was going through more boxing equipment. "Just wanted to see how you and Yang were doing over here. You guys have been really going at that bag."

Ben tiredly leaned against his legs. "Heh, yeah. Gotta say though, it's a bit unexpected that she'd be this interested in training with just me and not one of my aliens."

Nora raised an eyebrow, her smile not leaving for an instant. "Why would you be surprised by that? You guys are friends, why wouldn't she want to train with you normally?"

Ben sighed as he rested his chin in his hands. "It's just… well… it's gonna sound stupid."

"Ben, trust me, I've seen and heard SO many stupid things. I think I can judge if what you'll say is stupid."

"Okay, well… since my secret was revealed back in my world, I've had many people treat me differently, both in good ways and bad. But it boils down to my aliens all the same. When most people see me, they see an alien transformation waiting to happen. And after showing you what I can do, I guess I was worried that YOU guys would be the same way. That's why I'm a little shocked that Yang wanted to train with me instead of an alien."

After a moment's pause, Nora came to her conclusion; "You're right, that IS kind of stupid."

Ben gave her his best deadpan expression. "Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence Nora. Weren't you supposed to be helping me?"

Nora giggled. "Heehee, I AM helping you. By agreeing that it's stupid to worry about something like that." She gave him a pat on the shoulder. "Ben, we're your friends, not your fans or critics. Sure, you helped us out at Beacon, and yes, your alien forms are cool and all, but you're still a person first. And as far as I'm concerned, that's something that everybody should keep in mind, including the people from your world. And if they're so short sighted to ignore that fact…" she shrugged, "then they seriously need to re-evaluate themselves. You just keep doing you, okay?"

Ben blinked in shock. "Okay, since when did you become a philosopher in emotional problems?"

"When you've lived on the road for as long as Ren and I have, you learn to pick up a few things." Nora looked away slightly, her smile shrinking a little bit. "Especially when Ren had issues of his own that he needed help getting through." Her smile returned instantly. "But hey, let's not focus on the past, because right now, I think you're needed." Nora pointed her thumb in Yang's direction, Ben only now noticing that she was waving to him.

"Guess you're right." Ben got up and picked up his boxing gloves, while also making sure Nora's advice did not go unappreciated. "Thanks for the pep talk Nora. I'll try not to worry about the stupid things from now on."

"Weren't nothing, my friend." Nora said as she crossed her legs and put her hands behind her head. "We all worry 'bout stupid things from time to time, ya know?"

"Ha, got that right." Ben made his way over to Yang, the blonde having already put her gloves back on. "'Kay Yang, so what's up this time?"

Yang presented Ben with a piece of boxing headgear. "Here, put this on."

Ben took the protective piece and examined it in confusion. "Um, okay, why?"

"Because you and I are gonna go a round in the ring." Yang answered as she put on her own headgear. "Fighting aliens is cool and all, but I want to see what you've got. That is… if you think you can handle it."

Ben was taken aback. She wanted to fight him, not one of his aliens, him. A part of him wanted to flip out in excitement, but his more rational side took hold. 'Maybe I WAS worried over nothing after all.' A smirk made its way onto his face. "Oh, I know I can handle it. But, so long as I'm not using my powers, think I can say the same for you?"

Yang raised her right hand and put her left one over her heart. "I solemnly swear I will not hit you through a wall."

"Ha, great. Also, uh… nothing below the waist please?"

"Of course." She pointed a stern finger at him. "And absolutely NO hair pulling."

"Wouldn't dream of it." Ben reassured. "Alright, now with that out of the way, let's do this!"

Outside the school, a figure stepped into the parking lot, her eyes focused squarely on the building. She cracked her knuckles and neck muscles, her intent on getting revenge on her young enemy ever present. "So, Tennyson decided that a school day would be a nice change of pace, huh? Gotta say, never heard of a kid who'd be so eager to go to school."

She glimpsed around the parking lot, cars lined up through the entire thing. "Hmm… plenty of combustion engines around." Her gauntlet lit up and a bright red energy enveloped her left hand. "It'd be such a shame if someone would say, I don't know, blow them all up to get a certain someone's attention."

She fired the energy in a concentrated beam, going straight through an entire line of cars, the resulted explosion rocking the very earth beneath them. She continued for every line of vehicles she saw, all the while walking up to the front entrance. She stopped just a few meters away from the front steps, a wicked smirk on her face as the flames danced behind her.

"And now, we wait."

"And thus, with the peace treaty formed on the island on Vytal, the Great War came to an end and the four kingdoms entered a time of relative peace that has lasted to this very day." Gwen closed the abridged history book and took a deep breath. "Wow, that… was quite the read."

"And the War was the last REAL major event to have happened in recent years." Weiss added. "Nothing as big as that has happened in the past eighty years."

Without even glancing up from her book, Blake corrected Weiss. "Until a few days ago that is. While many smaller villages and towns have been attacked by Grimm in the past, they've never attempted to invade one of the central cities in a kingdom."

"Right." Weiss concurred. "And I've never heard of any humans working WITH the Grimm in any situation."

Gwen brought up another point. "Well here's what I'm thinking. Do you remember when we left Vale a few days ago? When General Ironwood told us about this "Salem" woman?"

"I do." Weiss confirmed. "And Qrow said that she's able to create things that are apparently so terrifying that even he is scared of them."

Blake took her eyes off of the book she was reading. "Whoever she is, she sounds very powerful. But even then, we don't know how powerful she really is. How can we expect to just take her on without any idea on that?"

Gwen laced her hands together and propped her elbows on the table. "In all honesty, I'm not entirely sure. Given the probability that Cinder is in alignment with Salem, as well as the fact that she orchestrated the attack on Vale by instilling so much fear into everyone that the Grimm were able to easily take over, my guess is that Salem is tied directly to the Grimm in some way."

Weiss pushed the subject further. "Okay, so how do we beat that?! The Grimm are the very REASON that Hunters and Huntresses exist. If this woman has the ability to control them, then we'd be fighting millions of them."

Gwen took a deep steady breath. "Quite honestly, I'm not all that sure. I mean, Ben has his fair share of ultra-powerful aliens. Clockwork, Way Big, Alien X, just to name a few, but even then, those are some of the hardest aliens for him to get a good grasp on, especially Alien X."

That piqued Blake's interest. "Why? What's so special about it?"

"Oh, only just that Alien X is a nigh-omnipotent alien that can control nearly every aspect of the universe around him, hindered only by the three conflicting personalities in his head. One of those personalities being Ben himself, might I add."

Weiss and Blake both stared dumbfoundedly at their redheaded friend, still comprehending the information that they had just heard. Weiss broke the silence. "So… your cousin has the power of a literal god, and he still can't even use it?!"

"Nope, it's like the universe just likes to keep screwing us over. So, we'll have to come up with a Plan B."

"Which would be?" Blake asked.

The girls were interrupted when there came a reverberating BOOM! The very room shook beneath their feet, causing the three to purposefully fall to the ground and take shelter beneath the table. Soon however, the rumbling stopped and around the corner came Hans, the man in a state of concern.

"Are you girls alright?!" the librarian asked.

The three got up from underneath the table with Gwen answering for them. "Don't worry Mr. Wilhelm, we're fine."

Blake decided to bring up the most obvious question. "What do you think that was?"

"An explosion, most likely." Weiss guessed.

Hans' face grew serious. "It sounds like it came from the front of the school. Come on, someone might be hurt." The four raced out of the library and through the main halls, rushing past evacuating students as they went.

Back in the forge, Pyrrha was putting the finishing touches on her javelin, sharpening the reforged head until it was perfect. As the grindstone worked against the blade, sparks flew across the floor, though Pyrrha was careful to avoid the sparks and keep her safety goggles securely on her face. Finally, when the time came, she pulled the Milo away from the stone and closely analyzed the edges, smiling when she came to the conclusion; "Success!"

At Pyrrha's excited shout, Athena came over and inspected the weapon herself, coming to the same conclusion. "I would say so, dear. You should be very proud. Now all that is left is to repaint it."

"Believe me mother I AM proud. After nearly three straight days of nothing but sitting down, this has been a long time coming. But before I paint it, I must test it out." Pyrrha rose from the chair she was sitting in and made her way over to her friends, presenting her reforged spear as she did so. "Everyone, it pleases me to present to you: the new and improved Milo."

Jaune was the first to congratulate her. "Pyr, that's awesome! Aside from the missing paint, it looks like nothing happened to it!"

Ruby congratulated her friend as well. "Yeah Pyrrha, it turned out super! So, guess it's time for a test run?"

"Indeed." Pyrrha confirmed. She put her thumb over the button that would activate the transformation. "Here goes nothing." Pyrrha pressed the button and the javelin head compressed in on itself the weapon folding and shifting in multiple places until it was a rifle once again. Pyrrha smiled in delight. "Haha! It works!"

"HAHA! Excelent!" Festus laughed. "But now it is time for the second test." The blacksmith grabbed an empty paint can and brought it over to the other side of the room far away from his furnace, setting it down on a wooden stool. "Hit this empty can off of this stood to test the rifle's shooting capabilities."

"Right." Pyrrha peered through the rifle's scope and locked the can squarely in her sights. With her aim reassured, she shot a Dust bullet at the can and it was knocked right off the stool not even a second later.

"Woo! Bullseye!" Kevin cheered.

"Right on target, as always." Athena commented.

Festus picked the can back up. "Very good! Now for the final test!" He found another chair and propped the stool on top of it, placing the paint can back on the stool. "There, that should be a good height." He turned to Pyrrha and gestured at the stacked chairs, making sure to move as far away as he could. "Now, throw your weapon at the can to see if she flies true."

Pyrrha gave a nod and she pressed the button again, Milo reforming into its spear form as she reared her arm back to make the throw. The moment the spear tip had popped out of the head, Pyrrha through Milo straight at the can, a Fire Dust round firing from the end of the handle to give it more power in its flight. The javelin sailed forward and not only impaled through the flimsy paint can, but imbedded itself into the wall. Pyrrha jogged over and pulled Milo out, immediately scanning the spearhead for any damage. But when she saw none whatsoever, her fears were put to rest. "Everything seems to be in working order."

Jaune stood next to her. "Then I guess that means your back on active duty for Team JNPR?"

With a smile, Pyrrha gave her definitive answer. "Why yes, I believe so."

Suddenly… BOOM! The very room shook, causing them all to fall to the ground on their hands and knees. As the shaking stopped, everyone stood up, Ruby taking out Crescent Rose on instinct. "What was THAT?!"

Festus was quick to deduce the strange event's origin. "If I heard that correctly, it sounds like it came from the front parkin lot!" The blacksmith rushed over to a dual-doored cabinet and flung it open, revealing a large, long-handled, single bladed, rocket powered axe, his own personal weapon. He took the axe out and faced the others. "Come! We must see what is happening!"

Pyrrha's brows furrowed. "Right. It seems repainting will have to come later." They all rushed out of the room and back to the front of the school, hoping whatever it was didn't hurt anyone already.

As all this went on, Ben and Yang were boxing in the practice ring back in the exercise room, Ren, Nora and Sun all cheering on the sidelines. As they jabbed, bobbed and weaved, neither one of them let up on each other, giving it all they had without using any kind of powers. Both of them were in some sort of sync, whenever Yang punched, Ben blocked it and jabbed right back, but Yang would soon move out of the way and go right back in swinging. At times they would get some lucky hits in, but it was mostly an endurance run. Because as much as they wanted to spar, neither one of them wanted to seriously hurt the other.

But all that came to a sudden halt… BOOM! The room shook and both combatants lost their balance and fell onto their backsides, their spectators doing the same. Once the room stopped shaking, Ben and Yang got up, both of them flinging their gloves off and removing their headgear.

Yang looked around the room in confusion. "What the hell just happened?!"

Ben was at a loss as well. "I don't know, but whatever that was, it was BIG."

Nora groaned as she picked herself up off the ground. "Ugh, are we under attack AGAIN?!"

Ren rubbed his aching back as he rose from his position. "Hopefully not, I cannot imagine an attack happening so soon after the last one."

Suddenly, the door to the room flew open, a panicked Gretta on the other side. "Kids! Are you all okay?!"

"We're all good, coach." Yang replied. "What's going on?"

Gretta's answer was immediate. "There's been an explosion in the school parking lot. Come on, we need to evac, now!"

Sun took out his Ruyi Jingu Bang and ran for the door. "Guess we're seeing some action today guys! Let's go!"

In only a few minutes time, the three groups reunited at the front entrance, the teachers having gone to help with evacuation efforts. The teams all gathered together, Yang making sure Ruby wasn't hurt while Nora and Ren admired Pyrrha's repaired javelin. Ben meanwhile went over to his cousin and best friend. "Gwen, Kevin, you two okay?"

"We're fine." Gwen reassured as she gazed straight out the glass doors. "But I think we've got another problem."

Ben followed her gaze and saw through the doors that the parking lot was a blaze, almost every vehicle having been destroyed. Fortunately for the team, Kevin's car, Athena's rental and Bumblebee were among the ones that had NOT been blown up. Everyone went out the front door and saw a lone feminine figure standing in front of the blaze, her form silhouetted against the flames. She was decked out in black and grey armor with red lines around her arms and legs, a skull emblem printed on her chest. She wore a pair of red, spiked shoulder pads and a headpiece that encompassed everything but her face and hair, her eyes covered by a blood red visor. A large black gauntlet was securely fastened on her left arm.

The woman called out to them, spreading her arms out wide. "So, what d'ya think? Enough of an attention grabber? Cause I could always blow more up!"

Ben's eyes widened at the sound of the woman's voice. 'Oh man, don't tell me…'

Athena stepped forward, her brows cast downward as she slammed the handle of her javelin on the ground in defiance. "Who are you?! Why have you done this?!"

The woman near the flames let out a sinister cackle. "Hehe, don't worry lady, I'll be out of your hair in a sec. All I want…" she pointed straight at Ben. "Is the runt."

Ben clenched his fist. "Why don't you stop hiding and just show your face, Rojo?"

Ruby whirled her head around to Ben. "Rojo? Who's Rojo?"

Jaune felt all the blood drain from his face. "We're screwed. Kevin told me about this woman. He said she'd skin us alive if given the chance."

Hearing what the knight said, Rojo laughed as she moved away from the flames and lifted her visor, revealing her pale skin and black lips twisted into a smirk. "Hahaha! Oh, that's a good one blonde boy, I might save that idea for later. But you aren't the ones I want." She pointed her left hand at Ben. "It's you I'm after, Tennyson. I've spent over a year locked up, dreaming of the day that I'd get my hands around your neck. Well guess what?" She balled her hand into a fist and her gauntlet began glowing, her closed hand suddenly glowing with a bright red energy. "It's time for YOU to get what's comin' to ya."

A/N: To be continued… Yep, we're ending on a cliffhanger for this one! So make sure to tune in Next Time. Because then, it'll be Rojo verses Everyone! See ya then!

A/N: Greetings everyone! The new set of chapters for AO3 have come off the presses! It's been a while since we've seen our resident Tech Head and Team CFVY now hasn't it? Well let's fix that shall we? This is…

Chapter 20: CFVY Break

"How is that breaker coming along Cooper?"

"Almost done Miss Goodwitch. Just one last adjustment and… bingo!" Cooper flipped the switch and closed the metal door to the massive generator, the lights turning on the moment he slammed it shut. It had taken Cooper a while to learn the ins and outs of these Dust-powered generators, but with time and patience, he'd gotten the hang of it. With the eastern plant back up and running, the power had been fully restored to both sides of Vale, assuring that all city districts were now fully powered once again. And, once it was rebuilt, Beacon would be getting some of that power as well. It had been a tiring three and a half days going back and forth between both facilities, but it was worth it. Cooper sighed as he leaned back against the massive machine. "Done."

Glynda gave a confirming nod. "Indeed, for the most part. There's still the powerlines to deal with, but the electricians are already out and about taking care of them." The headmistress smiled at the young genius. "Still, for those whose homes and businesses are still standing and do have power, you've given them that much more relief. Good job, Cooper. It would have taken weeks to do this normally."

Cooper waved his hand. "No problem, Miss Goodwitch. Trust me, no one should have to go without power for THAT long." The blonde Plumber let out a loud yawn. "But now, I think I could go for some rest. I've gotten up at the crack of dawn for three days I a row now and I'm exhausted."

"I'm sure you are. And you've certainly earned the rest, Cooper. Though I have no doubt that we'll have something for you to do tomorrow. But as far as I'm concerned, you deserve the rest of the day off." Glynda began making her way toward the building's exit. "Now come, let's get back to the hospital and spread the good word."

"Right behind ya." The two walked out of the building and to the car that Goodwitch had rented. They got in and with a twist of the key, they were off, heading back to the hospital where many were still calling home.

As they drove along, Glynda decided that casual conversation would be better than simple utter silence. "So, have you and Team CFVY decided on any apartments? I recall Coco saying that she wanted to get out of the hospital as soon as possible."

"Uhhh… yeah, she has." Cooper answered nervously. The idea of sharing an apartment wasn't inherently a BAD idea, it was just a bit strange to him. Never in his life did Cooper imagine him living in the same space with a group of friends, especially ones that he's only known for several days. But, in that several days' time, Team CFVY had made him feel the most welcomed he'd ever felt. And yet he still felt nervous for… other reasons. "Coco's been searching for any place nearby that HASN'T been demolished by Grimm, but so far, no luck."

"I see." Glynda said without taking her eyes off the road. "It's true that many places in the city have been destroyed, but we should be thankful that not ALL of it has demolished. I've seen the aftermath of many towns and villages that have been completely overrun by Grimm, Cooper. Believe me, this could have been far, far worse."

"I can imagine. By the way, how's the Forever Fall investigation going?"

Glynda sighed. "No luck there as well. General Ironwood has sent squad after squad of his best men into those woods and nearly all of them have returned with injuries by creatures that they couldn't describe. Some say they were Grimm, others say they only look like Grimm. Either way, we're at a dead end."

Cooper's face scrunched up in scrutiny. "Hold on a second, they've sent how many recon parties into Forever Fall?"

"Four, why?"

"Did anyone of them think to bring along a CAMERA?"

Glynda's eye twitched as she pulled along the curb in front of the hospital and put the car in park. She pinched the bridge of her nose and grumbled in irritation. "I have no clue. But if no one did, then I will have plenty of words for them. Thank you, Cooper."

"You're welcome… I think." Cooper got out of the car with Glynda following suit. The headmistress marched past him and up to the doors, the blonde genius following her and trying to calm her down. "Hey, it's okay Miss Goodwitch, I've dealt with stupid things plenty of times in the past. It's something that you've just gotta roll with sometimes."

The moment Glynda set her hand on the door handle, she took a deep breath and tried to relax. "You're right Cooper. I should try and remain calm about this." Just then, she let out a chuckle. "Heh, but I'm certain that when I inform General Ironwood of this, HE will be the one who goes off on his men."

Cooper laughed as well. "Haha, I guess that's one way to look at it. Oh! Hang on a minute…" Cooper cupped a hand to his ear and listened for a moment. "The hospital's emergency generator is off… and the lights are still on. Well, I guess they already know the power's back."

"So it would seem." Suddenly, Glynda's scroll began making beeping noise inside her pocket. "Oh! I had better take this." She pulled out her scroll and answered it. "Yes, this is Goodwitch." As whoever called her spoke on the other end, the stoic expression on Glynda's face began to turn into a small grin. "Really? Is that so? In that case I will be here waiting for them. Thank you very much. Goodbye."

Cooper quirked a brow. "What was that about?"

Glynda turned her scroll off and glanced back up to him. "Cooper, we're going to be expecting some special guests in about an hour. If you wish to rest for a while, I suggest you do it now, because I'm sure they'll want to see you."

Cooper was a bit confused. Why would these special guests want to see HIM specifically? "Um… okay. I'll see you later then." He went inside, leaving Glynda to herself.

She smiled as he left. "He's a nice young man, but he needs to work on his self-confidence." She pulled her scroll back out and dialed General Ironwood's number. After a couple of rings, the General in question answered on the other end.

"Hello? Glynda?"

"Hello, James. Yes, it's me. I called to make sure you knew of our special guests."

"Ah, yes, I do. In fact, I called them earlier this morning."

"Very good. So, now that we have that settled, do any of your men know how to handle flash photography?"

As Cooper exited the elevator on the floor that held the room that he and Team CFVY occupied, his mind had slowly pulled itself away from who these visitors were and back to being tired. Whenever he was off work, he was being lugged around by the team of four, eager to show him the wonders that their world had to offer as well as learn what his own world was like. Well, Coco and Velvet were probably more into it than Fox and Yastu were, but nevertheless, they all took part in it. As he opened the door to the room they shared, he saw the two boys and the bunny-eared girl just hanging out doing nothing for the most part. Velvet was fiddling with her camera, Fox was flipping through channels on the TV, and Yastu was meditating over in the corner. "Hey everyone," Cooper greeted, "what's up?"

Velvet smiled and waved over to him. "Cooper! You're back!"

Fox glanced over and quickly nodded. "'Sup Coop?"

Yatsuhashi opened his eyes and bowed his head. "Hello Cooper. Good to see you back so soon."

Cooper nodded back. He'd come to learn much about these three in the past several days. For one, the two boys were actually the quietest ones of the group, Fox especially. They spoke, but only when they felt necessary. But the thing was that they had completely different personalities, Fox being the more aggressive of the two and Yastu was MUCH more Zen. Still, it surprised him how silent they could be considering that Velvet was the shyest of the bunch. Though for as shy as she was, the bunny-girl was still quite keen on learning more about the world he came from and even pining to go there as well.

"Hey Tech Head!"

Cooper smiled as he heard his nickname. 'And then there's her.' He turned around and there was Coco, the one who had made him feel the most at home with her team. He was still amazed at how confident she was while also being so kind at the same time. She treated every single one of her teammates as her equals, never ordering them to do things she wouldn't do herself. It was like they were one big strange family in a weird yet pleasant sort of way. She respected her teammates in everyway possible and she had extended that respect to him, ensuring that, whether he liked it or not, he was their unofficial fifth member.

…And he liked her. A LOT. He had come to accept that fact over the past several days. Her determination, her independence, and her inherent beauty were all things that had gotten into his head and he couldn't stop thinking about her. Even when he was working, his mind would occasionally go off of the task at hand and back to Coco. Was that a bad thing? Kind of. But Cooper didn't care. He had fallen for her hard. The only hard part? Asking her out. The same questions kept repeating in his mind; 'What if she's not interested in a relationship?' or 'What if she only likes me as a friend?', and then the big one; 'What if I'm just not good enough for her?'

Cooper shooed the thoughts away and focused back on Coco, who was holding a tray full of coffee for all of them, including one for himself. Which honestly surprised him. "Hey Coco. How'd you know to bring five cups?"

She had a sly grin on her face. "Well… two of these were meant to go to Velvet buuut…"

Cooper's eye widened as Velvet counteracted her leader's statement. "Hey! You know I only asked for one Coco! Stop fibbing!"

Coco snickered. "Hehe, yeah, okay, I ran into Goodwitch on the way and she told me you'd be here. So I went back and got you a cup. And don't worry, Goodwitch told me you were feelin' tired, so I got ya decaf."

"Ah, thank you." Cooper said as he took the cup labeled with his initials. "So, uh, any luck finding an apartment?"

Coco scoffed as she sat down and handed everyone their drinks. "Psh, I wish. Ya know how hard it is to find a nearby hotel in a city that's half-destroyed? Not easy."

"I can imagine. So, what now?"

Coco sighed. "Not sure. We can't stay in this hospital room for however long it takes before Beacon's back up and running. They need a place in case any more patients come in."

"Plus, the food sucks." Fox added.

Coco pointed to him. "Exactly. There's still one complex I haven't tried yet. But if this one doesn't work out, we're gonna have to think of something else."

Cooper shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah, probably." A few moments of silence went by, nobody saying a thing as they all just sipped their coffee. Cooper decided to break this awkward silence by getting something off his chest. "Hey guys?"

Everyone turned their attention to him with Coco answering him. "Yeah, Tech Head? What's up?"

Cooper offered his best grin. "I just wanted to say that, no matter what we decide to do with ourselves going forward, I'm very thankful for you guys making me feel welcome in your world. I know we've only known each other for four days now, and I know this sounds a bit corny, but as far as I'm concerned, you guys are all my friends." He raised his coffee cup. "So here's to you guys."

Velvet put a hand over her heart. "Aw, Cooper, that's so sweet! Thank you!" She then raised her own cup. "But I must say that without your hard work these past few days, Vale would still be without power for several weeks. So here's to you!"

Fox smirked and raised his own cup while Yastu did the same but with a polite smile. Coco also raised her own cup and said a few words. "Velvet's got the right idea, Tech Head. As far as I'm concerned, you've earned a place with us."

A sense of gratitude had filled Cooper's chest at their words. "Ha, thanks guys. Seriously, it really means a lot. It feels nice to feel like I belong somewhere."

Velvet nodded. "Of course, Cooper. When someone is far from home, it's better to have friends with you than none at all."

"Well yeah, but…" Cooper paused for a moment unsure whether to pour his feelings out right then and there. But then, he remembered; they were his friends. They'd understand. "…It's just really nice to feel appreciated."

That got Coco's attention. "Whad'ya mean by that?"

"Well… back in my world, I kind of always felt like I was off to the side. Just a someone to be brought in when Ben and the others needed tech support. I went to the Plumber Academy to try and change all that, hoping that I could be on the front lines for once. But, when I came back, the first thing I had to do was build a machine to help Kevin."

"What'd he need help with?" Fox asked.

"We had to use it to help him turn back to human after he got himself mutated into a giant monster… for the third time in his life." A stunned silence followed that statement. "I know, long story, I'll explain later. But back on point, after all that happened, I was assigned to the Plumber base in Bellwood, but other than that, I didn't do much else. Then the whole break out with Vilgax happened and well… that kind of demoralized me a bit." His smiled returned. "But now that I'm using my powers for something that's useful and with your guy's support, I've been feeling a lot better about myself. So again, thank you."

Coco chuckled. "Heh, well Tech Head, I guess all I can say to that is… you're welcome." She pointed at him. "But don't think we're done with you yet. We've still gotta take you shopping for some new duds."

Cooper laughed. "Haha! Yeah, I guess you're right. Can't exactly wear the same clothes every day, now can I?"

Coco shook her head. "Nuh-uh, we're gonna get you something that'll really WOW people."

"Well… if we can find a shopping center that is still intact that is." Velvet pointed out. "Hopefully there will be SOME place we can go that isn't a pile of rubble."

Coco put a hand to her chin. "Hmm, yeah, probably gonna have to make a day outta that."

"Well, so long as it's presentable and not embarrassing, I'll wear anything." Cooper conceded. As he finished his cup of decaf, he let out a yawn. "Okay, I think I'm gonna get some shuteye. Goodwitch said that we'll be getting visitors in about an hour, so if I'm not awake by then…"

"We'll wake you up, Tech Head." Coco assured. "You just sleep for a while, you've earned it."

Cooper smiled at her. "Sounds good to me." He went over to his cot and laid down, his eyes shutting and his mind drifting off for his short nap.

Coco grinned at him as she reclined in her chair. "Sweet dreams, Cooper."

"OH! So THAT'S what Dragon Ball is!" Sun said as the ferry pulled into the harbor. "Well if that's the case then count me in!"

Yang pumped a fist into the air. "Alright! Monkey boy's on board!" the Blonde Brawler looked over to her partner expectantly. "What about you, Blake? You wanna watch with us?"

"Yeah, it'll be a blast!" Ben pressed further. "You've never even SEEN an animated fight until you've watched a Dragon Ball fight."

The cat girl, however, had her reservations. "I'm… not really all that sure. I mean, it just sounds like a bunch of overly muscled people hitting each other."

Then, like clockwork, both Ben and Yang said at the same time; "Yeah, and?"

Blake put a palm to her face. 'Jeez, they really ARE too much alike.' She shook her head and made her way to Kevin's car. "Ugh, sure, fine, I'll try to watch it, but if I give up before we hit the third episode, don't be surprised, okay?"

"Now that's the spirit!" Yang said as she and Ben got back on Bumblebee. "Now let's get offa' this dingy!"

As Blake got into the car with Sun, Kevin and Gwen, the red haired Anodite turned around to her with a small, sympathetic grin. "You're being really nice, you know. I remember when Ben first asked ME to give Dragon Ball a try."

Blake crossed her arms. "Really? Did you like it?"

Gwen shrugged. "Well, it wasn't entirely my thing, but I at least got a new perspective out of it. Before I watched it, I'd never saw the appeal of over-the-top action shows like Dragon Ball. But after I watched it, I suddenly understood why people enjoy it."

"And that would be?"

Gwen chuckled. "Hehe, it's because people like to enjoy colorful, energetic and fun characters taking part in big chaotic fight scenes while telling a solid story. There's just some sort of satisfaction of seeing someone getting hit so hard that they get sent through a wall that just gets to people. And look at it this way, in our world, Dragon Ball is one of the most popular franchises on earth, so it must be doing some things right."

"Huh, well… I guess it couldn't hurt keep an open mind about it, then."

Next to her, Sun let out a high-spirited laughed. "Haha! That's awesome, Blake! Glad you're at least giving it a try."

Blake looked over to him with a smile. "Sure, but I'm gonna tell you the same thing I told them, Sun. Don't be surprised if I lose interest, okay?"

Sun raised his hands up. "Hey, don't worry, I get it. You're a book lover, not much into cartoons and stuff. And hey, I won't be upset if you don't enjoy it. I respect you too much to have that happen."

At his words, Blake's eyebrows rose in surprise, her face turning a light shade of pink. "Really? Well… I'm glad that I've earned your respect."

Sun nodded. "Of course. You've had it for a long time now. I mean, you respect me too, right?"

A sly grin came to Blake's face. "Weeeelll…."

Sun smirked back. "And here I thought that I was the jokester."

Blake laughed and gave him a playful shove. "Hahaha! Of course I respect you, Sun. Sure, you can be a total goofball, but I've come to accept that. It's actually really endearing, in a dorky sort of way."

Sun let out a laugh of his own. "Ha! Well then, I guess I'll take that as a compliment."

"I hope so, otherwise it'd make a pretty weird insult."

"Ooh! Another snarky remark! You're on a roll today!"

"AHEM!" the two Faunus turned to see Kevin looking at them through the rear-view mirror. "Guys, I like a good battle of wits as much as the next guy, but could you please stay in your seats while we get off the boat?"

Blake and Sun glanced down to see that they had indeed moved closer to each other during their bantering, to the point where their hands were almost touching. They quickly pulled away, both of them blushing rather profusely. Blake twiddled her thumbs while Sun put a hand behind his head. But both of them were thinking the same thing; 'How did we not notice that?!'

Gwen pouted at her boyfriend and whispered as low as she could; "Seriously, Kevin? You had to ruin the mood like that?"

Kevin whispered back. "Hey, I'm not trying to be a jerk or anything. I just don't want them to forget why we're here in the first place. If they wanna do that stuff, they can do it on their own time."

Gwen crossed her arms and sank into her seat. "You're just a big spoilsport, you know that?"

Kevin gave her a big smile. "Yep, love you, sweetie."

Gwen smiled back. "Love you too."

After the muscle car and motorbike rolled off of the ferry's loading ramp, they drove off to the hospital, passing by the many Huntsman, Huntresses, military and rescue workers that were going around the city streets in an attempt to make sense of the chaos that Vale had been put through. Several minutes later, they finally made it to the hospital that they had stayed at only a few days ago. As Yang pulled over to the curb, she couldn't help but be surprised at being back so soon. "Man, can you believe it's only been like, what, three days since we left here?"

Ben got off and was quick to respond as he took off his helmet. "Heh, yeah, so much stuff has happened in that time that it feels WAY longer."

Yang put her sunglasses away and propped Bumblebee up. "Eh, guess time flies when you're beating up bad guys." The two walked over to the front entrance where Kevin, Gwen, Blake and Sun had already gathered. Blake was shifting her eyes around the parking lot in high alert, almost as if she was expecting to be attacked.

"I still can't get over how Rojo got away." she said as they approached the front steps. "It makes you wonder if these villains can just pop up out of nowhere."

Kevin waved it off. "Hey, don't worry 'bout it, Blake. Trust me, we've had plenty of experience with escaped prisoners."

"Unfortunately, that's true." Gwen confirmed. "But Kevin's right, we probably don't have to wait long before Rojo shows her face again."

"Considering that she now wants to kill both me AND Pyrrha, I'd say that's a definite: yes." Ben said. "So, before she randomly shows up outta nowhere, I suggest we head inside."

"An apt suggestion, Benjamin." came a familiar voice. Everyone turned to the hospital doors to see Professor Goodwitch standing there, greeting them with a smile. "Welcome back everyone! I honestly wasn't expecting to see you all so soon."

Blake waved over to her. "Professor Goodwitch!"

Yang waved as well. "Hey Prof!"

Goodwitch made her way down the steps and approached her students, giving both of them momentary embraces. "Girls! It's so good to see you! How has it been over on Patch? You all have been keeping up with your training, I hear?"

"Yup!" Yang answered. "That and we've been beatin' up bad guys and—oh yeah! Pyrrha's outta her wheelchair too."

"I've heard! I'm very glad that Pyrrha is doing better now. After what happened… it's been something that's been weighing on me since that night. Please, when you go back to the island, tell her that I would be very happy to see her sometime soon. If it isn't too much trouble."

Yang nodded. "Sure! I know that she'll want to see you too, Prof."

"Thank you very much, Yang. I appreciate it." The headmistress' eyes shifted over to the Alien Trio. "Benjamin, Gwendolyn, Kevin, I'm very glad to see that you three again too. I've heard that you have been accommodating to our world quite nicely, correct?"

"Yeah, thing's have been going pretty good." Ben replied. "You know, aside from the whole "bad guys from my universe" thing that we've got going on, I honestly can't find much to complain about."

"Other than getting up at Six A.M. every freaking morning." Yang snidely remarked. "Right, Gwen?"

Gwen narrowed her eyes at the blonde. "Yang, I swear to god, if you don't stop running that into the ground, I'm gonna scream."

Yang laughed and wrapped and arm around the redhead's shoulders. "Haha, okay, okay, I'll stop. It was getting old anyway."

Understandably confused, Glynda simply rolled with it. "Um… I see. Well it's good to know that you have a good schedule in place." Finally, she looked over to Sun, the monkey boy still standing next to Blake. "Mr. Wukong, I had hoped that your being here would have been for a better occasion. But be that as it may, your teammates, Mr. David and Mr. Ayana, will be leaving soon. Their flight back to Mistral leaves this afternoon, so make sure that you and Mr. Vasilias say your goodbyes."

Sun closed his eyes and gave a solemn nod. "Thank you, Professor Goodwitch. They're still in the same room, right?"

"Of course, though they're just beginning to vacate it to make room for incoming patients."

Sun's eyes widened. "Wait, Neptune's leaving the hospital too?"

"Yes, he has been attempting to find a place to stay in the city… but so far he hasn't had any luck."

A grin formed on Sun's face. "I think I just got an idea."

Ben turned pale. "Oh god, I think I know where this is heading."

"He could come back to Patch with us!" The monkey boy exclaimed.

Ben dead-panned. "Eeyup, thought so."

Yang was quick to try and talk Sun out of it. "Whoa, whoa, hold on their Sunny-boy. I know that Neptune's your teammate and your bud n' stuff, but we've already got like fifteen people living at my family's home. I don't want my house to turn into a freaking sitcom."

"You guys have sitcoms?" Ben asked.

Sun tried to win Yang's appeal. "Aw, c'mon Yang. He's gonna be all by himself in this giant wrecked city and there's plenty of space in your uncle's room for two people. And I guarantee that your dad's got a spare bed lying around somewhere."

Yang raised her index figure. "I… can neither confirm or deny that, but my point stands. It's just a TON of people. Besides, I doubt that he'd want to be living under the same roof as Weiss right now. He's kind of on her bad side after what happened during your fight with Team NDGO, remember?"

The realization dawned on Sun and he deflated a bit. "Oh… yeah, right. Well… maybe we can at least get him to apologize to her, right? That'd probably make things easier."

Blake shrugged. "I don't know. Weiss doesn't really seem all that eager to talk things over with him. But, if there's a chance" she glanced over to Yang. "Then maybe…?"

Yang sighed. "We'll see, okay? I'm not gonna say no, but it's not a definite yes by any means. I don't wanna come off as a jerk here guys, I'm just concerned about my home becoming one giant cluster."

But Sun understood. "Hey, it's okay, I get it. But thanks for thinking about it, Yang." Sun looked to the hospital doors and took a deep breath. "Okay, let's do this." He climbed the steps with everyone following behind him. Suddenly, he stopped, an idea springing into his head. "Hey, Ben?"

The hero glanced over to him, tilting his head slightly. "Yeah, what's up?"

"You guys are going to go see Cooper and Team CFVY, right?"

"That's the plan, why?"

"Well, before they leave, I want Sage and Scar to see one of your transformations…" Sun smirked. "And I think I have a pretty good idea how."

At the feeling of being touched on his shoulder, Cooper was stirred from his sleep. He then heard a gentle voice whisper softly into his ear, almost as if it was singing to him; "Tech Head. Time to wake up." He let out a moan as he rubbed his eyes and turned over to see Coco smiling down at him. "C'mon big guy, it's been an hour. Our special guests'll be here any minute."

Cooper got up, though not without a bit of protest. "Ugh, really? It's been an hour already? Can't I sleep for just a few more minutes?"

"No chance, Tech Head. You've already committed to this."

Cooper got up and yawned. "Okay, but as soon as these people leave, I'm gonna go back to sleep. I just hope that this'll just be a quick thing."

Just then, the door to their room opened and Cooper instantly got a taste of humble pie when he saw who it was. "Gee Coop, why don't ya tell us how you really feel, huh?"

Cooper felt his jaw drop in surprise. "Ben?!"

"Yep! And look who I brought with me!" Ben opened the door and revealed Yang, Gwen and Kevin, all three greeting them with friendly smiles. "Surprise!"

Gwen waved. "Hi everyone!"

Kevin gave a two fingered salute. "What's up, Coop?"

Cooper pushed a hand through his hair in disbelief. "Gwen? Kevin? And Yang too? Ha, what warrants all this?"

Gwen went over and gave him a hug. "Well, we were just in the neighborhood..."

Kevin walked in and shook the genius' hand. "So we though we'd come over n' bust your chops a bit, dude."

"Um… thanks, I think." Cooper said uncertainly.

Yang moved into the room and immediately went to over Coco. "Coco Puff! How've ya been?!"

Coco got up and met Yang with a hug. "Yang! Haha, no way! Girl, what in the hell're you guys doing back here?!"

Yang hugged back. "What, we can't just come for a visit once and a while?" She pulled out of the hug and went over to Velvet, giving her a hug as well. "Hey Vel! How ya doin'?"

Velvet giggled. "Hehe, I'm doing well, Yang. Thank you for asking."

Yastuhashi got up and gave a bow. "Hello everyone, it's a pleasure seeing you all again."

Ben nodded. "Same here, Yatsuhashi. Good to see you." He looked over to Fox and gave him a salute. "'Sup, Fox?"

Fox saluted back. "Nothin' much, Ben. How's it been?"

Ben shrugged. "Eh, you know, the usual for me. I've had my life threatened twice this week, so nothing out of the ordinary, really."

That got Fox's attention. "Wait, what?"

Yang proudly put her hands on her hips. "Yep, we've been fighting bad guys over on Patch. A bug dude and an angry lady bounty hunter. Two wins in a row! …Though the lady managed to escape before she could be imprisoned."

"I've heard." Cooper said as he sat back down. "General Ironwood told me everything. Guess we weren't the only ones transported here, huh?"

"Right." Gwen confirmed. "And we have absolutely no idea where they all ended up. Our villains could be scattered across Remnant for all we know and they're running wild."

"And the worst part?" Kevin added. "They're all potential recruits for that Salem woman. It's only a matter of time before they form a whole syndicate of evil."

Coco lowered her sunglasses. "Man, that sucks guys. Sorry 'bout that. But if there's anything we can do to help, you know where to find Team CFVY."

Ben appreciated the offer. "Hey, thanks Coco. But let's switch it up a bit. How's thing's been for you guys here?"

Coco groaned. "Ugh, BORING! Jeez, you've never even known boring until you've spent FOUR freaking days in a hospital eating nothing but crappy food!" She rested her chin against her hand. "I've been tryin' to find an apartment for all of us to crash in, but so far, most places are either full up already, or wrecked beyond belief. The only solace from our boredom is our time with Tech Head when he isn't working."

Gwen wore a sly grin as she glanced over at Cooper. "Oh really? And what exactly have you guys been doing?"

Cooper rubbed the back of his head. "Heh, well it's mostly just stories that I've been telling them about our world. But they've been telling me a whole bunch about Remnant too."

"I see. So I'm guessing that you've been excepted into the group, so to speak?"

Coco was the one to answer that. "That's right! Tech Head's been made an unofficial member of Team CFVY. Whether he likes it or not!"

"And I do." Cooper assured. "These guys have made me feel right at home here… a very sterile and clean home that smells like medical ointments."

"Yet another reason I'm looking for a new place." Coco jokingly added. She gave Yang a smirk. "I don't suppose you got room at your house for five more, Yangarang?"

The Blonde Brawler narrowed her eyes at the barrette-wearing leader. "Coco, as much as I love you guys, I'm already nervous about bringing one more person in my house. Five is way too much. But, if you're looking for an apartment, there are a couple places that are on Patch that I CAN recommend. And no, none of them are my house."

Coco laughed at her friend's reaction. "HAHAHA! Oh jeez, Yang, relax. I'm only kidding. And thanks for telling us about that. It may actually be our only option at this point. Sure, the commute's gonna be hell, but we don't really have that much of a choice." Coco pointed to Yang and the Alien Trio. "Now, onto serious business. Just what are you guys doing here? You couldn't have come here JUST to see us. The boat ride and the drive are just too long for that."

"As much as I welcome this visit, Coco's got a point." Cooper agreed. "You guys being here is great, but it can't be the only reason you're here."

The four visitors looked at one another then back at Cooper and Team CFVY. "It's that obvious, huh?" Ben asked. "Well, you see, we aren't actually the only ones who came here today. Blake and Sun are here too. A couple of Sun's teammates are leaving for Mistral today, so he wanted to say goodbye."

Velvet spoke up. "Oh yes, I heard! Scarlet and Sage were talking about going back home for a couple days now."

Coco put a hand to her chin. "Now that you mention it, yeah, I did hear something about a bunch of kids leaving the hospital today. They're gonna be boarding a bus for the airport later on."

"So you took the opportunity to visit us, then?" Cooper guessed.

"Of course!" Ben confirmed. "Why waste the chance, right? But… I also promised that I'd show Sun's Team one of my aliens. Speaking of, now would probably be a good time for that." Ben brought up the Omnitrix and made his selection. He slammed down the core and transformed into… "Big Chill!"

Team CFVY all looked on in amazement as Ben transformed. "No matter how many times I see it, I still can't believe it!" Coco said as she readjusted her glasses.

Big Chill turned to his group. "I'll meet you guys a couple floors up." He looked back to Cooper and Team CFVY. "Be back soon, everyone. Let's all get lunch when we get back." Big Chill pointed to the ceiling before turning intangible. "Going up!" The Necrofriggian flew up through the floor, ready to give Team SSSN a good scare.

On the upper floor, Blake and Sun were walking down the hall to the hospital room that Team SSSN was still occupying. The monkey boy was not in a very cheery mood, however. He wasn't sad per say, but he didn't have a big, goofy grin plastered on his face like he normally did. He just stared down slightly at the tile floor as he walked.

And it was something that Blake couldn't stand. So, she did the first thing that came to her mind. She whirled around and stood right in front of him, making him stop in his tracks. "Sun, please don't do this to yourself."

Sun was taken aback by her words. "Uh… whaddya mean?"

Blake pointed at him. "Don't "whaddya mean" me." She said as she deepened her voice to do a rather bad impression of him. "You know exactly what I mean. Sun, I understand that it can't easy to say goodbye to your teammates, but it's just plain unhealthy to bog your mind down because of it."

Sun sighed. "Yeah, I know. But… I'm gonna miss Scar and Sage. They and Neptune are like the brothers I've never had."

Blake nodded. "I know, and I feel the same about my team. They're like sisters to me." Those words had enough impact to make Blake think to herself; 'What would've happened if I HAD left after what happened at Beacon without telling anyone? …Wow, Yang probably would've been furious with me.' She shook the thoughts away from her head and continued. "But at the same time, your team has their own families to worry about back in Mistral. Plus, there's also the fact that their wounds are still healing. They're not going to be away forever, Sun, just remember that. And besides, it beats staying in a city that's half destroyed, right?"

Sun closed his eyes and exhaled, his smile reappearing as he opened his eyes. "You're right, Blake. Thank you."

Blake smiled back. "Anytime, now…" she gestured to the door, "…shall we?"

"Right." Sun walked up to the room and knocked on the door and knocked. A few seconds passed before Neptune opened up.

"Yeah, what is—Sun?! Blake?!"

Sun gave him a thumbs up. "Hey Neptune!"

Blake gave a small wave. "Hi!"

Neptune had an ecstatic grin on his face. "HAHA! Alright, you made it!" He looked back into the room. "Guys! Sun and Blake are here!"

From inside, they heard Scarlet's voice. "Really?!"

And then Sage's. "No way! Seriously?!"

Sun made his way past Neptune and showed himself. "As serious as can be guys!"

"Sun! Hey man!" Scarlet got up from the chair he was in, his arm still in a sling. He gave his leader a hug which Sun was more than happy to return. "Glad to see you made it before our grand voyage home!"

"You kidding? Wouldn't miss saying goodbye to you guys!" Sun shifted his attention over to Sage who was sitting on the hospital bed, his leg in a fresh cast and a pair of crutches propped up next to him. Sun went over and gave him a hug too. "How you holdin' up, Sage?"

Sage groaned. "Been better, my man. Trust me, you do NOT want to ever deal with a broken leg. EVER."

"Heh, I'll bet. Sorry dude."

Scarlet glanced back through the door and he saw Blake standing there looking awkward. He waved over to her. "Blake! Good to see you. Please, don't be afraid to come in."

Blake chuckled nervously as she entered. "Hehe, thanks. I'm sorry for what you guys have had to deal with while my group essentially stole your leader for the past few days."

Sage waved it off. "Hey, no problem. Trust me," he smirked at Sun, "we know our leader enough to know where his… interest lies."

Sun narrowed his eyes at him as he blushed at the implication. "Dude, seriously?"

Sage laughed. "HA! Kidding, dude, kidding." He focused back on Blake. "But in all seriousness, as someone who's as close to Sun as you, you're a friend to all of us."

Blake couldn't help but be flattered. "Aw, thanks. You guys are cool too."

Sun shifted his attention back to Scarlet. "So… what uh… what time does your flight leave?"

Scarlet sighed as he sat back down. "In an hour or so, so I'm glad you guys got here when you did."

"Do you guys need a lift? We've got a set of wheels out front."

Sage shook his head. "Nah, much as we'd like to, Goodwitch is gonna drive us to the airport."

Sun's gaze went to the ground. "Oh… I see." But then he perked up again. "Well, look at it this way, once you guys land in Mistral, you can tell everyone back home all about how we kicked Grimm butt back at Beacon."

Scarlet smirked. "Heh, yeah, even got the scars to prove it." His eyes shifted to his blue-haired teammate. "You're absolutely sure you don't wanna come back home with us, Neptune?"

Neptune just shrugged. "As much as I'd like to Scar, I wanna stay and help out in anyway I can. This city needs it."

"Oh yeah," Sun spoke up, "Neptune, Goodwitch told us that you're having trouble finding a place to stay, right?"

"Yeah, Team CFVY's been having the same trouble, too. Not exactly easy to find an inexpensive hotel that isn't demolished."

Sun grinned at him. "Well, what if I told you that I may have a solution? If I can convince her, Yang might allow you to stay at her place with the rest of us!"

Neptune's eyes widened. "Really?! That sounds great!" But then he realized something. "Wait… Weiss is living with you guys, right? Is she… still angry with me?"

Sun made a so-so motion with his hand. "Eh, kinda. She hasn't cursed your name or anything… well, not in front of US anyway, so there's a good sign. Heck, she might be open to talking things out, who knows?"

Neptune sighed and his shoulders dropped. "Maybe, maybe not. But hey, thanks for the offer, Sun. I'll keep it in mind. Speaking of, you guys gotta tell us about what you've been doing over there since you left!"

"Hey, yeah." Scarlet added "What's it like living over on Patch?"

"I bet it's not very exciting, right?" Sage asked.

Sun and Blake shared a knowing look before gazing back at the three. "Guys," Sun began, "I think it's time to tell you about what happened at Beacon after you all left… and what we've been doing for the past several days." And so, the two Faunus recounted the events surrounding the arrival of Ben and his team as well as their escapades in fighting the villains over on Patch. "So, that's it, we've been caught up in fighting inter-dimensional criminals for the past few days now." Sun concluded. He had expected the three team members to be amazed… but he was instead met by three blank stares.

Neptune was the first to break the silence. "Uh, guys, I don't mean to sound rude or anything… but it sounds like you guys just said a ton of nonsense."

Scarlet was also skeptical. "Yeah, I mean, superheroes from another dimension? And one of them can turn into aliens? This all sounds made up to me."

"Guys, I know it sounds SUPER weird, but it's true!" Sun assured.

Blake offered her support. "Yeah, what reason would we have to lie to you?"

"Well, no, you don't have any reason." Sage agreed. "But unless you have solid proof, I don't see how we can believe you."

And then, from out of nowhere, a new voice spoke up; "And that is where I come in." At the voice's arrival, the room began to instantly drop in temperature, causing everyone to shudder.

"W-w-what was t-that?" Neptune asked.

"What's wrong boys?" In the middle of the room, a large blue and black cloaked creature appeared out of thin air, its eyes glowing green and its teeth gritted. "Can't take the cold?" The creature spread its wings and let out a growl, causing the three boys screamed in fear as Neptune pulled out his shot gun.

"What the hell is that thing?!" the blue-haired boy hollered.

But Sun put his hand on the weapon and lowered it to the ground. "Whoa, whoa, Neptune, relax. This is the guy I told you about."

Scarlet couldn't believe it. "No way."

Sage was at a complete loss. "You're kidding me."

Blake grinned as she presented Ben to them. "Nope, not kidding. Boys, meet Ben Tennyson."

The creature, Big Chill, hit the symbol on his chest and changed back into Ben, the hero sporting the biggest smirk on his face. "Man, that trick has NEVER fails to spook people. I should do haunted houses." Ben looked around the room at the three boys stunned faces. "Hey guys! Nice to meet ya!"

Neptune was pulled out of his shocked state. "Wait, so everything you guys said is true then?"

"Every word." Ben confirmed. "Also, this little surprise was all your leader's idea. He wanted you guys to see at least one transformation before you all left, so I was more than happy to oblige."

"So?" Sun asked his team. "What do you guys think, huh?"

After a moment of silence, Sage answered; "I think you guys have some more explaining to do."

It wasn't long before Gwen, Kevin and Yang had made their way to Team SSSN's room. And from there, Ben regaled the team with adventures from his home dimension for a good half an hour, with additional details from Gwen and colorful commentary from Kevin. Sun, Blake and Yang sat back and listened as well while the three just talked about the villains they've faced and the places they've been, even though they had heard most of it at the house already.

However, it was not to last. A knock came at the door and Goodwitch poked her head inside. "Mr. David, Mr. Ayana. Your flight will be leaving soon. It's time."

A few minutes later, everyone was gathered at the front of the hospital, with Scarlet and Sage both standing next to a bus that was occupied with a whole bunch of other teams that were leaving for both Mistral and Vacuo. Sage was supporting himself on his crutches while Scarlet had a backpack full of miscellaneous stuff slung over his shoulder for the trip. Goodwitch sat in the driver's seat and waited patiently as everyone said their last goodbyes.

Scarlet let out a sigh. "Ya know, after hearing what you guys have been doing, I almost don't want to go. But my parents are expecting me by tomorrow and I don't wanna disappoint them."

"Yeah, so are mine." Sage said. "It's a shame too. I was just getting into all that stuff about aliens and junk."

Ben nodded to them. "Hey, don't worry guys, as a part of Sun's team, you guys are welcome to fight with us anytime." He turned to Neptune. "And that goes for you too, Neptune, even if you aren't leaving."

Neptune cracked a smile. "Sweet! Thanks dude!"

Sun stepped forward. "Well, guess this is it, huh?"

"Yeah, seems so." Scarlet confirmed.

"We'll make sure to call when we get home." Sage reassured. He glanced past his leader and straight at Blake. "Hey Blake! Can we count on you to make sure Sun doesn't get into too much trouble?"

Blake chuckled as Sun gave his teammate a sour face. "Haha, I will, trust me! I'm pretty good at it."

"Great!" Sage turned back at his leader. "And Sun? Best of luck, man."

"Heh, thanks Sage, much appreciated." Sun said before the four teammates exchanged farewell handshakes and hugs. Scarlet and Sage carefully climbed onto the bus and Goodwitch gazed down at Sun before she closed the bus door.

"I'll make sure they board their flight safely, Sun." she promised.

"Awesome, thanks Professor!" And with that, Goodwitch closed the door and the bus was off down the street with Scarlet and Sage waving at their teammates through the back window. Sun and Neptune waved back until the car was out of sight, leaving only them, Blake, Yang and the Alien Trio behind.

Yang put her hands on her hips. "So, you guys gonna be okay?"

Neptune let out a heavy sigh. "Yeah, we will be."

"I'm sure you'll all see each other again." Gwen reassured. "It might not be for a while, but I know it'll happen."

Neptune was grateful for her words. "Thank you, Gwen. That means a lot." Neptune looked back to Yang. "Now… Sun tells me that I might be able to crash with you guys. If you have the room that is."

Yang crossed her arms and furrowed her brows. "I'm still weighing my options. We've got a bunch of people living in my family's home as it is. I'll talk with my dad about it, but I make no promises."

Neptune raised his hands. "Hey, it's no problem. If I can't fit, I can't fit. I'll just keep searching for an apartment if I can't come to your place, it's fine."

Ben just shrugged. "Well, in any case, let's get back to Cooper and Team CFVY for lunch. I don't know about you guys, but I am starv—" Suddenly, without any prior warning, a loud BOOM caught the entire group's attention, followed by a light tremor. A few miles down the street, a billowing tower of dust came from one of the buildings that were still intact, catching the teen's attention.

"What the hell was THAT?!" Kevin shouted.

"I dunno." Sun replied. "But whatever it was, it sounded REALLY big."

"By the looks of it, that may have come from the bank." Blake said. "In all honesty, it was probably only a matter of time before low-lives started ransacking in all this chaos."

"Yeah, but what low-life has the ability to set off an explosion that powerful?" Gwen pointed out. "We should investigate this, people could be hurt!"

Ben agreed. "Gwen's right. We may be dealing with one of my bad guys here."

Yang grinned over to him. "Hero Time?"

He smirked back. "You know it." Ben glanced over to Neptune. "Hey Neptune, you might be seeing your first taste of action today."

The blue haired boy's eyes lit up in excitement. "Alright! Awesome!" He and Sun high-fived before everyone piled over to Kevin's car while Yang and Ben mounted Bumblebee. Without a second to spare, everyone was off, ready for what ever was waiting for them at the bank.

Back inside the hospital, Cooper and Team CFVY had also experienced the strange event. But rather than see it first hand, they had only heard it from their room. "Okay, so you guys heard that too, right?" Cooper asked

"Tech Head, I think I felt that." Coco answered.

Velvet got up and went toward the window. "Yes, but WHAT was it exactly?"

Yatsuhashi stood up from his meditative stance. "I'm not sure. But whatever it was, it was close by, no doubt about it."

It was then that Velvet spotted everyone in the parking lot piling into Kevin's car with Yang and Ben got on the blonde's motorcycle. The two vehicles were off like a shot down the road, headed straight toward a billowing stack of smoke. "Hey! Ben, Yang and the others are leaving!"

That got Cooper's attention right away. "They're what?!" He reached in an pulled out his Plumber's badge, activating the communication function and calling Gwen's Plumber badge. "Gwen, you there?"

On the other end, Gwen's voice came out. "Cooper? Yes, I'm here."

"Gwen, is everything okay? We just heard a loud noise over here at the hospital."

"We've… got a bit of a situation. There's been some kind of accident at the nearby bank. We're headed there right now."

"Don't worry 'bout a thing Coop!' came Kevin's voice. "We've got this!"

"Well… uh…" Before Cooper could properly respond, Coco strode up to him and spoke into his badge.

"Hey, Gwen? Kevin? Coco here. We've got your message and we'll meet up with you guys in a few minutes."

"WHAT?!" Cooper shouted. "Coco, what're you talking about?!"

"I've gotta agree Coco," Gwen said, "we can't just let you—"

"HEY!" Coco cut in. "I'm not about to let this city suffer anymore than it already has. I get you don't wanna risk us getting hurt, but honestly, this is the stuff that we've been training for, Gwen. We can't just stand by and do nothing. Besides, Ben said that we're welcome to help, so we're gonna help! We're coming, and that's final."

On the other end of the communicator, Gwen sighed. "Guess there's no changing any mind after saying something like that. Alright, we'll meet up with you there, but just don't do anything risky, okay?"

Coco smirked. "No promises." The transmission ended and Coco turned to her team. "Alright guys, look alive! We've got a job to do!"

"Finally!" Fox said as he jumped up from his bed. "I'm sick of lying around here all day."

Cooper felt the need to point something out to the team leader. "Coco, as much as I admire your courage to do this, the bank is still quite a few miles away. I think we're gonna have trouble meeting up with them if we don't have a car."

Coco smirked as she pulled out a set of keys from her pocket. "Oh, but we do, Tech Head. See, I just had the Atlesian Military bring my car back down from Beacon. And fortunately, she only had a few scratches on her. I took her to the auto shop yesterday and now she's back in business! C'mon, let me show ya!" The five took the elevator down to the bottom floor and they all immediately rushed out to the parking lot. Coco gestured to the car that belonged to her. "Well, their she is!"

Cooper couldn't believe his eyes. The car was an old-fashioned styled roadster with a backseat, able to seat five in total. It somewhat resembled a Triumph 1800 from the 1940's, most of it was painted in a cocoa brown with the large, round fenders painted in a darker shade of brown. The grill, hubcaps and headlights were all painted with gold chrome. The young genius was at a loss for words. "Wow, Coco, you sure know how to pick 'em."

Coco adjusted her aviators and gripped her keys. "Hell yeah, I do. Hey Tech Head, think you can use that fancy Plumber's badge to pick up the police scanner?"

"Um… I think so, why?"

"The cops are probably already on the scene. If we can hack into their comms, we can listen in and at least hear what we're in for when WE get there."

Cooper's eyes widened. "That sounds completely illegal!" But then, a grin formed on his face. "…And yet, it's also ingenious at the same time. I'll get on it!"

Coco smiled back at him. "Awesome! Now let's roll!"

A/N: And done! But who could be robbing a bank in broad daylight? We'll just have to find out next time now won't we? Because Next Time, we'll see who's responsible for that bank robbery. And here's a hint; it's TWO Ben 10 villains. Ones that you may recognize… but at the same time they're a bit different than before. See Ya!

A/N: Hey everybody! It's time to meet our new yet different baddies! Let's get it on, shall we? This is…

Chapter 21: Dastardly Dummies

As Kevin's car, Coco's roadster and Bumblebee sped down the city highway, Cooper and Gwen kept a communication window open through their Plumber badges as they listened to the report through the police scanner that Cooper managed to jack into. The teens listened in as the cops spoke; "What the hell is going on down there?!"

"Chief, the bank is being outright attacked! All of our cruisers have been destroyed and we've been forced to retreat!"

"Is it the White Fang?"

"No sir, not White Fang, I repeat, NOT White Fang."

In Kevin's car, Blake furrowed her brows. "Love how they immediately jump to blame the White Fang for this." she said sarcastically.

Gwen turned back to her and put her index finger to her lips. "Shh! Listen!" Blake kept quiet as the cops continued;

"Well, if it's not the White Fang then who is it?"

"Sir, you're probably not gonna believe me, but we're dealing with two men. They appear to be in their mid to late thirties. One's really tall and is wearing a suit of some kinda power armor. The other guy's got a mohawk, wearing a weird-looking visor thing and his weapon is a giant chain-mace that seems to generate some kind of strange red energy!"

In Coco's roadster, Cooper's eyes widened and he face-palmed. "Oh god, it's them."

"Who's "them" Cooper?" Velvet asked from the back seat.

"Yeah, I kinda want to know too." Gwen asked over the communicator. "These guys don't sound like any villain WE'VE ever faced."

Cooper confirmed that. "You're right, you haven't. But Ben HAS. While you and Kevin were away at college, Ben made some new enemies. These two being some of the more… annoyingly strong, yet surprisingly dimwitted of them all." The three vehicles pulled into the banks parking lot and everyone's eyes immediately caught sight of the carnage that had been caused, with a bunch of rubble surrounding multiple destroyed police cars.

Coco let out a whistle. "Damn, this is some high-end destruction!"

At that moment, Cooper caught sight of something else; two motorcycles. One was a dull red chopper with brown leather seats and a pair of saddle bags hanging from the rear. On its front, mounted right under the light was a taxidermized boar's head with its mouth open and its tongue hanging out, its eyes as dead as the head itself. The other bike was a black three-wheeler, one wheel in the front and two in the back. On each of the wheels, there was a silver decorative skull right in the middle. Mounted underneath this bike's headlight was yet another silver skull, the eyes glowing bright red. The sight of these bikes only reassured Cooper's fears.

He grabbed the Plumber's rifle he had brought with him and exited the car. "Yep, it's them alright."

…..

As she and Ben got off of her bike, Yang looked around at the wreckage that had been stirred up by the break-in, the biggest offenders being the multiple police cruisers that seemed to have been bench pressed and bent in half, and the big gaping hole that used to be the bank entrance. "Man, whoever did this must be INSANELY strong."

Cooper exited Coco's car and approached both her and Ben. "They are, and trust me, they're trouble."

Ben gave him a questioning expression. "You think you know who did this, Coop?"

Cooper nodded. "I do know. Take a look." Cooper pointed over to a pair of bikes that Ben hadn't noticed before. After seeing the rather… unique decorations that these bikes hand, the revelation hit the hero like a freight train.

Ben grimaced. "Ugh, not THESE guys again! I thought they learned their lesson last time!"

Gwen came up to Ben from behind. "Well, apparently not, considering the giant hole in the bank."

Kevin joined her while Blake, Sun, Neptune and Team CFVY readied their weapons. "If these guys are as dumb as Cooper says, how long do you think it'll be before they notice the money isn't paper?"

Ben shook his head. "Trust me, Kevin, so long as it's money, these bozos don't give a damn."

Yang jumped into the conversation. "Um, okay, kind of lost here, just who are we dealing with?"

Ben sighed. "You'll see, Yang. Prepare to meet the two biggest shmucks this side of the galaxy." Ben shouted into the hole; "Okay, guys, I know you're in there! Best to turn yourselves in before things get ugly!" A few moments passed before the sound of metal scrapping against concrete came from inside the back. Without warning, a giant vault door came hurtling out of the bank, much to everyone's shock.

"Oh shit!" Neptune exclaimed.

"Get outta the way!" Sun shouted. Everyone scattered as the vault door hit the ground and bounded past them, fortunately not hitting any of their rides. It hurdled over to the other side of the lot, finally landing on its side.

Everyone looked back at the massive metal door and Coco expressed everyone's thought's perfectly; "What the HELL was that?!"

Velvet's was trembling slightly at what she had just seen. "I don't know, but if a human-being was able to do that, then I'm scared to think what it can do to an actual person!"

Blake however was standing firm. "It's okay, there's twelve of us and only two of them. We can do this if we work together—"

"Hey Tennyson!" At the gruff, gravelly voice, everyone gazed up and their jaws collectively dropped at the sight of a rather giant man, with only Ben's expression going unchanged.

Yang's violet eyes widened in disbelief. "Man, that motherfucker's BIG!"

Gwen's eyes widened as she realized who this was. "Ben, isn't that…?"

Ben nodded, confirming her fears. "Yep, I knew you'd recognize him. Even if he is less… rhino."

Out of the hole in the wall stepped a bald Caucasian man in his late thirties, a brown goatee being the only hair to his name. The man was about as tall as Yatsuhashi, but his musculature combined with his armor made him look five inches taller. Said armor was made of metal and mostly brick red in color, with a separate pair of arm bracers to match. His shoulder pads and the armor on his abdomen were all metallic grey, with the shoulder pads having three large bolts sticking out of them. On his hands, he wore a pair of large knuckle busters that had the word "SKULL" imprinted on them. In his hand, he held a large metallic grey, bucket-shaped helmet that was big enough to cover his entire head. It had a pair of eye holes and a larger hole cut out for his face and nose. And, in between the eyeholes was a strange triangular-shaped blue light. But, upon closer inspection, one would see that it was actually a laser that was built into the helmet.

The man's toothy smirk increased in size as he glared down at Ben with his hazel eyes and put his helmet on. "Long time, no see, huh?"

"Ben… who IS this guy?" Sun answered

Ben's brow furrowed as he answered. "Farkas J. Skullovich, a.k.a.… Exo-Skull."

Back on Patch, Ruby let out a content sigh as she closed the book that she had just finished reading with Weiss, The Hobbit. Well, up until the end of chapter nine that is. Weiss didn't want to go forward without Blake, so the two partners stopped for the time being. Ruby gave a big stretch and reclined in her living room seat. "Wow, that was a good read! It was like I was taken into a fairy tale!"

"I know, right?" Weiss replied. "And Gwen said that the later entries in the series get even better than this! I seriously can't wait to check it out."

"Same here." It was then that Ruby decided to check the clock. "Hmm… one forty-five, huh? Did Yang say when they'd be back?"

Weiss shrugged. "I don't really know. I'd imagine that they're visiting Cooper and Team CFVY while they're there. They probably just went out for lunch or something."

Ruby nodded. "Yeah, you're probably right." Suddenly, the house phone began ringing. "Oh! 'Scuse me, Weiss." Using her semblance, Ruby rushed over to the main phone and picked up. "Hello? Xiao-Long-Rose residence."

"Ruby? It's dad." Tai answered on the other end.

"Hi dad, what's up? Wait… aren't you supposed to be teaching a class right now?"

"I was, but then I heard what was on the news!" The father said in a slightly panicked voice. "Go turn on the TV, quickly!"

"Okay, I guess." Ruby rushed back into the living room and grabbed the remote, turning on the holo-television.

"What's going on?" Weiss asked.

"Dad says something's up. Let's see." Ruby switched to the news channel and the first thing that drew her attention was that the feed was coming live from a news helicopter. And, on the right side of the screen, was news anchor Lisa Lavender, microphone in one hand and holding onto a safety handle in the other. She spoke straight into the camera;

"This is Lisa Lavender with a Breaking News update! There has been a break-in at the Residential Bank in Vale, a mere four days after the Grimm Invasion that left the city dilapidated and in disrepair. The city's power has just come back, however, superseding a three-week prediction. Down below me, you will see an absolutely enormous man in large armor is the one responsible for the break-in, having easily dispatched the police officers that had attempted to stop him!"

The camera changed feeds to an external camera that had aimed itself at the giant man, letting Ruby and Weiss see him in his entirety. "Wow! That guy is HUGE!" Ruby shouted.

Weiss' eyes widened in realization. "Wait, you don't think…"

Lisa continued. "Fortunately, a group of young Hunters have answered the call and are about to face the enormous man!" The camera panned to the group in question and revealed Ben, Yang, Gwen, Blake, Kevin, Sun, Neptune, Cooper and Team CFVY all facing the giant man with determined expressions.

Ruby had her own determined look as she spoke into the phone. "Dad, get in touch with General Ironwood and tell him to pick us up at the house. Now!" It was then that Ruby noticed something else; Kevin was looking directly at the camera.

"Ben! We've got reporters!"

"What?!" Ben looked up and saw the news copter hovering right above them. "Aw man! See, this is why I do NOT like the media!"

Exo-Skull grinned as he picked up a piece of rubble with his big hands. "I couldn't agree more! I hate paparazzi. I have to protect my image!" Exo-Skull threw the rubble straight at the helicopter to everyone's dismay.

"No!" Gwen shot out a large mana tether that grabbed the debris in mid-flight, stopping it from hitting the copter. With a flick of her wrist, Gwen sent it back to Exo-Skull, the giant man using his large arms to block the hit. Gwen looked up as the copter fled the scene, recognizing the danger they were in. She sighed and said. "That was too close." Her eyes went back to the armored man. "Ben, how is Exo-Skull even here? I thought he was from that alternate future that we went to."

Ben spoke back. "Well apparently, this is who he was before he was mutated. He only showed up recently when he and his partner-in-crime stole a bunch of Level 5 alien tech from a Plumber Transport and began using it to rob places. Speaking of…" Ben shouted over to Exo-Skull. "Hey Skull! Where's you're bud, huh? You boys are usually a two-for-one deal!"

Exo-Skull chuckled. "Haha, oh, he's here alright!" he turned around and called out behind him. "Hey Hog! We've got guests! And you won't believe who it is!"

From inside the bank, came a new voice; "I'm comin'! I'm comin'! Jeez, Skull, you've gotta learn some patience, man!"

From the hole emerged an African-American man in his mid-thirties holding a bag full of Lien cards. He was a standard six feet tall and was strongly built, though he was a bit on the stockier side. His jet-black hair was styled into a large mohawk that went straight over the top of his head, with the rest of his hair shaved off. He wore a pair of purple jeans with a belt that had a red buckle with the silhouette of a growling boar on it, along with a pair of black combat boots. He had on a purple leather jacket with the sleeves ripped off over a black undershirt that had a yellow lightning bolt zig-zagging across it. His hands were donned with a pair of metallic three-fingered gauntlets with glowing blue lines. On his face was a futuristic-styled silver visor with a vibrant red lens. Between his nostrils, he wore a black nose ring and strapped to his back was a large red and black chain-mace that radiated with power.

The man lifted his visor and narrowed his dark brown eyes at Ben. "Wait a sec… Tennyson?! The hell're you doin' here?!"

"Hog! Good to see ya!" Ben waved.

Yang glanced over to him. "And that would be?"

Ben answered. "Thaddeus P. Hogan, a.k.a. Thunderhog."

Thunderhog lowered his visor and pointed at them. "And YOUR worst nightmare if you don't step off and book it, little man. We worked our asses of for this… whatever kinda money this stuff is, and we've gotta get it to the boss, pronto!"

Ben crossed his arms. "Ah, so you're under new employment, eh boys? Good for you! Too bad you won't be getting back to your boss until he's in a cell with you guys."

Blake gave Ben a worried expression. "Ben, are you REALLY sure you should be antagonizing them like that?"

Sun was in full agreement. "Yeah, dude, Exo-Skull looks like he could grab my entire head in his hand. I'd like to KEEP my head thank you."

Kevin however, was getting impatient. "Well I vote that we take care of these punks and get on with our day!" He put his hand onto his car and absorbed the green metal. "Hey! Dumb and Dumber! I'm about to give you guys some new holes!" He turns his hand into a sword and charged forward, much to Gwen's chagrin.

"Kevin, wait!" the Anodite called out. "You've done this three times now!"

Exo-Skull scoffed. "Feh, his own fault then." The armored man stepped forward and, when Kevin was close enough, punched Kevin square in the chest, sending the Osmosian flying back to the other end of the lot, screaming in frustration all the way before he landed in on abandoned car. Everyone looked back to see Kevin get up as he held his forehead.

"Hmm, well that went downhill rather fast." Coco pointed out.

Cooper nodded. "Yep, that's Kevin for ya."

Just then, something odd happened. Everyone could feel the air around them get just the slightest bit thinner. Soon enough, they heard the crackling of energy and all of them turned back around. Thunderhog had pulled his mace off of his back and was swinging it around in the air, red energy being generated as the weapon swung faster and faster. All the while, the mohawked man shouted out the following chant;

"Thunder! THUNDER! THUNDERHOG!" With that, he slammed his weapon on the ground, letting off a tremor while the energy shot out towards the heroes.

"Look out!" Ben hollered. Everyone dove out of the way, with Cooper, Team CFVY and Neptune going in one direction while Ben, Gwen, Yang, Blake and Sun went in the other. But because of how quick they had to make the jump, they had all dove blindly. Most landed just fine, but Ben landed on the ground right on his back. He was about to get up when he felt something land on his chest, forcing his head back and his eyes to shut tight.

At first, it hurt a bit. He opened his eyes and expected to see Exo-Skull's giant foot the moment his vision cleared. But as the pain went away, it was replaced with an oddly comfortable sensation, almost as if a pillow had been pushed against his chest. When his vision finally came back, he saw what had really fell on him. Or rather… who landed on him. It was Yang, and she was looking right back at him. Their bodies had been pressed up against each other and their noses were nearly touching, causing them both to blush quite profusely. They were both stunned into silence as they just stared at each other, neither one of them knowing what to do to get out of this awkward situation.

Eventually, Ben managed to get a word out. "Uh… hi."

Yang's response surprised the young hero as she smiled back at him and gave her own. "Hi."

Ben smiled back, but the moment couldn't last forever as he heard Blake shout; "They're getting away!"

Ben and Yang turned their heads to see the two men running to their bikes, the bag full of Lien still slung over Hog's shoulder. "Let's get outta here, Skull!"

But Gwen wasn't about to let them get away with that bag. "Hold it right there, boys!" She made another mana tether and sent it straight at the bag. She wrapped the tether around it and pulled with all her might, freeing the bag from Hog's grip and bringing it right to her. She caught the bag and smirked. "Ha! Ready to give up, guys?"

Under his visor, Hog glared at Gwen. "Oh, you did NOT just do that little girl! Now we gotta teach you a lesson, right Skull?"

Exo-Skull turned around and pounded his left fist into his right hand. "Hell yeah! I've been lookin' for a good scrap!"

Having recovered, Kevin got back up and cricked his metal neck. "Alright, no more foolin' around! I'm sick of gettin' thrown around!" He rushed back over and stood next to the group as well, ready to fight.

Back on the ground, Yang looked back at Ben and she cleared her throat, her blush still visible. "Ah-hem, they uh, they need our help so…."

"Yeah, they do." Ben agreed, still blushing himself. Yang rolled off of him and she got up, offering him her hand which Ben was more than happy to accept. The two went back over to the group as they all got into a battle-ready stance, ready to face the two powerhouses. "Alright boys, if that's the way you want it!"

Gwen glanced over at her genius friend. "Cooper, I need to get this bag to a safe location. Think you can help me?"

Cooper was hesitant at that. On the one hand, he wanted to stay and fight, but on the other hand, he wasn't entirely prepped for battle. He had given his make-shift battle suit that he made during the Battle for Beacon to the Atlesian Army so that they could create more of them for future use, so he was pretty much the most vulnerable one there, armed only with a rifle. "Well… I'm not sure…"

"Tech Head." Cooper's eyebrows shot up and he turned to Coco, the girl giving him a serious look. "I appreciate you wanting to fight, but there's a time and place for everything. You don't have your armor, and the only piece of tech that you got is that gun."

Cooper glanced down at his weapon and then back at her. "You guys will be okay, right?"

Coco gave him a sincere smile. "Trust me, Tech Head, we've faced worse. Besides, we don't want our new member to be killed in his first week, right?"

Cooper sighed. "Alright. Promise me you won't get hurt?"

Coco lowered her sunglasses and gave him a wink. "Wouldn't dream of it." Coco stepped forward with her team as they readied their weapons, with Yang, Blake, Sun, Neptune and Ben, all ready to get started themselves. She pushed her sunglasses back up. "Alright, guys, let's do this!"

Exo-Skull gave them a toothy smirk. "With pleasure!" The triangular light on his helmet started to glow intensely and in a split second, a powerful blue laser shot out at the group, forcing them to split up again. Kevin, Sun, Neptune, Velvet and Fox went and charged Thunderhog while Ben, Yang, Blake, Coco and Yatsu took on Exo-Skull. The battle had begun.

As Ben dove out of the laser's way, his hand immediately reached for the Omnitrix. "Nice try Skull, but I think you're forgetting that you're not the only one who can shoot lasers from their head!" The hero activated the watch and made his selection, slamming the core down immediately when it popped up.

He transformed into a large black robotic alien with insectoid parts. Namely, the large rhinoceros beetle-like horn that jutted out of his dome shaped head that had a green glow to it. He had four clawed fingers on each hand and a silver wrist band on both arms. He wore a silver belt around his waist and the bottoms of his feet were silver as well. Around his neck and covering most of his chest was a large silver mouth that resembled a sort of large collar, complete with sharp pointy teeth. His almond shaped eyes shined green as the Omnitrix symbol centered just above his abdomen. "Eatle!"

Coco's eyes widened at the transformation. "Whoa. Big boy."

Eatle's head swerved toward her and his body lurched forward and back in a kind of nod. The hindrances of having no neck. "Yeah, this guy can handle Skull no problem. I just gotta… consume first before I can be of REAL use. Think you guys can cover me?"

"No problem." Yatsu answered before drawing his greatsword and moving in. He ran forward and brought his sword down to the ground in front of Exo-Skull, the impact practically sending the pavement up into the air in fragments and knocking the giant man back a few feet, which he was not prepared for.

Exo-Skull landed on his back before rolling up onto his feet. "Huh, not bad, kid. You've got some muscle on ya! But guess what?" Skull slammed his fist together. "It ain't enough! AAARRGH!" He charged forward at Yatsu, the tall warrior having rested his sword over his shoulder.

"We'll see about that." With a mighty grunt, Yatsu slammed his sword against Exo-Skull's armored shoulder, sending the massive man to the ground. But not before he took Yatsu with him. Skull grabbed the sword that had embedded itself in his shoulder pad and pulled Yatsu down to the ground. Skull pried the sword out and tossed both it and Yatsu to the side, the warrior landing on his left side, his shoulder armor skidding against the ground.

Exo-Skull got up and loomed over him. "Ha! Nice try, kid." The light on his helmet began to glow blue again. "But this is where you take a bow." Just then, he felt something collide with his back and the light faded. He could tell they were bullets, but they had a bit of heat to them, like they were made of fire. "What the…?" Skull turned around to see Blake, the cat girl aiming Gambol Shroud in its pistol form at him. And by her side was Yang, her Ember Celica also pointed at the man. "Ha! If ya think a few bullets are gonna stop me, then you've got another thing comin'. I'm bullet proof! So, you wanna take that chance, ladies?

Blake shrugged. "No, not really."

Yang smirked. "We're just giving him time to get you down again."

"Wait wha—AAAAGGH!" From behind, Yastu dealt a hard kick to the back of Exo-Skull's right knee, forcing it to buckle and send him into a crouch. Just as he fell to his knees, Blake used her Semblance to create two shadow clones of herself. They lunged at Exo-Skull and knocked him back before Yang surged forward and landed a Fire Dust fueled punch to his chest, sending him toppling onto his back. He was about to get up but Blake ran up and held the tip of Gambol Shroud's blade right above his nose, stopping him from moving any further.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Blake said as she looked down at him.

"HA!" Skull laughed. "What're ya gonna kill me?"

"No, but if you move a muscle, I assure you that you'll be in quite a bit of pain."

Skull smirked. "Heh, okay. I won't move a single muscle." Suddenly, the light on his helmet began to glow blue again and Blake realized that this might not have been her best plan.

Yang's eyes widened. "Oh, shit."

But then, an idea came to Blake's head. "Okay then, you asked for it." Using the remainder of the Fire Dust in Gambol Shroud, Blake made a fiery shadow clone and lunged out of the way, leaving the clone in her place. Yang and Yatushashi quickly followed her lead and got out of there as well. But for Exo-Skull, it was too late to stop the laser. It went off and hit the fire clone, making it explode in Skull's face.

Yang gave Blake a high five. "Ha! Nice!"

Yatsu nodded in agreement. "Indeed. Quite the ingenious tactic."

Just then, they heard Exo-Skull shout out from inside the dust cloud; "GAAHH! C'mon! You've gotta be FUCKIN' kiddin' me!" He wafted the upturned dust away as he coughed violently. When he finally made it out of the dust cloud, he looked down to see Coco standing right in front of him. "H-heh, and what do YOU want?"

Coco lowered her glasses and gave him a hard glare. "That's an easy one to answer. You're wrecking my city. You know what that means?" She pushed her glasses back up. "You're going down."

Exo-Skull just laughed. "HA! Oh yeah? And whaddya gonna do? Hit me with that handbag?"

Without even cracking a smile, Coco just said, "Yep." She swung her hand bag up into his face and it clanged against his helmet, sending him reeling back. Then she stomped her boot onto his foot, digging her heel right in which resulted in him letting out a pained scream.

"GAH! Okay, that's it!" Exo-Skull raised his fists and charged straight at her, intending to squish her into the ground. But Coco didn't even flinch. Instead, she ducked beneath his reach and then swung her handbag straight into his gut, sending him staggering back. Exo-Skull was way past annoyed now. "Ugh! Jeez, what's even in that thing?! A ton o' bricks?!"

"Nah, just this." With the push of a button, Coco unleashed her giant rotary cannon, much to Exo-Skull's shock.

"What the fu—ARGH!" He didn't get a chance to finish as Coco unloaded her ammo on him. None of the shots pierced his armor, but it was enough to send him staggering back and send him falling onto his rear.

Coco ceased fire and turned back to Eatle. "Hey, bug breath we could really use… your… help?" As she and the others laid their eyes on the bionic bug, the last thing they had expected to see was him eating up all of the police cruisers with his jaws of steel. And yet, there he was, swallowing the mutilated metal with every bite.

"OM NOM NOM! OM NOM!" It was then that the alien noticed he was being watched. "Huh? Oh, sorry. I guess I shouldn't chew with my mouth open."

"What are you even doing?" Yang asked.

"Fueling up… for this!" Eatle ran up and stood between them and Exo-Skull, the horn on his head beginning to light up. As the armored man rose to his feet, Eatle shouted over to him. "Hey Skull! Eat this!" A long beam of green energy shot out of Eatle's horn and impacted Exo-Skull right in the chest, sending him sailing back into a group of abandoned cars. Eatle put his hand on his hips, satisfied with is handiwork. "And that is how it's done."

Yang elbowed him in the side. "Yeah, and also, "Eat this"? You just keep cranking these puns out, Green Boy and I keep lovin' 'em."

Eatle rubbed the back of his head. "Uh, heh, thanks." If he had been human, a blush would be back on his face by that point. But his attention was drawn back to the cars as Exo-Skull got back up, ready for another round. "Oh, come ON, Skull! You can't keep doing this forever!"

Exo-Skull however, would have none of it. "Forget it, Tennyson! I ain't going back to the slammer! And their ain't nothing you can do to stop me!"

"That's a double negative." Eatle pointed out.

"GAH!" Exo-Skull charged ahead, with Eatle doing the same. The two metal-armored brutes met in the middle and began grappling with each other, trying to see who'd give way first. "You're goin' down Tennyson!"

"I think not. Because unlike you… I have back up!"

Exo-Skull suddenly felt two more pairs of arms begin to push against him. He looked down to see both Yang and Yatsuhashi pushing against him with all their might. "Oh, for Pete's sake! Seriously?!"

In his head, Eatle was thinking; 'I hope the others are having better luck than we are.'

…..

"HAHAHA! Let's rumble baby!" Thunderhog yelled as he straightened his mohawk. He pulled out his chain mace and began swinging it around, the energy generating and going off in bolts through the air. "The Thunderhog's gonna rip you ALL a new one!" He swung the weapon in the five teens who all dove out of its way.

As he rolled and stopped in a crouch, Sun asked something that had been on his mind for about a minute. "Okay, so kind of a stupid question, but why "Thunderhog"? I kinda get "Exo-Skull", but what's your name gotta do with your gimmick?"

Thunderhog straightened up and began to explain. "Ah! Well ya see, kid, I thought it up after seeing the whole red lightning thing that this beauty could make." he said as he held up his mace for emphasis. "And the "hog" part is because," he pointed to his motorcycle, "I drive a hog!"

Sun looked over to the bike and squinted. "Well, yeah, it's got a pig's head on it, but I don't see—"

"It's a Harley-Davidson." Kevin elaborated. "They're a bike manufacturer in our world that make large bikes that a lot of people call "hogs"."

"Exactly!" Thunderhog confirmed. "And now that you know where I got my name," he raised his mace again, "prepare to die!" Hog swung his mace around, generating more energy before swinging it at the teens again.

But surprisingly, Neptune was the first to react. "I don't think so, Porkchop!" He brought out his rifle and transformed it into its trident form. As they all moved out of the mace's way, Neptune caught the chain in the prongs of his trident and pulled, the prongs hitting the mace's head and exerting force against it.

Kevin was impressed as he and Fox assisted in pulling Hog's weapon away from him. "Nice idea, Neptune! Now c'mon! PULL!" With a mighty tug, the boys managed to loosen the mace from Hog's grasp.

Hog was understandably irate. "What the—Oh come on, MAN! You gotta be kiddin' me!"

As the mace thudded to the ground at their feet, Velvet pulled out her camera and took a picture of the weapon. "Smashing! Now this one's a keeper, for sure."

"The heck does that mean?" Kevin asked.

"Oh, you'll find out." Velvet answered cheekily. But then her eyes widened in terror. "Duck!"

Everyone did as she said and a concussive beam of red energy went flying over their heads, blasting right into the bank wall. They looked back to see Thunderhog with one finger against his visor, pushing a small button on its right side, each press letting loose another blast of energy as he laughed. "HAHA! How dya like me now, son?!"

Kevin came to a swift deduction as he dodged another optic blast. "HE'S AN X-MAN!"

"The hell's an X-Man?!" Neptune shouted.

"Explain later, fight now!"

Fox shifted his eyes to Hog and narrowed them, concentrating on the timing of the blasts. When he found a split-second opening, he went for it. Fox surged forward and with a growl of exertion, he delivered multiple punches to Hog's abdomen before reaching up and grabbing the visor off of his eyes. He then dealt a swift kick to Hog's middle, sending him tumbling back a few feet.

Kevin was impressed yet again. "Damn, Fox. Nice." Fox gave him a thumbs up before holding the visor out to Velvet so that she could take a picture of it. And, just as before, Kevin had no clue why she was doing it. "Okay, seriously, what is this, Photography 101?"

Thunderhog picked himself up before giving off a might yell. "GRRAAAHH! I've HAD it! No more messin' around!"

Sun smirked at the man's statement as he pulled out Ruyi Jingu Bang in its bo staff form. "Aw, but we like messing with people, right Neptune?"

Neptune turned his trident into it's guandao form and leveled it in Hog's direction. "No doubt about it, dude. Let's get 'em!"

The two boys ran at Hog with their weapons drawn, ready to end the fight. But the mohawked man still had one last trick up his sleeve. Or rather, in his gloves. He gave a toothy smirk. "Now you'll see the other reason I call myself… THUNDERHOG!" He flicked his wrists and the blue lines on his metallic gloves surged to life with electricity, the gloves themselves sparking with arcing bolts. He knocked the weapons away with each hand, sending a bolt of lightning down the metal rods and giving the boys a brief shock, which sent them recoiling back in pain.

Neptune landed on the ground and dropped his weapon, holding his aching hands. "YEOWCH! That stung!"

Sun did the same, but he immediately picked the bo staff back up and separated it into their gun-chuck mode. "Okay, piggy, let's try that again, huh?" He rushed forward and began spinning his gun-chucks, which set off alarms in Kevin's head instantly.

"Sun! Don't do it!"

But it was too late. Sun got up close to Hog and swung his weapons at him, intending to shoot off some Fire Dust rounds. But unfortunately, Hog was faster and he grabbed the gun-chucks in mid-swing, a malicious smile coming to his face. It was only there that Sun realized his mistake. "Oh no—AAAAAAGGHH!" Thunderhog sent electricity through his gloves and into Sun's weapons, resulting in the monkey boy getting an even more intense shock. The force sent Sun flying back, landing on the ground in a heap as Hog threw the weapons to the side.

Neptune's face fell in pure terror as he saw his leader fall. "SUN! NO!"

As Eatle, Yang and Yatsu pushed against Exo-Skull with all their might, Blake and Coco stood to the side, ready to assist should they need it. But then, the cat girl could hear Neptune shouting out in fear. Not for himself, but rather, for a certain someone else; "SUN! NO!"

Those were the LAST two words that Blake would ever want to hear. As her eyes widened in fear, she let out a gasp when she looked over to see Sun's body lying there on the ground just a few feet away from Thunderhog, motionless. Her mind was a jumbled mess. 'No… no, no, no, NO!' She screamed out, "SUN!" and rushed over to him as fast as her legs could carry her.

As she skidded to a halt by his side and straightened him out onto his back, Blake put an ear to Sun's chest and listened. Her heart began to sink and her pupils turned to the size of peas when her worst fears were realized. "He's not breathing! HE'S NOT BREATHING!" She immediately began performing CPR, hoping to keep him alive.

This caught Eatle's attention as his head swiveled around to see what was going on. "What?!" But just as he did, Exo-Skull brought back his fist and punched Eatle right in the face, sending him onto his back.

"Ben!" Yang yelled as she continued to push against the large man. Just then, Exo-Skull slapped Yatsuhashi away as well. "Yatsu!" Her eyes widened as she looked up at Exo-Skull, his teeth gritted and his brow furrowed. "Oh… me." With a single punch, Exo-Skull sent Yang flying back and into the back of a pick-up truck, bending the tailgate.

Exo-Skull laughed. "HA! That'll teach ya." As Coco helped Yatsu up, Exo-Skull went over to Eatle, who was now just beginning to change back. In a flash of green light, Ben found himself pressed to the ground under Skull's boot, just like he had feared would happen earlier. The man had a confident smile as he spoke to his defeated adversary. "Well, Tennyson, any last words before I stomp you into paste?"

Ben glanced from Exo-Skull and over to Yang, hoping she was okay. Turns out, she was actually better than okay as her eyes opened up and changed into their intense red color. Ben gazed back up at Skull and glared at him. "Actually Skull, there is. You know the blonde girl you just punched?"

"Yeah?"

"Her name's Yang. She's a friend of mine, actually. And guess what? She's got the power to absorb the energy from any hit she takes and use it to fuel her own strength, giving it back twice as hard. And considering how strong you are…"

Skull's eyes widened as he heard Yang pry herself out of the truck bed and make her way over to him, the Blonde Brawler giving him the worst red-eyed death glare he had ever seen as her hair glowed intensely. It was the kind of stare that finished Ben's sentence perfectly. It basically said; "you're fucked". Exo-Skull immediately took his foot off of Ben's chest and ran over to Yang, hoping to knock her out before she could do anything. "Oh no ya don't!" he yelled.

Exo-Skull sent a fist forward, hoping to end it with a single punch, but Yang just moved her body away from the strike, still giving Skull the deathly stare. She grabbed his arm and with a loud grunt, she twisted the entire thing, flipping him over onto his rear. Using all of her strength, she spun him around in a circle four times before tossing him away into one of the bank's armored trucks.

"WHOOAAA MOMMY!" Skull hollered as he collided with the truck, bending in the back end of it. As Skull struggled to get up, he uttered out a few words. "Man, the boss ain't gonna like this." He let out a gasp of fear as Yang calmly went over to the wrecked vehicle and removed his helmet, terror written across his face.

Yang's eyes changed back to violet and her hair stopped glowing as she let out a calm sigh, before returning to her furrowed expression. "Nighty-night, Exo-Skull." With those words, Yang punched him in the face, knocking him out. She quickly went over to Ben and helped him up. "You okay?"

Ben gave a single nod. "Yeah, now come on, Sun needs our help." And with that, they, along with Coco and Yatsu, went over to help their friend, leaving Exo-Skull trapped in the truck.

"HA! And that's how the Hog takes care o' business!" Thunderhog said as he crossed his arms proudly over his defeat of Sun.

Kevin's face twisted in anger before whirling his head to Fox and Velvet. "You two! Get over to Sun and call an ambulance right now!" The two teammates nodded to him before running to Sun as fast as they could, meeting Blake as she continued to perform CPR. Kevin's attention went to the blue-haired boy. "Neptune! Cover me! I've got an idea!" The Osmosian then started sprinting to his car as Neptune converted his guando back to its rifle form and began shooting Lighting Dust rounds at Thunderhog, the man merely absorbing the shots with his gloves.

Neptune gave Hog the most malevolent face he could muster. "This is for my friend, you son of a bitch!"

But Hog just laughed. "HAHA! Seriously? Man, I can already tell you that this ain't doin' shit."

As Neptune kept unloading round after round at him, Kevin ran over to his car and absorbed the rubber of the front right tire, becoming the black elastic substance. In two mighty bounces, he was right back in front of Thunderhog, who was caught off-guard by the Osmosian's sudden entrance. Kevin quickly removed Hog's electricity-generating gloves and tossed them off to the side. "Oh yeah? Well then maybe THIS will!" With a single punch, Kevin knocked Hog out cold and onto his butt, the mohawked man letting out a small groan before slipping off into unconsciousness.

Neptune ran over to Kevin. "Nice work, now c'mon! Sun needs our help!" With a nod, Kevin followed Neptune over to is fallen leader, where Blake was still desperately trying to revive him. Cooper and Gwen emerged from their hiding place as well to join them. Blake just finished the chest compressions and was now giving the monkey boy rescue breaths, all the while pleading with him to waken up.

"SUN! Don't you DARE give up on me!" She continued breathing into his mouth as Kevin and Neptune ran up next to Ben, who, along with everyone else, was looking on with worried eyes.

Gwen was quick to ask. "Ben! Is he…?"

"I don't know." Ben warily answered. "He hasn't responded ye—" Ben was cut off when, to the relief of many, Sun began coughing and sputtering, causing Blake to move away as he sat up. He took many deep breaths before coughing again.

"HAAK! HAOK! Oh god! HAAK! What the hell happened?" Sun said as he caught his breath. "Jeez, I feel like I got hit by a truck!"

Seeing him back up made Blake let out a sob as tears brimmed her eyes. Much to Sun's surprise, she quickly pulled him into an embrace as she let her tears fall. "You bonehead! Do you know how worried we were for you?!"

Sun was fast to console her as he returned the embrace. "Whoa, whoa, Blake, slow down. It's okay, I'm fine… I think."

"You THINK?!" Kevin repeated. "Dude, you were electrocuted!"

"And you were thrown to the ground!" Neptune added.

Gwen crouched down next to him. "They're right, Sun, you stopped breathing."

Sun was surprised by the revelation. "I did?"

Cooper nodded. "Yes. Sun, you're lucky to be alive."

Without a word, Sun looked back down to Blake, who was still silently crying into his shirt, her sobs against him the only indication of her distress. "Blake?" She looked back up to him as her mascara rand down the sides of her face. He smiled at her and gently grasped her hands. "You saved me, didn't you?"

She let out another sob. "Do you have ANY idea of how scared I was?"

"I can only imagine. And I'm sorry. I'm sorry for making you scared like that. Heh, I owe you a million times over for this, now don't I?"

Blake shook her head. "No, you don't owe me anything Sun. I'm… I'm just glad that you're still here with us… with me." She cleared her throat. "Aherm, now let's take your pulse, you may need to still go back to the hospital for a checkup too."

At the sound of jet engines, Ben looked up and spotted a Bullhead descending towards them. He smirked as the hatch opened, Ruby and Weiss jumping out of it and landing on the ground. "Hey girls! What took you so long?!"

Ruby took out Crescent Rose as the Bullhead landed on the ground. "Ben! We came as soon as we could! We're here… to… help?" But as she looked around, she noticed the unconscious forms of Exo-Skull and Thunderhog, as well as a wrecked parking lot, causing the Hooded Huntress to deflate in disappointment. "Aw! We're too late, aren't we?"

"It would seem so." Weiss guessed. But as she looked over to her friends, she couldn't help but noticed they were gathered around Sun as he and Blake sat on the ground. "Wait, did something happen?"

"Yeah." Coco confirmed. "Monkey-boy took a big zap of electricity and he nearly bit the dust. But Blake managed to save him in the nick of time."

Ruby put her hand to her mouth in shock as she let out a gasp. "Are you serious?!" Using her Semblence, she rushed over to her friends and crouched down in front of Blake and Sun. "Are you okay? No pain anywhere?"

Sun chuckled. "Hey don't worry about it. I'm a bit tingly in some places, but other than that, I'm feeling fine!"

Weiss strolled up to them as well. "Well, that's good to hear." But it was then that she noticed someone else, Neptune, whom she was now standing right next to. She quickly turned her head away from him with a huff. "Hmph, Neptune." she acknowledged him.

"Uh, hey Weiss." The blue-haired boy awkwardly replied.

Yang rolled her eyes. "Jeez, save it for later, Weiss. Right now, we gotta get Sun back to the hospital for a once-over."

"I couldn't agree more, Yang." Everyone turned around to see General Ironwood approach from the Bullhead with his hands behind his back. As he walked toward them, an ambulance pulled into the bank parking lot, it's lights flashing and siren wailing. "Everyone, I see things have been rightly handled here. Is Sun alright?"

Blake gave a nod as she helped Sun to his feet. "His pulse is normal, General. We just need to get him to a doctor to make sure he's totally fine."

Gwen walked up to Ironwood and handed him the bag full of Lien. "Here's what they tried to make off with, General. Everything seems to be there."

The general gave a small, appreciative bow as he accepted the bag. "Thank you, Gwen. And thank you ALL for what you've done today. I will handle these two hooligans. Then I will meet back up with you at the hospital when all is said and done."

Ben gave him a thumbs up. "Great, we'll see you in a while General." And with that, everyone got into their respective vehicles, though not before Velvet got a picture of Skull's helmet and Hog's gauntlets. Once she was done, they all headed back to the hospital. Sun and Blake, however, rode together in the back of the ambulance, neither one of them ready to leave the other's side.

Forty-five minutes later, Sun was dispatched from the emergency room with a clean bill of health. "They didn't detect any abnormalities, so they said I'm good! They just recommended I don't over exert myself for a couple days."

Blake sighed in relief as she gave him a side-hug. "Good, now don't do anything like that again, you hear me?"

Sun chuckled as he put an arm around her shoulder. "Believe me, after that, I'll be more careful around electricity from now on."

"I would hope so, now let's go. Everyone's waiting outside." The two walked through the halls and out the front door where The Alien Trio, Cooper, Coco, Ruby, Weiss, Yang and Neptune were waiting for them. Neptune was the fist to run to the door, making sure his friend was okay.

"Sun! You alright, man? What'd the doctor say?"

Sun shrugged. "Well, they wanted me to take it easy for a couple days, but other than that, they say I'm pretty much good to go."

Neptune smiled at his leader. "Awesome! And guess what? I'm comin' with!"

Sun broke out in a grin as well. "No way! Are you serious?!"

Yang stepped forward. "Yep, he sure is. After some careful thinking, and half an hour of convincing…" she glanced to Weiss out of the corner of her eye, the heiress facing away from them with her arms crossed, "I've come to the conclusion that just one more person couldn't hurt. I called dad and he's getting a bed set up for Neptune in Uncle Qrow's room as we speak."

"Sweet!" Sun said as he and Neptune high-fived. "Welcome aboard, dude!"

"Thanks man." Neptune laughed. "Lookin' forward to what you guys got goin' on over there."

"Sounds like a plan to me." Ben said before his eyes shifted to Cooper and Coco. "And what about you guys? Have you made a decision about where you'll be going?"

"Yeah, like I said," Yang added, "there are plenty of apartments over on Patch that can hold you guys."

"Oh, don't you guys worry about us." Coco reassured. "We're gonna scope out a few places over there soon. But not today, though. I think we've all had enough excitement for one day."

"We'll swing by tomorrow and check it out." Cooper said before extending a hand to Ben. "see you guys then?"

Ben shook his hand. "You betcha, Coop. We'll see you then." After everyone shared their goodbyes with one another and Cooper and Coco went back inside the hospital, the Bullhead from before flew overhead and landed in the street beside them, General Ironwood emerging from the craft soon after. Ben called over to him. "Hey General! Everything taken care of?"

"Indeed." Ironwood answered as he strolled up to them. "My men and I have stripped those two of their weapons and confiscated their bikes. We've put them into separate energy cells and we'll be shipping them out to Atlas tomorrow morning."

"That's good to hear, General." Gwen thanked. "But they also mentioned that they had been employed by someone. And I have a feeling that whoever this is must be relatively close to Vale."

"Thank you for the information Gwen, I will look into it immediately. But you all have had a long day." He gestured to his aircraft. "Why don't you load up your vehicles into the Bullhead and I'll take you back over to Patch?"

"Sounds great!" Ruby said excitedly as she turned to her kitty-eared teammate. "Hey Blake! I just finished catching up on The Hobbit with Weiss, you wanna keep reading it when we get home?"

Blake was about to jump at the chance, but then she remembered what she had promised Sun earlier that day. "Sorry, Ruby, but not today."

That got Weiss' attention as she whirled around with a look of surprise on her face. "Wait, I'm sorry, but WHAT?!"

Ruby was just as astounded by Blake's response. "Blake, I thought you LOVED reading!"

"I do, but I made a promise to someone, and I intend to keep it." Blake gazed up at Sun with a knowing grin. "Isn't that right?"

Sun smirked back. "Dragon Ball?"

"Uh-huh. I made a commitment, and I plan on keeping it."

As if on que, both Ruby and Neptune asked at the same time; "What's a Dragon Ball?"

Yang threw her hands up. "And we're back at square one again!"

The Alien Trio laughed before Ben spoke up again. "Ruby, Neptune, we'll explain on the way. So, let's get loaded up onto the Bullhead and head home, huh? I'm both exhausted AND hungry."

"I hear that!" Yang agreed. "Let's go home." And with that, The Blonde Brawler moved Bumblebee onto the air craft and Kevin drove his car up into it as well. The teens boarded the Bullhead and, with Ironwood in the pilot's seat, they flew back off to Patch, all of them ready to rest easy after an eventful day.

As she sipped red wine from a glass while reclining in a leather chair, Rojo couldn't help but let out a content sigh. She set her glass down and put her hands behind her head, propping her feet up onto the ottoman. "Ah, man Cindy, I gotta say that you gals got it MADE here. Sweet décor, bitchin' food, an awesome boss. Man, workin' here's gonna be a blast."

On the opposite side of her, Cinder clutched the armrest of her chair. That nickname was still irritating. It had been like this for a whole DAY. And she could not be any more aggravated. However, she was still somewhat impressed by the older woman's credentials and skill set. She would make the perfect agent to their cause. Still, the fact that Rojo was becoming stagnant did not sit well with her. "Do not become too complacent, Rojo. I have little doubt that we will be seeing an assignment from Lady Salem soon."

Rojo waved her off, her face turning red from intoxication. "Aw, don't be such a worry wart, Cindy. What ever Boss Lady's got for us, I'm sure we can handle it."

"That is excellent to hear, Rojo." Came a new voice from behind. Realzing who it was, Rojo and Cinder quickly got out of their seats and faced Salem, the witch approaching from the room's entry way. She continued to speak. "For as it happens, I have your first assignment for you."

Rojo's eyes widened. "Huh, really? Didn't think it'd be this soon."

Salem nodded. "Indeed, however it will not begin until tomorrow. Your new armor and weapons should be complete by morning's rise. But, in any case, I have my eye on some new recruits to our cause." She raised her hand and an orb of black smoke materialized in it, floating just above her palm. An image began to form in the middle and there, sitting in two separate energy cells, were Exo-Skull and Thunderhog, stripped of their weapons and technology.

Rojo couldn't believe it. "Skull? And Hog?! The hell're those two doin' here?"

"Ah, so you ARE familiar with them. It would appear that you were not the only one of Ben Tennyson's rogues who were brought here, child."

The bounty hunter shrugged. "Okay, so if you want them so badly, why not just bring 'em here?"

Salem's brows furrowed. "Unfortunately, for as strong as these two are, they are also somewhat dimwitted. Unlike yourself, their hatred is not powerful enough for me to latch onto, thus I cannot bring them here. However, there is another way, but it requires some subterfuge."

"So I'm gonna be breaking these knuckleheads out?"

"Correction…" Salem turned to Cinder. "You will BOTH be breaking them out. Along with Emerald's help of course."

Cinder respectfully bowed to her mistress. "Of course, Lady Salem, if that is what you wish."

Rojo pumped her fist into the air. "Sweet! First mission with Cindy and Emmy! This'll be great!"

Salem shifted her attention back to Rojo. "I would hope so. However, there is another one of interest that I wish for you to recruit. These two are but pawns of another. A man who has taken shelter within Forever Fall and experimenting on my Grimm. After… many consecutive failures, he has decided to create his own Grimm out of the local wildlife. He has turned bears into carbon copies of my Ursai, wolves into Beowolf doppelgangers, and so on."

A look of realization came over Rojo's face. "Wait a second… that sounds like…"

"Indeed." Salem confirmed. "I had a feeling you would know him as well, Rojo." The image of Exo-Skull and Thunderhog disappeared from the black smoke in Salem's hand and in its place was a new image. The pale green face of a man that Rojo wish she had NEVER acquainted herself with.

Cinder's face scrunched up in disgust. "Who is that repulsive man?"

Rojo sneered at the image. "That… is Dr. Animo."

A/N (Please Read): Well guys, what do ya think of this story's versions of Exo-Skull and Thunderpig? Or rather, ThunderHOG as he's known here (I just find that hog is more threatening than pig). And considering that their boss is Dr. Animo, it's probably only a matter of time until they take on their more familiar forms. And now that I mention that, I must address that yes, they do have a bit of Bebop and Rocksteady injected into them along with a bit of inspiration from Cyclops and Juggernaut from X-Men. But I DID keep the Thundercats references with Thunderhog, and Exo-Skull has the first and last names of another certain duo of famous bullies.

So, why these two? Well, I wanted to have a duo that was actually somewhat competent while also being a bunch of numbskulls as well. So, I pulled in two of Ben 10's more forgettable villains and turned them into a duo of hired muscle for Dr. Animo to use as test subjects for later on. But when will that happen? Only time will tell.

Alright, so… Next Time! Rojo, Cinder and Emerald go on a jailbreak mission while a certain hero and Blonde Brawler continue to grow closer. Thank you for reading and I'll see you all in 2019! Peace!