Volume 3 - Chapter22: Get Up, You Have Company

Ruby, Dylan, and Ozpin wait patiently outside your room. Well, Ozpin is waiting patiently. Ruby and Dylan are both nervous, anxious, and scared; showing visible signs of all three emotions. Ruby is constantly playing with her fingers, flipping her hood up and down, and internally screaming at how painful this waiting is. Dylan continuously taps his foot on the ground and his finger on his sleeve.

The moment they got back to Beacon you were rushed to the infirmary. You weren't breathing the entire time, but none of them believed you were dead despite the evidence. They couldn't grasp it, accept it. You nearly died once before, and that was hard enough, but at least they didn't have to see your dying being. Now they have to watch your lifeless body, cuts all over, blood drying up on your skin and clothes. It's a difficult sight to see for anyone. Even the students who merely caught a glance as you were hastily taken away to the medical wing.

Thus you're there now, being looked over by a doctor. Outside of the room more people join Ruby, Dylan, and Ozpin. Glynda, the rest of RWBY, and JNPR approach the door, all with worried faces. The students all hustle together, while Glynda moves beside Ozpin.

"How's he doing?"

"We're not sure yet," Ozpin blandly responds. "She should be done her analysis soon. Though I fear the worst. Did you find anything?"

Glynda looks to Weiss, who's holding a sheathed Crimson Blaze.

"We found his sword. Luckily no Grimm attacked, but we stayed until sun down to keep the villagers worries at bay. Though the girls were riddled with worry the entire time."

Before any more conversation can continue, the door to your room opens. Everyone looks to the doctor, Ms. Daniels.

"The news?" Ozpin asks, taking the lead before anyone else could blurt out an irrational response.

Daniels sighs.

"He's... well, it's odd. He's alive." With those two words a thousand ton weight is lifted off everyone in the hallway.

"Why is it odd he's alive?" Pyrrha inquires, touching on the doctor's previous words.

Ms. Daniels crosses her arms, trying to find the best way to explain.

"Well... I assume the 'lethal blow' was the stab wound to the chest. However... whoever executed that attack knew what they were doing."

"Obviously. They tried to kill him," Yang says like its obvious.

Daniels shakes her head.

"No, no... I mean, they purposefully missed any vital organs or arteries. On top of that, there was hints of a very powerful sedative in his blood, originating from his stab wound. It's intended to simulate death..."

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Cinder, Mercury, Emerald, Roman, Neo, and Harrier litter around one of Roman's warehouses. Cinder seems very happy, as if she's on top of the world.

"He wasn't breathing. Neo did the job," Harrier confirms.

Cinder nods.

"Just as Adam reported. Perfect. Now that we have Slater out of the way, things will be a lot easier for us."

"Sad, Harrier? You're the last Slater now," Roman smirks.

Harrier shrugs under his cloak.

"It matters little to me. He was stubborn enough to try and fight a losing battle, and he died for it."

Neo twirls her umbrella behind her back as she makes her way to the door.

"Where's she going?" Emerald brings up.

"Lay off her," Roman waves kicking back as he lights his cigar. "I'd say she's earned some free time after killing Slater."

Neo turns and bows to the group before leaving the building. She leans against the door and places a hand on her chest. She's unsure whether she's done the right thing or not. Her plan worked at well since she managed to get the final hit, thus, saving your life in the process. You're even now. You beat her and let her live, she saved you from certain death.

She has to see you, leave a note for you. You need to know you're even now, and that she's looking forward to seeing you again to compete once more. She pushes off the door and starts walking, but someone steps in her path – Harrier.

"I know he's not dead," he bluntly states.

Neo stands still, holding her ground. Harrier smirks under the cover of his cloak.

"Thank you." Neo becomes confused at those words. "I didn't want him dead yet," he explains. "And I think trying to hold Adam back would have been quite the nuisance. You took care of that for me with little effort and didn't attract attention. Thus, I thank you. You were going to visit him, no?" Neo doesn't respond in any way. Harrier shrugs. "Very well. Go on with your business. I simply hope that when it does come time for me to kill Slater, you will remember which side you're on."

With those words, Harrier leaves Neo to her plans. Neo stares at the ground, contemplating her true role. She's absolutely loyal to Roman with no doubts, but there's something about you that's so intriguing that she can't help but want to be around you. Perhaps its your cheery nature, perhaps its your fondness of her. She isn't sure, but she's happy that she'll be able to be around you soon. She does have to be with Cinder, Mercury, and Emerald for the Vytal Festival, so at least that'll be some time. But she can plan all that later. Right now she has a letter to write, and an unconscious man to visit.

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Dylan looks away, thinking on who delivered that stab wound. He did examine it somewhat on the way back. It wasn't Wilt, that's for sure. The size and cut doesn't resemble Adam's weapon at all. Dylan almost wants to say it's Neo's blade, but that makes no sense. Why would she spare you?

"So... he's..." Ruby shakily speaks.

"He's fine. His aura is slowly coming back, though his wounds are healing faster than normal."

"Like his father?" Pyrrha brings up. "Does he have that ability as well."

Ozpin shakes his head.

"No, not at all. Because of Jet's blood and healing semblance, it seems that those traits were given to (Y/N), if massively diluted."

"A comparison could be Ms. Rose. Your theoretical child might be slightly faster than an average person if they don't adopt your semblance. Though it's not a constant," Glynda adds.

"Exactly," Ms. Daniels agrees. "He just needs some rest. His hand has healed, as well as some other cuts. I'm sure as his aura returns he'll make a speedy recovery. He's simply resting right now, so you can visit him. Just try not to apply any pressure to him. He's still... fragile, at the moment."

Ruby gets off her chair and bolts into the room, leaving everyone behind. She stops beside you, staring at your calm face. It's such a welcome change from the pained one she saw mere hours ago. But the overwhelming joy that you're alive and you'll be fine fills her. Tears roll down her face once more, dropping onto the blanket that covers your medical clothes. She wraps her arm around you and holds you, being careful not to squeeze.

Weiss, Glynda, and Ozpin enter the room behind Ruby. Weiss looks onto the side table where your ruined clothing and damaged glove lie. She walks over to it and rests your blade beside it so all your belongings are back to normal. Glynda also decides to help, using her semblance to mold your clothes back together the best she can. They may be a wee bit tighter, but at least you have the option to return to them if need be.

Weiss moves to the other side of you, taking a seat opposite to Ruby as she places her hand on yours. You're a tad cold, but nothing to be concerned about. She doesn't say anything – barely makes a sound. She just sits there, staring at you while she holds your hand. The rest of your friends enter the room to see you, but they say nothing. Even Nora is remaining quite at the occasion, recognizing the seriousness of what's happening. They all stand by you in silence to show their support for you.

Of course the time is late and they can't stay in the room forever. With everyone there it's quite cramped. Ozpin makes his way out first, whispering to Glynda as he leaves.

"Allow the students to have time off, if they require it. Especially Ms. Rose, Ms. Schnee, and young Brine."

Glynda responds with only a nod, to which Ozpin leaves. JNPR leaves soon after, then Blake and Yang. Glynda, Ruby, Dylan and Weiss stay with you. Ruby and Weiss have fallen asleep by this time, Ruby resting her head on the edge of your bed whilst Weiss is simply leaning back in the chair. Dylan is leaning against the wall, his ears folded as he naps. Glynda smiles at the sight, but can't help but silently scold you for making these two girls care about you so much. Well... technically three.

She knows how scary it can be to lose someone you care about. Someone you love. Glynda's experienced that before. She knows the feeling all too well.

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It should be no surprise to the Huntsmen of Vale that the expansion below Glenn Volcano is under attack by Grimm. Normally this wouldn't be a problem, but there's something that nobody's ever seen before. A large Grimm resembling a mythical dragon is dominating the area, spawning Grimm and destroying any aircrafts trying to get close to it. Glynda is separated from her team, and is being covered by team STRQ. The overwhelming amount of Grimm being spawned is tiring on all the Huntsmen fighting. They all know Glenn is lost, but they have to stop the incoming wave of Grimm from attacking the city.

But low and behold, another Bullhead swoops down and two figures drop down in front of two dozen Huntsmen. Harrier and Jet Slater land, looking up at the Dragon flying in the sky. Jet spins around, his jacket flowing with the movement. He faces the Huntsmen in his vicinity, including Glynda and team STRQ.

"Sorry we took so long," Harrier speaks before Jet can. "Someone had to do their hair," he chuckles.

"HEY! THEY DON'T NEED TO KNOW THAT!" Jet screams, flailing his arms. He turns away from Harrier and crosses them, turning up his nose. "You totally just ruined my awesome entrance."

"It's about time the two of you got here," Qrow scolds, resting his weapon over his shoulder. "But are you all we got?

"We're all you need," Harrier smirks.

"Exactly!" Jet enthusiastically exclaims. "You just need to take care of these smaller Grimm. Harrier and me'll take care of that big behemoth up there."

"But... how?" Glynda asks, moving to Jet's side.

Jet turns to Glynda and pecks her on the cheek.

"With my ingeniuous fighting style, that's how."

Jet leaves Glynda and stands beside Harrier. He unsheathes Crimson Blaze and points it towards the Dragon. Harrier unsheathes his own sabre, resting against Jet's back as he parallels his stance. The two hold it for a moment, pointing their blades towards the enemy they're determined to end.

"Ready, brother?"

"Ready as I could be," Harrier answers.

Jet spins his blade and stabs it in the ground. He lets go of the hilt, grabs the blade, then returns his grip to the hilt. His blood flows to Crimson Blaze, unleashing its potential. He looks over his shoulder to Glynda.

"Hey Glynda... just sit back. I'll be back soon."

With those words, his blood pools out of the sword to create a platform for Harrier and Jet. It takes off, soaring into the air for them to meet the Dragon on his turf. Their jackets flail with the wind, even at their different elevations. Harrier remains calm and focused as he tries to think up plans to defeat the Dragon

"Alright Harrier, you know the drill," Jet starts. "I need to keep my hand on the sword, and probably stay in this position. I can't directly help you, but I can still summon blades and barriers to help you. You've gotta be the one to take it down."

Harrier snickers, turning and patting his younger brother's shoulder.

"As it should be; the responsibility of the older brother to get all the glory, hm?"

Jet drops his face in a joking way.

"Yeah, yeah, we'll see how it goes Mr. Incredible. Now, lets take this thing down!"

Jet and Harrier reach the massive flying monster in the air. It spots them, curious to what simple humans are doing in his domain. Without giving them the satisfaction of battling with them, two Griffons rush the Slater brothers. Harrier readies to attack, but Jet has something else in mind.

"Don't worry brother, I can handle this,"

Two blood tendrils shoot out from their platform in the direction of the dual Griffons. They spiral through the air until they reach their targets, stabbing into their chest. Once burrowed inside, the single tendril bursts into hundreds more, shredding the Grimm from the inside. Both Griffons fall to the earth below while Jet and Harrier continue their pursuit of the Dragon. It circles around the volcano and rushes them.

Jet quickly separates himself and Harrier, only a thread of blood keeping the connection strong. The brothers move to either side of the Dragon, keeping pace as it soars through the air.

"Can you hear me?" Harrier questions.

"Yeah," Jet responds through the ear piece. "I'll keep distracting it, prodding it for weaknesses."

"Right."

Dozens of tendrils shoot out from both Jet and Harrier's platforms, finding places in the Dragon to pierce. The Dragon roars, sending a small shock wave that pushes and shreds the tendrils away like paper. Jet clicks his tongue, staring at the Dragon in a perplexed manner.

"Well that was just rude."

Harrier notices the Dragon is more focused on his brother, giving him an opportunity. He leaps off the blood platform and lands on the back of the Dragon. Jet doesn't see this development as the Dragon intently chases him down, attempting to swallow the Slater whole. Harrier leaps forward and drivers his blade into the hide of the Grimm. He looks forward, hoping it affected the Dragon in some way. Evidently it hasn't, as the Dragon continues its pursuit on Jet.

Jet ducks under the Dragon, barely dodging its fangs. He creates some blades from his blood and thrusts them at the Dragon, which does little more than slow it down. The Dragon pushes through the blades and heads right for Jet. Harrier runs up the back of the Dragon and leaps off the side.

"Jet! Platform!"

Jet quickly makes a small wall of blood for Harrier to leap off of. He bounces off the blood and drives his heel into the side of the Dragon maw. He manages to knock the Dragon away, making it fly away from another pass. Harrier lands beside Jet.

"Thanks bro, but... did you get any ideas to beat this thing?"

Harrier shakes his head.

"No... I stabbed it but it did nothing."

Jet huffs, watching the Dragon make his next round.

"My blood isn't potent enough to pierce through his skin. I made those blades as dense as I could..."

"Tsk... so what do we do?" Harrier says to himself, thinking of any possibilities.

Jet smirks, looking up at his older brother.

"Well, there is one thing you can do."

Harrier pauses as he takes a moment to realize what Jet's talking about.

"Wha- No! I can't even use it properly!"

"We have no choice, Harrier! You know you can take on Grimm better than me with it. Maybe we can kill this thing!"

Harrier grinds his teeth at his brother's request. He hasn't mastered it yet, so if he messes up he could be out of commission.

"Jet-"

"I'll distract him. You get ready."

Jet creates a platform directly linked to the side of the blade for Harrier. Once Harrier hops on it Jet zooms toward the Dragon, hoping his brother can pull this off. Jet flies by the Dragon's fangs, brushing the side of his with his fingers.

"Come on, follow the leader big guy!" He shouts, smiling the entire time.

The Dragon roars as it circles around to chase the white coated man. Jet consistently creates blades to hit the Dragon, not intending to truly kill it but rather keep its attention on him. It's easy to do, but the trick is avoid the surprisingly fast creature. It's pursuit is true, and the goal is simple: kill Jet Slater.

Glynda tosses two Ursai into a pack of Beowolves, knocking them all away. She turns her attention up to her friend, and her love. She sees Harrier away standing on one of Jet's platforms away from the battle, while Jet is frantically dodging the Dragon's fangs, along with a Nevermore and a hoard of Griffons.

"What is Harrier doing?" She whispers to herself.

Jet's blood extends into a platform for him to run on. The Dragon is right behind him, trampling the leftover platform. He keeps his grip right on his weapon, both to assure he has it and due to the tension of whats happening. If the Dragon wasn't here, Jet would be fine. Hell, if he didn't have to worry about his brother than he might be able to take down the Dragon himself, maybe. He doesn't know how tough the shell of that Grimm is, but he's sure he could find a way. But right now its time to show how the Slater brothers work, and to do that Jet has to be the distraction. To be fair, he's used to being the center of attention due to his personality, but the people he's entertaining aren't generally trying to eat him. Well, sometimes Glynda...

Jet frantically jumps off the platform to avoid a charging Nevermore. The Dragon simply smashes the bird out of the way with his powerful maw and pursues the fun loving Jet. Jet creates a platform below him and starts soaring through the air. This time his attention is focused on the volcano, and not the Dragon. He has an idea to put this thing down for good, and save Harrier some time.

"Harrier! You think you could at least seal this thing?"

Harrier's concentration is broken.

"What? Maybe, why?"

Jet looks to the volcano, smiling.

"What if we seal this thing inside Glenn's volcano? Just add some Dust to the mix, you know?"

Harrier thinks for a moment, seeing the logic in Jet's words.

"That... could work. But how are we going to get the Dragon in the volcano?"

Jet leaps off his blood platform, spins in the air, and dives right towards the Dragon.

"I got a way... just get ready!"

As each second passes Jet gets closer to the Dragon, its mouth opening to swallow the young Huntsman-in-training. Of course, Jet won't allow himself to be eaten so easily, thus he barrels out of the way of the Dragon's gaping hole and grinds along its hide, coming to a halt just past the wing. He augments his blade with as much blood as he thinks he needs as he rushes to the Dragon's head. He leaps forward and sanctions the blade right in the middle of the Dragon's head, piercing the black hide and making the Dragon howl in pain. Jet wraps both hands around his hilt as blood seeps out of the blade and around the Dragon's head. Once fully wrapped, Jet uses his blade like a joystick to guide the Dragon towards the volcano.

"You ready?" Jet screams, a little nervous at his own plan as he speeds towards molten hot lava.

"I think so... just tell me when you're ready to get out of there!"

Jet attempts to respond, but the Dragon starts shaking its head violently. His blood is falling off at a rapid rate due to the toxicity of the Dragon. Jet comes to a realization.

"If I jump off... If my blood stops... he'll just fly away..." He chuckles. "Damn... Harrier!" He finally says loud enough for Harrier to hear.

"What?"

"Tell Glynda... tell her I'm sorry, huh? And that I love her."

Harrier's spirit drops at his brother's words.

"What? Jet, what're you talking about? Just get out of there!"

"I can't Harrier," he shakes his head. "If my plan is going to work I have to come with this behemoth. Should have left the thinking to you, huh?"

Harrier clenches his fists.

"You idiot... I can-"

"No time!" He shouts, the Dragon about to enter the volcano. "Seal us, Harrier! Now!"

Glynda, team STRQ, and the rest of the Huntsmen take a moment to watch as a blinding flash erupts from the sky. They all cover their eyes, blind to the events occuring in the sky. The only thing they feel or hear is a crashing of rocks in the distance.

As the light fades, Harrier lands a short distance away from them. They all eagerly wait for the two Slaters to return, but only one shows himself. Glynda steps away from the rest.

"Where's Jet? Farther back?"

Harrier looks at Glynda's hopeful eyes, completely ignorant to what just happened. Harrier attempts to find the words, but he can't bring himself to say them. The only thing he does is open and close his mouth, prolonging what should be one sentence.

"Jet... he..."

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She knows what its like to lose someone in battle, especially when it's their choice. But all Slaters have a problem with staying dead, which is a good thing depending on which side they're on. Glynda leaves her position and approaches from Weiss' side. She leans over your bed and plants a tender kiss on your forehead.

"Rest up, and never do something so stupid again," she whispers.

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It's hard to describe what you're feeling right now. The last thing you remember feeling is hot, stinging pains all over your body. Now you're feeling nothing but comfort and heat. Heat? You begin to open your ey-

"Ah! WHY?" You shout, smacking the light out of your face. "Demonic light, you shall not take me," you mumble, rubbing your eyes to try and get back to normal.

Once the leftover image of the light is gone you finally get to look at your surroundings. For some reason you're getting major hints of déjà vu. A white room, mostly empty... you've definitely seen this scenario before. You lift yourself off the bed to a sitting position and look down at your body. Your torso is covered in bandages and... something's uncomfortable in the crotch region. You slip your hand under your pants and grab what feels to be a letter. Once you pull it out your assumption turns out to be true. A piece of paper folded in half with lip marks sits in your hand. Curiosity getting the better of you, you open up the letter.

"(Y/N) Slater, you're alive because of me. I didn't want you to die, for some reason. Don't let it get to your head, because next time we meet I'll be the one in the lead. Yours truly, Little Ms. Adorable." You fold the paper and smile. "I guess we are even, huh, Neo? I hope I see you again soon," you whisper to yourself.

You look around and finally notice that you're not alone in the room. Ruby and Weiss are on both sides of you, sleeping in their chairs. You scratch your head.

"How long have they been there? How long have I been here?" You ask aloud.

With nothing more to do, you hop out of the bed and grab your clothes. They're surprisingly put back together, so you have no issue putting them back on. Your jacket feels a little tighter, but not to an extent that makes it uncomfortable. The final article of clothing is your damaged glove. You pick it up and stare at it, remembering Adam stabbing through it. You clench your fist.

"Damn... Guess that's one edge I've lost. Now I'm not edgy. Was I ever edgy? Nah, I just slate like the Slate- I really gotta stop that one," you chuckle.

You walk over to your sword and attract it to your belt. With everything set, you approach the door. Once you grab the handle you immediately stop, remembering the two ladies at your bed. You spin on your heel and jog back to the bed, stopping beside Ruby.

Okay, let's make a guess. Ruby's going to tackle me into a hug and say she was worried about me, and Weiss will call me a dunce as she hits me. Or hits on me. Ha! Yeah right. Weiss Schnee liking me. That'll be the day.

You chuckle at the silly thought and decide to go through with your plan. You place your hand on Ruby's shoulder and lightly shake her, whispering.

"Little Red? It's time to wake up, buttercup."

Ruby's silver eyes soon show themselves, evidently drowsy and not entirely aware.

"I... don't wanna," she pouts, rolling on her other side.

You chuckle, placing a hand on your hip.

"Well, I could just go get stabbed again. I'm sure there's a line-up somewhere."

Ruby finally recognizes the joke, the tone, and the wielder of that voice. Her eyes shoot open and she looks to you. Instantly she jumps off the chair, pushing it against the wall, and wraps her arms around your neck and her legs around your waist. With all the commotion going on Weiss begins to stir while Ruby vigorously hugs you as tight as possible.

"I was so scared! Your aura was going away and Dylan said you were gonna die and Ozpin was tense, and... and..."

You start to feel your shirt become moist from Ruby's tears. You shake your head and smile, then hug her back the best you can in your constricted state.

"It's okay, Little Red. It's okay. I'm here," you comfort.

Weiss gets out of her chair and stands close, waiting for her turn to speak to you. You notice this, so you gently move Ruby onto the bed as you detach her from you. Once she's down you turn to Weiss and meet a swift punch in the gut.

"Ah, Weiss... I-"

She quickly turns the punch into a hug.

"We thought you were dead," she whispers. "I... thought you were dead, you dunce."

It's few and far between that you see Weiss show this side of her, but you like it. It reminds you that she's not all sass and spite. She can actually be caring when she wants to be, though it seems she's only like that when you almost die, or if you're alone.

"Yeah, well, I'm pretty hard to kill. Besides... I had someone looking out for me."

"Dylan?" Ruby inquires, tilting her head to the side.

"Heh, yeah."

You and Weiss separate, taking a triangle position.

"So... how long have I been out?"

"Three days," Weiss answers. "You've been stable for those days, but you're always going to be a lazy dunce about it."

You smile, rubbing the back of your head.

"I was tired, leave me alone," you chuckle. "Well, I guess that means I have to show everyone I'm okay."

"Hey!" Ruby shouts. "What about the..." She shrivels a bit, becoming embarrassed and red. "The date you promised me..."

You nod in acknowledgement.

"Very true. Well, come with me and once everyone knows I'm up we can go. Sound good?"

Ruby nods.

"Yep!"

With a plan in mind, you place a hand on both Weiss and Ruby's shoulders, then leap to the entrance of the building.

"Shouldn't you notify them you're awake?" Weiss brings up.

You wave her off.

"Nah, it'll be fine. Come on."

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Ozpin and Glynda look over some charts relating to the incoming students and the specifics for the Vytal Festival. With the grand event so close, there comes more and more work to be done and perfect, on top of the possible threat that's always on their mind. Add that Harrier is now a confirmed threat... it's a lot to handle for two people. But, they press on.

Suddenly Ozpin's scroll goes off. He clicks it to answer.

"This is Ozpin."

"We lost him again!" A woman shouts.

Ozpin and Glynda share a look, knowing exactly what this is about.

"We're on our way."

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You walk in between Weiss and Ruby with your hands in your jean pockets. Weiss and Ruby have already informed Yang, Blake, and JNPR of your recovery, thus you're currently on your way to meet them. You're not too focused on that though. Instead, you're amazed by all the new faces around Beacon.

"So new students have arrived while I was sleeping, huh?" You comment.

Ruby shrugs.

"I guess. I, uh, didn't really leave your room."

You rustle her hair, making her fluster.

"Hey!"

You chuckle, then slip your hand back into your pocket.

"Still fun to see all these people. I wonder which ones I'll..." Your voice trails off once your eyes land on a certain individual.

He has messy golden hair that falls around his head, though is conveniently out of the way of his glasses. The back comes to a very neat point just below his collar at the back of his head. He has shimmering blue eyes that are slightly obscured from the golden rimmed glasses he dons. The biggest giveaway for you is the combination of a gold sweater and a black sweater vest, along with his black suit pants. He finishes his attire with a gold watch, bronze shoes, and his trusty black briefcase he's always toting around.

You sprint away from Ruby and Weiss towards the man, resulting in both girls calling for you before running after you. You sprint towards the man as he looks at his watch, then slide to a halt just behind him. He hears the commotion and turns to see what's the problem. The moment his blue eyes meet yours they light up.

"(Y/N)?" He smiles.

You pull him into a hug right away, which he happily returns, though he doesn't let go of the briefcase.

"Dior! How have you been?" You two release each other. "It's been months!"

Dior nods.

"Yeah, it's been s-some time. I, uh... who're they?" He asks, reclusively pointing at the two girls running towards you.

"Oh, that's Weiss and Ruby," you answer without looking.

"Hey hotstuff!" A voice greets, punching your shoulder blade from behind.

You turn around to see Yang and Blake.

"Oh, nevermind," you correct, taking a step back so Dior can see your friends.

"Dior, this is Yang and Blake," you gesture to each as you say their name. "Girls, this is one of my best buddies, Dior," you smile, throwing your arm around his shoulder as you pull him close again.

"Ah, (Y/N)!" He quietly complains as he struggles to regain balance.

Soon enough Weiss and Ruby catch up, taking position on either side of Blake and Yang. Dior fixes his shirt and takes a gander at the two new girls.

"Ah... I was wondering if the Weiss you mentioned was indeed the Heiress to the Schnee Dust Company. I'm h-honoured to meet you," Dior bows his head, attempting to hide how nervous he is in front of all these people.

"The pleasure is mine. And you are?"

"Dior," he responds. "A friend of (Y/N)."

The collection of teenagers begin to talk amongst themselves. During all the speech, Dior remains silent, deciding to watch instead. He never was fond of crowds... or talking. But he notices that everyone is asking you how you're feeling, what is was like, all these questions that infer you were in some sort of trouble. Though Dior isn't sure, one thing that does catch his attention are your hands. Neither of your hands has the glove he designed for you. Cautiously he taps your shoulder to get your attention. You divert it to him, expressing words through facial features rather than words.

"What happened to t-the glove?" He asks.

You look at your hands, then remember.

"Oh, right." You reach into your pocket and pull out the glove. "It was damaged in a battle I had not too long ago. It doesn't work, sadly."

Dior reaches for the glove, raising his brow to ask for permission to take it. You nod, and he follows through with taking the object. He observes it in his hands, noting every detail.

"The magnet was destroyed... how did they stab through it? You took it off?" You shake your head with a slightly serious tone. "Oh... well... I can fix it for you, if you like?"

You smile, patting Dior's shoulder.

"You're the best. I would really appreciate it."

Dior nods as he rests his briefcase in one hand and opens it. He sets the glove inside then closes it up.

"I'll get to it as soon as I can. In fact, I-"

"Dior!" A booming voice echoes from a short distance away, gathering the entire groups attention. "You were supposed to wait at the fountain, not..." The man looks at the group Dior is standing with, though his eyes lock onto you.

He's a big man, reminding you of Yatsuhashi in a variety of ways. Though covered in a very loose black suit, it's clear he's a very bulky man. He's a young Asian man with black hair that's slicked to the left, though its obvious his parting is on the right. Two rogue strands of hair fall in front of his forehead, but its short over all. The most distinct feature is a slightly crooked nose that somehow compliments his overall appearance. As he approaches the group everyone really gets the fact that he's tall, towering over all of your friends.

You instantly smile, bolting from the group towards him.

"KIN, you devil!" You shout.

Kin opens his arms as he runs to you.

"You forgot handsome in there," he laughs.

You hop up to his level, wrapping your arms around his chest as you squeeze as tightly as you can. He does the same back, which is more powerful than yours. After a moment you separate, laughing and smiling.

"It's good to see you, (Y/N). You're looking a lot better than when I last saw you. Much happier, but that may be because I'm here," he laughs.

You jab his arm in a friendly manner.

"Oh shut up, Kin. I have plenty of reasons to look good. I mean," you cover your mouth and lean closer to him. "Do you see all those ladies I have to impress?"

"Indeed! Lovely, if I do say so myself. Especially you, dear," he says kneeling on one leg before Yang. "You are indeed, a beautiful one," he recites, gently taking her hand and placing a kiss on her fingers.

Yang smiles at the gesture, not flustered or anything. She's not like the other girls. She isn't one to deny attention. Surprisingly, his hands feel soft to the touch for such a big person.

"Yang," she introduces. "Very nice to see (Y/N) has some classy friends."

"Ha, classy isn't what I'd use!" You add.

Kin lifts off his leg and rolls his shoulders.

"Very true. Expressive, glorious! That's the words I would use," he rants.

"So you're part of the same team?" Blake asks, leaning on her hip.

"Yes ma'am," Kin enthusiastically answers. "Myself, Dior over there, Onyx who is right there," he points behind the crowd to a young man.

Everyone turns to see him, and a majority are scared by the sudden appearance of the man. He has a slimmer body than most which is evident by his uncovered arms. His body is covered by a straight, durable grey vest that acts both as clothing and fitting armour. His shoes and pants follow his colour palet of grey, but the dark red scarf dipping over the armour is the only break from the grey. He has dark grey hair that droops completely over his left eye, making it impossible to see, but his grey right eye is clearly visible, if only blocked by a random strand from his messy hair. He has a small, slopped nose, a not very defined face, and a mole resting just to the side of his right eye. The only other visible feature is the quiver of arrows and bow, with bladed edges, on his back.

"Where did you come from?" Ruby shrieks, stepping closer to you.

"I've been here for some time," he says in a monotone voice. "So you're (Y/N)'s new friends. Interesting. Makes sense why Dior and Kin diverged from the plan."

Kin rubs the back of his neck, smiling.

"Yeah, yeah, but how could I not come to see my good buddy!"

Onyx nods.

"Fair enough. It is good to see you again, (Y/N)," he says, approaching you and shaking your hand.

"Same here, Onyx. I've missed you, though I think I've found a decent enough replacement for you."

"Someone else not find your jokes all that funny?" He snickers, though still quite emotionless.

"Basically," you laugh. It's all fun and games until a realization soon dawns on you. Onyx... Kin... Dior... if they're all here. "Uh... guys," you start, getting someone scared. "Is, uh... Rogue here?"

The three boys share a look, all looking concerned. Even Onyx is showing some emotion.

"She is... though she doesn't know you're here."

"Who's Rogue?" Ruby asks, looking up at you.

"She's... well..."

"She was mad w-when (Y/N) left," Dior speaks.

"She's the only one he didn't say goodbye to," Onyx adds.

"He was scared of her."

"Kin!"

"Onyx! Kin? Dior, where are you guys!" A voice calls.

"AH!" You shriek, slipping between the girls and hiding behind Yang.

"What are you doing?" Yang giggles.

"I... uh... tickling you?"

"Looks like you're hiding," Blake comments.

"Definitely hiding," Weiss confirms.

"Told you. Scared."

"I am not!"

"Oh, there you are," the girl shouts, waving at the group.

"Gahahahahaaaaa," you moan, pulling Weiss and Blake closer to Yang.

The woman surprises RWBY. She looks nice, no, beautiful. She's slender, toned. She resembles Pyrrha in almost every way in terms of body type, and even hair colour. She has red hair that flows just above the midway point of her back. Her hair falls in front of her face, but it doesn't go in front of her blue eyes. She has a mousy nose, soft lips, and an all around smooth and attractive face. To follow, she wears a red jacket that is strikingly similar to yours. She has a white shirt with a deep v-collar. She covers her skin with a golden necklace that mirrors her v-neck. Along with that she has black, tight shorts and deep red army boots.

She approaches the group, standing opposite to RWBY so she can't see you cowering behind them.

"Who're these girls?" She asks, placing on hand on the hip she's leaning on.

"Well, I'm Ruby," she starts, extending her hand towards Rogue. "This is my team!"

Rogue firmly shakes Ruby's hand.

"I see. Didn't know you guys knew any other girls, honestly. Well, Kin, maybe. Not you two, though," she kids.

The Yang, Blake, and Weiss all remain unnaturally still, both due to you and their own curiosity. So far Rogue seems like a nice person. Why would you be so scared of her? Why did you not say goodbye to her?

Rogue turns her attention to the three girls, raising a brow at their odd stances.

"What's up your butts? You're standing straighter than the tower up there," she jokes, taking a step towards them.

Ruby isn't sure what to think, but the three men of team ORKD are silently freaking out at what might happen.

"Well, don't you three look interesting," Rogue starts, crossing her arms and leaning forward. "Maybe we'll fight each other in the tournament. I love your boots, by the way," she says, pointing at Weiss' footwear.

As she stares down at Weiss' boots she notices an extra pair of feet that don't match up with the how many people are there. On top of that, they look like men's shoes. Rogue stands up straight with a perplexed look on her face.

"Is there someone behind you?"

A small shriek erupts from behind the girls. Rogue raises her brow, intrigued and confused. The girls look at each other for a moment, all acknowledging that the jig is up, and move out of the way to reveal you. You're leaned over, hands on your head, cowering for your life. You can feel the change of position, more wind, silent anger. You open one eye and look up at the towering girl standing before you, still coming to terms with who she's seeing.

You wave your hands in front of you, remaining in the cowering position.

"You don't see anyone," you chant.

"(Y/N)?"

"I'm a figment of your imagination," you continue, pleading this is going to work.

Rogue simply continues to stare until you finally give up. You stand up straight, nervously smiling at her.

"H-Hey, Rogue. Long time no-

"You!" She screams.

"Hehehe... me..."

Quickly Kin wraps his arms around Rogue's, locking her in a bear hug. She viciously thrashes around.

"Let me go Kin! I'm gonna kill him! He's gonna regret ever being born once I'm done with him."

"Calm down, Rogue," he coaxes, trying to help you out.

"Why is she so mad at you?" Ruby asks, slipping beside you.

You rub the back of your head.

"Well... I mean..."

"You left without even saying goodbye! How could you do that to your girlfriend?"

"Girlfriend?" RWBY exclaims.

"Well..."

"But, I'm your girlfriend," Ruby brings up.

You close your eyes, preparing for the sound you're about to hear.

"WHAT?" She shrieks, her voice reaching the far reaches of Vale.

She elbows Kin in the ribs, making him wheeze and let go of her. She marches up to you and Ruby, cheeks red, eyes flaring, and an intimidating demeanor.

"You left me without even a word-"

"I'm sorry."

"And when I finally see you, you're with another girl!"

"Somewhat sorry."

"And with... is she younger," she inquires, leaning closer and examining the young Huntress-in-Training."

"By two years."

"Two years? What is wrong with you? How could you possibly leave me for her?"

"She doesn't yell at me..."

"Hey!" Yang interjects. "Don't talk about my sister like that!"

"Yeah!" Ruby adds. "You don't know (Y/N) half as well as I do."

You let your head fall into your hands.

"Please don't do this..."

"Know him? Please, evidently he hasn't left you yet. When you're with someone for as long as..."

Weiss, in all the commotion, manages to drag you out of the conundrum towards the other boys.

"You know how to pick'em," Weiss says.

"This is why I was hiding," you sigh.

Kin grabs Rogue again and starts to walk away.

"Hey! Kin let me go! I am not done here!"

"Yeah, we all are. We'll talk to you later, (Y/N)," he shouts.

Onyx joins his two team members, but Dior waits before joining them.

"What's your room? I wanna drop off your glove tonight."

"Oh, uh..." Dior hands you his scroll for you to type into. "Yeah, here. You'll find me."

"O-Okay. See you (Y/N). Sorry for the commotion."

Dior leaves for his team, allowing the five of you to have a break.

"I don't like her," Yang declares.

Ruby shakes her head to agree with Yang. You simply sigh.

"That actually went better than expected. I guess I'll have to talk to her, later."

You start walking, and RWBY follows.

"So... what happened between you to? Did you not say goodbye because it ended badly?" Ruby asks.

"Uh... no... honestly, she has a right to be mad at me. Don't... judge her from that, please. She's actually a great girl, if you look past her temper. We were dating at the time, and, as you all know, I moved around a lot. So when the time came to leave I just... couldn't bring myself to tell her. So I left. I was stupid, honestly. I regret it."

"You, uh, regret losing her?" Ruby timidly asks, beating around the bush.

You realize her meaning and chuckle. You slip your arm around Ruby and pull her close, sharing the warmth of each other's bodies.

"Not in that way, Little Red. I just regret how we ended, not that we ended. We haven't been dating long, but so far it's not too bad. Maybe if we don't work out though..." You notice Yang start to react to this train of thought. "I was kidding! Kidding!" You nervously chuckle.

"You better be."

"I am," you eagerly nod. "Well... hm... how about we go on that date, huh? I can meet up with Dylan and JNPR later, and I think you deserve a treat for having to deal with Rogue."

Ruby nods.

"Yeah!"

You let her go and stop in front of the group.

"Well, I'll pick you up from your dorm in, say, an hour?" When Ruby nods in acknolwdgement, you smile. "Perfect. I'll see you all later, then," you say before leaping away.

The girls continue to walk, all attention now on Ruby.

"You got pretty heated back there, sis. A little jealous, maybe?" Yang teases.

"No! And you were on my side too so shush!"

Yang shrugs, smiling confidently.

"I suppose. Now, you better get ready for your date. Go on."

Ruby rushes off, leaving the girls alone.

"Yang, you're not going to follow them, are you?" Blake asks, feeling the intentions of her fiery partner.

Yang places her hand on her chest overdramatically.

"I would never do such a thing. But I think I'll... just... go to town tonight. You two want to join me?"

"Sure!" Weiss blurts. "Uh, I mean, yes. We have to assure his intentions are... pure."

Yang smiles, patting Weiss' back.

"Alright, Ice Queen. We're on a recon mission!"

I hope you enjoyed the chapter! The introduction to the infamous Team ORKD has finally arrived. There was more requests for them to show up than I thought there would be, which is cool. I'm nowhere close to done with them, so expect more ORKD in future chapters – especially Rogue. Oh, Rogue. Her name is an anagram for Rouge, which is French for Red... you know, just in case you didn't catch that. I'm sure you did though, you smart reader, you.

Alright, so I have something legitimate to talk about this author's note, so stick around if you're interested. I did a poll on Twitter (if you want to influence future stories, or decisions in current stories then follow me there) regarding lemons. There were three options: Lemons, No Lemons, Only One Lemon. Take a guess which one won. Yeah, if you guessed "Lemons" you're right. That means Crimson Shadow will have multiple lemons in it. THIS DOES NOT MAKE CRIMSON SHADOW A SEX STORY. I don't know how many I'll add. Don't expect them often. Possibly one every fifteen chapters, maybe. Depends on the situations the characters are in. With this option, I'm going to make this realistic. Couples have sex, it's a fact. Ruby is younger and probably won't approach it the same as other characters, and I'll take that into consideration. There will not be a lemon until at least Volume 3.5 where Ruby is sixteen. But I just want you to know that they will be organic and sensible. Don't think this is turning into a massive lemonade tidal wave. You guys should know my writing well enough to know I'm not an idiot when it comes to this stuff. I hope you understand, and just enjoy the entire story.

On top of that, the lovely reader @Dorkykouhai8 on Wattpad, and @fandomtrash8 on Twitter, who is also the artist responsible for the cover photo for Crimson Shadow, is redoing it! A new and improved cover art is coming, so give her some love for her awesome work!

But that's all I really have to talk about. I'll try to get another chapter out before the end of December, but I have Project's Past to write as well, and I don't want to spend my entire Christmas writing. I think I'll try to get out a requested one-shot out for Christmas, though. It... well, as a hint, lets say it's a different turn of events for Crimson Shadow that leads Slater to... be intrigued by a different girl. Who? Well you'll have to wait and find out!

Want to keep up with me? Know what chapter's coming out next and the progress of them? Follow me on Twitter! Twitter . com (slash) Chinsangan

Ever want me to write a one-shot for you? Maybe a few? Maybe one every few months? Perhaps get the inside scoop on how I write, ideas for future or current stories, and even help writing your own story? Consider checking out my Patreon page! Pat reon . com (slash) Chinsangan

Questions? Comments? Concerns? Advice? Send me a message! See ya!

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