Volume 2: Beacon Saga – Chapter 13: A Self-Given Mission! The Outbreak of New Grimm!

The skies around the Xiao-Long household shake from fear at the battle going on in the skies. Each clash sends shivers through Tai's house and even the man himself. He tries to take a drink with his dog, each of them freezing every time everything.

"So glad my girls are-" His house shakes one more. "Having fun..."

You duck under Yang's two punches before flipping forward and slamming your knee into the back of her head. The blonde soars down to the ground, crashing like a meteorite. You return to proper orientation and immediately catch Blake and Weiss' fists. You pull their hands opposite to slam the two together then hop up a bit and kick them both towards Yang. The blonde just starts to get back up when her two teammates crash into her, shaking the island of Patch even more.

"And that leaves-" You duck under a glowing scythe slash, the user, after missing, uses her Semblance and Ki to burst back towards you and barely miss your legs. The speed and dexterity of Ruby's movements pressure even you. Though you may be dodging and weaving, flipping and twirling, Ruby's scythe gets closer and closer with every swing.

"You're really... fast... Ruby..." You barely manage to say as you avoid her attacks.

Ruby doesn't respond. She remains focused on landing a scratch on you.

"Hey! We're allowed to use weapons?" Blake shouts as she and the rest of the team flies close.

You lean back, watching Ruby's glowing scythe pass by your neck, then grab the handle to stop the battle. Ruby grunts at your halting of the action. The fact that you were so easily able to stop the battle infuriates her.

"Nah, you can use whatever you want," you release Ruby's weapon and place your hands on your hips. "I can tell you all have a good grasp of martial arts. I'd rather you focus on what you want. I know Yang is like me," you slam your fists together and smile. "A good old fashion beat down, but you three use weapons. Focus on that. Make yourself the best you can be!" You end with a smile.

"Well, uh... okay," Blake clears her throat and looks to Weiss. "Shall we... get our weapons?"

"I would prefer that, yes," Weiss nods.

The two descend, leaving you and the sisters alone. "Well then," you fly back to put some distance between you all. "Shall we continue without them?"

"Yeah, I'm gonna take you down!" Ruby swings her scythe around and glares at you.

"I don't doubt it. You two are basically strength," you focus Yang. "And speed," you shift to Ruby. "So I'll have to keep on my toes around you both or I might actually get hurt," you shift into your fighting stance.

"I don't know," Yang raises her hands and widens her legs. "You haven't shown us your power since the Saiyans. How much stronger have you gotten?"

"Ah, you know," you shrug and chuckle. "Nothing crazy."

In truth, you're surprised how much stronger you've gotten. From what you remember, you're likely relative to Vegeta's before he went all out. Your training hasn't been anything crazy, either, so it clearly has to do with your Saiyan biology. Either way, you're stronger than ever with a greater desire to push those limits. If they Saiyans return, you have to find a way to beat them on your own. You need more strength to fight back against anyone who may stand up to fight you. The stronger the better.

"How are we suppose to know how strong we are if we can't see your full strength?" Yang crosses her arms and frowns.

You look between the sisters, noting the conviction being shared. You huff then chuckle. "I mean... alright, if you want."

You let your arms hang and take a deep breath. Your body is relaxed, it's calm. Despite the battle you were having, you're still at full power. This training session hasn't pushed anything except the girl's Aura. You exhale... then breathe in once more. Upon your final exhale, a massive wave of pressure releases from your body. Yang and Ruby flip over themselves, struggling to remain stationary in the air.

"Whoa..." Yang holds her hands before her as her hair whips back.

"That's not fair!" Ruby desperately holds onto Crescent Rose.

"HYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Your voice echoes across the ocean and into Vale. Despite your control, release all your Ki has an inevitable side effect towards the planet. Vegeta shook the planet when he powered up, and you're quite confident you could do the exact same if you wished. But that would cause more trouble than you like, thus you'll keep is as contained as you can. Patch, however, is still affected by the sudden surge of energy which none of its inhabitants are pleased about.

"It's still... rising," Yang shouts, a mixture of struggling and admiration laces in her voice.

"I can't wait... to test it," Ruby snickers, her bravado completely false as she knows you would dominate her and all of her team if you wished.

"HAAAAAAAAA!" You spread your legs and pull your elbows to your side. Your eyes are wide, your muscles are bulging. For fun, you'll show them a little extra. "KAIOOOOOOOOOOOOKEEEEEEEEEEEEEN!" Your aura swirls with red, giving the entire area that same tint.

"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Ruby flips back again, swept away in the current of your Ki.

Yang barely manages to keep her center of gravity while she's forced back. She raises her power to combat yours, forming a small bubble around her. "Come on, then! Just like that!" Yang shouts.

You stop screaming but keep releasing your Ki. You could increase the intensity of the Kaioken if you wished, but that'd be far too much. Even going to this extent is more than dangerous. But, Yang asked you to come at her. You burst forward, invisible to the naked eye, and slam your fist into the girl's cheek. Yang has no time to react as she's shot right into the ocean, causing a massive wave to erupt from her impact zone. You cut off your Ki and return it to a base level before flying towards the water.

"Crap, Yang!" You shout right before you enter break through the water barrier.

You sturdily hold your breath as you feel out Yang's energy.

She's moving... actually, her energy is pretty high considering-

You barely manage to react before Yang returns the favour and slams her fist into your cheek. Her eyes are burning red, hair flaring with golden sparkles. You fly straight out of the water, twirling through the air until you can recover.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow," you rub your cheek. "Sheesh, she wasn't kidding. That punch was serious. If I hadn't raised my Ki there I would've been out cold. Heh..." You smile and look down at the girl who's huffing and puffing. "You're something else, Yang."

You descend and reach her location, getting the blonde's attention. "You alright?"

"Yeah," she nods. "I just... never felt that much with my Semblance... I just felt like... I don't know," she crosses her arms, almost in a fearful manner as if she's trying to cover herself or lock something in. "Sorry."

"Hey, I'm the one who punched you first," you pat her shoulder. "Don't worry about it. It was one hell of a punch. Come on, we should find the others. I'm sure I'll get yelled at for my little stunt."

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"Are you sure you don't want to stay for dinner?" Ruby asks once more.

"No, I should really get home. Klein can only cover for me for so long," Weiss slips her boots on. "Thank you for the offer, though, the three of you," she looks to Yang, Ruby, and Tai.

"You're always welcome," Tai smiles. "The same goes for you, Blake."

"I'm grateful, but I should also return home. I haven't seen my parents in some time... and with these powers I can visit without taking up too much time. I just hope..." Blake's voice quiets as she thinks on her family. "I just hope dinner will still be warm," she half-heartedly jokes.

The two girls give a final wave before they soar into the air and go their separate ways. Ruby closes the door and looks back at her dad. "Thanks for letting them stay so long."

"And thank you for letting (Y/N) stay," Yang adds.

"He keeps saying he's a burden," Ruby giggles.

"A burden on my pantry," Tai sighs. "But at least he's pulling his weight. I sent him out to get some firewood."

"I thought he was just in his room! Dad!" Yang whines.

"It'll distract him so I can get food ready. I'll have to cook for ten," Tai sighs, making his way to the kitchen. "Come on, Zwei."

The dog happily barks as he runs down the stairs and steps in his father's shadow. Ruby and Yang look at one another, figuring out what to do next.

"I'm gonna look for (Y/N)," Yang plans. "You?"

"I think I'll relax in my room, make sure Blake and Weiss message me when they get home."

"Okay," Yang slides into her boots and opens the door. "I'll be back before sundown."

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You clean your hands off and stare at your handiwork. Three large trees tied together with vines you've found around the island. Patch doesn't quite have the resources the mainland has, but you've been living off the land for so long that collecting firewood is almost second nature to you.

You grab one of the massive logs and lift the entire collection up and onto your shoulder. You shift a little bit, making sure you're the most comfortable. It's not heavy, by any means, but you'd rather not dirty your Gi too much. You start your journey through the forest with these three trees making everything slightly more difficult. You could fly over everything but there's no need to rush. Taking in the cool breeze, the sounds of birds chirping or squirrels communicating, everything is just wholesome to you. Even the crackling leaves under your boot or that soft puff when you step in mud. It's all comforting beyond your ability to explain.

"Hm?" You look ahead. "Is Yang coming this way? I know Blake and Weiss left, but... hm... welp," you shrug, shifting the large logs. "Whatever."

Judging by the speed of her Ki signature, it's clear to you that Yang is merely walking instead of running or flying. Comparing your pace and hers, it'll take a small time before you two meet. It's not like the island is massive anyway. Slipping through the bushes, passing by the trees, it's a humble journey that's soon interrupted by the screams of a woman. Your eyes sharpen as you look towards the source. You drop the trees and dash along the ground. You slide to a halt a few feet away from the scene. A woman kneels over her a younger man, bleeding from a massive gash on his chest. Across from them is a large Beowolf with a large maw and bloodied claw. You pause for a moment when you realize this Grimm looks different. It's faint, but the normally red aspects of the Beowolf are green. Even some parts of its coat have a green tint. You don't have time to dwell on it as people are in danger! You fly toward the Beowolf, spin around and slam your shin into its snout. The force behind your attack rips through the monster's hide and cuts its life short. You land behind it, feeling the beast disintegrate.

"Well, lucky it wasn't immune to that. Why was he green?" You think on this for less than a second before remembering the injured man. "Now then," you shift to the two civilians. "Onto the people. I remember a couple things from my classes." You jog to their side and kneel down. "That's a big wound... I..." You look down to your sash where a small bag of senzu beans reside. You don't have too many left, but Korin should have a new batch ready soon.

"Please, you have to help him!" She frantically screams. "My son... I can't lose-"

"Yep," you pull out the pouch and grab a bean. "Here, eat this," you push the bean against the injured man's mouth. "Come on..." You poke it again. "Open your mouth," you squint.

"Why are you feeding him that? He needs medical attention!" Her frustration grows even higher.

"He'll be fine if he just eats," poke. "The." Poke. "Bean!"

The injured man shivers, barely managing to open his mouth.

"See, that wasn't hard," you smile and push it inside his mouth. "Now chew... please chew."

"You're the worst Huntsman I've ever seen!"

"What?" You throw a hand in the air. "But I killed the thingy and healed the injured."

"He's not healed at all!" She shouts to the high heavens. "He's bleeding and dying and I don't want..." Her eyes drift down to his wound... or lack thereof. "What the..."

"Magic bean," you stuff the pouch away. "Works every time."

"Oh my god... oh my god, thank you!" Her demeanor switches from frantic and scared to relieved and happy. She pulls you into a tight squeeze that expresses all the emotions she has right now.

You slowly place your hands on her back and pat it. "It's, uh... no problem," you reply with a feeling of confusion.

"Hey!" Yang's voice echoes through the trees. "Is everything... Mrs. Coello? Are you okay!" She rapidly approaches you all.

"Yang! Oh Yang, I am now! My son's going to be okay! My boy," she looks down at her son, likely as old as you are. Finally giving him a detailed look, he appears to have some light armour on him along with a belt that can lock in a weapon, though said weapon is nowhere in sight.

You step back, standing next to Yang as the woman cries tears of joy.

"She's another resident of Patch. Her son, Branco he never passed the Beacon test," Yang whispers. "He was always reckless, got himself hurt. He didn't have a fighting instinct. Pretty agile, though."

"Hm," you cross your arms and tilt your head. "Well... he'll be okay. I gave him senzu bean so there's no worries."

"Do you want us to escort you home?"

"Yang... I..." She looks down at her son. "I'd appreciate it, thank you."

"I'll carry your son," you offer while moving around to his side. With ease, you pick him up and set him around your shoulders. Yang stays at the elder's side, giving her emotional support. While Yang and Mrs. Coello talk about the island and Yang's experiences at Beacon. The strange earthquake earlier is also brought up. Yang does a great job at playing that off. You're left to your own thoughts during this short road trip. Those thoughts swim around your mind the entire time, even when you arrive at the Coello household and leave the sleeping boy with his parents.

"You're... oddly silent," Yang remarks as you both follow the path away.

"Just thinking about Huntsman, I guess," you look to the sky. "I don't think that woman was happy with my methods."

Yang nudges you. "You saved her life and her son's. I don't think there's more you can do. You're a caring guy. I learned that long ago."

"You did?" You look over to the blonde.

"Yeah," she nods. "When you took care of that injured animal... I realized then that your heart was in the right place. Your methods are strange and you're definitely a unique kind of person, but you want to help people and that's what matters."

"I never really thought of it like that. I just kinda did stuff... I think that's why I wanna go back to school. I need to know more about the personality of Huntsmen."

"Don't change because of that," Yang's quick disappointment is evident. "Huntsmen... they're all unique. Look at my uncle," she snickers. "Or... my mom..."

"Your uncle and mom? Actually, where is your mom? Is she on a mission?"

Yang's arms shake a little bit at the thought. "My mom left me and dad a long time ago..."

"Oh... I'm sorry," you start to place your hand on her shoulder then stops. You look at your hand, unsure what to really do at this point. You default to putting it back to your side. "So, what about Ruby? Does she have a different mom?"

"Yes. Summer passed some time ago, however. It's just been my dad for a long time," Yang's voice shows clear signs of discomfort.

"Have you seen your mom since?"

"Tsk," Yang rolls her eyes. "I tried... I've never found her, despite all my searching. Maybe it'll be different now that I have these powers."

"You looked before?"

"Yeah... a lot. Got in a lot of trouble, too," she half-heartedly chuckles. "She's not easy to find... or maybe she just doesn't want me to find her. Dad doesn't talk about her too much either. I just need to find her... I just have to," Yang tightens her fist. "And I will."

"Hm..." You place your arms behind your head and think on Yang's words. "Searching, huh... What does she look like?"

"Oh," Yang grabs her scroll and clicks a few buttons before moving it towards you.

You see a woman with raven black hair that flows down her red shirt. Because of the image quality, you're unsure whether she has a skirt or long pants with a frilly belt. Besides that, it appears she has a mask.

"A mask? Are you su-"

"It's her," Yang quickly affirms. "I know it... come on, dinner shoulder be soon."

Yang's pace picks up, her steps becoming heavier with the weight of anger. You can't help but feel bad about it.

Maybe I can help... Friends help each other, right, Crystal?

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Cinder falls to the ground, panting while sweat slides down all part of her body. She tries to get back on her feet but fails to muster the strength.

"You're still failing this training," a distorted voice speaks.

Cinder looks up, eyes gleaming through a few strands of hair. A darkened figure with red eyes stands before her, the slight twitch of the hologram showing every few seconds.

"I'm... doing better."

"Better, but not satisfactory. What was I to expect from one such as you," he says with contempt. "I'm closing in on another one. I don't care if you're her little pet, I will erase your taint from this world if you fail to reach the bar I've set for you."

Cinder grinds her teeth. "I'll be ready... I'm strong... I'm going to be stronger."

The figure's eyes squint before their transmission ends. Cinder slams her fist against the ground in frustration. "He holds me to a standard that hasn't even been reached yet... will he really reach such a height? No," she shakes her head. "I'll kill him before then. I'll become stronger!"

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An Atlas transport soars through the blizzard, scanning each of the glaciers around it.

"We're picking up something," the pilot shouts. "Is... is this it?"

Gero, sitting near the middle of the ship, has his eyes locked on his scroll that's transmitting the data. Signs of technology are showing up beneath the ice.

"There you are... it's been some time, Wheelo. Land near this glacier," he marks the location on his scroll.

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Tai's face continues to droop as plate upon bowl upon plate piles atop his kitchen table, accompanied by your constant slurping and munching. Yang and Ruby don't mind it at this point. They're gulping down the last bit of their drinks or scrounging up the last pieces of meat. You inhale the last bowl of soup and exhale. "That... was pretty nice."

"Just nice, huh..." Tai scratches his head as he examines the mountain of dishes that are somehow keeping shape. "Thanks..."

"No, thank you! I love eating with people!"

"It's definitely not for the conversation," Yang chuckles.

"I don't know, sis, he was quite the speaker," Ruby jokingly rebuttals.

"Oh, thanks!" You say with a toothy grin. "I gotta work off the food now. Maybe do some sparring."

"We just sparred!" Yang light heartedly shouts.

"Yeah, but it's so much fun! Plus it works off that extra skin. That's a thing girls worry about, right?" Tai immediately starts waving his hands for you to stop but you fail to notice. "Other girls I knew talked about that. Little handles or something, I don't know. I never really thought of weight but apparently, it's a pretty big thing. Did you guys know?" You tilt your head and switch between Ruby and Yang.

The two have a dark cloud over them while listening to you ignorantly speak about a woman's weight.

"Oh no," Tai shakes his head. "So, who wants ice-cream?" He tries to lighten the mood.

"Oh, I'm down!" You cheer.

"Girls?"

"I'm alright," they both reply with a downcast demeanor.

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You relax in a small bedroom that was provided by Tai. It's fairly small with only a few decorations and objects – two paintings, the window, the bed with a bedside table, and a small closet. You didn't put anything there since you can just fly out to Beacon or your home and grab another Gi.

Despite the great time you've had here, talking with your two friends and their father, learning more about being a Huntsman in the field, and the fantastic food, there's something that's keeping your spirits down.

"Yang seemed really down about her mom... I don't know, I can relate to that, I think," you stare up at the ceiling. "I never had parents... but my friends... Lucent... he was like a father to me and now he's gone. I'd give anything to bring them all back. Yang can find that lost person. Her mother is still around, she can reconcile and talk with her. I can't. I... lost those people" you clench your fist tightly. "And I can't even remember it... but a Huntsman helps others so they don't lose anything, right?" Your optimism starts to shine once more. "I can't do anything for them, but I can do something for Yang!"

You flip off the bed and crack your knuckles. "Looks like I got something more to do before school starts. Help Yang out by finding her mom, alright," you approach the window and lift it up. "I sorta remember what she looks like. Shouldn't be too bad. Her energy signature should be something like Yang's, I'd think," you hop out the window and immediately burst into the air with a strong white aura surrounding you and leaving a trail behind you.

"If Yang was looking around, that means she's probably checked Vale. So maybe some places outside of Vale or other Kingdoms... oh, more Kingdoms... then again, there's only four so I've been to half of them. That's not so bad, I guess... ah," you shake your head and pat your cheeks. "Gotta focus. This is my own detective course. Self-taught! That probably isn't the best idea... oh well," you spin around and fly faster. "Let's find Yang's mom! Wait... crap, I don't know her name! I don't even have a picture..." You sigh. "Well, greater challenge, I guess!"

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Yang and Ruby sit on their beds, both in pajamas and ready for bed.

"I don't know, I'm just super excited for next year! No, two years! We missed the Vytal Festival last time!"

"We would've totally kicked butt," Yang confidently remarks.

"We still kicked butt!" Ruby throws her hands in the air and falls back on her bed. "Those Saiyayamans didn't stand a chance against us!"

"The Saiyans?" Yang laughs. "We..." Yang rests on the bed and looks up. "We barely made it through that. They would've beat us... they would've beat (Y/N)."

"But we won," Ruby rolls onto her butt again. "What's there to worry about?"

"Nothing, I guess," Yang smiles. "Hopefully things will be normal again... we didn't really do much school stuff last year."

"Yeah, it wasn't what I thought. We were on that island a lot."

Yang shivers at the thought of the old man's fingers coming closer to her chest. "Not all of it was great," she crosses her arms to cover her larger assets. "But now we're head and shoulders above others. Remember when we showed off to CVFY?" She ends with a slight chuckle.

"Yeah," Ruby nods, a wide smile forming. "We were so cool."

"So you don't mind not having 'normal knees,'" the elder teases.

"I... that's not fair!" Ruby pouts. "I'll show you a normal knee!" She deviously smirks before grabbing her pillow and throwing it.

Yang catches the pillow and grins. "Big mistake, little sis."

"Wait, wait, wait, wait! It was a joke!" Ruby ducks under the pillow and dives behind her bed. "We can't ruin our room again!"

Yang grabs her own pillow and winds up, but a sudden sensation stops both girls.

"Is that-"

"He's leaving?" Ruby turns around. "Wonder why?"

Yang sets the pillow down and exhales. "Why do I feel like he's gonna get into trouble?"

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Three Days Later...

Dr. Gero watches from a safe, flexible bunker brought by the Atlas military. There's a massive wall of explosive against the glacier wall, all calculated properly as to not damage anything inside or fracture the ground beneath them.

"Sir," a soldier enters the bunker. "Everything is ready."

"As expected. Bring the soldiers to a safe location. We're detonating in one minute."

"Yes, sir," the soldier salutes him before jogging out.

The doctor inwardly counts one minute as he dances his fingers along the desk. It's been a long time since he's spoken with Dr. Wheelo – the one who hid away after a terrible experiment destroyed his body. His experiments were generally shunned, but they also align with Gero's new project. He thought of finding Dr. Merlot, but his experiments began focusing on the Grimm which has no use for Gero. After his inner timer finishes, Gero clicks the button to detonate all the explosions. The ground shakes from the shockwaves released from both the explosives and the large pillars of ice that fall and shatter. All the soldiers keep in the safe zone, yet the wind pressure still pushes against them. When the smoke clears, the ice has been fairly cleared and exposes a large metal door. Gero smiles, his moustache curving along with his lips.

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The doctor saunters through the large lab, escorted by a dozen Atlas personnel. They've gone room by room, viewing different layouts of rooms. The colour is dark, the air is cold, and the soldiers are on edge. They know they can't say anything to oppose this plan else the doctor will chew them out. Everything has been quiet through every room. To Gero's surprise, no defense systems have intervened with them. There's only one way for Gero to interpret this.

"Dr. Wheelo," Gero finally speaks. "Are you here? Perhaps Dr. Kochin is present?"

Suddenly, the wall to their right lights up with a series of lights that appear to be dark blue. Along the wall is a jar with a massive brain floating inside a containment unit.

Gero smirks. "Dr?"

"Gero..." His deep voice speaks. "What do you want?"

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You take a seat on a patio chair and await your order. Mistral has been an interesting experience so far. You decided to go east because it seemed more lively and full than the west. You stopped off at a few towns on the way, asking about the woman in question That's when you realized how awful you were at preparing. You don't know her name and you don't even have a picture. Still, you're pressing forward to see if you can find anything of value. She did sound like a unique woman that people would notice. Besides the searching, you have dealt with a few Grimm here and there. It's weird how you're seeing more green tinted Grimm out in this area. You thought all Grimm were the same, but now you're wondering if they differ per region. You weren't there for the entire course, after all, so it's highly possible you just missed out on that. The green Grimm does seem bigger and a tad more vicious. You also notice they're a little tougher than your average Grimm. You have a general idea on how much power to put into punches when dealing with Grimm, and the green ones take a tad more force than before.

All this tactical and critical thinking are all throw off the patio when a large plate of food is placed before you. Even if it's midday, the plate is lush with cooked vegetables and three types of meats. It's a good thing the plate is large.

"Compliments of the owner," the waiter bows his head before walking away.

"Thanks!" You wave. "Does this make me corrupt? Accepting free food from someone I've saved? Ah well," you shrug then stretching your arms. "I'm hungry."

You dig into the food, only using the fork to transfer the food to your mouth. You keep your ears open for the conversations around you. You happen to hear something from below in the market.

"Get out of here, you filthy animal!" A stall owner screams, extending his bo staff while what appears to be a bear Faunus scurries away. You swallow your food and tilt your head. "I remember when stuff like that happened... I guess it's common."

On the other hand, one of the conversations on the patio catches your attention since it's related to you.

"You remember that massive earthquake we had a bit ago?" A man's voice speaks.

"Of course! Mother just recovered from her fall."

"Yes, well, my coworker's brother lives in Vacuo and he mentioned the same sort of earthquake."

"Across that distance? Is that possible?" Her voice is seeped in worry.

"I'm not sure. From what I've heard, it wasn't natural," he exhales. "Whatever that means."

"A Grimm?"

"I hope not," he quickly answers. "Perhaps man-made. Maybe Atlas is trying new war machines."

"Of course, those power-hungry imbeciles," she sneers.

"What sort of machine could shake the planet? I hope they be rid of it. We don't need something so dangerous."

You slurp down the cup of water and set it down with a sigh. "I should've known that people would still be talking about Vegeta's display. I suppose I didn't do any better in Vale," you chuckle to yourself. "Forgot that people would be freaked out. I remember..." Your voice drifts off as you think on your past friends. "Eh... I should get back to the search. Maybe someone here can recognize her. Oh!" You tap the table. "If she's a Huntress then maybe the people at- wait, school isn't in yet. I wonder if the teachers are there at all... hm..." You cross your arms and tap the loose fabric that covers part of your arm. "If I was a Huntress then I'd be out in the field, right? I guess checking the school to see any records would make sense. Other Huntsmen would at least have an idea, right? Yeah, sounds logical to me. That's my next destination!"

You wipe your mouth and set up your plates for easy pickup. With all that done, you turn to the patio and jump off, waiting a moment before curving up and flying towards the large school. Of course, people perusing the streets and other customers see you suddenly fly to which their reactions range from awe to fear. You fly over the people of Mistral until you land inside the grounds of Haven. It's much tighter than Beacon, meaning there isn't much space between each of the buildings and the overall space is far smaller. There's a tower similar to Beacon's, though far smaller. You land in a somewhat familiar courtyard that branches off into four paths, each path having a lamppost or two for the night.

"Huh, you'd think there'd still be someone keeping an eye out. Well, people don't usually fly in," you rub the back of your head and smile. "But that just makes everything more annoying. I actually have to find someone... haha, I'm kidding," you shake your head, keeping the smile constant. "A couple people are in that building," you look to the bigger building.

You hover over the ground and land before the door.

"Do I knock..? Whatever," you shrug before pushing the door open and stepping in.

The immediate motif is one of red, white, brown, and gold. The walls only hold pictures on one side of the hallway, leaving its dreary white on display. The ceiling is a deep brown that, with certain lighting, looks red. The carpets and accents of most take a red and gold approach to liven everything up. You even notice the Haven symbol on the ground, separating two rugs.

"Little nicer than Beacon, I have to say. Do I just flock to the simplistic design?" You look down at your Gi – the black undershirt and pants, the golden yellow Gi with brown accents and belt, the also brown wrist guards. "Um... I mean, my boots are blue with those little red ties," you stick your foot forward and wiggle it. "Yeah, I have class. Weiss doesn't know what she's talking about. I'm really classy. I don't need a suit," you ramble onto yourself as you pass by a waiting area with chairs to the left and a desk to the right. "Ah... then again, I don't like suits. I remember when they put one on," you snicker. "My tail ruined the back..." A deep exhale escapes your body. "That tail... caused all sorts of trouble..."You quickly pat your cheeks and violently shake your head. "Not the time, (Y/N), not the time."

You approach the door and stop once more. "I should knock this time," you conclude before closing your fist and lightly tapping on the wood.

You hear some rustling from behind the door and suddenly a few of the energy signatures move... but not to the door. One seems to go above and behind you, keeping in the ceiling, while the other goes below you. The last one remains in the room, unmoving.

"Come in!" An unfamiliar voice beckons.

You open the door and are immediately met a sort of flaming rock. Instinctively, you smack the projectile out of the air and frown. "Is that the way you test all newcomers? I don't think students have reaction times like that."

"You're correct," a man with long, tan hair and a full beard replies. He's sitting behind a desk, his arm extended after the shot. His colour scheme is very tight, a brown coat with matching mantle, white dress shirt, necktie, brown slacks, and simple dress shoes. He lowers his hand, the one with a wrist-mounted shield with various colours around it like a clock's numbers. "A student wouldn't have reaction times like that."

You quickly let your arms hang and take another step, keeping note of the energy signatures that keep close behind you.

"Yeah, I guess I brought that one on myself. You're a Huntsman, right? I mean, I'd hope so if you're here... in the chair and waiting for me. Otherwise, that would mean you're an intruder... well, I guess I'm an intruder so I have no... what was it called... moral high ground? I'm using that right, right? I just recently heard that term. Tried to use it," you end with a lighthearted chuckle.

The man at the desk appears to lower his guard ever slightly. Your friendly tone and choice of words don't show any nefariousness in your agenda, but you still have broken into a Huntsman Academy unannounced. That's a crime on its own.

"It would be correct, indeed," the elder bows his head slightly. "My name is Leonardo Lionheart. I'm the Headmaster of this fine Academy. Who are you?"

"Headmaster? Man, I'm lucky! My name's (Y/N)!" You salute. "I'm a student at Beacon Academy!"

"Beacon? Are you a messenger of Ozpin?"

"Oh, no, I just came here to ask a question!" You clarify, keeping a friendly smile to try and win over the Headmaster.

"That's quite the journey for a simple question. Why would you not simply ask Ozpin?" He raises his brow.

"Uh... I don't know," you shrug. "I was in the area. Thought that a Huntsman would know the person I'm looking for."

Leo intertwines his hands on his desk, fully relaxing and fully attentive. "And who, exactly, is that?"

"Uh... hehe," you rub the back of your head. "She... has black hair! And black pants, I think, might be a skirt. She has a red and black shirt, dress, thing... I think it was long sleeved... oh, and she had a mask! And a sword! I think it was a katana but it was sheathed so I really don't know. Kinda looked like a katana hilt but people do some weird things with weapons."

Leonardo takes in your description and thinks on it. He can immediately think of one woman that loosely fits that description, but he doesn't know her exact location... but that doesn't mean he knows nothing.

"I... believe I know the woman you're looking for. She's on this continent, I'm sure."

"So you can call her up? She's a Huntress, right?"

Leonardo chuckles. "No, no she is not. She's a bandit, a raider."

"Oh," you face perplexes. "I wasn't expecting that... do you know where she is?"

"No," he shakes his head. "But I believe I can give you a lead. We caught wind of a possible raid happening to a town on the outskirts of Mistral territory. They requested Huntsmen, just to be safe. If that was her target..."

"Then I can find her there! Cool! Alright, I'll handle this town, no problem! Where is it?"

"Hold on, now," the man stands up. "You're a student. I can't possibly send you on a Huntsman's mission."

"Yeah you can," you blankly reply. "Trust me, I may not have the schooling but I'm more than strong enough on the field," you confidently state, ending with you catching your fist.

"Is that so?"

"Yeah," you nod. "Probably better than those two guys there," you point to the ceiling directly above you," and there," you point behind you.

Leo's expression changes to one of surprise. "H-How did you know?"

"I could sense them. I sensed them before I even entered the room. One of my many talents... well, learned skills would be more accurate," you end with a smile.

The two unseen beings suddenly move to the Headmaster's side and phase out of the ground and two his side. They're twins, both in clothes and features. Both middle age, bald, blue eyes, skin-tight black suit, everything. You assume they also have the same Semblance.

"So, where's the village?"

Leonardo looks to his two associates, unsure how to respond. "Hm..."

"What's the worst that could happen? Okay, well, the worst wouldn't happen cause I'm not going to die. Trust me. I'm a lot stronger than I look."

"Well," the Headmaster scratches his cheek. "I suppose there's no harm in it..."

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"Alright," you look left and right. "So, if this was the right path then..." You stop in the air and look down at a fairly decorated and visually appealing village. The colours, the lush flora, it's like someone picked up a section of Mistral and brought it somewhere else. "This place is gonna be raided? Huh... Doesn't have much defense for a Kingdom protected village... hey," you spot someone on the edge of the village, pacing. "Maybe that's a Huntress!"

You soar down and land a few feet away, not gaining the attention of the raven-haired woman. You casually approach her with your hand raised. "Hey! You look pretty dangerous!"

The woman turns around, her red eyes catching a glimpse of you. You tilt your head when you see her features – some wild yet controlled black hair thanks to a red bandana, a red and black shirt that droops down her chest, that space being taken up by necklaces. She wears matching colour gauntlets that only expose her fingers. Her legs are covered two-fold, first by the long, thigh high black boots and a very short black skirt that connects to the shirt. Attached to her belt is a long, grey and black sheath that houses her weapon.

"That's an inappropriate greeting," she responds.

"Ah, sorry," you stop shortly before her and sheepishly smile. "I just assumed you were the Huntress Lionheart talked about."

"Lionheart?" She raises her brow, finding a source of some information.

"Yeah, I thought that he'd send one of those two guys but I guess you're here anyway. You know, the possible raid from the woman I'm looking for. Kinda looks like you but I don't think the clothes are right," you tilt your head. "And you're a Huntress, not a bandit."

"Of course," she quickly replies, taking the role you've given her. "So, you're looking for..?"

"Hehe," you rub the back of your head. "I never got her name... she's my friend's mom. Thought I'd find her for a little surprise."

The Huntress looks to the side for a moment. "You traveled here for that?"

"It wasn't that big of a deal," you shrug. "Oh! I'm (Y/N)," you hold your hand out. "You are?"

She slowly grabs your hand and shakes it. "Raven Branwen. Huntress."

"Oh, Huntsman-in-Training! I mean, I missed my first year cause I was training but... I'm trying. I may be a year behind now but it was worth it."

"Well, (Y/N)," she notes what you said but doesn't reply to it. "I don't believe your target is coming here. You should look elsewhere."

"Oh, really?" You pout. "Darn it... guess I'll have to keep looking. Are you going to keep investigating? Sounds like you're on this case."

Raven looks away and huffs. "Of... course I am... I can't let these vulnerable people be in danger."

You smile and nod. "Okay, I'll stick with you, then! We should be able to find her together."

Raven turns away and rubs her forehead. "I'd rather work on my own, if you don't mind."

You jump over her, flipping around to face her when you land. "I understand, but I insist I help," you say with a far more serious tone than before. "I need to find this woman for Yang. Trust me, I'll be a big help, promise," you end with a lighthearted smile.

"Tsk," Raven looks away. "I... fine, you can stick around for a bit."

"Yeah, thanks!" You clench your fist in front of you. "We'll find her, Raven! Nobody can escape my eyes!" You look at the sky. "For my senses are..." You stop then look back to Raven, or, where Raven was. "Jeez, you didn't have to prove me wrong immediately," you end with a sigh. "Well, better get after her. She's moving pretty fast," you note before slightly hovering above the ground and flying towards her energy signal,

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A bird soars through the thin forest leading away from the village. While it rides the wind, going faster and faster, it's somehow cut off by a familiar body. The bird bounces off your stomach and falls to the ground.

"A bird?" You scratch your head then widen your eyes as the bird morphs back into Raven. "Whoa, you can become a bird! That's cool!" You descend to the ground and offer your hand. "But you should've mentioned leaving, or were you really just poking fun at my sentence?"

Raven get to her feet without your help and squints. "Well, you would be worthless if you couldn't keep up."

"Oh, a test! Clever!" You rest your hands on your hips. "You could be a teacher! So, where are we going? Do you have an idea of..." You trail off as your mind catches something interesting. "Is there... another village around here?" You say, not sounding like you're all there.

Raven keeps a poker face, knowing what's nearby. "I don't know. Why?"

"I think people are in trouble... signatures are disappearing! We have to go!" You shout before bursting forward.

Raven notes you're going a certain direction... "Energy signatures? I have to follow him," she quickly shifts back into a bird and follows your trail.

You fly a few miles to reach the encampment, hidden in a denser section of trees. You already see glowing green between the treeline. You soar up a little bit then crash down in the middle of eight green Beowolves. As they bounce into the air, you open your palms and quickly fire an individual beam at each, spinning round and round as you fire each shot. The ash of the Beowolves fall around you whilst you exhale. Raven returns to her body and lands beside you. She immediately unsheathes her red bladed sword and starts running towards the camp ahead.

You quickly follow the Huntress through the trees and onto a path that goes directly into a makeshift camp. You can barely tell what it was intended to be because of its current state. The fur and leather drapes that acted as walls are either torn down completely or have massive gashes in them. The large tents acting as buildings have toppled with bodies lifelessly impaled or thrown onto them. Within the fractured confines of this camp, a hoard of green, crystalized Beowolves rip the residents to shreds. Men and women scream as their limbs are torn off or their somehow still alive as their torso is chewed by the Grimm.

Raven's reaction to seeing this is one you weren't expecting. You haven't seen a Huntsman become mad at anything... yet here she is. With a speed that's more than impressive, Raven blitzes a Beowolf that's throwing around a young woman with short hair and tattoos. She slashes into the Beowolf's side, but instead of cutting through the beast as Raven intended, it only cut through a few centimeters. You refrain from following Raven since plenty of others are being attacked by the Grimm. Not wanting to take too much time, you jump into the middle of the camp and repeat your previous action, though with a bit more flair. Instead of simply spinning around and blasting, you flip and spin in place, firing blast from your hands and feet. The flash of blue and yellow flash in the sky, despite the rays of the sun competing for space. Even with their strange green upgrade, the Beowolves are helpless against your dance of Ki. It'd be both beautiful and awe-inspiring by those who could see it. Unfortunately, Raven is the only person who could truly understand and appreciate the spectacle, even while dealing with the injured woman.

Raven looks back down at the gritty, battle-hardened, bleeding woman in her arms.

"Vernal..."

"I-" She coughs out nearly a bucket of blood. Raven closes her eyes and tilts her head away, finding it hard to watch. She looks around at the others through the black and green ash. They're all lifeless bodies thrown about, coupled by the fact that you have a melancholy look to you reinforces the idea of them all being dead. You can only sense Raven and the nearly dead woman.

You spot a few Grimm that were outside the cloth walls start to run. You let them go for now and slowly approach the two humans, trying to judge what a senzu bean would do for her. At the point she's at, she'll be dead in moments. You close your eyes and bow your head in respect. Raven furrows her brow at your action, but cannot blame you for it. She meets eyes with Vernal once more and exhales.

"Rest now, Vernal..." She lightly drags her hand down the woman's face and closes her eyelids. She rests the body down and stands up, clenching her bloodstained fists. "Those Grimm..."

"I've seen them before," you cross your arms. "One was on a small island a few days ago. Seems like there's more and more around," your fingers lift to the chin. "They're bigger and tougher than regular Grimm."

"I killed one."

"I killed plenty too, so you should know that it takes more to hurt these things."

Raven's eyes drift away as she thinks back on the Grimm. From all her experience, she knows how much force to put into a swing. That Beowolf's durability was far higher than any Beowolf's she's fought, even Alphas.

"The way you killed them... I thought you could fly. What was that... attack?"

"Oh, my Ki?" You lift your hand in front of you, opening and closing your fist. "Nothing really. It's not super important. I think that we should find the source of these Grimm. If they started attacking cities it could be a real problem.

Raven looks around the camp once more. "It's not a problem that these people were killed?" She barks, showing more emotions than she normally does. The look in her eyes, the shivering iris, it reminds you of... you.

"You knew these people? But aren't they... I mean, I haven't really seen many but this place seems like a bandit camp. You're..." You look up and down the woman again. "Are you corrupt?

Raven is almost disappointed in your conclusion. "No, but this woman... she was a close friend."

"Oh, that makes sense... she looks younger than you, though... but, hey, nothing wrong with that. One of my friends is an old man!" Your expression suddenly flares up with excitement. "Wait, can I be part of your mission?"

"Mission?" She repeats.

"You're gonna try and stop these new Grimm, right? I can put my search for Yang's mom on hold for this! Some of those Grimm ran off in that direction," you flick your head appropriately. "So we have a lead."

Raven somehow manages to snicker during this time. Your reasoning may be wrong... but at least your guess is right. These Grimm have to pay for what they've done... all of them.

"Alright, (Y/N)... we'll work together for now."

And here's the start of Volume 2! I'm pretty excited if I do say so myself. Despite being so excited, I don't have much to say in this author's note. I appreciate you reading, as always, and hope you enjoyed! It's been fun blending the DB-verse and RWBY. I always wonder if the changes and blending I've made actually annoys some people. Like Raven, Wheelo, and the Mutated Grimm all being introduced despite the odd timing. Trust me, I have a plan. I just... need... time.

Anyway, I'll chat with you all later! If you have any complaints then talk to Name. He's definitely the one to blame. Just harass him... even if there's nothing wrong you should mess with him anyway.

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