Darksiders: The Ruby's Shadow

Chapter 6

The city of Vale was a nice place, peaceful but not quiet. Plenty of people, both natives and visitors alike walked about on business and pleasure, shopping, eating, sightseeing and altogether enjoying themselves. Team RWBY and Rider walked among them, the former searching for suitable clothing stores for the latter. As they passed by certain stores, each of the girls couldn't help but get distracted a few times, stopping and looking through windows at various merchandise for seconds at a time. The current distraction, specifically for Ruby, was at a weapon store.

"Ooh, look at those bullets!" she said with a smile, forehead against the store window and drool dripping from mouth. "I bet Sweetheart can take a Grim's head off with them! Ooh, that blade polisher looks nice! Maybe I should give it –"

"Ruby?" interjected Yang. "We need to get Rider some clothes, first. I think we can get the blade polish later."

"Oh, right. Sorry."

"So where exactly are we going?" Rider asked once they continued walking. "I know we're going to get some clothes, but what's our destination?"

"Well, we're looking for a decent store that sells men's clothes," said Weiss. "But not just any clothes, mind you. They have to be combat-durable, as well as competently professional. Since you'll be teaching at Beacon – "

"Tutoring!" interjected Ruby.

"Right. Since you'll be tutoring at Beacon, you should at least look presentable, well dressed. Maybe wear something that shows authority and a bit of power."

"I'm pretty sure he shows more than a little power on his own," Blake said. "The man's muscled up as is, and he's got more than enough strength to prove they're real."

"My point is that they should look better than casual. And, though I don't usually shop at this side of town, I do know of one store which sells clothing that fits those criteria. And, they're at reasonable prices."

"Uh, reasonable for you or for us?" asked Yang. "Some of us do have a budget, remember?"

"Oh relax, your wallets will be fine. Aha, here we are!"

They stood in front of a small gray shop with bright bronze lettering adorning the top, titled "From Battles to Banquets." In the front were two window displays, each displaying three mannequins on the left and right of the storefront. The left mannequins displayed, from left to right respectively, a dark blue sleeveless dress, a white short-sleeved shirt and brown shorts, and a dark red set of female armor that consisted of a midriff cuirass, gauntlets, and greaves, all on top of leather shirt and pants and made of several layers of metal plates. The right mannequins, meanwhile, in reverse order of the others, showed a dark blue suit and tie, a white short-sleeved shirt and brown pants, and a dark red set of armor that consisted of full cuirass, gauntlets, greaves, and leather shirt and pants, also made from several layers of metal plates. The girls all walked towards the door, but they stopped when they all noticed Rider staring at one of the mannequins, the one with the male armor.

"Rider?" Yang asked. "What's wrong?"

"This armor," he said, pointing at the mannequin. "It's pathetically incomplete. No one would live long on these alone."

"Oh, that?" Weiss asked. "That's just for display purposes, to grab attention and look good. They sell better, complete sets of armor inside. Don't worry about that."

"Not to mention most Huntsmen and Huntresses would just use Aura and evasive maneuvers, anyways," said Blake. "So, why bother with a full set?"

"Aura," Rider said, thinking. "I've heard the word before, but I did not receive an explanation of what it is."

"Aura? Well, it's basically the manifestation of one's soul. Humans, animals, all things with souls have it. There's even debates on whether androids and plants have them or not, but that's not important. What is important is this: once unlocked and with proper training, anyone can use aura."

"For what, exactly?"

"Combat, mostly. With proper training, you can use your aura to soften or block blows that would normally kill you, depending on the strength of the blow and your aura. You can also use it to enhance your own physical attacks, and it hastens the body's natural healing abilities to a point. But, Aura is limited. Once you run out, or run too low, you'll be vulnerable."

"So, you're saying it's a natural shield, enhancement, and means of healing injuries. Is that right?"

"By itself, yes. However –"

"Ahem!" interrupted Weiss. "Could you please finish the lesson after we go inside?"

"Of course," said Rider. "After you, Miss Blake."

With a nod, Blake walked in, followed by the rest of the girls, and then by Rider. The interior was relatively bright, shelves and stands made of brightly stained wood, akin to maple. All around were different sets of clothes ranging from folded pants and shirts on shelves, outfit combinations of various qualities that were presented on headless mannequins, skirts hanging on racks, pieces of armor on shelves, a few full sets of armor on mannequins centered off to the left and right walls of the store, and finally clothing accessories such as belts, jewelry, and other such miscellaneous items on tables and racks scattered about the store. From an open door at the back of the store emerged a dark-skinned man with short-cropped salt-and-pepper hair. He wore a white dress shirt, gray dress pants and black belt, dark brown oxford shoes, and had a yellow measuring tape draped around his neck. This was Steven, owner of From Battles to Banquets.

"Ah, Miss Schnee," he said with a slightly posh voice. "How lovely to see you again. I expect you're here for the combat boots you showed interest in last time?"

"Not quite, Steven," Weiss said. "Though I do wish to look at them again. But first, introductions. Steven, meet my teammates, Ruby, Blake, and Yang, as well as Beacon Academy's newest teaching assistant and combat tutor, Rider. Everyone, meet Steven, the best tailor in the city of Vale and one of its top fashion designers."

"Oh, stop, Miss Schnee, I'm hardly the best. I just do my best, and a little more if necessary."

"And that's what makes you the best! Steven, take a look at Rider and tell me what you think."

"Of course – oh my. You're...certainly a big one...hm. You said he's a new combat tutor. Is it safe to assume you haven't started teaching yet?"

"Correct," said Rider.

"I see. Hold still, please. This won't hurt. Everyone else, feel free to look around."

Steven held his hand out towards Rider, and in a pale blue glow the measuring tape lazily floated towards Rider. It quickly reached him, wrapping around his waist snugly. Steven, meanwhile, walked towards him with a small notepad and pen he pulled from his pocket, taking notes of the measurement. Soon the tape moved to Rider's neck, this time wrapping a little more loosely so as not to choke him.

"Is that a Semblance?" Blake asked from the women's pants section.

"Yes, it is," Steven said, not looking away as the tape continued its different measurements. "As long as it's like rope or string, I can control up to four small or medium objects at once with it. Or, I can control one very large object, so long as I can keep focus. It's very useful against the occasional vandalizer. And in case you're wondering, I graduated from Signal Academy and took two years at Beacon Academy before dropping out."

"Oh, you went to Signal too?" Ruby asked, having perused some shirts.

"Yes I did, and I made some great friends over there," said Steven.

"Wait, why did you drop out of Beacon?" asked Blake.

"Because it was one of my friends from Signal who helped me realize that, as much power and ability being a Huntsman would grant me, it would not give me any real happiness," he said. "I always loved making clothes, designing outfits, forging armor sets. It always made me feel, peace and excitement at the same time. But most importantly, it felt right. But, my family had always been warriors, huntresses and soldiers. It was expected of me, the oldest of my siblings, to follow in their footsteps. So, with some words of encouragement from my teammates, and after talking to Headmaster Ozpin, I dropped out."

"What happened to your teammates?" asked Yang, holding a brown belt.

"Oh, they all followed my lead. We were a team of teenagers forced into being warriors. Our team leader, he's now a baker over in the east side of town, working in "Delicious Delicacies". One is a mechanic over in Atlas, running his own shop. And the final one's travelling around the world, doing volunteer work and helping where he can."

"And your family?" Weiss asked, looking at the combat boots. "How did they take it?"

"At first? Not very well. They demanded that I go back, almost forcing me to do so by, ah, not so dignified means."

"Guilt trips and punishment?"

"Not quite, but I'd rather not go into detail. Luckily, I had the foresight to ask Ozpin ahead of time to talk to them, though I wish he had done so sooner. Still, he calmed them down, if only a bit. They agreed to my decision, but on the condition that I follow my dream without their help."

"Wait, they disowned you?!" exclaimed Ruby worriedly.

"No, no, nothing so drastic! Rather, they put me through a test. If I could successfully become a tailor and own my own shop within three years, they would financially support me. Luckily, Miss Glynda from Beacon heard of this and pulled some strings to get me a starting job and a place to stay, though I had to pay my own rent. After that I learned the trade and, after two years of work and making connections, I opened my own shop. And the rest is history. You may put your arms down, Mister Rider. I am finished measuring."

"So, you lived a somewhat trying life?" Rider asked.

"Oh, very much so. Still, I had a bit of help, and for that I will always be grateful. Now, are there any particular styles or types of clothing that you request?"

"Something practical, and something I can wrap my armor around," he said. "Or, at least something that won't get in its way. Also, nothing too tight. I don't want movement to be restricted."

"Hm, so something loose fitting but durable. Very well, I'll be right back."

And with that Steven made his way to the back room. Rider, meanwhile, looked around him at the different items, feeling out of place and slightly frustrated for being so. Eventually his sight landed upon the armored mannequins, and he made his way to them. Most of them he just passed by without much thought, though he did stop to look at a yellow-and-silver set that looked, in design, like the offspring of something from heaven and something avian. It was posed standing straight, with the palms of its gauntlets pointed inward, clawed fingers relaxed, and the top of the helmet just reaching Rider's forehead. Its main body was sleek and smooth, with two exceptions: it's pauldrons. Bulky in comparison, they were covered in a layer of plates, each shaped and layered over one another so that they looked like silver feathers. This style of plating also covered the chestplate, as well as the backplate. Its chrome helmet, in a barbute style, covered the mannequin's head and back of the neck, with a chainmail coif covering the rest of the neck. The helmet itself had a clear glass-like screen covering the face for protection. The rest of the armor, from the gauntlets to the greaves, looked less like armor pieces and more like silver and gold limbs. Down the arms and legs ran straight red lines, one going down each arm and leg. The final touch was a white cape at the back, reaching just past the back of the knees. Overall it looked like the armor a hero would wear, clearly too small for anyone Rider's size.

"This is ostentatious," he said to himself, shaking his head. "I suppose the design is impressive, especially if it holds against attacks, but the colors… it hurts my eyes just to look at it."

"Well, I don't think Steven had stealth in mind when he made this," Blake said as she and Weiss walked up to him. "What did he have in mind with this one?"

"I think he was going for something, celestial," Weiss said, tilting her head. "Something warm and inspiring. If so, he certainly got the theme down, mostly. Not exactly the most inviting set of armor I've seen, but close enough I suppose."

"And when is armor supposed to look inviting?" Rider asked. "It makes more sense for armor to be intimidating, to instill fear in one's enemies.

"Point noted. In that case that other armor back there would do the trick."

Blake and Rider turned to look at the other sets, and their eyes immediately landed on one particular suit. Bulkier, more imposing, and with a black and white color scheme, it was the polar opposite of the celestial suit. Unlike the previous armor, this one actually matched Rider in height and possibly in build. Where the celestial armor was mostly smooth and sleek, this one was spiky and had white skeletal-like spines stemming down its black limbs, branching off at different parts and reaching all the way to the fingertips and very ends of the greaves. Six of these stems also protruded from the pauldrons like curved spikes of various lengths, the longest two being at the ends and being only half as long as Rider's forearm. The helmet itself, more akin to a great helm or bucket helm, was circular in shape and had two short goat horns protruding from the top as well as decorative fangs around the bottom, the gaps between each fang serving as breathing holes. The gauntlets each had two spikes where the innermost knuckles would be, to add punching damage. The chest plating and back plating were where the spines met, making something akin to a circle in the middle of the chest. Overall it looked like black armor with bone-like ivy growing on top of it.

"How…pompous," Rider said. "I suppose this could do the trick, in the middle of a thunderstorm at night. For scaring children."

"To be fair, if you gave the wearer a large ax or sword, any enemy would be scared," Weiss said. "Though they'd have to be big enough to fit in the armor, and be strong enough to lift the weapon and run in the armor."

"So, Cardin Winchester?" Blake asked.

"Hm…yeah, he'd do. Especially with his Semblance."

"You mean that explosion he causes with his mace? I'm not so sure that's his Semblance, but rather him causing the ground to explode through sheer force of strength."

"Really? Well, he's got the muscles, I suppose."

"Semblance. What is that?" Rider asked. "I've heard that word used several times before."

"Well, continuing where I left off before we came in, a Semblance is an individual person's manifestation of their aura," Blake said. "No two Semblances are the same, as each is more or less the manifestation of their soul. You remember what Steven did with the measuring tape? That was his Semblance."

"I see. And what of yours, or the rest of your team?"

"Well, Weiss can create Glyphs that have various effects, especially since she tends to combine them with Dust. Ruby has enhanced speed. Yang can take the force of attacks that hit her and add it to her own attacks, so long as she's conscious. And me, I can make temporary clones that take my place."

"Temporary clones?"

Blake hesitated for a moment before sighing, and suddenly a second one appeared next to her. The second one looked at the first one just before lightly slapping her in the back of the head, making the first Blake stumble slightly just before flickering away into nothing.

"Impressive. I suppose you use this for, decoys and avoiding attacks?"

"Primarily," Blake said, raising an eyebrow. "It takes most people a little bit longer for them to come to that realization when I tell them this, assuming I'm not using this on them."

"Given your demonstration, it's not that hard to figure out. Your clones do seem to have some mass to them, though not for long. This makes them something in between being mirages and true clones. Since they have some mass, you could probably jump off of them, or even use them to shove one of your teammates away from enemy fire. Given the way your body moved from there to here, it's clear that movement is a key aspect to your ability, though whether it's a prerequisite or not is beyond me."

"That, is quite impressive," Weiss said, a look of bewilderment on her face. "Clearly Professor Ozpin lucked out when he hired you. Both impressive combat skills and even better analytical abilities."

"What's going on, guys?" asked Ruby as she approached.

"Rider just figured out the basics of Blake's Semblance, just by looking at it."

"Wait, what? You can do that?"

"Clearly it's a rare thing, being able to understand what's right in front of you," Rider said.

"Oh ha ha," Weiss said, eyes narrowing. "A sense of humor so dry, it makes Yang look like a comedian."

"Someone say my name?" Yang asked as she approached. "And why are we gathering around?"

"Apparently Rider can figure out how our Semblances work, just by looking at them," Ruby said.

"Wait, he can do that?"

"Didn't we just say that?" Rider asked.

"Huh. And here I thought Blake was the antisocial one."

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything important," said Steven as he walked towards them, two piles of folded clothes in his arms.

"Oh, don't be silly," Weiss said, waving the concern off. "Just killing time. Those are his clothes?"

"Well, these are the ones I picked out, after taking his measurements and requests in mind. We rarely have people of his size come in, so I had to look in the back for clothes that would fit. Now, Mister Rider, as per your request for clothes that would go well with your current armor, I picked out some cargo pants and some denim jeans of various fits and cuts. Also, as you will be in an academic position I found some dress shirts that may look and feel great on you. Now, would you please make your way into the male dressing room to try them on, with and without your armor, and let us know what you think? It's over that way, the left gray door."

Taking the clothes that Steven had, Rider followed his directions and went in. As he closed the door, Yang spoke up.

"Hey, what are we gonna do about his face wraps?" she asked. "Are we just gonna let him keep them on the whole time?"

"Well, he said he liked keeping his face covered," Ruby said with a shrug, "so why not?"

"How long will they last?" Blake asked. "I'm not sure Nurse Lily would approve of him taking bandage wraps from the school, just to cover his face. He has no valid reason for it."

"It's probably better to get him a mask," said Weiss. "Steven, do you sell masks here?"

"Sorry," he said, shaking his head. "No masks in this shop."

"It's okay. We'll just have to look elsewhere."

"Maybe costume shops?" Ruby asked. "There should be plenty of masks there."

"Sounds like a plan," Yang said. "After this we go to the nearest costume, if we have Lien left."

"Or a crafts shop, if he can't find one he likes?"

"That sounds reasonable," Weiss said. "And relax, we'll have plenty of money left over."

"Well, it is your bank account we'll be using," Yang said. "Which reminds me. Steven, you wrote down Rider's measurements, right?"

"I did," he said, pulling out his notepad.

"Can we get a copy of that? We're gonna need it for, ah, something."

"I don't see why not."

"What's this about, Yang?" Weiss asked.

"Oh, I know!" Ruby said. "It's how Rider only has –"

"One less thing to worry about!" Yang said, swiftly covering Ruby's mouth. "Right, Blake? Weiss?"

Silent understanding passed through the two girls, both nodding in agreement before looking away. Soon they all broke into different conversations to pass the time. Ten minutes later, they all heard footsteps coming their way. They looked and saw Rider holding a pile of clothes in his left hand, still shirtless but now wearing new pants with the armor. This pair was a light shade of brown cargo pants. Pockets stood out next to the thigh armor pieces, as well as one on his right ankle that was harder to see. Everyone there, save for Weiss, looked in approval.

"Rider?" she asked. "What happened to the shirts?"

"Folded and in a pile," he said, pointing a thumb over his shoulder.

"No, I mean, why aren't you wearing one of them?"

"They didn't feel right. Also, one of them has a small tear in the sleeve, from when I tried to tie my armor around it."

"Oh, tears can be fixed," Steven said, waving it off. "But, what did you mean that they did not feel right? Is it the material? Improper fitting?"

"No, not that. The materials are fine, and they fit fine. It's, something else. Something I cannot explain properly."

"Hm. And the pants? And problems with them?"

"The dark gray pair was too tight around the calves, making it hard to move. Other than that, no."

"And those clothes in your hands, the pants you wish to buy?"

"Yes."

"I see. Since this is your first time making a purchase with us, I will give you a twenty percent discount. And feel free to leave the gray pants and shirts in the dressing room, if they make you uncomfortable."

"Very well, I will."

"Wait, what?!" exclaimed Weiss, looking at Steven. "You're just, going to let him go shirtless?!"

"If that is what he wishes," Steven said with a shrug. "Though I do wish he would buy at least one shirt, I am not going to force him to buy something he does not feel comfortable in."

"But, but–"

"Miss Schnee, I am certain that he will find shirts that feel good to him. There are, after all, other stores in this district. But most of all, one must feel comfortable in the clothes that they buy, both physically and emotionally. To ensure that comfort is an unspoken, fundamental rule of all that sell and make clothes. And I will not break that rule, under any circumstance."

Weiss stared and stammered at Steven, trying to come up with a good response to his words. Failing this, she sighed in defeat and cast her gaze downward before reaching for her wallet and pulling out her Lien card.

"How much?"

"Hm, let's see. That's six pairs of pants, two of which are cargos, one pair of carpenter duck jeans, and three of my custom work pants. Taking off the twenty percent discount, it all totals to...one-hundred-twenty Lien. If you would bring those to the front desk, please?"

Rider and Weiss both made their way to the front desk, putting the clothes down and handing over the Lien card. The others followed suit, still silent as they walked with Rider and Weiss to the door with two big bags of clothes in Rider's left hand. The silence was broken once they were out the door, Steven waving them goodbye from the desk.

"So, that happened," Yang said.

"I certainly didn't expect that out of a tailor," Blake said.

"I like him," Ruby said.

"Ugh, yes," Weiss said as she gripped her nose's bridge. "Though I don't like Rider still being shirtless, that view of Steven's is another thing I think makes him the best in his field."

"Well, it's not like 'From Battles to Banquets' is the only clothing store in this city," Blake said. "And the day's just started. We'll probably find him something to wear."

"I still don't see any real problem with being shirtless," Rider said. "Still, she's right. There are other stores."

"Plus, we got your measurements," Yang said, holding up a small piece of paper. "Now we can buy you obligatory gifts."

"Excuse me?"

"You know, for holidays and your birthday. You have gotten gifts on your birthday before, right?"

"…I'm an amnesiac. I can't answer that."

"Oh, right. Amnesiac, forgot about that."

"Also, wouldn't it be more practical to just give someone money, so they can get whatever they want?"

"Actually, that happens more often than you think," said Weiss. "In fact, it's becoming a more popular trend among parents."

"Really? Why is that?"

"Many reasons. Mostly parents or loved ones not really caring much about what to get their kids and friends."

"Or being too worried about what to get," chimed in Ruby. "I had a classmate who couldn't decide what to get for her boyfriend's birthday. Made her really worried, so she gave up and got him some Lien."

"Wow," Blake said. "That, sounds kind of cheap. Did he get mad?"

"No, she said he understood after she explained how she got really worried about it."

"Huh."

"Oh, that reminds me," Ruby said as she pulled out her wallet. "Rider, can you hold out your hand?"

Rider looked at her for a moment before doing so, receiving two Lien cards from Ruby.

"What's this for?" he asked.

"Well, I know you'll probably want to buy things by yourself, whenever you walk around the city by yourself. So, this is to help you out. I know twenty Lien isn't much, but it can help."

"You didn't have to do that."

"I know. That's why it's called a gift."

"Hey, let me join in," Yang said, holding out her own Lien cards. "This makes it fifty, now. Blake, you wanna throw some in?"

The brunette looked at Yang for a moment before looking at Ruby, the look on her face asking if she was serious. Ruby merely nodded with a smile, and Blake sighed in defeat before pulling out her wallet. She held out two Lien cards to Rider.

"Now it's ninety," she said.

"And now it's one-hundred-ninety," said Weiss, holding out a yellow Lien card. "Here you are, Rider. Let it never be said that Team RWBY wasn't generous with their money."

"Thank you," he said, pocketing the Lien.

"I don't suppose this means we're done shopping for Rider for today?" Blake asked.

"No, there are still some essentials he needs," Weiss said, arms crossed. "First and foremost, the unmentionables."

"You mean underwear?" Yang asked bluntly.

"Yes, the underwear. After that, I suppose he could use some notebooks and basic office supplies, such as pens and papers. All of which can be bought for cheap at discount stores. Other than that, I suppose it's up to him."

"Well, on that note, where do you wanna go ne – oomph! Hey, what gives?"

Rider had stopped without warning, causing Yang to bump into him. He was looking down an alleyway, though at what was unknown. The girls looked at him, then down the alley. It had dirty walls, a dumpster, a few trash bags, and what appeared to be a homeless man slumped against a wall.

"Uh, Rider?" Ruby asked. "Are you okay?"

"I heard a crow," he said. "Cawing, just a second ago."

"Yeah, crows do that," Weiss said. "What's wrong with that?"

"I'll be right back."

Rider put the bags down and walked into the alley, the girls hesitant on following him. Eventually Ruby walked in after him, Yang following her and Blake going in next. Weiss, torn between going into a dirty alley and staying in the cleaner street, eventually relented and followed her teammates. The three girls were standing away from Rider and the homeless man, an old, pale man with thin, pale brown hair and a short, scraggly beard of gray and brown. He wore grungy brown pants, a gray undershirt, an oversized gray button-up shirt missing a sleeve, and sandals. A heavy navy blue jacket rested on the ground next to him. He wasn't even looking at Rider or the girls, instead keeping his gaze towards the ground.

"What do you want?" he asked wearily. "I have nothin' worth takin'."

"You simply caught my attention," Rider said. "I came to investigate."

The homeless man hesitated before looking up to Rider, his eyes widening for a moment before grim acceptance showed on his face.

"You here to take me, Grim Reaper? Good, 'cause I'm ready. Take my soul, be it to salvation or damnation."

"You mistake me for someone else. My name is Rider. And I'm not taking your soul anywhere."

"Then what the hell do you want? To laugh? To kick me?"

"Kick you? I think the world has done enough damage to you as is. No, I'm not here to kick you. Truth be told, I'm only here because a crow's caw and a gut feeling pulled me into this alley."

The homeless man stared at Rider in confusion before looking at the girls. Each merely shrugged or shook their heads, unable to give an explanation. So, he looked back at Rider.

"A crow? You serious?"

"Completely."

"...you're crazy, comin' in here 'cause of some bird."

"Maybe I am. But that's of no consequence to you, for I have a proposition for you."

At this point Rider crouched down next to him, pulling out the Lien cards that Team RWBY had given him earlier. The homeless man eyed them in shock before sitting up and staring at the big man in confusion.

"What…what are you proposing'?"

"In exchange for one-hundred-ninety Lien, you let me try on your gray shirt. And if I like it, I keep it."

"That-that's it?"

"That's all."

"Rider!" exclaimed Weiss. "Are you seriously going to try out that, tattered, disgusting shirt?!"

"Yes. I am."

"But, but that's –"

"My choice. So, what say you?"

"You…you're really gonna hand over all that money, just for a ratty shirt?" asked the homeless man.

"Yes, I am. Though it has its uses, money is of little importance to me. Besides, don't you think it's time something good happened to you?"

The vagrant hesitated for a few moments, pondering Rider's words before finally pulling off the gray shirt and holding it out to Rider. Rider took the shirt and dropped the Lien cards into the waiting hands of the other. Once done, he gripped the shirt in both hands and twirled it behind him, his arms slipping through the sleeve and armhole smoothly. He took a moment to let it settle on his shoulders before inspecting it, looking at each part and testing the feel of it as he moved in certain ways. Still unbuttoned, it had a relaxed fit on Rider. Other than the tattered parts, it looked like a regular button-down. Parts of the hem and tail had small rips going up the shirt, giving it a minor tail feather-like effect. There were a few small holes scattered about, the biggest no bigger than two inches. The tail reached just past his pants pockets, easily covering them. Finally, there was a breast pocket on his left side, with something silver sticking out of it. Rider opened the pocket and pulled the item of suspicion out, revealing what looked like a sharpened knitting needle.

"I'm, uh, gonna need that back," the homeless man said.

"Here," Rider said, giving it back. "I never caught your name."

"Gray. I'm Gray. You?"

"Rider," he said before taking the left sleeve and ripping it off. "I like this shirt. I'll take it."

"OH, COME ON!" exclaimed Weiss, to the ear pain of the other girls. "OUT OF ALL THE SHIRTS YOU'VE TRIED, THIS IS THE ONE YOU LIKE?!"

"Yes, it is."

"WHY?!"

"I like the feel of it."

"But, but –"

"I don't see why you're complaining. After all, I'm no longer shirtless."

Weiss, trying to argue against Rider, ended up stammering in incomprehension and frustration at him until finally, she stopped, her face unreadable. She spun around and briskly walked away, the rest of Team RWBY looking worriedly at her as she walked out of the alley. Ruby, looking at Rider for a moment, ran after the white haired maiden, leaving Yang and Blake with Rider and Gray.

"Well," Blake said. "That was, unexpected."

"Yeah," said Yang. "Don't think anyone expected you'd get Weiss to be frustrated, by doing what she wanted you to do."

"I'm full of surprises," Rider said. "Now all I need, is a mask. After all, you're right. Nurse Lily wouldn't approve of me taking medical wraps just to cover my face."

"Wait a minute, you heard all of that?" Blake asked surprised.

"I did, as well as the other conversations. You weren't exactly whispering. I don't remember all of them, though. I wasn't paying full attention to them."

"Does," began Yang, "does this mean you heard Weiss –"

"Say I look like a walking corpse, and you, Blake, calling me untrustworthy? Yes, I did. You're both right, and I think what Weiss said is actually quite funny."

"I, I see," Blake said, looking down. "I'm sorry for –"

"Don't apologize. You were being honest, and there's no reason to be sorry for that. I'm not."

"…well then," Yang said. "Where are we gonna find a mask?"

"A mask?" asked Gray, looking pensive. "I think I have one. Hold on a sec."

Gray made his way to one of the nearby trash bags, pulling it open and digging through it. He began pulling out random pieces of clothing before, finally, pulling out what looked like a big black piece of sagging cloth with a gray smudge on it.

"What is this?" Rider asked.

"It's a tube mask," Gray said, putting it in Rider's hands. "It goes over your head and covers the bottom half of your face. And, you can pull the rear end over your head to hide even more of your face. But, sorry 'bout the spot. It was like that when I found it; think it got bleach in it or somethin'."

Rider examined the mask, turning it over in his hands and pulling at it at parts. It was elastic, and it felt nice in his hands. Light, but not quite as fragile as cotton. Looking up at Gray, he nodded at him before walking to a far corner of the alley, his back to the others as he undid the wrappings. The rest of the group waited in suspense, watching as the wraps fell to the floor. Finally, he pulled the tube over his head, pulling it down to his neck and under all his hair before pulling it back up to cover his face. Job done, he walked back to the group to show his mask. The gray part covered where his mouth was, narrowing down to nearly a faded point at the chin. Overall, it looked like a spectral figure. Combined with Rider's piercing orange eyes, the effect was clear when it caused Gray to inadvertently step back in momentary fear. Blake and Yang, meanwhile, looked stunned and impressed, respectively.

"Looking good, Rider," Yang said with a smile and thumbs-up. "How does it feel?"

"A little itchy," he said, "but it will do. Thank you."

"Y-you're welcome," he stuttered. "Thanks for the Lien."

"Welp, that's two things off the to-do list! So, wanna go show Weiss and Ruby?"

"Lead the way."

The girls turned and walked out the alley, Rider following them and Gray watching them go before sitting against the wall and looking at the Lien cards in his hands and pondering just how good today had been to him. He looked to the sky above while a smile grew on him, hope reigniting within him. As he sat there, he noticed movement nearby and turned his gaze to his left. Up on the top of the alleyway, sat a crow a little bigger than most crows around Vale. It looked a little roughed up, as if it had been flying in a storm. At its feet was something small and white, something he couldn't make out from where he sat. Its eyes, as opposed to the dark brown or black of typical crows, were instead bright yellow. Its eyes almost seemed to glow with a dim light. What stood out to Gray most of all, though, was not a physical feature of the crow. Instead, it was the feeling of dread that came from looking at it, like something bad was going to happen soon. With a caw the crow grasped the white item and took flight, to parts unknown. After taking all of that in, Gray stood up and grabbed his trash bag.

"Somethin' bad's gonna happen," he said to himself. "I just know it."

[Hey guys, Guardian here. SO, SO SORRY IT TOOK SO LONG FOR THIS CHAPTER! Life and trouble with figuring out how to write this chapter got in the way. I know, poor excuse, but that's all I can say.

However, I have an announcement to make. So as to speed things up, I'm gonna cut out a few things I wanted to write into the story. For those of you wondering what I'll be cutting out, it's mostly side stuff. Things that, when I think about it, probably won't progress the plot that much. They'd be lovely to read, but probably not imnportant. HOWEVER, that's not to say you won't see them. Rather, I'll be making them into BONUS CHAPTERS! This means that, should I fall into a writing slump with the plot and need to buy time, I'll be throwing a bonus chapter to keep you guys entertained (hopefully ^.^*). Also, future predictions: they probably won't be very long, the bonus chapters.

Also, I'll have to rescind a promise I made. I don't know how long the main chapters will take, and whenever I try to force myself to write it the chapter either doesn't make much progress or turns out shitty. I can promise that I'll be writing them out, but I can't promise you guys how long they'll take. I am sorry. :(

Steven and Gray are my characters, created for this story. Like with Nurse Lily, if they happen to share the same names as OC's of those who read this, it's purely coincidental. I came up with these two off the top of my head.

In case you're wondering, yes. I got the idea for Rider's new mask from Call of Duty: Ghosts. I'm not saying that's exactly what it looks like. Rather, it looks close. Like a wispy copy of the bottom half of his old mask.

Thanks, again, to almost stupid and Archfiend1244 for proofreading and editing my stuff.

Like before I'll need to take a break. Not a long one, just enough to get back into the swing of writing and figure out the gritty details of the next few chapters.

As always, if you find any missed errors, please let me know via comments. And let me know what you guys think! Interesting days, peaceful nights!]