Chapter 14: The Battle of Bacon Hill

I'm back again, and I didn't expect such a huge response from the last chapter! You guys must have really been waiting for Blue Rose to ship, I mean it's like you were just sitting at your computers waiting for me to post it. Joking aside, I finally back to cannon chapters, and I'm sorry that I haven't posted in a couple months; I just had some problems with my computer breaking and then I had to save some money so that it could be replaced, but now that all of that has been sorted out I hope that I will be posting a bit faster.

Disclaimer: This is a Fanfiction based on RWBY, who is owned by RoosterTeeth, so please support the official release!

Vale City Streets…

The owner of the Dust shop From Dust Till Dawn is hanging a sign declaring it's re-opening. As he climbs down from his ladder, he stumbles and falls and a girl in green hair appears next to him.

"'Scuse me, sorry. I'm not really from around here." She giggled while she helped him to his feet, "Would you mind pointing me in the direction of this shop?"

Emerald produces a piece of paper with writing on it and the Shopkeep looks it over. He points her in the right direction and then Emerald walks away from the shop owner as both wave goodbye and passes a boy, with silver hair and silver and black clothes, at a corner.

"I knew you were lost." He said to Emerald.

"Mercury, I will seriously pay you to shut up." She produces a wallet with Lien and waves it in the now identified Mercury's face.

"That's not your money." Mercury responded.

"But it can be yours for 5 minutes of silence." Emerald retorted, hoping that for once the silver-haired boy would shut up.

Mercury pretended to think it over, "Mammy... no deal."

"Fine." Emerald takes the Lien and tosses the wallet, turning to walk away.

"Whatever. You want me." Mercury said as the two were walking away.

Mercury and Emerald continue to walk through the city, until Mercury groans, "So, how much farther?"

"A few blocks." Emerald responds.

"Ugh... this place is so dull." Mercury complains.

"Eh, I kinda like it. Tall buildings, diverse culture..." Emerald says admiring their surroundings until she was interrupted.

"And nice dopey people who are easy to pickpocket." Mercury added.

Emerald stopped, "That's every city." She retorted.

Mercury pretended to act as a victim, "Ooh, Emerald! Master thief! Please don't take my money! I barely have enough to get by!" Emerald glares at him, groaning angrily. She then walks away from him, "Ugh... you're no fun today." Mercury complains again, after catching up to her.

Mercury followed Emerald to a book shop named Tukson's Book Trade. The shop owner was inside of a door, behind the counter, humming a tune. Mercury stops near the door to look at books while Emerald approaches the counter and rings a service bell.

"Be right there!" The owner yells. Emerald looks back at Mercury, who is fiddling with some books towards the front.

The shop owner then enters the main part of the shop through a set of double doors carrying stacks of books as he walks backwards and out toward the counter, "Welcome to Tukson's Book Trade, home to every book under the sun!" He sets the stacks of books down and turns to Emerald, "How may I..." He gasps and hesitates upon recognizing the two of them. Mercury is now holding a book. "How may I help you?" He asks.

Although the book is open, Mercury is looking at Tukson, "Just browsing." He says as he shuts the book.

"Actually, I was wondering, do you have any copies of The Thief and The Butcher?" Emerald asks putting on her good girl impression.

"Yes we do." The owner responds.

Emerald responds excitedly, "That's great!"

"Would you... like a copy?" The owner asks, now thoroughly confused.

"No, just wondering." Mercury closes another book, "Oh, oh! What about Violet's Garden, in paperback?" Emerald asks.

Mercury interjects at this point, "He's got it, hardback too." He says lifting up a book.

"Ooh, options are nice." Emerald says.

"Eh, no pictures." Mercury says closing the book, "Hey! Do you have any comics?"

"Near the front." The owner says pointing not too far from where Mercury is.

"Oh, no, wait! What... about...Third Crusade?" Emerald asks.

The owner hesitates, visibly unnerving, "Um... I..." Mercury and Emerald are eying him carefully, "...don't believe we carry that one."

Mercury slams another book shut, "Oh?"

"What was this place called again?" Emerald asks.

"Tukson's Book Trade." The owner answers.

"And you're Tukson?"

"That's right." The now identified Tukson answered.

"So then I take it that you're the one that came up with the catchphrase?" Emerald tried to confirm.

"Yes."

"And, what was it again?" Mercury asked, now joining the conversation.

Tukson sighed before answering, "'Tukson's Book Trade, home to every book under the sun.'"

"Except Third Crusade." Mercury argued.

"It's just a catchphrase." Tukson retorted.

"It's false advertising!" Mercury answered back.

"You shouldn't make a promise you can't keep, Tukson." Emerald says as Mercury activates a switch near the entrance causing a front window to slightly darken the room, "I hear that you're planning on leaving. Moving all the way to Vacuo." Mercury activates another switch and the window in the front door darkens, "Your brothers in the White Fang won't be happy to hear that." Mercury activates the third and final switch, darkening the last window as he smiles creepily at Tukson, "And neither are we... You know who we are, don't you?"

"Yes." Tukson answers.

"And you know why we're here?" A shadowy figure asks as he steps out of the darkness, revealing none other than Sentinel.

"Yes."

"So... are you going to fight back?" Emerald asks.

"Yes!" Tukson then produces claws from his fingers.

Tukson leaps atop his counter in a threatening manner. Mercury and Emerald back up slightly and he leaps at Emerald and slashes at her, but she dodges. He looks forward and is surprised at Mercury as he raises one leg for a kick with his shotgun-greaves.

Mercury and Emerald then exit Tukson's Book Trade. Emerald stretches her arms overhead. Mercury is carrying a comic.

"What's with that?" Emerald asks.

"I like the pictures." Mercury answers.

"I can't believe you were the only two I could find." Sentinel complains.

"Would you have rather brought one of the useless goons, or waited for Roman to make a move?" Emerald asks.

Sentinel merely grunts as he walks away, "He's mad." Mercury points out.

"You think?" Emerald questions.

"Yeah that's why I said it."

Emerald sighs before walking ahead of Mercury, "I think I know why he is"

Meanwhile (Beacon Mess Hall)…

Team RWBBY are sitting together as Blake looks over some notes. Yang then slides up next to her partner, "Whatcha doing?"

"Nothing." Blake closes her book, before Yang can see anything, "Just going over notes from last semester."

Yang catches a grape in her mouth, "Lame."

Nora giggles as she continues to toss grapes at Yang with her spoon. Yang catches the fruit with ease, giving Nora the thumbs up. Ruby, giving an enormous heave, slams a binder labeled Best Day Ever Activities onto the table, catching everyone off guard.

Clearing her throat, she gestures to everyone at the table, "Sisters...friends...Weiss…"

"Hey!" Weiss screamed, not particularly liking being singled out.

"...and of course Blu-" Ruby started before noticing that Blue was missing from the table, "Where did Blue go?"

"Over here!" Everyone looked to where the voice was coming from, only to see nearly twenty plates of food staked on top of each other.

"Don't you think you went a bit over board?" Yang asked, still not able to believe how much Blue could down and still be hungry.

"What makes you say that?" Blue asked after setting down the plates.

"Well last night you had about forty plates of food, and just five minutes ago you had about thirty!" Weiss pointed out, while food was flying everywhere from Blue's plate.

Blue took a break to answer, "Well if it makes you feel better, I'm only on 2nd breakfast, and I still have about three more to go!"

After Blue was done talking he continued to devour his meal, "You will never cease to amaze me!" Weiss said in a mixture of disgust and amazement.

"Well I still have brunch, lunch, linner, and all five dinners to go for the rest of the day." Blue said in between bites.

Ruby cleared her throat to gain everyone's attention, "As I was saying, four score and seven minutes ago, I had a dream."

"This ought to be good." Yang said as she caught another berry in her mouth.

Ruby then continued, "A dream that one day, the four of us will come together, as a team, and have the most fun anyone has ever had... ever!"

"Of all time?" Blue asked taking a break from his food to hear Ruby's speech.

"Definitely!" Ruby answered.

"Did you steal my binder?" Weiss asked, just noticing the binder on the table.

Ruby made "peace" signs with both hands, "I am not a crook." She paused, "I had Blue steal it."

"I should have known you did it!"

Blue sighed, "Hey I said no first, but then she said that a good boyfriend would steal their girlfriend's partner's binder!"

"What where you talking about Ruby?" Blake asked, trying to shift the topic before things got ugly.

"I'm talking about kicking off the semester with a bang!" Ruby said pointing her finger at Blake.

"I always kick my semesters off with a Yang! Eh? Guys? Am I right?" She asked trying to get some support from her team. An apple then hit Yang and in the face. Yang then starts to glare in Nora's direction.

"Boooooooooooooooo!" Nora yelled from her table.

"Look guys, it's been a good two weeks and between more exchange students arriving and the tournament at the end of the year, our second semester is going to be great! But, classes start back up tomorrow! Which is why I've taken the time to schedule a series of wonderful events for us today." Ruby said.

"I don't know whether to be proud or scared of what you have in store." Weiss said worriedly.

Meanwhile, Yang was still glaring, but now she picked up an apple and tossed it across the room. She misses and hits Jaune, who shouts, "Hey!" and Nora was giggling.

"I don't know. I think I might sit this one out." Blake said unenthusiastically.

"Come on Blake stop being such a downer. We should do what Ruby says, it could actually be a lot of fun!" Blue said cheerily.

"Sit out or not, I think that however we spend this last day, we should do it as a team!" Weiss paused before continuing, "I for one think that..." Weiss was interrupted by a pie landing on her face.

Everyone then looks at Nora, who was the one who threw the pie; she sits down and points at Ren who has his head in his palm. Pyrrha's hand is over her mouth and Jaune simply sits staring wide-eyed while covering his ear with his palm.

Meanwhile (Outside the Cafeteria)…

Sun is walking with a blue haired boy, and telling him all that happened a few weeks ago, "Man, that's harsh." The blue haired boy says reacting to what Sun just told him.

"I know, we were fighting side by side. She was super-fast and I threw a banana at the guy, which sounds gross, but it was awesome." Sun said, remembering the awesome night.

"Nice!" The blue haired guy said starting to become a little impressed.

"Right? And the best part is, she's a Faunus. But that's a secret, okay?" Sun said realizing he wasn't supposed to tell anyone that.

"Got it." He said with a thumbs up.

Sun leaned in close in order to stress the importance of this secret, "And not a, 'I'm gonna go tell Scarlet the second Sun turns his back secret,' I'm talking secret secret."

"Whoa, chill out, man, okay? I got it. I got it!" He said almost in a whisper.

"You better." The two keep walking and don't notice the plates of food flying into the window right next to them, and at one point, Jaune is the one splattered into the window. Sun then continues, "I just don't want to screw this up, you know? The people here are the coolest! No offense to you guys."

"None taken." The blue haired guy said holding his hands up to signal that he wasn't taking any offense.

"They're just in here. I'm really excited for you to meet them. So be cool, okay? You're gonna be cool, right?" Sun pleads.

"Dude." Suddenly the guy's teeth gleam as he smiles.

"Good point." Sun and the still unidentified person enter the cafeteria where students are heard screaming.

"Food fight!" Blue yells charging forward only to be blasted back.

Many students are shown stampeding out the door past Sun and Neptune, the latter of who is looking quite worried.

"Ahahahaha!" Nora laughs manically. Team JNPR are standing atop a tower of tables stacked in a maniacal manner. In singy-song kind of tone she then said, "I'm queen of the castle! I'm queen of the castle!"

Ruby then stomped her foot on a table and pointed at Team JNPR, "Justice will be swift! Justice will be painful! It will be delicious!" She says as she crushes a milk carton in her hand.

The rest of Team RWBBY then raised their fists simultaneously, screaming, "Yeah!"

Except for Blue who looked at Ruby, "Why did you have to crush my carton?"

"Oh stop complaining and get ready for battle!" She said pointing at Team JNPR, who was starting to get mobilized.

"Off with their heads!" Nora yelled, as she jumped down from the top of her tower, and now the food fight begins.

"Whatever! I'm just going to go eat my food!" Blue says storming off to a table that hadn't been converted into Team JNPR's private fortified hill.

Ruby looked to her sister, "Yang! Turkey!" Yang rolled over to two turkeys sitting on the table and stuck her fists inside them, proceeding to block and punch melons, which were launched by Nora, as they speed towards her.

Yang then immediately rushes forward and smashes three watermelons, does a backflip, and charges forward to destroy several more. In the meantime Blake jumps over her partner and picks up two giant bread sticks, which she uses to cover Yang.

After no more food is flying towards them Yang launches her turkey gauntlets at Pyrrha, who dodges them, only for them to go past her and hit Jaune. After looking to see if her partner is alright, Pyrrha looks back only to see Blake come at her with her bread sticks. Luckily for the red-haired Spartan, she blocks the attack with a bread stick of her own, and then launches Black back to where the rest of Team RWBBY is.

Pyrrha then turns her attention to Yang, by throwing several bread sticks at her as if they were spears. Yang blocks the first several and then finally gets hit and goes flying back. Ruby then launches her own attack by skating through the lunchroom on top of a food tray. She eventually reaches Pyrrha and knocks her back, but as soon as she does Nora and then initiates their offensive. Weiss suddenly appears with a bottle of ketchup and sprays it all over the ground in front of Ren, which in turn cause him to slide past the two and in a bunch of tables.

Nora, in an effort to avenge her fallen comrade, jumps into the air and takes part of a flag pole from the wall and sticks a melon on the end, and uses it to attack Ruby and Weiss. In an attempt to protect both of them Ruby tries to block Nora's attack but fails and goes flying back.

Weiss then picks up a giant sword fish and uses it as if it was her rapier, and after some fighting, Nora knocks Weiss into a pillar. The impact knocks her out and Ruby holds her in her arms as the pillar collapses around them. "Weiss, Weiss! Don't leave me! Nooo!" Ruby screams, while cradling Weiss in her arms.

Meanwhile back at the cafeteria's entrance, Blue noticed that Sun was with a person he didn't recognize, "Hey Sun, who's this guy?"

"The name's Neptune, Neptune Vasilias." The now identified Neptune said acting as if he had a spotlight and camera on him.

Blue then turned to Sun, "Is there something wrong with this guy?"

"I ask myself that every single day." Sun answers.

"Hey! I'm right here you know!" Neptune complains.

The fighting then resumes, with Yang and Ren engaging in combat, where in the end Yang is easily crowned the victor, but soon after Nora joins the fight resulting in Yang being lunched through the ceiling leaving a giant whole where she left. Now Blake once again joins the fight, this time with a giant sausage link.

The two engage in combat and eventually Nora is forced to use soda cans as grenades, until she is joined by Pyrrha who uses her power of polarity to launch dozens of soda cans at Blake resulting in her defeat. As Blake flies pass Ruby, she looks towards her opponents and gets in a sprinter's position, and then takes off, bringing tons of food broken tables and other miscellaneous things along with her eventual ending her trail of destruction with Team JNPR slammed against a cracked wall painted with soda and food. Team JNPR slid off the wall, leaving only their outlines.

Meanwhile, Sun and Neptune were standing by the doors. Sun cracked a smile and says, "I love these guys." He then looks over to his friend who is drenched with soda and food and does not look very pleased.

Suddenly the doors behind them open and Glynda Goodwitch enters the room growling. She proceeded to use telekinesis, from her wand, to re-organize the room.

After she the room is reorganized, she takes a breath and adjusts her glasses, "Children, please. Do not play with your food!" Nora burps aloud as both Teams JNPR and RWBBY try and fail to compose themselves.

Blue then looks around and notices someone is missing, "Hey guys where's Yang?" A screaming Yang then crashes from the ceiling into one of the tables, crushing Blue in the process.

"Oh, hey buddy. Sorry about that, but thanks for the great cushion!" Yang said to a groaning Blue.

"Why am I the only one who is ever getting hurt?" Blue grumbles and everyone starts to laugh.

Glynda starts to grumble and Ozpin approaches and places a hand on her shoulder, "Let it go."

Glynda sighs, "They're supposed to be the defenders of the world."

Ozpin cracks a smile, looking at Teams JNPR and RWBBY laughing and sitting together, but mainly at Ruby trying to help Blue up from the destroyed table. Ozpin then turns to Glynda, "And they will be, but right now they're still children. So why not let them play the part?" Ozpin says as he starts to walk away from Glynda, "After all, it isn't a role they'll get to have forever."

Meanwhile (Vale Warehouse Docks)…

In an old warehouse, the White Fang are moving crates as Sentinel, Emerald, and Mercury enter. They pass by several of the White Fang before a familiar tone cuts-in, "Oh, look! She sent the kids again, with the stepfather! This is turning out just like the divorce!" Roman approaches Mercury and Emerald from behind and wraps his arms around them in a group hug.

Emerald shivers in disgust, "Spare us the thought of you procreating." Emerald and Mercury then pull away from Roman.

"That was a joke. And this... just might tell me where you three have been all day." Roman produces a piece of paper.

"What!? Agh..."Emerald says as she notices that he swiped that from her.

"I'm a professional, sweetheart. Pay attention, maybe you'll learn something." He says holding up the piece of paper, "Why do you have this address?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Emerald says, not wanting to tell him the answer.

"Yeah, I would! Now where have you been all day?" He demands.

"Cleaning up your problems. One of them, at least." Mercury tells him.

"I had that under control, and you!" Roman says pointing at Sentinel, "I didn't order you to take care of this guy!"

"Would you have rather me let him go, then, and make HER angry?" Sentinel questioned, his voice obviously sounding annoyed.

"Well no, but, like I said, I had everything under control."

"Two packed bags and a ticket out of Vale said otherwise." Mercury interjected.

Roman was starting to become tired of their insolence, "Listen, you little punk. If it were up to me, then I would take you and your little street rat friend here and..." Roman was interrupted by a figure, above all of them.

"Do what, Roman?" A woman said appearing on a platform above them. She steps onto an automated lift, riding it down to their level.

Roman started to laugh nervously, "I'd, uh... not kill them?"

Sentinel looked over to his boss curiously, "Is that the best one you had?"

"You try coming up with something on short notice with her!" Roman said making reference to the dress wearing woman.

Emerald, meanwhile, ran to her excitedly, "Cinder!"

Cinder took her into an embrace, but at the same time made an angry look at Roman and Sentinel, "I thought I made it clear that you would eliminate the would-be runaway."

"Roman, over there, never made the call." Sentinel explained.

"Thanks for selling me out!" Roman said to his merc, before looking back at Cinder, with a frightened look, "I was going to by the way..."

"He was going to escape to Vacuo! Mercury and I decided to take it upon ourselves to kill the rat." Emerald informed her.

"I think he was some sort of cat, actually." Mercury interjected.

"What? Like a puma?" Emerald guessed.

"Yeah, there ya go." Mercury agreed.

Cinder then looked at the two teens, "Quiet. Did I not specifically instruct you two to keep your hands clean while in Vale?" As Cinder spoke to them, Roman pointed a finger at the pair while laughing in agreement.

"I just thought..." Emerald tried to say before being cut-off.

"Don't think... obey." Roman was still behind Cinder using his fingers to mime having a slit throat.

Emerald apologetically said in compliance, "Yes ma'am. It won't happen again."

Cinder then turned to Roman and Sentinel, "And you. Why wasn't this job done sooner?"

As Roman spoke, he pointed to his right, then to his left, then behind him, "Uh..? Eh..? Eh..? EHHHHH! Sorry if I've been busy stealing every speck of Dust in the Kingdom!"

"You're an inspiration to every punk with a gun and a ski mask." Mercury joked as Emerald laughs at the remark.

"Look around, kid. I've got this town running scared! Police camping out at every corner, Dust prices through the roof, and we're sitting pretty on an old warehouse with more Dust crystals, vials, and rounds than we know what to do with! Speaking of which, if you guys wouldn't mind filling me in on your grand master plan, it might make my next string of robberies go a little smoother!" He emphasizes the last word by clenching his fist.

Cinder approaches Roman, "Oh, Roman. Have a little faith." She places her hand on his face, "You'll know what you need when you need to know it." Roman seemed to be becoming entranced, but then looked away with a grunt, "Besides, we're done with Dust." She said beginning to walk away.

"O-okay, then what now?" Roman questioned.

"We're moving. Have the White Fang clear out this building. I'll send you details and coordinates tonight."

"Coordinates?" Roman asked not exactly sure what she meant.

Cinder looked back at Roman, "We're proceeding to phase two." She then continued to walk away, but before she left, she looked back to Sentinel, "And to you, please stay out of trouble, we don't need that pesky little brat to disrupt our plans. Understood?"

"Yes ma'am." Sentinel said, his voice clearly sound aggravated.

Cinder, Mercury and Emerald continued to walk away. Roman attempts to light a cigar, but realizes Emerald has stolen his lighter. She turns back to face him and sticks her tongue out defiantly.

Meanwhile (Beacon Roofs)...

Blue was standing on one of the balconies alone, just him and his thoughts, excluding his now ever-so-bothersome friend Monitor.

'Greetings! That was a very interesting fight that happened today!' Monitor said popping up inside Blue's mind.

'Well this kinda thing is going to be happening a lot more often, now that classes are going to be starting up.' Blue thought in a somewhat saddened tone.

Monitor noted that something was off so he decided to interject, 'Something seems to be troubling you. Can you explain what it is?'

'I was just wondering why I was here is all.' Blue thought solemnly.

'Well as a human construct, there is no exact definition as to how you came to be or what your purpose is in life. That is what I would guess you as a human being would call "Life's Greatest Mystery", if I am correct?' For several seconds there was not a thought between the two of them, until Monitor decided to break the silence, 'What is wrong? Did my explanation not help you?'

'Well for starters, that's not what I meant when I said why I was here, and secondly what was with all of that other stuff?!' Blue questioned.

'As for your first thought, you are here because you wish to protect what is precious to you, your newly made friends and most important, Ruby.' Monitor answered.

'Wow! I guess that makes me feel better. Thanks!'

'You are welcome.'

'Well I gotta go, but thanks for the talk!' Blue said leaving the recesses of his mind.

Now alone, Monitor started to think to himself, as he had done before Sentinel had left, 'As for the second. I wonder why I am here. I may never realize that ever, but for now I will help Blue from my predecessor.'

Well how was that? Good I hope that all my time away from writing hasn't made me become any worse, but as always, please review favorite, follow and be on the lookout for more chapters!