Chapter 1: Once more, with feeling

I shuffle nervously on my feet as I look out at the large crowd gathering outside the dust store I was currently in. I had been thinking of upgrading my weapon Kronos lately, mainly trying to increase the impact strength and range, but I didn't have the materials I needed. Now, though, I was strongly reconsidering coming here. The humans outside didn't look too happy at seeing me enter a human store. I pout slightly. I don't understand why I have to be accused of these nasty crimes just because I was a Faunus. My tail coils in response to my agitation, the silver scales gleaming in the light while the barbed spear tip digs into the linoleum floor. I pull my hood up to hide my long silver hair and the four ivory horns that curve up from the sides of my head. My orange eyes dart back towards the window, seeing the mob beginning to press up against the glass causing me to unconsciously dig the tip of my tail further into the linoleum.

I mumble an apology when I accidentally bump into the redheaded girl next to me, though I don't think she actually heard me due to the headphones covering her ears. She did feel me bump into her however and looks up at me with silver eyes that soon widen and begin to sparkle upon seeing Kronos strapped to my back. The enormous cannon/war club was currently in its melee form, the inch long spikes retracted to prevent injury. I back up slightly as she gets closer, trying to look over my shoulder at my weapon which proves to be a difficult task as she had to look past my six foot frame.

"WOW, what is that!? I don't think I've ever seen a weapon like that before." She asks excitedly. I blush darkly at her closeness and try to speak but only end up muttering incoherently, my tail swishing in discomfort. The girl seems to catch sight of my unease and backs up slowly, her smile not leaving her face however. "Sorry about that. Whenever I see a new weapon I can't help but get a little excited. So, uh, let's start over." She says awkwardly before sticking out her hand. "Hi, my name is Ruby Rose. What's yours?" Ruby asks. I look at the hand warily for a few moments before placing my hand gently in hers. "H-hello Ruby. I'm Phiona. Phiona Neverwind. It's a pleasure to meet you." I say. A small smile spreads across my own face as I watch her eyes begin to sparkle once more upon seeing Kronos. "So, what is your weapon?" She asks. I don't get the chance to answer however because at that exact moment I hear the door jingle.

Glancing over, I see that the mob outside is gone and instead a group of men are standing in front of the store clerk. The one with orange hair and a white jacket has a smug smirk on his face that I immediately dislike. I heard him mention something about the dust, but I was distracted by Ruby trying to talk to me. I was so distracted that I didn't hear the man approaching us until he grabbed me and Ruby roughly by the shoulder and spun us around to face him. "Hands in the air." He orders, pointing his weapon at us. I don't comply and instead slowly inch away from the man, though Ruby only gave the man a strange look. "Are you… robbing us?" She asks calmly. My jaw drops at Ruby's words, though not nearly as much as the man's own. "YES." He yells. Ruby continues to eye him strangely before responding. "Oh."

Then she drop kicks him.

Through the store's front window.

My mind was officially blown for the day.

Before I knew it Ruby had grabbed my hand and dragged me out through the window with her, my face bright red at the physical contact. I look up to see the orange haired man standing in the newly created hole surrounded by his goons. He then looks at them in annoyance before speaking.

"Well, get them."

Then the street brawl started. I can honestly say I was equal parts terrified and exhilarated as I reach back and remove Kronos from its holster, its familiar weight reassuring in my hands. Looking over I could see Ruby was the same, a red-themed scythe spinning expertly in her hands before crunching into the pavement. Smiling at her enthusiasm, I grip the trigger mechanism on the handle and release the lethal spikes from their ports, the exhaust vents on each of Kronos's six sides releasing a slight flare of purple energy before settling on a pulsating glow. I easily lift the club and settle it on my shoulder, the pavement cracking beneath my feet from the additional weight. My orange eyes flash as the men in red and black suits run toward us.

Ruby instantly begins spinning her scythe, slicing and knocking back goon after goon while rifle shots boost her from spot to spot. If one were to watch closely, it would almost seem as though she was dancing with her weapon.

Incredible.

I jump back as one of the goons brings his sword down right where I had been standing. Spinning on my heels, I slam my tail into his midsection sending him flying backwards before spinning again and bringing Kronos down on a goon who had tried to sneak up on me. The goon manages to avoid the brunt of the blow, but the shockwave causes him to stumble. So busy trying to get his balance back, he didn't see the war club roaring towards him, one of its vents jetting purple energy to give it extra speed and force. I watch as he flies off before holding the trigger on the handle, supercharging the vents on Kronos before slamming the club's flat head on the ground, causing a massive shockwave to blast the goons surrounding me into the nearby buildings. I let out a sigh of relief when I hear Ruby come to a stop near me, panting hard yet scythe held at the ready.

Orange-hair looks annoyed while mumbling something about incompetent help. He then holds his cane up and points it at us, a targeting reticle popping up. "Well Red, Silver, it really has been fun, but I'm afraid that this is where we part ways." He says before pulling the trigger causing a spark of red dust to come shooting towards us. We jump out of the way but when the dust clears, orange-hair is nowhere to be seen.

Ruby looks around frantically, searching for the strange man when I spot him climbing the ladder of a nearby building. I tap Ruby on the shoulder before pointing at the building and she nods in thanks before sprinting off after him. I somehow manage to keep up with her thanks to my long legs despite her head start. But by the time I reach the building she was already halfway up it. That girl is really fast.

I manage to make it onto the roof as orange-hair shoots another dust blast at Ruby. I raise Kronos and the flat head retracts to show a four-pronged pseudo cannon. Immediately a swirling black mass of energy appears at the tip of the prongs and the dust shot swerves my way before being swallowed up by the vortex along with a small portion of the roof top. The head panel then covers the cannon again as the energy dies out and I immediately go to swing at the man, the vents on Kronos roaring again.

I only have time to comprehend blond hair before Ruby and I are blinded by an explosion of orange flame.

When I open my eyes again, I see a blond woman wielding a riding crop with a raised shield glyph in front of us. I look over to see Ruby's eyes were wide again with little sparkles showing up out of nowhere. For some reason, seeing her look at the blond woman like that sent a pang of something through my chest. I had no idea what it was, but I didn't like the feeling. One thought was very clear in my mind and just like the strange feeling, I didn't know where it stemmed from.

"I want her to look at me like that."

I was unable to continue that train of thought however when I caught sight of another figure, a woman this time, standing on the edge of a Vertibird. For some reason, she looks strangely familiar to me, though the darkness and shadow on the Vertibird make it impossible to discern any clear features. Awareness of the situation snaps back to me as I watch the blond woman pick up the shredded remains of the roof and form it into a spear before slamming it into the side of the Vertibird. The spear shatters into pieces before reforming and going for another run until it is incinerated by the stranger.

The woman then sweeps her arm and a glowing trail of flame appears beneath us. The blonde woman and Ruby jumped back while I dart forward, bringing Kronos to bear, cannon: Reverse mode primed. As bits and pieces of the Vertibird start to tear themselves off the frame and fly towards the vortex at Kronos's center, a bright glowing circle appears beneath me and I jump back once again, Kronos reverting to melee form. Before I can do anything, the Vertibird starts flying away and Ruby begins taking potshots at it with her rifle. However it was already too far for the shots to have any real effect.

But what really sent chills down my spine is when I turn around and see the blonde woman staring at Ruby and I, great irritation present in her eyes. I look at Ruby and see she has the same sense of fear in her eyes.

What have I gotten myself into?