TM11: Great fight! Also, seeing that suit case turn into a gattling gun and a chainsaw makes me think that Terrance has DMC's Pandora's Box; that Devil Arm that can turn into 666 different weapons. Seriously, that weapon would fit into RWBY like a velvet glove.

Re: You would think that's the reference I was making with Terrence's weapon, but no, I was actually referencing Sven Vollfied's signature weapon from Black Cat. Since Black Cat was originally serialized in 2000 (to 2004), and Devil May Cry 4 came out in 2008, Sven Vollfied's Attache Case-style multi-weapon came out first.
I can definitely see where that assumption would come from since Coco's Gianduja could easily be one of Pandora's transformations, but whereas Pandora is pure magic, Sven Vollfied's weapon is closer-based to somewhat-believable science.

LoamyCoffee: Ah, yes. that certainly makes sense. I must say that I'm quite pleased with Terrence being so strong, I was worried he was going to be weak like the rest of DIRT. Oh yes, I'm actually more curious about him now that he's actually fought Jack.
Sorry I couldn't review earlier.

Re: Yeah, I wanted to add a sort of Rival for Jack, and having him be Strong makes up for the fact that the Team he's now on is phonetically pronounced "dirt".

Blaze1992: Huh I thought for sure it would end like the Revy vs Roberta fistfight in black lagoon.

Re: Now that's a series I haven't thought of in a long time. Of course, I am buying the manga now that I have some disposable income…
Although, given it's a school and not some kind of second-world ghetto, a fight escalating to that level would feel a little out-of-place.
Maybe out in a village on the Frontier, but hardly at Beacon or Vale proper.

*NEW WORLD*

Elsewhile from Jack Braxton's interpersonal issues with the members of his previous team…

"Sooo…" Cardin hummed, sitting across from the RA, a cup of tea set in front of him. "Youuuu wanted to see me about something?"

"Well, it all started with this dream I had of you last night-"

"Uhhh…" Cardin trailed off, a blush rising on his cheeks.

"-where I jump-kicked you in the face."

"Oh!" Cardin hummed, less-embarrassed, though a little bit ashamed his mind had immediately gone into the gutter. "What uh… What exactly happened in this dream you had about me?"

Not that he ever thought he'd be asking another dude that question.

*One Explanation Later*

"So… Even though it was all a dream, it still felt so real, so I feel like I owe you something. Sooo… Anything you need help with?" he asked, coming to the end of his tale.

"Hm? Oh, naw, I don't need anything from… Well… actually…" Cardin trailed off, one thing coming to mind. "There is something I could use your help with."

"Well don't just sit there like a lump. Lay it on me!" the RA said enthused.

"There's… There's this girl I like… I met her at the armorer when I needed some dings taken out of my breastplate."

"Go on."

"Well, the first time I saw her I got butterflies in my stomach, but for all I knew it could've been a one-time thing. Then, a few days later when I saw her at the training field knocking down training robots with her rocket-powered flail… Whoa~" he said breathlessly

"Whoa?"

"Whoa. It was like… Maybe it's one of those, 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder' things, but to me, that girl was breathtaking…"

"Sounds like you really like this girl."

"I do, but… Whenever I saw her around campus, even when she was alone, I got all tongue-tied and couldn't talk to her. At least unless it was business-related, but getting my armor dinged up just so I have an excuse to talk to her…"

"I take it you don't want to come across as… incompetent?"

"More like having the Ironclad Guild repair your armor too many times a month gets very expensive," Cardin corrected. "Don't get me wrong, they do good work, but I think they might take offense if I come in too often."

" . . . So then you just need help talking to this girl?"

"If it isn't too much trouble…" Cardin admitted.

"Sure, I can help you with that if you want," he nodded. "Still, why come to me with this?" the RA then asked. "I mean, I know I said I'd help you with anything you needed, but why not someone from your own Team if it's for something this important?"

"Well, other than not wanting any of them to get the hots for this girl in case she's their type too, from what I hear you're a pretty smooth operator yourself~" Cardin said leaning back in his chair, arms crossed and eyebrow waggling.

" . . . Really?" Vincent asked blinking owlishly, his head tilted. "Huh. And here I thought I was just being courteous to all those young women," he shrugged.

'I'm starting to think maybe this was a bad idea,' Cardin thought to himself, realizing some of Vincent's so-called 'charm' may've been more accredited to a vulnerable, naïve innocence that made girls want to protect and nurture him rather than anything the guy was consciously doing.

*NEW WORLD*

"I literally cannot believe that just worked," Cardin gawped as Vincent guided him towards the training grounds from the Ironclad Guild's "guild hall" a short while later.

Brigitte hadn't been there when they'd first arrived, and Cardin didn't have the steel to ask for her specifically since most of the guys behind the counter looked like they could break him like one of those conjoined chocolate-covered wafer bar confections. Thus, Vincent came in to the rescue.

Since word had gotten out that Glynda was the new RA's "den mother", courtesy of Ozpin and the rumor mill, because Vincent was dressed so-similarly to her and was holding a clip board, these factors all lent him a certain amount of presence with the school faculty. Hence, none of the Ironclad Guild found it weird when he asked for the whereabouts of one of their own, putting it in good faith that he wouldn't abuse whatever authority they assumed he was acting upon.

"I know, weird, right?" Vincent asked holding up the clipboard. "I mean, there isn't even anything on here," he said leafing through a sheaf of blank pages.

"Yeah, how about we not advertise that until we're absolutely sure no-one from the Guild can see us," Cardin muttered. "Sooo… where is she anyway?"

"Out at one of the training fields smacking around the training bots apparently," Vincent hummed. "You know, it might be a good idea to tell me what this girl looks like. Just so I don't hype you up to the wrong girl by mistake."

"Yeah, that would kind of suck," Cardin hummed, wanting to avoid any sitcom shenanigans.

*NEW WORLD*

Upon arriving at one of the training fields at the edge of campus, the training droid repair building a little ways away where all the beat-up mechs were hauled away to and recycled for later use…

"There she is…" Cardin said breathlessly, going slightly gooey-eyed as he and Vincent beheld the object of the prior's affections.

Brigitte Lindholm was a rather tall girl with her dark hair drawn back into a high ponytail, matching brown eyes, and a cute button nose. At the moment she was clad in silver armor over the majority of her body, yellow accents scattered throughout, a brown waist cape hung over her right hip; the armor itself made her look rather broad-shouldered, moreso than Cardin's did. Her armaments consisted of a rocket-powered flail in her right hand, while on her left arm was a lion-faced shield projecting a metal-edged blue-tinted forcefield.

All in all, she looked like a "shield maiden", with more armor on her person than most light vehicles. The golden flag trailing luminous particulates sprouting from her armored backpack gave off the impression she was meant to lead others into battle to fight at her side, though at the moment she was all alone as she swung her collapsible flail to and fro, busting heads when they drew close and raising her shield when they weren't.

"Huh. Looks like we've got a runner," Brigitte hummed as one of the AK-130s turned around and began a hasty retreat. Though not inherently acting on self-preservation, Beacon's fleet of combat androids did shy away from self-destructive tendencies, if only because repairing a pile of scrap was costly and in some parts wasteful.

Squaring her feet on the ground and snapping her flail forward, with a depression of the trigger, the four sides of the flail head spread out into a cross shape, a quartet of rockets launching the metal implement a full twenty meters at forty meters per second, the AK-130 struck in the back and broken into pieces before the rocket flail returned to her weapon's handle with a loud *Click*

"Whoa…" Cardin awed as the girl wiped her brow with an armored sleeve.

"She seems nice," Vincent hummed. "Well, let's go talk to her."

"Yeah… Hey, wait! I'm not mentally ready yet!" Cardin yelped as a chromed hand clamped down around his wrist, the RA dragging him out onto the field right as Brigitte knocked down the last of the robots with a powerful shield bash, augmented by miniature rocket thrusters from her armored backpack.

"Hi there!" Vincent greeted heartily.

"Oh, hello," Brigitte replied, eyeing the two strangely as one was dragged forward by the other. "Do you need me for something?" she asked as her eyes darted to the clipboard in the enigmatic teen's hand.

"Oh me? No, not really," he said tossing the clipboard carelessly over my shoulder. "Have you met my friend Cardin?" he asked pulling the ginger forward.

"Whaaat?!" Cardin hissed as he was put on the spot.

"Cardin Winchester, either you talk to that nice girl right now, or I'll shove my robot hand so far up your ass you become the world's whiniest sock puppet," Vincent stage-whispered, presenting the back of his raised chrome-colored hand.

"But-"

"Shoulder. Deep. Cardin," Vincent growled, moving his fingers in a very sock puppet-like fashion to emphasize the point.

"R-R-Right…!" Cardin yelped as the RA presented his chromed hand like a doctor before a prostate exam. "Um… Hi."

"Hello," Brigitte returned.

"Would you, um… I mean, if you aren't doing anything tonight would you like to… uh…"

"Sock puppet~" Vincent muttered in a sing-song voice.

"Would you like to get a coffee some time?" Cardin asked nervously, Brigitte's brow raising, her fingers drumming on her flail. "N-No, not that kind of 'coffee'!" he swiftly amended, realizing how the word 'coffee' could be misconstrued. "I mean… do you have dinner plans tonight?"

"Not particularly," Brigitte replied. "Why do you ask?"

"W-Well…" Cardin said walking to the side as Vincent made to step behind him; into sock puppeteering range. "If you didn't have anything planned tonight, I was… hoping to treat you to dinner. As a way of saying thanks for the work you put into my armor," he said pounding his breastplate.

"Why, Cardin Winchester. Are you asking me out on a date?" Brigitte asked with mock shock.

"I-If you feel like calling it that," Cardin replied, threats of being turned into "the world's whiniest sock puppet" distracting him from the butterflies in his stomach that would've normally rendered him a gibbering mess.

"Hmmm… Sure, why not," Brigitte replied. "It'd be rude to turn down a free meal from a paying customer."

"Right-I mean, great!" Cardin nodded hastily. "I'll uh… I'll pick you up at the station at four, and make our way into Vale from there."

"Sounds great," Brigitte returned with a smile. "You both take care now," she said giving the two a nod, her armor plates clanking together as she walked off. It was only once she was out of earshot that Cardin allowed himself to slump to the ground, mentally exhausted from trying to stop himself going gooey-eyed.

"Whew… What was a close one," the red-head sighed. "Thanks for keeping me on task."

"You're welcome," Vincent nodded. "So, where're you going to take her?"

" . . . Fuck!" he swore a moment later, realizing he hadn't thought that far.

*NEW WORLD*

"You wanted to take the girl out to dinner, but you didn't even think of where to take her?" Vincent asked exasperatedly back in his room, where he and Cardin would have at least an iota of privacy.

"I-I could never get that far before!" Cardin blurted out.

" . . . Well, we've still got plenty of time to fix that," Vincent waved off, opening his Scroll and letting deft chrome fingers dance over the search engine. "Let's see… Nothing too fancy, otherwise she'll think you're trying to bribe your way into her panties," he began causing Cardin to flush. "Of course, you don't wanna be too cheap either, otherwise, well… she'll think of you as a 'cheap date'~" he said with a bit of cheek.

"I know that much…" Cardin grumbled. "Money isn't that big of an issue. I got some money from Border Patrol the other day, so I can splurge a little bit. Having free room and board's more-useful than I gave it credit for," he said humming that last part more to himself than to the RA sitting across from him.

"Alright… I've narrowed down the search engine, so now we just need to go through all the options before we-"

"Why'd you stop?" Cardin asked as the RA's back suddenly straightened.

"RA Senses… tingling…!"

" . . . What?" Cardin asked confusedly.

"Be right back!" Vincent said grabbing something from his desk drawer before dashing out of the room, full-sprint.

"Um… Okay…" Cardin hummed awkwardly. "Did he… did he just pull a riding crop out of that desk drawer…?" he asked confusedly, shifting uncomfortably. "You know what, screw it; I don't wanna know," he said holding up his hands in surrender.

*NEW WORLD*

"IIIIIII'm back!" Vincent said returning a short while later, bending and flexing his black riding crop with a satisfied smile on his face. "Now, where were we?"

"Um… We were just deciding where would be a good place for me to take Brigitte for dinner," Cardin said warily eyeing the riding crop in the RA's hand, and then the RA himself as though looking at him for the first time. " . . . Okay, I've gotta ask. Why… do you have that riding crop exactly?"

"A friend of Glynda's said something about 'being a matching set', and told me to make sure I always had it on hand when disciplining rowdy students," Vincent answered with a completely straight face as he returned his riding crop to its place in his desk drawer.

"That… um… Using something like that might give people the wrong idea."

"Why? Glynda uses a riding crop to discipline rowdy students."

"Yeah, but Glynda is a… You know…" he paused awkwardly.

"Caucasian?" Vincent asked with a straight face.

" . . . Let's move on," Cardin sighed, realizing this guy might not be all-there, but was still better off having his help than not. "You said something about a restaurant."

"Yeah, narrowing it down, we have quite a few choices to, you know, choose from," he said placing the Scroll on the table between them and spinning it around, a column of 3-Star restaurants visible on the screen. "Do you know what kind of food Brigitte likes?"

"Um… No," Cardin admitted awkwardly.

" . . . Not inspiring confidence, but alright…" Vincent shrugged off, causing Cardin to glower at him for a moment. However, the teen's expression softened as an adorable purple cat brushed by his ankles before leaping up onto the couch opposite him.

'What the hell…?'

Of course, that softened expression faltered when he saw the tin of sardines clutched in the cat's prehensile tail, its golden eyes looking up at the RA expectantly.

"Oh, hello, Blair," the RA said as he opened the tin, the purple-haired cat laying on her back atop his legs as he worked the Scroll with his free hand.

'That is one pampered cat…' Cardin thought as Blair was hand-fed sardines like a rich-and-opulent person in Rome being hand-fed grapes.

"Moving on, how does this Italian place look?" he suggested, turning the Scroll around.

"Hey, I recognize that place," Cardin blinked.

"Oh, good. Then that means you can really wow her with your inside knowledge," Vincent said as Blair mewled happily on his lap. "Of course, on the off-chance she hates Italian food, you'll need a Plan B. Always have a Plan B," he added as he rubbed the cat's belly, getting an appreciative mewl between sardines. "And maybe a Plan C so you have a backup plan for the backup plan."

"Wow. You're really going the extra mile to help me, aren't you?" Cardin asked. Most guys his age would've taken the 'fuck it; I'm lazy' option, but the RA was being incredibly helpful.

"What can I say? I don't like half-assing things, on account of how half an ass is too little ass to comfortably sit on."

" . . . Okay…" Cardin said awkwardly, wondering what prompted that line of thought. " . . . Wait, when'd you get the cat?!"

Because that was what he chose to take away from the exchange…

*NEW WORLD*

"Okay, we have the plan, the backup plan, and the backup plan for the backup plan," Cardin hummed as he looked over the pages of notes scattered on the coffee table between them.

As it turned out, the whole "half an ass is too little ass to comfortably sit on" spiel worked its way into his head like an earworm…

More on that later…

"If Brigitte knew what sort of effort you were putting into making sure this date went off perfectly, I think she'd be quite flattered," Vincent hummed as he stroked the head of the cat resting in his lap.

"You don't think it's a little much?"

"I'd need a point-of-reference to answer that," Vincent answered. "Still, you should probably tell your team where you'll be tonight in case they plan to eat at the same place."

"I highly doubt that's the case."

In response to this, Vincent looked down at Cardin's notes, and then back up to Cardin.

"You sure you wanna risk that?"

" . . . Alright, fine, I'll check," Cardin sighed, sending a blanket text to his team. "Oh crap!" he yelped dropping his Scroll.

"What?!" Vincent yelped, dislodging the cat as he rose.

"What if I don't know what to say? I can't just call you up on my Scroll for help whenever I get tongue-tied!" he cried. "I mean… I could if I went into the bathroom, but I think it'd be kinda suspicious if I went to the bathroom every five minutes!" he amended.

"Hmmm… Maybe one of your teammates could offer a solution?"

" . . . "

" . . . "

" . . . You know what, fuck it. At this point I'll give anything a try 'cause I'm too far in to pull out now."

"Phrasing."

" . . . I'm just gonna pretend you didn't say that."

*NEW WORLD*

"Alright, Cardin, listen up because we're running low on time, so I can't explain this more than once," Russel said as he helped straighten Cardin's clothes that evening. "Set behind your right ear is a micro-receiver that loops directly into your ear canal; the only one that'll be able to hear it is you. Up your right sleeve is a microphone. Click it twice in succession to turn it on, twice to turn it off. Vincent has another receiver and transmitter of his own that he'll be using to guide you throughout your date tonight."

"This seems pretty high-tech. Where'd you get this stuff?" Cardin asked as he adjusted the device in his ear and the sleeve of his evening wear. Not too fancy, not too casual; juuust right.

"My parents own an electronics store," Russel answered bashfully, as though admitting to something so… 'domestic', was something to be embarrassed over. "But anyway, that's beside the point," he said shaking his head. "As long as you have these, Vincent should be able to help you out of any pitfalls you might land in."

"Certainly better than having him sit next to you and step on your foot whenever you say something stupid," Dove chuckled. "It works in sitcoms, but in real life, people would catch wise."

"Still…" Sky said drawing his leader's attention. "Why come to him at first instead of us?" he asked gesturing to the RA, sounding mildly offended, given the RA had a reputation for being… eccentric.

"Because I think I really like this girl and I don't want you getting any funny ideas," Cardin answered brusquely.

" . . . Okay, that's fair," Sky shrugged.

"You have good friends, Cardin," Vincent nodded.

"So, um…" Russel hummed as he shifted his feet. "I know you probably get asked this a lot, but I've got to ask… Where'd you get the robot arm?"

*NEW WORLD*

Later that evening, Cardin and Brigitte met at the skyport for one of the last shuttles out of Beacon. Like Cardin, her clothes for dinner that evening weren't too fancy nor too casual, instead they were "juuust right"; black T-Shirt with a rust-colored Ironclad Guild symbol, red midriff-baring jacket, tan cargo pants, and red sneakers.

Boarding the airship after sharing an awkward greeting (moreso on Cardin's part than Brigitte), the two didn't exchange much dialogue, instead choosing to watch the scenery go by. On Cardin's end, he was tongue-tied but didn't want to "Phone-a-Friend" so soon while Brigitte seemed content to let Cardin have the first word since they barely knew one another.

Eventually, Cardin broke the silence.

"Sooo… How long you been with the Ironclad Guild?"

"Since I was a little girl," the brunette answered. "My godfather was a Crusader, and my dad made most of their weapons."

"Really? That's so cool," Cardin awed. "You ever work on any of that stuff yourself?"

"Not really. The Crusaders disbanded after Mt. Glenn became a tomb," she said crossing her arms, looking tiredly out the window.

"Oh… Sorry for bringing it up…"

"It's fine," she waved off. "Rein still has his armor and I've tinkered with it once or twice, but it just isn't the same. Not the way my dad tells it."

Meanwhile in the back of the shuttle…

"He's blowing it…" Sky muttered, casually garbed in his signature colors.

"At least he actually asked a girl out. I don't see you swimming in-"

"Pipe down. They'll hear us," Vincent chided before Dove could finish his sentence. "And I'm still not sure you guys should be going."

"Hey, you need me there in case you can't get your mic to work," Russel argued.

"Besides, did you really think we'd miss out on this?" Sky asked with a smirk.

"Still…" Dove said looking at Vincent's attire; the same as before, but over which he wore a beige hat and trench coat. "Couldn't you have worn something a little more… subtle?"

"What're you talking about? Hats and trench coats are the very definition of subtle," Vincent pouted, sounding offended.

"Yeah, well, just don't get too close," Sky stated. "Between that hair and those eyes, you stick out like a sore thumb," he said indicating between the two with his finger. "Soooo… What's with the eye? You get a transplant or what?"

*NEW WORLD*

That Cardin hadn't taken any detours from the skyport meant Brigitte had no problem with Italian. The red-head's team trailing behind at a respectable distance, watched as Brigitte was led into a long-lived family-owned restaurant called Luigi's, Cardin taking the time to hold the door open for her.

"Good, very good," Vincent said as he watched it through a pocket telescope. "Alright, you three stay out here and keep watch, I'm going to get a seat inside."

"I thought the point of the mic and receiver was so you didn't have to go in there," Russel hummed.

"And what if I can't pick Cardin's words out over the background noise?"

" . . . Okay, fair," Russel conceded. "Still, don't you think you'll be noticed?"

In response to this, Vincent donned a pair of black sunglasses, obscuring his heterochromatic eyes from view.

And then pointing to aforementioned shades as though they solved everything.

"I'm not sure that's going to help," Dove hummed.

"Hey, come on guys, what's the worst that could go wrong?"

"Famous last words…" Sky hummed, wondering how Cardin's date would go.

He wasn't particularly invested in the guy's love life, but whether things went well or poorly, he'd still have to live with the guy afterwards, and while Cardin didn't seem the type, he didn't want to put up with any moping or brooding in case things went pear-shaped.

Still, who was he to enjoy dinner and a show as he scoped out a sit-down restaurant across the street.

*NEW WORLD*

"So, how long've you wanted to be a Huntsman?" Brigitte asked after they were seated, the two sitting across from one another in a small booth by the windows.

"Oh, since I was a kid," Cardin answered scratching his cheek. "I grew up on my father's old war stories from when he was a young man."

"Your father wouldn't happen to be Henry Beaufort Winchester, would he?" Brigitte hummed.

"Oh-ah, yes. How'd you know…?" he asked nervously.

"Not that many Winchesters. Fewer still that can afford Ironclad Guild wares. How is the armor treating you by the way?"

"G-Great! I feel like a walking tank with it on!" Cardin said flexing his arms awkwardly.

"That's good to know," Brigitte said with a smile, turning her attention to her menu.

What followed was an awkward silence after all conversation died down. Cardin attempted to say more, but got tongue-tied as the setting sun shone on the girl's hair. Snapping his recipe up and bringing up his left sleeve, he clicked the button two-fold before bringing it to his lips.

"Vincent…?" he muttered into his sleeve mic as he hid behind his menu.

"Yyyello?"

"Things are getting awkward and I don't know what to say next. Help me!"

"You could tell her she looks nice."

"I did already."

"You could try asking if she did something with her hair."

"That old cliché?"

"Hey, I work with what I got, and you can't hide behind that menu forever."

"Yeah, I guess you're righ-wait… How do you know what I'm doing?"

"I'm here in the restaurant."

Setting down his menu-

"Don't look, dummy!"

Snapping up his menu, Cardin's eyes darted from side to side until he spotted the RA clad in, of all things, a fedora, trench coat, and sunglasses, hiding behind a menu of his own on the far side of the restaurant. Near-enough he could see what was going on, far-enough he wouldn't garner any immediate notice from his date.

Though that wasn't to say he wasn't garnering any odd looks from those in his immediate viscinity…

"What're you doing here!?"

"Keeping an eye on you, ya doofus. Now, papers down! Your waiter's back!"

Snapping down his menu as their server returned, a tray holding a sweet tea for Brigitte and an ice water with lemon for Cardin, the teen cleared his throat before ordering.

*NEW WORLD*

Elsewhile across the street, Cardin's teammates watched the goings-on of his date through a pocket telescope. That an old sitcom was playing in the corner made it quite easy for the server to accept what was going on, and turn the other way as the red-head and brunette were watched.

"Holy crap. I can't believe it's actually working," Sky gawped.

"Yeah. I guess life does imitate fiction," Dove hummed.

"Glad to see the wrist-mic is working," Russel hummed. "Here's hoping that Brigitte doesn't catch on," he hummed as Cardin made small-talk.

"Ooh! She's going for his hand!" Dove yelped as Brigitte reached across the table, taking hold of Cardin's hand.

"Huh. Didn't think things would go so well…" Sky hummed.

" . . . Wait…" he paused, peering through the telescope with greater concentration.

"What?"

"Oh crap!" he shouted as Brigitte suddenly shouted into the wrist-mike, a trench coat-clad figure in the back of the restaurant visibly yowling and clutching his ears as the girl shouted into Cardin's sleeve. "She knows! Abort! Abort! Abort!" he cried into Russel's own transmitter.

*One Minute Ago*

"So, what made you decide to ask me out?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I mean… I'm definitely not the softest sort of girl around," she said leaning back against her seat, shoulders resting and exposing her muscled arms, her jacket folded across her lap. "Most guys don't usually go for girls like me."

"Yeah, well, I'm not 'most guys'," Cardin returned. "I don't go for those skinny, emaciated stick figures in the fashion mags. I like real girls; not photoshopped cutouts."

"Well, at least you're honest," Brigitte said with a smile, reaching across the table and taking Cardin's hand. "ISN'T THAT RIGHT, MISTER ROOM ASSISTANT!" she suddenly shouted into the wrist-mic.

"Son of a cussing cussword!" Vincent yelped as he fell from his seat, hands going to his ears.

"So… Cardin…" Brigitte hummed as she dropped his hand and leaned back into her seat. "Is there something you want to tell me?" she asked as Vincent comically rolled across the floor cupping his ears, her brow raised.

*NEW WORLD*

"So… Why don't we start from the beginning," Brigitte hummed, now sitting across from her date and their "chaperone".

"Well, it all started with this dream I had about Cardin last night-" Vincent began.

"I like where this is going~"

"It's not what it sounds like!" Cardin yelped.

"-where I drop-kicked him in the face."

"Oh!" Brigitte blushed, embarrassed her mind had immediately gone down the gutter.

"Don't worry. My mind went there too…" Cardin admitted. "And did you really have to start the story that way?" he asked incredulously.

"Yes because that's how the story starts," Vincent returned with a flat stare.

*One Explanation Later*

"And well, the long and short of it is, I feel like I owed Cardin even though it didn't really happen that way, so when he told me he was totally smitten with you, I just had to help him."

"And he needed help because…?"

"Cardin gets tongue-tied around pretty girls."

"You really think I'm pretty?" Brigitte asked, blinking in surprise.

"Of course. You're totally gorgeous," Vincent smiled.

"Hey, stop trying to butter up my date!" Cardin hissed.

"What? I'm just stating facts. You have excellent taste in girls," Vincent returned innocently.

"You know I can hear everything you're saying, right?" Brigitte asked. "And thanks. A compliment on my looks instead of a criticism is nice once in a while," she said as her smile softened.

" . . . So yeah, we both think you're pretty, and I thought I liked you enough to suck up my pride and ask for help… in a really roundabout way," Cardin summarized, hoping to regain control of the conversation. "Not how I thought this date would go," he said looking down at the hidden microphone and transmitter, which he was no longer wearing.

"Well I think it's sweet," Brigitte smiled. "A little sitcom-y; but sweet."

"I'm glad everything worked out so well," Vincent said with a face-splitting grin.

"Still, I have to know…" she hummed. "What would you've been like without the wingman whispering into your ear?"

"Oh, you know… a gibbering mess," Cardin admitted.

"Well… This is certainly a memorable date, but next time, leave the tagalong at home."

"There'll be a next time?!"

"Yeah. I think you earned it~" she returned with a wink.

"Way to go, man!" Vincent said clapping Cardin on the shoulder. "Mission accomplished!"

'The actual mission was to have her not find out you were here…' Cardin mulled to herself, the girl across from him giggling causing his mental expression to soften. 'Still… I think things turned out pretty well.'

*NEW WORLD*

"All in all, I had fun tonight," Brigitte said with a smile as she stepped out of Luigi's, a handsome boy on each arm, one blushing slightly, the other blissfully oblivious.

"Not much of a date with a third wheel though…" Cardin muttered, given Vincent had eaten with them even after things had been cleared up.

"Well I had a great time. I should do matchmaking more often!"

"Please don't…"

"Yeah. You've got enough on your plate already," Brigitte hummed.

"What do you mean?"

" . . . Oh you sweet summer child," Brigitte said patting him atop the head. "And, those poor girls."

Before the conversation could go further on its tangent, an official state car pulled up beside them, a shiny jet black with silver accents; one of the newer aircar models since it didn't touch the ground.

"Did you call for a ride?" Brigitte asked with a raised brow at Cardin.

"No, this is a surprise for me too," Cardin said as the shotgun window rolled down. "Oh, hello, Jeeves."

"You know him?"

"He's my dad's driver," he answered. "What's up? Is my dad eating out?" he asked looking into the back.

"I'm sorry, but that isn't the case," the aged driver answered. "I'm actually here for him. Your father would like to have a word with him."

"The RA?" Cardin asked jabbing a finger Vincent's way.

"Yes," Jeeves answered. "If you could get in the car, the councilman is waiting," he said as a passenger door opened.

"I'm sorry, but grandpa told me never to accept rides from strangers," Vincent returned.

"Oh, you are just adorable," Brigitte chuckled. "Don't worry. We'll make sure the strange man doesn't do anything to you."

"We will-I mean, we will!" Cardin amended when Brigitte rounded on him.

"Very well," Jeeves nodded, motioning for the three teens to step into the car.

"Well, as long as you two are with me," Vincent hummed. "Ladies first," he said with a sweep of his arm.

"Aren't you sweet," Brigitte chuckled, she and Cardin hopping in before Vincent closed the door behind them, the ride smooth as glass as they pulled away.

*NEW WORLD*

Vale's capital building was an impressive multi-tiered structure, doubling as a courthouse and hewn from white stone, the pillars adding a certain degree of opulence. Vale's flag, which featured crossed axes above a laurel wreath, flew proudly from the dome cresting it.

Night had just fallen, the streetlamps beginning to come on as they made their approach. Waiting for them out front was a woman in secretarial garb, who greeted Vincent courteously as he stepped out of the state car.

"Do not worry about your ride back to Beacon. We will remain here, until your meeting with the councilman is concluded," Jeeves answered as the aircar was put in park, the whitette nodding his head in return before ascending the steps and entering the courthouse.

*NEW WORLD*

"Mr. Winchester," the secretary stated a few minutes later outside the councilman's chambers, which were sealed by large oaken doors. "The man you wanted to speak with has arrived."

"Enter," the muffled voice said through the door, which opened allowing entry. Like many Councilman chambers, the room beyond was lined with bookshelves holding countless tomes, records, files, and documents. The addition of a computer bay had been made with the advent of computers, their pale-blue light spreading out through the darkened room as Vincent made his way toward the room's only occupant.

Henry Beaufort Winchester, one of the leading Councilman of Vale and one of the most-influential people in the Kingdom, was a broad-shouldered impressive-looking middle-aged man. Though he was perfectly fit for a man his age, the weight of many years' service, both within and without the capital city of Vale, had clearly taken its toll on him. His well-groomed hair and beard which were the same copper color as his son's was marked with streaks of gray, a number of wrinkles around his eyes and forehead, and he'd shrunken a bit from when he was in his prime. The man clearly made the clothes in this case, because on anyone else the hand-tailored maroon-colored suit he was clad in would've been ill-fit for anyone else to wear.

"Mr. Valentine. Please have a seat," Henry stated, indicating a sole chair across from him, which Vincent politely took. "I've done my research on you. Your dossier is… quite bare," he said spinning around the holo-screen he was using, an electronic document bearing Vincent's picture coming into view, the information on him summarized to a single page.

"I've been told that before, yes," Vincent nodded. "Might I ask why I was brought here?"

" . . . Ordinarily I wouldn't have taken much interest in someone of your station, even if you were one of Ozpin's pet projects. However, when you began associating with my son, well… Let's just say I took notice."

"And…?"

" . . . "

Gathering his thoughts, the man interlaced his fingers before speaking again.

"Cardin's mother died when he was very young," he began. "Since then, I provided him with everything he could ever want. The newest toys, good food, the best teachers and trainers; all the things I wanted growing up but could never get until I was a grown man," he said as his eyes drifted to the opulence around him, from the books to the furniture to the art on the walls. "However… I fear I neglected to tend to the needs of his heart; Alice was always better with that sort of thing…" he trailed off morosely. "Because of that… I feel he may've picked up on some… unsavory habits."

"Liiike picking on Faunus because 'racism'?" Vincent groused.

"In as many words."

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, I hear Cardin's stopped. He isn't exactly going to any Faunus Rights rallies, but I think it's a step in the right direction," he elaborated. "Still, I can't understand why Humans and Faunus fight at all. Can't they see that the Grimm are the much bigger problem?"

"Sequestered inside our walls, protected by auto turrets and border patrols, that sort of thing can be easily forgotten," Henry replied. "Human and Faunus history has been long and bloodied, and I'm ashamed to say that in my youth… I contributed to some of that history…"

For him, the real eye-opener had been when the battalion he was a part of was hunting down a small company of Faunus "rebels" through the mountains. Partway through a mountain pass, a small village visible in the distance, a bestial Grimm dropped down between them and started slaughtering Humans by the hundreds.

It was only after a lucky gunshot shattered the Grimm's mask that he learned, the mask wasn't bone at all, neither was the Grimm a Grimm. Instead it had been a Honey Badger Faunus, posing as a Grimm to shatter morale amidst the carnage.

Of course, even though the Faunus' identity had been exposed, the damage was done. More than six hundred men had been killed, and the only reason he'd survived was because he had the good sense to turn tail and run.

But not before catching sight of women and children treating the Faunus berserker like a hero, tears of joy spilling down their faces even as the flies began to gather.

How could he ever think that those capable of such emotions were ever "less than Human"?

"Looking back on it, I'm not proud of what I did…" he said shaking off the past that haunted him. "Since then, I've done my best to bridge the gap between our races. However… a lot of old money survived the looting that ensued even after the monarchies fell, and it's been slow-going. I'm just glad there isn't any more open warfare. I pray that Cardin never sees a war like that," he said as his grip tightened.

"And yet, the animosity between Humans and Faunus still remains…" Vincent hummed, crossing his ankles as he looked up at the man. "So what does all this have to do with me?"

"I… I want you to keep an eye on him. My work on the Council occupies most of my time so-"

"At the very least, send him a text message," Vincent interrupted. "Hell, if your schedules so-packed, just send him one while you're on the crapper. They don't make you do council work in there, do they?" he asked jabbing a thumb at the ensuite.

"No. I suppose not…" he admitted.

"Good, then we understand one another," Vincent said rising from his seat. "I'll do my job as an RA, and whatever else that needs doing, but being a parent is still your job."

"I suppose so. Thank you for agreeing to see me on such short notice," Henry replied politely. "It was nice meeting you. It was… interesting."

And like that, the two parted.

"Ah, hold on a moment," he amended.

"Hm?" Vincent hummed, his hand on the door knob.

"Your file says you have amnesia. Is that correct?"

"I would assume so. Not like I wrote it," he shrugged.

"Any chance you could tell me how you became amnesiac?"

"Well if I knew that, I wouldn't be amnesiac, now would I?" he asked with his hands on his hips, pouting slightly.

The answer to his inquiry was both foolish, yet at the same time completely brilliant, and he couldn't find it in himself to repute it.

" . . . You have a nice evening," Henry said after an awkward moment of mulling the teen's words over.

*NEW WORLD*

"What did my father want?" Cardin asked as Vincent stepped back into the state car a short while later.

"He just wanted me to keep an eye on you," Vincent answered.

"I-I'm not a little kid anymore."

"Yeah, well, he's your dad. He can't help but worry."

"Yeah, I guess so…" Cardin grumbled, resting his elbow on the armrest, his chin on his hand.

"There, there," Brigitte said patting his other arm.

"Sooo… Is it safe to drive home in this thing?" Vincent asked.

"If the White Fang couldn't catch me, I don't think you have to worry about some soulless animals," Jeeves replied, almost sounding insulted.

"Yes, well…" Vincent said drawing a familiar riding crop out of his boot and flexing it. "I'll believe it when I see it."

"Um… Where did you think this date was going?" Brigitte asked apprehensively. "And for the record, I'm not into that kind of play."

"Play?" Vincent asked with a confused tilt of his head. "Like tag? Or hide-and-seek?"

"Don't go down the rabbit hole," Cardin whispered into her ear. "Glynda will totally kick your ass if you corrupt him."

"What're you two whispering about?" Vincent asked.

"Nothing!" Brigitte yelped.

Between her rocket flail and Glynda's Disciplinarian…

She didn't think her chances were all that great.

That and she wasn't into kinky riding crop play, as she's clearly elaborated before, but that was beside the point.

*NEW WORLD*

"Sooooo… How'd your date go?" Dove asked.

"Like you don't know. You think I couldn't recognize you idiots ogling me from across the street?" Cardin asked brusquely.

"Well what crawled up your ass and died?"

"Other than my dad making time for a complete and total stranger instead of his own son…!?" Cardin bit out before sucking air through his teeth. " . . . Nothing."

"Wait, you have father issues?" Russel asked with a raised brow.

"You too?" Dove inquired.

"Is there anyone here who doesn't have father issues?" Sky asked incredulously, Cardin's Scroll ringing as Team CRDL began to inquire as to one another's relationships with their respective fathers.

"Dad?" he asked seeing the Caller ID.

"Cardin, are you alone?" the man asked in a very business-like tone.

"Give me a minute," Cardin returned. Stepping out of his room and fast-walking to the roof, after looking over the edge to ensure no windows were open, he put the Scroll back to his ear. "I'm alone, soooo…" he hummed, trying to remember the last time he'd actually talked to his father. "What did you want to talk about?"

"I… wanted to inquire as to how things went on your date this evening."

"Oh…?" Cardin blinked. "Oh, um, it went great. Really, really great."

"That's good to hear… son," Henry said adding the last word a bit awkwardly. "Listen, about that restaurant Jeeves picked you up from."

"Yeah?"

"It… It was the same place I first took your mother on our first date."

"Whoa, really?" Cardin asked, blinking widely. "Man, what a freaky coincidence."

"Yes… Coincidence. That, or…"

"Or? Or what? You think he planned it?"

"I don't know. You'd know him better than I would."

"Yes well, that isn't all that much to be honest," Cardin admitted. "I'm sure it's just coincidence. The guy's pretty transparent as far as I can tell."

"Transparent, or cunning?"

"What? You think he's working for a political rival?" he asked incredulously.

"Perhaps. Perhaps not," Henry returned thoughtfully. "For all we know it was pure coincidence and nothing else. However… it might also be someone using you to send a message."

"Should I be worried?"

Neither political rivals nor the White Fang had ever come at him to get back at his father, but that didn't mean it couldn't happen, and stories like that were always "it's not my problem as long as it's happening to someone else" until it happens to you.

"I would prefer you be cautious instead of outright worried," the councilman returned, assuaging his son's worries. "That boy… He has an incredibly disarming presence, almost made me lower my defenses around him; which means that if he's simply playing 'The Fool', we may not realize until it's too late. While it'd be great if he were simply that naïve, the most-dangerous thing about 'The Fool' is that they have the potential to surpass 'God'. That's why 'The Fool' has always been depicted as a tremendously-dangerous force in storytelling for centuries. Entire kingdoms have been felled by the machinations of a 'Fool' disguised as inept bumbling."

"Hmmm… Well, Ozpin seems to have his back," Cardin said with a shrug.

"Yes, and look at how that turned out for the Arc's only son; completely debased and humiliated before all his peers. It'll be a miracle if some semblance of his reputation can be salvaged after what occurred."

Minor in the grand scheme of things that altercation may've been, word of what occurred had still trickled down from Beacon to Vale, and even into his own chambers since Jaune was a schoolmate of his only son.

"Oof. Yeah, the kids at Beacon can barely stand him, and there being an open fruit bounty on his head probably didn't help things either."

"Fruit… bounty…?" Henry asked confusedly, wondering if Cardin had meant to string those words together the way he had.

"Oh, yeah, this whole thing where Jack put out a reward for anyone who can head-shot that loser with over-ripe fruit. Ten times that if you can hit him clean-on in the face."

"This Jack character sounds incredibly spiteful."

Of course, he already knew about Cardin's schoolmates to a degree, but implying he did would be admitting to using Council resources for wholly personal matters.

The sort of thing a political rival could use to very well usurp his seat on the council.

"Oh, yeah, like you wouldn't believe," Cardin winced. "Still, as long as you aren't his enemy, he's actually pretty cool. Helped me with my driving, actually. Might be ready to test for my license soon."

"That's great, son. I'm really proud of you," he said, nodding on his end of the line. "Before I let you go… How are you, son?" he asked, his tone softening.

"Well, I tell you what, it's been a hell of a ride," Cardin began.

And he and his father talked into the night.

*NEW WORLD*

Probably not what you wanted to see from Giant-Slayer, but given it's easy to make Cardin the punching bag in RWBY stories and crossovers, I figured it'd be both fun and interesting to experiment with giving Cardin some character development. Last we see of him in Canon is at the tail-end of Volume 3 in "Chapter 11: Heroes and Monsters", where he smacks around a really (and/or "relatively") tiny Ursa, gets in over his head with some AK-200s, and has to get saved by Ironwood as he works that half-man/half-robot bod of his.

Noooot exactly a good look to end on.

Given the ornateness of Cardin's armor compared to his peers and his general demeanor, in my headcanon I assumed he was the son of a Councilman, hence that's what I went for since nothing tangible really exists in regards to Cardin's family.

Also, while Brigitte is 23 in the Overwatch Cannon, I decided to make her a little younger for the Giant-Slayer Fanon; presently she's 19, a couple years older than Cardin, but not older-enough that her dating him would be weird. Characteristically, removing or rather ignoring the "bias" that a lot of people have towards him in regards to his bullying and treating it as an "anchor" that prevents him from ever rising above himself (like Jaune eventually did)… Cardin seems like the sort who might have different "body politics" than guys like Jaune or Neptune who only look at what's on the outside; i.e. he might be attracted to "Bricc" girls like Brigitte.

Also, the age revising isn't all that weird because Blizzard revised her age from 28 to 23 in the first place.

She might not be "Hardcore Bricc" like some "Bricc Girls" you see in fantasy anime, but given she has to be strong-enough to maintain her footing with a weapon capable of smacking around legit mecha… Yeah, I'd say Brigitte is pretty damn strong, even by the standards of RWBY Canon where there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of Power Scaling that stays consistent with itself; more the "Rule of Cool", which is why I'm raising the "Stat Cap" in the "Slayerverse" compared to RWBY Canon. So there's an actual tangible power gap between characters; contextually, Qrow and Winter were moving at Shunshin/Soru/Shunpo-like speeds, so I assume that's a baseline for a higher-end graduated Huntsman.

Anyway, I hope you at-the-least found this interesting, and that I can get some constructive criticism after stepping away from the main cast for a bit.

Don't worry. Things will start picking up again, now that I've laid down some more groundwork. The great thing about fanfiction is I don't have to gloss over timeskips, I can actually fill them in.

But that's beside the point.

Anyway, see you all next time!