Hey everyone, thanks for the wonderful reviews. Glad you all liked it.

As some of you guesses, things are a little hectic over here, but I'm not going to let that stop me. And now for the next chapter, hope you enjoy.

P.S, I left an Easter egg in this chapter, let's see if anyone can find it. =)

Chapter 5

"This is 'core prototype mark eleven' with gravity and fire dust sources, test one. Intended void entrance; one micromillimeter in diameter," Gaster announced to his recording scroll.

He stood by the middle of a small clearing surrounded by the tall trees of Emerald forest, the morning wind calmly rustling the trees as orange rays pieced through the skies of dawn. It'd been a few weeks since Gaster confronted Ozpin about everything, well, most things.

He still harboured doubts about the headmaster's intentions and what he was really wanting to gain from the scientist remaining here. Regardless, the two managed in arranging a workplace of sorts for him.

It was on campus much to the doctor's displeasure to work so close to the human, and situated at a far enough distance and times so Gaster wasn't accidently disturbed by the other students.

Though he'd much rather do things in a more controlled environment than the great outdoors. Something like a lab to call his own would make him feel much more at home.

Then again, the chances he'd blow up half the academy on accident was a risk too great for Ozpin to take, honestly Gaster thought it was reasonable on his half. Especially considering core prototype mark seven.

Trying to go big, he failed to include proper breach stabilizers and accidentally created a micro blackhole in the ruins above the ravine. The crumbling castle disappeared into the collapsing gravity in no time leaving only a few stone pillars behind that once held the ruins as any sign it was ever there.

This time he wasn't so hasty to get results and Ozpin wasn't as close to freaking out about it.

Gaster may not be a mind reader, but he could sure tell when a persons soul is on the verge of absolute panic.

He took the proper precautions in these new prototypes this time with adequate safety regulations. The designs were simple cubes in overall shape at first, no bigger than a lunch box and had grown to a hefty size bigger than a coffee table.

Twin dust barrels fixed on either side, tubes snaking throughout and a football-sized hole in the middle with rings designed to spin in opposite directions for energy stability looking much like a gyro. Atop were the safety mechanics looking to be a large rat's skull with three pairs of pistons protruding from its sockets.

After clicking in a pair of glass canisters filled with gravity and fire dust into the barrels, he took a safe distance a couple of feet where he could quickly get out if things got messy. Considering most things he did tended to put everyone's lives in a mile radius in jeopardy, it was the least he could do.

"Initiating test," holding up a remote with a dial ranging from zero to a hundred, he cranked the nob below it. The small core flickered to life in response, pistons pumped away, rings rotated and slowly gaining speed.

"Now ten percent-," the dial's needle swung, the machine hummed as the canisters either side glowed black and red with dust ventilated and consumed within its the depths.

"-Now at thirty percent-," the rings spun and pistons pumped faster and faster

"-Now at fifty-," the machine was shacking, rattling from side to side.

"-Now seventy-," flickering lights sparked around the gyro while the tubes glowed a dim read to increasing heat.

Beep-beep-beep-beep!

A red light was flashing furiously on the remote drawing Gaster's attention before cracking a smile of joy that spread wide.

"Conformation of micro-void hole, confirmed. Increasing to a hundre-."

Dewwwww-Booom!

The machine erupted into an explosion of glaring fire before Gaster could turn it up to its max. The force knocking him back as streams of yellow and blue flew off into the air accompanied by a plume of smoke.

Scraps of searing metal rained from the sky as the scientist lay there trying to gain his bearings.

"Cough-cough, oh dear~," he groaned, picking himself up with the smell of burning grass tickling his senses and the crackling of a fire.

Looking up, the grassy patch where the dust-core had been was ablaze, the main body popping itself apart under the heat and parts strewn across the ground.

Leaping up Gaster grabbed the nearby fire extinguisher he'd brought along and rushed over to let loose the foam on the licking flames. In moments the flames were doused and the chard grass now covered in white.

Looking down to the wreck of his work, disappointment seeping into Gaster's at the failure.

He tossed the red extinguisher to the side in a sigh before turning to his scroll still recording.

"Test eleven results; fail. Estimated reason for combustion likely stemming from overconsumption of the gravity dust leading to the heavy reliant on the fire," he deduced, peeling back his hand revealing the skeleton below and reaching for the canisters.

He could feel his synthetic flesh singing to the residual heat at being so close, gripping the handle and hoisting the fire dust canister out.

The glass cylinder was cracked, the full lower half blown to smithereens and a shard cracking off. Indeed, it had been overwhelmed without the balance of the gravity, leading to a chain reaction and this.

"Note, work on the consumption rate of the core, and also," he sighed, looking to the machine and thinking how low he was on dust. It wasn't like he was running low on funds to purchase more of the materials, but the recent increase in dust robberies in Vale was starting to raise prices which was beginning to take their toll on him. "Find a possible substitute or means to replenish dwindling reserves."

He noticed the pipes, reaching down and looking over them he admired how well they stayed intact.

"Also, thank Ruby for her suggestion on the pipe materials," laying the canister down, he turned to turn off his scroll before looking back at his mess with crossed arms.

"It would seem I need to push on with the dust base formula," he mused, rubbing his chin thinking over before an idea sparked in the depths of his mind and a smile twitching onto his face. "I have chemistry teaching with those second years today, don't I? Guess I'll have them help out a bit."

Later

"It really feels like I might've pulled something in her," Ruby whined, cradling her collapsed crescent rose in its case form in her arms like a child as she walked beside the rest of her team down the corridor.

It was a little after combat class and team RWBY was already heading for their dormitory to get ready for the next, history. Ruby's fight against some of the other combatant's had gotten a little rough on her poor baby and left its creator fearful for its wellbeing.

To be fair, it had been a while since she last had to replace some parts of her weapon.

Earlier

"Do you see him?" Blake huffed as she and Ruby rushed down the narrow corridor.

"No, I think we lost him on that last turn," Ruby replied, the two making another tight corner.

This combat class was all about enclosed quarters, so Glynda had set up the usually honey-combed room with separate arenas in the floor to one giant labyrinth above it. Using multipurpose blocks usually for tournament arenas to develop alternate terrain, a winding labyrinth was constructed with walls nearly twice as high as the students for a battle royal.

Two members per team sent in at a time and the last five standing were declared the winners.

"So how many do you think are left?"

"Oh, I think six, maybe seven left-guns!"

The pair ducked down a opposing hallways on Ruby's call just as a hail of pullets shot by them from a pair of handheld shotguns with vertical barrels at the corridors far end.

Ruby peaked around the corner to see their wielder flick them forward and sword blades fold out over the front before he and their partner came charging down the hall. She quickly glanced to Blake who was cocking back her Gambol Shroud and shifting it to its sword form before turning to her giving a nodding.

Ruby nodded back unfurling crescent rose and the two dashed out the corner rushing the other team.

As they got in range, the shotgun wielder now swords slammed on the brakes to take a knee allowing their teammate use him as a booster and leaped over them. Battling club with spikes along the side in hand she brought it down onto Blake, managing to deflect along the blade and crashing the head into the round.

Blake was about to take the opening till the other slipped from behind and lashed out at Blake who shifted back to avoid before he rushed Ruby.

She swiped her scythe with the retracted blade to deal some damage till blue tendrils wiped up from behind snaking around the huntsman. He was caught mid-run and Ruby's scythe cleaved through empty air and a flash of shock struck across their face just as the tendrils snapped taught yanking them with a yelp back to the other end of the corridor catching the attention of his partner.

His cries were cut short, grabbed mid-air by the back of his neck with bone tight fingers before redirected and slamming face-first to the ground, breaking it.

Their aura flared yellow before dying down and laying unmoving.

"Don't think you can lose me that easily," Gaster declared to the girls.

Ruby was in a little shock at seeing him so suddenly.

"I thought we lost him?"

"Apparently not," Blake stated, moving back a bit as her Gambol Shroud collapsed into its handgun form.

The huntsman Blake faced off had turned away from her, collapsed their hefty club into a larger box gun with a slit down the middle and opening itself with humming electricity.

The railgun lit up and fired shots with a bang.

A green barrier appeared in front of the scientist blocking the strike and the seven skeleton hands hovered up from behind him.

But she didn't let up, firing charged volley after volley in a futile effort as Gaster stood from their unconscious teammate, drawing his arm across his chest with determination glowing brighter.

"Move!" Ruby yelled dashing for her teammate.

Blake immediately understood what she meant and ducked into the hallway right before Gaster flung his arm forward, blasting determination with a glaring flash.

The club wielding huntsman now railgun managed to evade with barely a scratch one to be met with yellow energy bullet to stomach. She belched out air before met with a barrage of more slamming her away.

"That was a close one," Blake breathed, as the lightshow died.

The two of them got up in time for Ruby to notice numerous orange ping-pong balls appearing right in front of them. The girls reacted holding up their arms in time right before they flashed and exploded.

For Ruby, she happened to also be holding up Crescent Rose for defence, taking the worst of the blast to the shaft.

Present

"He didn't have to be so rough in training," she crumbled, stroking over the side of her baby where scuff marks remained.

"Hey, don't feel so down. It looked like he was taking things a little more seriously this time, so it helped with training," Yang jeered, cupping her hands behind her head trying to cheer her sister up.

"At least he was pushing himself. Definitely gives us something to fight against. Still, you could've done better than getting it handed to you~," Wiess groaned.

"I~, don't think he was going all out," Blake spoke up, face buried in a book titled 'moonlit ninjas' and feeling the cold glare Wiess gave her. "If he really was going all out, I don't think he would've given us the chance to get away, or at least taken the time to take out team LYDN before making his appearance known. Besides, I didn't see him use that dragon skull things from initiation."

Wiess's eyes focused into an angry glare and the news.

"That ingrate," she spat.

"Don't you ever get tired talking the guy down like that?" Yang queried. "I mean, he can't be all that bad."

Katwang~.

The sound of a spring snapping rang out from the red box in Ruby's arms shocking everyone. The little girl eyes' began tearing up while her lips trembled threatening to cry at the sound of her dying baby.

"Well~," Yang hummed, hanging on her note as Wiess gave her a look.

"One of the spinal springs broke~," Ruby sniffled, shacking her weapon and hearing a rattling jingle before whipping away a tear that managed to leak out.

"Isn't that one of the parts that helps change it from gun to scythe?" Blake queried.

She gave a nod in response.

"I'm sure you could just get some new parts from Vale after school," Yang suggested. "Those stores tend to have everything."

Blake perked up from her book with twinkling golden eyes and bow twitching.

"I think I'll tag along if you're going. There's a new book out I'd like to get my hands on, and I also need some dust for ammo."

"I'd love for you to come with us," Ruby cheered, her once depressed self now overtaken by her joyous personality like the passing of a storm. "The more the marrier."

"Awww, my little sis's going shopping with a friend~," Yang cooed, unfurling her arms and wrapping her sister in an over shoulder tackle-hug with a toothy grin on her face. "You're growing up so fast~."

"You're not coming with us, Yang?"

"Well, you see.… I'd love too, but I've got ….this thing to do so I can't really make it."

"In other words, she wants to go out and pummel some grimm in the forest for practice," Blake interjected. "Since she still didn't manage to vent her frustrations out on Gaster."

Yang shot her a look but it was too late.

The damage was done and Wiess was now walking with more stride in her step, a smile on her smug face and her nose tilted slightly higher than usual.

Of course, Yang didn't like their trench coat wearing silver haired classmate. All the notes he took constantly from the shadows on people just rubbed her the wrong way.

Like a stalker whose eyes felt like they were peering into the depths of your soul. That said, the last thing Yang wanted was to fuel Wiess's ego and dislike for him by agreeing with her.

It didn't take much longer till the girls reached their room, even managing to run into team JNPR along the way. One of the many handy coincidences sleeping just a room away from each other. Having also been placed in the top five of the combat class, they were too in high spirits.

Jaune had managed to get some decent combat under his belt, but without Ren in the ring there was very little he could do to stop his own teammate.

Team's RWBY, CRDN, JNPR, G and SLVR might've taken in the top five, but if it were by number of knockouts, JNPR would've been taking home the gold. Nora's little rampage around the maze wielding her grenade launching war hammer and demolishing everything in her path left most beaten and bruised.

Massive smackdowns and one or two with broken everything.

Quickly swapping out their clothes, dropping their gear off and grabbing books, the two teams made way to their history class. It didn't take long till they made it and took their seats and no sooner did Ruby look around the room to notice someone missing.

"Class is about to start, I should give Gaster a call to remind him."

"Why even bother? He turns up late for most of his classes even if you do call him and he sometimes never comes, like he's got something more important," Wiess lectured her, flipping her notebook to an empty page.

"It's what friends do. I should at least show some concern if he's missing class."

"Ahhh, my little sister's kindness is wasted~," Yang pretended to cry out in despair, resting the back of her hand over her eyes and striking a dramatic pose in dismay. "Maybe while I'm hunting grimm I'll accidently run into a white haird creeper and maybe accidently break his nose."

"I thought I told you he wasn't a creeper."

"He keeps writing about everybody in that book of his. How can he not be a creeper?"

"He's only doing research for his machine."

"Is that what he told you?"

"And he showed it to me too. There were a few issues with it, but he thinks he can make a fully functional generator with it."

"That's absurd," Weiss declared. "If he wants a generator, he can get an Atlas grade dust powered one from any old tech shop in Vale."

"Yea, but he seemed very adamant about making this one. So much that he's willing to be late to class to make it."

Before they could go on, the door to the room flung open on its hinges with a brushed back green haired Professor Oobleck with large foggy round glasses and thermostat in hand. "Alright boys and girls, take you seats please, class has begun!"

Whizzing to the board and hardly looking out of breath in the act, the professor started writing in chalk. The class began with a long rain of lectures and questions with the history of war.

This went on for a while, and of course like any iconic classroom there was always someone slightly nodding off. Primarily a blonde Jaune Arc who Pyrrha next to him had to give the occasional elbow to keep him awake.

"And that boys and girls is why Shou Tucker wasn't considered for soldier improvement after the fight in Amestris during the metal era against the Ischvalan clan," Oobleck bellowed reading from the pages of a textbook in hand and whizzing from one side of the lecture room to the other. "Now, can anyone guess what Mr Tucker did to show his worth, and how it impacted the military?"

Few hands shot up while others wearily rose with less enthusiasm.

"Mrs Rose."

"After spending time with his family, he found humans could be improved for the war. But the method was a little unorthodox and he was quickly shut down."

"Yes, yes, but can you elaborate."

"Ghck-," Ruby was taken back a little by the question as she visually pondered. "Ah….well~."

"It's because his methods involved merging soldiers with animals to make them more 'beasty' to provide the keen edge in the war," Gaster finished, sitting at the back and leaving off from what Ruby had said.

"Normally the method would be shut down because it turned humans into beings more monster than what they considered to be the faunus. But in this case, he was dishonourably discharged and arrested because he used his wife and daughter as test subjects to prove it could be done."

"Yes, yes, very good-."

Oobleck was interrupted by the ringing of the school bell.

"Well that's it for today class, be sure to study pages 135 to 143 for tomorrows quiz," he rapidly spoke before speeding to his thermostat and taking a quick swig while a portion of the class groaned to the news. "Gaster, for your tardiness you are to stay after class until completing your own quiz-."

He pulled a sheet from practically thin air.

"-I even have one specially prepared for you ahead of time considering your history of running late to my classes."

Ruby felt herself wince at the sheer sight of it. It hadn't been nearly half a term at Beacon and already they were handing out punishments. The quiz had at least fifty questions at first glance, each with two to three parts.

She sparred a look to Gaster for a bit to give him some encouragement, but he was already spinning his pen in his hand and rearing to go.

"Alright, let's get this over with. I'm in a bit of a hurry."

Ruby was shocked to hear him say that as she left the room with everyone else.

"Such confidence young man and rush will get you nowhere in life," Oobleck lectured, placing the test down beside the doctor and pulling a cooker alarm from behind his back, cranking it all the way around. "Let's put some stakes to it then, shall we? If you can get perfect marks on this within the hour, I will excuse the next time you miss my class without a proper reason. You can even take the whole one off. Fail, and you'll be staying fifteen extra minutes behind each of my classes for the week on top of any detention. This'll also apply even if you don't attend the class that, day do you understand?"

Gaster's eye twitched at that sudden proposal as he processed what had just rapidly been said to him. The nerve of this human.

A free 'get out' card for him did sound enticing, but was the trade off, the risk worth it for him.

"You do know of the current circumstances and position I have here at Beacon, don't you?"

"Yes, yes, I know all about how you're an employed professor here at the Academy," Oobleck listed, taking a sip.

Truth, he didn't really know everything. Ozpin didn't mention Gaster's inhuman origins to the faculty, just that he was in a special case who was both student and teacher at the academy. At this point, the less people who knew about him the better.

"But I've seen your class schedules, and none of them overlap with my class, and very few of them start before. Today is not one of them, so your late arrival is inexcusable."

Gasters lips tugged into a smile. Seems there was no fooling this human as easily as he did Professor Port before. The arrogant human bought his line about his late arrivals and excused them entirely.

"Make it a week I can miss your classes, and you've got a deal."

"What do you mean 'deal'? Time has already begun," he blurted pointing to the timer that'd been ticking for nearly two minutes. "There are no deals in fights, only actions taken in the moments."

Later

"Ah, it feels nice to be back in the city~," Ruby sung as she strolled off the academy airship.

Blake was ahead of her and not showing as much excitement about being in the city as her teammate. It was such a small thing, but to someone like Ruby, to a leader, it was her duty to make her friend happy and forge a relationship with everyone on her team.

At least that was what Yang, Gaster and Pyrrha egged her to do most times.

Now it was just a matter of breaking the ice with a conversation stater.

'Chuckle, breaking ice~.'

Still, she was in a bit of a bind. Her personality wasn't as outgoing as Yangs' or as stoic as Gasters' to start a conversation. Sure she managed with weapons as a starting point, but at this point it might as well sound like a broken record.

Blake wasn't as crazy about weapons as she was, and the only time she was even remotely got close to Blake was with the book she was reading.

A twinkle glittered amidst her silver eyes at sparking idea.

"Soooo~.….. What's the new book you're looking to get?"

"Hmmm?"

"The new book, what's it like?" Ruby repeated curiously.

"Oh, it's….. it's nothing special. Just a little book called 'Ninjas' Ribbon'," she replied a little sheepishly with a blush edging on. "Just a little action romance story I like."

Ruby was musing to this. She thought she'd heard that book title somewhere before.

'I'm sure it's on the tip of my tongue.'

"Wh-what about you?" Blake quickly asked, trying to steer the conversation a little away from her in an attempt to hide her desire. "You said that you needed to pick up some springs and dust. Is that all?"

"Definitely, so far," Ruby smiled without a second's hesitation before drooling over her next words. "Just a couple parts and some extra dust for my baby~."

For a split-second Ruby was drowning in her own fantasy of somehow upgrading her crescent rose. But how could she? It was already perfect for her, and she really wasn't all that good wielding other weapons much.

"Guqu~, a-any way," bringing herself back, Ruby whipped away a small bit of drool that'd managed to escape her lips. "I'd also like the look of any other weapons. It's nothing bad."

The golden eyed huntress in training just hummed in agreement, clearly seeing the potential time they might spend at any weapons they'd happen to wonder into. 'I can't let that happen. If we spend too much time out, the bookstores will all close and I won't be able to get it. Which means….."

"Ruby, let's go this way," motioning down an ally, her teammate was a little confused by the gesture.

"Wh-why?"

"It'll be faster," Blake shot, grabbing Ruby's wrist and bolted down the alleyway dragging her behind much to her teammates dismay.

Ruby's pleads to stop so they could go to the weapons store grew less and less while she tried to get her footing. Sure she could be faster than Blake, but with her friend holding onto her and dragging her along she was having more trouble keeping her feet on the ground.

"Blake-?"

They popped out the other end before grinding to a halt and nearly flipping Ruby onto her face.

"We're here."

Before Ruby could push further, she turned to find the building in front of them.

It was a small bookstore, titled 'Tukson's book trade, home to every book under the sun'. She looked back to Blake but her teammate had already dashed on ahead to enter.

A bell jingled as the two came in.

The insides were set out mediocrely all things considered in a singularly large room. Eight rows of shoulder-high shelves lined the majority of the space side by side with a door at the back corner behind a long counter. Behind that also stood a well built-up man with thick dark sideburns in leu of a full beard.

"Welcome to Tukso-, ah Blake, good to see you again," glancing behind her, he smirked. "Brought a friend I see."

"A potential customer for your business, if you're lucky, Tukson," Blake declared nonchalantly walking up to the counter. "Have you got the new book I pre-ordered?"

Tukson grinned before disappearing under his desk.

Ruby meanwhile had gone to browse through some of the shelves on display. It wasn't a full-blown library, but the collection in on itself was enough to entice a little bookworm like herself.

No wonder Blake likes this store, plus she seemed to have a close connection with the owner.

"Wow, they even have 'Guzzy Bear' here. Is that?...No, I thought they stopped printing these years ago~. Oooh, comic books," Ruby disappeared down to a nearby rack in the corner where numerous volumes of comics lined rows.

As she flipped through them, Blake couldn't help but crack a smile at her teammate's impulsive childness.

"Here we are. One pre-ordered 'Ninjas' Ribbon', for one Blake Belladonna."

Turning back, Tukson had re-emerged and had dropped a book wrapped in cloth onto the counter. When Blake unwrapped it to inspect, a blush flushed her cheeks seeing the black cover of the book. White title above the illustration of a red ribbon clutched in the hand of an armoured ninja.

Boom!

Blake almost yelped in surprise as a large sum of comics and storey books piled atop one another slammed onto the table beside her.

"I'd like to purchase all these please," Ruby announced peaking from behind triumphantly.

Tukson and Blake glanced to one another, a little surprised seeing an eager customer. Ruby's gaze slowly fell on the unwrapped book on the counter.

'Ninjas' Ribbon', written by Canvas Oak...'

Something clicked inside her head at seeing the authors name, she'd seen it written on one of the books poking out from under Blakes pillow back in the dorm.

"Um…Blake. Isn't that book-."

The golden eyed huntress yelped in surprise quickly wrapping the exposed book back up before Ruby could finish. With slightly trembling lips, she turned back to a staring little girl with eyes dead as a grave whispering one word.

"…~fffiiiiiilllltttthhhhhyyyyyy~…"

Tukson burst out laughing to the act unfolding before him. Soon calming down, he was reduced to simply chuckling.

"Hahaha~, oh you were right little Blake. Potential customer indeed," he giggled, picking up the wrapped book and removing just enough to expose the barcode before scanning it as Ruby kept eyes locked on Blake. "But I think the laugh was definitely a bonus."

After Blake and Ruby paid for their own separate stashes, the girls were soon back on the streets again with hardly any time lost from Blakes quick detour.

Though the same couldn't be said for their trip to the nearest dust store.

"Why'd you have to buy so many books? You should've known they'd drag you down," Blake criticized her partner.

Ruby grunted a little next to her as she held a stack of cloth wrapped books in both hands reaching just below her collar bone. "I couldn't help it, there were just so many books there that I really wanted, and it was all just a spur of the moment kind of thing. I mean, look at this, 'single to multi, the history of transmogrifying weapons'-wow."

Blake couldn't help herself but sigh as her leader struggled to rebalance her books after attempting to reach for one. She really was such a child.

"Here, let me."

The two stopped walking and before Ruby knew it, Blake was unwrapping the book she held. She tried to protest with their not being enough cloth to protect the books only to be silenced as a second sheet was pulled out from under it.

"Tukson always wraps the books he gives with two clothes for extra protection. I think it's over kill, but he says he wants his customers to enjoy clean books after they get home."

"But, won't he go out of business quickly? It didn't look like he was getting much business at first glance."

"He doesn't. In fact, he's trying to save up money to leave town. But it's not like he's constantly buying these. He's got a full stack in the back, so he tells me, so he's got some to spare."

"You seem to care about him."

"We're….old acquaintances," Blake replied with a downcast expression.

A part of her wanted to tell Ruby the reason how she knew Tukson. Though, she couldn't bring herself to say they were both part of the White Fang terrorist organisation. Blake didn't want her past to come plague her, control her, be ridiculed because of it, or continue doing wrong under good conscience.

It's why she left them all in the first place, left Adam.

Blakes mind dulled in buzzing thoughts as she and Ruby kept going with the heavy load now distributed between them.

Though, the faunus in disguise's last sentence had left a somewhat awkward tension in the air. Ruby could feel it like it was a string pulled taught between them. She couldn't bear it any longer, she wanted to get rid of it and get a little closer to Blake.

After all, they were teammates, but they could also be friends.

"Soooooo~…. You like books?"

A crow called out in the silence that followed.

It just got worse.

'What the hell was that?! Of course she likes books, there's never been a time when Blake hasn't had a book in her hand during her free time. She's even got some now!' Ruby mentally screamed while Blake wore a look of dumbfound confusion. 'I can fix this, I can fix this. Just follow it up….'

"I mean, of course you like books, you read a book every chance you get, you even have books in your hands. So….does that, mean you, like…. to write a story of your own someday?"

Blake gave a little thought to that question, though it was more to how her team leader fumbled with her words to save face. She turned to the books she held before smiling.

"No, I just like how with books I can feel like I'm living other people's lives, or an adventure. It's not like I want to live them, but I do enjoy putting myself in the perspectives of the character the author makes," Blake hummed, looking ahead to weave by a post.

"Oh, I see. I just thought you'd like to give it a try is all. I mean, you thought Gaster was collecting notes to write a story before, so I assumed you had experience like that."

"I can't say I haven't thought about it. When you spend a lot of time outside and with other people, you tend to see different personalities and experience different scenarios. Like, Yang. Carefree, joyous and optimistic. Polar opposite to Weiss. She's so stubborn and uptight it's almost ridiculous. In a way she reminds me of…..Gaster?"

"Gaster? Why would Weiss remind you of….." she trailed off as she noticed Blake had stopped walking with her and stopped a little behind while Ruby was still walking. "What is it?"

Blake shuffled the books in her hands to point at a store just across the street to where they were as Ruby caught up to her. Looking to see what had gotten her attention, she was a little confused only for her eyes to widen at the sight.

While they'd been talking, time had somehow managed to pass them to the point they almost ended up passing by a dust and mechanics store.

Funnily named 'Dust'n'Parts'.

Tall glass windows panned across the front of the store, allowing onlookers to look inside and see rows upon rows of dust and mechanical parts. At the far end away from the front door stood bone white haired Gaster dressed in his usual trench coat and turtleneck under-jumper.

He was looking between a pair of small hand-cranked dust compressors of different makes.

"Blake, we took the airship from the academy fifteen minutes after class and we've only been here for, what, twenty?"

She nodded, though both were still looking across the street.

"And it takes an hour for the airship to travel to-and-fro, right?"

She nodded again.

"So how is it Gaster's here ten minutes before the next airship leaves the academy?"

There was no reply, just the footsteps of people passing by out late with the afternoon sun blanketing the city's sky.

"I'm going to ask him."

Before Blake could do anything Ruby burst into petals, sped across the empty street and appearing by the store's door still holding her pile of books.

"And that child's my team leader~," Blake mused to herself, quickly running across the street and following Ruby through the front door.

The inside of the shop was small, bigger than Tuckson's bookstore in the regards it was longer. Isles lined width ways down the body of the store with walkways running alongside the length on either side.

It was one of these walkways Ruby dashed down, shelves flying by till slamming on the brakes and skidding to a halt at the end.

"G-Gaster?"

The browsing student turned to her with questioning blue and red eyes but no more than with simple curiosity. They quickly lit up a bit at seeing her and the feeling honestly put Ruby off as much as her question to how he travelled over a mile quicker than the airship could.

"Ah Ruby, perfect timing. In your opinion, which would you think is better," holding out the two in hand he ignored the girls' opening mouth in a question to only to be snapped shut as he continued. "A Turquoise brand dust compressor, or a Schnee brand dust compressor? I'm looking towards the Turquoise because of its cheaper price, and that it looks to be of a simple design. But the Schnee brand looks like it could handle more psi, but it's nearly double the price in comparison."

"Ah-eh-Th-the Schnee, brand. The Turquoise don't last as long and have a tendency of breaking after excessive use," she stuttered, a bit of her geeky side leaking out as Blake caught up. "But forget that, how'd you get here? Did you bail on Ooblecks' test or something?"

Gaster's flinch to the question was meek in comparison to how much he wanted to cringe at the very mention of the test before turning back to his choices. He wanted to make it look like he was making his final decision, but really, he didn't want to look the human child in the eye.

His pride was already aching from the thought.

"Hmmm, yes I do see the Schnee brand being the better choice in this situation~. N-no, I finished the test a while a while ago, and yet, I still failed."

Ruby felt her heart sag a little at the tone of his voice while Blake turned away to browse the nearby shelves for dust and kept a cat ear listening from under her bow to the conversation. Ruby knew how it felt to fail a test, so to hear Gasters' dismay was something she could relate to.

"It's okay, we don't always get the best scores on out tests," she tried consoling him, thinking about how she didn't always do well in her tests. Most just barely made it. The best we can do is learn and move forward without hesitation."

"Yes but, I only got ninety-nine out of hundred," the mention of the score caused Ruby to choke back on some air in her throat.

'Ninety-nine?!'

"To think, you choose blasting a nevermores' head clean off over steering it away from the town first and the whole question turns against you. As if I couldn't do both."

'He, he got ninety-nine,' Ruby mulled over dazed as Gaster put the Turquoise compressor back on the shelf and kept the Schnee brand one.

She snapped herself back quick enough to the topic she was wanting to know in the first place.

Enough about that, how'd you get here so quickly? The next airship doesn't arrive in Vale until later."

Gaster looked to Ruby, a little surprised and somewhat confused by the questioning. "Are you asking me how I got to the store in particular, or Vale?"

"Both."

A smile spread across Gaster's lips with a little chuckle behind it.

"My dear girl, isn't it obvious yet~? I've been doing it all this time, so I assumed you'd pick it up by now," he suddenly disappeared right in front of her in a puff of light, shocking Ruby a little and causing her to step back a little. Even Blake was looking over surprised. "I can move between spaces-."

"Aaaarrrghh!"

Ruby screamed at Gaster's voice coming from behind, spinning on the spot and dropping her books right onto Gasters foot. It was a skeletal foot, so while he had a tolerance to pain, a textbook load worth of books slamming down was nothing to scoff at.

"Ah-!"

"Don't do that!"

"Yep. Apologies," he breathed short and sweet trying to hide the pain he was in, bending down and picking up the load carefully.

"Ahg, I'm so sorry," Ruby apologised, collecting herself and bending to help.

"No worries. It's a reasonable reaction."

A staff came running up to Ruby' scream but having been an accident he let her off. Still, for such a little girl she sure could reach quite the pitch.

With the show over, Ruby turned back to asking Gaster, egging him on to answer her question and reveal his secrets. Normally he'd brush a nuisance like her off and teleport away, but there were so many morally wrong things with that the scientist was caught at an impasse.

True he'd dealt with kids before, but he never developed a resistance to their questioning. No matter how much he ignored them they were always right there drawing in attention.

At this point, the only thing keeping him in place was his desire to conduct his little side experiment with humanity.

The three eventually purchased their goods, and Gaster saw fit to finally answer some of Ruby's questions. Granted, he left out a number of details, but it was enough to satisfy the little girl and her friend who so happened to be listening in.

"So, this entire time when you've been late for class, you've not simply snuck in, but teleported in?" Blake queried.

"If it's easier for you to view it that way, then yes. Basically, my form of teleportation is swapping my area in space with another I either recognise, seen or have been. Greater distances need me to put more effort into it while still knowing where I am geographically. Think of it as lifting a stone and carrying it with you. Similar to that, and the volume I'm taking, the heavier the stone becomes."

"That's so cool," Ruby squealed. "Your semblance doesn't just summon skeleton hands with their own abilities, but you can also teleport too. I can't help but think it's some kind of cheat ability."

"Cheat or no Ruby, what I do has been accomplished through rigorous hard work and constant practice," Gaster lectured, raising a finger to the air as though to make a point. "It is something anyone can do. Even you if you try hard enough in all your subjects."

"Wha-I-I do try hard in all my subjects," Ruby stuttered and earning herself an eye from Gaster and Blake at the same time. This was felt cornering, were they ganging up on her in this? "I-it's just, not easy to remember it all."

"Ruby, you've fallen asleep in grimm theory," Blake spoke up.

"Only because the Professor makes it a point to spend half the class telling his stories. They're not even that interesting."

"You forget half the stuff you're taught in history right after you're told about it," Gaster included.

"It takes time for me to process."

"You spend most your afternoons either reading, tending to your scythe or running through the woods after grimm with Yang instead of studying," Blake said before looking a little worried. "I know you're trying hard, but Wiess is probably going to snap again if you don't show her you are."

Ruby was looking all to defeated at this point, her eyes trembling like a child's after they've been scolded from doing something they know they really shouldn't have.

Gaster and Blake exchanged looks of concern. Did they go a little to far in their makeshift pep-talk?

"I, I do try hard~."

Her teammate was about to let her guard down and console her till little red's downcast eyes lit up with an idea as she snapped to Gaster and surprising him with a cheeky line smile on her face.

The skeletal scientist couldn't read minds, no matter how hard he researched. If he could, he'd probably see a malicious play panning out inside the petite girl's mind, not like he couldn't see the intent in her eyes.

"Say Gaster, since we're all on our way back to the academy and everything, do you think you could, maybe, get us all back?" she cooed, in a questioning tone while wearing the adorable eyes of a pleading child. "I mean, if I am to get back, study hard and achieve my goals through rigorous practice, then don't I need to be able to get back on time to fit it in?"

Ruby was playing the guilt trip game here, anyone could see that. In fact it was so obvious most people would just cave in if they didn't have enough pride in themselves. Even her dad would fall for it at the drop of a hat.

Unfortunately for her, this was not her dad. On top of having an unbridled amount of pride in everything he did, Gaster was a father and had dealt with this game before.

"No, Ruby, I'm not going to abuse my powers like that and play shofer for you," he deadpanned her. "Relying on me would eventually lead to you becoming complacent in going from place to place. If you want to get back to the academy, it will have to be on your own two feet."

"Says the guy who teleported to get here," Blake spoke up, prompting a smirk and drawing his attention. Did she just play the double agent card on him and switch back to Ruby's side? "Plus, you'd get back to work on your experiments."

Gaster glanced down to Ruby with an eyebrow raised. She just smiled back to the silent question in his eyes.

"Well of course she knows about them. Friends are going to talk when they have something to chat about," she chirped, the doctor merely turning back to Blake with a blank expression.

The disguised faunus girl merely looked back wearing the same.

Gaster eventually closed his eyes and gave a sigh of contempt.

"Alright, you've got me there," Ruby gave a sharp 'yes' under her breath till being interrupted. "But just this once, and with all this luggage it's going to take a lot out of me. So to manage, I'll be making two trips so I don't strain myself. I am traveling over a dozen kilometres or so after all. "

"Great! We'll let you take everything to our dorm first," Ruby giggled, handing her books and bags over to a Gaster who stumbled at the heavy load suddenly dumping into his arms. He was about to retort till Ruby grabbed Blakes load and piled it on top. "We'll be waiting here for you when you get back."

"And what makes you think I'm coming back? Blake was right in saying I'd like to get back to my work."

The girl's eyes widened with Ruby opening her mouth to speak but couldn't find the words before the two looked to each other in concern.

Gaster just half-heartedly laughed at their reaction.

"Don't worry, I'll be back," he reassured. "This shouldn't take long, though my entry might be a little off."

"A little off?"

"Well I've never been inside your dormitory before as opposed to seeing it through your open door, so expect a commotion of sorts when you get back."

Ruby's eyes lit up at an epiphany and tried to tell Gaster before disappeared in a flash of blue wisps, leaving her with her mouth hanging open. Ruby laughed lightly drawing Blakes' attention.

"I'm sure he'll be fine~," she tried to cheer.

Interlude

Sitting behind her desk, Weiss was reading over some of her math homework in the serenity of her dorm. It wasn't completely quite though, with Yang showering in the bathroom just in the other room.

"Okay, so the anti-derivative of X plus nine over five minus X is equal to the square root of three X minus five X. If this is the case, what is X?" Weiss mulled to herself in her snow-white pyjamas and her hair let down from its usual ponytail. "Let's see, so the first thing to do is find the anti-derivative of-."

A thunderous slam behind interrupted her thoughts with toppling books, a lamp and a yelp of surprise. Spinning out of her chair she came face to a pile of wrapped books, bags of dust and parts sprawled across Yang and Blakes' bunkbeds.

"Really, you girls built bunkbeds?" strained a voice from under the pile at the foot of the lower bunk as someone emerged from it. Gaster stood tall, bending his back straight and welcomed a couple of pops in the spine. "That's a hazard to my health."

Weiss snatched Mistral propped against the wall and charged the intruder without missing a beat. The tip banging against a green barrier before the attack could hit home and seven skeletal hands floated behind him.

"Easy Weiss. I didn't mean to startle you."

"Says the scoundrel who snuck into a girl's bedroom," she hissed, drawing mistral back, spinning the magazine till landing on the white cartridge. Thrusting again a portion of the dust ejected, ignited and everything in front was encased in ice. "The penance for your actions is worse than death!"

Gaster avoided being frozen keeping his shield up to take the blow, but before he could explain the heiress appeared over the frosted wall thrusting at him. He narrowly dodged the strike and using his purple hand of perseverance copied Weiss's aura.

Using her semblance, he created a white glyph above and behind Wiess and flung her up to the ceiling.

"Look, I apologize for entering without your permission, but in all fairness, I was allowed in by R-."

His explanation was cut short by a surprise blow to the jaw that sent Gaster flying across the room and breaking into the wall. The frosted barrier and glyph disappeared at the loss of his concentration as he slumped to the floor upside down and his head angling sharply.

Looking up the doctor saw Yang standing where he had with her fists jabbed out, pumped in her yellow pyjamas and a towel wrapped around her wet hair. Did she just come from the shower?

He noticed her eyes weren't their usual purple, now a crimson red with licking, a clear indication she was using her semblance.

"I was enjoying myself in the shower from a looong afternoon busting grimm head heads in. Then I hear a great big crash that ruined my lovely soak," she declared as Weiss fell, stuck the landing next to Yang and both rearing for another round. "I always knew you were a creeper, but I didn't realize how much of one you were."

"I doubt any explanation from me would help at this point," Gaster assessed, stepping forward still upside down before heaving his back by his legs standing up straight with his head still crooked.

He gripped his head, yanking it back into place with a cluck and made sure his face was still on straight.

Beside Yang cracking her knuckles, Gaster noticed most of the luggage he brought covered in frost or frozen and gave a heartfelt sigh. 'I better hope Ruby and Blake don't blame me for this as much as their teammates.'

Interlude

"I doubt it," Blake faithlessly replied.

To be fair, Ruby was getting the feeling her teammate might be right. She wasn't able to tell Gaster Yang and Wiess were in the dorm room and getting ready for bed.

If he popped in at the wrong moment, it'd be all kinds of trouble.

Skidding tires and revving engines drew their attentions in time for a pair of speeding trucks drifting around the corner ahead of them and barrelling down the street. One veered off the road and made it onto the footpath right for the girls and the few people with them.

wasn't driving straight, like the driver wasn't trying to obey the road rules because the head truck veered off the road and half of it was on the foot path head right for them and the people behind.

The girls quickly understood the severity of the situation, turning to note the few people on the footpath with them.

"Move!"

Not like they needed to be told, people were already slipping themselves down alley cracks and others ran to few of the stores still open.

Feeling that they'd be safe, Ruby took to take care of herself, bolting to the building next to her and pushing up and scrambling to perch herself on a window. She felt herself grimace inside at how 'inelegant' her form was, as Wiess would put it.

Blake in comparison nimby followed and sat perched right next to her with the assistance of her Gambol Shroud.

Why was her baby broken at a time like this?

Her thoughts shattered with the truck blaring below their feet.

"What was that about?"

"Reckless driving?" Blake offered, sounding a little unsure of her own answer watching the trucks slam on the breaks skidding to a halt outside the store the pair had just left.

The rear rolling doors opened up with a slam and a dozen people or so poured out, each armed with either military grade rifles in hand or something a little more for melee. Their wielders certainly didn't look military.

Little under half wore shades, black suits with red ties standing out capped by black bowler hats. The others on the other hand were in white sleeveless jumpers with a tiger head over claw marks on the back and bone white grimm masks over their faces.

"That's the White Fang!" Ruby blurted out in shock as the passenger door to the head truck was kicked open. Hopped out was a ginger haired in white suit, smoking cigar and cane in hand. "Roman Torchwick?"

"All right people you know the drill," he ordered loudly twirling his cane. "Grab as much dust as you can and get ready to move out immediately, I don't want to be here when the boys in blue do so let's get to it. Allen, or Abel, whatever your name is, that's the last time I let you drive. Learn to sober up before a job."

As the goons broke through the front of the store and pilled in with Roman following in, three remained outside standing guard with the trucks.

"We have to stop them," Ruby pulled out her Crescent Rose, ignoring the fact it was broken and readying to leap off the ledge and rush in headfirst to save the day.

Blakes warm hand clutch her shoulder stopped her from launching off.

"You can't do anything Ruby," she stared blankly, looking to her friend with the slightest hint of worry through her golden eyes. "Your Rose's still broken, so you won't be able to defend yourself as effectively if things get messy."

"It's not entirely broken. After all-," she reached and cocked her weapons bolt back, trying to look like a badass despite their current situation. "-it's also a gun."

With a proud look beaming from her team leader, Blake found it in herself let out a sigh after a moment, letting Ruby go before taking out her own weapon in its gun form. "Try not to get into too many close quarter fights. Focus on range as much as you can."

Ruby gave a nod with a little whimper behind it before pushing off and sailing to the ground. Blake broke the head off her Gambol Shroud still connected by a black ribbon and slung it up to the next building over burying into the side.

Blake leaped off and swung by the ribbon, running along the side the wall till unhinging it and lashing out at one of the white fang guards.

She was a little hesitant doing this to the group she once considered family, but as the ribbon of Gambol Shroud snaked around their legs she felt the resolve to go through with it strike though her like lightning. The White fang didn't even have time to react by the ribbon snapping taught at his shins and a pair of shoes to ploughing right into the side of her face.

The remaining two, one in suit and the other another fang member were startled for a moment by their comrade hitting the ground like a sack of potatoes before steeling themselves and raising their guns.

Blake unfurled her ribbon form the shins of the one she kicked just as a bolt of light flicked by her and struck the side of one of the guns busting it out its wielder's hands.

The fang member glanced over past Blakes shoulders to see Ruby taking a knee on the ground with crescent rose nestled on her raised knee for balance as she cocked back and fired another shot. This one heading straight for the same member who easily contorted his body to the side to avoid the bullet before snapping back and charging straight for her.

Blake was about to fling Gambol Shroud again to catch him till her hidden cat ears perked up a click. She leaped to the side in time to dodge a hail of machine gun fire by the third remaining guard in a suit, reclipping her weapon and extend Gambol Shroud back into its sword form.

The white fang member was quickly on to Ruby and managed to evade most of Ruby's static shots to stun the attacker. Through sheer force alone he managed to push past the rest and bringing t down a fist Ruby weaved out the way just as it crashed into the pavement.

She noticed the thick curved horns sticking out from behind the mask and the way he grunted in exertion.

'A bull faunus?'

Ruby noticed Blake had quickly taken care of her guard and was running up to the bull faunus from behind to help.

The little girl in red wasn't the best when it came to brute force without her crescent rose, so if she and Blake wanted to do some damage, they were going to have to play it smart.

"Chopsticks!" Ruby yelled which surprised the white fang.

Blake on the other hand gave a nod, coming in from behind and kicking the faunus's legs in causing him to keel over backwards. Ruby slung her gun around behind her, jumped up and fired a shot propelling her straight towards the faunus with her legs outstretched, pounding the bull faunus directly in the face and Ruby practically surfing the guy to the middle of the streets before he swung an arm catching her legs and tripping her up.

He grinned before realizing Ruby had summersaulted in the air and was now facing him with the barrel of her rifle starring him down at point blank.

Ruby smiled and pulled the trigger firing a stun shot catching him square in the forehead and shocking him almost senseless. Ruby redirected her gun behind her, firing another shot propelling her to pound him in the chest and continue surfing him through the front of 'Dust'n'Parts' windows and thunking to the floor.

"Alright~," she cheered with glee, only quickly dying at noticing the number of people starring at her in the store. She just so happened to land smack near the rear end of the shop with most of the white fang and bowler hat's starring her down. "Ohhh…..~"

"Really, you just fall like that?" Roman complained, coming up from intimidating the cashier handler where the rest of the few customers were being held with a bit of annoyance till seeing Ruby standing on top of the bull faunus, squinting a little trying to recognize her.

His uncovered eye widened a bit before relaxing as a smile grew onto his face. "Oh hello there red, long time no see~. Still carrying that oversized gardening tool, I see."

"Don't think this'll go easy for you Roman," Ruby called, coking back crescent and holding it aloft in its gun form. "I managed to fend you off once before, and I'm ready for round two."

"You mean I escaped before," the crook smirked, taking his cane and motioning a few of them. "Kindly welcome our guest will you. The rest of you, finish loading up the dust. I want us on the road in less than a minute."

Ruby was just about to jump away as a pair of suits and white fang members aimed their weapons at her before the windows broke with a crash. Blake came flying through kicking one of the bowlers down till leaping off, grabbing Ruby and ducking behind the rear shelves right as bullets rained down and tearing though their cover.

"You know, you're really a handful for being our team leader," she monotoned, resting against the shelf and checking her magazine.

"It's not that bad, I managed to buy us a little time," Ruby replied with a wry smile, to which Blake frowned towards.

"It seems you've brought a different friend this time," Roman called above the gunfire and tearing metal. "But even with him you couldn't stop me, and not even this one will help!"

Blake glared through the shelf at the crook's words before her golden eyes wondered the cramped isle for a moment.

"We've got to draw this outside."

Ruby hummed a moment, looking around while clocking in a fresh magazine and a bullet flying by a little too close to comfort.

"Come on red, where's that spunk you had before, or are you having an off day~?" Roman called with a chuckle.

Ruby a little annoyed, felt Something knock against Ruby's foot. Looking down was a small jar of black dust, had it rolled from under the isles? Picking it up, she turned it over in hand till reaching the front label and letting a smile out.

'Gravity'.

"Think the store would mind if I made a late purchase?" she joked, earning an eye roll from Blake. "If I shatter this against the ceiling above them, we can use the distraction to push them outside."

Blake thought on the idea for a moment before looking back through the wall at the unseen assailants. "Throw it at the wall instead. We can launch everyone out that way."

"Alright everyone, we're moving out," Romans' voice came again and alarming the girls.

"Should we really leave them alive, boss?"

"Well of course not, but in case you haven't noticed, we're not the most discrete band of criminals in the city right now. Kill them the next time you see them."

"Now or never," Ruby flipped the jar in hand before outright hurling it to the rear wall of the store.

The jar shattered, and a moment past. The dust reacted and a pressurizing force blasted and threw everyone and everything out the store. The few customers hiding with the cashier at the far end were the exception, but Roman and his men were right in the line of fire and as the worlds' gravity turned on all them.

The suits and white fang members sprawled onto the streets by the trucks. The rear roll-up doors were wide open showing they were heavily loaded up with crates of the stores dust.

In such a short time they sure managed to rack up a lot of dust.

Groaning, Roman sat up, rubbing his head a bit till getting back on his feet leaning on his cane with a with the world still somewhat spinning.

"You know, it's so hard finding good help these days~," the ginger sighed, strolling up to the fang and suites who were regaining their own footing. Most readying themselves with their rifles while those who'd lost theirs drew weapons for close quarters. "Most either can't deal with children or have the experience of a common crook in pulling off a heist."

"The White Fang aren't crooks, they're a force of revolution that have just had their cause twisted from the inside," Blake declared with a hint of regret in her voice standing by the shattered windows.

"Oh black~, I may be a human, but even I know that if you want something, you have to be prepared to get your hands dirty to get it," flicking up his cane, the end popped open firing a flare at them.

The girls leaped out the way as the flare slammed to the ground where they were exploding into a fire ball and the armed charged while the rest set out suppressive fire.

Bucking and weaving the two managed to avoid the fire with minimal strikes flaring their auras till the close combatants came in.

Blake landed on her feet quickly met with a sword strike deflecting with her own from one of the suits and using the momentum to swing round behind her attacker to grapple him round the neck. Swinging from him while still holding to his neck to kick another that got close before contorting so she stood on the first's shoulders.

Jumping off and collapsing Gamboul Shroud to shoot a few ranged attackers as she sailed through the air.

Ruby on the other hand didn't have as much mobility as she's used to.

Swiftly dodging a strike and raining fire she burst into petals whizzing up and propping herself atop a nearby streetlight. The glare of the lamp below her feet in the night made it hard for even the keenest eyed of the white fang to see her properly taking aim.

She may be down a scythe, but that didn't make her powerless.

Letting loose shot after shot at the ones stationed by Roman. Most rounds hit home, incapacitating them and even managing to annoy Roman.

"Can't you animals do anything right?" he called as the ones bellow Ruby were quickly taken care of by her partner. Roman flicked his cane and fired a shot at the base of the streetlight, toppling it over and forcing Ruby to jump to another.

Something whizzed at Ruby mid-air, snaked around left arm and snatching her right out the air with a 'yelp'.

Plummeting to the ground and flaring her aura red as Ruby twisted herself to dig her heals in trying to pull back against Romans grapple cane head.

Out the corner of her eye, one of the melee fighters was coming at her with sword raised at her. Ruby rushed Roman, dodging the strike and surprising the thief as the cable suddenly went slack. He quickly regained his footing but not fast enough to evade Ruby's head kick.

Roman's own aura flared as the blow landed, disorientating him a bit and allowing the cable bounding Ruby's arm to loosen and slip right out. Swinging crescent round and firing a shot at point-blank range Roman barely managed to repel with his can's shaft getting blasted back.

The ginger gave a smile smirk as he collected himself and flicked a switch to retract the head of his cane and whiplashed it out before fully retracted attempting to snag Ruby by the ankle.

Already fallen for it once Ruby fired another shot launching her back and out the hooks reach anly to hear someone grunting behind her.

A shot was fired, and Ruby just saw her rear attacker go down with a hole in his leg. Glancing to Blake, she was clutching her katana in its collapsed gun form with a lightly smoking nozzle.

"Pay attention," she called as she slung it back into its katana form to deflect another strike and counter from a white fang melee fighter.

"Thanks."

Turning back to Roman, she just missed an upwards strike and blocked another but was quickly stunned when she found herself staring down the end barrel of Romans cane.

Ruby barely brought her arms up to defend to the flash of a flare firing out and exploded against her arms. Her aura flared, screaming in exhaustion as it protected Ruby from the force throwing her back to her teammate.

Blake barely had time to react herself before she was hit by Ruby's flying body and sprawled the two to the ground.

As they collected themselves, the faint sounds of sirens blaring through the air gradually got louder.

"Welp, I'm afraid that's a wrap. I'd love to stick around a little longer, girls, but I'm afraid we're short on time," Roman boasted, strolling back to the truck with his arms open in a sarcastic 'oh well' gesture. Most of white fang and suits we're helping the injured back to the trucks while others cocked their fire arms aiming at the girls. "And as much as I would love to see you all again on my future heists, I just don't. Our closing act, if you all would please~."

At his word the guns let loose in a gatling fire.

Ruby and Blake sprawled over each other to try and get away from the hail of bullets hammered down against their auras. As they flashed red and black the two could feel their auras rapidly diminishing.

They couldn't move less they lose their concentration at strengthening their body shields and get seriously injured against the constant down-pore.

It didn't take long till the suits and white fang had backed up into the trucks with Roman in the passenger seat of one of them. He slung out the side of the door checking on the situation with a scowl.

Roman flicked up his cane again and fired a flare.

One last touch to blow the two away.

A green bubble suddenly engulfed the pair and the blazing red flare exploded against it and bullets deflected away like rain on an umbrella. The gun fire ceased by the gunners a little confused by just what happened.

To be fair, the girls were also a little clueless, looking around till something clicked inside Ruby.

"Wait, this is….," Ruby stuttered at realizing what they were both in.

"I turn away for five minutes, and already you two are in trouble," on the other side of the street, Gaster came walking from the shadows with his seven hands floating behind him and the green one shining brightest. "Do you always go looking for it, or are you just that unlucky?"

"We would've had better chances if you didn't take so long getting back," Blake criticized, but was silently thankful inside.

"Apologies, Yang and Weiss had a little something to say so I was held up in a tussle."

"Ha ha~, I should've told you," Ruby replied a little sheepishly.

"No need, but I would like the two of you to straighten things out with them when we get back."

As the three continued talking Roman and the others were a little perplexed by the situation.

"What should we do, boss?"

"Oh, I don't know, give them gift baskets?" Roman sarcastically remarked from hanging onto the side of the truck and glaring to driver. "Why do you think you're here? Hit the gas, and rest of you kill them already!"

Roman fired another flare signalling the rest to follow suit in firing with Gaster as an additional target. The bubble surrounding Ruby and Blake morphed and expanded itself becoming a large rectangular panel shielding both them and Gaster.

The hailing bullets all bounced off harmlessly, but when the flare hit and exploded against a harsh crack ran where it'd hit. The girls were shocked, and turning to Gaster they saw his hand of kindness cracked worse than the barrier.

"Don't worry, just a long day is all."

Engines revved and the rolling doors hung open with goons firing and the truck's wheels spun as Gaster raised his hand till Blake gripped his shoulder having been able to stand back on her own legs.

"Don't fire on that truck," she said with a hint of worry in her golden eyes. "It's packed with so much stolen dust it could blow the whole block away."

"Noted," Gaster replied, raising and his light and dark blue hands before slinging tendrils and whizzing energy rings after the speeding trucks.

Flying through the air like buzz saws, the rings sliced along either side of the trucks bursting a few tires and tendrils snaked behind wrapping around and axel and open doors, even a few suits and white fang.

Yanking back as hard as he could, Gaster hopped he could bring the vehicles to halt. To his surprise, the rear axel of one of them ripped itself out from underneath and the truck skidding out of control crashing into a building while the other simply had its doors torn off and a few yanked out along with them.

Despite having burst ties the remaining truck managed to bank a corner with sparks flying and drove out of sight.

"Damn it," irritated, Gaster commanded the still flying rings to bank through the air and trail down the street after the truck. A crash and shattered glass sounded out.

Gaster paused for a moment, then let out a sigh before taking down the barrier with Gaster's own knees wobbling a bit. He wasn't exhausted from any combat he did, but having to teleport from the academy to Vale twice and trying to reason with a couple of enraged girls within such a short span of time took a drain on his magic.

If he wasn't careful, he wouldn't have enough to maintain his face anymore.

"I don't think the dust ignited, we've got to quickly get them before they manage to get away," Ruby called, breaking into a sprint with a slight limp in her step and Blake quickly following behind before soon slowing to a stop. "Gaster, aren't you coming?"

"You two go on, someone's got to take care of these goons," he huffed lightly, reeling back in the patience tendrils from his skeleton hand with a door, axel, two suits and three white fang members on the other end and struggling to unbind themselves.

It was like a mixed batch of fishing.

"Alright, we'll be back as soon as we can!"

They both turned back and ran down in the direction the truck went, Ruby firing a shot from her compact crescent rose and soar high to the roof tops with Blake swinging behind.

Shortly after the girls disappeared, the scientist turned and headed to the side curb, dragging everything along by the tendrils. Some louder than others.

"You piece of shit human, let us go right now!"

"This sure is a weird semblance."

"Hey, don't pull so hard."

"If you don't let go right now, I will make your life a living hell!"

"Please cease your bickering," Gaster sighed, giving a forceful yank from patience and sprawling them against the curb. Bringing out his cracked hand of kindness, he let the tendrils dissipate and created a dome over them, shrinking and bringing them all closer. "If you could even send me back to that living hell, I'd gladly accept it."

Turning to the crashed truck, a glint of a case caught his eyeless socket. Releasing his remaining six hands he teleported to the accident and was intrigued by his findings, or rather the stolen goods.

Cases upon cases were sprawled about in the small space, and a groan indicated someone was buried under all of it. But that didn't concern him, not as much as the cases.

His experiments were so taxing to create a dust core, that he was beginning to run low on usable dust. Now with such a find stretched out in front of him, how could he ignore it? No one was watching, no one would be the wiser if he just took a few.

He stretched out a hand, reaching for the handle of one of the cases.

Afterall, it wasn't like he was in his own world, so the sins of his actions here wouldn't follow him.

Suddenly his eyes widened at the thought and his hand shot by the case handle and buried below the pile. He pulled his hand back and dragged out a half-unconscious faunus.

'What am I thinking, of course those sins would follow me. I'm not someone who lowers himself to petty theft just because it's convenient,' going to the front of the vehicle, he pulled out the driver who was also out cold before taking the two back and laying them next to the other captured crooks. 'I may be in a desperate situation, but I won't abandon my pride. That's the one thing I refuse to abandon. Ever.'

Putting his internal struggle to rest, he sat by the curb with a light sigh, and the peace of the city, ignoring the bad mouthing beside him. The peace was nice, soothing after his time constantly working, looking to the night sky and seeing the stars. Real stars.

When the girls got back, he was going to have to tell them he wasn't going to take them back to the academy on his own, his magic was nearly spent.

Maybe it was for the best, if they considered him for free limo rides rather than a person, his side experiment to be able to handle humans would be completely null and void. He'd probably crack from being used as a tool.

'Wouldn't be the first time I lost my sanity, but I'm pretty sure it'd take me less than half a century to get it back this time around.'

"…ey~.….ey~, hey, Hey! Quit ignoring me, kid!"

"Hmm?"

Glancing over to the green bubble, one of the White Fang members was angrily glaring at him and pounding against the barrier trying to get Gasters' attention. Well, they might be glaring at him, the good doctor really couldn't tell with that grimm mask of theirs on.

"You think you've won this one? You think that this measly victory with you and your friends will stop our revolution? This is just the beginning, human. Soon you will all suffer in aguish, just as we have under your discrimination!"

Despite his boasting, Gaster merely starred at him with a bored expression. Normally he'd get annoyed, but he just felt pity for them. 'Oh this poor fool, so naïve to the meaning of suffering.'

"Yes, by all means, keep raving. For your information, Blake and Ruby aren't really my friends. Associates or test subjects are a better description."

"Wait, did you say Blake? As in Blake Belladonna?"

"And what's it too you?"

A malicious grin grew on his face as a number of the other members turned their attention to the sound of the name. Clearly they either recognised it or were a little curious to what got their colleague interested.

"I thought I recognised her. Tell me human, do you know who you were protecting just then?"

"Of course, Blake Belladonna."

"tch, that's not what I… listen human. That girl is an ex-member of our white fang, a disgrace who once held the position as right-hand woman to Adam Toris. Before she abandoned her duty like a coward."

"Yes, yes, I know."

His expression suddenly shattered, the grin the faunus had becoming flabbergasted. "I-E-P-W-G-You knew and you're just okay with that? Why would she tell a human all that while she hides her ears behind that bow?"

"Well she didn't tell me, I found out she was a faunus a while ago, and I thank you for telling me she's an ex-member of the white fang. It now gives me more information to work with in this little social experiment of mine."

"Then hate her, fill yourself with hatred and show her no mercy. Make her pay for all she's done and treat her like a monster!"

"Hmph. If I were to treat her like a monster, I'd say we'd be pretty close friends," he replied with a smile.

The sight of this infuriated the trapped faunus.

"You think this is a joke? You humans have been treating us like forsaken monsters based on our appearance for generations, discriminating us simply because we look different to you all, and you just smile at our pain?" Gaster's smile faded and eyes dying. "We may wear these masks of monsters, but in reality, it's you who are all the horrid monsters. You wish for our dalmatian, but we strive to put you through the hell you've subjugated us to our entire lives-!"

"Shut up!" Gaster yelled, stunning the faunus.

It was so full of hate the white fang member couldn't help but wither a little and his boasting gone in almost an instant. He should be glad to have managed to stir up the hatred he was aiming for, but he felt himself cowering at how much it was directed at him specifically.

"Shut up, shut up, shut up! You know nothing of the pain monsters have been put through with so much hatred pitted against us based off fear and you waged war on us. Culling our people before outright sealing us underground for a practical eternity like we were criminals. But you know what, we tried to make it work, we tried to live with what we had. I did the best I could, but it just wasn't enough. We yearned for the sun, the outside, freedom. So if you think you have any right that you're above monsters, think again!"

"Y-You're completely insane," he blurted out. "Are you taking the side of the grimm? You're not making any sense."

Gaster stopped himself at his words. Straightening back up and fixing up his coat to regain his composure with a sharp deep breath through his nose to calm himself.

'Keep calm~, this isn't your reality~. Here, the monsters are grimm and you have no history here~. Don't lose yourself, no matter how many strings this imbecile happens to play.'

"No, I'm not saying I'm siding the grimm. But I myself-," he began, reaching for his hand and sliding away the flesh off to reveal his bone hand below.

The few goons that could see stared wide eyed with a couple flinching and shuffling away best they could. A small hole opened in the barrier before Gaster thrust his hand and grabbed onto the faunus's neck, strangling him through the hole.

" n rse."

"W-what the hell~?" he croaked, fighting against the hand literally choking him in vain. It was a solid grip despite having no flesh and was only getting tighter. Glancing up, the White Fang member froze with his lips trembling in even more terror as he saw the silver haired boy's eyes sink in and lips splitting at the sides of the mouth as though widening into a malicious grin. "H-help me!"

He was panicking, this was no longer the face of a human but death itself!

"Yu sy ou wnt popl to fr yu wil yu wr te fcs of mnstrs? Ten lrn wt it ean to b tat mnsr, to rlly be frd nd ated to te poit hay'r drvn awy rm ur hm, your amy. Or beer et, knw wt it ens to lse it all in a slit secnd. If I vr, find you dsrspcng ontrs agin I ill hnt u dn to the frtest reches of the oid and tear you to pieces!"

The faunus's attempt for cries of help and terror were drowned by his own croaking as his windpipes creaked under the strain of the doctor's grip. The blaring of sirens even drowned it out as police cars came screeching around the block.

Gaster let go and shoved his skeletal hand into his pocket then closed the hole in the barrier to leave the unfortunate faunus coughing profusely to regain his breath and rubbing his neck. The doctor did his best to close the splits in his cheeks and fill in his sunken eyes with magic.

He didn't know how effective it was, but at this point he just had to trust if was enough for the moment. The police cars quickly pulled up beside the store and officers piled out.

Later

"You don't have enough energy to get us all home?"

"Yes Ruby," Gaster sighed as the small girl in the red dress continued pestering him. "I told you before, it was exhausting enough taking all that stuff back to your dorms, and believe me I would've been able to come back and make the next trip with you two. But there was a little issue with your sister, Weiss and the whole fiasco with the Torchwick draining a good portion of what I had left. I haven't had nearly enough time or supplements to replenish my energy."

The night was late, and the trio had just left the police station.

Unfortunately, Ruby and Blake weren't able to find Roman, leaving him on the run again with the entirety of their truck's contents. Authorities had brought them in for questioning, and Ruby found herself lucky headmaster Ozpin and Glynda didn't come down to scold her again.

She could only handle so much from the blonde witch in a day before she found her own self esteem take some damage.

Little did she know, the only reason Glynda didn't come racing down and burst into a rage in front of the little girl was because Gaster managed to reason with her over the phone. Granted, he ended up facing a little punishment since this happened under his supervision to an extent.

'She really takes her job seriously. I should give a little more credit for her dedication.'

"Ahhh, Weiss is going to chew me out for this~…"

"Cheer up, I'm sure it won't be that bad."

"I wouldn't be so confident," Blake spoke up after remaining silent since their departure. "She tends to be a stickler for time."

"Really~? Hm~, that reminds me of an old friend. She wasn't always on time, actually she rarely ever was. But she always let it bother her, no matter how much I said it was alright."

"That sounds nothing like Weiss."

"No, but even my friend got a bit stingy when I arrived late," a playful smirk spread across Gasters lips at remembering how Alphys always told him off after arriving late to the laboratory from having to make sure Sans and Papyrus were in good care before he left.

It was tough raising those boys alone as a single father. He even found Papyrus when he was younger stuck in the biscuit jar and Sans was trying to get him out without hurting his younger brother.

Troubles like those were many, but to him, those memories were worth their weight in gold.

"I can imagine people telling you off for being late, you're always so engrossed in those machines of yours you've turned up late to nearly every lesson so far."

"I take pride in my work, and I have no intentions of slowing down."

"Even if Mrs Goodwitch tells you off?"

"Even if she scowls at me while staring daggers into my very soul~."

"Grugh~. You've got nerves Gaster, I think I've whimpered nearly every time she's given me at least a glare. "

"Haha, believe it or not I know people far scarier than her. One who cared for everyone, but when she was angry, not even her husband could escape."

"You sure know a lot of people from where you come from. Are they close by? I'm sure it would be nice to meet them."

Gaster's smile faltered, turning to the skies ahead with weary eyes. "That's not going to happen anytime soon I'm afraid. They're…gone."

Recognising his expression, Ruby's own previous happy mood also dropped a bit. Gaster's response, his tone, his words. They were, of lose.

"Oh I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring out bad memories," she saw that her response wasn't lightening the mood, and while he did bring a soft smile, it was still one of sadness. "H-how did they…..go, was it grimm?"

Gaster solemnly shook his head.

"No, it was something, someone I never considered. Before I joined the academy, I had….a position in a technology institution of sorts. One day I left on a little business trip, but when I returned, one of the people I considered part of my family had brutally massacred everyone. Everyone I knew, loved, worked and lived with." Ruby's face had gone to grim shock at everything he was saying, but Gaster continued. "When I cornered her, I demanded an explanation. She just…..smiled, happily before destroying everything around us."

Gaster's story wasn't a complete lie, just minor details bent here and there. Though everything else, the feelings given were more than genuine.

Both Blake and Ruby were still left speechless in the passing silence.

"I-if it makes any difference, I lost my mum when I was a child. She was a huntress, so the danger kind of came with the territory. One day she went out on a mission, but never came back. It was hard, trying to understand it all when you're that young and my dad really had it rough raising Yang and me on his own. I, didn't really get to know my mum…."

Ruby had aimed to lighten the mood with a relatable topic between the two of them, but now she was the one feeling sad.

Her nose twitched in threat of a sniffle when a hand warmly clasp her left shoulder. Turning she found Blake of all people trying to comfort her with the wry smile.

"Try not to get too emotional on your own words. The team leader needs to set some examples for the rest of us to follow."

Ruby sniffled, whipping away a tear form her silver eye and took a deep breath with a face of renowned resolve. "Right, as leader of team RWBY, I'll do my best and remain positive!" she boasted, throwing a punch to the air.

Blakes' hand left its place on her shoulder, another much colder pattered her head. But even cold, it had a kindness to it as she looked to her right where Gaster was taking advantage of his greater height over her to pat her with a smile. His previous downcast expression still somewhat lingering in his eyes, but calmly ruffled her dark red hair all the same like the child she was.

Who did he think he was, a dad consoling his child? Probably.

"We can't all expect to keep a straight face at times, but it's those when we show our sentimental sides people have the opportunity to become closer as friends."

"Words from experience?"

"Yes, but I'm not the one to show their sentimental side."

The trio continued through the empty streets of Vale towards the airship station.

By the time they arrived, they'd just made it in time for the last flight of the night. Any later and they'd either be forced to rent a hotel or wait for Gaster's power to be strong enough to take them all to the academy.

Not like it wasn't, he just didn't want to make it known. He would've missed a perfect social experiment with the two otherwise.

Soon they were sailing through the night skies, the river of city lights growing smaller with each passing moment away from Vale. At one point, Ruby had to go the restroom quickly, leaving Blake and Gaster alone on the main deck with the sparkling sky stretching outside the wide window before them.

The mood was a little quiet to say the least.

"You know, you should really be more careful when fighting so close to the White Fang. A few might end up recognising you and try blurting it out to everyone," Gaster spoke up, not turning from the view.

Blakes' eyes shot wide and snapped to him, taking a step back and subconsciously reaching for her katana. "T-they told you?"

"If it's any consolation, I've known about your faunus traits for a while now, you don't see too many people wearing bows on their heads that twitch to subtle noises. But yes, they told me a little about you."

Blake took her hand away from her katana and instead reach to her hidden cat ears while still glaring at Gaster for a few moments who kept his gaze out the window. It didn't take long till she relaxed a little, not wanting to fully let her guard down and looked out the window with him.

"I thought I could leave that life behind me, start a new and make more of a difference between the humans and faunus as a huntress than the White Fang could. Less violence, less killing and more talking to them, to have differences mean nothing. Guess it was naive of me to think that."

"It was. Thinking you were ever safe from the sins of your past is always a naïve and childish way to live."

"Well aren't you the shoulder to cry on."

"I take that as a compliment. Ignoring the facts of reality is no different than living a life behind closed doors, or as you kids would put it, with your head buried in the sand. But you already knew that, didn't you? The White Fang have been around for a long time, and you were one of their earliest members, so you must've recognised the discrimination of the world. That is both a mature and determined way of thinking."

Blake wanted to respond, but she couldn't think of the right words to say on the spot. The glimmering lights of Beacon Academy slowly loomed into view.

"So now you know, are you going to tell everyone about my secret? The quiet bookworm Blake Belladonna everyone thought they knew is actually an ex-terrorist~. I can already imagine their expressions."

"I didn't bring this up to black mail you or tell everyone. I'm merely saying when you confront your past, just be mindful of what might slip through the cracks. You're not wearing that bow simply out of fashion and when you feel it's time to tell everyone the truth, I have no doubt they'll won't think of you any differently than now."

"Now look who's childish and naïve."

"Touché."

Later

Making land and welcomed by the grand scale of the academy, the three eventually found themselves passing through the crisp white halls of the dormitory building with the occasional flowerpot on a stand as decoration.

It didn't take long till they were standing in front of RWBY's room and Gaster wishing them good night and good luck with Weiss and Yang, adding he never fired a shot.

Before either girl could ask why he teleported in a flash of blue wisps.

"I know he can do that whenever, but I have a feeling it's going to get on my nerves when he does that to leave a conversation in the future," Ruby peaked up as Blake went for the door.

When the pair entered they froze to a waft of cold air meeting them and the shear desolation.

Their once tidy room, built with totally not hazardous bunkbeds now a complete warzone.

Three beds were upturned on each other with bookshelves charred and partially broken. Gaping holes into the interior dotted the walls and ceiling with large patches of frost and melting icicles. The wide window once covered by stitched curtains from a totally not scythe related accident shattered with the curtains burnt and covered in frost.

Wiess and Yang stood mid-cleaning the room to the sound of the door to where their teammates stood looking over the room with jaws threatening to drop.

"What the hell happened here?!" Ruby practically screamed at the top of her lungs.

"Oh, nothing Rubes, just an attempt to squash a creeper," Yang replied with attempted glee.

"That man has no sense of decency, barging into a girl's room without knocking," Weiss added.

"Wait, Gaster did all this? He said it was a tussle and that he didn't fire a shot, but it looks like an all-out war in here."

"He told you? Is he here? I'm going to teach that insolent proper manners," Weiss declared, snatching mistral from a desk it'd been lying on and marching for the door.

"Wait, wait, we were the ones who gave him permission to come into our dorm so he could drop off some things we bought," Ruby pleaded, raising her hands in attempt to prevent the potential destruction of the dormitory building out of a misunderstanding.

"You gave him permission to come in?"

Ruby was feeling the pressure and coldness of Wiess's gaze.

"We both did," Blake spoke up, practically throwing her friend a life rope in the situation as she nodded in agreement so fast to get it over with her head became a blur.

The heiress sharply breathed in gripping the ridge of her nose.

"He really was telling the truth," she breathed, turning to Yang who also began mellowing out a little at the news before rubbing the back of her head a little sheepishly.

"Ahh, this is embarrassing…~"

'Crisis averted~,' Ruby sighed to herself in relief.

"So, how much of this was Gaster's doing?" Blake queried, heading for the bookshelf and inspecting the books that had frost on them. The damage wasn't bad, ice mildly only on the spine's, but if melted could ruin the pages.

"W-well~..….none of it," Yang replied. "We sort of lost it and struck out while he kept avoiding us trying to talk to us."

"That sounds about right-wait, where's my bed?" Ruby counted the beds again and noticed both it and the sheets she'd hung over it were both missing.

Eyes widened to sauces as Weiss and Yang looked to each other before looking back. A twitching smile creeping itself onto her lips and pointing towards the broken window. Ruby bolted for the edge and looked out to the grounds below.

"It was, kind of an accident. Sorry Ruby," Yang apologized, resting a hand on her shocked little sisters' shoulder. "Don't worry, I'm sure we can get you a new one."

"…..Yang, where am I supposed to sleep tonight?"

Interlude

Just down the hall at a far end room, Gaster sat by his desk, tightening screws on a new prototype for his dust core. All the while thinking over the events of the evening.

He didn't find it unpleasant, quite the contrary actually. The whole reason why he still attended this huntsman academy was to get a clear understanding between human and faunus so he could apply it to his own reality. That, and to have a stable base of operations.

Ozpins little proposal might've been spur of the moment in a way, and hastened, but it most definitely held some merit and was beginning to show.

"Discrimination all comes right back round to just fear in another form," he mused to himself, thinking of his little 'conversation' with the White Fang member he had. "I wonder, is all we're missing from my world is a simple human to act in our defence?"

Setting down the screwdriver he held, he sat back to look over the machine in the works. It was still box-like in an overall shape, only this time it had rings to rotate in opposing directions both horizontally and vertically in the middle of it where the void point would be created. If you were to look at it from a certain angle, it'd look like a plus.

"…Frisk. She didn't seem to be ill willed, even made friends with the monsters at one point. If it weren't for Chara, she could've been that human we'd need to act as that defence."

Getting up, he paced around paper notes strewn on the floor over to a crate in the corner of the room where he kept his dust resources.

"If we could save both of them, instead of eliminating them, maybe we could save everyone," popping the box open, he rummaged through empty packets and jars till he found a red dust packet. Taking it out, he grimaced to how much was left. "But that would mean nothing if I can't even get out of this timeline."

Pacing back to his desk and setting the packet down, he stood back to stare at it in thought.

"I wonder, can I replicate the dust formula with what I have?"

There we go, this was my first attempt at making a conversation in WingDings while still being able to be understood.

If any of you have a bit of trouble understanding it, this is what it translated too;

You say you want people to fear you while you wear the faces of monsters? Then learn what it means to be that monster, to really be feared and hated to the point that you're driven away from your home, your family. Or better yet, know what it means to lose it all in a split second of your life. If I ever, find you disrespecting monsters again I will hunt you down to the furthest reaches of the void and tear you to pieces!

If there was a little trouble with that, let me know. I'd love to improve on it before it becomes much of a problem.