TJ's POV

I knocked on CFVY's door. This time not at five in the morning but at the more respectful, and agreed upon, 9:30am. They came out a few minutes later, fully dressed with weapons.

"Morning. Ready for your official Vacuo tour?" I asked.

"Sure. First stop, clothing stores." Coco said.

I laughed. "Well...first stop is meeting up with someone. Remember team BRNZ?"

"Sure. they fought JNPR in the Vytal festival. Good fighters from what I remember." Yatsu said.

"They were. Three of them died in the Fall. Brawnz, Roy, and May. We've been helping the survivor, Nolan, try to get back on his feet. He's going to come with us today."

"Gods...I hadn't heard. That's awful." Velvet said.

"We hadn't either until a few days ago. Merrick's friends with Nolan so Professor Nightingale asked him to talk to him the day after we arrived. I told him to meet us by the entrance. He's a good guy. We can trust him."

Coco nodded and the eight of us headed towards the entrance, chatting along the way about CFVY's adjustment to the new school.

"So far, the classes have been fine. Professor Bloodwynd's combat class has been interesting. She threw Yatsu across the room day one, just to show that size doesn't matter with appropriate leverage and force." Coco said.

We chuckled as we reached the entrance hall and saw Nolan leaning against a wall. He looked the same has he did in the Vytal festival, except for his rose-colored sunglasses which he now permanently wore. When he saw us, he pushed off the wall and walked over to meet us.

"Hey guys."

Merrick came up and clasped hands with him before bringing him into a hug, something they did every time they saw each other. He then shook hands with CFVY and formal introduced himself.

"Sorry about crashing your party." He said.

"Don't worry about it. You're more than welcome to join our little group." Velvet said.

Coco nodded. "V's right. The more the merrier."

He gave a small smile and nodded. "Thanks."

The nine of us turned and walked out of the academy.

"First things first, you have to understand the layout of Vacuo. Think of it like a dart board, with three rings surrounding a core. The core is where the few rich people in Vacuo live. People around here call it the Oasis. Then you got the inner ring, Home District. Its where most citizens live, though by Vale terms they'd be lower class. The middle ring, where we're at now, is known as the Business District. It's where most of the stores, shops, and business are located as well as the academy. Then you got the Outer Ring. It's where the...less civilized parts of Vacuo are. Casinos, cheap hotels, drug dens, prostitution, underground fight clubs, the works. It's the largest ring, and the people who live there are either bad to the core or just trying to get by or get out. Officially it's named the Guard District, because it started out as a place for the military and guards to reside to guard the desert wall but over time, the military shrank, and crime grew. Now its known as the Lower District. People from there aren't thought of in the best light unfortunately." I explained.

"Damn. So, classism instead of racism then?" Coco said.

"Oh no there's still racism a plenty, mostly in the Home District and Oasis. The Business District is less picky because Faunus Lien spends the same as human Lien. As for the Lower District, it's everyone for themselves." I said.

We walked around the Business District, showing CFVY where the best dust, weapons, and clothes shops were.

"Let's stop for some coffee and tea." Velvet suggested after the fourth store.

"Sure."

I led them to a place called Caffeine Heaven; my teams preferred stop for coffee. The barista, a blonde woman named Cori, knew us by sight and smiled at us as we walked in.
"Hey TJ. The usual?"

"Yep, plus five more."

As she started working on our orders, my scroll beeped. I pulled it out of my pocket and saw a message from Mr. Umber.

"Buildings ready for y'all. Go check it out."

I showed the message to everyone.

"Awesome. We can check it out after we finish our drinks." Coco said.

Suddenly I felt Fox make mental contact.

*I don't mean to alarm anyone, but I've been sensing an aura that been following us since we left Shade. It's stopped now somewhere outside. I think it's watching us*

I could see my team instantly go on alert. Fortunately, no one, not even CFVY, made a move to look around and possibly spook our follower.

*Okay I have a plan. There's a bookstore on the way to the building. Nora and I will break off from the group and go inside. Once the stalker gets passed us, we'll come up from behind and Nora can hit them with her semblance. That ought to give us enough time to grab them. We'll all meet up at the building and figure out what to do with our stalker there*

Everyone telepathically agreed, minus Nolan who wasn't used to Fox's semblance.

We finished our drinks, paid, and headed out. When we got to the bookstore, I said "Hey Nora and I are going to look for that new Sakura Blossoms novel. You guys go on ahead and we'll catch up."

"Sure thing. Good luck." Velvet said cheerily. Girl was a good actress. I almost believe she was just a happy student hanging out with friends.

Nora and I went into the bookstore and pretended to browse the shelves. Fox was still in telepathic range and would let us know when the unknown aura passed us.

It took maybe five minutes before Fox sent a heads up.

*Now*

I looked to see a small figure in a hooded cloak pass by the bookstores window, not even sparing a glance at the two of us.

We left without purchasing anything and followed at a sedate pace.

When we got close, I tapped Nora on the shoulder. Without a word she went up and grabbed the cloaked figures hand.

Nora's semblance usually works by emitting a field that negates violent and hostile intent, putting the victim into a state of utter serenity. However, when she makes physical contact with someone, all the energy that would usually be dispersed in a field is condensed into one person. Its effects are completely unavoidable. Hence its name, Perfect Calm.

I came up on the figures other side, noting that it was almost two feet shorter than me, and placed a hand on its shoulder.

"Here's what's going to happen. We're old friends who randomly ran into each other. We're going to smile and laugh and you're going to come with us. Don't try anything, not that you could, or I break your shoulder into dust. Nod if you understand."

The hooded figure nodded and the three of us walked towards the new building.

When we arrived, we went in through a door that had a handprint scanner on it. The rest of our group were sitting in a large room filled with chairs and couches surround a large coffee table, with a large tv screen on the wall.

"Glad you made it. We were filling Nolan in on the situation, and he's agreed to help us out." Merrick said, before taking note of the figure between us.

Talia came over with a pair of shackles and we shackled the figures hands together behind their back before sitting them in a chair.

When I removed their hood, I heard Velvet gasp.

"That's Neopolitan! She's a mercenary that worked for the White Fang to set up the Fall of Beacon. She tried to kill Ox!"

The girl looked up at her with brown and pink eyes. Nora still held her hand and there was a look of peace in the mismatched eyes.

"Her file says she's mute." Merrick said, a tablet in hand.

"Fox. See if your semblance works on her. Patch in me and TJ." Coco said.

Fox nodded and walked over to her. After almost ten minutes, Fox's mind touched mine.

*She's willing to talk to you two. She goes by Neo. Oh and for a trained assassin, she has a beautiful voice*

Coco raised an eyebrow at Fox's comment, which made me think it was out of character for him.

I nodded. "Nora, get ready to drop your semblance but be within arm's reach. Yatsu, arms on her shoulders. If she tries anything, break them. Merrick have one of Ox's ice grenades ready and as a last resort freeze all of us. Understood?"

When everyone I was in position, I nodded to Nora, who let go of Neo's hand.

*Why are you here* I asked.

She glared up at me with her different colored eyes. *I'm here for the rabbit girl, Scarlatina*

Coco's eyebrows raised. *What do you want with Velvet* she asked.

*I want Ox Cobalt's location. I need to ask him some questions*

*What questions* I asked.

*Personal ones*

*Sorry honey but he's taken already* Coco said.

Neo glared at her. *I'm not interested in him romantically. He's the only viable lead I have to finding Ruby Rose*

*Ruby? What do want with her* Coco asked.

*She killed my partner. I want her damn head*

Even through telepathy I could feel the venom in her words and Coco took an involuntary step back.

*Wait what? I know Ruby. There's no way in hell she would ever kill someone* Coco said.

*She was the last one to fight him. She walked away, he didn't. Do the math woman*

Coco looked like she was ready to strike her but I shook my head.

*Look there must have been some kind of mistake* Fox said cutting in.

*Ruby isn't a killer. If you're going to blame someone, blame the person who got your Partner in the situation in the first place*

She looked at him. *You mean Cinder Fall*

*If she oversaw the Fall than yes. Think about it, if she hadn't have come into your lives, you and your partner would have never been at Beacon, and nothing would have happened to him*

I took a moment to admire Fox's approach. That might actually work.

*You're right and she's on my list right after Ruby Rose*

*Ruby shouldn't be on your list to begin with. All she was a student trying to defend her home and failed. Besides, what more could you possibly do to her? Her school was destroyed, her sister was mutilated, her team was disbanded, two of her friends were killed. She has suffered plenty. If you really want her to suffer, you'd let her stay alive to suffer more instead of killing her and releasing her from these burdens*

I felt my jaw drop and saw Coco's do the same. I had been expecting Fox to appeal to her sense of compassion and humanity, not her sadist side.

Neo was silent for over five minutes before she sent *You make a valid point. It doesn't excuse what she took from me though. She took my partner. The only person I've ever trusted. I will never forgive her for that*

Fox chimed in again. *But, if it wasn't for Cinder Fall using him as a pawn, you wouldn't have been involved in that mess*

She looked up at Fox. *You're right again. So, are you going to let me go so I can hunt her down*

Fox shook his head, but I responded. *No. You're too unpredictable. You could change your mind and go after Ox or our other friends at any point. And you know too much about us. the easiest thing to do would be to kill you*

Before Fox or Coco could respond I added. *However, we aren't cold blooded killers. Anymore anyway. So, how about you join us? We could use someone with your skills, and we have a common enemy in Cinder Fall. It would work in your best interest to ally with us, at least for the moment*

She thought about it for a good four or five minutes before responding slowly. *what would it mean for me*

I shrugged. *You'll stay here with us. You'll have to wear a tracker and be escorted outside. And you'll have to stay with a team*

*Can't be mine, Velvet would definitely try to kill her I her sleep* Coco said.

Neo just snorted.

*No. She'll be with my team. I have a feeling we'll have a lot in common*

*How are you going to communicate with her* Fox asked.

*My team knows sign language and there's always writing things down* I turned to Neo. *If those conditions aren't acceptable than we'll turn you over to the authorities and see what they do to you, or we'll give you to our Chief of Security who will either turn you in or just put a bullet in you*

Neo glared at me. *I suppose with those choices, I only really have one good option. Fine, I'll play by your rules for now. But after we find Cinder Fall, I'm out. You people are on your own*

I smiled. *Deal. Welcome to the team*