Interviewer: "Tell me, sir, how do you feel about this new superhero who's gotten so popular?"

--

Man in crowd: "Ten Bennyson or whatever his name is? I don't care about him. He ain't gonna make it. I mean, what is he, eleven or something?"

--

Woman on the street: "Superhero? Please... what do you take me for? There's no way a ten-year-old is gonna be able to do anything."

--

Kid on the sidewalk: "I think he's pretty cool, you know? Like... changing into aliens? That's just... kinda awesome."

--

Shopkeeper: "Ben Tennyson... I gotta admit, the kid's starting to grow on me."

--

Young girl, jumping up and down: "He's just so cool!!"

--

Reporter: "Professor Ozpin, how do you feel about this new superhero?"

Ozpin: "I believe that he would be a fine addition to Beacon Academy once he's ready."

Reporter: "If I remember correctly, Ben has actively gone on record saying that he never plans on joining a Huntsman academy. Especially not Beacon."

Ozpin, smirking: "Trust me... I have a certain skill in changing people's minds."

--

"How do you feel about Ben Tennyson?"

-

"Ben is at it again."

-

"Ben Tennyson."

-

"Tennyson."

-

"Ben."

-

"Ben."

-

"Ben."

-----

CRASH!

A massive green frog-easily the size of a small car-slammed through the glass doors of a small Dust shop, scattering customers like bowling pins. Dust crystals clattered across the floor like spilled marbles, glinting sharply in the morning sunlight that streamed through the jagged, broken storefront. Shouts and gasps filled the air as panicked civilians scrambled out of the way, clutching their bags and shielding their heads from falling shards of glass.

Perched atop the creature's warty back was a hunched, wild-eyed figure in a stained lab coat. His unkempt hair stuck out like straw from beneath cracked goggles, and his grin stretched far too wide-pure villainous glee plastered on his face.

"Ahhh, yes!" he crowed, waving a claw-like hand toward the shelves now dripping with Dust. "Crystallized energy of this wretched world! Perfect for my mutant army! With the power of my newly invented Maginizer Ray, I will show this kingdom why you do not mock the sheer brilliance of Dr-"

"Hey, Animo," a voice interrupted, dripping with sarcasm. "Long time no see. How've you been? Getting any greener lately?"

Dr. Animo turned abruptly, his manic eyes narrowing as they landed on the one figure he despised above all others: Benjamin Kirby Tennyson, standing casually just outside the shattered shop, arms crossed, lips curled into his trademark smirk.

"Ah, Benjamin Tennyson," Animo said with mock delight, pulling several glittering Dust crystals from his pocket and jamming them into a strange beam gun. "I'm glad you came all this way to witness the brilliance of my greatest invention yet!"

"If it's anything like your past fifty-five 'greatest inventions,' I'm not worried," Ben shot back, leaning lazily against the doorframe.

Animo didn't waste another second. A sharp crackling beam burst from his weapon, searing across the air. Ben yelped, twisting aside just in time as the blast scorched the wall behind him.

"Seriously, Animo," Ben said, dusting off his jacket, "why mutant armies? They always end the same way-me kicking their butts and you riding home in a police cruiser."

But even as the words left his mouth, the air around him warped, rippling with strange energy. A horrible snapping noise followed-like bones rearranging themselves.

From the distortion stepped a towering rat-like creature nearly eight feet tall, its muscles bulging beneath greasy, matted fur. Red eyes gleamed with unnatural malice, and saliva dripped from its jagged yellow teeth. It hissed, advancing with heavy, ground-shaking steps.

"It's been a pleasure, Tennyson," Animo sneered, spurring his giant frog mount. "But science waits for no man!"

The frog coiled its massive legs and launched into the air, soaring across the street in an ungainly but powerful leap.

Ben's eyes never left the snarling mutant rat now looming over him. His smirk returned.

"Well, you know what they say," he quipped, raising his wrist. "Big problems... require humongous solutions." he finished Slapping the face of the Omnitrix watch on his wrist.

---

The world seemed to freeze for a heartbeat.

A sickly green glow pulsed from the watch, seeping beneath his skin like liquid fire. Veins bulged and writhed like living tendrils, twisting and coiling outward before ripping through from his skin as dark, vine-like roots slithered across his arms and torso, wrapping him in a tightening web.

His skin hardened, bark-like plates cracking into place over the vines. The watch, once strapped on his wrist, melted into his flesh with a wet, metallic hiss. Its core tunneled across his body, nesting deep in his chest like the heart of an alien plant.

The green dial pulsed with each heartbeat, sending waves of energy through the vines, causing them to tighten and twist even further, some parts darkening from sheer compression.

A deep rumbling growl erupted from Ben's throat.

Suddenly, his head burst into a storm of wild, untamed flames-a savage inferno crackling with heat and alien energy. The flames roared high, illuminating his now plantlike figure, before twisting inward, folding into a strange, flower-like crown of fire.

From his shoulders, red spines burst outward like thorns on a rose, tearing through the vine armor with violent force. His glowing green eyes snapped open, fierce and burning with determination.

---

HUMONGOUSOUR!

Ben roared the name of his alien form, only to glance down and immediately spot the glaring problem. His massive, bark-covered body bristled with frustration.

"Aww, man. Can't I ever have just one nice thing?" he muttered under his breath, stomping angrily toward the towering rat. Before he could react further, a powerful, sinewy tail whipped around him with the force of a wrecking ball, flinging him across the street. He smashed into the side of a quiet café, sending steaming coffee cups tumbling and tables tipping over. The café's glass window cracked under the impact, shattering but miraculously not collapsing entirely.

The giant rat's attention swung toward the few stunned civilians who hadn't already fled. Smartphones and scroll devices were raised, some recording the chaos, while others shook violently in fear. Most sensible bystanders sprinted away, screaming and ducking for cover, leaving the few braver-or perhaps crazier-souls frozen in place.

Among them, a young boy stood firm, recording everything on his handheld device, eyes wide with a mixture of excitement and sheer terror. The rat lunged toward him, teeth bared and claws scraping the pavement. The boy flinched, bracing for pain, squeezing his eyes shut, sure this would be the end.

But instead of the expected crunch of jaws snapping shut, a thin wall of vines shot up, bursting from the ground like emerald lightning. They wrapped around the monstrous creature mid-pounce, halting it in midair. Its claws scraped uselessly against the resilient greenery, and a frustrated squeal tore from its throat.

"You know what? Swampfire's more than enough to do the trick," Ben said through gritted teeth, planting one one of his hands on the rats large ugly mug, He tightened his grip, ensuring the mutant rat couldn't escape while his mind ran deep on just how long this was taking.

Suddenly, the temperature around them skyrocketed. Steam hissed from cracks in the pavement, and the air shimmered with heat. BOOM!

A blazing torrent of fire erupted from the hand Ben was holding the creature in, flames dancing in shades of red and orange, wrapping the rat in a blistering embrace. Smoke curled from its fur, steam hissed as water in its fur evaporated, and the creature shrieked, its struggles weakening with every second. The vines constraining it held firm, ensuring the beast remained trapped long enough for the flames to do their work.

Ben grinned beneath the smoldering bark of his face. He wiped ash from his arm and smirked at his own bad joke. "There. I'd say a little fire and heat are the best way to cook a good ratatouille," he quipped, tossing the rat back to the pavement where it skidded helplessly charred and cooked beyond recognitions, like a steak in the sun.

He turned toward the kid still standing frozen with awe, breath barely catching up from the chaos around them.

"Hey, kid. What's your name?" Ben asked, crouching slightly to meet the boy's wide-eyed stare.

"Oh-uh, u-im... Jimmy. Jimmy Jones," the boy stammered, his small hands trembling as he dropped his scroll in excitement.

"Hmph, cool name," Ben said with a nod, picking up the device and flipping open a marker from his pocket. He quickly scrawled a signature across the edge of the scroll, then handed it back.

Jimmy's eyes flicked down to the autograph, and the shock hit him full force. His knees buckled, and before Ben could reach out, the boy fainted on the spot, collapsing gently onto the pavement.

Ben shook his head with a grin, before eventually his attention snapped back to the chase.

Animo was scrambling down the highway, clinging desperately to his giant frog, which bounded awkwardly across the asphalt like a massive, green stallion. Dust kicked up behind them, trailing like smoke from a moving volcano.

Ben's long legs and alien strength allowed him to catch up easily. He narrowed his eyes at the mad scientist.

"Tennyson?! How did you get past my masterpiece?" Animo hissed, his voice trembling with equal parts rage and disbelief.

Before the doctor could react further, Ben leapt into the air and landed with a heavy thud on the frog's back. He slammed the enormous amphibian into the pavement with one powerful hand, creating a small tremor in the street. The frog groaned, sprawled out and motionless, though not dead.

Animo scrambled off, trying to flee on foot, but Ben flicked several small, seed-like objects at his feet. The seeds burrowed into the cracked asphalt and exploded in a flurry of vines, wrapping the frantic scientist in a green, twisting prison that yanked him off his feet and pinned him mid-struggle.

A bright green flash illuminated the street as Ben reverted to human form, stepping down from the frog's limp body. The air smelled faintly of ash, leaves, and ozone.

Ben bent down, picking up Animo's Maginizer Ray and twirling it like a toy. He inspected the device with exaggerated mock curiosity.

"'Maginizer Ray,' huh? Sounds like someone's been reading too many early superhero comics, you use to be so much better at naming things."

"Unhand that, you ignorant brat!" Animo screeched, flailing against the vines. "That ray is the culmination of years of scientific genius! It channels the raw energy of Dust and transmutes it into biological mutations far superior to your alien freak show!"

Ben raised an eyebrow, holding the device up to the sunlight glinting off the shattered shop windows. "Yeah, I'm sure it's impressive-except for the part where your big plan was stopped by a teenager in a t-shirt and jeans... again."

"Do not mock me, Tennyson! You and your ridiculous plant monster tricks are nothing compared to what I-" Animo began, voice rising with manic desperation.

Ben smirked, pointing the Maginizer Ray at him. "Actually, I do want to see how this thing works." Then, without another word, he pressed the trigger.

ZZZAP!

Animo froze mid-rant. Sparks flew from the device as his hair stood up like a spiky porcupine, goggles spinning wildly on his face. His body vibrated violently, and a puff of black smoke coughed from his nose and mouth.

Ben blinked, tilting his head. "Uh... woops. Well I guess it's a good thing this stuff never works on people."

Before Animo could recover-or complain further-police officers swarmed the scene, sirens blaring. They formed a tight circle around Ben and the subdued mad scientist, their weapons trained but cautious.

"Well, take him away, officers," Ben said, stepping back with a casual shrug as the officers carefully untied Animo's vine bindings and escorted him toward a waiting cruiser. The scientist sputtered and fumed, his protests muffled by the approaching sirens.

He smiled

-ELSEWHERE-

a white-haired man stood silently on the edge of a jagged cliff, the wind tugging at his long coat and sending it flaring dramatically behind him. His sharp gaze swept over the forest below, where the canopy shivered under the weight of countless conflicts. Dust clouds rose in turbulent swirls from the violent clashes, and the faint, haunting echoes of steel striking bone carried through the trees like a distant, relentless drumbeat.

Behind him, Glynda Goodwitch approached, her heels clicking sharply against the rock in measured rhythm. She glanced down at her glowing tablet, watching the blurred footage of students locked in combat.

"I don't care what his transcripts say," Glynda muttered sharply, her brows knitting together. "That Jaune fellow is not ready for this level of combat."

She let out a slow sigh, deactivating the tablet with a flick of her wrist. The screen went dark, leaving only the muted roar of the battle below.

"I guess we'll find out soon enough," she murmured, her gaze scanning the distant treetops. "At their current pace, they should reach the temple within just a few minutes."

She turned toward Ozpin, adjusting her glasses as her expression softened slightly. "Speaking of which... what did you use as relics this year?"

A long silence followed.

"Professor Ozpin?" Glynda's voice softened further, laced with concern. "Is something wrong?"

Ozpin remained motionless, his gaze fixed on the horizon where smoke and dust rose above the forest canopy. The wind tugged at his white hair, yet he didn't flinch.

"No, no. Everything's quite alright, Ms. Goodwitch... I'm just wondering," he said quietly, his tone distant yet deliberate.

Glynda tilted her head, curiosity flashing in her eyes.

Finally, Ozpin continued, his voice low but firm. "I know he told us he's too busy to ever attend Beacon, but... it's clear that someone needs to step in before he burns out."

Glynda frowned, crossing her arms tightly. "Ozpin... He'll never go for it. You know how stubborn he is."

"Yes, well," Ozpin replied with a soft, knowing chuckle, sipping his coffee slowly, "I do have a history of getting past even the stubbornest of people. And I did make a promise."

"Yes, yes, I know. I was there. And I've been trying just as much as you have, but he won't listen to me. And I'm family, there's no hope of you actually managing to convince him" Glynda said, frustration and concern mingling in her tone.

"Yes, well, I always keep my promises," Ozpin said, his eyes still locked on the forest below, unblinking and unwavering. "And that's not going to change"

Glynda let out another sigh, glancing once more at her tablet as the sounds of battle grew louder below.

-meanwhile-

Ben found himself sitting on the roof of a Mr. Smoothie, straw wrapper crumpled next to him, legs dangling lazily over the edge. Next to him sat a guy in an orange jacket, goggles perched on his head like some kind of crown.

"I'm actually surprised that you agreed to this," the boy said, sipping at his own smoothie.

"Agreed to what?" Ben raised an eyebrow, not entirely sure what his friend was getting at.

"You know... hang out."

"Dude, are you kidding me? We hang out all the time," Ben replied, shoving him lightly on the shoulder.

"No, we fight together all the time," the boy corrected, rolling his eyes. "But I usually have to trick you into actually hanging out."

"Yeah, that's just 'cause you're always asking me to do something while I'm busy," Ben said, shrugging.

"You're always busy!"

"It just seems like that because you never have anything to do," Ben said with a smug smile before lifting his smoothie and chugging straight from the cup, ignoring the straw altogether.

"No, it seems like that because you're a workaholic," the boy shot back.

"I have tons of free time. I just choose to use it productively," Ben countered-only to watch his friend suddenly leap off the roof.

Before landing, the boy's feet shifted, glowing orange and expanding into two pairs of massive mechanical legs. He hit the ground with a thunderous crack, leaving a small crater but otherwise totally fine.

Ben sighed, then casually hopped down after him, flipping once in midair (cause why TF not) before landing perfectly on his feet.

"Little dramatic much, Rex?" Ben said, tossing his empty smoothie cup into a trash can nearby, rather casually

"A little dramatic? You'd expect that from me by now," Rex replied, rolling his eyes. "I'm famous for doing stuff like this."

"Except you're not famous. You wish you were, but you aren't," Ben said with a little smirk.

"Oh please," Rex smirked. "I'm famous to the people that matter. Speaking of which... did you happen to encounter any hotties while you were off doing your thing?"

Ben groaned, knowing exactly where this conversation was headed "No. And even if I did, I wouldn't tell you."

Rex gasped dramatically, clutching his chest. "How cold-hearted can you be? After all these five years of friendship, can't you at least hook a brother up?"

"Even if I did," Ben shot back, "we both know how this song and dance goes. You'd shoot your shot, and it'd blow up in your face. You should just stop trying at this point."

Rex went quiet for a second, clearly thinking. Then he squinted at Ben. "You know that's rude, right? You're supposed to encourage me."

"No, no, no," Ben corrected, holding up a finger. "I'm supposed to support you, not encourage you."

"Yeah? Well, you barely do either," Rex muttered with exaggerated sass.

Ben narrowed his eyes, shocked at that blasphemy. "How do I barely support you? I'm a great friend."

"No, no, no, no, no." Rex shook his head furiously, pointing a finger at Ben like he was delivering a verdict. "You're a good friend. There's a difference. You're a good friend. I'm a great friend." He shoved his hands into his pockets with a smug grin.

Ben raised an eyebrow. "...What's the difference?"

Rex sighed, before crossing his arms. Thinking for a second

"You're the kind of guy that'll always do the right thing, and you're always out there sacrificing your own time, your own personal life to help others, and while that is awesome and it makes you an awesome person. I'm not that kinda guy, and you don't drive me to be better. Yeah that's it, a great friend is someone who makes you a better person" rex said, with an accomplished look on his face.

"Okay first off you just made that up, second off by that definition you're not a great friend either"

"Oh come on I totally inspired you, I mean first you stole my personality then you stole my (objectively better) fashion choices" rex said gesturing to his entire look.

"Okay first off, I had this jacket first and even if I didn't I wear it better, second off you're basically just a btec me so,"

Before rex had time to return the insult, his scroll pinged.

He didn't even need to look at it to know what that meant.

He sighed. "That's ironwood, my time here's up, I gotta head back now"

"Dang, I guess I'll see you soon man" Ben said as the two dapper each other up

"Yeah, I'll probably have a lot to do when I get back, but y'know how it goes" rex said as he began walking off

"Oh and tell Dr holiday I said hi"

"Only if you take a day off. Relax get a girlfriend. SLEEP! Just relax dude"

"Pfft, relax? That's easy" Ben scoffed.

" Okay then. If you can go a week without going alien, or going on patrol, I'll pay for all your smoothies, for a year." Rex said, confident as he walked away, into the oncoming sunset.

Ben scoffed. Relaxing? This was gonna be easy. After all... he was Ben Tennyson. There's nothing he couldn't do.

.

- 10 Minutes Later -

He couldn't do this. Ben was currently going through it. He had come home and sat down on his bed, and he sat there, trying his best to fight the urge to go out and patrol.

Ben sat hunched forward on his bed, elbows digging into his knees, Omnitrix faceplate glowing faintly in the dim light of his room. The clock ticked. Ten minutes felt like ten hours. His leg bounced uncontrollably, fingers tapping against his chin as he muttered under his breath.

"Don't do it. Don't do it. Don't... ah, come on!"

He stood up, paced two steps, turned, sat back down. He looked around his room, trying to find anything to take his mind off superhero stuff.

Why was he finding this so difficult? Ben Tennyson was the prince of procrastination, or atleast that's what his teachers used to call him.

He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to calm himself. Gwen's voice echoed in his head: "You can't go out every night, Ben. You're not a machine." Glynda's too: "Burn yourself out, Tennyson, and you're no good to anyone."

But even their words didn't drown out the noise in his head. His mind replayed scenes of battles, the adrenaline rush, thefeeling of... That feeling.

He looked over to a picture frame in the corner of his room. It was a picture of him, Gwen and grandpa max, back during the summer that changed everything.

His eyes grew sad, looking at the frame. He wondered why he still had it given that it always evoked the exact same emotions from him everytime.

Though truthfully it was cause he wasn't home enough for it to affect him all that much. And even if he was he didn't think he'd allow himself to get rid of it, despite the strong emotions it evoked.

Thankfully The hum of the city outside was different now-sharper, more frantic. He could hear shouting, the telltale signs of panic beginning to build. Another boom cracked in the distance, sending a flock of birds scattering past his window in a flurry.

Sigh, he was proving rex right wasn't he?

- ELSEWHERE -

And finally: Blake Belladonna. Ruby Rose. Weiss Schnee. Yang Xiao Long."

Ozpin's calm, measured voice echoed through the auditorium as he motioned toward the four girls standing proudly before him.

"The four of you retrieved the white knight pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team RWBY. Led by... Ruby Rose!"

Weiss turned sharply, eyes wide with disbelief, while Ruby stood frozen like a deer in headlights. Yang, of course, wasted no time charging her sister and wrapping her in a bone-crushing hug.

"I'm so proud of you!" Yang beamed, lifting Ruby slightly off the floor as the younger girl squeaked in embarrassment.

weiss continued to look with the harshness of a river at her apparent team leader as Ruby sputtered under her sister's affection. Around them, applause and chatter filled the hall, a storm of fresh beginnings.

Amid the cheers, Ozpin allowed himself the faintest smile. "It looks like things are shaping up to be an... interesting year. Especially with what I have planned."

He turned and walked backstage, his cane clicking against the polished floor. Glynda Goodwitch followed closely behind, her sharp heels announcing her arrival before she even spoke.

Ozpin extended his hand without a word, and Glynda sighed as if she already knew what was coming. She handed over her scroll reluctantly, her expression caught between irritation and resignation.

"I still think you're putting too little faith in his stubbornness," Glynda said, crossing her arms, her voice low but firm.

Ozpin smirked as he began dialing. "On the contrary, Glynda... it is precisely his stubbornness I intend to put to the test. He just needs the right... motivation."

The call clicked, connecting. Ozpin's eyes narrowed slightly as he raised the scroll to his ear. His calm voice dropped into something far more welcoming.

- MEANWHILE -

"Hey, sorry, Aunty Glynda, I'm kinda busy right now," RATH said into his scroll, his voice oddly gruff as he ducked behind the jagged wreckage of a broken wall. Bits of rubble littered the ground, the smell of dust and scorched metal thick in the air. Explosions and crackling energy blasts echoed all around, punctuating the chaos of the battle.

"Sorry, but Ms. Goodwitch isn't the one on the phone right now," came the calm, unmistakable voice of Professor Ozpin, smooth as silk despite the violence surrounding them.

Ben froze mid-motion, blinking in confusion as he pressed himself tighter against the crumbling wall. "Ozpin?!"

Before he could yell anything more, a searing red laser hissed past his face, scorching the side of his jacket and clipping his shoulder with a sharp, burning sting. The force knocked him off balance, sending him tumbling backward onto the rubble-strewn ground.

"LET ME TELL YA SOMETHING, OZPIN, HEADMASTER OF BEACON ACADEMY," Ben growled into the scroll, teeth clenched as he pushed himself up. "I'VE SAID IT ONCE, AND I'LL SAY IT AGAIN: I AM NOT GOING TO YOUR STUPID SCHOOL, I'VE GOT A LOTTA IMPORTANT STUFF TO DO"

The crackle of static interrupted him briefly, then a harsh, unmistakably feminine voice cut through the chaos like a blade.

"By the Brothers, you need to relax. It's just a phone call," the voice snapped.

Ben's eyes narrowed as he glanced up just in time to see a massive hover bike hurtling toward him, slicing through the smoke and dust like a buzzsaw. The steel-black and blood-red armor of the rider gleamed menacingly in the fading light, skull emblem glowing faintly beneath the chipped visor. Five razor-sharp silver spikes jutted from each shoulder pad, catching the glare of the bike's roaring thrusters.

"LET ME TELL YA SOMETHING ROJO! NO ONE TELLS RATH TO RELAX! RATH KNOWS HOW TO -"

Before he could finish, Rojo's bike unleashed a barrage of red-hot energy blasts. Ben leapt sideways, barely dodging the concentrated beams that scorched the broken wall where he had stood seconds before. Rath snarled, launching himself mid-air toward the bike, claws digging fiercely into the metal frame.

"-RELAX JUST FINE!" Rath finished as he rained down three brutal punches to Rojo's armored face and delivered a final bone-shaking blow to her stomach.

The bike lurched wildly, thrusters sputtering as Rojo was violently ejected like a rag doll, crashing through a stack of crates. The metal helmet clanged against the wood, sending splinters flying as she rolled violently across the ground.

Ben barely spared her a glance as he wiped blood and dirt from his shoulder. His attention stayed sharp, eyes flicking between the helmeted figure and the shifting battlefield.

Meanwhile, the calm voice of Ozpin continued through the scroll, steady as ever despite the melee. "Listen, I only ask that you hear me out. You've done more for this world than any military could ever hope to. Wouldn't it be nice to-"

Ben groaned, brushing dust and rubble from his fur. "YOU'RE REALLY BAD AT READING THE ROOM OZPIN!."

The crackle of debris sliding caught his attention. He glanced toward Rojo, who was struggling to push herself up, her armor scuffed and dented, but her gaze sharp beneath the visor. She wasn't done.

Ben's eyes then flicked back to the now-unmanned hover bike. The thrusters flared erratically, spinning the vehicle out of control. His breath caught.

"Oh no."

The bike careened like a runaway beast, smashing into the cracked asphalt with an ear-splitting CRASH. Debris exploded outward, showering the area as the bike came to a harsh stop. Rath grunted, shaken but still clinging to the side, gripping the frame with iron claws. His muscles tensed as he shook his head, flicking grit from his fur.

Ozpin's voice continued calmly through the scroll, seemingly unfazed by the chaos: "- slow down for a change? I know you don't exactly have the best view of me, but I promise you, I can make it all feel worth it."

Ben exhaled slowly, trying not to let the tension show as he regarded the battle-worn figure of Rojo crawling toward cover. Without hesitation, Rath lunged, pinning her down with one clawed hand while still gripping the scroll with the other.

Ben leaned back against the rubble, a wry smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "INTERESTING IDEA OZPIN...BUT WHAT DO YOU GET OUT OF THIS? YOU'RE NOT THE TYPE TO ENROLL SOMEONE JUST BECAUSE THEY'RE FAMOUS, WHAT'S THE DEAL?"

A quiet chuckle drifted through the call. "Ben, do you know what you're grandfather told me, whenever i used to overwork myself? 'Relax, Reflect, Recharge. If you don't know how to do that, then you'll never make anything of yourself' And I entirely agree with him, I listened to him, so why don't you ("

Ben fell silent, the weight of those words settling into his chest. The adrenaline in his veins pulsed steady beneath his fur.

Then, with a curt nod, he spoke into the scroll: "...FINE. WAIT RIGHT THERE!"

His eyes narrowed, glancing once more at Rojo pinned beneath Rath's claws. Despite her battered state, there was a deep hatred burning behind that visor, she definitely wasn't just gonna give up yet.

She hissed through clenched teeth, her voice rough but defiant. "You think this ends here? You're gonna regret leaving me-"

Rath slammed his fist into her face, knocking her out.

He sighed, sitting there for a second.

- ELSEWHERE -

Ozpin lowered Glynda's scroll with a small, victorious smile.

"See?" he said, glancing at her. "I told you. I'm very convincing."

Glynda pinched the bridge of her nose. "Or maybe he's just too tired to argue with you anymore."

-- 10 minutes later--

The room was calm, Ozpin quietly sipping his coffee while Glynda reviewed student files on her scroll. That calm shattered with a deafening boom outside, followed by the sound of shattering glass as something crashed straight through the window.

Shards of glass rained down across the floor, and a surge of brilliant green light flooded the room, washing over every surface like a miniature sunrise. Both Glynda and Ozpin instinctively shielded their eyes.

When the light subsided, Ben Tennyson stood there in the middle of the room, smoke rising faintly from his shoulders. He brushed off a piece of broken glass from his jacket, completely unfazed.

"Apright oz," Ben said casually, as if he hadn't just done something insanely reckless. His green eyes locked on Ozpin, brows furrowed in annoyance. "I'm here. And I'm here to hear you out"

Ozpin, ever the picture of composure, calmly set down his mug of coffee and stood. "Follow me to my office, Mr. Tennyson. We have much to discuss."

Ben blinked. "You're not gonna mention the window?"

"No," Ozpin said, already walking away. "Besides, I get the feeling that's not the only thing you're gonna break during your stay here"

-Elsewhere-

Dr. Animo sat hunched in the corner of his dimly lit cell, the faint flicker of a malfunctioning overhead light casting long, jittery shadows across the cold steel walls. His wiry green hair was more tangled and unkempt than ever, sprouting in wild directions like thorny weeds refusing to be tamed. His yellow eyes glinted with simmering frustration and barely contained rage as he picked at the cracks and chips in the metal wall beside him, as if willing the cold, unforgiving surface to split under the sheer brilliance of his will.

"Foiled again... by that insufferable, self-righteous brat..." he hissed, voice low and venomous, echoing in the barren, empty corridor beyond his cell. "Ben Tennyson, the bane of my genius! The gall-the unmitigated arrogance-of that little pest to-"

His tirade was cut short by a faint disturbance down the hall: distant noises bleeding through the silence like a warning siren. At first, Animo barely registered them-just the usual ruckus from guards trying to contain the frequent riots among the inmates. He'd been in here enough times to know the sounds pretty well by now. But then the sounds sharpened into something more urgent: strained shouts of alarm, mixed with sharp, staccato bursts of gunfire. A low vibration hummed through the floor beneath his feet, growing steadily in intensity.

Animo's yellow eyes narrowed, his twitching nostrils catching something beneath the harsh sterility of the air. So this was a prison break. Slightly less common but still not unprecedented His head tilted as he pressed his ear to the cold steel door, straining to listen. The noises were growing nearer, closer-Wait, there wasn't anyone all that important past where his cell was, certainly nobody who would warrant all this energy to be broken out of prison, so who exactly was being broken out here?

Then came the unmistakable, sickening thud-heavy, brutal-and immediately afterward, a wet crunching sound that made Animo's skin crawl. Something large, something alive, had been slammed directly against the door with such force that the entire wall shook violently, the ancient bolts rattling loose in their sockets. Considering that these doors were nigh unbreakable and with that amount of force? Animo doubted even aura would've protected that man from becoming a stain on the wall

"What in blazes...?" Animo muttered, his voice a mix of confusion and rising apprehension as he instinctively stepped back from the door.

The heavy, reinforced alloy door-designed to withstand everything from brute force to explosives-shuddered violently once more. Then, with a deafening creak that echoed down the empty hallway, it was torn free from its hinges, swinging aside like a flimsy scrap of metal. The door crashed against the far wall with a thunderous clang, sending a cloud of dust and rust into the stagnant air.

In the widening shadow of the cell entrance stood a towering figure, cloaked in darkness. The stranger's hood hid their face completely, leaving only the faintest glmpse of their face, which clearly featured, metal instead of skin. The way they stood was way too, lazy and laid back to be a robot, so what the hell?

Yet as Animo's keen eyes adjusted, he noted the strange details-the heavy build beneath the cloak, the restless shifting of weight from one foot to the other, and the faint outline of fingers twitching with impatience at the stranger's side. Wait... Was this a teenager?

The teenager hadn't moved, not a word, not a step. But the air around him Unsettled the mad doctor.

Behind this ominous silhouette, another presence emerged, equally commanding but wrapped in an aura of something far more dangerous. A woman stepped forward with cold, predatory grace. Darkness seemed to cling to her like a living shroud, swirling softly at her shoulders and trailing behind her like smoke. The clicking of her boots against the concrete floor was steady and unyielding, a rhythmic echo that filled the stillness like a drumbeat heralding doom.

"Dr. James Aloysius Animo," the woman said coolly, her voice a silken blade dipped in venom. Every word was measured, calculated, and delivered with the weight of authority.

Animo blinked, caught off guard by her calm yet commanding presence. His lips curled into a sneer as his pride flared to life. "Who dares address the great Dr. Animo so rudely?" he demanded, voice dripping with scorn and outrage.

The woman ignored his indignation entirely, stepping closer so that the shadows beneath her hood deepened, concealing her features but not the steely resolve behind them. "You are a genius in the field of biological experimentation," she said with quiet conviction, "a mind wasted in this... cage. I can offer you what you truly deserve."

Animo straightened abruptly, his frame stiffening as his ego basked in the praise. His yellow eyes gleamed with renewed hope and hunger, the faintest twitch of a smile pulling at the corners of his cracked lips. "Hmm... and just who are you?" he asked cautiously, suspicion lingering beneath his eagerness.

The woman smiled faintly in return, but the expression never reached her cold, unreadable eyes. "Someone who believes this world has grown... insufficient. And even more than that, I'm someone who can help you show this wretched kingdom-no, this wretched world-why no one mocks the brilliance of Dr. Animo and lives to tell the tale."

The hooded figure beside her finally moved, tilting its head in acknowledgment. Even without words, its sheer presence radiated promise: power, destruction, freedom.

Animo's grin widened slowly, hungrily, as the weight of the m

oment sank in. For the first time since his capture, his laughter returned-low, manic, reverberating against the cold steel walls.

"Ahhh... now this is more like it..."