A ship flies through the skies over Vale. The city streets below are busy with the usual morning crowd. The owner of the Dust shop "From Dust Till Dawn" is hanging a sign declaring its re-opening. As he climbs down from his ladder, he stumbles and nearly falls. Emerald Sustrai appears beside him.
Emerald) 'Scuse me, sorry. I'm not really from around here. (She helps him to his feet.) Would you mind pointing me in the direction of this shop?
She produces a piece of paper and the shopkeep looks it over, then points her on her way. Emerald walks off, passing Mercury Black at a nearby corner.
Mercury) I knew you were lost.
Emerald) Mercury, I will seriously pay you to shut up. (She produces a wallet full of Lien and waves it in his face.)
Mercury) That's not your money.
Emerald) But it can be yours for five minutes of silence.
Mercury) Mmmm... no deal.
Emerald) Fine. (She takes the Lien, tosses the empty wallet, and walks away.)
Mercury) Whatever. You want me.
They walk through the city together.
Mercury) So, how much farther?
Emerald) A few blocks.
Mercury) Ugh... this place is so dull.
Emerald) Eh, I kind of like it. Tall buildings, diverse culture...
Mercury) And nice dopey people who are easy to pickpocket.
Emerald stops.
Emerald) That's every city.
Mercury) (play-acting as a helpless victim) Ooh, Emerald! Master thief! Please don't take my money! I barely have enough to get by!
Emerald glares at him, groaning under her breath. Then she walks away.
Mercury) You're no fun today.
They enter a small shop lined wall to wall with books. A tune is being hummed somewhere in the back. Mercury drifts toward a display near the door while Emerald approaches the counter and rings the bell.
Tukson) Be right there!
The owner backs through the double doors carrying stacks of books, sets them down, and turns around. He freezes when he sees the two of them.
Tukson) Welcome to Tukson's Book Trade, home to every book under the sun. How may I... how may I help you?
Mercury) (not looking at his book) Just browsing. (He shuts it.)
Emerald) Actually, I was wondering — do you have any copies of "The Thief and The Butcher"?
Tukson) Yes we do.
Emerald) That's great.
Tukson) Would you... like a copy?
Emerald) No, just wondering. Oh! What about "Violet's Garden"? In paperback?
Mercury) He's got it. Hardback too. (He holds one up.)
Emerald) Ooh, options are nice.
Mercury) No pictures though. (He sets it back.) Hey — do you have comics?
Tukson) Near the front.
Emerald) Oh, wait. (Her tone shifts, quiet and deliberate.) What about... "Third Crusade"?
Tukson) (hesitating) Um... I don't believe we carry that one.
Mercury) (shutting another book) Oh.
Emerald) What was this place called again?
Tukson) Tukson's Book Trade.
Emerald) And you're Tukson?
Tukson) That's right.
Emerald) So I take it you're the one who came up with the catchphrase?
Tukson) Yes.
Mercury) What was it again?
Tukson) "Tukson's Book Trade, home to every book under the sun."
Mercury) Except "Third Crusade."
Tukson) It's just a catchphrase.
Mercury) It's false advertising.
Emerald) You shouldn't make promises you can't keep, Tukson. (Mercury moves to the switches near the entrance, darkening the windows one by one.) I hear you're planning on leaving. Moving all the way to Vacuo. Your brothers in the White Fang won't be happy to hear that. And neither are we. You know who we are, don't you?
Tukson) Yes.
Emerald) And you know why we're here?
Tukson) Yes.
Emerald) So... are you going to fight back?
Tukson) Yes! (Claws extend from his fingers.) Yaargh!
He leaps over the counter and slashes at Emerald. She dodges — and walks straight into Mercury's rising kick.
Meanwhile, tucked into the alley behind the shop, Kaito leans against the wall with his arms crossed while Neo stands beside him. Through the back door, Tukson slips out — alive, breathing hard, a bag over one shoulder.
Neo had spent the last few minutes making Emerald and Mercury chase shadows. Illusions of Tukson running the wrong way, buying him just enough time.
Kaito) Good job, Neo. (He hands her a thick stack of Lien without fanfare.) Go buy yourself something nice.
Neo beams and gives a small, theatrical bow before tucking the money away.
Emerald and Mercury exit Tukson's Book Trade a short time later. Emerald stretches her arms overhead. Mercury is carrying a comic.
Emerald) What's with that?
Mercury) I like the pictures.
In the Beacon Academy cafeteria, Team RWBY sit together at a table. Blake has notes spread out in front of her. Yang slides in beside her.
Yang) Whatcha doing?
Blake) Nothing. (She closes her book.) Just going over notes from last semester.
Yang catches a grape in her mouth.
Yang) Lame.
Neo) (signs the word and nods in full agreement)
Kaito is across the table pulling his blindfold up and down, flipping it like a toy, clearly bored out of his mind. Nora keeps tossing grapes at Yang with her spoon. Yang catches every one without looking, giving Nora a thumbs up each time.
Ruby slams a binder onto the table with both hands. On the cover: "Vytal Festival Activities, Property of Weiss Schnee" — crossed out in red marker, replaced with "Best Day Ever Activities."
Ruby) (clearing her throat) Sisters... friends... Weiss.
Weiss) Hey!
Ruby) Four minutes ago, me and Kaito had a dream —
Kaito) (already at Ruby's side, out of nowhere) We had a dream.
Yang) (catching another grape) This ought to be good.
Ruby) That all of us come together and have a day filled with fun!
Weiss) Did you steal my binder?
Ruby) I am not a crook — but it was Kaito. (Weiss turns a withering glare on him.)
Kaito) (raising his hands, grinning)
Blake) What are you actually talking about?
Ruby) I'm talking about kicking off the semester with a bang! Classes start back up tomorrow, and between the exchange students and the tournament at the end of the year, this semester is going to be great. Which is why I've taken the time to schedule a series of wonderful events for us today.
Weiss) I don't know whether to be proud or terrified.
Yang) (still glaring from a grape that hit her in the eye) I always kick my semesters off with a Yang! Eh? Anyone?
An apple bounces off her forehead. She looks at Nora.
Nora) Boooooooooooo!
Blake) I don't know. I think I might sit this one out.
Weiss) Sit out or not whatever we do today, we do it as a team.
A pie comes out of nowhere and lands directly in Weiss's face. Nora sits back down and points at Ren. Ren has his head in his palm.
Outside, Sun and Neptune are walking toward the cafeteria.
Neptune) Man, that's harsh.
Sun) I know we were fighting side by side. She was super fast, and I threw a banana at the guy, which sounds gross but was actually awesome.
Neptune) Nice!
Sun) Right? And the best part is, she's a Faunus. But that's a secret, okay?
Neptune) Got it.
Sun leans in.
Sun) And not a "I'm gonna go tell Scarlet the second Sun turns his back" secret. I'm talking secret secret.
Neptune) Whoa, chill, man. I got it. (lower) I got it.
Sun) You better. I just don't want to screw this up. The people here are the coolest — no offense to you guys.
Neptune) None taken.
Sun) Just be cool. You're gonna be cool, right?
Neptune just smiles. His teeth gleam.
Sun) Good point.
They push open the cafeteria doors. Students come stampeding out past them. Inside, the food fight is already in full swing.
Nora) Ahahahahaha!
Team JNPR stands on top of a tower of stacked tables.
Nora) I'm queen of the castle! I'm queen of the castle!
Ruby) (stomping her foot on a table, crushing a milk carton in her hand) Justice will be swift! Justice will be painful! It will be delicious!
Team RWBY) Yeah!
Nora) Off with their heads!
She leaps down and the chaos doubles.
Across the room, Kaito stands in front of Neo as she eats her ice cream. Incoming food slows to a crawl mid-air
caught in Infinity then reverses and launches back into the crowd, taking out half the participants in one go. Neo licks her spoon, unbothered.
Sun) I love these guys.
Neptune is drenched head to toe in soda and is not pleased.
The doors open. Glynda steps in, growling. With a sweep of her hands she begins pulling the cafeteria back into order, table by table.
Glynda) Children, please. Do not play with your food.
Nora burps. Both teams try and fail to compose themselves. Yang crashes through the ceiling into a table.
Kaito) Yeah, teach live a little.
Glynda grumbles. Ozpin appears beside her and places a hand on her shoulder.
Ozpin) Let it go.
Glynda) (sighing) They're supposed to be the defenders of the world.
Ozpin) And they will be. But right now they're still children. (He watches Team RWBY laughing together.) So why not let them play the part? After all, it isn't a role they'll have forever. (He walks away.)
In an old warehouse, the White Fang are moving crates when Emerald and Mercury arrive.
Roman) Oh look — she sent the kids again! This is turning out just like the divorce! (He throws his arms around them both.)
Emerald) (shuddering) Spare us the thought of you procreating.
They pull away.
Roman) That was a joke. And this — (he produces a piece of paper) — just might tell me where you two have been all day. Why do you have this address?
Emerald) Wouldn't you like to know?
Roman) Yeah, I would. Now where have you been?
Mercury) Cleaning up your problems. One of them, at least.
Roman) I had that under control.
Mercury) Two packed bags and a ticket to Vacuo said otherwise.
Roman) Listen, you little punk. If it were up to me, I would take you and your little street rat friend here and
Cinder) Do what, Roman?
Cinder steps down from a platform above, riding the lift to their level.
Roman) (laughing nervously) I'd, uh... not kill them?
Emerald) Cinder!
Cinder) I thought I made it clear that you would eliminate the would-be runaway.
Roman) I was going to
Emerald) He was going to run to Vacuo. Mercury and I took it upon ourselves.
Mercury) I think he was some sort of cat, actually.
Emerald) What? Like a puma?
Mercury) Yeah, there ya go.
Cinder) Quiet. Did I not specifically instruct you two to keep your hands clean while in Vale?
Roman points at them behind Cinder's back, gleeful.
Emerald) I just thought
Cinder) Don't think. Obey.
Emerald) (quietly) Yes ma'am. It won't happen again.
Cinder) (turning to Roman) And you. Why wasn't this handled sooner?
Roman) Sorry if I've been busy stealing every speck of Dust in the Kingdom! Look around — I've got this town running scared. Police at every corner, Dust prices through the roof, and we're sitting on more crystals, vials, and rounds than we know what to do with! Speaking of which — if someone wouldn't mind filling me in on the grand master plan, my next string of robberies might go a little smoother.
Cinder) (placing a hand against his face) Oh, Roman. Have a little faith. You'll know what you need when you need to know it. (She steps back.) Besides — we're done with Dust.
Roman) Then what now?
Cinder) We're moving. Have the White Fang clear this building. I'll send coordinates tonight. We're proceeding to phase two.
She turns to leave. Roman reaches for his cigar
and realizes Emerald has already lifted his lighter. She holds it up, sticks her tongue out, and follows Cinder out.
Roman) ...
Cinder stops before she reaches the door.
Cinder) But before I go — tell me about this Kaito Gojo. I've been hearing rumblings. Especially after what happened with Adam, four years back.
Roman) (a long pause, then flatly) There's not much to tell. Other than if you and your people went after him, you'd lose.
Cinder) And what makes you so certain of that?
Roman) The only reason I have such a tight grip on this city is because he finds it amusing. If he wanted to shut my operation down, he could do it in a matter of minutes. He just hasn't felt like it yet.
Cinder says nothing. She walks out.
Far away, in a place without light, a Grimm crouches still as stone. Through its eyes, Salem watches.
Salem) My, my... it seems Cinder still has much to learn.
She is quiet for a moment, thinking.
Salem) But if I want the fall of Beacon to proceed without interruption...
Tyrian) Yes, my queen?
Salem) I want you on standby. When Cinder's plan begins, find out everything you can about this Kaito Gojo. And find a way to keep him occupied away from Beacon when the time comes.
Tyrian)...As you wish.