Brilliant Orange

" Silva, are you done setting up the power cables and generators?"

Raven called out to me as I finished hooking up the last of the power cables to have my lab ready for my projects. After double-checking all my work to make sure I didn't make any mistakes, I then answered the former bandit chief.

" Yeah, looks like I got every setup and ready to go."

" Oh? What's your first project going to be, then?"

I thought about the question for a moment and answered.

" Well, one of the things I am going to tackle is building a new airship with some experimental tech that I have been itching to invent. Honestly, I am surprised Atlas hadn't thought of it first; all the information is there, but no one has put two and two together. The other big project is building the construction bots to build my residences in Vale and Mistral, possibly Solitas as well if I want somewhere near but outside the borders of Atlas. Oh, and vacation home at the Menagerie sounds nice too!"

Raven smirked at me and shook her head in wry amusement as she commented.

" Honestly, boys and their secret bases."

I rolled my eyes at her and pointed out.

" Only one is going to qualify as a secret base, Raven, and even then, it will have its uses as there are still untapped deposits of Dust and valuable materials all across that frozen tundra."

" Hmm, so you will be stealing from Atlas then?"

I corrected my lover.

" It's not stealing if they haven't laid claim on it yet."

" I raised you so well."

Raven said with mock pride, but her expression turned complicated, and she said.

" Silva, we need to talk."

I focused on her to get a feel about what she wanted to talk about, and I got the impression that she was unsure about something, so I took out a pair of chairs for us and took a seat as I gestured for the former bandit to join me and said.

" Let's talk then."

Raven sighed as she sat down and then started.

" I met with Yang."

I was a bit surprised, happy for her but surprised, and asked her to expand her meaning.

" And?"

" We... talked, and she will be coming over to the camp every weekend to, well; I don't know."

The former bandit chief looked dismayed and confused at what she should do next with reconnecting with her daughter. I sighed and told her.

" Raven, there is no easy answer for this sort of thing, and the only thing I can tell you is to take it one step at a time and do your best."

" I know, but if you had told me last year that I would be worried about meeting and reconnecting with my daughter, I would've scoffed and told you that you're a fool."

I smiled as I agreed with her.

" Yeah, you would've, but here we are, and life continues, moving forward without our input."

" I have a lot to make up for, don't I?"

Raven asked with an expression of sorrow and melancholy.

" Only you and the ones you have wronged can decide that."

The former bandit chief gave me a bittersweet smile as she commented.

" You always act so much older than your age."

" I just have an old soul."

I said with sincerity at how true that was in reality and perspective. An alert went off on my Scroll, letting me know to head back to the dorm room before Winter realized that I had sneaked out, and I kissed Raven and then said my goodbye.

" I will see you later, and best of luck on dealing with Yang. Oh, and please keep her out of my lab!"

" See you later as well, and thanks."

I opened a portal with Door To Darkness and reentered the dorm I share with Winter. I lay on the bed and started focusing on Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire to kill time. Voldemort's resurrection didn't need any modification, and the aftermath was fine as is, but with a few added details like solidifying the separation of Ron and Harry's friendship and Neville's newfound bond with the-boy-who-lived and Hermione. With Harry outgrowing his somewhat toxic relationship with Ron and finding true friends in Neville and Hermione, I finished writing the fourth book and just need to deliver it to my publisher.

Winter entered the dorm and walked up to me, then texted as I was still pretending to be temporarily deaf.

" Where were you?"

I looked at her with confusion, and she explained with another text.

" I came by to check up on you during lunch, and you were nowhere to be found."

Crud, I didn't expect that, but what's done is done, so I explained without giving any details with a text of my own.

" I sneaked out of the academy to kill some time and for a change in scenery."

The ice queen sighed and asked through typing on her Scroll.

" Do I need to withhold this from my report to the general?"

" No, you can tell him I don't mind, and he can't stop me anyways."

Winter asked with a text for confirmation as she looked concerned.

" Are you sure?"

I nodded in reply and went to work on Heaven Defying Demon Empress. I heard the ice queen sigh as she started focusing on her homework and reporting to Tindick. Time ticked away, and soon, night came. As I heard Winter's breath become slow and steady, I set up my decoy and opened a portal for Robyn to talk to her about helping my case in earnest. I found myself in a cozy apartment, and with the lights still on, that means that Robyn is still awake. From the window, it was clear the apartment was set up in Mantle. I took a seat as I waited for Robyn to appear, and I saw her come out in a bath towel, oh crud.

The vigilante saw me and picked up a lamp, and immediately threw it at me. I caught it as I didn't want to have anything at Robyn's place broken on my account. As I set it down gently, I heard the vigilante say with a serious tone.

" I don't know who you are or why your here, buster, but you made a big-. Huh? Hero, what are you doing at my place?"

Robyn recognized me and lowered the crossbow that she now had equipped. My reply was simple.

" How about getting dressed first?"

" Um, sure, don't go anywhere!"

I took a seat on the couch as I waited, and she came back in a green tank top and gray pull-on pants. She looked a bit cross with me, and I can't blame her. Robyn then asked again with her hand outstretched.

" Okay, start explaining now!"

I knew about her truth-detecting Semblance before, and in this case, it works to my advantage. I grabbed her hand and told her.

" I want your help in my case with the mob and resisting arrest from the MPs."

The vigilante's Semblance reacted positively and confirmed that I spoke the truth. She relaxed a bit and said.

" Sure no-. Wait a moment, aren't you supposed to be deaf right now?!"

" I know someone who could heal me up, and they did so my hearings back but don't tell Tindick as I am using my deafness as an excuse to skip classes."

Robyn's Semblance reacted again as I still held her hand and confirmed that I had told the truth. The vigilante tightens her grip and asks with a guarded expression.

" How did you get into my apartment?"

" I used my Semblance to enter here."

Her Semblance confirmed the truth of my answer; she let go of my paw, then sat down across from me in a chair. Robyn then said as she crossed her legs.

" Okay, hero, I want to help you, but I need evidence to prove your innocence and show the corruption in the MPs."

" I can get it, no problem."

The vigilante arched her eyebrow questionably as she asked.

" How?"

" Give me one moment."

I took out my Scroll and dug out all the evidence on bribery, blackmail, and anything else the Military Police has a hand in, then sent it to Robyn. She looked at the information I sent with wide eyes and exclaimed.

" This is!"

But the vigilante then took on a sober countenance as she put her Scroll aside.

" I can't accept illegally acquired evidence as it wouldn't hold in a court of law, but now that I have solid confirmation on the existence of the corruption, I now know where to look. Thank you."

I already knew that thanks to using Soul Archive on various lawyers during my stay with Atlas, and I knew all the loopholes I couldn't use for the simple reason being that I am a fanus. Atlas's laws are extremely biased against faunus in general, and the only way I can avoid getting a bounty on my head is for someone with influence to back me enough to ensure the court's ruling is in my favor. Juvenile detention centers and jails can not contain me because of my Semblance so that I will wind up with a bounty on my head which would attract Huntsmen and Huntresses.

With that in mind, I decided to work with Robyn as James Ironwood would want me under his thumb and used as a military asset. I then proposed a deal to the vigilante.

" If you help me out, I already showed you what I can do, and I can provide information from anywhere in the kingdom."

Robyn considered what I offered for a few moments, then said.

" Deal!"

" I look forward to working with you, Robyn."

She smirked at me and said.

" Me too, Hero."

" Silva."

I corrected her as; honestly, I wouldn't say I liked the nickname she picked out for me as I felt it didn't suit me at all. Robyn hummed in reply and then said.

" Okay then, Silva, I look forward to working with you as well."

This is the start of a partnership I never expected I would start in this second life of mine.