More then just a Wristpiece

Jason had been slumped over panting as he finished training himself up in the courtyard, thankfully most of the other students were preoccupied with the Vytal Festival's preparations and unbeknownst to him; Team RWBY being out in Vale searching for their runaway comrade.

"Yo, J! We're taking a little trip out to Vale to see if we can get stuff ready for the Festival or for the events at the Tournament, you wanna come with?" Nora sent him a message with a series of emojis that he could barely recognise. Ever since Jaune had been expelled; the trio had been having issues with trying to pick up the slack, most of it being relayed to helping Pyrrha since she felt guilty about not pushing to help Jaune more while he was there.

"If you want me to hang out then sure, I'll be in Vale to grab some books so I'll be there regardless." Jason responded and earned a quick flash of emojis from Nora plus another message from Ruby soon after.

"Hey, Jason…After the whole…Thing with Blake, have you seen her recently?" The leader of Team RWBY asked him, even through the text; she sounded anxious/worried.

"No, I've been training up and doing these reviews with Oz…Why, did something happen?" He asked her as he started to walk back through the courtyard towards his dorm, ignoring the hushed whispers and the comments about him. Since he had all his cards on the table with Ozpin about his alternate forms and discovering that he had access to something else besides the armoured versions; It made dealing with the small talk and gossip a lot easier.

"She kind of…ran off, the argument with Weiss only got worse when we got back and now we don't know where she went. I feel like I could've done more to help mediate but I wasn't sure how to confront that…" She admitted and then sent a follow up message; "If you see Blake, can you tell us or see if you can just check on her? I'd really appreciate it."

Jae sent her a thumbs up in response and then closed out so he could take a shower before going into Vale for his business.

——Meanwhile——

"For the last time, Roman…There is no feasible way that you should have had that money robbed from inside that safe. The goodwill gift I gave you has more than sufficient defences and security measures to protect your funds; unless your thief was a ghost or a super genius…I don't know what else to tell you." A raven haired woman mentioned as she looked like she was sceptical of the things that Torchwick came to her about, "The safe is unlocked and it doesn't looked damaged so either you left it unlocked for your little friend to take out all the money or this kid is someone who is capable of outsmarting the cleverest of Atlesian technology."

"I keep telling you! This big hunk of black goo came out of nowhere; First it zapped Neo then it shot me with some laser and when I came to, the safe was open and we're both down 8. MILLION. LIEN!" Torchwick yelled at her as he was trying to convince her that this wasn't just some slip up he made. "Don't forget, if I don't have funds than I can't help keep those mutts in the White Fang in line with bribes, Cinder!"

"Goo…Goo that shoots lasers and has a desire for second hand wallets…I think you've lost it." A silver haired boy quipped as he crossed his arms; "Still don't believe it."

"Maybe you should believe that I will kick you in the head, Dum-Dum!" Neo angrily texted out to him on her Scroll; "And Roman's right, this thing found our safehouse and robbed us blind…We can't just leave that be!"

Cinder looked up towards the two as she placed a hand on her hip; "This isn't my problem, this is your problem as criminals here…If someone takes from you, then you take back! You'll be expected to follow up on that heist tonight, Roman…Because I'm not a big fan of consistent screw-ups." Cinder warned him as she generated a fireball in hand before leaving with the silver haired boy and a green haired girl in tow.

Torchwick was beyond angry at how blase that Cinder was being about this and lit up a cigar; "Screw up…I'd like to see HER deal with whatever weird freakshow that this thing was!" He ranted as he took a breath out of smoke; "Any luck finding our little friend, Neo?"

Neo shook her head; "I searched all over Vale since what happened, the most that I found that is the closest is that kid with the watch I sent to you." She messaged to him and showed him Jason's picture.

"Well, I'm not letting 8 mill slide regardless of what that fire slinging witch says! See if you can track down the kid and see if he can point us in the right direction…Maybe we can pawn off that fancy looking watch of his while we're at it." Roman chuckled as he tapped his cane. "Kid or monster, Roman Torchwick does NOT get punked!"

——Meanwhile in another part of Vale——

Jason was walking along the street with Nora, Ren and Pyrrha; They were able to catch up at the very least though it seemed to be Nora that was keeping the conversation flowing between the four of them for differing reasons.

Jason was worried about Blake after Ruby had mentioned that she ran away; so he was torn between helping Team NPR find their equilibrium and going to find Blake.

Pyrrha was both a little relieved that Jason accepted their offer to join them for some time out but she was admittedly still sad and guilt ridden about Jaune's dismissal.

Ren was equally as concerned seeing as their team effectively lost their leader; sure Jaune lied about what he could do but he was still someone he considered a friend.

Nora on the other hand was both trying to see the bright side of things even teasing the idea of having Jason join their team however this only earned a halfhearted response from Pyrrha. "So, what's this that I'm hearing about you being grilled by Ozpin? Let's hear about what you've been up to." The redhead asked cheerfully since she really wanted to break the awkward silence.

"Well, ever since what happened…Ozpin's been asking me about what else my Semblance does, so he's had me go through each one and have them checked out." Jason explained as the three listened though Pyrrha seemed a little more unfocused.

"I see, considering that your Semblance allows you to turn into any form that you can think of…It makes sense that he wants to be prepared should anything happen." Ren mentioned as they stopped to get coffee, unaware that the four were being followed by someone with pink and brown hair.

"Jason…Did you…Ever hear back from Jaune after what happened?" Pyrrha asked him, even though she was well aware of WHY he got expelled; that didn't mean that she stopped caring. "You two were pretty close to each other when Cardin was picking on him so how come you couldn't help him stay at Beacon?" She asked him with a little less tact that she had intended or that Jason had expected.

"Wow…Really putting him on the spot, Pyrrha." Nora thought to herself as she saw the sad look on Pyrrha's face and the guilty look on Jason's.

"I don't know in all honesty…After what happened in the Forest, I tried to convince Ozpin to give him another chance…I took the responsibility for what happened and offered to accept punishment for what happened." Jason explained honestly; "But he said that Jaune had essentially lied his way into Beacon and didn't want to risk him or anyone around him because he didn't have the proper training."

Pyrrha nodded as she then began to order coffee for them and asked for them to grab somewhere to sit. 

Jason wasn't going to pretend that he understood how she felt but it didn't help knowing that she kind of blamed him for what happened; "She hates me, doesn't she?" He mentioned to Ren and Nora as they grabbed a booth near the back. "For what happened to him, I mean…"

Hearing someone like Jason who was normally so sure of himself start casting doubt and blame on himself threw the two for a loop. "What are you talking about?" Ren would ask him out of curiosity and noticed that Nora squirmed uncomfortably in her seat.

"Jason, I can't pretend like the whole thing sounds weird…But you did everything you could to try and keep Jaune in Beacon, right?" Nora quizzed him; "I mean, everyone saw what happened and no one would do what you did if they wanted someone to be kicked out."

Ren jumped in to help; "You tried to help Jaune when he was having issues with Cardin, talked him down when he got a little too…"excited" when it came to Weiss…I mean, your arm got broken because you stepped in to help." Ren added; knowing that the three were up to speed on everything including what really happened to Jae's arm.

"And Jaune jumped in to help you out when your time limit stopped." Pyrrha added as she sat to join them; "I just wish that he got given more of a chance…"

"Well…It's not like Beacon's the only Combat School in the world, is it?" Jason pointed out; "Because from what I heard, there are other places that could help him train up."

"That's true, with Atlas, Haven and Shade means that anyone from anywhere CAN…But Beacon was always seen as the most prolific." Ren mentioned with a casual nod; "Similar to how we all chose to come here too."

"And it only got more popular because we got our main girl right here~" Nora remarked with a cheer as she pulled Pyrrha into a one-armed hug.

"N-Nora…." Pyrrha blushed in embarrassment as she didn't do much to stop.

Jason chuckled a little; "Well, she's not wrong…You are real popular and I honestly see why most people got excited about it." He would compliment her but then remembered something and decided to quiz the three; "There's something that I wanted to ask you all…Blake ran off yesterday and I wanted to ask for Ruby and the others; do you know if you've seen her around?"

The others looked to each other and then to Jason before shaking their heads; "Sorry, but I don't think we've seen much of you guys outside of lessons and stuff…" Nora pointed out as she then glanced to his watch; "Hold on…Have you got a super sniffer in that thing?"

Jason mused on it but then realised what she was getting at; "Nora, you adorably brilliant genius." He grinned widely when he realised.

"Hehe, oh stop it~" Nora remarked with an embarrassed laugh and a pink tint in her cheeks, earning an eyeroll from Ren and a confused look from Pyrrha. "So shall we pop the bad boy?"

Jason shook his head; "Not in front of people…Let's find somewhere private…I'll see if I can sneak out back or somewhere no one can see."

"Of course, we'll meet you outside in the alleyway down the street when you've done…What you needed to do." Pyrrha offered, having perked up a little now that she talked out some of her feelings and was now able to help Jason out.

——Out in a Back Alley——

Jason looked around as he shut the employee back door to make sure the coast was clear, "Alright, Nora had the right idea so maybe Feralhound could work with it's nose…But honestly I'd just prefer something that didn't stand out too much…" Jason thought to himself as he began turning the watch and then slammed it down in a flash of green light, turning him from his human form into Feralhound.

"Huh, I actually got it right for once…Better milk it for all it's worth!" Feralhound thought as it dug it's claws into the wall and climbed up onto the roof, unaware that Neo was carefully trailing him since he left the cafe.

"Guess what~ It gets better~" Neo would snap a picture and sent it to Torchwick, making sure she got the emblem on his arm so that he could put two and two together.

"You're kidding me…That kid?! He's the one who got that goopy thing to attack us?!" Torchwick sent back with quite a rapid reply.

"How about I track him down, see what he's after and we can try asking him ourselves." Neo suggested as she followed after him, her curiosity starting to grow as she considered the possibilities.

"You did tell him to meet us here, right?" Ren asked as he looked around for Jason in case he came around a corner.

"Of course, but I didn't think he'd take this long if he has that speed form…Maybe we should go look for-" Pyrhha was the same way as she kept watch for him.

"PUPPY!"

"Nora, please don't run off now…We need to stay and wait for Jason." Ren muttered tiredly when he heard Nora squeal out.

There was a loud thump as Feralhound landed on the ground in front of them, nearly causing the two to jump out of their skin at the sight of the big orange figure.

"Jason?" Pyrrha asked him once her heart rate slowed back down and recognised the symbol on his arm.

Feralhound nodded but seemed equally as surprised as Nora jumped to him in a giant hug and squeed out at the fact that Jason was essentially a giant dog.

"Should…we be worried?" Ren asked since this was the first time he saw Feralhound like this.

However the fact that Jason as Feralhound was being snuggled quite eagerly by Nora seemed to dispute that.

"This is the best day ever!" Nora whooped as she scratched his head and then grinned more as she watched Feralhound's leg thumping on the ground. "Oh, he's such a good boy~ He's the best boy! Yes he is!"

Pyrrha wasn't sure if she found the scene weird or wholesome but the fact that Nora seemed okay around him was enough reason to think it was safe. "He has no eyes, are you sure that this form can work?" She asked Feralhound curiously but seemed weirded out when he nodded back at her after Nora hopped down.

"Well, it is a beast form…Maybe he tracks by smell or hearing." Ren mused as he looked over Feralhound; "Okay, if you want to handle rooftops and the alleyways. Me, Nora and Pyrrha can check the streets to find Blake." 

Feralhound snorted and then climbed up the wall to the rooftops and began leaping across while sniffing the air. "Vale's a big place but everyone has their own scent…As weird as it sounds, I just have to track down Blake and see if I can talk things through once I've turned back…" He thought to himself as he bounded across the numerous rooftops while sniffing the air, trying to find any trace to work off of…However something else seemed to trigger his senses as he hopped away as Neo tried to jab him from behind with her umbrella.

Neo tilted her head; Examining Feralhound like he was some kind of strange animal…Which technically he was. "So big Doggy…How about you show me where your goopy friend is? Me and my boss have a score to settle with them." She used her Text to Speech to try communicating with him but then realised that it was useless unless he could talk back to her.

Feralhound wasn't eager to play around when he recognised her and growled intimidatingly; knowing that he caught her by surprise before but if she was approaching him now, he'd have to be smart.

Neo however had something he didn't seem to recognise; A Semblance that could mess with him. With a quick stop to a makeup store after overhearing Ren's words as a "random civilian" and decided to pull out some bottles of strong perfume. "Looks expensive and potent but easier to get than smelling salts or ammonia…"

FeralHound could tell something was off but after sniffing the air again; the strong smell of the perfume was making Neo hazy but not hard to track down, rushing forward and then swiping at Neo to get her away however she seemed to shatter like glass. Once he turned back around, he saw multiples of Neo with the same smug look on her face and each one radiating a wave of disorienting odour to throw off the Vulpimancer before rushing in with a glint of silver in hand.

——Later——

By the time that Jason woke up; He had been strapped to a chair in the middle of a warehouse and even more oddly, he had been timed out and was back in human form. "Whuh…What happened?"

"Oh, looks like our sleeping beauty is finally awake…" Torchwick sneered as he stepped into the light; "So, my little friend…You managed to land yourself in a world of trouble with the wrong people."

"Story of my life…So what do you want exactly?" Jason asked as he strained his eyes in the light; one wrist was strapped to the arm of the chair while the arm that had the watch on it was strapped down to a table both to keep it out of reach and to give Torchwick and Neo the access to it.

"Oh, I don't want much…I want all the Dust in this stinking suburb, I want to be able to handle my heists without Little Red or the cops causing me problems…But the top of that list is to have you give my money back!" Torchwick said with a snappy tone while Neo was absentmindedly clicking the watch back and forth, turning it and playing with it like it was a safe.

"Hold on, YOUR money?" Jason raised an eyebrow; "Last time I checked, you were a pickpocket who fleeced every wallet he got his hands on…Mine included, I just took my money back." He pointed out as he then turned to Neo; "Look if you think there's anything in there, be my guest but you won't get it off."

Torchwick's brow twitched when he realised just how lax Jason was about this; "You do realise that you're locked up in a warehouse where no one can find you, Neo here can find all kinds of ways to break you and I'm in no rush to find out how quick she can do it." He threatened the boy but only got more annoyed when his usual threat's didn't work. "So tell me where that weird goo friend of yours is and I may just let this go…"

"You know that this is pretty excessive to do for someone who stole 300k back from you." Jason retorted as he squirmed his wrist but Neo managed to keep it still in his restraints.

"300? Oh you have no idea just what you stole from me…You think that I'd be chasing some random punk kid and threatening all kinds of things over chump change I could find in a fancy store's cash register? Try something to the tune of over 8 and a half mill…" Torchwick snapped at him and let the secret it out for him; "Because that's all the money your friend took from me!" He yelled as Neo flinched and accidentally made a quick turn back on the watch face.

"8 and…Ooooooh that explains why the card was black and not red." Jason nodded and grinned; "But isn't that kind of screw up on you though? Because what kind of supposed Master Thief leaves all his money in one safe in one barely conspicuous place." Jason pointed out with a cocked head; "Wouldn't it have been more of a safe bet to split that money up, give it to other associates and then hide it in different spots so you'd only lose maybe 10-15k instead of literal millions?"

"I…" Torchwick was about to lash out at him but then retracted his hand as he thought through the logistics of it.

"Gotta admit, he does make a good point…You sure that safe we got from Cinder was such a good idea?" Neo paused her Turing Test on the watch to point out through her Text to Speech which only made Torchwick more angry.

"That safe was meant to be the highest grade of security that could put Atlas vaults to shame, why WOULD I need to worry about that?!" Torchwick yelled at the two of them.

"Murphy's Law…" Jason pointed out as he got a swing of the cane to the face for his retort. "If it can happen then it will happen…"

"Just tell me…WHERE IS MY MONEY?!" Torchwick seethed as he pointed his cane at him again; "Because either you call that friend of yours or I'm gonna be not as accommodating like Neo is!" The normally composed gangster yelled before patting his pocket and sighing, "Keep seeing if you can get that glorified wristpiece off, I left my cigars out back.."

Neo would hum softly as Roman left and winked at Jason playfully before making some spins to the watch. "You know…You could make it easier on yourself if you came clean, pretty sure if you can access that goopy guy for him then Roman might be willing to let you join his side." She then tried the other approach, using her Scroll to negotiate while she listened to the clicks of the watch as it turned. 

"I'm looking to be a good guy, so you're gonna have to ask someone else to be your patsy." Jason mentioned when she extended her offer.

Neo blinked and then puffed her cheeks; "You'd be able to square your beef with Roman and I can certainly make sure you get..treated right, if you get my drift~" Neo winked at him as she tried harder to get him convinced.

"Sorry, but I'm looking to be the hero…Not a thief." Jason refused as he saw her finger circling the watch.

"Shame, I'm pretty sure you would've been set for life since you can transform into those things whenever you want with your semblance…Like I can with manipulate myself with mine."

Jason was thrown for a loop as he looked at her once she "said" that; "Within reason…" He pointed out with a change in his expression; "It's not an infinite thing." 

"And it would be a shame if I told Roman that YOU are that goop monster who duped him out of all that money, because then he'd wait until you're tapped out and then take his time with hurting that pretty face of your's…" Neo remarked and then saw a jingle and a message show up with Torchwick's name.

"It's time, Neo..Go round up the White Fang mutts and let our other friends know we've got a new shipment."

Neo huffed silently when she saw her time with him cut short, she begrudgingly tapped on her phone before she made one last twist on his watch; "Lucky for you, we have that heist on the docks to be on the lookout for and when this runs out…You'll be ripe for his next bout of questions…Later, cutie~"

Jason was about to protest about letting him out but Neo cut him off by pressing down on the watch face to transform him and run out his timer. His voice drowned out by the sound of the watch powering up and his vision blinded in the green light faster than he could say "Hey, wait!"; the last thing he saw was Neo skipping away and out of the door.

——At The Docks, later that evening——

Blake and Sun were at the docks; Following up on Sun's tip about a big heist of Dust, watching as the airship flew in and dropped off the White Fang members to start prepping the cargo for "appropriation"

"Well, I guess you were right about them showing up…" Sun admitted as he kept careful watch and noticed Blake's rather solemn expression.

"No, in all honesty…I hoped I was wr-What's a human doing with them?" Blake asked as she picked Torchwick out of the crowd of Faunus extremists.

"You know him?" Sun asked as he still wasn't in the loop about Torchwick.

"No, but if he's with them, it can't be good!" Blake grimly said as she hopped off the roof and snuck down to get closer. "I should let the others…No…Weiss would probably turn me in if I contacted her…Maybe Jason…" Blake thought to herself, carefully and quickly tapping a message to Jason since he would probably be more likely to help. "Brothers of the White Fang! We fight for our equality and for our better treatment so why are you aiding this scummy lowlife?!"

—-Back at the Warehouse—

Jason was blinking as he had transformed into Speedfreak; "Okay, not the kind of form I was expecting but I can work with this…" He thought to himself as he flicked his tail between the gap in the chair, using it to try pushing the chair out of it's bolted down state. The open space was echoing with the sounds of thumps until finally…

Kacrack!

The chair tilted forward off of the bolted part of the floor and allowed Speedfreak to start running with his limited leg movements; which even for a Kineceleran was still fast and with enough laps to run and picking up speed, the transformed Jason turned and smashed the chair against the wall. "Alright, first order done…Now let's…Huh?"

He would see a long line of messages from everyone looking for Blake and even Nora sent a long string of messages but Blake's own message sat at the top: "Docks, White Fang…Bring your watch friends…"

"Say no more Blake, I'll be there in a flash!" SpeedFreak smirked as he then dashed across the Warehouse and down the busy freeway to find the Docks