Reed and Phaedra stepped around the broken glass littering the floor of Komodo Curry. He slammed the door open, revealing Seraphina and her gang grinning maliciously at him. His fist clenched painfully on his staff, and he had to take a deep breath to keep from rushing them all at once.

"Finally done hiding like a pussy, Reed?" Seraphina called, cracking her knuckles. She pointed a finger to her right, and her gang moved to that side. Phaedra mirrored them, pulling the knuckle knives from her belt. She'd been working on modifying her hammer for the past couple days, and had been using the dust infused daggers as a placeholder.

Reed gritted his teeth. He had been taught to never initiate a confrontation. His teacher had drilled it into him, one should only commit an act of violence in self-defense. Always let the opponent strike first, and do what you need to end the fight as quickly as possible, with the least amount of pain possible.

Normally Reed agreed with these principles. Normally Reed followed these without question. Right now, though, his blood was up. This girl had tried to burn down his friend's home and livelihood.

"Fuck self-defense," he growled.

Reed advanced hard, activating his semblance slightly. Seraphina grinned in expectation as his staff spun faster and faster. Her eyes grew wary, though, as Reed flipped a switch and the head of the halberd sprung out. Reed jumped forward, spinning the halberd in a horizontal slash aimed to disembowel.

"Hermit shit!" Seraphina swore as she jumped back out of the way. Reed didn't relent. Swinging the halberd at full speed he advanced, forcing her to duck, weave, and jump to avoid being ripped to pieces by the razor sharp blade.

She managed to get out of range long enough to regain her balance. When he pushed back in, Seraphina was ready.

He swung the halberd down at her shoulder, but she ducked in and caught the staff just below the blade. Her other hand was already moving, striking at his chest. He twisted the staff to block the blow, but in doing so put too much weight on his forward foot. Seraphina's leg came in for a roundhouse kick, and her shin slammed painfully into Reed's thigh.

Reed was forced to shift his weight to his back leg as his forward leg went temporarily numb. He committed fully to the movement, dragging Seraphina off balance by the hand still gripped on his staff. He twisted, catching the staff's butt under her other arm, and drove her towards the ground. She released her grip under the blade, catching herself with the hand and vaulting back to her feet several paces away.

He should have figured he would need more of his semblance to deal with her. Reed poured more of his Aura into it, time slowing by twenty-five percent.

At medium range he had the advantage, she would have to get in close. Knowing what to look for, he saw her weight shift slightly to her back leg as she prepared to lunge. Before she had even pushed off Reed was already moving. Still, her fist barely missed him. He swung the halberd at her in a horizontal slash, forcing her to duck.

As the ax head passed over her head Seraphina attempted to get inside Reed's guard with an uppercut aimed at his chin. Reed stepped back, swinging the butt of the staff around and smacked it into her fist as it passed in front of him. He used the strike to stop the spinning motion of the staff, and brought the end forward in a jab. He placed his entire weight behind it, feet grounded firmly. It caught Seraphina in the chest and threw her across the street into a lamppost.

Seraphina's Aura absorbed most of the impact and she dropped into a ready crouch in front of the bent metal post. Her grin was gone, exchanged with the snarl of a wild animal. Suddenly Jenny, the too-thin girl who wielded twin daggers, flew through the air. Seraphina instinctively took a step to the side, and the smaller girl crashed to the ground next to her.

Reed spared a glance to his left, and couldn't help but grin. Phaedra was in cyclone mode, using the Air crystals in the gauntleted daggers to create a whirling tornado that was doing quite the number on Seraphina's lackeys. Babyface was shielding his eyes from the intense winds, and the two rat faced boys were frozen to the side of a building. As he watched, Phaedra stopped spinning and punched the ground, a yellow flash of light coming from her left dagger. A fist of rock shot out of the ground, throwing Babyface through the air and into a dumpster.

Returning his gaze to Seraphina, Reed saw her take the daggers from the back of Jenny's belt and spin them in her grip. They looked much more formidable in her hands than they had in Jenny's. She held them out to the side, in almost the same stance a Beowolf held its claws before slashing through someone's throat. Something about that nagged at the back of Reed's mind, but he pushed it away.

Blood pounded in his ears and rage threatened to take over, but he held it back. Reed let it give him power and energy, but refused to let it take over. Seraphina was too dangerous to give her that advantage.

They clashed again. This time she was able to get much closer by blocking Reed's halberd head with the crossed blades of her dagger. They exchanged a furious series of blows, Reed's preternatural perception competing with her honed instincts and animalistic tenacity. One knife slipped threw his guard, glancing painfully off his shoulder. His staff smacked into her side, forcing her to take a half step to the side. Spinning with the blow, her foot lashed out and slammed into his gut, winding him and pushing them apart again.

Seraphina rushed back in to claim the advantage, but the moment gave Reed time to push his semblance into full activation. The longer the fight went on the more he was able to predict her moves, but his semblance was draining his Aura at an alarming rate. He had to finish this quickly.

She slashed at his face with the dagger in her right hand, and Reed spun the bottom of the staff up to knock it wide. He saw her other shoulder twitch, just before he saw that the second dagger was already angled in a stab at his face. At this rate the halberd end of his staff wouldn't make it in time to deflect.

Reed grinned and flipped the green switch. Wind burst from behind the halberd head, and the weapon spun so fast that when it collided with Seraphina's second dagger it cut clean through the blade, an inch from the hilt.

Seraphina staggered back in surprise as Reed advanced on her, juggling a solid disk of wind and metal. Reed spun the staff end at her head, and when she instinctively raised her arms to protect it, turned the staff so that the wind drove it down into her side. She gasped as her Aura flashed and shattered, and Reed felt at least two of her ribs break under the impact.

She fell to her knees. Reed deactivated the Air, then spun and kicked her in the chest, sending her sprawling on her back. He jabbed the spear tip of the halberd head against her neck almost exactly as Sergeant Tanners had, though maybe he pushed it a little deeper.

"Why?" he rasped. When she didn't answer immediately he bellowed, "Dammit why?! Why would you go to such lengths to fight me? Why would you destroy a family's home just so you could challenge me to some stupid fight? Do you really care that much about proving yourself stronger than everyone else? And for the sake of the Four Maidens why," he pushed the point a little deeper into her neck, "Do you hate the Faunus so much?!"

"Because everyone hates us," she growled, fists clenched at her side.

Reed froze, the significance behind those words crashing into him. "You," he said, then swallowed and started again, "You are part Faunus?"

Seraphina dropped her head to the sidewalk, teeth gritted in pain, not all of it physical. "Yes," she said, resentment thick in her voice, "I'm half Bear-Faunus."

Reed's thoughts were scattered, anger and confusion swirling so fast it was impossible to grasp one or the other. Logic prevailed long enough for him to say, "But you don't have any animal traits…"

Seraphina gave a weak laugh. "Something a lot of people don't know, those of us that are half human, half Faunus have a small chance of being born with no animal traits. So I guess I'm one of the lucky ones. I can hide my shame."

"Why, by The Hermit's damn wrinkles, should you be ashamed of being part Faunus?"

"Because we are second rate citizens," she spat. "It's something I've seen my whole life. Faunus are trash, the dregs of civilization. They have the worst jobs, live in the worst neighborhoods, and are looked down on by all the high and mighty human members of society. In the orphanage," Seraphina swallowed and stopped talking, looking away.

Phaedra walked up at that point, arms crossed. "Keep talking." Her voice was calm, but she looked like she wanted to call up magma to engulf the defeated delinquent.

Seraphina met her gaze unflinchingly, but she continued, "I was raised in a human orphanage. The only thing my parents left me was a letter, in a sealed envelope with my name on it, and instructions for it not to be opened until my fourteenth birthday. The children in the orphanage were all violent and disturbed. Strength was king. If you weren't strong you did what you were told, or got beaten mercilessly."

Seraphina's words grew faster, as if a dam had been destroyed and now there was no way to stop the torrent.

"The one thing everyone was united in, though, was their hatred of the Faunus. We used to roll through town in a big group, cornering any Faunus we saw in alleys or dead end streets. I was always pretty big for my age, and one of the older guys took me under his wing, teaching me where to hit someone to hurt them the most. He would hold them down while I pummeled them, breaking bones and bruising flesh. I enjoyed those moments, because when I was hurting Faunus I wasn't the one being bruised and battered.

"When I turned fourteen, though, I was given the letter my parents had left. It was your basic pathetic parent bullshit. 'We are so sorry for abandoning you.' 'You are better off without us.' Then, that one line at the end. The thing that shattered my world. 'You should know that your dad is a Bear-Faunus.' Everything I knew about the world crumbled around me. I was one of those disgusting, worthless, parasitic beings."

To Reed's shock her voice broke, and she whispered, "I was trash."

Reed snorted, disdain overriding any sympathy her felt at her story. "You're trash alright, but it's not because of your heritage. Anyone who fights for themselves, who fights for the pure sake of destroying their opponent, doesn't deserve to be called anything less. Phaedra, call the Guard. We will let them deal with these lowlifes, I am going to go help my friends piece their shop back together."

Phaedra nodded and pulled out her scroll, walking back to Komodo curry as she dialed the emergency line. Reed retracted his weapon and turned to follow her, before being pulled up short by Seraphina's voice.

"Wait."

Reed turned and gave her a hard look. "What."

"I-" Seraphina swallowed and started again. "I've never met anyone like you, who is strong and fights for both humans and Faunus. Everyone fights for a reason. What's yours?"

Looking at her, Reed thought about how much he should tell her. He tended to keep his past to himself. However, Reed saw no maliciousness in her gaze, just a thirst to know what drove him. He sighed and looked down the street, memories of that day pushing to the surface of his mind.

"I fight so that others don't have to go through what I did. I've had Faunus friends for as long as I can remember, and I never liked how they were treated. I didn't used to seek to actively protect them, though. Then, last year, my dad was killed by the White Fang."

Seraphina let out a quick breath of surprise and Reed looked at her, anger surging in him again.

"My dad," he said through gritted teeth, "Was one of the nicest men I've ever known. Say what you will about the Schnee Dust Company, no Faunus employed by him was treated any differently. And yet, he was killed. Killed by this ridiculous, bullshit notion that Faunus and people are in anyway different. He was killed by Faunus, who were trying to get back at humans for mistreating them, who mistreat them because they fear the different. He was killed because people are too blind to see that what we should be fighting is out there!"

Reed jabbed a finger in the direction of the town wall, breathing hard.

"If I ever come across any of the White Fang who are responsible for my father's death, I will leave them bleeding and broken at my feet," he said, voice heavy with malice, "but I don't fight for vengeance. I fight because peace breeds peace, and war breeds war. So I will fight to stop the war, in the hopes that when we don't have to worry about the monsters outside our walls, we will stop inventing monsters inside them."

Turning, Reed stalked back to the restaurant. Phaedra waited for him at the entrance, where he turned and locked his eyes on Seraphina's. She refused to meet his gaze.

"Thanks for the assist," he said to Phaedra, nodding to the other four delinquents in various states of unconsciousness and entrapment. "I'm going to tell the Komodos it's safe, and see if I can help them clean up. You can go home if you want."

"What, and feel guilty for the rest of the night?" She said, forcing a small smile out of Reed. "I will help too."

The next morning, Reed was furious to see Seraphina's gang saunter in several minutes after Captain Collins's morning speech had started. They looked no worse for the wear after last night's encounter, other than the conspicuous absence of Seraphina. They studiously avoided his gaze as they took their place in the lines of recruits, and their late arrival earned them all an extra fifteen minutes of Captain Collins's company as he lectured on the importance of punctuality. Ironic, since he himself had shown up to the speech ten minutes late.

From his place in the middle of the pack of recruits, Reed was able to subtly check his scroll without Collins being any the wiser, and brought up Adigiar's local news site. He sifted through the column of news articles until he found one titled Accident on Roji Street.

Late last night, the front window of a Faunus run restaurant was broken by a local group of teenagers. What was most likely an innocent prank turned sour when someone from the restaurant beat the teenagers senseless in the street. Local authorities were notified by a concerned citizen, and retrieved the teenagers for questioning and safekeeping. After determining that their injuries weren't life threatening, the Town Guard released the teenagers with a warning to be more careful in the future. The Town Guard says that the Faunus owners of the shop refused to comment on the matter.

Reed fumed as he read the short article. He had been there when the Guard had picked up Seraphina and her cronies. They hadn't so much as checked on the residents of Komodo Curry. Probably because they didn't care whether a few Faunus had been injured in the incident. Now the news article was deliberately casting the Faunus side of the story in a bad light.

When Captain Collins dismissed them for drills Reed toyed with the idea of cornering the delinquents before they got to the training yard. He decided against it though. It would accomplish nothing, other than being immensely satisfying. Instead he took out his anger in the training yard, breaking three dummies under furious onslaughts before Corporal Tamus got angry enough to assign him push-ups for the remainder of the session.

Reed was picking angrily at his food in the dining hall when he heard a movement behind him. "Reed, can I sit down for a minute?"

He turned around. Upon seeing Seraphina he jumped to his feet and activated his semblance. After his initial shock, he considered her appearance. She looked awful. Her left arm and right leg were in a cast, and most of her weight rested on the crutch under her right arm. A swath of bandages bound the top of her head, covering her right eye, and Reed could see assorted bandages all over her body.

Momentarily taken aback, Reed said, "Hermit, what the Grimm happened to you? I didn't do all that."

Seraphina shook her head. "It doesn't matter right now," she said, meeting his gaze for a second before looking away again. "Can I join you? There's something I need to say."

After a moment's hesitation Reed waved to the seat next to him and sat down himself, keeping his semblance on low burn just in case she had any sort of trick up her sleeve. Seraphina glanced at him again, noticing that his eyes still smoldered with anger.

"So," Reed grunted, "Out with it. Say what you came to say."

"Last night," Seraphina began, halting over her words, "was a… unique experience for me. After the Guard collected us, we were released within the hour. I overheard them talking outside our holding cell, they didn't see why they should care about some Faunus that almost got hurt. Compared with you, they seemed so weak and pathetic, completely indifferent to the plights of those around them. It made me realize I've never lost a fight like that."

"Tanners kicked your butt handily enough," Reed interjected, but Seraphina shook her head.

"That was different. That was a fight for dominance, to establish the alpha."

Seraphina grimaced. "I've lost plenty of those, although admittedly Tanners was the first in recent years. No, with you it was different. I've fought people who were trying to protect something. Usually themselves, sometimes a loved one or something valuable. It made them more formidable than they would have normally been, but it was always a negligible difference. Two blows instead of one. But you, you were the first one to be both strong and possess a desire to protect.

"To be honest, I thought you were still weaker than me. Our fight in the alley you didn't land a single solid hit. You took my abuse during patrols for quite a while, and even when you started avoiding them you never struck back. I assumed you were a coward, scared to get into a real fight."

Snorting, Seraphina said, "Now I know I was wrong. You didn't fight because you didn't need to. I was tormenting you and you alone, as long as that was the case you didn't really care."

"I cared enough to learn how to avoid your attacks," Reed commented.

Seraphina acted as if he hadn't said anything. "But you were holding back that whole time. Maybe I wouldn't have lost if the confrontation had just been about you and me, but when your friends were involved you became something on another level. The blood lust in your eyes when you walked out of that restaurant was nothing short of terrifying. I thought I was going to die when that ax passed within an inch of my stomach, Aura or no. The power you drew from protecting others, it was something the likes of which I had never seen before. It made me realize the shallowness of my own power."

Seraphina looked up, for the first time since their fight holding his eyes with her own. "So I left the gang."

Reed exhaled with a soft whistle, looking again at Seraphina's battered form. "So the injuries…"

"It's our exit ritual. Hit the person 'til their Aura breaks, and then again for each hit their Aura took. Even after you broke my Aura in our fight, I had recovered a fair amount."

"Why'd you just take it?" Reed asked, genuinely curious despite himself. "Those guys were weak. You could have destroyed them, even with the broken ribs I gave you."

"Penance." Seraphina said, gaze growing distance for a moment. "I've dished out that punishment more times than I care to remember. At least this way, I can say I left the gang the same way everyone else did."

Reed allowed the anger he was holding inside him to drain away and released his semblance. He was still cautious, he would be a fool not to be. Still, he certainly hadn't given her most of those injuries. Reed took a bite of his now cold food, buying himself a moment to think.

"I was wondering if you would be willing to take me to Komodo Curry." The words left Seraphina's mouth in a rush.

Reed's back stiffened in surprise. He asked warily, "Why do you want to go there?"

"I owe them an apology," Seraphina said, looking Reed in the eye so he could see her determination. "I owe them more than that, but it's a start. I want you to be there so they will feel safe, and so that you can see that I mean to live by what I've told you. I don't have anyone to protect yet, but until I do I will work to repair the damage I've already done."

"Damn bitch, didn't think you'd get all sappy on us."

Reed smirked as Seraphina twitched in surprise. Phaedra dropped into the seat across from them, throwing her arms over the back of her seat. She looked casual enough, but Reed noticed the small carving knife at her belt had been loosened in its sheath. She must have been watching for a while, ready to step in if things went sour. He felt a lurch of affection for the young forger.

"That glass is still everywhere," Reed said, "and we could use some help putting the new windows in. Not sure how much use you will be in your condition, but why don't you come by after work. I'm sure your appearance will make your apology all the better."

Seraphina nodded. "Thank you," she whispered hoarsely.

Sergeant Tanners was waiting for Reed and Seraphina by the time they reached the North Gate. He was standing straight backed, not quite at attention, although at first glance it appeared that way. He raised an eye at the approaching figures, taking in Seraphina's injuries and Reed's relaxed demeanor.

"You two finally get it all out of your system?" He asked, gesturing with his chin to Seraphina's crutch.

"Hey, I didn't do this!" Reed said indignantly. When the sergeant turned his penetrating stare on him, Reed amended, "Well, not all of it."

Sergeant Tanners grinned at that. "Well," he said, "as long as I don't have to deal with the two of you fighting behind my back, I guess I won't pry too deeply. Seraphina, there's no way you can go on patrol like that. You are excused for the day. Head home and get some rest. I expect you to join us on Monday, after you've had a few days to heal."

"Yes sir, but..."

"Yes?"

"Well, sir, Reed and I were going to go somewhere after work. He promised to help me with something I have to do."

"Really?" said Tanners in a slightly interested voice. "Well then, head back to headquarters. Go to the recovery room and tell them I said for you to have a bed until the end of the day. Reed can meet you there when we are done."

Seraphina nodded her appreciation and began to hobble back the way she and Reed had come. Sergeant Tanners watched her retreating form with something that looked like satisfaction before turning to Reed. He waved his hand in a beckoning gesture, motioning for Reed to follow him as he exited the gate.

Tanners walked with his normal militaristic precision, boots striking the dirt in quick, even paces. His back was straight, his eyes forward, and his spear leaned against his right shoulder. It was easy to forget he was only a year older than Reed himself, his air was that of a much older man with many responsibilities on his shoulders. His professional nature and severity were definitely misplaced in the unscrupulous Town Guard.

"So how did it happen?"

Reed, immersed in his thoughts after walking most of the patrol in silence, started at the question. Reed looked up to find Sergeant Tanners looking at him over his shoulder.

"She tracked me down at a local restaurant I frequent," he explained. "We fought outside. Afterwords we talked, and I guess something I said made an impression because she left her gang shortly after. They are the ones who gave her the majority of those injuries."

"What do you think of her as a person?"

Reed could sense that there was more behind the question, and looked at the sergeant's face for a clue as to what he was thinking. The young man's face was inscrutable however, so Reed took a minute to really think it over.

"She's… headstrong. She's had a hard life. Almost unbelievably hard, if I'm the first nice, capable person she has ever met. But deep down I think she craves someone to depend on, and if she ever decides that someone is worthy of her trust I imagine she would do anything for that person."

"I'm pretty sure she's already found someone like that," Tanners said with a knowing smirk. "Let me ask you something else. I know you've had your problems in the past, but do you think you can work with her?"

"I don't see why not," Reed said, frowning as he thought about it. "I managed when we were on bad terms, I imagine it would be a lot easier now."

"Excellent," Tanners smiled. "We were going to wait until Monday to announce it, but since you two worked out your problems I don't see any point in waiting. Reed, you and Seraphina will be the first recruits to join the Road Patrol. Congratulations."

Reed knew this was supposed to be exciting news, but after the expeditions into the woods with Phaedra the Road Patrol seemed unlikely to present him with too many exciting confrontations. He could feel Tanners's shrewd gaze on him, so he fumbled out a quick answer. "Oh, um, thank you sir. I will do my best."

Tanners turned away from him, and commented, "I've only been here a year, but in that time I always seem to be the one telling new recruits that they will be joining the Road Patrol. I've seen a multitude of reactions: fear, excitement, and anxiety to name a few. I have to say though, indifference is a new one."

Reed suppressed a shrug and said, "Sorry sir, I think I am just preoccupied with what's been happening with Seraphina. I hope we are able to work well together."

"I'm sure," Tanners said, his gaze unwavering. "Well, here comes the gate so I guess we are done for the day. Good luck with Seraphina, I have a feeling things will turn out just fine between the two of you."