Reed dropped into his seat in the dining hall with a groan. It had been several days since he had started patrols with Sergeant Tanners and Seraphina, and he was exhausted. Every afternoon he had to deal with Seraphina's tormenting. She jabbed him in the ribs, tripped him with a casually extended foot, and shoved him into the town wall whenever she got a chance. The bruises healed quickly due to his Aura, but it was still wearing on Reed mentally. Phaedra raised a questioning eyebrow at him from across the table.

"What's with you?"

"It's these patrols with Seraphina," Reed groaned, picking at his food. "She takes every chance she can get to pull the pettiest stunts. Sergeant Tanners has caught her a couple times and gave her a talking to, but it just made her sneakier and harder to avoid. I've taken to activating my semblance whenever I can, but then the patrols seem to take twice as long, and I can only keep it going for about ten minutes before I have to stop and recover."

"You should just kick her ass," Phaedra said, popping a strawberry in her mouth. "From what you said her gang wasn't worth anything, and you held your own even without your staff."

"Held my own is a generous way of putting it. I didn't land a single hit on her, I just barely managed to block or absorb what she threw at me. That isn't why I haven't confronted her, though."

"Then why?"

"It is just not the way I was taught," Reed said with a sigh. "My teacher always tells his students that fighting is a last resort, reserved only for those moments when one's life is in danger. The entire art he teaches is based around the concept of using an opponent's force against them. Despite how annoying it is, what Seraphina is doing isn't actually putting my life in jeopardy."

"That's some pacifist bullshit," Phaedra snorted. "She's not endangering you now, but it's clear that she intends to seriously fuck you up eventually. You told me you have had to take circuitous routes home from headquarters because she tries to tail you. Just nip the problem in the ass before it escalates."

"I've started carrying my staff everywhere, just in case," Reed admitted, "But I am still hoping I can resolve this peacefully."

"That's not going to happen," Phaedra said flatly. "You demeaned her in front of her gang by stepping in and protecting that Faunus kid. Seraphina is an animal, and you represent a threat to her position as Alpha. But if you insist on following your teaching, I suggest you talk to your teacher. I've made my thoughts on the subject clear, so pestering me won't do you any damn good."

"That's a good point, actually. I am overdue to visit him anyway, a fresh perspective could be helpful."

"I'm right, what a shocker," Phaedra said sarcastically. "Now, can we discuss something more important? I have several ideas for what to do next in regards to your halberd, and want your opinion on where to start. For one thing, what did you think of the Ice crystal with the halberd head? Do you want to try something else?"

"For now I would like to keep it," Reed said, thinking back. "I've grown accustomed to being able to hinder my foes movement, and its dead useful in a pinch."

"Alright, we will keep it then," Phaedra said, jotting something down in a notebook she had pulled from her jacket. "We could try Earth or Fire, but I have a feeling you will still prefer Ice. As for Air, I had an idea. What do you think of the speed of the halberd?"

"I'm able to wield it as quickly as a staff, which is good, but even though my semblance gives me increased control I reach a point where I just can't move my body any faster."

"But you think you could control higher speeds, if your physical limitations weren't a problem?"

"I suppose so."

"Perfect," she said, snapping the notebook closed. "That's what I needed to know. Let's head out into the woods again this Sunday. I should have the modifications done by then."

At that point the bell rang, indicating the end of their lunch break. Reed groaned as he pushed himself to his feet, resigned to another afternoon of Seraphina's company.

Reed left the headquarters, eyes adjusting from the gloom of the windowless hallways to the rosy evening light. Normally he would take a right and cut down the alley a block away to go to Roji Street, but today he went to the left on a more circuitous path. He didn't want anyone with malicious intent knowing about his safe haven. As he glanced at a window across the street he saw the reflection of the headquarters. Sure enough, Seraphina slipped out and began tailing him, staying about fifty yards behind.

Acting as if he hadn't noticed, Reed walked several blocks before turning down an alley. This alley ended in a T-intersection after only twenty feet, and Reed turned left again as he broke into a run. The alley kept going for a hundred feet or so before opening onto the main street. Twenty feet down, there was a wooden fence that walled off another alley. Reed jumped off the wall opposite the fence, vaulting it. When he landed on the other side he stood stock still, listening. Footsteps sounded on the other side of the wall, and he heard low cursing as they passed the fence and continued down the alley.

Reed grinned and made his way out onto the road. It was a busy part of town, heavy with traffic from people visiting the various department stores, movie theaters, and chain restaurants that lined the street. From here it was an easy walk to Roji Street. He checked behind him occasionally to make sure Seraphina hadn't tracked him down, but it looked like Reed had given her the slip.

Turning onto the small street, Reed let out a small sigh of relief. He wouldn't go so far as to say he was uncomfortable around large crowds, but Roji Street just felt so much friendlier than the hectic bustle of the main strip. Traffic was so minimal that he could cross the street basically anytime he pleased. The store keepers were friendly and welcoming, their businesses relying on customer service rather than a brand name. And of course, a chain restaurant could never live up to a mom and pop, hole-in-the-wall location that had been passing down its recipes for generations.

Reed passed the stores he had known since a kid and found himself at the end of Roji Street, facing his teacher's school. The wood outlined paper screens were wide open to allow the cool evening breeze to flush out the heat of the day. The last class of the day filed out of the front door chatting with each other. Some called out to Reed as they passed, while others just nodded. He inclined his head to them then walked into the school, bowing as he crossed the threshold.

His teacher was kneeling at the far end of the dojo, eyes fixed on the entrance as if he knew Reed had been on his way. He smiled in his kind way, eyes crinkling at the corners. "Welcome Reed," he said in his sonorous, calm voice. "It has been a while since you were last here."

Reed felt a pang of guilt. Between training during the day, weapon designing sessions with Phaedra, and excursions into the woods on nights and weekends, Reed had let several weeks pass since his last visit. He bowed deeply to his teacher, and said, "I apologize teacher, I know my attendance has been poor. The past several weeks have been… eventful."

His teacher smiled again and nodded his understanding. "Of course, Reed. I can tell something weighs heavy on your mind, and have a feeling that today you seek council rather than practice. Please, sit. I shall make us some tea."

The old man rose gracefully to his feet and walked in slow, controlled steps to the edge of the training mat, where a small seating area sat out of the way. A kneeling table sat in the middle of the carpeted area, surrounded by four cushions. A small table in the corner held a dust powered kettle, several tea pots of varying size, cups, and a small selection of tea.

Reed removed his shoes and knelt at the table. His teacher lifted the kettle, a small pot, two cups, and one of Reed's favorite teas from the side table and set them down before kneeling opposite him. His teacher was a methodical man, and preferred to set his mind to one task at a time. He found the process of making tea meditative, and preferred to hold discussion after the process was finished, so Reed waited.

Several minutes later, after handing Reed a steaming cup, his teacher sipped from his own before finally saying, "Tell me of the last few weeks, Reed. I'm sure you came here to discuss something specific, but I would like to hear how your induction into the Guard has gone. I will better understand your plight if I know the events leading up to it."

Eager to get to the topic at hand, Reed gave a quick over view of the last few weeks. Starting from the beginning, he talked of the incompetence of Captain Collins, the surprisingly adept Corporal Tamus and Sergeant Tanners, his meeting and working with Phaedra, and their forays into the woods.

He tried to make the last topic sound like it wasn't a big deal, but Reed's teacher stopped him and said, "Venturing into the forest without an experienced fighter is extremely fool hardy. You may have skills comparable to some of the best tournament fighters in the kingdom, but the Creatures of Grimm don't play by tournament rules."

He sighed, before continuing, "However, I have a feeling you've already experienced this first hand, and you lived to tell about it."

Reed rubbed the back of his head in chagrin. "Yeah, you could say that. It's mostly just been Creepers, although we have also run into a few juvenile Beowolf."

His teacher's eyes, which had been contemplating the tealeaves at the bottom of his cup, snapped up at Reed's statement. "Beowolfs? That is very concerning, even just a juvenile could be a harbinger of a larger pack. How did you fair against them?"

Reed grimaced. "I beat the first one by the skin of my teeth. It nearly got Phaedra, the forge apprentice I told you about. The others have been easier. I have grown accustomed to how they fight."

"The city is restless," his teacher muttered under his breathe, eyes far away. "Humans fight Faunus, and Faunus fight Humans, neither realizing that the true enemy lies outside the city. If this escalates further, we may have more pressing matters than the normal arrangement of stray Creepers. Something has to be done to restore peace between the races…"

"That sort of leads into why I am here," Reed said, drawing his teacher's attention back to the reason for his visit. "I clashed with a group of delinquents the other day, and now their leader is after my head. They were picking on a Faunus in an alley, and when I stepped in they jumped me. Most of them aren't a problem, but their leader is blood thirsty. Since I proved myself a decent opponent she has been stalking me, trying to catch me alone. To make matters worse, the recruits were recently assigned partners for wall patrol duty, and she managed to arrange it so that we are paired together.

"Thanks to the sergeant in charge of showing us the ropes there has been no serious fighting, but she takes every opportunity to strike at me when his back is turned. She's fast and gives me little to no warning, and I leave our patrol duty sore and haggard. I have been trying to avoid a serious confrontation with her, but honestly I am starting to think that will be the only way out of this situation."

His teacher stroked his beard thoughtfully. "What of your semblance?" he asked. "Surely your ability should grant you the time to react to her attacks, even if you can't spot them before they start."

"I've tried," Reed said, trying to keep the frustration out of his voice, "But our patrol is several hours long. I can only keep my semblance active for about ten minutes at a time before I have to recover."

"What about altering the degree to which you slow your perception?"

Reed opened his mouth to say that it was impossible, then closed it, thoughtful. He'd never actually tried anything like that before, he had always just viewed his semblance as a switch. On, perceived time slowed by half. Off, normal perception.

"I hadn't thought of that," Reed admitted.

His teacher smiled, and gestured to the mat. "Would you care to practice?" he said, "I feel it would help you to do something you are familiar with, and The Maidens know you are familiar with sparring."

Reed changed into his training clothes and faced off against his teacher, both with staffs in hand. "Let's stick to a training routine," his teacher said, taking the starting stance for a medium difficultly series designed to get intermediate students familiar with more advanced moves. Reed had mastered the moves long ago, and would be able to think during the repetitive exercise.

"Now," his teacher said as Reed took the corresponding stance, "Think about what you want your semblance to do. It is an extension of yourself, and will respond to your will if it is strong and clear enough. Use a specific correlation to give your mind the context it needs to process your will. For example, you say your perception of time normally slows by half. You could imagine a cup, half full for your full activation, and incrementally more full for varying degrees of slowed perception."

They started the routine, staffs striking together in a predetermined set of jabs, slashes, and blocks. Reed attempted to correlate the picture of a glass of water to his semblance, imagining it three quarters full. He activated his semblance and felt his perception slow. It was perhaps a little faster than normal, but it was still much closer to half speed than three quarters. The routine came to a finish, and his teacher looked at Reed expectantly.

"Well?"

"There was a small difference," Reed said, "But it wasn't far from my full activation."

"It doesn't have to be a glass of water," his teacher said, "What was the defining aspect of the picture you imagined? Did you see the water cup at a certain level, or did you think of the fraction?"

"The latter."

"Ever the logical thinker," Reed's teacher said with another of his eye crinkling smiles. "Think in numbers instead, fractions or percentages. Let's try again"

Staff clashed against staff, and Reed imagined that he was going to slow his perception to seventy-five percent compared to normal. When his semblance activated, Reed had the very strange sensation of time moving both too fast and too slow at once. His foot slipped too far forward in his next step, his hand pushed too far up the staff, and he was rewarded with a painful crack on his hand.

Reed bit back a string of curses as his teacher nodded in satisfaction. "Good, now what you need is practice. Let's go again."

Reed exited the Town Guard headquarters and looked warily up and down the street, hand lightly touching the staff strapped across his back. Night had fallen, and the undamaged face of the moon hung low over the buildings across the street. Street lamps lined the road, leaving pools of light that did more to accent the shadows than dispel them. Reed looked for any shady figures hidden in the deep shadows as he started down one of the longer routes home.

Over the past several days Reed had noticed various members of Seraphina's little gang following him whenever he left the Town Guard headquarters. They weren't very stealthy. He was able to notice them and give them the slip, but the fact that they weren't in sight now made him nervous. He really didn't want them to know where he lived, so he took a circuitous route to give him time to locate them.

As he walked down an alley, a slim figure stepped out of the opposite entrance to block his path, followed by a hulking shadow. An itch at the back of his neck warned him of more presences behind, and Reed turned to see the two rat-faced boys blocking his retreat. That would make the previous two figures Babyface and the too-thin girl.

"Seraphina's starting to get angry with us for not being able to follow you home," the girl said, her high pitched whine grating against Reed's ears. "She doesn't think we can take you, but I'm gonna prove that you aren't worth her time. We are gonna beat you to a pulp, and take you back to Seraphina in a body bag. You may be slippery, but I doubt you can get away when we've got you surrounded."

Reed sighed and removed the staff from his back. He liked to avoid confrontation when possible, but he supposed he would just finish this quickly so he could go home and get something to eat. The four approached him in sync, until with a roar they charged.

Reed spun the staff behind him, striking the Ice crystal on the end against the ground between the two smaller boys. A crystal blossomed there, expanding until the two boys were trapped against either side of the alley, struggling futilely.

Returning his attention to the remaining two, Reed noticed that Babyface had a metal bat in his meaty fists. Totally barbaric and undignified.

"Stand back Jenny," he said in a surprisingly high-pitched voice. He wound up and swung the bat at Reed's head. Reed stopped it dead with his staff, holding it vertically in one hand. He dealt a quick kick to the inside of each of the massive boy's knees, and when he stumbled back Reed swung his palm up to meet his double chin. He fell with a resounding crash, for the second time knocked unconscious by Reed.

A slithering of steel on leather reached Reed's ears, and he looked up to see Jenny drawing two sharp daggers from the small of her back. Reed was a little worried, until she ran at him with both hands trailing behind, probably imitating some CCTS program's main character. Reed held his staff like a spear, and sent out two quick jabs. The first struck her forehead, and her minimal Aura shattered in a dim flash of pink light. The second caught her on the collar bone, and there was the sharp sound of breaking bone. She dropped to the ground with a scream, clutching her shoulder.

Reed walked back to the ice crystal, where the two small boys were eying him with fear. They flinched when he spun the staff over his head, but he brought it down on the ice crystal, shattering it. Ice produced by dust could stay around for far longer than normal ice, and he didn't want the two delinquents to die from frostbite. That would mean a lot of paperwork at the Town Guard headquarters.

As soon as they were free the two delinquents fled down the alley, yelling for mercy. Reed turned and strode out of the opposite end of the alley, deciding that he didn't feel like cooking and could go for some curry.

Reed failed to notice the figure that detached itself from the shadows of the rooftop. Spiked red hair caught the moonlight as it struck out in pursuit.

Reed's bag hit the ground with a puff of dirt. He and Phaedra stood on the cliff that had become their usual starting point for the days they spent in the woods. While Phaedra leaned over the rock bowl preparing to draw magma up from the earth, Reed watched the sun climb in the sky over the forest spread out below him. A flock of tiny Nevermore was outlined by the sun's glare, the bird Grimm looking for all the world like their normal animal counter-part, except for the occasional glare of pure-white reflected off of their masks.

It had been a long week, and Reed was looking forward to a little stress relief. The patrols with Seraphina were wearing him down, it would do him some good to take out some of that frustration on the monsters that called the forest home.

The sounds of clanging metal started up behind him, indicating that Phaedra had finished setting up her temporary forge and started working on something. To his surprise, when Reed turned around his weapon was still strapped to Phaedra's pack, a different weapon in her hands taking shape under her hammer blows.

One side had the square hammer head that her forge hammers all had, although it was quite a bit bigger, about the size of Reed's palm. Rather than tapering to a ballast point at the other end like the hammer laid aside on her small anvil, the other end flared into a hatchet blade. Unlike the elegant crescent of Reed's halberd, this ax head was flat, top level with that of the hammer end and bottom dropping to a wicked point a hand span away.

"What's that?" Reed asked, walking over to inspect her handiwork. "I assumed you were making a last minute adjustment to the halberd."

"Nah, I finished that up last night," Phaedra said. "I was inspired by a dream I had last night. I realized something, what kind of blacksmith wields damn knives in battle? All that twirling and slashing, while admittedly fun, doesn't really use the muscles I've trained over the years using a hammer to forge masterpieces."

"Careful, don't be too modest now."

"Oh shut the hell up." Phaedra pulled a metal rod from her bag and fixed it into a hole between the hammer and ax. She did a couple of experimental swings, nodding to herself. She walked to the edge of the clearing, stopping before a tree. It was young but by no means a sapling, as thick around as Phaedra's waist. Grounding her feet in a wide stance she swung the ax head in a horizontal arc, the muscles in her back bulging beneath her jacket.

The hatchet sheered through the tree with almost no resistance. As it began to topple Phaedra swung the weapon over her head and brought it down, hammer head first, in the middle of the airborne trunk. A three-foot section of the heavy wood shattered into pieces, causing Reed to shield his face with one hand from flying splinters.

"Fuck yeah!" Phaedra whooped, hefting the weapon in one hand with a wicked grin. "That feels way better. I will leave the twirling nonsense to fairies like you, that was as satisfying as taking a Maiden to bed for the night."

"Wouldn't the Hermit make more sense for you?"

"That crusty old bastard? Well, whatever, let's get back to the real reason we're here." Phaedra slid the new weapon into a leather loop on her pants and swiped Reed's weapon from her bag.

"I did some experimenting on adding speed to your spinning, and as usual I was correct right off the bat. Air Dust worked the best, so I added a second switch next to the first that activates crystals behind the halberd head. You can keep track of two switches at a time right?"

"I'm not an imbecile you know," Reed replied, taking the halberd from Phaedra. Running parallel to where the spur would emerge two lines of small, green dust crystals had been installed. In the middle of the staff a rectangle of wood with a slight green tinge stood out next to the one that extended the blade. Running a finger across it Reed found it had a slightly different texture from the first switch, which would make it easier to discern them in the middle of a fight. It was a nice touch.

He took his stance, ready to test it out, but Phaedra held up a hand.

"Wait just a second," she said. "That thing's got some kick to it, and I'd rather you didn't accidentally toss it off the damn cliff. Let's go into the forest, there's a clearing not too far from here."

When they reached the clearing Phaedra hung back at the edge, giving Reed a thumbs up from her position behind a tree. That made Reed a little apprehensive, but he shrugged it off and set to spinning the staff in a repetitive and easy to maintain pattern. With semblance on he took a deep breath and flipped the switch with his thumb.

Air blasted from one edge of the staff, causing it to buck in his hands. It slipped out of his left hand, spun around the back of his right, then launched through the air and stuck in some bushes on the opposite side of the clearing. The wind cut off mid-flight, but the hard staff still did a number on the poor plant.

"I knew it was a good idea to install a kill switch," Phaedra said as she walked into the clearing. "It was kind of tricky, but I managed to install a device in the staff that senses if it has left your hands. It will only activate if it is out of your hands for more than two seconds, though, so it shouldn't affect you when you are passing it from hand-to-hand."

"Keeping a grip on it is going to be tricky," Reed said thoughtfully, picking the staff out of the bushes. "My fingers can't move fast enough, but maybe there's something else I can do. If you are going to hide again, do it now."

"I do not hide," Phaedra said as she stalked back to her tree. "I just like to keep barriers between me and possible death."

Reed wasn't listening, his mind back at his teacher's school. When transitioning from intermediate to advanced staff work, students were forced to spend long days on a specific exercise. They were told to do the basic formations, but without the use of their fingers. Rather, they had to use minute adjustments in their arms and wrists to push the staff around their hands, allowing it to slide from the palm around to the back of the hand, then all the way around again. Even with Reed's semblance granting him an advantage over the other students, the technique had taken him weeks to master.

This time when he spun the staff Reed kept his hands flat, moving his hands in tight circles to keep control over the staff. When he was ready he pushed his thumb down on the green switch. This time he was ready for the kick, and by pushing on the staff he was able keep the wind from pointing in one direction too long. Within a handful of seconds, the staff was a disk of blurred movement in his hands, dust flying in all directions while Reed stood in the eye of the storm.

When the dust had settled Phaedra stepped out from behind the tree again.

"Well I couldn't see a damn thing," she said, "but judging from the fact that you are still holding it I'm guessing you figured something out."

Reed explained to her what he had done, and she nodded thoughtfully. "I can adjust the texture of the staff to make that a little easier. Gotta be careful not to make it too rough though, wouldn't want to friction burn those dainty hands of yours."

Examining his hands, Reed decided that the scars on his knuckles and the thick veins were manly enough, and her comment therefore warranted no response. They headed deeper into the woods in search of some Grimm to try out the new modification.

After twenty minutes of hiking a juvenile Beowolf flanked by two Creepers emerged onto the trail in front of them. The Beowolf howled as the two Creepers launched themselves out in front.

The two weak Grimm didn't stand a chance. With the Halberd head extended and the Air Dust activated Reed made short work of the Creepers, two diagonal slashes sending the creatures to land in pieces behind him.

The Beowolf roared again, charging Reed on all four legs. As it slashed at him Reed knocked the blow high with the blunt end of his staff, a loud snapping sound coming from the limb as bones broke under the powerful blow. With the side exposed, Reed swung the Halberd head at the creature's weak spot, it's relatively narrow waist. The gale pushed the blade through the Grimm's body with ease, and Reed spun his staff to a halt as it collapsed into two pieces, dissipating.

Reed exchanged a fierce grin with Phaedra. "That was easy," he said, barely contained excitement making his voice an octave higher than normal. "Let's go find some more!"

Reed sat with Phaedra at Komodo Curry, his halberd laid out on the table.

"The way that Creeper split in half was so fucking cool," she said, lightly touching her finger to the row of Air crystals. "I told you the Air dust would work!"

"Worked like a dream," Reed agreed whole-heartedly. "Although, it was a little strong. Is there a way to control the output, to allow a range of speeds?"

"You know, that's not a bad idea. Maybe if I-"

Both of them jumped when a crash sounded from the front of the shop and Melony screamed.

Reed jerked his head up, and was horrified to see flame consuming the front of the shop. The shattered remains of a bottle lay in the center of the fire, likely a Molotov cocktail.

"Get out of Adigiar, you Faunus scum!" a familiar voice outside yelled, and a chorus of jeering made its way into the burning restaurant.

"Melony!" Reed shouted, grabbing the terrified woman by the shoulder and turning her to face him. "Grab Kat and Menlo and go out the back! Hurry!"

At the sound of her daughter and husband's names Melony's wild gaze focused on Reed's face, and she nodded quickly. She fled into the kitchen as Reed looked around the restaurant. He and Phaedra were the only customers at the moment. He ran back to their table and grabbed the halberd.

"Phaedra, go out the back with Melony and the rest!"

"My ass!" she responded, jumping to her feet. "What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to put out the fire, then it's time to end this. I was annoyed by her screwing with me, but attacking innocent people to get me to fight her is going too far!"

"Seraphina," Phaedra muttered. "Well from the sound of it her ass-kissers are with her. Tell you what, I will handle her shitty cronies, that way you can focus on kicking her half-way to Mimar."

Reed looked at Phaedra, and saw determination there. She and the Komodos had become friendly as their restaurant turned into Phaedra and Reed's base, and she had proven herself more than competent fighting Grimm in the woods. He gave her a hard grin and nodded.

The staff spun in his hands as Reed positioned himself in front of the fire. It hadn't spread far, but it was beginning to lap hungrily at the dry floorboards. Rather than use the Air crystals to increase his speed, Reed faced them at the fire and flipped the switch. The weapon jerked back in his hand, but Reed gritted his teeth and pushed through the resistance. He swept the staff in a horizontal swing, and a wave of air blew the fire out the window.

"Let's go kick that bitch's ass."