Clitus found his eyelids dropping, a warm content feeling radiating out from his stomach. The restaurant had filled up slightly – Faunus and human workers filing in for an early lunch break mingled with families laden with shopping bags. It felt like forever since he had last been to Vert's and it had definitely been forever since he could people watch like this.

A Faunus couple caught his eye, hands intertwining casually on the table they looked perfectly at peace. Smiling profusely, the man wiped at his mouth with a napkin only for it to snag on his fang. Clitus smiled as his date struggled to contain her giggles, her strange ears wiggling uncontrollably as if she were oblivious to the stares other patrons threw their way, glowers and backhanded remarks were lost in the haze of romance. It wasn't all bad, Clitus noted a few patrons smiling fondly at the antics of the pair.

Liara followed his gaze, but for different reasons. She craved the intimacy of the couple, the ability to be so relaxed with another person, the ability to be so carefree in public, she spent hours dreaming of a day when that would be her. Clitus' attention continued to wander, allowing Liara to shut her eyes and sink into the booth. It was so nice to relax for a little while. She almost felt like she was floating. Liara's head hit the back of her seat with a soft thud.

Clitus couldn't help but grin; she had spent their time apart working almost nonstop, regardless of the toll it took on her body. A little rest would do her a world of good he reasoned.

Vert waddled over to their table, his stomach inflating as he prepared to gush over 'his cute little Liara'. Clitus shushed the man immediately, pointing to the old bar with the same finger. The big chef reluctantly retreated, politely wishing a guest a good afternoon as he did so. Liara was sound asleep, so he balled up the latest military jacket he had received from his father and let Liara use it as a makeshift pillow.

The lanky introvert now lay lengthwise on the booth's seating, settled into her stolen bedding. Her breathing was quiet, her pale forehead dotted with sweat.

"Maybe she's dreaming of Vacuo" He thought as he saw a small smile playing on her lips. He reluctantly turned away from his friend and headed towards the worn down bar where Vert had already placed a steaming coffee.

"One boring black coffee for you, warrior-man." Vert slid a paper cup across the bar. Clitus caught it in his left hand as he sat with practiced ease. It felt like he had never even left. The same news channel broadcast the same news – Vert smiled his same old smile and the diner had just finished emptying of the same old shoppers and workers."So you have been visiting your father? How is the esteemed Brigadier?" Vert continued to polish glasses in an effort to keep his hands busy.

"Dad's…." Clitus hesitated, "Well he's Dad. Busy, working hard on something I can't know about – always drilling his Steel Storm. I went over there expecting to be alone on the estate more than anything." He took a long drink from the coffee, scolding his throat slightly. After hours sailing from Atlas he had missed decent coffee enough to suffer for it.

"But that was not the case?" Vert probed.

His father's voice warned him of trusting others, "Talking is giving information. Information is power. Never let anyone have more power than you. Trusting others will always make you weak, only trust what you know – yourself."



Clitus just loved Atlas and it's inspirational sayings.

"I ended up being trained by him. It was really nice actually, no military drilling – no other noble brats. He just took me into the woods with all my gear and we lived out there for a month." He shrugged, but Vert stopped in his tracks in disbelief.

"You lived outside of ze kingdoms for a full month? You did this for training?" The emphasis on the word highlighted the chef's standpoint.

"Well yeah, I did complete my cadet training and my Dad is 'Lightning' Lord Imperator. Between the two of us it was no big deal."

"No big deal? No big deal? You are crazy warrior-man – crazy! If you were not so stupid some grimm might have had your for breakfast! They probably left you and your father alone because they could smell ze crazy off of you!" The chef was always one for theatrics, but the spittle flying towards him really unnerved Clitus.

This seems like a sore spot.

"Vert, calm down. We don't want to wake Liara." He downed more coffee as Vert huffed and puffed in an effort to calm down. He rubbed his doughy temples with his fingers in a manner that would be comical on many occasions.

"Yes we wouldn't want to wake your creepy little pet now, would we?" came a smug voice.

Now it was Clitus' turn to rub his temples. The last person he wanted to meet today was Steven Oaktree. "That's rich coming from someone who switched their whole schedule to share classes with me." He retorted as he stared into his cup.

The black expanse stared back as he heard the sound of two barstools being filled.

Not alone. At least two others.

Vert piped up, a model professional, "Could I help you, perhaps get you a table for four?"

Four. Probably Krystal and Thomas. Who else would they drag in?

He tensed his muscles, as he looked up from his cup. A Faunus to his left, Krystal to his right; both of them distracted by Vert doing his job. The Faunus was an unknown element, Clitus doubted he had any personal stake in what had happened.

"I will order when I damn well feel oaf, I'll have you know; I am Oaktree." He sneered. The chef's face lit up in embarrassed rage. He opened his mouth to speak only for Clitus to pre-empt him.

"Don't worry Vert. He's nothing but a brat from a minor house who was almost disowned by his parents because they realized what he really is." Clitus stood from his stool as he finished his coffee. Two long strides effectively separated him from Krytsal and Stephen's gang. That distance could prove the difference between victory and defeat if things came to blows.

"That's rich coming from you, a noble boy who consorts with the trash." The Faunus spat on the floor.

Clitus actually chuckled, "That's funny, coming from you."

The boy's upper lip retreated to show huge canines. "What's that supposed to mean?"

He reached into his trouser pocket and found a pair of fingerless gloves, he began putting them on slowly and methodically. "It means that those 3 see you as nothing but an animal, yet here you are standing by them. What kind of Faunus are you anyway; dog or wolf?" He opened and closed his hands, testing the gloves – they were perfectly weighted and reinforced, Jupiter didn't look like much. But he designed them to be practical as opposed to flashy.

His opponent stepped forward and his friends fanned out. "I am a proud canine; and I'll have you know that Thomas, Krystal and Stephen respect my prowess in battle." He grinned as his teammates replied in assent.

Information is power.



"Ah, so you're a guard dog then?" Clitus replied with the smuggest grin he could muster.

The Faunus snarled and lunged – "Never let anyone have any power over you." Clitus muttered as he spun to the side.

He wrapped his forearm around his opponent's neck and stomped on his calf as he spun – forcing his opponent onto one knee and trapping the Faunus in a choke hold easily. "You know, I never had a dog, Stephen. So far, your pet hasn't sold me on the breed." He began to choke the Faunus.

"No fighting in my diner! Take it outside, or I will call the police!" Vert roared his normally jolly face red with anger and embarrassment. The teens ignored him, engrossed in the confrontation.

"You know that we have to get revenge for what you did to us, Clitus. It never had to be this way." Thomas said with an oddly sad look on his face.

"I'll think you'll find it that as soon as Stephen decided to try and shank me – it had to be this way." Clitus retorted. He pushed the Faunus at his teammates, cracking his knuckles. "There was what, 7 of you there? The odds aren't looking quite so good for you today."

Krystal drew a pair of Scimitars; Stephen an elaborate double bladed knife. Thomas hefted what looked like the love child of a claymore and a war hammer while Vert stomped up behind Stephen's team demanding they leave. He bodily tossed Thomas through the back door to the back courtyard with terrifying ease, the door swung back and forth as Stephen pointed his strange knife and Krystal connected her weapons' handles to form some kind of bow and took aim as well.

Clitus dashed forward, his right hand snapping out to the left to strike Stephen's ribs. A heartbeat later he drove his elbow into Krystal's temple, before grabbing her arm and tossing her over the bar. Stephen slashed too high and Clitus simply grabbed his wrist. Stephen balled his left hand into a fist but before he could strike Clitus spun and tossed him on top of Krystal.

He leapt over the bar as a growl escaped the Faunus' throat. He headed towards the back door which had just stopped swinging to and fro. His trademark grin found its way onto his face as he saw all 3 of his opponents scrambling to their feet. "If you three would join me outside, I'll pay you back for every stitch the surgeon put in my hip."

He stepped through the door and felt the cold air on his cheeks. Thomas was holding his weapon low, unsure whether to attack or not.

"They'll be out in a second." He quipped as he walked past.