In the cafeteria, Weiss looked around without a hint of excitement. Although she liked the place because it was clean, organized, and quiet, it did not have any of Yang's promises. Not that she was expecting the boys, men, women, or whatever else was going on in Yang's broken head, but they were literally the only ones present in the place.
"Hmm, so..." Yang didn't know what to say about this ball out. "I guess working hours on a Friday is not exactly the best time to find movement in a place like this?"
They should have come at a different time, like noon or late afternoon.
"I'm surprised that you even know this much." Blake didn't mind. The silence and the tea were nice, plus one of the employees was a faunus sister with the same traits as her, making the place a strong candidate for a future return.
"Fewer people, more cookies for me!" Ruby seemed to be the only one enjoying the ride while satiating her hunger or addiction. Not that I care.
"Don't be childish, Ruby." Weiss was almost acting like a mother to her leader, and that was not what she agreed to hang out for. "And don't talk with your mouth full."
In fact, she didn't even know why she agreed. It was probably so as not to discourage her gluttonous friend and maybe get her spirits up again. She wanted to be training, studying, or anything that would help her get better... she just didn't have the head for it.
Without a path or a plan to follow, Weiss preferred to do nothing for the moment.
"What a hair," Yang couldn't help but comment when a strange man walked in, the first person since they arrived not too long ago. "And I thought my own was extravagant."
Weiss couldn't disagree when Yang's comment gained her attention and that of the others at the table. The man referred to must have been about five years older, a little taller than her and Ruby, but definitely shorter than Blake and Yang, not to mention that flame standing in the form of spiky black hair.
He wore clothes of apparent quality, keeping one foot in fashion, but still having a more serious tone that matched his closed expression.
He was definitely not someone who fit the description of handsome, but he was a decent man.
However, that was only the first impression. His true self would be revealed after he looked at them.
On the way there, Weiss was annoyed by the number of boys and men who kept casting glances in their direction. Yang, as usual, seemed to delight in this sinful attention from the opposite gender. Ruby... well, it was Ruby, and she didn't seem to notice anything. Blake acted with the same maturity normally shown and ignored everything as if no one else existed.
In short, not one man would look at four beautiful girls without showing a reaction from his true self.
The question remained on the type of reaction.
That was the way to identify a man's worth.
As expected, he looked in their direction and... ignored them completely?
Seriously, he literally glanced past them and went to choose a table!
To the surprise and shock of others, which barely included a curious Ruby, the guy took off his jacket before sitting down, and the sound of something shattering spread into silence as the faunus attendant dropped a glass, staring unblinkingly at those god-sculpted muscles on his upper body barely covered by a tank top so tight it looked about to tear with a simple abrupt flexing of his defined mass.
Yang was dumbfounded, and soon her lips arched into a smile. She barely contained the urge to hiss and throw Liens at the guy and ask him to take off more.
Blake finally took her eyes off the book and forgot about what she was doing a moment ago, processing what was before her with the replay of some scenes forbidden for minors.
Weiss swallowed what she didn't have in her throat and was speechless, especially as she realized that the roles had just reversed, and they were the ones having an inappropriate reaction with the opposite gender.
One thing all three unconsciously shared was the blood rushing faster to show on their cheeks.
As for Ruby, she was thinking about that hair and how much gel it would take to keep it up. She was also curious as to why his tank top was so small. Maybe he didn't want to get rid of his older clothes, something she could relate to.
"Boy, he is ripped!" Yang kept her smile, an almost predatory one. She had seen some trained guys before, but not one of them came close to this one. "Is he teasing us? Why do I feel like he is provoking us?"
Considering the way he sat down facing them after dumping his jacket on the seat next to him and crossed his arms, clearly flexing his ripped chest and biceps, said that yes, he was teasing them.
The worst of it was that all of them, except Ruby, fell for this man's trickery.
"Hmph!" Weiss regained control of herself, annoyed that she had allowed herself to be flustered by a well-trained body, that mature attitude, and an air of indifference at the way he closed his eyes. "I should have known!"
It was always like this. Any guy whose eyes fell on her was no good!
Is that...the kind of guy I like? Weiss desperately wanted to say no, but everything so far indicated that yes, it was.
Jaune was decent, especially after being trained by Pyrrha. Still, she had no feelings for him. There were other nice, silly boys who were not very clever at hiding their thoughts, and again, she had not the slightest interest in them. As for Neptune, she didn't even have to look twice at him; it was obvious he was a player, and she went with the flow.
Now she had this bad guy all worked up, managing to make her heart beat faster with an indecent display.
In that case, who was really indecent? The possible answer was disheartening.
"True or not... that man, he is strong." Blake also calmed down after this noteworthy scene for a future book of her own. "That is not a body that can be obtained by mere training in a gym."
That changed things a bit, regaining Weiss's attention. If he were strong, as Blake had hinted, it could only mean that he was a Huntsman. In addition, there was the fact that he was not a boy, but a man. Maybe, just maybe, he wasn't teasing them and was someone serious she could talk to.
"He's a Huntsman?" Ruby had finished her cookies, suddenly overwhelmed by her second vice, and wished to see what kind of weapon he had! It must be something with those gloves, it has to be!
He seemed to be the fighting type, so maybe it was the jacket?! Who knows, it could even be that hair! If it were, that would be so cool!
"Are you sure?" Weiss wanted to be sure before she mustered up the courage to make the first move. She could agree with her colleague's superficial analysis because he exuded confidence and definitely looked strong.
"Yes... I can kind of feel it." This was the kind of thing only a faunus could relate to, and Blake couldn't put it into words.
The shy waitress was serving him, and his voice was calm and composed.
The girl was far from being bad-looking, and her attitude clearly could be considered an opening for other men to try their luck, but he did nothing.
This was a good thing; Weiss was beginning to change her mind about him and was considering approaching him.
A free Huntsman at this time and day of the week could only mean that he was either unoccupied or taking a break between missions; practically a chance falling from the sky.
However, Weiss didn't feel comfortable, still uncertain whether or not he was a player like Neptune and was teasing them. In that case, she didn't want to fall for the same trick twice and decided to wait a little longer.
Then, as if reading minds, Yang stood up, and Weiss knew what was coming.
Of course, she would do something like that! She felt stupid for having forgotten who she was with.
"I call dibs!" Yang didn't hesitate to be the first one to have the chance to know the hot guy, opting to do it as soon as the waitress finished taking his order and left, smiling even more than before.
"Yang, what are you doing?!" Weiss almost screamed in panic. She's going to ruin everything!
This was her one chance to get a trainer, and Weiss didn't want it to go to waste... or she didn't want to lose to Yang?
"I don't see a problem with that." Blake kept a half-attentive eye on the notes being made on her Scroll and the possible event about to take place. "She is a confident and possibly experienced girl. What's the worst that could happen?"
By experience, Weiss was assuming that Yang was from the streets, as she had been imagining to be the case for some time now. As for the worst that could happen, it lay in the fact that the girl allowed herself to fall for the possible trickery used and encouraged this kind of behavior.
Above all, Weiss wanted to be the first to talk to him! After confirming that he was a good person, of course.
On the other side, Vegeta had entered this restaurant hoping to experience the cuisine of this world to get the idea of familiarity with Earth out of his mind once and for all. However, more and more, he seemed to be back in his old home.
Even the structure and decorations inside this store were extremely familiar.
Vegeta tried to focus for the thousandth time on the task presented and noticed a similarity between his first choice in this world with something Lord Beerus would have done.
Maybe I would make a good God of Destruction, after all. The appreciation for delicious food was shared by many divine entities that Vegeta knew. It must be time. The longer you live, the less pleasurable life becomes.
On the place, he noticed the presence of a few more people, but he preferred to occupy himself with keeping his mind free of the turbulent emotions that constantly plagued him.
Taking off the jacket that was bothering him, he sat down to wait for an attendant.
What am I going to do after I leave here? He would certainly find the address of the Scroll, which was not far away. What awaits me in that place?
Whis must have done something, he could feel it.
I swear if there is a replica of the Capsule Corp there... Vegeta didn't even like to think about the possibility.
"Hmm, wh-what can I do for you?"
The hesitant voice approached, and he felt more and more back on Earth, as this was the exact attitude any female attendant had when addressing him.
"The meal of the day," Vegeta refrained from ordering the whole menu. That would be something that Kakarot would do, and he wanted to avoid doing the same. There was also the detail that he hadn't eaten his fill for a while now and still didn't have the stomach to do the same as he used to.
"Y-yes, right away!" She nodded repeatedly and set off to prepare the order.
No big deal. Vegeta didn't understand why Bulma got so angry when these female attendants approached him, it wasn't as if he was going to kill them.
The girl was still in one piece, perfectly fine, and even happy, if those cat ears were an indication of that fact.
Just then, another girl approached him.
"Hello~" Yang rolled her tongue as she spoke to this small mountain of muscles that was even more attractive up close, and almost cringed when she didn't even receive a glance.
"I already placed my order," Vegeta said, annoyed. The other girl had just left, so there was no way she could have missed it.
This man's response to Yang's attempt to approach, clearly maintaining the same level of indifferent calm, brought a genuine touch of surprise to Weiss, who was watching from afar.
"Hmm, sorry, but I don't work here," Yang tried again, doing her best to maintain her smile and confidence.
"What do you want then?" Vegeta questioned, genuinely showing confusion as he deigned to look at her directly. She was a young woman, attractive, he would say, with a well-developed body and blonde hair reminiscent of the clown's third limit break, and that displeased him almost as much as this intrusive attitude.
While his words were a bucket of cold water for Yang, someone else delighted in watching.
"I like him," Weiss smiled, being simple about her thoughtless statement. If a guy cuts off an obvious attempt by Yang to get close, then he couldn't be a player. A possible Huntsman with maturity, as well as looking strong and centered. Definitely someone worth getting to know!
Professionally speaking, she meant... maybe.
"A very abrupt change of heart," Blake noted, but understood. Hardly a guy would throw such an act on Yang. The bold girl on the team looked more than capable of standing up to her pretentious attitude. Therefore, it made no sense to refuse her so openly like that. Unless she wasn't his target.
Her heart fluttered at such a thought, and more ideas came up to be written down.
"I just want to talk to you." Seeing that things were not going in her favor, even when she bent down to show more of her feminine weapons and the guy kept looking her in the eye, Yang gave up on the flirting and tried to clear things up before her self-esteem crumbled.
"About what?" Vegeta was in no mood to put up with a random girl from an even more random planet.
Yang took a deep breath and recognized that he was not the same as all the other guys she had met before, or that he was gay.
Just as she was about to make the mistake of questioning out loud, her little sister made an appearance to save the day... or finish destroying it.
"Hi!" Ruby greeted with a radiant smile and received silence and confusion in response, choosing to take a seat at the table without asking for permission. "I'm Ruby! Ruby Rose! And this is my sister, Yang Xiao Long! And you?!"
"Ruby, what are you..." Yang looked back, and Weiss and Blake were as surprised as she was. Strangely enough, the princess looked happy, and her partner was busy with something.
This girl in red appeared in a swirl of petals, and Vegeta found this an unusual ability. His focus, however, was on the power used.
Where did I feel this before? He couldn't put his finger on the exact memory. But it is definitely the same energy that I feel coming from various beings in this world... in fact, there are four users of this power here.
"Vegeta," he said simply, a little more willing to give an hour of his day to the possibility that what he had come for had had the generosity to present itself to him.
"Just Vegeta? Like Vegetal?!" Ruby loved trying to figure out what color the names came from. Although vegetables don't have a specific color... maybe it's green?!
"Prince Vegeta." He hated it when someone made that comparison to his name, but he could see the innocence and purity in those silver eyes. This Ruby girl was just like a child and didn't want to offend him, so he let it go.
The name revealed earned a couple of different reactions from the girls further away, and Yang managed to wake up from her trance, following her sister, who could be an even bigger social butterfly than herself, in taking a seat at the table.
"Prince, so you're like Weiss?!" Ruby always wanted to meet a real one! They are always so cool, with their silver armor and gold weapons!
Weiss was cool too, but she didn't exactly convey the image of a real princess by being too... aggressive?
"Who?" Vegeta didn't even wait long, and the answer came to him in the form of a refined young woman whose appearance fit the title given, according to Earth standards. In Saiyan Culture, only power and a strong attitude made someone worthy of being a prince or a princess. This Weiss girl reminded Vegeta of the children's stories Bulma used to tell to make Trunks sleep, about Snow White.
"Sorry for our friend's manners," Weiss was cordial, even more so after seeing the same kind of behavior being exhibited despite the intrusion of these two, and didn't rule out the opportunity of having her name mentioned to introduce herself formally, trying to remedy things. "I am Weiss Schnee, an heiress and not really a princess, probably the same as you."
Refined in her manners, too, I see. Vegeta considered this a quality. Before Lord Beerus came to Earth, respect and politeness seemed redundant. Later, he learned that knowing how to measure your words could save lives.
Had it been the God of Destruction in his place, Yang's approach would have resulted in the end of this world. Ruby was a middle ground that would be judged with a little more time. As for Weiss, she would have saved or at least given her planet more time to live.
"I don't know about you, but I am a prince." No matter what good and bad, Vegeta had been through because of this prideful title, he would never give up on any of it.
If he did, it would be no different than giving up on who he was and had become.
"That's... interesting." Normally, Weiss would have been more rude and assertive in denying such an allegation, but she preferred to keep the level of the conversation civilized and pass a first impression not as terrible as Yang. "By the way, this is Blake, Blake Belladonna."
"Nice to meet you." Blake joined in a moment after confirming whether or not it was safe to get close to this man. He is dangerous... in more ways than one.
Before Vegeta noticed, his table was full, and that didn't please him. However, he would endure it. This was the perfect opportunity to learn more about this world and the power he came for. That was assuming they knew what he needed, and based on the girl in the red dress, the answer should be a yes.
"I don't want to doubt your claim, but can I see your ID?" Weiss also wanted to take advantage and check his Huntsmen certification.
Vegeta didn't pay any attention to such a small matter. There were many planets and peoples unable to brave the stars and unaware of the mere fact that they were not alone in the universe. To be angry that terrestrial beings were unaware of his identity would make him the same as Freeza, and that was unthinkable.
The Scroll lit up, and the entire team RWBY showed a similar reaction. This man's name was indeed Prince Vegeta, and it even had an extension indicating that he was the fourth in that line of succession.
This was rare, not to say unique. Any kind of monarchy had ceased to exist over a hundred years ago, so he must be the heir to a vanished archaic kingdom, possibly destroyed by the Grimm and the passage of time.
Above all, he was a licensed Huntsman!
"You really are a Prince and a Huntsman!" Ruby almost jumped, really excited to meet a real one!
"No, little girl. I am a warrior... and a prince." Vegeta was recognized as such even by Jiren, one of the most powerful mortals out there, and that was something to be proud of. Too bad I'll never get another chance to settle the score with him.
It would be quite a rematch.
"So cool!" Ruby wanted an autograph! However, there was something she wanted more than that, and it was a curiosity that needed to be satiated! "Can I see your weapon?!"
At this request, more than one curious eye was focused on the prince, trying to imagine what he uses, and the answer could only be a heavy weapon or one based on hand-to-hand combat.
"You are looking at it." Vegeta only considered his own body as a weapon, these other metal things were pathetic in his eyes.
"Easy there, Terminator!" Yang intervened, not liking her little sister getting too familiar with this guy. "Let's not overdo it."
"Oh, you have something to say?" Vegeta was all ears for this extravagant, not to say indecent, woman's extremely relevant opinion.
"What she means is that hunting Grimm with nothing but your body is almost impossible," Weiss explained, not wanting to go off the tracks. "Right, Yang?"
What would a Grimm be? Vegeta decided to look at his Scroll. Creatures of darkness that plague this world. Huntsmen and Huntresses are the guardians who face this endless calamity.
It made sense, considering the negativity permeating the atmosphere and the low population level for a planet that, despite all that was happening on its surface, exuded the vitality of a fertile world. Technological development should be more than appropriate for the extraction of natural resources and the nourishment of the population.
While going through these topics, Vegeta saw more things that interested him and finally found what he came looking for in this world.
The answer was literally in his hands, and Vegeta would admit that this Scroll was extremely useful.
Aura, the power that comes from the soul and is the main weapon of humans and faunus against the Grimm. With this information, Vegeta finally remembered where he had felt this power before. When I was in the other world, waiting to be sent back to Earth to fight Majin Buu again, this was the energy that I felt coming from those countless souls.
That explained why these girls in front of him felt different. They didn't exude ki or god ki, much less a combination of the two, but a completely different kind of energy.
A third source.
If Vegeta could acquire this energy and train it to a relevant level, would he really get what he was looking for and achieve the power needed to take on Kakarot? Or mastering Hakai to the point of turning it into a new transformation was the only option?
"Yeah, whatever." Yang was losing her mood along with Vegeta's attention, but something clicked in her, and the smile returned to her lips. "Actually, there's a pretty easy way for you to prove yourself~"
Before anyone could question what she was talking about, Yang put her arm over the table, gesturing in defiance.
"We are all Beacon students and Huntresses in training. I, in particular, specialize in physical strength," she explained, gaining confidence from the touch of curiosity born in Vegeta. "So, all you have to do is beat me in arm wrestling!"
"Interesting," Vegeta answered her provocation and put away his Scroll, leaving for later the research on the information he wanted about how to access the power of his soul. "Show me what you are capable of."
He would use this opportunity to check this Aura and the Power Level of these guardians, assuming that all these girls, despite being apprentices, were not much weaker than the real guardians of this world.
Weiss had to refrain from sighing, not liking to see a supposedly mature person fall for such a simple provocation. A part of her, however, wanted to see the result of this test. Despite her attitude and overconfidence, Yang had the brute strength to back her up.
"Arm wrestling!" Ruby turned into petals and got out of her seat, taking the liberty to stand before the table and be the judge of this little event. "Ready?"
Vegeta and Yang held hands, and just by looking at each other's arms, victory seemed obvious. Still, Yang smiled confidently and felt the rough touch on her skin, a reminder that those muscles were not just for show.
After all, this man was a professional Huntsman.
On the other hand, Vegeta was focused on sensing and analyzing the Aura of his little opponent, who couldn't dream of holding the hand of the prince of the most powerful warrior race in the universe.
"Begin!" Ruby gave the signal, and her sister immediately used her body to try to end this in an instant, but... she didn't move. "Hmm, didn't I say go?
"I-I..." Yang lost her smile, trying again only to get the same result and see that Vegeta was getting annoyed.
"Is that all?" He knew she was weak, but not that weak. This must be why the population of this world is facing extinction.
Probably a baby Saiyan could clean up and take over this world effortlessly.
The other members of the team were no less surprised by this little twist.
Blake was right, he is strong! Weiss was enjoying watching, not only that flexed arm and manly resourcefulness...W-Where am I looking at?! She shook her head, trying to stay on topic and confirm that Vegeta was indeed a Huntsman!
Yang didn't stand a chance. Blake had an idea of the outcome before this dispute began, but didn't think it would be so one-sided.
The surprises, however, were far from over.
"Use your Aura," Vegeta demanded when he realized that the girl was holding back. He wasn't participating in this childish game for no reason.
"What?"
Not only Yang, but the others thought they had heard wrong and stared at Vegeta for confirmation.
"You heard me." Vegeta didn't repeat himself, and before long, he felt the surge of soul-provided power.
"All right, hotshot. You asked for it!" Yang would hold back no longer and put everything she had into it before anyone could try to stop her.
Everyone expected to see Yang throw Vegeta against a wall, but... nothing changed?
Multiple pairs of eyes blinked several times and cleared to make sure they were seeing correctly.
They weren't imagining.
Vegeta's arm remained unperturbed while veins popped in Yang's. His expression showed nothing but disappointment, contrary to the frustration on Yang's red face.
"That..." Weiss almost believed that her teammate was playing a trick. Except, her fingers were sinking into the wood of the table, and her teeth clenched by sheer effort alongside that pair of red eyes born of anger and indignation, said that Yang was really giving it her all. "It's not possible..."
No matter how strong Vegeta was, overpowering without the slightest effort an Aura user who specialized in physical strength was ridiculous!
Who was this guy?!
"If that's really all, I see no reason to continue." Vegeta should never have raised expectations, it was always more disappointing when he did. This power is not stronger than normal ki, it actually levels out in direct comparison.
In that case, how useful would this power be to him?
Vegeta was considering in silence and opened his hand to let the girl go, but she didn't seem to have the same intention.
Yang wouldn't accept this. Was all her effort that insignificant?! No! She was strong, and she would prove it!
"I'm... not... done yet!" she grunted her anger-laden words and clenched her fist harder, igniting her Aura with the little damage received by her own effort and thus activating her Semblance!
"Yang!" Ruby tried to stop her, truly believing that things could end badly. A piece of the table broke off between her sister's fingers, and she feared the worst. "You're going to break his hand!"
A fruitless warning. Nothing mattered but getting the win and making this guy regret underestimating her!
However, even ignoring the warning given and with her colleagues trying to stop her, Yang continued to press and shatter the table in her almost desperate attempt to win. That lasted for a few seconds until her Semblance and Aura were completely exhausted, and the unbelievable result showed itself with that arm stagnating in the same place.
The fingers that hurt were hers and Yang's full effort, which showed capable of destroying a paladin with one blow, could do nothing.
Silence and open mouths were all that remained.