The day began with Team RWBY waking up on their own, the previous night's events still fresh in their minds. As they prepared for the day, the mysterious figure named Red lingered in their thoughts, filling the room with unease.
[Ruby]: Yang, I told you, I saw her... I saw Mom there between them.
Ruby's voice trembled as she clung to Yang, tears streaming down her face. Yang was hugging Ruby trying to soothe her, Weiss and Blake were engrossed in their investigation, standing before a board covered in photos and notes about the enigmatic man named Red and Roman.
[Weiss]: This is strange. This Red person has never been seen or heard of before. Blake, you mentioned that you might have an idea who Red is.
Blake, holding three photos in her hand, stepped forward and threw them onto the table. The first photo was of Ron, the second showed Ron with his hood down with his red hair and fox ears, and the last was of Red clapping it showed some of his red hair.
[Blake]: Look at them—Ron and Red. They're almost identical. The same height, the same movements, the same hair color, and that same unsettling feeling. And remember, Red focused on Gaster and Adrian, calling them 'Gaster, the scientist lost in time, and 'Adrian, the slave to his own mind.'
She was dressed in a Sherlock Holmes detective uniform, complete with a monocle and a fake beard, She turned to look at Weiss, who was also wearing the same outfit.
[Blake]: Why are we wearing this again? This beard is itchy.
[Weiss]: We're doing this for Ruby, remember?
Weiss is Adjusting her fake beard and scratching it.
[Weiss]: But how can you be sure it was Ron? I mean, it can't be..., No, now that I think about it, Ron is weird. I've never seen his face without that mask, he always disappears at odd times, and he never shows his face. We need to investigate this..., {whispering}..., and find Gaster's notes.
Blake gave Weiss a strange look after her comment but quickly shifted her attention to Ruby, who was still nestled in Yang's embrace. However, the room's tense atmosphere was abruptly interrupted by a knock on the door. The sound made all of Team RWBY turn toward it, and Weiss stepped forward to answer.
As soon as she opened the door, a handful of salt hit her face. Blinking in surprise and irritation, Weiss wiped her eyes and sighed, already knowing who it was.
[Weiss]: Gaster, why are you here?
Standing in the doorway was Gaster, looking utterly exhausted. His eyes were red, and he was being carried by one of his Blasters. His face was full of scratches that looked suspiciously like they came from a cat, and one of his flying hands waved lazily at the team.
[Gaster]: Hello, Weiss, Blake, Ruby, and Ice Queen, I'm here to borrow some coffee beans since Adrian is currently defending his stash like a feral beast.
[Weiss]: Why is that? Don't you have something like endless coffee?
[Gaster]: Who said we have endless coffee?
[Weiss]: Remember that one time at the cafeteria?
{Flashback}
The cafeteria was filled with the excited chants of students, their voices echoing through the large room.
[Team RWBY, JNPR, GR_M]: DRINK, DRINK, DRINK, DRINK, DRINK!
At the center of the commotion was Adrian, drinking coffee from his cup against a random student. The student's hand trembled as he struggled to keep up, his hand gave out, and he slumped forward, defeated.
[Ron]: For the 27th time, Adrian wins.
Adrian didn't even seem to notice his victory, his focus entirely on his cup as he continued to drink, gulping down the coffee without pause.
[Ren]: Is he going to be okay?
[Yang]: Yeah, he's been drinking from that cup for an hour nonstop.
As the group watched, Adrian's cup remained miraculously full, the coffee never running out no matter how much he drank. It was like a bottomless pit of coffee, fueling the cat Faunus's seemingly endless energy.
{End Flashback}
Weiss crossed her arms, giving Gaster a pointed look as the memory faded.
[Weiss]: So, about that endless coffee...
Gaster blinked, momentarily at a loss for words, before he chuckled.
[Gaster]: Well, perhaps Adrian has a trick up his sleeve that even I'm unaware of. But trust me, we're running low, and he's not sharing. He even bit me—look.
He rolled up his sleeve to reveal a bite mark on his arm that looked like a dog bite. Weiss and Blake's eyes widened in shock.
[Weiss]: Blake, does this look like a Faunus bite to you?
[Blake]: It looks more like a dog bite than a Faunus.
[Gaster]: I was the most surprised. I saw his mouth before he bit me—he had normal human teeth! Maple even said it's like how you shouldn't mess with a mama bear, you shouldn't mess with Adrian's coffee.
The team exchanged incredulous glances, picturing the usually composed Adrian fiercely guarding his coffee like a wolf protecting its territory.
[Weiss]: That's scary to think about. And isn't he a cat Faunus like Blake..., Blake show me your teeth.
Blake just stared at Weiss with a deadpan expression, her eyes narrowing slightly as if to say, Are you serious right now?
[Yang]: Hello, Gaster! Can you tell us more about how he bit you?
[Ruby]: I also want to know!
Yang and Ruby, having heard the whole exchange, were trying their best not to burst into laughter. Gaster, noticing their barely contained amusement, gave them a deadpan look of his own.
[Gaster]: I'll tell you... after a cup of hot, bitter coffee.
[One coffee ☕ later...]
Gaster looked refreshed, his usual sharp demeanor fully restored. He settled into a chair, his gaze serious as he began recounting the bizarre event.
[Gaster]: The day started weirder than any other.
[Ruby]: How so?
[Gaster]: Don't interrupt me. That day, Ron was still sleeping... on the ceiling of the dorm.
[Yang]: He sleeps where?
[Gaster]: Do you want me to continue or not? So, we had to make our own breakfast and coffee by ourselves. When I volunteered to make the coffee, Adrian vetoed me, and we ended up fighting... which is when he bit me.
[Ruby]: Wait, so he bit you because you tried to make coffee?
[Gaster]: Exactly. He was like a feral beast protecting his territory.
[Weiss]: Why didn't you just go to the cafeteria?
[Gaster]: I never thought of that because I always eat and work in the dorm—my lab is in the dorm too.
Everyone stared at Gaster, their expressions a mix of surprise and curiosity.
[Gaster]: Don't look at me like that. Maple was also bitten, and she even went to the infirmary to check for rabies or any kind of disease.
Suddenly, the door to the dorm burst open, and Maple rushed in, her voice tinged with urgency.
[Maple]: Gaster, I need your help! Adrian is fighting with Ron's tail.
[Gaster/RWBY]: Huh..., (•_•).
[Maple]: Why is Weiss and Blake wearing a beard.
[Chapter end]