It was about noon when the emergency curfew was lifted: another White Fang attack in City 12. Rumors say that the top brass of the White Fang was involved this time, but those are mere rumors. Most don't care, and are starting to emerge from their homes, and onto the streets. Coming from the direction of the Industrial District, a young girl with black-red hair enters the Residential District, unseen by Civil Protection patrols. The girl was wearing a blue jumpsuit with a number on it, #8520. It was standard to wear these jumpsuits, for anyone caught without them would be 're-educated', whatever that means. The little girl, 16 years old now, continues to walk down the streets of the city, looking at the enormous monolithic tower as a marker for where she has to go.

It didn't take her long to reach a small corner shop, with a visible row of people, waiting at a dispenser machine of sorts. Opening the doors, she now has a better look at the row: seven people total, waiting in the row to grab a bag. Those bags are rations, sanctioned to be most suitable for civilians, according to the Civil Worker's Union. The bags even have the initials of the union on them, as well as their signature emblem: two hands, one human, and one non-human, shaking hands inside a circle, located in the middle of another insignia. The CWU has a strong grip on the civilians, especially on those in the Agricultural and Industrial District. Most join the CWU to escape the harsh living conditions they end up being in.

Fourteen minutes have passed now, and the young girl is finally the first in line to receive her rations. The machine is slow to dispense the ration, but after two minutes of waiting, it dispenses it at long last. She exits the line, looking back at the additional twelve people that are now waiting. She doesn't stay long near the corner shop, going further into the city's Residential District, before hitting into a checkpoint. The three meter tall walls, barricades on top which are semi-transparent and appear like solidified, yet still moving liquids, with men in white masks on them, and a blue force-field seemingly blocking further entry. There is a moving camera on top of the force-field, on a very much solid surface. The little girl steps forward, smiling at the camera and giving it a small wave. The light on the camera flashes green, recognizing her as a well-respected citizen of City 12. She then places her hand onto a monitor near the force-field, and soon passes through to the other side.

Once on the other side of the checkpoint, it appears that she had entered the Plaza, a central area of the city where the train station is located. A pillar with a big monitor is residing in the plaza, and on it, the face of Remnant's Administrator: General James Ironwood. His welcome speech is on repeat, which gets annoying over time. Really annoying, especially for those living in the city. But, the girl doesn't stay outside for long, entering another shop. This time, a man is behind the counter, instead of a dispensing machine, and there is no line of people inside. She approaches the counter, looking at the shopkeeper.

"The usual, Ruby?"

"The usual, yes."

"Your mother and father seem to be very sick if its the usual every day. Hope they're fine."

"They're fine, I assure you."

Soon after, Ruby, the little girl, takes some medicine from the shopkeeper, in exchange for a power cell, which is pretty common in the Industrial District. With all the medication in the bag, she bids goodbye to the shopkeeper, and exits the shop. And as if the gods themselves were involved, Ruby sees a girl, roughly two years her senior, with long yellow hair, waving at her. Yet, she doesn't even get to respond to her, as there is a loud static noise booming through the air, coming from the large screen in the plaza. On it, displayed the logo of the Combine, as the static stopped, and came some propaganda music, as to keep things from "deviating" from the norm.

While it was playing, several helicopters flew past the plaza, accompanied by several more, all headed further into the city, and towards the large monolithic structure known as the Citadel. After the music ended, a female voice of sorts had started speaking.

"Citizens. Misconduct of fourth degree noticed in plaza. All citizens inside plaza are subject to immediate Civil Protection shakedown. All anti-citizens are to be reported immediately, without exception. Security notification: Residential District curfew moved from 7:00 PM to 6:30 PM. Industrial District curfew moved from 9:00 PM to 8:00 PM. Citizen notification: Behavioral reminder. Code: Order. Obedience. Compliance."

With the announcement over, ten Metropolice units start slowly emerging from several checkpoints and from inside the train station. They quickly round up everyone outside, looking at the citizens.

"Hands on the wall. And don't try anything stupid."

One officer chuckled, his voice distorted by a vocoder. A lot of radio chatter can be heard from their radios. All of the citizens, including Ruby comply, putting their arms on the wall in-front of them. One officer pats the citizens in order, from top to bottom, to check for any items they may have, and see if they are illegal. So far, they had only found rations and some screws that people were collecting for no apparent reason. However, one person had given up under the stress, and started running away from the wall and the officers, only to be gunned down seconds later. The only thing the others heard were three shots from a USP Match pistol, and a small thump. After that, no one got anymore ideas, and the shakedown was completed peacefully. Two people were apprehended, but not Ruby.

"Overwatch, plaza sweep complete. We got two potential non-citizens apprehended and one amputated. Send in cleaner team. We're beginning building sweeps now. Requesting District 54 lock-down on all checkpoints, suspected non-citizen activity there. Out."

Was what some could hear from one of the officers, as they were walking away, and into some buildings located in the plaza. Ruby sighed, looking around for the girl that waved at her.

"Man, fuck Civil Protection. These sweeps are becoming more frequent with each day."

"I'd be careful if I was you. They have eyes and ears everywhere."

"Screw their eyes and ears. So what if a schmuck is aiding them to get extra rations. It can't get worse than this."

The girl overheard a small conversation between a Faunus and a Human, before her attention was once more diverted back fully to the girl she noticed.

"Yang, didn't we say to meet each other three blocks away from the plaza? What are you doing here?"

"Come on, I was passing through the plaza when I noticed you and this stupid sweep commenced."

"I know, I know. And the curfew... I think we'll have to pick up pace if we want to get everything we want and still get out of here."

"Little sis worried about her speed?"

"Yang!"

"I'm kidding. No need to get mad."

"Ugh, you're right. Let's go."

The sisters, Ruby and Yang, were now back on the move for whatever supplies they needed. Mostly some spare parts and an item that requires a ration to be able to get it: a sort of water purifier. Once done with all the trading, they rush back to the Industrial District, for it is about 7:54 PM, only six minutes before curfew starts. The tall city walls on the edge of the Industrial District, and the city itself blocking their way, but, as expected, there is a hole in its base. The sisters crawl through it, and find themselves on the other side of the giant twenty meter wall, pitch black colour. It has a... deafening aura to it. Once done looking around, they start running into the nearby woods, for a curfew is usually followed with an outside perimeter patrol by Overwatch forces, with City Scanners, small floating machines equipped with a blinding photographical apparatus, which makes a clicking noise every time it goes off, and a flashlight for nighttime patrols. To know where it is, one needs to only hear its signature beeps, as it releases them quite often.

Once out of the patrol area, the girls take a rest below a tree. As they sit, they look at each other, setting the small bags beside them, and start laughing a little. They raise their heads to look at the stars above: it calms them down, but it also reminds them of what dangers lie beyond those stars, as evident by the forces present today. Once they are done, they look at each other once more.

"Night sis."

"Goodnight, Yang."

And with that, the two fall asleep. Their location hidden from all, except a simple crow, looking at the girls with a curious look.