Author's Note: Hm, had a bit more fun with this chapter than I expected. While a good portion of it is mostly from the episode, I did add my own additional scenes although I think the real meat of this chapter is the world-building I attempted based on what information we got concerning Remnant. As always, anything that I write here is subject to termination once canon comes around and disproves it but, until then, I hope that what I did here works for everyone and maybe I made the universe feel a bit more alive. We'll see.

Brain: So you think Reflection has any chance of being better than Soulbound?

Pfffft, no. Sequels hardly ever prove to be better than the originals. I just decided to finally give in when I saw that most of the new anime for this season were crap and I needed something to do. I mean, yeesh, how many of them are force feeding massive amounts of ecchi to replace their stories?

Brain: Isuca, Seiken Tsukai no World Break, Shinmai Maou no Testament, Absolute Duo, and some in Juuou Mujin no Fafnir.

And how many of those involve harems with the one male protagonist with the super-special power?

Brain: Well all of them but that just goes without saying.

*rubs eyes* With that and the massive amounts of super/harem Jaune fics, I'm done.

Brain: And then there's Yuri Kuma Arashi.

I HAVE NO IDEA AS TO WHAT'S GOING ON!

Anyway, before we begin, I would like to thank Hokiebird428 for doing some edits for not only this chapter but the first one as well. Hopefully I'll be killing another one of my bad writing habits that he pointed out and is teaching me to correct it.

EDIT: Been getting complaints now and again concerning entire chapters being italicized. That's not intentional but a minor technical error that happens with, I guess, some browsers and cellphones as, when I read the chapter on my desktop, it's fine. When I look them up on my phone, they're italicized. Usually reuploading the chapter works but, again, this is a technical error.


The air traffic around Beacon Academy had seen a noticeable increase with the nearing approach of the Vytal Festival. Having begun as a few extra flights between Vale and the combat school as students from other kingdoms arrived by boat and rendezvoused at the skyport to be transferred over to airships that would deliver them to their final destination, those same flights had been steadily increasing over the past few days. However, they were restricted to the usual fat-bodied airships that people became accustomed to seeing glide slowly but serenely over their heads.

For today, the arrival of the latest participants were marked by a squadron of dropships, coming in low and fast to make their appearance more readily apparent. At only a few hundred feet, anyone outside would be turning their heads to catch the source of the growing rumbling to spot the approach of the numerous crafts.

They were smaller than the typical Bullheads, their angular fuselage and wingspan half the size of the bulkier vessels at most. They did share a few features such as a distinct cockpit and the curved, finned backs of these dropships were meant to provide what amount of space was possible for their rear transport sections before dipping into low tails. Chin-mounted pairs of gatling guns showed that they were armed and the thick armor plating these dropships were missing they more than made up for with the speed and maneuverability that they demonstrated when the squadron broke up into three-ship flights - one lead craft with two flanking elements. They streaked over Beacon's sky-docks, heading right towards the high towers, and then banked into sharp turns or pulled up into steep climbs to fly over and around them with the separate flights maintaining their formations. If no one had been looking before, they were now, which coincided with the approach of the dreadnaughts.

Similar to their escorts, the trio of capital ships were in close formation but the spaces between them left plenty of room for additional dropships - though, with their performance, the better designation would probably be fighter/transports - to pass through. Much like how the dropships were to Bullheads, these vessels were thinner and slenderer than the civilian-model passenger airships. It didn't make them appear any less formidable for while those every day airships with their flipper-like wings could be comparable to turtles calmly swimming through the air, these dreadnaughts stabbed dominantly forward like swords with their sharp noses - and flight paths - pointed right at Beacon while a vicious array of spines protruded behind them from the engine supports, additional propulsion units hidden within.

The airpads were almost insufficient to accommodate them, their full lengths causing those blade-like noses and pointed spines to stretch over the edges while they rested on their bellies, almost touching each other.

"Ironwood certainly loves bringing his work wherever he travels," Glynda observed, unimpressed by the show. High up in Ozpin's office at the top of Beacon's tallest tower, the half clock face window provided an unparalleled view of the display from start to finish for the headmaster and his attendant. The latter had her arms crossed tight over her chest the whole time, eyes narrow in disapproval behind her glasses as if the assembly of warships were a batch of unruly troublemakers.

"Well, running an academy and a military makes him a busy man," Ozpin defended, watching a trio of those fighter/transports hover slowly over the docking warships before breaking off to establish a patrol. Focusing on the dreadnaughts that clashed with the more peaceful and steady appearance of his school, he then allowed, "But yes, those are a bit of an eyesore."

Though the amount of strength presented in this display was greater than most instances, Atlas and its citizens had a fond habit of conducting such shows wherever they traveled, especially when it came to its military. However, even the most critical of critics would consent that, out of all the kingdoms, it was Atlas that had the most justification for its accomplishments.

It had been the last kingdom to be officially constructed and seen as such, and its beginning had been marked with uncertainty. When the first explorers set foot on Mantle, they found an inhospitable continent of freezing temperatures and icy winds that would slice at any exposed skin. And, as always, there were the Grimm with some of the most terrifying examples of the monsters being bred in the merciless and frozen heart of Mantle.

Colonization efforts should've ended before they even began in the face of such challenges until humans were given the biggest reason of all to conquer them: beneath the ice and snow were plentiful deposits of Dust. Suffice to say, colonists were given all that they needed in order to tap and mine them but that quickly proved to be almost not enough. They had the technology; the problem was that it succumbed too easily to the cold. The sandy west of Vytal where Vacuo was located was a nuisance but measures could be taken to keep sand out of the sensitive internals of equipment or clean them out. Against Mantle's temperatures - which could drop well below freezing during the nights or one of its deadly ice storms -, such defenses were initially limited to nonexistent.

But innovation was humanity's strong suit, leading to retrofittings and breakthroughs to better defend their technology against the whims of nature. This would serve the future Atlesians well to keep their dwellings warm and mine those deposits of Dust and valuable metals which had been left untouched by human hand until now. Soon, that small mining colony grew into what would later become Atlas.

The coming of war brought additional trials to test the kingdom, its position at the head of the Dust trade making it a prime target for raids and an occasional invasion attempt. A new process was soon underway with Atlas converting its industrial might to the creation of war materials. Although its air fleet would become legendary, Atlas became best known for its androids and mechs; once designed to brave through the elements and venture where few humans dared and assist in mining efforts, their durability adapted well to combat purposes. It led to a significant advantage where hostile armies, plagued with the same problems of their predecessors concerning the cold and struggling to provide troops with what they needed, came up against a mechanized force that was immune to such debilitations.

When hostilities came to an end and Atlas was invited to the negotiating table, it did so as the most powerful kingdom - both when it came to its military and its industrial power. It instilled a great amount of pride that every Atlesian shared and Atlas having taken a leading role to use its influence to unite the kingdoms and share its technology to show they were all equal instead of enforcing policies that could've put it above them, many came to see it as a true capital of peacekeeping.

To Ozpin, the battle group on his doorstep appeared more for peace enforcing.

A beeping at his desk drew him and Glynda to the holographic notification that appeared above the turning gears and glass surface, informing him that someone was requesting access into his office. Pulling away from the window, he passed his hand through it to confirm his consent and was already moving to the front of his desk to greet the arrival as he called, "Come in."

The doors to the elevator slid apart, making way for the loud greeting. "Ozpin!"

The arrival strode into the office with arms and smile spread wide in greeting. Tall and broad-shouldered, the man was someone who newscasters would adore and probably had. Dark hair cut short and combed to the side with the patches of gray along his temples groomed to give a wizened visage when combined with the slightly weathered features of his otherwise sculpted face. His eyes were a piercing yet mesmerizing shade of blue, easily able to draw whoever he spoke with to them and not the strip of silver metal that was above his right eyebrow.

Atlas couldn't ask for a better face for the title that Ozpin greeted him by in a more controlled manner. "Hello, general."

By his attire, General James Ironwood looked more like a scientist with that white overcoat, beneath which was a button-up undercoat and red tie; a dress that underlined Atlas's preferences and achievements when it came to the technological, the recent ones of which Ozpin knew that James had at least a part in if not directly overseeing. They were well-cleaned with white pants perfectly pressed and boots given an extra shine for a presentation that had yet to begin - or so one would think. Other than what was going on right outside his window, Ozpin was a bit skeptical as to how James just happened to arrive at his office in so timely a manner when his ships were only just landing and unloading their passengers.

There was no deceit in his enthusiasm at seeing an old friend and Ozpin did share the feeling. Walking and meeting him in the middle, the general took his hand in both of his own - one gloved in white, the other bare - to give a spirited but firm shake, accompanied by a good-natured chuckle. "Please, drop the formalities! It's been too long!" Catching Glynda at the side, James's smile lengthened. "And Glynda, it has certainly been far too long since we last met."

"Oh, James," Glynda returned with a dainty wave but her expression spoke the same of the general as it did of his forces. She leaned over to Ozpin, muttering dryly, "I'll be outside."

James was hardly affected by it and when he turned to watch her retreating form, he seemed to linger for a little longer before rotating back to Ozpin. "Well she hasn't changed a bit."

Though he was fighting down a smirk at Glynda's candor, Ozpin chose to step deftly around that topic. Going back to his desk where a pot of coffee awaited, he began to pour it into one of the mugs. "So, what in the world has brought you all the way down from Atlas?" He offered the first cup to James. "Headmasters don't typically travel with their students for the Vytal Festival."

"Well you know how much I love Vale this time of year," he replied, accepting the drink and Ozpin had to refrain from showing his displeasure when James produced a flask from within his coat, the contents of which he added to his mug. "Besides, with you hosting, I thought this might be a good opportunity for us to...catch up."

Ozpin caught the meaning but chose to overlook it as he circled back around his desk, a mug of his own in hand. "I can certainly appreciate quality time between friends. However..." He sat down in his chair, finally pouring a cup for himself. "The small fleet outside my window has me somewhat concerned."

The look James gave him said that he wasn't sure if he did catch the message. "Well...concern is what brought them here."

"I understand travel between kingdoms has become increasingly difficult-"

"Oz..." he interrupted, his previous friendly air dissipating. "You and I both know why I brought those men."

Ozpin didn't respond right away, taking a slow sip from his mug instead and preferring that they were talking about the existing dangers of travel. Despite the development of airships, a lot of the advantages that they would typically provide were negated by the fact that most of Remnant was still made up by territory remaining in the hands of the Grimm. An airship that could fly over those parts of the continents and islands to reduce travel time could attract a Nevermore or other flying Grimm to assault it. The seas were still considered the safest, cheapest, and most trusted form of travel between kingdoms so an armed escort like the one that the Atlas students had arrived in wasn't out of the ordinary, especially as there had been a disturbing rise in Grimm activity lately.

That didn't explain the large number of ground troops that were disembarking as Ozpin failed to see what they could do in such an aerial battle.

Resigning himself to this discussion with a sigh, Ozpin met Ironwood's gaze. "We are in a time of peace. Shows of power like this are just going to give off the wrong impression."

James set his cup on the desk so that he could place both his hands on top of it as he stressed, "But if what Qrow said is true-"

"If what Qrow said is true, then we will handle it tactfully," Ozpin assured, remembering the message that had been sent to him by their comrade. That evening in particular had been rather eventful: an attempted Dust robbery by faunus radicals thwarted by one of his first-year teams, the leader of which having been seriously injured while doing so. That leader who just so happened to be Qrow's niece and the girl who Ozpin allowed to attend his school two years early after, coincidentally, witnessing her thwart a previous robbery months ago.

[Queen Has Pawns] had been the cryptic message to top the night off.

The headmaster rested his elbows on his desk, fingers threading together as he adopted a similar stance to challenge James's. "It's the Vytal Festival; a time to celebrate unity and peace. So I suggest you not scare people by transporting hundreds of soldiers halfway across the continent."

"I'm just being cautious."

"As am I, which is why we will continue to train the best Huntsmen and Huntresses we can."

"Believe me, I am." James bowed his head, placing his gloved hand over his heart as making an oath. Sensing their discussion as over, he turned on his heel, about to leave, but stopped to give Ozpin some parting words. "But ask yourself this: do you honestly believe your children can win a war?"

He didn't get an answer. Although Ozpin stared at him, he was looking further back to that night and the members of RWBY who he had seen and spoken with afterwards. The young Ruby Rose, pale and fatigued, but having stubbornly approached him to attest to the innocence and acceptance of one of her teammates the day after she left the hospital. Her older sister, Xiao Long, having come to his office before that to give him the debriefing that was required despite the worry for her sibling and the other issues that wracked the team leaving her visibly stressed. Ms. Schnee, once so confident, lost and unsure with a duty she had been born into and tried to uphold having crumbled in the wake of reality. And, finally, Blake Belladonna: a faunus girl who had chosen to hide from the world, demons of the past haunting her, and looking to make what she can right but not knowing how or if she even possessed the capabilities to do so.

Each one held some ties to the sides that were poised for war whether directly through their blood or their past or indirectly due to their partners. He would hate to see just what that war could do to them after seeing for himself how they fared after one skirmish. Would it strengthen and unite them, or destroy them?

That was only one team though – one out of many. His school was filled with the potential that each student carried and what they were being granted to shape for the betterment of the world. No matter how they got here, he had accepted each and every single one with the confidence that they would be able to carry the burdens of Remnant on their shoulders once they were properly trained.

But what if that weight was forced on them too soon and those chances he gave them and the world led them both to ruin instead?

"I hope they never have to," Ozpin quietly spoke.

His words met the closed elevator, Ironwood having already left and leaving Ozpin alone with his thoughts. Retaking possession of his mug, Ozpin swung his chair around to face the window and the docked fleet beyond. Sipping slowly, he noted how the students of Atlas were now unloading from the ships and tried to quell his worries in response to the sight of the columns of soldiers in their armor and uniforms vastly outnumbering them.


"Hm..."

Yang awaited Ruby's decision, taking some delight in how her sister's forehead was creased with thought while her grin was one influenced by the myriad of fantasies of how she would rain down destruction upon any kingdom of her choosing with the help of the cards in her hands and the miniatures laid out on her side of the game board. The brawler took a look at her own hand and didn't bother hiding her own grin of anticipation. She had some good cards, two of which she already laid facedown in preparation for any assault that may come her way.

"Alright..."

And she knew it was coming. No matter how many years they'd partaken in this, Ruby had never developed a good poker face. After scanning her cards, her eyes would flick up to look at her adversaries and, as she came closer to establishing her attack plan, those silvers started going to Yang more and more until-

"Yang Xiao Long, prepare your kingdom for battle!" Ruby exclaimed, pointing across the table to her older sibling.

"Bring it on!" Yang responded with a pumping of her fist.

Selecting one card in her hand, Ruby stood to her feet, holding it high above her head. "I deploy the Atlesian Air Fleet!"

Yang gasped, a look of horror on her face, and chose to throw a hand over her heart for more dramatic effect when Ruby slapped the card faceup upon the table so all could behold and tremble at the military might of Atlas.

"Looks like I get to fly right over your Ursai and attack your walls directly!" Hooking her thumbs together with fingers spread out in an improvised imitation of an airship, Ruby provided her own sound effects as she swung them in front of her, doing her best to imitate the sounds of the Atlesian dropships they witnessed earlier that day before ending with her impression of an explosion.

Yang granted her another gasp. "You fiend!"

Ruby crouched down until she was eye-level with the table. Selecting a trio of miniatures that were made to look like the dreadnaughts they saw today - Yang wondered if it really was Atlas's arrival that got Ruby to select it as her kingdom for this session -, she pushed them along the game board towards Mistral, making it a point to knock over one of the Ursai to show just how futile its resistance was as her ships made their way to the kingdom. "And since Atlas is part of Mantle, my repair time only lasts one turn."

She stopped when she reached Mistral's borders, setting the representations of her fleet for an imaginary bombardment to the equally imaginary walls. When she looked up at Yang, her expression one of imminent victory, she clearly expected to see further reaction to the jeopardy that her kingdom was in.

So Yang probably enjoyed it far more than she should've when her dark chuckle instantly replaced that look on Ruby's face with one of dread, made even more apparent when Yang picked up one of her facedown cards to bring it into view. "Pretty sneaky, sis." She flipped the card around. "But you just activated my trap card!"

"Whaaaaat!?"

"Giant Nevermore!" Much like how Ruby did, Yang slapped the card onto the table and then took her own miniaturized version of the winged Grimm to bring it onto the field. "If I roll a seven or higher, Fatal Feathers will slice your fleet in two!"

"But," Ruby interjected, "if you roll a six or lower, the Nevermore will turn on your own forces!"

"That's just a chance I'm willing to take." Taking the dice, Yang shook them in her hand, all the while staring confidently at Ruby's challenging gaze. They only broke away when Yang tossed the dice so that they could see the results when they came to a rest.

A perfect seven.

"Ha!"

"Noooooooo!" Ruby screamed in anguish, watching her fleet get wiped away when Yang slapped them aside with the Nevermore. "My fearless soldiers!"

Yang shrugged. "Eh, most of them were probably androids."

Ruby nonetheless watched dismally as her miniatures and card were sent to the discard pile. "Goodbye my friends. You will be avenged!"

Oh, but it wasn't over yet. For Ruby's insolence, Yang was going to be merciless in administering her rightful punishment. "Not until I draw my rewards, which are double this round thanks to the Mistral Trade Route!"

"Bah!"

"Oh, and what's this?" After drawing said rewards from her deck, Yang paused at one, her grin widening as she unveiled it to Ruby. "The Smugglers of Wind Path?"

"Bah!" Ruby spat again. "Bah, I say!"

"Looks like I'm taking two cards from your hand."

"Have you no heart!?" When Yang reached over and took the designated spoils, she might as well have taken Ruby's spirit. Soon she was collapsing onto the table in defeat, moaning pathetically. "Noooo..."

"Well, Weiss," Yang stated cheerfully, turning to the heiress, "it's your turn."

Unlike her other two teammates, Weiss was staring at her cards dubiously. "I have...absolutely no idea what's going on."

Oh you silly, unknowing girl, Yang mentally pitied the sheltered Weiss. While it was Weiss who had given her support - a surprising amount, if Yang was honest - to Ruby's plan of the team spending the day together moments before the start of the food fight, it quickly grew apparent that the fencer had no idea what she was getting herself into, especially with a board game that she proved to be rather inept at. Tests and a future management of a Dust company she could do. Leading her tiny plastic army over a board with the help of carefully-played cards? Not so much it seemed.

Nor was she aware of the underhanded tactics that experts liked to turn to when they found themselves with a tempting target. Yang was no exception, leaning over and slinging an arm around Weiss to draw her closer and to make her cards visible. "Look, it's easy. You're playing as Vacuo which means all Vacuo-based cards come with a bonus."

"That sounds dumb," was all the other girl said, still staring blankly at her cards.

She wasn't doing anything about Yang's closeness and the brawler took advantage of her position to start shifting through her hand. "See, you've got Sandstorm, Desert Scavenge- oh!" She lifted one card from amongst the rest. "Resourceful Raider! Now you can take Ruby's discard Air Fleet-"

"Noooo..." said leader pathetically whimpered.

"-and put it in your hand!"

"Okay...?" Weiss said uncertainly, ignoring her defeated partner and listening to the saboteur she unwittingly allowed to infiltrate her sovereignty.

It was that saboteur who decided that she had some very good cards that needed to be taken out of the equation. "And since Vacuo warriors have an endurance boost against natural hazards, you could use Sandstorm to disable my ground forces and simultaneously infiltrate my kingdom!" Narrowing her eyes threateningly, she then warned, "Just know, that I will not forget this declaration of war."

"And that means...?"

"You're just three moves away from conquering Remnant!" Ruby tearfully translated.

Weiss glanced at Ruby, then her cards, then the board, and it all seemed to click. With a wicked cackle, she threw down her cards and was on her feet, the would-be conqueror standing high over the world that was to be hers. "Yes! Fear the almighty power of my forces! Cower as they pillage your homes, and weep as they take your children from your very arms!"

Jeez, everyone's on a power trip today. Fortunately, Yang had the perfect tool to put Weiss in her place. She scooped up her other facedown card and held it up to Weiss. "Trap card."

Weiss blinked, staring dumbly at it. "Huh?"

Before she had the chance to realize what was happening, Yang went to town on the board, pooling the forces of Vacuo into one messy pile and circling them with her Raging Ursai. Sitting back and admiring her handiwork, Yang declared, "Your armies have been destroyed."

It took a moment before it dawned on Weiss as to how her seemingly assured victory had so quickly and ruthlessly been replaced by utter defeat. Slumping down into her seat, tears in her eyes, she exclaimed, "I hate this game of emotions we play!"

Her partner in Beacon now her partner in defeat, Ruby went to console Weiss, hopping upon her lap and flinging her arms around her. "Stay strong, Weiss," she instructed mournfully, burrowing her face against her shoulder. "We'll make it through this together!"

Yang awaited Weiss's response, watching with some suspense as Weiss instinctively leaned away from Ruby and glanced at everyone else around them. But just as she was fearing the worst, Weiss suddenly returned Ruby's embrace. "Shut up! Don't touch me!" Her weeping was accompanied with a squeeze that contradicted her demands.

Yang relaxed and smiled at the two, happy to see just how much Ruby had melted through to the Ice Queen. A girl who had left behind all her friends at a previous academy and another who hardly had any friends in her life. She was not only happy for Ruby to have found such a friend to be so close to but she was honestly happy for Weiss as well. Having learned some of what of Weiss's childhood was like and having come from a family that loved and supported each other, Yang's sisterly urges were weak against the heiress's plight. Once they got past their disputes that came up concerning Blake and Weiss proved to be willing to save Ruby's life at the risk of losing her own, Yang saw her as family now.

This was a good idea, she decided, finding the card game to be the perfect way to cement their new family. She and Ruby had played Remnant: The Game a lot with their father and uncle along with some of their friends from Signal so it was only fitting to spend part of the day with their partners fighting for imaginary control of the world. Remembering her own, Yang turned to address the fourth player at her right. "Alright, Blake, you're up!"

Her black-themed partner was resting her cheek within her palm, cards down and gaze - and attention, apparently - elsewhere. Yang's words snapped her back to the present. "Huh? Oh." She lifted her cards up but didn't look at them. "Sorry, what am I doing?"

"You're playing as Vale, trying to conquer the kingdoms of Remnant," Yang reminded her.

With nearly a century having gone by since the end of the Great War, it was considered safe enough to make a game out of Remnant's history of excessive conflict. Other than the plastic miniatures that represented either their armies or the hostile Grimm, players made use of cards that were played to the strengths and weaknesses of the factions that were demonstrated during the war. Atlas provided players with the most pieces, making it a strong kingdom from early to midgame before the other kingdoms' advantages came into play during the late game. Vacuo had its environmental hazards and units that relied on mobility and guerilla-style tactics but Yang liked playing as Mistral which benefited from its location on an isthmus. The thin strip of land was the key to Mistral's existence as it took away the advantage of the Grimm's numbers by funneling them into narrow chokepoints and it worked equally well against invading kingdoms who either had to take the long way around the continent and attack their harbors with the defenders having more than enough time to prepare or risk going through the Grimm for a quicker and straighter shot at Mistral's walls - something that Ruby had just tried and failed to do. Mistral was a capital that relied the most on gambling and Yang was definitely a gambler who enjoyed the rolling of the dice with victory meaning big rewards.

Blake stared at her cards but still didn't seem to be all there. "Right..."

Yang couldn't help but frown at her girlfriend's spacey attitude. While Weiss supported their game day, Blake had been the opposite and had reluctantly followed them to the library where they were currently set up. Yang had hoped that Blake would get into it once they started playing but that was obviously not turning out as well as she hoped.

She was kind of distant yesterday, too, Yang remembered and seeing something clearly bothering Blake bothered her. Going by their past experiences, anything that bugged Blake wasn't a laughing matter.

Before she could even begin to ask what was wrong, Jaune came up to their table. "Hey, can I play?"

"Sorry, Jaune," Ruby apologized, having returned to her side of the table and her cards. "We've already got four people."

"Besides, this game requires a certain level of tactical cunning that I seriously doubt you possess," Weiss added. While Jaune had been steadily improving in his leadership duties, the Schnee heiress remained a bit cold to him. With him having previously held a crush on her and pursuing in multiple attempts of asking her out before he got the hint, it kept Weiss on guard in case that crush hadn't disappeared as they were all assuming it did.

"You attacked your own naval fleet two turns ago," Yang nonetheless pointed out in Jaune's defense, getting a glare from Weiss and a haughty 'hmph' in reply.

"Bring it on, Ice Queen!" Jaune spoke in challenge. "I'll have you know that I've been told that I'm a natural-born leader!"

Weiss raised a disbelieving brow. "By who? Your mother?"

"And Pyrrha!"

"Hello again!" his second greeted brightly, waving from her spot at the table next to RWBY's. While JNPR had followed the other team to the library, most of them were immersed in reading with Pyrrha in possession of a comic while Ren was looking through a thick tome. Yang had caught more than one look of disapproval from the quieter boy whenever RWBY got too loud in their game - which was often - but was choosing not to say anything. Nora had fallen asleep with her head right in the middle of the book but Ren was just steadily flipping pages on top of her as he continued reading.

"Come on, let me play your hand for a turn!" Jaune begged.

"I'm not trusting you with the good citizens of Vacuo!" Weiss replied.

"Why not? You've trusted me with way more important stuff before! I mean you told us all that Blake is secretly a fau-"

"Fun-loving person!" Pyrrha interrupted, having shot from her table to slap her hand over Jaune's mouth. "Whom we all admire and respect!"

Everyone turned uneasily towards Blake. After RWBY discovered her secret, it had been suggested that JNPR could be let in on it. The two first-year teams were close, spending a lot of time together, and all the members of JNPR had proven that they were trustworthy and held no biased opinions towards the faunus in general as they voiced no objections to inviting and taking in the rabbit faunus Velvet to their lunch table for all of first semester to protect her from bullying as the rest of her team had a different lunch period. After some debate, Blake agreed with Weiss having been the one to tell JNPR.

The glare that Blake aimed at Jaune said that she was starting to regret that choice.

To his credit, Jaune appeared thoroughly scolded as he scratched the back of his head nervously. "Right...that." He bowed to the team. "Ladies, enjoy your battle."

"'Sup, losers?"

Ruby was the first to greet the latest arrival with a smile. "Hey, Sun."

They'd become acquainted with the monkey faunus who stood off to the side. Having first seen him being chased by some detectives after allegedly stowing away on a freighter, no one had expected him to be the Huntsman-in-training that he revealed himself to be later on. They got the story soon after: that he did in fact stowaway not once but twice, having snuck aboard on a ship from Mistral bound for Vacuo where he then switched to another for the latter half of the journey to Vale. When Blake ran away after unintentionally admitting to her White Fang ties and subsequent faunus heritage, it was Sun who had not only followed but stuck by her side from the beginning, going so far as to fight against Torchwick and the White Fang under his command with the cat faunus.

He was cocky, showed very little regard for the law what with his hobby of petty theft, and spontaneous to a fault. Yang liked him. Other than being that kind of guy you always invited to a party, there was that side of him that hinted to an honorable spirit at his core. Beneath the craving for adventure and excitement - which Yang could relate to -, there was something about him that went against the idea of abandoning or simply going on his way and ignoring someone when they were in trouble. And though he may commit his own crimes, he still possessed a moral compass that guided him between right and wrong with the White Fang being too far into the wrong for him.

There was only one tiny little flaw he had that could irk Yang here and there...

"Ruby, Yang, Blake," he greeted each, going around the table. When he reached Weiss, he said, "Ice Queen."

"Why does everyone keep calling me that!?"

Sun gestured to the tall, blue-haired boy next to him. "I never got to formally introduce you to my old friend."

The friend in question was looking at the unfolded game board and the scattered miniatures. "Aren't libraries for reading?"

"Thank you!" Ren unexpectedly shouted.

"Pancakes!" Nora cried out, jerking awake.

"Shut up, don't be a nerd," Sun complained.

"Intellectual," the boy stressed, annoyed. "Okay? Thank you." To the others, he waved and smiled pleasantly while he introduced himself. "I'm Neptune."

The guy may as well have been taken out of one of the teen pop-style bands that Yang followed. Very vibrant blue hair with a pair of yellow-tinted goggles worn on his forehead, exposing his darker blue eyes. Red jacket with a black upturned collar, under which was a white dress shirt and black tie combo. And then there were the straps: around his wrists over the fingerless gloves, his shoes, and the thighs of his gray jeans to fasten some padding.

It was too colorful and stylish for Yang as she preferred the more natural but downright gorgeous looks of her favored members of The Achieve Men, but she knew a lot of friends back at Signal and those who followed her into Beacon who would swoon over this tall and tan Neptune.

They would probably speak with a voice similar to Weiss's, the heiress taking a noticeable and uncharacteristic interest in the boy. "So, Neptune, where are you from?"

"Haven." Apparently aware of it, Neptune's walked smoothly around the table to approach Weiss. "And I don't believe I've caught your name, Snow Angel."

Yang inwardly chuckled, way too experienced in the smooth-talking ways that Neptune was applying here. Weiss proved to be not as seasoned, visibly taken aback by the introduction and vainly attempted to recover with a smile that was clearly shy. "Um, I'm Weiss."

"Pleasure to meet you," he said, his own confident and sparkling.

Behind them, Jaune was looking to his teammates and mouthing what was clearly 'Are you kidding me!?'.

"Oh, what's that?" Ruby suddenly interrupted, shattering the building atmosphere. She was pointing at Neptune's back where a folded block of metal was resting. "Is that your weapon?"

"Why, yes it is," Neptune confirmed. He reached behind him to grab the block, the object transforming as soon as he removed it. When he held it towards Ruby, a stock had extended out the back to show a very obvious trigger. It was no ordinary gun though, a rectangular section of metal having slid away to reveal the length of the barrel which became charged with blue energy as the gun powered on.

Ruby was enthralled. "Ooooh, a laser gun." She was taking a keen interest in the crackling sparks. "I haven't seen many students with one because of how complex they are but this isn't like what some militaries use. The power cell seems bigger and obviously more powerful. Modifying the power insulator and conductor to compensate must've taken time since I heard that's the most difficult part."

"I..." Neptune was looking at Ruby with surprise, unsure of how to react. Then he grinned. "Actually, it wasn't that difficult." He pointed to the middle of the gun, somewhere behind the barrel. "The real chore was the high-energy flux aperture. This isn't just a rifle; it turns into a glaive, too. The flux aperture produces a negative charge which helps stabilize the positively-charged energy current to the blade and keeps it from disintegrating any of the parts when I switch modes."

"And instead of using it to shoot, you use it to help cut," Ruby predicted, becoming increasingly starry-eyed.

Once again Neptune had to stare at Ruby as if to make sure she was real. "Yeah..." His grin was no longer suave and was beginning to look more like the scythe-wielder's. "Yeah, exactly!"

"That's so cool! I could never do something like that!" She hastily retrieved Crescent Rose, her weapon currently inactive. "This is Crescent Rose; my scythe and high-impact sniper rifle. Not as high-tech but I worked hard on the design. I'll be happy to show mine if you show me more of yours."

"Yeah, why not? I mean we can do that-" Neptune broke off, becoming aware of how everyone else had gone quiet while the two had been actively engaged in their conversation. Yang was amused but Sun was hiding his face in his hand while Weiss was looking warily between the two of them. "Later." He abruptly returned his weapon to his back and tugged on the collar of his jacket, suddenly finding the act much more interesting. "You appear to be busy right now."

"Oh, right, we're in the middle of a game!" Ruby set Crescent Rose down and retook her cards, unconcerned by Neptune's change in demeanor.

An odd silence took over but one that Sun chose to break. He leaned over Blake, taking a look at her cards. "I never took you as the board game playing type."

There it was: that aforementioned flaw and Yang felt a tingling of jealousy at how close Sun was to her girlfriend. It wasn't solely the proximity or this single instance as, over the weeks since Sun settled himself into Beacon, he had been showing the most interest in Blake. Yang tried to explain it away as them both being faunus and having worked together beforehand but the increasing number of occurrences was making her suspicious.

She and Blake had only recently gotten together, their coupling having been marked with a kiss right after bonding, and the faunus had immediately made it clear that she didn't want to broadcast it. Yang agreed of course, not only because she knew how private - very private as it turned out - Blake tended to be, but also because she had gotten up to date as to what it had been like for her growing up in the White Fang and dealing with all the prejudice that followed her and her race. Dating hadn't been high on her priority list and the last time she got close to someone she ended up paying for it. Their current relationship carried a lot of trust and courage on Blake's part and Yang was treating it with the sacredness that it deserved: limiting their affections to their room - and only when Weiss and Ruby weren't around or couldn't see - while indulging in covert and too-brief shows that could be passed off as nothing like at the cafeteria.

Yang was tempted to give a not-so-covert show but held herself back. She liked Sun and appreciated how he had been there for Blake but she secretly wished that he would put another foot of space between him and Blake. Or six.

It's fine for me to get a little jealous, right? she questioned to herself, hoping she wasn't becoming like some of the other boys and girls that she'd seen and occasionally dated. Yeah, totally fine.

Fortunately, it didn't seem like Blake was taking any interest in Sun's advances. Or anything at all. Sliding back in her chair, Blake stood up and left her cards on the table. "Well I think I'm done playing, actually," she spoke indifferently. "I'll see you guys later."

They all watched her go with Sun making a silent gesture that asked what he did wrong.

"Women," Nora commented, attracting a fair share of looks in response.

Yang's gaze stayed at where Blake disappeared to, growing more bothered. Instinct told her to go after her but she didn't get up to fulfill the demand. She wanted to respect Blake's privacy but...she remembered how well that went last time. The last time she didn't ask Blake what was wrong, she severely regretted it and nearly lost her.

But this is different, she tried to convince herself. We're together now and everyone accepts her. Even if she's keeping something from us, it can't possibly be something that would have her leave without us again, right? Right.

Still...

Fine, I'll ask. Later though. That being after she won this game.

"So what do we do now?" Ruby asked, referring to the problem of their missing fourth player.

Jaune was about ready to jump on the opportunity but Neptune was already gripping the empty chair. "If no one objects, I'll jump in."

"No objections here!" Weiss said a bit too quickly.

After Yang and Ruby gave their own consent, Neptune took the seat and picked up Blake's cards. "Is this the game where each player takes a kingdom and tries to conquer Remnant?"

Yang nodded. "Yeah. You ever played before?"

"Once or twice," he replied, shifting through the cards uncertainly and reading each description. "I played a couple times but I don't think I ever got the full hang of it."

"Don't worry," Yang assured, smothering a conspiratorial grin. "I'll go easy on you. Blake was playing Vale so take your time."

And while he did that, Yang would be using her time to pick out her strategy on how to crush this last pocket of resistance. Ruby and Weiss were as good as finished with token forces remaining. The only obstacle left was Vale and Neptune was quickly proving to be a true newbie by examining one card front-to-back, inadvertently flashing its identity for all to see. Wasn't bad but not great either which gave Yang further confidence to attack. She was out of trap cards anyway.

Yang selected one of the cards she took from Ruby's hand. Hot Drop: a high-altitude drop of whatever selection of ground forces a player had on hand. It was a powerful asset for Mistral players as their ground forces were much more fearsome than the plentiful androids of Atlas players. "Ready?"

"Yeah, I guess so," Neptune replied with a shrug.

Already celebrating her victory, Yang began her attack. "So your demise will begin with Hot Drop!" Setting that card down, she plucked the miniatures that represented her Mistral warriors and performed an exaggerated arcing of her arm to mimic such a drop that landed them smack dab in the center of Vale. "With this, I'll be able to strike right in the middle of your army!"

Ruby emitted an 'Ooooooh' and Yang took pleasure of the understood peril. Weiss didn't seem to get it but she was Weiss so who cares? And Neptune-

He was flipping over a facedown card that Yang hadn't seen him place and he no longer appeared unsure. Grinning knowingly, he announced, "Trap card."

When he and Sun shared a high-five, Yang had this odd feeling that told her that she had just been played.


"Brothers of the White Fang! Why are you aiding this scum?"

Blake left her friends behind, taking the stairs to the ground floor to reach the exit. Her hidden cat ears caught an aggravated noise that belonged to Yang with laughter and cheers following. Blake paused at the door, waiting until it all died down, and then pushed her way through the threshold.

Roman craned his neck as best as he could with her sword at his throat so that he could sneer at her. "The White Fang and I are going in on a joint business venture together."

It was getting late, the sun nearing the horizon with the fading light creating more prominent orange rays that slipped through the surrounding buildings. Beneath the longer shadows that were cast, students walked and chatted amongst themselves. Mixed with the earthly browns of Beacon uniforms were the darker variants of Haven students who traveled all the way from Mistral. Those hailing from the harsher environment of Atlas wore white long sleeve shirts and gray wool jackets to combat the cold while students of Vacuo compensated for the heat of their homeland with a mix of casual clothing that was devoid of uniformity unlike their fellows.

A breeze wafted through, billowing out her hair. While brushing aside the strands to keep them out of her eyes, her fingers played along the fabric of her bow. She looked up, inspecting the clouds high above.

And the armed Bullheads that hovered overhead, jet wash blasting down from their engines. Their side hatches were open, exposing the large number of faunus who stood within their holds. All of them were equipped with swords or rifles and all of them wore hoods over their heads. Beneath them were the iron masks with the slits for eyes and the fangs that pointed down beneath the cheek guards.

She started walking through the courtyard, merging into the student traffic. What she left behind at the library she was now in the thick of as she listened to passing conversations. The amount made most a jumbled mess but at certain points she would catch a clear snippet.

"Aren't you hot in that thing?"

"You're from Vacuo, right? What are the Nefertitis like compared to our Taijitu?"

"The only way they'll learn is if we show every last one of them the folly of ever believing that they were superior to us!" came the declaration, the glowing red detailing of the mask making his words and appearance more sinister.

"Malva!"

Blake searched for the source of the call to find that another was doing the same thing; a girl of pale purple hair, clad in the uniform of a Beacon student. She appeared startled at finding herself being all but tackled by another student, this one wearing plain shorts and a t-shirt, who seized her in a hug. It transformed into joy when they pulled away and she could see the features of her supposed attacker. "Trino? You didn't tell me you were coming!"

Now it was her who was initiating another hug and Blake could see that the sleeves of her brown blazer were rolled up so that the line of purple feathers along her forearms were left free, lines of turquoise forming pretty designs along their surfaces. How the feathers bristled with excitement gave them a hypnotic effect.

"I wanted it to be a surprise! I got here last night with the rest of my school!" the other girl – Trino – informed. Unlike Malva, she didn't have a bird-like trait or any animal trait at all for that matter. But she was still smiling and she was taking Malva's hand to pull her along to a small group of what had to be more Vacuo students who were watching with interest. "Come on, I want to introduce you to my team!"

"We've made no difference," he said years before, just a child but his words carried the resentment that would follow him into adulthood.

"Ah, Miss Belladonna!"

The faunus was happening to cross in front of the entrance to one of the buildings that housed a number of lecture halls, one of which was reserved for their Grimm Studies course. Their professor stepped out right into her path and she was about to silently walk around until the greeting got her to stop and meet the squinting gaze beneath those bushy brows. "Hello, Professor Port."

"A fine evening, is it not?" he inquired cheerfully.

She tried to match his smile and knew she was coming up short. "That it is."

"All this young blood, such promise of each from every corner of the world!" he boasted, admiring the mixture of students. "Truly inspiring!"

"That it is," she repeated although remembering the feathered faunus and her reunion with an old friend gave it a bit more strength.

"A sight it will be to see them working together in the coming missions, defending a kingdom that isn't their own but will prosper under their combined guardianship! I give thanks every year when I'm gifted with the opportunity to see how promising the future will be in the hands of such capable students! Though, not to diminish their worth, a few words from the old and wise like myself surely deserves some credit!"

Blake didn't reply but not to avoid feeding his trademark self-admiration. She was watching her professor expectantly, anticipating and even wanting him to make even a vague mentioning of what it is that could be awaiting them in terms of their future duty.

It didn't happen, the quizzical twitching of that moustache occurring instead before he asked, "Is there something the matter, my dear? A fine evening such as this, with so many teams welcoming and interacting with one another, it seems inappropriate for you to be wandering alone!"

Blake shook her head, hiding her disappointment. "I was with my team earlier at the library with a couple students from Haven Academy. I just thought I'd go back to the dorm early. We have your class tomorrow, don't we?"

"That you do, and I can see why you would want to get all the rest you can for it!" Her deflection seemed to work. "I have quite an exciting tale selected for tomorrow that I'm sure you'll learn a valuable lesson from!"

"Right." Using the opening, Blake went on her way. "Goodnight, professor."

"Goodnight to you too! And remember: stay vigilant!"

I seem to be the only one who is, she silently rebuked. It subdued the excited buzz of students who were meeting and even reuniting with individuals far from their homes and Blake made sure to avoid any more interactions for the rest of the journey to the dormitory. With everyone outside, there were only a few students in the common room and when she passed them and made her way up to her team's floor, she found the quieter interior to be more fitting.

But when she entered her team's room, she found everything to be disturbingly quiet and still with the empty and motionless bunks being the worst. It led her to opening the large window, letting the air in to rustle blankets and curtains, providing minimal activity, and then she took a seat in the middle of her bed. The coming of night was making the air increasingly chilly but she didn't draw up the covers for protection. She drew her knees up in their place with her arms encircling and pressing them tight against her chest.

She wished that she could remain this way: closing herself off from the dangers as she did to the cold. She wished that she could be like her friends who were enjoying their time here, immersing themselves with simple games and getting to know new friends. All of them happy and unworried.

Except her. She had been close to doing so before, willing to leave all her troubles behind and make the most out of the new life she was developing. But that was when she thought she managed to separate herself with thousands of miles between her and the White Fang. The small signs of the organization's influence in Vale she believed she could ignore until she realized they were preceding hints to the invasion that now had her former comrades firmly within the city of Vale.

Questioning whether she was going to fight them or not was pointless. She knew she was willing to fight them and had done so previously, taking up Gambol Shroud against them despite how her blades had once been forged and wielded in their service.

No, fighting them wasn't the problem. The problem was whether or not she was going to do so alone.

Once she was assured that she still had a place at Beacon and within Team RWBY, Blake allowed herself to believe that everything was going to be okay for the first time in her life. She had a cause she could fight for again, had friends, teammates, even a girl she loved who she trusted to be there for her, including whatever future battles were sure to come. The White Fang were here and Blake knew from experience that they were going to come back, stronger and more vicious than ever. Any setbacks were answered with more violence and, after what she had seen at the docks, they were steadily growing with more weapons and numbers.

And then there was Torchwick.

Never had the White Fang allied themselves with a human and the scene she saw that night spoke of more than just allying themselves with him: they were following him. Obeying him. All for this 'business venture' that Blake knew nothing about but was apparently enough to gain their obedience.

They were planning something. What it was she had no idea but it had to be big. And all that her team was doing was sitting around and enjoying themselves, continuing their days as if nothing happened. She didn't think anything of it at first. After what they had all gone through, they deserved a break. But it was weeks now and not one person had uttered so much as a word about what could be going on.

She wanted to be the one to say something. She desperately wanted to get them to focus and figure out just what it was the White Fang was planning.

But…

Yang was screaming, struggling in her grip as Blake tried to hold her back. Ahead of them were their teammates, Weiss on her knees and clinging to Ruby's limp body, blood staining her hands and clothing.

Three days later and Blake was watching the reverse through a door partially open. Beyond it, Weiss was in tears, exhausted and broken, and Ruby held her in a tight embrace from her position on her hospital bed.

Did she really want to be the one to launch them back into the fray with the chance of repeating those scenes?

She couldn't ignore it. She spent nearly her entire life ignoring and going with the changing tides of the White Fang without saying a word and hoping for the best despite the growing body count. She may not have been able to change their eventual course, being so young at the time, but maybe she could've done something to prevent or delay their descent into greater butchery.

She couldn't do the same here. Not when she had Beacon. Not when she had RWBY and everyone else that she came to truly care about. There was still hope here.

Blake had been sitting on her bunk contemplating her choices long enough for day to fully change into night. A hidden cat ear reflexively angled to the door at hearing the knob turning. The door was flung open, a flash of yellow going on through, and then there came the annoyed, "We should've never let him play!"

Her red sibling was next, stopping and smiling at her side. "You're just mad 'cause the new guy beat you."

Alone or together? Blake silently wondered as a white form entered, completing RWBY's lineup.

"See, if you had just attacked when I told you, none of this would've happened," Ruby added.

A need to distance herself from the ongoing happiness of her teammates convinced Blake that it was a question she didn't want answered yet. Or maybe that in itself was the answer: to take the fight and the consequences on her own and protect their happiness for as long as possible until there came the day when they would all be forced to participate in it. Either way, Blake was standing and heading to the door, doing her best to avoid any kind of contact but failed almost immediately when, instead of responding to Ruby, she saw Yang turn to look at her, annoyance switching with concern and the faunus had a feeling that she was about to be drawn into a confrontation that would decide RWBY's future.

"Stop."

But it wasn't Yang who did it.


Weiss's firm command was enough to keep Blake from leaving. Her eyes fixed on her teammate's back, she spoke accusingly, "Lately you've been quiet, anti-social, and moody."

It was rallying the support of the others, Yang and Ruby shifting to regard Blake worriedly as well. Having been reaching for the door, Blake stopped and glanced over her shoulder, hand slowly falling away from it.

"I get that it's kind of your thing," Weiss went on, the corners of her lips raising a degree in silent victory as Blake rotated to fully address her, "but you've been doing it more than usual which, quite frankly, is unacceptable." She smoothed them into a thin line. "You made a promise to me – to all of us – that you would let us know when something was wrong."

She didn't need her previous training of observation to spot tells or weak points in a competitor's disposition to exploit in negotiations as Blake wasn't putting up a fight. The darker-themed girl was bowing her head, eyes closing as if this was something that she had known was coming and was doing nothing to prevent it.

Weiss took advantage of it. She crossed her arms over her chest, reinforcing her favorable position over Blake as she finished off with, "So, Blake Belladonna. What. Is. Wrong?"

It was something that Weiss had noticed and decided that now was the perfect time to confront the faunus about it. It was just them in their dorm room, with no one to get in the way or intervene. It was a team matter and one that Weiss wanted to make sure would be settled here and now.

And, yes, she made sure to check that the last flight to Vale had already left. There's no escape this time, Blake.

The heiress wasn't going to allow a repeat.

When Team RWBY reunited after the debacle that followed Blake running from them on a night like this, Weiss had forgiven her faunus teammate. Well, to be more precise, she agreed on putting their past differences behind them. As righteous as Weiss had originally believed herself to be, she could admit that, overtime, she began to realize and accept that there was some guilt to be found on her side of the war concerning her family's company and how it was run, such as when it came to the faunus people. However, although her need for retribution had been quelled and replaced with another to see her leader and team come back together, she wasn't stupid.

The White Fang were still out there which made them a problem. Other than the obvious thinking that those radicals being here meant that their crimes were only just beginning, there was a different kind of problem that Weiss made sure to be watchful for and spotted with Blake. Ruby and Yang she suspected might feel compelled to act but it was Blake in particular who deserved the most attention.

After all, when it came to the White Fang, it was something that the two of them shared: a need to do something about them. The difference between them was that Weiss had tried and given up while Blake needed some convincing if what Weiss suspected was true.

She got her answer as soon as Blake sighed and gave it to them. "I just…I don't understand how everyone can be so calm."

There it is, Weiss identified.

"You're still thinking about Torchwick?" Ruby asked for clarification.

"Torchwick, the White Fang - all of it!" Blake's gaze went to each of them but Weiss made sure to show that her position was indomitable. "Something big is happening and no one is doing anything about it!"

"Ozpin told us not to worry," Yang said. "Between the police and the Huntsmen, I'm sure they can handle it."

Weiss nodded to show her support, quietly thanking Yang and relieved that her suspicions were correct. After what nearly happened to Ruby, Weiss suspected that Yang would be as willing to let the real professionals work instead of attempting to do it themselves.

"Well I'm not!" Blake argued. "They don't know the White Fang like I do!"

Weiss held up a hand to show her turn to speak and, hopefully, put an early but definite end to this discussion. "Okay, between blowing up night clubs, stopping thieves, and fighting for freedom, I'm sure the three of you think you're all ready to go out and apprehend these ne'er-do-wells. But let me be the voice of reason." It was her turn to look to the others. "We're students. We're not ready to handle this sort of situation."

There: simple and reasonable.

"Well, yeah, but-"

Weiss snapped her head to this word of resistance and seeing that it was Ruby who was speaking up had her raising her voice a bit more than she intended as she repeated, "We're not ready!"

"And we may never be ready!" Blake shouted and pointed to the open window. "Our enemies aren't just going to sit around and wait for graduation day! They're out there, somewhere, planning their next move, and none of us know what it is but it's coming!" Making sure to single out Weiss, she ended, "Whether we're ready…or not."

Weiss remained impassive, refusing to budge even if Blake's words stirred that ambition that she formerly held. She knew too well what Blake was feeling as she felt it all her life when she had been locked safely away in the Schnee manor while those associated with her name were murdered by the White Fang. Alone in her room, she had been afraid and helpless throughout her childhood.

Those miserable years also bred something else: hatred. Rage. A terrible yearning for revenge that grew and grew. It drove her to taking up the sword while her studies of business were swapped out with those of fighting in order to bring her into a position where she would be able to repay death with death. It was like poison coursing through her veins; a scalding dose of malice with the cure being the blood of the White Fang.

And in her pursuit for it, she nearly lost what had become precious to her.

"Ruby almost died last time," Weiss quietly said. "We did before what you're asking now: to fight a terrorist organization that's already killed plenty of humans and a wanted criminal who nearly killed her. You understand this, don't you?"

It was a low blow but one that Weiss wasn't ashamed of using. Blake wasn't unfazed by it, the passion abandoning her as she stared towards their leader.

"We're not ready," she repeated again. "This is beyond us. Let the police and the actual Huntsmen and Huntresses take care of this. If we have to fight, then we should do it when we have to. Not before."

That appeared to do it, Blake's shoulders slumping in defeat. Weiss took no joy in it. She wasn't doing this to humiliate her. She was doing this to protect her. To protect all of them.

There came a touch at her arm. "Weiss, I think we should do this."

Weiss jerked around. "Ruby, didn't you hear what I just said?"

Her partner nodded solemnly. "I did but Blake's right. I saw them at the docks. Torchwick and the White Fang are clearly up to something bad and a lot of people could get hurt. If there's some way that we can find out and prevent what they're doing, it's our duties as Huntresses to do so."

"Huntresses-in-training," Weiss emphasized. "We're still in the middle of our first year with three more to go. Even then, we don't have any of the experience that real Huntresses possess. What can we possibly do that they or a regular police officer can't do?"

"I was one of them," Blake replied, Ruby's assistance bringing her back. "I know their habits and how they work. We can use that to find out where they meet and plan to get information about what they're doing."

Having been mostly quiet, Yang took the opportunity to speak up. "I have my own sources. I can't do anything with the White Fang but I might be able to find clues about Torchwick." Her fingers curled into fists. "If we can't get anything from the Fang, I'll make sure we get something out of him."

"That's unless they get us instead," Weiss countered. "We can't just rush into this like we did last time."

Ruby squeezed her arm. "We won't. This'll be different. We'll be working together and doing this as a team. Right now we're just going to get information and find out what they're planning. If it becomes too dangerous, we'll tell Ozpin and let him and the others take care of it."

She didn't know if it was how sensible it sounded or the comforting weight on her person that inspired that part of her heart that was Ruby to settle her misgivings. Whatever the case, Weiss found her unyielding position crumbling not only against those steadfast silvers that had found her in the Emerald Forest and gone on to save her but also due to the combined efforts of the gathering of who were now her closest and only friends.

"You almost died," she nearly whispered.

Ruby smiled weakly. "And if we don't do this, a lot of other people can die instead. If Torchwick gets away with whatever he's planning and there could've been something that we could've done to stop it, I don't think I could ever think of myself as a Huntress. We're students, but that doesn't mean we should wait to help others if we're able to help them now and I can't do it without my best teammate."

It was almost exactly how Weiss thought of it when she chose her own path of revenge. Wanting to protect people from the White Fang, believing that she was the only one who could do so, but it was different here. Ruby wasn't doing it for revenge or acting out of anger when she had every right to do so after what almost happened to her. Torchwick and those he was working with were just criminals who needed to be stopped. This close, through the connection they shared, all Weiss got from Ruby was a strong sense of purpose to do what she came to Beacon to learn how to do that went beyond killing monsters.

There was also an equally strong sense of trust. Ruby didn't want to do this alone. This was not solely her battle but that of her team's and she wanted them all with her.

Weiss didn't have to say it when she agreed. Much like how she could feel so much of Ruby at this moment, her partner did the same and she stepped back, removing her hand from Weiss in order to better address her teammates with a confident grin, trying to lighten up the mood as the proposed, "All in favor of becoming the youngest Huntresses to single-handedly bring down a corrupt organization conspiring against the kingdom of Vale, say 'aye'!"

Yang was instantly in favor. "Yes!" To Blake, she said, "I love it when you're feisty!"

Weiss sighed, accepting her loss. "Well, I suppose it could be fun." She didn't have connections to the criminal underworld or the White Fang, but she did have one of the richest and most influential Dust companies with her name literally on it. She had to admit, maybe the odds weren't as stacked as she originally feared.

"…None of you said 'aye'," Ruby muttered disappointedly.

"Alright then." A rejuvenated Blake smiled with relief. "We're in this together."

"Let's hatch a plan!"

"Yeah!" Yang cheered.

Ruby then gasped. "I left my board game in the library!"

Weiss slapped her palm against her forehead. "We're doomed."


Ruby ran out through her team's door, shouting over her shoulder while running. "I'll be right back!"

Facing forward, any plans of toppling radical groups and jailing criminals were done away with as Ruby thought of how she just replaced all the miniatures she was missing a few days ago in preparation for her planned team game night. If she reached the library and saw that someone stole her game then she would-

A figure in black was right in front of her and Ruby ran into them. They proved to be sturdier with Ruby bouncing off and landing on her butt. It was from that position that she looked to see who she ran into, an apology already prepared. "Oh, sorry! Are…you okay?"

"I'm fine." They held out a hand to her while smiling reassuringly. "Just watch where you're going."

"Oh, right." Ruby chuckled nervously and accepted the help. "Sorry."

Once she got back on her feet, she discovered that she was actually in the presence of two students. The one she ran into – a dark-skinned girl with red eyes and mint green hair – and a tall boy with silver-gray hair and eyes.

"I'm Ruby," she introduced herself and took an interest in their black uniforms. "Are you…new?"

"Visiting from Haven, actually," replied a third person and the first girl stepped aside to reveal a second behind her, wearing the same gray and black checkered skirt along with the black jacket.

Haven… Ruby mentally repeated. Isn't that the school where Sun and Neptune said they were from? These must be classmates of theirs then; more students from Mistral.

The young leader took in the features of the other girl. Her skin was a much lighter shade but her hair was darker, hanging over the front of her shoulder and falling down to her chest. Long bangs obscured her left eye but the right was visible, showing its narrower appearance and the amber color of her iris. Ruby was reminded of Blake's eyes but while the faunus's were brighter and more akin to gold, this one was tarnished with a duller orange coloring.

Have we…met before? She didn't know why but Ruby found something familiar about this girl. She tried to think if she had so much as seen her before but as hard as she tried she couldn't think of such an instance. She just said she was from Haven so…

Maybe she was thinking of someone else.

"Oooh, you're here for the festival!" Ruby realized. "But exchange students have their own dormitory."

"I guess we just got turned around," the boy said.

"Don't worry, happens all the time!" Ruby could remember her own difficulties at finding her way around Beacon when she first arrived. Wanting to help, she tried to remember where she heard the dormitories were for visiting students, eventually settling on gesturing to the right of the hallway. "Uh, your building is just east of here."

The boy and the girl she ran into were already walking by to follow her directions but the other lingered, giving Ruby a friendly smile of appreciation. "Thanks. Maybe we'll see you around."

"Yeah, maybe." It was while watching them leave that Ruby remembered her manners. "Oh!" She waved after them. "And welcome to Beacon!" Once they were gone, the retrieval of her game board regained importance and Ruby went to the stairs. As she descended down them, she mentally summed up her interactions with those three Mistral students.

They seemed nice.


Author's Note: If there's one thing I remember coming out from this episode, it was the immediate dislike of Neptune and how the White Rosers saw their ship being fired upon. Now, was I annoyed at the apparent 'this guy magically appears and Weiss is immediately attracted to him'? Yes. Did I hate Neptune? No. Definitely one of the biggest weaknesses in Volume 2 was what was carried over from Volume 1: they just stuff things in there and leave little room to really explore. This goes double for characters and that was what I disliked.

After writing that scene with Neptune, I kind of find him a bit more interesting now. In the commentary, the thing the writers wanted to go for with Neptune was that he is in fact a nerd but is embarrassed by it and tries hard to put up his cool façade to hide it. That side was definitely weakly delivered, especially later on when he turns down Weiss because he can't dance and no other insight into his character is really given. I kind of hope that little thing with him and Ruby I added helps with that just a little. As for Weiss expressing an interest in him, again, looking at it from Yang's perspective, I find it a bit more believable. I have my own little rant planned concerning pairings and my views on the characters several chapters later but one thing that the writers did that I loved was how they did Weiss and how she spends the volume acting more like the teenaged girl that she is and is now being allowed to be.

Neptune - going by my own personal experience in my middle-high school days, mind you - was that kind of guy that the girls – I repeat, going by my own personal experience – went for during that phase where boy bands were the popular thing to obsess over as well as boys going with whatever fashion craze was currently in style no matter how ridiculous it may seem. If anything, the more ridiculous, the better it was. That's what I see here and considering this is Weiss we're talking about, she's going to be intrigued as I believe Neptune is far from anything like the boys and, potentially, suitors who went after her previously. So her attraction is understandable.

Brain: BUT IT'S ONLY A PHASE! SHE'LL GET OVER IT! WHITE ROSE FORE-GAH!

*hits head to quiet self*Anyway, that does it for this chapter. Hope you enjoyed what I did change here and there, specifically Weiss's resistance to fighting Torchwick and the White Fang. Obviously my Soulbound Weiss will be very reluctant and it helped that canon Weiss was the one who voiced objections to RWBY's plans. This will be playing more of a role later on with our favorite heiress and her favorite dolt. Next chapter is another that I'm a little uncertain with. A bit more world-building but I think it's going to be another one that'll be following mostly what occurs in the episode with me expanding and adding things when I believe it to be necessary. Make no mistake though, it'll be after A Minor Hiccup where I'll begin taking more liberties. Yang running into Junior is going to turn out to be a little more informative than what occurred in the actual episode and when we get to the White Fang rally…well…you'll have to wait and see. After that, and we'll be getting into chapters that will be wholly my own design.