Chapter 9: Hatching the Plan

(Beacon) (Library)

Haa… first day of the new semester and things were already boring.

Jaune wanted to shout that out loud but considering where he was at the time, he thought it would be best to keep it to himself. What in the world does math and literature have anything to do of becoming a Hunter? I mean sure, he understands the need for tactical or strategy training from time to time, but seriously… numbers? What are they gonna do? Bore the Grimms to death? Because it certainly was doing that to him. Seriously… he expected the first day of the 2nd semester to be better, more exciting, but instead it was just more learning. More of books rather than actual combat.

Where's a White Fang attack when you need one?

Jaune let out a groan when he tore through the first pages of math. Pyrrha offered to tutor him till he gets his grades back up but he declined saying that it was better if he figured it out on his own. Besides, he had the pride of being a leader. Asking your teammate to help you with something so trivial will shatter his respect with his peers.

As the boy scoured the literature section of the library looking for books that involved some measure of history, he thought that he could just duck from his friends for a while and catch a little snooze on his own. Pyrrha and Ren's grades were probably at the top of their class so there were no worries about them. Nora on the other hand seemed to be doing ok and therefore had less to worry about than food. Team RWBY of course didn't really seem to care much. Either they were confident with their skills or they didn't care since they seem to be busy playing a good game of Remnant.

"Haa…" The boy sighed looking at all the big covers. He knew that it would take days just to finish one of these giant literature books. How anyone can ready through them at such a speed should earn him a credit or two.

Tracing his hand on the pages, Jaune was alerted to a familiar scene playing behind the bookshelves. A pair of bunny ears poked out of the back wiggling themselves as if they expressing a measure of irritation and excitement. There was only one person—or Faunus he knew that had those ears and the only one who would be carrying a large stack of books despite her low strength.

Taking a peek from the opposite end, Jaune immediately recall the girl and smiled before quickly pulling a book from her stack. "You never learn, do you?"

"Jaune!" Velvet grinned back at him, a joyful tone from her voice as if she was looking at an old friend that stopped by. But before she could continue, she quickly lost balance tipping her already weakened frame.

"Whoa, easy there." The boy cheerfully caught her, pulling her back up before she hit the floor. "Tell me if I'm wrong, but this is looking kind of familiar." She laughed genuinely, shaking her head in reply. "Need help with your books?"

"They're kind of heavy, Jaune."

"That's exactly why I'm asking." He countered back which made the rabbit Faunus blush in embarrassment. "Come on. I won't touch your ears this time. Scouts honor. God knows what happened the last time I did that in the library."

Velvet turned a shade of pink recalling that event like it happened yesterday. Despite the fact that their first encounter wasn't exactly perfect, she had to admit that it was because of that unexpected incident that led their initial friendship. She and Jaune had met a few times after that incident, occasionally passing a glance here and there before they became fast friends. Apparently, the boy's ignorance of the whole Faunus war and much of history itself was a boon seeing as he had no hatred for her people.

Velvet considered Jaune a friend and a good one at that. He was kind, sweet and often brave even though he hardly acts the part. The boy was there for her just like her team was, whenever she needed them and they grew close, enough to be good friends.

"So… how many books did you borrow from the library this time?"

"Twelve." She answered him as the boy took one book after another from her stacked up pile. "I'm just returning the ones I borrowed from the library. Since classes officially start today, I'll have less time to read most of them. Not to mention we'll be going on a mission in a few days."

Mission?

"Oh right. 2nd Year students get to go on official missions with Hunters." Jaune recalled the curriculum in his head. "That's so cool."

Velvet chuckled looking at the boy like a kid who was looking at a hero. "Trust me, Jaune. It's not as glamorous as it sounds. The kinds of missions we do are a lot farther from the kingdom's borders which could take days or weeks and that also mean more dangerous assignments."

"I know. But still you gotta give it props. Unlike we first years, we only get to shadow real Hunters. It must feel pretty awesome to actually do REAL Hunter work out there. Fighting bad guys, protecting the people, going on long adventures with your team. Ah… what I wouldn't give for a chance like that."

"It sounds like you already did." The little Faunus stated, a small smirk on her lips. "I heard about what happened at the docks. You and your friends were all over the news."

"Oh… that." Jaune turned his head down dejected. "Well, don't believe everything you hear on the news. I didn't exactly help that much. But man… I'd do anything for a chance to prove myself out there. On a mission with no one to rely on but your team and yourself. It sounds like an awesome adventure."

"Don't rush Jaune." Velvet reassured him, patting his shoulder in comfort. "Your time will come and when it does, we'll be sure to celebrate. Just be sure to pay attention to your classes. And who knows? We might end up working together one day."

"That'll be the day."

"I'm sure we'll get together soon enough." Velvet stated with a laugh. She almost felt a tug of sadness in her chest when she realized they arrived at the return-books counter. "Thanks for your help again Jaune. I seriously couldn't have made it here without you."

"Meh. You would." He returned with a cheerful grin almost like he recited that line a few times, which made her laugh. "Maybe not as stylish. Besides, it's the least you could do after you gave me that mint condition comic. I still can't believe you actually found a limited addition X-ray and Vav volume 1. You can make a small fortune with the right collector. They even had their pictures one time with Pumpkin Pete's Marshmallow Flakes box."

Velvet returned a chuckle seeing the boy turned from a grand warrior to a kid in a blink of an eye. "Well I'm glad you liked it. I'm a bit of a goof when it comes to presents so you'll have to direct your thanks to my friend. He runs a bookstore at the commercial district. I can introduce you to him if you want."

"If he has anymore comics, then I'm sold." The boy added placing the books in order on the counter. "I haven't had a good chance to explore the city since I came here and going with someone might be fun."

"Great. Then how about tomorrow after school? We can meet up at the Bullhead landing pad. I'll be more than happy to show you around the city."

Jaune beamed. "It's a date. I'll see ya then." With that last wave, Velvet departed, but not before Jaune noted her face turning redder by the second. He wondered if his eyes were playing tricks or perhaps his mental state was deteriorating due to all the studying he's been doing because for a moment he actually thought he saw her blushing.

Nah… that wouldn't be possible… would it?

"Hey Jaune!" A loud booming yet indistinguishable voice forced the boy from his short train of thoughts, making him turn to whoever was causing the ruckus. Already, Jaune could see a number of heads turning from their original task towards the source which just so happens to be a certain monkey Faunus who looked like he was on a vacation. Beside him stood another boy his age with blue hair that was easily discernable from the crowd.

"Sun?" Jaune recognized the Faunus almost immediately when he came to view. He was a difficult man to forget considering the impression he gave on their first meeting. "What are you doing here?"

"The official answer to that is that we're visiting from Vacuo." The primate answered giving a gesture of a smoking gun. "But to be honest I just wanted to see what all the fuss was about in Beacon. Seriously, this school is like on everybody's top 10 lists and I mean everybody. I mean… what's so special about this place? It's a school just like every other Huntsman Academy in the world. Am I right?"

"I… don't really know how to answer that question." Jaune tilted his head in reply.

"That's cool. Not like I expected anyone to know the answer to that." Sun shrugged before turning to his companion who seemed to look like his Hunting partner. "Oh and before I forget. Let me introduce you to my friend."

The tall, cerulean haired pretty boy tilted his chin up to Jaune as if he was giving a gangster like greeting. "Hey there. The name's Neptune. Sun told me about you and your little incident at the docks. He spoke highly of you, which is pretty unusual. Nice to meet you Jaune."

"Likewise." The young knight answered rubbing his head shyly. "But really… I didn't really do anything. I got knocked out in the end and everyone else did all the fighting."

"Ah don't be a sourpuss." Sun argued. "You totally had that Torchwick guy on the ropes when you called down your Rocket Locker. Pretty sweet."

"You mean, reckless." Neptune corrected.

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

"Ah keke. Intellectual." Again he corrected much to the Monkey boy's dismay.

"So Jaune. Where are Blake and the others? I thought I saw them come through here. I wanted to introduce my friend to them."

"You mean you're just looking for an excuse to talk to that girl you met in town the other day?"

"Alright, you asked for it!"

(Courtyard)

Nora Valkyrie, the most energetic of all her peers, let out a happy glee that afternoon as she rode piggy-back style on Ren's shoulders. The back of her partner was so soft that she easily snuggled her face on his hair just to get the scent of his shampoo on her nose. Ren didn't really mind. He's been doing this as long as he could remember. Nora has been by his side, always there to brighten up his day.

At first, Ren thought that things would change when they arrived at Beacon but it seems like he was wrong on that part. Nora stuck with him like a slug on wood, never releasing until it was absolutely necessary. In the beginning Ren thought of it to be rather embarrassing too. Whenever they walked out in public in such a manner people would turn their heads looking at them in a funny manner, some out of amusement, some out of born jealousy at times. Some of the teachers even tilted their heads to such a display of affection.

But soon enough, it became an everyday occurrence for the residents of Beacon. Eventually they just pass it off telling visitors that it was just another one of the 'things to see in Beacon Academy'.

"Nora. You know you can walk on your own, right?"

"Emm hmm…" The orangette hummed back cheerfully as she continued to snuggle on the boy not really caring for the audience around them.

"So why are you riding on my back again?"

"Because I like it." She answered, tugging her face to his uniform. "And it's way softer than an Ursa and you don't stab like a Death Stalker."

The boy sighed. Normally he would attempt to push the girl away out of embarrassment, but knowing that Nora would just stick to him like glue, he stopped making the attempt. "I know that you like doing this when we were kids, but you could hold back just a little bit."

"What's the matter Renny?" She cooed playfully to his ear. "Aww… don't tell me that you're embarrassed. Don't worry. I'll still be your besty best friend!"

"No… I was just thinking that you got a lot heavier since the last time we did this."

Nora gasped in fright almost to the point of releasing her partner from her tight grip. "What!? Are you telling me I'm fat!? I will not accept that! I'll let you know I've only had two settings of your pancake this week followed by a regiment of training. I will never accept the fact that I, your partner, have grown fat!"

"I don't know Nora. You do look like you've been putting on some weight. Maybe you should stop with your midnight snack feasts."

"Absolutely not!" She feverishly rejected the thought. "Midnight snacks are like the greatest of all snack times. Followed by regular snack time, after training snacks, cookies before studying, during class snacks… and maybe a little bit of tea. Now that one I don't mind."

"How about you go on a diet for a while?"

"Gasp! You dare say the D-word! That is blasphemy! Heretics and blasphemers must be punished! Prepare for thy reward thall thee reap!"

"What does that even meahhh!" Ren found his answer firsthand when Nora began tickling him making the boy wiggle on the road with a few expensive tools on hand. "Nora! Stop! Don't tickle! These are really fragile stuff! I can't drop them here and… bwahh!" Thankfully, Ren was saved by an unsuspecting pair of hands which pushed him and Nora back to balance. "Sorry about that. My friend and I were goofing around and… are you ok?"

Emerald waved his worries off, not really feeling the impact. "I'm fine. Just watch where you're going next time." Mercury, who stood beside her, simply scoffed at the thought.

Ren's eyes sharpened at the new pair the moment he noticed their uniforms. With some insight, the boy could immediately tell that these two were warriors. Their build, their strength and their gaze all tell that they were bred for combat.

"Pardon me for saying this but… are you two new?" Ren openly asked putting a grip of caution. "You don't look like students."

"We're just visiting." Mercury answered folding his arms together not liking the boy's tone. "From Haven."

Nora blinked in realization. "Ohh! You two must be here for the festival. Are you gonna be joining in the tournament too? That would be awesome!"

"Maybe." Emerald replied avoiding the question. "Anyway… we're looking for the administration building. You two wouldn't happen to know where that is, would you?"

"Oh sure we do!" Nora gleefully returned pointing in the general direction of the building. "It's that big tower over there next to the library. Just take a right from this courtyard, go pass the gnawing Ursas, sneak pass the King Taiju and up the Nevermore Mountain and you'll be at your destination!"

"The what?"

"Ignore her." Ren interjected covering his partner's mouth before she says anymore to confuse the two. "Just follow the signs here and it'll lead you to it."

However a third voice intervened, giving thanks to the boy's directions. "Thanks… that helps us considerably."

A cold chill ran down Ren's back as a third presence made itself aware in the group. He turned his head around only to find a dark haired woman who wore the same outfit as Emerald, her deep gold eyes piercing his soul like a predator looking down on its prey trying to decide whether to cook its meal or savor it for later. How did she approach him without his senses noticing?

"No problem!" Nora on the other hand only replied with the same gleeful attitude as the trio walked passed them. "Oh and welcome to Beacon ya scallywags! This here be our territory! Arrrr!"

Ren gulped his saliva as he darted his gaze at the backs of those three. He heard that students from the other kingdoms would be arriving today. The various warships and shuttles that have been flying in and out all day were signs of their arrival. All of them were supposed to be Hunter trainees who wanted to benefit from the Vytal Festival. It was a common thing to happen to promote peace between the four kingdoms.

But those three however… didn't feel like students. No… they were far from it. They felt like something else. Something sinister… something…

Something dangerous…

"They looked like nice people." Nora added which made her partner sigh in return. "Was it something I said?"

(Headmaster's office)

Ozpin rubbed the temple on his head that afternoon as he sat on his comfortable reclining chair looking out the window. He used to love looking out that window of his. To see the students go upon their daily lives was an absolute joy to him. He should know since he used to be one of them a long time ago.

But now… thanks to the number of warships that a certain friend of his brought with him, he was beginning to wonder if it was ok to take out some funds from the school's budget to get some drapes over his window. The sight of their massive cannons, the crew that manned them and the armaments they brought along became somewhat of an eyesore.

He just had a meaningful if somewhat useless conversation with the Headmaster of Atlas and the General of the Atlesian military in this very office. As one could tell, that exchange of dialogues didn't exactly go very well… or at least… not as well as Ozpin hoped it would. He knew that James was a war-mongering sort and he knew that he didn't bring his entire military force here without good reason. The man was genuinely worried about his fellow countrymen and friends alike but the way he presented his solution left a rather… wrong impression about him.

Sure, the Atlesian military here in Vale would certainly deter any sort of invasion no matter how grand. The ships and soldiers that marched on his very doorstep now were once feared and respected in the Great War many years ago and even more so during the Faunus conflict.

Ozpin used to feel a sense of comfort around those ships. He used to look at them with pride seeing that the men and women who piloted these mighty war machines as heroes. But now… now they just pose as dark reminders of a past some people would rather forget.

"I'm guessing your little talk with James didn't go so well?" Glynda assumed, turning to her old friend's side with a fresh cup of coffee in hand which she offered to him.

Ozpin shook his head before accepting. "He's convinced that we're already at war and he doesn't want to be caught unprepared. I understand that his heart is in the right place but his methods… his way of thinking are merely too aggressive for this matter."

"Well what can you do? The man's a soldier… not a Hunter anymore. Besides… he's worried about the safety of others."

"We can handle the safety of others." Ozpin argued.

"But if what Qrow says is true…"

"I will say the same thing as I said to him." The Headmaster replied. "If what Qrow said is true then we will handle it tactfully. It's the Vytal Festival. A time to celebrate unity and peace. So I suggest we not scare people by transporting hundreds of soldiers half way across the continent."

"You know he's only doing this to protect the people."

"Just because his goals are noble doesn't justify his actions." Ozpin argued again. "And for that reason, our Academy will continue to train the best Hunters and Huntresses it can. The last thing we need, is a war on our doorstep."

Glynda could only sigh at him. "You boys… really haven't changed a bit…"

(The next day) (Team RWBY dorm)

Blake gave a heartening look at herself in the mirror as she adjusted her bow, making sure that it wasn't tilting in a funny way. She never thought she'd say this, but she was glad to have a team like RWBY. Even though her leader was two years older younger than any of them, her partner is a hyperactive tease and another member is a Schnee of all people… she had to admit… she never would've been here without them. They were a team and a team sticks together through thick or thin no matter what happens.

It was exactly like Jaune said. All she needed was talk to them and they got around it… eventually. Once she got to pouring out her worries about the White Fang and that Torchwick fellow, the other members agreed that something big was happening and that they only they could grasp how troublesome this situation may be.

It didn't take long for Ruby to suggest that they conduct their own investigations. Though it was just a random throw of the dice, Blake had to say that it was certainly better than doing nothing. The thought of the White Fang still out there plotting their next move frightened her. She didn't want them to turn terrorists and she certainly didn't want any more innocent people getting mixed of their misguided delusion of a world run by Faunus.

So it was decided that they would search for clues. Blake suggested to Weiss to investigate her family's Dust manufacturing company and see if there were any irregularities in their shipment. After seeing an entire Dust cargo unloaded with no guards or drones whatsoever, it seemed likely that someone must be working behind the scene to ensure that these cargos remained unprotected to become easy picking for the White Fang.

Yang told them that she had a contact in the city who so happens to have connections throughout the underground network. Though she was pretty vague about the person, the team didn't ask. Some things were best left a mystery than to have a guilty conscious over it.

Blake on the other hand had one hand to play. Being a 'former' member of the White Fang, she knew how their operations run day in and day out. Once every few weeks, the organization would hold a gathering in several key locations in abandoned neighborhoods to issue out orders and recruit new members. Mostly local Faunus population, who had been mistreated, abused and bullied. Pretty much anyone who had a beef to pick with the human race. And fortunately for Blake, it was easy for other Faunus to disclose the location of their next meet. She would sneak in, gather what information she can and get out. It was a simple task.

"Alright guys. Today is the day!" Ruby declared from the top of her makeshift bunk bed. One could tell that she sounds more excited than anyone else here. "The investigation… BEGINS!"

"I'm glad we're taking this so seriously." Weiss sarcastically remarked unable to tell if her partner was excited to be investigating or just acting the part.

"Hey, we got a plan." Yang pointed out recalling their discussion the other day on what they were doing. Though one could agree that they were just throwing feelers out in the open and see what bites. "That's… moderately serious."

Weiss rolled her eyes but decided to go on the plan nonetheless. Doing something was certainly better than doing nothing and if her family business was involved she needed to put a stop to it before they became synonymous with the White Fang.

"Right. Everyone remember their roles?" The red caped heroine roll called.

The heiress nodded first. "You and I will head to the C.C.T and check the Schnee records for any other Dust robberies or inconsistencies. Seeing as I'm in the family, it shouldn't be a problem." She added that last bit with a bit of arrogance which wasn't surprising to the rest of them.

"The White Fang has regular faction meetings to hand out orders and recruit new members." Blake followed up. "If I can get in, I can hopefully find out what they're planning." It was a long shot seeing as how many locations there were in the city and covering all of them would not be easy but she thought that they had to start somewhere.

"And I have an old friend down the shady side of town that typically knows 'everything' going on in Vale." Yang added recalling a certain bartender whose bar she trashed a little while back. "Getting information out of him shouldn't be too hard."

"Great!" Ruby finished. "We'll meet up tonight near Yang to go over what we've found. Let's do this!"

But before the team could depart on their personal mission, another voice interjected coming from the window. To their surprise and shock, it was that monkey Faunus boy who seemed to be dangling upon a tree branch acting like the creature that he represented.

"Sun!?"

Yang readied her gauntlets just in case it was some pervert who needed a good thrashing but decided to drop them. "Whoa… how did you get up there?"

"Pff. It's easy. I do it all the time." Sun answered shrugging which earned an evil glare from a certain heiress. "I climb trees all the time!" He corrected but not quick enough to earn an even eviler glare from her. "So are you girls finally getting back on that Torchwick guy?"

"We are going to investigate the situation." Blake explained gesturing to her companions. "… as a team."

"Cool. How about we bring that Jaune guy? He seems pretty handy."

But Ruby declined. "Sorry Sun. We don't wanna get friends involved if we don't have to."

"Pfft that's dumb. You should always get friends involved. It's more fun that way. That's why I brought Neptune. Besides, wasn't Jaune already part of whatever it is you guys are investigating? He'll be fun to have."

(Ren's Lab)

"Mwahahahahaha! Mwahahahaha!" Nora laughed in a maniacal manner as lightning struck in the distance. The lights in the room flickered as bubbling noise could be heard from vials and pots and pans that scattered on the table. All the noise that made up a mad scientist's laboratory echoed far and loud. Even the eerie music of an old Vampire castle could be heard playing around with giant woofers adding the extra beats. "Yes! Yes! It's alive! It's alive! More power! More… POWER!"

"Nora!" But all the lighting effects quickly stopped when her partner shouted out from the other side of that small room. "Would you PLEASE… stop playing with the lights and help me?"

"Ahehe. Coming Renny." The girl playfully answered throwing away that mad-scientist behavior like it was another phase. Apparently flicking the light switch on and off repeatedly made a rather convincing lightning effect.

Nora was often amazed by Ren's work but on this occasion she had to admit that this was perhaps his best work yet. The boy never failed to impress her and it was times like these that made him shine the most. He made the instant pancake device, which was one of her favorite, a coffee blender out of household tools and even a grenade using things found in bathrooms. But today, all of that gets blown off.

In one of the unused buildings around Beacon Academy, the boy made himself a little workshop which he specifically designed to study Dust. He made everything from scratch using only the most basic items to make sophisticated equipment. Normally, Ren would never invest so much time and money on something so trivial, but the Black Dust he acquired was anything but that.

He went out of his way to make this whole lab in great secrecy. The building that he chose to make this little workshop was near the borders of the academy shouldering right across Emerald Forest. Nora thinks that this may have been a toolshed of sort to store some gardening equipment but it seems like the owner couldn't be bothered with such things and left it there to collect dust and cobwebs. Oh well… another man's trash is another man's treasure.

"Right then. This should do it." Ren voiced out his confidence as he looked at the empty vial he salvaged from recent experiments. "A few more ingredients and this should work. Some herbs from the forest."

"The spices from the wild woods!" Nora narrated in a witch-like manner donning the pointy hat, cape and a staff from the cupboard.

"Add tap water."

"The essence of life from the earth spirit!"

"Mixed in with passion flower."

"The shredded pieces of a man's broken heart!"

"Healthy mushrooms…"

"Fungi from the rotting world!"

"And finally… the Black Dust."

"The grinded powder of the black pearl!"

"Nora, please!" Ren begged trying to get his partner to cease her useless banter in making his recipe anymore inhumane as it sounds. "I'm trying to conduct a very… important experiment here and I would like this one to without incident like the last 50 times."

"57…" She corrected cheerily much to his annoyance. Ren ignored her and began to stir the ingredients together. "Bubble bubble toil and trouble! Fire burn and cauldron bubble!"

(Cross Continental Transit Tower)

Weiss let out a grunting noise as she wandered into the Cross Continental Transit Tower of Vale. The structure itself was an absolute marvel to behold. Utilizing technologies developed by Atlas hundreds of years ago after the Great War, the CCT became a grand communicating tool that unified the four kingdoms. The structure itself represented unity between them and was perhaps one of the biggest contributors to the peace that Remnant shared. Though its sheer size was nothing compared to the first one built in Atlas, it served its purpose of allowing people to remain connected even in these dark times.

Normally she'd be happy to see such a place with her own two eyes were it not for the fact that her friend and partner, Ruby ditched her for another gal that they happen to come across. Before the heiress could voice her comment in the ground, the red caped scythe wielder ditched her without second notice. She was mad enough that she was denied partnership with the young, dashing Neptune but to be ditched here in public was twice as humiliating.

Weiss took a mental note to chastise Ruby about ditching her partner on such a short notice and will obviously demand some manner of compensation later. The bakery at the grand plaza was having a sale on cake. Maybe she could convince that red caped Huntress to buy her one as tribute later.

But her thoughts were cracked when later bumped on an unsuspecting figure that stood between her and the elevator. It was a figure that felt hard and stern, almost like she was walking up to a wall. She grunt and considered chastising the person who dumbly stood in such a crowded place only to pull up short when she recognized the figure.

"Hey there." Jaune offered a hand up. "We really need to stop bumping into each other like this. It's becoming a habit."

"And you need to watch where you stand." The girl countered poorly before accepting his gesture only to find herself yanked up with great force. Has this boy always been this strong? "Aren't you supposed to be taking a remedial exam or something?"

"Finished early." He answered though not as proudly as he made it sound. "I thought I'd come by and see the CCT for once. I heard it was pretty huge so I thought I'd come by. What are you doing here?"

"I came to make a call." Weiss brushed the dust off her skirt as she replied. "It's the reason why this tower was built."

"Oh! Can I come?" Jaune pleaded innocently like a kid asking his parent to take him to the circus. "I've always wanted to see the communication room and this would be a great learning experience for me."

"Fine, just don't embarrass yourself." Weiss answered not seeing a reason why she would decline him. The boy gleefully followed the girl in accessing the elevator's terminal with relative ease. It was a big shame that the elevator had no glassed window to see the outside like the one they had in Atlas. A view of Beacon would've been breathtaking even for her and would certainly be a nice distraction.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Upon arriving on the specific floor, Jaune couldn't help but be amazed on how many people were here. There were over a hundred terminals and almost half of them were being used. Back home, there was nothing as high-tech as this. Heck, seeing a simple Bullhead flying over the house was already considered unique but this one certainly takes the cake. It was like being in a convention meeting all kinds of different people from all around the world in one roof.

"Wow… now this is awesome." His words gasped at the wonder of the place. "I never thought that this place would be this big."

"It isn't that impressive." Weiss rebuked his thoughts. "The one in Atlas is twice as large as this one."

"That was the first one, right?"

"Obviously." She gestured back showing a smug look almost as if she was gloating about it. "It was Atlas's gift to the world after the war. It served as a beacon of hope and the instrument of peace between the four kingdoms and it saved countless people who are homesick. And… speaking of which… I believe I owe you a… thanks."

Jaune immediately raise a brow to her gesture. "For what?"

"For helping Blake." She answered plainly, recalling that incident back in the docks. "Last semester. You got her out of a bad situation and I think Ruby and Yang appreciates that."

"Oh… that." Jaune rubbed his head shyly. "Well… it was nothing. Besides, there was no way I could leave her alone after what happened. My dad always told me that you should always look after girls no matter who they are."

"That's rather one sided, don't you think?"

"Well, I think it has to do with the fact that I live with seven sisters." Jaune added recalling his family. "Being the only guy in a family of girls can be tough and in more ways than one."

"Is that why you're so good around women?" Weiss chuckled playfully enjoying the boy's reaction as he stammered. "But either way. Thank you. Thanks to your effort she's finally coming around to talking to us about her problems and not bottling it up inside of her."

"Hey… like my dad said…"

"Let me guess: You should always lend an ear to a lady?"

"That's right." The blonde knight returned proudly pumping his chest. "All she needed is someone who would listen and maybe… a friend or two to give her some advice."

"I'm starting to think, your father has a one-tracked mind with women."

"Hey, it worked on you, didn't it?" Jaune added making the silver haired girl recall that moment in the balcony last semester which made her cheeks heat up a bit.

"A… anyway. I just wanted to say thank you on behalf of my team." Weiss finished quickly changing the subject. "If you or your team needs anything in return, we'll be more than happy to oblige."

"Oh that's not really necessary. I just did what I thought was right."

"Nonsense. It is only right to repay a debt even if it is unwanted. Anything you want. As long as it is within my reach, I'll help you." She finished, folding her arms and raising her chin up, putting a sign of her agreement with the boy.

Jaune on the other hand was going to protest a bit more until a thought suddenly came to mind. He darted his eye to the girl trying to ignore the strange scar on her left eye. "Is that so? So… I can have anything I want?"

"Of course!" The young heiress added confidently. "Anything within reason."

"And you won't back down, no matter how ridiculous it sounds?"

"I'm a Schnee." She added smugly, pointing at herself. "And as a Schnee, I am honor bound to keep my promise."

"Great. Then how about coming to the dance with me next Saturday?" The confident grin slowly disappeared from Weiss's face the moment his words came to mind.

"W… what?" The words choked in her mouth as they sputtered.

"The dance next week. I thought maybe you and I could go. You know… if it's not too much trouble."

It took a few seconds for the young heiress to process that information. Her scared eye twitched a bit from the thought of his request. The first obvious response was to decline him but quickly enough, her bold declaration began to ring back to her like a karma beast coming to bite her back in the butt. Her reddened cheeks began to heat up even more and for once she was actually caught speechless by a boy her age.

"I… well… I…" She began to stutter, her words stuck in her lungs.

Jaune looked puzzled unsure whether the girl was going to accept or not. "Is it… too much?"

"No!" She exclaimed. "Not at all. It's just that… I wasn't really expecting anyone to ask me out on the dance before."

"What? So you don't have lines of people waiting with gifts in hand to ask you to the dance? I thought that was standard issue for someone like you."

Weiss narrowed her eyes sharply at him. "Don't be a pest. I… just wasn't expecting it, that's all. You just took me by surprise…"

Jaune looked down feeling somewhat degrading to be on such an aggressive side. "You know. If it makes you uncomfortable, you can always say no."

"No…" Well that was faster than he expected. "No, I didn't mean that kind of no. It's just that. I never really expect people to ask me to something so… romantic."

"You mean to tell me that a smart, beautiful, talented and gorgeous girl like yourself don't expect anyone to ask you to the dance? I'm shocked." Jaune mocked which only made the girl quirk a grin.

"Guess I'm not that high on the list."

"So… is that a no or…?"

"I suppose I can save a dance for you. If you promise not to be a dunce." Weiss finally answered which the boy beamed in return. "And you'd better make sure you wear something proper."

"Oh come on." Jaune replied sounding upbeat. "What do you expect me to wear? A dress?"

But before the young Schnee could answer another voice interjected as if it was coming to her rescue.

"Ahem!" The duo quickly turned to the front desk reception where a holographic receptionist was sitting by, a large grin up her lip looking half amused and yet at the same time, half annoyed to see such a young and healthy couple flirt in front of her. Weiss quickly coughed out, wondering how long that woman had been listening. With a humored tone she continued. "Welcome to the Beacon Cross Continental Transit Center… I hope I'm not interrupting~ How may I help you?"

Weiss quickly faked another cough, turning her attention to the hologram woman. "Yes. I'd like to make a call to the Schnee Dust Company Headquarters in Atlas, please."

"Absolutely." The receptionist then turned to Jaune. "And you sir?"

"Huh? Oh… umm I'm with her?"

Her grin widened to epic proportions before glancing back to the silver haired girl who turned away not wanting to face the receptionist. "Of course you are. If you two will head on over to terminal 9, I'll make sure you'll have your… privacy."

Weiss's face was so red that day that you can practically pick it out from space. Of all the time to be thinking about this foolish debt she got herself into, her partner was nowhere to be seen.

True enough on the receptionist's word; the pair was given a rather secluded spot in the communication room. Three terminals in every direction were empty as far as Jaune was could see. It was so empty that you can practically just lie there and no one would even notice you. It was like one of those secluded spots in the library where couples would go and make out or… just fool around.

"So what are you doing?" Jaune asked trying to take his mind off the subject. "Calling your folks back home?"

"Not exactly." She replied trying to avoid the question. "I'm just gathering some information on… a school project."

"A school project?" Jaune noted trying to recall what subject had any major project handed to them. He can't really recall any but then again, he was mostly asleep during the lectures so it was possible he may have missed it. "For what?"

"Oh it's a private business. Just some minor stuff like history and such. Nothing you should be worried about."

"History? Of your family's company?"

"Something like that…" She lied lamely which prompted the boy to suddenly put two and two together.

"Wait a minute." He came to a sudden realization. "You're looking into the White Fang thing, aren't you?" Weiss cringed like she had been discovered. Her reaction alone marked that he was right. "I knew it. You guys are up to something dangerous again. Didn't the Headmaster specifically said not to get involved in this?"

"Professor Ozpin, told us not to worry." She corrected him which was… slightly true. "He never said that we can't hold our own investigation. Besides, it's perfectly safe. There's no harm in looking through old records. Besides, the others are looking into other sources too. I'm sure we can handle whatever comes at us."

Jaune was feeling a familiar migraine creeping up his head as he rubbed his temples. He could tell where this was heading and who was rightly responsible for this whole investigation.

"Did Blake put you girls up to this?"

"Partly." She confessed. "But also because I want to help. Blake's not wrong though. That Torchwick and the White Fang are certainly up to something and it involves a lot of Dust and… as a member of the Schnee family, it is my solemn duty to find out what it is."

Jaune wanted to fume. This was certainly not happening again after his peaceful routine just sunk in. He thought for a minute that he might've actually got this whole thing down. After Professor Ozpin told them to never involve themselves regarding the White Fang, he was more than happy to comply. He was glad that he didn't have to deal with things like terrorists. Fighting Grimms was one thing, fighting radical Faunus was another matter entirely. Are all women like this or just the ones he knew?

"You know you girls are gonna be in big trouble if anyone finds out about this, right?" Jaune pointed which Weiss smiled back innocently.

"Well that depends. Are you gonna rat us?" She sounded like she already knew the boy's answer.

He sighed, slouching. "No."

"So then… are you gonna help?"

"Just make sure it doesn't involve bullets flying at me."

(Abandoned neighborhood)

Three white marks on the wall.

That was the symbol that Blake recognized. To others it might just look like a scratch made by any other delinquent but for her and the White Fang, it meant that a safe house was nearby. She remembered it well having used several of them in the past following the same claw marks that guided her in. She remembered how soothing it was to see these marks whenever she returned from a mission but now… they represented something else. A darker version of what the White Fang used to be.

Taking a peak around the corner she saw a well-dressed door man inviting a pair of local Faunus to a seemingly abandoned warehouse. If that didn't strike anyone as suspicious, she doesn't know what is.

"This is the place." The cat lady said to Sun who… out of curiosity and a bit of boredom, decided to follow her.

"Are you sure?" Blake returned his suspicion with the usual devious glare which he took it as a yes. "You know, I'm just gonna take your word for it."

The doorman didn't seem all that suspicious of the pair and freely allowed them through. Considering the weapons they carried, they may as well appear like mercenaries. He quietly passed them a pair of masks which Sun quickly recognized as the predator of all mankind.

Inside the complex was a labyrinth of alleys that the White Fang created to keep trespassers out. Should their safe house be compromised in anyway, the members would be able to take one of many exits, lessening the risk of all of them being caught.

"I don't get it." The boy quickly stated pulling out the gift the doorman gave them. "If you believe what you're doing is right, why hide who you are?"

Blake simply shook her head in reply knowing that answer all too well. She asked the same question once before… a long time ago. "The masks are a symbol. Humanity wanted to make monsters out of us so we chose to don the faces of monsters."

"Grimm masks?" The monkey man scoffed disbelieving. "That's… kinda dark."

"So is the guy who started it." He returned before donning her mask, the face of an old friend appearing in her head.

The boy simply sighed at her dark humor. "Always sunshine and rainbows with you. By the way… I still think you guys should've asked that Jaune guy to come along. Isn't he involved in this just as much as you guys?"

"No." Blake countered sternly. "I don't want to involve him anymore. This is a personal matter and besides, I doubt he'll want to have anything to do with us after what happened at the docks."

"Pfft. Man, you really need to brush up on your people skills." Sun joked which again was returned with a sharp glare. Even if it was hidden behind her mask, the boy could tell that she was glaring holes into his head right now. "He's a gullible guy. I'm sure if you just asked him for help he'll come running without a second thought. Suckers like him get taken advantage a lot."

"Huh?"

"I mean, not that I've ever taken advantage of one." Sun quickly corrected himself. "It's just that… I know the type. But you have to admit, that guy has a good head on his shoulder. He might not be the best fighter but I'm sure he can think of a better plan. I mean… no offense to you and Rubes… but you guys clearly have no idea where you're going."

"We already have a plan." She argued lamely.

"Yeah. You're pretty much just throwing yourselves out there and see which one bites. Nice plan."

"Well we have to start somewhere. And gathering information is a logical step in pursuing an organization as secretive as the White Fang. Besides… this matter doesn't involve him."

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the White Fang planning to wipe out all of humanity?" The monkey man added pointing to the obvious. "How does that not involve him? Come on now. What's the harm of asking for help? Even a team like yours can't handle everything on your own." Another evil glare followed making him groan. "You know what… I'm just gonna stop right here. But don't make me say I told you so. Considering what happened on the first week I met you, I get the feeling that is going to end badly."

"I'll keep my fingers crossed."