This chapter takes place during the first two episodes of volume 2, and in between episode 2 and 3. (This chapter has been edited as of 21 November, 2018).
Ruby, Weiss Blake, and Yang still hadn't gotten over the high of their food fight with team JNPR
"That. Was. Awesome!" Ruby shouted when they finally got back to their dorm. But before she could gush too much about their victory, she was silenced with a hand over her mouth.
"I know, sis. It was pretty great. We were there. We don't need to hear about it again. Now, I'm gonna go wash the food out of my hair."
"Okay, but don't forget about our plans!"
"Plans?" Weiss asked skeptically.
"For the best day ever!"
"I was kinda hoping you'd forgot about those." Weiss mumbled.
"First thing on the list is...skydiving! In our pajamas!"
"No.'
"Awe, come on Weiss. It'll be fun." Ruby pouted.
"The preparation that would have to go into such an activity could take months, Ruby. It isn't something you do on a whim."
"Okay, then how about ziplining down the CCT?"
"Probably illegal."
"Jumping out our window onto a giant trampoline?"
"Dangerous, and likely to get us expelled."
"Board games?"
"Absolu-actually, yes. We can play board games."
"Yay! Yang, we're playing Remnant the Game in the library! Meet us there!" As the three team mates left, Blake couldn't help but feel distracted by what had happened at the docks. She had successfully pushed it aside for weeks, but it was bothering her more than ever. The White Fang are up to something, and we could all be in great danger…
Ruby's "Best Day Ever" plans hadn't turned out as she expected. She'd included board games hoping Blake would find them more enjoyable than her more adventurous plans.
She was disappointed when her friend decided to leave the game early. Worse than that, she had seemed pretty upset the entire time.
"Ugh, we should have never let him play!" Yang said, frustrated over her defeat.
"You're just mad cuz' the new guy beat you. See, if you had just attacked when I told you none of this would have happened." Ruby told her, somewhat relieved at her
sister's loss. Yang's ego didn't need the boost winning could give her. Then again, losing did put her in a pretty foul mood. Neither of them noticed Blake attempting to leave.
"Stop. Lately you've been quiet, antisocial and moody!" Weiss accused.
" Uh, have you met Blake?" Yang asked, likely attempting to lighten the mood and diffuse tempers. All it earned her was a glare from both her teammates.
"Which I get is kind of your thing, but you've been doing it more than usual! Which quite frankly, is unacceptable! You made a promise to me, to all of us, that you would let us know if something was wrong! So, Blake Belladonna, what is wrong!?" Weiss had somehow managed to flip and land on the back of a chair, wobbling precariously before returning it to its rightful place.
"I just, I don't understand how everyone can be so calm." Blake responded, clearly upset. Ruby approached her cautiously, "You're still thinking about Torchwick?" She asked.
"Torchwick, the White Fang, all of it! Something big is happening and no one is doing anything about it!" Blake shouted, frustrated over the apparent inaction from authorities, and from her team.
" Ozpin told us not to worry. Between the police and the Huntsmen, I'm sure they can handle it." Yang tried to reassure Blake, but it only seemed to make things worse.
" Well I'm not! They don't know the White Fang like I do!" They'll never understand. She thought. I might be on my own in this.
" Okay, between blowing up nightclubs, stopping thieves, and fighting for freedom, I'm sure the three of you think that you're all ready to go out and apprehend these ne'er-do-wells!" Weiss paused or a moment when Ruby made a sound of confusion.
"But let me once again be the voice of reason. We're students! We're not ready to handle this sort of situation!"
"Well yeah, but…" Ruby began to argue.
"We're. Not. Ready!" Seriously, how do none of them understand this? Torchwick and the White Fang are way beyond our capabilities.
" And we may never be ready! 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! Whether we're ready or not!" Blake argued vehemently.
" Okay, all in favor of becoming the youngest Huntresses to single-handedly taking down a corrupt organization conspiring against the Kingdom of Vale... say aye." Ruby proposed excitedly.
"Yes! I love it when you're feisty!" Yang enthusiastically agreed, pumping her fist in the air.
"Well, I suppose it could be fun." Weiss said thoughtfully. I can't believe I'm agreeing to this. We could die!
"None of you said aye!" Ruby groused.
"Alright then, we're in this together!" Together. All of us. As a team. As friends. Blake thought, relieved she wasn't alone in this fight.
" Let's hatch a plan!" Ruby decided.
"Yeah!" Yang shot finger guns at her sister
"I left my board game at the library!" Ruby took off, leaving a shower of rose petals behind her.
"We're doomed." Weiss dropped her head into her hand. But at least we're doomed together, right?
Blake simply shook her head with a small, amused smile on her face, while Yang snorted and laughed loudly.
After literally running into some Haven exchange students, Ruby made quick work of finding her board game. Inside the library, she noticed Velvet behind a bookshelf.
"Hi, Velvet!" She greeted with her usual enthusiasm.
"Oh. Hello, Ruby." Velvet jumped slightly at the sound of Ruby's voice, putting her hand over her pounding heart. "You startled me."
"I did? I'm sorry." Ruby was slightly surprised. Velvet, like all Faunus, was extremely difficult to sneak up on.
"Oh, it's alright. I was just a bit distracted."
"Okay. Hey, Velvet, why are you hiding behind a bookshelf?" Ruby noticed Velvet's ears droop considerably as she lowered her eyes.
"Cardin and his team are sitting a few tables over…"
"You're hiding from them? Why?" Ruby asked her.
"Well, you saw what happened at the beginning of the year. How he kept pulling my ears? Anyway, things have just gotten worse since then." The rabbit Faunus explained dejectedly.
"Stand up to him. He has no right to treat you that way!"
"I've tried, really. But there's just one of me, and four of them. They're all so big and cruel. I suppose I'm just a coward."
"Of course not! You are brave, Velvet. You're training to be a Huntress, aren't you?" Ruby tried to encourage her.
"Yes, but Grimm are very different than people. In some ways, people, humans and Faunus, are even scarier than the Grimm." Velvet explained, voice serious.
"I guess that makes sense, but they're just a bunch of bullies."
"Oh, Ruby. You'll never understand." Velvet told her sadly. "But, it isn't your fault. You're human, after all." Velvet certainly hadn't meant to be hurtful, but her words cut Ruby deeply.
"Actually, Velvet, there's something I wanna tell you. I do understand, and well, I'm not human." She watched as the normally calm girl began to sputter before finally squeaking out an undignified,
"Huh?"
"I'm a Faunus, Velvet." Rather than risk someone else come upon them and discover her secret, Ruby took Velvet's hand and placed it on her head, directly over her ears.
"Oh. Oh my." Velvet's rabbit ears stood taller than she'd ever seen them in shock. "Does your team know?"
"Yeah. Yang's my sister, half-sister, so she's always known. Weiss and Blake found out a few weeks ago. You can't tell anyone, please?" Ruby was aware that telling Velvet was risky. She could blab to anyone she wanted, or get angry, but she had seemed so sad and lonely. It felt like the right thing to do, so Ruby decided to trust her friend.
"Alright. I won't tell anyone. Thank you. For trusting me. It's nice to have someone to talk to." Velvet smiled warmly
"You're welcome. I'd better get back to my team. Will you be alright?"
"Yes. I'll be leaving soon. You're right, I shouldn't let people like Cardin scare me."
"Well, let me know if you ever need anything."
"I will."
So, you'll notice that I've added line breaks. That's to signify a change in perspective, or a time skip. Also, I would like to announce that at some point (somewhere in volume 4), I will deviate from the canon plot. It's still a way down the road, but it will happen. Nothing too major, but I'm less than thrilled with the way Roosterteeth has incorporated the idea of religion and spirituality into RWBY. I have nothing against religion or spirituality in general, but I don't like the way the writers went about it. I don't think it's appropriate to completely air my grievances here, but I will post them on my profile for those who want to know my entire reasoning.