NOVEMBER 18TH 12:00PM

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP

"Uuuugh... what time is it?"

Another month had passed. Blake had settled into life with Ruby rather easily. The bow she had borrowed from Weiss's wardrobe had given her a new lease of life. She was no longer restricted to leaving through the vent and sticking to the shadows if she wanted to wander outside. Now, she could leave through the front door, blending right in with the students in campus. She'd taken Yang's advice socially, carrying with her a book or two if she wanted to venture outside. She remembered Yang mentioning it would make her 'look introverted' and thus students wouldn't engage in conversation. Even if Blake was lonely in the moments Ruby was in class, she knew that was the best thing until she was confident in her safety.

Being free from the constant worry of discovery meant Blake could work toward new aims. She had already significantly improved her English, and after the embarrassing discovery last month, Ruby had taught Blake how to use all the facilities herself, including the bath and the shower, the cooker, even Ruby's laptop on the occasions she didn't take it to class. She was slowly becoming more and more settled to her new way of life.

There was one habit that she was yet to grow out of. Just like her feline features indicated; Blake could sleep for Vale. Very often Ruby would be in class, back out again, and Blake would still be fast asleep. Rest and relaxation was one thing, but this was oversleeping, and could possibly make Blake even worse. Even if Ruby didn't fancy being the strict room mate, she cared for Blake enough to do something about it. Which meant setting an alarm to get her up.

"It's twelve? Already?"

Having rolled over to gaze at the clock, which now visibly showed '12:01' she groaned, slowly hauling herself up out of bed. She knew exactly why Ruby positioned the clock away from the bed, so she would have to get up to turn it off. Which she reluctantly did so, pacing over to the desk one side the room in her dozy state.

"I thought she said I was free." She thought to herself as she rubbed her eyes, trying as best to wake herself up fully before she went to pick out some clothes for the day.

"Well, I guess she is looking out for me. And I'll give her credit, I feel so much healthier then I did before."

Satisfied with her choice of clothing, a black wool jumper with some slim fitting jeans, she made her way to the shower to freshen up. Setting them to one side on the towel rail, she began to undress, removing her pajamas, and at last, the bow itself. Who would have thought such a small item of clothing could mean so much to her?

Once naked, she stepped into the shower, pulling the curtain around and turning on the flow of hot water. Now that Ruby had shown her how it worked, it wasn't something she feared anymore. Running her hands through her hair, and over her ears, she allowed the warm water to pour down onto her. Drop by drop, waking her up, making her more aware of her surroundings.

"That's something else too..." She thought to herself as she took the shower gel, squeezing enough onto her hand to begin lathering her arms and underarms. "I'm sleeping so well lately. I haven't had a nightmare in weeks now."

The more she rubbed the soap over her body, the more she continued to recollect the memories of what seemed an eternity in the past. Even if the details were faded, the wounds to her mental state remained. Fresh as ever.

She could remember the white walls. Three white walls, and one large mirror. She could remember the gut-wrenching feeling that she was being watched. Constantly. She also remembered the loneliness. The fear. Remembered the only other interaction was when food was slid into her room through a small flap to one side. No names, no faces.

She remembered the muffled words, odd phrases. She remembered being spoken of as if she were some form of pet; something to be examined and watched over. Something whose purpose was to only be kept alive for a higher purpose.

But that wasn't true. There were other details she could remember. Of when occasionally she was out of the white room, and in another. Strapped down on a table, unable to move, unable to speak. Faceless people surrounding her, with only glaring eyes visible to her, and the needles in their hands.

She remembered one pair of eyes in particular. Two orange eyes.

Burning, orange eyes.

Grasping her arm tightly for a moment, she shut her eyes tightly, shaking her head back and forth. "No... I'm not going back there again..."

And then, the memories all changed.

The day the mirror shattered.

It was all a blur. At the time, she was terribly weak. She remembered she had collapsed in one of the corners after one of the 'sessions' on the table, unable to stand. But she remembered the once sinister voices sounding afraid for once in their lives.

And then another of her kind entering the room.

Even if his black clothes were stained with blood, she remembered feeling something she hadn't in years.

Hope.

Hope that came from that simple sentence.

"Don't worry... I'll get you out of here."

Finally opening her eyes again, she realised she had been letting the water soak her for a matter of minutes, dazing at the tiles in an utterly blank state. Any goals of washing her body, or her hair, completely forgotten.

She had been so determined to repay the figure who saved her before. So much that she had left and gotten wounded because of it. And yet now, when she looked back, she could barely remember his face. She had been too busy getting new clothes, sleeping in a plush bed, getting three cooked meals a day. While she had been living in luxury...

"Adam's still out there..."

She could remember the name. And as long as she could remember that name, she had a debt she owed. That name saved her life. While at Ruby's, she could do nothing to repay it, and could only dwell in the guilt.

But if she left again, what would that leave Ruby with? Ruby had also saved her life, she'd helped her blend into the new society she was forced into. She cooked for her, gave her books, bought her clothes. Ruby had done far more for her then Adam had. But there was something she lacked.

She wasn't a Faunus like her and Adam were.

But she couldn't leave without a word. Not this time.

Taking a moment to gaze down at her body, she took in her appearance. She wasn't ridiculously underweight anymore, her bones bore some amount of muscle to them. Nor were her ribs showing as badly as they were when she and Ruby first met. For the first time she could remember, she truly felt healthy. She was ready to leave.

"As soon as Ruby gets back, I'm going to explain." She thought to herself, getting back to the business of washing her hair. Squeezing an amount of shampoo into it, she ran her hands through her locks of hair once more.

"I'll tell her all I can remember. About where I was, about Adam. Maybe she'll understand, or even help me. Perhaps we can both go out, find him, and help him toge-"

CLANG

Blake froze. That was a sound she was well acquainted with, but only under her terms. No mistaking about it, that was the vent cover slamming itself shut. But it wasn't her using it this time. Someone else was in the dorm room.

Turning off the water, her feline ears perked right up to listen intently. Unlike Ruby, her adapted senses meant she could hear far better then her room mate. She could listen to what she was potentially dealing with, a skill that she had trained and heightened all throughout her childhood with the intent of being a hunter in the future. Who would have guessed it would come in useful for catching intruders in her home, of all things?

She could hear the patter of bare feet, pacing quietly around in the kitchen. It was something big, but with enough skill to be nearly silent. It was only really the opening of cupboards that was giving things away, but it was always followed by an annoyed sounding grunt. Someone was looking for something...

Deciding it would do no good to simply listen, she pulled the curtain back and grabbed the towel, drying herself as quick as possible while still listening out for the sounds. Whoever they were, it seemed they were looking in each and every possible cupboard. But what for? Ruby was a student, she didn't have anything of value! Surely no one here would!

And then she remembered, the thefts from the previous month. The ones that made off with various valuables from all the girls in the complex, including two of Yang's necklaces, and quite a few pieces of Weiss's jewelry. And now they were hear to steal Ruby's valuables!

"Not on my watch..." She thought to herself, quickly tying the bow over her ears again, then quickly forcing on her shirt and jeans. "Time to earn my keep."

Easing the door open as silently as possible, she kept her ears as high as she possibly could, detecting the slightest sound the intruder would make. She made sure to tread as lightly as possible as she made her way out the bathroom, moving on her toes.

"You have to be one step ahead." She could practically hear her father's voice instructing her. The days as a child in a tribe were coming back to her, days out in the jungle, hunting deer and smaller creatures to take back to the village. "Slow your breathing, keep your foot pressure light. Learn about your target before you make your strike."

Taking each of these instructions into her being, she gradually stepped into the hallway to peer into the kitchen area, to get a good look at what she was dealing with.

Just as she suspected, it was a person searching through cupboards and through the various boxes of food. Just like her when she first arrived, they were wearing scraps of clothing. A torn white shirt, completely open, exposing his rather well toned chest to the world; tattered jeans covered in various oil stains. They seemed in far better condition then she was, considering they didn't appear to be starving. But one detail Blake noticed the most was by his rear. A long, blond tail. She was right before, the intruder was a Faunus.

But Blake couldn't dwell on that just yet. Faunus or not, this was Ruby's home. And she wasn't going to let him take anything from it. She could ask questions later.

Waiting until it his back was turned entirely, she crouched low to the ground. "Focus... Calculate your attack. We may be smarter then our prey, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't use your primal instincts." And like a feline edging on on a mouse, Blake felt her hips swaying lightly, eyes narrowing. Until finally, she pounced.

Leaping forward, she flung one of her arms around the 'prey's' neck, using her spare hand to cover his eyes. If this was a kill, she would have either had a dagger at the ready, or applied force to snap their neck. This would be different to all her father had taught her. And that much was given by the fact she had to hold on for dear life whilst the figure struggled in her arms.

"Hey, what's the big deal?!" He called out, staggering back and forth and frantically spinning in an attempt to shake off his attacker. But it was no use, Blake was too stubborn for her own good! Each time he tossed and turned, Blake made sure to follow each movement, staying behind him, keeping his eyes covered. She couldn't do anything if he was struggling so frantically!

Putting a quick stop to that, forced her knee forward into the back of his, making him fall straight to the ground. She'd done it, her first successful hunt! Even if it was catching a simple intruder, this was a momentous occasion for her. But she wasn't done yet. Adjusting her grip on him, she moved her arms from around his neck and eyes to grasp his arms instead, holding them to his against his back.

Despite all his flailing before, the intruder seemed resigned to the situation once his arms were pinned, simply sighing as he lay face down on the floor. Yet, a very cocky attitude seemed to be showing through.

"Hmph. I'd usually ask to be wined and dined before getting pinned down, but whatever floats your boat."

That response prompted a sudden blush from the girl above. He was... joking about it? She had just pinned the intruder down with no possible escape, rendered him helpless, and he was making inappropriate jokes? Was he just this used to capture?!
"S-Shut up!" Her voice stammered. The flirtations comment had thrown her completely off guard. She'd had practiced what she wanted to ask in her head time and time again, but now it was happening, she hadn't a clue where to start anymore!

And the man below wasn't helping. "Ooo, my capturer's a lady, huh? I ain't usually into femdom but hey, everything's worth a try."

"I said shut up!" Cheeks as red as crimson, she shouted up at the other, grasping his hands tighter and pulling them further behind his back. "If you want to keep your tongue, you'd better watch it."

"Hmm, you sure have got a temper." He attempted to shrug in her grip, turning his head as best he could to try and face her. There wasn't even a struggle, any attempt to get free. Just a sly smirk.

"Alright, so you got me before I took anything, well done. So, is there really any point in getting any cops involved here?"

"Who said anything about... Cops?" She had to hide the fact she didn't know what the police system was somehow. It wasn't exactly something Ruby had needed to bring up before. But she had questions of her own. And to gesture as such, she nudged the tail with her knee as she continued to pin him. "It's just us two here, Faunus boy. I'm gonna ask the questions."

That seemed to catch his attention. The smirk had vanished, his eyebrow raised questioningly instead. "I know the tail gave that away, but... How do you know what that word?"

"What did I just say?!" She repeated, glaring her teeth toward him. It practically hurt Blake to put another of her kind in this position. He was the first she had seen in years since the events of her nightmares. It made no sense to her to be fighting him when they were both fighting the rest of the world. But she couldn't put a stranger above the little friend she had. That was a sure-fire way to end up alone again.

"You're the one that's been breaking into the apartments here, aren't you? You took my friend's jewelry."

"Hey, I take a lot of jewelry here, toots. You're gonna have to be more specific then that." Now he was struggling against her hands, shrugging his shoulders and rolling from sides to side to try and shake her off. But it was useless against a well adapted huntress such as Blake. His once confident expression had vanished as soon as the word was mentioned. "Seriously, how do you know what a Faunus is?"

"I'll answer your question when you've answered mine, thief." It was her turn to smirk this time. Even if deep down she didn't want to keep him restrained, she at least had to keep the act of being in control up. Even if in truth, she was far from it. "My first; how many of you are there?"

The blond chuckled nervously in response, shrugging his shoulders once again. "Does it look like I work with anyone else? I'm the only one around here who can get in and out of the vents, sweet cheeks. Being part monkey certainly helps with that."

"Don't call me 'sweet cheeks'." The very words repeated sent a shiver down her spine. "I meant how many Faunus are there?"

Yet again, there was more scoffing this time as the man looked to one side, keeping his gaze away from her. "As if I'm gonna tell a stinking human that. You got better luck going out and finding them yourself."

Glancing over to the clock on the wall above, she read the time. '12:29pm'. Ruby wasn't due back for another three hours. In that time, there were various options.

Option A, she could wait for Ruby, keep him restrained until that time to seek her advice on the next course of action. But something told her that this character wouldn't wait that long, nor would she be able to hold him for that amount of time. Which bought her to option B.

He obviously wasn't going to talk to a human, but perhaps speaking to his own kind would yield more answers. It wasn't as if he was going to out her when he had just as much to lose as her. They were one of the same, it would be pointless.

Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she reached to the bow on her head, beginning to pull it loose.

"Lucky for you, one's closer then you think..."

[Authors Notes]

Hi there all! Sorry about the delay for this chapter, and that it's seemingly short. I wanted to put out more, but I feel like I left you guys with nothing for too long so I'll add it to the next one. Hype for season 3 is here too! So there's that. Anyways, I love you guys, and hope to update this again soon!