Gamer4 in. It's been a little longer than I planned. Nothing else to do other than dive right in, I suppose- as ever, I hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer: I'm so happy just to have you here! Your smiles bring me sunshine, worries disappear!

Chapter XXXVI

Pyrrha Nikos Protects a Friend

By the time Jaune finished his narrative, the conditions in the library had descended to nearly intolerable levels. The lights were incredibly dim, struggling to return to their usual brightness only to continue flickering. The blood that had previously been spelling messages across the walls thickened to the point of erasing its own words. An acrid smell hung in the air, indescribable to the people experiencing it, combining the coppery scent of the liquid on the walls with the rancid odor of a thousand open graves.

"Should we put our hands together?" Nora suggested, glancing around nervously.

"I believe that would be for the best, yes," Ren agreed, extending his hands to his side. The rest of the team followed suit, re-securing the circle. Unlike before, it didn't seem to help much.

"I believe we have time for one more story before we make tracks," Ren said. "And I know just the person to tell it."

Pyrrha blinked as everyone turned towards her, before glancing self-consciously to her belly, where the three ugly scars still festered, albeit now covered by clothing. "Do you remember what happened?" Weiss prompted gently.

"I... I think it's beginning to come back to me," Pyrrha nodded. She fixed her gaze with Ren's. "It... it was when we went into the House, wasn't it?"

The others' gazes grew stronger- Yang, in particular, seemed to be trying to drill holes into Pyrrha's skull to get the information she sought. Ren, however, remained calm as he nodded. "Yes... yes, I believe it was."

"Y-you remember?" Yang asked urgently. "Our f-f-fight with I-It? You r-r-remember?"

Pyrrha nodded. "I remember fighting It."

Weiss's eyes widened as her left hand raised her inhaler to her mouth for a pull. She coughed anyways after lowering it.

"Are you okay, Weiss?" Ren asked, turning towards her with concern.

"It's... this is ridiculous..." Weiss spoke with harsh words, but her tone and expression both indicated she was on the verge of tears. "I know... it's nothing, I know it now better than ever. Just a mix of liquid that tastes like medicine... but I can't stop taking it! I can't... I could never let it go..."

She felt another hand over her own, and looked up to see Jaune smiling at her. "Hey- if it helps, it's all good, right? It's like Klein said- gazebos are usually good things."

Weiss smiled, letting loose with a watery chuckle. "It's placebos, you dunce."

Jaune's face flushed immediately, and he leaned back. "Oh. Right."

A laugh spread over the group at the expense of Jaune's verbal blunder. Eventually, even he joined in.

Finally, Pyrrha drew their attention with a cough. "I remember you telling us about it... back then."

"About my medicine?" Weiss asked.

"Yes," Pyrrha nodded. "The day before we went in, we met up one last time to go over the plan. It was early in the morning- I thought I was going to be the first one there, but when I got there, Jaune

XXXX

was already waiting, gazing at a nearby wall fully decorated with missing posters. Smiling, she approached. "You made good time," she commented, announcing her presence.

"Yeah," Jaune nodded, turning to smile at her. "Had to book it out of my house early- Mom wouldn't be happy if she saw me coming out here to meet up with five girls."

Pyrrha couldn't stop a small smile from creasing her face. "Helicopter Mom, huh?"

"You have no idea," Jaune nodded. "She'd freak out if she knew what I was actually doing out here."

A fantasy began to play out in Pyrrha's head, in which she confronted Jaune's mother for his sake.

"Jaune needs a life outside of his home! If you let him go, there are so many great things he could do!"

"What would you know, you uncultured wench?" Jane Arc volleyed back, in a voice that was oddly similar to that of Jacques Schnee. "I can see how you've lived your life up until now- absolute, unrestrained avarice!"

"Maybe, but Jaune can make me a better person- with him by my side, I can accomplish anything!"

Jaune stood nearby, and looked taken aback by her words. "Pyrrha... are you saying...?"

"Yes, Jaune- I love you, and I always have!"

"Pyrrha- I love you too! Ever since we teamed up against Neo, I've wanted to tell you how I really feel-"

"NO!" his mother objected. "I will not permit my son to run away with some... some hussy!"

"You can't break our bond- not with the greatest weapons in the world!" Pyrrha fired back, stretching out her hand and holding tightly to Jaune's.

"I love you, Pyrrha," Jaune repeated, gazing at her with those wonderful blue eyes-

"Pyrrha? Pyrrha?"

Pyrrha blinked her way back out of her fantasy, returning her gaze towards Jaune, who had returned his attention to the wall.

"Yes, Jaune?"

"I was asking if you'd seen this..."

Pyrrha approached and followed Jaune's gaze towards the wall. "The missing posters? Of course I have, they've been up ever since-"

"Not just the missing posters, it's..." Jaune paused. "It's Russell."

Pyrrha focused on the posters themselves. It was as Jaune said- the majority of the posters depicted the boy with the mohawk that had vanished in Mountain Glenn less than a week ago. "Well, I'm sure his parents are as eager as all the others to find their child..."

"It's not just that," Jaune shook his head, reaching out and peeling one of the posters away, revealing even more sheets of paper beneath. "Look. They've covered up Coco."

Pyrrha winced as she realized that he was right- there were so many posters for Russell Thrush that seemingly none remained for the previous victims.

"Thinking about it... the same thing happened before. Coco's posters covered up Gretchen Rainart's... and hers were covering up James Peach's... even Velvet's were covering up Ruby's, if I remember right... like the town is just... forgetting everyone who vanishes."

Pyrrha placed a hand over Jaune's. "But we aren't. That's why we're going to fight It, right? For everyone who's been lost."

"D-damn straight."

They turned to see the others approaching- Yang, Blake, Ren, and Nora- only Weiss was absent. Yang's arms were crossed as she nodded in approval at Pyrrha's words. "It's n-not g-g-gonna get away w-w-with this," she continued. "N-not with T-Team Loser on the c-case."

"We're gonna kick It's ass so hard Its parents will feel it!" Nora cheered.

"Does It have parents?" Ren wondered. "Does It even reproduce?"

Blake shuddered. "Do not put images like that into my head, thank you very much."

Jaune smiled at his friends' antics. "Is Weiss turning up today?"

"She said she was gonna," Nora nodded, "but you know how it is- it's getting harder n' harder for her to get time away from her Dad!"

"Indeed," Ren nodded, crossing his arms. "I don't much care for that... individual."

"Translation- Weiss's dad can go suck a railroad spike!" Nora grinned cheerfully.

Yang laughed. "R-Ren's anger t-translator," she commented. "Wh-when you n-need to know wh-what he's r-really thinking."

Jaune joined in the laughter. "Blake should get one of those, too."

Blake shrugged. "Dust knows Weiss doesn't need one..."

"Need what?"

The woman of the hour had arrived, arm still in its cast. "Weissy!" Nora crowed. "We were just talking about which of us need to get anger translators?"

Weiss stared for a second before shaking her head. "No, no, I don't want to know..."

Nora and Yang only laughed harder at this reaction. Ren allowed himself a smile before clapping his hands together. "So... are we going to put together our final plans for the assault?"

Just like that, the mood dropped. It was especially obvious in Yang and Nora, whose smiles disappeared in record time, and in Blake, whose ears were clearly flattening themselves against her head, despite the bow covering them up.

Jaune let out a cough. "Well... I still have the knife from before, so... we've got that going for us."

"Has anyone done research into what type of monster could be easily killed with it?" Weiss asked.

To nobody's surprise, Blake was the first to answer. "I've done some digging, and... I think our best bet would be a beowolf."

"A beowolf?" Jaune asked nervously.

"A common enough legend," Ren elaborated. "According to the lore-"

"No, no, I know what a beowolf is," Jaune interrupted. "It's just... do we really want to put all our bets on a fight with one?"

"This was hardly ever going to be easy," Weiss pointed out. "They are vicious, but they're also weak to silver- if we could force Neo into beowolf form and get a solid hit with the knife, that just might do it."

"If, might, if, might, if, might!" Nora shook her head. "We don't know anything for sure!"

"But we're not going to get anywhere just talking about it for the rest of the summer, either," Pyrrha pointed out. "If we're going to get anywhere, we have to try out our plans eventually."

"Exactly," Yang nodded vigorously. "So... w-will everyone b-b-be free t-tomorrow?"

"Me and Weiss will have to sneak by our parents no matter when we do it," Jaune commented. "So... I think we're as good to go tomorrow as any other day."

"Weiss and I," Weiss corrected. "But otherwise, yes, I agree with your assessment of the situation."

"I don't think my parents'll even be home tomorrow," Nora put in. "Nothin' stopping me!"

"My parents believe in a very... liberal upbringing," Blake agreed. "If... if we have to do this at all... I'm as ready as I'll ever be."

"Ditto," Pyrrha nodded- as did Ren.

"And I w-wouldn't have s-suggested it if I c-couldn't make it," Yang concluded. "So... t-tomorrow it is. Everyone f-find some weapons t-tonight- n-n-nobody goes in unarmed. W-we'll m-meet at the usual p-p-place, and g-go to the House on V-Vickery Lane from there."

"And if she's not there?" Blake asked, almost hopefully.

"W-we'll cross that b-b-bridge when we c-come to it," Yang shrugged. "If th-that's everything..."

Weiss coughed, drawing the others' attention. "I... I have a confession to make," she almost whispered. "Before... before I go back."

Nora gasped. "You're a man?!" She spun around to face Blake. "Cough it up, Blake! Two hundred lien!"

"Nothing like that!" Weiss cut her off, speaking louder for a moment before returning to her original, softer voice. "I... I found something out the day my arm broke. I was going to tell you, but... I never really got the chance. I was going in to get my prescription refilled..."

She watched as her friends' faces altered in accordance with her story, finally ending in general outrage. "He... your father would do something like that to you?" Jaune asked, fury very evident in his voice.

"I... I didn't want to think so..." Weiss admitted. "I wanted to think that Klein was lying... or mistaken... but with what he showed me, I can't just brush it aside. It's... it's exactly the same... all just one big placebo. I... I don't know what to do..."

"Does it help?" Blake asked, meeting her eyes dead on.

"I... what?" Weiss asked, confused.

"Does the medicine help you?"

"I... yes, but..."

"Then for now, it doesn't matter. We can worry about the broader implications later, but for now... up against this thing... anything that helps is welcome. Don't worry- we'll be with you."

Weiss gave a weak smile.

XXXX

Just like the previous day, Jaune was the first to awaken. He immediately went to the spot that had become his go-to hiding place for things he didn't want his mother to find- the postcard, the game he never got to play, and the silver knife. He threw one last glance at the card as he took the knife, briefly wondering if he'd ever know for certain who'd sent it. There was a surreal feeling running through him as he turned and left his room, wondering if he'd ever see it again- not that it mattered. It was time for Team Loser to take their stand- for everyone who'd already run into It, and anyone who might in the future if they failed.

His heart leapt into his throat when he spied his mother in the living room, only to calm slightly when he saw that she was asleep- it seemed she'd passed out on the couch with the TV on in front of her. It was currently showing an odd ice cream commercial involving a person covered in the frozen treat helping themselves to their coating. He shuddered- how was that supposed to appeal to anyone? He tightened his grip on the knife again as he made his way through the door, opening and closing it as quietly as he could before setting off towards central Vale.

XXXX

Yang's eyes flickered open, and she pulled herself out of bed. Today was the day- at long last, it was time to hunt that bitch down and get her sister back.

She entered the upstairs hallway, glancing momentarily into her father's room, where he lay, snoring like a bear. Their dinner last night had been nearly silent- even after all this time, they didn't seem capable of getting around the barrier between them- the barrier left by Ruby's absence.

Yang continued to tread lightly as she made her way downstairs, and ultimately into the closet containing her father's gun. She knew now that it was only a stopgap measure as far as fighting Neo was concerned, but it was better- far better- than nothing at all. She reached into her pockets and clenched her fists around a set of brass knuckles- if all else failed, she would be only too happy to get up close and personal with her tormentor, but common sense told her that such a thing should be only a last resort.

She took several deep breaths as she approached her front door.

"H-h-hotter than the s-s-sun in the m-m-middle of J-July, I b-b-burn... hotter th-than the s-sun in the m-middle of July, I b-burn... hotter than the sun in the middle of July, I burn..."

XXXX

Ren awoke far earlier than he'd expected, though he didn't feel much like he'd managed any sleep in the first place. If he had, most of his dreams had been of trying to get to sleep.

He had managed to get through dinner the previous night without letting slip to his parents that the next day was anything overly special- the only indication he was aware of was that he perhaps held his hugs with them before bed slightly longer than normal. He was more than aware of the possibility that he wouldn't be coming back from this particular excursion- nevertheless, he had pledged himself to the cause, and didn't intend to back down now.

The sun was just peeking over the horizon as he made his way out into a shed that served as his least favorite part of the property- this was the area where the animals went when it was time to slaughter them. It was the time of year he loathed the most- a sentiment shared with his father, who performed the act out of necessity, but didn't fail to express his distaste for it at every stage.

Ren fought to keep his hands steady as he reached out and took hold of the bolt gun that they routinely used to put down their animals when the time came. Along with it, he took a bandolier's worth of ammunition, taking only a brief moment to smile at the idea of appearing like a hero in the westerns he'd enjoyed so much growing up. Dean Westwood had been something of an idol of his. In the event of closer-range combat, he added a pair of knives from the kitchen to his arsenal-ideally, he wouldn't have to use them, but his current gun only held one shot at a time. Best to be prepared.

If all went well, this would be the one time he actually enjoyed using this gun to put another creature down.

XXXX

The sun's rays entering her room prompted Pyrrha's eyes to snap open. Like Ren, her night had been less than restful- she could almost feel the bags under her eyes.

Her weapon, she already knew, was far less impressive than the others. Many years ago, her parents had approached her with the wonderful news that she would soon have a younger brother- Achilles Nikos. In their excitement, they had purchased a large, red bunk bed for their children, comprised primarily of metal to hold up the two mattresses.

Things had first gone wrong with the death of her father- a policeman of Mistral, he had been killed in the line of duty. If that weren't bad enough, the grief following his death was a key factor in Jennifer Nikos's later miscarriage- Pyrrha still remembered the shocked horror she'd felt when her mother told her her brother would never be born after all.

In her grief, her mother sought to ensure she never lost her remaining child- perhaps that, Pyrrha thought, had been the origin of the overfeeding leading to her weight problem. The bunk bed, meanwhile, had been fully dismantled and sent to a scrapyard, with the exception of a single bar that Pyrrha had managed to salvage. To this day, it served as her reminder of happier times, before everything had gone so horribly wrong. A simple foot-long length of metal, tapering to a point on either side. She had accidentally cut herself on more than one occasion with it, but her sentimentality kept her from ever truly disposing of it. It was hers, and hers alone.

Now that she was going out to fight, those points would hopefully serve a more practical purpose now.

As she made her way through the house, she jumped at the sound of her mother's voice. "Pyrrha? Where are you going this early?"

Pyrrha turned to see her mother just pulling herself out of bed. She quickly placed the bar she'd been carrying with her against the wall. "Nowhere," she answered, struggling to keep her voice even. "Just... just doing some more urban exploring with my friends."

"Your friends, hmm?" Jennifer asked, smiling slightly- she had been overjoyed to hear that her daughter had met such wonderful comrades. "Where are you going today?"

"We're... we're going to the House on Vickery Lane," Pyrrha admitted, deciding to tell at least some of the truth. "A bit of ghost hunting, you know?"

Jennifer chuckled lightly. "Well, if you find any ghosts, be sure to catch them on tape- maybe we can start our own show."

Pyrrha laughed. "I'll be sure to bring a camcorder."

Jennifer's smile faded. "Be careful, sweety- that house is very old. I don't want you getting hurt, okay?"

"I'll be careful," Pyrrha promised. "My friends will protect me."

"I'm sure they will," Jennifer nodded with a smile. "Well, don't let me keep you- you go enjoy yourself."

Pyrrha nodded before turning to leave, making sure that she had broken her mother's line of sight before she hoisted the bar again and headed downstairs.

XXXX

Nora, as she had predicted, had the least trouble leaving that morning- as soon as she awoke, she checked outside, and saw that there were no cars in the driveway. Her parents had hardly had any time to talk the previous night, either- they had made her a quick dinner before retreating to their room for some sleep before whatever big meeting they had today. She fought herself not to be jealous of whoever they were meeting with- how dare they take her parents from her?!

It didn't take her long to find the hammer she'd taken into the House before. She found herself wishing for a weapon with a longer reach- It was one thing she'd rather not get up close and personal with. But then, she was fighting with her friends, and she wouldn't want to hit one of them and hurt them by accident. If things got really bad, she was sure they'd protect her.

She felt no need to walk quietly as she made her way to the door, where, on a whim, she turned and called out behind her. "I'm heading out, guys! Should be back sometime this afternoon! See you then!"

There was no response. Her smile became rather weaker as she turned back to the front door. "See you then..."

XXXX

For all the crap she gave Weiss over her riches, Blake was hardly poor either, residing, as she did, in a rather large house at the edge of the residential district. It was done in a heavy eastern style, not unlike houses one might find in Anima.

Blake did her best not to be detected as she made her way through the building- she knew her parents would be up, and she didn't want to lie to their faces about what she would be doing today- whether they'd believe the truth or not.

She hadn't made it very far, however, before a door slid open, revealing her father, Ghira Belladonna, on the other side. "Oh, Blake!" he blinked, gazing down at her. "I didn't think you'd be up this early!"

"Well... I woke up, and couldn't get back to sleep," Blake mumbled, struggling not to meet her father's eyes.

Ghira's eyes grew softer as he saw the obvious stress in his daughter's body language. "Blake... is something wrong?"

Blake wanted to laugh- what wasn't wrong? Even if she could tell him, where did she begin? She shook her head. "No... everything's fine."

Ghira nodded, turning back inside and assuming a chair and patting his lap. "Well, why not hop up on my lap and tell your old man just how fine everything is."

Blake hesitated- she could turn and run right now- he probably wouldn't follow. But... this might be the last chance she had. Almost reluctantly, her legs guided her across the room and into her father's lap.

"Your mother and I have noticed, you know," he spoke gently, running his hand through her hair, occasionally rubbing gently around her ears. "You've been... different, ever since summer started."

"Well... you know about my friends, right?"

"Ah, yes... Team Loser, wasn't it?" Ghira asked, smiling at the name.

"Nora's idea, not mine," Blake explained quickly.

"I should have guessed," Ghira chuckled. "What about them?"

"We got a few new members recently- I guess that's one thing that's changed."

"Yes... I heard you were meeting up with that boy from just outside of town... Ren, was it?"

"Ren... Pyrrha... Jaune," Blake nodded. "They're all good people- they don't care about... about..."

"About," Ghira nodded, pausing to scratch lightly at the base of her ears. "Then what's wrong?"

Blake faltered. "Well... the thing is... it's a problem between us. We agreed not to tell anyone else."

Ghira hesitated a moment. "Well... are you sure it's something I can't help with?"

"Yes," Blake nodded. "We have to handle it on our own."

"If you truly feel that way," Ghira relented, though he hardly sounded happy about it. "Is that where you're going today?"

"Yes," Blake nodded again. "We're getting together... and we're going to fix what's wrong."

Ghira took a deep breath, then smiled. "It warms my heart to see that I've raised such a strong young lady. Whatever your problem is, I'm proud of you- proud that you aren't just running away from your problems, but sharing them with your friends and taking them head-on."

"I want to run so much," Blake admitted, on the verge of crying as she pressed her face into her father's shoulder. "So much..."

"And that's normal," Ghira pointed out, returning to running his hand through her hair. "Don't you remember that quote- 'Courage isn't the absence of fear. It's being scared to death but saddling up anyways.'"

"That stupid Don Wayne poster," Blake forced a smile. "It watches me every time I'm in your study, you know."

"I'm still not getting rid of it," Ghira countered. "I refuse to part with a poster of the greatest hero of my generation!"

Blake couldn't help laughing, and Ghira laughed with her.

"Go, then," Ghira smiled, patting her on the back. "Go take care of your problems- whether you want to tell me or not, I'll be with you every step of the way. Maybe when you get back, we can all go to that sushi restaurant you like."

Blake couldn't stop her mouth from watering at the mention of her favorite food. "Promise?" she asked.

"Promise," Ghira nodded. "So, when- oof!"

He broke off when his daughter tackled him in the greatest hug she could muster. "I love you, Dad," she whispered in his ear.

He couldn't stop the warm grin as he returned the embrace. "I love you too, Blake."

XXXX

Weiss panicked momentarily when she awoke to see the sun already well over the horizon- there went her plan of sneaking out before her father could notice.

Her first destination was the gym, of sorts, where she practiced fencing, where she seized a long, white rapier. As Yang had said not too long ago, she had an at least basic understanding of how to use the weapon, though she was facing a handicap in the form of her broken arm. She was just lucky it was her off-hand that had broken. She wasn't confident enough to wield their primary weapon, but neither was she foolish enough to head out unarmed altogether.

The rapier under arm, she made her way down through the massive house, hoping against hope to make it out the front door before-

"Weiss!"

... before that.

She turned reluctantly to see her father descending the stairs of the foyer, just as she was about to open the door. "And where do you think you're going?"

His voice remained calm, but there was a fire in his eyes that let her know that she was walking on thin ice. "Out," she answered, going for the simplest answer she could think of. "I'm going out."

"It's rather early," Jacques pointed out. "Have you done your singing practice?"

Weiss recoiled. "No."

"Piano?"

"No."

"Your assigned readings?"

"No."

Jacques's eyes narrowed. "Then I think it's safe to say you're not going anywhere today."

Without thinking, Weiss continued. "No."

Jacques blinked. "Excuse me?"

"I said no!" Weiss repeated.

"No, what-"

"No, as in I am going out today, and you can't stop me!"

Jacques froze, his gaze turning to a glare. "You don't intend to go out and meet those rapscallions-"

"They're not rapscallions!" Weiss interrupted. "They're my friends- the friends you're trying to separate me from! They need my help today- more than they ever have before- so yes, I'm going out to meet them, whether you like it or not!"

"Weiss, I am your father, and I will not be spoken to like that!" Jacques shot back.

"I am your daughter," Weiss retaliated immediately, "and I won't tolerate being lied to for over a decade!"

"Lied to?" Jacques asked, rage continuing to fuel his voice- but Weiss was certain she spied a bit of fear in his eyes now. "What do you mean, lied to?!"

"Water!" Weiss shouted, reaching into her purse and producing her inhaler for emphasis. "Soda and energy drinks diluted in water! That's all it is- it's all bullshit!"

Jacques looked truly taken aback- almost as much as Weiss felt. This was the first time she'd ever dared use such words, let alone right in front of her father.

Jacques hardly seemed to know what to say in response. "It... it is nothing of the sort! It helps you!"

"No, father," Weiss shook her head. "It helps you. The only people trying to help me were my friends- the ones you're trying to drive away. The ones I'm going to right now- and you can't stop me."

She turned and kicked open the front doors. Jacques abandoned all decorum as he sprinted down the stairs, yelling after her. "Weiss! WEISS ARELLA SCHNEE, YOU COME BACK HERE THIS INSTANT!"

But there was nothing he could do as he watched Weiss sprint down the path leading to the manor, practically hurdle over the front gates, and continue running until she'd disappeared from view altogether.

XXXX

One by one, each of the losers appeared at A Simple Wok. They hardly spoke beyond their initial greetings as they congregated. Only three of them had ridden bikes- Pyrrha, Ren, and Yang. When Weiss arrived- the last to do so- they split up onto the bikes in equal silence. Perhaps there was simply nothing more to say.

As before, Jaune assumed control over Pyrrha's bike, the larger girl sitting right behind him. Nora was far more subdued than usual as she sat right behind Ren, holding onto him tightly as he steered. Bumblebee, the largest bike of them all, was entrusted with carrying Yang, Blake, and Weiss- Yang pedaling, Blake at the rear edge, and Weiss between them, holding onto Yang with her good arm as Blake provided additional support from behind.

Yang took the lead, guiding the others towards Vickery Lane. Eyes grew wide as the houses steadily dissipated, making way for dead grass and deader trees. At long last, the building appeared on the horizon. Just in front of the gates, they all disembarked, the bikers lowering their kickstands before turning to gaze up at the house. Those who had previous experience with it seemed more nervous than the others- Nora and Weiss in particular were breathing rather heavily as they scanned the windows for any traces of pink or brown hair.

"Hey, Weissy," Nora practically whispered. "That asthma stuff doesn't have any actual medicine in it, right?"

"Correct," Weiss agreed, uncomfortable at the reminder.

"So it wouldn't hurt me, right?"

"I suppose not..."

"Mind if I have a puff to clear the old lungs?"

Weiss threw an odd look at her friend, but ultimately sighed before producing her inhaler and allowing Nora to take it.

Nora raised the inhaler to her mouth and took a pull on it. Almost immediately, she removed it, coughing and spluttering. "Ugh! It tastes like shit!"

"Nora," Blake grunted warningly.

"What? It does!" Nora insisted, glowering at the inhaler. "You said it was water, soda, and energy drink- I like all those things! How did they make it taste so bad! What did you say is the most potent kind of Dust?"

Almost against her will, Weiss's mouth was being drawn upwards into a smile. "Omega dust," she answered. She was lying- no one type of dust was any more powerful than any other, just different- but Nora demanded an answer, so she provided.

"Yeah!" Nora nodded emphatically. "It's like trying to inhale omega dust!"

Blake sighed. "Nora, there's no such thing- never mind." She gave up as Nora turned to Ren, completely ignoring her.

"Want a taste?" she asked the calmer boy.

Ren chuckled. "After the glowing praise you heaped on it? Why not?" He accepted the inhaler and took a pull. He took a moment to smack his lips. "It's not that bad."

"Are you kidding me?" Nora asked, aghast. "I almost threw up! And if it tastes the same coming up as it did going down, there's something wrong!"

Pyrrha chuckled. "Perhaps we need an impartial third party. If I may..."

Ren nodded, handing her the inhaler. Pyrrha winced as the taste crossed her tongue. "Well... I can certainly see how one might mistake it for medicine..."

"If that's medicine, then I'm the King of Atlas!" Nora objected. "There are female kings, right? If that's medicine, I'll be the first female King of Atlas!"

"You mean... queen?" Blake suggested.

"What about 'em?"

Blake sighed. "Whatever- just hand it over."

Pyrrha smiled as she handed the inhaler to Blake, who raised it to her lips and pulled. A look of severe distaste crossed her face. "Another reason to hate him, I suppose..."

Jaune reached out and took a pull next. "Not as bad as Nora was saying, though," he smiled. "I know vomit, as I'm sure you remember. That is not vomit."

"W-Well, Vomit Boy's sp-spoken!" Yang chuckled. "Give it h-here."

Jaune obliged, and Yang took a long, deep pull. She coughed as she removed it. "Y-Yeah... no offense, W-Weiss Cream, but your D-Dad's a prick."

"None taken," Weiss shook her head, taking the inhaler back and pulling on it herself. "I happen to agree."

For another moment, they stood there, as though the weight of what they'd done- what they were about to do- set in in full. Finally, Yang asked, "Everyone huh-have their w-w-weapons?"

As she spoke, she produced her gun in one hand, and showed off a brass knuckle on the other. Weiss produced her rapier, Ren his knives and bolt gun, Pyrrha her steel bar, and Nora her hammer. Blake reached up and ran a hand along the chain she had draped over her shoulders, and Jaune brought out the most important weapon of all- the silver knife.

"Alright," Yang nodded. "R-Ren, J-Jaune and I will g-go first, so we c-c-can get c-clear shots on It. We'll h-have... th-three people b-behind us, and s-someone else to w-watch all our b-backs."

"That's my job," Blake volunteered immediately.

Yang blinked. "Alright... N-Nora, Pyrrha, and W-Weiss behind us, and B-Blake in the b-back. You s-see something- anything- d-d-don't keep it to y-y-yourself."

They all nodded, then, in the order prescribed by Yang, made their way up to the House.

The door was still hanging open from Yang and Nora's previous excursion- one by one, they filtered in, before returning to their previous formation. "L-Leave the d-d-door open," Yang ordered. "I d-d-don't know how much g-g-good it'll do-" Memories flashed through her head of the door slamming shut on her and Nora just before they made their escape- "-but d-do it anyways."

Blake nodded. "Because I was so eager to seal off our main means of escape," she commented drily.

"Hey, uh... Yang?" Nora asked, clutching her hammer tighter. "Is it just me, or...is the House bigger than last time?"

The others followed her example, readying their weapons. Indeed, despite looking rather small on the outside, the hallway they now stood in seemed wide enough to belong to Blake's house- though not necessarily Weiss's.

"Well... let's split up, gang," Jaune smiled nervously. "Only joking, only joking!" he clarified quickly when the others turned to glare at him.

"We're not going upstairs again, are we?" Nora asked nervously.

"N-No," Yang agreed. "This time... this time, we're l-l-looking for the b-buh-basement."

"Lovely," Weiss muttered, glancing to her side as she brandished her rapier.

"And where might that be?" Ren asked.

"I d-d-don't know," Yang admitted. "We d-d-didn't see it l-last time."

As they set off deeper into the house, it seemed very much like the building was continuing to expand around them. They made their way into the living room, which seemed practically the size of a combat arena, despite their own ability to traverse it in only a few paces.

The air seemed to constrict around them, and a feeling persisted of being watched. None of them dared break the silence as they turned towards the kitchen, where an antique icebox stood open, proudly showing off a supply of black mold, prompting Weiss to withdraw into the others.

"A door... there's a door."

The others turned to see Ren, his gun at the ready, standing in front of the door he'd pointed out. Jaune reached up to rub his eyes. "Is... is anyone else seeing this?"

"You mean, the door going crazy? Yeah, I see it," Nora nodded.

Nora's description was as good as any other, even if it didn't seem to truly cover what was happening. Every time they looked at the door, it seemed different- for some reason, it seemed to stand up, lay diagonally in the floor, and be a trapdoor, all at the same time. On top of this, it seemed to sporadically tilt from one side to the other. It didn't ever seem to actually be moving- rather, it seemed as though their own perceptions of it were rapidly changing, causing them not to understand what it was they were truly looking at.

"If we open that door... are we gonna walk though, or fall through?" Nora wondered.

"One way to find out," Ren muttered, reaching out- or perhaps down- towards the door.

A loud creaking noise sounded as it drifted open, revealing a set of steps.

"Well... I suppose it wasn't a trap door," Pyrrha commented, her uncertainty clear in her voice.

"Are you sure?" Nora asked. "Are you sure we're not gonna start down there and just be walking on the bottom of the world?"

"The world's still round, Nora," Weiss whispered.

"Photoshop!"

"Shut up, you two!" Blake hissed, fear making her sound harsher than usual. "Who cares? Just get going down the stairs!"

Yang fought back a gulp as she gazed down the steps, descending into what seemed like an infinite darkness. Memories trickled into her mind of Ruby- her fear of the monster in the basement, her hesitation to descend those steps, even up to the day-

She shook her head quickly. Now wasn't the time to think of such things. Now was the time to bring this to an end. Taking the lead again, she set one foot down on the stairs, then the other. One by one, the rest of the team followed.

If they had thought the floor above had grown, it was nothing compared to the basement, which seemed roughly the size of a full colosseum. The floor consisted mostly of dust, and the only light source was a small window on the opposite wall where a scant few rays struggled to pierce the darkness. A cold, empty furnace resided on one wall, while situated near the center of the other wall was a hole descending into the ground, bricks rising around it in a circle to resemble a well.

"Is that...?" Nora asked nervously.

"I believe so," Ren nodded. "There's Its entrance to the sewers."

"I thought someone used to live here," Pyrrha whispered. "How didn't she notice-"

"It's hard to tell," Ren shrugged. "Perhaps she was the one to dig it- maybe she knew something was wrong, and started investigating herself. Or maybe she was like so many others- she simply failed to notice or care about what was right under her nose."

"It d-doesn't m-matter anymore," Yang cut them off. "C-come on."

She led them to the well, indicating a large pully above, ready to lower a lengthy rope down into the darkness beneath. "Help me get this down there..."

Weiss followed the rope with her eyes, locating the source in the basement's corner. She and Nora followed it over and began lifting. "Hey, Pyrrha, give us a hand, would ya?"

As Yang, Ren, and Jaune kept watch over the well, eventually guiding the rope down into it, with the assistance of Weiss, Pyrrha, and Nora on the other end, Blake found herself scanning the basement- she needed no light to see everything that was down here- what little there was. Dust, rope, the well, a shovel or two next to the furnace-

Her heart stopped when she saw something climbing its way out of the furnace- long, discolored fingers with far more joints than any creature should have gently grasped at the edges of the door, before gently beginning to push it open.

She had no interest in seeing what creature those hands belonged to- she let out a scream, drawing everyone else's attention. "It's here!" she called. "Guys- It's down here!"

They all spun towards the furnace, and in that moment, each saw something different- a swarm of flies, the red hood of Krampus, or a large, cruelly sharp scythe...

Until Nora shouted at the top of her lungs, "It's a beowolf!"

Abruptly, all their perceptions snapped together, as out of the furnace poured a large, black wolf-like creature covered in bones and black fur, red eyes full of fury as it bore down on them.

In a second, the basement was filled with noise- Yang's gun went off, landing a couple of shots directly between the beowolf's eyes that hardly seemed to phase it. Ren ducked under its approach and fired a shot from his bolt gun- it, too, seemed to have hardly any effect. The beowolf continued forward, sprinting on all fours towards Weiss, who nervously raised her rapier in preparation- only for a chain to fling out from behind, wrapping around its neck. Behind it, Blake was holding on with everything she had, struggling to pull it away from her friend. The beowolf responded by turning on her, leaping forward- only to recoil when Pyrrha ducked in front of her, holding her bar like a spear. It pierced the beowolf's shoulder, prompting it to pull away, howling in pain- but it seemed more angry than anything else.

Nora leapt forward, slamming her hammer against its skull- it hardly seemed to feel it, but she managed to draw its attention. As she quickly pulled back, Weiss dove forward with her rapier, doing her best to compensate for her useless limb as she drove her sword into the beast's back. Before she'd even noticed, Ren was at her side, dropping his bolt guns in favor of driving both his knives into its shoulderblades. The beowolf flailed around, practically screaming in frustration as it attempted to shake him off, but he held steady as Weiss continued to strike with her rapier.

From here, Jaune seized his chance, leaping forward with the knife and attempting to drive it into the creature's chest.

The beowolf seemed to spy what he was doing, and, contrary to anything they'd expected, pressed further back into Ren's knives, slamming him into a nearby wall, where, at last, he released them and fell to the floor. Weiss was forced to dive out of the way, landing, rather unfortunately, right on her arm- the ensuing pain caused her to scream and release her rapier. The beowolf charged directly at Yang, swatting her away with surprising ease, before immediately bowling through Nora, before finally turning on Jaune. Jaune attempted to turn, preparing to stab again, but the beowolf moved faster, ready to deal a deadly blow with its claws.

"No!" Pyrrha screamed, diving forward and knocking

Jaune out of the way- the claws passed through her stomach like a hot knife through butter, leaving her screaming in pain as she fell to the ground, raising her hands to her belly in an effort to stem the flow of blood.

The beowolf was changing- most of the hair faded away, except for that at its head, which stretched out, taking on an all-too-familiar pink and brown hue. It shrunk, clothing reappearing, eyes growing wider and more human.

Before they knew it, they were once again face to face with Neo.

"You really thought it would be that easy?" she asked, a dark smirk spreading over her face. "You really thought you would be able to dispose of me? I am eternal- I'm the only reason your petty world even exists! Without me, you'd be nothing!"

Yang rose up, eyes a bloody red as she prepared her knuckles. "And you took my sister. You'll pay for that!"

She leapt forward, only for Neo to strike her down single handedly, laughing. "And you think killing me will bring her back?" she asked tauntingly. "How do you think you'll find her down in those sewers?"

Yang looked back up, eyes widening. "Sh-sh-sh-she is a-a-alive?"

Neo shrugged. "Maybe, maybe not. How do I know where that brat went when she made a run for it? Not that it matters- all that's left-"

She was cut off when a chain once again wrapped its way around her throat- Blake put all her strength into forcing her to her knees. Nora leapt over and joined Blake in her struggle to keep the woman in place. "Jaune, now! Kill It now!" Blake shouted, looking desperately towards the boy.

Jaune hesitated as he turned to face her- the silver knife wasn't too far from his hand. But... she wasn't in beowolf form anymore... it wouldn't do any more good than Ren's knives had earlier. He quailed as the other members of Team Loser joined in Blake and Nora's cries- "Kill It! Kill It! KILL IT!"

Then, his eyes roamed over to Yang, who met his blue eyes with her own red- despite that, however, she seemed surprisingly calm. He knew as soon as their eyes met- she'd seen the same problem he had.

But she didn't care.

She nodded. She didn't speak, but the message was clear. Jaune... kill that bitch.

A newfound confidence flowed through him- he seized the knife and dove forward towards where Neo was struggling against the chain. He aimed for her head, but she ducked to the side at the last second, with the end result that he left only a small cut on her cheek.

No blood emerged from the wound- instead, an incredibly bright light poured out, a vibrant yellowish-orange, nearly blinding those who looked upon it. Without any conscious thought, they all raised their hands to shield their eyes- which, in Blake and Nora's case, meant releasing the chain that had held Neo to the ground.

Then came the scream- an unearthly screech the likes of which they'd never before heard, utterly alien to any of Remnant's creatures. In their determination not to blind themselves, though, they didn't dare move their hands to cover their ears.

Except for Pyrrha. The sound chilled her just enough for her to relocate her hands to her ears- granting her a brief glimpse of what was happening in the battle's wake. She didn't look directly at Neo- the light was far too blinding for that- but she managed to see a pair of feet sprinting across the short space of the basement.

And... for a brief moment... they changed. For a split second, she caught a glimpse of what she thought must be Its truest form- the one they had yet to witness. Under cover of Its own light, she saw the legs reverting to some more... archaic form. Only a fleeting impression could be shared later- flayed, mottled grey skin, tapering off to a point at one end, moving across the floor almost like a fluid. She hardly understood herself what, exactly, she was seeing, but it was something that haunted her for the remainder of that summer, until she finally left Vale behind.

Then it was gone. The light faded away, and the scream became an echo that eventually faded into a ringing silence.

"The well..." Pyrrha found herself whispering. "It... It went into the well."

Those were all the words she had left before she broke, collapsing into a sobbing heap on the ground. Jaune pulled his way over to her, laying a hand over her back. One by one, the others followed, bundling together much as Yang and Nora had a month or so earlier, letting all their feelings and emotions out on the floor of the House's basement. No words were spoken- no words needed to be spoken.

What they said to each other with their own bodies was enough.

XXXX

Please R&R, constructive criticism and questions embraced, Gamer4 out.