Team CRMN were headed back to their dorm after class, ready to finish their homework and wind down. However, they opened the door to find Lizzie lying on the ground, looking bruised and battered. Reed and Nina immediately rushed over to help her up.

"Nina..." She muttered.

Reed looked to Nina. "You know her?"

Nina's eyes widened. "Wait, this is your-" A hand came up to her head. "I'm an idiot! Of course it's the same Lizzie! She...gave me a place to stay for a little while."

Lizzie coughed. "Nina...he...knows where we are. Attacked the camp...Kane said...to warn you."

Melanie turned to Nina. "You're with the Fang?!"

"No, no!" Nina shook her head. "It's...complicated, but I'm not with the White Fang. I just know some of them...one of them...helped me." She looked back at Lizzie. "Where's Kane, what happened to him?"

"He ordered a retreat." Lizzie stated. "Said to group up with Adam's forces."

Reed looked Lizzie in the eye. "Who attacked you?"

"You already know." Lizzie coughed again, passing out.

"Reed, get her to the house. I'll go find Richard." Crimson ordered, stepping out in a hurry.

Reed gently lifted Lizzie, opening the window and leaping out. Suddenly, Melanie and Nina were alone.

"Alright, I let you have your secrets when they were just yours, but now we're involved." Melanie said. "Talk."

Nina blinked. "I...it's...I'm not..."

"Fine, I'll ask questions, and you answer." Melanie said. "Who's Kane?"

"Just a friend, I swear!" Nina insisted. "He taught me to fight, and helped me get into Beacon."

"Helped you get in?" Melanie crossed her arms. "So you could feed information to the Fang?"

Nina shook her head. "No. I haven't spoken with anyone since I got in until just now. I'm not a member of the White Fang, and I would never spy on my team."

"Alright then. One last Question." She stepped closer, staring Nina down. "Who attacked them?"

Reed rushed inside, laying Lizzie on the couch. "Mom, are you here?!"

Stephanie stepped into the room, confused. "Reed? Isn't it a school day?" She then saw Lizzie and her eyes widened. "Who is this? What's going on?"

"She's hurt, I don't know how badly." Reed explained. "I'll tell you everything, but we need to make sure she's okay."

"Alright...it seems like her aura took most of the damage." Stephanie observed. "I think rest should be enough to heal what's left."

Reed breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank the gods."

Stephanie raised an eyebrow. "You're...unusually expressive."

"What?" Reed looked to her.

"Just that...since...Lizzie...you've been so closed off." Stephanie explained.

Reed looked down. "I know...I thought...that if I could hide my emotions, I wouldn't have to hurt...and maybe I could keep it from happening again. But...Nina told me that it's okay to hurt...because it means that she was important...is important."

"Is?" Stephanie looked at Reed, then at the girl on the couch. "You don't mean..."

Reed nodded. "It's her, mom. She's alive."

Stephanie covered her mouth, eyes beginning to water. Reed pulled her into a hug. She cried into her son's shoulder, looking at the daughter she'd thought dead for so long.

Crimson and Richard soon arrived. Richard rushed over to check on Lizzie.

Reed looked over at his father. "Dad...it's-

"Lizzie." Richard finished. "Crimson told me...do we know who the attacker was?"

"The same person that kidnapped Crimson before." Melanie spoke from the doorway. "Zachariah Alabaster, most likely operating on orders from Crimson's mystery friend."

Crimson looked over. "We're not friends. I haven't forgotten how we met, or what he was willing to do."

"So you admit, we should be treating him like a serious threat?" Melanie asked.

"No." Crimson stated. "Let's think about things objectively. All we know about him is that he had me kidnapped to ask for my help, and that he's attacking White Fang camps."

Melanie raised an eyebrow. "So he's a kidnapper and a murderer."

"It's the White Fang!" Crimson protested. "They're terrorists! They murder people left and right, you can't accuse people for fighting back against them!"

Melanie scowled. "So now you're defending your kidnapper?"

"Both of you conceited idiots just shut up!" Lizzie shouted, clutching her head as she sat up. "Listen here, hothead. It may be easy for you to judge the White Fang when all you've seen of them is the yellow journalism funded by the oppressive corporations, but why don't I tell you my side. I was alone, starving, homeless, forgotten by my family, and the only people who helped me were the White Fang. They fed me, taught me to fight, and gave me a purpose. So pull that stick out of your rear-end and realize that we're people like you, who are tired of the constant hatred and abuse."

Reed stepped between them. "Everyone, please calm down. Perspectives, right and wrong, true or false, we can't determine any of that while arguing over each other. Here are the facts. Lizzie, you're my sister. White Fang or not, I care about you. Crimson, you're my team leader...I have to trust you. There is no picking a side for me. Let's sit down and figure this out, for everyone's sake...please."

Plenty of glares and nervous looks were thrown around, but soon everyone sat down. Except for Melanie. She walked out, slamming the door behind her.

"So what now?" Lizzie asked.

Reed looked to her. "We talk...we explain what happened...and we move forward."