Weiss was feeling particularly joyful this morning. Not because of the amazingly soft bed or the nice hot shower she didn't have to wait forever to get. It was actually because she's able to wake up next to her girlfriend and it was wonderful. She always assumed her father would sell her off to some rich snob's son to increase his own wealth. He'd never approve of Blake for her simply being a Faunus, even if she somehow had more money than him. She didn't care, though. Blake was the love of her life and there isn't anything she won't do for her.

Speaking of which, Blake wasn't in bed when she stepped out of the shower, meaning she woke up and was likely in the living room reading a book. She wasn't in the living, but on the balcony overlooking the city. She greeted Blake with a deep kiss before sitting in the chair next to her.

"Morning, Weiss. Sleep well?" Blake asked.

"I did, though I was slightly disappointed you weren't there to greet me out of the shower" Weiss said, dramatically. Blake rolled her eyes, but still smiled. Weiss gazed out over the cityscape and was amazed by how vast it was. She was certain it dwarved even the size of any of the Kingdoms' capitals with many tall, sleek buildings jutting out. They may appear Atesian, but didn't have the same cold, rigid feel to them as they did in Atlas. There was also the distinct lack of airships roaming the sky above the city.

"What a lovely view, don't you think?" She asked.

"It is. That's why I came out here… Also, you should be glad we're on the top floor" Blake said. The reason for saying that was due to the fact Weiss had neglected to put any clothes on, not even a bathrobe, so she was naked. She probably did that to show off to Blake's perverted side(which was more prominent than she'd like to say).

"What, don't like what you see?" Weiss asked, teasingly. Blake hid her face behind her book to keep Weiss from seeing her blush. While Weiss was the weakest strength-wise, she was still in great shape with a very well-sculpted body that shows the signs of years of exercise and training. So, there was a bit of muscle on her, but not much and she still has a graceful, almost ethereal build. All she needs is a pair of wings and she can be considered an angel.

"You're cute when you blush, Blake" Weiss said, snapping Blake back to reality.

"So, apart from teasing me, what do you have planned, today?" Blake asked.

"I was thinking of heading into the city and exploring it, a bit. I'm curious about what can be found here" Weiss replied, thinking it over.

"Perhaps I can join you. We haven't had our first date, yet, and this is a good opportunity" Blake offered.

"Wonderful. Let me get dressed and we can leave" Weiss smiled brightly and left Blake alone. Blake decided to also dress for the occasion, having only been in her bathrobe. To be honest, Blake was excited for this. She never expected to get in such a relationship, especially after Adam's abusive behaviour towards her. The kingdoms would never allow a Human and Faunus to be together, but here there is nothing wrong with it. Ten minutes later, they both left the hotel. Blake was dressed in a purple blouse, balck pants with an opening for her tail, and black boots. Weiss wore a white knee-length dress with a blue petticoat, and a pair of white sandals with bows.

The duo strolled through the city, hand in hand. Weiss even felt Blake's tail brush against her leg a few times. The feeling of the smooth, silky fur it was covered in against her skin sent chills through her each time. And to think, she used to not get along with Blake. Now, she's the love of her life and hopes to one day marry her. But, she's fine with just being girlfriends for the time being. As they kept walking, something caught Weiss's eye.

It was a large store, nearly the size of half the block with a chrome colored building and a sign that read "Leah's Tech Display" above a pair of glass doors. Feeling curious, she headed inside, pulling Blake along, and was greeted by a welcoming rustic interior. There were several tables with holographic images of various products with several shelves lining the walls. There was a counter near the leftmost back corner, where a woman was sitting.

"A tech store" Blake mused.

"Indeed. I've been curious by just how much more advanced America is compared to even Atlas and this seemed like a good place to get a glimpse of it" Weiss explained and began browsing and it wasn't long before she was amazed by what she came across. These were certainly com devices, like a Scroll, but were referred to as "phones". They had many features that can be founded on a Scroll, so the difference is really only in name. Then, there were several features Scrolls didn't have. Judging from the info being presented with these products, there are special implants you can use to allow you to mentally control the device and all of its functions, but it's optional. What amazed her was these holograms were tangible enough to where she can actually move them with her hands and alter them to an extant. Weiss was amazed by how advanced these devices were compared to even the most cutting edge Scrolls.

"Caught your eye, it seems," Blake said, snapping Weiss out of her stupor.

"Sorry, but I couldn't help it. Their technology is so sophisticated and advanced. And this is just one aspect of it! You know what, I think I'll purchase these devices for us" Weiss declared. Blake glanced at Weiss.

"You sure about that?" she asked.

"Positive. We may never return to Remnant, so we'll need to make use of these devices to contact one another. It'll take me a bit to find what we desire" Weiss said, walking off to browse. Blake just shrugged and headed over to the register to wait for her. When she got close enough, she noticed that the cashier was a Faunus with six tentacles in place of her legs. She looked quite young, likely around 17, with black hair and brown eyes. Her features looked Mistralian.

"Good afternoon, ma'am. Do you need anything?" she asked.

"No, thank you" Blake replied, politely. Five minutes later, Weiss returned with five watch-like devices. Each one was a different color. One was red. One was yellow. One was white. One was black. One was brown. She places them on the counter.

"I'd like to purchase these," she said. The cashier frowned, her tentacles twitching a bit. This weirded out Wiess a bit, but kept it to herself and out of her expression.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but these are for promotional use only" she said, surprising Weiss.

"Then why were they on the shelves for anyone to grab?" Weiss asked, incredulously.

"Our staff tends to be forgetful at times. I'm terribly sorry for the inconvenience, ma'am" the cashier said, bowing slightly.

"It's alright. It's not your fault. Do you have this model in stock, though?" Weiss asked with a sigh.

"Yes, but we don't have them in any of those colors. Only blue" the cashier replied.

"Then, I would like five of them, pelase" Weiss said.

"Of course. It'll only take a second" the cashier said cheerfully, standing up and heading to a door behind the counter. Seeing her six tentacles move made Weiss feel a bit squeamish but powered through it until she was out of sight. Blake smiled in sympathy. She knew how off-putting some Faunus traits can be. The cashier came back out with the desired watches.

"Here you go. Your total comes up to $723" she said. Weiss took out her card and handed it to the cashier. She rang up the card and handed the watches to Weiss. After thanking the cashier, the duo left the store. Weiss felt quite happy to have gotten something to help her teammates. Ruby will be quite eager to tinker with these when she gets her hands on them.

They came across a bookstore not far from the tech store and Blake obviously wanted to see what books America had to offer. The interior was rustic in its feel and appearance and Blake was slightly excitedly looking around. Weiss rolled her eyes, amused by how much of a bibliophile Blake is, even after all this time. As they kept browsing, something caught her eye. When she turned, she spotted a familiar set of silver eyes. A surge of anger filled her, as her mind immediately flashed to Ruby.

"Ruby Rose! Are you spying on us?!" she demanded. The target of her annoyance did speak, but none of it registered in her mind nor did the slight differences her eyes noted. Blake heard Weiss's outburst and went to diffuse the situation.

"Well?! What do you have to say for yourself?!"

"Uh, Weiss-"

"Answer me, you dolt!"

"Weiss-"

"Don't tell me you refuse to talk to me!"

"WEISS!"

"WHAT?!"

"You should take a better look"

"What are you… talk… about…" Weiss's words trailed off as she did get a better look. It wasn't Ruby. It was a fifty year old boy with a rather small frame for his age. His hair was a dark brown, almost black, and he had the same silver eyes as Ruby. His skin was a darker tone than Ruby's though.

"So, either Ruby had a gender change surgery that was completed in the last hour or you let your temper flare up, again" Blake said, drly. Weiss sent a glare her way before turning back to the boy.

"I apologize for my anger towards you. You reminded me of someone I know" Weiss said.

"That's okay" the boy said with a smile.

"What's your name?" Blake asked, leaning down so that she's eye level with the boy. He eyed Blake's ears and tail, even as it swayed slightly behind her.

"My name is Orion. I'm surprised you let your tail wave freely. Most Faunus wrap it around their waist when outdoors so it doesn't get caught in a door" the boy said. Blake chuckled at his statement. He is right about that. She's made that sort of mistake once or twice as a kid.

"You aren't upset that Weiss yelled at you?" Blake asked, curiously.

"No, I saw it in a vision three days ago. I was prepared for it" Orion said, catching their attention.

"Vision?"

"Yes, I sometimes get visions of the future" Orion said, shocking them. It was obvious this boy didn't have an active Aura, meaning this isn't the result of a Semblance. So, how is he able to have some sort of future sight ability?

"How are you able to do that?" Weiss asked.

"I don't know. I always could do it. They come at random, though, but they're usually very helpful" Orion shrugged.

"Amazing... " Weiss breathed out, in awe. Then she snaps herself out of it.

"Even if you aren't upset, I simply must pay you back for yelling at you the way I did" Blake blinked a few times at her girlfriend.

"Weiss, we're on a date"

It took longer than expected, but Yang did eventually get full control of her arm. She was assured it won't be an issue from now on. She was glad she didn't have to worry about her arm constantly trying to strangle her and was eager to test it out along with her upgraded weapons. They had also given Yang the same body augmentations and nanomachines that most American soldiers receive. She could already see the difference in her strength and ability to heal from wounds in the training sessions. She can't wait to give Ruby a big hug when she gets back. Now, though, she was simply just roaming about the base. Thankfully, no one else gave her any hard times.

She soon came upon a group of soldiers training in hand-to-hand along with target practice. She noticed that none of their weapons had mechashift capabilities nor do they seem to have any active Aura. Their armor and weapons were also quite bulky compared to even what she's seen wielded by Atlas soldiers. How these guys fought off the Grimm was beyond her. As she watched them train, she noticed a man approaching her.

He looked to be in his late twenties with a muscular build and towered over her. His skin was tan and he had red hair in a buzz cut and green eyes. He wore an officer's uniform.

"Good afternoon, ma'am," he said.

"Oh, hello. You are in charge of these guys?" Yang asked.

"No, their sergeant is in disciplinary punishment for trying to pull rank on a foreign soldier who was a special guest. So, they had me watch over them" Yang nearly burst out laughing, realizing who the sergeant was and her role in all of this.

"Sorry about that," she said, still holding back her laughter.

"It's alright. No one liked him, anyway. I'm John" the man replied.

"Yang. If I might ask, how are you guys able to fight off the Grimm with such bulky weapons and armor and no Aura?" Yang asked, eyeing the soldiers.

"Oh, these soldiers aren't assigned to fighting Grimm. We have a dedicated division of Huntsmen-trained fighters that handle that. They're the ones with an Aura and those transforming weapons of yours. Honestly, I never understood the use of them" John explained.

"Don't knock them until you try them, Johnny boy" Yang teased. John laughed at that, which made Yang feel good.

"How about I give you an official tour of the base?" John offered.

"Sure!"

John proceeded to show her around and Yang eagerly paid attention, much to her confusion. She wasn't interested in what he was talking about, but something about his voice made her focus on what he's saying despite not really invested in the topic of the goings on in the base. She noted the various parts of the base and was especially curious about the shooting range. Sadly, though, she didn't have any clearance to make use of it, which didn't really bother her.

Then something caught her attention. A group of four were seemingly going over some files in an office area she and John were passing. She couldn't get a good look or hear what they were saying but a few words reached her ears: "activity". "Elder Grimm". "Increase". Worry and fear filled Yang, wanting to know what was going on. She turned to John.

"You got clearance for those files?" Yang asked, gesturing with her head.

"I do, but going through sensitive files without permission can put you in a lot of trouble with the higher ups" Yang frowned at the words, not satisfied with the answer.

"Yeah, I could honestly care less about that. The president told me Grimm activity has been spiking lately. And I need to know" Now it was John's turn to frown. This is a risky move. Going through sensitive files without authorization could cost him his job and even a one way trip to the brig.

"Yang, that is not a good idea. The military doesn't like people going through files without at least being informed about it" he said, sternly. Yang glared at the man.

"I don't care about a bunch of pencil pushers…. John, I grew up in a town outside the protection of the Kingdoms. Without the protection of the walls, it can be destroyed at any time. That is why I'm worried. If there is Elder Grimm stirring things up, I have to know and there is nothing you can do to stop me" Yang said, her eyes very nearly turning red in warning. John was taken aback by her blatant disregard for the consequences her actions could place upon her. But, from the look in her eyes, there isn't a single thing he can do or say to dissuade her.

"Okay, tell you what: I'll contact my superiors to get their permission to look at the files, but I can't make any promises. They take secrets very seriously' John offered. Yang calmed down after hearing that.

"I can accept that. But, here's a little warning for you and your superiors: We aren't yours to order around. We're not loyal to you or your goals. We just have the same goal and we're only helping because this has the best chance at achieving it. If you do anything to make us upset, I can guarantee we'll be leaving you all behind" Yang's warning sent a chill of dread down his spine, even as she walked away. He sighed, both annoyed and impressed by her blatant attitude towards the US government. He could respect that bravery in a woman. But, this did bring up a problem. RWBY isn't loyal to America in any shape or form. It's just convenient for them to work with American forces and they will certainly turn against them if given ample reason to. He needed to bring this to Maya, immediately.

The problem with that is actually getting to talk to her. As President, she's obviously a very busy woman running an entire country and being pulled in who-knows-how-many directions at once. You'll need to be somebody in order to even be considered having a conversation with her. Fortunately his family, the Shepards, had the clout needed to pull this off. He never really liked using his family name, considering most of them are total suck ups who wouldn't know a good moral if it bit them in the rear. Only he and his sister had any decency and made sure to get out of that toxic household the second they could. He knows they'll be upset that he sued their connections without telling them, but seeing them upset was funny.

He approached a holoterminal and immediately contacted the White House. Maya's receptionist appears on screen.

"Hello, sir, how may I help you?" he asked, politely.

"Yes, I'd like to speak to president Maya Romanoff, please. It's important" John replied, equally as politely.

"Do you have an appointment with her?" the receptionist asked.

"No, but tell her John Shepard wants to speak to her" the receptionists eyes widen in recognition at the name.

"Oh, a Shepard! It's been a while since any of your family has contacted the President" John didn't miss the relief in his tone. His family had this nasty habit of constantly calling the president for one reason or another and Maya always found an excuse to avoid talking with them. No one really liked them. They're way too snobbish to stand for more than a full minute at any given time. They often tried to call him, in the past.

"I bet you're happy about that," John said.

"Oh, you have no idea. One moment, please. I'll put the president on" the receptionist said before the screen closed. A minute later, Maya appeared on screen.

"Oh, John Shepard! This is a pleasant surprise. I was informed your base oversaw the replacing of Yang Xiao Long's prosthetic. I take it everything went well?" she asked, smiling. Maya always enjoyed John's company due to him escaping his family's influence and toxic attitude. That and he was a pretty personable guy.

"It did, but there is something I need to talk to you about. Are you aware Yang and her teammates don't have any loyalty to America?" John asked, seriously.

"Indeed. Ruby Rose outright stated it to me when I asked. Why is it important?" Maya asked.

"Because, Yang was fully prepared to go against us for some files just now. I managed to get her to back down with a compromise, but it's clear she's not on our side. If given any reason to leave, they won't hesitate to do so, even if we threw our entire military at them" John explained and Mya listened intently. This was indeed something important. She knew RWBY was only working with them because their goals aligned, but the fact they don't hold any respect for their chain of command is a worrying thought. If they do anything that crosses a line, RWBY won't hesitate to turn against them and that can't happen. America's number of Aura users is very low and they have to use special machines to unlock Aura unlike the Kingdoms. America may have better technology and weapons, but that means nothing when Huntsmen can easily dispatch them before their Aura takes any significant damage. So, any Huntsmen they can sway to their side is welcome.

So, they can't have RWBY abandoning them at this point in time. Especially Blake and Weiss. Their family names carry great weight, which will be needed to create a more equal world.

"What do you propose to keep them on our side, then?" Maya asked, her tail flicking a few times.

"Yang and Ruby are from Patch. Should anything happen to it, they'll undoubtedly rush to protect their home. We may win their favor if we ensure its continued existence. As long as we keep it standing, we remain in RWBY's good graces" John said. Maya mentally slapped herself for not coming up with this idea, herself.

"That is a very excellent idea, John. It'll not only ensure RWBY's continued aid, but grant us another FOB in the ideal distance from Vale. I'll speak to me generals, immediately about. Oh, and on those files, inform your superiors I gave you the go ahead to show them to RWBY" Maya said. John saluted.

"Yes, ma'am. I'll be sure to tell them" with that, Maya nodded and ended the call.

God, his parents are going to give him an earful when they hear about this. He can already hear their scolding voices.

All five of them returned home that night, satisfied with their day. On the couch, they all recounted their days. Weiss and Blake's story caught Ruby's attention.

"You found a silver eyed boy?" she asked in shock.

Yes, he was quite a surprise for us, as well" Weiss said.

"Especially after you mistook him for Ruby" Blake teased, making Weiss blush. Yang burst out laughing at that, regretting not seeing that happen for herself. Ruby also laughed, a little amused Weiss mistook a boy for her. She can't imagine how much pride Weiss lost in that moment. Weiss huffed and looked away with a blush, much to everyone's amusement.

"That wasn't the weirdest part. According to him, he has the ability to see into the future. But, he doesn't have his Aura unlocked" Blake revealed.

"Wait, how is that possible. You can't have a Semblance without an active Aura" Ilia said, amazed.

"He doesn't know how, himself. He said he's always been able to do it. In fact, he predicted Weiss yelling at him three days prior. He wasn't upset that Weiss yelled at him, even after Weiss apologized and paid him back" Blake explained. Ruby glared at Weiss.

"Oh, sure, you apologize to a boy you yelled out after just meeting him, but you still haven't apologized to me for the same thing AND also making us explode" she said, angrily. Weiss glared back.

"You got two years worth of gifts from me, you dolt. I'd say I'd made it up to you" Ruby huffed, but didn't snap back.

"So, how is your new arm holding up, Yang?" Blake asked, changing to topic.

"Much better than what those stuck-up snobs gave me. I even got to choose what features it has" Yang said, happily.

"Atlas engineers were never ones for custom parts. Everything must be uniform. They wouldn't go for any of your ideas unless it involves giving all prothstetics the same thing" Weiss said.

"What is with you Atlesians and uniformity?" Ilia asked, incredulously.

"I ask myself the exact same thing, Ilia"

"Weiss also got us these," Blake said, pulling out the purchased watches. She gave each of them one.

"What are these?" Yang asked.

"Communication devices. Since we had to destroy our Scrolls, I thought it would be best to acquire a means to talk to another. These models are state-of-the-art. I tried to get colored ones, but apparently, they didn't have any other colors' Weiss grumbled at that part. Ruby could've sworn she heard her say "stupid octopus girl" but brushed it off.

"Well, we met this nice woman, Lena, and helped her find an engagement ring for her girlfriend. She even invited us to her wedding! She was such a sweetheart" Ruby squealed. Lena and her now-fiancé Emily were so cute together and she couldn't wait for their wedding day. Ilia nearly blushed at the thought of Ruby in a wedding dress.

"She sounds nice," Blake commented.

"She was and is pretty tough. We actually took down some armed robbers with her" Ilia said.

"I feel sorry for those poor fools' Weiss said, shaking her head. They continued on with their conversation, happily chatting with one another. Ilia was especially joyful, glad she found such a wonderful group of friends that don't judge her for being a Faunus. She only hopes future generations of people can enjoy this as well, one day.

No long wait time, this time around. I wonder if anyone will pick up the foreshadowing in this chapter?