"Are you allowed to talk about it at all?" Desirae asked as she stood across from Eliana wearing mitts on her hands that the girl focused her punches on. Eliana stopped for a second to look at her before beginning her onslaught once more, two quick left jabs with a right-handed uppercut that Desirae slapped to the side. "The battle at Beacon, that is. I saw the letter on your desk in the dorm room. That's awesome by the way that you would stay and fight those Faunus. That must have been terrifying. I hear that Athena was stronger than the few teachers that were there and that Raven Branwen showed up out of nowhere and finished her off! That's crazy!"

"Do you have to word it like that?" Asher questioned using the pull-up bar on the wall a few feet from them. "Not all Faunus are members of the Fang you know."

"Right!" Desirae shot back embarrassed, her face becoming flush. "Of course! I didn't mean it like that!" Eliana funneled her thoughts into her training as Desirae watched her for a long moment, hoping for an answer. "Well?"

"You went through my mail?" Eliana asked, the next few blows driving Desirae back.

"It was on your desk," Desirae defended. "I just thought that if you didn't want us seeing it, you would have put it somewhere a little safer or hidden it, you know?" She tried changing the subject. "Did you see the broadcast of your former teammates receiving their medals? That was exciting, right?" Eliana's eyes changed and the next hit was charged with a quick-moving forcefield at the end of it, throwing Desirae back several feet. She landed on her butt hard, looking up at Eliana who breathed heavily, sorrow tearing her body apart.

"You okay?" Asher asked as he dropped down.

YOU'RE NO HERO.

"Yeah," Eliana managed after catching her breath. "I'm fine. Guess I'll go wash up, I think I've had enough training for today."

"Just remember, I'm here if you need to talk," Desirae insisted.

"It's alright Elli," Neela told her. "Cry as much as you need to. I'm here for you." Eliana laughed through her sniffles.

"Aren't you always?" Eliana asked. Neela nodded as she separated Eliana from her.

"Always am, always will be," Neela reassured her. Eliana nodded and smiled.

"And I'll always be here for you," Eliana replied.

"Of course you will," Neela declared. "You better be."

"Thanks," Eliana replied with a nod before heading into the locker room where she began to undress. Of course, she'd seen it. Ilia looked out of place, the same way that she did every time that they had any kind of public event, never sure of where she should be looking or how to carry herself, even if she was just standing on stage for the entire broadcast. Titus looked statuesque and valiant, head held high and chest out as he stared into the middle distance in an uncomfortable salute, proud of the contributions he'd made. Team CBLT was there too, but as always, the presence of NITE was the highlight of the media's interest. There was always a desire for people to know who the next generation of top Huntsmen, which meant they got more screen time, even if CBLT was on the same skill level despite their ranking. And then there was Neela…

Eliana looked at the mirror in her locker, the selfie they had taken at the street fair tucked behind the corner and Eliana held her breath as she stared at it for a long moment. She wanted to go back… She wanted to go back before she tried taking Shadow before things went completely wrong. She wanted to keep the promises that she'd made to Neela, that she would never hurt her, that she would always be there for her! But she couldn't. Even if she returned to Vale, rejoined her team, and they forgave her… she wouldn't be able to forgive herself for what she put Neela through. Neela deserved better. Neela always made the right choices, she always protected Eliana, always knew what to do. She sighed as she stripped off her undergarments and placed them in the locker, closing the door to reveal Fade on the other side.

"Oum!" Eliana shouted with a gasp before catching her breath and placing a hand on her chest.

"I just finished my one on one with Professor Cherimoya and thought maybe we could keep each other company in the showers," Fade told her as she opened her own locker and started to remove her clothing. Up to this point, Fade had been fairly abrasive towards Eliana though she couldn't really figure out a reason why. Perhaps she had taken a liking to their old teammate and Eliana was just some replacement that was seen as a nuisance? Desirae had told her that the last member of their team left shortly before the end of the previous school year, citing that he just wasn't cut out for the life of a huntress and that it really pissed off Fade. Maybe it had to do with social status and Fade was afraid that people saw her team as a joke since someone left and she was taking it out on Eliana? She couldn't be sure.

"Yeah, I guess that would be fine," Eliana admitted. Fade closed the locker door, smirking as Eliana's eyes reactively took her in. Breasts that came close to rivaling her own. Her ass was nice too if Eliana was completely honest with herself. She looked back up at Fade who was watching her and she blushed.

"It's fine," Fade told her as she brushed past her to the showers. "Everyone is guilty of it, right?" Eliana swallowed and nodded.

"Yeah, of course," Eliana chuckled nervously. She stood in front of a head around the corner of the opening to the large empty room, Fade choosing the one directly beside her which made Eliana consider moving over, but it wasn't a big deal, right? She wasn't into Fade that way, so she didn't see what it mattered. The water was cold at first and Eliana jumped back covering her body from the frigid liquid, swearing that Fade broke into a snicker but she couldn't be entirely sure.

"It's absurd to think that I'd be showering at the school with another person," Fade noted as she glanced over at Eliana who was desperately trying to adjust the temperature. "With as much money as I have available I could simply pay one of my butlers or maids at home to attend the locker room while I shower and make sure that I'm alone. At home, my shower is nearly half this size, with rainforest features spanning the entire enclosure."

"For me, it's crazy to have possibly used the public shower alone," Eliana replied, finally finding a balance of heat that satisfied her. "Back at Beacon, they were always packed, though Neela never would shower with me."

"Why's that?" Fade inquired. Eliana smiled and laughed.

"I always thought that maybe she had a fear of public showers or they made her uncomfortable or something," Eliana explained. Eliana stared at the tiling on the wall. "Now I know it's because she was in love with me."

"And you left?" Fade asked. Eliana stared at the floor, letting the water wash over her. "Was it because you didn't feel the same?"

"I'm going to go now," Eliana told her, turning off the water and cutting her shower short.

THERE'S NO WAY NEELA STILL LOVES YOU.

"Come back here!" Fade demanded. Eliana left quickly.

"I don't want to talk about it!" Eliana called back. She dried herself off as fast as she could and began dressing as Desirae came into the locker room.

"I thought you were showering?" Desirae asked her. Eliana finished dressing before pushing past her, doing her best not to cry.

"I'm done already," Eliana choked as she raced out into the hallway. Desirae stood staring at the door for a long moment before turning around to see Fade who was drying off.

"Did you upset her?" Desirae asked. Fade scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Why do I feel like that's a yes?"

"I asked her a simple question," Fade noted as she opened her locker.

"What was it?" Desirae pried. "Tell me? Please?!" Fade looked at Desirae for a long moment.

"I don't think it's any of our business," Fade told her. Desirae processed the words.

"You said teammates shouldn't have secrets," Desirae reminded her.

"You're right," Fade admitted. She took a deep breath. "But she's under more stress than anyone I've ever met. It was difficult to keep my psionic abilities in check after I questioned her."

"Now I really want to know!" Desirae shouted as Fade adjusted her bra in the mirror in her own locker.

"Drop it, Des," Fade barked. Desirae took a step away from her, frowning and nodding.

"Okay," Desirae sulked. "I just want to help our new friend…"

"Help her by not asking," Fade instructed as Desirae moved over a row and stripped. Fade stepped into the hallway once she was fully dressed, a trail of disruptive psychic energy led down the long corridor towards the exits, and Fade sighed. "We never had these problems with our last teammate!"

I need to be strong. I need to do this on my own. I can't HURT SOMEONE AGAIN!

"You're being too hard on yourself," Arslan told Eliana as she sat down next to her on the bench behind the administration building. She looked out at the small botanical garden, watching as bees frantically danced about and pollinated as many flowers as they could before returning to the artificial box that had been built for them on the far side of the green. "I can tell."

"Glynda told you?" Eliana asked.

"She told me that you needed to be closer to home," Arslan said thoughtfully. "She said that anything else you felt I needed to know, you would tell me. I know the look on your face all too well. You're blaming yourself for something, although it's none of my business to pry. I felt the same once. We lost Vytal fest and I blamed myself for the entire thing. For weeks I was in a bit of a haze, at that time no part of me felt like I deserved to be the leader of Team ABRN."

"How did you overcome it?" Eliana questioned her. Arslan laughed.

"So I was right?" Arslan replied.

"Maybe I'm just curious," Eliana rebutted.

"Perhaps," Arslan noted. "I kept telling myself that it would happen again. Kept asking myself what I would do if I failed again? Would I be able to look at my teammates the same way? And then I did."

"Did what?" Eliana inquired.

"Failed them again," Arslan said with a sigh as she stared up at the clouds that drifted by. "I slipped up and made a wrong decision. We lost the local tournament and came back to the dorms, and I was devastated. When I woke up the next morning Nadir and Bolin greeted me with smiles and offered to take me to the training grounds so we could go over what went wrong. When we found Reese that evening she was in the dorm room by herself, staring in silence. I asked her what the matter was and she felt that she was to blame for the entire thing. I guess sometimes it's just a matter of perspective."

"But Neela…" Eliana began. She looked at Arslan. "They didn't do anything wrong. Just needed a change of pace, that's all." Arslan looked at her and nodded as she stood.

"Just remember, Eliana," the headmistress told her. "The longer that you run from a problem, the harder it hits when it finally catches up to you." With that Arslan left. Eliana sighed as she gritted her teeth. I want Neela back but SHE WON'T WANT ME BACK!

"Here she is!" Desirae shouted as she raced for Eliana and nearly tackled her as she hugged her. Eliana squirmed, pushing her off.

"I know, I'm the one who was following her," Fade sighed.

"Following me?" Eliana asked them.

"Desirae was worried and I can't have another teammate running off on us like the last one," Fade noted. "It would be in poor taste and disgraceful." She folded her arms.

"I wasn't worried!" Desirae blurted out.

"She was," Asher added as he followed slowly behind them and rounded the corner.

"Okay, maybe a little, but it's fine because you're here!" Desirae sang hugging Eliana again who pushed her off once more.

"I'm not a hugger!" Eliana declared.

"I don't believe that for a moment," Desirae laughed.

"I'm going back to the room now," Asher groaned as he sulked off.

"Don't forget we have a team training match tomorrow," Fade reminded him.

"Whatever," he said waving her off. She marched after him.

"Don't 'whatever' me!" She scolded.

"It's just an expression, calm down," Asher mumbled.

"We're not going to maintain the top spot with that kind of attitude," Fade yelled in his ear. He collapsed on the spot into the grass. "That fainting thing doesn't work on me! Get up! A 'yes ma'am' would even suffice at this point! Asher!"

"Wow, she's worse than Titus…" Eliana began. She sighed. She had to move past this feeling of failure.

"I can help carry your pain too if you'd like," Eliana told him. Titus wrapped his arms around her in return and pulled her in tight, lightly swinging her from side to side as he took a deep breath.

"My teacher. One of my mentors back in Atlas tried to kill my family once. I was able to stop him with some help, but after that moment I always felt like the people around me would be safer if I didn't let them in. What would happen if I put others that I care about in danger, and I can't save them?" He confessed. She looked up at him with a smile.

"If that happens, you won't be alone. You don't have to face these things by yourself, Titus," Eliana explained to him. "What's important is that you can make a difference, even if it is with the help of your teammates." Titus didn't know what to say to her. Eliana had somehow seen right through him. She was so naïve and innocent, and he had dropped his guard. Now she had seen him in his most vulnerable state. This wouldn't change anything, not right away, but maybe he could work on being more open towards them and letting them help him. He could help them in return as well.

"Eliana…" He began as he let go of her. She smiled and stepped past him, gathering up his book and assignments for him and handing them over. He looked at them as he took them and then back at her.

"You'd better get going, that test is going to be starting soon," Eliana told him. He nodded. He opened the door and stepped into the hall but was stopped as she called out. "Oh, and I won't tell Neela and Ilia." Titus smirked and nodded to her one last time before leaving the room.

"Thank you, Eliana."

"This was the best place that you could think to bring him?" Paris asked Jett as she moved ahead of him through the thick forest, gripping tightly to her kukris as she tried her best not to swing around and put him out of his misery on the spot. Jett honestly had no clue what Abigor saw in Paris that was promising, sure he was there to tie up a few loose ends, and he was one of the more talented Neo-Salems, but he had no place on their council. They had plenty of agents that were working to complete Salem's goal independently, and Paris could have easily been one of those people, considering how he'd screwed up almost every encounter with Huntsmen and Huntresses that he'd partaken in up to that point. She glanced back at him, a death glare that shut him up quickly, even though he could barely make her eyes out through the mask.

"Have you ever considered shutting up just once in your lifetime?" Jett asked him in a growl. "Hurry up. We need to get there before he wakes up or we'll have to subdue him again and it was a pain in the ass the first time." Nero was slung over Paris's shoulder, they had him heavily drugged for the last several hours since Jett had captured him. The trees seemed to grow denser the further they went in, Jett forcing branches out of the way as she let Paris pass, concealing their path behind them as they attempted to squeeze through. "It looked much closer from the road, didn't it?"

"You hear something?" Paris asked. Jett listened to the stillness of the air and shook her head before pushing further in.

"I should have just come by myself or brought Mercury. I might not care for him much, but at least he doesn't worry or talk as much as you do," Jett noted.

"Hey!" He exclaimed. "I'm offended."

"Stop being offended you little shit and just stop talking," Jett pled. She stopped on the spot, feeling something was off.

"I'd prefer talking, it's way too quiet out…" He was cut off as she covered his mouth.

"Shut up," she growled looking through the foliage. She pulled back the branches once more to reveal the base of the mountain where two Beowolves loomed over them. Jett raised an arm before stopping on a dime.

"I'm going to recommend that you don't do that!" Came a voice from further up the mountain, a path weaving its way along the bluffs up towards the peak. "The amount of Grimm that would pick your body apart limb from limb would rival a force akin to the brother gods themselves." Jett knew she had to be exaggerating, though lowered her blade anyway as she had no intention of pissing the scientist off.

"Blood, we've come to talk," Jett informed her. "You owe us a favor!" Blood folded her arms and slowly made her way down the trail towards them.

"I didn't know that the Neo-Salem's had a sense of humor," Blood scoffed.

"After the two mishaps you've suffered in the last year I think it's safe to say that you can use an ally," Jett noted, pushing past the Grimm.

"Mishaps, hm?" Blood inquired. "I suppose the Camazotz did get away from me, traveled a little further north than he was supposed to. The second was not a mistake."

"You intended to be caught?" Paris asked. Blood looked past Jett at the boy.

"No," Blood dryly responded as she snapped her fingers and the Beowolves left. "The device worked as planned and we knew that the Grimm would draw attention, but we were under the impression that the police would have cleared out sooner and I needed my device back."

"Don't speak," Jett scolded him.

"Leave now before I lose my patience," Blood instructed as she spread her fingers and examined her nails. "I have no use for your protection. My grandfather was abandoned by Salem once as I was, and I have no intention of returning."

"If they find you soon, your work won't be completed," Jett explained taking a step towards Blood. A baby Ravager landed on Blood's shoulder and screeched at Jett. "You won't have the time you need to finish Merlot's work! I've been following closely and I know the council is a few days from investigating your case! Once Oobleck is finished with the Camazotz I doubt it will take him much time to track it back here." Blood pondered it for a long moment before rubbing her face.

"It seems this partnership can't be avoided then," Blood exhaled. "How annoying."

"We want something in return," Jett stopped her. Blood's face lit up with heat and she shook slightly.

"What? What now? You all ruined my plans the first time, why should I do anything in return!" Blood shouted. She smiled maniacally before calming herself down. "As long as you promise to buy me time… I'd be happy to help on one condition."

"Which is?" Jett questioned.

"That you keep Strakh away from here," Blood spat. The bat Grimm on her arm looked at her with its head cocked to the side before looking at Jett once more.

"It would be my pleasure," Jett insisted. Blood offered a genuine smile and waved for them to follow as she headed up the trail.

"Come along then," she ushered them. The mountain and scenery were almost more pristine than nature could have mustered up itself naturally, there was no symmetry to speak of. If this place had been created artificially by Blood, it was impossible to tell. Jett paid the serenity of it no mind as she led them in silence, occasionally stopping to admire one of the Grimm that had nested before continuing along. Paris began to wonder if they'd climb all the way to the summit.

"Are there any Grimm that aren't contained within your collection?" Jett questioned, bringing a smile to Blood's lips.

"There is only one, and while I'm sad to say it was the only one of its kind, I was able to get a sample of DNA before Team RWBY destroyed the poor thing," Blood informed them.

"How much further?" Paris whined.

"How uncanny," Blood replied, stopping. She pushed past Jett and looked Paris over. "Perhaps Abigor sees some hidden potential within you. Is this correct, Jett?"

"Do I have to answer that?" Jett asked. "Let's keep going…"

"I'm intrigued," Blood stayed pacing around him. An Ursa growled from the tree line, staring intently at Paris. Blood chuckled as she grunted at the beast and it scampered off. "And he's so afraid."

"Why shouldn't I be?" Paris asked, barely managing to get the words out.

"If you do not fear them, they will not view you as a meal," Blood informed him. She sighed and continued up the path once more. "And to answer your question, we are here." Blood swiped her keycard in front of her and the base before them uncloaked itself.

"There's a Grimm that can do that," Jett noted in awe.

"I feel that we are doing ourselves a disservice if we do not learn from these creatures," Blood explained as the doors slid open and she bade them to follow. The facility appeared as anyone would have expected, tons of lab coats stared at them as they entered before a supervising scientist yelled at them to get back to work, sending them scattering throughout the first room.

"Silvia," Fenris addressed her as he approached from behind them. Had he followed them all the way up the hill and Jett hadn't noticed? "We have a situation."

"Can it wait?" She gritted her teeth at him before smiling back at her guests. "I'll be back in just a moment."

"Sure," Jett replied as she walked to a glass wall that doubled as containment units. Various baby Grimm filled the containers and Jett wondered why Abigor was hesitant to try and insist that Blood join them once more. The relationship between her and the Neo-Salem's had been close until the incident, and it had been nearly 10 years, hadn't it? But she knew better than to go against Abigor's wishes. She could only admire the creatures and wonder what other wonderful creations Blood had developed.

"Do I know her?" Paris asked Jett as she turned back around to face him. Paris shifted his weight to readjust Nero's body slung over his shoulder. "I feel like I've met Blood before somewhere."

"I wouldn't know if you had," Jett replied. Blood returned to them with a look of anxiety painted on her face and she tried to remember to breathe. She shook her head, talking to herself as she attempted to avoid freaking out. She smiled at them.

"Where are my manners today, would you like a tour of the rest of the facility?" Blood asked them as she placed her hands behind her back. "I assure you, it's quite an awe-inspiring experience."

"If we had the time I would gladly agree but Paris and I need to report back to Abigor as soon as possible. Do we have an understanding then?" Jett asked. Blood nodded, motioning towards Paris with her head. Fenris stepped past his sister and took Nero.

"How do you plan on throwing the council off of our scent?" Blood questioned, her brother pausing for a moment.

"If I tell the Stardust Gang where you are, that's exactly where Coco and her precious new pet will think you are," Jett laughed. "And it just so happens I know when they'll be listening in next."

"Where do you want him?" Fenris asked her.

"I think a night in a pit of Baby Deathstalkers might make him a little more willing to talk, wouldn't you agree?" Blood inquired with a smirk.

Will Nero make it out alive? Next week, Chapter 8: Council!

A big thank you to AG_Nonsuch, Helihi, Cadhla182, Carlomontie, Nliast, Y8ay8a, Sa-Dui, Diyaru4500, Demize00Zero, TheCipherNine, SketchHungry, Ookaminoki, Lightning-in-my-Hand, and Dishwasher1910. The artwork can be found at Deviantart, you can search Silent-Celica and under my favorites tab, I have a collection for NITE.

Until next week, stay safe, stay healthy, and stay classy!