Having no real experience in planning such an event, Yang was doing remarkably well wrangling Weiss's insistence on having as many Atlesian-themed items as possible.

Sure, she acquiesced on the music, at least for early in the night, and had managed to convince her that fog machines were in fact a good idea, but Weiss was absolutely unrelenting when it came to the coloration of the scenery.

Pale blues, pinks and a pleasing tone of white were their theme, and she had shut down Yang almost instantly when it came to more vibrant colors.

She'd also made sure that Yang would have no opportunity to spike the punch, despite the fact that Yang would do no such thing. Yang was perfectly aware that Ruby was going to be present, and most likely to spend her entire time at the punch table.

Ruby, of course, wasn't aware that she was going to be present, and there was absolutely a one-hundred percent chance that Ruby was going to be forced into going. As her older sister, Yang had a duty, a prerogative, to make sure that Ruby didn't miss her first Beacon dance, despite the fact that she was two years younger.

As long as Yang also managed to make sure that Ruby took absolutely no part in the more typical after-dance affairs. That was completely off-limits.

No way. Not happening. Even the thought of it was enough to make the blonde's eyes flicker red.

"Hey, Weiss, we almost finished with the prep?" Yang asked, looking over to where Weiss looked torn, glancing between two identical doilies.

"Almost. If you would actually help me with this decision, we could be finished all the sooner."

"Weiss, they're the same doily. You're literally holding the same thing in both hands."

Weiss glared her typical ice-cold glare at Yang. "You are absolutely no help."

Yang shrugged. "I tried."

"Yang! Why do I have to go!"

Yang let out a hefty sigh. This was not the first time they'd discussed this. "Because, Ruby, it's your first dance! You can't miss it, you'll regret it for the rest of your life!"

Ruby pouted hard, and Yang had to avert her eyes in order to not give in. "Nuh uh, Rubes, you don't get to use that on me!"

Ruby's pout transformed into a flat expression. "Can I at least not wear lady-stilts?"

"This is non-negotiable, Ruby. What kind of standard would you be setting, as our team leader?"

Ruby snorted. "Not like I set much of a standard. You all just do whatever you want anyway."

Yang shrugged. "Not like what we do is hunt down terrorists, fight giant worms and generally make life strange."

Weiss looked back up, another glare. "It isn't like we have much of a choice."

"You don't have a choice about hunting down terrorists?" Ruby asked.

Weiss swapped her glare to Ruby, who wilted somewhat.

"Easy, Weiss. Don't you have identical doilies to choose from?"

"Yang, do not give me a reason to end your life. I know where you sleep."

Yang winced. That was cold.

"So, Ruby, have you worked up the nerve to ask Naruto to the dance?"

That was a question that had the smaller girl whip her head around to stare at her sister. "What?!"

Yang's smile was one of victory. "I said-"

Ruby interrupted her before she could repeat herself. "I know what you said! I'm just a little curious as to why you decided to, oh, I don't know, let the entire school know!"

Yang held back a laugh with difficulty, turning it into more of an amused snort than anything else. "Relax, Rubes. It's just Weiss and I."

"Isn't the man supposed to be the one who asks the woman to dance?" Weiss asked, quirking an eyebrow, already over their prior disagreement in the favour of a new one.

Yang shrugged. "I don't think it matters all that much. Besides, you're Naruto's teammate, do you think there's any chance of him asking Ruby?"

Weiss scoffed. "If it wasn't for the fact that we're so heavily involved in organising this dance I'm sure he wouldn't even be aware it was on. For once, you may be right. Ruby may have no other option."

Yang took Weiss's point and ran with it. "See, Rubes? If you don't ask him, he's not going to ask you, because he's even worse than you when it comes to social situations."

"He's not that bad, Yang!" Ruby objected.

"He's a teenage male, of course he's worse than you when it comes to discussing relationships. And besides, it isn't like he has many male friends to discuss this with, unlike you with us," Weiss pointed out, placing one of the two doilies on the table and staring at it.

"Yeah, but Naruto could always boost his Charisma a bunch and leave my in his wake as he goes on some kind of rampage through all the women in Beacon!" Ruby exclaimed dramatically.

Yang's eyes boggled as Weiss held back a laugh, actually drawing her eyes from her task.

"Ruby, I doubt anything, even supernatural weird crap, would be enough for Naruto to seem attractive to every woman. He's got some fierce competition, and not just in the form of other people," Yang said, once she'd recovered.

Weiss nodded. "I would rather sleep with Cardin than Naruto. Granted, I would rather die than sleep with either, but the point still stands."

"So, ask him, Rubes. What's the worst that could happen?" Yang said, taking one of the doilies from Weiss's hand and throwing it aside, effectively making the decision for her.

"You brute, I was about to choose that one!"

Naruto was currently in Vale. This, on its own, was nothing particularly special in any real way, but it was the reason he was here with Ren that was the more unique circumstance.

"Man, suit's aren't cheap," Naruto said, the two standing at an empty counter.

"I suppose that's the reason why most people hire the suit instead of purchasing it," Ren stated, frowning as he looked at the nearest price tag.

"But the store won't let us hire because…"

Ren sighed. "Because they know we need them, and can't leave without them. They've got us pinned, effectively."

"But over four thousand Lien?"

At this, Ren shrugged. "I suppose it's because it's custom-tailored in less than a day, which, as far as I'm aware, is rather impressive."

"But four thousand?"

Ren faced Naruto, his trademark stare looking deep into the blond's eyes. "You make money appear from nothing."

Naruto opened his mouth to object, before promptly shutting it with an audible click.

"Does four thousand seem like a lot now, in hindsight?"

Naruto shook his head dejectedly. "I still think I'm only going to use it once."

At that, Ren sighed. "Well, some things have to be the cloud in order for there to be a silver lining, I suppose."

It was at this moment that the attendant returned. "Well, thank you for your patronage. If you move to the fitting rooms, our fitters will see you shortly."

Naruto and Ren were led to two separate rooms, both sharing a glance and a shrug before stepping inside.

There were a bunch of tools, measures and bolts of fabric lining the walls, all either hanging on hooks or placed on shelves, and the far wall featured a large floor-to-ceiling mirror, showing a rather confused blond teen standing in the doorway, and an impeccably dressed man.

"You must be either Mr Uzumaki or Mr Lie?" He said, trailing off, expecting an answer.

"Naruto Uzumaki," Naruto answered.

The man's dark skin stood out in contrast to his white and grey suit, a bright lime tie bringing out his likewise-colored eyes. "My name is Baharat. I'll be handling your measuring and design, so if you have anything you'd like to mention beforehand, please do, as now would be a good time."

"Uh…" Naruto said coherently.

The door closed behind Naruto, and Baharat stepped closer, eyeing Naruto like a shark would eye it's prey. "You intrigue me. You speak as if you have no sense of style, yet you dress like someone who at least has some kind of grasp. I particularly like the coat. This is your first time doing something like this, yes?"

Naruto nodded dumbly.

"You have a theme, I can see, so it may be best to stick with it. Is cost a problem?"

Naruto was about to say yes, before once again being reminded of what Ren had said. "No, it shouldn't be. As long as it doesn't cost an arm and a leg, at least."

A breathy chuckle exited Baharat's mouth as he gently prodded Naruto forwards, to the center of the room.

It was incredible to watch the tall man work, and now that Naruto noticed, Baharat was tall. Very tall. Taller than Naruto was, for that matter. It gave him almost a gangly look, like some kind of skeleton.

Measuring was a simple affair with Baharat behind the tape, the man appeared to be born to use a measuring tape as he rapidly measured Naruto up.

The spindly man didn't even need to write down the measurements, apparently storing them in his mind with practised ease.

"Finished. You are quite tall for your age, no?"

Naruto didn't have an answer for that. "Uh… Yes?"

Baharat walked over to the nearest shelf, eyes tracking their way along the fabrics that sat there.

"Is there something special you would like your suit to be made of? Hunter material, yes?"

Naruto shrugged. "I'm not really planning on getting into a fight whilst wearing it."

Baharat let out another breathy chuckle. "No one plans on getting into a fight. Not the least someone like you."

Naruto had to agree with that. "What kind of material do you have?"

"I have fabrics that are somewhat bulletproof, somewhat fireproof, somewhat shock absorbent, and somewhat… difficult to track. The last one is something I have been assured of, though I have no evidence to provide myself."

"Wow. That's… quite a selection," Naruto said, staring at the shelf with newfound respect.

"Yes. Unfortunately, the bulletproof fabric is quite coarse and heavy, so I wouldn't recommend it, considering you already have Aura. Same reasoning behind shock absorbent fabric, too."

"Well, I don't need to blend in. Fireproof?" Naruto stated, quirking an eyebrow as Baharat brought out the fabric, and held it out to the teen.

Naruto ran his hand down the soft material, noticing the thin interlacing pattern that cascaded down the shiny surface. "It's smoother than I thought it would be."

Baharat gave yet again another breathy chuckle. "That is a common reaction. In reality, this is a blend of fabrics that gives it remarkable resistance to burning, or catching fire. Useful against Dust users, mostly, as the most commonly used Dust in fighting is Fire Dust."

"So, you're going to make my suit out of it?"

Baharat practically glared at Naruto. "No, foolish Hunter. It would have no structure, no style. I will layer it inside, a protective layer to add to the suit itself, rather than making it out of this material. It does not sit right, the fit would be off, if I did as you suggested."

"Ah, right," Naruto remarked, not understanding a thing the skeletal man had said.

"Now, you may leave. Return tomorrow, it will be finished. You paid for rapid service, and I shall deliver."

Naruto nodded dumbly, simply following instructions and stepping out the door that Baharat held open.

Naruto was, frankly, confused.

Ruby didn't know how to ask what she wanted to ask.

It wasn't that she didn't know, exactly, but more that she didn't know how to begin to ask what she wanted to ask.

It was complicated, that much was for certain.

So, she'd break it down in her mind, step by step, and figure out where to start.

'I want to ask Naruto to the dance.'

Okay, simple enough. That wasn't really a step, though, more of a final objective.

'I should go ask Naruto to the dance?'

Alright, getting somewhere now. A plan, however lacking in detail, was still a plan.

'I should find Naruto and just ask him directly, so he doesn't misunderstand or get asked by someone else.'

The dark little corner of her mind piped up with a chorus of varying 'what ifs', but Ruby ignored them, pacing her way towards AWBN's dorm, her plan of action in the forefront of her mind.

'What if he doesn't like me?'

That stray thought threatened to overwhelm her as it popped into her mental foreground, halting her physical progress in an instant.

'What if Naruto thinks I'm annoying?'

The thought crushed her morale like a bug underfoot a Goliath, and Ruby found herself backpedalling away from the dorms.

'I can't do this!'

"Hey Ruby!"

Naruto's voice, suddenly sounding out from behind her, made her jump in fright, and let out a legitimate yelp.

"Sorry, did I surprise you?" Naruto asked, concern flashing over his face.

Ruby was quick to create a flawless cover story. "No, I was just, uh…"

'Nicely done, Ruby. Brilliant.'

Ruby floundered, speechless, for a moment, and quickly latched onto the nearest topic she could think of. "Where'd you and Ren go?"

Naruto gave that damned back-of-the-head scratch and a nervous smile that made her heart skip a beat. "We were getting our suits for the dance."

'There! A segue! Use it!'

"The dance, huh? Are you going with anyone?"

Naruto shook his head. "No, I was just going to go alone, you know? I'm not exactly great with social situations."

Ruby could absolutely commiserate. In fact, she would've been commiserating right now if it wasn't for the fact that she was currently dealing with a social situation that was far beyond her.

"Would you go with me?" Ruby asked, as surprised as Naruto as the words tumbled out of her mouth.

She was so busy being confused where her sudden ability to dive headfirst into that problem had come from that she almost missed Naruto's response.

"Sure, I'd like that. I'm pretty sure we're all meeting up at the same time, so there isn't much to organise."

Ruby was once again speechless.

"Well, thanks for asking me, Ruby. I have to go do some training, but I'll see you soon."

Ruby stood there in shock, mouth agape, as Naruto walked past her with a wave, leaving her standing there with Ren.

"Congratulations, team leader."

The only sound that left Ruby's mouth was a confused whine.

'Dismount was a little off, but a successful attempt nonetheless! Now, stop standing there dumbfounded and move!'

Ruby did not move, and Ren gave a sigh, hefting the smaller girl and carrying her into their dorm where she could unfreeze on her own schedule.

Naruto was in a great mood. Not only was he going to have a nice suit, he was also going to have an actual date to the dance!

This was great news, because he really enjoyed Ruby's company, and it had been some time since they'd last gone out.

Naruto froze on the spot, halfway through the door to the dorm.

'Gone out. Date to the dance. Oh. Oh!'

Suddenly, everything clicked.

'Am… am I dating Ruby?'

It seemed like a question with a remarkably easy yes or no answer, but in reality, things were far more complicated.

What constituted dating? Was there a requirement, or a classification, or was it more natural, less specific?

Naruto didn't know. He'd never dated anyone before. Technically, he wasn't sure if he was even dating someone now, to be fair.

Not that Ruby had all that much more experience, unless she was a radically different person than Naruto had seen.

For very much not the first time in his life, Naruto needed advice, and there was only one person he could think of. He just hoped that the timezone difference, which he had no idea how to calculate, wasn't too big.

Grabbing his scroll and stepping back out of AWBN's dorm, Naruto quickly covered ground, heading for a sparsely populated area where he could make a private call, and it didn't take him long to find somewhere.

A small courtyard out the back of the library, devoid of sentient life. Perfect.

Naruto quickly dialled a number, waiting and hoping for an answer.

Surprisingly, it didn't take long before Saphron Uzumaki, Naruto's second-oldest sister, answered the call.

"Naruto? I can't say I ever expected to get a call from you. What's wrong?" Saphron asked, concern feeding over the line.

"Nothing's wrong, Saph, I just needed to ask you some advice."

"Oh? Do tell," Saphron teased, and Naruto swallowed his fear.

"I need dating advice."

Saphron burst into laughter. "Really? That's it? Why not Daisy?"

Naruto sighed. "Because if I asked, she'd never let me live it down, and you know how she is. She's always looking for ammunition to use against me, ever since the pool incident."

Saphron suppressed a snigger. "Well, go on then, out with it."

"How do you know if you're dating someone?"

Naruto could practically hear Saphron raise an eyebrow. "You're going to have to rephrase that."

"Well, I'm going to the dance with a girl, and we went out into Vale once before, and had dinner together. Does that constitute dating, or is it something… I don't know, less definitive?"

Naruto listened as Saphron gave a sigh, the tinny speakers on the scroll not doing his sister justice. "Naruto, look, Terra and I were dated for a while, but I can't really explain when it turned from friendship to something more. It's… contextual, I guess. You have to feel it out, understand the situation and the other person's feelings. How do they feel about you?"

"Well, she was the one who asked me to the dance, so…"

Another sigh. "Damnit, Naruto, that's pretty much definitive proof she likes you!"

Naruto scratched at the back of his head. "Well, I mean... we're both team leaders, so I guess I could've thought it was as friends, or as fellow leaders."

"Did you?"

"I, uh… wanted to get a second opinion."

Saphron laughed at that. "Fair enough. Did I help?"

Naruto nodded, before remembering that Saphron couldn't see him. "Yeah, you did. Thanks Saph."

He could hear Saphron preening at the praise.

"So, you said dated? I thought you and Terra were still together?"

Saphron choked back a sound of surprise. "You picked up on that, but can't tell if you're dating someone?"

Naruto laughed. "Hidden talent, I guess. So?"

"Alright, sheesh. Don't tell mom or dad, or any of our sisters, but we're getting married pretty soon. I haven't told anyone else yet, so consider this a total secret, got it?"

Naruto couldn't help the giant smile that crossed his face. "Yeah, I got it. Congratulations."

"Shut up you, I mean it. Mom would flip, she wanted to be the first to know. She'll ring you, give you the news, and you have to pretend to sound like you've never heard it before, got it?"

Naruto lifted his metaphorical hands in a metaphorically placating metaphorical gesture, in a metaphorical attempt to calm his very literal sister. "So, first you have your name changed, then you decide to tell me first? Are you trying to make mom mad?"

"Do not even start with me, Naruto. I swear, I won't invite you to the wedding, and I'll tell mom all about your escapades with this new girl you're kind-of-dating."

Naruto paled. "You wouldn't dare."

"I still have all that blackmail material from years past, Naruto. You shouldn't mess with me, I have the power here."

Naruto grumbled something unintelligble, but the shocked gasp from the other end of the scroll indicated that Saphron had heard.

"You wouldn't! My own brother!"

Silence continued for a moment, before the two burst into laughter. "It was good to talk to you, Naruto."

Naruto smiled once more. "Yeah, thanks for the help Saph. I'll keep your stuff under wraps, too."

"You'd better."

The rhythmic smacking of fist on bag echoed throughout the gym, Yang's primary location of existence, and all the first years knew it. Most steered clear of the place, some afraid of her, some feeling unimpressive in comparison, but it was mostly because the majority of Beacon's students didn't uphold their physical training to the same standard that the top two first year teams did.

There were a few teams from Haven that did, but they too were in similar situations at their own academies, so it was more that they were in direct competition with AWBN and RRYN than anything else.

Out of the few people that were welcome in the gym, one was another frequent user of the space.

"Hey, Pyrrha. How's it going?" Yang asked, as the redhead stepped into the gym.

Her typical clothes had been foregone in favor of a somewhat equally modest set of exercise gear, and she slung her cloth over the nearest hook, laying her weapons against the wall. "Not bad. We haven't had any reality-breaking experiences lately, so things are looking up."

Yang chuckled at that. "Wanna go a round or two, shake off the rust? You haven't had to fight for your life for at least a week."

Pyrrha smirked at that. "Says you. How many times have you had to fight White Fang, giant Grimm worms, and various things you had previously thought impossible? I feel like out of the two of us, it isn't myself that is the rusty one."

"Fighting words, Pyr. You trying to rile me up?" Yang asked, grabbing Ember Celica from the bench and sliding them onto her wrists.

Pyrrha's weapons floated into her hands, and she gripped Milo and Akouo loosely. "Maybe I am. Maybe I'm hoping that the angrier you are, the more likely you are to make mistakes."

"Pfft. Angry? This is just flirting, Pyr. Wanna move on to the main event?"

Yang chambered a round as Pyrrha gave Milo a quick spin, the two wearing remarkably similar confident expressions.

It was lucky that the gym had a spot for sparring, or a few spots as it were, because if not, Pyrrha and Yang would've trashed a lot of training equipment.

Yang began the fight the moment the two were in the ring, charging forward and swinging hard, delivering a crushing haymaker that reverberated Pyrrha's arm under Akouo as she blocked the strike, bringing Milo forwards in an attempt to stab Yang in the midsection, only for Yang's other hand to push it aside, reaching for a grapple.

Pyrrha refused to give her the satisfaction, disengaging and blocking the retaliatory buckshot that impacted against her shield with a resounding sound like a bell tower being shot.

Yang used the distraction to try and cycle round, repositioning herself for another attack in an effort to drive Pyrrha out of the ring, but Pyrrha had experienced that countless times, and was not about to make a rookie mistake like that, swivelling to the side at the last second to let Yang sway past her.

Yang, however, had been training with Pyrrha since the beginning of Beacon, and had feinted the charge, sliding to a stop and using her momentum to attempt to clothesline the champion.

It only somewhat worked, sliding off the top of her angled shield and jolting the redhead backwards somewhat, but it left Yang exposed, and a swift kick to the midsection punished that mistake, driving the air out of Yang's lungs and sending her stumbling back, her guard up.

Pyrrha's shield hit Yang in the ankles as the champion threw it, already preparing a follow-up attack that was effectively a match ender, her heel already driving towards the top of Yang's unguarded head in a sharp axe-kick, but Yang just managed to avoid it, tanking the attack on her shoulder, wrapping her arms around Pyrrha's leg and twisting.

Pyrrha, completely off-balance, quickly tried to regain her footing, but with only one leg under her control and the other stretched and rotated, Pyrrha was completely exposed to an attack.

Unfortunately for Yang, she would have to release her leg in order to capitalise on the weakness.

It was a stalemate, so Yang broke it, heaving hard and effectively throwing Pyrrha's leg, and the girl along with it, into the air, where she flipped, landing perfectly, her shield sliding back into her grip.

"Not bad, Yang. You've improved."

"Heh, I guess. So have you, though. We're still equal."

Pyrrha shook her head, her competitiveness shining through her usually placid personality. "We have yet to prove you're reached that level yet."

Yang smirked. "Oh, maybe in a fight, sure, but what about social situations, huh?"

That caught Pyrrha off guard, and she took half a step back. "I'm excellent in social situations!"

"You're more like a nicer Weiss, Pyr," Yang said with a laugh, retracting Ember Celica. "I wouldn't say you've got the whole relaxed thing down."

Pyrrha folded her arms. "Oh? You think you're better than me at being a socialite?"

Yang laughed. "Yeah, I do! I bet you don't even have a date to the dance because you were too nervous to ask, weren't you?"

Pyrrha's weapons hit the floor, and she stepped far closer to Yang than the blonde had expected.

"Neither do you, Yang. Are you sure you aren't pushing your concerns onto me in order to feel like you have more control?"

The question caught Yang more off guard than Pyrrha's sudden closeness.

"I… uh…"

"Maybe you play the cocky socialite because you don't have the first clue about how to have a relationship, and are waiting for someone to teach you. You flaunt and tease to cover your insecurities."

"I…"

"Let's fix that, shall we?"

Pyrrha stepped back, her weapons magnetizing to her back without so much as a glance. "I'll pick you up before the dance."

With her final words, Pyrrha stepped out of the gym, leaving a somewhat shell-shocked Yang staring at her retreating figure.

"That… huh."

"Blake, Yang and I didn't spend nearly a week preparing a school dance just so my partner couldn't show up."

"You seriously want me to go? It's a dance, Weiss, not an exam, or a funeral. It doesn't mean anything."

Weiss stared resolutely at Blake.

Blake stared resolutely back.

"You need to go."

"No."

Weiss sighed. "Blake, I'm serious. I spent a long time setting all of this up, the least you could do is turn up and support me, as my partner. Or does that mean nothing to you?"

Blake frowned. "It's just a dance, Weiss."

Weiss shook her head, newfound anger surfacing. "It isn't 'just a dance', Blake! I'm trying my absolute best to get to know you, to understand who you are as a person! Do you understand how difficult that is for me? My father spent my entire childhood grooming me to be his successor, and that meant following his rules, his guidelines, his hatred!"

Weiss stomped over to her bed and planted herself on it, keeping her gaze on Blake. "I want to know why you fought, I want to understand you, help you, and hopefully, when I become the head of the SDC, help all of the Faunus! I want to achieve the very same thing you do, Blake, the difference is is that instead of paranoia and sleeplessness, I'm focusing on making sure we think every single move we make through!"

Weiss threw her hand to the side. "I get that we've been dealt a pretty confusing hand, but someone I know and care for once told me that the only way to win is to think carefully. You want to bet big and bluff hard, the only problem is that you have a poor excuse for a poker face, Blake! Take a look at yourself!"

Blake did so, checking her reflection in her scroll. The dark bags under her eyes stood out as a dramatic reminder that she hadn't been sleeping all that well.

"There's too much to do, Weiss. If I stop, they gain an advantage. I'm the only one who knows what they're doing!" Blake exclaimed, not willing to give the white-haired girl any points.

"Oh?" Weiss exclaimed, seething venom. "Do tell me, what are they planning?"

Blake stalled for as long as she could, but it was for nought.

"Exactly. All you're doing is hurting yourself, and giving them an advantage. It's not helping, Blake. I need you to get yourself together in time for our joint mission with RRYN and the Atlesian Military, and the best way to do that is to relax. So, you're coming to the dance. There is no other option, you will come, you will dance with us, you will enjoy yourself, or so help me Blake, there will be consequences. Consequences you will not like."

"But-"

"No buts, Blake. Team leader's orders, and partner's orders. I'm pretty sure Pyrrha would agree, if she would stop cowering in the corner with her face bright red."

Both girls turned their eyes to the huddled form of Pyrrha in the corner of the room.

Muffled muttering emerged from her, but even Blake couldn't pick it up.

"Fine, Weiss. You want me to relax so bad, I'll go. Under orders," Blake finally said, after a few moments of silence. "I don't like that you're making me divert time from fighting the White Fang, but you may be right."

"May be? Blake, you couldn't stop Winchester from hurting you at this point. You're exhausted, emotionally and physically, you need this. It can only help."

Blake sighed. "You win, Weiss, I'll stop."

Weiss nodded, grateful. "Sleep now. Don't argue, you need it. I've already taken the liberty of having a dress ordered for you, so get some rest."

Before Blake drifted off, she had one final question. "You had a dress ordered already?"

Weiss's smile was a mix of viciousness, pride, and happiness. "It may be best to remember that I always get what I want."

Those terrifying words were the final things Blake heard before she exited reality and entered the state known commonly as sleep.

"What do you mean you've had a setback?!"

The words came out as more of a whispered hiss than anything else, but it wasn't the delivery of the line that was the biggest issue Cinder had plaguing her mind.

The voice that came through the other end was tinny, her scroll held up to her ear. "It's not easy to explain. These stupid White Fang, they're barely capable of handling a Beowolf, let alone something bigger. These morons keep disappearing, and it isn't Atlas. Atlas aren't usually ones for subtlety."

"Torchwick, if it's a Grimm, avoid it. If it's as threatening as you say, it may prove beneficial for when you enact the plan."

Torchwick laughed. "If we even make it that long. This thing, if we're not careful, it'll devour us, right alongside the rest of Vale. I don't know about what you have planned, but it might eat that too. The tunnels it leaves…"

Cinder swore under her breath. "Regardless, Roman, the plan stays the same. Try not to fail me again, or you may prefer the Grimm."

The woman hung up quickly, throwing her scroll aside in frustration. She was alone in the dorm they'd been assigned, Emerald was out getting the two of them dresses, and Mercury was out retrieving a suit.

At least, she was as alone as she could be.

"Peace. You will feed soon."

She could feel it squirm in hunger.