(A/N) Hello there! It has been a while, but, well, irl stuff and all that. Plus getting into Guild Wars again didn't help. Special thanks to this story's beta readers! Sierra-D421, BigbossHayden98, and last but not least, Mr. Cy Man! They make sure I don't kill off too many people… as if that wasn't ominous enough.

Discord invite if anyone wants to join: 3jf9w8u

So yeah… enjoy~~!

Volume Three

Chapter Four – Respite

/-\ Lie Ren /-\

I sighed, pausing the latest video I'd found online. I don't know how he did it. It just seemed so… natural to him. Here I was, taking notes on video after video on how to lead people. With every passing one, I knew more and more that I was not cut out for this job.

Sure, I'd… led Nora and I during our travels, but… that was different. I'd known her for… basically all my life. With… Embra and Valkea… it was… difficult.

Embra wore one of my best friend's faces, some of her mannerisms even being identical.

Valkea had yet to show her face around the team… even though the deadline to move in was today.

I sighed, massaging my temples. I was glad Nora wasn't here to see me like this; she'd taken Pyr… Embra on a shopping trip. We'd been given an additional couple of days off to get acquainted with our new teammate, and those two were taking full advantage.

Suddenly, a soft knock came from the door.

I raised an eyebrow, checking the nearby clock. The girls weren't supposed to be back for a few more hours yet; besides, Nora had her own… bombastic way of announcing her return. Slowly, I shut my scroll and stood up, heading for the door.

As it creaked open, I was met with a strange – if nearly overdue – sight. Valkea Smith, our new fourth member, stood on the other side of the open doorway, an overly full backpack slung over her shoulder.

"Umm… hi?"

"Hello." I said, stepping aside and gesturing for her to enter. She did, standing in the middle of the room awkwardly. "I guess… you can set that down anywhere for now. We'll go over routines and stuff when the girls get back."

She sighed, setting her bag next to the dresser in the middle of our four beds. "Of course I'd pick the one time when you're not all here." She said. "Either way, I guess I should… apologize for taking so long."

"It was peculiar." I said.

She nodded. "I was… catching up with family." She said. "Plus, I thought you'd umm… appreciate a bit more time to yourselves."

"Well… I guess I should thank you for being considerate." I said, nodding to her bag. "Is that all the belongings you have here?"

She glanced away. "Y- Yeah." She said. "I'm not the richest perso-"

I held up a hand. "That's… more than my partner and I had when we came here. You don't have to explain." She nodded in thanks as I moved over to the closet. I opened it and… stared at Jaune's old hoodies, still hanging from his section of the rack. "How many… clothes do you have?"

"Three copies of this outfit, why?"

I glanced over at her, seeing how relatively thin her clothes were. They weren't worn or revealing by any stretch of the imagination, just… made of thin fabric. In other words: easy to store. For the first time since… the mission, I started rearranging his section of the closet.

It felt… wrong; almost like I was trespassing on hallowed ground. With every sweater and tee and pair of jeans I moved, I could hear his voice, feel as Crocea Mors bit against Stormflower, see him in all of his clumsy, carefree glory.

It was… unsettling.

…but it also reminded me of… better times.

I sighed. I was the leader now. Sometimes… things happened. It was my job to pick up the pieces. I nodded to one of the hoodies, for a moment imagining Jaune himself nodding back. I'd… never forget him, and I hoped that wherever he was, he knew that.

"Here, I've… got a spot for you." I called out.

A moment later, I heard a suppressed snort. "A- are those… bunny sweaters?"

"Yes." I said, crossing my arms. "They were Jaune's."

"Oh… umm… sorry." She said. "It's just… the guy always had his armor on, but I guess I can totally see it now." She practically ripped open her bag, putting her three rolls of clothes onto a cleared part of the shelf before quickly exiting the closet. "So… I kinda just wanted to pop in and remind you guys that I exist, so… I'm gonna head out. See you… around, I guess?" She half-asked, exiting the dorm in a flash.

I just stared at the door for a few moments. Eventually, I shook my head, deciding to read ahead in Oobleck's history book; it always helped in his class…

/-\ Ruby Rose /-\

I stepped off the Pelican as it touched down at one of Beacon's landing pads, my weapons holstered as I strode forward. Behind me, the dropship dusted off, flying overhead as it banked towards space; towards the Spirit of Fire. I rubbed my head as the strange headache returned, though not as bad as it was at first. Almost as soon as it came, it vanished, making me shake my head and re-focus on the path ahead.

Most of the academy's students in the courtyard lazed about on their lunch break, not batting an eye towards my armored form as they read their books, chatted with friends, or even just basked in the sun. The only people who even glanced at me were the group of Atlesian students doing some light sparring off to the side of the path. I nodded to them as I passed, heading straight for Ozpin's office to deliver my report.

"There you are!" A familiar voice shouted.

My gaze shot to the doorway of one of the many outbuildings on campus, seeing my team. "Hey guys." I said, walking over to them.

"Where have you been? And why are you in your armor?" Weiss asked, before shaking her head. "Nevermind, I probably don't want to know. Ozpin summoned us to his office ten minutes ago."

I shrugged. "Well, I was heading there anyways."

"Then let's keep going." She said, strutting off.

I glanced at my other two teammates. "…Something happen while I was gone?"

Yang shrugged, nodding to her partner to answer. "She was just worried; none of us have heard from you since you left yesterday."

"Oh. Right." I said. "Sorry; opsec was important on this one."

"We guessed." Yang said. "But uhh… can you at least let us know you're gonna drop off the face of Remnant next time it happens?"

"I'll try, but… you know ONI." I said, earning a shrug. "Speaking of spooks, we should probably see what Ozzy wants."

Agreeing, they set off behind me. In only a couple minutes, we stood at his office's reception desk behind a golden-blonde civilian woman, a slightly less angry Weiss joining us inside. As it turned out, the civilian woman only had a question about where one of her relatives was housed, and she walked out of the room just as we headed up to Ozpin's office.

I stepped forward, the others in tow, as the doors slid open. Ozpin looked up from his desk. "Ah, the woman of the hour." He said. As he did, General Ironwood looked up from his scroll, saluting.

I returned it, practically feeling my teammates' awkwardness as I did so. Thankfully, it didn't last long, though, and any discomfort died with the salute.

He stepped aside, nodding to Ozpin. He sipped from his mug. "I hear your mission was a success?" I glanced back at my team before looking to Ozpin. He nodded, giving me permission.

"A complete one. The target was eliminated, along with one of her accomplices with the other two being taken prisoner."

"E- Eliminated?" Blake asked, eyes wide.

I sighed. "We found the person responsible for the whole Amber situation. That's who I killed."

"The attack on Beacon, too." Ironwood said. "This is a major victory for Remnant."

"O- Oh." Blake said. "The… one behind the… the Grimm people…?"

Ozpin sipped from his mug. "While she was likely not the one who supplied the transformation agent, she most certainly oversaw the operation."

She sighed. "Then… I suppose it had to be done."

I put my hand on her shoulder. "Some people can simply not be spared."

She nodded. "Yeah… yeah, I get it. Especially with how the Maiden powers wo-" She blinked. "Wait, does that mean you're…?"

"I… actually don't know." I said, turning around to look at Ozpin. "How would we test it?"

He sighed. "Hold out your hand and close your eyes."

"Oh-kay…" I let out, doing as he said.

"Focus on your palm; picture a small flame there." He said. "Feel the fleeting yet loving warmth as it wraps around your fingers. Picture the flame's blueish depths gradually shifting to yellow then orange as it travels away from your body."

His description made it incredibly easy to picture what he meant, and I did so easily…

…

…nothing seemed any different.

…

I pictured it again, thrusting my hand forward a few inches in an effort to-

"Miss Rose." Ozpin said, making me open my eyes. "That is enough."

I frowned. "Do I have it?"

He relaxed into his chair. "I told you, once upon a time, that those with silver eyes cannot possess them." He said. "This merely confirms it."

"Damn." I said. "Well… what now?"

"Now…" He sipped from his mug once more. "Now… we have a new problem; finding the new half-Maiden." He tapped a few buttons on his computer, the device making a ringing sound for a few moments.

"Grandfather?" Embra's voice rang out. "Er, umm… hello, Headmaster, is something wrong?"

"Potentially." He said. "Firstly, can you come by my office for a few minutes?"

"I'm… actually trying on some new clothes in Vale, so..."

He frowned. "My apologies for the inconvenient timing. When you return, please do so."

"Of course, Grandfa- err… Headmaster." She said, quickly hanging up.

He hit a couple more keys, sighing. "These things usually aren't this simple, but it helps to check the easy places first." He said. "Well, with that out of the way, let's get to why I called your team here instead of just you, Miss Rose."

I nodded. "Well, I'm all ears."

He sipped from his mug again. "Throughout the school year, your performance has been… exemplary, to say the least." He said. "Going off what I have learned during your time here, Miss Rose, you would likely be able to defeat an entire team of licensed huntsmen on your own. That in and of itself is quite a rare trait; let alone one present in many – if any – first-year students at an academy."

"Heh, they didn't call me hyper-lethal for nothing." I said. "But why are you bringing this up?"

"Because I believe your talents to be wasted here." He said. I opened my mouth to respond, but he held up a hand. "I know you will refuse any opportunity I put forth to graduate early; save maybe that you all be allowed to graduate early together." He sipped at his mug. "And the rest of your team should not sell themselves short, either. With your training, they boarded and destroyed or captured two alien capital ships. I believe that qualifies as an… appropriate test, don't you think?"

I blinked. "Well… you'd be right." I said. "I won't abandon them – not as long as I can help it." I turned around, seeing my friend's shocked faces. "So, whaddaya guys think?"

"I…" Yang muttered. "I've… been dreaming about this all my life; huntressing with you."

I smiled. "I'll pencil that in as a 'yes'." I said. "What about you two?" I asked, looking at Weiss and Blake.

"This is all just so… sudden." Weiss said. "But… given what the world is like… can I really refuse?" She glanced at Ozpin. "How many huntsmen were lost at Atlas? At Vale? In between, when the world panicked?"

"More than I've seen in a very, very long time." He said. "And I would be lying if I said that wasn't one of the reasons why I'm even offering this in the first place."

"Then I cannot ethically refuse. I originally trained to redeem my family's name; to redeem the company." She said. "But… that all rings hollow when so many lives are at stake."

"Well said." He nodded. "And your answer, Miss Belladonna?"

"Weiss is right. I've been fighting for my people for as long as I can remember; I guess 'my people' is no longer limited to just the Faunus." She said. "Plus, I'd just as soon skip as many of Port's lectures as humanly possible."

We all chuckled, even Ozpin. "The man is many things, but an exciting and engaging professor, he is not."

"So… what now?" I asked. "Do we… have to go through some ceremony or something?"

He shrugged. "The annual commencement is in a month if you would like to attend, though it is not mandatory." He said. "No, all that is really required is a demonstration of your skills, and my signature on some paperwork."

He took out a stylus, writing something on his screen and hitting a few buttons. My teammates' scrolls dinged, and I'm sure mine did too, though I'd left it in my room for the op. They took theirs out, each just… staring for a moment. I peeked over my partner's shoulder, seeing what the fuss was about.

Huntress License: Vale

By the first line of the picture, I already knew why they were so excited. The only thing that stood out among the usual bureaucratic nonsense was that there were two restrictions instead of one, like on our student licenses.

"Hey, uhh, professor?" Yang asked. "It says we're Class-C and C-T. What does that mean?"

"Ah, that is a newer designation. It stands for Covenant-trained; it merely denotes that you are experts in dealing with them."

"Oh." She let out. "Well… that's… cool?"

"Indeed." He said. "Oh, one more thing. Yours, Miss Rose, is a Class-B license. I personally believe you're well into the Class-S range, but I cannot legally assign anything higher than Class-B to a newly-graduated student."

"Well, that'll have to do, then." I said.

"Indeed. Plus, it just so happens that the first mission I have lined up for you is rated as Tier-7; only slightly higher than a lone Class-B is allowed to handle."

I raised an eyebrow. "So, a team op, then?"

"Correct." He said, tapping a few buttons on his computer. "I've sent the details to your scroll. You're scheduled to leave in a week, so I suggest you enjoy yourselves while you still can."

"Don't huntresses usually get a say in what missions they take?"

He chuckled. "Normally, yes, though I've already cleared this one with your commanding officer. In fact, if you had turned down my offer to graduate early, he would've sent you anyways."

"Well, that's just a cheery thought…" I muttered. "Alright… can I at least get a summary?"

"Let's just say it's right up your alley." He said. "Now, do you have any more questions?"

I shook my head. "None here, I guess." I looked back to my team, who looked resigned to their fate. "Well, I guess we'll get going, then."

He hummed, waving goodbye as he sipped his from his seemingly bottomless mug. We rode the elevator in silence, walked the courtyard in silence, and strode the hallways of our dorm building in silence. Once again, the weird headache came on, though it subsided just as quickly as before. Only when we reached our actual dorm room did we speak.

"…Just like that…" Yang muttered, sitting on her bed.

Blake plopped down next to her. "After stopping two alien invasions, it does seem a bit…"

"…Inconsequential?" Weiss supplied.

"Yeah." She said, ears laying flat against her head. "After everything we've been through, school's just… school."

I reached for my scroll, powering it up. "I'd say that this is where the real stuff begins, but… you guys've already seen that."

"…Everything short of a total planetary glassing, yeah." Blake said.

"It won't come to that." I said. "We won't let it."

"We can uhh… we can try." Yang said.

I nodded. Deciding we needed to switch subjects, I pulled up the mission file that Ozpin sent us, giving it a quick once-over. "Huh, he was right." I said. "This thing is right up my alley."

"What is it?" Weiss asked, just as eager to change subjects as the rest of us.

"Deep recon." I said. "Remember that IFV we found when we rescued JNPR and Winter? Well, we found a lot more of those wrecks when we were assaulting that Covenant base. Command wants the area scouted for whoever made 'em."

"So uhh… what do we do if we run into them?"

I hummed. "Well, they're non-Covenant aliens, so… avoid contact." I said. "None of us, maybe barring Weiss, are trained diplomats. Let them handle it – we're just recon."

"I agree." Weiss said. "And for the record, I am not a diplomat. I may have been trained to negotiate contracts and be a shrewd one at that, but international – or interspecies – diplomacy is quite far outside my purview."

"Fair enough." I said. "So, we've got a week before we leave, whaddaya say we do a bit of celebrating before we start packing?"

Yang groaned. "Just as long as I don't wake up in Blake's bed again."

She raised an eyebrow. "Am I really that ugly?"

My sister froze. "U- Uhh… n- no! You're a- actually- I mean… Uhh-"

Blake's face slowly broke out into a smile. "Gotcha."

Yang rolled her eyes, sticking out her tongue at her partner.

"Well, now that you two have proven to be the most mature early graduates in Beacon history…" Weiss started. "What do we want to do?"

I shrugged. "How's about we go to that little diner again?"

"The one by the armor shop?" Blake asked, earning a nod from me. "Well, I wouldn't be opposed; they've got good tuna sandwiches."

"And uhh… no one who'd drug someone else." Yang said. "I'm in."

"I suppose it could be fun." Weiss said. "Though do you mind if I bring along Winter? You two are sisters and her and I still don't get together enough."

I glanced at Yang, who nodded. I turned back to Weiss, shrugging. "Sure, go ahead."

Suddenly, Weiss's scroll chimed. She opened it and scanned its contents, blinking. "That's… strange." She said. "I've… been invited to an Atlesian Pride rally… as the guest of honor."

"Atlesian pride?" Blake asked.

"Well, since Atlas fell… I guess I shouldn't be surprised such a thing exists." She said. "Also, it seems I've been told to bring… three plus-ones." She rolled her eyes. "Oh, I have absolutely no idea who could possibly go with me…" She said, voice dripping with sarcasm.

"When's it scheduled for?" I asked. "And do I have to wear a dress? You know that isn't happening."

"Looks like… huh. Friday. Perfect." She said. "Also, there is no dress code listed."

"Welp, I'm in." I said, putting my arm around Weiss. "You know I've got your back."

She sighed, a slight smile on her face before she wiggled free. "I… appreciate it." She said. "I'll see if Winter is free. The rest of you can get ready."

I only just materialized outside my armor when Weiss sighed. "What's up?" I asked.

"She's not free until Thursday, unfortunately."

"Well, uhh… if you really want her to be there…" Yang started, a faint redness to her cheeks. "I uhh… wouldn't mind."

Blake shrugged. "Neither would I." She said, not even looking up from her book.

"Well, tell her we'll see her Thursday, then." I said, already taking Wilt over to our desk. I put on some headphones as I got to work cleaning Cinder's dried blood off the blade. I hummed, wondering who got her powers…

/-\ Sun Wukong /-\

I groaned, wincing as both my head and my tail throbbed in pain. I shifted, trying to at least free my tail from being trapped under my torso. Only I couldn't roll. I tried again, only earning the clanking of metal chains as my limbs struggled.

Gasping, I opened my eyes. I found myself in a stark white hospital room… all by myself. The half-dozen other beds in the room were all vacant, their sheets neatly made. The only true color present in the room – save for the variations of grey smattered around the place – was the colorful emblem emblazoned on the only set of doors. It displayed a stylized bird in orange and black, the words 'UNSC Spirit of Fire' displayed in bold around the top edge, several other words and letters being written, less prominently, around the rest of the seal.

Suddenly, the memories of my assigned team's mission came flooding back to me.

The gunfire louder than any I'd ever heard. Mercury gasping for air. Emerald falling to the ground, a blood trail connecting her lower back and the knife that made the hole. The golden, inhuman visor that seemingly pierced straight through my soul… and its armored fist sailing towards me.

I struggled against my binds for a few moments, but they didn't even give a single inch. I groaned through my teeth, only exacerbating the pounding in my head. I relaxed with a sigh, using the unbound tip of my tail to try and reach one of the cuffs chaining me to the bed. It was just an inch too short.

I froze upon hearing the door whoosh open, armored boots stomping against the metal floor. Slowly, a quintuplet of black-armored and silver-visored soldiers surrounded me, guns at the ready. They stood there, faceless helmets boring a hole into my head. I couldn't help the strained chuckle that bubbled up from my throat as I laid there, completely paralyzed.

One of them jerked their heads upwards, the others moving their hands towards the cuffs that held me down. In a moment, I was pulled from the bed and hoisted to my feet. "Get moving." One of them ordered.

I hesitated a seco- a gauntleted fist jammed into my back, jerking me forward. "Okay, okay!" I shouted, each arm still restrained by a soldier each. My bare feet padded along the cold and hard floor as we moved through the empty hallways. Huge blast doors blocked every single way we could've taken, only rising once we approached them and then closing again after we passed through.

The soldiers gave orders on where to turn – so many that I lost track after the seventh. We went up elevators, only to come back down other ones. We walked corridors only to turn around and come back the way we came. We even came back to the infirmary once. Just as I was starting to think they were making a game of parading me around in a hospital gown, we abruptly stopped in the middle of an otherwise bare hallway.

An inconspicuous door – hidden in the walls – opened, one of those golden-visored freaks stepping out. "The Major will see you now." He said.

"U- Umm… okay, cooooool?" I let out. One of the soldiers behind me gave my back a nudge onward. I got the hint, walking through the door and fully expecting to be handcuffed to a chair while someone shined a bright light in my eyes.

…instead, I found myself staring down a single man on the opposite side of a wooden conference table. He motioned to one of the chairs.

Blinking, I took a seat. To my side, I noticed the golden-visored giant had followed me in.

"Sun Wukong?" The man asked.

"Y- Yeah, that's me." I said. "What is going-"

"We'll get there, Mister Wukong." He interrupted. "For now, I need you to answer a few questions of mine."

I… sat back in the chair. "Well, I guess I'm not going anywhere, so…?"

He nodded. "I can respect a man who knows when to cooperate." He said. "Firstly, who, exactly, told you to join Team…" He glanced at a piece of paper narrowing his eyes. "…Seamanson? Spelled C-M-S-N."

"Uhh, Crimson, actually." I said, shying away from the giant to my right. "And umm… the headmaster told me to do it." I shrugged. "He said he couldn't get a replacement out here 'cause of the whole shutting-our-borders thing Mistral's doing right now. Aaaaand since the rest of my team were also stuck in Haven…"

"…You were the perfect temporary replacement." He finished. "A good enough cover story on the surface, but how did you hear from Mister Lionheart himself? The CCT is still down."

I shrugged. "Dunno how, but that Cinder chick somehow got a hold of him. She cornered me after lunch one day and pulled up the transfer documents on her tablet; all signed and approved by Lionheart himself."

He sat back in his chair. "Interesting." He said. "And what, might we ask, were they like back at Haven? Did they get into trouble often, have exceptional combat scores, that sort of thing?"

"Actually, the first time I've ever seen 'em was here at Beacon." I said, blinking. "Come to think of it… that's kinda weird. Haven's a big campus, sure, but you'd think I'd've at least seen 'em around somewhere, right? I mean, I'm almost a second-year student already!"

"Really now?" He said, smirking. He glanced behind me for a moment, and I saw a tiny sliver of movement from the golden-visored giant. "Very well, Mister Wukong. I believe you have answered my questions."

I blinked. "Wait, that's it?"

"Oh, do not worry. We already knew you were an innocent party in all this." He said. "However…" He crossed his arms, frowning. "Do not tell a single soul of what has occurred in the past forty-eight hours. For your sake."

The giant tapped me on the shoulder. I glanced at him, seeing him crack his knuckles. A chuckle escaped my lips as I squirmed in my chair. "U- Umm, l- loud and clear, sir!"

"I hope it is." The black-suited man said, tapping a button on the table. "Serina, send in Asset Naples if you please."

A blue and womanly hologram flashed into existence, saluting the man. "At once, Major." She slowly turned around, her lips pulled into a tight smirk. "You have no idea just how lucky you are, Mister Wukong." She said. "Not many get to see their loved ones again once ONI gets their hands on them…" Just as suddenly as she appeared, she vanished.

Only a moment later did the door behind me open. Before I could even turn around, a loud and feminine gasp reached my ears. I barely caught the flicker of white, pink, and brown before a tiny and familiar girl was squeezing the life out of me.

I groaned. "It's… good to see you too Neo, but… agh! Can't a guy breathe?"

She loosened up, pulling back. [I heard something happened] She signed out. [I was so worried]

"Yeah, I would be too if I-" I cut myself off, glancing at the golden-visored giant. "U- Umm… I… don't think I should talk about it…"

"Indeed you should not." The Major said. "Asset Naples, meet our newest collateral."

She froze, slowly reaching for her scroll. {does he have the thing?} She typed, showing it to him.

"No, he does not possess our little… insurance policy." He said. "Rest assured, we will not need it should you… disappoint us."

She paled, nodding. {is there anything you want done?} She typed, hands trembling.

He shook his head. "Not at the moment. We'll be in touch, asset."

She stood up, practically dragging me with her as we exited the room. She led me through the gunmetal grey corridors once more, though she was far less confusing in her route than those soldiers were. After only a few minutes, we stopped at another, equally hidden room. The door whooshed open, revealing a decorationless room, only furnished with two beds and a dresser.

She tugged on my hand, practically throwing me onto the bed. I thought I knew what was coming next, but instead, she just… clung to me. Within a few moments, her breathing evened out. I let out a sigh, gently stroking her hair as she nuzzled into my chest.

I didn't know what he meant by collateral, or what his insurance policy was, but Neo clearly didn't like either of them – I figured I probably wouldn't want to know anyways. Instead of asking questions and disturbing her, I just let her lay there, enjoying her comfort as she slowly drifted off…

/-\ Ruby Rose /-\

"To graduating!" I shouted, raising my glass.

""To graduating!"" The others repeated, clinking their glasses against mine.

I knocked my drink back, downing the hard cider in only a few gulps. The liquid didn't even burn, it was so weak; just left a sweet, apple-y taste as it slid down. I exhaled, slamming the glass down onto the table. The action brought the strange headache back, the pressure welling up behind my eyes for a few moments before dissipating entirely…

…just in time for Weiss, beside me, to start coughing her lungs out, holding her throat.

I was just about to intervene when she held up a hand, swallowing. "Wrong tube." She said.

"You good?" I asked, the other three at the table looking at her just as concerned as I was.

She nodded. "Yes." She said, glancing at her half-full glass of wine. "And here I thought this brand was supposed to be smooth."

"It is." Winter said, an identical glass cradled in her mechanical hand. "Perhaps try… savoring it? It is white wine, after all."

Weiss rolled her eyes. "Oh ha, ha."

"Well, uhh… this stuff's great!" Yang shouted, her mug of pale ale completely drained.

"And I can't say I regret ordering this either." Blake said, looking to be surprisingly cozy as she sat between Yang and Winter. She swirled her mostly full glass of merlot in one hand, cradling a book in the other as she sent an amused smirk Weiss's way.

She crossed her arms. "I hate all of you."

"Oh dear sister, you wound me so!" Winter laughed.

Weiss rolled her eyes, blushing slightly as she knocked back the rest of her drink. Right as her glass touched the table, the waiter arrived with another round for everyone. Blake told him that two would be enough for her, Winter agreeing a moment later. He nodded, gathering the empty glasses before retreating to the kitchen.

I shrugged, looking at my new glass. "Welp, bottoms up!" I shouted, downing it just as fast as I did the first. Yang gasped, trying to imitate me… only to enter her own violent coughing fit.

The others laughed as I patted her on the back. "Now who should savor their drinks?" Weiss teased.

"Shaddup…" Yang mumbled, sipping at her half-full drink.

I crossed my arms, leaning back into my seat. "So, now that we're all actual huntresses, what now?" I asked. "Besides the mission, I mean."

Blake set her book down, closing it. "I… never really thought that far ahead." She said. "I mean, I thought it'd be years down the line."

"Me too." Weiss said, turning to Winter. "What did, umm… you and your team do after you graduated?"

She shrugged. "We actually weren't that close, so be honest." She said, sipping her wine. "I suppose Weld and I enrolled in the Specialist program together but contact with him has been… sparse. Even before the invasion, we'd simply drifted apart." She said. "As for Hema and Tulip… those two were far too preoccupied with trying to kill each other to even notice us. I haven't heard from them since graduation."

"O- Oh." Weiss let out. "I… didn't realize things were… like that. You never said so in your letters."

"Because I didn't want it to affect you." She said. "Just think of where you would be if my… unfortunate team selection had dissuaded you from attending Beacon – or a huntsman academy at all."

She stiffened, sending us all a glance. "I…" She muttered. "I would be so… lost."

I smiled, throwing an arm around my partner. "Awww, Weiss does love us!"

Her face went beat red as she scrambled to get away from my grip. "C- Cut it out, you Oaf!" She shouted, finally squirming away. "I do not love you! You're merely… tolerable." She crossed her arms. "O- Only sometimes!"

"Methinks the lady doth protest too much."

"Blake!" Weiss shouted, the Faunus calmly sipping her drink with a smirk on her face. "You can't just… say stuff like that!" Her gaze shot back to me. "And don't read into it!"

I gave a mock salute. "You got it, Ice Queen!"

Suddenly, a glass thumped against the table. "Heeeeeey, Weiss does have good taste in wine!" Yang shouted, burping.

My partner looked between my smirking sister and the conspicuously empty wine glass sitting next to her two empty mugs. "You did not just-" She groaned, her head thumping against the table.

I started rubbing her back. "Alright guys, let's ease up a bit, kay?" I said, earning a muffled 'thank you' from Weiss.

"Ugh, fiiiiiiiiiiiiiine." Yang said, rolling her eyes. Suddenly, she went ramrod straight. "Woah."

"What is it?" I asked.

"Ah… I think I'm starting to feel 'em."

"Well, you did just have three drinks in quick succession." Winter said. "That tends to happen."

"It feels so… cool!" Yang giggled. "Like… eeeeeeeeverything's good right now."

I glanced at the three empty glasses on the table. "Yeeeah, I'm gonna say you've had enough for a bit."

Her head whipped up. "Whaaaaaaat?" She asked, eyes wide. "But… whyyyyyy?"

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Weiss sneak her scroll's camera over the lip of the table, a smirk tugging at her lips.

"Eh, I think you can figure it out." I said.

Her eyes glanced down at Winter's untouched second glass. Her arm shot out, reaching over Blake's book to scoop up the free dri- a glyph locked her wrist in place.

Yang froze for a moment, trying to tug her hand free. She grunted in effort, grabbing her arm with her other hand and pulling even harder. The glyph even started to crack a little, but with a flick of Winter's wrist, two more appeared either side of it. Groaning, she withdrew her other arm and glancing out the window.

One of Blake's ears flicked, mirth in her eyes. Slowly she picked up her book and leaned it against Yang's trapped arm, using it as a makeshift bookstand. "You really are the best partner ever." She said, her mouth twitching wildly as she tried not to laugh.

The rest of us completely and utterly failed, bursting into a laugh so loud that everyone else in the bar stopped what they were doing for a moment. I waved them off as I finished laughing. Even Yang was still gasping for air as she recovered, her only free fist pounding on the table.

Finally, she sat back up, wiping a tear from her eye with a smile on her face. "Alright, caaaaaaaaan ya let me gooooo?"

Winter raised an eyebrow. "Do you promise not to steal my beverage?"

"Yeeeeeeeeah, I won't steal your beeeevr… beraa… thingyyyyy."

She rolled her eyes. "I suppose that's as close as I'm getting."

The second Winter lowered her glyphs, Yang's hand shot forward, grabbing the drink while also dislodging Blake's book from its perch…

…which sailed right into the wine glass and knocked it over.

I noticed what would happen the second the book started to move, so I was already dabbing up the white wine with a bunch of napkins before it could spill onto the floor or stain someone's clothes. Blake had already picked up her book – sparing the pages from destruction – while Winter joined me in wiping up the spill. Weiss giggled as she sipped her own drink, her hidden scroll still filming. Yang, meanwhile, just sat there, a despondent look in her eyes. They actually turned blue – a color I hadn't seen them in a very long time by now.

Her jaw hung open as she stared at her hand, still gripping the tipped-over glass. "Awww… I spilled the pretty lady's driiiiiiiiiink!"

Weiss spit her drink onto the floor, coughing. "What?!"

Winter sighed. "Well, the pretty lady is disappointed you tried to steal her drink, even after you promised not to."

"M'sorryyyyy…" She mumbled.

"Well, you can make it up for me by paying for one of them." She said, shortly before the waiter arrived with more paper towels and a replacement drink.

"M'kayyyy…" She muttered. "Heeeeeeeey, Ruuuuubes…"

I fought to keep my face neutral. "Yeah, sis?"

"I thiiiiiiink Win- Wit- Wiiiiinter's mad at meeeeee…"

A chuckle escaped my lips, remembering the incident during our first semester. I glanced at Winter, idly wondering if she'd wind up in her bed instead of Blake's this time…

(A/N) This chapter has made me discover the wonder of writing Drunk Yang. I am eternally thankful for the opportunity; just picturing her swaying back and forth while being all giggly is hilarious to me.

In case you missed it, Emerald is alive too, she'll be showing up next chapter…

…along with an answer of who gets the half-Maiden powers.

Welp, not really much else to say, so onto the review responses! And oh boy are there a log of them this time around…

C313st14 said – "I wonder if the tingle that Ruby felt was either her getting the maiden's powers or if it was the powers going through her but not being able to merge with Rubes's soul"

The latter. SEWs can't become Maidens in this story. (Oz told the full truth for once! It's a Christmas miracle!) I do know who the powers are gonna end up in, though, and credit to a man with the Devil's numbers in his/her username for the idea.

Guest001 said – "What about the Atlas Airship that was crashed into the settlement with all the Grimm!? Surely Roman would have mentioned how the White Fang helped to do that!?

Adam just lost his benefactor!"

Ah, the stolen Atlesian battlecarrier. Yes, Roman did, indeed, rat him out. I wouldn't really consider Cinder his benefactor, more his master – to use a term that he would.

Guest002 said – "Ding dong the bich is dead fuck you Cinder she deserves that death you cinderella knock-off. But anyway overall good like always. By the way, when I reread the vol 2 epilogue did you imply during the scene where Yang walking and seeing and saw her stepmother summer without clothing on were you implying Summer and Tai got intimate the night before and is it possible that Tai got Summer pregnant during this time and meaning that Ruby and Yang are getting a new sibling or siblings on the way in the future? but overall keep up the good work love this story!"

Hey, what can I say? A husband and wife in a happy marriage finally met each other again after a very long time of involuntary separation. Ofc they're gonna bone. As for any more rosebuds blooming… well, you'll just have to wait and see if Tai lives up to his memeworthy reputation in the FNDM here.

Mid Level Fighter said – "Ahh, i love when a team of Spartans wipes out a group of Innies. That wonderful bit at the end made my decade. Salem might be a bit set back for a while, but she will eventually bounce back, unless she sends Mr McPsycho and Mr Painless after our lovable rose-colored supersoldier, that might cripple her. I was a bit sad about Em being killed (though only visibly crippled so maybe surviving?) because she always seemed like she could be redeemed the easiest, and most succesfully.

With Cinder dead, Embra should get a serious power boost. Now we just need to see Raven get recruited/turned to paste (your choice) and we are basically golden.

Did you ever mention if Magic works in space? Its never come up in the show and I dont think any of the magic 'users' have been to space yet. Would definitely make capturing Covie ships easier.

Also, how oh how will our heroes deal with Adam's sudden but inevitable betrayal? Is he still mad at Ruby for taking his sword? Does he still have that Blake shrine Ruby found?

Lastly, will Ruby tell Red Team she was trained by Kurt?

Amazing as always. Cant wait for more."

Nah, Em's alive – Ruby even mentioned it in her report "…one accomplice killed and two captured." …or something like that, I'm too lazy to bother looking it up in my own story lol.

I don't think I ever directly mentioned it, but yes, magic does work in space… especially because silver eyes are a type of magic and without those, Ruby wouldn't've escaped that CCS-class in the veeeeeeeery beginning of the story.

Ofc Adam's still mad at Ruby – this is Adam, the person Blake describes as the embodiment of spite.

Guest005 said – "I was Guest001,2,3,4 and Thank You for answering my questions!

What was up with Ruby's eyes hurting!?

Does Raven know that Summer is back!?

Wonder if Ironwood was watching a live feed of this operation!?

More UNSC Hardware available thanks to Spirit! Will we see more Halo Wars 2 vehicles, such as the improved Cyclops variants(they would make an excellent replacement for the Atlas Paladin Mechs)!?"

Np, man! Ruby's eyes hurting is an adverse reaction between the SEW powers and the Maiden powers – they're fighting and she can't use either while they're doing that. I'd imagine she would know Summer is back, what with her semblance and whatnot. I actually never factored him into the op, so probably not. There will be some HW2 vics in the story, yes.

Guest006 said – "Why did Ozpin so freely mention his "past lives" to Sienna!?"

Because it's just enough truth to earn a modicum of trust with his enemy, at a time when Remnans cannot afford enemies among themselves. A man like that is nothing if not a master of the long game.

Guest 008 said – "In Chapter 41, they mention classified information that verifies Ozpin's reincarnation story, what is this information!?"

The Maiden powers, which the Ozluminati (as Summer calls them) aren't willing to let slip just yet.

Welp, that's all for this chapter. I know I said last chapter that this one would be named "Insurrection", buuuut then things changed and that title no longer fit with what I was gonna do here. That's now gonna be next chapter, so… see ya then!