(A/N) Hey guys, look! An actually on-time chapte-

...aaaaaand then I realized I somehow let months slip by (again) without an upload. Fuck. Well… it's here now, even if I had to split it into two parts. For once, though, pt2 isn't done as well, so uhh… patience is a virtue? Well regardless, I've got 7.6k words for you now, so… enjoy!

Special thanks to the Betas who keep me from going too axe-crazy on the plot: Wesley9516, Sierra-G343, Ghost-G339, BigbossHayden98, and Cy Man!

Link to the Gates of Insanity (not the actual name) Discord: 3jf9w8u

Volume Three

Chapter Five – Cloaked

/-\ Yang Xiao Long /-\

I groaned, massaging my temples as the airship crashed down into port. My head already felt like Ruby'd taken a hammer to it, and this was certainly not helping.

"Oh, hush, you." Weiss said, handing me a water bottle. "Here, I've heard this helps."

Mumbling a 'thank you', I downed the entire bottle in only a couple gulps. Barely remembering to screw on the cap again, I buried my head in my hands, gritting my teeth as the onslaught of voices around me only exacerbated my hangover.

I felt a gentle, but strong hand grip my shoulder. "Up and at 'em, sis." Ruby said. "Got a big day today."

"Starting with a bunch of pomp and circumstance." Blake said. "Loud pomp and circumstance."

"Ugh… can't I just go back to bed?"

"Nnnnope~!" Ruby said, smiling. "We've got Weiss's little rally thing, then we've gotta pick up our armor plates, aaaaaand then we need to finish packing." She shrugged. "You can go to sleep right after that, though – we leave for Reavia in the morning. You can nap in the 'Hog, too, it'll be a few hours' drive, even if the Pelican to the AO's only a ten-minute suborbital hop."

I groaned. "Fiiiiine. Just… gimmie a sec…" I said, steeling myself. After a few moments, I slowly stood up, knowing I'd be more than a little lightheaded if I was too quick.

"Are you alright?" Weiss asked, brushing an errant short hair out of her face and back into the tight bun she'd done it into.

I nodded, the action feeling like it sent a hammer flying around inside my head. "I'll… get there…"

"We've still got a few minutes. We'll take it slow." Ruby said.

"Not too slow, though – it would simply not do for the guest of honor to be late." Weiss hummed, her face softening. "Though if you did need to, I'm sure they would understand…"

"No, I'm… I'm… good." I ground out, forcing a smile onto my face. "Let's just… go."

"If you're sure..." Weiss said. Instead of nodding, I gave her a thumbs up. "Very well. Follow me, then." She turned around, her fancy heels clicking with every step. I followed, trying my best to not wince in pain.

My boots clanked against the metal floor, each footfall sending a pulse of pain up my spine. I took a deep breath, pushing it aside as I followed Weiss out of the airship while trying to focus on anything else. Her pauldron – though not her white cloak – was absent from her attire today and she'd actually bothered to put on makeup. 'And here I thought Ruby beat that out of her within the first month…' I thought.

She looked nice – pretty even. Though her hairstyle instantly reminded me of her older sister. Her… hot older sister. My face heated up when memories of… last night flooded back to me. 'Gods, I'm an idiot… Why did I think stealing her drinks was a good idea?'

I shook my head, wincing as it throbbed in a spike of pain. Suddenly, I felt a tap on my shoulder. Looking back, I saw Blake practically shove something herbal into my face. "Chew this. Don't swallow"

"Umm… oh-kaaaay…" I let out, gingerly taking the herb. "Just… whole?" I asked, earning a nod. I shrugged, popping it into my mouth. It was a bit tough, but slowly, a sweet yet minty flavor oozed out of the leaves. Strangely enough, with every chew, my headache lessened and lessened until it was completely gone.

Just as I was wondering what the hell my partner had given me, she held out a small plastic bag half-full of chewed-up plant-y stuff. "Spit." She said. I leaned over the bag, emptying the green mulchy paste into it.

"Thanks." I said. "So… uhh… wha-"

"Sockspaw Nectar." She said. "One of the weakest varieties of catnip known to Faunuskind."

"Catni-" I blinked. "Wait, you drugged me?!"

"I'd never do that, and you know it." She said, stowing the baggie back in her pack. "Like I said, it's a very weak kind. My mother always said it works well as a hangover remedy, though I personally use it to keep me focused on homework or Doctor Oobleck's lectures."

"Well by the looks of things, your mother was right." Weiss said.

I put my hands in my pockets. "Still woulda been nice to know what it was…" I muttered. "But I… guess it worked out. So uhh… thanks."

She hummed, focusing back on the street as if nothing had ever happened. Weiss had little reaction to Blake's own non-reaction as well, though I thought it was a little odd that Ruby hadn't commented at all. I looked back to her, only to see her silver eyes unfocused as she walked in lock-step with her partner, completely zoned out.

"U- Uhh… Rubes?" I asked.

…

"Hey, Ruby?"

…

I felt my heart start beating in my chest, Blake and Weiss both glancing at us. "Ruby, you there?"

…

I waved my hand in front of her face. "You goo-"

She recoiled, instantly dropping into a boxing stance. I barely noticed her first moving before it stopped only inches from my nose. I helped, instinctively ducking. "What the hell?!" I shouted.

She froze, her face twisted in horror. "O- Oh, shit." She let out, blinking. Slowly, her fist retracted, unfurling as she ran it across her face – I could've sworn I saw a tiny glint of red liquid on it before she wiped it on her pants. "I… must've zoned out or… or something…"

"Zoned ou- that's gotta be the hardest zone I've ever seen!"

Blake frowned, stepping up next to me with her arms crossed. "We both know you don't just space off, Ruby. What's up?"

She frowned. "Just… a headache is all. It's gone now – I'm good."

Weiss stopped dead in her tracks, whipping around with her hands on her hips. "A… headache." She said, frowning. "Given how you were acting just now, I've got half-a-mind to turn us around and go to the hospital instead." She sighed, her glare faltering. "But… I trust you. I know you have an absurdly high pain tolerance, but if something is bugging you… please. Just… tell me." Her gaze trailed to the ground, a faint redness to her cheeks. "I'll… try to help. In any way I can."

"I…" Ruby started. "I will." She said. "I wasn't lying when I said it was gone now, but…" She scratched the back of her head, glancing around. "I'll keep your offer in mind, 'kay?"

Weiss smiled. "Okay."

"Awww you two're adorable!" A voice from behind us said.

We all whipped around, Ruby and I's jaws dropping. ""Mom?!"" We shouted.

"Hey girls!" She said, a big-ole smile on her face as she zoomed over to us and enveloped Ruby and me in a hug. She tried picking us both up and swinging us around – even got me airborne, too – but Ruby did her best anchor impression and, instead, our mom only grunted in effort. After a moment, she pulled back with a pout.

"So uhh… not that I'm not happy to see you, buuuut…" I trailed off.

"…What are you doing here?" Ruby finished.

She shrugged. "Well, it's an Atlesian pride rally, isn't it?"

I blinked. "Yeah…?"

Mom just stood there, her smile still on her face. She looked into our eyes, her smile slowly drooping as she made a circular motion with her finger. "Y'know… Atlesian pride?" We still stared at her. She blinked. "Wait, did I never tell you two we're Atlesian?"

My jaw dropped. "Wha-"

Suddenly, Ruby's eyes shot wide open. "Wait, does that mean I'm Weiss's cousin or something?"

"Gods, I hope not!" Weiss shouted, only for her face to go beat red. "I- I mean… I'm… sure you'd be a… umm… lovely cousin, Ruby, but-"

Mom laughed. "Oh, goodness no. My dad was a miner down in Mantle and mom was a baker for the Marigolds." She rubbed the back of her head. "Eheheheh… guess which side the cat ears come from…" She said, wiggling them.

I… really didn't want to think about that. "So uhh…" I let out. "You… grew up in Atlas?"

She shrugged. "Barely, I was only like eight when they…" She trailed off, glancing behind her. "Aaaaaactually, how's about we put a cork in this and come back to it later. We don't wanna be late for the rally, right?"

Weiss blinked. "Oh. Yeah. Right." She stammered. "We should get going again."

Ruby and I shrugged, following our white-haired friend as her heels clicked along the sidewalk. Gradually, the streets got busier and busier until we could barely see each other through the crowds. Finally, we reached a temporary roadblock on the street, Eternal soldiers in their dress whites standing at attention beside it.

Weiss ducked through the crowd, approaching the soldiers. "Halt." One said. "Do you have an invitation?"

She nodded, holding out her scroll. "Weiss Schnee, here as the guest of honor. I'm allowed three plus-ones."

The soldier squinted at the scroll before nodding. "Very well, everything seems to be in order. Proceed." He said, stepping aside.

Weiss led us through, though we waited for Mom to get through as well. Her entry took a little longer – on account of her not having an invitation – though she ultimately proved she was of Atlesian heritage by bringing up her old huntress license, which had her country of origin listed. After five minutes of waiting, we finally proceeded to the main event.

Looking around, I saw that, instead of a dedicated venue being used, the rally had simply co-opted a large roundabout, a PA system being set up atop the small hill at the center. The restaurants ringing the edge had already set up additional seating inside the four-lane street itself, most of which was filled.

Thankfully, the crowd was significantly less dense inside than outside, meaning we didn't need to snake our way through dozens of aimlessly wandering people. We made our way towards the center, stepping over the odd candy wrapper or discarded paper nacho tray. Just as we got within easy viewing range of the hill, the towering and immaculately dressed General Ironwood stepped forward, hands clasped behind his back.

"My fellow Atlesians." He started, voice booming from the PA system. "Our people – our entire way of life – is at risk. Our kingdom is gone – burned to cinder and glass by a foe from beyond the stars." He straightened his tie. "Unless you've been living under the biggest rock on Remnant, I'm sure none of this is new to you. That is what today is about – preserving what it means to be Atlesian." He said. "And I'm not just talking about the beer garden behind me, or the uniform I'm wearing, or even what that uniform stands for."

He shook his head. "No, what I'm talking about is our identity as a people – an independent people." He said. "I will forever be thankful to the Kingdom of Vale for taking in our people in our time of need, but I've seen how we languish in abandoned factories, sell ourselves on street corners, and resort to thievery simply so our children won't have to go to bed hungry again. This is all the future holds if we are content to stay here, behind Vale's walls."

"But… there is another option." He said. "I'm sure you're all aware of what roamed these very streets only two weeks ago – the alien menace that drove us from our homes and killed so very many of our brothers, sisters, fathers, sons, mothers, daughters, and friends. But what many of you don't know is that we struck back." He said. "We could not hope to match them in space combat, so a strike team with an Atlesian huntress at the helm boarded one of their deadliest and most terrible ships – one of the same superdreadnoughts that turned our homes and families to glass – and secured it."

Many in the audience gasped, breaking out in furious whispers. I stole a glance at Weiss, who seemed to be standing a little straighter – if with a dusting of red to her cheeks. She glanced back at me, a faint and thankful smile on her lips as Ironwood continued. "The Eternal Navy has been working tirelessly in cooperation with the UNSC to understand even the most basics of how that ship – a battlecruiser, by Covenant standards – operates, and now, for the first time since Atlas fell, we have another ship to protect our world from those who would do it harm." He turned around. "If I may draw your attention upwards…"

The crowd all looked up, just in time to see the massive CCS-class battlecruiser drop from orbit in the distance, the atmosphere tinting it blue as it approached. It ducked behind the tall buildings of Vale for a scant few seconds before its purple visage crested them once more, its finned prow coming to a stop just above one of the buildings opposite Ironwood, casting a shadow over part of the crowd. Instead of its uniform purple paint, the very front of the vessel proudly displayed an Atlesian seal "Ladies and gentlemen, fellow Atlesians, let me be the first to introduce…" He started. "The Eternal Navy Starship – Weiss Schnee!"

All of us gasped, looking to Weiss. Her eyes were wide as saucers, transfixed on the battlecruiser as her jaw hung open in pure and simple shock. "…The Weiss Schnee…" She muttered. Blake smirked, giving a thumbs up. Summer gave her signature megawatt smile. Ruby pat her on the back, drawing her into a side-hug. I… didn't know what to do, so I just copied Blake.

"It's namesake…" Ironwood continued. "...has been through it all. She was on the streets of Atlas, that fateful day. She personally protected its citizens armed only with a knife and a revolver – both taken from her fallen countrymen. We all heard her call to action that night – when we were all huddled in fear, below the city – in its shelters, its metro, even its basements."

"She stood vigil on Vale's walls while the UNSC, VDF, and Eternal Army assaulted the alien stronghold in the mountains – and later defended the city from their reinforcements. All of this… and she still went above and beyond the call of duty to take the fight to the Covenant – to capture the ship floating above us."

A thin smile poked through his stony façade. "I'd say naming it after her is the least we could do for her – for Weiss Schnee… the newest Hero of Atlas!" The entire crowd erupted in cheers, our team practically dogpiling Weiss as she stood there, unable to process just about anything going on around her.

She groaned in effort, trying to stay upright – I even heard the hum of her glyphs holding her legs steady under the weight of three people and one superhuman atop her. "Guys, please…" She groaned again. "Get off!"

Reluctantly, we began setting ourselves down and dusting ourselves off. She looked back at us, opening her mouth before it clicked shut once more. Finally, she sighed. "I… never imagined something like… this would happen." She lazily gestured upwards, the ship still floating above us.

Ruby smiled. "And ya did it all without anyone getting killed or even maimed. I'm proud of you." She glanced at me. "Both of you." My heart swelled with pride and I darted in for a hug, squeezing my 'little' sister as tight as I could. She gently squeezed back, wiping a mock tear as she looked back to our mom. "They grow up so fast, y'know?"

"Heh, you're telling me – feels like I blinked and you two're all… grown…. up…" She sighed. "Gods, how long has it been since we've all… sat down? Just the five of us, as a family."

My gaze trailed to the ground as I stepped away from Ruby. "A umm… decade? About?"

She frowned. "That's too long." She said. "I know you want to do huntress stuff like… immediately, but… can ya stop by tonight? I'd… like us to… y'know…" She fidgeted with her hands, ears folded against her head. "Be a family. For once."

I glanced at Ruby, who shrugged and looked at Weiss and Blake. "You guys up for being at Patch by oh… hmm…" She let out. "Let's say oh-six-thirty tomorrow morning?"

Blake raised an eyebrow. "Nothing we can't handle, why?"

"I'd like to get a light PT session in before we leave for Reavia at oh-eight-hundred." She said. "Just some warmup cardio and maybe a bit of team-talk while we make sure our sights are zeroed."

Weiss nodded. "Sounds like a pla-"

"But!" Ironwood interrupted, launching into another speech. "While this ship – the Weiss Schnee – may protect the world from those who would do us harm… where does that leave our people? The Atlesians who've suffered for all these months?"

He shook his head. "This… is where I inform you that my efforts to ease our situation have finally bore fruit." He said. "This ship contains vast cargo holds. They were originally meant to house the invaders and their many, many war machines, but… they can be repurposed."

"Hundreds upon hundreds of years ago, our ancestors braved the wrathful waters of the Windshear Abyss between Vrayye and Solitas… and survived." He said. "Our ancestors sought a new life – away from the encroaching Grimm hordes of the Old Continent and the strife that befell Vale at the time. They named their city Mantle, for the warm fires they contained on the long, cold, and sunless winter nights. Years later, their descendants would found our city – our… Atlas that sought to hold up the world after it had plunged it into chaos."

He stood back at attention, gesturing once more to the ship above us all. "With this vessel… the stars themselves have opened up to us. With this vessel… we could start anew; away from the Grimm that have hunted our kind since the Gods themselves marooned us here – if you believe the old legends."

Whispers broke out among the crowd. "We could go anywhere – we could run as far and as wide as we could in hopes of never being found…" He clenched his fist, pounding it on the flimsy podium he stood behind. "I say never!" He shouted. "I say we look no further than our eyes can see! I say we mend our shattered and broken people… by taming our shattered and broken moon!"

The whispers grew louder. "I say we regroup there, we rebuild our strength, and we make sure nothing like this will ever, ever happen again!" Many in the crowd openly cheered. "I have secured the assistance of several UNSC engineers – they have designed everything we need… but we still have to build it."

"For the first time since that day… we can forge our own destiny once more!" He shouted, drawing even more cheers. Suddenly, I felt a tap at my side. Looking over, I saw Ruby's slight nod towards a brown-cloaked figure in the crowd behind Ironwood. Her hands flashed signs from her hips, directing us to our places – Weiss and I stayed put, putting a hand on my mother's shoulder while Blake disappeared into the crowd. "We will need schools, we will need houses, we will need vacuum suits, we will need so much…" He said. "But we can build it once more!"

Ruby began walking forward, the figure doing the same. Both were being subtle, seemingly meandering through the crowd as they drew ever closer to the man at the center of it all. "Our people have always found ways to do what others thought impossible! Why should we stop now?! We. Are. Atlesian!" He shouted. "And we will not fade away like so many others on this cursed world!"

"I… DISAGREE!" A masculine voice shouted, a scorpion stinger flashing out from inside the man's brown cloak.

Ironwood whipped around, mouth agape as his hand reached for his empty hip. A Schnee glyph materialized over his chest, stopping the tail in its tracks as rose petals rushed to the scene. A pair of evil amber eyes and a sadistic grin were all I could see beneath the hood as its owner turned away.

Finally, the first of the civilians began screaming, scrambling over each other for cover. Weiss formed a glyph under our feet, launching us into the air and over the rapidly worsening stampede between us and Ironwood.

The man struck out, but his fist met only empty air as his would-be assassin fled, cloak flapping behind him. Blake intercepted the man, but he sidestepped her strike as if she wasn't even there, wrist-mounted blades deflecting Gambol Shroud seemingly without any effort whatsoever.

As he retreated faster than he had any right to, we finally landed next to Ironwood, forming a perimeter around him. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Ruby burst past both us and Blake, Winter herself dropping down from the nearby buildings. "General!" She shouted, rushing to his side and quickly examining him.

"She'll… catch him." Ironwood said, his eyes strangely glowing a slivery-white. "She'll catch him."

She nodded, his eyes turning back to their normal blue hue. "Then we must get you out of here." As we rushed him away, all I could think of were the dozen or so bodies laying on the ground, boot and heel marks marring their clothes and skin…

/-\ Ruby Rose /-\

Spartan-time kicked in almost the moment the Scorpion Faunus opened his mouth, but the crowd was just simply too thick to run through effectively.

It took a split-second longer than it should've to realize I could use my semblance…

The world tinted red as I dematerialized, shooting through people's legs, between their arms, over their heads, anything to speed up my arrival. He'd already been running for a few seconds by the time I reached Ironwood, who had thankfully been protected by a glyph.

I swirled the air just perfectly around Blake so she'd recover quicker from her blocked strike, but it cost me another split-second. The man rounded a corner, wrapping his tail around a lamppost to make it even quicker. Five seconds later, my swarm of petals did the same…

…only to see three identical men all taking different paths.

One kept running forward, another ducked into an alley, and the third was climbing buildings – already at the second-story windows. It took another few seconds to realize the two I could see didn't have bulges in their backs – they had no tails.

I mentally frowned, darting off into the alley I'd seen the first duck into. Rounding another corner, I was just in time to see a pair of brown coattails disappear behind a door. Only a second later, another of the identically dressed men – a decoy – dropped from the rooftops and sprinted onward.

Ignoring him, I darted through the door – under the swinging sign of a restaurant. The brown coattails once again were only a flash in my vision, but it was enough of a flash for me to follow.

"Down here, down here!" I heard someone shout from the next room over. Leaping over the hot stove and nearly knocking over a waiter carrying a basket of steaming dinner rolls, I ran to the voice.

The tuxedoed man was in the middle of moving a desk overtop an obvious trapdoor when I barged into the room. I was already mid-lunge when he noticed my presence and before he could even get a word in, I'd already flung him – and his desk – aside.

He had managed to lock the trapdoor with a simple combination lock, but whoever installed it was clearly not expecting an aura-enhanced super-soldier to get anywhere near it. Wooden splinters showered the room as my fist went through the door as if it were made of cardboard. Only a second later, I tore the broken corpse of the trapdoor from its hinges and blindly flung it behind me.

Before I could even hear it land, I was already free-falling into the sewers below. Nary a few steps in, a Jackal half-stood in my way, talons clutching where its neck had been slit open. I brushed past the dying alien, running onward and onward and onward until I came to a T-section of the tunnel…

…and realized I hadn't seen the Faunus ahead of me for quite some time – not since I saw him run into the room with the man.

A quick glance down the side tunnel didn't show him, nor did the path forward. At that point, I realized the tunnel I was in didn't start at the ladder – there was another way just behind it. I pushed my semblance into overdrive, backtracking as fast as I possibly could to the ladder. Only a scant few dozen meters behind it was a four-way intersection.

I didn't see the man down any one of them. I went over every possible delay – not using my semblance immediately, Blake, the decoys, the collaborator, the Jackal. I must've been only a few feet behind him when I entered… and I went the wrong way. Now he escaped.

I growled, my fist clenching as I marched back up to the surface. When I climbed back into the restaurant, I was met by two waiters and a cook trying to free the collaborator from his prison inside the wall – the desk having punched through.

Shoving them aside, I ripped the desk free, tossing it aside. The collaborator, dazed and disoriented, weakly tried to extract himself from the wall. Instead, I grabbed him by his shirt. With my neural interface, I activated a translocator – the Marines would arrive with transport soon enough.

I hoisted the collaborator up as he squirmed, tuxedo full of tears and bloodstains. "Do you know what you've just done?" I asked, my voice as low as I could make it.

He chuckled. "Put some Atlesians in their place."

Thinking about his answer for a few seconds, I shrugged and put my free hand to his neck. In a few seconds, the blood choke rendered him unconscious but not dead – I'd removed my hand before that happened.

I chucked him over my shoulder, knowing I had about a minute before he woke up again. I marched out through the back once more, trying to avoid the additional panic I'd incur by going through the front. Just as the door opened, a Warthog screeched to a stop. Without missing a beat, the driver hopped out and restrained the collaborator, tossing him in the passenger seat while I hopped in the bed. The gunner only spared me a second's glance before resuming watch.

As we sped away, I briefly wondered how long it would be before ONI got this very, very stupid person to talk…

I checked my UNSC datapad again as my feet padded along the dirt path leading away from town. Once again, there were no updates on getting anything out of the asshole I'd caught earlier – nor any luck with ONI finding any more leads throughout the city.

Suddenly, I felt a tug on my cloak. Looking back, I saw Yang giving me an apprehensive look. "Hey, uhh… maybe don't worry about that for now?" She half-asked. "I mean, you're on leave, aren't you?"

I sighed. "After an attack as public as that one? Who knows." I said. "I mean, they've got Red Team on call, but if they need me, I'm technically available."

She put her hands in her pockets, gaze trailing towards the ground. "Y- Yeah… right…"

"Look, Yang… I want tonight to only be about our little reunion as much as you do, but sometimes… shit hits the fan."

Slowly, she gave a single nod. "I… understand."

I gave her a solid nod and a quick Spartan Smile, stowing my datapad with my other hand. I'd decided to leave my MJOLNIR behind – trusting Blake and Weiss to deliver it here tomorrow morning – in favor of… civilian clothes. I wasn't even wearing my usual UNSC tee – just a normal plain black one. I didn't want tonight to be about business… tonight was about family. Hopefully.

The sun was still fairly high in the sky when our family's log cabin came into view, several barks announcing that we'd been noticed already. Only a few steps onto the property and a small black-and-white missile came darting out from behind the cabin, tiny tail wagging and tongue lolled out.

"Zwei!" Yang shouted, a bright smile on her face as she knelt down, arms extended.

The corgi tackled her the rest of the way to the ground, giving her face a flurry of licks as she giggled. I myself took a knee, waiting for him to finish greeting my sister. After a few moments, he did, trotting towards me with a little tilt of his head. I extended my hand for him to sniff. He did so before letting out a happy bark as I scratched behind his ears.

On the edge of my hearing, I heard the door creak open in the distance, shutting again soon after. "Hey girls!" Mom shouted.

Yang shot to her feet, sprinting towards her. With a small smile, I stood up and walked towards them both, Zwei zipping around my heels. They embraced in a tight hug, Mom's arms flailing as she wheezed for breath. With a smirk, I scooped both of them up in a gigantic bear hug and gave them a single twirl.

"Gahh… you two'll squeeze my guts out if you're not careful." Mom said. One of her cat ears twitched and she let out a sigh. "Aaaaaaaaaand Qrow just dropped the pitcher of root beer on the floor. Here, come in and make yourselves comfortable, I gotta go help 'em deal with that." She chuckled, turning around and heading inside. "Boys in the kitchen, am I right?"

Yang giggled along, but I was completely lost. Shrugging, I followed my sister into the living room. We sat down on the couch, noticing a platter of various cheeses and crackers sitting on the coffee table, a stack of paper plates right beside it.

Before I could even question if we should wait for the others, Yang was already nibbling on a cheese-and-cracker sandwich. My unasked question answered, I popped a cracker into my mouth, noting just how much better the civilian version was over the standard MRE crackers I'd been eating for most of my life. Hell, they were almost better than MRE cookies.

Almost.

I was on my dozenth cracker when I heard the flapping of feathers coming from the kitchen. I looked over just in time to see a small crow fly into the room and land on the coffee table. It stared at us for a moment. "Hey, you kids aren't eating all the crackers, right?"

It… took me a second to remember Qrow could turn into a bird. "Wait, you can talk when you're-"

"A bird?" He asked. "What do you think?" He hopped over to the plate of crackers, grabbing one in his beak before flying over to the recliner and tossing it up. A moment later, it landed in his Human mouth. "Damn good crackers." He said.

"You uhh… know that's a bit creepy, right?" Yang asked.

He chuckled. "Don't care."

"Qrow." Dad said, entering the room from the kitchen, a platter of grilled cheese sandwiches in his hands. "Be nice."

"Psh, you're no fun, Mister Mom." He said, smirking. "Besides, it's so much more… entertaining to just say what I wanna say."

Dad rolled his eyes. "And what if I decide it's entertaining to not let you have any of these?" He asked, setting the platter down in front of Yang and me.

Qrow was about to answer, but then his eyes flicked upwards. "I'd tell your wife you were starving your teammate to death."

Mom walked in, a pitcher of root beer in one hand and a stack of cups in the other. "And I'd say you probably deserved it." She said, smirking. "Buuuuut anyways, how's about we all grab a plate before this gets cold?"

One by one, we all did so. We lapsed into a comfortable silence as we all took our first few bites. Once again, I couldn't help but draw the comparison to the MREs and nutrient paste I'd been fed for most of my life, though Beacon's cafeteria food also fit in there somewhere. Even the latter was more just… food so you didn't starve.

This?

Even if it was just a grilled cheese sandwich, it was still… legitimately good food. I mean, I've had better, but they were all at classy, upscale restaurants – that allowed huntress clothes in addition to formalwear – that Weiss insisted the team try out every month or so.

Mom chuckled. "Well, looks like someone's hungry."

I blinked, only now noticing I was already finished with the first one and reaching for a second. "Ah, well, yeah… that's my Spartan metabolism for ya."

Qrow raised an eyebrow. "Spartan metabolism."

Yang chuckled. "Yeah, you shoulda seen her at Beacon. She eats enough for an entire team by herself!"

I scratched the back of my head. "Still not as much as Nora on pancake day."

Suddenly, Dad and Uncle Qrow burst out laughing, much to Yang and I's confusion. Mom, meanwhile, hid her face in her hands as her ears lay flat against her hair. "Ooooooooooh Gods…"

"What happened?" I asked.

Mom only shook her head as Qrow continued laughing. Tai, however, wiped away a tear with a smile. "Your mom…" He chuckled. "Your mom got the bright idea of mixing some catnip into Professor Tangerine's pancakes as a senior prank."

"Oooooohhh gods… nononononono…" Mom whined.

Qrow sat up. "The guy walked in on her doing it and I shit you not, told her to eat 'em instead if she didn't wanna get detention for the rest of the school year."

"Pleeeeeeaaaaaaase guys, they don't need to know about thi-"

He chuckled. "C'mon, Short Stack, they don't need to know about the day their mom climbed Ozpin's tower and started eating the windows because she thought they were made of candy?"

"Or how she tried to rob Beacon's store with Professor Beige's crocodile?" Qrow's shoulders shook as he barely held his laughter. "Or afterwards, when she escaped campus and ended up stabbing a Beringel to death with her belt buckle?"

"Please stop…" Mom said, her face completely red.

"Ah, c'mon, honey, I'm sure they'll get a kick outta you trying to… ehem… blend in with the birds."

I couldn't contain my laughter anymore. When the first chuckle escaped my lips, the dam completely shattered. Within moments, I was on the floor, holding my stomach as laugh after laugh racked my body. From the thrashing body I heard next to me, Yang wasn't faring much better.

When I finally got over myself, I climbed back onto the couch to find my mother lightly pounding on dad's chest, a pout on her lips as Qrow laughed in the background. She whipped around after one last hit, pointing a finger at my uncle's face. "Don't think you're getting away with this, mister!"

He smirked after the first half-hearted slug hit his shoulder. "That's assault."

She tisked, putting another, equally half-hearted punch into the other shoulder. "There, cancels out."

"That's not how it works."

"Yeah-huh!" She crossed her arms, plopping back down next to me on the couch. Suddenly, she was just as peppy as she was before we started talking about her… exploits. "So!" She shouted, clasping her hands together. "Now that you two've graduated, what did you get up to at Beacon?"

I glanced at Yang, already having an idea of what to say. "Weeeeeeell, when we kinda thought Yang was dead-"

"Wait, what?"

"Ozpin gave us a replacement teammate." I finished. "We weren't happy about it, but I knew we needed to be a cohesive unit, so I… arranged an introductory training session. I only planned on running her through a few dozen laps around campus and maybe testing out her aura."

Yang's shock gradually wore off as I continued on, the last sentence earning a shit-eating grin. "Oh-ho-ho gods, I already feel sorry for her."

"Wait, did you say a few dozen laps?" Tai asked. "And what did you mean, 'testing out her aura'?"

I shrugged. "My training methods are a bit more… extreme than most professors'." I said. "But hey, our entire team graduated three years early, and then some, so I must've done something right."

Qrow hummed. "I know you guys spent a lot of time at the range, but I never really caught one of your training sessions before. Scuttlebutt around the breakroom says you guys were on par with some graduates by the end of the first semester, though."

I chuckled. "Like I said, I must be doing something right." I said. "But back on topic, the new girl threw a fit about working with Weiss, one thing lead to another, and the next thing I know, she's getting carried out our window unconscious and bound with a pair of fuzzy handcuffs."

Yang once again bent over, chuckling. This time, though, she managed to remain on the couch. All the adults, on the other hand, looked… slightly disturbed. "I dunno…" Qrow said. "That sounds a lot like a kidnapping to me."

"That's what I said!" I shouted. The adults… still weren't amused. "Oh c'mon, she was back in time for classes – I wouldn't let anything bad happen." I said, completely leaving out the part where I'd exhausted her so much that she literally could not keep her eyes open during any of our classes that day.

"I'll… take your word for it, sweetie." Mom said, a gentle smile on her face. Her expression slowly faded, Faunus ears drooping slightly. "So… what can you tell me about being a…" She gulped. "Being a soldier?"

/-\ Yang Xiao Long /-\

The second the question was asked, Ruby… changed.

She leaned forward onto her elbows, eyes sharpening as her playful smirk completely vanished. "Most of that's buried under a planet's worth of black ink. Sorry." She said, not sounding even the slightest bit remorseful.

I… felt like I recognized this side of her, but I couldn't place where I'd seen it before.

"Oh?" Qrow asked, his gaze staring into hers. "How's about ya indulge us a bit, eh? Wetwork, deep recon, or…?"

"Details are classified." She said. "But I can tell ya that I've killed more covvies than ever set foot on this planet. A few times over, actually."

"That's not an-"

"Qrow." Summer said. "Remember clock protocol?"

He glanced at her for a moment before looking back at Ruby. Suddenly, an understanding look dawned on his face. He let out a tired sigh, running a hand through his hair. "It's… private, then."

"Very."

"Hey, uhh…" I cut in. "What about your nickname? You said they called you the-"

"Reaper of Draco." She finished. For a moment, she just stared ahead of her, not really looking at anything. "I… guess I can tell that one. Left a few thousand witnesses there – word gets around pretty quick after that."

"Witnesses?" Dad asked, gripping his armrest with trembling hands.

She nodded, eyes slowly blinking. "I was… in a bad place." She said. "Thought my entire… regiment just got annihilated with me as the sole survivor. Heh… hell of a way to unlock your aura…"

All three of them winced, each of them obviously wanting to jump in, and yet… they all stayed silent. Slowly, I snaked a hand around to my sister's back, just… letting it rest there. I knew what it was like to be alone.

"I… was stranded. Ended up taking one of their smaller ships and found out a… city somewhere else was under attack. Didn't take long to get there – somehow, I just… knew which buttons to press. I never studied their language or their symbols, but… it was just obvious, y'know?"

Mom nodded. "I had the same thing happen a few times. Apparently, it's got something to do with the Forerunners."

"Huh. Good to know." She said. "Anyways, I got there and… there… wasn't anyone left – just… civilians." She said, her gaze slowly unfocused. "Helpless… civilians… kids….. in the face of… with their big…" Her lips pulled back into a snarl for only a moment before she shook her head. "All of 'em were just… screaming into the void, for all the good it'd do them."

I… pulled her closer, resting my head on her shoulder as I slowly rubbed her back. Her heart was pounding.

"I crashed their ship into their base." She let out a low, almost demented chuckle. "Made my way towards the city with nothing but a knife in my hand and the armor on my back. Found a shed on the outskirts – had a scythe in it." She shrugged. "Figured it was better than nothing."

"A- All… alone?" Mom asked. "Against… the Covenant?"

"Someone had to." Ruby said. "The whole way, I had a Navy Captain in my ear yelling at me to wait for reinforcements. They were in-system, but were still days out – guess the in-system jump from that alien corvette bought me a bit of… alone time with the bastards that made it."

"Ruby…" Dad said, his eyes misty. "You… you don't have to keep going. Not if you don't want to."

"You guys wanted to know what I did." She said. "So I… cut a path." Her hands balled into fists. "They… kept them in cages. I broke 'em out and lead 'em to the subway." She said. "Lots of people picked up weapons, but… almost no one could figure out how to use 'em. Between teaching 'em and keeping the rest of the aliens out of the subway, I don't think I caught a wink for the next… sixty-three hours." She chuckled. "Was mid-way through saluting the armory guard aboard the relief fleet's flagship when I passed out. Must've been a sight."

Mom, Dad, and Qrow's jaws were practically on the floor, but before they could even think about getting a word in, she got up and said she was going to bed. I sat there as well, only now realizing she'd left my arm suspended in the air.

None of us spoke a word for the next fifteen minutes, all just… sitting there. I… knew things were terrible for her at Draco, but she'd never gone into such… detail. I… realized that she might need to talk in private, so I excused myself and went up to my room – the one that still held her bed from all those years ago. It didn't matter that we'd moved here from Forever Fall after that day – we brought everything with us… if only for the faint hope they'd return.

The light was off inside, but that didn't stop the moonlight reflecting off a patch of silver metal – a tag attached to a chain. I crept closer, barely able to see the rhythmic rising and falling of her chest. For half a second, I thought she was asleep.

Then an eye cracked open, staring at me. After a moment, she gave me a nod, closing her eye once more. Slowly, I approached… unsure of what to do. My eyes drifted back to the tag, reading the inscription. I'd seen the name before – in the hopefully-not-growing graveyard by the cliffside – but couldn't one-hundred-percent say I knew who it referred to.

The bed creaked, Ruby's massive form rolling to her side and scooting as close to the wall as she could. She glanced over her shoulder, eyes slightly misty as she jerked her head. I got the message loud and clear, kicking off my shoes and hopping in behind her.

I could… feel her shoulders shake as she silently sobbed.

In that moment, I remembered all the nights when we were little – really little – when she'd snuggled up to me at night. It could be a thunderstorm, a Grimm's howl, or even just… a bad dream.

She always went to me.

It didn't matter if we'd both get scared eventually and hop into our parents' bed – I was always the first stop.

And now… she curled up just like she did all those years ago, my arm wrapped around her. She… fell asleep before I did, surprisingly enough – she didn't use to. Still, I couldn't help but think that I should recognize the name on that tag, and recognize why she held it so closely tonight.

Before I myself could fall asleep, I heard the door unlatch and squeak open just a hair. Ruby didn't even shift an inch. I didn't want to risk disturbing her, but after only a few moments, curiosity won out. I carefully glanced over my shoulder, meeting a pair of silver eyes as their owner stood in the barely-open doorway.

No words were exchanged – her eyes alone were enough to tell me just how… ashamed she was. After holding my gaze for a few more minutes, her eyes trailed towards the ground. The door shutting was quieter than a whisper on the wind.

Alone once more, I turned back to Ruby. Miraculously, she was still sleeping… yet I couldn't. The thoughts of tonight haunted me. I should know that tag. I should know she doesn't like talking about her past – even to us. I should know that… I should know that.

Then I remembered…

Her only true friend from Currahee.

The one she'd lost only moments before Draco.

Lisette-B276.

(A/N) Welp, things aren't looking as good as… everyone hoped they would within the Xiao Long-Rose family. Also, Weiss has a ship named after her now and is the official hero of a nation which… no longer exists. Yay?

Juuuuuuuuuust one last thing. I know if I don't say this, some people will read too much into that last scene… THIS IS NOT AN ENABLER FIC. T'was merely a girl comforting her sister – they slept together literally, not euphemistically.

So with that outta the way, onto the reviews!

C313st14 said – "I think Ruby should get a plasma blade for wilt and blush, and perhaps a shotgun that fires rounds like a railgun/or a close range plasma gun('cause ouch, those things pack a mean punch) so she can deal with Raven's bullshit powers, maybe go full Warhammer style and mount it on her wrist, and rereading this story made me realize that Ruby can possibly have an omake of her acting like uzaki-chan and teasing people"

At that point, is it even Wilt and Blush anymore? I mean, Ship of Theseus and all (or however you spell it). As for Raven… I've got plans for her. Come to think of it, I say that a lot, don't I? I've got plans for everyone, apparently.

Guest001 said – "Uh, in this chapter, you have Neo snuggling up with Sun! I think you prematurely posted this and left out the bit where Sun leaves and Roman comes in to be informed of Cinder's death! So, only Emerald was captured!? Lionheart, your days are numbered!"

There is no error here. Readback is correct – that was, indeed, always meant to be the Monkey King himself.

Wolf said – "It has been a while great chapter like the new designation's they got CT very fitting for Team RWBY now for reason of this Review I would like to request this elite in your story but not any elite the most powerful feared and respected elite that even the prophets were wary of...Xytan Jar Wattinree this elite would be a terrifying foe for Remnant even salem would fear him look up HiddenXperia's video of him and you will understand why do not miss this opportunity."

While he is, indeed, terrifying, I'll say right now that I sincerely doubt he'll wind up in the story.

MidnightwolfEntertainmentYT said – "After rereading this, I remember how amazed i was when I found this"

Why thank you, kind sir/madam.

Welp, there's another chapter shoved out into the big wide world – here's hoping the next doesn't take another two months, lol. Either way, the next one's probably gonna be called "Insurrection". Either that, or "Sic Semper Tyrannis" – just depends on the mood.