The sun was now well past the horizon as the group of four girls exited the lower level of the CCT, back out into the school grounds. They walked in a short line, shoulder to shoulder along the pathway that led back towards their dorm, with Violet on the far right past Yang, then Blake with Ruby on her left.

They had been silent for the majority of the elevator's descent down, and subsequent walk out of the tower. Blake had the feeling that the other girls were sharing in her shock over the details that had been revealed. It couldn't be argued with, though. They had all seen what Violet was capable of, and how it went beyond what was normally capable with a semblance.

The cat faunus was sneaking a glance at her team leader when she heard Violet's scroll vibrate. Blake took note of the small smile that quirked her lips. The cat faunus quickly bumped into Yang to get her attention, waiting for the blond to regain her focus. Blake gestured with her head over towards their team leader.

The blond was fast on the uptake, seeing both the scroll and Violet's expression. Yang grinned, "Who you talking with, Vi? Some secret lover boy?"

Violet turned the screen to face them with a mischievous grin of her own, more than ready to fire back with her own taunts, "Yeah. I'm hooking up with your uncle later," Violet threw an arm around Yang's shoulders, "Hope you're ready to be my nieces~"

Yang screwed her eyes shut and paled, making visible gagging motions as if forcing a finger down her throat, "Oh god, that was not something I wanted to picture! He's like forty!"

Their leader laughed, clear and melodical, "You're never too old for love, dear." The grin remained as she leaned in closer to Yang, arm still around her, "Now that I'm basically your aunt, I'll have to make sure you're raised right. You can start by cleaning your room when we get back~"

The blond narrowed her eyes, "That's all our room."

"Don't talk back to your aunt like that young lady!" Violet laughed and skipped a few steps forward to spin around and face them while she walked backwards, "That goes for you too, Little Red~ Auntie Vi wants to sit in peace and watch her stories, so no loud music, okay?"

Ruby giggled, "Yes, Auntie Vi," Blake caught the younger girl's eyes darting in her direction, "Is it alright if I bring a friend home?"

Violet gave Blake a playful frown, "Do you mean that Belladonna girl? I heard she was running with the wrong crowd, Little Red. I don't want you getting mixed up in any funny business."

"Oh she's past that, honest!" Ruby rushed out.

Violet's smile returned, "Well, that's quite alright then, Dear. Auntie can never have enough cats~"

While the faunus's first reaction was to be offended at the comment, Blake couldn't bring herself to be. She knew her leader hadn't meant to be demeaning at all. Still, Blake narrowed her eyes at Violet for good measure to show the prospect of a cat faunus being 'owned' wasn't exactly appreciated, either.

Violet's act faltered when she noticed Blake's expression, her hand moving up to her mouth as if to forcibly shut herself up, "Sorry Blake. I didn't mean anything by it."

"I know you didn't," Blake shook her head and sighed, then smiled weakly despite herself, looking at the floor, 'I can't be mad at you. Not after all you've done for me… And...'

Yang and Violet began bickering amongst each other while Blake zoned out into her own thoughts, the words that Yang had said coming back to mind, 'Violet thinks of us all like family.'

It really didn't bode well for Blake if her feelings were going to go unrequited. The faunus had never been 'family-zoned' before, but it hardly inspired confidence. 'Maybe I should just cut my losses…' If Blake could just accept Violet as she was, instead of looking to get more out of their leader, then perhaps that would be enough.

'Violet is already a better leader than I ever could have hoped for. Do I really want to risk that for a… a crush?'

"What do you think, Blake?"

The faunus was stirred from her internal struggle by Violet saying her name. Her eyes darted back and forth between the three faces looking at her as they walked and felt the heat rise in her cheeks, "Uhm, sorry. I wasn't listening. What was the question?"

Violet gave Blake a curious frown, "I was asking if everyone wanted to go see a movie again next weekend. We could all use a little break from classes and hunting down bad guys."

The heat stayed in her cheeks when she noticed Yang giving her a knowing smile, "Uh, sure… They are kind of loud, though…"

Their leader beamed, "That's fine, I can help you out again. I don't mind!" Violet spun back around to march in front of them, hands clasped behind her back, "Now that's settled, I'm going to need your help, Little Red."

"Me?" Ruby sounded confused.

"Yes, you," Violet spared an eye over her shoulder to the small red reaper, "I have a feeling you'll be good at coming up with team attack names. We should get those worked out before training starts, so everyone knows which combos they're learning."

Ruby's eyes shone, "That sounds like fun!"

Violet nodded, "I thought you'd want to," she looked ahead again but raised her hands, "For instance, Yang and Blake's team attack name can be 'Bumblebee'!" Her hands clasped together, depicting how the two color themes were supposed to mesh.

Yang smiled lightly and punched Blake, "I like it."

Blake nodded in response. It did sound like a good idea. 'I wonder what Violet's and my attack name will be called?' Her mind couldn't help but wander to the way celebrity couples combined their names and compare it to what they were doing... At least this time she managed to fight back the blush.

Violet pulled her scroll out of her pocket as they approached the door to their dorm, unlocking it with a swift wave past the lock's sensor. Their leader stepped into the room and held the door open for them expectantly, gesturing for them to enter. Blake started to step inside, but was yanked back by Yang who had suddenly grabbed a hold of the faunus's wrist.

Blake shot the blond an irritated frown, but was ignored as the pair of lavender eyes looked past her to their leader.

"Actually, I think it's best if Blakey and I go start training together right now."

Violet tilted her head to the side, a spark of something igniting in her eyes, "Is that so?"

Yang gave Blake a quick wink and started to pull her away, down the hallway opposite of where they'd come from, "Umm, yeah. Better sooner rather than later, right?"

Oddly enough, Violet gave them one of her 'knowing' smiles, 'What does she think is happening right now? What is happening right now!?'

"Have her back by nine!" Violet shouted with a smirk, then hauled Ruby into the room before shutting the door. Blake was left alone with the very handsy blond, and wasted no time pulling herself free of her teammate's grip.

Yang shook her head as they turned away and began walking in earnest, "Honestly. How can Violet be so perceptive, yet so dense at the same time?"

"I'm probably more confused than she is… What are we doing, Yang?"

The blond gave her a mischievous smile, "Training! Like I said."

"Training," Blake replied flatly, giving her a suspicious eye and noting the direction they were headed, "We certainly aren't on our way to the weapon lockers."

Yang shook her head, "We're just going to the gym. It's quiet this early in the morning, and I think better while I'm working out."

"Why does that not surprise me?" Blake gave a bemused smile. The direction they were heading was actually to the gym, "And why the sudden interest in bringing me with you?"

"Because we have girl stuff to work out."

'Girl stuff…?' Blake gave an exasperated sigh, "Yang, we might have only known each other for about a month, but you should have realized by now that I'm not the type to talk about 'girl stuff'."

"Whaaat? Nonsense," Yang gave her a playful smile, "If you'd like, I could even get Siren to kick Ren out of their dorm for a while and we could have a girl's night. Minus Violet and Ruby, of course."

Blake grimaced, "I don't think that would help my standing with Violet. They would probably be wondering why they weren't included. Ren wouldn't appreciate that much, either."

"Oh, he'd be fine," Yang tapped her chin, "You're right, though. Ruby at least wouldn't take it very well. I guess you're just stuck with me, kitty cat."

"I am not an animal, Yang."

"No. You're a part of this family, and if you ever want Violet to be more than that, then you should talk to me."

Blake sighed, 'She has a point…'

The blonde seemed content to take that as acceptance and leave it be for the moment. The pair continued down the hallway through a few more twists and turns, eventually finding their way to the gym.

"Here we are!" Yang punctuated the statement as they reached the door by yanking it open and waiting for Blake to enter.

The 'gym' of Beacon Academy was massive, easily two hundred feet across with a few dozen sets of every piece of workout equipment you could ask for. The room was separated by cleared out lanes, more just lines of open floor space than actual walkways. In the center of it all were four boxing rings, set aside for those that wished to train their skill in hand to hand combat.

"So... what first?" Blake asked passively, eyeing the extensive collection of machines. Yang led them over to a set of weight machines, designed to work similar to a bench press but with a system of pulleys to make it easier on the user.

"We can warm up first, then maybe a spar?"

After a look towards the ring, Blake turned back to Yang and glowered, "Which one of us was the hand to hand specialist again? You and I both know that won't be much of a challenge for you."

"Sure won't!" Yang said with a hint of amusement, "Guess you'll have your work cut out for you in more ways than one."

They each sat down on one of the machines, the black cushioned material at least comfortable to sit on while other parts of your body would be forced to endure self-inflicted punishment. Blake took an extra moment to study the machine, recalling how it functioned exactly, 'Not my favorite…'

Yang wasted no time in grabbing the metal pin from the stack of weights and lowering it all the way down to two hundred. Immediately, the blond bombshell began doing repetitions at a speed that baffled Blake. Yang's muscles rippled as she raised the stack of weights then allowed it to dip back down, nearly allowing the weights to slam against those beneath, but always pulling them up short.

"Ah, yeah! Feel the burn!" Yang shouted, smiling despite the strain on her face.

"Now we know which of us is actually an animal..."

The blond grinned, "Damn straight, Blakey. Now stop staring and give me fifty!"

The faunus rolled her eyes and leaned back in her own seat, reaching down for the pin to set it to a more comfortable weight. She had visited the gym on only a few other occasions, enough to know how the machines worked for the most part. No matter how much she avoided it, coming here was inevitable with Yang as a teammate. The faunus let her mind zone out as she began doing her own set.

While it wasn't her favorite place in the school, their team had already shared a few good memories in the gym, of all places. Blake smiled, thinking back to the first time Yang had brought them all here. Violet had pranked them all, making it seem as if Ruby could lift more weight than her older sister could.

Their leader's taunting had given it away. That and the fact that Ruby simply wasn't built to be a powerhouse like Yang was. The blond had set fire to a few of the machines around her in her literal meltdown, then demanded that Violet spar with her right then and there. The greatsword wielder had done surprisingly well with just her bare hands, an achievement she attributed to her semblance, and very overzealous personal trainers.

In the end, the blond had won that fight, if not as quickly as she'd hoped. Violet had still refused to take any of their weight training seriously, instead relying on her semblance to remain as pristine as ever on their later outings to the gym.

'I suppose it is a useless exercise for someone that can remove mass from whatever she's carrying…' That truth hadn't sat well with Yang, who still considered it sacrilege to not take fitness seriously. Violet was in shape, though, if not on Yang's level.

It seemed Yang had finished her set, letting the weights slowly fall back into place before stretching her arms out above her head, "So. First things first. What do you like most about Violet?"

Blake stopped in the middle of her own set, letting the weights drop slowly to rest atop those beneath, 'What do I like most?' That was a difficult question… There were a lot of things to choose from... Blake sat in silence, thinking it over.

Yang smirked, "Is it her voluptuous figure?"

Blake glared at the blond, "I'm not that shallow, Yang."

She raised her hands defensively, "Just checking. That's good! It means you might actually have a shot at making things work out between you two. If it was purely physical, this conversation would be going a lot differently."

"How so?"

"Well, I'd be telling you it'll never work out between you," Yang rolled her shoulders and began doing another set with less weight, "So what is it? Is it because she likes faunus so much?"

'Is that why?' Blake thought it over before shaking her head, "That certainly helps, but it's far from the only reason."

"Is it because she's a capable fighter? I mean, she's been getting closer and closer to finally beating Pyrrha, and now with the whole 'maiden' thing…"

Blake's eyes darted about the room, already knowing that they were alone but still paranoid enough to double check. She gave Yang a mild glower, "I started liking her long before any of that."

The blond brushed off Blake's disapproval and perked up, "When did you start liking her?"

Blake thought back to the first time she had met Violet, a day before the girl would end up being her team leader, "The first time we met… I don't know, I just had this sense from her. Like she was…"

"Someone you could trust?" Yang interjected into the momentary gap, pausing in her workout to tilt her head in the faunus's direction.

"Yeah... Yeah, that's right."

"I... know what you mean," the blond lowered her weights. They made a quiet clang of metal on metal as she sat forward, "I don't like to bring it up much, but… do you remember the story about how we first met?"

"The time that she used her powers to save you and Ruby?"

Yang nodded, "I couldn't explain it at the time, but when I first met her, there was this sense… Like everything would be okay. In some ways, I think I still feel it whenever I'm around her. I thought maybe she was just a natural leader, the perfect person to be picked for the role on our team, but…"

Blake nodded, "It goes beyond just being a good leader. I want to agree with her, want to be around her," the faunus gave a disheartened laugh, "I want to be with Violet because she inspires that confidence in me. I don't have to run away from my issues, as long as she's there with me."

"It isn't fair. One person, having all that charisma. She's even got Cardin on the right track."

"You don't think…?"

"That she likes Cardin?" Yang doubled over, laughing as she clutched her stomach, "Not in a million years! We both heard what Violet said about him back in the cafeteria. At best, Cardin's gone from 'extra' to 'pet project'. She looks at him the same way my dad does when he gets our dog to roll over."

"You have a point there," Blake admitted, 'Violet treats him like a curiosity more than anything.' The faunus leaned forward, "Do you think we should help with whatever Violet's trying to do?"

"Teaching Cardin how to fight?" Yang grimaced at the idea, "I don't want to waste my time with him. Besides, if our leader wanted our help, she would ask for it."

Blake frowned, "Are you sure about that?"

"What do you mean?" Yang stood up as she asked, gesturing for Blake to follow and leading the pair a short distance to another set of machines. These were designed to workout your calf muscles by straightening out your legs against the weights.

It gave Blake a moment to get her thoughts in order as they set up, each plopping down on one across from each other. Once again, Yang set her pin to a weight that had the faunus shaking her head.

Blake set the bar a little higher for herself. Her legs were a powerful asset in the maneuvers that she did, and were a key aspect in how she managed to fight so acrobatically. It was something that their leader hadn't been afraid to compliment her on many occasions. The praise had been nice to hear, especially from her crush.

With her thoughts now gathered, Blake continued where they had left off, "I mean, Violet is always trying to help people. She's always trying to lighten the load, you know?" Blake paused, a small revelation coming to mind, "It kind of matches her semblance, now that I think about it."

"Figuratively and literally removing the weight from other people's shoulders?" Yang had a far off look, then glanced back to Blake and nodded, "That makes sense. If it was important, I still think she would ask, though. Violet invited Ruby and me to join your stakeout and the attack on the docks."

"True…" Blake paused in her reps, "But now Violet has this whole..." she glanced around the room and lowered her voice, "...'maiden' thing to worry about. How much can one person deal with before it all comes crashing down?"

"You should give her more credit. Violet seems fine enough to me."

"Aside from the time you made her cry?" Blake made the accusation lightly, she had been a part of that as well.

"Hey! We still don't know what that was about," Yang shot back, flustered enough to stop her current set early and let out a few deep breaths.

Blake shifted uncomfortably, "I got a clue last night."

At a look from Yang, the faunus decided to divulge more. It felt like a violation of the other girl's trust, but if it was all meant to help their leader...

"Violet was upset that she couldn't help sooner. From what I could tell... it sounded like she failed to save someone in the past."

The blond opened her mouth, a question clear on her lips, but Blake raised her hands, "She didn't tell me who. I'm just guessing."

The blond stopped what she had been about to say and sat back, in thought, "I don't suppose we could try and look up names of anyone close to her she might have lost?"

"That would be a huge invasion of privacy…"

"I know, but… don't you want to help?"

"Of course I do. That's just…" Blake sighed, "That's going too far. If she doesn't tell us, then maybe we can ask later on. I don't want to go digging through her past, though."

Yang raised her hands in defeat, "Alright, we won't snoop," the blond shook her head, "None of this is getting you closer to what you want."

"I want to spend as much time with Violet as I can…"

"And more?"

"...and more."

Yang smiled, "Well, the theater will be a good place to start. We can work our way up to it. Start making little efforts along the way to get Violet to notice you," the blond gave a sly grin, "Maybe then it can end up a date, instead of just a friendly outing."

"You mean a family outing?"

Yang laughed, "Hey, my own mom was a total bust. I could learn to love two aunts instead."

Blake smirked, "You're going to have to keep your dog locked up whenever I visit."

"What, you don't like dogs, kitty cat?"

"Dogs don't like me."

"Nonsense, Zwei loves everybody!"

Their conversation devolved into more casual conversation as the two continued their workout. Both offering up ideas on what Blake might be able to do to change the way Violet thought about her. The faunus had to shoot down a few of the more… risque ideas that Yang offered up, while the blond did the same for some of Blake's ideas that were far too unromantic.

While they sat and chat, Yang continued to put Blake through her paces, pressuring the faunus into doing more than she'd ever done before. It was a welcome distraction from her own bashfulness and anxiety due to the subject of their conversation. After a couple hours, the pair were ready to head back to their room, get a shower in, and spend the afternoon with their teammates.

Violet watched the pair leave for a moment longer before pulling Ruby into the room. She sighed, leaning back against the door after it had closed and shut her eyes, "Ah, young love."

Ruby had been in the process of walking over to her desk but froze, slowly turning on her heel to frown at Violet, "What?"

Violet smirked, "Sorry, Little Red. As much as I'd love to share, I'm going to have to respect your sister's taboo on this one. Not supposed to talk about 'adult stuff' around you."

"Has that ever stopped you before?"

Violet tapped a finger against her chin, "It's stopped me from actually saying anything. I might have fun teasing Yang over it, but I hardly want to be the first to 'corrupt' you."

The little reaper sighed and rolled her eyes, "I'm not stupid. I pretend like I don't know anything when Yang is around because she'd probably beat up anyone that looked at me that way."

'Well that opens up so many more chances for teasing Yang. Thank you for the ammunition, Little Red.'

Ruby seemed to understand from the devious look on Violet's face that she might have started plotting nefarious acts, "Hey! I want to keep it that way until there is someone I like. So no messing with Yang!"

Violet groaned, "What? Not even a little bit?"

"No!"

"Fiiiiine," Violet walked over and sat on her bed, slumping her head into her hand and patting the space next to her in an invitation for Ruby to sit.

"Well, for your information, I think Yang and Blake are gonna hook up," Violet shook her head, sounding like an exasperated parent, "Sneaking off to the 'gym' together. They grow up so fast. Auntie Vi is proud."

"Uhm…" Ruby shifted awkwardly, her hands going to her skirt as she stared at the floor, "I don't think that's what they're doing…"

"Oh? Know something I don't? Please tell, Little Red. What makes you so sure those two aren't sneaking off to do anything indecent?"

Ruby was distressed, or just embarrassed. The younger girl smoothed out her skirt after her own hands had bunched it up, still hesitant to answer, "I… have my reasons."

"Keeping secrets?" Violet put her hands to her face as if in mild shock, "You can't leave Auntie Vi in the dark like this, Little Red."

When Ruby still refused to answer, Violet adopted a smile, as if the younger girl's deepest desires had been laid bare, "Or perhaps you just don't want to believe? Trying to keep Blake for yourself, Little Red?"

Ruby sputtered, incapable of forming words together as her eyes widened.

Violet leaned forward with a glint in her eye, "What's the matter? Cat got your tongue? It's okay, I'll break the news to your dearest sister as gently as I can," her expression grew sad, "I'm sorry, Yang. Your sister… loves catgirls!"

Ruby glared, "No, you dummy! Blake likes you!"

'What?' Violet's eyebrows knit together in confusion, "I don't know what made you think that, Little Red, but you've gotta be wrong."

"Blake admitted to it last night!"

Silence dominated the room as the two looked at each other. Ruby slowly realized what she had said and drew in on herself, giving worried looks to Violet, "Y-You didn't hear it from me! Blake would kill me if she found out I told you!"

'Blake likes me…!? That's ridiculous…' The more Violet thought about it though, the more it made sense. She had swooped in and helped to patch together the faunus girl's life in less than a month. Violet had done everything in her power to get on the girl's good side, and to make her feel at home with her new team.

'I even got her to talk to her parents again… and saved her life…'

The time in the theater came back to mind. How Blake had been cuddled up against her for the entire movie, practically clinging to Violet right up until the end. How she'd been surprised when Violet moved, as if she hadn't even noticed the movie was over... The way she sighed when Violet stopped rubbing her back… How she'd bought her a book from 'the first time they met'…

"Okay… so maybe Blake has a crush on me…" Violet turned her eyes back to Ruby, "What am I supposed to do?"

"I mean… do you like her?" the younger girl asked cautiously, trying to get a read on what Violet was feeling but failing.

'That isn't really the point. I might be in the body of a seventeen year old, but I'm God…' Violet had been in physical relationships before, once up a time. It could be fun to pass the night away in the arms of another, but it had never been serious. 'I can't string Blake along like that…'

"You don't like her that way…" Ruby whispered, eyes once again going wide as she leaned back away from Violet, "Why not?"

"It's… complicated," Violet responded, racking her brain for the easiest excuse. 'I could say I'm not into girls…' That could work. It would be another lie, though, and she was sick of lying. 'I also haven't exactly been the most reserved around Yang when it comes to that sort of thing… I've made more than enough suggestive remarks about girls and guys to tip her off...' The blond would certainly call her out on it. If not in front of Blake, then at least in private.

"Is it because she's a faunus?"

"What? Of course not!" Violet exclaimed, shaking her head emphatically.

Ruby raised her hands, "I didn't really think so… It's just… Blake is a really nice girl, ya know? I couldn't think of any other reason…"

'Gah! How did I deal with this in the past?' Had she ever had to? Even after actively letting the memories come rushing back, many of them were still a blur. Her mind had focused mainly on the battles and friends she had along the way. Trying to pick out a specific memory or feeling in the mix was next to impossible. If Violet focused on one memory, it would simply bleed into another.

'I've lived so many lives… Have I ever had a romantic relationship?' Violet couldn't remember a single marriage, a single vow uttered… Like a boiling pot, some memories rose to the surface, bubbles that popped the instant she tried to interact with them. All things considered, the attempt was giving her a headache.

"I just… haven't thought of anyone that way," Violet admitted finally, turning her gaze back to the younger girl next to her.

"Never?" Ruby was astounded by the idea, "Even I've thought of others that way before."

"Anyone your sister should be worried about?"

Ruby narrowed her eyes, "You're not getting out of this that easily. No changing the subject!" the girl huffed out and crossed her arms, "Well, now is your chance to give it a shot."

'It isn't that simple. You're all going to die, eventually. Then I'll be left alone again… I don't… I don't want to fall for anyone.'

'Ah…' the memories came flooding back, more resilient now as Violet's mind aligned with past experiences. She had always avoided going too far with anyone, afraid of hurting not them, but herself. 'It's the ultimate truth… and the one I try to forget the most... My destiny is to be alone.' It was the reason she created so many worlds. At least then she could lessen the isolation.

"I don't know, Ruby…"

"What is there to not know? You can at least try, Violet. Come on, where's my fearless leader when we need her? Give Blake a chance," Ruby was now leaning far too close, silver eyes burning into Violet's with a determination that was usually reserved for killing Grimm.

"Okay, Ruby," Violet leaned back to escape the reaper's fierce gaze, 'It will never work, but… maybe I can start things off slow? Blake likes books...'

Violet nodded to herself, 'I'll create a book that will express my issues and present them in the story… Then I can ask Blake how she feels about it…' It was the safest way to get an idea for how the faunus might take the truth, and give Violet the chance to break it off without having to reveal too much.

'And what would be the end goal from there?'

Violet was God… 'Bending the laws of reality are kind of my whole thing. It wouldn't be too hard to elevate one of my creations to a similar level…'

The idea sent shivers down her spine. Beings like the pretend gods of Remnant were simple to create, 'Someone like me, though?...' The idea was as terrifying as it was welcoming.

Could she subject someone else to eternal life? 'I wouldn't be alone, then. We wouldn't be alone.' They would have each other.

"Do you promise you'll give it your best shot?" Ruby leaned forward once again after Violet had been quiet for so long.

Violet nodded, "I promise, Ruby."

"Good!" the girl rearranged herself on Violet's bed, leaning over to her desk to grab a notebook, "Now, what should our team attack be called?"

"I don't know. That's what you're here for, Little Red."

/

/

Violet tried to keep the awkward atmosphere to a minimum when Yang and Blake returned. The faunus stole the first shower, rushing into the bathroom before the blond even had a chance to get a word in edgewise. Once Blake had returned, Violet chatted her up a bit. She seemed to have calmed down compared to how she'd been earlier in the morning, which Violet was supremely thankful for.

Violet allowed herself to dip into her powers. An iota of effort was all it took to produce a book that would encapsulate her deepest issues, and darkest secrets. There was no hint towards the protagonist being Violet in particular, only that the main character was a God that dealt with all the same struggles as she did.

Blake was overly pleased by the gift and began reading it almost immediately. The faunus took the time to give Violet a prolonged hug, one that Violet couldn't bring herself to interrupt early. Blake hopped up on top of her bunk and delved into the book, reading it for most of the afternoon.

Yang tried to help Ruby and Violet come up with team attack names, mostly suggesting lines from the fighting game she was playing. Every now and then, the two would look up from the notebook to share a look with each other and just shake their heads. It culminated into Ruby finally telling her sister that she couldn't shout 'Kamehameha' while Violet fired off Zenith since that really wasn't a team attack.

"Oh come on! I can even use my semblance at the same time and make my hair burn gold!" Yang begged, giving Violet a simpering look, lower lip trembling slightly.

Ruby smacked Violet on top of the head with the notebook when the team leader started to consider it, then turned her attention to her older sister, "The attack name for Zenith is already 'Smite', and involves me using my semblance to get Violet in position while she uses her semblance to make herself weightless."

Yang grumbled, "Well, I want a cool attack combo…"

"You have one. 'Bumblebee' is when Blake swings you around by her weapon's ribbon to launch you at the enemy."

The blond stopped to think it over, sharing a glance with Blake who had looked down at the mention of her name, "That would be pretty cool."

"You're going to have to drop a few pounds," Blake smirked.

"No, you'll have to take upper body training more seriously," Yang replied with an evil grin, "We can start tomorrow. I'll push you harder than I did today."

Blake didn't appear happy at the prospect, "My aura hasn't even healed my muscles yet from earlier. If we do more I'll be dead tired the rest of the day."

Yang thought it over, "That's fine. Violet can use her semblance to make getting around easier afterwards." The blond smiled, proud of her own plan.

Violet could see through it easily enough. Her semblance could make life after workouts a lot smoother for Blake. The only issue was that she and Blake would have to be practically attached at the hip if Violet wanted to keep the effect up all day without wearing herself out. 'You aren't as sly as you think, Xiao Long.'

Blake went red in the face but didn't seem all that surprised by the suggestion, and darted her eyes back to the book Violet had given her, "Th-That… would be entirely up to Violet."

Yang's eyes swivelled around to face Violet, while Blake and Ruby shot glances in her direction to see how she was taking the idea.

'Did they plan this out together?'

Violet sighed, lips curling into a small smile, "Anything for my team. I guess you should message me on your scroll when you need me to stop by the gym. I'll be sure to pick you up."

"Great! We can work out before classes so that our afternoon stays free!" Yang cheered.

Blake groaned, ears going flat against the top of her head, "We would be getting up at 6am at the latest…"

Yang waved her off, "You can take a cat nap after classes."

The faunus tilted her head back to stare at the ceiling as if in prayer, "What did I do to deserve this?"

"You ended up on the best team in Beacon, that's how!" Ruby cheered.

"Excuse me!?" the sound of Nora came through their door before she began pounding on it, "Siren is the best team in this school!"

Ruby jumped up to unlock the door, a brief blur of red, followed by a click and another blur as she returned to Violet's bed.

"You know, your semblance might as well be teleportation sometimes…" Violet admitted, giving the small reaper an appreciative smile.

"That's why team Vibrant is the best!" Ruby shouted happily, making sure she was loud enough for Nora to hear as the girl stepped into the room.

"Oh, please. Pyrrha can unlock our door without getting up!" Nora challenged, putting her hands on her hips, "Now, are you lazy butts coming down to dinner or what? You've been locked in your room all day!"

The group collectively checked the time on their individual scrolls, realizing as one that it was six in the afternoon. Dinner was already being served in the cafeteria. 'It was a good thing I brought everyone breakfast earlier…'

Violet's stomach still grumbled in protest, now revealing how empty it felt. It seemed like it was a feeling shared by the other girls in the room, as they all hurriedly put on footwear and followed Nora out to the cafeteria.

"So what were you doing all day?" Nora asked, skipping along ahead of the pack as they joined the dinner line.

"Playing games."

"Reading."

"Coming up with team attack names."

"Ooooooh~, team attacks? We aren't supposed to learn those for a couple more weeks, right?"

Violet shrugged, "Yeah, but what are you going to call out when you and Ren attack something together?"

Nora paused in the middle of adding sausages to her plate to stare off into the distance, her brow furrowing.

"See? Better to come up with them now, right?"

Nora hurriedly filled her plate and ran off to the table that held the other three members of team Siren, slamming her tray down between Ren and Pyrrha. Some of her food splattered across the table, drawing the ire of Weiss, who spared a very disapproving frown. All three listened to her as she began to ramble about needing names.

By the time Vibrant had finished gathering their food and headed over, the table had grown silent. Each member was deep in thought, trying to come up with names to use.

"Hard, isn't it? Ruby and I have been at it all day," Violet confessed, setting her tray down and sitting next to the heiress.

"What are some of the names you used?" Weiss asked, pleading for Violet's assistance with a pair of light blue eyes.

Ruby dropped her plate down across the table from them and sat down heavily, "No way! You don't get to steal our ideas, we worked hard on those!"

"I'm just looking for inspiration, Ruby," Weiss shot back, "Your names probably wouldn't work for us anyway."

Ruby narrowed her eyes, untrusting of the heiress across from her. Violet decided to split the difference and offer up a name that she had already heard being used before, "You could call Ren and Nora's team attack 'Flower Power'."

"How is that supposed to inspire fear in our enemies?" Weiss replied, immediately dismissing the idea with a wave of her hand, "If the rest of your team's names are like that, maybe it's best if we do come up with our own."

Violet simply shrugged, giving out a slight laugh, 'I suppose Jaune would be the only one to think that was a good idea.'

While the rest of her team bickered amongst themselves on what names they should use, Pyrrha appeared to be mostly indifferent. The red headed champion smiled down the table to team Vibrant, her plate already finished, "Did any of you hear about the explosion down at the docks?"

The simultaneous acts of Ruby's eyes going wide, Yang suddenly choking on her food, and Blake shrinking down in her seat, were followed by Violet giving her best curious frown, "What explosion?"

The entirety of Siren gave Violet the flattest stare she had ever seen. Violet let out a quick "Oh! That explosion. Yeah, we heard about it." It didn't seem to have fooled anyone.

"You were there, weren't you," the statement from Ren had no inclination towards being an actual question. It was delivered just as flatly as his team's stares, and with twice the disbelief.

Violet rubbed the back of her head, a slight quirk of a smile threatening her lips, "We… might have, yeah."

"No kill like overkill, right?" Weiss mocked, repeating back the phrase that Violet had once uttered, "I'm guessing your ridiculous weapon was the cause?"

"It wasn't her fault!" Ruby shouted in Violet's defense, "The bullhead kinda… lost control after it got hit."

"You shot a bullhead!?" Nora exclaimed, jumping up from her seat to lean further down the table.

The entire group paused as they all noticed the complete silence that permeated the cafeteria. All eyes were focused on them.

"Haha, yeah... That was a fun mission in that game we were playing, right Yang?" Violet projected her voice as well as she could.

Yang was a little slow on the uptake, but after a second of hesitation caught on to what Violet was doing, "Ha, I remember that mission! It was really fun!"

"Shooting down bullheads isn't a game, you guys," Nora chastised, shaking her head.

Violet slammed her head down against the table in front of her, 'Damn it, Nora.'

Ren raised his voice and grabbed Nora by the shoulder, pushing her back down into a sitting position on the bench, "No, don't you remember? We played that game with them yesterday, Nora."

'Thank you, Ren!'

After a few more tense seconds, the mood in the room gradually shifted back to general disinterest as the other groups there went back to their own conversations. Violet let out a sigh of relief, echoed by several others sitting at the table.

"Honestly, Nora," Weiss was holding her face in her hand in exasperation, "A little more subtly, please."

Violet shook her head and lifted it back up to look at Siren, "Okay, yes. I shot down a bullhead."

"But why?" Pyrrha asked in hushed tones.

Blake leaned forward as well, finally recovered from having dozens of people staring in their direction, "Roman Torchwick was trying to steal a dust shipment. We tried to stop him and it… ended badly."

"Father must have been furious…" Weiss said to no one in particular. Violet smiled, knowing without a doubt that the heiress was likely cheering them on but couldn't show it.

Blake paled, realizing who she had confessed to. The cat faunus was visibly shaking, "Oh, Weiss! I'm sorry! We didn't mean to blow up the docks!"

Weiss waved her hand dismissively, "I know that, you dolt. Father won't hear a word out of me about it. I'm not here for the SDC or my father."

The faunus was doubtful at first, but at a nudge from Violet, seemed to accept Weiss's words as the truth. The heiress gave a firm nod, "Besides, if that Torchwick fellow was going to steal them anyway, it hardly makes a difference."

"Oh, right," Violet gave Blake a tentative smiled then turned back to Weiss, "The White Fang were working for Roman. We haven't figured out why, though. He's as racist as they come."

Weiss sighed, "Why didn't you ask us for help? We would have gone with you. I could have even alerted the dock workers ahead of time since it's likely owned by the SDC."

"It… didn't occur to me?" Blake replied, giving an apologetic shrug, "My first instinct when it comes to the SDC wasn't to go to them with information…"

"I am not the SDC," Weiss shot back vehemently. She took a few deep breaths before continuing in a lighter tone, "My last name may be in the title, but I... do not approve of the way it is being run."

"If that's the case," Violet put an arm around the heiress's shoulders, "then maybe you won't mind helping us on our next outing, Ms. Schnee?"

"Wait. Since when was there a next time?" Yang asked, giving Violet a frown.

"Since we didn't actually catch Roman Torchwick," Violet replied, sparing a glance to the blond, "He isn't behind bars, is he?"

"Would he even stay there with his little assistant with him? How do you catch someone that can teleport?"

Weiss had seized up at the contact of Violet's arm around her, and brought two fingers up to delicately pluck her hand off, "As intriguing as that sounds, we are still students. Let the real hunters deal with Torchwick."

Violet shook her head. She had kept an eye on the world since its inception, and the truth was, most hunters were about as skilled as Dee and Dudley; inept to their core. Most of the others at the table with her wouldn't have realized it by now, still being young as they were, but the whole lot of them were extraordinarily exceptional.

'There's a reason none of us have any competition in combat class aside from each other.'

Torchwick was better than ninety percent of the hunters that devoted their lives to protecting the world, and with Neo at his side... 'He's untouchable for any regular hunters.' The only ones that would have a chance at successfully bringing them in would be those at Qrow or Glynda's skill level, at the very least.

'Now there's an idea…' Could she recruit Qrow to the cause and get him involved earlier? He was here much sooner than he should be, due to Violet's inclusion in events. 'I could use that to my advantage.' She could even tip Qrow off about Cinder and the gang once they showed themselves at Beacon. He may not have seen their faces, but their general look? 'Put them in a line up and even old drunkle Qrow could spot the similarities.'

Violet let her mind return to the conversation at hand but put a pin in that idea for later. An experienced, older huntsman with the power to turn into a bird at will was an incredibly valuable asset.

"-can handle ourselves better than most hunters, Weiss," Blake was still arguing with the heiress, albeit in a very reserved tone to avoid further attention gathering to their table.

"She's right, you know," Violet interjected, cutting off the heiress before she could retort, "You're more skilled and better equipped than the majority of hunters that protect the city. We all are."

"That doesn't explain why you would need me," Weiss replied, raising an eyebrow.

"Well~ If Roman is targeting the SDC shipments, then we could use a little insider information on potential targets… and if your team wanted to join in some 'after school activities'… We could use the help."

"I don't know…"

"Either way, you have a week to think it over," Violet gave her a reassuring smile, "We're taking a week off from any more dangerous missions to stay caught up on school work."

"And we're going to the movies on Saturday, if you wanted to join us for that," Ruby chipped in.

"That too."

Weiss glanced uncertainly at her team. While Nora appeared to be all for the idea, Ren and Pyrrha were both more reserved. The heiress turned back to team Vibrant, "The least I could do is provide you with shipment details. Aside from that… we'll have to talk amongst ourselves later. I didn't really expect my life as a huntress to start only a month after the first day of school."

"Fair enough," Violet nodded.

"Oh no…" Yang glanced around at her team in horror, "That reminds me… I haven't finished that history report for Professor Oobleck yet…"

Ruby and Blake both looked guilty of it as well.

Violet let out a small sigh, "You can copy off mine, just change up some of the words… As long as it looks like we studied together, it should be fine."

Yang frowned, but seemed thankful for the offer, "When did you find the time? You've been as busy as the rest of us!"

The team leader waved it off, "I do Oobleck's homework ahead of time. It's easy enough to figure out what he's going to assign if you read ahead in the textbook."

The blond shook her head, dumbfounded, "Another superpower. It has to be. There's no other explanation."

Blake and Ruby both shot Yang a warning glare, but team Siren was currently wrapped up in their own discussion. From the sounds of it, it would take a bit more persuading to get them to go along. Violet wasn't at all surprised. Without Ruby's influence as Weiss's team leader, the heiress had maintained a more reserved outlook. 'I guess Ruby wasn't the only one that ended up 'breaking out of her shell'. Weiss would have gained just as much out of the pairing.'

Violet finished up the last bits of her meal and checked the time. It was already six thirty, and Qrow would likely be waiting for her soon. The team leader excused herself, letting the others know where they could find her history homework, and set off for the locker room. They quietly wished her good luck, not wanting to draw Siren's attention.

Now, all Violet had to deal with was Qrow… 'Time to lie like my life depends on it.'