With their team training all but wrapped up for the day, Violet sent a short message to Qrow, letting him know that she was available as soon as he was ready for 'training'. Blake and Yang were in the middle of practicing 'Bumblebee', and after five days of strength training, Blake was on track to succeeding with the maneuver.

Violet and Ruby watched from the sightlines, having just finished practicing a dry fire exercise of 'Smite'. The maneuver itself required both individuals to be on the same track, and Violet's communication skills were really being put to the test. The two needed to be in perfect sync for the shot to be on target. It was difficult, to say the least. Add on top the concentration required for her semblance, and the oddity of suddenly moving faster than the speed of sound, Violet was having just as much trouble as Ruby.

"What if there are multiple targets?" Ruby asked, sitting with her legs crossed and Crescent Rose in her lap.

"Try to position us so that they're lined up as well as you can," Violet looked up from her scroll after reading Qrow's message, "and make sure that nobody we want to stay alive is on the other side. Your semblance must augment your senses somehow. I can't keep up at those speeds, so I'm really depending on you to guide me."

Ruby squirmed, "That's a lot of pressure…"

"You can handle it," Violet laughed and clapped the younger girl on the shoulder, "I trust you, Little Red."

"I wish I trusted myself…" Ruby picked at the lace on her skirt, "What if I mess up?"

"You won't," Violet replied simply, giving Ruby a confident smile.

Ruby seemed to cheer up somewhat, hands stilling on her skirt and instead moving to idly caress Crescent Rose. Her eyes moved to watch Blake and Yang finishing their last attempt.

Blake fired off Gambol Shroud as she threw it, aiming it perfectly into Yang's path as she ran perpendicular to the ribbon-bound weapon's wide arc. Yang caught it deftly in one hand, then used the recoil on her shotgun gauntlets to increase her speed. Blake's muscles went taut as she strained, using the added momentum to swing Yang along that wide arc. With a grunt of exertion, she completed the arc, sending Yang hurtling towards their target.

The blond bombshell blasted her gauntlet into the android's chest, sending it tumbling back from the combined force of her entire body behind the punch. It clanged across the arena floor, shattering the tile with pieces of broken metal and flew off the side of the stage to crash into the wall, leaving a plume of dust in its wake. Yang stopped in place after the attack and placed her hands on her knees, bending over to breath heavily. She turned back around long enough to give Blake a smile and a thumbs up.

Violet and Ruby cheered them on loudly, earning themselves both tired smiles. Violet hopped up and got within range to activate her semblance on both. Yang and Blake gave her an appreciative nod and straightened, wiping the sweat of their brows.

"Really great work you two. I think that's the hardest any of us has hit one of them. Glad to see the attack is as effective as it is!"

Blake coiled Gambol Shroud's ribbon back up and stowed it, "That went well. Guess we can skip tomorrow's morning training, eh Yang?"

Yang shook her head with a smile, "It could be better. Another couple weeks and we'll be hitting that android harder than Zenith ever could."

Violet laughed, but shared an apologetic smirk with Blake, "You heard the boss, Blake. It is a strong attack. I want both of you to get it down perfectly."

Blake sighed, "Nothing but the best from team Vibrant, huh?"

"You betcha!" Ruby cheered as she walked up. Yang raised an arm and cheered with her, if with a bit more fatigue mixed in.

"Well done today, all of you," Miss Goodwitch said in genuine praise from off to the side, "I believe we can call it there. Qrow wants to get your training in earlier than usual today, doesn't he Miss Regalia?"

Violet shook her scroll in the air, "Yep. We've got a few extra things to try and get down," she gave a tired smile to her team, "I'll see you guys later if anyone is still awake by then. Don't stay up too late, though. We have the test from Oobleck tomorrow."

Ruby gave her a concerned frown, "You need your rest too, Violet. Don't let Qrow keep you out too late."

Violet waved a hand dismissively, "I could ace one of Oobleck's tests in my sleep. I'll be fine. You can bet on that," she re-read the message, "I have about thirty minutes before I need to head out. What say we go back to the room until then?"

"Sounds good to me," Yang agreed. The other two nodded, ready to head out. Violet thanked Glynda for her time and led her team out into the halls, headed back for their room.

"What are you going to practice tonight?" Ruby asked curiously, holding her hands behind her back and half skipping to Violet's right.

"Well, I can use fire and ice, but also wind and lightning. I've been working on getting my lightning use up to par, it's just really hard to control sometimes."

"Lightning?" Blake tilted her head, ears perking up, "Does that mean you could power Zenith without dust cells?"

"Yup," Violet grinned, then tugged at the top collar of her shirt, "It is… kind of extra, though, if you catch my drift. I don't think I'll use it unless the situation really demands it."

"As if Zenith wasn't extra enough already," Yang scoffed, "I don't even want to know what kind of havoc would make you of all people want to show a little restraint."

"Hey! I restrain myself all the time!"

Yang smirked, purposefully taking Violet's words out of context, "Kinky~" she gave Blake a meaningful glance, "Looks like you'll have your hands full with this one, Blakey."

"That's-!" Violet cut herself off and folded her arms across her chest, "You know what I meant, Xiao Long."

"Uh oh~" Yang laughed, "I think the maiden doth protest too much."

Blake rolled her eyes, some color dusting her cheeks a light red, "Don't be ridiculous, Yang. Keep this up and I'll post your browser history on the library bulletin board."

Yang let out a short laugh, "Hah! I know how to clear it."

"Yeah?" Violet grinned, "Have a lot of experience with it, do you?"

Yang held her hands up, "All I'm saying is I lived with a single dad for most of my life, and I couldn't trust him not to stumble on to it by accident."

It was Violet's turned to let out a short laugh, "You think he didn't know how after sharing a computer with his two daughters? He was probably thinking the same about you."

Yang paused in the hallway, eyes going wide as she grimaced, "Eewwww…."

Ruby held her face in both hands, refusing to look at any of them, "Please… Let's talk about anything else."

Violet giggled, "Blake might count to three, but my timer starts and ends at one, Yang. I bet there's tons of things like that you haven't thought about. Maybe consider that the next time you feel like teasing us."

Yang gave a fervent nod, "Message received, loud and clear."

The conversation shifted to Oobleck's upcoming test, much to Ruby's approval, as they finally made their way back to the dorm room. Ruby and Yang went straight to their desks, wanting to get some more studying in, while Blake hopped up into her own bed and pulled out the book Violet had given her.

Violet paused on her way into the shower, seeing how close Blake was to being done, "How, uh… How long do you think that'll take?"

Blake smiled and showed off the small amount left, "I'm almost to the last chapter. I've really enjoyed it so far!"

"R-really?" Violet felt her nervousness lighten somewhat, then reminded herself that you could enjoy a tragedy just as easily as you could an action packed adventure, "When you're done, we'll talk about it, yeah? I want to know what you think about the main character."

"The Goddess?" Blake's mouth shifted to speak and Violet held a hand up.

'I… I'm not ready to hear it yet...' Violet lowered her hand when it was clear that Blake had gotten the message, "After you get the whole way through. It's important to the story."

'The last chapter is the creation of Remnant. Her true feelings might come out once the book feels more 'real' to her. I'd rather hear what she has to say after that…'

Blake nodded, seeming to understand. She was an avid reader, after all, 'It might sound like there's a twist coming. Not far off, all things considered.'

Violet hurried into the bathroom and got through her shower quickly. Blake could read fast, and it was only fifteen or so pages in the last chapter. She wanted to get out of there and save their talk until after the night's mission. Violet changed right back into her combat outfit after giving it a quick once over with her 'godly' powers. 'Wasting omnipotence on dry cleaning. Ozpin would have an aneurism.'

The rest of her team were just as she left them by the time she returned to their living space. Yang jumped up and headed in for the next shower. Violet took a minute to point out a few key points that Ruby should study, as they would likely be on the test, before heading out.

"Don't stay up too late," Violet gave Ruby a serious stare to get her point across, "Being rested is just as important for a test as knowing the material."

"Yes, Auntie Vi," Ruby smirked and bent back down to her paper, thoroughly rereading her notes.

"Stay safe," Blake called out with a smile. Violet returned it, along with a wave as the door closed behind her. The sight of the book in her hands sent another wave of nervousness coursing through her chest.

She leaned back against the door gently and breathed out a sigh, 'Alright. Focus. Time to follow through on my promise to keep them safe.' Her mind flashed through all the people she had lost in previous lives, then settled on the faces of those she cared for in this life. Ruby, Yang, Blake, Ren, Nora, Weiss, Pyrrha, Qrow, Tai… the list continued.

'Never again. I'm done letting Fate get its way.'

"You ready, kid?" Qrow's static ladened voice crackled through Violet's earpiece as she leaned against a corner nearby Tukson's book trade. Night had fallen upon the city of Vale, and while the streetlights were in full effect, they left deep pockets of darkness in which to hide. From her vantage, Violet could see the lights in Tukson's store dimming, the glass itself being shaded as the faunus book seller closed up shop for the evening.

"As ready as I'll ever be," Violet confirmed, starting to slink through the shadows towards the front of the store. The plan was for her to distract, while Qrow broke in through the rear entrance. Once inside, he would immobilize and silence Tukson, then allow Violet in if necessary.

Violet's eyes scanned the nearby rooftops and alleyways as well, annoyed, not for the first time that she hadn't chosen to be a faunus, 'Night vision would come in really handy right about now.' Seeing nothing, she continued up to the front door. With one deep breath, Violet knocked loudly, announcing her presence.

"Distraction started," Violet turned away slightly to say it, enough to hide her mouth incase Tukson could read lips, 'At least he doesn't have extra ears. Qrow would have had a tough time sneaking up on him in that case.' Violet had seen for herself just how exceptional Blake's senses were.

The window's undimmed, revealing the silhouette of Tukson as he peeked through the window, "Who's there?"

"Hey, Mister Tukson… sir. I didn't manage to make it to the last rally. Do you know where the next one is being held?"

There was a pause before Tukson's voice came through the door, muddled by the glass between them, "Eight twenty-five, Muller Street, in the warehouse district. The next meeting is tomorrow night… You'd better show up this time…"

"Oh, I will! If you aren't too busy, I had a few more questions, though."

"Shop's closed…"

"I get that, but it's just a few questions. Please, sir?"

"Sorry, you'll have to come back during busi-"

There was a strangled cry, followed by the sound of struggling for a few moments before the door's lock clicked, handle swinging open to reveal Qrow with his foot pushed down on Tukson's arms to hold them against his back.

Violet smiled, "Excellent. You're one of the first doormen I've seen in Vale," she strode in past Qrow, careful not to step on Tukson as well.

"Tips are mandatory," Qrow snarked back, then bent down to grab Tukson by the wrists and drag him up onto his feet, "But I'll settle for some answers instead."

"Please, I don't know anything," Tukson trembled in Qrow's overpowering grasp, muscles flexing but incapable of budging the huntsman's hold by even an inch.

"Sure you do," Violet replied evenly, "That address you gave me was a fake, going off how beat up you are. What? Roman set up some nasty surprise for us there?"

"N-No, no surprises. That's where they are!"

Qrow tightened his grasp, causing Tukson to go up on his tiptoes to avoid the pain in his shoulders, "We can do this the easy way or the hard way, pal. Take your pick. Either way, we're leaving with the information we want."

'Good job, Qrow. Play the bad cop. The nice, naive young lady will offer him the bone.'

"We don't want to hurt you, Tukson," Violet sighed and stopped in place, turning abruptly to face him with concern etched on her face, "I'm sorry I tricked you the first time, but the person we're after means serious business. You don't want the White Fang being run by a human, do you?"

Tukson spit on the ground, "Course not. Snotty bastard thinks he's all that, treating us faunus like trash. But they keep doin' what he says!"

Violet shook her head, "A shame, really," she held a hand to her chest in a gesture of sympathy, "I care about the faunus, Tukson. I defend your people at every turn. Torchwick will lead you all astray. He doesn't care whether or not you die. Does he even know the names of those that died at the docks?"

"Doesn't remember any of our names, no matter how much he's reminded. Just calls us all Perri, or mutt, or animals," Tukson sneered, "But are you really any better? Humans, the both of ya," he sniffed at the air and made a face as if their scents were offensive.

"We're better than Torchwick, at the very least," Violet countered, then struck a relaxed pose in front of the faunus, "and I'm willing to prove that to you, Tukson. In exchange for information, you'll be getting an all expense paid trip to Menagerie. With a Beacon team to guard you."

"Ha!" Tukson laughed in her face, "And go straight into the snake's den, a traitor!? They'd gut me alive."

Violet smirked, "I don't think Ghira Belladonna is the type," then waited for the look of recognition, "Yes, Tukson. That Ghira. Do you want to talk to him?" Violet pulled out her scroll, Ghira's contact page already pulled up.

At a short nod, Violet hit the call button and waited. She had already discussed the plan earlier that day during lunch with the Menagerie Chieftain. After only a few seconds, the call went through, and Ghira's face appeared on screen to the bewilderment of Tukson.

"Nice to meet you, Tukson. I can vouch for this young lady's intentions. Please give them your trust."

"Uh… um…" Tukson appeared lost for words for a few seconds before he finally managed to pull himself together, "Are you sure, sir? These… humans?"

"I'm quite certain, Tukson. They've informed me of the situation, and I'm currently trying to get a hold of Sienna. There's no way she knows about Roman Torchwick leading the Vale faction. Having you by my side would go a long way in convincing her of the truth of the matter."

"Y-Yes, sir. I'll… be there as soon as I can."

"Good man. I'll have my wife prepare a feast for you and your escorts. I hope you like tea."

"Love it, sir."

With a nod, the call ended and Violet pocketed her scroll, "I hope that was enough to convince you. We really do want what's best for the faunus, Tukson."

Qrow, sensing the change in the atmosphere, let go of Tukson's wrists. The large man gave an appreciative glance back over his shoulder before rolling out the kinks. Apparently Qrow had one hell of a grip.

Tukson sighed heavily, looking back up at Violet with his face bruised black and blue, "Torchwick is holed up in the warehouse on Chelsea. Big place, two story. Can't miss it with all the White Fang scouts posted up. They don't wear their uniforms, but it's the only place on the strip that isn't deserted. There's usually at least one guard posted in a building across the street. Third floor, fifth window from the left."

"Thank you, Tukson. When is the next rally?"

Tukson grimaced, "Tonight. Sorry, but I told you tomorrow so that I'd have time to let him know you were coming…"

Violet patted his forearm gently, "No worries. Anyone else would have been tempted to do the same if they were in your shoes. Gotta look out for number one, right?"

"... Right…" Tukson seemed put off by Violet's easy acceptance of the ruse, but gave an uncertain shrug, "Their whole crew is supposed to be there."

Violet got a distant look in her eyes, a smile on her face, and glanced towards Qrow, "Thinking what I'm thinking?"

"That it's time to crash a party?" Qrow replied with a smirk, cracking his knuckles.

Violet nodded, "Let's save Amber."

"Nice to meet you, Mister Tukson," the tall black haired youth greeted, extending a hand out for Tukson to shake it, "My name is Yatsuhashi," his hand began to point, "That is Velvet, that's Coco, and that is Fox. We'll be your guards on this trip."

"Pleasure to meet you all," Tukson replied easily, looking the group up and down and sparing a long smile to the rabbit faunus, "I must say, you all look like you've come prepared."

Yatsuhashi's hand drifted to the large greatsword strapped to his back, "We are ready for any dangers that may come our way," he gestured towards the large airship that awaited them on the tarmac, "You'll have your own compartment to yourself. Two of us will stand guard at all times, changing in shifts until we reach our destination."

"Oooooh!" Velvet cooed, wrapping the girl Coco in a hug, "I'm so excited for us to see Kuo Kuana!"

"Me too, Vel. I've heard it's nice this time of year," Coco smirked and returned the hug before releasing abruptly, "but this is a business trip, bunny. Stay focused."

Velvet pulled away and gave a quick nod along with a smile before turning back to Tukson and flashing him a hasty salute, "You have nothing to worry about!"

Tukson smiled, "Glad to hear it."

The group entered through the side of the airship, a long ramp leading up to the tall doors. Yatsuhashi still needed to bend down in order to get through them, though Tukson had no troubles. He was guided to his compartment near the front of the airship, passing many similarly dressed attendants along the way. Each gave a smile and curtsey before leaving to complete their tasks.

"That kid wasn't lying about First Class accommodations…" Tukson's head moved on a swivel, taking in the intricate detailed work and finery that lined the hall. Yatsuhashi opened the door to Tukson's compartment, and the faunus had to stop for a moment to take it in.

"How much did this cost…?"

Coco shrugged, "Violet let me borrow her card to pay for it, along with whatever we need in Menagerie," her eyes roamed over the room, "Let's just say… it wasn't cheap… and leave it at that."

Tukson nodded his acceptance and stepped into what would be more accurately described as a small lounge. The carpet was extravagant, the walls gilded, the couch clothed in silk. Tukson sat down near the window to glance out over the edge of the Beacon platform down on the city below.

'I hope the kid is doing alright…' It had been a couple hours since Tukson gave them the location of Torchwick's current hideout. They had left quickly after dropping him off at Beacon with the promise that the airship would be by soon. From his place at the window, Tukson could just barely see into the warehouse district.

He leaned closer and pushed a plant out of the way that had been left in the sill. Black flowers didn't interest him much compared to the rest of the room or the sight from atop Beacon. Tukson had never been atop the cliffs that overlooked the city. It was quite a view…

The door opened behind him, startling the faunus slightly before he turned around and breathed out a sigh of relief. One of the attendants stood in the door with a tray. She walked the few paces needed and set it down on his coffee table. A steaming cup of tea sat atop it, along with some gourmet food that Tukson would never have been able to name.

"Thank you," Tukson smiled and blew on the cup before taking a sip. It was bitter, but had a minty aftertaste that was overall pleasant.

The small female attendant smiled and rooted around in her pocket before pulling out a scroll. Tukson frowned in confusion as she dialed a number and set it down on the table in front of him. He yawned, the stress of the day starting to get to him all at once.

Tukson straightened in fear as the image of Roman Torchwick appeared on the display, smug look and all, sneering at the faunus through the screen, "So, Tukson. Thought you could get away, did you? I told you, we would come after you," Roman shook his head, "Stupid animals. This is what I get for working with common strays."

The attendant's clothes shimmered like glass, transforming from bottom to top into the short psychopath known as Neo. Tukson tried to stand, and was shocked to feel his legs refuse. He opened his mouth to shout, but no air would come out. He could only sit there limply, the cup falling to the ground from his hands that had lost all their strength.

"Unfortunately, your services are no longer required. I bought something special just for you, though. A flower native to Mistral. Can you feel its affects? First, the body goes completely numb…"

Tukson could only gurgle in response, his body refusing to cooperate even as he thrashed internally, fighting to make his body do something, anything! Tukson groaned as his body began to feel like it was in a vice. Every part, clenched tightly by some invisible force.

"Then, your blood begins to coagulate all at once and expand. I've been told that after a few seconds, it becomes quite excruciating."

Every inch of Tukson's body felt like it was ready to burst. He could see his veins bulging along his forearms, going from a light blue to a pitch black as the poison took its affect, 'Someone help, please!' Tukson couldn't draw breath to scream.

Neo smiled and bent to look more closely at Tukson's eyes, tilting her head as she enjoyed the show.

The door exploded open from the hallway, and all at once a barrage of gunfire peppered its way towards the small assassin. Neo flipped backwards over the table, grabbing the scroll as she went. Bullets ripped holes through the airship's wall, shredded in mere moments by the gatling gun being hefted by Coco.

Neo flashed the group of second year students one annoyed pout, and was gone, body shattering into a thousand pieces and scattering across the ground.

Velvet pushed past and rushed to Tukson's side, placing a large floppy ear against his chest, "He's fading fast! It must be some kind of poison!" Her eyes took in the blackened veins across his body, the shattered cup on the ground, and the black flower in the windowsill. She whimpered, "It's from the black lotus… I don't know how to mix the antidote!"

Yatsuhashi strode forward in three long steps and swiped up the flower by the base, careful not to touch the leaves themselves, "It is more simple than you think. The black lotus provides its cure through the nectar, so that the small bugs that transfer its pollen are not harmed," the large student showed exceeding finesse as he swiped up some of the nectar with his finger. It was thick and bright purple, almost like a syrup, and clung to his skin.

Yatsuhashi forced Tukson's mouth open and rubbed the nectar across his tongue, then shut his mouth. The nectar quickly began to dissolve, and although it wasn't immediate relief, Tukson could feel his ability to breath at least come back. Yatsuhashi waited a few seconds, then repeated the process. He applied the nectar five times, until the base of the flower was all but empty, and helped Tukson to lie down across the couch. Velvet sat next to him, holding him steady and nervously tapping her foot against the floor, tears in her eyes.

His breathing stable, Tukson could see the black in his veins ever so slowly beginning to recede. After five minutes, he could breathe without issue. After ten, he could twitch his fingers. After twenty, he finally managed to sit up with the large student's help.

Tukson took another deep breath, "Th...Thank… You…"

Yatsuhashi shook his head, "If it was not for Fox's semblance, we would not have known you were in trouble."

Tukson slowly turned his head to eye the orange-skinned student and gave a weak nod, the best he could manage.

'You are welcome,' a voice said in his head, matching what Tukson might have imagined the young man to sound like.

'You can project your thoughts?' Tukson wondered curiously.

'And hear others,' Fox confirmed with a smile, 'I heard your shout for help and alerted the others. I'm glad you're alive.'

'Me too,' Tukson could feel the nervous laugh translate through his thoughts, then froze, panic once again taking hold, 'I can't speak well enough to yet, but you have to warn them! Torchwick knew I had betrayed him already somehow. I don't know what the girl or that huntsman are walking into!'

The other three seemed to pause and listen to a voice before sharing concerned glances. Coco whipped out her scroll, fingers wildly blurring across its screen as she dialed a number. She finished and held it up to her ear, muttering "C'mon… pick up… pick up…"

An enormous orange glow lit up the Vale night sky, the product of an explosion in the warehouse district.

A few more moments passed in silence before the scroll went to voicemail.

Click, "Hey!~ This is Violet's scroll! Sorry I'm not available right now~ Leave a message after the beep!"

Thought I'd have some more fun with the titles. 'Lessons Learned' is the chapter name for Black Lotus when she earns her namesake from Jace. Was a fun call back to a bit of world building in the other story. (The existence of the black lotus as an actual poisonous plant)

So, something has definitely happened to help get Violet's mind off Blake and the book. What nefarious plot did Torchwick hatch in order to take care of our heroes?

Thanks for reading,

- Sybaen