Violet arrived back at Beacon in time to see the cruise ship she had hired, docked slightly off to the side from the regular ships that the school utilized for transport. Compared to their silver and green, it stood out as a shock of white with wooden trim, far longer and sleek in design. It was built for speed, capable of outrunning the fastest Nevermore, and more than worthy of getting both team Coffee and Tukson to Menagerie safely.

A few crew members were in the midst of general care, inspecting the ship's hull and instruments with a fine toothed comb. Team Coffee themselves waited nearby, Tukson in tow between all of them. Violet waved her hand as she and her team approached, grabbing their upperclassmen's attention. Coco waved back, gesturing for them to head on over.

"Came to see us off this time, eh?" the girl smirked, lowering her sunglasses to look Violet up and down. "I'm surprised you had the lien to pay for all this, let alone twice."

"It's nothing, really," Violet assured her. "Just doing what I can." Her eyes went past the smug leader to Tukson, the man appearing less than casual after the previous attempt on his life. His eyes flickered across the nearby attendants, inspecting them to try and find any four foot tall female hiding in their midsts.

"There's nothing to worry about, Tukson. Neo and Roman have both agreed to help us in exchange for their own immunity. You shouldn't run into any trouble this time around, I promise you that."

Tukson seemed to relax slightly, his eyes still roaming across the tarmac, if much less fervently. "I'll believe it when we're in the air."

Coco laughed and elbowed him in the side, causing the large man to stagger sideways in surprise, "Don't fret too much. That little brat only got past us before because of her semblance. Vel isn't going to leave your side during the entire trip this time around. Ain't that right?"

Velvet smiled in agreement, helping Tukson to right himself after Coco's brash behavior. She grabbed the larger faunus around the elbow and held tight, not letting go while her eyes similarly roamed around the tarmac. Her ears twitched as well, fully upright and listening intently, "We'll keep you safe, Sir. You have my word on that."

"Need to keep me safe from your leader, too…" Tukson muttered quietly, rubbing a hand across his chest where Coco had elbowed him.

"You'll be fine," Violet laughed lightly, glad that Coffee was taking their jobs seriously. She knew she'd be able to trust them to safeguard the White Fang defector, especially now that they had something to prove. "Once you've met up with Ghira, the two of you can plan ahead and visit Sienna Khan. She's in Mistral somewhere, right?"

Tukson nodded, but seemed unwilling to divulge anything further. Violet understood well enough. The place was supposed to be their secret base of operations. It wouldn't be beneficial to their cause if the White Fang leader found out he'd given up such vital information. 'On second thought… I hope they treat the human members of team Coffee well, despite what they are. Having a cinnamon roll like Velvet around should help to assuage their fears, but she won't dispel them entirely.'

"Good luck with my father," Blake spoke up from the side, catching Tukson's attention with a polite smile. "He can be stubborn at times. It's usually best if you let my mother mediate, otherwise he'll never back down."

Tukson nodded, "I've heard much about the Chieftain… I'll keep that in mind."

Blake scoffed, ears lowering against her head, "I know what they say about him. The current members of the White Fang think he was a coward who refused to get his hands dirty… Treat him with the respect he deserves or you'll find out soon enough how wrong those claims truly are."

Tukson paled slightly, "Y-Yes, of course."

Violet flashed Blake a smirk while Tukson was busy pulling on the neckline of his shirt. The cat faunus grinned slightly in return, both of them knowing how kind her father could really be. 'But, sending Tukson in with the proper mindset is important. Better to stamp out any dissension now.'

"They appear to be ready for us," Yatsuhashi announced. He was staring past to the attendants that had begun filing onboard, carrying the last of the luggage that Coffee had brought along for the trip.

Coco spotted one of them being less than gentle with one of her packages and visibly reddened, eyebrows scrunching in anger while she rushed off, "Hey! Careful with that! Do you know how much Dust is in there!? We'll be replacing this ship all over again if you handle it like that!"

Violet laughed while the rest of the elder team could only shake their heads, far more familiar with their leader's usual antics. The rest of team Coffee began to follow after with Tukson in tow.

"Good luck!" Yang cheered, holding up her fist in a clear invitation for Yatsuhashi to bump it in passing. The older boy was slow to comply, his face showing none of Yang's excitement.

Yang left her fist up for Fox as he passed, and the redhead surprised her by giving it a hearty smack. "Who needs luck when you have a Velvet~?" the boy's voice rang clear in their minds despite his face remaining affixed in a wide grin.

Yang took it in stride, her own smile widening at the exchange, "Damn straight. Anyone crosses your path, give 'em hell!"

Fox gave a mock salute and passed them by, on the heels of his teammates as they strode up the ramp and into the awaiting ship. The ramp began to retract once they were aboard, engines powering up and bay door beginning to close, slowly cutting team Coffee off from view. Violet and the others waved their goodbyes, silently hoping for their success.

The ship rose up into the sky, engines flaring from a dull red to a brilliant blue as the fire dust heated exponentially. The jets tilted back as it did so, finally propelling it forward instead of simply up. Within the next minute it was a mere dot on the skyline, vanishing over the luscious green and blue horizon into the greater beyond.

Yang let out a low whistle of appreciation, "Think I could strap something like that to Bumblebee?"

Violet snorted, "If you wanted to end up as a red smear against the nearest building, sure."

"Gotta live life a quarter mile at a time~"

"Did you get that from one of your Spruce Willis movies?" Violet asked, turning to lead them back to their dorm.

"Tin Diesel, actually."

Violet shook her head with a smirk, "What is it with you and bald men?"

Yang scoffed, "What is it with so many bald men being action heroes?"

"Well, when that fits the typical viewer you're trying to pander to…" Blake mumbled. She held the door open for them as they all stepped inside, headed along the hall towards the stairs.

Violet laughed, "Ah, yes~ Yang must be a bald man at heart. The near religious love of her own hair is just an act~"

Yang grabbed her own hair in both hands, pulling it over her shoulder as if to protect it and glaring fiercely at both of them in turn, "At least I don't read smut in the dorm."

Blake balked, raising her hands to wave them in a frantic bid for silence, "W-What am I saying? Your choice in movies is great, Yang! Perfect, even! Did you want to go see another one soon!?"

"Eh, I'd rather read the smut~" Violet teased.

A few moments passed before another voice spoke up behind them, trailing along quietly during the earlier conversation.

"What's smut?" Ruby asked innocently, causing the other three girls to freeze in place and slowly turn around to regard their youngest teammate.

Violet saw Yang's eyes flickering crimson and decided to get ahead of the fireworks, pointing a finger accusingly at the blond, "H-Hey, you brought it up in the first place! It's your own fault!"

"Nothing you need to worry yourself with, Ruby!" Blake chipped in nervously, sparing an eye for the blond who's hair was currently threatening to ignite. "You'll find out when you're older!"

Ruby made a small 'hmm' sound, looking out the windows and pondering in thought with a finger raised to tap against her chin, "Maybe I'll just look it up if no one will tell me. Is it spelled like it sounds? I wonder if the school has any… I bet the librarian could point some out for me!"

Blake cringed fearfully, ears laying flat against her head and body wincing away from the inevitable eruption.

Violet narrowed her eyes, thoughts on a conversation from weeks prior coming to mind. 'Ruby said she wasn't as innocent as she pretended to be…' Seeing the slight upward twinge of the smaller girl's lips and realizing the truth, Violet couldn't help herself. Even with the fiery warhead standing next to her, waiting to explode... Violet burst out laughing.

"Don't worry, Little Red~ Auntie Vi will be sure to buy you all the smut you could ask for. You are a growing girl, after all~"

"Vi! No!" Blake cried aloud in the same instance that Yang's fist blasted her across the hall and into the wall behind her. Violet landed on the ground with a huff, struggling to laugh when the air had been knocked from her lungs. Her aura had absorbed the blow easily enough. Yang's punch lacked the usual strength it would have had in a spar.

"You wanna run that by me again?" Yang growled, tilting her head to the side and cracking her knuckles ominously while staring down on her prey with crimson eyes. She started to pace forward, but paused at the soft sounds coming from behind her.

The tension fled as Ruby started to giggle outright, doubling over with one hand to her mouth and the other to her stomach, "Y-You really should have known better, Violet~ That was the bravest thing I've ever seen, though!"

Violet finally managed to catch her breath, letting out a few strangled chuckles of her own, "I couldn't pass up an opportunity like that~"

Blake let out a sigh of relief as Yang's hair returned to its usual state, eyes receding to lilac, "You're both the worst, you know that?"

"I think you've been spending a bit too much time around our dear leader, Rubes," Yang shook her head, turning back to regard her sister with a sorrowful expression. "Where did we go wrong?"

Ruby smiled, "I was doomed from the start."

Violet finally stood, dusting herself off, "Your fate was sealed as soon as you ran into me in the forest. You'd still be repressed if you'd ended up with Weiss as your partner."

Ruby blanched, "Me and Weiss!? That never would have worked out!"

"You'd be surprised~" Violet smirked, walking over to drape an arm around Yang's shoulders and herd them all towards the stairs. "You knew this day was bound to come eventually, right? Your dear little Rubes is growing up. Soon enough, she'll have a Blakey of her own to chase after~"

Yang's face was a mixture of bright cheeks and a darkening scowl, eyes piercing into the steps ahead of them as if they were personally responsible for her sister growing up, "If I see any boys hanging around her… They'd better watch their step and keep their hands to themselves…"

'Yeah, somehow I don't think those cards are on the table~' Violet smirked, seeing the person that stood waiting for them at the top of the steps.

Penny brushed past the older girls as they reached the top, giddily crashing into Ruby and gripping the other girl in a fierce hug, "Ruby! I'm so glad you're back! Nothing happened to you while I was away, right!? I was so worried!"

Ruby gasped for breath, arms scrunched against her sides and incapable of escaping from Penny's clutches, "Uh, n-nope! Just your basic, everyday, team Vibrant stuff!"

Violet had to use her semblance as Yang's legs gave way, all strength fleeing her body at the spectacle happening right in front of them. Violet leaned in close with a smug smile, whispering quietly so that only the blond would hear, "Look at it this way. At least she isn't a boy, right?"

"I'm gonna be sick…"

Violet laughed and dragged Yang back to her feet, stepping to the side as Penny excitedly darted ahead with Ruby in tow, "Let's finish that book! We're almost done!"

Yang groaned out loud.

Violet rolled her eyes, hefting the blond up to begin walking again, "I'll be honest, I'm pretty sure all the things you're worried about are the last things on their minds."

Yang sighed, "I hope so. I wouldn't want to beat up your bodyguard. She is… nice."

"Filled with wide eyed innocence, you mean?" Violet chided playfully. "Just don't let her get a hold of any of Blake's books~"

Blake huffed at that, crossing her arms and leveling the pair with a scowl, "They aren't smut. They're adult literature. There's a difference."

"Porn with a plot, then~"

Blake could only silently glare in response, refusing to be egged on any further. Violet grinned as they finally made their way into the dorm room, thoughts shifting to the demonstration she would need to make later in the day.

'Hopefully I'll get through it without too much trouble.'

Ironwood hit replay on his scroll, once more rewatching clips of the maiden's training bouts, both in the Emerald Forest, and the school arena. He had to admit, she was far more skilled than even he would have expected; her weapon far more advanced. He had taken the time to track down the scientist responsible for helping in its development, an ex-member of Atlas's own Tech Division.

The man had admitted that the original idea for Violet's 'railgun' had been the girl's own, stumping even him at times due to its intricacies. That aligned at least with what Oz had told him, that the technology involved was so unique that even the girl herself had been confused by its creation. Upon further questioning, nothing else had stood out as odd about the process. Violet had spent a similar amount of time as any other trainee in regards to aura control and manipulation, taking just as long to understand how to transform the weapon with aura alone.

Regardless, it appeared that sparring against the maiden would be no easy feat, even without taking her other powers into account. If he wanted to force her to the edge, to find her breaking point… it was going to take more than only him. As strong and seasoned as he was… even he wasn't foolish enough to believe himself untouchable by someone so much younger.

With a few simple clicks, Ironwood brought up Winter's contact number on his display and hit call, connecting instantly with his dutiful subordinate. "Winter, meet me at the Beacon docks. I'll be requiring your assistance in testing our newest initiate. How soon can you be here?"

"I'll leave right away, Sir. Ten minutes, at most."

"Good. I'll be expecting you. Come prepared to give your all. I doubt we'll be able to hold back on this one," Ironwood warned, ending the call, then dialing another number once more.

"James? How did everything go at the warehouse?" Oz asked curiously upon accepting the call, swishing his cup of coffee.

"Well enough. There were only a few casualties on the part of the White Fang. An unfortunate mishap, due to a falling Paladin. Qrow and his associates remained unscathed aside from slight damage to their auras," Ironwood decided to take the conversation away from what had already taken care of. "I'll be arriving at Beacon shortly. Winter will be joining me in testing Violet."

Ozpin raised an eyebrow, "You believe it necessary?"

He laughed, "I'm getting old, Oz. Not as old as you, by far, but old enough to know I'm no longer in my prime. Beyond simple testing… I also wanted to bring her to her limit. I won't truly know what she's made of until she's reached that point."

Ozpin nodded his agreement, "That's fine by me. If you don't mind, I believe I'll attend as well rather than simply watching over the cameras. It's not every day you get to see the great Ironwood going toe to toe with someone like her."

"By all means. I'll contact you when we're ready."

"I look forward to it," Ozpin smiled lightly, ending the call on his end.

Ironwood returned to once again repeating the video on his scroll, watching as Violet unleashed a tidal wave of amethyst flames. All of the Grimm fell to the ground in its wake, not burned, but entirely devoid of life. 'A terrifying power, to be sure.'

The only thing that calmed his heart was the fact that Qrow remained untouched right next to her, a survivor of the flames with nary a scorch mark on him either. As he paused the video on the two beginning their friendly banter, a smile plain for all eyes to see on the young girl's face, Ironwood had to wonder…

'Will she have the courage to do what needs to be done?'

She had killed two already in self defense, but neither of them held a candle to the raw, ancient power that Salem possessed. Now was the best time to truly put her to the test.

Ironwood rolled his shoulders and flexed both hands over the grips of the pistols at his waist, hardening his resolve as if going into a battle with far higher stakes than a simple spar.

Whatever happened, he didn't plan on taking it easy against her.

"Team Vibrant and team Siren, report to the training arena immediately," Glynda's voice boomed over the intercom, interrupting the small gathering of girls in their dorm. Violet's eyes raised from the greatsword in her lap, pommel in one hand, cleaning rag in the other.

Yang met her gaze, a worried frown creasing her features while the game she'd been playing with Blake was forgotten in the background. Violet's attempt at a comforting smirk was hindered by two pairs of legs swinging into view from above, Ruby and Penny dropping off the top bunk to land on the floor in front of her.

Ruby cheered loudly, pumping a fist into the air, "Finally! We get to see how much Violet's training has paid off!"

"You're in for a treat, then," Violet grinned smugly, depositing the rag on her bedside table and standing with Zenith in hand. "If you thought flames and a bit of ice were impressive…~"

Penny clapped her hands together once, flashing a pure smile with wide green eyes, "It will be good to know what you're capable of!"

"What do you think they'll have you do?" Blake spoke up, rising to her feet along with Yang while the blond shut off the console.

Violet shrugged, "Beats me. Oz should have all the recordings from my times with Qrow saved, so… maybe he's hoping for a more personal demonstration?"

"Whatever it is, I hope you're ready," Yang spoke up, eyeing Violet in her combat outfit as the leader attached her weapon to her back.

"Ready as I'll ever be," Violet stated plainly, taking a moment to stretch before heading towards the door. "Best not keep him waiting."

There was a brief flurry as the other girl's made sure they were ready as well and followed Violet out, meeting Siren in the hall between their two dorms. Nora grinned widely and slapped Violet on the back, earning a huff of air from her lungs for her efforts.

"You've got this, Vi!"

Violet waited for the sting on her back to fade away before sparing the ginger a grin of her own, "This is my chance to show you all I'm not made of glass, after all. Prepare yourselves for a show~"

"I'll be glad to see it for myself," Pyrrha interjected kindly, a fierce light behind her eyes that she hid from the others. Violet understood well enough. Pyrrha was finally going to witness how much Violet herself had been holding back, the perfect opportunity to compare without revealing her own semblance in full.

Violet smirked, "Any chance you'd want to step in for the second round?"

Pyrrha shook her head smugly, "Of course not. This is your time to shine, Violet~" She laughed lightly, hiding it from the others behind her hand as they spoke loudly to each other nearby.

Violet sighed, setting off for the arena with a spring in her step. She hadn't been kidding as much when it came to proving herself in front of her friends. Part of her was glad they would finally understand that her constant worrying over their safety as opposed to her own was completely warranted. Violet could take care of herself.

Weiss walked next to her, the pair of them leading the large group of stragglers in their wake. The young heiress spent her time in silent contemplation, one hand to her chin and eyes focused more on the floor than their surroundings. They had walked these same halls often enough that Violet wasn't surprised, though Weiss's demeanor did have her curious.

"What's up, Weiss?"

Weiss spared an eye sideways to her, taking a moment to gather her thoughts before speaking, "Oh, it's nothing. I'm just a little worried about my sister. She was called away on unexpected business earlier… I'm hoping it was nothing too serious."

"Oh, ha… ha…" Violet scrubbed a hand through the hair on the back of her head, shooting the girl an apologetic smile in return for her curious frown, "That may have been our fault. Yang got a bit riled up when we went to go see her dad… You remember why, right?" At a nod from Weiss, she continued, "Well, turns out her mother has a rule about saving the people she's close to at least once. Yang was understandably upset and… might have decided to put that rule to the test."

Weiss's eyes widened, taking a moment to dart back towards Yang and inspect her for any injuries before rounding on Violet once again, "What did you do?"

Violet raised her hands defensively, "It wasn't me this time, I swear! Yang left on her own to take down the White Fang hideout that Qrow and your sister found. Winter probably had to go collect the Paladins afterwards once the fight was over."

"Of all the irresponsible-" Weiss began, seeming as if she fully intended to turn around and berate the blond. Violet put a hand on her shoulder and steered her forward, cutting off the turn about she'd been attempting.

"Hold on, Weiss! Nothing bad happened, and Blake and I already told her how stupid of an idea it was in the first place! No harm done this time."

"This time," Weiss replied with a glower, crossing her arms with a huff but accepting Violet's attempts at keeping her moving. "The next time she might not be so lucky."

"I'll make sure she gets the memo," Violet promised, allowing her hand to fall away once it seemed Weiss's anger had been assuaged. "I'm sorry you didn't get to talk with Winter."

Weiss sighed weakly, "It's fine. It's not as if this is the first time she's ever had to drop plans due to her position. I was hoping to ask her a few questions about summoning… It's been causing me more trouble than anything up until this point."

"Ah, I see. Were you hoping to get more practice before our big mission? It likely won't be for another couple weeks at the very least," Violet assured her. "Your team still needs to practice your team attacks anyway. Any luck there?"

"Some," Weiss replied truthfully. "Pyrrha has managed to get down her parts faster than anyone else. There's a lot to go over though, since my semblance is so versatile. A lot of our tactics hinge around me providing assistance where necessary."

Violet nodded, "Make sure you don't put too much weight on your own shoulders. Trust the others to have team attacks of their own. If you go down, then it's all they'll have to fall back on."

Weiss scoffed, "Rich, coming from you. The girl that literally puts everyone else's weight on her own."

"True, but I still make sure they can fight well enough without me, should the unthinkable happen. I trust Ruby to pick up the pieces if I fall."

"Ruby?" Weiss quirked an eyebrow, glancing back at the cheery little redhead. "She… wouldn't have been my first choice."

Violet waved away her concerns, "Ruby would make a great leader. If I hadn't taken charge in the Emerald Forest then she would have."

"If you say so," Weiss replied simply, not sounding the least bit convinced. Violet could only smirk in reply, knowing that in this timeline at least, Weiss would never truly know how wrong she was.

Their journey to the training arena finally came to a close, Violet stepping into the classroom first, quickly followed by the rest of both teams. Ironwood and Winter already stood off to one side, both armed with weapons on their hips. Glynda and Ozpin were also present, seated a small ways off to the side, but close enough to have been conversing casually with the Atlesians before the students' arrival.

"Ah, welcome, everyone," Ironwood greeted them, giving the smallest of smiles that barely managed to twinge the corner of his lips. At a glance, Violet could tell that both he and Winter meant business, the two of them looking on with grim determination.

"So, how are we doing this?" Violet asked, heading down the steps while the others took seats near the front rows. Her eyes roamed across the pair, General and Specialist alike sizing her up in return, "Me against the both of you?"

Violet honestly didn't like her chances. The most she'd seen of Ironwood's fighting style was the brief exchange against the beowolf, while she could recall some of what Winter was capable of. The two of them, fighting in tandem with years of experience under their belts…? It was a recipe for disaster, all things considered.

"That is indeed the plan," Winter replied sternly, eyes roaming over Violet while she stood in a much more relaxed pose compared to the two of them. "I hope you won't overestimate yourself because of previous victories. We are far more dangerous than a pair of young criminals."

"Wouldn't dream of it," Violet replied honestly, reaching up behind herself to pull Zenith free. "I'm guessing you've watched my spars, and my time spent in the forest then?"

Ironwood nodded, "I made sure Winter was up to date as well. It is our goal now to see how well you can combine the two. Do not take us lightly, Miss Regalia. The only rule is that you mustn't use your flames to kill. If either of us are caught by them, we'll consider that person down for the count. Agreed?"

Violet frowned, stabbing Zenith into the floor momentarily to wave her hands back and forth in denial, "Wait, wait, wait." She pointed to her weapon, "What about my railgun?"

"That will be fine as well. Do not take us so lightly, Miss Regalia."

Violet scrubbed a hand across the back of her neck nervously, eyeing the weapon still in its greatsword form. It wasn't really meant for close range combat, but if she did manage to catch either of them in its blast radius… Violet raised her eyes back up to consider the both of them. Two exceptional hunters, with years of experience and a host of potential unknown abilities at their disposal, fighting a single opponent in a forty by forty foot stage?

'It wouldn't be much use in a situation like this, especially with them knowing exactly what it's capable of. They won't give me the chance to get a shot off anyway, so it doesn't really matter.'

Violet nodded her head in understanding, reaching out to withdraw Zenith from the ground and moving into a prepared stance. "Whenever you're ready." She removed the weight from her body, knowing without a doubt that against the two of them, speed was going to be her top priority.

Ironwood drew a black handgun from his belt, hefting it in front of himself while still holding it by the grip. Winter moved off to the side, partially flanking Violet so that her attention would be divided. She unsheathed her rapier and separated it, now holding a thin sword in either hand.

"If you would do the honors, Glynda?"

Violet could see the usually stern teacher showing an ounce of trepidation for the upcoming spar. She raised one hand tentatively, looking to both parties and taking a moment to make sure they were all ready. At a silent nod from each, she slashed her riding crop in a quick line towards her feet. "Begin!"

'Divide and conquer.'

It was the only plan that Violet could see working, given the odds. As soon as the words left Glynda's mouth, Violet conjured an ice wall into being between herself and Ironwood. It stretched the entire length of the arena floor, a foot thick across and fifteen high.

The instant she did so, Winter was already upon her.

Violet spun Zenith in her hands, deflecting the darting jabs that attempted to pierce her haphazard defense. She ducked and weaved, incorporating what movement she could before sweeping Zenith in a wide arc and igniting its blade in amethyst flames. Winter dodged back, just in time to avoid the gout of crackling purple that was unleashed from the end, catching a section of the arena floor on fire.

Violet swept it in another arc, slashing a long horizontal line that unleashed more in Winter's direction. A black glyph appeared out of thin air, intercepting the flames that would have consumed her otherwise. Another glyph appeared beneath Violet's feet, and she felt the world give way as she was propelled skyward, thoroughly trounced from the defensive position she had created.

Managing to get herself under control, Violet raised Zenith in preparation to block a blow that never came. Instead, the ice wall to her side echoed with a resounding boom, much of it giving way to Ironwood's form as he crashed through. Angled perfectly for his attack, his cybernetic fist caught Violet in the chest, slamming her back down towards the arena floor below.

Violet felt a chunk of her aura vanish from the combined force of both. Knowing better than to remain defenseless on the floor however, she created a half wall of ice between herself and Winter while rolling back to her feet. The sound of something impacting the wall sounded almost immediately, the Specialist's follow up attack nearly capitalizing on Violet's previously downed form.

She wasn't given a moment to breath, as just as quickly, Ironwood was back upon her. His hand held his weapon by the barrel, using it as more of a miniature club than a firearm. Violet parried and backstepped, putting distance between herself so that she could remain within her own effective range. Once she had, Violet went on the counterattack, forcing Ironwood to retreat a few steps while she kept a wary eye to the side.

Instead, Winter came from above, using the very ice wall that Violet had created as cover to change positions. The young maiden had only a moment's notice, the hint of a flash of white in her top periphery. Reflexes honed from countless lives coming into action, Violet twisted out of her current attack to change it into a feint, then swung upwards instead to meet Winter's blow halfway.

Transferring the weight of her sword back into it the moment their blades struck, Zenith instead sent Winter flying back to tuck and roll across the arena floor. While Violet had technically won the small exchange, she hadn't actually done any damage to the woman's aura. The white glyph that appeared behind Winter spoke of how little reprieve she would have thanks to the exchange.

Violet was forced to backstep once more, dodging to the side with a sudden twist of her body as Ironwood's hand cannon was fired, aimed directly where she'd been the instant before. Knowing that Winter would return soon, Violet removed the weight from Zenith once more and darted forward, putting Ironwood between herself and the Specialist.

Ironwood was only marginally caught off guard, the greatsword momentarily used as a distraction before Violet delivered a spinning kick to his torso that had all of her body's mass behind it. Unfortunately, she'd been forced to kick the cybernetic half of his body. Violet felt the force dissipate completely into the metal exoskeleton, the sturdy hardware topped with aura weathering the blow with ease.

'Metal?' Violet decided she would need to shift gears if she wanted to stand a chance, even as Ironwood's hand grabbed her by the ankle and dragged her bodily off her feet. He spun once and threw, launching her in an awkward tumble that kept her from easily planting her feet on the tiles below.

Eyes once more taken off Winter in the exchange, Violet was only half surprised when the thick, meaty claw of a silvery Beowolf caught her midair, slamming the air from her lungs and sending her in a rough tumble across the arena floor. Violet found an opportunity to shove Zenith into the tiles, and ground to a halt before falling from the arena completely, only a few feet separating her from the drop.

The fight slowed momentarily, Ironwood and Winter allowing Violet the time to size up the situation she'd found herself in. There were not one, but three Beowolves prowling within the confined space. At the very least, Violet hoped that meant the woman herself would be stuck in place while commanding them, but she couldn't be completely certain of that limitation.

'I really should have taken the time to ask Weiss more about it…'

Violet sighed, tearing Zenith from the ground to heft it once more and face off against the three Beowolves and Ironwood. 'Nothing I can do about it now but observe.' The General still held his black pistol by the grip itself, but as of yet hadn't aimed it at Violet once more. 'I'll take the summons down in one blow from my maiden powers, then see what I can do against Ironwood before Winter can jump back in.'

With a firm nod from Violet, the fight began again. She moved at the same time as Ironwood did, but while Violet swept her sword in an arc to fire a cascade of crystalline stalagmites across the ground, Ironwood aimed behind himself and fired.

Violet cursed midswing, knowing that the sharpened cones of ice would aim true and take out the Grimm. Unfortunately, Ironwood seemed to have guessed her tactic and taken the opportunity to display his own mobility. Gravity Dust exploded out of the hand cannon with untold force, launching the large man on a direct path for the currently preoccupied Violet. He caught her at the end of her swing, fist colliding against her stomach with an unmatched brutality that knocked the air from her lungs.

Violet gasped for breath, knowing that she wouldn't have time to reclaim it if she didn't act fast. Zenith returned, this time arcing with lightning instead of flames. The bolts zapped off the greatsword's blade like a Tesla coil, connecting with Ironwood's body and denying him any chance at evasion. Lightning flashed across his body in a shock of purple, forcing him into a hasty retreat that still likely left his body feeling numb to the bone.

Knowing better than to think herself out of the woods yet, Violet spun to the side just in time to see the attack that Winter was attempting to deliver. Moving as if to repeat what she had done before, Violet instead removed the weight from Zenith so that Winter would come out victorious. The woman's blades met the greatsword, pressing it back, much to the woman's surprise.

Violet took her chance, and delivered a brutal blow of her own with her fist to the woman's chest, using her own momentum against her. Taking advantage of the opportunity she'd given herself, Violet swung Zenith hard at the momentarily immobilized woman. The blade still arced with lightning, promising a hit that would remove a hefty chunk of Winter's aura if it were to connect.

Ironwood had other plans, and fired his pistol so that the gravity dust round intercepted Zenith's blade. The greatsword was knocked down and off course, carving a deep gouge out of the tiled floor instead. Given time to recover, Winter hopped back a few steps to put distance between herself and the lightning infused blade.

Violet knew the fight was quickly becoming less and less in her favor. She was experienced enough to know how hard her aura had been hit within the few minutes since the fight had started. 'I'll have to go all out…' Violet thought worriedly, raising Zenith between herself and the two combatants. At least now they were more closely grouped. She could more easily keep an eye on the both of them, as much good as that would really do her.

"General?" Winter spoke the singular title as a question, a myriad of unspoken words passing between the two in an instant.

"Go ahead, Winter."

Violet tensed as a glyph appeared beneath Winter's feet, edges written in roman numerals and hand like a clock speeding up with each passing breath. She recognized the lightning glyph being utilized, and knew exactly what would happen if it were to be completed.

'Not a chance!' Violet sent out a shock of ice across the ground, a thin layer that drenched the entire floor aside from where she herself stood. Winter's eyes widened in surprise, and the glyph beneath her feet faded out entirely.

"So, Weiss has used those glyphs in the past, I take it?" Winter asked tensely, raising her weapons to ward off any potential attacks.

"Yup," Violet confirmed, lowering back into a proper stance now that the deed had been done. "And I tend to be rather observant. The obvious choice was ruining your footing~"

"Clever," Winter replied simply, taking stock of the current situation. "However, allow me to show you a combination that my sister has surely never replicated."

Another glyph appeared in the air, this one morphing into the form of another Beowolf. Violet was confused for only a moment, until she spotted the time dilation glyph once more spinning into effect, this time beneath the Beowolf's feet. It was completed in only the span of a couple seconds, the Grimm letting loose a primal roar that in itself, sounded as if played in fast forward.

'Shit.'

Violet threw Zenith up between herself and the Beowolf as it launched forward, moving at a speed unmatched by any other. It was all Violet could do to ward off its blows, the claws striking in a blur of wispy silver and bluish white. In only a moment, Ironwood joined the fray, blasting the ground that separated the two of them with his hand cannon in order to disperse the ice she had created.

Violet was forced to choose between claws or fists, as the blows rained down from either side. She did the best she could, blocking each attack as it came, but it wasn't enough. First, a slash of claws that slipped through and sparked against her aura, then a fist that forced her into the Grimm's awaiting clutches.

'It's all or nothing!' Violet thought frantically, deciding to do the only maneuver she could in such a situation. Violet dropped low, using Zenith to guard against another punch and claw simultaneously. With a sweeping spin that gave no regard to the blows that slipped by, she charged her blade with flames once more and slashed a quick line through the Beowolf, bisecting it in half.

Violet's spin continued, turning in a full 360 to try and unleash a fiery blast of amethyst flames. Ironwood had more than enough time to see the blow coming however, and the moment before it reached him, stopped Zenith dead in its tracks with the back of his hand cannon. The two stopped in place, fighting a battle of pure strength as Violet fought to force her blade past, to ignite Ironwood's body in dancing amethyst.

Ironwood smiled, "You show promise," the smile faded slightly, turning the slightest bit smug. "However…"

Violet felt the pommel of Winter's sword slam against the back of her head, shattering her aura and sending her to her knees. Control over mass gone completely and limbs too tired for much else, Zenith slammed to the ground heavily. The flames died out, ebbing away into nothing as the fight drew to a close.

"Wooh! Nice try, Violet!"

"You were so close!"

"Good job!"

Cheers erupted from the stands as the members of both teams yelled loudly, giving their praise despite the defeat that Violet had suffered. She allowed a small smile to curl her lips, and accepted the hand that Ironwood offered.

"That was better than I was expecting. You have a sharp mind for combat. We'll make sure it's honed further," Ironwood's smile was now genuine, giving his compliments to the young maiden.

"Thanks," Violet got her breathing under control and raised a hand to the back of her head, rubbing away at some of the pain that her aura had been incapable of shielding her against. "I look forward to it~"

Ironwood stepped away as Ruby crashed into her with a hug, Yang and Blake following only a few feet behind. "Are you okay, Vi!? That was awesome! I wasn't expecting you to last that long!"

Violet smirked, "Thanks for the vote of confidence, Little Red. I'll have you know I could have taken them both with my hands behind my back if I really wanted to~"

"Pfft, sure you could, Vi~" Yang chided playfully, clapping a hand on her leader's shoulder. Her expression grew a little more somber and she shook her head, "Sorry that we've been so adamant about keeping you protected. You really can handle yourself well enough…"

Violet smiled in return, giving her head a shake, "Don't apologize. You only wanted to keep me safe. I feel the same about all of you. It's only fair, after all..."

Blake offered up a smile of her own, eyes slowly gazing across the wanton destruction that had taken place within the arena, "At least your complete disregard for other people's property hasn't changed~"

Violet smirked, "At least this time we have Miss Goodwitch around to fix it." She tapped herself on the temple playfully, "You can teach this old dog new tricks~"

Blake shook her head with a smile, allowing Violet's comment to go unchallenged as Ruby began to gush about the fight that had just taken place. Siren joined them as well, aside from Weiss who stepped aside to speak with her sister.

Ultimately, Violet was glad for the chance to show her friends what she was capable of. Even if she had lost.

Now all that was left was the other reason for coming here...

Ozpin remained in the stands, idly sitting forward with his chin resting against the end of his cane. Despite his best efforts, he had seen nothing to indicate that Violet might know more than she should during the confrontation. She had appeared surprised by all of Ironwood's tactics, and by the abilities that the older Schnee possessed that the younger did not.

For his own purposes, the entire exchange had been a bust.

"Let's go, Glynda. There is much work to be done."

The pair turned to leave, only to find a thick wall of ice standing between themselves and the door.

Late in the day, but it's still Tuesday, right? (At least in my timezone) Sorry it was slow, but including the full fight turned this into a rather lengthy chapter, compared to the others I put out recently.

So, Oz's suspicions are raised, but he is far from anything conclusive. We'll have to see how long it takes before Violet eventually gives away more than she means to, either through her actions, or her comments.

Thanks for reading,

- Sybaen