Sorry for the extended absence.

There's a smidge bit more relaxing for the crew, then we're heading into a new arc.

"Yang, for the last time, let me see."

"There's nothing wrong with me, I'm fine!"

"I swear you got this stubbornness from me. Just let me see the damn bruise!"

Yang's brief spat with her mother didn't last very long, as Yang didn't want to upset her more than she already has. She was currently sitting outside on a log, as Raven was tending to a nasty bruise on her cheek. She winced as Raven applied another wrap, after proper cleaning and disinfecting.

"What do I keep telling you? Your Aura doesn't make you invincible to injury. It strengthens your body and makes you harder to injure, but you can't try your luck like that. It isn't some cure-all like many like to think. It's a part of you that needs to be used and treated with care." Raven scolded while looking into the girl's eye. "Stubborn brat. You're lucky I was the one who caught you. Summer would have had a fucking fit if she saw you like this, and then she'd be chewing MY ear off with her scolding after she's done with yours."

"...I'm sorry..." Yang looked down at her knees, ashamed to look her in the eye.

"Don't be sorry. Be better."

"I know..."

Raven sensed her mood shift to complete submissiveness, and sighed as she gently lifted her head by the chin. "Look, I'm not that upset. I'm not the kind of person who will make a fuss over every little injury. But I will call it out when you're getting hurt over stupid shit. What were you even thinking?"

Yang briefly sniffled while looking back with angry teary eyes. "Some jerks in town wouldn't stop making fun of you and Uncle Qrow. Called you all sorts of really hurtful things. So I beat them up. They tried to beat me up by calling more jerks to gang up on me...but I beat them up too."

Raven landed briefly, before she sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Shit..." Raven grumbled as she went on to sit on a nearby log. "Come here, Yang." The blonde girl looked briefly confused, but soon obeyed as she went on to hop onto the log where her mother seated. "Listen. I know you're very defensive of family. But that was one fight that you didn't have to be a part of."

"What?" Yang frowned for a moment. "But all the mean things they said-"

"Are just that. Mere words without any power. You think me and Qrow are going to give a damn about what people say about us behind our backs? Especially when they have no guts to say these things to our faces?" Raven shook her head. "What people say about us isn't worth you getting yourself hurt over. You should worry more about yourself. And your sister."

This advice didn't sit all too well with Yang. She was supposed to just sit there and ignore it when people badmouth her family? There's no way she could do that. Not with a straight face, at the very least.

Yet at the same time, things got her thinking. If she kicked up too much of a fuss fighting back at the wrong times and places, then what trouble was it going to cause for her family? Would she make things worse than they already were because she picked the wrong battles to fight?

The more she thought about it, the more her frown turned into a small pout of submission.

"It seems you understand what I'm implying. You always were smarter than others gave you credit for." Raven hummed as she gazed quietly outwards. "There's no need for you to defend my name. I'm not worthy of it. Despite what Summer and your Father tells you, I'm not a good person, not in the slightest. Instead, if there's someone who should always be on your mind when it comes to troublesome situations, it's your sister."

"Ruby?"

"Yes. If there's anyone you should be worried about more than anyone else, it's her. Until she has the strength to face the world completely, you'll have to keep an eye on her and protect her."

"Oh. Okay, I got it."

"Good."

Raven quieted for a while, as mother and daughter simply say in silence for the time being. After a moment, Raven be got reached out to place her hand atop Yang's head, not turning to look at her.

"Yang. I just want you to know something." Raven began quietly while remaining aloof. "If you ever decide to forsake me as your mother one day, because of the potential trouble it might bring...I won't blame you. That's a choice you have the right to make. It might even be one of the best ones you'll ever make. But it's completely yours."

"What?!" Yang gasped, before turning to Raven and shaking her head. "No! Never! I don't care how many bad things happen to me because of you! I'll never forsake you! I swear it!"

Raven briefly paused, simply gazing into her daughter's eyes. In a fit of passion, they briefly turned red to reflect upon her own. With that, she really did look like her, with her father's hair. Though only in moments of extreme emotion, it seemed. Raven could definitely see it though, the beginnings of a roaring fire burning in Yang's soul.

But right now, they were harmless embers. The heat was there, but not the substance to start and sustain that inner fire. Raven had no doubt that she'll find it eventually.

"Promises like that are hard to keep, Yang. Don't go making them if you're not sure you can follow through. It takes strength to make such promises like that, and much more to keep them." Raven declared quietly. Though she looked away after that, she couldn't help but manage a tiny smile. "Although, I'll admit that it's comforting to hear, even if it becomes unfulfilled."

They didn't bother speaking again about the issue that day. They simply took comfort in each other's company, gazing at the sky above them, watching the birds soaring above them, alongside the sunrise.

The warmth and freedom made their souls feel fulfilled.

"Yang? Are you alright?"

Yang blinked as she heard Nora briefly calling out to her. Looking at her friend, she shook her head with a smile as she adjusted her hair, which was currently tied into a ponytail.

"Yeah, I'm good, Nora. Just thinkin' about the past a little bit."

"Oh!" Nora smiled. "Were they happy memories?"

"Happy memories? Hm. I wouldn't exactly call them 'happy'. But there are some memories I would rather not get rid of despite that."

"Too important?"

"Too important to me, yeah."

"Hmmm. Well, if you're really trying to hold onto that memory despite it not being one of your happier ones, it definitely has to be pretty important."

Yang hummed as she stretched her arm upwards, with a fist lightly around it. Both she and Nora found themselves in an open area where some of the gang have gathered for a bit for a morning workout, something to help them loosen up a little bit before going on about their day. And, as several a passerby would notice, Yang's muscles were very much visible in her current attire, with her biceps being around the most defined. Opposite would be Nora, with muscular shapely legs in which she was casually stretching while speaking with Yang, though her own biceps weren't to be scoffed at either. For both cases on both counts, they were a small sign of their raw physical power.

"Speaking of memories, I still can't believe you went through all of that stuff on your first mission." Nora mentioned while stretching her legs. "It's crazy how there's many people like that in the world who would do something so horrible."

"You've got me there, it wasn't exactly what I was expecting, either." Yang agreed as she went for one of the heaviest weights and effortlessly lifts it upwards. "But despite that, we managed to pull through. Not something we woulda picked as our first mission experience, but it's definitely gonna be a memory."

"Not to mention you took out a Nevermore within the middle of all of that!" Nora beamed as she too stretched her arm upwards with a sigh. "It reminded me of our own mission where we had to join up in order to stop a Death Stalker during an escort mission. That was so crazy unexpected. But we pulled through! I don't think I shared that one yet, it was awesome!"

" Oh?" Yang nodded in interest. She then proceeded to occupy herself via getting on one hand in a one hand stand, before pushing herself upwards and descending down. "Was it tough?"

"Oh, ridiculously so. It wasn't very big, but it was big enough to barrel through most of a forest without slowing down. It was definitely a team effort to get it to stay still and to stay down." Nora admitted as she herself began doing one handed pushups with a bit of a grunt. "Jauney and Renny put in a lotta work, Pyrrha helped pin it down, and I got to finish it off. Smashed it's stupid head!"

"Nice. My posse ganged up on that Nevermore in midair, and Ruby decapitated as she was soaring upwards towards it while it was falling." Yang recalled with a grin. "My baby sis is a badass."

"I believe ya!" Nora cracked a smile. "So, do ya think ya found yourself a reliable team to work with?"

"Hm. We've got a few things to work out, still. But I like to think we're gonna go places." Yang nodded with a sunny smile. "Hey, curious. You and Pyrrha. Who's stronger between the two of you?"

"In terms of sheer physical might? Definitely me." Nora smiled all too proudly, before it turned somewhat humble as well. "Though I gotta give it to Pyrrha, she's the overall best fighter of the group. Renny's got the best Aura channeling skills of us all, and Jauney's got tons of Aura and planning to spare. We've all got our strengths and use them in unison to attain victory!" Yang chuckled at that, though could tell that Nora was being bombastic and sincere.

"Awww. That's so sweet, Nora!" Pyrrha could be heard nearby, quite effortlessly doing leg lifts. Her hair was tied up neatly while she was exercising, leaving her toned and curvy frame very much visible with her hair not being in the way much.

"Oh, didn't see ya there, Pyrrha!" Yang smiles while turning her head to the side towards Pyrrha. "Nora's saying quite a few nice things about you and your team. Ain't she a sweetie?"

"Embarrassingly."

"I'm hurt by your words, Pyr!"

The three of them shared a brief laugh, a good-natured one that further lightened the mood. Soon enough, two more additions soon joined the fray, prompting Nora and Pyrrha to turn their way, and their smiles turned even brighter.

"Renny! Jauney!"

Yang managed to easily recognize each once Nora called them out, with the boy with black hair and a hint of pink was called out first, which meant that the fellow blonde next to him was Jaune. So these were the remaining teammates that Pyrrha and Nora mentioned to her and the others. Took long enough for them to finally meet. Although, she can't say that she wasn't surprised that Nora proceeded to tackle hug Ren, who easily caught her after having expected it, and she proceeded to sweetly kiss his cheek.

"Hey there! Seems like you're all bonding nic-agh!" Jaune began, only to be immediately tackle hugged by Nora after she was done with Ren, being knocked into the ground, which he was far from ready for. Knocked the wind out of him in an instant. "Why..."

"You're never ready for the Nora Tackle, Jaune. You think you'd learn by now." Ren shook his head before turning to Pyrrha and Yang. "Hopefully we're not interrupting your bonding time."

Pyrrha shook her head. "Not at all. We managed to talk about quite a few things, particularly our friends. Like you all!"

"I in particular am just glad that we finally get to meet you two, thus your full team is complete. Sweet!" Yang grinned with a thumbs up.

"It was not easy. Things got seriously busy for us." Jaune groaned while getting up and nursing his bruised torso. "Though I think things are gonna lighten up for now. I mean, so long as Mr. Port doesn't want anything more from us. We'll be able to go on missions as a full team again."

"Noice!" Nora beamed with a bright smile. "I can't wait! We'll be back to smashing up Grimm in no time!"

"That's such a relief. Hopefully everything went well." Pyrrha hoped with a small smile.

"For the most part, it did. I think things will run a bit more smoothly from now on. Though that can also change depending on circumstances." Ren rolled his shoulder with a sigh. "That being said, I wouldn't mind the smooth transition for a bit longer."

Meanwhile, a running Ruby came to a stop. Briefly catching up to her was with Weiss and Blake, with herself hopping in place and smiling as she cheekily swiped a thumb under her nose. "That was a good run, eh girls?"

"You took it easy on us. My pride is hurt, but I can't argue with the facts." Weiss groaned as she landed slightly on her knees with her arms bared, showing surprisingly well developed arm muscles. Leg muscles were slightly more so. She's overall noticed she's still very much the leanest of her team members. feeling a bit insulted by her results. Here she is panting and breathing heavily. She did well, but Ruby and Blake weren't even all that winded! And she had a feeling if Yang participated, she wouldn't have felt much either aside from working up a was unacceptable. She would get more promising results from these runs no matter how much time it took. "You're quite clearly the fastest of us, even without your Semblance."

"Nn." Blake agreed with a nod. Ever since being rescued and she was able to eat more, Blake's mostly been restored to health, feeling a lot better with her body much better off than before. Pairing that with her training allowed her to catch up a bit with her peers, with their assistance, of course. As such, she managed to build herself up to a much stronger physique. Gone was her malnourished and weak, yet determined state she was found in. Now? Years of fighting for her life began to appear much more noticeable, given her own scars from her years enslaved. She had much healthier and stronger body, filling out to be shapely yet toned, with her rear being among the most noticeable, though not that she cares all that much. "We should think about choosing our mission, Ruby. Lady Goodwitch must have sent us an updated mission list to select from to our Scrolls by now."

"I know, I know! Just gimme a sec to think."

While they were discussing what their next assignment would be, another group would soon be entering the fray. And not a particularly friendly one.

Ruby clapped. "Alright! Lemme see if I can come up with something while winding down. Still got a bit of energy to calm." She insists as she began to stretch.

Ruby's arms were bared as well, and while not as huge as Yang's, were still much bulkier and defined than some initially thought. They also had quite a few scars on them. Not too noticeable from a distance, but they were long since faded, and appeared to be brief cut during her battles at Aurora Town. Similar small cuts appeared to be on her legs as well, which were much more defined than her arms, a signifier of her leg and thigh strength. It did make some sort of sense, as Ruby's arms have been strengthened due to lifting and swinging around a giant scythe, and her legs have been strengthened due to being one of the faster runners around. In comparison, Yang and Velvet have superior arm and leg strength respectively, and their defined muscles let that be known. Ruby was somewhere around the middle on both counts.

Ruby was still winding down from her run, stretching her arms outward and upwards, briefly causing the bulk within them to increase a bit, while she also sighed and placed her hands on her hips. She then briefly stretched her right leg outwards, extending as far as it can go, before balancing it out via pulling it in and doing the same with her left leg.

"How about a Search and Rescue?" Ruby offered forth while briefly hopping in place. "It'll give us a chance to connect better with people. Close the distance between Huntsmen and civilians a little bit more so they can believe in us."

"An intriguing choice, and an understandable reasoning. However, no Search and Rescue seems to be available at the moment." Weiss shook her head, causing Ruby to pout.

"We could always take a Search and Destroy mission." Blake hummed while flipping through a book. "Huntsmen showing some proactivity in culling Grimm will demonstrate that we're serious about our duties, and not just waiting for a crisis to resolve for the credit of doing so." Blake turned to Ruby, her feline ears flicking slightly. "It's best to build up our experience at a steady pace, without overwhelming ourselves."

"Heh, you're right, Blake." Ruby tilted her head. "Speaking of right...are you alright enough to go on missions? We don't have to go immediately."

"I appreciate you looking out for me, Ruby. I've rested well and eaten plenty, and trained up my body. I'm ready to go out again."

"If you say so. Whatcha readin'?" Ruby quite curiously peered over Blake's shoulder into the book she had in her hands.

"I picked it up for myself. It provides a bit of insight on just what some people are capable of. Humans and Faunus." Blake hummed while her eyes searched the pages. "We all know that we have different Huntsmen ranks and classes to signify ones strength, skill, and overall reliability in their duties. When it comes to Grand Huntsmen, their level is extraordinary." Blake's ears flicked again. "It's said that those with strength around that of a Grand Huntsmen can call themselves one of the most powerful people on Remnant. Case in point, someone like Lady Goodwitch would be considered a pinnacle of humanity, as she's managed to attain a strength that exceeds usual human limits. There are plenty of names for people of that status. One would be known as 'High Humans' or 'Prime Humans'. Possibly more."

"Yeah! Isn't that cool?!" Ruby exclaimed with a beaming and excited smile.

"Indeed. They're quite capable." Weiss nodded as well.

The Grimm Reaper was among those people, and Nicholas Schnee had been considered one as well. Both well regarded for their accomplishments and strength and skill, having attained a stage of development beyond normal humans, which makes it so difficult to reach. Ruby and Weiss don't wish to just reach them, but to surpass them. That would be a true demonstration of how reliable they wish to be, and to achieve their dreams.

"What's got you curious about it, Blake?" Ruby asked while peeking over her head, and began gently playing with her feline ears. "Does it have something to do with your goal of evolving?"

"Somewhat." Blake admitted with a nod, not minding too much that Ruby was gently caressing her feline ears. It felt relaxing. "Looking through what I've found, there was an inkling of names that could describe a Faunus' evolution. Once a Faunus has reached that point of evolution, they have particular names for the as well. One could say they would become an 'Alpha Faunus' or a 'Arch Faunus'."

"Oh, really? Alpha, huh? That sounds kind of fitting, in a way. I guess." Ruby wondered.

"Either could work in a sense, though there might be more to call them." Blake tilted her head slightly. "Regardless, they are regarded for truly connecting with their inner animal, or perhaps in a way they sync with their inner beast, and drawing much of their potential from that connection. They honor Faunus all around, as their evolution is a signature of their strength. They gain respect and admiration for it, inspiring many, as it's the truest sign that they've overcome obstacles of all sorts, no matter how overwhelming."

Ruby nodded. "Right! So through your goal of achieving evolution, you'll become a Faunus who can prove that you're capable of overcoming the immensity of Remnant's dangers. And that evolution will add even further into your path of becoming the very first Faunus Grand Huntress, in order to prove true Faunus strength and their ability to strive for greatness."

Blake nodded. "That's certainly another way to sum it up."

"Right!" Ruby beamed and held out her fists. "Let's both become Grand Huntresses and make the world better for humans and Faunus everywhere!"

"Nn." Blake nods again with a small smile, before jumping her fist against Ruby's.

"Did somebody mention self-improvement? Cause I'm all for that!" Yang grinned as she stepped into the fray, slinging an arm around both of their shoulders. "Any idea of what our new mission is gonna be, yet?"

"Oh, you need help picking a mission?" Pyrrha offered, sitting down with the others when they made their way over.

"Leave it to us! We're good at this kinda thing!" Jaune smiled while placing a fist on his chest.

"You'll give us a hand? Thanks!" Ruby nodded in gratitude. "There aren't any search and rescue missions available. I was wondering what you consider the next best thing?"

"Search and Destroy!"

"Of course your pick that one out first, Nora..."

Weiss looked over the one she could currently see, and she narrowed her eyes at the description in question.

'Every once in a while, strange looking Grimm would come out and ruthlessly attack anyone who's outside of town. While the town's upgraded defenses can reliably keep them from getting inside, they're not sure how long they can last. Everyone's too afraid to leave, as plenty of people have been slaughtered already when caught off-guard and away from their groups. Assistance desperately required.'

"Seems a bit different than the last one. Rather than needing to help a town rebuild their defenses, these Grimm keep viciously attacking them when they try to leave." Weiss squinted her eyes. "Circle? What a...'creative' name for a town."

"Anyway, the abridged version is that they're seriously trapped. They're able to keep them out but they can't safely venture out." Yang summarized while rubbing her chin. "Strange Grimm. Did they specify what those Grimm looked like? How they behaved?"

"Nothing regarding that, no."

"Boy, it's gonna be a surprise, then. Probably not a fun one."

"Either way, we won't know for sure unless we see for ourselves." Blake insisted. "Ruby, what do you think?'

Ruby thought about it for a little bit. It did seem to be dangerous. They were going to have to prepare quite a bit for this one, if only to be certain that they absolutely had everything that they needed. And even then, there could be surprises they would have to be able to adapt to. If there as anything she learned from their first mission, is that there can be all sorts of surprises.

And not all of them are happy surprises.

Regardless, ignoring this wouldn't feel great. These people were trapped in their own town and these Grimm weren't letting them leave. It was sort of the same, except the issue is less the Grimm getting in and more the people can't get out. It sounds like things were going to get worse for them if they don't get help soon.

Ruby knew what she wanted to do.

"We're taking up this mission." Ruby decided as she looked at the rest of the team, who each nodded once after a bit more thought. "Weiss, think you can help us prepare?"

"Of course I can. We should always be as prepared as we can be when preparing for a mission." Weiss scoffed while pushing her hair way. "That being said, there are quite a few things that would require discussing before we actually do form the selection, Ruby. So I do implore you to pay attention."

"I am, I am! Geez."

"Also you, Xiao Long."

"I'm listenin'." Yang smiles while flashing an 'OK' sign.

"Blake?"

"Nn."

"Alright, here's how we'll lay this out."

As Weiss began discussing their plans for preparing for their mission, a certain group was watching them from afar. It didn't take much, but their leader seemed quite annoyed simply by the sight of them, folding their arms with an irritated scoff. The rest of their team felt somewhat similarly, but not to the extent that their leader did.

"Can't believe that little pipsqueak is a Huntress."

"I dunno, Cardin. Small as she might be, she looks like she could hold her own." Dove mentioned quietly, keeping his back to the group while trying not to be too noticeable. It wasn't exactly hard.

"Besides, we already know that Beacon wouldn't let her join up without having he prove herself first. She might be the real deal." Russell interjected, though he was a bit put off by the fact that the whole gang simply accepted Blake without so much as a single fuss. How could they possibly do that, knowing who and what she was?

"Tch, maybe. Still, I'm not convinced." Cardin unfolded his arms. " If she comes back from this new mission of hers and stays her course, we'll see if her grit is the real deal or not. Until then, I can't see her as anything more than a potential nuisance."

"Why do you have to be like that, man? Is it because she's the youngest one here so far?"

"That's a part of it. But even so. She looks too soft. The first mission is too soon to be great proof that she actually has the backbone to continue on this path. If we ever have to fight side by side, I don't want someone weak attempting to have my back. We'll just have to wait and see for ourselves. But until then, I'm not buying that she's in this for the long haul."

"Man, what a lack of faith. You're not gonna go and try harassing her in order to see if your hunch is right or not, are you?"

"Tch. What do you take me for? A school bully? Get real." Cardin grunted as he, Dove, and Russell began to clear out before they were noticed. After a few paces, however, they stopped and turned around after realizing that one of their own was still hanging back. "Sky? Come on, man, let's go."

Sky didn't leave just yet, but made sure to stick around for a little bit longer and to stay mostly unseen. The young man didn't hear his comrades for the moment, for he was a bit too busy quietly leering. Eyes were wandering from places to place.

It all began with Pyrrha of course, and her nicely toned and curvy build, worthy of a former champion. Then there was Nora and Weiss with their well developed, shapely legs. Blake with her more voluptuous legs and butt. Then there were the Xiao Long/Rose sisterly duo, appearing to be one of the more trained members of the bunch. Yang boasted the largest pair of breasts and strong muscles. Ruby was slightly less so but still rather noticeable, due to the amount of running and kicking that she does and how she swings about a giant scythe with near ease. Those required strong and well formed pairs of arms and legs, each.

All in all, Sky did quite a bit of sight seeing. Not too bad at all-

Cardin roughly smacked his friend upside the head.

"Ow! Cardin, why do you gotta be like that?" Sky groaned while running the back of his head in pain.

"Get your head outta the gutter, you idiot. We've got work to do."

Sky groaned as he turned and moved away from the area with his teammates. "Come on, there's nothing inherently wrong with fulfilling a little bit of curiosity, right? Nothing wrong at seeing what's interesting. Just enjoying the novelty from afar."

"That's a convoluted way to say you're ogling them." Dove pointed out with a shrug.

"I was testing my observation skills, obviously."

"You were obviously making sheep eyes at them." Russell rolled his eyes. "At least be upfront about it, man. You're not fooling anyone."

"You two are the worst. Cardin, back me up here!"

"I can back up that you're a moron."

"Ouch..."

As Cardin's group left the scene, Weiss concluded explaining her preparation plans. "Any questions?"

"I have some!" Ruby raised her hand, before she immediately dashed in front of Jaune and Ren with sparkling eyes. "Do you have weapons? Can I see your weapons?!"

"Unbelievable." Weiss threw her hands up.

"Those questions aren't relevant to the subject, Ruby." Blake pointed out nonchalantly.

"Hey, it has something related to preparation! Somewhat."

"Well, since you asked." Ren chuckled lightly while swiftly pulling out the weapons as requested, though also with a bit of care. "StormFlower."

"Oooh." Ruby asked briefly while appearing in several places and eying them carefully. "Dual SMG's with collapsible blades? What a combo of quickness and swiftness!"

"You could tell from a glance?"

"On a good day, kinda."

Jaune sighed. "Alrighty. It ain't quite as fancy as everyone else's things, but, well...here ya go." Jaune eventually pulled out a sword from it's sheathe, and held it outwards for everyone to see. "Meet Crocea Mors!"

"Crocea Mors, huh?" Ruby rubbed her chin while giving a bit of time to examine it.

"Ah, it's not quite much, is it? But it's still quite important to me. A family hand me down, if you will." Jaune mentioned with a nod. "Yeah, not exactly the greatest in the world."

"That's perfectly fine." Ruby shook her head. "Nothing wrong with working with a simple sword and shield. If it works for you, then it works. It just means that a part of you has a soft spot for the classics."

"Thank you!" Jaune clapped before gesturing his hands forward. "Seriously! People kept taking shots at the fact that I use a simple sword and shield! Look, all of your weapons are cool, alright! I heard you use a Scythe, Rifle combo, right?"

"That's my baby, Crescent Rose!"

"Yeah, that! Look, it's REALLY cool! I'm allowed to think that! But maybe I'm just a guy who appreciates the simplicity of a sword and shield, ya know? And besides!" Jaune lightly pulled his fist. "Thanks to my training through Aura, I've got some ranged options covered. And even then, I'll have the others by my side to pick up that slack."

Ruby nodded to each word. "Forget those guys, Jaune. I can respect simplicity like this. If a sword and shield is what works for you, them become the absolute best at both to prove your point to them!"

"Respect the classics!"

"Yeah!"

The others watched as the two high fives each other, and Weiss was just wondering how this madness even started. They had a mission to prepare for! They had to stay focused, leaf they get seriously sidetracked to some degree!

But she also didn't want to dissipate the friendly vibes that were going in between everyone right now. That simply wouldn't do.

"Weiss." Pyrrha briefly called her out, which snapped her out of her thoughts. "Your first mission. It unexpectedly became quite a difficult and harsh battle. Though you were able to overcome it together, right?"

Weiss blinked, as she lightly scratching her cheek. "I suppose you could say that, in a sense. It was quite a haphazard start though, considering everything that happened. I am glad it mostly worked out, even though we're still ironing out some rough spots here and there."

"I see." Pyrrha nodded, gently smiling as she placed a hand over her heart. "Hopefully your bonds grow stronger with every battle."

"Hmm. It seems like a rather extreme way to bond, doesn't it?"

"Danger is the anvil in which trust is forged." Pyrrha declared rather softly. "Achieving victory all by ones lonesome can bear fruit, but there's a fulfilling feeling about overcoming seemingly insurmountable obstacles with allies by your side. And through overcoming those challenges together, an invaluable trust in each other can be born, which can vastly improve synchronicity in battle."

Weiss rubbed her chin slightly. Invaluable trust, huh... She thought while taking a brief look towards the somewhat unknowing Blake. It did seem like they shared an immense opponent, one through the White Fang. And admittedly, they wronged Blake far deeper than they did Weiss, though that didn't diminish her own suffering at their hands at all. She wondered if she really could get a better and more understanding bond of trust with her by overcoming everything they sent their way. The same goes for Ruby and Yang, whom she was less than friendly with when they first met. One clash at Aurora Town later, and they've seemingly overcome the rough start between them.

Well, since they were going to be together for a while, she might as well keep giving it a try. And she'd love for it to be successful through their various merits, to prove themselves together.

The more Weiss thought about the idea, the more she could get behind it to an extent. Yes, that kind of feeling wouldn't be too bad to have more of, if she was being perfectly honest. After all, her grandfather, as amazing as he was, didn't do every single thing by himself. He was able to get to the point that he was at because of his own ability and people who were by his side. It gave his successes a more fulfilling feeling in that he wasn't accomplishing them purely for the sake of it, but for those that worked alongside him to reach an ambition and dream they shared.

Perhaps she could do well to take more of that mindset to heart. Except in her and Blake's case, there was a common enemy out there that they would eventually have to begin overcoming together. She's thought about this, and she knows that Blake thought about it too, to some degree. It's why she insisted on the group really preparing for trouble to arise at any time with little to no proper warning. Of course they can't possibly prepare for every possibility, but Weiss didn't see the harm in trying every now and then.

Remnant was a dangerous world with many possibilities, after all.

"Weiss? Are you alright?"

Weiss blinked as she realized that she's been staring into space for quite a bit. Blushing slightly and shaking her head in embarrassment, she cleared her throat. "S-Sorry, just in deep thought. In any case, we have another mission to prepare for, so I don't really need to tell you three that we have to be prepared for as many things as possible."

"You mean for shit to get chaotic, right?" Yang casually pointed out.

"Precisely."

"Look at it this way, Weiss Cream!" Nora clapped cheerily. "If you expect a mission to get crazy and it actually gets crazy, you can at least say that you expected and prepared for it. If everything goes smoothly and without a lotta trouble, then that's a happy and welcome-if slightly boring-surprise!"

"How did you figure, Nora?"

"That's how Jauney goes into every mission!"

"It's true." Jaune raised his hand with a sheepish smile. "Expecting everything to go wrong and be surprised when it doesn't, kinda feels better than expecting everything to go smoothly only for things to go wrong. In the sense that you'll be happy things worked out the way you planned it. And when you expect everything to go wrong and it actually does go wrong? Like Nora said, at least you'll have seen it coming."

"But doesn't being surprised by everything going right also increase the dread of something eventually going wrong? Perhaps to an even worse degree than you expected?" Blake tilted her head curiously, to which Jaune groaned.

"And there you have the price of that mindset. Your worries are either proven right, or increase when they're not immediately proven right. And I am a guy who worries a LOT about what can go wrong."

Yang rolled her shoulder with a grin. "But that's why we've got ourselves teams. Whatever trouble heads our way, we back each other up whenever we need it. I can dig that." Yang turned to Weiss. "It's for when the gal that has all the answers doesn't have the answer." Then she turned to Blake. "And facing a future of uncertainty isn't as scary when you've got someone by your side."

Weiss thought over it a bit more, then she closed her eyes with a smile. "Alright, I'll humor your pep talk, Xiao Long. Let's go into this next mission with a more 'positive' mindset, while preparing for the worst."

"Nn." Blake nodded in agreement, placing a hand on Ruby's shoulder. "What say you, Ruby?"

"I say we got everyone on the same page, for the most part." Ruby nodded with a small smile. "Okay, it's decided. Let's get what we need and be prepared to move out when ready! Let's make this one a success just like the other one!" Ruby followed up, still smiling. "Even though things probably might get crazy, let's do our best anyway!"

"That's the spirit, Ruby-Ruby!" Nora cheered affectionately with a raised fist, which gave everyone somewhat of a light laugh at their shared enthusiasm.

Blake and Weiss, in the meantime, were still pondering over Yang's optimistic words. They couldn't really bring themselves to fully believe in them, but that spark of hope they ignited wouldn't let them let it go so easily. They wanted to nurture it as much as they could, so long as they were able.

Facing an uncertain future together...

That certainly did sound a lot less daunting than facing it alone.

It wasn't much, but it was definitely something.

He didn't know what he was expecting, letting this group of beasts into his establishment. All too knowing of what damage they were capable of causing if they were allowed to have their way. He was disgusted that they were even smiling the ground with their feet. Were it within his power, he'd have them thrown out without a single care in the world.

Unfortunately, as he was thinking, he was dealing with beasts. And he was not nearly capable enough of taking down beasts.

He could see their leader in the far back, casually gorging herself with food, all the while two of her companions were there quietly glaring at anyone that looked at them funny. Before long she finished, sighing pleasantly as she wiped her mouth with the back of her wrist. She looked up with a grin.

"Nice of you to show some hospitality towards us. You're so cooperative I might actually be swooned by it."

"Tch..."

At one moment, her Scroll began to vibrate, and she lightly pulled it out while answering. She blinked as she realized who it was. "Ah, Boss. You got an assignment for me?"

"I suppose you could say that." Was the slightly vague response. "Something has caught our attention, you see. At the moment it's not much to be worried about. But due to the potential troubles it can cause down the road, it's also not something we can just ignore. Our High Leaders recognize it as such."

"That so? What is it? Someone giving them the creeps or somethin'?"

"I'm sure you've heard of the Schnee name, haven you?"

The woman began smiling. "I have."

"Well, as one would have it, the middle child of the Schnee family has become a Huntress, all the way out in Vale. It looks like she's trying to make a better name for herself. Isn't that cute?"

The woman's smile widened. "She's caught out alone in the wild, and her big sis can't come to the rescue."

"Precisely. As our High Leaders said, she's not nearly as much of a threat at the moment by herself as her elder sister. She's just a spoiled naïve child, after all. But that can easily change if she's left unattended. " There was a brief pause. "...I take it you know where I'm going with this."

"I do, Boss."

"Very good. Do us proud."

"Understood." The feed cut off, and she pocketed her Scroll with a grin. "Well well! I think I just caught my big break! About damn time!"

"Does that mean you're done here?" The bartender scolded with a glare. He couldn't wait for her to take her posse and leave, as he didn't know what to do if she stuck around.

"Yeah yeah, I'm off. Turns out I've just been given a job. Happy days for me!" She briefly hopped out of her seat and made her way towards the exit, pushing the door open.

The bartender sighed, glad she was gone. Before he noticed something off. And even though his instinct shouted heavily against it, he found that he couldn't help himself.

He ran outside, watching as the woman was walking with her group. "Hey, you wretched beast! You haven't paid!"

The woman stopped in place. She then lowered her head, and began cackling.

"What's so damn funny?!"

"Hah, sorry, sorry. I'm just pretty glad." She slowly turned around, and he noticed too late the mad look in her eye. It was then that he got a better look at her, and furth her fuzzy ears, is able to tell that she's a jackal Faunus. "You gave me an excuse. I've been looking for one."

"An excuse for what?"

"Wait for it."

She raised her hand and snapped her fingers.

The man blinked as his establishment was suddenly engulfed in a fiery explosion. Fiery debris flew by him, yet he didn't turn around immediately. It was slow and gradual,but he eventually did look at what used to be his business, in full. It had been completely destroyed in an explosion. It wasn't a normal one, he didn't have anything around that would cause things to explode to such a degree. And he senses a pulse of Aura.

Which only meant one thing.

The woman slid an arm around him while gazing at the flaming wreckage.

"Whoo-wee! Look at that! Business is booming, wouldn't ya say?" She playfully patted his shoulder.

He didn't even try to guess what might happen next, he already knew. And it filled him with dread.

"...Have mercy."

The woman blinked. "Eh? Mercy? Hnnn..." She thought over it for a moment, before she grinned. "Nah. I'm a 'wretched beast', remember? Beasts don't know the meaning of mercy. They just kill and move on. Kinda like this."

She pulled back and then walked away, before the man was suddenly engulfed Ina n explosion himself, like his establishment. One of subordinates handed her her cloak, and she hung it around her shoulder.

The cloak had the image of a beast head on the back of it. It was blood red, it's eyes were opened, fangs were bared, and had three red claw marks going through it and the circle it was in.

"Let's go, everyone." She began with a vicious glint in her eye as the flames behind her continued to grow. "We've got ourselves a filthy Schnee to butcher."

She sighed in a rather disappointed tone as she looked out towards her handiwork.

"Tch. Not even a single one of you showed promise..."

She was speaking to the remains of a dead town, which had been viciously savaged by Grimm recently. Nearly all of the men, women, and children had been savagely killed by the Grimm beasts, none of them having been spared from the onslaught. It was a tragedy, if a sadly common one.

And yet she couldn't look at it with nothing more than bored disinterest.

"None of you even out up that much of a fight. Not a single one of you were worth anything." She muttered, a bit miffed that she wasted her time yet again. "And here I thought I finally came across some people worthy of recruiting." She looked the list if towns she has visited, four having been crossed out already, including the recent one.

She soon hung up, and lightly rubbed her chin in deep thought as she came across the next location on her list.

"Circle...strange name for a town...wait. I've heard that name before..."

On her back, a pair of Lightning and Gravity Dust swords graced her, placed in their sheathes.

"Wasn't there a fairy tale that had such a group with that name? Did they feel inspired, too? Or could they possibly be...?" She wondered, before she shrugged and behan heading onwards. Well, let's hope that they do better than the ones from that fairy tale did, and not prove utterly disappointing and a waste of her time.

Or else they'll share the same fate.

As such, she left the destroyed settlement behind, uncaring of the tragic loss of life she helped cause.

In one corner, we have ourselves a lovely agent if the White Fang, who's been ordered to take Weiss's life.

In the other corner, we have ourselves a lone woman who seeks people worthy of something, or else they're not worth anything.

And in the third corner, we have team RWBY, beginning their next mission.

And finally the fourth corner, Circle, where the meetup and missions are sure to take place. Surely this location will faira tiny bit better than Aurora did, right?

...Right?

Well, at least the crew aren't totally oblivious to the possibility of things being driven off-course.

The degree of it is where the true worry lies...