"... What an uplifting story, Olive. I hope those poor abandoned weapons all find their forever homes soon. Up next on the show, we have a very special pair joining us. You might know them from their incredible philanthropic work with various Faunus-rights movements," Illo Amar announced, introducing the next segment. "Or maybe you know them better as world-renowned slayers of Grimm, kissers of babies, and all around badasses. But today, they're here to give us the rundown on a little thing people have been calling 'The Life Penalty.' Please welcome Mrs Blake Belladonna and Mrs Weiss Rose-Schnee!"

The studio filled with applause as both women exited the relative safety of backstage and once again presented themselves to the public eye. Smiles wide, hands waving, and flawless makeup applied by the artists behind the scenes. They did their best to walk side by side, mostly to avoid any baseless claims of relationship problems or power imbalance. The media would jump on any hint they could make a controversy out of, and they both knew it.

Blake squeezed the supportive hand entwined with hers anyway.

Too much synchronicity was arguably worse than a few 'natural' slips and social trades though. So while Blake took the first steps on stage, she made sure to be visible 'helping' Weiss up after her. In response, Weiss offered Blake the seat closest to Illo with only a single refusal and insistence between them. The stage planners were expectedly professional, and had ensured the guest seating was a single couch large enough for four people; in opposition to the show's regular single-chair-and-loveseat layout. It was a small gesture, but the message it sent of a lopsided imbalance with half of the long couch noticeably empty was one Blake appreciated.

The crowd quieted as Weiss took her seat, crossing her legs and sitting with her dictionary-perfect posture and poise. Blake's eyes lingered just a bit on her partner's shapely legs, knee-high boots, single lacey stocking and a form-fitting white dress all working to accentuate just how beautiful the woman wearing them was. The deadly nightshade pinned at her shoulder was a nice touch, and played well with the set of pins that never seemed to leave Weiss' hair.

Blake felt almost casual with her own getup unanimously dubbed The Goodwitch by her family for its close resemblance to their old telekinetic professor's preferred attire; though Blake refused to wear a cape, much to Ruby's dismay. Instead, a white rose was clipped just beneath her upper ear, occasionally it would rub the fur just enough to cause an involuntary flick. The trio of ribbons that didn't seem to have a single resting place today kept Blake's hair bound into a bun, only adding fuel to the Goodwitch fire.

Just as the clapping was beginning to wear on Blake's nerves, the cue signals changed and the audience quickly returned to studio silence. Illo turned his plaster smile away from the crowd and towards Blake and Weiss. Blake knew the entertainer well enough to know that the stage presence was all an act. Off stage Cobalt was outgoing, but subtle in his mannerisms. More likely to communicate through body language than words. Unfortunately Illo Amar still had a fake, overly friendly smile that set her on edge. "Ladies! So good to see you again," he greeted for the audience. Then he shifted to an almost conspiratorial 'whisper' "do your wives know you're out with another woman?"

Weiss comically narrowed her eyes at Illo. "Well they will if you keep talking. What's your price?"

"Arm and a leg?" he offered.

Weiss rolled her eyes in response.

"Alright, half that."

With no hesitation, Blake reached down to Weiss' ankle and twisted. Her artificial foot disengaged from its setting, and fell into Blake's hand. With a light tug Weiss' boot was pulled off, leaving her leg bare beneath the skirt of her dress. Illo only barely caught the foot-filled boot as it was tossed at him.

"I expect that boot back, it's important to me, " Weiss nonchalantly added.

Illo was stock still for a few seconds, looking utterly bewildered by the boot currently held in his hands. "I gotta say, this is a first. Not sure the Mrs is gonna appreciate another woman's foot on my chest though."

Both Weiss and Blake could only hold their straight faces for so long at that. Quickly giving in and almost doubling over with laughter, accompanied by the studio audience.

Blake could certainly feel a level of admiration for Ilio's whole style. With his cycling wardrobe of colored suits and lemon yellow hair that was beginning to grey, it definitely wasn't his fashion Blake enjoyed. He was a character though, always letting his guests in on at least one joke beforehand. Exchanges where he was often the punchline or the buffoon at the end. Despite that, Ilio's show Yellow Bellied still had a reputation for solid journalism and giving not-quite-adult viewers at least an idea as to what issues were at play in the adult world.

Even if he left himself far too open for retaliation.

"If you want to shoot for the low-hanging fruit for your jokes, Illo, don't expect us to let you have any slack with our comebacks. I expect better from you." Blake gave a sigh like only a disappointed mother could.

"Oh so I'm the bad guy now?"

"I'm afraid you're wanted for crimes against humor," Weiss deadpanned.

Illo leaned out of view of the camera behind his desk, before popping back up a second later wearing fake glasses and holding briefcase with corners of paper sticking out. "I got some prep done beforehand, I hope you don't mind. But I wasn't sure how much of a head start I'd get, or is being on your bad side more of a 'sniper already trained on me' type deal?" To emphasise his point, Illo applied a small red sticker to his forehead.

Blake reached across the desk and plucked the sticker away, only to have the red shine of a laser pointer coming from a crew member light up to replace it. "Well, Ruby's busy with midterms this week. But I'm sure she'd be willing to give you until monday if you ask nicely. She's always ready for a little H&H."

"H&H? Is that anything like R&R? HhhRest and hhhRelaxation?" Illo swatted at the 'laser sight' and removed his 'disguise' as he sat back down. Keeping the overstuffed briefcase on the far side of his desk and returning Weiss' boot and foot.

"Hunting and Hounding is very relaxing, yes. Just in a more… visceral sense then you might expect," Weiss replied with a small nod as she reattached everything. "Letting the worries of city life drop away and just enjoying the simple things: fresh air, lots of space, the occasional life-or-death grimm encounter, revenge." The whimsical sigh that punctuated the list was entirely real. Blake couldn't help but agree that a good trip into the space between kingdoms really was refreshing like few other things. Even when the reason was less than stellar.

"Sounds like your house can get a bit wild after a while.

"Oh you have no idea. Ruby's bad enough on her own, but add in Yang or Jade and it's practically a z—" Weiss caught herself from saying 'zoo', much to Blake's appreciation. She'd been trying to learn what words just shouldn't be used when Faunus were involved for decades, but occasionally those old habits slipped through. Even Yang made animal puns on rare occasions, and Ruby still liked to 'pet' Blake and Jade's ears. "—a mad house."

"So, that brings me to why you two lovely women are here tonight: The Life Penalty. Or as those of you who are more directly involved with it might say: The Deal. Or the more legal nomenclature: Amnesty. What's the drive to allow dangerous, proven criminals a second chance? Is every jail cell meant to be empty by the end of it all? You seem to clearly enjoy having people to 'H&H'—did I use that right?" Blake and Weiss simultaneously made motions of 'not quite'."—out and about."

The question was a fair one, and completely expected, but that didn't make the answer any easier to give. Like most every foe Blake had come across that couldn't be cut down with a physical weapon, there was no simple answer to give to the masses. "Change requires a catalyst, support, and most of all it requires effort from those involved. Every political or social movement across history, from the Great War to the establishment of the first Menagerie over a century ago, has faced the same struggle. Most fizzled, some self destructed, a select few made it through the tough times and are still constantly showing just how much effort large scale change takes."

Leaning back, Illo's face scrunched up into a look of confusion. "So, what is it you want to change exactly? The penal system? The definition of a monster? Some of the people who are targeted by this system are incredibly dangerous, internationally infamous for their crimes."

"We want to change people. While it is true that some are completely past the point of helping, there are even more within that group who want to, or have, attempted to change from that course," Weiss countered. "We want to allow them to gain access to support systems to promote that way of thinking. To help them rehabilitate, and give back to the society they have done wrong by." Weiss shifted in her chair, likely nervous about the coming explanation. Blake reached a hand out is support, and it was taken gladly. "It's our belief that no one is born evil, villains don't just claw their way to life from pools of dark magic like the Grimm. Some people may be more prone to violence or mental instability, but that doesn't mean they have to deal with those issues alone."

Blake took up one of Illo's earlier questions before he had a chance to shift the topic away. "And it isn't like the selection board just plucks every psychotic maniac and crime lord out of their detention centers. Each candidate is thoroughly vetted and observed for an extended period. They require over three years of well mannered behavior at the moment, or one of directly beneficial, before they're even considered for the program."

"Alright, then this whole thing is basically a big, fancy parole? What's really the difference? Less red tape?"

Blake really had to respect Illo's job of leading the conversation. He was planting ideas as to what could be wrong with a system like this, but they were simple questions that could be refuted to ease fears and garner support, or left unanswered to promote healthy skepticism and provoke individual thought from his viewers.

"More, actually. The Deal has been active for nearly fifteen years now," Blake answered. "Those involved know all too well the type of backlash that can come from one or two mishandled slip ups. Lots of audits, check-ins with local authorities, oversight. Each candidate is closely monitored by an appropriately skilled Hunter or officer for a period of time. Curfews where needed, and new identities for a select few who might be targeted by extreme elements."

Illo was now leaning almost across his desk in what looked to be amazement. His hands gripped the corners as he tilted his head. "Fifteen years and no escapes? No heel turns, so to speak? I find that a little hard to believe, honestly."

Weiss let go of Blake's hand to give a small, single clap. "You should find that hard to believe. No system is perfect, and there have been those who have tested the safeguards. As of last week's report, twenty-eight people have found themselves removed from the program."

"By 'removed' you mean…"

"Returned to their original sentences due to small rule violations or by request, fortunately. Though there have been mortal consequences for extreme cases; Galeen, Serys, and Thane are all names we regret needing to remember," Blake said soberly, her ears drooping. She remembered the hunt for Thane Rivera, more specifically how she had ended it.

He had escaped custody earlier in the year, leaving his assigned handler in critical condition and fleeing to Vacuo's western coast. As the program began tracking him, he prepared for retaliation by taking control of a local cartel. By the time the authorities arrived, Thane had already established a horrifying child militia, using drugs and violence to control them. Blake had spent the better part of three months, with the help of what passed for police in Vacuo and a team of specialists the Amnesty program had put together, dismantling his operations from the ground up. Eventually his hideout was found and successfully neutralized thanks to a young officer, Pvt. Marbol, who noticed a back entrance less than an hour before the raid began. Thane found his escape at the end of a barrel, instead of a tunnel.

"I'm afraid I can't offer much but my condolences to their loved ones, but I have to hope that's enough." Illo sat, tight lipped and morose in a moment of silence. "You're rather… open about the failings of the system. But really, only twenty-eight? What's the ratio of success here?"

"Honesty and openness solve a whole slew of problems before they even start, even if it takes some getting used to initially," Weiss offered, her body turning slightly towards Blake as she did. "But yes, on a much happier note there are over two-hundred who have 'graduated' from the program. Including my own head of security at the Vale SDC building, Emerald Sustrai. They have proven themselves to be upstanding citizens, and invaluable assets to their teams and workplaces. They do still need a few simple check-ins a year, but the rules aren't nearly as stringent. They're mostly 'let off the l—" Weiss caught herself, unnecessarily this time. Though Blake could appreciate the sentiment and made sure to give her wife the go-ahead with a quick smile. "—leash', as it were."

"So, something like nine-to-one odds for overwhelming success. Sounds like this whole—pardon the pun—deal, is going places, but where is it now? Tell me, if you can, about some of these ongoing second chances."

"Definitely," Blake agreed. "The names and details have been changed to protect identities, of course, but there are a number of active participants we've gotten their approval to talk about. The first, who we'll call 'Autumn', accepted The Deal earlier this year…"

"... By the time Heron made it back to the village, every single surviving home had been successfully evacuated, and the residents relocated to the most defensible building. Ocean was found inside critically wounded, but the villagers were alive. And not a single grimm had made it past the barricade thanks to Ocean's efforts, according to eyewitness accounts." Blake finished. She'd had the audience's full attention with that last story, judging by the stunned silence that followed.

Eyes wide and mouth open, Illo switched his attention from Blake to Weiss, probably to find some hint the story had been fake. Finding nothing, he began clapping before being quickly joined by the audience with several 'whoops' of approval. It was surprisingly slow to die down once the prompts changed. "Wow, I guess some people really take well to the whole second chance. Ocean survived, right?"

Blake nodded in assent. "Living happily, and all too excited to talk about where he got his new scar to anyone who asks. He did say he misses the village potlucks though."

"Glad to hear it! Now with story time out of the way, I think it's time we moved on to the audience interaction. After the break." Illo said to the cameras. He waited for the 'On-Air' sign to dim before leaning back to his stage director somewhere behind the set. "Rakta, if you would find us some volunteers." Turning back to Weiss and Blake. "And you, Ladies. Are there any topics we shouldn't ask about?"

Blake and Weiss exchanged a look. Both had been through enough public Q&A sessions that they understood just how quickly things could spiral into creepy if allowed to. They had come prepared for the most obvious subjects to avoid already decided on, and both trusted the other to communicate any new addition to that list. None seemed forthcoming. So with a silent nod between them, Blake answered by the script. "No real names or personal details about anyone in the amnesty system who we haven't asked beforehand. Keep it all above the belt."

Illo's response was a curt nod, and making sure his staff knew the restrictions. His audience was given almost complete freedom in their questions, a trait his show was both loved and hated for some times. Some used it to ask what lipstick brand a celebrity preferred, while others would challenge personal philosophies. The only rule for the guests was that they weren't allowed to sidestep the question (or otherwise avoid giving a real answer), unless it broke their given restrictions.

As the crew members found audience members to fill the queue, Blake reached her arm around Weiss' shoulders. More for her own, selfish support than to help Weiss. She had never been one for crowds, and being the center of attention drained her ever more. Weiss was born into this kind of spotlight though, she wouldn't so much as slouch before halfway through the drive home. The gesture was reciprocated in kind, Weiss' arm wrapping around Blake's waist with a firm squeeze.

Soon, the stress would come back, and Blake would dream of curling up on a couch away from the public eye. Maybe she'd be needed for another emotionally draining manhunt. But for the time being, Blake had just enough home with her to relax a bit.

For now, Weiss was here.

Then, the spell was broken just as quickly as it had come. Interrupted by the sound of fingers tapping on a desk. "Ten seconds," was all Illo whispered once he saw he had their attention.

Unwinding from one another was hard for Blake, the soothing warmth of Weiss disappearing as her own nerves began to return. But, there was a show to put on, and public support to grow. Celebrity was never something Blake had wanted, but here she was all the same, waiting for the last remaining seconds of relief to expire until that little sign lit up and millions of eyes would be on her again.

And just like that, the inevitable future came to pass, the 'On-Air' sign was bright and the stage became a scene full of Illo's personality. "Welcome back to Yellow Bellied. I'm here tonight speaking with Blake Belladonna and Weiss Rose-Schnee about a program the public has taken to calling 'The Life Penalty' and some of their own stories from the front lines of rehabilitation. But enough about me, let's see what you, the people, want to know about my guests in tonight's Rattler's Round." With a flourish, Illo gestured to his crew as a sound clip played to begin the segment.

Blake knew from experience that a graphic was playing across screens the world over, separating the lead-in from the actual segment. She could practically see the trio of entwined snakes slithering across an imaginary screen as crew members counted down on their fingers to keep the flow uninterrupted.

As the stage manager's hand motioned, the first 'Rattler' started off the incoming chain of questions with an almost anticlimactic. "Who do you think will win the upcoming Vytal Tournament?"

"Beacon," Weiss answered immediately, leaving no doubt as to her loyalties when it came to spectator sports.

Blake actually agreed with Weiss as to who would take home the trophy, but she mostly judged who 'won' the tournament by incoming class sizes the school year after the tournament. Plus, just agreeing with Weiss wouldn't be as much fun. "Atlas has a pretty good chance, I think. With Headmistress Schnee at the helm, their competing students are going to be some of the best we've seen for quite some time."

The sideways stink eye Weiss directed towards Blake promised there was going to be facepaint involved with the cheering for Beacon this year. Not that she actually minded; Weiss in full ultra-fan mode was always a highlight of the tournament for the rest of the family. At least until security got involved. Again.

The Rattler's Round didn't give much breathing room between questions, and already the next attendee was breathing in to speak. "How many… Um… Amnestees? Have both of you personally handled?"

That was… not a terrible name for those involved, actually. Maybe a bit close to amputees for Blake's liking, but failing to come up with an appropriate term in a timely manner often lead the public to make one up for you.

At least it's better than 'Vill-ors'. Blake mentally sighed with relief at the fact Jaune's suggestion would never see the light of day, even by random chance. "I have four, two of which failed out," —read: I had to track down and kill.— "One only technically can be counted, but Professor Amitola considers herself the very first despite being ten years too early. And the last one is actually a makeup artist for this show. Mel's very public about his involvement. And he also did an amazing job tonight on Illo, don't you think?"

"Only two, I'm afraid. Emerald, I mentioned earlier. The other requested to return to his original sentence after a close call with falling back to old habits. I work primarily on the public relations side of things these days," Weiss admitted.

"How do you live with yourselves and your disgusting lifestyle? Flaunting your sickening homosexuality with no shame or thought to the minds of innocent children?"

What? Blake's train of thought didn't so much derail, as find itself flung by a rampaging giant grimm across her mental countryside. She was, sadly, used to occasional hateful opinions about being in a Human/Faunus relationship, or even the 'unnatural' group union her family enjoyed. But just for loving a woman in the first place? Bigotry came in all forms, but targeting it at same-sex couples was almost as ridiculous as limiting people to finding love in their kingdom of birth.

"Excuse me?" Weiss, it seemed, was not so easily frozen by stupid opinions. "What kind of brownie-up-the-nose id—"

WWRRRUU

Weiss' tirade was suddenly cut short by a piercing siren sounding from every scroll in the building at once. Like two performers dancing on the same stage, the twin tones modulated up and down around one another in a pattern that was impossible to miss or ignore no matter what the surrounding environment might contain. Blake's blood ran cold once her brain parsed just what the particular VIBES pattern meant: Emergency Transport Incoming. It was mostly used in the field for medical evac airships preparing to practically crash land to ensure timely pickup.

The alarm quieted to a level where it was no longer dominating the sound stage, before an almost chipper voice began to speak through the assembled scrolls. "RWBY-2, RWBY-3. Hunter-craft Corvid inbound. Code: Juliette Lima Zero Zero One. Safety Override: Romeo Romeo Sierra One Three Two. High-speed Turn-and-Burn maneuver initiated. Please relocate to designated pickup zone in one mike. Repeat: RWBY-2..."

One-three-two is Ruby's code for 'Laws-be-damned' Juliet Lima? J L… Jade Lily. Blake didn't even look at Weiss before bolting for the nearest door, leaping over obstacles and anyone in her way. Checking her own scroll for the pickup location she didn't see Weiss until she felt herself swept up by the familiar pull of a glyph pulling her to greater speeds.

Using shadows and glyphs in conjunction to round corners and avoid a few near-misses, the two panicking mothers shot out into the Backlot at bone-liquefying speeds. Even as Blake's eyes adjusted to the afternoon sun, the neighboring studio's wall grew terrifyingly close. Weiss, probably even more blinded than Blake, expertly redirected their momentum straight up with a new glyph, sending both rocketing into the partly-cloudy sky.

Just before gravity took back control, a familiar airship sped into place beneath them before flipping itself nose-down. It rose to exactly the height both of them "stood" midair with mechanical precision. As the hydraulic wall installed specifically for this type of pickup caught both Huntresses without so much as a bent knee between them.

As the airship reoriented for proper flight, the pistons propping the wall up lowered appropriately to keep its occupants standing perpendicular to the ground. The same chipper voice as from the studio began to speaking across the comma. "Nice to see you tod-"

"Cash. Fly," Blake commanded as she and Weiss swiftly buckled into the cockpit seats.

"Yes ma'am."

A/N:

Oh no. Not the precious Faunus child!

So this trio of chapters is all from alternate perspectives. How's it sitting so far?

As always, WhatOtherPlanet and Shock Factor are both amazing, go read their stuff.

Feedback if you've got it.

I dunno what you did to your eyebrows today, but it's working for you.