After everyone had finished their dinner and the plates were cleared, Olivia paid for the meal, much to the heiress's surprise. Weiss tried to argue, but could only eventually convince Olivia to let her pay the tip. For eight people, even twenty percent would come out to a significant amount.

Olivia kept a close eye on Weiss's portion of the total, and was mildly shocked herself to see the heiress put down as much lien as she did. Olivia would have figured the rich Atlas girl as the low tipping type, not understanding the hard work that went into providing so many people a decent service. All things considered, the tip was closer to fifty percent.

Olivia spared Weiss one nod of approval. It was the most she could manage for the Schnee; a token of appreciation that still left a vile taste in her mouth. The rest filed out, with Ruby and Yang leading the way. The young reaper was forced to support her sister as they walked, Yang having gone a bit too far in trying to show up Olivia through drink.

The spider faunus couldn't help but giggle at the sight. Half way through the night, she'd begun ordering drinks with far less alcohol. One night of heavy drinking was enough for a week. Even still, she found her feet stumbling ever so slightly as she walked, the ground itself swimming in front of her eyes.

Blake had been keeping a close eye on her the entire night, and even more so now was walking within arms reach, appearing as if she was ready for Olivia to fall over any second. Olivia waved her off, only mildly slurring her words, "Ey, don't worry 'bout me. Yang's the tipsy one."

"Ruby looks like she has that covered," Blake replied lightly, ears twitching beneath her bow, "Take this as thanks for covering the bill. Where'd you get all that lien, anyway?"

Olivia grinned and bent closer, raising a hand to block her mouth from the rest of the group, "Crime does pay…" She then paused with a frown, "But I don't want to anymore, like I said earlier."

Blake's eyebrows had climbed up her forehead at the admission. She stepped a little closer, keeping her voice quiet as well, "Really? Did you rob banks or something with the White Fang?"

Olivia shook her head, face furrowing in confusion as a part of her mind screamed at her to keep her mouth shut, "The White Fang?... they would give me money sometimes… to buy clothes and food, mostly…" Olivia wistfully looked up towards the sky, the moon shining brightly down upon the group of eight, "They were the best…"

"You mentioned before… that they all died. I'm sorry to hear that… How old were you?"

Olivia closed her eyes, pained by the influx of memories. She had only that morning received her acceptance into Sanctum. Her voice came out in a hoarse whisper, "Thirteen…"

"Do you want to tell me about them?"

Olivia gave Blake a long stare, trying to reason out the other girl's intentions. From the look on her face, she seemed to be genuinely curious, and sad for her loss. Olivia slowed her steps to hang back, leaving the rest of the group out of range while they all continued to the bullhead docks.

Olivia recounted some of her favorite times with them, trying to leave out some of the more brutal details as she had with Qrow. Over the course of her story, though, she got the impression that Blake was reading between the lines. Missions for the White Fang hadn't been pretty, nor life itself, outside of the warehouse. Olivia's hands hadn't been clean, even then. They certainly weren't now.

"But, after everything they did… we were still a family. They were happy for me, Blake. Nobody wanted me to keep living that life… except Widow…"

"Widow?" Blake's head tilted to the side, this being the first time Olivia had brought up the older spider faunus. They were boarding the bullheads by then, and with the quarters much more cramped as they were, Olivia held up a finger to signal that they should be silent for the time being.

The flight up to Beacon took nearly no time at all, and soon enough the group of eight had made their way back to the dorms. Olivia and Blake held back once more, this time choosing to continue climbing up the stairs instead of going down the hall with the rest of their team. Yang's shouts of 'Where'd those two sneak off to!?' reached their ears before they escaped to the safety of the roof.

Olivia stumbled to the railing and leaned against it, basking in the cold, light wind that rippled across the rooftop. From up top like this, she could still see over the edge of Beacon's cliff and down into Vale itself. Orange and white lights lit the darkness, like a second set of stars reflecting the sky above.

Blake leaned against the railing next to her, eyes only on the spider faunus, "So, you were saying?"

Olivia sighed, "Widow is… like a mother to me. I met her when she was another member of the White Fang. She… hates humans, even more than I do."

Blake nodded slowly, "I know someone like that… Where's Widow now?"

Olivia's hand stretched out, sweeping across the entirety of Vale, "Out there, somewhere. She didn't want me to come to Beacon, but eventually figured it was for the best… Widow thinks that I'll realize she was right, once I've spent enough time in this place."

"Right about what?"

"That we only need each other… and that no one else can be trusted."

Blake was silent for a while, the two quietly enjoying the breeze together. After a few minutes, the cat faunus put a hand up to her bow and pulled on the ribbon, releasing her second set of ears from the folds, "I'm sure Adam is out there somewhere, too. The White Fang in Vale tend to stick to their camps in Forever Fall."

"I take it he isn't the best person you've ever met?"

Blake shook her head sadly, "Adam would kill every human if he could. He thinks the faunus are superior… that it's our right as the better species to rule over the humans."

"We are the better species," Olivia started, then raised her hands when Blake's head whipped to look at her, an argument on her lips, "By that I mean we have better senses, more acute reflexes, natural advantages that humans don't have... Are we morally superior, though?" she scoffed, "Not in the slightest."

Blake grimaced, "Do you think a faunus could run something as detestable as the Schnee Mines?"

"Wouldn't Adam?"

Blake paused, gathering her thoughts, "Adam was… abused by humans. His mind isn't in the right place. He didn't start off evil."

Olivia shrugged, "Neither did I. That doesn't mean I can't hold myself accountable for the things I've done and try to be a better person, a better faunus."

Blake's eyes took on a soft tone, her ears drooping slightly against the top of her head, "You didn't really answer me earlier… Why do you want to change?"

Olivia turned away from the cityscape below to lean with her back against the railing and her elbows resting on it to her sides. She paused to think about it for a moment before answering, trying to collect her thoughts as well as she could.

"My brother Copper would be ashamed of what I've become. So would my other brother… Jace. Letting myself fall so far… The least I could do is try and rise back up again, better than ever. I want them to be proud of who I am."

Blake's eyes raised to the sky, seeming almost as if she was blinking back tears. Olivia heard her whisper sadly, "Was I not enough?"

Olivia extended out a hand to hold hers, "Hey, I've never met this Adam guy, but from the sounds of it… It didn't matter what you did. I want to change because I cared about other people that thought I could be a better person. Maybe Adam just… wasn't capable of that."

"Maybe…"

Olivia squeezed more tightly, "I'm glad you're on my team, Blake. I know I gripe, and it's obvious I would have rather ended up with Ren and Nora… but you and Ruby are the two things keeping me here at all. Try and take your own advice and just… focus on the good."

Blake squeezed back before pulling her hand free and using it to check the time on her scroll, "It's nearly midnight. We should get some sleep. Are you still going to the other room?"

Olivia nodded, feeling for herself just how tired the day had managed to make her as well, "If Ren's awake, I'll have him give me a dose of his semblance. Nothing beats it when you want to sleep and forget all the terrible times in your life…"

Blake stood straight and began to tie the bow back on top of her head, "Well, I'll see you tomorrow morning, then. At least come back over to our room to get ready, okay? You can't avoid Weiss forever."

"Will do," Olivia smiled slightly, the alcohol making her that little bit more daring, "I wouldn't miss the chance to get a peek at you anyway."

Blake scoffed, a smile on her lips, "Don't you have a girlfriend already?"

Olivia waved a hand drunkenly, "She's a fling. A fun stress reliever."

"Well," Blake laughed, "I don't really plan on being the same. I think Yang might be more my type after all."

Olivia shared in the laugh, "Hey, Yang would be a catch if you're into that sort of girl," she raised her hand to block her mouth conspiratorially, "and I'm on pretty good terms with her. You say the word and we'll set up a blind date for the two of you. Bonus points, she doesn't have a problem with faunus, and I know a nice hotel you could stay at."

Blake's cheeks colored as she lightly pushed Olivia on the shoulder, "That's way too fast. I think I'll take things at my own speed, thank you very much."

Olivia smirked, "Alright, alright. Just keep in mind we only have four years for you to make a move. If I don't see any progress in at least two then I'm stepping in for you."

Blake rolled her eyes, "Yeah sure, Miss Stress Reliever," she walked towards the stairs and pulled the door open. An uncertain smile tugged at her lips, growing larger by the second, "I'm glad we had this talk. I feel… a lot more hopeful for the future. For our team…"

Olivia waved her away with a shooing motion, "Me too. Let Ruby know I said goodnight… I'll see you in the morning."

Blake gave one last smile before disappearing, letting the door close behind her with a slow click. Olivia sighed and closed her eyes, tilting her head back to lean more against the railing behind herself. She stayed there for a while longer, feeling the light wind stirring her hair and cooling her off.

After a few minutes, Olivia was hardly surprised to feel Ozpin's presence on the other side of the door to the stairs. There was a slight knock, two quick raps of his knuckles against the steel surface that reverberated across the quiet rooftop.

"It's your school, isn't it?" Olivia shouted out, loud enough for a human to hear at that distance.

The door opened as Ozpin stepped through, holding two steaming cups in his hands, "Indeed. It is never a bad idea to be polite, though." He walked over to Olivia and held out of the cups, "Careful, it's hot."

Olivia raised her eyebrows at the steam slowly rising up from the cup, but accepted it from the headmaster, gingerly holding it by the handle. A small sip revealed it to be hot cocoa, instead of coffee, "So, do you give every student treats in the middle of the night when they're standing on your rooftop, or just ones that have been in the White Fang?"

Ozpin smiled, "If the latter were the case, I would have brought a third mug for Miss Belladonna," at Olivia's surprised stare, he chuckled, "Yes. Not much slips by me, Miss Mandevilla. I'm well aware that both of you were once members of the… esteemed organization."

"Esteemed?" Olivia scoffed, "You don't have to try and flatter me, Headmaster. The White Fang is infamous, at best."

"Oh, they have done some good in their time. I would not paint them all as murderers and thieves like many others would. As of late, however, they have tended to stray in that direction."

"Trouble in Vale?" Olivia shrugged, "Sorry, I can't help you there. Isn't my group. They're gone."

"The loss of life is always a terrible event," Ozpin sighed, "Qrow told me of your faction. They sounded like wonderful people."

"... They were…" Olivia confirmed quietly, choosing to take another sip instead of continuing that particular conversation.

"You know, the path of the huntress will help alleviate some of the guilt you may be feeling. Saving others, killing grimm instead of people… I hope you believe me when I say I wish you all the best."

Olivia frowned, "And the cover up?"

Ozpin turned to his side to look at Olivia directly, "I'm not sure what you mean. Cardin Winchester was killed by something that has since disappeared from this world, and won't ever return. There is no reason for Olivia Mandevilla to pay the price for… someone else's mistake."

Olivia narrowed her eyes, catching the hint that perhaps the headmaster knew even more than he was letting on. 'It's too dangerous to ask him about it if he's only guessing, though.'

"That's… very kind of you."

"I exist solely to try and make the world a better place. If one measly cover up is all it takes to make my dreams a reality, then I will happily pay that price. It is the last time, though. As I said, that other person is gone. It should remain that way, don't you think?"

Olivia nodded, "It should."

"I'm glad we're in agreement," Ozpin checked his scroll and walked over to the door to hold it open for Olivia, "It's almost time for that curfew I mentioned. Enjoy your night with team Lion."

Olivia walked past and paused, attempting to hand Ozpin back the mug. He raised his hand to refuse and smiled, "Keep it as a reminder. My birthday gift for your fresh beginning."

"... Thank you, Headmaster…" Olivia gave a small bow of her head and left, hearing the door close behind her with no Ozpin in sight.

Olivia headed back down the stairs and knocked on Lion's door. It was immediately opened by Nora, who grabbed Olivia by the hand and pulled her inside. Unlike team Rainbow, they had left their beds in the proper configuration, laid out across the back wall with a few feet between each pair. The window still sat in the center, similar to her own dorm room.

Nora pulled Olivia over to the side, where they'd arranged a mattress on the floor, along with what suspiciously looked like her own blanket and pillow from across the hall. Nora confirmed as much as she began a quick tirade, laying out where everyone else was sleeping, and the 'ground rules', which included not inviting Melanie over.

Olivia rolled her eyes, "As if she'd even want to come here," then stopped herself, thinking about it, "On second thought…"

"No." Nora put her hands on her hips, "This room is the sacred property of team Lion. No girlfriends allowed."

"But then how are you here?" Olivia quirked an eyebrow at Nora and glanced to Ren, a smirk on her lips.

"Ooooooh~" Yang cooed from where she was in bed, apparently not yet asleep, just drunk. She rolled over to level a mischievous grin towards Nora, "You guys didn't tell me that yet."

Nora's head looked to the ceiling as she placed a hand across her forehead and slowly shook her head. Ren sighed, raising his hand to get the other's attention, "We were going to on our own time. We didn't want the two of you worrying about us doing anything indecent in our dorm, and it would have been easier if you got to know us first."

"Oops," Olivia clapped a hand on Nora's shoulder and gave Pyrrha and Yang a reassuring smile, "They're responsible, though. Really."

"I trust them," Pyrrha replied easily from beneath her covers.

Olivia put a finger to her chin in thought, "You know… those rooms in the library wouldn't be half bad…"

"That…" Ren sighed once more and shook his head, "Would be very disrespectful."

Olivia smirked, "Just saying," then tentatively walked over to Ren's bedside. She put a hand against the back of her head, rubbing it in embarrassment, "So, it's been a long day… Um… If you wouldn't mind, Ren?"

A tiny smile tugged at the corner of Ren's lips as he held his hand out. Olivia reached out to touch it quickly. She took a deep breath as his semblance washed over her, draining her emotional fatigue of the last few days. Olivia felt it all escape at once as she exhaled, her worries seeming to vanish in an instance. She mumbled a quiet, 'thank you', and stumbled over to the mattress that had been laid out for her.

"Goodnight," Olivia called out before pulling the blanket tightly across her chest. She snuggled into it and sighed, relaxing for the first time since she'd arrived at Beacon.

A chorus of 'goodnights' were echoed back by the others in the room as they all bedded down for the night. From this distance, Olivia could barely feel the heiress at the edge of her sixth sense's range. With Ren's semblance however, she found herself able to ignore it and focus on the calm feeling that had overtaken her.

Sleep came quickly after.

The warehouse door opened silently, allowing both Emerald and Mercury to sneak in ahead of Cinder. A loud male voice in the distance drowned out the quiet patter of their footsteps on the hard pavement. Cinder stepped in confidently, not bothering to hide her presence, content that Emerald and Mercury could handle the woman that Neo had told them about.

"You come into my hideout, make demands of me and my men, then when the smallest part of the plan goes wrong, try to short us on payment!?"

A woman's voice laughed, calm and carefree, "What is this 'us' you're talking about? I paid you the portion that you were due. The rest aren't accounted for, so they aren't getting paid."

"The buyer doesn't split the spoils before paying out, the ones that did the job do!"

Mercury crouched low up to the corner of a container and peeked around the side before turning back to Cinder and nodding, "It's Widow. I recognize her from the mission she took on with my dad. Roman is with her."

"Good. I can't wait to meet Lotus's mother," Cinder smirked and began to walk around the side of the container.

"What are you-!?" Roman's voice echoed loudly the instant before the lights shut off within the building. A single sparking fuse box the only sign of what had happened, providing the tiniest source of light in the distance.

Cinder narrowed her eyes, scanning the room. With her human eyes, it was impossible to see in the pitch black building. There were no windows above, no light being allowed to stream in from outside.

"Behind you!" Mercury's voice cried out, causing Cinder to spin around in the dark. The vaguest silhouette of a human shape appeared before her, and she raised a hand, letting loose a torrent of flame. For an instant, the light of the flames illuminated her target, revealing it to be Emerald.

The thief's aura crackled as she dove to the side, narrowly avoiding the brunt of the attack. Cinder whipped her eyes over to where Mercury had last been, intent on giving him the tongue lashing of a lifetime, only to find that he wasn't there.

Suddenly, the sound of fighting echoed on the opposite side of the building. Steel on booted steel as two fighters clashed over and over. Cinder could not see in the dark, but from the sounds of it, Mercury was giving as good as he got.

"Emerald, go back up Mercury, now!"

Emerald complied, taking only a moment to brush herself off as she drew her weapons and moved towards the sound of fighting in a crouch. With the light still reduced as it was, Cinder could no longer see her after she moved more than ten feet away.

The voice of the Widow whispered in her ear, "My oh my. That was an interesting attack. Can you explain how you did that?"

Cinder turned once more, hand raised with fire coiling in her palm. Her eyes were met with empty space, the air itself seemingly blacker than pitch, "Where are you? We're friends of your daughter, Widow. We came to request your help."

"My help?" the voice changed directions, speaking now from Cinder's right side, "I don't believe my daughter has ever spoken of you. The grey haired one I recognized at least."

Mercury's unconscious body came hurtling out of the dark to roll across the ground at her feet. Part of his forehead was bleeding, but aside from that, he appeared to still be alive.

Cinder turned to face the direction that Emerald had gone off to, certain that it hadn't been the same way as where Mercury had come from. 'What were we hearing, then?'

"So, what help would you ask from little old me?" Widow mocked from the darkness, sounding as if she was in all places at once.

"We know you and your daughter used to be in the White Fang. We need them now, to make diversions and help keep Ozpin's focus off his students. It'll help protect Lotus as well, if you agree to it."

"The White Fang were only ever a means to an end… I suppose I could use them again. Lotus can protect herself, though. What else are you willing to offer? I hope these children weren't your best allies…"

Emerald was unceremoniously tossed from the darkness as well, her body colliding with Mercury's. Her forehead was similarly bleeding, though she looked to have a few small cuts on her arms that also bled.

Cinder scoffed, feigning nonchalance, "Henchmen, really. You know of one of my true allies. Does the name 'Tyrian' ring a bell? He mentioned meeting you, once upon a time. Said you were the only other faunus to ever keep him on his guard," Cinder's eyes glanced down at Mercury and Emerald's unconscious forms, "I can see why."

Widow took a few more moments to reply, "Yes. I remember Tyrian. Do you work for him?"

"Salem is my Mistress, and she is kind to those that serve her well," Cinder replied haughtily before stepping forward and raising her arms wide, "Join us, and the grimm can be at your beck and call. As they are for Tyrian, as they are for me."

Cinder ignited her hands, each with a large flame that engulfed the darkness around her. Widow was revealed, standing ten paces away with her hands on her hips, daggers sheathed. Roman was lying on the ground behind her, his white coat lying askew along with his body. A grin stretched across the spider faunus's lips.

"If I help you, then you need to do something for me."

Cinder inclined her head, "Most requests are at my Mistress's disposal. Speak, and it will be done."

Widow shook her head, "You will suffice. I want my daughter back, and if I recall correctly... so does your Mistress. Assist me in freeing her from her childish dreams, and Salem may have us both."

Cinder dropped the flames from one of her hands and extended it out. Widow accepted it with a wide smile, firmly shaking her hand in agreement.

"Well, I'd better get started then," Widow turned her back on Cinder and walked forward a few paces before looking back over her shoulder, "Next time, try knocking."

With that, the spider faunus vanished past the fringes of the light, back into the shadows from whence she came. Cinder waited a few more seconds before sighing and kneeling down to check on Emerald and Mercury.

"I swear, I take my eyes off the two of you for one second…"

So, while Blake and Olivia are becoming friends, it appears that Adam and Widow may be about to do the same... What is Cinder plotting to do exactly, and how far will she be willing to go to uphold her end of the bargain? Lotus is a powerful piece on the chessboard, but as of yet, her final color is undecided. Will the King hold tight, or will the Queen manage to tear her from his grasp?

Thanks for reading,

- Sybaen