Olivia tossed Melanie's scroll back to her and sat down on the edge of her bed, staring blankly at the wall while considering the consequences of the choice she'd made. Velvet and Coco were important to her, in a way. They were the first two in the city to show her how different life could truly be, the first to accept her aside from Nora and Ren.

Olivia enjoyed the occasional banter with Coco… was thankful for the older girl's attempts at taking her under her wing. A scrappy, hoodie wearing girl with a nonexistent eye for fashion. Coco hadn't cared in the slightest that Olivia was a faunus, had even seemed to go further out of her way because of that fact. Would it have been the heroic thing to do to just let her die? To let her debts go unpaid?

Olivia also appreciated the words of encouragement that Velvet had always provided… She and Coco had been a dynamic duo, ushering the awkward assassin into an unknown world. A world filled with true kindness, instead of whispers and treachery. If it hadn't been for her fellow faunus's trust in Coco, Olivia never would have done the same.

And Yatsuhashi, the quiet giant that had persuaded Olivia to return to her dorm, had urged her to take that first step into acknowledging Weiss as a viable teammate, maybe even a friend. She still wasn't quite convinced that his presence there hadn't been planned from the beginning, but she'd be damned if she was going to complain about the results it had provided. Yatsu's words had spared her from weeks, months, perhaps even years of hardship with the heiress. Out of the members of team Coffee, Olivia surely owed him the most.

'Shouldn't I do whatever it takes?' Wasn't the entire point of being a Hero to save the ones you cared about?

If it was anyone other than Cinder, Mercury, and Emerald that were threatening team Coffee, Olivia was certain she would have killed them outright. Murder was always the easiest solution to any problem. It removed all the variables, as Crim had taught her so long ago.

'But I owe them, too…'

Without Mercury, and by extension Cinder, Olivia would still be rotting in that Oum forsaken city. She'd still be accepting contracts from Malachite, killing whoever brought in the most lien, straying further and further from the path of redemption until there was nothing left to redeem.

She would still be blissfully unaware of Widow's treachery…

It was times like these where her understanding faltered, where the path of 'good' was no longer clear. Unfortunately… she couldn't even ask her friends for advice. If anyone could tell her what path was the more noble one to take, it would be them. They wouldn't understand, though. None of them had truly walked a mile in her shoes, except…

'What would Blake say?'

If anyone's past was comparable to Olivia's own, it was Blake. Of course, the feline faunus had never murdered anyone as far as she was aware, but what if the White Fang asked her to return in exchange for letting Ruby and Weiss live? Would Blake go along with it, or fight back while risking her own exposure as an ex-terrorist?

'It still isn't the same… Blake doesn't owe them anything…'

Olivia sighed heavily and laid back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling while Melanie stood just within her periphery. The girl was biting her nails worriedly, looking as if she wanted to provide some type of encouragement, perhaps even consolation, but didn't know how to go about it.

Olivia gave her a small smile and patted the space next to herself on the bed, shifting as Melanie lied down as well. She draped an arm over Olivia's torso, pressing herself close in what could almost be a hug if not for their awkward positions.

"Are you okay?" Melanie asked the question lightly, her eyes filled for the first time with concern for the girl next to her.

"I just… don't know what I'm going to do…" Olivia confessed, returning her eyes to the ceiling above, "I promised myself I was going to leave that life behind. I should have known it would find a way to dig its claws into me again. Killing is all I'm good for, after all. Whether it's people or Grimm… either way, I end up with blood on my hands…"

"Who says you need to kill?" Melanie asked, tilting her head slightly so that she could get a better look into Olivia's eyes, "All I heard her say is that you need to work for her. She's trying to blend in at Beacon, isn't she? And she knows that you don't want to kill anyone… right?"

Olivia scoffed, laughing softly, "What else do you use an assassin for?"

Melanie shook her head, "You aren't just an assassin. You're a student at Beacon, a Huntress in training! There's plenty of things she could use you for besides killing people!"

"That's a nice sentiment, Mel. I don't know how true it really is though."

Melanie drew her hand back and poked Olivia in the chest, eyes staring fiercely into her own, "You're the Black Lotus. No one makes you do anything!"

Olivia chuckled dryly, "You make me do stuff in this very room all the time."

Melanie rolled her eyes and poked Olivia in the chest once more, "You know what I meant. She may have helped you in the past, but that doesn't mean you owe her your entire future. There has to be ways you can be useful without resorting to more murder!"

"Like what?"

"I don't know! Offer to pick up her dry cleaning or something!"

Olivia began to laugh. Deep, incredulous laughter while imagining Cinder's reaction if the Black Lotus ever proposed something so ludicrous. It helped to lighten her mood, to see that, while Melanie's most recent suggestion would never see the light of day, there was some truth to what she was saying.

Olivia's laughter subsided, and she rolled on to her side to reciprocate the hug that Melanie had been attempting previously. She pulled herself in close, letting out a final sigh into the other girl's long black hair while they embraced. It wasn't as comforting as the hug she had shared with Weiss, nor as intimate as what usually transpired between the two of them. Olivia still found herself enjoying it though, and let it continue in silence for a few long moments before finally pulling away.

"You're right. If Cinder wants me to serve, then it's going to have to be under my terms… Thank you, Melanie..." Olivia smiled, mind already searching for other things she could offer in exchange for team Coffee's lives. There wasn't much, and many of her options depended on what exactly Cinder had planned, but… 'It's better than betraying my teammates… better than betraying myself…'

And as long as she didn't cross that line… Olivia knew she wouldn't hesitate to keep it all a secret from the ones so important to her.

'Ignorance is bliss, as they say.'

Velvet leaned against Yatsuhashi for support, her body numb and her eyes blearily refusing to remain open for long. The leader of team Carmine, Cinder, had run them ragged all morning after giving them only a few hours to sleep the night before. She'd said it was to simulate the type of field missions they would have once they were full fledged hunters, and promised that they would be fine as long as Carmine was with them.

Coco groaned next to her, leaning against Velvet in kind with her head on the faunus girl's shoulder. They'd had a moment of excitement earlier when the short girl Neo and Cinder had suddenly jumped from the bullhead. She supposed it was to be expected if they were scouting the area. Velvet was just glad she hadn't been chosen to go along with them. She doubted she had the energy for it at the moment, with even her faunus resilience failing to hold her over.

The bullhead began to slow, the roar of the thrusters quickly changing into a pitched whine as it began to near the ground. The ship rocked as it descended, forcing Velvet to grip Yatsuhashi through the worst of it. Coco held on to her as well, the pair using their much larger teammate as a support for the ship's descent. Fox only leaned slightly forward in his seat, giving a mental yawn that was heard by all three of them.

The ship landed lightly, it's pads rocking against the ground and giving one final sharp shake to those in their seats. Mercury opened his eyes from where he'd been standing, leaning against the wall near the cockpit with his arms folded. Emerald stood next to him, similarly unperturbed by the mission they had been sent on. It was to Mercury that they all looked, the one that had been left in charge in Cinder's absence.

"Alright, listen up. We're starting things off simple. While Cinder and Neo are out scouting, we're going to do a little reconnaissance of our own. We'll split up into pairs and check out the town, asking people about where and when they might have spotted Grimm nearby. Get a feel for the area. We'll meet back up at the ship in an hour, or when Cinder returns," Mercury spoke confidently while looking them over, his eyes shifting to Fox in particular, "Can your semblance cover the entire town?"

"Yes," the singular word was heard by all those in attendance, despite Fox's lips not moving.

Mercury nodded, "Right then. If there's any trouble, try and get word to Fox so that he can tell the rest of us. It's faster than calling with scrolls individually."

Team Coffee agreed and began to stand, Velvet flashing a smile to Coco to signal that she'd pair up with her. They were stopped a moment later as Mercury called out once more, the sound of the ship's engines only then beginning to die down, "Bunny girl, you're with me. Coco, you're with Em. Yatsuhashi and Fox, take the side we flew over," his eyes fell on Velvet, "You and I will hit up the South side, while Coco and Em go Northeast."

"Oh, o-okay!" Velvet agreed readily enough, giving Coco an apologetic smile as they all quickly exited the bullhead. Velvet hopped down, feet lightly hitting the hard packed dirt beneath.

The town itself didn't seem as grand as she'd hoped, it's streets remaining mostly unpaved and its buildings rarely rising higher than a single story. It spanned only a few hundred feet in either direction, the bullhead having landed near the center of town. The buildings were mostly tannish brown, dappled here and there by more vibrant colors that were all the more so due to their surroundings.

The people at least seemed finely dressed, hanging back a small distance until it was clear that the bullhead was from Beacon. Smiles grew and parents held back excited children upon seeing the Hunters in training exiting the bullhead.

Emerald sighed as she stepped out, throwing a glance in Coco's direction before gesturing off into the distance, "Let's get this over with. I don't want to be stuck here any longer than we have to be."

Coco waited until Emerald had turned away before lowering her sunglasses and giving Velvet a look of misery. Her eyes trailed over to Mercury, and she spoke to Velvet in a low whisper that only her extra set of ears would pick up, "She's not the only one that wants to get this over with sooner rather than later. Best of luck with yours."

Velvet smirked and gave Coco a light push in Emerald's direction, speaking softly in return, "Maybe she'll grow on you."

Coco stared blankly back in clear doubt before giving her head a brief shake and pushing her sunglasses back up. She turned and fell into step next to Emerald, speaking to her as the two of them disappeared into the crowd, "So, I saw the way you were looking at Cinder. At least you've got taste-"

"Ready?"

Velvet was pulled away from listening in on the conversation any further as Mercury spoke next to her, his arms crossed while he stared after the retreating forms of Yatsuhashi and Fox. Velvet breathed in for a moment, focusing back on the mission at hand. When Mercury's eyes swivelled back to her, she gave him a confident nod.

"Good," Mercury sounded anything but excited by their current mission, and uncrossed his arms to begin walking away from the bullhead, "I'll leave most of the talking to you."

"M-me?" Velvet asked timidly, eyes now darting about to the people she would be expected to question, "Why me?"

Mercury shrugged, "You seem like the type that's bad with people. You'll have to work on that if you want to make it as a Huntress."

Velvet got the distinct impression that Mercury was also bad with people, if not for the same reason. His entire demeanor gave off the air of someone completely unapproachable, with no patience for idle chatter.

"And I suppose you're the poster child for nice, lengthy conversations?" Velvet remarked lightly, focusing in on a particularly large group of people that were currently being distracted by a blond woman. Velvet wasn't sure why, but she felt drawn to them, and set her feet in their direction while forcing Mercury to do the same.

Mercury chuckled, shooting Velvet an appreciative smirk before replying, "No. I suppose I'm not. Fortunately for me, Cinder made me the boss of you lot. You have to do what I say~"

Velvet nodded in agreement, feeling what small irritation she'd felt beginning to drift away as they grew closer to the group ahead of them, "Well, you're right about that. If you don't mind, I'd like to start with her," she nodded her chin towards the blond.

"Yeah… that sounds like a great idea…" Mercury spoke softly in agreement, his eyes transfixed while a small grimace worked its way across his lips.

"Don't worry, Vera! I've already called ahead to Beacon to ask for some assistance. Whatever Grimm you've heard about won't be a match for them, let alone me!"

Velvet could now hear the conversation as she approached, the blond woman's words ringing with positivity. It was infectious, and Velvet found herself truly smiling, nervousness entirely forgotten. They wound their way to the edge of the crowd, now within range for Mercury to hear her words as well. The older boy appeared to be fighting a smile of his own, his brows knitting together in confusion and contrasting the upward slant of his lips.

"I'm sure you're right, Ariel! It's just, there were so many that I couldn't help but panic!" an older woman piped up, seeming reassured by the blond's words, "I should have known you'd already have the situation handled!"

The crowd murmured agreement, and Velvet found herself nodding along with them despite not knowing anything about the blond. She could hardly see more than the top of her head, obscured by the crowd as she was. Velvet's rabbit ears were perked, standing at attention and giving away her presence as a faunus for all to see. Yet the fear and trepidation from being around so many humans did not come. It was suffocated by a soothing calm that washed over her, like waves along a sandy shore.

The blond shifted her attention as many in the crowd began to depart, their fears eased by the presence and words of the blond woman. A pair of brilliant blue eyes found their way to Velvet and Mercury, a soft smile now visible after most others had dispersed.

"If you'll excuse me, it appears that my call was answered sooner than even I expected!" Ariel spoke happily to the few that remained and stepped past to stand in front of Mercury and Velvet, her eyes going back and forth between the two while sizing them up.

With the crowd out of the way, Velvet could finally get a good eye on the blond haired woman. Golden hair spilled over her back in long waves, her bright blue eyes seeming to pierce straight through Velvet and understand her entire being at a glance. The back neckline of her cloak was capped with white fur, the entire pristine length draping down slightly past her knees and silhouetting the piecemeal white and gold armor she wore. At her hip rested a long white sheath, the sword protruding from it having a golden crossguard, blue grip, and similarly golden pummel.

"I know everyone in this town, and you two certainly aren't from around here! My name's Ariel Arc. You're Beacon students, I presume?"

Mercury was busy shifting uncomfortably next to Velvet, so she took the initiative in speaking for the both of them, "We are! Happy to meet you!" she extended out a hand, a gesture that the older blond was quick to reciprocate, "My name is Velvet, and this is Mercury. He's a member of team Carmine, while I'm a part of team Coffee. The Headmaster saw fit to send two teams out, since your message sounded so urgent."

Ariel nodded, "Glad to hear it. Truth is, the reports have been fairly extravagant, but I've never known any of the townsfolk to outright lie…" she laughed briefly, "Not that they really could lie to me." Her smile died as her eyes shifted to Mercury's face, a twisting knot of confusion, happiness, and anger.

"Stop it," Mercury's voice was muted, straining to come out between clenched teeth while he averted his gaze from the both of them, fighting against the overwhelming calm infecting the entire area.

Ariel raised an eyebrow, and suddenly the happy feelings that had been washing over them dissipated. Still present, but not to the degree they had been before, "Sorry about that. I can't really turn my semblance off all the way, only boost it when I need to. Are you alright?"

Mercury's face still twitched, but the anger that was there before seeped away as the effects began to wear off. He brought a hand up to his face, covering it for a moment while breathing deeply, "It's fine. I just… don't like being manipulated. What kind of semblance is that anyway?"

Ariel smiled sadly, and Velvet could feel a deep seated pain burning far beneath the surface, "My dad liked to call it 'The Golden Rule'. It helped keep my younger siblings in check… all seven of them. I make others feel whatever I'm feeling. Happy, sad, angry…" she glanced around to the townsfolk that had left them to their conversation, but still remained close by, "It's helped me keep the town calm, ever since I had to take up my father's mantle."

Velvet could feel the seed of loss growing, and stepped forward to place a hand on the woman's shoulder of her own volition, "I'm sorry for your loss. You seem to have been doing well until now, though! I promise we'll protect all of you as best we can."

"Thank you," Ariel replied kindly. The seed began to fade, slowly ebbing away into obscurity. If Velvet focused, she could still feel it nestled deep within. It's effects on her own mood were nonexistent though, and she quickly returned to an air of relaxation.

Mercury nodded his condolences, then caught Velvet's attention by swirling his hand in a gesture for her to continue.

"Right! About the Grimm… We were hoping to gather what information we could. Can you tell us about the recent sightings? Where they were, how many Grimm, what kinds… Anything that will help us?"

"Well, some of the tales have been pretty… out there, in terms of believability. Zhara told me she'd seen two King Taijitu moving through the forest together along with a pack of Beowolves," Ariel caught Velvet's questioning frown and grinned, "Four heads, not two. I already made sure of that."

"Alright," Velvet nodded, "We can take that on easily enough. What else?"

"Flock of Nevermores to the East. From the way Sable tells it, there must have been a few dozen," Ariel gave a small shrug at that, "I'd trust Sable's eyes on most days, but given the old coot's penchant for drinking, I'm at least hoping he was seeing double that day. Aside from that, there have been plenty of other reports on herds of Boarbatusks and Beowolf packs, all from different locations around the city. It's got most people on their toes, and I can't blame them…"

Velvet's face scrunched up in mild confusion, "I trust that you know the townsfolk better than I do, but… why wouldn't the Grimm have attacked by now, especially if so many have already gathered? Surely their instincts would have driven them here if there was that strong of a pull."

Ariel grimaced, and the seed surged forth once more. Velvet could feel doubt spreading through her mind, an overbearing self hatred following along in its wake. The edge had been taken off due to Ariel suppressing her semblance as best she could. With Velvet feeling the remnants to this degree, she couldn't help but let her heart go out to the older woman.

"I… can't help but feel like it's my fault…"

"It's… it's okay. You couldn't be responsible for so many Grimm appearing. It would take far more than a single person…"

Ariel laughed, though her voice lacked any real mirth, "That's the thing with a semblance like mine. Like I said, it spreads whatever I'm feeling…" her eyes raised once more, and she caught the sad expression on Velvet's face.

With a start, Ariel took a deep breath and let it out in a long sigh, pushing her feelings into the background once more. She regained what composure she could, but was incapable of resuming the smile she'd had previously. Her hand drifted down to gently grip the sword at her waist, eyes trailing to follow.

"My little brother ran off to Vale a month ago, trying to become a Huntsman like he'd always dreamed of… My father went after him, since he didn't know the first thing about aura, let alone how to swing a sword. They… they both died. In a fire, if you believe the police…" Ariel's voice betrayed her own thoughts on the matter, as she shook her head with a small grimace, "Dad was one of the strongest Huntsmen to ever come out of Beacon. No mere fire would have been enough to take him down."

Ariel sighed, "When we got the news, we were all inconsolable. I… I've tried holding it all in, as best I can," she scanned the streets around them, taking in the happy faces of those outside the range of her semblance. So many people, all depending on her to protect them from the Grimm that stalked their town, "I'm sure it's because of me. As much as I try to hide it, that pain has still twisted it's way into everyone else… It's my duty to protect them, as my father did for so many years before me… Yet all I've done is fail them..."

Velvet reached forward once more, this time taking Ariel's hand from it's shaking grip on her sword and clasping both of her own around it. She smiled warmly, fighting against the dregs of doubt and pain that still permeated the air, "We will protect them. Team Coffee is made up of some of the strongest students Beacon has to offer, and Carmine aren't a bunch of slouches, either. Those Grimm won't stand a chance. Just you wait and see."

Ariel stared deeply into Velvet's eyes, a hesitant smile slowly working its way on to her lips, "I'll hold you to that."

Velvet lost focus as a voice spoke in her mind, the sound of Fox unmistakable, "Cinder and Neo have returned. She says they spotted quite a few Grimm of various types out in the forest. Everyone is to regroup on our side, and tell the villagers to take shelter as best they can."

Ariel raised an eyebrow while Velvet and Mercury remained zoned out for a few seconds, both finally coming back to the conversation at hand simultaneously. Mercury nodded to the blond, a look of resignation clear on his face, "Looks like the tales weren't entirely unfounded. Get everyone inside. It doesn't sound like we have very long before the Grimm come marching into your town and make a mess of the place."

Velvet spared Ariel a worried look, "How soon can you get everyone inside?"

Ariel's eyes darted behind her, to the tallest building that the town had to offer. Velvet hadn't paid much attention to it before then, but now she could see the large golden bell held within the top most tower, three stories above the ground unlike anything else.

"A few rings of that should get everyone inside. I'll join you as soon as I can!" Ariel had already taken off, shouting the final few words over her shoulder as she sped through town in the direction of the bell. Velvet could hear her shouting for others to get inside, her voice fading into the distance as everyone in her wake scrambled to do as they were told.

"Let's not keep Cinder waiting," Mercury said tightly, eyes also following after the blond until she finally disappeared around the corner. He turned to Velvet once she had, a sad smile of his own plain across his features, "I would hate to disappoint her, wouldn't you?"

Velvet gave a confident nod despite how tired she still felt, "We'll stop those Grimm in their tracks!"

Together, the two of them set off for the Northeastern edge of the town. Velvet felt herself growing nervous, but bit it back with as much force of will as she could muster. Her hand held on to her weapon tightly, a large stock of photos ready and waiting to be utilized at a moment's notice.

'The Grimm won't know what hit them…'

God, depression is awful. Sorry for the delays between this and all my other stories but, it just hasn't been a great couple months. Nothing's cancelled or forgotten, they're just on temporary hiatus.

I wanted to get further than this for the chapter, but I need to go to work soon and doubt I'll have the energy after. I may just focus on Black Lotus for now, as it seems to be the only story I can still summon up some willpower to write. Updates will likely be sporadic, just know that I'd never leave any of these half written as long as I can help it.

As always, thanks for reading,

- Sybaen