The bells rang loudly, echoing throughout the town and sending those still on the streets into a frenzy. Parents scooped children off their feet while men rushed to grab what weapons they could, boarding themselves into their homes with their families in tow. Mercury ignored them while he walked past, the bunny girl hot on his heels and looking as if she wanted to rush ahead.

"Calm down. Your teammate would let us know if it was really that urgent. No need to exhaust yourself just yet," Mercury chastised, growing mildly impatient with the girl's antics. 'Honestly, shouldn't a second year be a bit more used to the Grimm by now?'

Velvet seemed to at least try and relax, letting her hands fall from the tight grip she'd had previously on her weapon's strap. Mercury eyed her camera for a moment before turning back around, the memories of her showing it off the previous day coming to the forefront. It was an interesting weapon, to say the least. Only made possible due to the girl's semblance, both unique and not at the same time.

'If I could have copied my father's fighting style like that… well...' Mercury held back the sudden urge to glare. 'It would have saved me from a whole lot of beatings, that's for sure.'

"Sorry, I'm just nervous… I've never protected a town before!" Velvet spoke with a hitch to her breath, her eyes darting around to the last few stragglers yet to vacate the streets. "Are you sure we shouldn't have them all go to the center of town or something? How do we protect them all at once if they're so spread out?"

"Put everyone together and they become a bigger target. This way, we'll smell just as juicy as everyone else," Mercury assured her absentmindedly.

'That, and we'll be putting you through your paces anyway.' Widow wasn't the only one that had been given a Grimm beatle. He and Emerald had both been given one long since, the small creatures having melded into their bodies before they'd hired Lotus in Mistral. Once the younger team was sufficiently taken care of, the Grimm would need to be let at least partially off their leash, and given free reign to cause mayhem among the citizens.

'The blond might be a problem.' She appeared adamant to assist them, and had a semblance that had even managed to affect Mercury despite the 'conditioning' his father had put him through. Would they be able to go through with it if she was near, or would her desire to protect others infect them as well and ruin their plans...? He would have to bring it up with the others.

The two remained in silence for the final leg of their journey, only taking a few minutes to cross the remaining distance and find the rest already gathered near the edge of town. 'Cinder' or rather, Widow in disguise, stood furthest outside the town, looking back on the rest while Neo waited at her side. Emerald and Coco had already returned, the former flashing Mercury a look of absolute suffering after being in the other's presence for even a short amount of time. Mercury couldn't help but chuckle softly to himself, glad that the two had likely gotten along as poorly as he'd hoped.

Widow's eyes caught on to the two as they approached, mouth widening into a sly grin that Cinder wouldn't have typically worn, "Now that we've taken our sweet time, who'd like to start?" She raised an eyebrow, waiting for anyone to be forthcoming.

Velvet raised her hand tentatively, glancing to the others to make sure she wasn't interrupting anyone that may want to pitch in first. When no one else spoke up, she stepped slightly forward and returned her gaze to the fake Cinder, "We met an older blond that took it upon herself to defend the town." She recounted all the sightings they'd been told about, then finished with an opinion of her own, "I think it might be best if we spread out and cover as much ground as possible, while also keeping an eye to the sky."

Widow placed a hand to her chin while playing with one of the daggers at her waist, a thoughtful expression creasing her brow, "Spread too thin, and one side may get overwhelmed before we know it…" she eyed those gathered, "Which of you is the fastest?"

Each member of team Coffee looked to Velvet, the resident rabbit faunus and teammate with the most stamina of the group. Mercury supposed it was to be expected, given her faunus heritage. She had certainly taken the longest to exhaust during the drills they'd run Coffee through the previous night and following morning. Velvet gave a slight smile in response, but was interrupted by Emerald stepping forward in her stead.

Widow flashed Velvet a smile, "You're looking a bit too tired. I need someone that can last for the entire battle." She nodded to the green haired illusionist, "We'll have Emerald stationed near the center of town. If any of you bite off more than you can chew, get word to Emerald so that she can assist wherever necessary. Once you've gained a handle on the situation, she can return to her post and wait for any other calls."

Emerald nodded her acceptance, it already being an established part of the plan for her to use her illusions to stir up more trouble. With the members of team Coffee distracted by the Grimm, she would be able to move more freely. She'd also be able to control the Grimm in the other's absence, seeing as only three of them present were actually capable of the task. With Emerald in the center, that left two sides that would truly need to struggle for their lives in order to escape the battle unscathed.

'Which ones are going to die, I wonder?'

Yatsuhashi followed up with what he and Fox had heard as well, Coco finishing up last. It appeared that much of their information was the same as what Velvet had already stated, if even more grandiose in its retelling.

"We'll have to keep on our toes if we're to keep the town safe," Widow stated once they were done, gesturing back over her shoulder towards the treeline nearly a hundred feet away, "Neo and I spotted quite a few Grimm on our trek through the forest. I don't know what's got them gathering in such a large number, but it isn't bound to be good. Be on the lookout for anything out of the norm. If there's a reason the Grimm are acting this way, it may be important that Beacon knows exactly why that is."

Widow was about to continue when a distant shout reached their ears. Mercury immediately recognized it as the blond, her striking figure appearing around the corner of a building only a few moments later. Her eyes fell on the group, and she called out once more, "Sorry I'm late! It looks like everyone made it inside alright. I had to double check on my family before heading out." Mercury could feel the woman's nervousness creeping into his mind as she approached, her semblance infecting his muscles with a slight tension that wasn't his own.

"And you are…?" Widow spoke with a curious frown. Mercury turned in time to see a brief glimmer of realization appear on her face before the facade returned, though he wasn't sure if it was recognition or something else entirely.

"Ariel Arc, at your service!" the woman chirped nervously, putting a hand to her pommel and giving a slight bow, "I was hoping to stand by your side and protect the town. Whatever help I can offer, consider it at your disposal."

Widow smirked, amused by some secret joke that no one else was privy to, "That's perfect. With you included, that means we can have two on each side of the town and one in the center as backup. I would have held down a side by myself otherwise, but this works too." She raised an eyebrow towards the weapon on Ariel's hip, "Are you any good with that thing?"

"I can hold my own," Ariel replied easily, giving the sheath a light pat with her other hand, "You don't need to worry about me slowing you down at all."

"Good to hear," Widow let out a small laugh, "Well then, I suppose it might be prudent to match most everyone up with a member of the opposite team. Ariel, you can hold down this edge of the town with me. Mercury, choose another to go with you. Neo, you do the same. Once that's done, I'll need to speak with the members of Carmine in private before we split up."

Mercury turned to Velvet and gave a small shrug, "Hope you aren't sick of me already."

"No! No, of course not," Velvet replied quickly. She tugged her camera higher up her shoulder and held it in her hands, standing firm despite the obvious nervousness she must be feeling. Mercury could at least appreciate her bravery in the face of unknown odds, and hoped she wasn't slated for death in the near future.

Neo chose Fox, leaving Yatsuhashi and Coco to team up on the final edge of town. Mercury had seen the two in action the day previously, and knew that they were likely the best bet when it came to holding their own against the tide. The girl's weapon and semblance combined could be quite devastating, while the tall Mistralian was more than capable of keeping the Grimm from getting to her.

Widow tapped her chin, looking the pairs over after they'd separated, "That should do nicely," she turned her back and began to walk away, calling over her shoulder, "Carmine, with me. I've got a few final tidbits of advice to share…"

Mercury and Emerald both spared a glance to Neo, only to receive an eye roll in return along with a nod in Widow's direction. Mercury sighed and followed after, falling into step with the other two. Widow only walked a short distance away, turning back around with a smug grin once they caught up.

"At least I'll be able to have some fun," Widow's eyes looked past to Ariel, the blond too busy introducing herself to team Coffee to notice. Widow gave a small grimace, turning back to those in front of her, "Cinder made a deal with my daughter. In exchange for Lotus joining your ranks… we aren't allowed to kill any of her little friends." Widow's disgust was apparent, her face turning into a half sneer in regards to the nature of her daughter's request, "The rabbit faunus I would understand, but all of them…?" She spoke the last question with an edge of incredulity, a question directed more to herself than towards any of them.

'Lotus is going to join us?' Mercury could feel a glimmer of excitement deep down, mixed with a small pang of guilt. Lotus had finally gotten out, left behind the life that she'd despised since the first time he met her. Now with Cinder's plans underway, she was being forced to return to that life so soon… She was an invaluable asset, but at the same time… part of Mercury had been rooting for her, hoping that the young girl's dream would come true.

"The Maiden still has to be threatening, though. Does Cinder want us to let the Grimm further into town?" Emerald asked, sparing a glance behind them as well.

"Far enough for it to be believable. As much as it pains me to say it, you'll need to keep the majority alive to gain Ozpin's faith. Too many die, and you lot will seem too inadequate to be trusted."

Neo had been typing something out on her scroll, and held it up once Widow had finished speaking. She directed it mostly at Emerald, since she would be the one doing much of the fine tuning during the battle. "Take it easy on my side. I'm not exactly equipped for killing Grimm. People are more my forte."

Emerald smirked, "What? The little enforcer doesn't want to play with the big bad beowolves?"

"I'd rather not piss off Lotus by letting my partner die."

Widow laughed, "True. That would hardly help your case. Unfortunately, you picked the mouthpiece of the party. Cinder needs to make her debut on his side so that he can spread confusion to the others. It isn't every day you see a human commanding the Grimm~"

Neo crossed her arms in a huff, eyes darting to Mercury for a moment before pointing at him and back to herself. The gesture seemed clear enough, 'Do you want to switch?'

Mercury shook his head with a smirk, "Not happening."

"When does Cinder plan on showing up?" Emerald asked, raising an eyebrow in Widow's direction and cutting off Neo's attempt at further argument.

"About ten more minutes," Widow's hand drifted down to run lovingly along the dagger sheathed on her hip. She looked up to them, a single eyebrow raising, "If there's nothing else…?"

Mercury gained her attention uneasily, getting the distinct impression that Widow already planned on taking advantage of the fact that she wasn't partnered up with any of the students, "Be careful with the blond. Her semblance is passive and infects you with whatever she's feeling. I don't know how well that might work on you, but I figured it was at least worth mentioning."

Widow cocked her head to the side, staring off towards Ariel's back, "I did feel some odd nervousness when she approached," she waved a hand nonchalantly, a grin tugging at the corner of her lips, "Needless to say, that won't stop me from doing what needs to be done."

With nothing left to be said, Widow tipped her chin back towards team Coffee, all of which had finished speaking with Ariel and were now impatiently waiting for their group to finish up their conversation, "Head to your places," Widow commanded, a smile playing at her lips, "And remember to have fun~"

'Right… 'fun',' Mercury's eyes found the eager eyes of Velvet, causing an odd tension to return to his chest despite Ariel being out of range. He slowed for a moment on the way back, confusion making his steps heavy while his mind searched for the cause of his trepidation. It didn't take long to realize why.

'I hardly want to disappoint Lotus, either.'

Keeping them all alive would prove to be harder than letting only a couple survive.

'Let's just hope we didn't tire them out too much…'

Neo could sense the shifting of curtains and clicking of locks out of the corner of her eye, each house they passed still doing final preparations for the oncoming horde. She rolled her eyes in vexation, wondering how many of them would truly survive. Those nearest the center of town were far and away the safest. She didn't have much hope for those closer to the edge.

'Who knows. We are supposed to come out of this as heroes, after all…'

Fox walked next to her, both verbally and mentally silent. His blank eyes didn't scan their surroundings, nor dart about with unease. Instead, he remained oddly stoic in his own way, seeming more at peace than the rest of his team. Neo could appreciate that, at least. It was far better than being paired up with Coco or Velvet, both of which had been bundles of anxiety when she'd last seen them.

Neo hadn't yet spoken to Fox, only received some of his earlier group messages that he had sent out. She wasn't nervous about speaking for the first time in years… 'Of course not… There's just... nothing to say. I'll do this job, save his life if necessary, and we'll part ways.' There was no room for socializing when so much needed to be done. Her focus was simply… elsewhere.

Neo realized she'd been eyeing the boy sideways for some time and quickly averted her gaze, instinctively raising her hand to mimic coughing into it in embarrassment. She paused halfway, knowing that with his blindness, he likely wouldn't have caught the prolonged gaze anyway. She sighed, or as close as she could manage, vocal cords refusing to provide the necessary strength.

"Are we almost there?"

Neo practically jumped out of her skin, hearing the boy's voice inside her mind after both had been silent for so long. Her legs faltered momentarily, forcing her to awkwardly stutter step to avoid tripping over her own feet. She regained her composure and turned with a haughty glare, leveling it at the boy for a few seconds if only to assure herself that he hadn't seen.

The slight grin spreading across his features hinted otherwise.

"You shouldn't just invade someone else's thoughts like that," Neo thought heatedly, ignoring her minor trepidation in favor of chastising her current 'partner', "Next time give me a little warning!"

Fox's head tipped in her direction, lips still stretched into a smug grin, "I was only breaking the ice. See? Now we're talking."

Neo folded her arms, looking away from the younger man to stare off at nothing in particular. After a few seconds, her hands began to droop, knowing that her typical act and facade were wasted on him, regardless of what impression she wanted to give. The only way to express anything to Fox would be through his semblance, whatever other senses he could muster aside.

"... Five more minutes…"

"What?" a flicker of confusion crossed Fox's face, his eyebrow raising a miniscule amount while his gaze remained fixated on Neo.

'Can a blind person be 'fixated' on something?' Neo wasn't sure, but decided to clear up his confusion.

"That's how much further we have to go. Cinder and the blond woman remained on the northwest side. We're headed across from them, so there's a ways to go before we're at the opposite edge."

Fox mentally snorted, "Perfect. Make the blind man walk the farthest." His thoughts dripped with sarcasm.

"You aren't completely blind though, are you? How else would you even be able to walk around town, let alone fight?" Neo couldn't help but admit to her own curiosity. It wasn't something she'd spared much thought towards, but now that they were 'talking' anyway…

Fox raised a hand up to tap his ear, "A couple ways. ADA helps. She's a little device that acts like sonar. It isn't as good as actually being able to see, but I make due."

"What's the other way?"

Fox grinned once more, almost appearing proud of himself if Neo didn't know any better, "Aura Sensing. It wasn't easy to learn, but once you've got a handle on manipulating your aura, anyone can do it."

Neo narrowed her eyes in worry, wondering if that technique would allow him to see through the illusions she used to escape. For a moment, she even considered the possibility of Widow utilizing it as well, then thought better of it. As far as she could tell, the spider faunus used her own semblance in conjunction with her natural talents. Learning how to sense with aura would have likely been redundant as far as the spider faunus was concerned.

'I'll have to remember that. Who knows what the future will bring?' Neo thought to herself, drumming her fingers against the handle of her parasol, "I might even want to learn it myself. It could help keep me safe from a certain pair of assassins I know…'

"How long did it take to learn?" Neo asked, noticing that their mental conversation had dipped while she was caught up in her own thoughts.

"A year, but I'd barely had my aura unlocked before I began. For someone with more experience to fall back on…?" Fox shrugged visibly, then brought his hands up to rest behind his head, "A month of practice, maybe two? Of course, you'd need a capable teacher to guide you…"

Neo shook her head in amusement, "I suppose this is the part where you valiantly offer up your services, with no ulterior motives whatsoever?"

Fox gave an audible laugh, then fell back on utilizing his semblance, "Who doesn't have ulterior motives these days? I wouldn't have offered if I thought you were that naive."

Neo slowed, her steps almost faltering once more at the boy's admission. She was so used to being looked down on for her size, the butt of every joke until cold steel cut their laughs short… It took Neo a moment to regain her composure, but once she had, she couldn't stop the slow smile that spread across her face.

"You might be the only person that hasn't underestimated me at first glance..."

Fox grinned, and brought one hand forward to wave past his vacant eyes, "Juries still out, but I might have cheated on that one~"

"Oh! Um-..."

Neo was saved from an awkward apology as Fox continued to wave his hand, now in a more dismissive manner, "Don't worry about it. I've got enough people watching what they say around me. Any more and I won't be able to tell my favorite jokes~!" His steps slowed as he finished speaking, head swivelling from one side to the other while he frowned, "Are we there yet?"

Neo turned away from him to look at their surroundings, then brought up a hand to mimic stifling a laugh. The surrounding buildings had opened up into a wider expanse, completely devoid of any features or landmarks that might have clued the boy into knowing that they hadn't reached the bounds of the city yet.

"We're in a plaza."

Fox slumped, his arms drooping down to his sides while his knees bent dramatically, "Please don't tell me that means what I think it means…"

Neo flashed a smug grin of her own, "Are you telling a girl to keep quiet after she's only just started to speak~?" She tried to manipulate the connection, forming her thoughts into more of a conspiratorial whisper, and was surprised to find that it seemed to work as she'd hoped, "We're only half way~"

Fox groaned, slumping even further where he stood, "Figures I'd find the one bearer of bad news that can only speak to me."

Neo laughed across the connection, feeling her chest move in response as if she was physically laughing. It caught her off guard, but she tentatively continued, getting a feel for it. It was nice, mimicking laughter while actually making the sound across the connection. It helped to make it more real, in a way.

Neo finished laughing and gave her parasol a playful swing, setting it across her shoulders and beginning to lead the way once more through the town, "Sorry. You're stuck with me for the time being~"

Fox returned to a proper stance and cocked his head in Neo's direction, a small smile spread across his lips. He followed after, catching up to the shorter girl with his much longer stride, then fell into step next to her, "I've had worse company."

Neo spared him a sideways glance, a warm, fuzzy feeling overcoming her after finally being able to speak again. She turned to face ahead, mind set on making sure she didn't disappoint Lotus, a soft smile playing at her lips.

"Me too, Foxxy. Me too…"

'Ten percent, maybe?' Cinder thought idly, leaning against a tree near the edge of the forest, eyes trained on the small town that dwelled within the clearing. It was a pitiful sight, like most towns that attempted to exist outside the bounds of the larger cities. Unlike many others however, Arcus had managed to remain standing for nearly seventy years. It was the perfect target, a way to remind both humans and faunus alike that the wilds belonged to the Grimm, not mankind.

The Grimm themselves had taken up residence along the outskirts of the town, similarly hidden within the foliage as Cinder was now. She could feel them all out there, their hunger for death and destruction a constant beacon for those that were linked. Undoubtedly, Emerald and the others that had been granted the same gift would feel their approach, would know that the time was at hand.

'Now then, if they followed their instructions correctly...'

Cinder had to only wait a few minutes more before Neo and Fox appeared, the orange haired boy being her first stop on her path of mayhem. Cinder could see Neo's eyes scouring the distant treeline, the only member of their team that wasn't capable of commanding the Grimm. 'She has her tricks though, so perhaps this is best?' Cinder mused in silence.

With one final glance back into the dimly lit forest behind herself, Cinder allowed her Maiden powers to surge forth. The influx of power was intoxicating as always, the pure heat flowing through her veins in euphoric waves, the world growing far brighter in contrast. Cinder allowed her eyes to light with power, and stepped out into the waiting sun. It had been some time since she allowed herself the pleasure of basking in the Maiden power's radiance.

Considering how limited her opportunities were to really let loose...

'You'd better be worth my restraint, Lotus~'

Shits about to go down next chapter~ Not much to say here, other than writing Neo's convo with Fox was more difficult than I anticipated. I wonder if Lotus would be the only one disappointed if he died?

How much 'fun' is Widow planning to have with the oldest Arc sibling?

Thanks for reading,

-Sybaen

PS: Almost to 400 follows! Wooh!