The slow, rhythmic clatter of metal hitting metal. A foot drumming against the carpeted floor. A whetstone scraping along the edge of a long since sharpened blade. They were the only sounds to be heard within the seclusion of Beacon's gym, the rest of the students either attending classes, missions, or free elsewhere, in the case of team Rainbow.

Ren sat upon one of the benches, watching his teammates continuing to pretend as if nothing was wrong. As of yet, none of them had chosen to open up about the horrors they'd all witnessed. Even so, no matter how hard they tried to hide it from themselves, Ren could feel what they were so desperate to bury. Their anger, grief, and regret.

Yang was the sole occupant actually using the gym for its intended purposes. She had heightened her regimen, using the machines available to lift more than she ever would have regularly. Ren could feel the anger fueling her every movement, along with her attempts to syphon off that rage with her workout. Thus far, she had been wholly unsuccessful in her efforts.

Pyrrha sat close at hand to the blond. She'd taken the time to retrieve her weapon from her locker, and was idly sliding a sharpening stone against its edge. Pyrrha was trying, and failing, to keep her mind off the previous night's events. Ren could feel her emotions roiling beneath, a tumultuous wave that waxed and waned with each passing moment. Pyrrha's face would slowly twist into a grimace, only to relax back into her facade whenever she managed to pull her thoughts out of the depths.

Nora was on the same bench as himself, scroll in hand and foot tapping incessantly against the floor. She was sifting through the news from Vale, reading each and every update on the victims they'd been too preoccupied to protect. Death totals, injuries, statistics. Ren even noticed a few posts that had caught images and videos of the students involved. Some were calling them heroes, while others demanded to know why they hadn't done more.

'How can I help them?'

Ren knew he wasn't exactly the type to give rousing speeches. Typically, you needed someone with the energy to do so, and in that particular department, he was sorely lacking.

'I could use my semblance…'

It wouldn't suppress those emotions in the long term, but it would allow them to vent. To open up about what they'd seen, what they'd experienced, and begin healing.

As the appointed leader of the team, he needed to do something.

Ren closed his eyes, dipping into the calm stillness of his own mind. With only a moment's preparation, that calm began to seep out, spreading to those near and relieving them of their own negative emotions. All at once, the sounds that had been there before fell to silence. A foot stopped drumming, a stone stopped sharpening, and Yang allowed the stack of weights to rest with one final clink of metal.

"I didn't ask you to do that," Yang stated simply, rising from her previous position to look across at Ren. She breathed heavily, hands snagging her towel to wipe the sweat from her brow. "That does feel better, though."

"Have you seen the news this morning?" Nora chipped in, eyes still locked onto her scroll. "Everyone is looking for someone to blame. A few faunus shops were attacked already, and there's protests from humans and faunus all throughout the city... People are demanding that something be done about the White Fang."

"As they should," Pyrrha spoke adamantly, eyes momentarily glazing over in thought. "What they did last night… It goes far beyond anything they've done before. All those people…"

"It was awful…" Yang finished for her. "Any credibility that the White Fang had was just thrown out like last week's trash. I can't believe they could… anyone could do something like that."

Nora shook her head in mutual disbelief, "Even the White Fang in Mistral weren't that extreme, and from what Ren and I have seen, the racism against faunus was a lot worse there."

Ren let out a quiet 'hmm'. "The White Fang wasn't active at all in Mistral for the last few years. At least, not as far as I heard. There were, uh…" He cleared his throat roughly, "Other events involving faunus that ended up making the news. If the White Fang had still been around, then maybe they would have done something on par with what happened last night."

Nora sighed, turning off her scroll's screen and laying it down on the bench beside her. "I can't believe that while you were all fighting for your lives, Ren and I were…" She cut off, cheeks managing to glow even despite his semblance.

Yang grinned, "Playing patty cake? Doing the bedsheet shuffle? Putting the Storks out of business?"

"Yang!" Pyrrha's cheeks were crimson, Ren's semblance incapable of entirely masking three people while their emotions flared.

Yang raised both hands with a smug 'what can you do' gesture. "Just getting all the facts straight."

"Like we're the only ones…" Nora mumbled under her breath. Ren was glad he was the only one close enough to hear it, and rightly chose to ignore it in favor of bringing his teammates the peace of mind they were due.

"Yang, don't deflect from your issues," Ren reprimanded lightly. "Let's really talk about last night. Get whatever you're feeling off your chest. We can't all sulk forever."

Yang's smile fell, mind returning to what she had been trying to avoid. Her hand gripped the towel tightly. "Do we really have to talk about this now…?"

Ren adopted what he hoped would come across as a consoling smile, "I've seen what ignoring issues can do to people. Better to not let it fester, I think…"

Yang sighed minutely, "If you say so…" She leaned back against the equipment behind her, drawing up one foot to wrap her arms around her knee. "I just... wish we could have been more useful. Weiss managed to stop their guns, but… all we could do was cower on the dance floor."

"I know what you mean," Pyrrha agreed weakly. "What worth are any of my accolades if I still can't protect people? I tried to use my semblance on the Bullheads, but with the distance, and the size…" She shook her head in frustration. "Even with all my training, it was more than I could handle."

"At least you were there for it…" Nora muttered sadly.

"We all did what we could," Ren stated simply. He nudged Nora, giving her a soft smile, "We kept the people upstairs from going below in a panic. They would have ran into the line of fire if we hadn't been there to keep them safe." He raised his eyes to Yang and Pyrrha, "Both of you undoubtedly did your best. You and the other students came together to stop the White Fang. Your efforts weren't in vain. There are people still alive because of you."

Ren could feel his aura waning, his semblance's effects beginning to deteriorate with every passing moment. "...All we can do is learn from this experience, and do better should the occasion ever arise again. I have complete faith in all of you, and nothing will ever change that."

Ren swayed wearily as he relinquished his semblance and withdrew its effects. The others came back to themselves, negative emotions coiling to life. However, among the thoughts that once more troubled them dwelt a small glimmer of hope, and a reaffirmation that they belonged within Beacon's halls.

Nora leaned sideways to wrap an arm around him in thanks, while Yang and Pyrrha both nodded theirs to him as well. He could only reciprocate the gestures in kind, glad to have had some small effect on those he was supposed to lead.

Yang glanced back to the workout equipment she had been using, and instead chose to begin toweling herself off more thoroughly. "Well, I'm up for a shower if anyone wants to get brunch afterwards. I'd rather avoid waiting until lunch time with all the other students."

Pyrrha nodded, paling slightly. "Yes, that sounds good to me. I already receive enough unwanted attention without…" she gestured half-heartedly, "everything that's happened."

Ren was about to voice his own acceptance when his scroll chimed from inside his pocket. He pulled out the device and slid it open, wondering who would be messaging him aside from those currently there. His first thought was Olivia, but his expectations were immediately subverted upon reading the message.

"Lie Ren, you are to report to my office for our first meeting. Please come as soon as you are free to do so.

- Glynda Goodwitch"

"Seems like you'll be eating without me." Ren closed the scroll and slid it back into his pocket, pulling away from Nora's arm that had still been wrapped around his shoulders.

"I'll bring back your favorites," Nora promised, smiling encouragingly.

"Let us know what you talk about," Yang spoke apprehensively as he began to leave.

"I'm sure it'll be fine," Ren assured her.

Ren had his suspicions on what the 'meetings' were actually for, and among those that had been involved in the previous night's incidents…

He certainly wasn't the one that needed them most.

The dull murmur of indistinct conversations continually reached Olivia's ears, other patrons and Junior's men speaking quietly about the news spreading through the city. Faunus businesses being protested, riots from both humans and faunus in various stretches of the city, the final death toll from the previous night. They were all things she'd rather not think about at the moment.

Olivia sat on one of the stools at the bar, head in her hand and heel steadily drumming against the footrest beneath. Despite her wishes, she couldn't stop thinking of the number that had been reported. '...Thirty-two…' How many had she killed with her own hands before then? Surely that was the most she'd ever been responsible for in one night?

'Except for the attack on the Council members…' How many had that been? 'Why… when did I stop counting…?'

Olivia forcefully stopped her foot from drumming, her sixth sense feeling the approach of the person she was there to meet. He spotted her easily enough, one of only a few patrons at the bar so early in the evening.

"You look how I feel," Qrow stated gruffly, sliding onto the stool nearest Olivia. She could feel a similar slump to his shoulders, an exhaustion that spoke volumes about how his own night had gone.

Olivia gave him a weary wave before drinking from the half empty glass of ice water resting on the bar in front of her, courtesy of Junior's boundless hospitality. She opened her eyes to glance in Qrow's direction afterwards, and let out the barest hint of a laugh upon seeing how ruffled his own clothes were. She couldn't have looked much worse than him.

"Speak for yourself, old man." Olivia tried to sound casual but failed, a forlorn anxiety holding her back. She desperately wanted… needed advice from someone more experienced than herself. She would have to tread carefully, but her heart held at least one small glimmer of hope that Qrow would have the answer to her current predicament.

Qrow shrugged. "Between sleep and a fresh pair of clothes, I chose sleep. No way was I going all the way back to Patch just to come back first thing in the morning."

Olivia smiled apologetically, "Sorry for taking up your time."

"Heh, don't worry about it, kid," Qrow waved a hand dismissively. He motioned Junior over for a drink while looking Olivia over carefully, taking note of her bedraggled appearance and the dark bags under her eyes. Once Qrow had paid, he took one long drink and sighed in appreciation. "So… how are you doing?"

"I've been better," Olivia admitted before taking another long sip. She tilted her head back, letting out a deep breath and staring towards the ceiling. "I'm just…" she shrugged dejectedly, "...I don't even know where to begin."

"Did you have your meeting with Ozpin yet? He told me he'd be having sessions with your team."

"No… not yet. Ruby went earlier this morning, then Blake a little while after. Weiss was waiting for her turn next by the time I left. I couldn't stand just sitting in our room for that long..."

Olivia could feel Qrow smiling softly. He nodded, sitting back in his chair and laying an arm across the backrest. "Last night getting to you, huh? Can't say I'm surprised. Even a Mistralian would be hard pressed to walk away from something like that unscathed… And from what I saw, only one of the White Fang members ended up dying in the attack. Considering the way he died… Sorry for asking, but…"

"That was me," Olivia confirmed quietly. "And no, I… I don't feel bad about it. He was strangling Weiss. I had to do something."

Qrow frowned, "C'mon, kid. You can open up. Even the most seasoned huntsman would feel something after a kill like that."

"I did what I had to."

Qrow let out a small 'hmm', eyeing Olivia with a considering eye. "What's got you down in the dumps, then?"

Olivia was silent for a time, thinking about how best to ask her question. She couldn't clue Qrow in to her own involvement, but even so, she needed guidance. At the rate she was going, she'd end up tearing herself apart in sheer confusion over what actions she should take. Settling on a line of questioning, Olivia pushed down her own trepidation.

"How did you do it?"

Qrow's eyebrow raised, "Do it? Do what?"

"How did you leave the tribe? They sent you to Beacon to gain strength, but you ended up defecting instead… How did you do it? How did you convince yourself it was for the best? Didn't you owe them? Weren't… weren't they your family?"

"Ah…" Qrow picked up his drink and downed the rest of it, finishing with a small shake of his head. "I… think I can guess what spurred on this particular conversation."

Olivia's heart fell in her chest, panic beating a distant drum from the depths. "Y-You can?"

"You're wondering whether or not you should be loyal to the White Fang anymore, right? After last night…?"

"Oh," Olivia laughed in minor relief, having thought Qrow had somehow deduced her connection with Cinder. All things considered, the White Fang angle wasn't a bad one. It would give her some leeway to not tip off Qrow any further. "Yeah. What they did last night was unacceptable. I mean…" Olivia's face contorted, worried over Qrow's reaction to what she was about to say next. "I've… I've killed people before, Qrow. I told you that night in the forest… I'm not a good person, but… innocent people…? Even I know where to draw that line."

Qrow looked at Olivia sadly for a time, and waved Junior over for a refill. He sighed heavily, and downed the shot before finally speaking quietly.

"I didn't…"

Olivia's eyebrows rose in surprise, but Qrow held a hand up to stop her from interrupting. His brow was furrowed, and his shoulders slumped. Olivia could see a deep sadness in his eyes. Regret that matched her own.

"You know that saying? Something along the lines of, 'It takes a village to raise a child'? Well, that couldn't be any further from the truth for the Branwen tribe. Growing up there, out in the woods with nothing but murderers and thieves to look up to… It warps your perception for what's right and what's wrong. My sister and I both trained from a young age, not in how to fight, but how to kill. Even before getting sent off to Beacon…" Qrow cleared his throat, turning away to stare at the liquor bottles behind the bar. "Let's just say I had more than enough opportunities to prove myself."

"Wow… Qrow, I…"

Qrow shook his head, "Like I told you that night, kid. Everyone deserves a second chance. Whatever you've done in the past… I won't judge you for it." He snorted, "From what I've seen, you're trying your hardest to change for the best. I'd never try to dissuade you from that."

Olivia smiled sadly, and wiped a hand across her eye as it began to blur. She blinked fiercely, fighting back the wave of emotions that surged forth. "Thank you." Olivia spoke with a small hitch to her throat, and cleared it with a small cough afterwards.

"Heh, it's the least I could do. To answer your question… I did feel some loyalty to the tribe for a while. Raven and I, we pushed Tai and Summer away for a long time." Qrow laughed, "They always kept coming back though, stubborn fools. I didn't convince myself to leave the tribe. They did. My teammates. The ones that showed me what it was like to have someone that truly cares about you."

Olivia slumped, resting her chin against her forearm on the bar in front of her. 'Our situations still aren't the same…'

"What if… What if turning on the tribe meant that Tai and Summer would find out about what you'd done? What if you still felt like you owed the tribe? What if…" Olivia glanced to Qrow before averting her gaze further, shame denying her the right to look him in the eye. "What if you killed people they might have known?"

Qrow frowned slightly in confusion before his face eased in apparent understanding. "Ah. Weiss, you mean?"

After a moment's hesitation, Olivia nodded. She had meant Amber, but was willing to accept Weiss as an alternative. Even with Qrow's promises of acceptance, Olivia was terrified that he would find out about her own involvement in his charge's death. Worse still, her own failed attempt to kill him.

Qrow sighed, "That is a tough one. If you don't mind me asking, how well have you been getting along with her?"

Olivia smiled weakly, thoughts of Weiss bringing the small rise to her lips. "We've been getting along really well since I started giving her a chance. She's been helping me with classwork, while I teach her how to fight. It's been… more fun than I ever would have imagined, honestly." Olivia shook her head, "All the more reason to hide the truth… If I lost that, too..."

"I understand." Qrow laughed good naturedly, "I'll admit, you've got it worse than I did in that regard. Still… Do you really want to keep a secret like that bottled up for the rest of your life? Every time you're doing homework together, every time you're training… To have that thought in the back of your head?"

"...No…"

"Neither would I," Qrow agreed. He played with his empty glass in one hand, rolling the edge along the counter while deep in thought. "I know it might be hard, but… the sooner Weiss knows the truth, the sooner both of you can heal. On the other hand, the longer you wait, the more betrayed she'll feel when, or if, she does find out the truth. And if she never does, you'll be the one to suffer for it."

Olivia hid her face further as she began to choke up. What Qrow had said applied to himself as well. How long would she wait to reveal the truth to him? Every moment spent in his presence felt like a lie, a moment stolen from the reality in which she was a better person.

'Will it really be worse if he finds out later…?'

Olivia couldn't bring herself to speak up. Even with his assurances, so much of her life risked falling apart, and unlike with Weiss and the White Fang, those secrets would lead to further questions that she simply wasn't ready to answer. There was too much to consider when it came to Cinder, too many lives at stake.

'If I did reveal the truth, what would stop her from resorting to Salem's tactics? She could just as easily try and take what she wants by force… and kill a lot more innocents in the process…'

Olivia flinched as she felt Qrow's hand against her back, slowly moving to the opposite shoulder. She didn't fight the contact, only adamantly keeping her face obscured while feeling his arm drawing her in close. By the end of it, she was leaning sideways off her stool, shoulder resting against his chest in a surprisingly comforting embrace.

"Hey, I know it'll be tough, kid… I remember how hard it was to admit all I'd done to Tai and Summer… What Raven and I had done. I don't envy you. Just keep in mind, you've got so many others willing to help you both work it out. Ruby, Yang, your friends from Mistral and the Belladonna girl… They want what's best for you, too."

Olivia knew what he was saying was true. Even so, she wasn't used to being close to anyone other than Widow. For years they'd been all each other had, an unsteady foundation of trust, built on lies, though Olivia hadn't known it at the time. She failed to fight back her tears, simultaneously sad and happy for the way her life had turned around.

Olivia choked back a sobbing laugh, "Look at me… I thought I was stronger than this…"

Qrow snorted, hugging her more tightly. "Someone that's alone can only be so strong. Real strength comes from having others around you that you can depend on. They'll love you even when you can't love yourself."

Olivia was thinking about the advice Qrow had given when a dull buzz sounded from her pocket. She wiped her face off as well as she could and reached down, pulling the scroll from where it had been sandwiched between herself and the older huntsman.

"Come to my office whenever you're ready, Miss Mandevilla.

- Headmaster Ozpin"

"Guess that means Weiss's session is over with. I shouldn't keep him waiting too long." Olivia finished wiping off her face and pulled away from Qrow, turning as if to hop off the stool before a hand on her shoulder stopped her.

"You know… I could send him a message. Tell Oz to reschedule? Unless you really are feeling up for it. Your choice..."

Olivia took his offer into consideration. Truth be told, with the possibility of it turning into an interrogation, Olivia would much rather put off her meeting with Ozpin as long as possible.

"Yeah, if you could do that. I uh, would rather take my mind off things for a bit…"

Qrow nodded, pulling his hand away. "Go relax if you can. I'll let Oz know about our little chat. He'll probably still want to see you at some point, but this should be good enough for now."

"Thanks, Qrow."

Qrow chuckled, "Hey, my pleasure. Maybe next time I'll choose the locale. I would kill for a burger right about now."

Olivia smiled, finally freeing herself of the last vestiges of tears. "What? Alcohol isn't the breakfast of champions?"

"It hits the spot. Just not the right spot." Qrow smirked and nodded his chin towards the stairs, already guessing where Olivia was headed next. "Have fun, kid. I'm just gonna polish off a few more and be on my way."

Olivia smiled, saluting her last faint goodbye before turning towards the stairs. She would mull over the conversation in due time, taking into account Qrow's suggestions and experiences.

For now… she wanted to have a little fun and forget.

Olivia just hoped Melanie was up for it.

Qrow watched Olivia walk away with a sad smile, and a dull hope that he had helped her in some way. He wasn't lying about not envying her. Just imagining being in her shoes gave him painful flashbacks from his own past. Truth be told, Tai and Summer had taken a while to finally come around, and Raven had done anything but make things easier for them. Even so, their team and the bonds they shared had become far stronger because of it.

He had no doubts that Ruby would be accepting, in time. But the other two…?

'Best of luck, kid…'

Weiss shut the door weakly behind herself, shoulders slumped and feet dragging. She avoided Ruby and Blake's questioning gazes, vying for the comfort of her bed instead. She walked across the room and slipped beneath the covers, pulling the blanket up across her shoulders, tempted to hide herself away completely.

"Weiss?" Ruby's voice piped up quietly, dripping with concern. "How was your talk with Professor Ozpin?"

'Our talk?' Weiss shifted, burying her face further into her pillow. She had put on a brave face during the session, trying her best to appear formal, the perfect picture of a proper Huntress.

The answers that Ozpin gave her, though… Weiss had asked if they'd found out why the White Fang attacked. Even now, she could remember the slight hesitation in his response. The lie that sprung from his lips.

'Currently, we are unaware of the White Fang's motives. Further investigation may bring light upon the issue, but as of yet, we simply don't know.'

Ozpin knew. Weiss had spent enough time around her father to know a lie when she heard it.

The meetings themselves were thinly veiled counseling sessions, meant to help the students through their traumatic event. 'Of course he would try to protect me from the truth… They... really were there for me…' Tears brimmed in Weiss's eyes, making her glad that she'd chosen to face the wall instead of her teammates.

"Weiss? Are you okay?" Blake spoke softly, drawing nearer to the heiress's bed.

Weiss let out a rattling sigh. "Thirty-two, Blake… Thirty-two people died, because the White Fang were after me…"

"What!?" Weiss could hear the alarm in Ruby's voice, her leader crossing the distance to rest a hand on her shoulder. Weiss shrugged it off, wanting more than anything to be alone.

"Ozpin as good as told me, even if he couldn't admit it outright. The White Fang was there for me. Everyone else… they were just in the way…"

"Weiss, I-"

"Just-... leave me alone…" Weiss cut Blake off, curling in on herself further. "...I don't want to talk about it…"

It was a few long seconds before Blake and Ruby decided to leave the room. They closed the door quietly on their way out, clicking it shut and giving Weiss what she wanted. Finally alone, she let her tears flow freely.

Even though she'd asked for it…

Part of her desperately wished they'd come back.

"So, we're doing it, right?" Ruby asked, eyes staring at the door as if she could see through it.

Blake sighed, running a hand through her hair. "I don't think we have a choice. It's either that, or I tell her the truth about myself…"

Ruby shook her head, "You saw how she was. Another blow like that…? I don't think Weiss could take it."

After a few seconds, Blake nodded. "Alright. We'll track down a Fang member and get answers." At Ruby's look of determination, Blake placed a hand on her shoulder, "Not tonight. I don't want to make Weiss wait, but it'll be better to make sure we're fully prepared. Let's just… give ourselves a night to think about it, alright?"

"Blake, if you're getting cold feet-"

"No, Ruby. I just… not tonight, okay?"

Ruby smiled reassuringly at Blake, and brought her own hand up to grasp the one resting on her shoulder. "Okay. We'll track them down tomorrow. We'll get our answers… and we'll help Weiss get through this."

Blake smiled in return, and nodded her thanks.

"Tomorrow night, we capture ourselves a terrorist…"

I'll likely be going back into part of the bar scene from previous chapters and reworking the birth dates I made up. A friend pointed out that the Beacon school year fits more with the Japanese term than with America's. And with all of the RWBY girl's birthdays finally being revealed, that puts Weiss's actual birthday near enough that nothing much will change. Beacon would have started in early April, while Weiss's birthday is May 15th. That puts it around 3 weeks away from where we're currently at in the story.

Thanks, Psiah~

And thank you all for reading,

- Sybaen