Previously, on The Defenders of Remnant...

"And just what the hell are you?!" Cardin exclaimed.

My true name is unpronounceable in your language. However, you may call me… Venom.

"With you and I together, Cardin, we can make this 'Peter Parker' suffer for what he has done to wrong you. I can grant you the ability to take what you want, so long as we work as one.

"What is this thing? Some kind of Grimm?" Weiss asked.

"No, it's more dangerous. Which is why I'll handle it while you all go!" Peter exclaimed as he got back to his feet.

Venom turned around to stare down all five of them. His teeth formed an evil smirk as he stomped on Weiss, shattering her aura as well, the sound of her aura's glass-like breaking mixing with the cracking of ribs.

"You sure you're alright?" Yang asked Weiss as they were settling into bed.

"I should be fine," Weiss replied.

"What even was that thing?" Yang questioned.

"I don't know," Weiss said, "But Peter seemed to."

"He's also keeping secrets," Weiss rallied. "Friends aren't supposed to keep secrets." Blake slightly looked down at this statement. "Right Blake?"

"So you want to know more about me?" Peter asked.

Blake nodded. "And in return, I'll do the same; tell you my life story, and how it brought me to Beacon."

"Congratulations, Phineas," Cinder said, a smirk across her face, "It seems you got your miracle."

"With this, Remnant now has its own variant of the Lizard."

"There is a creature within the city that killed an entire cell of your brothers overnight," She then showed him security footage of a large black humanoid creature with white eyes tearing through White Fang, even biting the heads off of some. The Lizard growled at the sight. "If you can find it, and kill it, I'd consider that an apt test of your new abilities."

"Next time we get a shot at Parker alone, he's a dead man."

The Defenders of Remnant

Chapter 12: The Broken Ones

Night had now fallen on Vale, the sun's last rays of light peeking above the horizon as the shattered moon gave off its own radiant light. It had taken Peter from before noon until sundown to get something for Weiss, since he had to wait for it to be finished. He kept it wrapped up and in a bag he now carried with him to keep it safe. Weiss should be happy with this, he thought. Peter then heard the sound of a motor approaching, and he turned to see Yang on a yellow motorcycle pull over next to him.

"Heya, Pete," She greeted with a smile as she took off her sunglasses.

"Hey, Yang. What's up?" Peter replied.

"The sky," Yang joked. Peter raised an eyebrow, unamused. "Okay, kidding. We didn't find you at your dorm or your lab, and I needed to hit town anyway, so I came looking for you."

"Why? What's going on?" Peter asked.

"Weiss is uh… what's the word… oh, right, pissed."

"What is it now?" Peter asked.

"She doesn't like how you wouldn't tell us about that thing last night; what it was, or why it was after you," Yang answered. "And apparently you told Blake?"

"Of course…" Peter rubbed his eyes.

"Normally, I wouldn't really care, but that thing really could've killed us, and nearly did. So as much as I can't believe I'm saying this, I'm with Weiss. What's the big deal that you can't tell us?"

"There are so many layers to answer that it's not funny; Look, I can understand why you all would be upset, Weiss in particular. But if I hide things, trust me when I say there is a reason I do that. My job is to watch over you guys, and things like Venom are the kind of things I keep quiet about." Peter then realized he let the symbiote's name slip. "Crap…"

"Yeah, real smooth. So what the heck is this Venom?" Yang questioned. Peter sighed.

"I can't answer that."

"That's not good enough, Pete." Yang stepped off her bike and kicked out the kickstand before approaching Peter. "My little sister was almost eaten by something worse than any Grimm I've ever seen, and you know exactly what it is. I want to trust you, but this is something I'm not gonna let you cover up."

"Yang, please-" Peter started, before a length of black substance suddenly attached to his torso from above. Both were caught off guard and quickly looked up to see Venom above them on a wall, with the long strand of substance coming from this arm.

"Parker!" He snarled before yanking Peter up to him, grabbing him by his neck.

"Peter!" Yang exclaimed. She then activated her gauntlets, Ember Celica. "Put him down, you monster!"

Venom, however, just ignored the huntress and kept his eyes on Peter. "Finally, you are mine, Parker…"

Peter struggled against Venom's strong grip. "Venom! Who's inside there? Who have you bonded with?"

"I told you before, Parker, to mind the pecking order around here. Now it's time to show you why."

"Wait… Cardin?!" Peter replied. Venom smirked and opened his massive mouth to bite, then was promptly shot in the face by Yang's gauntlets with fire Dust, prompting him to drop Peter and focus on himself. Peter recovered enough to land on his feet back on the sidewalk, right next to Yang. "Thanks…"

"Hey, secrets or no secrets, I'm not gonna let you get eaten," Yang replied.

The two saw as Venom stumbled and ungracefully fell down to street level, holding his face. Yang and Peter readied themselves to fight, and Venom snarled as he removed his hand and looked up at them, half of the symbiote's face burned away, revealing Cardin under the mask.

"Cardin Winchester? He's controlling that thing?" Yang questioned.

"No, Venom is a being on his own. Look, I will explain later, but we can't let him get away again," Peter said.

"You won't be the one leaving, Parker," Cardin spat before the symbiote healed and covered the opening again. "You turned me into an embarrassment, a laughingstock. And now, it's gonna blow up in your face."

"Cardin, listen to me, the symbiote amplifies your emotions, your resentment for me is driving you to kill."

"I don't want to hear it! You will pay for what you've done to me, and I'll be back on top!" Cardin/Venom exclaimed.

Yang didn't even bother to respond, but fired three more Dust rounds at Venom, who took two of them but dodged the third. The fire Dust clearly had an effect, as it took longer for the symbiote to heal. "Yang, stop!"

"No! I'm done talking!" Yang lunged at Venom and reeled her fist back, but he moved out of the way just in time as Yang punched and blasted the wall behind him. He grabbed her by her skull and smashed her face into the wall followed by punching her in the gut, which made fly up a bit, then grabbed her by her leg and sent her flying through a parked car and slamming into the building wall behind it.

"Stay out of the way, Goldilocks, or you're next." Venom then turned his attention back to Peter and stomped towards him.

"Cardin, listen to me, I know what a symbiote does to somebody. Your actions aren't what you intend them to be!" Peter pleaded.

"Shut up!" Venom clawed at Peter's face, and even though Peter ducked to avoid the attack, the symbiote's other hand gripped his neck in the same instant, squeezing with a vice grip and lifting him up off the ground. "So many ways I can kill you… bite your head off, rip you in half, or squeeze you 'till your skull pops off like a cork! No matter how I kill you, Parker, just remember: you did this to yourself!"

"Hey, Cardin!" Yang's voice called. Venom turned to see Yang fire at him again. Venom snarled and put Peter between him and the Dust rounds, letting Peter take the hit as the fire Dust burned through his clothes and started burning his back. Peter yelled in pain as he felt the burn hit his skin. "No, Peter!" Venom smirked and smashed Peter face first into pavement, breaking apart the street on impact. Bearing through the pain, however, Peter pulled his legs in, then kicked Venom with both feet with all the strength he could muster in the moment, sending Venom flying down the street and making him let go. As his right ear started ringing, Peter forced himself back to his feet, and Yang was quickly at his side. "You alright?"

"Y-You gotta stop, Yang…" Peter groaned as he held his head, and blood ran from his temple down his cheek.

"What?! You can't be serious," Yang said in disbelief.

"It's not his fault," Peter defended as Yang helped him to his feet.

"Peter, he tried to kill all of us! I can't just-" Yang started.

"Yang!" Peter stopped her. "You said you wanted to trust me, right? So trust me! Please…" Yang looked at the pleading Peter. She desperately wanted to put a stop to Cardin, and even give payback for trying to kill Ruby. But the emotion, almost a history behind Peter's eyes, led her to give him a hesitant nod. Peter nods back, then looks back down the street to Venom, who recovered from Peter's attack and eyed him down. "Cardin, this is enough, man. I get it, you hate me because of what I did to you. I'd hate me too. I shouldn't have handled it like that."

"Too late for apologies, Parker. Damage is already done, but this'll sure make me feel better before I start fixing it," Venom replied.

"I'm not done," Peter said before he also started walking towards Cardin/Venom. Yang stood aside and watched, unsure of Peter's decision. "Look at what you've decided to do since then. Like I said, the symbiote amplifies things, but instead of trying to rebuild yourself, you chose to lash out, and let Venom make it worse."

"Your point?"

"My point is that with great power, there must also come great responsibility. Even before Venom, you had the potential to rebuild yourself in a way where you could be respected, not feared. People would look up to you. But instead you've let your hate for me get the better of you." Venom stopped his stride, pausing to hear Peter out.

"You think you know me?" He questioned.

"I know your position, and I know that if I can make the right choice, you can too. You and Venom together have the potential to do so much, even fight the White Fang like you did. So don't throw it all away on someone like me, someone who spent a lot of time making bad choices, when you can turn things around while you still have a chance to. Instead of becoming something me or the students at our school should fear, become something that the bad guys should learn to fear. Show the world what Cardin Winchester and Venom can do to change the world for the better." Peter finished his speech and waited for Cardin's response. Cardin/Venom looked down, thinking for a moment, the silence deafening on Peter and Yang.

"So, what, am I supposed to forgive you for what you did?" He asked.

"If you can. I'm not asking you to forget what happened, I'm not asking you to just move on; I'm just asking you to be better. Then, and only then, can you change things. Maybe you'll even be better off than before we met." Peter yet again waited for Cardin's conclusion, which took even longer to come around than before. Yang readied her weapons just in case things went south. After another round of deafening silence, Cardin backed away from Peter.

"You might be right, Parker…" Cardin said. Yang gave a sigh of relief and let her guard down, as did Peter. "... but I'm not gonna take that chance." In a single moment, Cardin pulled back his arm and backhanded Peter into the corner of a building, breaking apart the brick before he landed on the pavement.

You mean we can't take that chance, right? Venom said.

"No. I mean me. And you're the perfect weapon for me to finish this."

Weapon?! I am no simple weapon!

"Shut up and do your job, parasite," Cardin snarled.

As Peter recovered, he heard Cardin's side of the argument, and quickly pieced it together. They're not symbiotic…

"C'mere, Parker!" Cardin growled before another animalistic snarl was heard. Cardin looked up just before he was pushed to the pavement by the Lizard leaping from above.

"Wait… Doctor Conners?" Peter asked confusingly. The Lizard, however, was too busy slashing at Venom to hear him. Venom launched Lizard away before snarling and chasing after the reptile, allowing Yang to reach Peter and help him to his feet.

"Peter, are you alright?!" Yang exclaimed out of worry. Peter, however, looked on at the battle between The Lizard and Venom. As the two clashed again and brutally attacked each other back and forth, Peter saw on the Lizard's back a torn uniform bearing the red symbol of the White Fang. "Peter!"

"Oh, uh, yeah… yeah I'm fine, Yang…" Peter groaned. He was lying. He felt two broken parts of a rib rub against one-another.

"We should go while they're busy fighting each other," Yang suggested.

"Hold on. The Lizard; he's White Fang. The White Fang were targeting Cardin."

"I'd say he deserves it, all things considered. Let's go."

"No, Yang, stop," Peter said sternly.

"Why? What are we waiting for? You're hurt." Yang clearly wanted to go, but Peter remained rooted to the spot as he viewed the battle between monsters before him.

The Lizard leapt onto Cardin and dug its long teeth into his shoulder, pushing him to the ground in the process. Cardin howled in pain before clawing the Lizard's arm in retaliation, but no blood was drawn. "The hell?! Where's my strength?!"

"What's wrong? Can't fight back, little worm?" The Lizard hissed before digging its claws into the symbiote's chest and scratching down slowly. "Let's see what you look like on the inside!"

"Yang, the way Cardin was talking; he and Venom aren't symbiotic. They won't stand a chance against the Lizard," Peter observed.

"So?" Yang questioned.

"What do you mean 'so'? Cardin could die!" Peter exclaimed.

"Cardin tried to kill my friends, my little sister. Good riddance," Yang snarled. Peter couldn't believe her, and furrowed his brow, pushing her away angrily.

"And y'know what? You let him die, you're no better," Peter snapped.

"Excuse me?!"

"I refuse to stand by and let him die. And the fact that you can is a problem. Now, I'm going to help him. If you wanna just keep standing here, then go right ahead, Yang." Peter then left Yang behind to go help Cardin.

The Lizard bit the symbiote's throat, forcing him to howl in pain. The Lizard took advantage of it and gripped Venom's jaws and started to forcefully tear the symbiote away from Cardin's face. "On to the squishy insides…" It chuckled as it pulled the ooze-like substance away, starting to reveal Cardin's face.

Then Peter's foot connected with the reptilian's jaw, knocking out a few of the sharp teeth and sending him off of Cardin and into a wall. Cardin looked up to Peter from the ground. "Parker…?" He said. As the Lizard tried to recover, Peter's fist was brought down onto its snout, smashing it into the sidewalk. The Lizard tries to hit Peter with its tail, but Peter backflips out of the way of the attack. The Lizard started to recover, getting to its feet, only for Yang's fist to connect with the side of its jaw next, and within the same moment of her fist connecting, Yang's gauntlet fired and sent the Lizard skidding down the street with a fresh scorch mark on its face. Peter looked at Yang in surprise, who just gave a small nod. Peter slightly smiled, then looked back at the enhanced faunus. It stood up holding the side of its face and snout, hissing before crawling up a building, around a corner and out of sight.

"This city just keeps getting weirdos, doesn't it?" Yang remarked. Peter turned around and put a hand out to Cardin. After a moment, the symbiote recedes into Cardin's body, and Cardin stares at Peter's hand for a long moment, before hesitantly taking it and letting Peter help pull him up.

"You alright?" Peter asked him. Cardin, again, hesitated.

"Y-Yeah, I guess…" Cardin stumbled over his words. "You… you saved me. After all I did. Why?"

"Because that's what the good guys do. And like I said, it's not too late for you to be one too. Either of you," Peter answered.

No, just him. I'm a TOOL apparently, Venom mocked in Cardin's head.

"Would you shut up for five minutes?" Cardin said.

Douche, Venom replied.

"But there is some work to do, I guess," Peter sighed. Yang joined them quickly.

"Okay, can someone explain what's going on?" Yang asked. Part of the symbiote came out of Cardin's body to form Venom's face, which looked towards Yang.

"Madame," Venom slightly bowed.

"Oooookaaaaaay… I'm not sleeping tonight."

"What, a face by itself is scarier than the whole thing?" Peter raised an eyebrow.

"The whole thing is a little less uncanny," Yang replied.

"So… Peter… what are you talking about?" Cardin asked.

"I'm sure Venom's told you, but symbiotes can only live with a host, and symbiosis can be achieved with a perfect host. Clearly, that's you. But if the White Fang is trying to get you with human-sized reptiles? Neither of you are going to survive if you can't achieve symbiosis."

"Okay, well, how do I do that?"

"Not calling me a tool or parasite would be a start," Venom remarked.

"You gotta trust each other, open up, like an actual team of Huntsmen. If you two can work together as a team, you can do exactly what I said, and be a force for good."

"I don't think forces of good eat people's heads off," Cardin crossed his arms while glaring at Venom.

"I was hungry!" The symbiote defended.

"He can get the chemical he needs from chocolate, so if beheading people is a problem, he can get his fix that way," Peter assured him.

Cardin glared at Venom. "Really? You couldn't tell me that?"

"What's chocolate?" Venom simply asked.

"I can only get more confused," Yang moaned while rubbing her temple.

"Look, we'll figure more of this out tomorrow, ok Cardin? For now, get some chocolate, go back to your dorm, and don't be at each other's throats for a few hours," Peter said.

"Fine," Cardin said before turning around and walking back towards Beacon.

"So are we not gonna kill him?" Venom asked.

"No!"

As the two left, Peter then turned back to Yang. "See? We ended things without anyone dying."

"Until Weiss gets her hands on you. And especially now, you're not getting off scot free. We're gonna want to know everything," Yang replied.

"She'll have her answers. You all will, tonight. I'll meet you back at your dorm. I've gotta go back to my lab for a minute, then I'll answer everything," Peter promised. Yang went back to her bike and picked it up before throwing one leg over and taking a seat.

"You better," Yang replied before starting the ignition and driving back to the school. Peter retrieved his gift for Weiss off the side of the street and went on his own way back to his lab. And perched on a nearby rooftop was Taskmaster, hunched over the edge.

"Peter… Parker…"

Peter finished filling a duffel bag before zipping it closed and tossing it around his shoulder, putting his arm through the loop. He then rushed out the door of his lab, clutching the bag tight. He stopped when a familiar voice called from behind him.

"Are you sure that's the wisest decision, Mr. Parker?" Ozpin said. Peter didn't turn around to face him, merely clutching the strap tighter.

"It's all about to break because I'm keeping secrets. Because I'm Spider-Man, because I'm from another world. Things that I 'can't' tell them. Among other things."

"So you believe the solution to your problems is to remove all layers of secrecy? Put the problem that is Spider-Man right before them, hoping they accept you when all your cards are on the table?" Ozpin raised an eyebrow.

"With the idea being everyone will open up, put all of their cards on the table," Peter replied.

"In concept, a smart idea. However, might I recommend something?"

"Yes, Professor?" Peter asked, his back still to the headmaster.

"Don't do it like this."

"What do you mean?"

"You go as you are, and you won't be going as Peter Parker, you'll be going in as Spider-Man. They won't see their classmate that they spent orientation and the weeks since with, the young man who helped them say, stop a Dust robbery. They won't find the young man who helped them find the courage to stand up to their bully, or even the one tonight who turned another man's vengeance into a tool for good," Ozpin said.

Peter finally turned around. "Wait, you know about that?"

"I try to keep track of all my students, Mr. Parker," The headmaster smirked. "No, you go in with the mask and costume in that bag, they won't see that young man at all. They'll see the masked man they heard about on the news, the one who started a war on crime and the White Fang, along with his associates." Peter slightly looked down, thinking about what Ozpin was saying. "Now, this may not be all bad. Many of my students have become infatuated with the tales of the wall crawler and the bulletproof man. The city is in a craze, and the Daredevil hasn't even hit the streets yet. My students idolize you, especially one young huntress in particular."

Peter looked back up at him. "Ruby…"

Ozpin smiled and nodded. "I'm sure you saw the stars in her eyes today. Ever since her encounter with you on that night, both of your fates changed. You became huntsmen in my academy, and she became so enthralled in your ventures as Spider-Man. But I'm afraid that's just the problem. You hold that mask as you empty your soul, and you might as well be wearing it in front of them. They'll see a symbol, not a friend." Peter sighed and slightly loosened his grip on the bag, looking away from the professor again. "Tell me, is Peter Parker Spider-Man? Or is Spider-Man Peter Parker? Because to break the barrier, you must go in as your true self. Whether that is before or behind the mask is the question, Peter." Ozpin's words started to weigh on him. He started to realize how much he was jumping the gun with this decision. "But, like I said before, I might just be an old man preaching to an empty audience. The choice is yours and yours alone to make, Peter." Ozpin then walked past Peter towards the stairs, his cane tapping along the ground with every off step.

"You remind me of him, y'know," Peter said, still rooted to the spot. Ozpin paused and slightly turned back to Peter. "Of my Uncle Ben. You really remind me of him."

The headmaster smiled, feeling flattered. "I'll take that as the highest honor I could receive, Mr. Parker." Ozpin then continued his stride and descended the stairwell, while Peter thought things over right there in the hallway.

"He's taking too long," Weiss groaned impatiently.

"Give him time, Weiss. He's walking here," Blake said.

"And he's stopping by his lab," Yang added.

"So you're okay?" Ruby asked her sister. "You and Peter didn't get hurt?"

"Peter got roughed up, but I'm fine," Yang answered.

"Also, Cardin attacked us?!" Weiss exclaimed. "Why aren't we bringing this to Ozpin? Cardin tried to kill us!"

"The way Peter explained it, it seemed like it wasn't entirely his fault. That thing with him, Venom; it seemed to make things worse."

A knock came at the door to the team's dorm. Ruby quickly opened it to see Peter. "Hey, Peter. You okay?"

"I could be worse off. Thanks," Peter replied before entering the room to be met with Weiss's glare. "Yeah, I know, don't get all worked up, or you might actually get hot headed, Ice Queen." Weiss's face became even less patient at that comment. "I'm joking, just calm down. First, how are you feeling? Does it still hurt?"

"A little," Weiss huffed.

"I'm sorry you got hurt. The others were gonna get you a get well gift when that electric guy attacked and Spider-Man came around, so they never got a chance. But I was working on something of my own." Peter set the small bag down from before, and pulled out something, keeping it hidden in his fist, before turning back to Weiss. "Hold out your hand." Weiss raised an eyebrow with her arms crossed. "Just do it. Please." Weiss groaned and put one open hand out, and Peter dropped the item into her palm. Weiss realized it was a necklace of some kind and let it hang from one of her fingers so the whole team could see it, and even she was surprised.

It was a beautiful diamond-encrusted mold of a snowflake, of her emblem. It shined brilliantly even under the one light in the dorm room. All four girls looked at it in awe. "I tried to give them a design that matched your glyphs. I'd only seen them a couple times, so it was more of a memory sketch." Yang and Ruby stepped closer to examine the jewelry. "I know you don't go for the expensive stuff since, y'know. But I figured something custom would mean more."

"Peter… It's beautiful…" Weiss marveled.

"You had this done today?" Ruby asked, tearing he gaze away from the gift to speak to Peter directly.

"Actually, I've had it ordered since orientation, thought it might ease up tensions a little. Didn't realize it would take so long. I'm glad you like it, Weiss."

Weiss stared at the snowflake necklace for a long moment before pulling her eyes away and pocketing it. "Well, as… um, thoughtful as that was, you're not in the clear."

"Yeah, I know. I know. Let's get this over with." Peter sighed and sat on one of the bunks. Ruby and Weiss sat beside him, while Blake and Yang sat on the bottom bunk across from them. "So… who wants to start?"

"I will," Weiss stated firmly. "First, what is that thing with Cardin that tried to kill us?"

Peter took another breath before answering. "Venom is part of an alien species that can only survive while bonding to a host. Venom has chosen Cardin as that host. The symbiotes amplify the emotions of the host upon first contact, and that imprints on the symbiote. Because Cardin only focused on hating me, his attachment to Venom escalated it to murderous intent. And that meant he wouldn't let anything get in his way, including you guys." Peter paused to let that sink in.

"Wait… a-an alien? Seriously?" Ruby asked.

"Yes. And while we calmed Cardin down now, he still hurt you guys. And it's because he hated me for what I did. It's my fault," Peter avoided their gazes. Weiss's look softened, realizing Peter really did blame himself. But she wasn't done with her questions.

"And how do you know this? That it's an… alien?" She asked.

"Because I had the unfortunate privilege to host one myself, a long time ago. It… nearly broke me."

"I… I'm sorry, Peter."

"What's gonna happen to Cardin?" Blake asked.

"Ozpin seems to know exactly what's going on, and he didn't seem too bothered. No one died, and we weren't banged up too badly, and I think Ozpin knows Cardin didn't mean to get to anyone but me. I'll be helping Cardin learn how to control the symbiote, turn it into something better for both of them."

"That's very kind of you. I don't know what I would've done with that bully," Ruby said.

"I think the bullying days of Cardin Winchester are over. Maybe we'll start seeing a better guy," Peter replied.

"We should still be cautious and keep an eye on him," Blake said.

"Why did you hide this information from us before? About this… Venom symbiote thing?" Yang asked Peter.

"Because I'd look like an insane person if I gave you the honest answer. Besides, I thought it would protect you if you didn't know, didn't have to think about it," Peter answered.

"We can handle ourselves perfectly fine," Weiss said.

"Even tonight, Yang got thrown around like a ragdoll. Yesterday, they injured you. You're lucky to still be alive, Weiss. And it's my fault you got hurt in the first place."

"Peter, you can't blame yourself for this. Cardin was mad at you because you did the right thing protecting Jaune. You can't beat yourself up for that," Ruby said.

"Yeah, dude. If you hadn't ticked Cardin off by helping him, Vomit Boy would've been kicked out of Beacon," Yang added, supporting her sister. "You're Jaune's hero. I'd say that's more than enough of a good reason."

"Well, you know what they say: 'No good deed goes unpunished'," Peter said somewhat dejectedly. Even Weiss seemed concerned at his tone and words.

"Peter, are you okay?" Ruby asked.

"That's a bit of a loaded question right now. I've been thinking about a lot of things recently, most of them not so great."

"You know you can talk to us, right?" Yang asked, softening her tone a bit.

"Not about as much as I want. I get that you're supposed to trust me, and that that's difficult when I hide things from you guys. But just know that when I do, it's for a reason, whether it be because I'm looking out for you, or even because Ozpin himself wants to keep it wrapped up. I know it sucks, but sometimes that's just how things will fall," Peter said.

"We understand, Peter," Ruby said with an assuring smile.

"Just next time, don't leave us hanging with nothing, alright?" Weiss added.

"Yeah, got it," Peter said.

"Do you wanna talk about what's bugging you?" Yang asked.

"No, not tonight," Peter said before standing up. "Maybe another time when the day isn't so… eventful. Let's get some breathing room between all this. I'm gonna head back to my dorm and call it a night."

"Good night, Peter," Ruby said before giving him a quick hug, causing Peter to smile a bit.

Blake stood up and approached him. "I'll walk with you, make sure you stay ok."

"What, think I'm gonna break down in the middle of the halls before I get there?" Peter asked sarcastically.

"Just get moving," Blake exhaled while pushing Peter's shoulder. The two left, closing the door behind them. After they were gone, Weiss took the necklace out of he pocket and gazed upon it again, the light once again shining brilliantly off the crystals. Ruby stared at it from over Weiss's shoulder. Yang climbed up to her top bunk on the right and laid back. A few moments passed ins silence before Yang spoke up.

"Do you think there's something going on between those two?" She asked her teammates.

"Between who?" Weiss asked, handing the necklace off to Ruby to keep her occupied.

"Pete and Blake. You think they're, I dunno, a thing?" Yang clarified.

"What makes you ask that?" Weiss questioned.

"Well, ever since the start of the semester, they always go off on their own, have side conversations, give each other those weird looks. Could be their way of dating," Yang said with a shrug. "I dunno, just a weird thought I had."

Weiss replied, "I don't think Blake does the 'dating' thing. She's too secluded."

"Ah well, it was just a random thought. Anyways, I'm going to bed. Night." Yang then turned over and pulled the covers over herself. Weiss then turned back around, pried the jeweled snowflake from Ruby's hands, and gently set it on her side table before getting dressed for bed herself.

"Are we really going to do this tonight? After I said I was exhausted?" Peter asked, sitting at his desk.

"Seems like a perfect time to me. You started venting back there. You need to let some of this off your chest," Blake said while leaning against the doorway, next to the closed door and the desk. "Maybe we both do."

"Blake, if you're going to give up one of your secrets, maybe you should say it to your team instead."

"No. I don't want to tell them yet. I'm not ready."

"So you chose me?" Peter asked.

"If I tell you this, you can tell me about the girl in the photo. Like you promised weeks ago," Blake slightly furrowed her brow.

"Do you ever think maybe I just don't want to talk about it?" Peter asked in a slightly harsh tone.

"If you didn't want to talk about it, you shouldn't have promised to." Peter sighed and buried his face in his hands. "Pete?"

"Fine… fine…" Peter relented. He then paused and took deep breaths, as if trying to prepare himself for what he was about to say. Blake sat on the edge of the desk and waited until he was ready.

"Want me to go first?" She asked after long moments.

"Yeah, that'll give me time to brace myself a bit," Peter said weakly.

Blake nodded and slightly looked away, also mentally preparing herself. "I… was once a member of the White Fang." She said it with hesitance, worried about Peter's reaction since he had seen firsthand their methods of violence, and apathy for human life. He looked up at her in almost confusion.

"You? You were a part of them?" He asked.

"Yeah, I know how terrible they are now. That's part of the reason why I left, actually."

Peter seemed to think for a moment. "If you were a part of the White Fang, doesn't that mean you're-"

"A faunus?" Blake finished. "Yes, I am. Surprised?"

"I haven't seen any animal traits about you. I figured I would've noticed something by now." Blake nodded, then hesitantly and slowly removed the black bow from atop her head, revealing a pair of black cat-like ears resting where the bow was. It took Peter a moment to continue talking. "You hide them from everyone else. Why?"

"You've seen how Faunus are treated by normal humans. Leftover feelings by the war and consistent attacks by the White Fang have painted a target on all Faunus. And after being part of the Fang, I chose to hide myself," Blake answered.

"Why did you join them in the first place?"

"I was a member for most of my life, actually. You could almost say I was born into it. Back then, things were different. In the ashes of war, the White Fang was meant to be a symbol of peace and unity between humans and the faunus. Of course, despite being promised equality, the faunus were subjected to discrimination and hate. Humanity still thought of us as lesser beings, and so the White Fang rose up as the voice of our people. And I was there; I was at the front of every rally, I took part in every boycott, and I actually thought we were making a difference. But I was just a youthful optimist. Then, five years ago our leader stepped down, and a new one took his place; a new leader with a new way of thinking. Suddenly, our peaceful protests were being replaced with organized attacks, we were setting fire to shops that refused to serve us, hijacking cargo from companies that used faunus labor, and the worst part was it was working." she slightly paused, her tone becoming slightly more emotional. "We were being treated like equals, but not out of respect; out of fear." She took a moment and calmed herself down. "So, I left. I decided I no longer wanted to use my skills to aid in their violence. And instead, I would dedicate my life to becoming a huntress. So here I am, a criminal hiding in plain view, all with the help of a little black bow." She gestured to the untied bow in her hand, and twitched her ears a little.

"Blake… I… I'm so sorry…" Peter couldn't find the words to try and make her feel better, not with his story now at the precipice of being told.

"It's… it's fine," She assured him. But Peter saw through the lie easily. "I've learned to move past it, and just look to do good. So, what about you? Who's the girl in the photo?"

Peter wasn't anywhere near ready yet to let those demons lose. But right here with Blake, after her life was put before him, he had no right to keep this from her now. "Her name… was Mary Jane Watson. And she was the love of my life. We'd known each other since we were little."

"How long were you actually together?" Blake asked.

"Three years. We got together not long after I became Spider-Man," Peter answered.

"You were Spider-Man at sixteen?"

"Fifteen," Peter corrected. "I think I was even a little younger than Ruby. Well, after I saved her, my mask was messed up and she recognized me. Give it a month or two of her being aware who I was, her worry for me got us closer, I guess."

"She sounds sweet," Blake said.

"She was perfect," Peter replied. "More than I ever deserved."

"So…. what happened to her?" Blake asked. Peter's face visibly changed to one of pain and sorrow. Blake felt her heart sink at his look.

"Over a year ago now, my archenemy, he somehow found out my secret identity, and started targeting everyone close to me. My Aunt May, my best friend… and MJ. I came home one day to find my house in flames and fallen to pieces. It took the fire fighters half an hour to get there. By then May was…" Peter choked on his words and covered his mouth, and Blake's heart sank even lower. She gently placed her left hand on his right shoulder. It took long moments for Peter to work up the strength to continue. "M-My Aunt May was gone. And MJ was missing. I went to my friend Harry, his son, to see if he knew where he was. But… he told Harry who I was, and Harry just snapped at me. I remember us arguing before the apartment exploded." Peter paused again and took a deep breath, and felt Blake squeeze his shoulder comfortingly. "He killed his own son to get to me. And now I only had one person left."

"What monster would kill his own son for that?"

"The kind other monsters fear," Peter answered. "Then three days go by. Not a word from him. Then the police get a call, 'For Spider-Man only.' He tells me where to meet him, and that he still has MJ alive. I show up, and there are two warehouses. Both are rigged to blow, and one has MJ. He said he'd turn himself in if I got it right. All I wanted to do was kill him, but I couldn't. That would go against everything I'd fought for, that I was taught by Uncle Ben. So played his game. I chose one. As soon as I went inside, I saw a little kid strapped to the chair. Before I could even think about how horrible it was, the other warehouse blew. The one with MJ…" Tears finally came down Peter's face, his eyes welled and red. "I got the kid out, saw that that bastard was already gone. And I dug through that rubble as fast as I could, hoping to God that she was still alive. I found her at the bottom, broken and bleeding. She was alive and in so much pain… before she died right there in my arms… it wasn't an accident. He wanted me to see her die. To watch as the last person I loved was taken away… and I just broke. I stopped being Spider-Man. I hung up the mask for a while after that. I just… couldn't look myself in the mirror for letting her die…"

"I'm so sorry, Peter…" Blake whispered, feeling sick to her stomach. She wished she could comfort him further, but lacked the words to do so. "Your story is so much worse than mine… you don't deserve this…"

"I sure thought I did. I worked up the strength to wear the mask again after a year. The first time I was Spider-Man again was the night we got sent here." Peter then went silent, and still felt Blake's hand on his shoulder. To him, it felt like an anchor to the moment, as if Blake herself was keeping him from falling back into that moment in the past. The two sat in silence for many minutes, both having a better understanding of each other in a way neither was used to. Peter spoke up after what felt like an eternity. "I guess we're both just a couple of broken people looking to fix ourselves, huh?"

"I-I guess so," Blake replied, startled by the break in the solemn silence. Peter gave her a small, sad smile, starting to recover from sharing that dark part of his soul. Blake returned with a similar gesture and another comforting squeeze on his shoulder.

"Y-You should get to bed, Blake. I've kept you long enough," Peter said. Blake nodded, pulling her hand away and standing up from the desk.

"You should too. You could use the rest after being everyone's hero today," Blake said as she tied her bow back up to cover her animal ears. Peter nodded back and stood up from his desk. Blake started for the door and gripped the knob.

"Hey, Blake?" Blake turned back around to look at Peter. "I, uh, like the ears. And um… I do respect you. I'd say you're more than my equal."

Blake slightly blushed and scratched her neck. "Th-Thanks. And don't blame yourself for Mary Jane, okay? You're still a hero to all of us, with or without the mask. And I'm sure she'd be proud of you now."

"I hope so. Thanks, Blake. Good night."

"You too," Blake said with a small, nervous smile, before exiting his dorm.