"Abigor!" Mercury yelled, throwing open the doors to one of Blood's administrative buildings that led out to a roof top garden of sorts on the side of her mountain, all of it cloaked with a technology that mimicked that of the Akukonta, the exact science of which was something she wasn't willing to reveal. She chased after the angry mob boss, face red as she did her best to keep up.

"How many of you people do I need to tell tonight that this isn't some kind of social space that you can just come and go from as you please!?" She shrilly informed him as she came to a sudden stop. She'd let Mercury, Strakh, and Jett in against her better judgment, but now before her stood a looming, fit man that she had once met long ago, though now wearing a different mask that looked to be made out of wood, the carvings foreign to her. Abigor. His pissing match between Strakh all those years ago was what cost her all of her research and findings the first time around. "Abigor!"

"Blood," he spoke softly and warmly to her. He dismissed Mercury, stepping past him to the woman and placing a hand on her shoulder which she promptly and forcibly removed.

"Give me one good reason not to kill you here and now," Blood seethed.

"You honestly think you could pull it off alone?" Jett scoffed. Blood chuckled.

"I don't sully my hands. I have more Grimm here than you can possibly imagine, and several that you've never seen," Blood warned.

"One word," Abigor spoke. "Funding." Blood stared him down for a long moment before exhaling slowly.

"If I even for a second believe you're planning to turn on me again," Blood began.

"You'll what?" Abigor inquired. She moved closer to him, breathing through grinding teeth.

"This research is mine and mine alone," she noted. He chuckled.

"But of course," he agreed. "Just one more and we can begin."

"One more?!" She shouted.

"Admon," Strakh noted, shaking his head.

"No," Mercury corrected. "Boyd." Abigor turned to face his contact in Vale.

"So you've met?" Abigor questioned.

"He killed one of my members!" Mercury shouted. Abigor waved him off.

"He must have had good reason to," Abigor jested. Mercury grabbed his arm.

"You wouldn't want me going around killing other contacts, would you?" Mercury bit. Abigor looked down at his arm before looking back up at Mercury.

"Release me," Abigor demanded. Mercury did as he was told, but nearly swung around and removed Strakh from his seat.

"A shame you didn't learn to work alone from Cinder's failures," Strakh laughed.

"Did you want my help or not with that project?" Mercury growled. Strakh waved him off, it was clear to Mercury he was only kissing ass.

"He didn't learn from them because he is one of them," Boyd stated as the doors were slammed open one last time. A lab coat chased the man desperately, making eye contact with Blood as they entered the garden.

"It's fine," Blood grumbled. The assistant showed themself out, and the doors closed leaving them in a heavy silence that Mercury broke.

"I'm sorry, where were you during the shit that went down with the relics and Team RWBY?" Mercury asked.

"Salem planned for your failure," Boyd informed him. "I'm sure if we had enough time we'd come to the realization that her downfall lies solely on you, but we simply don't have that kind of time tonight."

"I expected you to be here sooner," Abigor stated, interrupting them both.

"Ran into some trouble, it wasn't anything that I couldn't handle," Boyd assured him.

"Adel by chance?" Abigor prodded. Boyd's eyes narrowed and he nodded.

"Yes," Boyd replied abruptly.

"Then I trust she's been dealt with," Abigor insisted.

"I… There was a variable which I hadn't accounted for," Boyd noted. Abigor's expression was impossible to read through the mask.

"You said you could handle it," Abigor reminded him.

"I ran out of Essence…" Boyd muttered. Before anyone could react Mercury kicked a leg up, blasting Boyd back into the railing beside Jett.

"Mercury!" Jett shouted.

"If you'd left my people alone, Coco would have been dealt with!" Mercury yelled.

"Your 'people' were a joke! Unfit to clean the halls of Salem's castle!" Boyd cackled.

"Enough!!!" Abigor's voice thundered. "Boyd, Salem saw usefulness in everyone towards her cause, but you aren't wrong in believing that once they've outlived that usefulness, they should be dealt with!" Mercury looked at Abigor in confusion.

"What are you suggesting?" Mercury pried. Abigor looked between the two of them before clearing his throat.

"I seem to have forgotten myself," Abigor noted. "I mean nothing by it, Mercury. Do you have it?" Mercury nodded, snapping his fingers. Aurora revealed herself to the group, standing beside her master with the bullet in hand.

"Is there anyone else I should know about?" Blood demanded as Abigor took the bullet and examined it.

"Fine work, though our loss of DAMU is on your head," Abigor informed him.

"If he hadn't been there…" Mercury began.

"I instructed you to do what was needed without DAMU, and now it's nothing but waste thanks to Stratford!" Abigor boomed.

"Is Admon not coming?" Strakh asked, as if he was oblivious to the conversation happening before him.

"Admon is currently… inactive," Abigor told them. "Enough of this prattle. Mercury and Aurora, return to Vale and await instructions. Strakh, is your attack on Poseidon's Den proceeding as planned?"

"I should hear from my man in a few days," Strakh insisted.

"We'll worry about Atlas later then," Abigor informed them. "Boyd, you are to stay here until I send for you. Jett and I will return to Mistral and keep eyes on the host." They all glanced amongst one another.

"You found the child?" Strakh questioned, eyes gleaming with hope.

"So Coco didn't kill him after all?" Mercury prodded. Abigor turned from them and made for the doors with Jett.

"It's best I play this close to my chest," Abigor stated.

"You don't trust us?" Strakh stammered, rolling his wheelchair towards the exit.

"With this information, I can trust no one. Even Jett doesn't know its identity," Abigor insisted. With that they left, Boyd stood and stretched, ready to egg on Mercury.

"Fenris," Blood called. With uncanny speed, her brother appeared, waiting for her to tell him what to do next. "Show this man to a room." Fenris gave her a crooked smile.

"You don't mean…" Fenris began.

"I do," she assured him. "We aren't running a B here." Fenris nodded before grappling Boyd by the arm and dragging him away.

"Where is this brute taking me?!" Boyd demanded.

"Not to worry! We'll make sure your room doesn't have any Baby Deathstalkers in it!" Blood called after them. She turned to Mercury. "I feel that you and I share a similar sentiment towards Abigor. So, why are you still here?"

"There is no clean break from Salem," Mercury said, Aurora looking up at him in awe.

"You want to leave, master?" She questioned.

"It doesn't matter. I'm too far interlaced within his plans for bringing her back," Mercury clarified. "I thrive on robbing people blind, but seeing Emerald again… I hate to admit it, but it made me a bit jealous that the school and council forgave her and cleaned her record." Mercury made his way towards the doors.

"Don't forget what he said," Blood warned. "Remain useful." He nodded.

"Right."

"Eliana!" Yelled a familiar voice that made its way down the hallway towards her as she watched Neela through the window, Yang and Shadow spending a few minutes with Neela after waking up, Blake had already left to help Glynda for the day.

"Kali!" Eliana called back. Kali ran the last few steps, wrapping her arms around the girl and holding her tight. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"Are you holding up okay?" Kali questioned. Ghira joined them a moment later and gently placed his hand on her head.

"Yes, how are you, child?" Ghira added. Eliana assumed that they were unaware of what had happened with her and Shadow, but was also woefully aware of the fact that they'd still treat her the same even if they knew. Eliana nodded, not saying anything initially as she sniffled.

"I'm okay, how are you two?" Eliana asked, slipping away from the embrace.

"We took the first boat over as soon as we heard about the EMP," Kali explained.

"Even though we knew they stabilized Neela right away," Ghira laughed.

"We came for moral support," Kali insisted, giving Ghira the side eye. He chuckled.

"I know, dear," he replied. "Still, we're just as worried as Blake and Yang."

"She is our granddaughter, she'll pull through," Kali assured them.

"I'm just being a realist," Ghira noted.

"We couldn't have been happier when Blake and Yang told us they were adopting Neela," Kali explained, and Eliana felt like the two of them were having different conversations.

"I'm sure Yang and Blake will be happy to see you," Eliana claimed.

"Grandpa!" A shout came from the other side of the glass. Shadow managed to open the door, crashing into Ghira's legs as he picked her up and placed her on his shoulders.

"How's my kitten today?" Ghira chuckled.

"I'm good. Sissy is still asleep though," Shadow noted.

"Hello, Shadow," Kali greeted her, tickling her stomach.

"Hi, Grandma!" Shadow exclaimed. "Are you here to see Sissy?"

"Yes," Kali informed her. "Have you been taking care of her?" Shadow nodded.

"I sang her a song this morning," Shadow declared, proud of herself. "Eliana!" Eliana nearly jumped out of her skin as Shadow noticed her. "I know how you can wake up Sissy!"

"You do?" Eliana questioned as Yang joined them in the hallway.

"Yep," Shadow nodded. "Just gotta kiss her." Eliana turned a bright red as Kali and Yang laughed.

"Why's that?" Ghira inquired.

"That's how Prince Harming woke up the sleeping princess!" Shadow described.

"Charming," Yang corrected. Shadow groaned and rolled her eyes.

"Whatever," Shadow announced. "Eliana is Neela's true love! She's gotta kiss her!"

"Real life doesn't quite work that way," Eliana blurted out.

"You could still try!" Shadow demanded.

"I think someone needs to learn about consent," Yang jested. Shadow waved her off.

"Neela would like it," Shadow told them. They laughed as Eliana hid her face.

"I'm going to speak with Ghira and Kali if you want a moment with Neela," Yang informed Eliana. Eliana nodded, slipping quietly into the room and recomposing herself. It was colder than it had been in the hall, the air still and sterile, the only sound filling her ears was the equipment monitoring her heart.

Just gotta kiss her. Eliana's heart thundered in her chest. Kiss Neela?! She couldn't even find the words to apologize, and Shadow wanted them to kiss?! Eliana wished it was that easy… but what if it was? An impossibly crazy notion, when nothing else had worked, but what if a kiss was enough to stir Neela? Eliana moved beside the bed, staring down at her best friend. She looked weak, the weakest Eliana had ever seen her, but just as beautiful as ever.

She gently brushed her fingers through Neela's braids, placing a hand on the back of the girl's head. Was she really going to go through with this? She could feel her own, warm breath, spreading across Neela's face, trembling as she moved in to place her lips on Neela's.

"Eliana, Glynda wants to…" Titus's voice broke her from the moment and she threw herself back from Neela, chest heaving as she made eye contact with her teammate. "Was I interrupting something?" She scrambled out of the room, blowing past him and avoiding eye contact with the family. "Is that a yes?"

"No!" Eliana blurted. "Let's go!"

"Feel like I might have…" Titus mumbled.

"Standard debriefing?" Eliana questioned as they left the offices and headed for the elevator to the top of the tower.

"Should be," Titus offered. They joined Eren and Ilia inside.

"I doubt it's just a debriefing," Eren noted.

"Why's that?" Ilia inquired.

"Wouldn't they just have Harriet or some other teacher do it?" Eren pointed out.

"Fair point," Titus agreed. The doors opened, and Glynda confirmed their fears before any of them could even speak.

"This hiatus you kids have been on ends now," Glynda told them. "I understand that you all want to wait for Neela to wake up, I do. However, the enemy is not going to wait for everything to be alright before attacking. We must be ready at any time for anything. I'm placing Titus in charge for the time being and that's final."

"With all due respect…" Titus began to argue as they left the elevator and approached her desk.

"Just because you address me with such an opening does not mean that you are respecting my decision, Mr. Prasinos. Especially when it's the opening to every conversation we've had recently," Glynda interrupted.

"I refuse," Titus bit back.

"Then I will place Eliana in charge," Glynda retorted.

"I don't even know if I'm going to stay yet!" Eliana declared. Glynda stood slowly.

"Then I will replace you for the time being! Team NITE must continue to train!" Glynda shouted.

"What if they did it separately?" Harriet interjected from somewhere near the elevator doors. Had she rode up with them?

"I am done playing games, Mrs. Bree," Glynda seethed.

"I have a request from General Branwen for Titus to assist Kitsune in the west," Harriet elaborated, "As well as a request for Ilia to assist Team IVRY with protecting Poseidon's Den in light of recent intel, as Yvonne is unable to join her team due to a sore throat." Ilia chuckled at the final bit of information before straightening up.

"What would you have the other two do?" Glynda questioned.

"Eliana can join Honey's team as a fourth for the time being, and Eren…" Harriet started.

"I can train on my own. Wouldn't be the first time," Eren offered. Glynda looked at the students before looking back at Blake who offered a shrug in reply.

"I see no harm in this," Blake noted. Glynda glared at Harriet.

"I'll hold you accountable for this," Glynda exclaimed. Harriet nodded.

"Of course," she agreed.

"You are all dismissed," Glynda informed them. "As of this very moment, Team NITE's status will be listed as inactive!"

How long will Team NITE be inactive for? Next time, Chapter 47: Revelations!

A big thank you to all of my readers, and to artists AG_Nonsuch, Helihi, Cadhla182, Carlomontie, Nliast, Y8ay8a, Sa-Dui, Diyaru4500, Demize00Zero, TheCipherNine, SketchHungry, Ookaminoki, Lightning-in-my-Hand, and Dishwasher1910. The artwork can be found at Deviantart, you can search Silent-Celica and under my favorites tab, I have a collection for NITE.

Until next time, stay healthy and stay classy!