Darkness had just settled over the streets of Vale, Remnant's shattered moon peaking out between breaks in the cloud cover. Against the oppressing gloom and murky back-alley streets stood a building in stark contrast to its surroundings. Warm inviting lights and a sleek glass exterior gave way to a snake-like crowd of people, a pair of bouncers checking patrons two at a time before they were let inside. Weiss looked up at the gaudy sign above it, scoffing at how the place was literally called "The Club".

"There's so many people here, I don't think I've ever seen a line that long..." Ruby stared in amazement, tracking the line around the side of the building and around, where it continued out of sight.

"Uh, yeah, Ruby. It's Saturday night, duh." Yang quipped matter-of-factly as a cab pulled up behind them to let out more people.

"If I knew we were going to be waiting this long I would have brought something to read..." Blake's monotone voice was almost drowned out by a chorus of whooping laughter.

Weiss' heart sank, and she let out a sigh. "I don't understand, last time I just walked right in."

Yang's eyes were glinting with reckless pride, and she quickly threw an arm around Weiss in a show of camaraderie. "Ohhh a girl after my own heart! I never knew you had it in you."

"What?" Weiss looked in obvious confusion at the blonde.

"What you just said, we walk right in. When has a club ever said 'no' to a group of cute girls like us?" Yang grinned cockily as she unzipped her jacket partway, puffing out her chest.

"Weiss, try to look happy for once. Blake, look alive- or actually, don't. Guys are into that kind of thing. And Ruby-" Yang studied her sister up and down like a sculptor sizing up a block of marble. A slouching, undersized block of clearly underaged marble.

"Yaaang..." Ruby looked at the floor dejectedly, twisting her foot on a crack in the pavement. "They're never gonna let me in, I'll just wait outside... in the cold." The line came as if rehearsed.

Yang snapped her fingers gleefully. "Perfect."

Blake and Weiss looked at each other in horror. Have they done this before?

"Go on in." The bouncer stood aside to let them in, handing their ID's back before they entered through the double doors. Just as quick, he pivoted to block the entrance, squaring up as Yang tried to ease past him.

"Hold it. Line's that way, girls, don't get lost on your way to the back." The goon asserted gruffly, nodding his head to the mass of impatient clubbers to his left.

Yang batted her eyes and shrugged vivaciously. "Oh is it? I thought you made exceptions for pretty girls."

"We do. Beat it." The bouncer grunted tersely. On the other side of him, a group of ladies in cocktail dresses started raising their complaints.

Seeing that her approach wasn't working, Yang dropped her exaggerated posture in favor of her more natural stance. She took a step toward the bouncer, so close that she could see his eyes harden under the red tinted sunglasses he wore.

"Poor choice of words, chum. You know who I am, don't you? Let us in before things end up like last time." Yang said through gritted teeth, her eyes turning a violent shade of red.

The bouncer made a gesture to his partner, who was now holding a finger up to his ear piece.

"Hei, we have a problem. It's her." The second goon said in a low voice. His free hand moving to grab something at his waist. Yang tensed in anticipation, ready to intervene. The goon's hand paused, and he looked up in surprise.

"You're sure? Yes sir." His hand moved away, both men stepping aside to make way for them. "The boss will see you, head straight to the bar. Don't go anywhere else."

Yang relaxed, eyes turning back to their usual lilac hue.

"See, that wasn't so hard was it?" She taunted as she shouldered past them. Blake and Weiss followed cautiously behind, Ruby sticking her tongue out childishly as she followed suite.

A sea of bodies greeted them on the inside. If Weiss thought the place was packed last time, tonight's turnover put all her expectations to shame. A deep rumbling was building up from the floor, the entire club seemingly holding its breath as if it were one single living thing. As if on cue, a chorus of deafening screams and cheers erupted all at once, an iconic guitar riff screeching from the far side of the building.

Weiss was just a few steps behind Yang when they walked in, but now she was finding it hard to keep a straight line of sight with her. She wondered if the security staff here would even be able to find them if they broke away into the crowd right now, but a quick glance to a second story balcony showed at least three of the club's men watching them with keen intent. And to think those were just the ones she could see...

A few more minutes of pushing through the mass of bodies brought her to a giant circular countertop. A small army of bartenders and wait staff worked feverishly behind the platform, bustling back and forth between patrons with choreographed precision. The bar seemed to be its own microcosm in space, the deafening music and raving screams of the club a world away as the sharp clinks of glass and rattling ice overtook the atmosphere. She wasn't sure how that was even possible, but at least here she could hear herself think.

The whole thing reminded her of a Grimm incursion in a way, except instead of firing dust rounds at the enemy, lines of sparkling cocktail glasses served as their ammunition. She sidled up and took a place by Yang, watching in awe as a bartender twirled two separate bottles in the air, catching them in opposite hands and filling a tall glass.

Ruby's hand gripped her shoulder a moment later, small beads of sweat forming on her face. Blake was behind her, looking unbothered as ever.

"Never took you for a rocker, Ruby. Watch out, Weiss, your partner's a fiend." Blake remarked as she leaned against the bar and raised two fingers at a nearby server.

"I swear I was right behind you, they tried to pull me in!" Ruby protested quickly.

Weiss cringed and pulled the younger girl close, sandwiching her between Yang and herself. "You dolt, this is the last place you should be letting your guard down. Don't get careless." She chastised futilely, Ruby's attention already fixated on the same bartender's trick show.

"Well if it ain't Goldilocks." An aged voice came from the side. A mountain of a man in a pressed white shirt and dapper vest moved to stand across from them, leaning both hands against the surface of the bar.

"Junior, it's been too long!" Yang greeted as if meeting an old friend. "Love what you've done with the place, it's too bad I couldn't come by to congratulate you on the re-opening."

"Yeah, crying shame. Why're you here, Blondie? I told you everything there was to know about her." Junior asked with harsh irritation.

"This isn't about Raven. My friend here has business with you tonight." Yang's tone took a dangerous note, causing Junior to lean back cautiously. His eyes flicked over to Ruby, held for a moment on Blake, and finally settled on Weiss.

"No shit... You doin' merc work now Blondie? Don't tell me you actually know each other?" The man seemed genuinely surprised. "Nevermind, Doesn't matter. Been keeping an eye out for you, was wondering when you'd be back."

Weiss stiffened defensively. "You've been looking for me? Why? Are you part of this?" She was suddenly all too aware of her surroundings, of the countless men in red sunglasses on her left, right, behind, and even above her on the balcony. It would be invisible to virtually everyone else, but team RWBY was completely surrounded by a veritable army of thugs.

"Relax, girl." Junior reached under the bar and pulled out a bottle, tipping it edgewise into a glass. He slid it over to her with a flick. "I want to apologize for what happened last time you were here. Big names like yours are always going to have people gunning for them, but I have a reputation to uphold here." He took out another glass and poured a drink of his own.

Weiss studied the bearded man critically, and sensing no lie, set her own hands on the bar across from him. "So you had nothing to do with it..." She sighed in contempt, leaning forward to stare at her rippling reflection in the amber liquid.

"We're here for leads, if there's anything you know about who it was, if he was part of an organization-"

"You won't be seeing that rookie around here anymore. Blondie can tell you all about our side business, but we still have morals. We don't tolerate scum like that around here." He downed his drink in one pull, sliding the empty glass over to a tray of the same.

Yang bumped Weiss' arm and nodded. "It's true, Junior's a big ol' softie. He runs a shady shop but nothing happens in here without his go-ahead. 'Sides, if push came to shove, I bet I can still take him."

Weiss' shoulders loosened at the reassurance. She looked pretentiously down at the glass in front of her, shook her head, and took it in one fluid motion. The gag was immediate. Covering her mouth, she coughed a few times to clear her throat.

"S-so." She said between breaths, setting the empty glass back on the counter. "What happened to him then? How do I know someone else won't try the same thing?"

Junior sighed and shook his head. "Look, girlie. The less you know, the better. We scrubbed his scroll, he wasn't part of any org. Probably just an opportunist that recognized you and thought he could make a quick play. He's gone and won't be coming back, that I can guarantee. What I can't guarantee is that no one else will be dumb enough to try again. There's a lot of lien backing your name, and there's always going to be some two-bit amateur bold enough to make a pass."

Weiss clenched her fists at the answer. It was something she was acutely aware of, she'd been raised with that lesson burned into her psyche.

Junior reached over and took her empty glass, setting it on the side tray.

"Like I said, I have a reputation to uphold here. These guys, my boys," He glanced up to the trio on the balcony. "They're here for your protection just as much as mine. Blondie over here might be on thin ice, but our doors are always open to you and your friends. Just so long as you don't go causing trouble." He added, throwing a sideways glance at Yang.

That was all comforting to Weiss, but there was still something bothering her.

"I believe you, but..." She started, trying to quell the uneasiness she felt rising from her stomach. "Be honest with me, how close was he, really?"

Junior ran a hand over his beard, hand settling on his chin. "Not close. We had eyes on you from the moment you walked in, it's not every day we have a Schnee step through our doors."

Weiss narrowed her eyes skeptically. "So why didn't you do something after he spiked my drink?"

The question elicited a short laugh from the older man. "Nothing looked out of the ordinary, you had a few too many drinks and got tipsy, just figured you for a lightweight, I mean look at you." His smile fell as he saw the irritation building on Weiss' face.

"You're right, not funny. We didn't get the tip off that anything was wrong until we saw him follow you into the ladies' room. Slippery bastard, he didn't make it far. After that it was just a matter of sticking one of our girls on you while you slept it off. Junior paused to look around. "Miltia, she wears a red dress. Should be around here somewhere if you wanted to say your thanks."

Weiss dropped her shoulders and nodded. "I'll be sure to."

Junior nodded in return, pushing off the bar.

"I'm glad to see we could clear this up. Now unless there's anything else," His gaze flicked back toward Ruby. "I can't have minors at my bar."

Ruby pouted indignantly, flushing at the accusation. "W-what?! How can you tell?"

Junior chuckled affably. "Cute, kid. Hunter's law covers you at seventeen, come back when you're old enough."

Weiss held up her hands disarmingly, "We'll go, isn't that right Ruby?" She looped an arm around Ruby's back and yanked her away from the bar.

"Until next time, big guy." Yang said in parting, flashing a suggestive wink at the man.

Blake rolled her eyes and took a last sip of her drink, setting the crystal tumbler down with a heavy clink.

"You find what you were looking for?" The Faunus asked, moving to follow behind Weiss.

"Nothing I didn't already know." Weiss answered flatly. She watched with a distant smile as Yang chased after Ruby in a mock race to the exit.

"But you know what?" She said, turning with a grin.

"I have a feeling we're going to be alright."