A/N: If y'all have a Yang Protection Squad, make them go faster!

[/]

For their double date, Ruby had suggested that they go to a popular pizzeria in town. While neither Jaune nor Weiss had ever been to such an establishment, they figured that it couldn't hurt to try something new, and Ruby's familiarity with such a place would help keep her relaxed and having fun. Plus, getting a large pizza and sharing it would keep servers from asking questions about why Penny, specifically, wasn't ordering anything.

So the four youths had found a booth, and allowed Ruby to order for them. When their food arrived, it did so in the form of a large dish of cheese, meats, onions and mushrooms on a thin crust. Weiss and Jaune shared a glance, neither one quite sure what, exactly, to make of such a thing, while Ruby's silvery eyes sparkled.

"Oh, yeah," she practically moaned in appreciation of a masterfully-formed pizza. "This is the good stuff."

Weiss shrugged as she used the triangular spatula to procure a slice for herself, and slid it onto her plate. She frowned as she saw the grease on the cheese and pepperoni, taking a napkin to dab it off of her slice before taking up her knife and fork to cut up a bite.

Ruby gasped at her as if she'd just declared that she ate babies for breakfast. "Weiss! No!"

Weiss delicately placed the bite of pizza into her mouth, contemplating it as she chewed. Once she swallowed, she quirked an eyebrow at Ruby, who was staring at her in just pure betrayal. "What?"

"You can't eat pizza with a knife and fork!" Ruby sputtered.

"...Why not?"

"Because! It's just twisted, and evil, and wrong!"

Jaune just shrugged at Weiss, who rolled her eyes and made to continue eating, ignoring Ruby's cries of "Betrayal!"

"So, just how is someone supposed to eat this dish?" Jaune asked, humoring the younger girl as he took a slice of his own.

"Look, do it like this," Ruby said, taking a slice to demonstrate. "Pick it up with your hand. Fold it in half. And then munch!"

Jaune imitated his friend, his eyes lighting up as he got his first mouthful of the cheesy, meaty concoction.

"It'sh freaking good, yeah?" Ruby asked, her mouth stuffed with pizza.

"Ruby, don't talk with your mouth full," Weiss chastised out of habit, and rolled her eyes once more as she was ignored. She quietly made note of Jaune's newfound fondness of pizza, factoring it as a possible treat for rare occasions for him. Of course, it couldn't be an everyday thing, as it was far too unhealthy, being held together by grease, cheese, and pure cholesterol. As for herself...well, it was okay, but honestly, it wasn't something she'd see herself ordering for herself. So, she just hid a smile as Jaune and Ruby scarfed most of the pizza, delicately finishing her own slice while Penny chatted happily about potential uses for Gravity Dust in her swords.

When they were done, Jaune leaned back, patting his stomach. "Ugh. I'm going to need to burn calories like crazy to make up for this," he groaned.

"Well, cutting loose for a single night shouldn't be too bad," Weiss said, poking his hard belly with an amused smile.

"Yeah, yeah, moderation and all that. Did you get enough to eat? Would you prefer to order something else?" he asked.

"Oh, no, I'm fine," she said. "It was very...filling."

"Aww, no chonkers Weiss?" Ruby asked, seemingly-unphased by the quantity of pizza that she had just scarfed down.

"No. There will be no 'Chonkers Weiss,'" she answered, her tone flat.

"Are you sure that you're good?" Jaune asked again.

"Jaune, I'm fine. Trust me, if I weren't I would be much crankier, and throwing things around." She pulled out the box that she'd been carrying from the convention. "Here, let's open up your gift."

"I'm going to be utterly ruined after today, you know," quipped Jaune. "Just completely spoiled."

"Oh, you'll be fine. Here!"

Jaune opened up the box, and he and Penny peered into it, curious as to what Weiss had bought for him. He pulled out some kind of shimmering cloth. One side was of the rich bronze color that accented his shield, with a white trim along the borders, while the other bore his twin Arc insignia in gold on a field of white, with a trim of bronze.

"It's a cape, made at the auto-weave machine at the convention," Weiss explained. "I read that knights used to wear their colors and insignia so that they could be readily identified on the field. I thought about getting you a surcoat, but it didn't seem to be your style. But the cape fastens under your pauldrons. Do you…" she began her voice turning shy and uncertain, "Do you like it?"

"I love it," Jaune assured her, kissing her cheek. "Thank you. For everything."

"We're gonna be cool cape buddies!" Ruby cheered. "Weiss, we should get you a -"

"No," Weiss cut her off.

"Aww."

[/]

"Thank you for a lovely time, Ruby!"

Jaune and Weiss hung back, quietly observing the two dorks as they prepared to drop Penny off at her own room.

"I, uh, just hope it was okay, since, you know, you don't eat," Ruby babbled. "I mean, I known you know you don't eat, I was just making sure that it wasn't not fun for you and then -"

"Ruby." Penny interrupted her by taking her hands. "It was a lovely time, and it was a lovely time because I got to spend it with you."

"Really?"

Penny smiled, her eyes closed in contentment. "It was perfectly wonderful. May I kiss you goodnight?"

Ruby froze. "...Eh? I mean...I just…" Finally, Ruby gave up and pressed her mouth against the synthetic girl's. It was awkward, with neither one really knowing how to do so. While Penny's lips were dry, given that she didn't produce saliva, the neo-silicone synthskin of her lips was soft, and warm with the internal heat of her power generation systems when Ruby pressed her own against her.

After a moment, they separated. "Wow," Penny wondered, emotional resolution heuristics already hard at work deciphering the feelings racing through her. Ruby, for her part, could only stand there helplessly, her hand to her lips, squeaking little Ruby noises.

"Goodnight, Ruby! I look forward to seeing you again soon."

Penny took a step back and closed the door, seemingly breaking Ruby from her trance. Jaune shared a look of concern with Weiss as the Rose girl stood for a long moment. "Um...Ruby?" Weiss ventured, putting a hand on her shoulder.

Suddenly, Ruby burst into action, dissipating into a cloud of rose petals and careening off the walls of the hallway. Weiss and Jaune watched, their heads following her movements, as she wildly ricocheted to and fro in her glee.

"Um...is that a good reaction or a bad one?" Jaune asked, scratching the back of his head.

"Only one way to find out." Weiss pursed her lips as she focused on the bouncing blur of rose petals, before thrusting out a hand and conjuring a black repulsion glyph in its path. The spiralling cloud of rose petals visibly slowed before they re-cohered into the form of their familiar, hyperactive friend.

Weiss reached out and grabbed Ruby by the scruff of her cloak, almost losing her own footing due to the younger girl's inertia. The heiress was able to recover her balance, and brought Ruby to a halt. Ruby was practically hyperventilating in her excitement, with rapid, shallow breaths.

"Ruby," Weiss said, to no avail. She held up her other hand and snapped her fingers in front of her partner's face. "Ruby? Ruby!"

Silvery eyes blinked. "Oh! Uh...hey Weiss! Guess what happened?"

"You got your first kiss and went literally ballistic?"

"Oh." Ruby looked sheepish, and Weiss let go of her cloak. "Sorry about that. It was just...so...gah!" She could only resort to clenching her fists under her jaw as she shook her head in her excitement.

"Are you well enough to continue to our room?" Weiss asked.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, sure. I gotta tell Blake and Yang too!"

Jaune just shrugged at Weiss as Ruby tore off down the hallway. She leaned her head against his arm as they followed their friend, at what was hopefully a safe distance. As they neared Team RWBY's dorm room, they saw Blake leaning against the wall next to the door, obviously waiting for them. The cat Faunus indulgently listened to Ruby's breathless retelling of the epic story of her first kiss before suggesting that she go inside to tell her sister. Once Ruby went inside, Blake looked at them with a small smile on her face.

"Well, looks like someone had a good time. And speaking of good times," she held up her Scroll, and sent a message to the both of them. "I did a little tinkering with one of the dorm rooms that isn't currently in use. Your Scrolls should be able to open them...tonight, and only for tonight. Just keep it down. Weiss."

Weiss had the good grace to flush at that.

"Thank you," Jaune said, on their behalf.

"Yeah, yeah, happy birthday or whatever," Blake said, her ears low. "This still doesn't make us friends."

"Wouldn't dream of it," said Jaune, his tone agreeable.

"Really, it's more for Weiss than you," continued Blake.

"Of course."

"Actually, it's for all of us, because a cranky, pent-up Weiss is just awful to deal with."

"Hey!" interjected Weiss.

"Happy Weiss, happy life," Jaune agreed, smirking at the cat Faunus.

"Shut up," the cat Faunus retorted, though it had no real heat to it. "This isn't me being nice."

"Whatever you say, Blake. I'm sure that you routinely hack into Beacon's systems on behalf of people you don't like at all." he said, with what had to be a comical degree of seriousness.

"Shut up, and happy birthday," Blake repeated, before slipping into her team's dorm.

Weiss just shook her head at him, as they resumed walking down the way. "Was it really necessary to tease her like that?"

"What do you mean?" Jaune asked, his face a perfect expression of innocence. "I merely agreed with her."

They reached the room number that Blake had designated, and Jaune held up his Scroll to the scanner at the door. Sure enough, it popped open for them. He set down the packages that he'd been carrying, while Weiss took off her shoes.

"That's so much better," she sighed in relief.

Jaune quirked an eyebrow at her. "What's this? Weiss Schnee expressing dissatisfaction with her heels?"

"It's a secret to everyone," she retorted, sinking onto one of the beds with obvious pleasure. "Come here and do my feet," she ordered, wiggling her toes at him.

"As you command," he replied. He sat upright on the bed, his back against one of the walls, and with Weiss's calves across his legs. He began gently working her legs and feet with the massage techniques that Ren had taught him, causing Weiss to quietly groan in relief. "Those heels really are bad for you," he said, trying to ignore the way that her smooth, soft, shapely legs were affecting him. He didn't want her thinking that he was weird, after all.

Weiss, for her part, was biting down on her knuckle to keep from disturbing the neighbors. It was like her boyfriend had magic hands or something, and he always left her feeling amazing after tending to her. And if he happened to appreciate her legs and feet in other ways, well, that was fair trade for working the tension out of her soles and calves. Really, everyone won.

"I don't think I did the right thing today," Jaune admitted, as he worked the bottom of her foot with his knuckle. "With Pyrrha and Yang. I just...I didn't know what to do, and so I tossed that bomb right into the middle of us, hoping that someone else would know how to fix it."

Weiss swallowed and took a deep breath to collect herself. "Well, what can you learn from this?"

He thought for a moment. "If I'm serious about being a knight, then I need to research legal procedures and how to handle cases like this. Things where I can cite some code or precedent instead of getting caught up on whether or not I'm worthy to handle such a situation."

"Well, that would be a start," she said. "You should also speak to Sir Roland tomorrow, see what he thinks. It's his job to teach you these things, after all."

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

"Of course I am." The familiar boast, one that Weiss must have said a thousand times in their interactions, somehow sounded...off to Jaune, as if this time, there was a wavering uncertainty in her tone.

"Weiss? What's wrong?" he asked.

"Oh, it's nothing," the heiress attempted to demure.

Jaune shook his head. "Your burdens are my burdens too, remember? Something's been bothering you, since back with the armor people."

Weiss pouted at him. "No fair paying attention to my feelings. What kind of man are you supposed to be, anyway?"

"Yours."

She flushed at the simple, matter-of-fact way in which he pledged himself to her, with no hesitation. What was she going to do with this boy?

Weiss sighed. "I had to speak to my father, to get his approval for the deal that included getting your armor," she said. "The thing is...Jaune, I am very good at business. In less than a half-an-hour, I took an asset that I hadn't even known existed, and constructed an entire doctrine for servicing the needs of Vale. But...some of the things that I said to him...they were callous to this place. Borderline disrespectful. But they were also valid. I really have set things in motion here, and the thing is...Jaune, a part of me enjoys it."

He didn't say anything, just continuing to work on her legs and feet, waiting for her to continue.

"I just…" she struggled to find the words. "I made perfectly rational and valid arguments in favor of my position, and I know that, if I ever do inherit the SDC, I could do incredible things with it. But I also…" she shook her head. "Jaune, I told him about you. About us."

"Oh?"

Her face fell. "I...I painted it as a realpolitik maneuver for prestige, and power, to extend the family's influence further across the globe. Part of the reason that he acquiesced to my request is because I planted the notion in his mind that you might be able to ascend to a position of royalty here in Vale, with my assistance."

"Please don't," Jaune said, making a face. "I'm not fit to lead anyone, much less an entire country. And for what, because of who my ancestors were? Ren's parents were a weaver and a common woodsman, and he's better suited to command than I am."

"I think he really will shoot you if you try to foist off the leadership position for your team on him permanently," Weiss warned, only half-joking. "But whether it's strictly rational or not, the prestige and history of your name means that, as we grow, people here will look to you for leadership. And I think that, if this crisis you've described comes to pass, it will start sooner than you think." She shook her head. "I digress. I...you know that I would love you if you were as abandoned a foundling as Nora, right?"

"Of course. When I was in Atlas, I had no prospects, but you were with me every step of the way."

Weiss pulled her legs to her, scooting forwards to sit next to Jaune against the wall. She rested her head on his shoulder, putting her hand on his chest. "I love you, Jaune. Please believe me, I do. But I had to sell it to my father in detached, callous terms. I love seeing you happy and free, astride your horse as you and Sir Roland go through the green countryside, but...I wanted to ensure that the infrastructure was in place for the large-scale manufacture of that armor. Not just for you, but for the Knights of the Vale that you'll recruit in the future. And that meant selling it to my father as...well, as selling the culture of Vale back to them at a markup." She shook her head. "Do you see what I mean? It's all so...twisted, but I'm so very, very good at it."

Jaune was quiet for a moment, during which Weiss quietly panicked, wondering what was going through his head. Finally he said, "I think I can understand. Without the training that I received in the Vanguard Program, I wouldn't be nearly so effective as a warrior as I am today. It seems like it should be impossible, but a part of me still likes fighting, customizing weapons, and going into action. So, you have a head for business, and a talent for it. Just like Ozpin, Glynda, and Sir Roland have taught me to take the skills I learned from Ironwood and put them to more noble purpose, you can take what your father has taught you, and turn his methods to your ends." He turned to look at her, with her large blue eyes shining with unshed tears. "I trust you," he said, taking her hand in his own. "I trust you, I love you, and I'm always willing to believe the best of you. If you say that what you had to say to your father was necessary, then I believe you."

Weiss buried her face in his chest, while Jaune rubbed circles on her back. They stayed together like that, holding one another, for a long time that night.

[/]

"You know," remarked Ren as he looked at the sword/rifle that Jaune had presented to him, "Some might construe this as you claiming to know my fighting style, and its weaknesses, better than me. A little arrogant, no?"

He hid a smirk as Jaune, dressing himself in his steel plate armor, blanched. "Uh, that's not what I, I mean -" he stammered, having obviously never considered that perspective as he had cheerily went about purchasing weapons for his friends.

"Peace, it was merely a jest," Ren said, holding up a hand in supplication and wearing a slight smile. "It was a thoughtful gesture, and this is a fine weapon." The sword that Jaune had given him was slender, straight and double-edged, built to be used in a single hand. The blade was treated to bear the same emerald color as his Stormflower pistols, and sang with audible sharpness as he gave it an experimental swing. Sheathing the sword, he pressed a button on the guard, causing the hilt to extend into a stock, a holographic reflex sight to spring to life on the top, the bottom half of the guard of the sword swung into a trigger, and the bottom of the sheath opened up into a barrel. Ren raised the rifle, checking it, before pressing the button again, rendering the weapon into a sheathed sword.

"I couldn't help but notice that this must have been the better part of the money meant to go to you," Ren noted.

Jaune shrugged, clasping his new cape before fixing the pauldrons onto his shoulders. "Well, you've done a lot, both for me personally, and the team as a whole, and I just wanted to show how much I appreciated it."

Ren grunted in masculine acknowledgement as he returned the sword to its case. He was about to speak up again, when he was interrupted by a maniacal bout of laughter, accompanied by the roaring of chainsaws.

"I AM THE GOD OF HELLFIRE!"

Ren shot Jaune a positively withering look. He just smiled sheepishly, scratching the back of his head awkwardly.

"Yeah, I'll go take care of it," Jaune said, answering the unasked demand.

"What happened to your helmet?" asked Ren.

"Yeah, Weiss took it, and is holding it hostage until I go to report to Sir Roland," Jaune answered.

"Isn't that against your rules?"

"Well, her exact words were, and I quote, 'fight me.' I decided that discretion was the better part of valor, and let her keep it."

"Wise man." Ren just shook his head as Jaune went to assist Pyrrha in explaining to Nora that using chainsaws to cut pancakes constituted overkill.

[/]

Qrow Branwen stirred to wakefulness on his bunk aboard the Corvid's Claw. That, in and of itself, was not an unusual occurrence in the least. What was highly unusual was the small, soft white hand that had planted itself amidst the coarse black hair of his bare chest, and was attached to the gently sleeping woman curled up next to him.

Well, shit. He couldn't even blame it on the booze. He had been fully sober when he'd taken Winter Schnee to bed. And against the wall. And bent over the central console. Really, the bunk was the more conservative of places on his ship that they'd...yeah. Good times.

He made to roll out of bed, when he heard a discontented little cry. He'd never seen Winter look so...peaceful as she did now, with her hair spilling around her like rivers of moonlight, her eyes closed, and her entire body relaxed, with none of the tension that she carried.

She was adorable, and he just knew that she would murder him to death if he ever let her know just how cute she was in her sleep. As if hearing his thoughts, her large blue eyes fluttered open. He watched as she took in her surroundings, recalling the epic battle waged between them.

"Mornin'," he drawled. "You, uh, you okay?"

Winter yawned, then stretched her naked body, as unselfconscious of her nudity as a cat. Well, given what they'd got up to, it wasn't all that surprising. There wasn't an inch on the either of them that hadn't been explored, thoroughly and enthusiastically.

He'd always heard that aristocrat girls were kinky, but he'd never had a chance to confirm that rumor before Winter. He was tempted to ask if those knockers of hers messed with her swordplay, but in the interests of not being murdered, he kept the question to himself.

She looked up at him, suddenly shy, or unsure. "Is this...arrangement suitable?" she asked.

Qrow quirked an eyebrow. "I ain't one for kickin' ladies outta my bed in the mornin', if that's what you're askin'. But now that you've got...whatever the hell that was outta your system, I'll just point out, again, that you could do a hell of a lot better than me. If you're in a better headspace, I can back off, keep a secret. Ain't gotta attach yourself to a sinkin' ship."

Winter frowned at him. "Why do you do that? Put yourself down all the time?"

"It's the truth, darlin'."

"Well, stop it. That's my...hmm, what are we to adjudge this arrangement?" she wondered. "Boyfriend sounds dreadfully immature. We need something more...classy."

"Ain't nothin' classy 'bout what we did last night."

"Speak for yourself." She ran her hand through his chest hair. "Paramour," she decided. "I hereby claim you as my paramour."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Why do I feel like a piece of land that just got conquered?"

"Oh, I do believe that I won our epic duel last night."

"How do you figure that?"

She shot him a positively wicked look. "You know why," she purred, as she planted a kiss onto his cheek. The former soldier slipped over him and stood, stretching again, dazzling him with the view of her soft skin and generous curves on full display. He about had a heart attack when she bent over to start collecting her discarded clothes.

"I still say that that was cheating," Qrow griped, as Winter slipped on her utilitarian underwear and began tugging on her pants.

"Believe it or not, that was one of the few pieces of advice that Mother gave me," Winter mused. "Of course, she was drunk at the time. Still, 'a thumb in the bum gets the job done.' Turns out she was right after all. You were so done after that."

Winter laughed, a surprisingly musical and carefree sound, as she realized that she'd made Qrow Branwen blush.

She pulled her blouse on, then began fastening her corset. "Anyways, I meant what I said earlier. No one is allowed to hurt my paramour. Not even you."

Qrow shook his head. "Are you...are you attemptin' to seduce me into better self care?"

Winter laughed again as she pulled on her boots, then stalked over to him. She slid up his body before capturing his lips. "There's no attempt to it," she said, triumphant as she took in the look on his face. "C'mon, flyboy. I'm sure Ozpin has much for us to do today."

Qrow felt equal parts dazed and giddy as he went about finding his own clothes. What just happened?

[/]

Blake frowned as she read the news story on her Scroll. Apparently, the day before, someone had gone to Tukson's Bookstore in town and viciously murdered the man. The local authorities were at a loss to explain why someone would just up and kill the proprietor of a mildly successful local business, though some local Faunus were suggesting that it was a racially-motivated hate crime.

While she couldn't rule that out, Blake knew something that neither the local police nor the general Faunus population did - Tukson had been a member of the White Fang, and like her, had been looking to leave that life behind. While Blake had some protection due to her affiliation with Beacon Academy, Tukson had nothing.

She knew that she had to report this to Ozpin. It was the first potential lead that they had on White Fang activity since the brawl at the docks. Whatever they were up to, it was bad, and Blake could just feel, in her bones, that she was going to end up in the thick of it before the dust settled.

[/]

"Doctor Oobleck?"

The excitable historian nearly fell off of the ladder on which he stood as he shelved books in the archive. He caught himself before he fell, then turned to regard his student. "Ah, Mister Arc. How can I help you? Incidentally, nice choice with the cape."

"Oh, thanks," Jaune said, absently touching his new accessory. "Weiss designed it and made it for me."

Oobleck hummed. "So, what can I do for you?" he repeated.

"Oh, right. I need some recommendation on sources pertaining to the investigation or adjudication of criminal cases by Knights of Vale in the past. You know, something of a guide on how to handle that in the future."

"Ah, of course!" Oobleck slid down the ladder, moving to sit at his desk. He rubbed his chin as he contemplated the young Arc's request. "Let's see…" his fingers flew across the keyboard of his computer as he began inputting metadata into the database's search function. "Ah! You're in luck. The Long Arm of the Law: A History of Criminal Justice in the Kingdom of Vale. It happens to be in circulation at the main library, so you may check it out at your leisure."

"Great!" Jaune smiled at the historian. "Thanks, Doctor Oobleck!"

"Oh, think nothing of it," he waved off the young man. "Don't forget to consult Sir Roland as well. Incidentally, would it be an imposition to ask if he would be willing to conduct an oral history interview with the Academy? The man is a living repository of much of Vale's history, and that of the Knights in particular."

"I'll make sure to ask," Jaune assured him, before taking his leave.

Doctor Oobleck leaned back in his chair. Wait, what had he been doing before young Arc's visit?

[/]

Yang giggled at Mercury's sarcastic antics as they suffered through Professor Port's rambling storytelling. He was passing notes back to her as he detailed the increasingly over-the-top ways in which he'd rather be executed than have to listen to more of Professor Port, and the two were in stiff competition to come up with the most elaborate means of suicide.

Meanwhile, Ruby was keeping a close eye on the pair, trying not to look like she wanted Mercury's head to explode with her mind while simultaneously trying to make his head explode with her mind. It was a tricky balance to find, but Ruby was determined to find it. Because she was convinced that the boy looking to spend so much time around her sister was, in fact, a dilhole.

Finally, the heavyset instructor's meandering babble came to a merciful end as his unofficial teaching assistant stood up to provide a practical demonstration. Mercury watched as the other students immediately sat up straighter and began paying attention when some blonde jerkoff in ye olde douchehole armor strode into the center of the room. Ah, that was one of the secondary targets, the one slipping it to the heiress who was partnered with the primary target.

"What's his deal?" he asked Yang.

"Oh, that's Jaune. He kicks all the ass," she said, with a grin. They watched as he released a Beringel from its cage, casually dodging its heavy swings and clumsy attempts to grab him, while striking at its arms and shoulders.

"Crippling the arms not only severely hampers its mobility, but it also limits its primary attacks," Jaune explained, as he cut deeply into the simian Grimm's collarbone. He stepped back, sheathing his sword into his shield before drawing his secondary weapon, a spear which extended just as the Beringel lunged forwards, attempting to bite at him with its long fangs. The creature's own momentum drove the spear through its head, the white and bronze tip erupting from the back of its skull. Jaune pulled the spear back while pushing off with his shield, pinning the falling Grimm to the ground with his foot before stabbing down with the spear, confirming the kill. "Its primary attacks, not its only attacks," he clarified.

"Wow, he seems a little...intense," Mercury said to Yang.

She shrugged. "Well, he was in, like, the army or something."

"Really? What's he doin' here, then?"

Oh, Mercury knew exactly who Jaune was - the boss made sure of that - but it was important to get the bitch used to telling him about her friends. Ease her into it, as it were.

"He kinda had a rough time of it," replied Yang. "But he's actually a really nice guy, when you get to know him."

So, another predator then. The boss had let him in on some of the things the guy had done. Ain't no way in hell he was really some kinda knight like he was playin' at. Mercury would tip his hat, from one expert manipulator to another, but for the fact that the guy would be a threat if he found out what he was up to. Probably best to let it drop, keep under the radar.

"You've got some really cool friends," he said, playing the part of a harmless, friendly student.

"Yeah, they're the best." She smiled fondly as she thought of them. "You should totally hang out with us sometime."

"Sure, but it'll be hard to focus on them when you're over there stealin' the show."

Yang flushed. "Oh, stop," she flipped her hair. "Actually, never mind, keep going."

Mercury really looked forward to the day when he didn't have to spend any more time with this giggling idiot. While he took pride in his manipulation skills, catching Yang's eye and getting closer to her was pathetically easy. Worse, she was just so irritating! She would chatter along like a bird, like some brainless fuckin' bird, babbling about literally nothing, interrupting herself to make stupid jokes that only she found funny. If he had just one wish for this assignment, it would be that he would get the chance to off the cunt, and to make it slow while he was at it. Killing that big Faunus at the bookstore was fun, but there was something about killing pretty girls that just made it better. Plus, Emerald was pretty squicked out by his little hobby, and how he'd decorated the dead man's store. Some people just didn't appreciate art.

The best part about murdering Yang was that she'd never see it coming. Given how her eyes changed color, he wondered if her face would turn red or purple as he crushed her trachea. He chuckled to himself as he imagined her wheezing and gasping, trying to force air through a ruined throat, her eyes wide in shock and realization as it struck her that he killed her, that he slipped under her guard and snuffed her out. Even better, maybe he could catch both sisters together and have a little fun before capturing the primary target. His orders were to bring her in alive, and, for some fuckin' reason, with her eyes intact.

While he was a goddamn professional, those orders left him a lot of leeway for his art. Maybe he'd make the stupid cow watch as he popped her sister's cherry, and then create a tapestry of human suffering with Yang's body. He shifted as he grew aroused, hardening at the idea. If nothing else, the mental image would be good spank material for later, assuming he could ever get the room to himself. Three smoking hot bitches on his so-called "team," and not a one wanted a Mercury injection. Fuckin' dykes, the lot of 'em.

Apparently his little laugh had coincided with one of her stupid jokes, as she nudged him. "Yeah, I got you," she chided, wagging a finger at him.

He smiled broadly at her, imagining tearing that finger off and making her eat it. "All right, you can be funny. A little. Sometimes."

Her smile was broad, bright, innocent, and totally unsuspecting.

He couldn't wait to stamp it out.

[/]

Blake knew that she was taking a risk. A big one. Still, she needed answers, and there was only one person in the White Fang that might even possibly speak to her after...well, after everything. But she had learned from the debacle at the docks, which is why she had gone to Ozpin, and which is why Qrow Branwen was backing her up, from a distance and somehow completely hidden. She took a seat at a park bench, waiting for her last contact to arrive.

"Incoming," he reported into her earpiece. "You sure about this, Mittens?"

"It's our only shot," she answered. "Besides, whatever else has happened, I still believe that Illia's heart is in the right place."

Qrow fell silent after that, as Blake waited patiently. Soon enough, her friend arrived, wearing a nondescript grey jacket. Once, she would have risen to hug the Chameleon Faunus girl without reservation, but from the look on Illia's face, Blake knew that those days were over. She hoped that they would return someday, but...for now, the best they could manage was a wary caution.

"I hope you've got a damn good reason why I shouldn't capture you and bring you in to Adam," Illia began, without preamble. "You know how the Fang deals with traitors."

"You won't bring me in," Blake replied, her tone utterly confident. "I know you."

"You don't know anything. About anything!" spat Illia. "How could you, from that big fancy mansion you grew up in?"

"Those days are long gone," she said, calmly. "I was there the whole way, scrapping by in the wilds and the slums, just like the rest of us...the rest of you. But Adam...he's grown bloodthirsty, you know he has. But what I don't get is why White Fang soldiers are taking orders from a human."

Illia scoffed. "Like you're one to talk. That operation at the docks? A human pulled your ass out of the fire. And not just any human, but Jaune fucking Arc. Do you know what he did in Atlas?"

"I do."

"Then why does he still draw breath?! If you bring Adam his head, that alone would be enough for him to forgive you. You could come back to me, to us, and all for the price of a murderous human's life. Why? Why won't you just do that one thing for us?"

Blake was quiet for a long time. "You know, he isn't alone. Others are drawn to him, and not just other humans. We kill him, and others will come looking to avenge his death, just as you want him dead to avenge Laur-"

"Don't." Illia spat, her tone cold as ice. "Don't you dare say her name."

"But don't you see?" Blake cried, standing up, which caused Illia to drop a hand to her whipblade. "Blood for this, blood for that, where does it stop? You need a plan, you need actionable policies to put forward, and you need a coalition to effect real, lasting change! All Adam offers is more blood!"

"He cut off her tail!" snarled Illia.

"And how many tails, ears, and horns have you taken?" snapped Blake. "The humans aren't the only ones who know how to send a message!" She shook her head. "I know about Tukson. And I hacked the police crime scene photos. He was set to flee, wasn't he? And you, or someone like you in the Fang, they ripped the claws out of his hands and nailed his arms to the counter with them."

That chameleon Faunus went pale, literally, as white as a sheet, before she recovered. "That wasn't us," she whispered.

"I know he was White Fang, and I know he was planning to escape. Try again."

"No, I'm serious!" Illia protested. "He was set to be taken out, but...someone beat us to it. A human."

"There seems to be an awful lot of humans involved in White Fang affairs these days," Blake muttered, her tone dark. "Is that the same human that was at the docks?"

Illia was silent.

Blake exhaled, controlling her frustration. "Look, Illia, I know that we've disagreed. A lot. But if something's happened, if humans have somehow managed to get to Adam and, I don't know, compromised him somehow, then we both agree that it needs to stop."

Illia gazed to the floor for a long moment. "There was a woman," she said, finally. "She had...creatures, with her. Grimm, under her control."

"What?" Blake went very still.

"We don't know how. But these Grimm, they not only obey her like trained hounds, but they...they're enhanced somehow. Adam...he sees their potential as a weapon."

"Illia, if the White Fang is seen commanding Grimm, it'll be all-out war on the Faunus."

"I know. And that's why I won't turn you in to Adam." Illia shook her head. "I don't know for sure where, exactly, the main base is, and I need to report back in soon, but...there's a lot of activity around Mountain Glenn."

With that, Illia turned to walk away.

"Wait!" Blake called out after her, causing her former friend to halt and look over her shoulder. "Illia...thank you."

"Just get it done. This doesn't mean that our war is over."

[/]

Jaune sat astride his mighty warhorse, Talos, the powerful creature pawing at the ground in his eagerness to charge the quintain. As soon as the old man gave the signal, man and beast set off. Despite how his visored helm restricted his visibility, Jaune lined the tip of his lance perfectly to hit the palm-sized target dead-center, causing the training device to spin around at some speed due to the force with which it had been struck. The pair reached the end of the list and circled around the divider, coming around to strike the device again from the other side, as it still spun.

Once they had completed a half-dozen charges, Jaune brought Talos to a gradually-slowing trot, before coming to a halt in front of his mentor. He raised his visor. "So, how did I do?"

A wry smile crossed the old knight's face. "Acceptable, I suppose. Barely."

"Of course."

"It's more the horse than you."

"Would never dream of claiming otherwise."

Sir Roland scoffed. "No Princess or little squire today?"

"Nah. I had to send the latter to distract the former to get my helmet back. I fear she has sworn vendetta undying against this armor for interfering with her boyfriend privileges."

"Ah, so that's what the youth these days are calling it, hmm?"

"I'll have you know that I'm the perfect gentleman with her, good sir."

Knight and squire traded glares with one another, until they broke into good-natured laughter. "Get Talos cooled down and to pasture, boy, you're done for today."

"Sir?"

"Got guests coming. Other Knights, though...well, just lower your expectations somewhat, boy. We meet up once a year, and after I took you on, I figured you should at least meet them. Maybe you'll shame them into shaping up."

Jaune canted his head curiously at his mentor. "Why, Sir Roland, are you suggesting that you want to show me off? Could it be, even, that you are just a bit proud of me?"

"Hardly. You're still a fuckup, it's just that they're bigger fuckups. So maybe you can get them to un-fuck themselves and make your future work a little easier."

The squire blinked at the harsh language. "So, you're not the biggest fan of your remaining peers, I see."

"Understatement of the year. Just try not to kill any of them in my living room. The blood's hard to clean out, you see."

"Of course."

Jaune got his horse situated - the Destrier giving him a long-suffering look that he wasn't out to play for longer - and then waited behind Sir Roland on the large front porch in front of the man's house. The older knight looked at him for a moment, before sighing. "You can take the helmet off for this, boy. They're going to want a good look at you."

"Right." Jaune pulled off his helmet, and set it down on a nearby table.

"Just remember your courtesies, and that you have just as much right to be here as any one of them," advised the elderly knight. "If any throw jeers or japes your way, don't let it affect you overmuch...but don't just take it either. Hell, if push comes to shove, just threaten to invoke a Challenge of the Peerage. Most of this lot haven't picked up a weapon in decades. You'd scare the piss out of them."

"What a lovely picture of Valean knighthood you paint, sir."

Sir Roland just shook his head as the first of the visitors arrived. The first thing that Jaune noticed is that they uniformly came in modern cars, not a one ahorse. They were all aging men, with hair gone to grey, but though they generally tended to appear to be in their fifties - a good thirty years younger than Sir Roland - none of them wore armor or even carried any obvious weapons, and he knew for a fact that if Sir Roland were still physically capable of wearing his armor, he would. Hell, at eighty years old he was a right terror with a cane, at least for short bursts. What was worse was that many of them appeared physically unfit, with one in particular being so massively overweight as to make Professor Port seem the very image of youthful, svelte vitality.

"Behold, the surviving Knights of Vale," Sir Roland murmured lowly to him, his tone just a little bitter.

The first of the Knights climbed the stairs to greet Sir Roland. "It's been too long!" he said. The man paused as he looked at Jaune, standing stoically behind his mentor like the ideal squire, in his full steel plate, weapons at his side and the long cape flowing from under his pauldrons. "Who is this?"

"This is my squire, Jaune Arc," said Sir Roland.

The egregiously fat man trembled as he peered up at the young man. "Fuck me like a goat," he breathed. "He looks just like Gil did!"

There was some commotion amongst the gathered old men as they got a good look at the last son of the Arc family. Jaune, for his part, was a little uncomfortable with the scrutiny, but tried not to show it.

"So, this is why you insisted on holding the meeting here this year?" one of the men, a severe looking fellow with a truly unfortunate nose asked Sir Roland.

"Well, that, and you lot aren't worth the trouble of dragging these old bones out any further than my own damn porch," admitted the seniormost knight present. "Now, let's get inside, before these damn bunions get any worse."

Rowan and some of the stablehands had prepared the living room for the meeting, taking out what they needed to make room for chairs and sofas, with a large, round table in the center of the room. As they got situated, Roland sank gratefully into his favorite easy chair, while Jaune stood at parade rest next to him.

"So, let's get down to business," one of the knights spoke up. "Where has he been all this time?"

Sir Roland looked to his squire, silently giving him permission to speak, if he so wished.

"Before I answer, might I know your name, sir? I'm afraid I'm unfamiliar with those gathered," said Jaune.

"Fair enough. My name is Sir Grandon Winchester. I believe you gave my son quite the thrashing at your school." He fixed Jaune with an expectant look, as if suggesting that this would be the time for him to apologize.

"I must say, sir, that your son's actions reflect poorly on your House."

"My House is the wealthiest in Vale."

"Alas, honor is not for sale." Jaune hid a smile as Sir Roland nearly did a spit-take at his swift retort. "Perhaps your son will learn remedial lessons in both combat and courtesy at Beacon, but it would have been better for all had he been better taught before his arrival. Still, as to your original question, I was taken from my family home by General Ironwood of Atlas, following the death of my family. There, I was raised and trained as a soldier until Ozpin found me, and brought me here. Now, I squire for Sir Roland while attending Beacon Academy."

Grandon Winchester stroked his goatee. "You do know that the White Fang killed your family, yes? I find it odd that one with your particular background would go to such lengths for mere Faunus."

"And I find it odd that you can equate a single organization to an entire species. I can only be grateful that we humans are not all judged on the merits of the House of Winchester, lest we be roundly condemned."

The older man glared at him, especially as some of the others chortled at his expense. Then he spoke to Sir Roland directly. "What, exactly, are you planning for this boy to do?"

"Well," Sir Roland said, somewhat cheerily. "I intend for him to earn his knighthood, then go on to rescue this institution from the dustbin of history." He scowled as the room erupted into shouts and protestations. "Go soak your head, the lot of you! When is the last time any of you took on a squire, hmm? Or patrolled the roads? Sir Trant is so fat, you'd kill any horse you tried to ride. De Corbin over there won't let his daughter train because she's a girl." He shook his head in disgust. "The Knights of Vale are not a trade organization! We were not formed as an economic guild! We are charged with the defense of this nation and its people, and for a generation, we've been decaying into this sad collection of cowards, bigots and tired old men waiting to die. No more! I am the Knight-Commander of you pitiful cretins, and I have charged Jaune with seeking out and training new knights to follow after him. And yes, De Corbin, that includes women, and yes, Winchester, you miserable waste of breath, that includes Faunus."

The room erupted into more shouting, shouts that died down when Sir Roland stood. "Boy," he commanded, his voice low, but his tone commanding. "Fetch my sword."

The silence in the room was broken only by the sound of Jaune's armor clattering as he strode across the room to pick up the Du Rendal family sword from its stand above the fireplace. It was a single-handed, double-edged sword, slender and wasp-waisted, with a blade of rippled black steel, a hilt made of red Forever Fall hardwood, and a large Fire Dust crystal inset into the crossguard. Jaune offered it to Sir Roland, hilt first. Decades seemed to melt away from him as he stood, his back straight, and leveled the sword at his fellows. His grip was solid, and the blade did not tremble as he stared down the other so-called Knights. "Even now, at my age, I could carve through the lot of you like a damn fishwife carves a trout," spat Sir Roland, his eyes blazing in fury. "Jaune Arc will become a knight. I know this as sure as I know the sun rises in the morn. And when he does, he will succeed me as Knight-Commander. You can either support his efforts to rebuild our order or you can slink off to continue your disgrace, but you will not hamper them, and if any man here has a problem with this declaration, then let me say now: you won't be fighting him. You'll be fighting me."

Jaune had never seen so many cowed by an octogenarian before, which probably went a long way towards explaining why he was so vital to the future of the order in the first place. After a long moment, during which it became apparent that no one was going to challenge the venerable Knight-Commander, Sir Roland glared at the collected Knights of the Vale one last time before handing over his sword for Jaune to return.

Slowly, Sir Roland sank back into his chair. "Now, have we any other business?"

At that moment, Jaune's Scroll chimed, the red light indicating a priority message from Ozpin. He looked to Sir Roland, who nodded his assent. Jaune fired up his Scroll, projecting an image of the Headmaster of Beacon Academy. "Jaune, Sir Roland," Ozpin nodded. "Forgive me for intruding, Sir Roland, but an urgent matter has arisen which requires Jaune's presence at the Academy."

The elder knight nodded. "Fair enough. We were just putting some unruly curs in their place. Seems like we're done here. I'll send him back."

"Of course. Thank you, Sir Roland. Jaune, please report directly to my office upon arriving. The rest of your team will be there."

"Yes, sir." Jaune closed down the Scroll, and looked to Sir Roland.

"Go on, boy," he waved him off. "Ozpin wouldn't call at this time if it wasn't important. Go, and keep Vale safe."

"As you will, sir." The other knights watched as Jaune strode, with purpose, out of Sir Roland's home, the twin golden arcs on his cape gleaming as he left.

[/]

Ruby, Weiss and Blake had gathered in their team's dorm room, at Blake's insistence, though the secretive Faunus girl had refused to tell her teammates exactly why, just insisting that they would speak of it when inside Ozpin's office, and not one moment before.

Soon, Yang burst open the door, in her typical exuberance, scaring Percival, who hid behind Weiss's legs. The blonde was carrying a large manila folder in her arms. "Mail call!" she sang happily. "It's a letter from Dad!"

"From Dad?" Ruby wondered.

"That's what I said!" Yang ripped open the envelope and began to read aloud for the benefit of her team. "Dear Yang and Ruby. I told Qrow to let you know this beforehand, but knowing him, he got distracted by a pretty face and forgot to say anything. Headmaster Ozpin has offered me a new position taking missions for him again, and with you girls all grown up, I felt like a change of scenery could do me some good. That means that I'll be around Beacon more often, just like your uncle! Don't worry about Patch - a family friend named Heather Shields has moved here, and is taking over my responsibilities. Believe it or not, this is the most excited I've felt about anything in a long, long time. While I'm wrapping things up, I'm not able to watch Zwei, so enclosed is our dog, and all the food he should need for a while. Love, Your Father, Taiyang Xiao Long."

A silence fell on the room before Weiss spoke up. "I'm sorry, did your father say that he mailed your dog?"

"Oh, he does stuff like that all the time," answered Yang. She overturned the folder, and an improbable amount of canned dog food fell out, followed thereafter by one adult male corgi.

"Zwei!" Ruby cheered.

Blake just looked utterly defeated.

Weiss stared at the corgi, her eyes wide. "Ruby…" she breathed to her partner.

"Yeah?"

"Do you know what's better than one heckin' good sweet pupper?"

"Two heckin' good sweet puppers!" both girls cried in unison, holding onto one another as they jumped in place out of sheer excitement. Yang just shook her head at their antics, while Blake, her kitty ears tragically low, just mourned.

"What did I do to deserve this?" she asked, to no one in particular.

"You stole, sabotaged, and committed several acts of arson," Weiss answered absently.

"That was a rhetorical question!"

"And she gave you a rhetorical answer," replied Ruby, utterly guileless.

Blake started to say something before seemingly thinking better of it.

Zwei, for his part, took in his new surroundings with the cautious eye of a seasoned veteran. There was his Girl and his Other Girl, and they seemed relaxed, meaning that they were safe. There was another girl, who seemed highly pleased to see him, as well she should, and a Chew Toy who looked much less enthused. Finally, peeking out from behind the skirts of the strange other girl was a pup, a young one, though one of a breed that meant that he was already larger than Zwei himself.

The corgi was undeterred. After all, as he had demonstrated countless times felling Beowulves, it wasn't the size of the dog, but the size of the fight in the dog that counted. Still, The Pup was just a pup, and if anything, seemed nervous of him. Zwei trotted over to The Pup and sat, demonstrating that he wasn't there to hurt him. Slowly, The Pup emerged fully, his tail up and inquisitive. Zwei stood, guiding the youngster in proper dog etiquette, the two communicating in the language of dogs, a series of barks, yelps, and whines coupled with bodily gestures and complex signals from their tails.

Following the Ceremonial Sniffing of the Butts, Zwei had come to several conclusions. The first is that The Pup, named "Percival" by humans, had grand ambitions of helping people against The Things That Are Not Friends, in the hopes that that would render him The Goodest of Good Boys. The second is that, while he had some experience in sniffing out and warning of The Things That Are Not Friends, he had never actually fought one before, and was somewhat in awe of Zwei for having done so.

The People in the room, having consulted their Magic Boxes, appeared ready to go somewhere. Zwei sighed, with great and stoic dignity, feeling his age around the energetic young puppy. He supposed that it was The Way of the Doggo for the old to guide the young. Come with me, he told The Pup, gesturing for him to follow as he followed his Girls. I will teach you how to dog.

[/]

The man wearing a cloak and hood slipped into Haven Academy, in the city of Mistral. It wasn't hard to find his quarry, after all. The son of a bitch had been selling out the Huntsmen in his own city. Hell, in his own academy. It was a state of affairs that simply could not continue.

He hadn't many friends left. Fewer since the traitorous Headmaster had made his move.

Leonardo Lionheart was in his office, stuffing various documents into a large burlap sack, clearly intending to burn it all. Well, at least he saved him the trouble of having to look for the really good dirt.

"Goin' somewhere, buddy?" he asked, the cheer in his voice a threat all its own.

Leo almost pissed himself, shouting as he cringed away from the door. Fuck. This almost counted as a mercy killing. "Who, who are you?" the lion Faunus asked.

"You've done a bad, bad thing, Leo. Fucked over some friends of mine. You're gonna have to answer for that." He tossed away his cloak, revealing his blonde hair and scruffy face.

Leonardo seemed to relax a bit. "What, are you going to take me to Ozpin to answer for these accusations?"

Taiyang stepped forward, the bracers on his arms igniting as he wove his arms in a warm up exercise of the Glorious Sun Dragon school of unarmed fighting.

"No. Answer to me."

[/]

The elevator doors to Ozpin's office opened, revealing the rest of Teams RWBY and JNPR waiting for him, along with Qrow, Winter, and Penny Polendina. Oddly enough, Professor Port and Doctor Oobleck were there as well, along with Glynda, who stood behind Ozpin as usual. Jaune took his place among his team, nodding at Ren.

"Good, you're all here. A matter has come to my attention that demands immediate investigation. Earlier today, I dispatched Miss Belladonna and Mister Branwen to investigate a murder potentially linked to the White Fang. Miss Belladonna contacted one of her former colleagues of that organization, who explained how it was that the radical Faunus rights organization came to fall under the sway of a human criminal."

Ozpin steepled his fingers, leaning back in his chair. "According to this White Fang operative, a woman approached the current leader of the Vale cell with Grimm. Grimm that obeyed her command."

Port and Oobleck both stiffened at that. "It couldn't be…" Port said, shaking his head. For once, his eyes were wide open. "Merlot is dead."

"Perhaps not, Peter," said Ozpin. "We never found the body. Moreover, the operative reported activity centered around Mountain Glenn. That, plus the controlled Grimm, leads me to believe that it is either Merlot's reemergence, or else some other entity finding his research and putting it to use. Either way, it needs to come to an end. That is why I have assignments for all of you."

He stood, pressing a button on his desk that caused a screen to lower in front of the wall behind him. It sprung to life, displaying a map of the lost city of Mountain Glenn. "While counterespionage efforts are underway, it is entirely possible that there are spies operating within Beacon Academy," Ozpin began. "To that end, this operation will be carried out in strict secrecy. A pair of fake training missions will be posted, missions that have already been accepted by Teams RWBY and JNPR. Professor Port will accompany JNPR, while Doctor Oobleck will go with RWBY. Your Bullhead transports will take off in opposite directions, directions corresponding to your fake missions destinations. After a set time, they will divert from their course. Team JNPR will land in the northeast of the city ruins, while Team RWBY will set down in the southwest. Together, you will seek and destroy whatever laboratory or facility is producing these Grimm."

Ozpin frowned, clicking his remote, causing the screen to flip to an old, somewhat fuzzy picture. It was an elder Deathstalker, but it was...odd. For one, it had armor over its vulnerable eyes and wrapped around the base of its stinger. Not Grimm bone plate, but metal, wrought armor. Secondly, it was bleeding some kind of glowing green substance instead of the usual black, oily Grimmsmoke that exuded from them upon injury or death.

"Dr. Merlot's research involved altering the physical anatomy and chemical composition of Grimm in order to subject them to his direct control. This process also makes them more physically resilient, as well as toughening up many of the more well-known weak spots of the creatures, as you can see here. Exercise extreme caution in facing these Grimm. If necessary, fall back and wait for reinforcements. Glynda and I are on mission control, and will coordinate your efforts with one another."

Winter was physically restraining herself from speaking, so Ozpin nodded to her. "Sir," she finally said. "As...capable as these gentlemen no doubt are, would it not be better to send Qrow and I in their stead?"

"There are several reasons for sending them, Miss Schnee. Firstly, they are registered faculty of the school, and their accompanying students will raise no suspicion. Secondly, both men have experience with Merlot and his creations. Finally, both you and Qrow are needed here. While I have arranged for a more permanent protection detail for certain assets here, he is on another mission, and won't be back until this mission is underway. It would be prudent to ensure that our enemies don't use these two teams' absence as an opportunity to sabotage the Academy or co opt those certain assets while our attention is elsewhere. While Qrow protects the Academy, you, specifically, are to take Penny, round up a number of professional Huntsmen, and stand ready to protect the city of Vale itself at the slightest notice. Is that understood?"

Winter sighed. "Yes, sir."

"Fear not, Miss Schnee! Bartholomew and I will ensure that no harm comes to your little sister in this endeavor!" said Port.

Winter narrowed her glacial blue eyes at him. "You'd better come back with my sister unharmed, Port, or else you'll be telling stories of the time Winter Schnee ripped you inside out in slow motion."

Port coughed, loosening his collar. "Er, right, of course."

Ozpin just shook his head as he sat back down. "Right. Mister Arc."

"Sir." Jaune stood to attention out of habit, while Ozpin, preoccupied with planning, didn't bother to correct him.

"Do you feel as though you are capable of resuming leadership of Team JNPR?"

Jaune shared a glance with Ren, remembering his promise to try and take the mantle back off of Ren's shoulders. He took a deep breath. "Yes, sir. I do."

"Good. Should this work out, you will resume full-time leadership of Team JNPR. The mission begins tomorrow. I suggest you get some rest, as this could turn out to be an extended assignment. I need Mister Arc, Miss Rose, Mister Branwen, Professor Port and Doctor Oobleck to stay for a bit longer. The rest of you are dismissed."

Weiss gave him a quick kiss as she left, but Jaune started as he saw Winter do the same and plant a quick kiss on Qrow's cheek as she left.

"What was that?" Weiss cried as they walked towards the elevator.

Winter smirked down at her sister. "What? I can't kiss my paramour? You kiss yours often enough."

"What?!"

"Really, it's your fault that we got together. After all, I seem to recall you calling me an 'elderly spinstress who needed to find someone.' So, I took your advice!"

The elevator doors closed before Weiss could respond, but Jaune could only wince, imagining an outraged Weiss in an enclosed environment. He shot a look at Qrow, who just shrugged in response. "Fair enough."

"As funny as that all was, what do we need to be told?" Ruby asked Ozpin.

"Well, Miss Rose, this...is going to be something that affects you, specifically. Where should I begin?"

"I dunno, I usually start at the start when I'm starting."

Ozpin smiled genuinely at that, inclining his head towards her. "Just so. From the beginning of the human race, there have been people born with silver eyes. Legend says that these people had abilities gifted from the God of Light himself to combat and destroy the Grimm, on a scale that makes the efforts of even the greatest of Huntsmen and Huntresses seem paltry in comparison. Those legends...are true. Your mother was one such figure, a Silver-Eyed Warrior."

"What?"

"It's true," Qrow spoke up, putting his hand on her shoulder. "There were times when your mother's eyes would flash, turning Grimm to stone or dust. I don't know how, exactly, she did it, but she saved Team STRQ's butts more times than I can count with it."

"The Silver-Eyed Warriors are famed throughout history for their prowess against the Grimm," said Oobleck. "But alas, no records remain that detail how they harnessed those extraordinary powers."

"You, Ruby Rose, are the last known Silver-Eyed Warrior," Ozpin added. "It is a lot to rest on the shoulders of one so young, I know, but the fact is, our hopes for winning this war revolve around you."

"But?" Ruby looked around. "I've never done anything like that before! At least, nothing that an ordinary Huntress couldn't do."

"It is possible that your powers could awaken during the course of this mission," said Ozpin. "We simply don't know. It's important to get you experienced in running missions and fighting the Grimm, but it's also important that we don't lose the last known Silver-Eyed Warrior. That is why there is another objective to this mission that its leaders must know, one that supersedes all others." He took a deep breath. "In the event of extreme danger to Ruby Rose, your highest priority will be to ensure her safety. This takes priority over destroying the facility, or apprehending the individual or individuals behind it. This even takes priority over preserving your own lives."

"What?!" Ruby blurted.

"Look," Jaune, stepping forward to put his hand on her shoulder. "I know this isn't what you asked for, or what you signed up to do as a Huntress. But those abilities you have could save more lives than we can even fathom. The Enemy knows this. While I haven't known the specifics of your powers, Ozpin let me know that you're important from day one, and I believe him. You're going to change the world, Ruby Rose, and if I have to lay down my life to get you there, I will."

"I…"

"It's not so different from other students," Port said, leaning on Bart's shoulder. "You think that I would turn and run and leave a student of mine to die? Bah! It's unmanly!"

"It's about making the best of what we have available," added Qrow, his hand still on his niece's shoulder. "Your mother had to deal with this all the time."

Ruby frowned as she gazed at her toes. "And she died," she said, her voice small.

"And I will not repeat the mistakes of the past," declared Ozpin. "Go now, and prepare for your mission."

Ruby still looked troubled as the doors to the elevator closed before her.

[/]

"Mother."

"Oh, hello Pyrrha dear! How is Mommy's Little Myrmidon today? Feeling better?"

"...They're sending us on a mission tomorrow. A dangerous one."

"Oh, I see. Would you like to pray with me?"

"...Please?"

[/]

"I promise I'll be fine, sister."

"Don't make promises you can't keep, Weiss."

"I...okay. I can't promise that I'll be safe. But I can promise that I'll make you proud out there."

"I've always been proud of my baby sister."

[/]

"Heya, Firecracker."

"Yeah?"

"Well, I was thinkin'...before you go tomorrow, how would you like to take the Corvid's Claw for a spin?"

"Really?!"

"Sure thing. I can even show you where I hid your motorcycle tires while I'm at it."

"You dick!"

"And the student has yet to surpass the master."

[/]

"I don't like this, Ruby."

"Me neither, but it's the right call. Your replenisher module isn't quite there yet, and this could be a long mission. If you ran out of juice out there, we wouldn't be able to start you back up again. It's better to stick close to home for now. We'll make fixing it our top priority when we get back, okay?"

"Penny?"

"...Please come back."

"Of course I will! Don't worry, Penny! I'm Combat Ready!"

[/]

"Ren?"

"Nora."

"I love you."

"...I love you too."

[/]

"Hey, Yang, what's cookin', good lookin'?"

"Oh, I'm just gonna hang with my uncle for a bit. My team's going on a mission tomorrow, kickin' Grimm off some podunk farm somewhere."

"Ah, sweet. Sounds boring as shit. Speaking of shit, look out for the cow pies!"

"Ugh, Mercury, you dick!"

"You love it, I know."

[/]

"I can't say much about it, sir, but I do believe it will be a dangerous mission."

"The only ones worth talking about usually are."

"Are you okay?"

"That's 'are you okay, sir' to you, and no, I'm not. I've been a knight for sixty-two years, boy, sixty-two, and here I am, sending a squire into danger while I'm too damn old to go with him, to keep him safe. It isn't right."

"Well, someone needs to scare the Old Farts' Club into submission, and who better than the oldest and fartiest of them all?"

"Ah, shut your face, boy. You'd better come back alive, gods damn it all to hell. I've outlived too many promising young knights to see you go too."

"Is that concern I hear, Sir Roland?"

"I repeat my request that you kindly shut your face. Further smartassery will be met with further admonishment. Just bring yourself back safe, boy. That's an order. And while we're at it, bring back the Princess too. Gods know you'd be just the mopiest son of a bitch on Remnant without her."

"I'm touched, sir. Truly."

"In the head, maybe."

"I'll be back, sir. Hell, I'll probably have some new stories to tell while I'm at it."

"You'd better."

[/]

"Blake? What is it?"

"So...there's this thing, and it's kinda messy, and...well…"

"Uh, are you okay? You're turning kind of red."

"Oh, fuck it. I need you to kiss me."

"What?!"

"You're not deaf. I want you to kiss me. Unless you don't want to?"

"How was that?"

"Acceptable, but I need more data. Do it again."

"Yes, ma'am!"

[/]

"Yang?"

"Yo."

"Do you think we've got this?"

"Ruby...I really believe that you can do anything."

[/]

"Jaune? Were you...were you ever afraid? Before your missions, I mean?"

"Honestly, no...not unless they involved protecting you. But I'll tell you that I'm afraid now."

"Truly?"

"Yes. Because I have so much more to lose now."

"That just means we'll have to fight all the harder to keep it."

"...I suppose it does."

[/]

Two Bullheads stood ready to take off in the wan light of the early morning. Hugs were exchanged, last minute words of advice passed from sibling to sibling, from lover to lover, from friends and family. Then, two men, eight teens, and two dogs boarded the aircraft, split into two teams, and were carried off into the fray.

[/]

Chapter Endnotes: Let me get the usual notes out of the way first.

I remembered watching Jon Stewart rant about pizza a few times, and it was funny enough that I had to include some Ruby outrage about Weiss eating pizza with a knife and fork, because of course she would.

Jaune has a cape. Partially because it's baller, but there is a specific purpose for it that will come up later.

In clinical circles, Mercury is what is described as a "sick fuck what must be bludgeoned to death with the nearest piece of heavy mining equipment." I imagined him as basically Ramsay Snow, but with better impulse control, a notion that, now that I've typed it out and read it, scares the fuck out of me.

Sir Roland channeling that Ser Barristan energy. I was debating introducing one of the prospective recruits for Jaune's future Knights of Vale, an OC named Becca De Corbin, but decided against it. I mention it here because that pun name makes me so goddamn happy that I literally have to tell someone about it before I just burst.

I imagine Zwei as a very dignified elder doggo, a seasoned veteran in contrast to Percy's youthful derpiness.

Taiyang's quote of "Answer to me," refers to a fan song by that name.

Since Atlas isn't playing along, Cinder had to turn to other means. I initially had an "oh shit" moment when I realized that I goofed the timeline, since the White Fang taking orders from Roman meant that she had terrified them into submission earlier than she got her half of the Maiden powers. Then I was like, you know what would be cool? Working in some Grimm Eclipse stuff in place of Atlas. So instead, she rocked up with a shitload of Grimm that treated her like their queen, and that did the trick. Good save, me!

Also, I haven't actually played Grimm Eclipse, so I'mma just take the concept of 'mad scientist mucks about with the Grimm and enhances them' and just do my own thing with it, okay? So don't get upset if they're different from how they're portrayed in the game.

This mission coming up is actually something that I've been planning for a long time, and I'm just embarrassing amounts of excited to get it put it to 'ink' and out for people to read. Now, while Jaune here is a master of small-unit tactics, I am just a librarian who had to kick the shit out of some individual motherfuckers in the past. So, I've had to do some homework for the upcoming chapters, in the hopes that this makes sense. As a video game megalomaniac once said, "There's a lot of good information in old books."

Hopefully I don't get put on a list.

Right. So, I'll see you lot for the next chapter. Ciao!

Love,

Mahina