{Jocelyn/Rose's Perspective}

Has it really been a month and a half since Beacon? Feels more like a few weeks. And my fiance is still busy moping around in the Schnee manor, so I went around Mantle and did a little investigating of my own.

You know, scouting defences. Seeing what the tech in Mantle is for Watts. And opportunities for Tyrian. Just to make it look like I actually did something here rather than try to come up with a story that will be convincing. I'm not that good at winging it like my fiance is.

Though I can't get into Atlas Academy without being spotted, and that mugshot of me… Well someone has good taste.

Maybe I should dress up as a student there? Maybe dye my hair too? I'll look into it if I have time.

Anyway I decided to grab a quick bite to eat before I snuck back up to Atlas. And there's a small restaurant down the street so I'll head there.

Little did I know I would run into an old friend there. "Norm?"

"Jocelyn?" Replied the man with a similar build to my fiance except with slightly more muscles since he does take taekwondo and much shorter hair.

I wanted to hug him but he stopped me. "My boss doesn't want me to leave the counter until my break or lunch."

I nodded "Yeah I understand." I said as I sat on a barstool. "What are you doing here anyway?"

"Well, Nilla and I woke up in an abandoned building. She's currently up at Atlas Academy and I'm working to build up enough cash to go there myself. Though I don't know why. She tells me being a huntsman is a good job to have, She never explained why. Or how it works here."

"Did she? Or did it sound like gibberish to you?" I asked.

He gave a defeated sigh "Yeah, I didn't know what she was talking about. Anyway, what can I get you?"

"Just macaroni and cheese." I replied.

"You got it."

"In the meantime, I'll explain to you what this world is in a much simpler way."

And so I did. I told him about Remnant and its history, what kind of monsters there are here. And what will happen and what has.

After that he gave me a nod "I see" He said as his blue eyes shifted over to the window "So that's why I keep hearing talk of kingdoms instead of countries."

"Yeah, and I'm working for the bad guy," I told him quietly.

"Why?" He asked.

"Undercover. And seeing if I can get a girl named Emerald on our side." I told him "Besides, it was Justin's idea."

Norm gave me a concerned look but shrugged "Well he would know better."

"Yeah well he's currently dis-armed and very moody." I told him

"I saw on the news. Something to do with a guy named Adam?" he asked.

I nodded, "Pretty sure he has the PTSD that someone else should have had."

After I finished I got up to leave. "Anyway, thanks for the tip off, I'll try to visit Nilla."

It was then I noticed someone that looked real sus. A guy in the corner with a cloak looking directly at me. He had a scar across his face that looked like it was made by a beowolf.

Well I doubt he'll try anything. But if he does I can fuck him up. So I just ignored him for the time being. It wasn't until I didn't hear the door close I turned my head to see he was starting to follow me. I then decided that I shouldn't be near any alleyways. So I started to walk away. With his footsteps following close behind.

It wasn't until we were a good distance away where the man grabbed me from behind and dragged me into an alleyway. The very thing I wanted to avoid. And of course he covered my mouth. And as soon as he figured no one would witness us. He slammed me to a wall and asked me "You are Rose Quartz yes?"

I said nothing to him.

"You know there's a hefty bounty on your head girl. 5000 lien for your pretty little head." he continued as his eyes wandered down my body.

I know what he's planning. "But I might be convinced to not turn you over to the authorities. For a… small favor."

Time to play along. As soon as he moved his gloved hand away from my mouth I gave him my bedroom eyes and asked "Oh and what would that be mister?"

He moved his hand down to my chest. "Oh I think I have an idea…"

And just as he was about to grope me, I grabbed him by the wrist and started to drain his aura. It isn't instant as I figured out with Justin a while back, but it's also fast enough that it'll be over before they know.

And just enough time to get out Rose (Which is the one I named on my right side) and activate the blade just in time for his aura to completely run out. And at the same time run him through with my blade. Funny how he seemed to have survived a beowolf, yet managed to get blindsided by me of all people.

Though the look he gave me is one I doubt I'll forget anytime soon. A look of absolute horror and realization that he was tricked and now will die.

I retracted the blade back into its compact state and clipped it back onto my belt and threw him off to the side. I know soon enough the blood loss will get to him. And I need to make sure that the blood that is now on my top is gone. I hear hydrogen peroxide is good for that. But that will be later, I need to hide, I hear sirens off in the distance.


[Later that day]

I managed to sneak back into the Schnee manor again. And broke another window. I say it's worth it, Justin always complains of getting a heart attack. Even though he has no room to talk since he's addicted to an energy drink called Adrenaline Shoc.

"So they're here too?" Justin asked after I told him what Norm told me.

I nodded at him. "As if I didn't just get through explaining it."

He looked down at his scroll to see a message from Aaron. He hasn't responded to him yet?

"Why haven't you talked to your best friend yet?" I asked out of curiosity.

"All of us went through traumatic experiences. I lost an arm, Keoth lost his sight, and Aaron lost his waifu after killing her probable father figure. I figured we all needed a bit of space." He answered as he put it away.

"Justin." I said softly "It's been over a month and a half since then. And yet you still refuse to pick up a weapon?"

"It's not that I refuse." He answered as he paced over to the case "It's that I can't. I feel like I'm about to vomit every time I pick up my guns or sword."

"And what about your prosthetic arm?"

He gave me a defeated look as he explained "I feel as though if I put that on people will assume I'm all better. And I'm not. And I don't know if I will ever again." He sighed as he gripped what was left of his left arm.

There was silence in the air. I could feel it in the room and in the way he's trying to push me away. "Are the nightmares getting to you again?"

Justin nodded at me. I could tell by the bags under his eyes he hasn't been getting any sleep lately. I went in to give him a hug and before I knew it he wrapped his arm around my waist. I felt his tears staining my shoulder. I know he didn't want to cry, he always felt like it made him look weak.

I've told him time and time again that it's ok to cry. Yet he never does, I'm not sure why he doesn't. He has told me he suppresses negative emotions to keep the Beast chained, even though it's really unhealthy.

After he let all of his tears out he let me go and rubbed his eyes. "You should go. They're bound to have heard your… entrance." He told me as he put his glasses on.

"What are you going to do today?" I asked.

As he walked to the door he simply answered "To visit Keoth. I haven't in a while so I'm going to make some time now. No matter Jacque's protests."

I nodded and made my exit. But before I left, I told him "Have a good day. And text Aaron will you? He's probably worried."

He nodded and walked out the door, slamming it behind him. And I made my escape. Next stop, Atlas Academy.

{Keoth's perspective}

Well… this sucks. Granted they've been slowly rehabilitating me. Having little to no sight is annoying but now my hearing and other senses have definitely improved. But the fact I now have to walk around with a stick to make sure I don't crash into anything is a bit annoying.

"Hey man." I heard a familiar voice call out to my left "You would not believe what I had to do to get the receptionist to let me visit you.

"Good to see you again Justin." I replied as I looked off to his direction.

"Well… Technically you can't see me. More to your left." he joked.

I couldn't help but chuckle a little. He and I share a sense of humor. "So how's the arm treating you?"

"Well…" He replied "I haven't put it on yet."

That puzzled me. "Why not?"

He sighed "To put it bluntly. If I put it on people will assume I'm all better. Well... that isn't entirely the case. I've been having a lot of nightmares recently."

"Same here." I replied, "Mostly my demons taunting me."

"Yeah, can't say I've had any different." he said as I heard him take a few steps from my left to my right. "It's either Adam in that cafeteria again, or him taunting me about my foolish actions. There is some in between, some of which I will not say at the moment."

I glared at him, "You pervert."

"Says the guy who has stored various pictures of Blake Belladonna in several compromising positions and asked me if I can set up a date during our time in Vale." He retorted quickly.

"At least I don't act like I'm not interested in dating any of the cast." I fired back.

There was a moment of silence, I can assume he was thinking of a comeback. But what he said next surprised me

"Well I still have Jocelyn."

"Didn't she stab you in the chest?"

"Liver, actually. And it wasn't that deep anyway. Nothing, a few stitches, or in that case Jaune, couldn't fix."

"... Wait, is she still on our side?"

There was another moment of silence.

"If you nodded I can't see it, remember?"

"Oh right, apologies. Yes she is still on our side."

I got up and walked over to where I assumed he was and gave a swift punch. I then heard a shattering noise. Whoops.

"You missed by a mile." He goaded. "And I have no time for this so I'll explain to them you were feeling violent. Buh-bye~"

"Wait right there you son of a bitch!" I yelled to no avail. Seeing as he already left.

That arrogant bastard. I'll get him back some day.


[Meanwhile in Atlas Academy]

{Jocelyn/Rose's perspective}

Well… I managed to find a girl with my exact dimensions. And took her clothes. Before you ask, no I did not just leave her in the open. I put her somewhere in the dormitory wing so she can at least find her way back to wherever her team might be. But that's besides the point. I managed to get into the cafeteria to spot Nilla, my long blond haired petite best friend since elementary school.

Ok, now to get her attention. It seems she's talking with her team. Let's see if I can overhear their conversation.

"-And that's when I said 'That's not a knife. This is a knife!' and pulled out my own." said a tanned skinned girl with black hair with a fist in the air as if she was holding something.

The rest of the team laughed. Lucky for Nilla, it seems like she got her own team and not an extra for an existing one.

"It's hilarious how you deal with guys, Cylica. Especially those types." Said the second girl that had pink hair and a complexion like mine.

"Violence isn't always the solution though. It's better to just walk away than to actively engage" Said the third with short blonde hair and green eyes. She had a book open. It kind of reminded me of Blake in a weird way. And if Blake didn't have a black and white color scheme.

Nilla nodded in agreement "Yeah I have to agree with Jade over there. Violence only leads to more violence."

"Unless it gets them to leave me alone." said the one named Cylica. She reminds me of Justin if he was a woman.

"Well I gotta get going, Ironwood said my weapon would be ready by now." Nilla said as she got up.

"You never told us what your weapon is going to be." The pink haired girl said to Nilla.

"That's a surprise Garnet." Nilla replied.

As soon as she was out the door I followed her. I then quickly grabbed her and pulled her off to the side so we could have a private chat.

She was ready to fight first but then quickly recognised me. "Jocelyn?"

"Hey girl, it's been a while hasn't it?"

She gave me a hug, which was out of character since she usually doesn't like physical contact.

She then backed up "Where have you been?! Wait, why shouldn't I turn you in right now?" She said with her arms crossed "You stabbed Justin during the VYTAL festival.

"Long story."

She kept her arms crossed with me.

I gave a quick sigh "He asked me to do that, he wanted me to prove to Salem's faction that I'm a bad guy."

She gave me a confused look.

"By the way, Norm told me you were here. I guess that's why you weren't in the tournament huh?" I asked.

"Yeah, I don't really have a weapon. Ironwood said he was coming up with one for me. Though he did give me some leeway as to the customization."

"And knowing your artistic talents, you drew him a picture of what designs you wanted on it?"

"A little collage of all of us. Since I thought you were bad and everyone else was dead."

I nodded. "I understand. Listen, you need to tell me something. Do you know the location of the vault?"

She shrugged "There's armed guards in the lower sections, I haven't been able to get down there. But I think I have an idea. Why?"

"Scouting, for Salem."

She glared at me "Why? You should be working to throw Salem off. At least for a temporary time."

"Look, As much as I would love to do that, I can't. Justin told me if I try to do any of that it would probably end up in a paradox or something to do with the Time Variance Authority or something like that!" I yelled quietly. "Go talk to Justin if you don't believe me.

She nodded, seeming to understand. "Well I got to go. I need to meet up with Ironwood for my weapon. I'll see you later."

She then left and I looked around before I walked out of the hidey hole me and Nilla were.

I then made sure not to alert any of the guards on the way out. Those missions in Ocarina of Time and Skyward Sword do come in handy to learn how to avoid security. Helped me steal a bra when I was younger. I was a different person then, when my mom and her asshole boyfriend first got together. I wanted to get her attention any way I could.

Couldn't be happier to be as far away from her as possible. But that's besides the point.

I soon found my way out of Atlas Academy. And onto the streets of Atlas.


[Meanwhile in Vale]

{Aaron/Moon's perspective}

Thank god there was a store on the way here. Managed to get a nice set of binoculars that made it easier for me to scout out the enemy defences.

Well… When I say that it was easier I meant without the two blond haired guardians of Ruby Rose being impatient about going in to rescue her.

"What are we waiting for?" Yang asked with impatience.

"There aren't that many guys, we can take them." Tai said as he tried to stand up. Only for me to force him back down.

"We don't know how many are inside. Besides, like I said earlier, if they spot us, Ruby could be killed. And we don't want that." I reminded both of them.

Yang gestured over to the main entrance frustratedly "Well we can't just sit here either! There's got to be a way in!"

I scanned over to a surprisingly unguarded side entrance into the main building.

And just as I did, Jaune called.

Once I picked it up he said We're in position. Just give us the signal.

I turned to Yang and told her. "Go to Jaune, tell him to listen out for the word macroeconomics."

Yang gave me a look of confusion.

"Just listen out for the word. And when that happens, tell him to leap out of his position and attack the main entrance. I'll let you know the numbers inside."

Yang nodded and snuck off to go meet Jaune.

"What should I do?" Tai asked.

I handed him my binoculars "You stay put and make sure they don't get the drop on us. If reinforcements come, let us know."

Tai nodded and before I got up he grabbed my wrist and said "Promise me you'll get my daughter back."

I nodded at him "I will." I then jumped down from the roof we were on. Thank god I can rely on anime logic to make a good landing. Otherwise it probably would have broke my legs. Anyway that's besides the point.

It's time to play the game...