(Three days after Chapter 15)

Ash smiled as he stood in the middle of a group of Atlesian soldiers with their rifles trained upon him. For a moment, Ash found it amusing that they hadn't been told that he would be arriving, but he hoped that this would quickly turn into a bloodbath. That thought made the smile on his face grow wider, although it really didn't matter to him either way. He was bored, and wished that someone would make the wrong move to make the night more exciting. The soldiers kept their postures, not moving from their positions, but it didn't look as though they were about to fire. They were paid to avoid shooting anyone who merely looked strange, and Ash was the strangest of all the people who had passed by this place.

"Put your weapons down; I promise it won't end well for you if you don't," Ash announced as he turned to look at each soldier before he stopped to look at one in particular. He was the twitchiest of the bunch, as if he was frightened and on edge. Ash grinned as he looked him in the eye through the soldier's visor. The soldier shifted nervously, unsure as to why he would be looking at him, and cursed himself as he was singled out. The reaction made the grin on Ash's face grow even wider as he stepped closer to the soldier, while the others stepped forward in case he were to try and pull something.

"Indeed," A voice called from an open doorway, and a man in a lab coat stepped through. "Lower your weapons, he is not a threat to us. If he was, you would already be dead."

"Ah, my good Doctor," Ash said with a smile as he spread his arms out as if he was offering a hug. The Doctor kept a passive face, as this was nothing new to him, and waved for Ash to join him in his office. Ash smirked as he watched the group of soldiers part in front of him, just like the story of Brennan and the Parting of the Great Salt Lake; still, they felt extremely uneasy about who Ash might be as they slowly lowered their weapons. Some turned to each other and shook their heads as they walked away, knowing that it would be better to not get into the Doctor's business. Then, he turned back to the soldier whom he had glared at and stopped in front of him to place a hand on his shoulder.

"Good man," he told the soldier, brushing off a bit of Dust from his shoulder armor and gave it a squeeze. "Keep up the good work," Ash concluded before he then patted the soldier on the cheek of his helmet and turned to walk into the office.

"Shut the door," The Doctor ordered him as he sat back down onto the seat behind his desk. He turned to make sure that Ash had shut the door, and watched as he locked it for good measure, only turning away when he had heard the metallic "clack" as the door was secured.

"Are you sure they can be trusted, Lisle?" Ash asked as he gritted his teeth slightly. The welcome he had received had left him a little agitated, even though he hid it behind a smile. For a moment he wondered if Lisle was one of the many people who had betrayed him, just like Buddy. And like Buddy, they would all be killed when he determined them to be loose ends.

"Every man has a price, Ash. You do not need to worry," Lisle reassured him, refusing to show any hint of outward emotion, as he knew that he had nothing to worry about from Ash. Ever since he had been exiled by his Master for his failure, Cinder took control of operations in Ash's absence, then that responsibility had been transferred over to Neo, which was an interesting choice, as Neo never spoke, or at least no one had ever heard her utter a sound. He was old, as could be seen from the wrinkles on his face, and the grey in his hair. His hair was combed back so that it draped along the back of his neck, and his silver mustache was well-groomed. Despite wearing the lab coat, he still looked sophisticated and had the smell of arrogance about him.

"And what is your price, my good Doctor?" Ash asked as he probed for answers, grinning all the while as he stepped forward to Lisle's desk. While he looked down at the Doctor, he noticed that he showed no signs of any fear, or any kind of emotion at all, in fact.

"I can't be bought with money, Ash. I fight for the same reasons you do," that was all Lisle wanted to say, and Ash knew that he wouldn't be able to get any more from the Doctor, if that was all he wished to reveal. However, he was satisfied with the answer nonetheless. "What are you doing here, Ash?" Lisle asked, for the first time a hint of emotion showed, but it was one of confusion, which could be seen as he turned in Ash's direction.

"I came to check on my investments, and to personally make sure you didn't have cold feet," Ash replied as he stepped closer and pulled up an arm chair before he sat down. He reached over the Doctor's desk for a bottle of whiskey that was sitting on top of it, but the Doctor pulled it away. Ash tilted his head at him briefly while the Doctor stared back, leaning down with a loud sigh as he pulled out a drawer and picked up two glasses, then set them both down on the table.

"I thought Neo took responsibility from Cinder when it came to operations here." the Doctor said, a question in his eyes as he poured three fingers of whiskey into each of the glasses, and handed one to Ash, who gladly accepted it. "I wasn't given the details, but judging from Cinder's- Ms. Fall's- disposition, I guess she wasn't happy. Either because she had to pick up your slack until Neo came around, or something you did. Maybe both."

"Well, I am here to make sure everything is going according to the plan. However, I won't be relieving Neo as the Master still doesn't trust me with my own men, but he has given me enough agency to check on the seeds that I have already planted," Ash responded before he took a sip of the whiskey, the taste was smooth, and he could tell that the whiskey had been well-aged. Aged just the way he liked it. "Are things going according to plan?"

"Indeed," Lisle said as he then reached for his drawer, slowly, and pulled out a chip before handing it to Ash, who took it and examined it.

"Good," Ash said with a momentary grin before looking back at Lisle. "Are you sure this would work?"

"You have my word," Lisle replied. "All you need to do is attach it to a Scroll and find the computer system that the Knights are using as a hub and the program will do the rest."

Ash cackled as he continued to look at the chip, almost admiring it.

"This will teach Atlas to rely on machines," Ash said with a smirk before he placed it in his pocket. "You have done well, Lisle."

"I do my best to serve," Lisle said as he took a sip from his glass and his eyes narrowed at Ash. "As I am sure you have been too."

"Indeed, it is almost time to strike and we have one of the tools to do so," Ash said gleefully. "Now it is a matter of choosing the right moment to strike."

"I will leave that kind of planning to you," Lisle replied but then paused a moment as he then remembered something. "I may have further info that may interest your master."

Lisle then pulled out a file from his drawer. The paper drew Ash's attention as paper was starting to become a rarity as everything was now being moved to a digital medium. For paper to be used, it only meant that whatever this information was, it was meant to be secret and only view-able to a select few.

"A secret project that an associate of mine had been working on," Lisle said as he handed the folder to Ash, who curiously began to read it.

Ash's eyes widened in shock before being replaced with lucid anger.

"What kind of... blasphemy is this?" Ash hissed through his teeth.

"An attempt to create artificial Aura," Lisle stated coldly. "They have already deemed one experiment a success, but I would call it a travesty. An abomination."

Ash seethed through his teeth but then began to laugh quietly to himself, the volume of which only grew louder.

"The more I see what happens in the world, the more I hate it," Ash said through breaths before he began to calm down, his anger returned. "It only shows how the world denies the truth and seeks to pervert anything good."

"Agreed," Lisle replied as he handed a glass to Ash, who politely declined it.

At that moment, there was a knock on the door and both Ash and Lisle turned their attention to the door; Ash reaching for the handle if his khopesh.

"You better have a good reason to be interrupting my meeting," Lisle said but then the door opened, and inside, stepped a young woman with a parasol.

"I thought you had left, Neo," Lisle asked with a sigh as he realized he now had to deal with two sociopaths when he already enough on his plate when it was just Ash.

"Oh!" The confusion had left Ash's face and was replaced with a sickly grin. "Neo: I've heard some interesting things about you."

She responded with a gentle smile which made Lisle cringe a little when he saw it. He knew all too well to not trust that smile.

"Oh, you would like her, Ash, because you both are so much alike," Lisle interrupted and they both turned to face him.

"For example, she killed one of my men because he had accidentally gotten in her way," the Doctor said with a groan and rubbed his forehead as he remembered how long it took to clean up the mess she had made, and how the morale of his men spiraled down to the point that he had to increase their wages and add hazard pay, just to silence their complaints. When she heard that comment, she turned to him and simply wagged a finger at him. Her eyes changed from green to pink and brown as she gave a slight wink.

"Hmmm. Sounds like my kind of gal," Ash replied with a slight chuckle and looked as if he was actually thinking of something nefarious, which was evident when his eyes widened as along with his grin. A soft smile also adorned her face as she glanced at him from the corner of her eyes before the pair disappeared from view in a flash of light.

(Moments later)

A group of White Fang soldiers stared as a young girl and a man wearing burnt clothes walked past them. They wondered how two humans managed to get in, which made them feel slightly angry. The girl noticed their reaction, and looked back at them before giving them a slight wink as she continued forward. The room seemed to go silent as her boots clopped along the floor and left an echo with each step. She spun her parasol as it leaned against her shoulder, and walked with a slight skip in her step. As he reflected on all the stories that he had been told about her, Ash continued to watch her behavior with a broad grin. She was apparently someone who didn't really care about what was going on around her, as it was certain that if things were to go wrong, she would be able to handle it quickly. And painfully.

"Doesn't matter, the two attacks are only a minor setback," Ash and Neo heard as they approached, and two bodyguards moved up and readied their weapons when they noticed the two humans. A man wearing all black and who had red hair turned around to see what had caused such a reaction from his men. He noticed the ominous feeling and silence in the room, only to see Neo and Ash, the latter of whom he did not recognize. This made him slightly wary as he stepped forward and pushed the two bodyguards out of the way. He moved his hands up to their weapons and pushed their barrels down.

"May I help you?" Adam asked as he had expected only Neo's arrival; upon seeing Ash, he decided to be a bit more cautious, but at the time was ready as he placed a hand on the hilt of his sword.

"We are friends, boy. I am just an old comrade who has come back from a lengthy vacation, and this is…" Ash smiled and bowed in front of Adam while Neo shrugged at Ash's comment,which was true and yet not true at the same time. Despite having a Grimm mask on, you could still see Adam's eyes widen as his mask lifted slightly as his brow rose when he heard Ash speak.

"I see," Adam responded while still keeping a hand on the hilt of his sword. He had seen who these "friends" were, and he was still wary. The burnt clothing and the smell of smoke that came from Ash's shirt was overwhelming, but it was also what hinted to Adam that he could be dangerous. He then noticed how Ash seemed to trail off in mid-sentence, and was now scanning the area around him; he noticed how many soldiers there were: hundreds if not thousands of Faunus, all armed, equipped, and ready to attack.

"You seem ready for a war," Ash pointed out, noticing their supply of weapons as well as Dust. Large metal shipping containers carrying military vehicles were being lifted by small cranes onto flatbed rail cars.

"The Faunus War never ended. We are simply finishing what you humans started," Adam exclaimed and tightened the grip on his sword. Neo smiled as she noticed this reaction from the corner of her eye and stepped closer before leaning in against Adam. She eyed him a little before backing away, and she turned to Ash to give him a nod.

"Oh, that's good. However, it's still not time just yet," Ash responded and took a second glance at the White Fang forces behind him. He marveled at the size of the force they could field, and grinned at the thought of war. A real war.

"Indeed," Ash continued and turned his back towards Adam as he continued to survey the well-armed soldiers around him. "Timing is everything, you will have a bigger impact if you attack when the enemy feels most safe."

Adam nodded in agreement, knowing full well the date and time to fully reignite the Faunus War, but he knew that they hadn't come to discuss strategy, otherwise Cinder or the man that she was seen accompanying would have come by instead. For a moment, Neo looked on as Adam scanned the both of them, and she noticed that Adam had begun to show signs of annoyance as he waited to hear the reasons why they had come. She slowly pulled out a Scroll and opened a file before handing it to him.

"This is the footage of what happened in Mistral?" he asked as he played the video footage, gunshots were heard, as well as swords whistling as they cut through the air. She didn't care to respond, as she thought the question was practically rhetorical. Her superiors had requested that she look into it, and said that the footage would speak for itself. Adam skipped through the playback and fast forwarded to the point where Leo was captured. He narrowed his eyes when someone on the video told the soldiers to keep Leo sedated so that he couldn't jump between dimensions. Then all of a sudden Adam's demeanor changed as he stood straighter and took a deep breath.

"I know these two." He said as he pointed at an image of two people on the screen before handing it back to Neo and Ash, with the image frozen to show them who he was referring to.

Haiiden was deep in thought as he sat in front of a chess table. He looked at each individual piece and realized that he had Ozpin cornered, except for a part of the board that the Headmaster had defended and left open. Haiiden had been doing well so far, but wasn't playing in top form, and hoped that Ozpin wouldn't notice the opening. If Ozpin did, then he could use it as an escape and prolong the game, or even end it in his favor. Across from Haiiden, Ozpin sat with his hands folded in front of him and scanned the board. His eyes just skimming over the opening that Haiiden had made. Then Haiiden grinned to himself at the thought of beating Ozpin, but placed his hands in front of his mouth to hide it. Glynda was watching the game silently with her hands folded front of her, but she was more attentive than Haiiden.

"Sir, may I make a suggestion?" she whispered into Ozpin's ear as she leaned in with a slight smile on her face as she eyed Haiiden. Ozpin was already about to give up, but when he heard Glynda's offer, he shrugged and leaned back to give her room. She stepped around Ozpin's seat and towards the table to get closer to it, putting her hand to her chin as she scanned the board again as if she was looking for something. Haiiden swallowed nervously as he hoped that she hadn't noticed the opening. She placed her hand over a bishop and moved it between two of Haiiden's pawns, placing his king in check. Haiiden stared as he realized that this was a portent of the game's finishing move. He had no pieces to cover the king and if he moved what he had in position, he would give Ozpin the opportunity to move another piece into a position that would cause a cascade of moves that would end the game in Ozpin's favor.

"You will checkmate my king in seven moves." Haiiden sighed as he toppled his own king and accepted defeat.

"That was rather close." Ozpin commented, smiling up at Glynda as she backed away from the table.

"Yeah but that was unfair, because you had help," Haiiden responded with a slight, lopsided smile. Glynda shook her head at him but held her smile. Ozpin was the first to let out a chuckle before the other two joined in. The laugh lasted a few seconds before it died down to mere sighs.

"Something has been bothering you, hasn't it?" Ozpin remarked, sitting straight in his chair as he looked down on Haiiden, who nodded his head in reply. It was true, some thoughts had kept him from giving his full attention to the game. He still couldn't help but think about what happened during his mission in Mistral, as well as the week after their return. Ironwood had sent his congratulations for a job well done, and a mission flawlessly executed, but Haiiden wasn't having any of that. He had done his mission, and when it was no longer his business, Ironwood still had the nerve to contact him.

"Just a lot of things, sir. Especially a lot of information I had to take in," Haiiden responded as he looked back up at Ozpin.

"Regarding your friend Zed?" Ozpin asked, although he knew it was one of the things that was bothering him, he still felt the need to clarify.

"Exactly. I can't believe he would lie to me, and I feel like I should be mad, but I know I can't be," Haiiden sighed as he thought back on his conversation with Zed after they had returned. He did try to back out of it by saying that he would explain another time, but Haiiden pressed on it further to the point where Zed couldn't wriggle his way out of it any longer.

The revelation that Zed had a past with the White Fang, and had even been one of its topmost Lieutenants, had come as a shock, but ultimately Haiiden understood Zed's reasons for lying, and had forgiven his friend in a cathartic moment that came as a relief to both of them, as they hopefully had no further secrets between them.

"His heart was in the right place; he was only thinking of you," Ozpin responded in an attempt ensure him that Zed didn't mean to deceive him. Haiiden smiled at the thought, ever since they had met, Zed had always clung to him. In a sense, he always knew that Zed wouldn't lie to him purely out of malice. However, this wasn't the only thing bothering him, and was the least of his worries.

"Sir. May I ask a favor?" Haiiden asked suddenly and Ozpin looked at him with curiosity, but only after hearing the word "favor". "I want some time off."

"In the middle of the school year?" Ozpin sighed upon hearing the request, while Glynda's jaw tightened, confused, as well as feeling genuinely curious as to what Haiiden was asking. "I am not sure I can make that happen."

"You volunteered my team to help the man I hate most in the world," Haiiden replied and didn't notice that he had responded with a growl. "Although I did look at it as helping Mistral, the fact he would call to offer congratulations and give his thanks has put me in a rather grim mood, if you'll pardon the pun."

Glynda looked back down at Ozpin, who had now replaced his confused look with a more pensive one.

"You made me deal with a man I despise above all others. All I ask is for a couple of days," Haiiden said, and seemed to be begging, judging from his tone of voice. Ozpin sighed, but didn't answer as he continued to look Haiiden in the eye, as he tried to determine that this was truly what he wanted. However, he also didn't answer, because he was left speechless and didn't know how to respond. "Think of this as a way to repay me for the mission. I don't care about extra credit for my schoolwork, heck, I will take another mission once the time comes."

There was another long pause as he considered the offer. Headmaster Ozpin took a deep breath, then held it for a long moment before expelling an exaggerated sigh. "Alright. I will tell the other instructors," Ozpin finally replied as he pulled out a sheet of parchment from his desk drawer, and began to write onto it. Haiiden felt overjoyed and couldn't help but quickly jump out of his seat. Internally, he felt grateful that Ozpin would allow him to go, and turned to leave immediately. However, Ozpin didn't realize that he had meant to leave now, but since he had already agreed to let him go then he guessed he wouldn't be able to negotiate the offer any further.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Glynda asked as Haiiden exited the room, a hint of concern in her voice. Ozpin stopped scribbling on the parchment for a moment as he thought about the question. He had received a call from Lipesce about what happened on their way back to base after the mission. How Haiiden had stopped to bury a disappeared man with no name. After piecing together this information, Haiiden's request to leave, as well as his actions, he realized why he wanted some time off in the first place. The realization made his heart sink.

"Remember what I said about being haunted by demons?" Ozpin replied, but didn't look back up at her as he resumed his scribbling. "He has yet to deal with his."

The moment was then interrupted as Ozpin's scroll went off as he received a call. He pulled it out of his desk and looked down at it, only to see that the number was blocked. Replaced by the word "PRIVATE" for the name, and "RESTRICTED" for the number.

"Speaking of being haunted by demons," Ozpin said with a sigh, feeling drained after a long day and having to deal with the Council following the mission, now Haiiden. He stood up and handed Glynda the note he had written for the other Professors. "Please let the instructors take a look at this, let them know of the situation."

The rest of HAVC was walking down the corridors after sharing a meal together with JNPR. Zed was back to his old self again and was excited to tell everyone of his mission, jumping in his seat and on the table while accidently knocking over their meals. Using excessive body language and hand gestures as he explained what happened in the assault. JNPR couldn't help but laugh at Zed's enthusiasm and were glad that he was back to his normal self. As they listened to the story, they were clearly impressed that they would be called upon for this initiative, and that they had returned successfully and safely, all of them. As HAVC made their way down the hall, their laughs were silenced when they noticed Haiiden walking out of their dorm, his duffle bag in hand, as he went to lock the door before turning to see his team.

"Oi, mate!" Haiiden turned as he heard Zed call out to him, but was surprised how fast Zed was running at him. He stepped back to avoid Zed crashing into him but was relieved when he just slid to a stop. Haiiden looked past Zed to see the twins also running to meet with him and noticed a hint of fear in each one, especially Cecilia, who was breathing heavily after she had run to meet him, but also to hold back her emotions. "Where are you going?" Zed asked.

"You aren't leaving again, are you?" Vaughn jumped in as he narrowed his eyes at Haiiden. He normally didn't show anger, but from the looks of it, it seemed as though Haiiden was abandoning them again. The thought frustrated Vaughn further as he had recently explained why Cecilia was mad at him the first time he had left Beacon. After hearing the question, Haiiden staggered back against the wall of the hallway, and was genuinely stunned that this was the impression he was giving off.

"No! No, I just- I have some things to deal with is all," Haiiden said with a smile as he tried to reassure them that he wasn't going to leave them again. The smile on his face wavered as he looked to the twins, and it was apparent that they didn't believe him. Despite always appearing to be strong, with her head held high Cecilia instead lowered it in defeat. It was the same look she had when Vaughn was telling Haiiden about their upbringing.

"Are you sure, sir? You haven't seemed well ever since we came back. As if something has been bothering you," Vaughn continued, this time his face having the same look of defeat as his sister's. Haiiden then remembered that Ozpin also noticed how he had been acting ever since they returned. If he noticed, then they surely did. Zed stepped forward and stopped at Haiiden's side, placing a hand on his shoulder and gripped it tightly.

"I made a promise that I wouldn't leave again," Haiiden's reply made Cecilia's head shoot up, her look of defeat was instead replaced with a look of surprise and seemed to be filled with hope. "We are a team now, and we will be for the next four years, if not longer. I swear upon my mother's grave and my father's memory." He reached in between the folds of the armor on his gauntlet and pulled out an old photograph and offered it to Cecilia. "This is the only photograph of my mother that I keep with me. I would never abandon it, just as I would never abandon the three of you. You may keep it safe for me until I return."

Cecilia's eyes shot open as she heard Haiiden's promise, and the invocation of the memories of his parents. She remembered how her adopted father made her a similar promise before, when he first took her and Vaughn in. She took the photograph with great care and looked up into Haiiden's eyes with a smile on her face, then nodded. Haiiden looked back and smiled in response to Cecilia's reassurance, before turning to walk away. Zed and Vaughn both stepped to Cecilia, to see if she was truly alright, and that was when Vaughn knew everything was fine. He saw that Cecilia held the same happy smile that she wore when Colonel Sceryei first adopted them. She looked at the photograph for a long moment before heading for the team's dorm.

"I am fine, I promise," she said with as much sincerity that she could muster as she placed the photograph in an ornate wooden box her father had kept his keepsakes in, then turned to face Vaughn and Zed, still in the doorway. Her face was plastered with a sincere smile, which then infected Vaughn as he and Zed looked at each other before they moved to join her in the dorm. Just as Zed was about to enter the room, his head snapped to his right as he noticed a flash of black down the corridor.

"I'll be right back." He said as he ran toward whatever it was he had spotted. Inside the room, the twins looked back to each other and shrugged, thinking that it was another girl that he wanted to try and flirt with. Zed raced down the corridor with his fists tightened and was breathing heavily out of anger. He noticed that the corridor was strangely empty, especially during this time of the day, when students should be heading back to their dorms. His eyes turned orange and his nostrils flared as he continued to run. He then spotted the same black flash turn the corner, and he began to run faster. Just as he then turned the corner, something grabbed him and pinned him to the wall. His mind was spinning and his back ached after being thrown against it with such force. Then he felt something against his throat and looked down to notice his target had braced her arm against it, forcing him against the wall and leaving him gasping for air.

"Did Adam send you?" he heard the familiar voice demand, but Zed couldn't help but notice the ominous glow of her yellow eyes and the barrel of her pistol pressed against his head.

"Woah, calm down!" Zed responded.

"Did Adam send you?" Blake repeated as she pressed the barrel of her pistol a little harder against his skull proximate to his frontal lobe, and pulled back the hammer, cocking the pistol.

"Why would Adam send me, Blake? How do I know he didn't send you to kill me?" Zed asked, his eyebrow raised as he thought of the idea. However, she gave an equally perplexed look in return, which only added to Zed's confusion.

"Tell me, Zed or I swear, with the pull of this trigger; I will kill you right here and now," she swallowed as she made the threat, shifting in position and squeezed the trigger a little more. Zed calmed down a little as he noticed her hesitation and his expression was replaced with one of frustration.

"And with the flick of my wrist, I can gut you right here," he replied. At first, Blake was confused at his seemingly empty threat. Only when she felt a sharp pressure in her stomach did she look down to see that Zed had pressed his karambit against her belly. Her eyes widened when she realized that he had his weapon out as well, and winced in pain as he continued to apply pressure on the knife which began to cause her discomfort through her shirt.

"Why are you here?" She thought and began to grit her teeth at him. However, to her surprise, he pulled the knife away and raised both hands in the air. They had both been locked in a draw, whoever attacked first would win, and to see him back down left her stunned.

"I am not going to hurt you, Blake," he told her calmly as he slowly sheathed the knife behind him and raised his hands again. Blake swallowed nervously, letting off the pressure against the trigger of her pistol as she thought to herself. "I could have gutted you here and you would also have shot me. I would like to avoid that, if possible; I've grown rather fond of my life, mate."

"How can I trust you?" she replied suddenly as she reapplied the pressure onto the trigger. Zed was silent for a moment, choosing what to say next very carefully, as the wrong answer could get him killed.

"I don't expect you to trust me immediately, but let's talk about this; hear me out," he said as he stared down at her while still keeping his hands up. The fact that he had put his knife away should have been enough to show he wasn't a threat, or at least so he thought. "There is a nice tea shop in Little Menagerie. My treat."

She was surprised to see a smile appear on his face, despite the fact that she held a gun to his head. As she scanned his features, she realized that his smile was genuine, as she was able to distinguish whether or not it was real, especially given how well she knew him.

"Remember, you have the gun, so you're in control," he assured her and this was enough to make herself un-cock the pistol, then lower it. She looked away for a moment as she thought to herself. She cursed herself that she would allow this, but it was far better than killing him and having the school expel her, and the authorities come after her. He lowered his arms slowly and Blake stepped away while she holstered her weapon in one smooth motion. Zed sighed in relief and looked up with a smile before he waved for her to follow.

As they made their way outside of Beacon Academy, Zed's smile had disappeared as he thought how to explain himself to Blake. Then the thought of why she was here came to mind. Was she scouting for recruits? Was she actually sent there to kill him? If the latter was the case, then he'd probably be dead already, but the question of why she was here still lingered in his mind. He led to her to a nice outdoor café in Vale's Little Menagerie, a Faunus district in southern part of the city, and he pulled out a chair for her to sit upon. As she sat down, she shook her head and pulled herself in towards the table. She sighed quietly to herself, still wondering if it was a good idea to do this. Somehow, it made her feel that she was no longer in control, but that he was, and she was concerned that she was falling into a trap.

"So, let's talk," she said coldly, but was interrupted he stuck a finger in the air, signaling for her to wait. A young waitress, a koala-Faunus, a type usually only found in Vacuo or Menagerie, approached to take their order, and Zed ordered a black tea with a finger of Cognac, pulling out his fake Ident Card. Blake politely waved to the waitress, telling her that she was fine, and the waitress bowed before she left them to be alone. After a few minutes of silence, she returned with Zed's order and he took it slowly. Feeling the warmth in his hands and lifted it into his nose, smelling the tea and Cognac.

"How are you, Blake?" he asked softly; the question was genuine as he looked up to make eye contact with her. This took Blake by surprise, and she stammered as she tried to come up with a response.

"I- I am well, I guess," she replied, and Zed nodded as he acknowledged the answer. Zed realized it was a dumb question, since he also felt a bit awkward in asking it. "What are you doing here?" Blake asked.

"What do you mean?" Zed responded as he took a sip of his tea, tasting tartness from the tea, then a wave of sweetness passing over his tongue as the aftertaste kicked in, a result of the Cognac.

"I mean, what are you doing at Beacon?" she asked again, and Zed looked up at her, expecting to see whether she had a disamused expression on her face, but when he looked up, he saw genuine curiosity in her eyes.

"Why else would I be at Beacon? I am being trained to become a Huntsman," he responded and took another sip of his tea. Once he'd answered, he noticed a look of annoyance that had come across her face. She rolled her eyes and let out a sigh of exasperation.

"Okay, then-?" She continued.

"I have been attending for a couple of years now," he interrupted, answering her question before she got the chance to ask. The sudden response made her freeze mid-sentence, and the look of annoyance was replaced with one of confusion.

"A couple of years?" she asked in disbelief, looking down for a moment, as she didn't know how to process this information. "But I thought you were still with the White Fang. With Adam."

Zed sputtered as he tried to contain himself but then couldn't help but burst into laughter at the sheer irony of her questions. Also, the effect of the alcohol kicked in, sending a mild warmth through his body, all the way down to his toes. Blake was left puzzled, as well as uncomfortable, at his sudden laughter.

"You do realize I'd be justified in asking you those very same questions?" Zed asked her as he began to calm down, letting out a little giggle every now and then as the whole situation was still funny to him. She sat frozen for a bit, but with a passive look, so as not to show any emotion that would hint Zed as to what she was thinking.

"Ok. Let's start with you telling me how you got here, then," she replied.

"Nope," Zed quickly responded and set the cup back down on its saucer then leaned on the table. His arms crossed on the table as he stared at Blake curiously. "I already answered your questions. So it's my turn to ask: Why did you leave the White Fang?"

Blake sighed and looked down at her hands as she quietly thought to herself. She remembered the last mission she had with Adam, and how he was willing to blow up a train filled with innocent workers. How he had changed from someone who rallied the White Fang when they were desperate and in trouble, to someone who murdered without hesitation or remorse.

"Adam was not the person I thought he was, and as he changed, the White Fang changed as well. Too much," she replied quietly.

"I warned you," Zed responded coldly, and with a bit of harshness in his voice. This forced her to look up from her lap with a shocked expression. For a moment, she wondered what he was talking about, then remembered what he had told her years ago.

"I told you what was happening, what kind of missions Adam was putting us on, but you let your damn infatuation get in the way! This could have been avoided if you had spoken to him!" Zed lashed out and began to breathe deeply, not in anger, but rather to keep himself contained as he was on the verge of tears as he remembered his friend, Adam. Or rather, someone he thought had been his friend, someone he thought he knew. Blake noticed his distress and placed a hand on his, but after a long moment he pulled away. She realized as she placed her hand back in her lap that they had both lost someone dear to them, as well as all sense of identity when they left the White Fang; everything that they had been died when they abandoned the movement.

"I'm sorry. I knew you two were close, and it probably hit you hard as well," Zed said with a slight groan and couldn't help but pick up the cup to gulp down the rest of his tea. The Cognac slid down his throat, and he winced in discomfort as it burned slightly. However, the burning was replaced by a searing feeling in his heart as he remembered the one man who had come along and ruined everything.

"It's not just Adam that upsets me, but also how the White Fang has changed. I've begun to suspect that these Dust robberies all around the city led by a man named Roman Torchwick, may be tied to the White Fang," Blake continued. The mention of Roman made Zed look up at her, his eyes widened as they turned orange at the name. He didn't even need to say a word as Blake knew very well that Zed was furious when his eyes were flaming orange as they were now.

"How do you know they are working with Torchwick?" He asked immediately, almost yelling as he asked, which made some bystanders stop and turn their heads.

"Zed," Blake answered with a hush as she noticed that people began to look at them. She leaned forward over the table to try and calm him. "Don't get yourself worked up."

"Where is he?" Zed yelled out as he stood up from his chair, and this time his fox ears popped out. The commotion scared some people away and even the waitress was hiding behind the platter she used to carry the customers' orders. He noticed from the corner of his eye that the waitress was scared, and his eyes turned back to green as he scanned his surroundings. He had attracted too much attention, and swallowed nervously as he looked around.

"Sorry," He said with a nervous smile and a chuckle as he waved to everyone nearby that had stopped to watch the spectacle. Nobody moved for a few moments, then one by one they began to go back about their business. Some looked back to quickly get a second glance at Zed before returning to their food and drinks, or continuing down the sidewalk. He slowly sat back down and reached for his cup, only to discover that it was empty. He motioned for the waitress, and she hesitantly took it before she walked away while looking back at him nervously.

"Zed, do you know Roman?" she asked, a hint of concern in her voice, but she kept it hushed so as not to set him off again.

"He ruined everything!" Zed responded in a hoarse whisper, as he tried to keep from yelling again, and hid his face in his hands. It was not an answer to her question, however, and Blake continued to look at him with a concerned expression. Still, what he had said began to worry her.

"Zed. How do you know Roman?" She asked again, leaning in to the table and her eyes narrowed at him. She felt like she needed to know the answer but seeing his reaction made her realize that perhaps she didn't want to know.

"He was there practically since the beginning of Adam's reign," Zed answered quietly as he pulled his hands away from his face. Tears streaming down his cheeks as he began to recall what happened nearly five years ago. Blake was still confused as to what he meant, but sat frozen in her seat as she waited for Zed to continue.

"After that year, after the White Fang's leadership changed, and they abandoned peaceful protests in favor of arson and attacks, we had a bit of trouble, remember?" Zed continued and Blake sat and nodded in response to let him know that she understood and that he could continue. "We were not well-armed. Heck, most of us were not even bloody fighters, just a lot of stupid gits who were tired of the racism. The first year after Adam took over, everything seemed hopeless, and it seemed inevitable that the White Fang would finally break apart."

"Yeah, I remember. Adam wanted to keep everyone's spirits up by reminding them as to what we were fighting for. Although, he admitted that even he had thought that his new strategy was going to break the movement at times," Blake said with a soft smile, but then remembered that the White Fang strayed far from what they had originally been fighting for.

"It wasn't just Adam's speeches that helped," Zed said, momentarily interrupting Blake's thoughts, and his comment caught her off guard, and she was curious as to what he meant. He gritted his teeth as the thought about Roman invaded his mind and he looked up at her, his eyes orange again. "Roman helped."

Blake's eyes widened when she heard this. She didn't believe Zed at first when he told her that Roman was there nearly from the start of the violence. If it was true, then Adam would have surely told her. Add to that the thought of Adam working with a human, a being he despised on principle, and it just made no sense.

"He would have told me. Wouldn't he?" She looked away as she thought, her eyes darting from side to side as she tried to rationalize his motives for keeping her in the dark.

"We were desperate. Torchwick came to us and offered to help. At first, Adam declined the offer, since Roman was a human and Adam believed that he was going to trick us. But then with the snap of his fingers, Roman's lackeys brought in several crates filled with weapons: military grade hardware, all of it. Rifles, grenades, Claymore directional mines, explosives and detonators, ammunition, body armor, and even a flying drone with an onboard rocket launcher, and a remote terminal to control it! We were surprised at first, some of us hesitant to even touch them for fear that they might be rigged to explode somehow. Then one by one, the soldiers took the weapons and that- that was when Roman had bought the White Fang. Lock, stock, and barrel, no pun intended," Zed continued, and his eyes flashing from green to orange as he began to feel a range of different emotions. Even he tried to figure out what he was feeling, but the confusion only upset him further. Blake held her breath at this revelation; she had remembered how they had received new weapons, and how more of their soldiers were now outfitted, but Adam had told her that they raided a military transport. She did chastise him for doing that, since they couldn't afford to incur the wrath of military intervention, but at least things weren't looking so bleak anymore. However, she never realized that it was because of a crook that they got those weapons. "I swear, it was if Roman planned everything. He came in at the right time and took control. Then he began to whisper in Adam's ear, telling him that the White Fang could be so much more: that they could be a force to be reckoned with, and at the right time, they could reignite the Faunus War, and win this time."

"Zed, why didn't you tell me?" Blake asked, feeling slightly nervous now as she felt, and something inside her didn't want to accept this revelation. She began to hope that Zed really was lying, that he really was an assassin sent by Adam, and that he was just toying with her. It would have been easier that way, and then she would be dead; the nightmare she was living would be over.

"Adam was my friend," Zed responded, finally having calmed down as he too finally accepted the reality of the situation. "He asked me not to tell you, but I did try to hint at his intentions. That's when I tried to ask you to talk to him."

Blake remembered how Zed had asked her to talk to Adam, believing that she was closer to him than he was. At first, she didn't really pay attention, but it did concern her at the time and she remembered how she had finally tried to talk to him. However, whenever she brought up the topic, Adam would change the subject about how he envisioned the Faunus and how they would no longer be pushed around. Whenever she heard these little speeches, she was always reminded why she cared for him, almost even loved him but then he showed a different side of himself, a darker side. She knew she had to run after that, but the thought of leaving him behind, and with it her life in the White Fang, had always haunted her.

"Why didn't you talk to Adam?" Blake asked. Zed shook his head and frowned in response.

"I did. He became angry at me and asked me not to raise the matter again. Why do you think he started to invite you on missions rather than me? You, who he'd tried so hard to protect," Zed replied, opening his palms in front of him as if he was weighing the choices in each hand. As his palm was uplifted, the waitress deposited a fresh cup of tea in it. He smiled and thanked her as she walked quickly away. He raised the cup as a metaphor, then his empty palm. "On one hand," he said, flexing the hand that was empty, "had we refused Roman's help, we would have lost the movement entirely, and nothing would have changed." Then he raised the cup of tea in his palm, as if in a toast. "On the other hand, we accepted it and the movement would be able to continue to fight, but the "real" White Fang would die." He took a sip. "I could have stopped this, and I tried, but failed. I failed the White Fang, just as Adam failed the two of us." He paused for a long beat. "Do you know what he said to me, when I tried to talk him out of the path he was taking? He said that I lacked vision, that I had lost sight of our goals and didn't have the backbone to achieve what Faunus-kind was truly capable of. It broke my heart. He might as well have stabbed me in the chest and twisted the knife. Well, it was all downhill from there. Bloody hell. So in the end, I left."

Blake sat silently as she heard this, feeling ashamed, since she felt that she hadn't done enough to try and stop Adam, but the more she thought about it, the more convinced she became that nothing would have dissuaded him.. Then she grew angry at the fact that a single human had managed to poison what Zed, Blake, Leo, Adam, and so many others had struggled to build. How everyone in the White Fang, young and old, were all filled with determination for the future. How everyone was eager to fight for their rights, but now they were no better than common killers.

"We all failed," Blake concluded.

After a few more minutes, Zed left a huge tip for the waitress and apologized profusely for the way he had scared her. Blake watched from behind at how he was acting, even though the waitress had said it was okay, she began to feel nervous as he kept saying that he was sorry. She thought it was amusing and shook her head after a while, smiling upon seeing that even though he was no longer with the White Fang, Zed still cared for the Faunus and their welfare. On their way back, they exchanged stories of their missions. How Team RWBY's leader, Ruby Rose, had stopped a Dust shop robbery led by Torchwick a few days before the semester began, and had thereby earned a place at Beacon. Meanwhile, Zed told her about how his team managed to take out the White Fang terror cell in Mistral, explaining that he took the mission to find Torchwick, and although it was too late to fix the White Fang. He could at least take Roman out to redeem himself, and that stopping the White Fang was just the icing on the cake. Blake laughed when he told her about how Leo had cowered and pleaded once he had been cornered.

"Oh, so you're actively fight against the White Fang now?" she joked.

"Look who's talking!" Zed retorted with a grin.

"And you said you care about the Faunus." she replied to him.

"Says the girl who hides her cat ears behind a bow," he replied with a smirk, and looked at her out of the corner of his eyes. She smiled a little, but then it disappeared and turned into a frown as quickly it had appeared. He knew why she was frowning; it was the same reason and realization that had haunted him the past few years, the feeling of being lied to and wasting your life on a cause that was no longer your own, for believing in a movement that had abandoned you long before you had abandoned it. After they had made their way back to Beacon, they moving with ease through the dimly lit corridors and past the dorms where everyone was fast asleep, they reached the stairs that Zed had to ascend to get to his dorm, when they both stopped and looked at each other. Zed felt that he had reunited with an old friend, but knew that it wasn't meant to last. There were people who knew who they were, and it could spell big trouble if people saw them together.

"This is where we have to part ways, Anders Ignis," Blake said before Zed could speak. He almost sighed in relief as he realized that Blake had the same thought that he had.

"Yeah. We can't see each other anymore. We can't risk anyone suspecting that we were members of the White Fang." Zed replied in a whisper, and looked from side to side to see if anyone was eavesdropping. She nodded and was about to turn to walk away before Zed stopped her.

"Take care of yourself, Blake," he said with a smile. She looked back and was shocked by the grin on his face. For some reason, it warmed her a little bit, but it did not alleviate what she was already feeling: anger at Roman Torchwick, which she couldn't forgive, and despair at Adam's betrayal. "I was Adam's friend too, mate."

She looked at him with a puzzled expression as she wondered where he was going with this. Yes, she knew that Zed was Adam's friend, but why bring it up now?

"That can work for me or against me, as it can for you: you were special to Adam," Zed continued, the smile on his face faded as he became serious. For a moment, Blake turned and scratched the back of her head, almost blushing when she heard that she was special to Adam. "In the end, it can be your advantage, or your liability."

Blake then realized that he meant it as a warning, the red in her cheeks disappeared as she realized the truth in his words. She took a deep breath before she nodded in acknowledgement, but felt that Zed wasn't done, as he was still just standing there rather than heading for his dorm. He took a deep breath, then sighed. "It was good to see you again, Blake Belladonna. Really."

"Even though I put a gun to your head?" Blake joked and crossed her arms in front of her.

"Especially since you put a bloody gun to my head! That was effing brilliant!" Zed replied with a scoff. This response caught her off guard and she looked at him with a quirked brow. "Because in the end, you put down the gun. If it were anyone else in the White Fang, I know they would have pulled the trigger."

Blake nodded as she acknowledged what he meant, and found this sentiment to be amusing. Zed smiled in response and turned to walk up the stairs to his dorm, both of them thinking that it was good to see a friendly face where otherwise there would have been potential enemies all around them. Their palaver had been tinged with regret, however, because in a way, this reunion was also a farewell.