(A Few Weeks Ago)

"Sooooo then. Cindy. Can I call ya Cindy?"

"I don't mind."

Cinder was sitting idly in her seat, where she was casually drinking from a glass. Roman wasn't too far away, and Neo was even closer. Emerald was off to the side, wondering what exactly was going to happen now. Everything's been very strange so far, given the circumstances. So much was happening at once that she believed that she was dreaming it all up. But no, she was very much awake and experiencing it all.

Roman spun on a heel, before stopping in place and tapping his cane onto the ground. "And what exactly have I done to earn the honor of such a lovely lady gracing my presence?"

Cinder allowed herself a calm sigh as she stared idly at Roman. "As I've said before, I would like your assistance on something. The vastness of your influence will do wonders to help me achieve it."

Roman looked amused at the little proposition, enough to keep hearing her out at the very least. "You would like my assistance? Well gee, no one ever willingly comes to me for help that often. Usually they're forced into it via a debt of some kind. Trying to pay me back for busting them out of a jam, earning me money that they wasted, turning to give the authorities the slip." Roman coughed while tilting his hat. "Sorry, rambling. Point is, there are some gambles that are worth it, and some that aren't. Speaking from purely hypothetical perspective, let's say that I actually agree to lend you a hand...what's in it for me?"

Cinder hummed quietly while keeping her eyes on the criminal. Given said look in her eyes, it seemed like she was prepared for a question like this.

"...I would like to help you strengthen your foundations. Your presence in Vale."

Roman tilted his head. "Alright, I'm lured in, but I'm not taking the hair just yet. Go on."

"I would just like to ask you. You consider yourself a master thief, do you not?"

"Best of the best."

"...Can you prove it?"

Roman huffed. "Hah! Prove, she says! Lady, robbing these folks blind is about as simple as a leisurely stroll. It's all so easy!"

"Precisely my point."

"...Okay you lost me."

"If stealing from the common folk is so easy, then how can you call yourself a master?" Cinder tilted her head. "No one calls themselves a master by repeatedly succeeding in the easier difficulties. It's good for setting a solid foundation and making sure your basics are in order, but it does not strengthen it quite enough."

Roman looked at Neo, who simply shrugged. He looked back towards Cinder, setting his cane to the side and clasping his hands. "I can sense that you're approaching a point, Cindy. Mind skipping to that part?"

Cinder smiled. "It's very simple, Roman. Sure, it's rather simple and fun sometimes to steal from the incident...but that's just it. If you're only going to do this from those tis easy to do so, then you won't be able to advance. You'll be stuck in the same place without having grown. And if you stay at the stage you're currently residing now... you'll be crushed by what's coming. You won't live through it."

Roman tilted his head. "You're saying I won't survive this 'oh so foreboding' event you're hinting at?"

"You'll probably survive it. But your chances of thriving are going to be nearly non-existent. That is, if you don't take the opportunity to strengthen your bases, like I said." Cinder blinked slowly. "Think about it, Roman. Wouldn't you want to prove yourself a true master thief? Not just a common one who's just skillful at stealing from civilians? Don't you think your name should hear a bit more weight than that?"

"How do you figure? And could you speed it up a little?" Roman tapped his imaginary watch on his wrist. "Time is money. And if I'm wasting time-"

"Then you're wasting money."

"Glad to see we both understand that. Now then...?"

Cinder leaned forward with a smile. "I'll break it down right here, then. Stealing from innocent people can be fun, but also stagnating. But if you steal from other criminals? Beating them at their own game? Then you call yourself a master thief."

Cinder knew she caught his attention, given the brief spark in his eye. But she also knew it wasn't quite enough to bring him in completely. He was very cautious like that, she heard.

"I get what you're putting out. Ya want me to up the difficulty a bit. Greater the risk, the greater the reward. Just like gambling." Roman clasped his hands again. "But tell me this, Cindy. Why is this a bet that I should take? Because some are just not worth the risk." Roman narrowed his eyes. "And what do you get out of it?"

Cinder quietly clinked her glass again, staring through a bit of the clear surface. "You build yourself an even stronger reputation, one you can back up with merits and feats. Building yourself up means you're capable of handling greater challenges that might head your way. That you're never caught entirely helpless when things don't go your way." She sets the glass down and stares at Roman once again. "Are you not tired of living in fear?"

Roman scoffed again, nearly waving her off. "Pfft, fear? Cindy, as you've correctly deduced, I'm one of Vale's greatest thieves. What could I have to be afraid of?"

"Hm. Then tell me. What is your perspective of the world?" Cinder asked quietly. "I've heard quite a bit about it. Would you mind telling me?"

"...Tch, you really wanna know?" Roman raised an eyebrow. "Sweetheart, we live in a pretty rundown world, alright? Where the Grimm are everywhere and the people aren't much better. And when the odds are stacked against you to such a degree...welp, you've no choice but to get by in it however you can." Roman leaned back while kicking his feet up. "And that's how I've managed to get this far ahead in life. Lie. Cheat. Steal-"

"-and survive." Cinder briefly finished. "You're quite used to these things, aren't you? Because so far, they've worked pretty well for you."

"Precisely.~"

Cinder lowered her eyes. "...How long do you think that will last?"

Roman tilted his hat up with an accusing eyebrow. "Eh?"

"Roman. You have a very pragmatic, survivalist mindset and instinct. And that's managed to bring you this far. But there will come a time when those methods will begin to fail." Cinder slowly stands up, and Neo briefly stood with her parasol in roll. Emerald briefly reached for her weapons, but Cinder held her hand up to relax her. "It's not that those skills aren't valuable when need be. But if you begin to depend too shaving upon them...it's going to result in your downfall?"

Roman also stood up, holding his cane and tapping it to the ground. "How do you figure?"

Cinder slowly came around the table and stalked towards him. "I've seen that dark side of the world, Roman. And it grows more dangerous by the day. So dangerous in fact, that it's bound to expand towards other pets of Remnant. This does include the Grimm, but the worries do not end there." She eventually stopped a little bit in front of Roman, staring at him. "You have a very strong will to survive, Roman...but willpower is not enough. Survival in of itself...is not enough." She briefly pointed to his chest. "There are people who will not be stumped by cheating, they will see through your lies, and attempting to steal from them without the capability to get away with it proves fruitless."

Roman looked into Cinder's eyes, and behind them lies a fiery inferno. Though not one out of anger. Something about it was calmer than that. Yet at the same time, very stern.

"What are you going to do when your luck and pragmatism begin to fail you? Begin to cost more than you're willing to spend?" Cinder softly questioned, her scarf briefly glowing. "How far will you take this survivalist mindset? If you came across an extremely dangerous situation where the easiest and most certain method of ensuring your survival is sacrificing Neo, for instance-" The short woman looked absolutely shocked at the question, though Cinder paid her no mind for the time being. "-would you not hesitate to do so?"

"...What does that have to do with all of this?"

"That is not an answer, Roman."

"I don't see why I should answer, for it's a dumb question. That kind of scenario would never happen, both of us are too smart for that."

"Making such assumptions without a proper base to build them off of, will get you killed."

The fire ignited in her eyes, and Roman briefly stood back as a response. Neo was already beginning to grab the end of her parasol.

"...I will say it once more. Your tenacity to simply survive, is not enough. Because at some point, for the sake of your so called 'survival', you will be forced to give something up. Something that you will not be willing to give up. Something you cannot afford to lose. But in the end, you will still lose that precious something, because you were too weak to hold onto it. You focused too much on surviving the odds rather than building yourself up so you can OVERCOME them!"

There was a subdued silence in the room as Cinder slowly stepped back, then took a breath to calm herself down.

"What I am trying to say is, your will to survive is not enough. Your ambition has become lackluster, and at some point it's going to cost you far more dearly than taking a risk." Cinder briefly pushed some of her hair away from her face. "...Do not see yourself worth more than being a mere survivor?"

Emerald in particular seemed to shrink a little bit at the question.

Roman took a brief pause there. This meeting has gone an entirely different direction than he was expecting. He was still waiting for the other shoe to drop, for there to be some catch to it all. But so far, this fiery woman seemed to currently be wearing her heart on her sleeve.

That made him nervous. Honesty was so much harder to predict than lying.

"...There's something I gotta ask. Why do you care so much?" Roman suspiciously leaned forward. "Why's it gotta be me, huh? Does it really matter that much to you?"

"You're amongst the ones with the deepest knowledge of Vale's criminal underworld. And I need help to navigate through that if I'm to achieve my objectives. You're the best person I can turn to in order to make that happen." Cinder nodded. "I'll help you strengthen your control over it. I have plans that I can't complete without you in that kind of position, Roman."

"...Okay. Say that I'm somewhat interested. What do you get out of it?" What do you gain outta helping me?" There's always a catch. There's no way this was being done and laid on the table from the goodness of her heart. She had something to gain from it all.

"You become my ally."

"...Come again?"

Cinder slowly turned and began pacing the room. "I understand your confusion. It isn't without reason." Cinder shook her head. "I know what you're instincts are telling you right now. Let me assure you, this is not a ploy. You are not a tool, nor a pawn. I need allies, comrades. A fellowship."

Cinder lowered her eyes.

"Friends."

Roman blinked owlishly. He then turned to Neo, who looked just as confused.

"I understand that even now, you don't necessarily trust me. That's quite alright, for someone like you isn't exactly the most trusting of people for many reasons. I'd rather my actions do the heavy lifting in earning that. So I won't even ask you to trust me right now. Simply cooperate with me, and you'll see for yourself just what we can do together."

There was a brief pause in the air once more. Allowing himself to process what Cinder was offering, and the sincerity she was putting into her words. There was no signs of deceit that he could detect. Not only that, she seemed fully confident in her ability to help him achieve what she was offering him. And yet, all she's asking for in return...is his friendship? Sure, having someone in that position on hand might help her somehow, but she seemed content on reaching that point in particular. And all of the things she said beforehand about choosing living over surviving...

He just couldn't get a read on her.

"...In this world, it is not the strongest that survive. Nor the fastest, or most intelligent. The ones who truly thrive in this world are the ones who can most adapt to change. And a passionate ambition can help people overcome the impossible. Those with great ambition will be the ones who prevail over the odds, and truly thrive." Cinder espouses softly. "Which is why I would like to ask. Do you wish to merely survive? Or do you wish to thrive?"

Cinder could tell that she had Roman's attention, and she seemed to have succeeded in keeping it. He briefly gestured for Neo to come closer, as he briefly confiding with her. She waited patiently as she seated herself next to Emerald for the time being. Soon enough, Roman turned around to meet he regain, briefly sliding his hat.

"Still having a hard time believing that you're seemingly doing this for the sake of it. Though I suppose you and I do benefit from this potential partnership. Don't know if it'll be worth it." Roman twirled his cane, balancing it on his shoulder with a smile. "Although I do like the idea of hearing my fellow crooks at their own game. Really emphasize who's the best around here...and I get to rub it in their faces!"

"Precisely." Cinder smiled. "So, do we have an agreement. I simply ask for your cooperation. You don't have to trust me...though I would value that very much."

"Alright, Cindy. I'll entertain this little bargain of yours and see how it goes!" Roman smiled, and Neo twirled her parasol with a step, signifying her own agreement. "Well then, do you have any sort of plan in the works for this little operation of yours?"

"I have a few in mind. But that depends on you helping me navigate through Vale's criminal underworld. I won't be able to do what I need to without you." Cinder nodded. "If you would like, we can lay most of it out right now, so that you don't feel terribly unguided."

"Is that right?" Roman tilted his hat downwards. "Alright then, let's hear it."

Cinder nodded. "Of course. But first, a moment." She briefly stood up and turned to Emerald, who joined and looked side to side in surprise. She briefly rakes her hand and the both of them stepped outside for a moment. "Something wrong, Emerald?"

"I just don't know about this." Emerald muttered. "I'm grateful for you helping me. And I don't wanna leave, cause I don't have anywhere to go. But...placing a bet with a guy like Roman Torchwick? Doesn't that sound a bit risky to you?"

"If people never took risks, they would never be able to accomplish anything." Cinder briefly looked to the side. "It's fine, Emerald. I assure you that we will prevail. A great ambition will be what allows us to succeed in our endeavors. That's how it's been for many people who strive for something. Don't you strive for a better life than you have now? And do you trust the community that tossed you aside to give it to you?" Cinder watched as Emerald's expression remained uneasy, but she could tell that she managed to convince her. And that would motivate her to do her best, however she could.

"O-Okay. If you say so..."

Cinder nodded. "...Emerald. Do you know why else people seek strength and power?"

"Huh?"

"We seek strength and power, because it allows us control. They come in many different aspects, and people tend to want more. Or maybe not too much...but just enough." Cinder folded her arms and turned to the side. "It gives you the ability to control events. People don't want to lose control over their own lives, hence why they always seek power. They want better for themselves. Whether they need it to gain something, or to keep from losing something. It can be as simple as gaining more food, territory, or comrades. Or something heavier, having power so that you don't lose your life."

"O-Oh..." Emerald lightly rubbed her arm. "So...how do you feel about it...?"

"It's not too hard to understand. I walk a very dangerous path. One that could get me killed at anytime. Regardless, that's the path I chose, and I won't back down from that choice."

You'll be free.

Cinder closed her eyes.

"If we happen to die before we achieve what gives our lives true fulfillment...then that simply means that was as far as we were fated to go. Until then, we seek power in order to maintain control over our own fates, and steer it in the direction that we desire. That desire, is what gives birth to dreams and ambitions."

Emerald blinked. She felt so out of her element right now, not knowing what to say to all of-

There was a loud grumbling sounding out.

Cinder smiled while Emerald could only blush brightly while turning away completely. "I think it's best if we get something to eat after finishing this meeting. Afterwards, we can begin more preparations. As well as establishing a proper base."

"A base?"

"One to meet up in and regroup, gather. Surely we can do better than a simple warehouse." Cinder then walked back inside, with Emerald gingerly following her, most of her words being buried in her mind like planted seeds.

Control over her fate? Could she really do that?

And even if she could...where would she want to take it?

(Present)

"EHHHHHHHHHHHH?!" Ruby's eyes briefly went wide and white as dinner plates as she looked at her Scroll. It was showing their current rank after their last mission. And it was...

"Junior Huntresses Rank S?! Already?! The hell?!" Yang gawked, just as surprised, blinking rapidly as she couldn't believe what she was seeing.

"It appears that a combination of the sheer threat that the Circle was facing which we helped defend them from, combined with having fought off a dangerous one like the White Fang, seems to have played a role in our bolstering of rank." Blake looked at her own Scroll that was derailing their results, including recounts of the people they saved and protected, including Lily. "It appears they had food things to say about us. Quite a lot of good things."

"Which lead to us being shot straight to Junior S rank..." Weiss muttered while looking at her Scroll in shock. "This is what they judged for us. That's...I understand that we managed to stand our ground against a great threat, and they found that impressive. But I still have a bit of a hard time believing it..."

"Hm. Ya know what, yeah! We've been doing pretty well for ourselves so far. We gotta do great enough that they finally get the whole novice thing off our backs." Yang rolled her neck and slammed her fists together. "Not to mention we'll have a lot more freedom to explore and stuff! There's gonna be even more to see out there and I'm stoked to see it!"

"And a higher rank means even more privileges." Weiss briefly flipped her hair. "Higher rank, higher authority, higher wages."

"I don't think you of all people need to worry about the last part." Blake silently noted while looking into her book.

"This isn't about that! I don't want to rely too heavily on my family's money when it comes to Huntress duties. Doing so threatens to take away the merit of my own accomplishments, as I wouldn't be able to truly call them my own." Weiss shook her head. "Image can be just as important as humility. How people see you will affect how they react to you. And I would rather not be disparaged on the possibilities of my merits not being my own, because I relied on my family's riches." Her eyes sharpened. "No. I strive to rise through the ranks on my own terms, through my own blood and sweat."

"Nn."

"...All that being said, we'd best still take care not to get into a situation we can't get ourselves out of. We shouldn't be that reckless." Weiss reasoned after clearing her throat. "We all understand that, right...Ruby? Yang?"

"Yup!"

"Why ya glarin' at us for?"

"Because I know how you two are."

"Like you're any different!"

"I AM different! I actually think before I act!"

"Yeah, ya think about actin' as reckless as us when the situation requires it!"

"Preposterous!"

Ruby and Blake looked on casually as both ladies of fire and ice got into another spat, the air around them turning into an increasing mix of hot and cold. Their only reaction was to simultaneously shiver and try to fan themselves from the contradicting temperatures.

"It's hoooot..." Ruby whimpered while fanning herself with her hand.

"Nn. It's cold." Blake uttered blankly.

"Do we tell them to chill out? Or heat up? Or, uh...I dunno what to do!"

"They'll tire each other out eventually, Ruby. We simply have to be patient and let them burn out their energy."

"I mean, they look like they can go on for a while. Are you sure that's, well, right."

Blake shrugged. "Well, either Yang melts Weiss or Weiss puts Yang out. Either way, any way, the noise will stop and maybe the temperature will balance out again."

"That's not exactly an ideal solution..."

Blake's ears flicked slightly, as she could hear someone approaching them. She gently lifted her head while opening her eyes. She briefly sniffed, then sighed as she noticed the scent, one she'd rather not be around at the moment.

"Ruby, incoming."

Ruby blinked as she turned towards the person approaching them. And it was something she somewhat expected at some point.

Cardin.

"Rose."

"That's my surname, don't wear it out?" Ruby blinked while scratching her cheek curiously. "Did you want something from me?"

"Yeah. I think a little bit of correcting is in order." Cardin narrowed his eyes. "Looks like you're managing to climb the ranks quite quickly. Seems that the others consider you a lot more capable than expected."

Ruby tilted her head. "I guess?"

"It seems unlikely that we would expect much from you, and yet, you're advancing quite quickly. That's pretty impressive of you."

Yang slowly turned their way, holding off on her arguing with Weiss to keep an eye on the conversation. Weiss seemed to agree with her, adhering to the silent stalemate as they both watched the scene unfold.

"Here for a little while, less than most of us. And yet here you are, already a Junior Rank S because of your accomplishments." Cardin folded his arms. "Quite frankly, I don't see what the big deal about you is. I'm not impressed."

His friends were sitting behind him, slightly wary about how front forward he was with his disapproval of Ruby. Weiss in particular, on the other side, was beginning to attain a truly icy glare towards the young man for his silent insults. All the while Ruby himself listened intently, with nothing but curiosity about where this was going.

"If that all seemed a bit hard to understand, lemme clear it up: Don't start letting these things get to your head. The last thing we need is a Huntress who collapses under the weight of her job simply because she got a swelled head about her successes. Such as when they fail, they'll crash and burn hard. Thus revealing that they've been useless all along. Weak." Cardin leaned closer to Ruby with narrowed eyes. "You're happy-go-lucky smile annoys the hell outta me, like you're not taking all this seriously. And if that's the case, I don't think you're cut out for this in the long haul, Shrimpy Red. How do I know for sure that the moment things go wrong for you, you won't just drop everything and run home crying to mommy?"

"Hey." Yang quietly got to her feet, her eyes flashing blood crimson. Though she immediately stopped in place once Ruby raised up her hand to stop her, without turning her way.

"You don't think that I'm in this for real?" Ruby questioned, lowering her hand and looking back at Cardin. "Why do you think that? I mean, I feel like I'm taking this pretty seriously, if I were to ask myself about it."

"Don't listen to his mindless blathering, Ruby." Weiss uttered as she slowly stalked up to Cardin. "This brute is only uttering these scathing words because he's ranked lower than we are now."

"What?"

"I don't believe I stuttered." Weiss glared as she stepped past Ruby. She might have been humble enough to just hear his taunts and shrug them off, but Weiss certainly isn't. "We haven't been a complete team for as long as you have, yet we've been achieving acceptable results in the process. Meanwhile, what have you done during that time aside from the smallest tasks that anyone can do?"

"She's goin' off." Yang quietly mumbled to Blake, who nodded quietly.

"I've seen Ruby's resolve firsthand, and it is completely real. Whether you believe that or not is your issue, not hers. She has nothing to prove to a slacker like you?"

Cardin clenched his fists. "You're pushing your luck, Schnee."

"Luck has nothing to do with it. It's simple understanding. We are excelling because we have worked hard for it. We have talents, and we put in the effort to take them to the next level, every single time. Meanwhile all you're satisfied with doing is settling for the bare essentials. Enough to get by, and it might be enough to make you happy. I won't demean you for that." Weiss narrowed her eyes. "But what I cannot stand...is someone who tries to diminish the accomplishments people worked hard on simply because they couldn't do it themselves. They don't have the courage to rise up, so they try to bring people down. That's you, Winchester. And I know, because I've had to grow up with the hateful whispers of those who envied my grandfather's accomplishments yet never tried to better themselves to try and match them."

Oh. That was it. That's what's got her worked up.

Cardin just woke up a personal issue.

"I truly cannot stand people like you, who don't have the self-confidence and ambition to improve themselves when they have the resources and support to do so, yet instead choose to bring and drag others down. I've had to grow up with people like that surrounding my family like preying vultures, so I know how to spot them when I see them." Weiss glared. "Let's make this clear, Cardin Winchester. Ruby has nothing to prove to you. You are not worth the effort, and you're certainly not worth her time."

"Look, Schnee. This has nothing to-" Cardin pointed, only for Weiss to immediately smack his hand out of her face with a truly icy glare.

"Don't point your filthy digits at me, cur."

Blake and Yang blinked in brief astonishment, while Cardin's group looked somewhat surprised at Weiss's sheer audacity. Well, Dove and Russel were mostly a bit peeved at her blatant rejection of them. Sky looked a bit, just a bit, spellbound. For someone who had a bit of an cold demeanor, Weiss could get heated pretty quickly.

Ruby gently placed a hand on Weiss's shoulder.

"It's fine, Weiss."

"It is not, Ruby! You might be too kind to reprimand this reprobate for his demeaning taunts, but I am most certainly not!"

"Thanks for sticking up for me." Ruby calmly insisted, with a gentler voice. Weiss looked at her with a bit of uncertainty, though she eventually relented with a huff, standing back and folding her arms with a scoff. She then looked up to Cardin with a sigh. "It doesn't look like you're willing to let go of this quietly. What's the quickest way we can just push past this and leave it behind us?"

Cardin was still glaring at Weiss, though his attention was taken up by Ruby again, which cause no shortened sense of anger since she's the reason the Schnee badmouthed him in front of his friends. He couldn't allow that to stand. "You wanna put an end to this quick and simple. Fine. Are you up for a fight against me?"

"A fight? That's all it'll take?" Ruby tilted her head curiously. "You sure?"

"Definitely. Let me see what you're made of, firsthand." He waved off the others. "Without the help of your precious posse having to stick up for you."

"Okay!" Ruby flashed a thumbs up.

"Ruby, don't indulge this brute!" Weiss denied with harsher insistence.

"It'll be fine, Weiss." Ruby smiled at her. She turned back to Cardin with a nod. "Lead the way."

Soon enough, they were gathered at the expanded training area. Ruby's team was supportively on her side, and were soon joined by their friends. Nora yawned tiredly, pancake syrup still leftover on her cheeks.

"Hwaaah. What's all the ruckus about...?"

"Cardin challenged Ruby for a soar." Weiss grumbled with folded arms. "He doesn't believe in her abilities or her resolve. Which is utter nonsense. But Ruby is willing to accept his challenge, if only to ensure that he cannot doubt her so blindly." Weiss clicked her tongue. "I still believe she is wasting her time."

"Yeah, but Cardin's a tough nut to crack." Jaune sighed while scratching the back of his neck. "The guy's sometimes too bullheaded for his own good. Nothing less than this will get him to back down reasonably."

"Hopefully this doesn't get too out of hand." Pyrrha wondered while lightly rubbing her chin.

"It most likely will. We ought to have a bit of faith." Ren folded his arms.

"Yeah, we just gotta believe that it'll turn out alright. This is a nice and casual sparring match, and we're here to offer my sister some good and refined support." Yang beamed with a sunny smile, before she immediately turned her head towards the arena with pumped fists and fiery eyes. "Kick his ass, Ruby! KICK HIS ASS!"

"I don't see what was refined about that." Blake deadpans.

"Kay Kay!" Ruby turned to her sister with a flashy thumbs up. She again turned to Cardin while tilting her head. "Are you sure this is the only way to settle this?"

"Why are you asking that now? Scared?"

"I've fought far scarier things than you already, so that can't be it." Ruby answered innocently while itching her head and scratching the top with a finger. That wasn't even a taunt, Ruby was simply being honest.

Of course, Cardin doesn't really see it that way, hence him having a few veins pulsing from his head at the perceived insult. That carefree nature is something he seriously couldn't stand about her. There's no way someone like her is cut out to be a Huntress, she'd only be holding everyone back.

He'd show her.

There was a bit of a glow surrounding his mace, Executioner, and within the First Dust Crystal, flames ignited. With a yell, he slammed his mace down on the ground, fiery shockwaves heading towards Ruby in droves. Seeing the wave coming towards her, Ruby immediately jumped upwards, rose petals surrounding her.

Landing on the ground, she looked up and noticed Cardin charging towards her and slamming Executioner down again, another fiery shockwave attempting to burn her. She immediately jumped up and slammed her knee into his face, causing him to skid backwards a few feet from the force.

What in the...how can she hit so hard!?

Ruby landed on her feet, her cloak briefly flowing with rose petals surrounding her. She kept her attention on Cardin, focused as he attempted to right himself after being briefly disoriented by the blow. He shook his head and flared towards her, his Aura further disarming the Fire Dust Crystal in Executioner. He held it with both hands, as something channeling around it, and formed a large spiked ball of fire. Seeing how his Aura was reacting to the Fire Dust Crystal and giving it quite a hefty boost, Ruby could guess that this was Cardin's ability. Fitting for someone in favor of heavy and unrelenting offense. However...

"Got you NOW!" Cardin roared as he leapt up once more, clamming the fiery mace onto the ground harder than before and with greater force, the fiery explosion from the manifested spiked ball rising high into the air and expanding outwards in several directions.

He briefly smirked as he lifted his mace back up and across his shoulder, not sensing Ruby's Aura after the blow. Must have completely knocked her out with the attack, of course. Someone like her couldn't have possibly been able to take such an attack.

So, why did he feel this sense of foreboding?

A single rose petal briefly flee across his face, and that was the only warning he got.

He swiftly turned around, only to see the blade of something make it's way down towards him with a powerful swing. It didn't take much. He suddenly felt his own weight buckle from underneath him, a brutal slamming stop his shoulder that would have cracked the ground underneath him. He coughed as well the wind was knocked out of him in that moment. He fell to his knees, coughing as he dropped Executioner y his side, wondering what the hell happened.

Ruby happened, after having donned Crescent Rose in war scythe mode. Except, she didn't attack him with the blade itself. Like with any naginata, the amazing simplicity with such a weapon is that at the end of the day, it was a staff with a blade at the end. What she basically did was simply strike him down with the bluntness of her weapon.

And yet he's baffled that that was enough to bring him to his knees, out of breath.

"How...? I didn't sense your Aura...I thought you were..."

"Aura Concealment." Ruby answered. "It's a bit of a new one that I learned from the Circle. Though Blake's a lot better than the rest of us at it." Ruby gently shrugged. "I simply took advantage of the smoke and fire you made with that explosion to hide myself."

"Is that right..." Cardin grunted, tsking as he looked away from her.

"Are you good, now? Did you see?" Ruby asked while lightly pushing her hood back. "I don't know what exactly you're reading from me, but I didn't become a Huntress just to have fun. I'm taking a lot of things I do as a Huntress very seriously. Not to mention, I'm setting my sights on becoming a Grand Huntress. That's not something I can every hope to accomplish if I laze around and not always give it my all. So lemme just assure you, I'm VERY serious about my job. And I don't intend on giving up any time soon."

"Hmph." Weiss folded her arms with a nod.

"Nn." Blake smiled supportively.

"Not a chance." Yang beamed with a pumped fist of agreement.

Ruby moved closer to Cardin, with her cloak briefly covering her body. "I'd help you up, but you probably won't appreciate that very much, huh?" Cardin simply grunted, pulling himself back to his feet while dusting himself off. Partial mistake. The vicious blow landed across his shoulder nearly made him collapse outright all over again. "I wouldn't strain yourself too much. You might worsen your injuries before proper healing starts."

"Tch. You've already won the match. I've seen for myself that you can pull your weight at least a little bit." Cardin grunted while further turning away. "I still haven't accepted you, but I'm not going to raise a ruckus over it anymore. There'd be no point to it after this,.after it's been made very clear how we stack up."

It wasn't that Cardin was weak. Far from that, actually. It was just that fighting against Ruby, who's had years of training against her sister who's her superior in physical strength, one could guess that she could figure her way around that in some ways eventually. Though despite that, Cardin couldn't really get past the fact that the girl was barely trying. If she had been from the start, she would have immediately pulled out her scythe.

Also the fact that her being physically weaker than Yang didn't mean that she had no physical strength at all. It was just enough that she could turn the ride however she wanted. All in all, Cardin couldn't do much of anything, and something about that just settled so badly in him. Yet try as he might, he couldn't really blame anyone for but himself.

"Why do you even have a problem with me?" Ruby wondered with a tilted head.

Cardin just clenched his fist while looking away. "Didn't think a little girl like you was going to be worth much aside from getting in our way. And yet despite that, you're already up to Junior Huntress Class S. You and Arc."

"Hm?" Ruby briefly turned towards the young man in question, who sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck with a smile. No denial was coming.

"It was bad enough that Arc has completely outpaced me at this point, but you? Some girl from who knows where? How am I supposed to just sit here and accept that?" Cardin shook his head. "It just doesn't sit right with me. I couldn't just quietly accept it. I had to say something, do something. And yet..."

"What you chose wasn't exactly the best, was it?" Ruby sighed. "Cardin, can I ask you something? Huntress to Huntsman?"

"Whatever." Cardin grumbled, only halfway listening.

"You've been here longer than me. And ever since I've gotten here, I've been involved in quite a few super serious battles so far. Battles where I had to put my life on the line in order to come out on top and make sure people could live another day, and their spirits are renewed enough that they'll want to take that chance to make it worth something beyond that." Ruby tilted her head. "What did you do during that time?"

Tch. She was asking what he's done? He's done plenty of admirable things! Why, he's knocked plenty of Grimm back on their asses without breaking a single sweat! Even though a majority of them weren't ever more dangerous than Runt level...still, it hardly mattered! People were grateful that the Grimm didn't maul them apart, and that should have been enough for them. It was enough for him.

...Though a part of him had to admit...

It probably wasn't enough anymore.

His first days as a Huntsman at Beacon weren't exactly the best. He thought of himself as the new big dog, one who could coast on by without having to try hard. Trying to establish his dominance, he thought he found quite an ideal target in one known as Velvet Scarlatina. Taking her down despite her superior rank would be a great display of his strength and capability.

Nobody was surprised when she laid him out in a single kick. Least of all her friend Coco.

"And down he goes." Coco deadpans, pushing up her shades. "No surprise to anyone."

"O-Oh! I'm SO sorry! I thought you said you were ready!" Velvet politely apologized, and that kind of made it all worse. He grit his teeth and pushed himself back to his feet.

"It ain't over!"

Again, felled with a blow.

"I'm not losing!"

Again.

"Not to you!"

And yet again.

Velvet sighed as she rubbed the back of her neck, seeing that Cardin was too exhausted to continue, while she herself was still fresh. "Well, if that will be all, I have to greet the other recruits and help them around. Hopefully you'll adjust well to Beacon."

As she made her way off, Cardin slowly clenched his fists and smacked the ground in irritation.

That didn't go as planned.

And it only got worse.

Cardin looked on in disbelief as Jaune cleaved the Ursa Major in front of him in twain. The blond took a deep breath, before turning to Cardin with a concerned look.

"Hey, Cardin? You alright?" Jaune asked worriedly. Cardin looked on blankly, then turned to the sight of the others.

Ren had jumped above the snapping jaws of a King Taijitsu. Aura channeled into his palm, and he slammed downwards, the surrounding shockwave managing to knock a few trees down and away from where he landed.

"Ha ha HA!~" Nora chanted in a sing song voice, as her lightning-infused hammer swing true, and completely obliterated the Alpha Wolf that pounced at her with the attempt to bite at her neck.

Pyrrha's shield held true even though she was somewhat exhausted, and a large yet weakened Deathstalker charged at her, causing her to slide back a few feet before jumping over the beast. She then struck downwards, piercing it through the skull, vanquishing it. She landed on her feet with a sigh. "That was close..."

"Nice work, Pyrrha."

"You really rocked it!"

Pyrrha smiled at Ren and Nora, briefly high diving them. "I wouldn't have been able to tell if it you didn't lend your hands. Thanks for supporting me."

Jaune sheathed Crocea Mors and held a hand out towards Cardin, who was still looking at the entire scene in awe. "You alright?"

Cardin remembered briefly considering taking the hand, as this was a person who saved his life...then he remembered that he wasn't particularly friendly with this young man, due to their beliefs.

As such, he smacked the hand away and left in frustration.

Now he had to deal with the constant praise of this sold called new group of newcomers, which already irritated him enough. But worse than that, he had a small feeling that none of them were tall tales.

"It sounds like they've pretty much overcame the odds in their coming of age initiation. Even when the other test takers left them alone, those two girls prevailed!"

"Then they took on a simple mission, only for some crazy secret drastically increase it's difficulty level! Bonus, they have a new member of a team, which properly fills out a team of four. They worked together to defeat a Nevermore and save Aurora!"

"And now recently, another mission that was supposed to be simple, turned out to be extremely more dangerous than expected. Especially when the White Fang got involved in it! Despite the difficulties, they managed to come back victorious! The Circle will continue to thrive!"

"They seem to be a magnet for trouble, huh...?"

Cardin couldn't believe it. He simply couldn't.

Such a team, led by some carefree looking, red-headed runt, near immediately shot ahead of him in terms of rank. And not only that, but the few things she did alongside them managed to blow everything HE'S managed to do completely out of the water. Worse yet, these experiences only continue to vastly hone their already notable strength and skill, especially in several life or death situations.

It wasn't a mistake, either. Glynda is a very, VERY strict, but fair superior. She worries and cares for all under her care. She always makes it very clear that everyone has a long ways to go when it comes to being capable and reliable Huntsmen and Huntresses. And just as well, the merits they do mange to achieve in the meantime prove worthy of respect and acknowledgement, thus their ranks increase. Almost everyone was nearly way ahead of him now.

But the red cloaked runt being more capable, more reliable, more RESPECTED than he was, despite her shorter time here? That simply wasn't something he would accept without resistance.

And yet...

That was the reality. It couldn't be helped.

Cardin's days of feeling greater than his peers were over. He was at the bottom of the barrel, he ever really did anything to mitigate that. He simply kept going after weak Grimm that he could easily overpower in order to make himself feel better. But the more this happened, and the further people achieved more things, that method no longer worked. And he understood why very much, yet he didn't want to voice it. He didn't want to hear himself say why he's fallen so far behind despite his blusters.

So Ruby innocently did it for him.

"You were a bully once upon a time, weren't you?" Cardin looked up towards her when she voiced that. "You were used to picking on things weaker than you are because it makes you feel better about yourself. And if you're feeling content about that, you'll use that as an excuse to never improve."

"What do you know?!"

"Enough." Ruby responded calmly. "Me and my sister had to deal with many like you while we were growing up, having to deal with bullies who either tried to pick on us to make themselves feel better, or try to cut us down when it was clear we were surpassing everyone there within our age group. We were succeeding, and they hated that. We had dreams that were beyond them, and they couldn't stand that. We had the resolve to improve ourselves so that we could grasp them, and they felt threatened by that. Because they didn't muster up that will to become something more, yet they had enough to either try to bring others down or keep them down if they were already below them."

Weiss looked towards Ruby in a bit of awe, before she turned her head towards Yang, who was surprisingly silent once Ruby began speaking. And a little bit over, she could see that Pyrrha was appearing a bit more subdued than before, rubbing her wrists. Blake on her part, chose to keep note on this reaction, but said nothing for now.

"That's not going to work here. Many here have become strong and train to hone their talents to the next level, so they can be even better and more effective Huntsmen. They have far bigger goals than to be someone for you to look down on." Ruby uttered. "I'll be the first to admit that I'm pretty much a nobody in the grand scheme of things right now. There are a lot of good and bad guys that are stronger, more experienced, and just outright better than I am. I have to work really hard to hone what I have, if I'm going to stand a chance later down the road. In order to reach my dream." Ruby briefly pointed towards her heart. "A Grand Huntress that can shape a world where even more people can surpass their fears of the world, and do their best to grasp the potential to live fuller and happier lives. That dream that I've shaped my determination around, one that will push me to become a better version of myself every day."

Cardin scoffed, looking towards the side. "Tch. You're thinking like a little kid."

"Maybe. But it's still what I wanna do. So I'm gonna do it." Ruby hummed. "What about you, Cardin? Since you've become a Huntsman, what have you shaped your determination towards succeeding in as one? Even if it's selfish or simple. What exactly are you out to accomplish, while being a Huntsman? Do you believe in what you're fighting for?"

Ruby looked quietly towards him, and Cardin glared back. Though, he was also inwardly frustrated with himself for another reason, and that was the question poised towards him. For he couldn't find an answer. It was bothersome that not only could be not pull his weight as well as he thought he did, but now that the question was laid out in front of him, he found himself lacking an answer.

"...Well, if you don't know, then I hope you find it. Something to shape your determination around. Once you do, you'll be able to progress past this current point. And stuff." Ruby turned and went towards her friends. "Bye."

Cardin simply stayed quietly where he was, looking at the ground as Dove, Sky, and Russell came to his side. This was a terrible mistake, because now all of his thoughts were jumbled. That stupid redhead, who did she think she was, talking down to him like that?!

Even though he knew that wasn't what she was turning to do. She was simply asking him a question.

Cardin came into this to show off his strength to others and gain some respect...and yet, he's falling quickly behind even some little red cloaked girl who's been here for a much shorter time than he has. He was forced to admit that her drive was continuously pushing her onwards. Meanwhile, he and his teammates haven't made any significant progress at all, compared to everyone else.

He was forced to see the reality. He was surrounded by peers who were significantly more talented, hard-working, and determined than he was.

He thought he could reassert his self-worth by undermining their accomplishments, especially Ruby's. But that's not going to work here. They have bigger aims than being his targets to rid himself of his sense of inferiority.

It seemed this whole time, he was the one who wasn't taking it as seriously. Everyone was out there honing their talents in order to achieve their goals and do their jobs to the best of their ability. To meet the expectations of Huntsmen, and even exceed them. Huntsmen truly shined in a world of overwhelming odds, because they had the determination to sharpen their skills, talents and powers through sheer perseverance and diligence in order to meet and surpass those odds. And sometimes, that requires truly putting their life on the line and taking risks no one else would take. Which earns them great respect when they triumph in the face of those overwhelming odds.

Did Cardin have that kind of courage, to take such risks?

...

He found himself unsettled by his inability to answer.

"Hey. Yeah, I'm on my way, just chill out." A young man rolled his eyes as his transport, which a kind gentleman was more than happy to lend him, was helping him make his way to his destination. That destination being Vale.

"I'll 'chill out' when you actually GET to your destination and do your JOB!"

"You're seriously gonna be that yelling guy, huh? You've got quite the lungs in you, doc."

"Never mind that. You took the job that I sent out, and you expressed great confidence in your ability to see it done. So with all that, I expect results."

The young man yawned. "There's no need to worry. I ain't ever taken a job that I knew I couldn't handle. This? It'll be a cakewalk."

"You'd better be able to back up that talk, Black. I invested a lot into you. If you prove that was a waste of time, don't be surprised if you find yourself left behind and forgotten in the chaos of what I've got planned. You'll only have yourself to blame."

With the Scroll call ended, Mercury laid back a bit, kicking his feet up. "Tch. That guy has several screws loose. Still, this ain't nothin' I can't handle." He briefly brought up the image of his targets, smirking at the image of Yang Xiao Long.

He's sure to make a big name for himself and opening himself to even more opportunities, if he killed the blood daughter of the dreaded and hated Raven Branwen.

"Yes sir, I'm on the flight now."

Ciel Soliel answered somewhat calmly, though on the inside she was a little bit annoyed at this set up. It wasn't that she minded the assignment itself as it would be one more way of boosting her advancement. But she was woefully unaware of just how tiring it would be.

"I apologize for forcing this on you, Ciel." Ironwood sighed sincerely over the Scroll call. "I promise you that this is not a punishment. You're supervisor role is very important here. You're to keep watch over her during your time in Vale, and confirm to us whether or not she's ready to be out on her own."

"I understand that, sir. But..." She slowly looked outside her transport...noticing something orange haired and green eyed flying right beside it with the happiest smile on her face.

"Oooh my goodness! I have heard that the Fall Maiden Festival will be coming soon! It will be my first festival outside of Atlas! I cannot wait!" The person beamed with a bright look in her eyes.

Ciel slowly looked back to the hologram of Ironwood, who somewhat looked just as tired as she did. She had to watch over her and make sure she didn't get into trouble, being her proctor to see how she can manage outside Atlas. Throughout it all, Ciel needed to maintain her patience.

Already, it feels like a losing battle.

"...It sure feels like a punishment..."

Hey look, Cinder's back after a while! Am I finally going to go somewhere with her? ... Probably not. But hey, at least she exists!

Also, I'm pretty sure I'm probably botching Roman. Feels rough to try to write him, but I'll do my best regardless.

Also, Ruby and Cardin. I did a thing with their interactions. And I do think the latter had a few things to ponder over while everyone's preparing for the Fall Maiden Festival. It inches ever closer. However, due to a few certain parties making preparations for/within Vale, there might be quite a few happenings at first that might prove to be quite troublesome before we finally reach it.

Ah well. It'll at least feel like a proper break from the kind of troubles that are sure to ensue. There's sure to be new friends, new rivals, and an even further unraveling of the kind of enemies everyone's dealing with.

We'll call it the 'Crossing Fates' arc.

I'll be doing my best with this one, because by the end of it the plot should pick up a little bit. And if I fail...? Well, feel free to roast me, I'd definitely deserve it.

Until then!