"Have you been keeping up with the news, lately?"

Weiss asked some of her friends, as Blake was eyes deep into her Scroll and Ruby and Yang were doing a bit of training in the back, each trading punches. Ruby huffed as she sped forward with a swift kick from the side, which Yang managed to block via reflex. The blow managed to resound throughout the room and push them away from one another. Both of them were sweating a bit, their hair tied back so it wouldn't get in their way too much. Though once they heard Weiss voice her concern, they both stopped in place panting.

Blake nonchalantly threw them both bottles of water without even looking, and they caught the both of them rather easily. Yang was the first to appreciate the cold water, sighing while taking the time to cool down. Ruby simply began drinking said water like it was the only thing she's had to drink in days when it's been twenty minutes.

"I have." Blake hummed while swiping through her Scroll. "It seems that things are stirring up slightly as the Fall Maiden Festival is approaching. Crime rates seem to be rising steadily. Unease is growing amongst the populace, and the police are on the lookout at every corner. Whatever is happening, it's slowly putting the city on alert." Blake slowly looked up, ears flicking. "Something is going on that's proving to be quite bothersome. And if this keeps on going, it might have an impact on the progression of the Fall Maiden Festival."

"Worst case scenario, things get so bad that they might even cancel the Festival within the city." Yang rolled her arm with a fiery glare. "Tch, like I'm gonna let something like that happen. The Maiden Festivals oughta be enjoyed by everyone who's able to do so. And that includes the peeps that reside within the city. I can let some criminal punks ruin something like that."

"Someone's trouble making might get the festivities canceled? There's no way in heck that I'm gonna let that happen!" Ruby clenched her fists with narrowed eyes.

"Calm down, they're not going to cancel the Maiden Festival over something like this." Weiss sighed while shaking her head, before looking through the news again. "Though this does not change the fact that tensions appear to be rising within the city, and this sudden rise of crime is one of the culprits."

"We gotta do something about all of it!" Ruby pointed outwards.

"Don't be so naïve. We're not equipped to attempt to stamp out every single instance of crime in Vale." Weiss calmly scolded. "We have our roles. Versatility is fine, but if we overextend ourselves, we'll be helpless to do what we're best at. We can't forget that we're still juniors in the grand scheme of things. At this moment, we shouldn't involve ourselves in things we cannot for certainty handle."

Ruby sighed, scratching the back of her head. "Y-Yeah. You know what, you're right. I got a bit eager."

"I'm not saying we shouldn't do anything. But we shouldn't be too hasty to get into trouble that we can't handle. That's a very quick way to find ourselves in a hopeless situation." Weiss turned towards Blake, who was still sailing through her Scroll with a critical eye. "Blake, is there something else that managed to catch your attention?"

Blake lightly twitched her ears. "It's true that crime has been on the rise these past several weeks, though there seems to be a core element surrounding it. It looks like some are trying to compete with one of Vale's most notorious crime bosses: Roman Torchwick."

"Roman Torchwick, huh?" Yang kicked her feet up as she relaxed in a nearby chair. "I've heard of that guy once or twice from a few whispers around. He's pretty evasive. Which only makes sense, he's been at this for a long time, I'll bet." She sighed while lightly looking towards the ceiling. "And I'll bet that this crime wave is gonna keep increasing so long as he's this proactive about things. At this rate, people are gonna be a bit too antsy to enjoy the Fall Maiden Festival, because they're gonna be wondering what else can go wrong before it can even begin."

"We gotta do our part and make sure that the festival can go on without a hitch!" Ruby exclaimed while pumping her fists. She then rubbed her chin with a hum, closing her eyes. "I think we ought to do our part to make sure that people feel safe enough to enjoy the festival and all of its activities. How about we go out into town later tonight and do a little bit of patrolling?"

Weiss narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Ruby Rose..."

"Weiss, I'm not suggesting we hunt down criminals recklessly!" Ruby reassured with placating hands downwards. "All I'm saying is that we have to at least keep the streets safe for the time being. The police need all the help they can get at the moment, right? We're not going after anybody right now, we're just helping keep things stable until the day of the festival. That has to be pretty acceptable, right?"

Weiss kept her eyes zeroed on Ruby for a moment before she ultimately signed and massaged the bridge of her nose. "I suppose that's alright. Though, given our luck so far, trouble is bound to come to us rather than the other way around."

"Which technically fulfills your desire to not seek out trouble. We're not breaking our word if trouble finds us first." Blake noted with a near casual tone of voice. Weiss's swift glare in her direction let her know that she didn't think that was funny, but Blake wasn't regretting it at all. "We're taking a proactive approach to protect civilians from potential signs of trouble, we're not looking for the trouble itself. Does that not count?"

"You're getting on my nerves, Belladonna."

"And I'm very sorry about that."

"No, you're not! Don't taunt me!"

"I can taunt ya instead!" Yang eagerly raised her hand.

"Both of you shush! Just SHUSH!"

"Think of it like this, Weiss." Ruby gingerly placed a hand on her shoulder. "This is going to be your first Fall Maiden Festival, isn't it? Of course,e you'd want everything to go as smoothly as possible so that nothing messes up your experience. It only makes sense, doesn't it? Don't you want everything about the festival to go well? Make it a nice experience worth treasuring?"

Weiss folded her arms and looked to the side for a moment, pondering Ruby's point. She simply had a gut feeling that things weren't about to go perfectly well, but considering that Ruby's willing to take responsibility if anything happens, she couldn't quite completely dismiss her. She supposed she would simply have to keep an eye on things herself and make sure she didn't go overboard. With an exasperated sigh, she pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Alright. So long as we remain vigilant and dutiful, it shouldn't be too disastrous. It looks like we will be conducting our investigations on these criminal activities...if only so that we can ensure that the Fall Maiden Festival does not get negatively impacted any further." Weiss lowered her head slightly. "And, yes, of course, I want to experience a Maiden Festival without any crude interruptions potentially ruining it."

"So does that mean you're on board, Weiss Cream?" Yang called out with a wave.

"Grrrr..." Weiss took a breath and sighed. "Yes yes, I'm convinced."

"Hooray!" Ruby cheered with her fists up. She then clapped. "We gotta prepare to make this an amazing experience for Weiss and Blake! This is their first Fall Festival and I don't want anything going around messing it up! It's just something that I feel like it should be taken seriously. It's going to be a special time, after all."

"We all want things to go well, sis. Don't worry, we're definitely with you." Yang beamed with a thumbs up.

"I'm not too against this experience being a good one, so I shall assist however I can." Weiss ensured with a casually raised hand.

"Nn." Blake quietly nods.

"Alright! Then it's settled!" Ruby beamed brightly with her hands on her hips, happy the gang has agreed. "Now that that's been taken care of, let's take a gander at the fun things we can do when the festival rolls by!"

"They're gonna up their food game once it does! Heck yeah!" Yang excitedly pumped her fist.

"First things first. Since you were so insistent on it, we're going to be marking and checking the areas that have been hit by this sudden crime wave the most, and pick one to watch over." Weiss decided while pointing to her Scroll.

As the quartet was working out what they would be doing when the festival comes by, another was working something our something relatively similar.

"I don't think I can be any more clear!" Nora clapped and gestured forward. "If we just raid all of the food stalls that they see up during the festival, we'll have ourselves a bit of everything! No way's gonna end badly! After all, it's the sharing of food with friends!" Pyrrha was smiling supportive to her, even though she placating patted her shoulder.

"I like the spirit, Nora. But I don't think they'll allow something like that. They'll likely pull us aside for a stern scolding, at the very best. At worst, they kick us out and send us back to the Beacon building to watch the festivities from afar." Pyrrha pouts while lightly sliding an arm around Nora's shoulder. "I would rather experience the festivities and enjoy them with everyone. Let's try not to do anything that will potentially jeopardize that, no matter how small. Okay?"

Nora folded her arms with a pout, though eventually gives in while sighing to herself. "Yeah, I guess you have a point there. Fair enough, fair enough. I'm just saying, it's just not a festival if we can't have a huge feast with all our friends. I gotta get the best possible chances to get the best foods!"

"I can just cook for us, guys." Jaune offered.

"No no, Jaune. That's very sweet of you, but this is a Festival. Everton's gonna be kicking back and having fun. There's no way we're gonna make ya work even more just to get me some om-noms. Thanks for offering, though!" Nora patted his shoulder while looking at Ren. "What's your take on all this, Ren? Something on your mind?"

"A little bit." Ren placed a thumb on his cheek as he was looking through his Scroll. "There's been something that's concerning me. There's quite a bit of time left before the festival, and with everything that's going on, there's someone who's requesting for a bit of Huntsmen security."

"Bodyguard duty?" Nora blinked. "Wait a minute. The requestor. Is that...?!"

Sure enough, by the time the subject of the mission arrived at Beacon, the group was still somewhat baffled by what was going on.

"It's nice to meet you all." The woman gracefully nodded to the gang as they were still processing what was going on. She was pale-skinned with golden-brown eyes, and pale white hair with a subtle purple hue. Wearing a black suit jacket with a purple collared dress shirt underneath, she carried the air of a reporter on a mission.

Which was sensible because the said reporter was Lisa Lavender.

"It's the reporter lady!" Nora pointed with a gasp.

"Good of you to recognize me, although I do have a name that's easily usable."

Pyrrha read over the mission summary within her Scroll.

Vale News Network Reporter, Lisa Lavender, has been marked for death by unknown forces. See to her protection and, if possible, apprehend her attempted assailants.

"Somebody's trying to silence her." Ren narrowed his eyes as he pocketed his Scroll.

"Being a reporter, bringing light to several things might have earned her a few enemies, both the known and unknown kinds," Pyrrha noted as she too put her Scroll away, concerned. "Is there a reason why you chose us?"

Lisa looked to the side, appearing ashamed. "I...I'm not going to lie to you. I specifically requested this team because I heard that Pyrrha Nikos was in it." Pyrrha blinked in confusion at this. "I've made attempts for protection from the police already, but both they denied me, saying they're not very trusting of reporters. And I know that higher-level Huntsmen have more important things to worry about than protecting someone like me. But..."

Lisa briefly hugged her shoulders, looking down. Her eyes squinted and her lips quivered.

"I feel like I'm being watched everywhere. I know for sure that someone out there wants me dead. They're trying to terrify me into silence, before killing me. They managed on the first part of the first half...but I can't stay silent. I won't. I have to say what I need to say, or it will never be noticed." Lisa muttered. "It's...it's a long shot. It probably won't even work and will be putting a bunch of kids in danger for nothing. But...I was hoping someone well-known like Pyrrha Nikos...for good or for ill..." Pyrrha lowered her head at this. "...helping me point a notable finger in the direction of this case, will help me make the truth known. All of my other options have been spent. But...I won't cause any trouble if you decline. I'll just...have to figure something out."

Lisa was fully expecting them to deny her request, even if hesitantly. Her eyes slowly widened as she noticed a warm pair of hands take hers, and she lifted her head to look Pyrrha in the eyes, who smiled kindly at her.

"We may currently be young Junior Huntsmen...but we've long since stopped being children, the moment we chose this path. Lisa, you can count on us to help."

Lisa turned to Jaune, who gave a thumbs up. Ren, who folded his arms and nodded. Then finally Nora, who lifted her arms and showed her biceps, lightning dancing around her with a grin. After a moment of indecision, Lisa took a breath and nodded.

"Thank you."

"Save that for after we get the job done." Jaune waved his hand casually. "Now, whaddya need?"

With a bit of renewed positivity, Lisa Lavender nodded resolutely and began to recount the discoveries that lead to her being targeted...

Junior honestly wasn't sure why he had to deal with this. No, he knew exactly why he had to deal with this. He was just a bit baffled as to how easily it happened. The smoothness of how it happened, the eccentricity that came with it, and what it ignited within the people surrounded by it.

Militia and Melanie were having quite a ball hanging out with their new friend. It wasn't that he wasn't glad they were making friends. But why did they have to make one with someone so...strange?

Cinder Fall.

The woman was currently trying out another outfit of hers, suiting. As for how it looked...distracting was too kind of a word to describe it.

The outfit was black and sleeveless, paired with a pair of long gloves, stiletto heel boots, and several straps with containers of powdered Dust lined across her pants. It was quite tight. Very tight. She almost seemed curious about it, due to how Militia and Melanie were walking around her and examining her.

"Cindy, like, this outfit of yours is hugging you real tight." Melanie pointed out with an observational raise of an eyebrow.

"And the cleavage! As if nobody could tell you were voluptuous already." Militia tilted her head curiously.

"Truly? Hm." Cinder hummed while turning again, looking over herself. "I honestly quite like it. If there's anything that I'm faking with me for potential stealth options, it will be this. I've heard that outfits like this could be potentially useful for distractions."

Distraction is right. Junior muttered under his breath as he looked away. Though more than once, the twins caught him peeking at Cinder's curvaceous rear, which was especially emphasized by the suit. They snickered to themselves, the man wasn't fooling anyone.

"Alright, Cindy! What's next?" Roman declared whole tapping his cane on the ground. Neo was nearby casually twirling her paradox, while Emerald was sitting quietly on another seat next to her. "We're starting to gather some attention. A bit of a worrying amount. Is that something you've taken into account?"

"Of course. I'm aware of the risks this might bring, Roman. But there's also the reward if we stand our ground." Cinder folded her arms, pushing up her breasts. Junior again looked away but at the same time peeked. "We have eyes on us. We have people's attention. But not so much attention that they'll actively try and hunt us down. Now we will balance that with something a bit unexpected." Cinder tilted her head. "I told you that I needed your assistance with navigating the criminal element. And I'm beginning to understand a bit better. You're one of the more well-known criminals in Vale. Not quite big, but big enough that quite a bit of people knows your name."

"Cindy, are you trying to flatter me? Because I promise you, it's not gonna work...much."

"It's quite simple. People recognize you the most. They know how you tend to operate. And of all the criminal elements on Vale, there's one important aspect; they consider you manageable."

"Hey now, that's not entirely true. I can be completely chaotic when I wanna be!" Roman shrugged. "Buuuut all chaos and no order will eventually put a damper on business, so we try to dial it back a bit. This is why Neo isn't allowed to just murder anyone who looks at me funny. Hey! Don't sulk!" Roman pointed towards the petulant Neo, who was pouting at the words. "I told ya before! You can't go killing people willy-nilly! Bodies are a lot harder to dispose of!"

"I can cremate them if need be." Cinder held up a hand and a ball of fire appeared, as she tilted her head. "Would that suffice?"

"You're missing the point, Cindy."

"Be that as it may, people have begun to notice that you're becoming more active...and that makes your rivals nervous." Cinder noted as she stalked over and leaned forward over one of the tables.

Oh, come ON! Junior was flabbergasted while the Twins were snickering at his not-so-subtle attempts at peeking.

"They noticed your rise to power, yet they have taken too long to do anything about it. They are hoping it passes. Hoping that it's just a freak anomaly that will eventually disappear and will never happen again. They fear their age of them being surpassed and replaced when they do nothing to try and prevent it. That will be your time to rise. And when they're shocked out of their complacency when their positions of power are threatened, they'll reveal their ugliest side in their desperation to maintain their position, unknowing that their time has already passed. Their desperation reveals their true selves. Which will bring even more attention and retribution down on them, ensuring their ultimate downfall. And you, to claim whatever is left of them to build upon your influence."

Roman hummed as he lightly rubbed his chin, tipping his hat. "Sounds mighty risky a gamble. We attract attention to ourselves via a power play and dare them to try and do something about it, which will make them come out of their hiding places for the goody-goodies to smack them down." He paused for a moment. "This sounds like a super expanded game of chicken."

"They fear the end of their time and will do anything they can to prevent it. But that will only ensure that an ending for them will come. And they will make that mistake that will cost them dearly." A fiery blaze ignited in Cinder's eyes. "The flames of their ambition have long since turned into weak embers. They will be snuffed out with naught a dying crackle."

"Yeesh." Melanie whistled while Militia was sitting next to her. "So, what are you saying? For whatever reason, You're gonna take out the Old Guard of Vale's Underworld and make sure Roman has a big place in the new one?"

"That is the idea."

"What I still don't get at the moment is what you get outta this," Roman noted. "I'm convinced that you're dead serious about helping me, but why? And I mean in detail. There's no way you're just offering to help me with this whole shebang for free, and there's gotta be more to that 'friend' stuff, right?" He gestured to himself. "Come on, spill the beans!"

"Now now, Roman. Telling you too soon will spoil the surprise." Cinder hummed as she turned to him with a finger on her lip.

"Ah, so you can play the sassy card. Nice. That fills me with confidence. And I can hear you sassing back there, Neo! Hand gestures still make noise!" Roman exclaimed with annoyance, with Neo raising said hands and denying any wrongdoing.

"Oh, ye of little faith." Cinder briefly walked by him and placed a hand under his chin, lifting his head slightly. "You'll know what you need to know when you need to know it." She smiled as she let him go, and he shook his head trying to refocus. "You know?"

"Okay, now I KNOW you're toying with me."

"Ah, see? You're even joining in!"

"I didn't think someone like you had a playful side."

"I dabble in it now and then." As she was heading outward, she turned towards Emerald, who had been silent for the entire meeting. And she didn't have the excuse of being mute like Neo, who could still express herself quite well. "Emerald? You don't have anything to add?"

"Huh? Well, I...uh..." Emerald rubbed her shoulder. "I just don't know about all of this. I'm kind of out of my element here. Getting lost in all this talk about criminal elements and old guards. I mean, I know what all that means, but I just..." Emerald shook her head. "Sorry, I'm just rambling stupid stuff..."

"It's not stupid, Emerald. If you have questions, don't be afraid to raise your voice."

Emerald raised her head as Cinder came close to her, holding her hand.

"If you ever feel lost, just follow the warmth of my flame. I'll light the path forward, for as long as you need." Cinder smiled tenderly at her. "We're friends, after all."

Emerald blinked. She was still coming to terms with Cinder saying it like that. Not to mention, with the softness of the voice and golden light in her eyes, she meant it.

"...O...Okay." Emerald nodded quietly.

"Good. And Neo, just so you know, we're friends too." Cinder turned to Neo, who thought about it for a bit before shrugging in a 'why not kind of fashion. "The Malachite Twins are my friends as well since I know their mother personally."

"Still kinda shocked by that." Militia pointed out with a blink.

"Hey, what about me?" Junior gruffly spoke up, causing Cinder to turn towards him with a tilted head. And Roman was surprised to see a rather awkward smile, not the warm one she gave the girls and Roman.

"...I...er...appreciate your assistance, Junior."

"...For some reason, that wording hurts."

"Ooooh! Burn!" Roman chuckled, while the other four girls outright got into a giggle fit. Junior grumbled and began furiously cleaning a glass while muttering something about being disrespected in his establishment.

"Alright. The preparations are in place, and the nests have been rattled. Time for the second stage." Cinder remarked as she moved onwards, resolute in her path forward. The others watched her leave, and before Roman, Neo, and Emerald fully departed, they and the Twins turned to Junior.

"...You were watching her leave...your eyes were still glued to her ass, weren't they?" Melanie deadpanned.

"I'm not about to take these verbal beatings lying down."

"Of course not, you're taking them standing up! Geez, Junior. Don't you know your directions, let alone which posture you're using?" Roman sighed and shook his head, making the others laugh. Junior's eye twitched.

Since when did me being the punchline become a bonding activity?!

Later that night...

"Here. The most commotion we've heard of recently tended to be around here." Ruby pointed straight ahead, around the seedier parts of town, where local authorities were a bit laxer. Or mostly just not interested in this area whatsoever, according to what Ruby heard and read. "Jeez. If what they say about this part of town is true, then no wonder the criminal element has been getting braver lately."

"Without a stern set of eyes watchin' em', they've been taking the time to build up their spine." Yang whistles while clasping her hands behind her head. "There used to be several pairs of eyes on them. One of them being Uncle Qrow's."

"Your uncle knows the criminal underworld?" Weiss tilted her head.

"Quite a bit. There's no way he's gonna tell us anything about it, but we know quite a bit already. His sometimes hiding the answers from us prompts us to hunt them down for ourselves. And wouldn't ya know it, that adds to our independence points!" Though as she was saying this, Yang looked towards the skies as her hair flows slightly wIth a coming breeze. "That being said, I can't completely blame him for keeping certain things on firm hush-hush. He's looking after our wellbeing, after all."

"Hm. In any case, due to the nature of this, I've had to make sure that we had the clearance to embark on this endeavor." Weiss mentIons as she was holding her Scroll to the side. "It's rather important that we let them know whatever that we've discovered during this mission. And more importantly, we aren't to endanger ourselves more than necessary during it." She sighed while pushing her hair away from her face. "Of course, I don't have the greatest confidence that we'll be able to stay out of trouble for long, but it's worth the mention that we know what this might entail before actually taking it on."

"With any luck, be it good or bad, we might even run into the White Fang again," Blake noted while her golden eyes shifted now and then, keeping a sharp focus and looking out on the shadows. "I doubt the White Fang's Vale Branch will tolerate me and Weiss's continued living for very long. They'll most certainly increase their efforts and their boldness to see us both dead."

"In any case, none of them are gonna ruin the Fall Maiden Festival on our watch!" Ruby pumped her fists with a firm nod.

"Yes, Ruby. We all share that same desire." Weiss sighed tiredly at her antics. "Though it would help if there was an actual plan that would help ensure that the Fall Maiden Festival runs smoothly."

"Right, right." Ruby clapped her hands. "Okay, so, uh, we just gotta make sure that the places we check out are well and in order. If it's something super small or easy, we can handle it ourselves. If it gets like, mega big or super dangerous, then we'll call someone up to help us, as we buy them time to do so. Bring them to us by using ourselves as signals and beacons." Ruby waved her hands with a smile. "Hehe, get it? Its because-"

"I get it."

"Eyyyyy!" Yang had up her hand, and she and Ruby eagerly high-fived.

"Nn. It was a good one." Blake hummed, her ears flicking slightly.

"I sometimes feel like you three tend to vote against me just to make me look foolish."

"Will you be bothered if we confirmed that to be true?"

"I'd rather keep my reasons to unjustifiably hurt you three on a minimum, thank you."

Ruby was about to say something more, but then the quartet sensed something nearby. Sure enough, Blake could hear it first, the smashing of a window, and the sounds of fighting going on in the distance.

"Well, looks like there's some action going down up ahead." Yang hummed while rolling her shoulder.

"We gotta get there ASAP and make sure no bystanders get hurt!" Ruby exclaimed as she grabbed Weiss and Yang by the arms. "Hang on tight, I'm going full throttle!"

"Ah geez." Yang sighed and prepare herself with a smile.

Weiss was not as prepared.

"Wait, what do you mean by full thrraaaAAAAAAAAA!?"

Blake watched as Ruby sped again, having already made sure to hold onto her once she was in the position of a running start. All she could do was mildly smile and chuckle in amusement at her antics before she hardened herself and prepared. There was a battle up ahead. She couldn't quite place her finger on it, but she felt a certain danger. A VERY heavy sense of danger.

She wondered who was emitting these warning signs...

Up ahead, there was a vicious clash going on between several groups. Three at the least. And one of them was winning quite handily, by the looks of the frustration on the losing side.

"So, lemme get this straight, folks." Roman clapped and slightly tilted his hands forward, lowering his eyes and appearing like a disappointed parent. "You thought it was a good idea to come here to make 'waves' to initiate a comeback. Thought you could just waltz on in, try to stake your claims on whatever you want, and hoped that no one would take go to task for it?" Roman scoffed as several of their members growled at him. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. Wave, can't ya see? Your time has been over for a while. You crashed big time in Mistral, you're not gonna do any better here. I'm the king of the underworld here, and I take care of my kingdom. It needs to be in top shape if I'm going to keep stealing from it."

"You bastard!"

"Very enlightening. And as for you!" Roman swirled his cane and pointed it towards the other group, the White Fang. "Hey now, I work hard to keep this place all nice and clean, I don't need any vermin like you messing up the place! I could not be paid to care the slightest bit about your whole anti-human crusade, but it starts to become a problem when you bring it to my turf." He tapped his cane on the ground. "And really, I wouldn't be paid enough to play exterminator with this level of infestation."

"We'll find a way to shut you up, human!"

"Now you see, that just makes me wanna talk more. That's the one thing I could never rob from people. My wonderful voice whenever I pass by. It's music to their ears." He chuckled to himself, holding the brim of his hat. "But in all honesty, people! And pests. You're not being very good guests, and I will not tolerate poor guests in my own home. Now! You can either leave on four own accords, or you can do so after having been battered and broken. What will it be?" He shrugged. "Of course, there's always the option of your different sides beating the crap outta each other, while I point and laugh. That'll at least be fun to watch."

The members from Wave crumbled as they staggered to their feet. "You are nothing, Torchwick! We'll reclaim our former glory even if we have to take it from you!"

"Ah, that's some firm spine you've got there! I respect that! It deserves to be handsomely rewarded!" Roman snapped his fingers. "Sic em', Neo."

"W-"

Something slammed right onto the person's back, and he gasped out while dropping his weapon. The one who struck him from above, waiting for instructions to go on and attack, was Roman's right-hand woman, Neo.

And her timing could not be better in Roman's eyes. Because right when he said that he respected the man's spine, Neo came right in and breaks it in no time flat, slamming right onto it with her heels.

That was simply too perfect for words.

"What the hell is-" There was little time to process what just happened, for Neo immediately went for the others and batted some of them away with her parasol. Twirling, she gracefully used push to open up and block a few hail of bullets to protect both herself and Roman, who clicked his tongue and shook his head. Neo pushed forth, and several copies of her soon spread outwards, much to their shock. Many of them leaped at the crowd and kicked at them or slammed their knees into their skulls before scattering like glass, with the real one smirking as she went to work suppressing them.

Emerald, who was hidden nearby and moving into one of the buildings, watched Neo use her skills and powers to hold back an entire group on her lonesome.

"She has illusionary powers like me, but she can solidify her illusions until they shatter like glass..she's cool," Emerald muttered before she shook her head and looked forward. "Focus, Emerald, you have your job to do. Provide some support from someplace hidden, where I can use my illusions..."

Arriving at the scene, the quarter stopped in place with their eyes wide at the current battle going in, which has already gotten extremely out of control, by the looks of things. Blake immediately recognized the White Fang side of things, while Ruby could recognize Roman Torchwick on sight.

"Sheesh. Things got hectic out here!" Yang whistles with a hand over her head.

"If this gets any worse, bystanders will undoubtedly get caught in the crossfire." Weiss deduced while turning to Ruby. "Is this the appropriate moment?"

"Yeah. Send out a signal so that help can arrive as soon as possible. Since we're here, we gotta do what we can to make sure that all this doesn't get any worse before they get here." Ruby nodded firmly. "Blake, you push back the White Fang! Weiss, you help any remaining bystanders get to safety as soon as possible! Yang, break through this chaos and try to separate them all." Ruby rolled her arm and narrowed her eyes. "I'll be right there with you."

"Game plan, girls! Hold the line and defend the peeps until help gets here quick!" Yang pounded her fists together. "Let's roll."

With that, all of them scattered to their assigned objectives, having a sinking feeling it wouldn't be that simple.

A group of White Fang was kicked to the ground by a ruthless shadow, causing them to crash. Blake lands on her feet, eyes sharpened.

"You're out here in the open committing to something like this. How far can you all sink into depravity?"

"I could ask the same of you."

Blake gasped as she quickly turned around and aimed her gun at the voice. Though, she found herself looking at some sort of screen in the room, which caused her a bit of confusion.

"Blake Belladonna."

"...Who are you?" Blake narrowed her eyes, tightly gripping Gambol Shroud.

"That matters not to you. What DOES matter is that my main targets have fallen into my sights, and you and your fellow animals are blocking my way with your nonsense. And I will not tolerate nonsense when it comes to destroying those in my way." The man on the screen glared, and what she could tell was a red cybernetic eye was flaring dangerously. "You've made a costly miscalculation coming here, insipid creature."

Soon enough, crates began opening up all around her. Blake's eyes widened as multiple figures stepped out of them. Top-heavy and red, androids. They have some sort of weird logo on their chest, and have neon blue highlights across the entire body, including the eyes. They appeared to be carrying some sort of glaive, and it was quite long. Their counterparts were similar, they look like they were protected by white metal armor, highlighted with black and red, with their head being disturbingly skull-like Also, their weapon...a minigun.

"...Nn. Troublesome." Blake deadpanned, before hastily dashing to the side to take cover.

Meanwhile...

"GET OUTTA THE WAY!"

Yang smashed through the Wave group in her direction, knocking an entire cluster of them away in a single punch. She clicked her tongue while turning on a heel and kicking another upside the head, crashing it into the ground. She took a breath while keeping Ember Celica loaded.

"What do these assholes even want so badly that they're fighting out here?! Did they have a bone to pick with Torchwick or something?!" Yang muttered while weaving to the side of a punch, harshly countering with her own to their skull. "Well either damn way, I've got a job to do. Can't let this shitshow escalate any further!" With this, she went to clear the next area.

Her senses told her that an attack is coming from the side, and she timely raises her right arm to block the kick that nearly struck her. She frits her teeth and ended up sliding back a few feet before stopping on a heel. She tsked, shaking her wrist a few times before looking towards the one who kicked her. There was quite a bit of force behind it.

Someone landed on the ground a few feet in front of her, on their own feet. The young man lifted his head to look at her, and she glared back at him.

"You reacted quite quickly. Maybe this won't be a lame trip after all."

"I'm sorry, who are you, jackass that kicked me outta nowhere when I have a job to do?" Yang deadpanned, rolling her shoulder.

The young man stood up straight while having his hands in his pockets, kicking the ground a bit. "Name's Mercury Black. I'm here to kill you. Simple and to the point." He smirked. "Is this a bad time?"

Yup, looks and sounds like a smug bastard. I so don't have time for this shit!

Be that as it may, it doesn't look like he was going to quietly step aside...

Weiss looked sharp, having come to a rather risky conclusion regarding things. The White Fang in particular based her quite vehemently, thus the best course of action from there would be to draw their attention and make that hate focus entirely on her, so that bystanders aren't targeted. admittedly not the best tactic she's ever come up with, but it will get innocent people mostly out of the crossfire, enough to escape safely, at least.

"Alright, who's first?" Weiss dared while holding Myrtenaster up diligently. "I've fought the White Fang before and I'll keep doing so until you're all apprehended for good!"

"Oh goodness, goodness me. The Schnee middle child has been doing quite well on her own, and it gained her some self-confidence..."

Weiss blinked as something seemed to be speaking to her. And it wasn't until the White Fang crowd parted slightly that she was able to somewhat see what was going on. One of the White Fang members approached with calm, mature grace, despite the mask she still wore. Her White Fang attire was more battle-dress-like than the others.

"Captain!" To Weiss's wonder, most of the females. White Fang around seemed to be rather glad to see her.

Which probably didn't mean anything good.

"What does one see when they look in a mirror? Will your reflection show your true self? The reflection that reveals the quality of one's soul? It's quite a phenomenon." She hummed while tilting her head. "Once you cast such a mirror upon the rest of humanity...do you think they will finally see the ugliness that lies underneath their facade? Will they finally be able to see, that human souls are inherently ugly? While we Faunus are beautiful? And one duty of the White Fang is to open others eyes to these contrasts, and lead them to a path of shaping how things should be."

"Hmph. I know a thing or two about mirrors. I don't think normal ones will show you what you want."

"Ha. I supposed I'll hand you that one, Schnee." The White Fang captain hummed. One of the members from Wave tried to charge her from the side, and dismissively found themselves jabbed right through the chest, with a rough shard of glass formed around her and stabbed through him. "Well, it won't matter much in a little bit, anyway." She held out her hand as a blade of glass manifested in her hand, before gently holding it and swiping toward Weiss. White bat wings briefly flapped from her back.

A white-winged vampire bat Faunus?

"You'll have to pardon me, Miss Schnee. I'll be introducing myself as your soon-to-be killer; my name is Eleanor Maribelle." Her wings flapped quite a bit. "Though, quite a few of my cohorts, and associates of my victims, referred to me as 'Bloody Mary'." She smiles kindly, tilting her head. "My dear, I do think you'll look somewhat prettier with more red on you...here's an idea. How about we decorate your outfit using your blood?"

Weiss was unsettled by the woman's sheer serenity in her declaration of seeking to kill her.

In the meanwhile, Roman managed to sit back a little bit, watching everyone go at it, and raising an eyebrow at how three young women entered the fray and started fighting to break everyone up. A bit late for that, it's already reached the point of sheer chaos. Although he didn't expect a Schnee of all people to be out here.

"This is turning out to be quite a lively night..."

"Hold it right there!"

"What the-" Roman nimbly stepped to the side as something nearly crashed their boot right onto him. He slid back, holding the bat as he looked up to see the like youngest of the quarter standing where he used to be, glaring at him. "Oh swell, it's Little Red Rookie Hood."

Ruby blinked. "Wait, you've heard of me?"

"I've got ears in a lot of places, Red. You've been the subject of quite the chatter in some regards. Although now that I'm getting a better look at you, I don't see what the big fuss is about." Roman stood up and brushed himself off. "Just another wide-eyed brat running around thinking that she's going to mean anything beyond what she truly is."

"A brat, am I...?"

Roman shrugged. "You don't impress me, and do you know why? You're not the first young moron to believe that you can win just by wishing hard enough, only to get full of themselves, laid out and left for dead...and you won't be the la-" Roman gasped as he just barely ducked under Ruby attempting to kick him in the face, her form ting by and skidding behind him. "Hey! I was in the middle of belittling you!"

"Which means you're leaving yourself wide open, dummy!"

"...Fair enough. Allow me to retort!" He soon brought up and aimed Melodic Cudgel towards Ruby, firing off a shot in her direction. It didn't take much for her to dodge it while speeding toward him, but he foresaw that one; thus, he spun and smacked her away with the weapon the moment she got close enough, sending her sprawling across the ground.

"Ouch..."

"Hah! Rookies. So predictable." Roman turned and continued, managing to turn on a dime around the street.

It wouldn't take long now, the other parties were sure to try and take each other apart to reclaim the territory. He simply had to lie low, wait for them to exhaust their forces, and then come in and sweep away whoever's left, therefore keeping his territory. Of course, he made sure that most of his men have cleared the area if they weren't fighting. They wouldn't be of use to anyone dead.

"I'm not done with you!"

Roman groaned as the voice of the rookie called him out after landing on her feet. He clicked his tongue when turning around. "As well as persistent..." He muttered, continuing from his previous thought. "Listen Red, I've got a laundry list of better things to do than being chased down by a ten-year-old girl in the middle of the night."

"I'm sixteen, you jerk!" Ruby pointed at him indignantly.

"Whaddya want, a medal? You somehow made it to sixteen years of age without dying, big whoop."

"Why you...!"

"That's enough, Roman. I'll take over." Roman blinked as a woman with a dark red dress with gold designs appears before them. She gently landed on her feet next to him, folding her arms. "Extended combat is not within your skillset, and there's more to this one than meets the eye."

"Hey, you don't gotta tell me twice! I'm tagging out!" Roman held up his hands and stepped back, before making a break for it. The woman made sure he was able to get out of sight, likely to reunite with Neo, before she turned back towards Ruby.

"Nice to meet you. My name is Cinder."

Cinder?

Ruby narrowed her eyes as the woman looked back at her with a small smile. Ruby lightly clenched her fist while keeping a focused eye on her. Roman was getting away, but she had a feeling this 'Cinder' wasn't simply going to let her past.

This woman...she's bad news.

"What beautiful eyes you have." Cinder complimented, which briefly threw Ruby for a loop. "It's like I'm looking into a pair of glowing silver moons."

" ...Uh...thank you?" Ruby was pretty sure she was being faced with an enemy, and yet she was complimenting her. What was the deal?

"You said you were sixteen a moment ago, correct?" Cinder smiled with folded arms. "Interesting. You're only six years my junior."

"Never mind all that! What are you doing with Roman Torchwick?! Are you the one who set this mess up?!" Ruby glared, not moving from her spot. Despite how relaxed and elegant the woman in front of her appeared, Ruby had a sinking feeling that she'd be unable to get a sneak attack off on her if she tried. Despite all appearances, she knew the woman's guard wasn't down in the slightest. "And if you are, what are you doing it for?!"

Cinder hummed, as she briefly gazed at the skies for a few moments, before turning her attention back on Ruby.

"I'd like to be the spark that brings fire to the new age."

"What?"

"You'll have to forgive my friend Roman. He can be quite cynical. I disagree with him on a few things, but that is fine. Friends can be friends without having to agree on every single thing. As for what I mean..." Cinder lightly raised a hand. "We live in a world where people are complacent with living in their sense of despair, which gives the Grimm strength. Many have surrendered themselves to how the world currently operates, rather than take on the challenge of shaping it to their desires. They have surrendered themselves to 'fate' and will let it guide them to any destination without any care as to whether they find it fulfilling or not. The ambition is lacking, many either do not have it or are too afraid to use it." Cinder placed a hand on her chest. "I, however, have such a drive."

"You?" Ruby uttered incredulously.

"There is a possibility. A potential future where many will achieve extraordinary feats through their supernatural strength and personal dreams. I take on the challenge of proving my worth of making such a future a reality." Cinder closed her eyes softly. "This world doesn't need survivors...and it doesn't need heroes, either. What it needs, are dreamers and thrivers. They are the ones with the most potential to guide the fate of their era. And I wish to prove my worth as one of those people. They are the ones who stand at the top of the world and shape how it's meant to be. I intend to draw them out, with a series of, let's say 'signal fires', to get their attention and let them know it's time to step up...or get burned to nothingness."

Ruby narrowed her eyes, and she pointed toward the sounds of chaos. "And this is your way to do it?! Making people fight each other like that?!"

"When different people with different ideals and perspectives on life directly oppose each other, conflict is inevitable. And the ones who stand tall in the end will prove themselves worthy and capable of shaping their fates. Either they follow the fates they favor, or successfully defy the ones they do not." Cinder gently pushed some of her hair away from her face. "That is what kind of inner strength dreamers can possess, should they seek to nurture it. Survivors do not have the ambition to do so, and heroes lack the proactivity. They are appealing concepts to those who don't have great desires in life. But in the end, both involve submitting themselves to their paths, rather than creating their own."

With an air of confidence in her words, this woman relieved everything she was saying. Ruby had no idea what this woman's deal is, but she knew enough that she had the will to follow through with what she believed in. And what she believed in, could prove actively harmful to others who weren't involved.

There was no way she could stand by and allow that.

"Yeah, well...I'm not a survivor or a heroine." Ruby clenched her fists as rose petals danced around her, along with a gust of wind. "I'm a huntress."

Cinder smiles quite widely at this. "A champion seeks and hunts for victory, not waiting for it to come to them. Very good. You are certainly one of the worthy ones in Vale. You, and Goodwitch's right hand. Even if she doesn't yet realize it."

Amber? Ruby thought, somewhat confused.

"This doesn't mean that I intend to simply lie down and let you stop me. No. You'll have to earn that. But I will encourage your efforts and determination to try. As in an act of goodwill, I'll warn you." Cinders golden eyes ignited as a wall of fire could be seen within them. "Keep walking down the path you're going right now; you risk becoming an enemy."

Ruby could sense the heat growing from where she stood. Her power felt very similar to her sister's. She's trained with Yang ever since they were little girls, so she knew enough to tell the difference. Her ability felt more like she was generating and manipulating scorching heat energy, rather than outright fire.

"I'm not scared of you!" Ruby declared, stepping forth as a stronger gust of rose petals spiraled around her. "I won't let you or Roman get away! You can't outrun me!"

"Very true. I've seen a glimpse of your speed. I might not be able to outrun you."

Cinder slowly lifts her hand, as a ball of scorching heat energy manifested right in front of it. Cinder gazed calmly towards the young woman before her, her hair flowing around her.

"But I can outfight you."