"Why are we doing this?" Winter asked as Qrow sighed.

"You heard what Oz and Jimmy said, we need to bite this in the bud before things can go sour."

"I know that, I mean why are we doing this." Winter exclaimed, trying her best to move her arms in the cramped space.

I would admit, this 'taxi' as it were wasn't very comfortable; especially with all of us crammed in the back.

"Sorry princess, but this is the most inconspicuous way to travel in Vale. Can't exactly come in on a bullhead and announce our presence, now can we?" Qrow clapped back causing the irritated woman to grumble.

I sent a glance to Clover, who only sighed as he looked out the window.

Things could have been worse admittedly: we could have had to walk the whole way on foot, sticking to the shadows. But luckily for us these taxi were all over the place, ready to move people to where they needed to be, sort of like a carriage.

I found myself deciding to stay out of whatever lovers spat the two were into, as I had no interest in becoming the target of their constant debate. It wasn't exactly interesting either, just a bunch of little picks designed to stress the other.

"Alright, this is the place." Called the driver from up front.

"Thanks." Qrow gave as he opened the door, allowing us to step out and bask in the ability to move again.

"This is it?" I asked as he nodded.

The building looked much like the others, abandoned and gated off from the rest of the dock. Old stone covered in dust, with splashes of paint seemingly thrown about in random patterns. It was almost as if nobody came by to clean it, then again there were plenty like it all around so what would make this one special?

"You sure this is the one? Looks like it hasn't seen use in years." Clover asked as Qrow nodded.

"This is the place alright, my contact told me it was the one with the Grimm graffiti all over it."

"That doesn't look much like Grimm." I commented as Clover tilted his head and squinted slightly.

"It... could be? If you look at it from the side it kind of looks like a Nevermore." It was more of a question, Qrow gave a flat look.

"See any other spray like this? No? Well then this has to be the place."

"Can we please just look inside already? We're here to find out what happened, not discuss the work of delinquents." Winter stated as she made for the door. Qrow shrugged and Clover just followed along.

She was quite as she creeped inside, we all were for the most part. We had no clue whether there were any White Fang currently around, and had decided to stay on the safe side. It was dark, the only lights around where those that came from the windows above. It looked like any standard storage area: wide open room, railing and walkways up above, probably a few rooms here and there.

"Sounds empty." Qrow whispered, clutching the sword at his back.

"Maybe, hold off for another moment." Winter spoke as she creeped over to the walls, pressing her hands against it.

"What are you doing." Qrow asked in his low tone as Winter continued to feel about.

"Looking for a light switch." She gave as she made her way along.

Seconds later all the lights flickered on, and both Qrow and Winter were on guard; weapons drawn and looking about rapidly. I allowed my own gaze to wander as I caught sight of something. Just over near the entrance I saw Clover with his hand on a lever and giving an odd look.

"Found the lights." He said as the two - previously tense - hunters let their guards drop.

"Mind warning us next time? Ice queen nearly had a spat." Qrow asked as Winter stuttered slightly, a look of indignation across her face.

"I did not! I was simply caught off guard is all!"

"Keep telling yourself that." He said with a smirk. Winter clenched her teeth as she sent a venomous look to Qrow, letting out a sigh as she straightened herself.

"Regardless, thank you Clover. Now we can continue to look around."

The man gave a short salute as he made his way back to us, letting out a short sigh as Winter turned away. Qrow held a chuckle as we carried on, taking in the whole of the room. It was dusty, much more dusty than I had previously believed. The walls were practically painted with the stuff as stains of... something were present along the edges.

"At least we know they were here now." Winter commented, Clover giving a nod to her as we set our attention to the floor.

Despite the walls being coated with dirt, the floor had been noticeably absent of the age and build up that could be seen everywhere else. There was some there for sure, but it looked kicked around; a clear sign that someone had been here, and recently.

"Spread out, we need to find any traces of activity. Anything at all will do, just something that'll give us at least an idea of what happened here." Winter ordered as Clover gave a proper salute. Qrow and I both nodded as she set her sights on the room near the back.

With that we split apart: Clover paced throughout the center of the room looking around some of the old equipment that lay untouched, most likely to see if anything were dropped during the time the Fang was there; Qrow looked to head for an opposite room across from Winter, there were plenty to choose from so they had their work cut out for them.

I decided to make for the stairs. The ground floor already had the other three working on it, so it would be best if I took over the top floor.

Up top I found myself strolling along the metal walkway. I was able to see a door in the distance, and deciding it was as good of a start as any. I walked over to it, placing a hand on the knob as I twisted it open and stepped inside.

I tensed as a blade was drawn to my throat.

.

.

She kept her stride smooth as she moved along the warehouse. Several White Fang were hauling cargo from the looks of it, only sparing a short glance her way as they went back to work.

Good, at least Adam has them well trained.

He was a man who understood obedience - perhaps more than most - so it was no surprise he got them up and running so effectively. However unlike the usual methods she employed which mostly consisted of threats, he preferred to use his charms to get them moving.

He was a good story teller, so much so that the whole of the group held a near fanatic love of him. They were so willing to die at just the simple chance to contribute to the cause. And best of all, unlike others who spun tales for their own gain: Adam truly believed in what he said.

The man actually thought that she would aid in there cause, that the plan would benefit the Faunus as a whole. Granted she had held his precious Fang at gunpoint, but that was besides the point. It was almost laughable in just how desperate he was to gain at least some form of vengeance.

Oh, but she would never say that out loud. No no no, he was all for that equality he so preached about, that simple desire to be seen as people; rather than cattle like they were used to in the past.

Yet unfortunately for him he would come to learn that Humanity never much cared for equality; dust, they could barely get along with each other, let alone anyone else.

Cinder let her daydreaming subside, her destination was at hand. The right hand brute of her temporary partner was before her, and gave her a nod while opening the door. She returned the favor as she stepped inside, taking sight of the bull-headed man before her.

"Cinder, so pleasant to see you again. Another check on our supplies? Or maybe there's some other reason for your visit." He said, twirling the pen in his hand. Adam was stood above a map, one with clear movement plans scribbled about it.

She smirked as her tone turned sultry. "Oh sweet Adam, you know I have faith in your abilities. I've simply a few questions for you, and I believe you'll find the subject of our chat... interesting."

Adam let out a grumble, clearly not expecting that. He was quiet for a bit, his lips looking to twitch as he tapped his pen on the table. Another moment passed before he sighed and waved his hand to her.

"Alright, fine, what are we getting at? I've got some things to attend to later, more dust to move, so if we could move this along?"

"Oh don't you worry about that, this'll be no time at all. I just have a few questions is all, about that lovely new recruit who turned tail."

That seemed to catch his attention, if the sound of the pen snapping was anything to go by. It looked as though the wound was still fresh, and Adam only gave his hand a few flexes before setting it on the table. It was a shame really, that new recruit could have been interesting, a nice change of pace compared to the usual rabble.

But alas it was revealed that he was nothing more than a petty spy. Even so, the boy had been interesting in his own right. His appearance hinted at some... peculiar ties when it came to him and Beacon's headmaster. Cinder still remembered what Salem had told her, of what Ozpin was up to, of what he really was.

Unlike most she herself knew that magic was no mere fantasy, it was as real as the very Grimm themselves. If she had to compare it to anything, she would say it was similar to dust; at least in terms of usage. Along with this she knew of the four powers that hide throughout the land, the four ancient relics that Ozpin had hidden away. So much power, all in the hands of those too afraid to use it.

To say that Cinder knew more than most would be an understatement, so it was much a surprise when she came across something that had her question everything. That boy... 'Vermillion', he shouldn't exist. Salem regularly addressed her inner circle, yet Cinder had never once caught sight of the boy. However what was worst of all was the fact that she knew he was Grimm.

"What about him?" Adam asked, voice like gravel.

"Nothing too hard. I just wanted to know if you had any idea what he is?" Cinder let out, taking hold of her arm as Adam looked confused... at least she thought he was; his posture showed it, but he was wearing a mask. He could have shat himself for all she knew.

"What do you mean 'what'? It's clear he's a Faunus."

"Really? Are you absolutely sure about that?" Cinder smirked as the man stilled, his voice now dark.

"What are you getting at?"

"Oh, just a thought. Roman told me that his little helper spent some time with him, and she saw some crazy things. Said he acted like the Grimm for a time, said he touched some weird stone and could feel them. They also said she saw him grow what looked to be bone plates all over him, similar to that of the Grimm. Must I really spell it out for you?"

"You think he's Grimm? No... no that's crazy. It's impossible, no Grimm could be like that. They're mindless, they can't talk or think." He was doubting himself now, even the words he spoke sounded more like excuses.

Cinder meanwhile was smiling. Unlike him she already knew he was Grimm, she'd figured it out when she saw the video of the fight at the docks. Unlike Adam she knew it was entirely possible to inject people with Grimm, her own arm was a testament to that.

However that brought with it it's own set of problems, just who was Vermillion? He was clearly part Grimm, but even then: why hadn't she seen him with Salem? Heck, why hadn't Salem ever mentioned someone like him?

If the boy was one of their own then why had he never been mentioned? Was he not on their side? That line of thought got Cinder thinking of a new scenario, one that peaked her interest.

What if he was never on their side, what if he wasn't even one of Salem's? Would it be possible for Ozpin himself to mess around with the Grimm? It couldn't be entirely ruled out, the man was centuries old after all.

Was the boy actually one of his creations? Could it be that Ozpin created his own form of Grimm, one loyal to himself in order to combat other Grimm? It sounded wild and dangerous, but even so humanity was already on the brink of destruction. What loss was there when you were already on the edge of defeat?

"Maybe so, but what if it was? What if he's just a more evolved species of Grimm? The world is large after all, and most of the land belongs to them. Would it be entirely impossible for such a thing to occur? We've discovered new types of Grimm over the years, what's there to stop them from taking a more... 'familiar form'? Would it not be beneficial for them to take the shape of people, as to blend in for a time to better attack them?"

Adam clenched his fists, looking to take in every little word. She couldn't fight the grin across her lips, it was just too perfect. Vermillion showing up was originally a problem, but now it would seem that the boy was proving quite the asset.

The White Fang - although disgruntled and rough - were still needed for the plan, and to reassure her resources Cinder took great pleasure in weaving as much chaos as she could. Without direction the idiots would jump at the nearest source of order, that being Adam, and with him in her pocket she found that they may have a slight advantage over their enemies.

So long as she kept them from questioning her she could go about her scheming; that required keeping them occupied with other issues. They didn't need to make sense of anything she presented, they just needed to keep their focus on her orders, all the while ignoring her motives or reasons.

And what better way to do that then having them question everything else.

Cinder let out a sigh, leveling a look Adam's way. "That is what I want you to look out for."

"What?" Adam spoke, flicking his head back to her. Cinder gave a slight clap.

"Pay attention this time will you? I said I want you to learn if this is true, learn if Vermillion is actually part Grimm. After that I want you to report the information to me. You are free to handle the situation as you see fit."

"You don't have any need or want for him? You wanted info on him before, seems a bit odd that you'd give up so suddenly." Adam asked as Cinder sighed again.

"True, but this isn't me giving up. While I may want him for curiosity's sake, I never specified that I needed him alive."

Adam stilled for a moment as Cinder smirked on the inside. All this time he thought she wanted Vermillion captured. While that may still be the case, she knew Adam and the Fang had no chance to succeed. Adam was rough, skilled but ultimately hard headed, and if the boy was as important to Ozpin as she thought then the group were fighting a hopeless battle; the man would have him watched like a hawk.

It was an impossible mission, but one that would keep them occupied, all the while they continued with their original orders.

"I have an idea, why not use the plan to our advantage. Catch him while everything's in chaos, he'll be weakened from all the fighting after all so you'll have the perfect chance."

Adam looked away, most likely debating the idea as she let a content smile overcome her.

Regardless of whether Ozpin had a special experiment or not, it would not save him from what was still to come.

.

.

Her eyes flickered open as she sat up, looking about the room as her vision adjusted.

It was strange, a solid night without a nightmare, and she even managed to get some decent rest as well; a double combo that came only in short bursts. Yet she questioned whether it was a sign of things to come, a bad omen as it were.

Ruby kicked off the covers, stepping over the edge as she hoisted herself up. The room was just like yesterday, clean and dusted. Despite this she still held a sour feeling in the pit of her gut.

After getting dressed yesterday she went into a sort of 'auto pilot mode', moving about and acting purely out of habit. Only unlike any other habit, this one was more of a ghoulish kind. She set about, senselessly wandering to whatever place Pebble wanted her to be, always quiet as she listened to him speak.

Only she hadn't listened at all, her mind too busy replaying her previous actions. Ruby had felt bad before, mostly from the times she had made a bad call; which knowing herself was a lot. But this had been one of the worst so far, as while all the previous could have been argued away this one could not.

Calls she made before had gotten people killed, but ultimately the choice was either death or more death, and she had no way to know which one was best. Yet last night she knew the effect her choice would have, as well as how useless it was. Ruby had been spot on with her call, correct in the fact that she gained nothing from the choice, nothing but a rotten feeling in her heart.

She supposed it was to be expected, her curiosity had gotten her into trouble before, however this time it had a different effect.

There was nobody to blame her, nobody to scorn her, absolutely no consequences for what she did. Nobody knew she had opened the diary of the girl, nobody knew just how awful she was in that short instance, there was nobody there to punish her.

Maybe that was it, maybe that was why she felt so gross. Ruby had performed an action that held such little respect that she hated herself for it, yet she faced no retribution. Maybe she just wanted someone to punish her, punish her for all the things she did. Maybe that would help to justify everything.

She let those thoughts vanish, they were ultimately senseless. No matter how bad the things she did were, punishing herself wouldn't make up for them. There was no real justification for all the people she hurt, and the only excuse she had was that it was all done for the greater good.

But was that enough, was it enough to just say you were doing it for the better? No, no you needed to prove it. The only way for her to ever justify it to herself was to succeed, to see her mission through, that way all the lives lost wouldn't be for nothing.

Ruby slipped on her clothes before she headed out. Making her way down the hall and stairs, out to the kitchen as she took a seat at one of the stools. Deciding to calm herself Ruby tapped at the wood, watching as the server looked to her.

"Need anything Ms. Rose?" She let out as Ruby felt an internal chuckle sneak it's way up.

Ms. Rose huh, Blossom just what have you been telling people?

It didn't matter, the woman didn't really have anything that could cause trouble anyway. Not to mention that Ruby had already carried out a favor for her, she'd not betray her any time soon. Besides, if she did Ruby would just kill her like all the others.

She shook her head, removing those thoughts as she called back. "A glass of water please."

The woman nodded, setting out and shortly placing it down in front of her. Ruby gave a nod of thanks as she gulped down the cool liquid.

What was that?

What had she been thinking, 'kill her like all the others'. Where had that come from? Mrs. Blossom wouldn't do anything that deserved that; dust, she was only running a tavern. At what point did she ever pose a serious threat? Where did all these violent thoughts come from anyway?

Ruby peeked down to the skin near her wrist. Blackened veins creeped along underneath, just barely visible in all their glory. Was that it? Was the corruption responsible for causing those thoughts? She knew that she would start to lose herself, but if they were behind her more violent attitude, then she found herself starting to worry.

She knew she would be fully corrupted eventually, it was part of the plan after all, she needed it. But did that mean she would get worse? Would she begin to value death and destruction over the lives of others? Would she lose her sanity?

These were all questions that would have to be answered at a later date as just in the distance Ruby was able to see Mrs. Blossom make her way over from the front. The older woman took a seat on the stool next to her, with Pebble taking the other, barring her in between the two.

"Look who's finally awake, sleep well last night?" Blossom asked as Ruby gave a short nod.

"For the most part."

"Splendid, I knew those beds were worth it!"

"You bought them?" Ruby asked as Blossom smiled.

"Yep, used to be storage rooms up there darling. But I knew we needed a place to rest our heads, so I had a few of the gals go shopping with me. I'd say they're quite worth the price." The woman commented as Pebble nodded, it looked like he agreed with her.

"How were you able to afford them? Last time I looked at the prices they were... quite much."

It was true, Ruby was well aware of just how costly beds of that quality were. It was one of the reasons she had gotten used to sleeping outside, as the price of renting a room was almost criminal in places with more than a couple rooms.

"Oh don't worry about me, I have more than enough to cover the costs. Running a business such as mine afforded me quite the backlog of wealth." Blossom spoke as she waved at the server, receiving a drink of her own as Pebble was given a glass of water.

"But you left the city." Ruby stated as Blossom nodded.

"True, but I never kept all the earnings there anyway. Not good keeping anything in a place like that if you can help it. This little town here has a bank of it's own, and most businesses from the city keep all their major earnings spread out. Away from the king and queen's reach." Blossom explained as she set her sights back on Ruby.

"But enough of me, what are you going to do now? I take it that you've finished your business here?" She asked, Ruby gave a nod as she leaned forwards, resting her elbows down with her head in her hands.

"I'm planning to keep moving, there are some places I need to travel to so I'll be using the airships for a while." Ruby told as Blossom gave a wary look.

"That may not be as easy as you seem to think my dear, travel has gotten more expensive since last year. Stranded are making harder hits on the docks, stealing cargo and such. It's ramped the price of anything up tenfold, the crews aren't taking any chances."

Shit.

Well that made things a tad more difficult. Ruby needed the airships to reach the other kingdoms, without them it would take too long.

"Do you have any idea for how I may go about this? You seem to know something." She asked as Blossom gave a thoughtful look.

"I may have some sort of thought. Even if you were to pay the travel fee, you'd be limited to the one trip. You seem like the traveling sort so I doubt paying for a single ride would help much. It just so happens I have a friend up top, the captain of a ship as it were. I believe he could use some help maintaining things on board, and in exchange he could bring you where you need to be."

"Truly?" Ruby asked as the woman nodded.

"He doesn't get much action you see, his ship is... to put it bluntly: rather old. It's not as fast as the newer ones, so nobody ever has him do any deliveries or even travel. I think he'd be thrilled at the prospect of being out in the skies again." Blossom finished as Ruby let it sink in.

That could work, depending on a few things.

"Where would he be willing to take me?" She asked as Blossom smiled.

"Anywhere you need, he's not exactly picky about rout. He has decades of experience, so his skills are superb. He's been just about everywhere, so almost nothing's off the table. What do you say, want to give him a chance?" Blossom asked as Ruby let out a sigh.

She needed him if that was the case. Still though, it seemed too good to be true. Regardless she was desperate, what more was there to lose anyway?

"Sure, I'll give him a try."

.

.

Blake was not in the best of moods, her talk with Tukson didn't shed much light on her current curiosity.

She shook her head, she was being picky. He said he would look into it, both Vermillion and the White Fang, so what more was there? All she needed to do now was wait, and get back to Beacon. By now Yang was probably done with the guest list, and she would be pissed if she realized that she was alone.

Still though, Blake couldn't just do nothing. Vermillion - whether friend or foe - was dangerous, even more so now that he might have ties to her family. She didn't feel safe knowing he might have spent time with her parents. What if they told him things?

She sighed, lulling into a soft pace as she continued on. That didn't make sense anyway, he said the message was from Sienna. That didn't automatically mean he met with them, she was just being paranoid again.

Blake continued along the sidewalk, passing by the streets and shops as she made her way to the stop before Beacon. Yet some time into the walk her eyes caught hold of something. Was it a trick of the light? Maybe, but she could have swore she saw someone.

Blake creeped over to the alleyway, peeking around the corner.

I was right!

There was someone there, and by the looks of it they saw her. She saw the person sprint away, and so she gave chase.

They're fast!

A little too fast for her liking. Blake sprinted after the shadow, leaping around and over trash all throughout the alley. The person jumped up, grabbing hold of the bars next to the metal stairs above, pulling themselves up and leaping higher.

Blake repeated the action, doing the same as she followed them up to the roof. The chase continued as Blake was was able to get a better look at her runner, garbed in dark clothing, yet almost looking to fade out at points. She pushed her legs harder, intend on catching the person, and to see why they were spying on her.

However once they leapt across to the next roof Blake realized that the spy disappeared. In a panic Blake looked around desperately, trying her hardest to spot or even hear where they might have gone. It was no good, the person had seemed to vanish in thin air.

She was about to give up when she spotted something: off in the distance she was able to see a door on an adjacent roof. Quickly she leapt over to it, drawing her weapon as she creeped over to the door and cracked it open.

The room was dark, almost pitch black if not for the opening behind her. She gently closed the door, creeping along in the darkness as she focused. Her natural night vision allowed her to take in the area as she scanned about.

It looked like an office, with papers scattered about and... rotten? Now that she stopped for a bit the whole place smelled moldy. Not the most pleasant of experiences, but she'd live. Blake saw a door across the room, and decided that it might be a good idea to move on before she caught something. The others wouldn't be too happy if she got sick on the day before the dance.

That, and Yang wouldn't let her hear the end of it. Surprisingly the jokester of their little group got serious when it came to the prospect of danger. Since the docks incident Yang didn't exactly seem to like the idea of anyone going out on their own. Blake couldn't tell why, but Yang seemed unusually wary around the prospect of them splitting up to look for clues when they first started their search.

She was lucky last time when Yang didn't say anything of the first split, but she looked uncomfortable every time the idea was brought up.

And so they settled into the buddy system, always working in pairs for each outing from now on; minus a few simple things. Ruby and Weiss for one group, and her and Yang for the second. Looking at in now it was almost endearing in a way, if not a tad annoying.

She reached out to the handle when it swung open, instantly she had her weapon forwards, ready to strike at the attacker.

Those eyes.

"Vermillion!?"

"Blake!?"

Author's note

...

Back once again, with more or a relaxed chapter this time... aside from the ending.

Qrow is once again picking at everything, and Winter seemed none too happy. Poor Clover, the guy's stuck watching his partner bicker with a guy he's only met.

Adam and Cinder were back for a moment, as the latter set about her own schemes and plans. All the while Adam looked to be planning movements, as you do.

Blake also got a moment, and already she's chasing after trouble. She was fast at least, but clearly not fast enough.

That's all for now. Let me know your thoughts, and see you later.