"You incompetent dolt, what the hell were you thinking?!" Weiss continued screaming, stomping towards the distraught Blake as Ruby glimpsed a terrible fire in her eyes that she had never seen before. "I can't believe it. Your mistake costed us lives, Blake! Lives!"

Blake, trying to shut the tears streaming from her eyes, growled back. "I saw an opportunity to flank them, okay?! I thought that if I could exploit that, t-then we would be able to take them by surprise and–"

"Yeah, and look how that turned out!"

"I was sure that we could've neutralized the rest of the Crusaders then, Weiss! Besides, we were pressing them hard! If we could've pressed them even further, t-then–!"

Weiss scoffed. "Sure, maybe we had the the initial advantage. But use your goddamn brain, Blake! When those Crusaders pulled out the hostages, our priorities changed from eliminating all the terrorists to ensuring the hostages' safety! You, on the other hand, apparently didn't care enough to consider their lives."

"I jumped them because I cared about their lives, Weiss!" Blake screamed, glaring at her as she choked. "I wanted to save all of them just as much as you do, goddammit!"

"But you failed." Weiss growled, turning away from Blake. "Now think of their families reactions when they hear the news."

Blake stared at Weiss' back, shaking her head as her chokes became sobbing. "Not a moment goes by when I think of all the families who lost their loved ones, Weiss. Do you honestly think you can carry that guilt easily?"

"...What the hell, Weiss?" It was Yang who said that as she approached Weiss' back, hands spread out and an astonished stare. "What was that for? Yeah, sure, maybe we did get sloppy back there, but you need to lay off of her, man!" Her eyes turned scarlet as her astonishment became anger. "For god's sake, show some goddamn empathy for crying out loud!"

Ruby sighed, leaning on a wooden stand as she hold into Crescent Rose, shaking her head. This whole situation was screwed up all to heck―a messy situation, if she ever saw one.

"...I can't be forgiving, Yang."

Ruby, Yang and Blake perked up at Weiss' icy words and saw her turning around. To all of their surprise, Weiss' eyes were red and soaked. Ruby herself was starting to get concerned for the wellbeing of everyone around here.

"Blake, do you want to know why I'm angry?" Her voice was cracking, yet she maintained her composure. "What you did right then was the same way a dear friend of mine died. He died as a screaming, scared, and terrified hostage―and the only thing I could've done was watch. They could've done the same thing to me, yet by sheer luck they didn't."

"Did the White Fang did that to you?"

"...Yes."

Yang just stared at Weiss. "So wait, let me get this straight: You're mad at Blake because a friend of yours got killed by someone else's attempt to save you in a hostage situation with the White Fang some time ago?"

"Well, my father's company was never on good terms with the faunus if I'm going to be honest. It was inevitable the White Fang would target us sooner or later."

"But―but why?"

"...What do you think?" Weiss scowled.

Yang shook her head. "No, I mean, why? I don't wanna be a dick or anything, but all this almost sounds like the one who got your friend killed was you, Weiss. I mean, that's what it sounds like to me, honestly."

"And how would you know that?" Weiss glared at Yang. "You don't know anything about my private life when I was still in Atlas!"

"No. No I don't. But that reaction is pretty telling to me."

Weiss growled. "Yang, to put it in layperson's terms, now you're just pissing me off."

"Look, I'm just saying, alright?" Yang stepped back, staring at her. "Yeah, I don't know anything about your home life, but still! You're lambasting poor Blake when she's hurting bad!"

"And rightfully so," Weiss spat. "I can't abide by someone who caused the death of two people, no matter how good their intentions were."

Yang's stare became a glare. "Now you're just being an asshole, Weiss! I don't know what the hell happened with you, your friend and the White Fang, but whatever it is, you got to let it go!"

"I-I'm already over it! You're the one who's fixated on me being 'responsible for the death of my friend' or some other crap like that!"

Yang's eyes flashed crimson once more as she stomped towards Weiss, fists bubbling. "Listen you little prissy, bossy bitch: All this anger at Blake is starting to look like you're the one who's fixated on being responsible for someone's death. I don't know what fucked you up in life, and I'm really sorry that it happened to you―believe me, I've been there―but this anger bullshit needs to stop. Now."

Weiss' eyes practically could've flashed crimson as well.

Blake looked up, eyes red and puffy from her quiet sobbing, and she stared daggers at Weiss. "I'm sorry if you can't forgive me, Weiss. But it happened, and it's going to stay with me for the rest of my life."

"You could've avoided it altogether if you hesitated, Blake," Weiss glared at her, the tears finally strolling down. "You didn't have to live with the pain that I got when it happened."

"See!" Yang was agaped with irritation. "I knew it! Come on Weiss, you should be more understanding of Blake's position! What's with this pissed off look then if you fully know what's going on with her?"

Weiss turned her lips at Yang, shutting her eyes as her voice was low and cold: "And you've just answered your own question."

"What, so you're pissed because you were in Blake's shoes?!"

And then the arguing devolved into fighting and insults. Ruby was off to the side watching this mess becoming messier and messier as Weiss, Yang, and Blake screamed, yelled, and insulted each other. Accusations, grudges, emotions: Everything was being poured out from their hearts with such intensity the whole scene was starting to look like some kind of soap opera episode. Ruby shook her head. Still, she didn't hear any gunfire at this moment, which was good. For the time being.

The screaming was too much. Ruby held her head and wished for the fighting to stop. Come on guys, this is getting stupid. Frustration bubbled in her chest as she realized she got up and started approaching her feuding teammates.

Ruby took a deep breath and cleared her throat. "Weiss, Blake, Yang."

"You think I run the Schnee Dust Company? Like I said, complain to my damn dad!"

"That's not the point, Weiss! The point is that you're refusing to be helpful at this point!"

"I have to agree with Blake, Weiss. You're just being unreasonable right now."

Ruby sighed. "Guys."

"You both know why I'm mad at Blake!"

"Weiss, I really am sorry that you have to go through losing your friend like that, but, why do you think you have to be angry at me for that?"

"Because people died, Blake! People died and it's our goddamn fault, okay!"

"Huh, so the Ice Princess has finally melted into a sobbing mess. Good riddance."

Ruby growled, her breathing slow and deep. "Guys."

"Yang…!"

"I'm getting tired of her bullshit, Blake! Are you just gonna let this snobby rich bitch beat you down like that?"

"Oh, so it's 'Let's Make Fun of Atlesians Day' again?"

"Yang, I'm starting to think she had enough."

"Why the hell are you taking her side now, Blake?"

"I understand Weiss' position better now, Yang! I don't think I can say I'm as mad at her as I was anymore…"

"Well I'm still mad at her for verbally kicking you like you're some kind of puppy! Weiss, why the hell do you have to act like this? Did your mom just upped and left you one day or something?"

"...What was that, Yang?"

"Yang Xiao Long, I demand that you take that back. Now."

"Not until you shut your mouth and drop this bullshit!"

"Can we please just drop this now?!"

Ruby took several deep breaths and let the frustration and anger course through her. A somewhat serene calm came to her. Ruby finally faced everyone, cupping her hands and taking the deepest breath she could muster:

"GUYS!"

Everyone jumped at Ruby's piercing scream. They all stared at her, eyes wide and mouths agape. Ruby sighed in relief. Finally, everyone's listening to her. Still, it's time to roll up those grown-up sleeves and get this straightened out.

"Thank you." Ruby smiled at everyone at first, but it then became a grim frown. "Everyone. Did you all forget that we have a job to do? We're hunters! Huntresses! And yet, we're just squabbling and fighting with each other like little kids! This is stupid, especially at at time like this! Maybe I'm a crappy leader, but I know this isn't how a team is supposed to function, and as your leader I'm ashamed that all of you acted with such, with such," Ruby shook her head, "such blatant disregard for each other's humanity! Why? Why?"

Ruby turned her gaze at Yang and the latter flinched from its cold-stone seriousness. "Yang. Out of everyone here I'm the most disappointed in you, both as a leader and as a sibling. I know you're not the most patient person around, but really? Did you honestly think that getting mad and throwing insults at Weiss and Blake was going to fix things? I mean, I understand why you got mad, but will that anger change anything? What's the point of resolving matters if all you're gonna do is throw crap at another person and make them defensive?"

Ruby turned to her other teammate. "Blake. Y'know, you're not the one who should be feeling the guilt. I should. As your leader, I ordered you to flank the Crusaders and take out anyone who looked like they cause more trouble than usual for us. You were just doing your job when you jumped them to save the hostages. It was a screw-up in the end, but the one who should bear the responsibility should be me and me alone. Besides, the screw-up was an honest one. I don't like it either, but at least it wasn't because we were incompetent.

"Still, I don't know what happened between you and Weiss' company, but Weiss isn't her father. Nobody is truly ever defined by what their parents do; they're their own people, they should be defined by what they do, not their parents. I know you are a supporter of civil rights―and I know I'm not really that knowledgeable enough to talk about civil rights intelligently―but, I'm pretty sure viewing people who are ignorant and not favorable about the faunus as irredeemable monsters is only going to make the problem worse. They're still people. The only difference between us and them is that they hold a viewpoint different from ours, but don't we all?"

And Ruby sighed as she turned to her partner. "Weiss. You're mad at Blake because it reminded you of your own failure to save your own friend. I'm truly sorry to hear that something horrible happened to you like that. It must be harrowing to witness the same thing that happened to you happening again to someone you know. I guess you couldn't take the pain of seeing it again and got angry in some vain hope that that anger would help Blake motivate herself to never do such a thing again.

"I'm sorry to say this, but being angry is not going to help anyone. Telling them that they're incompetent, a dolt, and an idiot like you're blaming yourself for being responsible for someone else's death all over again isn't going to change the fact that people died because of our actions. I'm not sure what to do next after all this, to be honest, but I know that Blake needs someone to confide to, someone who understands what she's going through. As far as I know, Weiss, you're the best person to know what she's going through. Please. Help her. Giving in to your emotions like what happened just now is not going to help anyone.

"That goes for all of you." Ruby looked at everyone with a solemn and cold frown. "We're all teammates. This was supposed to be a day where could spend time together and to get to know each other as people. Not enemies. People. This is just sad. We're arguing about who's wrong and who's evil while terrorists are gunning down innocents just because they have an extra set of body parts as we speak.

"I hate to curse, but―but that? That's just fucked up."

Ruby shook her head, choosing to sit down on the nearest chair and staring at the ground. Holy cow, being a leader really is a great responsibility. Still, she managed to face everyone with a calm, yet still serious expression.

"We need to get our act together, now. We're not going to help anyone if we keep arguing like this. Let's deal with the Crusaders first, then after that, we can try to the spend of the day getting to know each other as people and get this sorted out. Until then, we, as hunters, have a job to do. Does everyone understand me?"

Everyone was silent. Yang stared at Ruby, crimson eyes long faded to shocked lilac, her eyes slightly narrowing as the stark realization of their situation slowly grew in them. Weiss also stared at Ruby, puffy, icy-blue eyes wide and surprised. Blake casted her gaze at the ground, as if ashamed to even dare a glance at her team leader. Nobody spoke. Ruby still looked at each and every single one of them with a critical, yet sad and empathetic gaze. She didn't think things would go this south between her teammates. This was just terrible, and at a time like this too? They had a job to do, and to blow up at each other while terrorists were attacking…

The silence became morose, remorseful, and sorrowful. Yang slowly shook her head, lilac eyes now gleaming with guilt. Weiss sighed, holding her head as she leaned on a nearby stand next to Ruby. Blake continued staring at the ground, lost in her own world―her own thoughts.

Ruby looked around their surroundings and cupped her ears as the whines of first-responders became apparent. "I don't hear gunfire, but at least help is arriving."

Okay, there were cops at least who could try backing Ruby and her teammates up. Or at least keep the peace while they get the bigger guns like STARs to arrive and help them out. Whichever happens first. But by god, there was no way Ruby and her teammates were equipped or trained to deal with a hostage situation; as far as she recalled, counterterrorism operations weren't necessarily a hunter's forte. They might even have to completely leave this in the hands of national law enforcement.

"Come on everyone." Ruby finally stood up from her chair and faced everyone. "We should get some help from the police, 'cause I don't think any of us are trained to deal with a hostage situation. Blake, I just need you to track down the Crusaders and find out where they took the hostages. I'll be talking with the police in the meantime, so be sure to contact me when you find them. That clear?"

"...Yeah," Blake nodded. Without another word, she took to the rooftops and disappeared from view.

Yang and Weiss looked at Ruby curiously, the former saying, "Ruby, you're just going to talk with the police alone?"

"Yeah, I am. You guys just rest for awhile, we're going to need it."

At first Yang opened her mouth, but a moment of hesitation and she relented. Ruby turned to the direction of the sirens as police cruisers began arriving at the site. Officers stepped out of their cruisers, pistols and shotguns in hand, while Ruby approached them to fill them in on the situation.


The whole Mall of Vale became locked down by the army of Valic police in the span of less than two hours. Streets and cars gleamed with flashing blue and red as paramedics retrieved both the wounded and the dead to take them to either makeshift infirmary tents or ambulances. Police were directing people out of the Mall as a convoy of STAR* APCs rolled down the street cutting through it. Some news vans were present and covered the growing situation.

Ruby was sitting down at the table of a cafe, which was converted into a staging ground for police and law enforcement. Blake had told Ruby the location of the terrorists and hostages while the latter reported to the police on the situation at hand. Now they could do nothing but wait.

"How long has it been again?" Yang said, spread on her chair at the same table.

Ruby looked at her scroll. "About two hours, I guess."

"Wow, only two hours?" Yang looked down. "I thought it had been half the day already. Anyway," she looked back up at Ruby, "did the negotiations start yet?"

"They've been going on since the police managed to cut off the Crusaders at the food court," Weiss said, inspecting Myrtenaster's chamber. "We're going to be on standby for awhile, so I suppose it's best we make sure we're ready if we're needed."

"Those bastards want to make a statement," Blake muttered, scowling at the ground. "They're not going to leave without making one, I'm sure of it."

Weiss looked up at Blake. "So, are you saying they've anticipated getting surrounded by both hunters and law enforcement and as a result they've taken a couple faunus as hostages as a bargaining chip for their freedom?"

"I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case. Still, I think they were expecting this to be a mostly clean job. I guess our actions here screwed up their plans enough."

Yang leaned back on her chair. "Well, that's a win in my book. We kick the shit out of most of their people and we force them into a corner. Now all that's left is to rescue the hostages."

Weiss shook her head. "It's not going to be as a simple as that, Yang."

"What do you mean?"

"Those are hostages the Crusaders have. HRAN's* number one priority is to secure the safety and retrieval of those hostages, not go in guns-blazing and storm that restaurant. If that happens, well," Weiss' gaze became dark, "I'm a living example of what happens when people start using guns in a hostage negotiation."

Yang frowned and Blake slowly nodded.

Ruby looked at them all. "Well, at least we got STARs and the Royal Guard* standing by with us, if that's something at least."

Everyone fell silent again. Weiss continued Myrtenaster's maintenance. Yang looked at Ember Celica, loaded a few shotgun slugs, then inspected her nails. Blake leaned back on her chair and closed her eyes, as if either taking a nap or to focus her thoughts inward. And Ruby simply watched the police and technicians nearby coming in and out of the cafe, with some higher-ranking looking people discussing what sounded like contingencies and situations concerning the hostages and the Crusaders. At least the terrorists had no way of escaping for a while―the food court had only two entrances and both of them were cordoned off by police and now reinforced by STARs and the Royal Guard. Hopefully this situation can get resolved without more people dying today, Crusader and civilian.

Man, this whole day became a mess, hasn't it?

"...Ruby?"

Ruby looked at Yang, whose gaze was cast on the ground. "Yeah?"

"...Sorry about blowing up back there. That really wasn't cool of me to do so, and I probably could do better having a clearer head. I must've looked like an asshole in your eyes, huh?"

"I won't deny that I thought you were being a bit mean at the time," Ruby smiled, "but I think the real people you should apologize to should be Weiss and Blake."

Ruby looked at them, only for her and Yang to witness their own personal moment.

"Blake, I–"

"There's no need, Weiss. I understood why you were mad at me then."

Weiss frowned. "Blake…"

"You know, I should be the one to say sorry as well." Blake looked down on her lap. "You're the heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, so I can't really help but think you're like all of them…"

"No." Weiss shook her head. "Not Winter and I. Maybe we still hold our own prejudices, but I can assure you that neither of us want anything to do with our father."

Blake opened her mouth, but hesitated. A moment of thought, then, "Who's Winter?"

Weiss froze. "Oh, um, she's my big sister, a-actually–"

"Does she have a sense of humor like I do?" Yang butted in and wrapped her arms around Weiss and Blake, smirking at the former particularly.

Weiss stared at Yang, unamused. "Yeah, of course of she does, like every other human being on this planet. The only difference here is that she's leagues more sophisticated than your barbaric and low-fruit jokes."

"Ouch, Ice Princess!" Yang held her heart, leaning back, feigning surprise. "I'm the resident comedian here―you need to chill out for once!"

Weiss opened her mouth for a retort, but then she especially growled at Yang.

Blake and Ruby groaned. Not again.

Yang snickered, barely able to keep her laughter to herself.

Still, she managed to calm down and looked at everyone. "Seriously though, I'm really sorry for blowing up like that back there. I don't think I was that helpful in settling the situation now, was I?"

Weiss crossed her arms, smirking. "Maybe if you weren't such a bombshell."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Yang threw her hair around. "I'm definitely a bomb," then Yang's eyes slowly widened, "shell…"

Ruby and Blake couldn't help but snicker. Oh man, that just happened, didn't it?

Yang stared at Weiss, whose smirk became wider and larger. "Wait a minute, Weiss, did you just–?"

"Well anyway," Ruby got up and inserted herself between her teammates, "it looks like the team's starting to get along better. That's good!"

"Hey, wait, about Weiss–"

Weiss stretched her arms and upper body. "Well, we still have a job to do like you said, Ruby. Let's finish up first so we can spend the rest of the day together as people."

"Guys–"

Blake nodded. "Yeah. That sounds great. Where should we spend the day, though?"

"Okay, are you guys now–?"

Ruby grinned. "We should eat at the Valic Grillhouse! Wait, that's closed right now, so maybe a restaurant outside of the Mall would do it…"

"Alright, you guys are messing with me, aren't you–?"

"How about that restaurant near the Port?" Blake said. "You know, Ocean Fishery?

Weiss nodded. "That is a sound idea, Blake!"

Ruby smiled and nodded. "Ooh, fish! And sushi, too! Oh, after we rescue those hostages, we can celebrate at the Ocean Fishery!"

"Y'know what, fuck you guys," Yang shook her head, a lazy smile tugging the corners of her lips.

Weiss flippantly glanced at Yang. "No thank you, I prefer men. Unless you have some suggestions in mind?"

"Goddammit Weiss!" Yang sighed, trying her best not to laugh. "You can't supersede me as the resident team comedian now! That's my job!"

"I sure as hell can try if I wanted."

"Fine, we'll share then!"

"Kinky."

Yang couldn't keep her laughter and broke down, putting her head on the table. "Weiss, damn, you actually do have a sense of humor…!"

Then she shot up, a terrible grin stretched on her lips. "Wait a minute―I thought prim and proper Ice Princess was prim and proper?"

"What do you mean–?" Weiss froze, then her pale face became scarlet. "Oh no, Yang Xiao Long is rubbing off of me."

Yang nodded devilishly.

Ruby shrugged. "You say that like it's a bad thing, Weiss."

"I don't want to be associated with a barbaric, humorless comedian who couldn't keep her pants on if she tried!" Weiss frowned. "Okay, maybe I shouldn't be this uptight, but I like to retain my dignity as an heiress, at least."

Yang still grinned as she wrapped her arm around Weiss' neck. "Don't worry Ice Princess, you and Blake can be my Disciples of Laughter."

"Invigorating." Weiss rolled her eyes.

"And you're back to your icy self," Yang sighed, but she still smiled. "Well, it was fun while it lasted."

"Ahem, excuse me, huntresses?"

Ruby and her teammates looked up to see a grizzled, middle-aged man, dressed in STAR tactical gear and armor, standing in front of them. He held a helmet in one hand and slung an assault rifle on his shoulder. Ruby and her teammates looked at each other, wondering if it was finally time.

"Yes sir?" Ruby was the one who got up to face him.

The man put his hand out. "Lieutenant Salisbury, STAR. You're Ms. Rose from Beacon Academy, correct?"

"Yeah," Ruby nodded. "Leader of Team RWBY. You got anything for us?"

Salisbury looked at them all gravely. "Yes, and it's urgent. I'll brief you on the way to the cordon."

Weiss gazed at him. "You mean the cordon at the food court?"

He nodded.

Everyone looked at each other again. Ruby picked up Crescent Rose and slung him on her back, glancing at the others:

"Come on. If they need us, then it means we still have more work to do."


*STAR, HRAN, and the Royal Guard are basically Vale's equivalent of the American SWAT, HRT, and the National Guard. STAR stands for "Special Tactics And Response," and HRAN "Hostage Rescue And Negotiations."