Jaune was getting changed into his DJ in one of the team bathrooms and musing as to why going to a performance by Foxy Heart could give rise to so many complications. He certainly had not expected it.

On the less controversial side, Pyrrha was finalising her choice of posh frock. Her publicists had agreed that as this was an unofficial event, she could choose for herself whose clothes she wore. They had recommended (and luckily this coincided with Pyrrha's own preference) to choose a dress made by one of the independent dressmakers in Argus she used. Giving free publicity to a small business apparently both enhanced her profile and reflected who she was.

Ren and Nora had gone on ahead. Ren had cooked the whole team an early dinner so that they would not be drinking on an empty stomach. The two of them were meeting with Lisa Lavender for an introductory interview at Junior's before the concert. The Vale TV personality had been persuaded to come to Ansel on the promise that she could get an interview with three out of the four members of Team JNPR and the opportunity to record a series of harder news reports about Ansel, Mistral and the LGDF. They had not needed to promise an interview with Pyrrha and so the risk of the news slipping about her arrival in Ansel had been significantly reduced. They had promised that Lisa could film part of a scroll call between the team showing that they were close knit.

Coco's brother was going with Ren and Nora to make it clear when they were talking off the record by way of background information and when they were on the record. His first three hunter clients were Anne, Nora, and Ren and he hoped that he could build a business to rival Pyrrha's publicists.

It was only Amber, Qrow, Taiyang, Weiss, Ruby and Team CFVY in Vale who knew about Pyrrha's proposed visit to Ansel. Coco had run interference and had provisionally booked the recording studios in Ansel. Yatsuhashi and Velvet had received dispensation from Ozpin to leave Beacon tomorrow morning two days before the end of term. Coco and Fox would be flying out on the Friday as soon as term finished using one of the Adel company private jets.

Another reason for Ren and Nora meeting Lisa at the club had been to ease a problem about Yang. The nightclub Foxy was playing at was the one which Yang had destroyed just before term started. Fortunately, Anne was close friends with the Malachite sisters whom Yang had beaten up and TC also knew them well. They had easily been persuaded to waive any objection to Yang. Junior had taken more persuading, but what had pushed him into acceptance was the fact that Coco and Pyrrha would be attending and the promise of a TV crew on the premises. The club owner was trying to reposition his club in the market as a place where live music was played and as reflecting Argus rather than Mistral city in its clientele. While far from perfect, even Blair acknowledged that Vale gave enough opportunities to Faunus for the Fur Lien to be worth competing for. A slot on the Kingdom network suited him and Foxy's publicists had also been delighted.

Junior had made it clear that weapons were to be handed in at the cloakroom and a compromise had been adding Planchet to the cloak room attendants tonight to forestall any threat of weapon theft. Yang was actually prohibited from bringing Ember Celica at all. On the plus side they had been promised exclusive use of the main VIP room for the Beacon students and their guests.

Earlier today he and Pyrrha had been visited by Weiss and Coco. He was beginning to grasp how different a world Weiss, Pyrrha, Brede, and Coco lived in compared to the rest of them. Weiss, in particular, had a weird life. She had hardly left Beacon all term and she was required to give the ADPS twelve hours' notice before going to Vale for any purpose. She was a target for the White Fang and also had death threats from self-styled Mistralian patriots who blamed the SDC for the economic depression and for dumping the blame for the excesses of the SDC's Vacuoan operations on their Mistralian employees.

Brede was not the heir, and his family were less controversial. Usually, he could have a slightly more normal life, provided his "valet" Planchet accompanied him and the ADPS preferred TC to also be around. Both were Atlas trained and could be trusted to protect Brede.

Pyrrha's problems were those of fame. She could not eat in public without being besieged by fans and paparazzi and so if they ate out as a team, they needed to book a private room. Even then there was a real risk that news would leak quickly so that even if they arrived without being noticed, it was rare to leave without being besieged.

Weiss had said, "Pyrrha, the ADPS." She had then paused and looked at Jaune. "The Atlas Diplomatic Protection Squad."

Jaune had nodded. He had known what the initials stood for but saw no point in making this clear.

"They were not overjoyed at me and Brede going to a night club hosting a Faunus entertainer. Foxy Heart is on the record as sympathising with the White Fang's goals if not its methods. They have insisted on having ten agents accompanying me and Brede to the concert this evening and for both of us to travel there under their protection. The recent increase in White Fang activity has spooked them."

Jaune must have been looking puzzled, "Jaune, I know you aren't interested in history, but not taking account of current affairs..."

Pyrrha interrupted her, "We know that they have been carrying out some robberies on dust shops and warehouses in the last month or so. We do come from Mistral, so we are used to them being active."

Weiss had not looked as though she believed this excuse in Jaune's case, but added, "They and some human supremacists have also been competing in how many moderate Faunus rights activists they can kill, injure, or just run out of town. Frankly, killing the remaining Belladonna supporters seems stupid for both factions, but if fits in with the playbook of those who want to rerun the Faunus wars."

Jaune knew just enough not to look blank at the mention of the Belladonna family. He knew a General Belladonna had led the Faunus forces at the battle of Fort Castle. Amber had got into trouble for suggesting that at Haven they should commission a statue of the Faunus General giving the finger to the existing statue of General Lagune.

Weiss continued, "This means that we are required to take a special shuttle with reinforced armour and the latest anti-missile technology from Beacon to the grounds of the Atlas Embassy. We will then be taken by limousines each holding four security guards with Diplomatic number plates to Junior's Club Mistralian. There will also be motorcyclist outriders, and two other limousines with the rest of the guards accompanying us."

Coco said, "There will be room in the two limousines for six guests. Me and Velvet will be travelling together in the decoy limousine."

Weiss said, "I've decided to make a virtue out of a necessity. For several reasons it suits me and Brede to be seen travelling together. We don't mind people speculating about our friendship. It takes attention off Lydia."

Coco said, "It no doubt cheeses off the Marigold family to think that the Schnees and the Campions are getting into bed with each other."

Weiss glared at Coco, "It benefits Atlas if the two families have a rapprochement."

"That's what I said." Coco winked at him and Pyrrha.

Coco continued, "Me and Weiss thought it for the best if you two accompanied her and Brede. I know one of the aims is to increase media interest in your return to Mistral. Rumours that the two of you are possibly more than teammates will not hurt."

Weiss swiftly added, "You don't have to kiss but being seen in public and dancing together a few times is all that is needed to start people talking. That's all that Brede and I will be doing."

Coco said, "Perhaps pose for a few pictures for Velvet inside the VIP room and for the paparazzi outside the club."

Pyrrha looked at Jaune and seemed to blush slightly. "If you are OK with that Jaune, then fine by me."

Jaune said, "If you're certain Pyrrha?"

"I am. Coco, why you and Velvet?"

"Velvet's now a celebrity in her own right because of the photography and we are about to launch the new Adel-Bans with Velvet's improved night vision features. Besides which it suits my image to be accompanied by an attractive woman and she needs to be less shy in public."

Weiss said, "It is also good for me and Brede to be seen to have Faunus friends as well as Faunus teammates. It helps that she is a friend in reality."

Coco laughed, "I suggest you rephrase that one before using it in public, Weiss."

Jaune asked "Who are the other two guests? Lydia and TC?"

Weiss said "I thought about it but that would have meant excluding Anne. Besides which TC prefers to keep a low profile after the publicity following the fight."

Coco guffawed, "The bloke was so used to people pretending he doesn't exist for most of his life that it shocked him when people focused on him."

Weiss said, "While the Remnant Enquirer spiked the story suggesting Parsifal Campion was his father, they did run with the story saying that he must be the love child of an Atlesian aristocrat. It doesn't help that it was a widespread rumour when he served as a local guide to the Atlesian forces in Vacuo."

Jaune asked, "So who is travelling with you two?"

Coco said, "Cardin and Julia are coming along for the ride. TC and Lydia's suggestion and Cardin went along with it. Don't ask me to guess what they all think they are trying to achieve."

Weiss said, "Yang thinks that Cardin is trying to make Julia feel more secure. He apparently did not treat her well the first time they had a relationship at Pharos. My view is that he is distancing himself from his father without saying so directly."

Jaune did not really know what she meant by that, and it must have shown on his face.

Weiss looked at him. "You must have noticed that he and Nora are the only people who rival you for not wanting to talk in Oobleck's history lessons."

That was true. Nora got away with it a little more because she and Ren had worked out years ago a method of communication which did not require words and Ren brought along a crib sheet to class showing answers to the likely questions.

"Cardin just agrees with me that too many people are obsessed with the past and refight ancient battles rather than just getting on with things."

"There is a difference between obsession and taking an intelligent interest."

Coco interrupted, "I knew Cardin at Pharos and he just echoed what his father said then."

Jaune still felt none the wiser.

Pyrrha said, "We know that Cardin and Dove's fathers are politicians. I've never heard Cardin saying whether or not he agrees with his father."

"Quite. Two years ago, he was a parrot for his father's views about Faunus. Now he takes the line that hunters should not be involved in politics and that against the Grimm humans and Faunus should be united. Turning up in a limo with a Faunus co-passenger sends a message without saying his father is a dick."

"He does seem to be getting on better with Lydia now than at the start of term, Coco."

"Yes – that's not much of a challenge. Let's say the jury is out, but if she is ready to allow him to rehabilitate himself and believes he means it, I'm not going to object."

Weiss said, "It's one thing to disagree with a parent in private or by implication, it's another to denounce them in public."

Jaune said, "Sometimes the implication is too much."

Pyrrha shook her head at Coco who had seemed about to say something else.

After the two women had left, Jaune asked Pyrrha, "Are you certain it's fine?"

She nodded. "Coco's right. It will help attract journalists to Ansel. Besides which if we didn't go together there would be rumours that the team was not getting on together or that anyone whose company I shared this evening was a potential lover. I learnt long ago that I don't really have a private life."

She looked at him, "Did your father and Amber argue?"

"You could say so. He felt that she had made mother's position more difficult by speaking what she thought was the truth. She resented him not backing her up for pointing out the problems in Mistral or at least not doing what mother did and saying that she was proud of her daughter, even if she did not necessarily agree with her."

Pyrrha nodded. "You know about Winter and Jacques Schnee?"

"Vaguely. I get the sense that Weiss does not like talking about her family apart from being proud of Winter."

"According to my sources there was a row when Winter joined the Atlas military on qualifying, but Jacques did not disinherit Winter until after the Vacuoan scandal. Winter, Marrow Amin, Parsifal Campion, and a couple of others exposed the wrongdoings of the multi-Kingdoms. While Winter never went on the record about the SDC, a lot of people in Atlas were furious with her for helping blow the whistle."

Jaune nodded. He knew that the twins agreed with Amber and that Debo was sympathetic, but none of them put their heads above the parapet in public. The twins had cultivated an image as apolitical party goers. Debo's position was so convoluted that it would take an hour or so to explain it and besides which was married to an up-and-coming politician.

Anyway, soon it was time to set out. Slightly embarrassingly the eight of them passed Professor Goodwitch, Dr Oobleck, and the librarian heading towards the staff bullhead. Professor Goodwitch looked as though she wanted to ask questions about where they were going or at least what Weiss was up to.

Thinking about it, no one had told the staff at Beacon that they were going out this evening and certainly not where they were all heading. Yang had vetoed an express notification on the basis that even if Junior accepted that she could go to the club, Professor Goodwitch might object. As no one wanted to bear the wrath of Yang everyone had kept quiet.

In addition, most people had assumed that Weiss would not be attending. She never left Beacon and it had been easier to let people assume that was the case tonight as well.

They stepped on to the Atlas armoured bullhead and took their seats. Luckily, he was in a part of the aircraft without windows and the ride was incredibly smooth. Pyrrha also distracted him by asking the others how their teammates were travelling to Junior's Club Mistralian.

Weiss said, "Yang's going with Anne, Lydia, Russel, and TC to make certain that there were no hard feelings with the women she beat up last time she went to the club. By the way Brede, you didn't tell me that were part of the Malachite family."

"Anne says that they are being kept out of the business."

Weiss snorted, "On the run more like. Admittedly their arrest four years ago had all the marks of a put-up job, but their escape from juvenile detention was a spectacularly violent affair. They and two other girls took out eight guards despite being chained and unarmed."

Cardin looked for a second as though he was going to say something but resisted the temptation.

Jaune asked, "What about Ruby and Blair?"

"They are going to be late. A friend of Blair's who runs a bookshop was apparently murdered this afternoon and the two of them are trying to find out what happened. They'll have a bite to eat at Brown's and then join us later."

"Not Tukson?"

"That's the name. Ruby gets most of her comics there and Blair buys books."

Jaune was upset by the news. He often went there with Ruby at the weekends to buy textbooks and comics.

Apparently Dove and Sky were also having a meal out before going to the concert. The rest of Team SFRN were travelling with Fox and Yatsuhashi along with Team PLUM. Team PLUM were Team CFVY's main rivals in the second year and had helped host the initiation day.

Anyway, he did not barf during the journey to his huge relief.

To his surprise, as soon as they landed in the grounds of the Atlas Embassy, Weiss flared her aura at about one third power. He raised his eyebrow, but Brede shook his head at him.

Weiss was called in to be greeted by the ambassador. Brede stayed behind with them in the armoured bullhead and said, "Don't ask her about it. She assumes everyone knows about the two kidnap attempts when she was a child. She will find it rude for you to ask about them. She always flares her aura when outside the grounds of the Schnee Mansion. The fact that she does not do so when at Beacon is a sign of how relaxed she is here. It's enough to blunt the force of a bullet. I'll do the same between the limo and the entrance to the club."

Jaune did not know whether he was more shocked at the revelation that Brede considered that Weiss was relaxed or that Weiss had suffered two kidnap attempts in Atlas.

Coco nodded. "I had a kidnap attempt as well, but it was a total shambles. Still, it did mean that my mother decided to unlock all our auras."

Velvet said, "I heard that out of ten people in the convoy during the attempt in Mantle when she was ten, only Weiss, her mother, and the butler survived."

Brede said, "That's true, but that's one of the reasons we don't talk about it to her."

Jaune looked at Pyrrha who seemed almost as stunned as he felt. He felt that it explained a lot about Weiss.

Julia said, "Didn't someone try to kill you as well?"

"They were after my uncle, but I was acceptable collateral damage. TC and Winter Schnee saved our lives that day."

Cardin said, "Doesn't make Pharos sound so bad after all."

Coco said, "I think only Lydia and Dove tried to maim each other."

"Don't remind me."

Julia giggled and held on to Cardin's arm.

Jaune tried to work out how far the three ex-Pharos students were joking.

Just then Weiss returned with the head of the security detail. They were hustled into the limos by men in dark suits, dark sunglasses, and earpieces.

There was an armed guard in the front seat by the driver and two in the rear. The windows were dark, but they could see out of them.

Brede said, "What's the betting Coco is trying to flog the security men the new updated Adel-Bans?"

Jaune replied, "I'm not taking that one."

Even Weiss smiled at this exchange. Coco was a natural hustler and apparently her mother still remembered the early days before the grandmother, the original Coco, had broken through to become a Remnant wide success.

The convoy drove through the streets of Vale somehow never stopping. Jaune wondered if the Atlas Embassy had done a deal with the Vale police authorities to clear the roads. In ten minutes, they were at the doors of Junior's Club Mistralian. The driver spoke into a microphone. "We will be disembarking the second limousine first."

Jaune watched as Cardin got out first and then offered a helping hand initially to Julia and then to Velvet. Even through the dark glass of the car he could see that cameras and scrolls were flashing and taking pictures and heard the huge cheers which erupted when Coco emerged from the car. She was in a posh version of her hunter outfit and was carrying Gianduja.

To his surprise, Brede and Weiss left the main limo before he and Pyrrha. Brede was in immaculate evening dress and carried a cane with a silver top. There were gasps of recognition and disbelief when Weiss followed him out of the limousine. Perhaps this was a sign that security had been good. The pair stopped for about three seconds to allow pictures to be taken (including by Velvet) before the security detail hurried them through the doors.

Finally, it was their turn. He left the car to some cheers, but nothing prepared him for the adulation when Pyrrha stepped out of the car holding on to his arm. A security man was holding Miló and Akoúo̱ for her and handed them to her after she was out of the car. She posed with them for the crowd at the door and Jaune noticed that Lisa Lavender and the film crew were filming. She grasped Jaune by the arm and they walked slowly into the night club. They stopped at the cloak room and Pyrrha handed over her weapons to Planchet.

Jaune noted that Coco had kept hold of Gianduja and Velvet had kept her camera. He supposed that they had plausible deniability as weapons and suspected that both of them had handed over some token weapon to Planchet. He had left Crocea Mors behind. It was not as though he expected a fight this evening.

They were greeted by Junior Xiao-Long who expressed himself honoured by their presence. He registered that since this visit just before the start of term Junior had changed the uniform of the club employees from traditional atlas criminal to high class night club. Just before they reached the top of the stairs leading to the VIP lounge, Pyrrha whispered to him to turn and stand still for a few seconds. More flashes from cameras and scrolls greeted them at that point and both of them waved to the audience.

The rest of the Beacon contingent was already in the lounge apart from Sky, Dove, Blair, and Ruby. There was apparently a lift down to the dance floor from the lounge so if they wanted to join the main audience that would be no problem. There was also a balcony outside the darkened windows which would allow them an excellent view of the stage.

Jaune looked around and saw that Lydia might also have smuggled a weapon in. She had an umbrella with her which looked rather sturdier than needed. She was sitting next to Anne and a small girl with oddly coloured hair who looked vaguely familiar. The girl was holding a parasol and she and Lydia seemed to be comparing notes. Suddenly he recalled that he had seen the girl before one day when he had been in Vale with Ruby.

The young girl stared at him also seeming to half recognise him. Lydia turned and waved him and Pyrrha over. "Pyrrha, Jaune, meet Neo." The young girl shook hands with them both and smiled.

"Good to meet you, Neo." The girl winked at them.

Anne said, "Neo can't speak but she is good at communicating."

Jaune recalled from the past that what he had to do was avoid assuming that the woman was stupid simply because she couldn't talk. Lydia and the girl got back to comparing their protection from the weather.

The Malachite twins were next to TC and clearly were on good terms with him. It was hard not to wonder what their mother would have thought if she had known about it. Oddly, the glass ceiling for Faunus in the criminal gangs in Mistral was higher than in most legitimate professions. He supposed that it might be for similar reasons as why one of mother's two deputies was a Faunus. You needed Faunus to run the rackets to the extent they involved Faunus in the same way that you needed a senior Faunus in the LGDF to liaise with village leaders and persuade the locals to trust that the LGDF would help Faunus as well as humans.

To his mild surprise, TC called Yang over and he realised that the two of them were trying to encourage the Malachite twins to apply to Beacon. Pyrrha joined in by saying that if they gave Yang a run for her money then they were doing better than more than half of the students in their year at Beacon.

Part of him hoped that this would be successful, but there must be a risk that it could turn out as badly as training Raven Branwen to be one of the best huntresses in the last thirty years.

Toma Adel was sitting with Ren and Nora. He went over to them to ask how the meeting with Lisa Lavender had gone. All thought it had gone well. The woman had clearly been doing some research on Mistral and while having some standard preconceptions had seemed open to questioning them. Because of Mountain Glenn, in many ways it was easier to talk about Kuroyuri in Vale than in Mistral. Maybe it helped that there had been more survivors, but Lisa had said that what had been taboo in Vale was talking about the hunters and students who had given their lives to save the last few thousand people to safely leave Mountain Glenn.

He noticed out of the corner of his eye that Team CFVY had suddenly looked shocked and that Coco and Yatsuhashi had rushed out to the balcony. Yang, Nora, he, and Russel followed them out and realised why they had reacted the way they had. Goodwitch, Oobleck and the librarian had come through the entrance and were just now realising that Planchet was helping out in the cloakroom. Dr Oobleck kept hold of his thermos, Professor Goodwitch her riding crop while the librarian handed over a weapon of some description to Planchet. Yang ducked back inside the VIP room and was no doubt informing the rest of them who had walked in the door. A member of the ADPS went and had a word with the Beacon trio and looked a little taken aback.

Weiss and Brede then joined them on the balcony and Brede waved at their teachers. Dr. Oobleck smiled and waved back, the librarian giggled, and Professor Goodwitch gripped the Disciplinarian even more tightly than usual. The three moved up the stairs and disappeared into the VIP room on the other side.

The head of the ADPS security detail came out and asked for a word in private with Brede and Weiss. Three minutes later Brede appeared back on the balcony. "This is going to be a more entertaining evening than we were expecting. Still Weiss agreed with me that we would stay put."

Jaune looked down and saw that the other members of Team LLAC, Neo, the Malachite twins, Yang, and Russel had moved down to the dance floor and had commandeered a table. Brede looked around, "Anyone else up for boogying? Miss Foxy Heart is due on in five minutes and the Malachites say that she intends to start on time. Apparently she regards punctuality as a virtue."

Nora said, "Of course" and disappeared inside no doubt to hunt down Ren. Jaune followed her in and asked Pyrrha if she wanted to move downstairs. She said, "I don't want to spoil her entrance. Maybe a little later." She paused and said, "Perhaps we can listen on the balcony?"

Jaune nodded and moved back on to the balcony as did Weiss. Brede had headed downstairs along with Cardin, Julia, and the rest of team SFRN.

Team PLUM and Team CFVY had joined him, Pyrrha and Weiss on the balcony. Suddenly Coco swivelled her head round. Jaune did the same and saw a woman with four men who looked rather like bodyguards approaching from what he assumed must be the emergency exit. Junior was escorting her. They were moving towards the VIP lounge occupied by the Beacon teachers.

He looked at the woman and gasped.

He nudged Pyrrha, "Does that woman look like she could be Blair's older sister?"

Pyrrha followed his gaze and said, "She does, doesn't she? I think I recognise her."

Weiss snorted, "Of course you do. She's Kali Belladonna. What on Remnant is she doing in Vale?"

Some communication was going on within team CFVY and everyone stared at Velvet who shrugged and looked a little defiant.

Coco turned to Weiss, "Did you and your sister know?"

"Of course, we did. So did TC."

Just then the DJ stopped playing records and the band came on stage. They were shortly followed by three backing singers. They were male humans wearing cat ears. Junior then walked on stage and said, "Junior's Club Mistralian is proud to present that inter-kingdom sensation, the Foxy lady with a kink in her tail, the one, the only Miss Foxy Heart."

The Fox Faunus strode on to the stage and started singing, "The name on everyone's lips is going to be… Foxy."

He had heard her records before, and they had been great fun. The reality was that she had stage presence. The choices she made singing were made more effective when you saw her flirting with the audience. The first song was slightly adapted from a musical about twenty years old when the name used had been Roxie. He looked over at Weiss who seemed mesmerised. Thinking about it, Weiss had the better voice and technique, but Foxy was the better performer.

At the end of the opening number, the applause was deafening. She bowed, and then introduced her backing dancers, The Foxlets.

She joked, "According to the Remnant Enquirer, to be a Foxlet you have to let Foxy. All I can say is that I have the happiest support dancers in show business."

The three men grinned. The woman continued, "I've listened to the old timers complaining that humans always stole their acts and got paid more for them. I've got them beat in three of the four kingdoms. No way could any human get away with dressing their backing dancers and singers as ear and tail minstrels in those and I'm banned in the other one."

Laughter and applause greeted that sally. The singer took the opportunity to scan the audience and double took twice. First, at the balcony opposite the Beacon one where the cat Faunus was standing applauding and then at the people immediately in front of the stage.

She said, "Thaddeus Leslie Corkran, is that really you? They really do let anyone in at Junior's Club Mistralian."

She went over to the band leader and whispered to him who passed a message around the orchestra. She said, "This is from my next old time classics album out next year."

The orchestra started playing and the woman sang, "He's a tramp, but we love him." She changed some of the lyrics to refer to a cat rather than a dog, but otherwise played it straight.

TC responded by saluting her and then dancing with Melanie Malachite. Yang and Russel joined in as did Cardin and Julia.

At the end, the singer laughed. "OK, back to the schedule maestro."

After another seven songs and forty minutes she took a bow and said, "I'll be back for the second set at nine thirty for songs from the Foxy Rocks album."

There was loud applause and stomping of feet. The Beacon dancers returned to the VIP room and more champagne. Apparently Brede was paying but Anne had negotiated a less extravagant mark-up than normal.

Both Anne and Jaune made a bee line for TC to ask where he knew Foxy from. He answered, "We first encountered each other in Vacuo before she was Foxy and when I was generally known as Elsie to the squaddies from Mantle."

Russel asked, "Did my brother and uncle know her?"

"Not really, although they did listen t' us singing karaoke one night."

Anne said, "You've never mentioned that you knew her before."

"Too much like boasting. Besides which I was not certain she would want t' acknowledge that we were friendly."

Weiss checked her scroll, "Ruby and Blair are running late. They'll be here about nine thirty."

She turned to Anne "Any chance of two more tickets? Apparently they've met two Haven students at the restaurant."

Yang said, "Pretty please, Anne. Ruby and Blair talking to new people needs to be encouraged."

Melanie Malachite said "If they join you in the VIP lounge it won't be a problem. I'll sort it out with Junior."

Coco looked at Weiss who just shook her head.

Jaune overheard Miltia Malachite asking Lydia if she thought her team could win the Vytal festival. Lydia laughed, "According to TC if the Vytal festival was a bar fight or fought in a sandstorm, yes. Otherwise, no. I think we've a good chance of making the quarter finals and if we get the right choice of habitats possibly the semis. We are a good team rather than a collection of brilliant individuals though."

Melanie laughed, "If I wanted two street fighters I would choose TC and Anne and Brede would make a brilliant assassin from what Anne says. She also says that you can cause anyone problems."

Miltia cut in and said, "She's only joking. We like to play up the criminal stereotypes. It reduces the amount of trouble people are willing to cause Junior."

Lydia ignored this and said, "I know my limitations. Pyrrha has my number and Yang and Nora can take me three times out of four. Well maybe three out of five. Anyway, the Vytal festival has little to do with being good against the Grimm."

Pyrrha laughed and Lydia looked at her and blushed. "Sorry, but you know what I mean. If we were hunting Grimm my job would be to block them long enough allow Brede and TC the chance to snipe away or Anne to find stuff to shred them with."

Melanie was about to say something when Miltia seemed to kick her. He looked over and saw Neo and Anne practising dance moves together. Anne had Lydia's umbrella while Neo had her parasol. Russel came up behind him and said, "I could swear that they are doing "If they could see me now."

Ren who was nearby said, "I agree."

Yang clapped Russel and Ren on the back, "If anyone had told me at the start of term that a Vacuoan with an individualistic hairstyle and a quiet man from Mistral would be the best dancers at Beacon, I would have told them they were tripping. Are you going to audition to be Foxlets?"

Russel laughed. "No, it's hard enough avoiding being kicked by you."

At 9.25 he was sitting on the balcony of the VIP lounge with Weiss and Pyrrha. He saw below that Blair, Ruby, Dove, and Sky were arriving together with two men who he recognised from the tapes as being Sun and Neptune from Team VBES. He prodded Pyrrha who nodded and said, "We'll talk to them when they come up here."

Just then the band returned to the stage and the Foxlets welcomed Foxy back. The band started playing and the Fox Faunus said, "It's time for a Ballroom blitz."

She then turned to the Foxlets, "Are you ready, Steve?"

One of the men said, "Uh-huh."

"Andy?"

"Yeah"

"Mick?"

"Okay"

"Alright fellas, let's go!"

Suddenly Jaune and the rest of the Beacon students heard Fox in their heads, "Sixty auras incoming at speed, half from the roof, half from the front door. Let's not take any chances. If you have not handed in your weapons, get them ready and, in any event, flare your aura and get between the civilians and the door."

Seconds later Jaune heard a loud bang and saw the front doors of the club explode.