The bullhead approached Beacon Academy slowly, three Nevermore feathers sticking out the top. The hangar opened graciously, awaiting the limping aircraft. Wobbling in its descent, the bullhead was jarred when it slammed into the floor.

Pyrrha winced, bracing her leg with her hands. She wasn't really injured, but her leg was sore from the Creep's jaws. When the bullhead stopped moving, she nodded toward Cinder and Jaune. "Make sure Velvet is okay."

They climbed out, followed by Carl. The other boy glanced back briefly to make sure everyone was alright before turning and leaving the hangar. Coco let out a heavy sigh, but didn't try to move to fight with her harness. Tsuruya pushed herself onto her feet and looked around the craft. They all knew who they'd lost, but still it felt wrong. Incorrect.

A group of people arrived beside the bullhead carrying two stretchers with them. Two big men came in and helped Coco out, taking her to one of the stretchers. She was beat up, but not in any serious danger. Tsuruya hadn't even thought what the other stretcher was for until she heard the sound of a saw coming from the cockpit. There was a loud crack, mixed with Velvet crying out, and the sawing stopped. She watched them carry the second stretcher to the front of the bullhead, and then watched as the carried it away again, with Velvet laying on it.

Pyrrha called Tsuruya back to reality. "Velvet is stronger than she looks. She was able to land us, so she'll be fine." Looking back at the only person left in the bullhead, Tsuruya just quietly nodded. Pyrrha was sitting at the back, in the opposite corner. She shook her head. "Those monsters… They've killed too many people already. What do they want with us? Why are they doing this?"

Tsuruya opened her mouth to say that she didn't know, but she remembered something. "I… I heard voices." Pyrrha looked up, startled at that. Tsuruya lowered her gaze. "I think it was the Grimm. I think I heard their voices."

Pyrrha stood up, walking over to Tsuruya and looking down at her. "Of course. The Grimm have to have some way to communicate. To think that they're not intelligent is folly. In fact, we've been getting reports of a possible humanoid Grimm recently. No one is really sure what it looks like, so… I suppose it could be their attempt at infiltration."

"That's a pretty scary thought. Do you think they'd try something like that?"

Pyrrha began circling Tsuruya. "Well… who's to say they haven't already?"

Tsuruya turned to follow Pyrrha, really starting to not like where this was going. "What are you implying, huh?"

Pyrrha shrugged. "We don't know how there are so many different forms of Grimm. Perhaps they can shapeshift. If that were the case, we'd need some sort of test to make sure people were… people. Don't you think so?"

Tsuruya nodded. "Makes sense, but how could you tell them apart?"

"That would be a tough one, wouldn't it? I'd say… if you can really hear the Grimm speaking, then the answer is clear." She stepped back in front of Tsuruya. "We find a Grimm and make it tell us how."

"How do you think we do that?" Tsuruya was still on edge, unsure where Pyrrha's mind might be wandering. She had been sure, even if only momentarily, that the tall warrior girl was about to accuse her of being the humanoid Grimm. "It's not exactly easy to get them alone for a one on one chat. And I don't think anyone else is gonna be up for helping this plan."

"Well, I'm in." An unfamiliar girl jumped up into the bullhead and plopped herself down on one of the seats. "When do we go?"

Pyrrha looked the girl over briefly. "Um… excuse me. I don't believe we've met."

She stood up again, reaching her hand out to Pyrrha. "Oh, that's right. Allow me to introduce myself. I'm May."

Pyrrha sighed and shook her hand. "Hello, May. Do you have a reason to be in the hangar, volunteering for top secret and highly risky missions? I've never even seen you before."

May nodded, taking her hand back and brushing back some hair hanging down beside her face. Tsuruya noted that May was wearing a beanie pulled down over her left eye. That and the hoodie and track pants gave her a very normal look, yet quite distinctive.

Tsuruya commented before May could answer Pyrrha. "I like her. Let's bring her."

May chuckled. "Uh, okay. Well, actually, my team just got here."

"You just arrived?" Pyrrha asked, surprised. "Where did you come from?"

"Miss Zedong, Miss Nikos, you're needed in the assembly hall."

Jumping to respond, May leapt out of the bullhead and rushed on her way.

Pyrrha turned slowly to the source of the voice. She knew that voice. "Professor?" Sure enough, there he stood, shaggy grey hair, wire spectacles, black suit and vest, and a mug of coffee.

Professor Ozpin, headmaster of Beacon Academy, nodded. "Hello again." He took a drink of coffee. "I see things have not been getting better around here. You heard me. To the assembly hall."

Pyrrha saluted, then rushed off as ordered. Ozpin remained, seeming to focus on his coffee. Tsuruya stood still in the bullhead, trying to figure out who this was. He was clearly important and high up in rank, but she hadn't seen him before. She supposed if he cared about her at all, he would say so.

He said so.

"You have an intriguing story about you. Hard to believe, for most." He reached his hand up to her. "I am Professor Ozpin, Headmaster of Beacon. How do you do?"

Tsuruya hopped down, and Ozpin lowered his hand to match. She took it and shook. "I'm Tsuruya." She paused, taking her hand back. "Sorry, but I… I don't feel that great. We just lost someone, and…"

Ozpin interrupted her. "Every life lost is a tragedy, regardless of who that life was. Now is the time in which we must act, or we will lose more than just one life." He lowered his voice. "The assembly hall. We have much to discuss."

Tsuruya followed Ozpin through the crowded halls, though she noticed in spite of many new faces and so many uniforms, there were less people. "Where is everyone?"

He answered without looking back. "A large portion of the non-combatant civilians have been moved to the underground sections of the academy. They will need the shelter."

Before Tsuruya could pursue that subject, Ozpin opened a door ahead of them and led her into the assembly hall. Inside the large room, every Huntsman and Huntress, every soldier and Beacon Ranger, they were all gathered together, crammed from wall to wall. Even on the stage at the front of the room, people stood and waited.

Ozpin disappeared, pushing through the crowd on his way to the stage. Tsuruya lost sight of him, but managed to find her way to someone she recognized. May nodded to her, quickly returning her attention to the front. Ozpin appeared again, on the stage right beside the microphone. Tsuruya figured now was the time for listening.

"You are gathered here, not because you are Huntsmen and Huntresses, but because you are all fighters. You are capable in battle. That is what we need today. I have just returned from the other three kingdoms, and have brought back every living soul I could find. Atlas' army is here, along with the remaining civilians from both Vacuo and Mistral. With this force, our plan is simple. We will destroy every Grimm on Remnant, our home."

Beside Tsuruya, May crossed her arms. "Is that even possible?"

Ozpin continued over the murmuring of the crowd. "That said, many of you have undoubtedly heard rumors of a Human-Form Grimm within the walls of Vale. Those rumors are true. We believe this Grimm to have a special standing among its kind, and plans are already being made to find it and capture it, or failing that, destroy it. The first three volunteers have already spoken, but for such a dangerous mission we need a stronger team. No one will be ordered into this, and it is far from safe. Casualties are to be expected."

May turned to Tsuruya. "Was he talking about us? Is it too late to back out?"

Some girl at the front of the crowd shouted, hefting a spear into the air. "The four of us are in, sir!"

A man's voice, startlingly familiar, also called out. "If you will permit, I would gladly command this excursion!"

Jaune's voice followed. "Count me in!"

Nora's immediately followed. "So are me and Ren!"

Sun was next, raising his weapon above his head. "My team is in! For Neptune!"

"You can count us in as well, Oz."

The headmaster glanced over at a messy raven-haired man and a tidy militant-looking girl. They both nodded. Ozpin turned back to the crowd. "Will that be all?"

Emerald waved her hand over her head. "Me and Merc will go along too. With Neo."

"Don't forget about me!" A silly-looking redheaded girl waved her hand, then saluted smartly. "I'm combat ready!"

Ozpin waited a moment before nodding and speaking into the microphone again. "Then head out. You begin now. Your pilot is waiting."

Tsuruya walked with the group of volunteers. Many of them were strangers to her, but she was glad they weren't alone in this. They entered the hangar together, spotting the large airship that would carry them to their mission. It was apparently Atlas tech, and carried several mechs that were referred to as Paladins. It also came with living quarters, which told her it was capable of being a flying base of operations for them.

Doctor Oobleck stepped in front of the crowd, backed by the messy man and military woman. "Alright, then. We don't have much extra time for a mission briefing, but here's what we have. We will be sweeping through the entire kingdom of Vale non-stop until we find this creature and defeat it one way or another. There will undoubtedly be constant battle against the creatures of Grimm, but this is what you all trained for."

The pilot appeared, stepping down the ramp in front of them. He straightened his hat and slid his cane down through his hands until it lightly tapped the ramp. "And your lives are in my hands. Oh, who, I wonder, do I have to thank for getting pushed into this?"

Pyrrha glared at him. "Roman. What are you doing here?"

The criminal waved his free hand at her. "Apparently someone told Ozpin I was the best pilot we had left. So unlike the lot of you, I was in fact forced into this."

The messy man chuckled. "You were the one who asked for this job."

Oobleck called them back to the matter at hand. "Time is short, gentlemen. Torchwick is our pilot for the time being, and as he is the best pilot among us he will be subject to particular… protections. Now, aside from myself, command will fall upon these two. Professor Branwen," he pointed to the messy man, "and Miss Schnee." He pointed to the woman on the other side of him.

Professor Branwen, as Oobleck had referred to him, waved his hand. "Just call me Qrow."

Not to be outdone, the woman nodded. "And you may call me Winter."

Oobleck stopped the unnecessary chatter a second time. "We will have a quick roll call before moving out. If your name does not come up, let me know. If your name does come up and you are not here, also let me know."

Winter and Qrow exchanged an odd glance behind Oobleck's back.

The bespectacled Doctor began. "Winter Schnee. Qrow Branwen. Roman Torchwick. Jaune Arc. Pyrrha Nikos. Nora Valkyrie. Lie Ren. Sun Wukong. Scarlet David. Sage Ayana. Nebula Violette. Dew Gayl. Gwen Darcy. Octavia Ember. Emerald Sustrai. Mercury Black. May Zedong. Penny Polendina."

Tsuruya frowned. "Umm… you forgot me."

He grimaced. "It has come to my attention that I do not know your first name."

"Yes you do. It's Tsuruya."

"Alright then. Tsuruya Tsuruya."

"Uh, wait, that's not-"

"And Neopolitan!" He vanished in a blur, racing up the ramp past Roman. A moment later he called down the ramp. "Let's get a move on! We are now several minutes behind schedule!"

As everyone made their way into the airship, Tsuruya was left standing at the bottom of the ramp. "I'm Japanese. My first name is my family name."

Neo casually walked past her, only slowing to turn and curtsy to her before heading up the ramp.

Next chapter: Team JNPR action! Team NDGO action! Penny action! Winter and Qrow and Roman action! It's headed towards the mid-point of the story! Hope you're all as pumped as I am!