"You and your stupid puns." Weiss barely let the words slip from her tongue as she ran from the line she and her friends had formed. To Yang's surprise, the former heiress wrapped her in an embrace, holding as tightly as she possibly could. Yang felt no discomfort, and returned Weiss' hug with a much more gentle one. As surprised as she was, she was even more overjoyed. She hadn't expected such an emotional reaction from Weiss. Yang wanted to give her a bear hug, as was her traditional embrace, but her arms felt weak. It wasn't until now that she realized how much her predicament had hurt her friend. Weiss had been so busy, so distant, that she seemed to almost vanish from Yang's thoughts. That would change today.

"I missed you too, Snow Angel." The two stood there for a few seconds, everyone looking at them patiently but awkwardly, and Weiss eventually let go of the blonde.

"My apologies. I was just caught up in the moment," she said.

"I bet it was the pun. It was, wasn't it?" Yang asked, smiling coyly.

"You wish." Weiss went back to the line, standing next to Ruby.

"You stole my hug, Weiss," she said with mock accusation.

"What are you going to do, call the police?" At this, everyone burst out laughing, but not at the quip itself. Weiss made a joke, something she didn't do often. It just went to show how special today was. Even the Ice Queen had let herself melt. A nearby sniffle indicated that Jaune had began to tear up. Pyrrha placed her hand on his shoulder as Yang went down the line, starting with Neptune. He smiled at Yang, but looked a little off. She noticed.

"Hey there, Neptune. You okay?"

"I just...feel bad for being gone. I don't know what I could have done, but I could have at least been there," he said. Yang didn't even bother waiting; she threw her arms around him and lifted the blue-haired man into the air.

"You had a life to live! I'd rather you do that than worry about little old me. But don't get me wrong; I'm glad you're back," she said. Neptune patted her on the head, now looking off for an entirely different reason.

"Too...strong..." He muttered, trying hard to get the words out. Yang dropped him and smiled sheepishly.

"What is it with you and massive, bone-crushing bear hugs?" He asked.

"It's not my fault you're all weak," was the reply. Yang then went over to Sun. Looking at him, she felt a surge of guilt rise up in her. He had tried to help her. He tried to confront her and stopped her from making a very stupid, drunken mistake. He did something even when everyone else was afraid to, and he'd opened his home to her. He was there for her and she pushed him aside. All he had been doing was trying to help, and Yang had insulted and shunned him. She had a lot to say to the blonde faunus.

"Sun...I'm so, so sorry. You tried your best to be there for me and I didn't give a damn. I didn't see how hard you were trying to help me, or how much it hurt you to be pushed aside. I was lost in my own, stupid little world. But no matter how many apologies I give, it can't make what I did go away. I know that. I just-" Sun stepped up to Yang as she spoke to him, avoiding his gaze by lowering her head so that she saw only the ground.

"Hey. Stand up tall and look me in the eye. You've got nothing to apologize for. You kicked alcoholism's ass; you should look the part," he said.

"If you say so. Now, you know what comes next." Yang lifted her head and gave him one of her patented hugs, and although he was physically stronger than most of the people present, he still felt a very uncomfortable strain. She let him go, and he sighed in relief.

"Ow." Yang quickly went to Nora, but instead of a hug, the two did some kind of special greeting. Everyone gasped in surprise as they flared up their Auras and slammed their heads together. They were holding back greatly, so they didn't feel a thing, but it was still a strange sight to behold. Weiss looked particularly annoyed.

"That is in no way a proper greeting," she sighed. Her words were ignored.

"It's good to have you back, Yang. No one else wants to do our thing!" Nora exclaimed. Yang laughed.

"I have no idea why," she said with friendly sarcasm, moving to Ren. He looked incredibly stoic despite the inevitability of a painful embrace. True to expectations, Yang hugged him and everyone could see the color drain from his face. He didn't speak or grunt, controlling himself well., but the strain put on him was obvious. When he was released, he bent over and moved his hand to his back, looking up at Yang with a small, forced smile.

"Sorry about that," she said kindly, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"No worries. I'm just glad you've recovered so well," he said. She moved over to Pyrrha, and everyone could noticed the pained look on the redhead's face. She was still nursing guilt and disappointment in herself for what had happened a month ago. Trying her best to look Yang in the eye, she put on her best smile.

"...I have a lot I want to say."

"I know. Go ahead; I won't interrupt."

"I made a horrible mistake. I tried to be patient and supportive, but I couldn't do it. Instead, I could have made things so much worse for you...for all of us. You are very important to me, Yang, and I hate that I lost control. I hate that I struck you when you needed kindness more than ever. For that, I can never forgive myself. I want you to know how deeply I regret my actions, in hopes that we can still be close. I wouldn't blame you for being angry, and I don't expect you to forgive me right away. I just want to say that no matter what, I will always consider myself your friend, and I hope to still have the honor of being thought of as yours." Pyrrha finished what she had to say, what she'd been wanting to say for the whole day, and waited for Yang's response.

"It's no big deal. I had it coming, anyway, judging from what I heard about it. I mean, I did kind of call you a...whatever. Come here, Pyrrha. You could use a hug." Hesitating less than a second, Pyrrha was quick to embrace her friend, her expression one of relief. Yang gave her a powerful hug as she had done for the others, but the famous Huntress was unfazed.

"I was treating Jaune worse than Cardin ever did; I'm surprised you didn't break my legs on the spot." the blonde said jokingly. As she and Pyrrha moved apart from each other, her words led to the next person she would face; Jaune had a look in his eyes that could only be described as bliss. He was so happy to see her, and seemed to forget everything she had said a month ago. Yang, however, did not. The memory of her cruelty still stung. She couldn't remember what she said, and she hadn't asked anyone to tell her all the details, but she could remember the burning fury. She remembered how deeply she hated him. The feeling felt far away, as if it had never been hers in the first place, but the memory of it still weighed on her mind heavily.

"I didn't mean anything I said, you know. I don't even need to know what kind of crap came out of my mouth to know that. You're come a long way, Jaune. And...thanks a lot for helping Ruby." Yang didn't expect Jaune to be angry with her, but even so, she didn't expect what happened next. He laughed.

"Hey, it's fine! I'm over it; you should be too," he said. Yang flashed him a huge grin, which he returned. They were both glad to know that things could go back to how they once were.

"Also, does this mean that I can get away without a hug?" At this, Yang's grin turned devious as she swooped on Jaune like a Nevermore, wrapping her arms around him and lifting him up in an incredible grip.

"Like hell it does!" After a few seconds in which Jaune writhed and moaned in pain, Yang put him down. Upon making sure she hadn't done too much damage, she quickly walked to the person she was most looking forward to seeing, and yet at the same time with whom she dreaded reuniting the most. Passing Weiss, ruffling the former heiress' hair playfully much to her annoyance, Yang approached her sister.

"Hey, Ruby."

"Yang!"

Ruby had been an excuse. To Yang, it seemed like many years that things had been that way. She used Ruby's injury to avoid contact with her friends and with the world, keeping herself isolated. She hadn't felt anything when she talked about her sister and how her lifelong dream had been taken from her when she lost the use of her legs. It felt rehearsed, disconnected from reality. It was just like her. All her actions felt robotic, and the only time she did anything that felt real was when she was drinking; when she was least connected to the real world. It was when she abandoned life that she felt the most peaceful, or so she thought. It wasn't peace she had felt, but emptiness. She made everything, good and bad, go away when she turned to the bottle. Even Ruby faded into a mere shadow of a memory. She lost her judgment, her empathy. The only times she felt like she cared about anything were the times she spent with her sister, playing a game or watching a show, and those grew more and more few as time went on. Blake being imprisoned, Weiss being disgraced, and Ruby being crippled all helped her retreat further and further into her mind, where she told herself that she couldn't face the world. She was too intent on listening to the dark thoughts circling in her mind like like vultures, waiting to feast on her ruined psyche. She was unaware of the advice of those who cared about her and what was really going on in the outside world. She distorted everything into a twisted caricature, looking at friends as enemies. All her friends, of course, except Ruby. She had more meaning, but not one spurred by love. She was useful. Ruby gave Yang a way to retreat, and when she threatened to take that away, the blonde had snapped. She was going to hurt her sister. She was going to unleash her rage on the most vulnerable target. Yang hated herself for what she had wanted to do.

"Yang, are you okay?" Ruby asked, her silver eyes brimming with concern. Yang was snapped from her thoughts and sighed.

"I'm fine...I was just thinking about things."

"What things?"

"How I was going to hurt you." Ruby bit her lip at those harsh words, and Yang closed her eyes, ashamed to look her sister in the face. Everyone else went wide-eyed, looking at the two.

"You didn't, though," Ruby assured the blonde.

"Please don't lie for my sake. I know what I was going to. I was going to hurt you, the person I love most in the whole word!"

"But you never did! You had friends to help you, and you still do and always will."

"And what about you? Would you still live with me, knowing what I was going to do? Can things ever go back to the way they were?" Yang asked, looking increasingly nervous. She waited, holding her breath, for Ruby's answer.

"Of course they can!" Ruby did have doubts, of course. She was only human. She had been terrified and hurt by what Yang tried to do a month ago, but knew that that wasn't the real Yang. That wasn't the unflappable, confident, and lovingly supportive sister she knew. That woman stood in front of her right now, and she needed to know that she was still loved.

"Really?" Yang asked, slowly looking up.

"Does Nora like pancakes?" At this, Yang burst into tears and practically pulled Ruby out of her wheelchair and into the biggest, longest hug she'd given yet.

"I do! I do like pancakes!" Nora said happily. No one could hold back their laughter.

Although she was more than ready to return to work, there was a mandatory week-long suspension period before Yang could officially resume her Huntress duties. She wasn't at all disappointed by this; she would use the time to spend with her friends. Unfortunately, Weiss had to leave on a mission in two days and everyone else still had work to do, so she would have to make the most of the day ahead. After being picked up from rehab, there was one thing that Yang had wanted to do more than anything. Ruby had assured her that things between them could go back to the way there were, and the blonde knew her sister was right. Hearing her say that, Yang's thoughts had briefly turned to Blake. She had avoided her for far too long. Today, that would change.

"I want to visit Blake," Yang said. Her and the others were walking to the parking lot to find the cars they'd taken, all wanting to go out and have fun with their newly recovered friend. However, upon hearing her suggestion, all thoughts of fun vanished.

"Are you serious?" Ruby asked excitedly. She was the most adamant, in the beginning, that Yang meet with Blake. She made her sister fill out a prison visitation form despite her desire not to see Blake again, and was very glad that she had done so.

"I think she'd be overjoyed to see you," Weiss added on.

"Of course, we'd be more than willing to give you privacy should you want it," Pyrrha offered. As everyone expressed their happiness at her change of heart, her resolve strengthened. She would see Blake. She'd been afraid for too long, and she'd judged her friend unfairly. Blake had been under a lot of stress and made a mistake. Now that Yang had a similar experience, she had to see the faunus and tell her that she was sorry for cutting off contact with her. Blake hadn't deserved that.

"I'm totally serious! It's been way, way too long." It had indeed been too long. Yang was nervous, but this was something she now felt she had to do.

The solitary confinement area was located outside, made of metal, and had no windows. Instead, for light, there was an uncomfortably bright ceiling lamp hanging from above. Blake didn't know any of this from experience; she'd been told by another inmate. From the outside, however, she had seen for herself what it looked like. It was a large rectangle, about half the size of the recreational area, and was located a little ways away from it. Massive electric fences barricaded it within the prison property, and two guards stood outside it. It was a place dreaded by all inmates, a place that scared even the prison's employees.

"I..." Blake muttered the word, feeling a disgusting taste on her lips. It was as if she'd had a dirty sock shoved in her mouth, but she had no idea why. She was asleep. She fell into a slumber after talking to Cinder. She was dreaming of Zwei, Ruby and Yang's dog who had caused her so much stress back at Beacon. The bright light hanging over her, causing her skin to drip with sweat, couldn't possibly be real. It couldn't possibly be where she thought it was. She hadn't done a thing to end up in solitary confinement. She hadn't even woken up. Around her, she saw only white and gray, which was the color of the metal walls. Something was very, very wrong. Her eyes, which had been opening in miniscule slits and closing almost immediately after, suddenly grew very wide and very open. They teared from the intensity of the light ahead, and as she tried to speak, she realized what was going on. Her mouth was covered by a metal mask. She tried to speak again, but found that what she thought was a word was only a muffled groan. Her hands and legs were bound as well, to a hot metal chair that she sat on. This isn't what they did in solitary confinement. Not even the prisons could be this cruel. Someone had done this to her. Somehow, someone put her here. It was the only explanation. She tried to grunt as loudly as possible, hoping to attract some attention, but after a few minutes realized that it was hopeless. She could only wait to see what happened next.

"You've gotta be kidding me!" Yang snarled furiously, walking away from the prison. Everyone sighed, hoping that everything had gone alright.

"What happened?" Jaune asked. Yang leaned against the nearest car, which happened to be Ren's. It was green, his favorite color, and very compact.

"Apparently, Blake got into some kind of fight and is in solitary confinement! Ugh! She just couldn't keep her act together, could she? I'm gonna give her hell for this when she gets out!" Yang shouted. Visiting families nearby turned to see what the fuss was about, and Pyrrha waved them off.

"She's a little upset that she couldn't see her friend," she explained.

"That sucks," Sun said to Yang, his brow furrowed in confusion. He seemed surprised by Blake's current predicament.

"I know! How often does this happen, anyway?" The blonde asked, turning to Weiss. She, after all, had visited Blake the most; at least, until she was sent to the Trenches.

"It never did. She's supposedly been a model prisoner...at least, until now. That's quite odd, though. On the day of your release, she manages to get locked in solitary," the former heiress answered, exchanging looks with Sun and Ruby, who visited enough to know that she didn't cause trouble. The members of team JNPR hadn't been able to visit too often, and Neptune hadn't at all, but they still looked concerned.

"Getting into a fight doesn't even sound like something she'd do," Neptune noted.

"Well, there are certain topics that can set her off. Perhaps someone made a discriminatory remark of some kind." Ren threw his thoughts into the discussion, and everyone seemed to be convinced by what he said.

"That's possible...still it sucks that it had to happen today," Ruby moaned. Nearby, Jaune tried to lighten the mood.

"So you can't visit her today...solitary can't last that long, can it?"

"It lasts about a week, depending on whether the inmate behaves well. Yang most likely won't get a chance to see her until her last free day, or perhaps she'll have to schedule a visit around her working hours," Weiss replied bluntly, not sugar-coating anything. Yang looked even more annoyed.

"Great. That's just great. Well...I guess we're gonna have to do something else, huh?" She said grumpily. Ruby, who was sitting in her car, reached out and patted her arm.

"Hey, we can still have fun! How about we get something to eat?" Yang chuckled, her smile slowly coming back.

"Something like cookies?"

"Yes! Uh...I mean, whatever you want!"

Roman had gotten everything he needed, but not without difficulty. He had gotten his hands on a very potent drug, one that would induce violent behavior, and gave it to the man he hired as he kept his head down in prison. Roman had worked very hard to give him a new identity. He also made sure to pay off the prison cook, getting him to put the drug in Blake's food. He did the same to guards that he knew would be by the solitary confinement area, making sure they kept Blake locked up until the man Roman hired came to have his bit of fun. The crime boss would leave it up to the man to decide whether or not she would get to live. As much as Roman would love to see the cause of many a horrifying nightmare and an even worse reality beaten and broken, he couldn't deny the danger she posed and the fear he had of her. He wanted to be sure that she wouldn't go after him again if she were to live. As such, he kept in contact with the man he'd hired, who was known as Lex Ulrich when he assumed his new, temporary identity. It was the day before Roman had ordered the plan to be enacted and he was very anxious for tomorrow to come. Roman was a man who liked power. He wanted to be in power and wanted to gain power. Blake had taken that away when she turned him into a nervous wreck, terrified of his own shadows and of even the smallest of animals. She had taken that away from him even before then, beating him and forcing him to dismantle his own criminal empire. She had been a thorn in his side for far too long, and it was time that he rip her out and crush her into the ground. He smiled eerily, unable to sleep with anticipation. Instead, he stayed awake and thought of how glorious it would be to get his vengeance.

Night finally fell after what seemed to take days. Blake had tried to figure out why this had happened to her, and it didn't take long. She was sure that Roman was behind it. That left her to think of happy times, of treasured friends and memories, in order to keep herself occupied. Finding that her thoughts would always drift to Yang and sadden her, she tried to look around for ways of escape or opportunities to free herself. None were available. She was bound with powerful chains. Even if her Aura was fully operational, she couldn't have hoped to break them. She was unable to get the mask from her mouth, and she didn't even try. There was no way she'd be doing that without the use of her hands. While she could have knocked over her chair and moved around, she knew that it was pointless. She didn't want to be found on the ground in a vulnerable position by her captor, and there was nothing she could do with that range of movement anyway. She was sure that there was no escaping solitary confinement even if one wasn't bound; she had doubted her chances of finding something to help her while her movement was restricted. Thus, she turned to her last resort: vengeance. If Roman wanted to play a game of cat and mouse, she would make him know just how big a mistake that decision was. He was the mouse, she the cat. If he pushed her far enough, she'd finish what she started. She ignored the dread building up within her mind as she thought of what might be done to her, and cast aside the thought that she'd most likely never get a chance to meet Roman again. She would be in prison far too long and he would have died of old age, or hopefully from something much more violent and abrupt. All Blake tried to focus on was her hatred and the distant but clearly tangible feeling of emptiness she had when she'd been torturing him so long ago. It inhibited her fear and suffering. It even gave her the necessary drive to fight Yang, her own friend. It made her unbreakable, and right now, she felt like Roman was trying to bash her repeatedly with a hammer until she shattered into pieces.

"Knock knock, kitty cat. I hope you haven't been waiting long," a muffled voice said from behind the closed door to the confinement chamber. While she couldn't hear too clearly, she understood that lust and malice were dripping from the tone of the man who spoke. Her entire body stiffened as she heard the door creak open.

Well, this chapter was a roller-coaster ride of emotion. I went from happy to sad to happy to sad...and I'm just going to keep on being sad. Sometimes, I just about lose my nerve; I feel bad for making characters I love have crappy lives. But the secret to writing tragedy is not to get too broken up about it, so I'll continue on! Yay...I guess. Anyway, reviews are welcome as always!