It'd been a few months since the merlot incident, and there was no news on the white fang's activities. In that time, Blake and hunter had announced that they were, indeed, dating. The rest of bad batch and team RWBY were ecstatic for them. However, things would change drastically for both teams in the weeks to come as the Vytal festival neared. "Weiss, can you explain this festival is for us?" Tech asked as he, and outrider accompanied the heiress and ruby to beacon's courtyard.

Bad batch, after yin's suggestion, decided to change their appearance. The dark gray/black colored armor was replaced by a light grey with tan shoulder pads and shin guards. A light blue stripe replaced the red. On the left shoulder pad, was the beacon emblem while the right had the bad batch emblem. Tech's armor was completely tan (think shore trooper tan) with the vale emblem on his helmet and a sky-blue stripe down the middle of his helmet, arms, and torso.

Outrider's color scheme was similar to tech's but the sun visor was a bluish grey, his Kama was the same color as the sun visor and sported the vale emblem on both sides. "yeah, it seems like a pretty big deal." The bad batch's heavy gunner said gesturing to the students in different school uniforms. Weiss nodded while Ruby answered.

"It is a big deal outrider, the Vytal treaty ended the great war eighty years ago. This festival celebrates that." She said. "I see, but why are we headed to the courtyard?" Tech asked. "my sister is here, perfect time to introduce Frost to her. Speaking of which where is my clone?" Weiss asked. "With yang. Said something about a new hairstyle" the brains of bad batch said.

"To which I asked her to hold off on that." Outrider said putting his scroll away. "Why?" Ruby asked. "To prove she's Weiss' clone." Her sister's boyfriend replied. Weiss scanned the area for her sister while ruby whispered to her. "I hope professor Ozpin alerted your sister's boss about bad batch's dislike for droids."

Weiss rolled her eyes. "Atlesian knights are robots, not droids ruby." She said. "To them anything mechanical that resembles battle droids are considered hostile." The scarlet reaper shot back. "Relax, we won't shoot them unless they fire at us." Outrider said as Weiss spotted her sister. She was about to call out but stopped when she saw that winter was flanked by two Atlesian knights. 'Not good. If what ruby says is true then peaceful relations between atlas and bad batch wouldn't happen.'

"Ok, I found her, but she's being escorted by two knights." Weiss said nervously to tech and outrider. "Knights?" tech asked. "they're atlas' battle droids in a way, but they're more human-like than the ones you fought." Weiss said. the two operatives looked at each other. "We'll watch from a distance, but if things get crazy, we'll step in." tech said.

"I may have told her about you guys, but I didn't tell her about frost" Weiss said. "I guess introductions are in order." outrider said.

Winter Schnee was approaching beacon's atrium when a voice called out. "Winter!" turning slightly to the right she saw her sister with three people. Two of whom were dressed in what appeared to be military gear.

"It's good to see you winter." Weiss said excitedly "Yes, it is. I take it that this is your team's leader you wrote about?" the specialist said gesturing to ruby. Weiss nodded. "How underwhelming." Winter said. "Thanks?" Ruby said unsure of what to think.

"We won our match because of her." Weiss exclaimed defending ruby. "It was unorthodox, hastily organized, and executed." Winter said. "it's called improvising woman." Outrider said crossing his arms. "Excuse me?!" winter said furiously. "When a plan goes wrong, we improvise. That's what my friends and I taught her." The non-clone said. "unlike some people who are high and mighty, who think their plan is fool proof." Winter was about to respond when the sound of metal being sliced was heard.

Turning the group of four turned to see a knight fall to the ground its head rolling to a stop. Winter sighed.

"You destroyed atlas property Qrow." The man, Qrow, scoffed. "Don't care ice queen. Which one of you is Outrider?" said man raised an eyebrow.

Outrider stepped out of the crowd. "That's me. why do you ask?" the non-clone asked. "Heard you were dating my niece." Qrow said. "Which one may I ask?" Outrider ask winking at ruby whom snickered knowing that bad batch's heavy gunner was playing dumb with her uncle.

Qrow chuckled "A smartass huh? I like you. Yang made a good choice." Outrider raised an eyebrow. "Is that a problem?" he asked. Qrow shook his head. "No, the problem is you spreading false words about summer being alive." The grey reaper said gripping the handle of his weapon.

"Uncle Qrow, wait! They're true. Mom's alive and here at beacon." Ruby said. "Qrow, if you and Ice Queen follow us we'll prove it to you." "Hey!" Weiss said feeling insulted. "Weiss I believe outrider was referring to your sister." Tech said.

MEANWHILE IN BAD BATCH'S HUB OF OPERATION

"Interesting, so these things can shoot through not only dust imbued metal but can one-shot aura if targeted correctly?" Summer asked looking over Yin's blaster. "That's what the boys said." yin said after explaining the basics of a blaster.

"Yin, I have to ask did you ever have a mother figure while you were with the white fang?" Summer asked. "No, we only saw dr. merlot as our father. With him dead, the only thing closest to family we have are bad batch and team RWBY." Yin said. "Even then it's mission after mission. No leisure time to look around campus. I mean jade is with hunter getting supplies down in vale. Frost and sapphire are with Yang." Yin sighed placing her head in her hands. "What if Tai and I adopted both you and sapphire?" Summer asked as yang frost and sapphire entered the hub.

"Thought you were getting a haircut Frost?" Yin asked holstering her blaster which summer had given back to her. "Outrider messaged me. Weiss' sister is here." Yang said "the specialist? Lovely." the group turned to see not crosshair with the rest of bad Batch save for outrider and tech enter the hub, but velvet and Blake as well.

Crosshair had switched to his imperial armor but it was light grey with the vale sigil on the left shoulder pad. He also had a tan hood and kama.

Wrecker had mostly kept his armor. However, he had replaced the bad batch emblem on his helmet with the vale sigil. He had tan padding under his chest piece. The red stripe on his armor was now a sky blue. He also had a sky-blue triangle on his right shoulder pad flanked by sky-blue edges.

Hunter, out of all members of bad batch, had changed the most. He'd ditched most of his armor. He had replaced his shoulder armor completely with white ones that had sky-blue edges and the vale sigil in the middle of both. He now mostly wore various huntsman styled clothing, but what stood out was the purple shemagh around his neck which had Blake's emblem on it. He also had Blake's emblem on his helmet.

Echo was mostly like hunter but had kept his forearm and shin armor both of which were light grey with a sky-blue stripe. The vale sigil was placed on the front just above the helmet's visor. If one were to look closely, one would see echo struggling to resist taking velvet's hand in his.

Speaking of said rabbit faunas, she was in a similar state. "Well, look at what hunter dragged in." Yin said causing everyone, even yang, to groan. "that's not even a pun." Sapphire said. "I was alluding to why Ms. Scarlatina is present." This caused everyone to blink.

"Why are you here anyways Velvet? I get Blake, but you?" Yang asked. "W-well E-echo promised to show me bad batch's hub of operations at some point, and I know I'll outlive him." The rabbit faunas said. "You're dating?!" sapphire exclaimed. Velvet nodded before her rabbit ears drooped. "I know our time together is limited, but I'll use what time I have to be with him." Sapphire blinked in surprise.

"You didn't tell her?" Crosshair asked Echo. "I was going to do that when outrider called me to come back to the hub." Echo said. "Tell me what?" velvet asked raising an eyebrow. "Remember when I told you about our rapid aging issue." Echo said. Velvet nodded. "Well, let's say if I was given the chance to live a full life, would I take it?"

"Yes of course you would. Why would that…" Velvet said before looking at echo. "During the merlot mission a few months back, all of us, save for outrider, were given the chance to live full lives… we took it." Echo said smiling.

Velvet covered her mouth while tears began to stream down her face knowing what echo meant. She walked up to him and placed her face into the crook of his neck before sobbing. Initially surprised, echo smiled softly and hugged the crying rabbit faunas.

Blake smiled as hunter pulled her into a one-armed embrace before they looked at each other. "Did you guys know?" Yang asked them. The first human-faunas couple shook their heads. "No, but I think outrider had a hand in them getting together."

"Getting who together?" came the unmistakable voice of bad batch's heavy gunner. "Velvet and echo." Yang said as Tech, Ruby, Weiss came in behind him. "I had a feeling about the two, but I chose not to investigate."

"Is Summer still visiting." Tech asked as said huntress stepped forward. "I was about to leave, why?" she asked. "There's someone here to see you." Then both he and outrider stepped aside to reveal Qrow.

"Hey Qrow been a while. I see you've started to grey…" Summer began however before she could continue Qrow embraced her into a crushing embrace. "you're really alive summer." The drunkard said crying.

Summer smiled softly and returned the hug.

MEANWHILE

Salem sat on her throne flanked by Tyrian and hazel. She wasn't pleased. Why you ask? Because in front of her were four girls that had Grimm-like features. one of which had golden eyes. "Who are you." Salem asked narrowing her eyes. "I am the future queen of the Grimm, and your life is FORFEIT!" the Grimm-like girl with gold eyes yelled before leaping at Salem with a scythe while gold mist streamed from her eyes.

A/N: nearly a year without an update. I had a hard time coming up with an idea for this chapter. And so Salem enters the picture… but for how long? Find out in the coming chapters of the Vytal arc. Please read and review. That being said. peace