Next chapter. We get the reveal of Ruby's Salem possession, the first Blake and Weiss POV, and setting up some future plot points on where we can go. The chapters after this one should go back to more lighthearted comedy, which I assume is what people came for.

I also returned the Nightmare Victim poll up on my fanfiction profile. Blake getting POV and her current state should allow readers to have more knowledge on whether Blake or Ruby is better for a deeper character examination.

On a side note, I decided to shift the tags from Humor/Romance to Humor/Drama. Things ended up being kinda heavy recently and I wanted to be more accurate.

Ruby didn't know how to feel seeing her family again. She should've been happy, she thought. They were the people she loved the most and she knew they'd always support her. But she also kept Salem secret from them for a reason. Even if they did believe her, and that was a big if, it would only make them worry. Mom, dad, and Uncle Qrow had enough to deal with without a disembodied Grimm queen being in her head.

Silver eyes flickered to the cross-armed brunette leaning against the corner. Raven. Not Aunt Raven or some other family name; they'd all made it clear she wasn't close enough for that. She might have been Yang's biological mom, but that was where the relation began and ended. She could count the number of times she'd seen her in her life on one hand, and the same could be said for Yang. Her sister had a...strained relationship with her birth mom.

She would've been mad if she knew Raven was here.

Ruby didn't recognize the new faces in the room. The bearded lion Faunus and the giant in the white uniform were complete strangers. The the older woman with white hair, while looking eerily familiar, didn't strike her as someone she knew either. She scooted closer to Jaune and almost reached out to hold his hand before thinking better of it. The last thing she needed was to zap them both in the middle of a crowd.

"Why's everyone here? A-Are we in trouble?" Ruby asked nervously. It was a stupid question. There was only one reason both she and Jaune would've been called here, but why call her family and all these other people?

And why wasn't Salem saying anything?

"Same question." Uncle Qrow grunted, "Barely got back before you're suddenly calling us all over. And why's she here?" He glared at Raven with his twin glaring back.

"Because this concerns all of you." Headmistress Goodwitch sighed and looked to the giant in the white uniform who gave her a firm nod, "Now, for the sake of not dragging this out, you all know how Ozpin revives himself, correct?"

"You mean by being a parasite?" Raven raised a brow. That got her a glare from both Qrow and the man in white, though she paid it no mind, "We all know how he 'survives', Goodwitch. What's the point."

"First things first, I would like to introduce you to his newest host, Jaune Arc." The headmistress gestured to Jaune. The blonde shifted from one foot to another and looked really uncomfortable suddenly being the center of attention, "Or perhaps host is a misnomer. Ozpin is present, certainly, but he's made clear that he can exert no control over Mr. Arc's body and is merely a passenger. We can assume this is going to last for a long time, if not permanently."

"So he can hear us but he can't make orders. Sounds good to me." Raven laughed under her breath.

"Watch yourself, Ms. Branwen. Your leniency only extends so far." The giant glared at her. Raven rolled her eyes at that, but Ruby didn't miss how stiff the gesture was. The threat made its point, "Oz can still communicate with us via Mr. Arc, so he's not absent, at least."

"But why is Rosebud here?" Mom asked worriedly. She looked like she wanted to hug her close, wheelchair or no, and Ruby was tempted to do the same, "She's not involved in any of this. You promised us that, Glynda. You promised our children wouldn't have to take up our burdens."

"...What?" Ruby's eyes widened as she looked at her family, "Mom, what do you mean by that?"

"What she means, Ms. Rose , is that your mother, father, and Qrow are well aware of both Ozpin's true identity...and that of Salem."

"What?!" The scream was loud enough that it made almost everyone in the room flinch, "What the...how the...how do they know about Salem?!"

"A better question is how you know about Salem, Ruby," dad said worriedly, "Glynda, if you're trying to recruit our daughters into this then-"

"I've done no such thing, and the idea that you thought I would do so is insulting, Tai." The headmistress' eyes narrowed, "While Ms. Rose was enrolled earlier than normal, I had no designs to recruit her or have her involved in our fight. She would've been a Huntress, no more and no less."

"Then why is she here?" Mom asked again.

The headmistress sighed, "As some of you may or may not be aware, Ozpin enacted a plan not too long ago to stop Salem by himself. He told almost none of us this and couldn't be dissuaded despite our arguments. Whatever it was that he did, it is the reason for his flawed reincarnation into Mr. Arc, and..."She closed her eyes, "It is the reason that Ms. Rose is now Salem's host."

A heavy, uncomfortable silence settled over the office. Ruby gulped nervously and resisted the urge to bolt out when all eyes focused on her. Everyone's expressions ranged from worry, disbelief, grim acceptance, and outright fear. Once again she wondered what she did to deserve this and she was only jolted out of her thoughts when Jaune put a careful hand on her shoulder.

Uncle Qrow was the first to speak, "Bullshit. That's fucking bullshit!"

"I wouldn't call you all here for a joke or guesswork, Qrow." The headmistress took off her glasses and pinched the bridge of her nose, "The same way Mr. Arc is Ozpin's current host, so too is Ms. Ro-"

"That's impossible!" Dad shouted next. Ruby flinched back; she'd never seen him so angry, "Salem doesn't...Ozpin would've told us if she was capable of doing that!"

"You really think that?" Raven scoffed, "Still, Summer's brat, huh? Heard the old leech always popped up in people similar to him. Guess that means-"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence." Mom growled, looking up at Yang's not-mom with her teeth bared, "If you even think that my Rosebud is anything similar to that monster-"

"But apparently she's here, so that narrows things down pretty well," Raven shot back.

"If you would let me finish." Headmistress Goodwitch slammed her crop on the table, silencing the brewing argument, "Whatever it was Ozpin did, it's clear that it tampered with their very souls. As of right now we believe that the choice of hosts is random and that there is no special reason Mr. Arc and Ms. Rose were chosen."

"That's what Ozpin's saying," Jaune said suddenly, "He...what was supposed to happen was that he and Salem would be...gone. No afterlife, nothing. Their souls would've been erased. He has no idea why he ended up with me and Salem with Ruby."

"Apologies, but I find that difficult to believe," the white haired woman cut in, "Are we supposed to assume that both the former headmaster and Salem just so happened to end up in two Beacon studnets, who then also ended up becoming partners in the same team? You'll forgive me if I find that extremely unlikely."

"It's one a million, certaintly, but you know the saying of butterfly wings," the bearded man finally spoke up, "Glynda has given us no reason to doubt her and she wouldn't call us all here on a hunch. If she says that these two are who she claims they are then I believe her."

The man's words made things quiet again. Ruby didn't get a chance to say anything before mom and dad suddenly pulled her in a tight embrace strong enough to almost make her choke. Ruby's arms flailed as she desperately gasped for air and she just barely saw Uncle Qrow take out his flask and drain the entire thing on one go before cursing when it eventually came up empty.

"Oh, Ruby..." Dad muttered.

"My little Rosebud," mom said after.

"As difficult as this must be for you all, we can't ignore the Goliath in the room." The giant coughed, "Ms. Rose, could you please tell us how the nature of this 'bond' works?"

Ruby waited till she could separate herself from her worried parents before replying, "It's, uh, the same as Jaune. I can hear Salem in my head, but she can't control me or anything. Mostly she's just really annoying." She would've thought that would get her passenger to talk, but again she remained quiet, "She just...showed up the day we were supposed to go to Beacon. I thought I was going crazy till I met Jaune and, you know..."

"She talks to you? What does she say?" the giant asked.

"Mostly about how she hates being trapped and I'll regret not doing what she says. There was a lot of talk about how she'd pluck out my Silver Eyes and use them as a necklace." That made mom look utterly furious, though she didn't know where to direct it. Glaring at Salem meant glaring at her own daughter, "I've been ignoring her for the most part and she's been less of a jerk since yesterday. Mom's advice helped."

"Wait, so when you called me for advice about the 'voice in your head' you meant Salem?!" Mom gasped.

"Yeah..." Ruby shuffled her right foot, "I didn't think you'd believe me if I told you about the evil Grimm queen in my head and I didn't want you to think I was crazy. I mean, you said you had a voice in your head too, mom!"

"That was metaphorical!" Mom covered her face with both hands and groaned, "I wish you told use sooner, Rosebud."

"Well, I didn't know you guys knew about her!" Ruby threw her hands up, "It's not like you ever told me or Yang about you guys working directly for the headmaster! Now you guys have been fighting in some secret war?!"

"Ozpin says he's sorry. He wanted to tell you, but he thought that your parents and Qrow deserved to be the ones to break the news," Jaune said, "He...also says he wants to talk to Qrow afterwards about one of his old missions in Vacuo? Something about a Maiden?"

"Shit, you really do have Oz in your skull. No one but me and him knew about that." Uncle Qrow let out a frustrated breath, "Fuck...fuck! Is there anything else happening or is it 'just' my niece housing that bitch in her head?"

"There is something else." Headmistress Goodwitch set her scroll down on the table and a holographic recording of her fight with Weiss played. Ruby winced and ignored the video of her suspending Weiss in the air, "If this is accurate then it seems that Ms. Rose has inherited at least some of Salem's magic. I also reviewed the footage from Initiation and it showed the Grimm ignoring her altogether in favor of Mr. Arc. I assume both of these are Salem's influence."

"Ms. Rose, I need you to be very clear. Did Salem give you these abilities?" the giant asked, face grave.

"No!" Ruby shook her head, "There's no way. She was ranting and screaming about how I 'stole' her magic and that she'd make me pay for it! I don't...I don't even know how I did it! The first time it was when I was fighting Weiss and the second was when she was being a complete jerk and wouldn't stop yelling at me. I just...I wanted her to stop, and the magic showed up." The white haired woman's eyes narrowed.

"What the fuck is going on? Why is this happening?" Uncle Qrow muttered.

"The 'why' of it doesn't really matter now, does it?" Raven scoffed, "Point is we've got Ozpin and Salem in a couple of teenagers. Now what are we gonna do about it?"

"Our current status quo is having Mr. Arc and a few other select people keeping an eye on Ms. Rose." The headmistress said, "So far the bond, for lack of a better word, is in favor of Ms. Rose and Mr. Arc. While Ozpin and Salem can communicate, that is all they are capable of doing. Ozpin is also the most knowledgable of Salem even in his current state, so there is no better minder."

"That's not a solution," Raven said.

"What do you suggest then?"

"I know no one wants to consider it, but ever think that maybe the witch's life is tied to Summer's brat? If it stops then-"

Mom rolled up to her former teammate with absolute murder in her eyes, "If you touch even one hair on my daughter's head I will hunt you down to the ends of Remnant, Raven. I promise." From behind her, both dad and Uncle Qrow looked just as mad with the latter's hand twitching towards Harbinger, "So choose your next words very carefully. There's only so much us being old teammates will get you."

"Weren't you always the ones who argued for the greater good? I'm just using the same arguments you've always parroted." She clicked her tongue.

"Even if it wasn't a morally abhorrent idea, I would like to remind you all that we have no inkling of how this 'bond' truly works. Ms. Rose's death could result in Salem's as well, or she would simply jump to another body as Ozpin had and this new host might not be as against taking orders from her or abusing their new abilities. So no, Raven, we will not consider that idea."

"Is there perhaps a way to separate the two?" the bearded man asked.

"I'm considering an idea with one of our Nightmare hunters, but so far there is none. As I've said before, we have little knowledge on how this works."

"There is another option," the giant looked down at her, arms crossed behind his back, and Ruby suddenly felt the urge to salute for some reason, "I agree with Glynda that Ms. Rose's death is too much of an unknown variable to consider. Right now we know that Salem is trapped in her mind, making her the closest thing to a prison. Risking her life needlessly would go against that."

"What are you saying?" Uncle Qrow's eyes narrowed.

"I suggest Ms. Rose drop out of Beacon and come with us back to Atlas. We will take her to a secure location, somewhere Salem can do no harm."

"A fucking prison cell?! Tell me you're joking!" Uncle Qrow spat venomously.

"Not a prison, simply a secure location." Her uncle scoffed while Ruby almost did the same. What was that phrase she heard before? Distinction without difference? "It is a secure townhouse in the heart of Atlas. Ms. Rose will want for nothing. Anything she could ever want will be provided by Atlas and we won't stop family or friends from visiting. She will be kept safe."

And never be a Huntress. He didn't say it, but the intention was clear as day. She was Salem's prison, and he wanted her alive as long as possible to keep Salem contained.

"Oh yeah, it sounds so great," Uncle Qrow drawled sarcastically, "That's a fucking gilded cage and you know it, Jimmy."

"Perhaps, but Ms. Branwen is right about one thing. You all know the damage Salem could do, and if we can guarantee her imprisonment for the rest of Ms. Rose's natural life, isn't it best if we pursue that course of action?"

"My daughter is not your prison cell," Dad stepped up and met the giant's eyes.

"Rosebud? Are you okay?" Mom asked softly.

"I..."

"Do not accept this bargain." Salem said suddenly. Ruby was in too much shock to care about her returning, "I have deigned to cooperate with you, but I will not do so if it means living as a bird in a cage within a cage."

"Calm yourselves. Bickering amongst each other won't solve anything." The bearded man said, getting in between the two sides, "Please, let's not forget that it isn't just Salem and our old friend this concerns, but these two innocents. Their lives can't come second to them."

"Leonardo is right," Headmistress Goodwitch said firmly, "Whatever our concerns, we can't discount Mr. Arc and Ms. Rose's lives in the process. I called you all here so we could all make decisions from a position of knowledge, not so we can make rash solutions. We have time."

"But how much?" the giant asked, "We've no idea how one-sided this bond remains, and Ms. Rose has already shown extra abilities such as magic and having the Grimm ignore her presence. Would it not be safer to-"

"He wishes to cage you. You would be nothing more than a living prison if he had his way."

"Stop it!" Ruby shouted, drawing everyone's attention, "I'm not just...Salem's prison cell! I...I want to be a Huntress! It's all I've ever wanted to be! Don't just act like I'm some...some doll you can keep under lock and key!"

"Ms. Rose, I was simply-"

"And you were lying to us!" She rounded on her family now, all of whom looked guilty, "You never told me or Yang about Salem or fighting in some secret war or whatever the heck a 'Silver Eyed Warrior' is supposed to be and why Salem hates them so much! We're training to be Huntresses! Don't you think the two of us deserved to know the truth of what we were really fighting?!"

"Rosebud-"

"I...I need to be alone."

Ruby turned on her heel and left. She expected someone to stop her, but no one did. Ruby slammed the door open and kept walking until she reached the elevator.

She was so frustrated that she didn't notice Jaune was with her till the doors closed.

A part of her wanted to snap at him to leave her alone, but she kept quiet. He was the only one who didn't want her to do things or lie to her. He was just as much a victim of everything as she was, really. In some ways he got off worse. She didn't miss how everyone acted like he didn't exist. Her family may have lied to her, but they were still there and they still cared. Jaune had no one, and everyone acted like he was just Ozpin's host.

The two of them stepped out of the elevator without a word. Ruby wandered around aimlessly, just trying to clear her head of everything that happened, until eventually she stopped at the courtyard. She slumped up against the closest wall and put her knees to her chest, hugging her legs tight as she pressed her face against them. The only bright spot now was that Salem was quiet.

Jaune sat to her left and they just stayed there for minutes in absolute silence before he eventually asked, "...You okay?"

"No," she replied, voice muffled, "This is all so messed up and I don't know what to do."

"Me either." He sighed and looked up at the sky, "I know it probably doesn't help since my uninvited guest isn't nearly as bad as yours, but...I'm here to talk if you ever need anything."

"I just...am I being selfish? I still want to be a Huntress and I don't wanna give up my dreams, but if Salem is so dangerous then shouldn't I do what that guy said?"

"What? Give up the rest of your life so you can be a prisoner?" Jaune shook his head, "No way. It's easy to say you should do the right thing or make the sacrifice when you don't have to be the one doing it. You're right that you're not just Salem's prison. You're Ruby Rose, prodigy Huntress-in-training."

Ruby found herself smiling despite the situation. Maybe he was just saying that to make her feel better, but it worked. She scooted closer to him and lay her head against his right shoulder. The fabric of his uniform was enough to keep their skin from making contact so they wouldn't be zapped.

Weiss left the classroom feeling as livid as ever. It was her default mood these past few days and she got the feeling that would change any time soon.

Her time at Beacon had been extremely poor so far. Not only had she failed to be Pyrrha's partner, or even get on the same team as her, but her teammates were, to a fault, all deficient. Ruby, their team leader, was a child prone to not focusing on her studies. Jaune was a bit better, but he was also clearly lacking in many ways and she wondered just how he managed to be accepted. Blake, while capable enough, harldy ever communicated and seemed to chafe when Weiss tried to give her orders.

Her foul mood was only worsened when the two failed to show up at class and Professor Port off-handedly telling them they were called to the headmistress' office. What was going on? Did those two get in trouble somehow? The last thing she wanted was for her own record to be tarnished because her teammates couldn't behave themselves.

She set out to look for them and physically drag them to their next classes if need be. Blake had wandered off and Weiss didn't care enough to question where she went. So long as she attended classes and didn't cause trouble then she could keep her secrets.

Her solitary walk made her dwell on how everything was going wrong so far, Ruby being made leader chief among them. Why would the headmistress choose that child instead of her? Even just a quick glance at their backgrounds would've showed that Weiss was the far superior option. Ruby may have been a prodigy, but she only gained attention by stopping a Dust shop robbery. She didn't even catch the criminal! How was that worth rewarding?

And then there was her extra abilities. A secondary Semblance was the prevailing rumor. One would've thought it impossible, but Weiss was someone from a family with the only hereditary Semblance on Remnant.

The possibility of it didn't change her feelings, however. Ruby Rose was lucky, which was not a proper trait to be made leader. Weiss had even attempted to go straight to the headmistress in order to request a change, but so far she'd been rebuffed. The woman was busy and wasn't amenable to meetings, or so she was told, and thus she simply had to swallow her bile.

Her musings were interrupted when she heard an annoyingly familiar voice, "You can talk to me about anything, alright?" Jaune said from around the corner. She was currently on the walkway between the buildings and safely out of sight from the corner where Jaune and (presumably) Ruby were.

She was about to walk around and tell them off for slacking when Ruby replied, "It's just really hard to deal with this now. First the Grimm ignoring me and now magic I don't even know how to use?"

Weiss stopped and her brows furrowed. Magic and Grimm ignoring her? What did she mean by that? Was it just a delusional fantasy? No, unlikely. As flawed as Ruby was, she didn't come across as someone who had a skewed perception of the world.

"Hey, at least you're getting something from your freeloader. Mine just makes me get up in the morning to jog." Jaune laughed, "And you totally kicked Weiss' butt with it!"

"Heh, yeah..." Weiss felt frustrated just hearing that, though curiosity curbed her tongue. Magic? Was that what she called her secondary Semblance, the same way hers were referred to as Glyphs despite their multi-purpose use? "You know...it's scary because of how close to Salem it is, but I can't help but think of what I could do with it if I could control it. I could stop so many Grimm and help so many people if I had magic!" A pause, "Stop screaming at me! I didn't choose to have your magic, but if I can help people with it, then I will!"

Who the hell was she talking to? Not Jaune, he hadn't even reacted to the sudden shout.

She just decided that now was the right time to confront them when a hand suddenly covered her mouth. The heiress' eyes widened and she reached for Myternaster before remembering it wasn't there. Not that it would've mattered since another hand reached out and pressed her right arm against her back, "Mmmph!" she tried to scream.

"Shh, let's give them some privacy."

Weiss found herself being dragged none too gently away from where Ruby and Jaune were. It only lasted a few seconds, and by the time she was rearing to use her Glyphs to escape she was suddenly released in another walled corner of the courtyard. Weiss growled and turned to her assailant. Tan skin, mint green, hair, red eyes, and an attire that would've been scandalous in polite company. It was the most skin she'd seen anyone show in her life.

"Who are you?! Do you have any idea who you're-"

"Weiss Schnee. And I know who you are cause I've been talking to your sister, Winter." Her sister's name coming from the mouth of the stranger caused her to calm down at least somewhat, "I also know you're one who's been acting like a brat and throwing your weight around cause Ruby was the one who became the leader."

"Listen here-"

"No, you listen." The woman slammed her hand on the wall next to her head and Weiss' eyes widened, "That girl's family, and I don't much care for spoiled brats who think they deserve the world, so I already don't like you. Winter seems to think you're a good egg, but I have my doubts." She smiled wryly, "I'll hold off because of her. How much did you hear from them, by the way?"

The change in topic was so sudden that Weiss was flat-footed and answered automatically, "S-Something about magic and Ruby being ignored by Grimm? Mostly the former. They didn't mean that literally, did they?"

"Who knows." The woman pulled her hand back, "Might wanna ask your sister for that, but my advice? Keep quiet about what you heard. This concerns more than you, princess."

"Don't call me that!" Weiss snapped.

"Call it like I see it." She crossed her arms and smirked, "Name's Emerald, by the way. I get the feeling we'll be seeing more of each other, princess."

And then she disappeared. Weiss looked around frantically, but as far as she could see she was alone. An invisibility Semblance? Weiss shook her head. She...She needed to talk to Winter, try to make sense of things.

Blake closed her latest novel and let out a tired breath. Ruby and Jaune hadn't come back to classes the rest of the day while Weiss had disappeared after morning classes, leaving her alone. Normally she would've find it something not worth worrying about, but Weiss skipping even a single class was abnormal. In the short time she'd known her, the SDC heiress made it clear that studiousness was something she took pride in. She even took notes in Professor Port's classes.

Oh well, at least it saved her from having to make an excuse.

Blake stood and made her way to the bullhead docks, carrying her textbooks as she went. While her combat skills allowed her to pass Initiation with flying colors, her lack of formal education left her struggling to catch up on subjects she couldn't just stab or shoot her way out of. She would've asked Weiss for help, but that didn't seem like a good idea. The Schnee was already trying to take control of the team.

Besides, it would break one of the rules she was beholded to.

Curfew wasn't for another few hours, which would give her enough time to disguise herself and find a hotel. The last thing anyone needed was Blake Belladonna being spotted down at Vale when she was already at Beacon.

Her feet tapped on the bullhead's floor for the length of the minutes long flight. They'd done the switch multiple times already, but she still felt nervous all the same. Her instructions were clear: keep her head down and avoid talking as much as possible. That way her teammates wouldn't notice if she suddenly went mute for a day or two.

Her lips curled into a frown at that. Blake wasn't exactly a social butterfly, but she liked to think that she was capable of getting along with people if given the chance. Now she couldn't because if she was friendly and open then suddenly her teammates would thought it was weird if she acted different.

She closed her eyes and shook her head. No sense in dwelling on it now. They all had prices to pay, and this was hers.

She walked the all-too familiar path to their rendezvous point. The club Junior's wasn't her normal kind of haunt, but it was one of the few places they trusted to make the switch without being spied on. Apparently the owner had an understanding.

The guard let her in with a small nod and she walked to the private room. Blake paused outside and took a deep breath before she opened the door, "Hey there, kitty cat. Right on time." Roman Torwick looked up at her from his place on the double seat with a slippery smile and she resisted the urge to roll her eyes. He was exactly the kind of person she wouldn't associate with given the choice, but choice something she was severely lacking right now.

Turned out leaving the White Fang wasn't as easy as jumping off a train. She had no job, no papers, and no prospects. Going back to Menagerie wasn't an option. Even if she wasn't estranged from her parents (through her own fault...), it was still where the White Fang was the strongest. They wouldn't exactly be keen to see her after she left without any warning.

She'd survived on the streets of Vale for a couple of months. It wasn't the best, but living outside the Kingdoms had taught her how to survive. Still, she knew it wasn't something long-term and she'd applied to Beacon in a desperate attempt to make something of herself and try to atone for the last five years.

Only to be soundly rejected. The new headmistress, Glynda Goodwitch, was much stricter than her predecessor. While the former headmaster Ozpin would've accepted someone with no papers and identification provided they passed the combat exam, she was of a different mind. Blake needed papers or transcripts, something to make sure she wasn't just some criminal seeking asylum. Which she was, if she was being honest.

That led her to Roman Torchwick. It wasn't her proudest moment, but she was so desperate to do anything besides surviving day to day that she pooled as much money as she could and asked Junior if there was anyone who could make convincing forgeries. Because it wasn't as simple as making the papers yourself. Anyone could do that, but the charade would only last until someone bothered to check her credentials and they suddenly realized that Blake Belladonna did not, in fact, graduate from Sanctum or Bulwark.

She was prepared to steal as much as she could for whatever exorbitant price he asked for, but he wanted something different. He'd get her transcripts that showed her as a sterling student from Santuary, a combat school in the outskirts of Vacuo. It would hold hold up under scrutiny and make her look, for all intents and purposes, like she belonged in Beacon. He even said he'd do it free of charge. All she had to do was one small favor...

"Where's Neo?"

There was a tap on her shoulder and when Blake turned she was met with her perfect reflection. The other Blake's mouth was curled up in a teasing smile and her eyes shifted to a pink and brown color before quickly returning to an amber shade.

"How long are you going to be there?" Blake grunted.

Neo held up a finger. Just one day. Alright, so at least she wouldn't miss too many classes.

This was the price she had to pay. For reasons they wouldn't tell her - though Roman had mockingly say it started with 'H' and ended with 'eist' - they needed time to scout out Beacon. While Neo's Semblance would make getting in easy, they couldn't risk the chance of her being caught by a teacher or anyone else on the staff. The solution? Look like someone who was supposed to be there and you knew wouldn't come back for some double trouble.

This was a risk and she knew it, but beggars couldn't be choosers. Torchwick had assured her that they wouldn't do anything too drastic or take any lives. Blake believed him. Torchwick was slimier than a toilet, but he wasn't suicidal. Provoking the the Huntsmen by killing one of their own at an academy was a hell of a lot different than just being a regular Person of Interest. There wouldn't be any hole he could hide in if the Huntsmen decided he had to go.

She also knew he wouldn't betray her. If he did, there was nothing stopping her from telling them everything and making sure he and Neo went down with her. She even had a dead man's switch and made sure he knew about it just in case he had thoughts about having Neo cut her throat in her sleep.

"Just make sure not to hurt my team." Neo had a look of mock offense as if asking 'who, me?', "Just hurry up, alright? I'm tired of playing mute just to make your life easier."

Neo rolled her eyes and walked out of the room, "Just us two, kitty cat. How about we have a drink?" He winked and raised a glass of brandy.

"No thanks." She scoffed and left to change her appearance. Not much longer, she told herself. Not much longer until she could have a true fresh start.

Man, that Lionheart is such a nice guy, reminding everyone that they also have to prioritize Ruby and Jaune's well-being. I'm sure things will be fine with him in their corner.

But yeah, we've now got Weiss being suspicious of Ruby and Jaune and Blake...well, she's in a bit of a mess right now. Gotta love that butterfly effect. Ozpin leaving means the ex-terrorist with no papers can't just take the test and enroll. Oops. Hopefully Roman and Neo aren't planning anything too nefarious that will come back to bite her.

Also, if you guys wanna support me so I can write faster, then check out my page. I won't hold chapters behind a paywall, however. This is just for support.

P a treon . com (slash) Vendetta543

Questions:

1. So...how do guys think Salem and Ozpin would react if their hosts got together? Would Salem somehow approve and try to use this to her advantage or just scream at Ruby for her horrible taste in men? Would Ozpin think this is a good thing for possible future Silver Eyed Warriors or try to warn Jaune off because Ruby's still part Salem and thus shouldn't be touched with a ten foot pole?

2. So far, do you guys sympathize with Blake making a deal with Torchwick to get into Beacon? In canon she didn't commit forgery like Jaune, but she did absolutely lie about her past and status as a Faunus. Here she makes a deal with a wanted criminal, but she does make it clear she's desperate and lacking options.

Review Answers:

Chuck B. Winanaki - Penny's either there to watch Jaune or Ruby. Or both. Either way she needs a team.

magic - Mary Sue? Funny, cause last I checked she wasn't the main character or made the plot all about her. She also got crippled and had to be saved by Raven, forcing her to retire. You like Raven, fine, but don't throw Mary Sue at someone who is clearly shown to not be perfect.

And yeah, of course Summer doesn't have a positive view of her. She abandoned their team and her daughter. Is Summer supposed to be positive and happy when describing Raven? If I described Raven from the POV of Vernal it would be more complimentary, but Summer has no reason to like her. Raven saved her life, but Summer has saved hers multiple times when they were still STRQ so that's not an automatic pass.

BlueJack22 - Man, fans are just salivating for that Ruby breakdown.