I am updating this story so fast.

Enjoy.

Fire.

Heat and warmth.

Fire. More fire.

Everything was on fire.

Fire. More and more fire.

Everyone was on fire.

Fire. More and more and more—

I am on fire.

Save me.

Whitaker shot up in his bed. He was sweating profusely, his breathing labored and heavy. He reached for the bottle of water he kept at his bedside. Whitaker drank it quickly, completely emptying it. He grabbed his Scroll— it was 5 AM.

That… That was a vision. Or was it a flashback? Whitaker massaged his temples as a pounding headache began. It'd been awhile since his last one. He'd forgotten what it felt like. But… did it always cause him such painful headaches.

He wasn't sure. A lot had happened since then. Whitaker was certain that the only reason they'd begun again was because of Lightbearer.

"Whitaker?" Blake asked, her voice still hoarse and quiet. He'd woken her up. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah. Just a dream," he said. "You can go back to sleep."

"Mmhm." Blake hummed.

Whitaker thought about going back to sleep, but he decided not to. He probably wouldn't have been able to, anyways. Instead, Whitaker simply laid in bed, his hands folded over his stomach, and stared at the ceiling.

He hadn't taken the time to actually process what Arjuna had told him. It'd only been two days before, and Whitaker felt like there was still so much he needed to think about.

The first of which was Harros Vesta. The Firebrand seemed like a genuinely helpful and kind person; he was always there for Whitaker, offering him advice, giving him more information about Lightbearer, and even saving his life in Atlas.

But was he always acting selfishly? Was he always only ever interested in protecting his own life— his own soul?

Whitaker couldn't fault him for choosing self-preservation. He did it himself, after all. Choosing to relinquish Lightbearer when it was inconvenient for him, then getting it back when the consequences finally caught up to him, was self-preservation on Whitaker's end too.

It wasn't so much Harros' actions that bothered Whitaker, more so his motivations. Whitaker didn't care what the reason was, so long as it wasn't malicious. He just wanted to know. He wanted to know why Harros was so friendly, so willing to guide Whitaker on his journey with Lightbearer, and so intent on making him understand the weight of Lightbearer's choice.

He decided to save those questions for when Harros decided to show himself again. He'd ask the man himself to spare him the trouble of hypothesizing conclusions alone.

Next was Arjuna.

Whitaker knew that the man belonged to an ancient and long-forgotten time on Remnant. He didn't recognize anything about what Arjuna wore, despite a fairly solid knowledge of history.

Arjuna was a similar case to Harros. Both of them seemed like mentor figures, people who offered him information and guidance and expected nothing in return. That was especially the case for Arjuna. Whitaker had given him nothing but more and more questions, and Arjuna willingly responded to each of them. He outlined how Lightbearer worked far better than Harros did. Or rather, not better, but different. It gave Whitaker a clearer picture of how Lightbearer functioned. And that was always helpful.

However, if the possibility of Harros acting selfishly was brought into question, then Whitaker had to believe that Arjuna was also acting selfishly. If Arjuna's motives were also self-preservation…

No, that didn't make any sense.

Even sitting underneath a dying tree in the middle of plains of dead grass, Arjuna didn't seem the slightest bit worried. Or scared. Or perturbed. In fact, he looked at peace. Like he'd already accepted his fate that he would join the natural life he surrounded himself with.

Okay, so Arjuna likely wasn't acting selfishly. But doesn't answer the question: What if he's wrong?

Harros had been wrong, Corinth had been wrong, and even Kalarel had been wrong; if all the previous Wielders were so flawed, then Whitaker had to assume that Arjuna was also just as flawed. He may not have shown Whitaker then, but Whitaker knew there had to be something Arjuna was hiding.

Whitaker took everything he'd learned with Arjuna and compartmentalized them. He wanted to trust Arjuna. However, with how much everything has changed between Whitaker and Lightbearer, he couldn't take any chances.

So, Whitaker wouldn't take Arjuna completely at his word. There were most likely some things that he was wrong about. And with the knowledge that Arjuna bestowed upon him, Whitaker could do some actual science to break down exactly how Lightbearer functioned.

And that science is where Glynda (and Ozpin) came in.

But he had plenty of time for that.

Feeling like his thoughts were finally organized, Whitaker sat up in his bed. He grabbed his uniform from his dresser and stepped into the bathroom to change. He stripped down to his underwear, and—

"Woah—" Whitaker almost tripped over himself as he caught a glimpse of the reflection in the mirror.

He had grown taller. Where he was once just under six feet, he was now over it. Maybe six-foot two or six-foot three. And he had more visible muscle now. His body was more toned and larger. His previous body shape was still somewhat scrawny, despite how much he exercised and how physically taxing being a Huntsman was; but this…

This was different.

However, his body wasn't even the most startling change since yesterday.

It was his eyes.

His cobalt, ice-lightning eyes were completely gone.

And in its place were a pair of vibrant, kaleidoscopic eyes that almost seemed to change color every few seconds, shifting in hue, tint, tone, and shade.

"I don't think Coco is going to like this," Whitaker murmured.

He tried to put his pants on.

RIIIP!

"Oh for Dust's sake!"

[;]

"Sorry about this morning, guys." Whitaker couldn't look his team in their eyes from the sheer embarrassment. He was certain that they would never let him down for it. Walking back into the room with his undersized pajamas and shirt on, and subsequently asking them one at a time if they could go and grab a larger size for his uniform.

Yang laughed and slapped his shoulder blade. "Relax, Witt. At least it happened in the morning before classes. Can you imagine how embarrassing it would be if it happened in the middle of class?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I can imagine it." Whitaker frowned.

"So, did you hit Puberty 2.0 or something?" Yang asked.

"No. At least, I don't think so."

"Definitely looks like it." Yang walked around him and whistled. "Shame that Coco isn't willing to share."

"Yang?!" Ruby squawked.

"I'm just joking!" Yang retorted.

Whitaker flushed and pursed his lips. He glanced at Ruby and Blake. Both girls were also staring at him. Or rather, everything but his face. "Okay, okay," he eventually said. "As nice as it is to have an ego boost, we really need to get to class. And I'd like it if we got there early, so everyone doesn't see us walk in."

Ruby wiggled her head, almost as if she snapped back into reality. "Wait! Whitaker, since you weren't here the night after the dance, I didn't get the chance to tell you. And I kinda forgot these last few days."

"What is it?"

"During the dance, Blake and I stepped out to get some fresh air when we saw someone trying to sneak into the CCT."

"Someone who has experience sneaking around," Blake added. "We followed her all the way up to the communications room. We tried to stop her, but…"

"She was summoning weapons made of fire. I've never seen anything like it," Ruby said.

"She's powerful, Whitaker," Blake murmured. "Maybe even powerful enough to be an even match for you."

Whitaker hummed. "She sounds like it. Did you tell the Headmaster?"

"Ruby and I were called up to his office yesterday to answer some more questions," Blake answered. "General Ironwood and Ms. Goodwitch were both there. They weren't too harsh on us."

"Did you end up telling them what you found out when you snuck into that White Fang meeting?" Whitaker asked.

"Ruby did," grumbled Blake.

"It's fine! Ozpin didn't look like he wanted to ask me anymore about it and let it slide," Ruby quickly corrected. "He just told us to be discreet about what we know, given that we've run into these people more than once."

Whitaker nodded. If he was being completely honest, he'd forgotten about their chase after the White Fang to figure out exactly what they were planning. He briefly remembered a few weeks ago that they heard something about the southwest when they infiltrated the meeting. But given the events that lead up to him getting Lightbringer back, he was struggling to remember the finer details.

"Are you alright, Whitaker?"

"Yeah," he answered. "Just thinking."

"Then let's get going!" Ruby grinned up at him; the difference in their heights even more pronounced now. "We don't wanna be late to class, right?"

[;]

It was during lunch when Team JNPR finally found the opportunity to ask about Whitaker.

"Ruby, Ruby," Nora called, waving their leader to come over. When she got there, Nora asked. "Who's the hunk?"

Jaune spat out his water.

"Jaune!" Pyrrha exclaimed, as she'd unfortunately been sitting opposite him, and she had not been expecting it to rain indoors.

"Sorry, Pyr," he immediately apologized and walked over to her. He helped pat her dry.

"'The hunk' is Whitaker," Ruby answered.

Nora's jaw hit the table. "THAT'S WHITAKER?!"

Whitaker winced at the sheer volume. "Yes, Nora. It's me."

"Oh wow, you're like a supermodel now."

"That's what I said!" Yang pointed out.

"Thank you all for the compliments, but can we please try not to make a scene out of them?" Whitaker sighed.

"Right. Sorry." Nora pursed her lips.

"So, what happened?" Jaune asked.

"To make a long story short: let go of the old sword, decided that was a bad idea, reacquired the old sword, and the old sword decided to dump this on me too," Whitaker summarized.

"Old sword… You mean the one you were using during Initiation?" Nora tilted her head. "I've been trying to figure out why you stopped using it, especially because it was super strong."

Jaune pouted. "Why can't my sword make me grow taller and get more muscles?" He complained.

"I would love to be able to share it with you, but I'm pretty sure it would kill you. Or something worse," Whitaker said. He really wasn't sure what handing Lightbearer off to someone else besides him would do. And he wasn't keen on finding out.

Jaune's frown deepened.

"Oh, don't worry Vomit Boy," Yang comforted. "You might not be able to get taller, but you can definitely get more muscles. You just need to work out more!"

"I know…" Jaune bemoaned.

"That still doesn't explain your eyes, Whitaker," Ren cut in. "And I've never heard of a sword that is capable of transforming the body in such a way."

Whitaker rubbed the back of his neck. He glanced at Team RWBY. They were all already looking at him. Despite how much he wanted to keep it a secret from Team JNPR, at least until he thought they were ready, the fierceness of his teammates' glares was enough to crush that desire. Honesty had done him well so far, but this space was too public for his liking. Whitaker sighed and said, "I'll tell you all later. In your dorm. It's a lot to explain."

"Very well," Ren accepted his response with a nod.

The strangest part of their conversation was that Pyrrha hadn't said a single word. She didn't even so much as look in Whitaker's direction. He needed to ask her about that later.

Whitaker saw Coco enter the cafeteria and grab her lunch. "Coco!" Whitaker called and waved as she walked back to her table. "Tell CFVY to come join us."

Coco raised a brow at him, then rolled her eyes and continued walking to her team's table.

"Ouch," Yang said before taking a bite out of her lunch. "Did you two fight or something?"

"No," Whitaker said, shaking his head. "I just don't think she recognizes me. I'll be back." He stood up and made his way over the Team CFVY's table.

"Who was that guy?" Whitaker heard Velvet ask.

"No idea," Coco replied with a shrug. She picked out a fry from her meal and popped it into her mouth. "He knows my name though, which is super weird."

"Is it really that weird?" Whitaker asked.

Coco growled. She stood up and turned to face him. "Listen up, buddy. I don't know who you are, but…" Coco trailed off as she finally got a good look at him. "Whitaker? Is that you?"

"Yeah. I know. It's weird. My sword, remember?" He asked.

"Whitaker?!" Coco repeated.

"Yes— that's my name. I'm glad that you know my name."

"How? When? Why?" Coco asked, rapid-fire as she toured all around him, touching him as if to make sure that it was actually her boyfriend. She looked at his eyes. Her countenance was complicated, a bit of disappointment and sadness but interest and curiosity. "Your eyes. They're different too."

"Yes. They are. And to answer your questions: my sword, last night, and I have no idea," he responded.

"As nice as it is that you recognize your boyfriend, Coco," Velvet said. "You're kinda making a scene."

Nearly half the cafeteria had turned to look at them. But as Whitaker returned those looks, they all whipped their heads back toward their plates of food.

"Right, sorry." Coco cleared her throat. "Well, I guess I'll see you around?"

"My invitation still stands," Whitaker said. "You and your team are welcome to join our teams' tables whenever. If you want."

"We'll definitely think about it, Whitaker," Velvet said with a smile. "Thanks for the invite."

Whitaker nodded, quickly kissed Coco on the cheek, and then made his way back to Team RWBY and Team JNPR's table. The rest of their lunch passed quickly, with everyone asking Whitaker more and more questions about his new appearance and his new-old weapon.

Until eventually—

Beacon's alarm system blared loudly, echoing throughout the entire lunch hall.

"All first-year students, please report to the amphitheater," Glynda's voice boomed.

"What do you think that's for?" Jaune asked.

"Ozpin did tell me that we had a 'big day' ahead of us," Blake recalled. "I guess this is what he meant."

Whitaker's Scroll buzzed in his pocket. It was a text from Coco. "Good luck out there. But I doubt you'll need it."

He looked up to try and find her. He spotted her standing on the bench, her eyes already on him. She grinned.

Whitaker returned it, then typed out his response. "Thanks. Don't miss me too much."

"I'm a big girl. I can handle spending a few days without you. Now get going!"

"I love you," Whitaker typed.

"I love you too," was Coco's swift response.

With that, he closed his Scroll and followed Team RWBY.

[;]

The auditorium wasn't packed with students, but it was enough that the sound of conversation was all-encompassing. Until Ms. Goodwitch took the stage and tapped the microphone twice, saying, "Quiet! Quiet please. Headmaster Ozpin would like to share a few words before we begin." She left the stage, and was quickly replaced by Ozpin.

The Headmaster adjusted his glasses, cleared his throat, and began a great and grand speech about today marking the end of the Great War. He went on to talk about its history, its significance, and the importance of the Huntsmen and Huntresses who worked hard to ensure that the peace secured during the Great War endured.

"As first year students, you will be tasked with shadowing a professional Huntsman or Huntress on a mission. Some of you may be taken out of the kingdom for several days. Others may work within the walls for the rest of the week. But no matter which path you choose, remember to be safe, remember your training, and do your very best."

With his piece said, Ozpin left the stage, and Ms. Goodwitch reentered.

She cleared her throat, speaking clearly into the microphone, "On the way out of the amphitheater you will see numerous holographic displays. Each display will show you all available missions. Simply scan your Beacon Student IDs, select the mission you and your team wish to tackle, and head to your rooms and lockers to gather your equipment before the listed departure time. Best of luck to you all. Dismissed!"

The students all began to file out of the amphitheater.

"Well, this makes things easy," Ruby said. "All we have to do is shadow a Huntsman working in the southeast."

"Yeah! We'll follow them around in the day, then give 'em the slip by night," Yang said.

As Team RWBY approached the hologram screen, Ruby immediately pointed at one mission. "There! Quadrant 5 needs Grimm cleared out."

"That is in the southeast," Blake supplied.

"Then it's perfect!"

Ruby takes out her student ID and faces it against the display. The display quickly scans it, and then Ruby selects her desired mission. The mission glows red, and a pop-up appears.

ERROR: FIRST-YEARS PROHIBITED FROM ACCEPTING THIS MISSION

"That felt like it was too easy," Whitaker said with a small smile. "Do we have any other ideas?"

"We can… sneak out anyways?" Yang offered.

"Well, that's certainly one option," Ozpin said from behind them. His cane in one hand and his Scroll in the other, he walked around the display. "Unfortunately, we determined that the concentration of Grimm was far too extreme for first-year students. It seems that particular region is rather popular. However, I have a suspicion that you four will make your way there no matter which job you choose. Is that right?"

"Hehe…" Ruby trailed off, her face slowly turning red.

"I am, after all, curious as to how you all found yourselves at the docks last semester. I'm interested to know how you really learned about a hideout in the southeast. And I certainly wonder why witnesses reported seeing robots, scorch marks, and rose petals in a dance club a few weeks ago."

"Headmaster Ozpin," Whitaker quickly cut in. "This mission is important to us. We need to see it through. I believe that with this team's overall skill and Lightbearer, we'll be able to handle it."

"You make a convincing argument, Whitaker," Ozpin said. "If I wasn't already on your side. Since you're all in the habit of breaking rules, I've decided that instead of waiting for you to break them, we can just bend them now." Ozpin presses a few buttons on his scroll, and the pop-up on the hologram screen changes.

MISSION SELECTED. PLEASE REPORT TO BULLHEAD DOCK 3 IN 3 HOURS FOR MISSION DEPARTURE. GOOD LUCK.

"Thank you, Headmaster," Ruby said.

"Do not thank me for this." Ozpin stared at each of them. "Teamwork, persistence, and luck have carried you thus far. But you must understand, the world beyond these walls and the things that await you will not care in the slightest. Stay close to your Huntsman at all times, and do exactly as he says. He will be leading you on this mission, and he can have you sent back to Beacon if he finds your skills unsatisfactory. Good luck."

Team RWBY all looked at each other. But Whitaker felt no pressure. He'd already lived through what Ozpin was describing. However, he knew that the rest of his team did not have his experience. He would need to help them. Guide them. Show them what he knew, show them what he learned in the year he spent on the field with his father.

"Is he right, Whitaker?" Ruby asked, looking up at him.

Whitaker sighed. "Yes. He is."

The excitement in Ruby's eyes died ever-so-slightly.

"But we'll have each other," Whitaker added. "And that'll be more than enough."

Ruby pursed her lips and nodded. "Alright team, we need to pack and get our equipment ready. Let's go!"

[;]

Whitaker popped open his locker. Lightning was still inside of it, as was the pistol that Ruby gifted him: his modified VP9. He pulled out Lightning and the pistol, along with four magazines. It was more of a precautionary measure. In case he somehow lost Lightbearer, Whitaker wanted to have Lightning and the VP9, instead of whatever equipment he would have to scavenge for.

Then again, if he did lose Lightbearer…

He cut off that thought. He needed to stay focused.

"Ready?" Ruby asked as she knocked on the side of a locker. She'd already finished putting her gear into her bag, and now waited for him.

"Yeah," Whitaker said. "Just finishing up." He packed in Lightning and the VP9.

"Whitaker," Ruby began. "Do you think… Do you think we're being too risky?"

"In taking this mission?"

She nodded. "I know that Blake wants to do everything she can to stop the White Fang, and so do I. I'm more than happy to help her do it, but this feels like its too much. Like we're risking too much. I just want your opinion."

"I do think it's risky," Whitaker answered, closing his locker. He turned to face Ruby. "But at the same time, if we don't take risks every now and then, the White Fang will finish whatever they're planning to do. I don't know about you, but I would rather try and stop them and fail, than do nothing about it when I could have."

"Right. That's what I think too."

"Then why did you come to me?"

"I just wanted to make sure that… That I was making the right choice. That I was making the choice that you would have made."

"Ruby…" Whitaker trailed off. He sat down on the bench in the locker room. "I appreciate that you look up to me like that, but I want you to remember that I make mistakes too. That I make bad calls and bad decisions all the time. But most of all, I don't want you to base decisions you make on how I would do it. You can't do it like me Ruby; you can't be a Huntsman like me. You have to do it like you; you have to be the Huntsman that you want to be."

[;]

"Whitaker!" Coco called out as soon as she saw him step onto Bullhead Dock 3. She was leaning against the wall, her arms crossed as she waited for him.

"You guys go on ahead," Whitaker said.

"You want us to take your stuff?" Yang offered.

"If you don't mind," Whitaker replied. He handed off his backpack to her. She carried both hers and his easily.

"Don't take too long, lover-boy," Yang teased with a grin.

"I won't." Whitaker smiled back.

The rest of Team RWBY headed off towards the Bullhead, leaving Whitaker and Coco behind to speak in private. Coco pushed herself off the wall and walked alongside him to one of the empty Bullhead docks. They stood beside each other, looking at the view of Vale from the dock.

"This isn't fair," Coco said. "You're so much taller than me now."

"We were the same height when you weren't in your heels," Whitaker answered. "And I was shorter than you when you were in them."

"Yeah. And I liked that."

"Sorry. I wish it didn't happen either." Whitaker looked down at himself. As nice as it was to be… conventionally attractive, it was a bit bothersome. Especially because he now would probably need to reintroduce himself to the people he hadn't seen in awhile. "Do you not like it?"

"Whitaker, I couldn't care less how you looked," Coco said. "I love you for who you are." She pecked him on the cheek. "That said, I did like you more yesterday, but… I could get used to this."

"I'd change back if I could," he said with a smile.

"I know." Coco put a hand on her hip. "So, where are you guys headed? What's your mission?"

"Search and Destroy in southeastern Vale," Whitaker said. "It was apparently too risky for first-years, but Ozpin decided to bend the rules for us."

Coco hummed. "Not sure if I liked the sound of that."

"It's because of the White Fang," Whitaker explained. "We've had more than a few run-ins with them, and because of that, Ozpin was more willing to bend the rules. And also because of Lightbearer."

"Fair enough." Coco grabbed his hand. She rubbed circles against the back of it with her thumb. "Just be careful, okay?"

"I will."

"And rely on your team," she continued. "Even if you have more experience than them, they're still your team."

"I will, Coco."

"And—"

Whitaker leaned down and pressed his lips against hers. Warmth bloomed in his chest; it quickly turned to fire as her tongue brushed against his bottom lip and her hand came up behind his head to push him into her.

After what felt like a few minutes, Coco pulled away. "Come back to me."

"I will. I promise."

She grinned. "Now get going, tiger. I'll be waiting for you when you get back." Coco pushed him towards the Bullhead where his team waited.

Whitaker made his way there, then he watched as Coco walked away, back inside of Beacon's walls. Turning around, he took a good look at Ruby, Yang, and Blake. He tried to gauge how nervous they were without being too obvious, but Ruby noticed.

"I'm fine, Witt." Ruby gave him a thumbs-up.

"Yang, Blake?" Whitaker asked.

"I'm alright," Blake answered.

"I'm awesome!" Yang grinned.

"If you need someone to talk to, aside from the Huntsman we're assigned to, I'm here. I might be as experienced as them, but I've been on several missions like this before, during that year I spent with my dad," Whitaker said.

"We know," Ruby said. "We told Blake while you and Coco were talking."

"Wasn't a whole lot of talking going on there, Ruby," teased Yang. Then, she turned her attention to Whitaker. "Speaking of that, is there a reason you didn't come back from the dance last night? Or why you left so early?"

Whitaker fought back a blush, and countered with, "Is there a reason why you're asking? Looking to join in?"

"I— N— No! That's—"

"I asked Coco about it," he continued, leaning forward. "She said she's willing to share."

Yang's ears and cheeks turned bright pink. She buried her face into her hands. "Stop! Okay, you win! I'll stop teasing you about it."

Ruby laughed at her sister's plight; Blake chortled, covering her mouth with her hand; Whitaker smirked and held out his hand to Yang. "Truce?"

Yang immediately took it and shook it fiercely. "Truce." It took her a bit of time to recover, before she asked. "Did you actually ask her that?"

Whitaker shook his head. "Despite how open she is with this stuff, she's really monogamous."

Yang nodded as she hummed sagely. "She seemed like it."

Whitaker rolled his eyes. He took a seat beside Blake. All they had to do now was wait for their assigned Huntsman to show up and—

"Oh… C'mon," Yang groaned.

Whitaker watched as Doctor Oobleck stepped out onto their dock and began to make his way to their Bullhead.

Ruby sighed.

Blake and Whitaker glanced at each other, but remained silent. Whitaker was pretty sure they were both thinking the same thing: their plan to escape their Huntsman's sight once night fell was gone. With how much coffee he drank, Doctor Oobleck probably wouldn't even sleep that night.

Doctor Oobleck stepped inside the Bullhead. "It's good to see you all here before me. I was worried that my group would be late. That being said, I'm afraid your bags won't be necessary, seeing as you've opted to shadow a Huntsman on what is now essentially a reconnaissance mission. I can assure you all that we will not establish a single base of operations; rather, we will be traversing several miles of hazardous wasteland and making a camp in any defendable locations we may stumble upon. I packed all of our essentials myself, plotted our air course, and readied the Bullhead."

He spoke so quickly that even Whitaker struggled to keep up with him. Whitaker managed, and asked, "So what should we do with our bags?"

"Extract your weapons and any essentials you may need," Doctor Oobleck ordered. "You'll all need to travel light for this. Come along now, we're still ahead of schedule but we wouldn't want to fall behind. You can sort your things once we're in the air." He zipped past all of them and entered the cockpit. He fired off some orders at the pilot, and the cargo door of the Bullhead began to close at the same time as it pulled up into the air.

Whitaker stood up. "What's our ETA, sir?"

"Sir?" Doctor Oobleck placed a hand on his chest in surprise. "This is not a military operation, Whitaker, so you do not have to refer to me as such. Simply Doctor, or Doctor Oobleck will do. To answer your question, we will arrive within two hours."

"Right." Whitaker cleared his throat. "Thank you, Doctor."

"Yes, yes, you're welcome. I shall be in the cockpit with the pilot." He looked at the rest of Team RWBY. "I expect that by the time we arrive, your bags will be emptied of all essentials and are ready to be left on the Bullhead."

"You got it, Doctor!" Ruby replied cheerfully.

"Wonderful!" And he slipped into the cockpit, shutting the door behind him.

Whitaker retrieved his pack and opened it, taking out his VP9 and extra magazines, a roll of gauze, two tourniquets, and… He stared at Lightning, still in its sheath.

"Thinking about bringing it?" Blake asked, sitting down beside him on the floor of the Bullhead and unzipping her own pack.

"It would feel weird if I didn't have it, but…" Whitaker trailed off. As much as he wanted to, he knew that there would likely never come a time when he would use Lightning instead of Lightbearer. Especially if his experience using Lightning would be the same. Ultimately, he slipped the weapon back into his pack.

Lightbearer would be more than enough for this.

"Did anybody else bring first aid?" Whitaker asked.

"I did," Blake said, pulling out a black first aid kid. The black bag was no bigger than the size of one of her books, and it had a strap that could go around her waist.

"Ruby and I brought gauze and some tourniquets," Yang added.

"Good, that should be more than enough." He glanced at Blake. "Are you sure you want to carry that?"

"Who else would be able to use it?"

Ruby raised her hand. "I would."

"You're trained?"

Ruby nodded. "After I heard about what happened at the docks…" She glanced at Whitaker. "I started taking evening lessons on caring for battlefield trauma with Dr. Ardent."

"So who carries it, me or you, Ruby?"

"I'll carry it," Ruby said. "If someone's injured and they need help fast, I can use my Semblance to get to them."

"That's true." Blake nodded along. She passed the kit to Ruby, who fastened it around her waist for easy access.

"Alright," Ruby said as she looked around at her team. "Are we all ready?"

The rest of Team RWBY nodded.

Whitaker smiled, and said—

A pounding headache lanced through his skull. He cried out in pain, falling to the floor of the Bullhead.

"Whitaker!" Ruby cried.

A hand came to rest on his shoulder. "Whitaker—"

Whitaker…

Fire.

Whitaker Ash…

More fire.

More and more fire.

It was everywhere. It was everything. It was everyone. The all-consuming flames incinerated every possible thought, it vaporized his mind and turned it into ash, there was nothing left but dust on the wind.

He laid there.

Betrayal.

He laid still. Completely. Utterly. Still.

Remember…

Two faceless figures made of an inky darkness formed out of the flames. Their voices distorted, bending and twisting like their bodies as they spoke.

"When the dust settles, there will be nothing left of him."

"That does not matter. All that matters is that we have his sword."

"And what should we do with it?"

The figures' faces— spheres of void— turned to Whitaker.

"Destroy it."

"—Whitaker!" Someone's voice yanked him out of the vision. It was Ruby. She hovered above him, his head in her lap.

"Am I dreaming?" he asked hoarsely.

"No," she said softly. "We're on a Bullhead. We're going on our mission, remember?"

"Yeah…" He trailed off. "I… I remember."

Did he? He… he wasn't completely sure. He sat up, racking his brain. At least, he tried to. Whatever he saw— whatever he experienced— felt so real. So visceral.

"Whitaker," Blake began. "Your nose. It's bleeding."

He reached up and pressed a finger against his nostrils. Pulling it back revealed them to be stained with blood. Ruby quickly reached into her first aid kit and cut off a small bit of gauze for him.

"Sorry, everyone," Whitaker said, plugging his nose with the gauze. "I just had a rough night, I guess."

"Are you sure?" Ruby asked, visibly worried.

"Yeah." Whitaker nodded. "I'm sure."

I am on fire.

Save me…

Oops?

See y'all in the next one.