Qrow furrowed his brows and narrowed his eyes in confusion as he looked over the documents spread out upon the long table before him. A map of Kuo Kuana was central to what could only be described as a collage of papers, and the map itself looked about as disorganized as the entire rest of the pile. Red permanent marker was all over the surface in "X" marks and wide, oblong shapes marking strategic positions. Footnotes in neat script almost too small to read accompanied each, as well as tiny drawings of beowulves with swords through them and crossed-out eyes. Despite the chaotic and incredibly stylized nature of the map, most of the markings made sense, as did the lists of names and tasks scattered around it.

Even so, Qrow found that he had only a vague idea as to what he was looking at and how it all came together.

"So… I'll say it again, I'm not entirely clear on why you want my opinion," the man admitted as he looked around the trio of faunus gathered around the lamplit room. "Strategizing and politics aren't really my thing, and my knowledge of this island is… limited."

"That may be true," Blake agreed as she interlaced her fingers and stretched her arms high over her head while remaining seated. "But your experience with the world is vast. You've seen Mistral, Vale, and I would bet Atlas and Vacuo as well. That, and we're all too close to this wild plan that we just drafted in a day and a half. Any obvious flaws you can point out to us?"

Qrow rubbed at the stubble on his chin as he stared down at the map of the island once again. He was well aware of the pair of yellow eyes studying his features from across the table, but he paid them no mind until he finished his cursory study. A chill ran through his spine as he began to realize something, and the potential implications behind it. With an unreadable glance, he finally met Kali's eyes and spoke in a neutral tone.

"…yeah, I see one. You've got training regimens outlined, schedules set up, grimm execution squads, architects, even people manning the trade routes to and from the island… but I see no lookouts on the mainland. No fortifications here, if Salem comes knocking. Is that intentional…?"

"It is," Daisuke confirmed from his place leaning against the wall behind Kali. "It wasn't an easy decision, but… it is a practical one."

"I don't agree with it," Blake cut in. "But Mom wouldn't listen to me."

"It's time to stop beating around the bush," Kali announced. "If Salem attacks Kuo Kuana… we run, or we die. And if we run, most of us die. It's that simple."

Blake's ears flattened and pulled back as she shook her head. Daisuke's expression remained hidden behind his black half-mask. Qrow took in a deep breath through his nostrils and straightened his posture, giving Kali a hard look.

"…and if the choice is between putting time, energy, and resources into defenses that would fall in a second, or refocusing those efforts into building up Kuo Kuana and procuring supplies as quickly as possible…"

"Exactly," Kali confirmed. "That's a set of dice I'm willing to roll. I don't like it either, but… Salem is actively seeking the relics. We don't know why, we don't fully know how, and we don't know when she or her agents will strike anywhere but Atlas. What we do know is that this is supposedly her endgame, and if Professor Ozpin himself is scared enough by the idea of her having all four relics that he would try any crackpot plan suggested by a not-quite-second-year academy student… then we need to take risks, ourselves."

"…remember those times when you, Dad, Sun, and my entire team was trying to convince me to stop being so fatalistic and believe in myself again?" Blake asked, her tone dripping with sarcasm as she leaned into the backing of her chair and let her arms fall atop the table. "Those were good times."

"Similar circumstances to yours are why I adopted a sense of ironic fatalism," Daisuke joked. "We're all going to die and everything sucks, but I can still accomplish things in the meantime as a small act of rebellion. So… let's rebel. It's kind of our thing, anyway."

Qrow heaved a sigh and shook his head, chuckling softly.

"…I just can't believe we're actually at this point. Never thought it'd be in my lifetime…"

"It's a little exciting in a twisted way, isn't it?" Kali asked with a mischievous lilt. "Pressure's on. Time to put up and start swinging or go out with a whimper. I've still got a mean right hook at my age."

"And time is the number one factor determining our success," Blake reminded as she stood up from the table. "We leave tomorrow. I'll be addressing all of Kuo Kuana to explain our plan moving forward… and give them everything we know about Salem and the relics."

Qrow hesitated for a moment before giving Blake a slow nod.

"I won't stop you. Oz has been insistent that we keep her hidden, but… it's sounding more and more like she's about to personally get involved. If the people gear up to fight an enemy they aren't prepared for, they're as good as dead."

"Can anyone really prepare for Salem?" Daisuke asked.

"…I don't know," Qrow admitted. "There's still a lot I don't know about her, and I'm Oz's right-hand man in Vale."

"Well… it's clear that he's taking a backseat role, at this point," Kali pointed out. "The question is why, but I have a feeling we won't be getting an answer anytime soon. It's time we step up, in a big way. Every man, woman, and child on this island will be preparing for war as soon as possible. We'll be as ready as we can be for when we're needed… and afterward, the island will be in a position to negotiate with the other world powers. I'll see to it."

"I hope you're right about that," Qrow said warily before placing his finger lightly atop a specific spot upon the map. "But… are you sure about this? This is something you want, and can handle starting? Once that ball's in motion, there's no stopping it."

Just beneath Qrow's finger was a printed version of the Belladonna mansion. Where the black ink confining the structure ended, red marker extended out to the sides in a rough, first-draft blueprint of something far larger that took up the majority of the forest clearing behind it. Above the structure was a label in neat handwriting that read CLAW ACADEMY.

"I'm sure," Kali said with a firm nod. "The place is too big for me to live in alone, and my husband's armory and most of its contents survived the fire. It's time we put his weaponry to use."

Ruby stood on the small porch outside of the command shack within the city of Styx, looking out over the underground complex. Crisscrossing rickety wooden bridges high above her caught the light spilling in from the hole in the top of the train tunnel, and people shuffled back and forth along them to shacks that had been built into the concrete walls. The smell of ramen from one of the noodle shops on the tiered "first floor" of buildings above the ground wafted down to Ruby, causing her stomach to grumble in protest.

She hadn't eaten breakfast, and she hadn't really slept. In truth, she couldn't remember the last time she had made it all the way it through the night.

Despite all of the factors working against her staunch refusal to eat, nothing about the smell of food seemed appealing to Ruby. So many other wants and needs superseded hunger, and yet she could name so few of them that it was driving her mad. If anyone were to ask what her problem was, she wouldn't have been able to answer. The best she could potentially come up with would be 'myself', and the puzzled expression that the one asking would inevitably give her would only lead to more frustration. It was for that reason that Ruby had chosen to hide in plain sight, doing her best to sort out her thoughts while blocking out the rest of the world.

"Ruby…?"

The girl's eyes suddenly focused once again as she was broken from her reverie of self-loathing with a jolt. She looked left, right, and up to try to find the speaker, only to come away confused and in a slight panic.

"…down here…"

At the sound of the annoyed young boy's voice, Ruby finally realized just who had found her, and why she hadn't found him. Sheepishly, she leaned forward slightly over the railing to see Oscar staring up at her, his head not quite reaching the wooden bar.

"Oh! Heya, Oscar!" Ruby said tiredly with a listless little wave. The enthusiasm in her voice was very forced, and from Oscar's puzzled reaction, she knew that he felt it, too. "Uh… what's up?"

"You know you don't have to put on a show all the time, right?" the farm boy asked as he made his way to the short set of stairs and walked up to the porch. "I know that Nora asked you to open up to her when we were out on the road. Did you?"

Ruby bit her bottom lip and returned her gaze to the footbridges high above as she tried to avoid looking at her companion. She could feel his eyes boring deep into her skull, tugging at her thoughts and potentially beginning to see them. He already knew the answer, and she didn't have the energy to lie convincingly.

"I… listen, we just haven't really had time…"

"Ruby."

The sudden authority in Oscar's voice caught her off guard, and she pushed back from the railing to put some distance between herself and her friend.

"Oh! Ozpin!" Ruby said as she raised a hand to scratch at the back of her head with a guilty smile. "I… didn't realize it was you!"

"…it's not," Oscar deadpanned, giving her an exhausted expression. "I just… lowered my voice because I wanted to bring you around. I wasn't trying to sound like him…"

"Oh…"

Ruby couldn't think of anything else to say, and so, she transitioned to leaning up against the wall of the cabin with her arms folded. The two teens simply stared at each other for a moment. Ruby was the first to break, and she sighed a single, breathy word.

"…sorry…"

"Don't be," Oscar reassured. "It's understandable. Sometimes, even I'm confused…"

"Yeah, but it gets tiring when people assume that you're something you're not," Ruby added immediately.

It was only through Oscar's raised brow that Ruby realized she had said something rather than someone, and his softening expression only caused her feelings of panic to intensify. She could practically feel her imagined mask beginning to slip down her face, and the feeling was one akin to pins and needles all over her skin. Without hesitation, she pushed off the wall and began to walk toward the staircase, muttering a quick apology.

"Sorry, I really h-"

Ruby stopped as she felt a decently strong grip around her wrist. She knew what was coming, and she didn't want to hear a word of it.

"Ruby, you're a great le-"

"And what exactly have I done to lead lately!?" Ruby exploded as she turned upon her friend. She could feel tears beginning to sting at the corners of her eyes, and a familiar, worrying pulse within them, too. "Or ever, for that matter? The only real decision I've made was splitting everyone up for these upcoming missions and deciding we're heading out now. It's the same thing I blew up at Sun for, after he had to put us on this path because I didn't know what to do!"

"No one has all of the answers," Oscar said slowly. "And no one here is blaming you for taking more of a backseat role…"

"I am," Ruby hissed as she pointed a finger into her chest. She quickly glanced over her shoulder and out into downtown Styx, where several people were staring in her direction. Thinking quickly, she marched back up the staircase and huddled into the corner of the deck, pulling her knees into her chest. "I should be more capable than this. I should be better."

Oscar fidgeted in place for a moment before he sat down awkwardly in middle of the deck, facing Ruby and giving her some space.

"…talk to me. Talk to anyone. Please? None of us have any idea what's on your mind, and we're getting worried. If you don't open up, we can't help you…"

"What's on my mind?" Ruby replied with a light, humorless laugh and a phlegmy sniffle. "Oscar, I don't even know where to start. Salem, the lakeside mission, Cardin, these new grimm, whether or not any of my friends are even alive out there anymore, my stupid eyes…"

"Well… surely, we can start with one of those, and talk through it?" Oscar suggested, his uncertainty clear in his voice. "Is there anything at all I can do to help you right now? What if… I-I could try to bring out the professor? Talk about your eyes, a bit? Maybe he could help you get ready?"

Ruby gave Oscar a glare that the boy wasn't ready for. He scooted backwards several inches as he watched her expression twist even further into something ugly and accusatory. As her eyes narrowed and she spoke in a harsh rasp, he paused to listen, feeling very much like a prey animal that had just been sighted.

"…you know what? Yeah. Do that."

Oscar hesitated for a moment, very much not liking Ruby's shift in demeanor. Deciding it would be best not to cross her, he closed his eyes and tried to concentrate. Mere moments later, his eyes opened in a brilliant flash of green, and his head slumped forward. Right after, it rose back up, his overall posture straighter and his previously panicked voice full of calm.

"…Miss Rose. I can certainly help calm your nerves, if you feel ready for a lesson about your eyes."

"I do," Ruby confirmed as she narrowed her eyes further. "But I want to do it my way. How long were you the headmaster at Beacon?"

Again, Oscar raised a brow.

"As 'Ozpin', you mean? Going on 35 years. Why?"

"Then you were there the whole time she was," Ruby answered as she wiped her face upon her sleeve. "You want to ease my mind a bit? Then tell me about my mother. Tell me how she used her eyes, and what you taught her…"

For the first time since they had met, Ruby watched the professor's neutral expression falter for a split second. With a simple blink, his mask was back on, and he tilted his head downward ever so slightly.

"…are you certain that is something you are ready to hear?"

"Yeah. I'm certain," Ruby replied without hesitation.

"…then I'll tell you everything I can."

Author's Note:

Next week- STRQ FLASHBACK.

It's been a long time coming, and it's about time Ruby and her crew got something significant beyond world-building in Vale.

But why would this all be brought up now?

Hm…

-RD