They say that you don't know what you had until you lost it. In Jaune's case, he didn't know how much he lost until he found it again. The days had been so turbulent, viscous emotions and twisted thoughts pestering him even in the quiet moments, pushing him off keel any time he was close to feeling balanced. It had become such a prominent state of confusion, adrift in a sea of violent waves threatening to drag him overboard, that he only found his yearning for peace when it had finally returned to him.

Peace was all he felt when the beams of sunlight stung his eyelids, pulling him back into the comfort of his bed and the warm embrace of the body curled up in his arms. For the moment, there was no punishing crisis nipping at his heels, no daunting conversation to confront, no tragedy to absorb, there was simply living. There was just him turning over to place his chin atop Ruby's shoulder, his stomach rumbling for some breakfast, his voice instinctively cooing at how cute she looked from this angel and his mind pondering a day to plan.

It was simply normal for a change. He knew there was still many things that needed to be done, they weren't going to be out of the woods for a good while, but for just a moment, he allowed himself to bask in that normalcy. Yet again, Ruby proved to be the fuel that kept his heart beating even in the darkest of times.

"You're staring." Ruby mumbled, her eyes flickering, but refusing to move.

"Get used to it." He shot back, blunt as a bat and, for once, no second thoughts judging his wording.

When she raised her head, he could have sworn the light streaming through the curtains hit her at the perfect angel, basking her in the shimmering glow sunsets were made out of. She shone so easily, soft edged of light dancing around her smile, that you could easily mistake her for an art piece made up of stained glass. Jaune assumed this was what people meant by 'morning afterglow'. "You're awfully confident today."

"Of course I am." He shamelessly leaned forward, pressing his lips behind her ear, not even for the sake of pleasure, but just to hear her involuntary giggle as he'd quickly learned where she was the most ticklish. "With a girl like you in his bed, a guy can't be anything but confident."

Ruby found herself breaking her laughter with a snort. "If you keep this up, we are going to be such an insufferable couple to Ren and Blake."

"You mean we weren't before?"

"Good point." She groaned, shrinking under the covers and pressing herself tighter against his chest, giving her more room to pull over more of the quilt. "Is it time to get up?"

With a mixture of amusement of concern, Jaune pulled his fingers down the side of her frame, gently tracing the areas where the bruises of Torchwick's beatings had yet to fade, humming a gentle toon as he observed her for any reactions. "I think people will understand if you stay in bed."

The most expressive response to his sensitive pressing was a loud, drawn-out yawn followed by Ruby shaking her head. "No, no…" Turning in his arms, Ruby put herself face-to-chin with Jaune, resting her nose just below his lips and making her eyes shine even brighter from his perspective. "I've done enough lounging about in the hospital, I'm ready to get moving."

His eyes grew concerned, softly digging his fingers into her back, kneading her skin. "Are you sure? Didn't your boss give you some time off to recover?"

"He did, which just means my timetable's open to help the investigation." With a few grunts of effort, she pulled herself up into a sitting position, using Jaune's shoulders as a starting point.

Jaune's eyes narrowed. "Ruby, if this is about what Blake said-"

She silenced him with a kiss, giggling internally at how Jaune's eyes fluctuated between surprise and pouting at how this was abusing some sort of social cheat. "Whether or not what she said was out of line, it doesn't change that I want to help. Blake, like all of you, is my friend, no matter what – and if there's any way I can make things better, even if it's just unloading her workload a little, I'm taking it." Jaune's only response was to silently mouth the grumbling protests his brain couldn't quite figure out the words to. "Besides, I think I have a lead."

She adored how Jaune's face scrunched up in scepticism. "A lead? You were bed bound in a hospital; where'd you get a lead?"

"Ruby Rose existed." The suddenness of how bluntly she stated that fact broke Jaune's expression in half, letting out an involuntary gasp, but she continued. "Torchwick recognised the name when I introduced myself, even recognised that our meeting that night, a meeting that was almost the same as my first encounter with him in the simulation, was familiar to him." She bit back a sigh, giving herself a moment to enjoy the work of Jaune's fingers spreading a comforting, relaxing sensation up her spine. "…He also told me she's dead."

Jaune parted his lips, pressing a single, chaste kiss on the tip of her nose as his arms moved to tighten their embrace. He wanted to pause the conversation, avoid the topic flat out and just comfort her; but he could tell this was something she needed to say, something she needed to explore. "So, she was a friend of Audry's?"

"No, I don't think Audry had any friends… I don't think she had anyone." That fact was undeniable at this point. Ruby couldn't hold back the sigh this time. "In the simulation I stopped Torchwick from robbing a dust store, wiped the floor with his goons and impressed Ozpin. I think that robbery happened in reality, the 'real' Ruby Rose stopped it; and I think Audry witnessed it." Part of her conclusion was logic, following the easy answers to why someone would live as another person instead of a made-up person in the virtual world in the first place; because you admired that person. And if Audry's mind went out of its way to recreate one of Ruby's accomplishments, it had to be an important one in Audry's mind. The other half was pure gut instinct, that untapped sense of wallowing misery and irritating envy that Ruby felt guiding so many of her darkest thoughts in both the simulation and reality; a remnant of Audry perhaps.

Jaune nodded. "Okay, so Audry was inspired by some local hero? Why can't we find anything on Ruby Rose then? And how does this connect to the investigation?"

From her elevated position, Ruby found herself resting her hand on Jaune's head, combing through his hair as if she were looking for flakes of gold. "Maybe she had her records erased, maybe Ruby Rose wasn't even her real name…" Her hands remained in place even as Jaune moved to join her in sitting up, pulling her onto his lap where they could both figuratively and literally put their heads together. "My main point is that Audry's always been the odd one out here. She has no obvious connections or reason for being a part of Wither's operations, but I'm thinking, and maybe this is just blind hope, that if Wither took the codes and hid them, maybe she thought the best hiding spot would be in the hands of someone no one knew anything about."

She watched his face brighten, though she didn't know whether that was from seeing the merit in her logic or just because he was enjoying her fingers moving across his scalp. "Her only connection to everything is just being in the simulation with us, nothing to look into or attract attention. Maybe the original plan, if we didn't lose out memory, would have been for Audry to distant herself while anyone who was in the know would assume Wither would never trust someone like her to keep the codes safe. At least at first."

"And if Wither was going against her father, she wouldn't keep any of her data on her plans in the office or in official SDC records, right?" Ruby found herself unable to stop staring at Jaune's expressions, not just because she liked them, but because they made for an easy manner in which to gauge her ideas. He didn't seem immediately confused or sceptical of her logic at least. "I'm thinking that any evidence of Audry's existence is gonna be in Kuriyuri's secret records that Ren told us about."

At this, Jaune did raise a brow in supportive confusion. "Wouldn't Ren have found it then?"

"Remember the theory we came up with in the diner? We need to think of all our clues and habits in how they connect to what we made of them in the simulation." Ruby shrugged, pieces all coming together in her mind. "So maybe Ren DID find it, but it's something that only Ruby Rose's experience would understand."

"That actually makes a little bit of sense." Jaune said softly and suddenly after a moment to pause and think.

Ruby frowned. "Why do you have to say it like that?"

Her frown did not get any lighter when Jaune simply smirked, leaning forward to kiss her cheek. "Because you're cute when you're offended?"

Without the adrenaline of last night washing away her nerves, Ruby found herself blushing furiously at the comment, burying her face in the crook of his neck to hide her embarrassment. "You know, saying stuff like that isn't always gonna be charming."

This only spurred Jaune on more, his laughter tormenting the poor girl as he patted her on the head. "So, what you're saying is that I need to use it all while I can then?"

Mercilessly, her fists beat against his chest with all the power of a feather duster tickling Jaune's neck. "You are such a dork."

"Hey pot, meet kettle!" He easily caught both her arms by the wrist, putting a stop to her assault and pulling them apart so he had plenty of room to stare her down.

Ruby took the mature and adult route to victory and blowing out a sharp stream of hot breath that smacked him straight in the eye, making Jaune lurch back as the brief stinging sensation hit him. "I'm a cool dork, thank you very much." For extra effect, her now freed hands pushing down hard on his chest, pushing her up far enough to allow where to change her seat, now facing him directly and planning her knees either side of his lap.

Jaune didn't exactly mind this position, his grin indominable. "And I'm a lame dork?"

It was if it was only in that moment that Ruby remembered they were both stark naked, her cheeks enflamed again as she cast her gaze sideways, with the indignance and grace that Weiss would be proud of, and quietly muttered. "You're my dork."

On the other hand, Jaune seemingly had no trouble adapting to the new status quo now that the metaphorical, and possibly literal, band aid had been ripped off. He shameless gazed upon Ruby with signature puppy-dog look, appreciating every little scratch or spot that breathed character into Ruby's skin, tracing a finger over every curve, lovingly staring at her as he tried to tell himself yet against that this was no dream. "I can work with that." He took her cheek in his hand once more, and so quickly he could only assume it had naturally become an instinctual response, her flushing face shattered. All tension easily being relieved just by resting herself on his fingers, gorging herself on the affection she'd been missing all these months.

Truly, she didn't want this connection to end. She wanted to fall into his arms and let him cradle her, letting them waste the rest of the day under the covers, letting him spoil her rotten and swearing they'd never break physical contact ever again. In this bed, in this room, in this moment, the two had found a safe space, a paradise untouched by the dreary reality of the world around them. A place where they could just be happy, knowing that the second they left each other's sights, they'd feel that empty part of their hearts fighting to keep the bleakness away.

But they both knew that letting themselves become drunk on such affections would do them no good, would help their friends little; they had to let time keep moving, let this moment become a memory, one they'd be able to relieve when they retire at the end of the day. With a sigh, and another kiss for motivation, Ruby managed to peel herself away from Jaune, slipping out of their bed and dragging herself over to the wardrobe. Already, it felt too damn cold without the covers, without him, to shelter her.

"So, I'm guessing you're gonna go visit Ren?"

"That's my plan." Ruby called back to him over her shoulder as she pulled her skirt up over her knees. Looking over to Jaune, she found him looking as if he were in no rush to get dressed, settling back into the bed, not ready for an early start. "Are you not joining me?" There was a childish whine to her tone, already having to process the idea of not even being in the same room as her boyfriend.

"Sorry, I have my own plans." Catching her wounded gaze, Jaune held his hands up in mock-surrender, a nervous laughter escaping his lips. "Junior has some sporting event today, Pyrrha didn't give me all the details, but she said Junior asked if I would come and cheer him on."

Before Ruby could get another word in, Jaune had already pulled his scroll from the bedside table and shoved an entire gallery of little Jaune Jr playing with some weird looking ball in the park, Pyrrha's fingers partially blocking the camera. Watching his face when he pulled the scroll back, probably perusing his new picture collection for the sixth or seventh time, his eyes lighting up with the same loving intensity he looked at Ruby herself with; it was enough to make even a socially awkward 'cool dork' kind of girl's heart to melt with a soft coo. "You're getting a hold of this whole 'dad' thing pretty quick."

Jaune held the scroll tightly against his chest, as close to his heart as he could push it without medical complications. "Hey, I practically raised half of my sisters in the simulation, only difference with a real kid is that he doesn't want to braid my hair or force me into pretty dresses."

Ruby's brow perked up, casting a quick, teasing, glance between her own clothes and Jaune, trying to picture his bulky frame being stuffed into her own dresses. "Dresses, huh?"

"Yes," Jaune started to splutter, shooting forward with a grand pointing gesture. "and for you information, I absolutely killed it in every single one of them."

"I can imagine." She brought her hand up to cover her mouth, giggling. Jaune had no retort, so she assumed victory was Ruby's for now and finished making herself look semi-presentable. Despite all her blushing and butterflies, Ruby barely managed a modicum of shame in dressing herself in front of Jaune; though maybe it helped that at no point could she feel his gaze turning on her in a lecherous fashion, he was content switching between admiring the frizzy mess that had become of her hair and the window.

After a time, the two had fallen back into the simplicity of peaceful coexistence. The apartment that had once been a cold and dead vestige they were forced to put with had now become much more, but it wasn't the new furniture, nor the removal of clutter. No, it was filled with life now, warm, loving life. Whether they were passing each other as they got ready, whether Ruby miserably failing to make erself pancakes without burning the entire kitchen down, whether Jaune had somehow managed to get his comb stuck in his hair, whether they were constantly bumping into the narrow walls; all they had to do was glance at each other, simply acknowledge the other was there, and everything was right.

When Ruby stood over Jaune's makeshift table, smoothing back her hair now that it started to curl into her eyesight, she found herself musing out loud. "Is everything okay between you and Ren?" With such fondness in the air, she thought there was no better time to broach the subject that had been in the back of her mind for a good few days. "Not trying to pry or anything, but I was getting a feeling when he talked with me in the hospital."

Immediately, a shift in the atmosphere was felt, a foreboding air threatening to suffocate all the good will they'd spent the morning building up. "There's a lot not okay between us at the moment." His voice was heavy and fractured, and that wasn't just because he was in the middle of eating his abysmal looking cereal. Though he did seem to literally chew on the cereal as a way to metaphorically chew on what he wanted to say, his chewing methodical, slow and hard; almost painful. She could only imagine the weight she'd managed to dump on his shoulders with one simple question. "Ruby… I have to tell you something." He nodded to himself, finally deciding that he shouldn't be keeping these feelings, these facts, from Ruby. He loved her, he trusted her; so he had no right to keep her in the dark. "The other night, me and Ren were called into the school to handle a job."

Ruby moved closer to the table, not to sit down, just making sure she was close enough to him, waiting for him to need her arms around him just to keep him together again. "Yeah, you were with Torchwick and Mercury, right?" She scrunched up her nose, trying hard to remember what little had been explained to her about the event. She never had a chance to ask Jaune about it, and Ren was rather vague and barebones, talking about the job like they just popped in, greeted the two thugs and then bolted. But she could see it clearly in Jaune's eyes now, there was so much more to it than that.

"And Cardin was there too." It shouldn't have sounded like such a dirty detail, the name alone. Yet he spoke it so quietly, so cautiously, as if he feared speaking it boldly would invoke some great curse. "He… He was a cop here, one of Robyn Hill's associates, they thought he might have some information on the codes. Wanted me to interrogate him."

She settled her hands on his shoulders, rubbing them softly, terror overtaking her as she listened. He said every word through gritted teeth, stopping every syllable to part his lips and let his breath push out, as if he were about to hurl the words out. "Jaune?"

He squeezed his eyes shut, tight, so tight she worried he was about to make his eyes pop. He couldn't bear to look at her, that much was clear, unable to stomach staining her with the pathetic sight of whatever rattled him so far, or simply because he feared watching her reaction shift the more he spoke. "I killed him, Ruby." She almost didn't hear it, her ears, her mind simply rejecting the ability to hear such a notion. But she couldn't deny it, not when his eyes opened wide and she saw the deed reflected in his iris, as well as how much it broke him. "I… I… I was trying to get him to confess, or just stall, but he kept talking and yelling and- And I panicked, I think I panicked, or something just broke, I didn't even think, I just…" He didn't move a muscle, it looked as if every bone in his body wanted him to tire himself out with grand gestures or grab her by the shoulder to make sure she felt even an ounce of what putrid energy ran though him, but he didn't move, he just let it all drip out. He wouldn't lash out, not at her. "I just blinked and then suddenly I had his blood all over me."

He looked her over, watching to judgement, waiting for hatred, dreading disgust, and yet he could find none of it in her eyes. There was confusion and dismay for moments, yes, but her expression never faltered to the more spiteful levels, it simply landed on a soft-spoken look of desire, desire to comfort him. "Oh Jaune." Her arms sunk around him, pulling him against her chest, her voice low, quiet, comforting.

He wanted to push her away, fearful he'd burn her too, but in her arms he was powerless. "Ruby… I'm just a murderer."

Her voice was like a soft melody so distant in his memory to pinpoint where it came from, a gentle tune that caressed his heart, pinning down his erratic shaking, letting him hang from her words alone. "I don't believe that." She was certain of that. She was still processing what she'd just been told, the grisly details alone making her stammer, but she was certain of this.

"Ruby, you weren't there." He tried again to remove himself, his voice adrift in a sea of tears, his body wobbling with a complete lack of control when he tried to move it. He couldn't stay, he couldn't risk dragging her with him, why did he think this was a good idea?

And then, yet again, her arms tightened, her lips shushed him with the grace of a gentle breeze, and he found himself lose all will to escape when he finally met her eyes. Oh yeah, it's Ruby, that's why. "I know, but I know you, Jaune, and I know that you're no killer. You can be a big lug sometimes, and reckless, and… Startled, but in here?" She drew a finger down his chest, tapping it's knuckle against the same spot he had held his scroll over, meeting the beat of his frantic heart with her peaceful touch. "You're no killer. Not when you can help it. You were in a terrible position, you felt like you had no choice, and maybe you could have turned the tables somehow, but that's just not what happened." She closed her eyes for a moment, sighing. "I know that's no excuse, and you can't undo what you did, but you can be better." Her eyes opened and they were glistening, but he couldn't tell if it was tears bubbling at the corner of her eyes, or simply that her eyes were glowing enough loving mirth to match her words. "I know this because you're still here, still trying to make things right instead of running away. And you are gonna make things right, because that's the kind of guy you are."

On the other hand, there was no mistaking Jaune's tears for anything else as they freely streamed down his cheeks. The scene played in his head over and over again, Cardin's body crumbling to the floor, the realization of what he'd done rattling him to his very core. Cardin sure as hell wouldn't care how bad Jaune felt about it, he wouldn't care how much Jaune moped about it either, as he shouldn't. There'd probably be nothing Jaune could do that would get the man to forgive him even if he wasn't a corpse. Maybe somehow, after all this madness was dealt with, he could track down Cardin's family, let them decide his final judgement. But in the meantime, until the SDC was brought down, all he could do was strive to be a better man, to stop any more people getting hurt by this. He'd like to think Cardin would at least support that. "I'll… I'll make things right."

Ruby wiped away a stray tear with her thumb, letting silence dawn on them for a moment. Not a tyrannical silence filled with choking tension and an unsure future, but a simple one, one that gave room for understanding to flourish, room to breathe. "I know. That's all we can do, Jaune. The past has already happened, all we can do is work to a better future and a better us, as long as we know what we did was wrong."

They had stayed in that position, unmoving and silent, for the next few minutes. No extra voices to empower their despair this time, no sensation that something was clawing at their bodies and pulling them deeper into the abyss, no sinking feeling, just them wrapped in one another's embrace.

Soon enough, things got back into motion and the morning continued like nothing had happened. Ruby was left waiting for Jaune by the front door, not because she needed to wait for him, but because she wanted to draw out the time before they had to separate as long as possible, even if that meant listening to his 'unique' voice belt out folk songs while he showered. It was enough to make her glance over at the windows while she clutched her ears, worried they were about to burst and shower her in glass shards.

The moment Jaune had emerged from the shower, looking (in Ruby's opinion) no more clean or presentable than when he got out of bed aside from having a shirt now, she had jumped to him, quickly bounding his hand to hers once again and immediately feeling at peace. To Jaune's credit he didn't give her any strange looks, simply chuckling at the eager display and giving her hand a reassuring squeeze. She really is starved for affection.

It was less daunting to traverse the rundown interior of the Open Lotus, Jaune's warm touch forming a barrier around Ruby that burned away any dirty look or creepy sensation before it could get in her head, leaving her to simply lean into the feeling. She already knew it was going to be hard to let go of this hand in a few minutes. God, you'd think this was my first time dating. I really need to work on not looking like such a giggling schoolgirl before it stops being cute. Her thoughts drummed loudly but had no lasting power to drudge up any more insecurities, leading her to simply giggle to herself while Jaune watched on, confused.

The dreaded goodbyes arrived sooner than she thought, Jaune announcing to her that his destination was on the opposite end of town from Ren as they left the building and reached the street, meaning they had no choice but to split off here. She had to let him go, she knew that; there was no point to declaring her independence and drive to help the case if she couldn't stand on her own two feet after one night of passion. Come on, Ruby. She told herself, imagining the same tone her mother would use to scold her as a kid, Get a hold of yourself. You're an adult! You don't need constant affection to get on with your day.

"Ruby, just for the record." She was yanked out of her own thoughts when Jaune's arms swept under her legs and stole her off the ground, balancing her on his chest so her could spin the smaller girl around, much to her chagrin. He finished the impromptu ride with a harsh kiss, clamping his lips over hers like she was his personal oxygen tank, completely uncaring in the face of the shameful or dirty looks passersby shot them.

He dropped her to the ground, unable to contain his laughter as he watched her stumble about like a drunk. He didn't think he could ever get tired of how aggressively sensitive she could be, nor could he stop himself from feeling prideful of the fact that she only seemed to experience such sudden bashfulness around him. Still, when she stopped spinning, he had to remind himself that he was in the middle of telling her something important. He caught her shoulders, grasping them firmly so she had no trouble looking up at him. "You were never useless to the investigation. The only reason any of us could get this far is because you inspire us to keep moving. I meant it when I said you're my hero." He paused, unwilling to break her gaze until his words sunk in, until he saw her smile return. He didn't have to wait long, catching a glimpse of her flushing cheeks creasing to accommodate her lips shifting, prompting him to pull her into one final hug, softly whispering "Try to remember that, okay?"

Ruby found herself unable to reply. In fact, she was holding her breath, as if the moment she stopped to breathe is the moment everything would unravel. She held her breath until her heart stopped beating erratically. She held her breath until Jaune was no longer touching her. She held her breath until he was out of sight. She held her breath until she stopped blushing.

In a way, Ruby was right. The moment she stopped to breathe was the moment everything began to unravel as that is when everything went black.

This was the worst coffee Blake had ever tasted. It wasn't an important detail, in any other situation she would have simply cringed and went about her business, but what stuck out to her was simply that it was the first detail she noticed. The odious, cold, bitter mix coated in morning aftertaste was an affront to her tongue and still managed to burn her throat like it was hot; it was the first thought she'd had since… Well, some time.

How long had it been? She found herself wiping her fingers across her eyelids, pulling the colour back into her eyesight. As she moved, she noted the remnants of drool staining both her lips and now the screen below her. I'm at my desk, that's right… She tapped her fingers against the smooth surface caging her legs, as if confirming for herself it was really there. When her eyes could finally make out the colours again, their fresh gazes cringed under the burning neon the screen now gave off, forcing her to realize that the screen was the only source of light. Around her, there was only blackness. Not darkness, even in the dark you can still make out the vague shapes close to you, you can see you're at least still in a room. Blake couldn't see anything, just the blackness, just the emptiness, it was like nothing existed outside the boarders of her desk.

Must be more tired than I thought? She didn't know why her own mental statement came out as a question, she could still feel her bones demanding sleep, she could see that even her vision had yet to fully awaken, so what was she doubting? Shaking her head, pushing the pointless thoughts out of her mind, she tried to retrace her steps leading here. What was the last thing she remembered? In the distance, she could recall Jaune's voice in her ear, buzzing from her scroll, he wanted… Wanted…

She snapped her fingers together. "Right, Jaune wanted some money for furniture." A yawn escaped her, Jaune's voice flickering like a busted recorder. "Wanted to brighten up his and Ruby's apartment." She couldn't blame him, from what the two had said about the 'Open Lotus', it sounded like a place where just looking at it made you feel dirty. At least, that's what she assumed, having never been there herself.

Blake paused. Never been there? Yeah, that was right, she'd never been to their apartment. Had she? She pursed her lips, so sure that she was right on the money, but that one inch of niggling doubt sticking like a tumour in her head. Again, she shook her head. "Hope Ruby likes the new stuff at least." The mention of her leader made her thoughts do a double take once more, wondering why a sudden pang of worry rang out.

Oh yes, they had a fight, didn't they? Ruby was left crying. That image alone had Blake jumping awake, her breath caught in a vice grip in her throat. I made Ruby cry. Blake repeated to herself. Why did I do that? We were arguing about Adam or something… God, why is it so hard to remember? It was if she was lost at sea, constantly fighting for air as she watched fragmented remains of ideas pass her by, unable to form a full thought, a full memory before the waves crashed against her and pulled her under once more. "I lashed out, didn't I?" The fresh feeling of guilt was more sobering than anything else. "She was trying to help, maybe even with a tone or some questions that didn't sit right with me; but I lashed out at her." Hoarse and dry, she coughed into the naked air with no attempt to cover it, just feeling the vile sensation ripping her throat apart. "Maybe I was right. Maybe she deserved it, but whatever it was, it doesn't make me feel good."

Despite her unsteady state, her hand was remarkably precise and quick in slipping into her pocket and withdrawing her scroll. "Either way, I should call her. I can't… I can't let this have time to settle." The rift between Jaune and Ren loomed in her mind, immediately hating the idea of such a rift forming between her and Ruby, no matter either's pride. She refused to leave such bitter endings between them, not with Ruby, not with any of them; not again.

Clicking the scroll to life while on hand shielded her eyes from the bigger screen's glare, Blake found herself letting out an involuntary gasp when her eyes fell upon the date. "That can't be true. It can't have been weeks since the fight, I was talking with Ruby… Only…" She blinked, hoping that every time her eyelids peeled open the date would have changed. "Yesterday, I swear…" She sat there, still and bare breathing, grappling with this idea. Could she have really simply lost track of time? Had she really been overworking herself so much?

"Talk to Ruby." She said to herself, repeating it like a religious chant as she unlocked her scroll and looked for her contacts. The first thing to greet her eyes, however, was the wall of notifications from both Jaune and Ren. All unread. Some asked about how she was, some asked about the fight, but most were asking when she was going to visit Ruby in the- "H-Hospital!?" Blake couldn't contain herself anymore, screaming the thought out loud as if a weapon was digging into her chest. The very word inviting so many frightening thoughts, so many unacceptable implications. "R-Ruby's been hurt. How… How could I miss it? It doesn't make sense. Oh god, how must that make her think I see her?"

Her thumbs furiously scrolled through a list of contacts that were suddenly just too damn long, desperately scanning for whatever nickname she'd stored Ruby's number under. In an attempt to calm herself, she repeated over and over under her breath that 'hospital' at least meant Ruby was alive and in care, that it was probably nothing serious or one of the boys would have stormed in to ask her why she was ignoring it all. She had to hope. She had to hope. But damn was it hard to hope without Ruby there.

Her panic turned to wrathful frustrations really quick when the scroll informed her that she had no signal to call Ruby with. "Useless piece of-" She slammed the priceless piece of technology down on the desk, forcing herself off of her seat with a new purpose burning from the bottom of her very core. "She's in the hospital so I'll just march over there myself. And bring her flowers. And strawberries. And comics. Whatever she needs."

She made a sharp turn, casting the chair aside and… Then she suddenly felt nervous. It was still empty before her, the ground below her feet might as well have been an endless expanse for her to fall through. It was just dark, she told herself, someone had just turned out all the lights for some reason; but alas she could not get over that overpowering sinking feeling. The waves were still crashing against her in her mind, still waiting for every opportunity to drag her down while she stood atop the only lifeboat. The chair, her one stable option, tempting her just by being there, tempting her to sit back down, rest her eyes and camp out in her little stable sanctuary until light dawned upon her once again.

Ruby's in the hospital. It was like slapping herself in the face, the image of Ruby's tears, the image of Ruby bruised or beaten seeped into every corner of her mind. And those images would stay, would burry deep within her hear and haunt her; and she'd let them, because she knew she wouldn't allow herself peace, not until she knew Ruby was safe.

With a haggard, but determined, breath beating into the dead air, Blake strode forward, plunging into the darkness below.

"-IN OUR LATEST UPDATE ON THE SITUATION, RESPITE IS EXPERIENCING CITY-WIDE BLACKOUTS." She didn't know what hit her harder, the voice on the tv screaming into her ears or the sudden assault of light beams boring into her eyes. It was enough to put all her flight-or-fight responses into overdrive, each sense exploding with panic as if she were under attack.

Around her, the office/living space had materialized back into existence, the ceiling lights and the streams of morning sky coming through the window blinds eradicating the empty abyss. A TV she didn't remember having ever used hung over the fake fireplace, showcasing a newscaster with a smile with too much teeth and too width as the big bold headline 'Power Fluctuations Sweep The City!' takes up half the screen. "That explains the darkness." She cast her gaze back to her scroll, but her hopes were still met with the 'no signal' notification. "And that knocked out communications… I guess."

"ALL CITIZENS ARE ADVISED TO STAY IN THEIR ROOMS AS THE WORLD IS MISSING."

Blake whipped her head back to the TV, a brow quirked. "What did she just say?"

"P-P-P-PLEASE STAND BY." The news broadcast seemed to stutter, parts of the screen growing more pixilated and mis-matched as the newscaster's mouth jumped between different frames of her talking, desperate to catch up with her fluctuating voice. "IN- IN- IN OTHER- YOU NEED TO STOP- STOP- STOP." Blake's full attention was on the broadcast now, slowly creeping towards the TV as the broken words – that should have been nothing more than gibberish to her – struck a chord in her that she couldn't explain, something about them sounding personal despite making no sense. "DON'T- DOOOOON'T LET-… RUB-RUB-RUB-RUBY ROSE-"

A simple click wiped the screen of all activity, leaving Blake to desperately gawk at it, that final sentence repeating in her head again and again. "I think it's time to get a new TV, Miss." Which made Adam's voice feel like a razor cutting through her thoughts with how easily it made her jump and screech.

Swinging her body around, arms raised like a shield, she found Adam standing behind her, directly and all too close behind her, wearing the most innocent of confused looks. "Adam, you can't just…" She breathed a sigh of relief, bending over with a new sheen of sweat glistening her brow as she huffed. "How long were you standing there?"

He tilted his head to the side. "I only just got here." He gestured towards the large door at the base of the room, one that would make a loud metal grinding noise whenever it was open, designed to announce any and all visitors. "Didn't you hear me come in?"

Blake sighed, pulling on her top in some hopes of fanning herself. "Clearly, I didn't."

Adam covered his mouth, whether out of shame or to cover up a hint of amusement at seeing her like this, before bowing respectfully. "Apologies, Blake. I didn't mean to scare you."

"It's okay. I'm a little jumpy right now." Blake shrugged, though her voice sounded nowhere near convincing, feeling a cold sweat weigh down on her shoulders. "Just be careful next time."

"Can't blame you, Miss." Striding forward, Adam caught Blake mid-shrug with far more confidence and grace than he'd ever displayed, guiding her to the nearest seat. "These power outages can be pretty scary. Almost had a heart attack when the lights went out." His gentle smile was immaculate and unmoving, even as Blake obviously resisted his well-intentioned guiding.

"Sorry if I sound a little dismissive, but I really need to go right now." Blake firmly grasped his hands, trying not to exert too much force in her effort to push the man away. "Ruby, the friend I told you about; she's in the hospital right now. I need to make sure she's okay."

"But Miss…" Hands free, Adam's fingers interlocked in a nervous wringing session as his eyes suddenly shrank into a nervous gaze. "Y-You heard the news, we're supposed to stay in. Those blackouts can be pretty dangerous if you're in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Blake shook her head, Adam's argument only further cementing her determination to leave. "Even more reason I need to check up on her, what if the hospital was hit?" Without waiting for a response, she took off towards the exit, though idle questions still left her lips in short mutterings. "Besides, we're in an underwater city, shouldn't blackouts be on the same level as an earthquake emergency or something no matter where I am?"

She couldn't even reach the halfway point before Adam pulled in front of her once more, making a firmer stance in standing in her way. "Well, it's only blackouts for the local sector, you know?" At his nerve-wracked smile she wanted to appreciate how worried he was for her safety, but at the same time something in the back of her mind was just screaming at him to get out of the way. Did he really expect her to sit back and drink tea while her friends were potentially in danger? "The hospital is probably unaffected. Your friend will understand you staying inside."

Now, her brain may not have been running at full capacity in that moment, but she still managed to catch a small detail that gave way to niggling doubt. "But didn't the broadcast say that the blackouts were all over the city?"

Adam blinked, momentarily speechless as he rubbed the back of his neck. Then he laughed. "Oh, well, I'm not exactly an expert on these things."

Blake sighed, "Adam, I appreciate the worry, I really do; but I need to see Ruby. It's important."

Adam stiffened in response, his voice taking on an uncharacteristically heavy tone that easily wormed into her heart. "More important than taking down the SDC?" She didn't like seeing such a dower expression on his face, it unnerved her, as if she'd kicked a puppy. "I don't mean to speak out of turn, or rush you, but… You said you were so close to a breakthrough."

"I did?" The exhaustion started to creep into her bones again, harrowing her voice.

He simply nodded, though confusion passed through his eyes. "Uh, yes? It's all you've been talking about whenever me or Klein came in." He stopped himself, as if he had overstepped some sort of boundary until Blake gestured for him to continue. "You said you thought you might have figured out where you- Uh, Wither, hid the codes." His hand came up formed as a fist, just managing to catch a polite cough. "I was simply saying that your friend would understand how important this is." Then his hand fell down to his chest, a forlorn expression overtaking him as he turned his head to the side. "Then again, this is the friend who tried to make you feel so awful for trying to help people like me, so maybe I don't know what I'm talking about here either."

"That's not what Ruby sai-" Blake surprised even herself by how immediately she jumped to protect Ruby from the accusation, stopped in her tracks only by the looming question that, even in her tired state, her mind couldn't ignore. "I never told you about our fight." Any attempts to protest died on Adam's lips, burned under the fierce gaze Blake's narrowed eyes projected, never having been so sure about something she said when she had every reason to doubt her own perception. She never told him this, she knew it, somehow, she knew it.

She pushed off to circle around Adam, but he yet again moved to block her escape. She was quickly running out of patience here, even for him. "Blake, please, it's not safe."

"I'm going to see Ruby." She stated firmly, her hand swatting him aside as she pushed through him, telling herself she'd apologize later. "I won't be long, and I'll be careful, I promi-"

Like the screeching of the TV before, a new noise, Blake identified it as a buzzer, ripped through the room and violently assaulted her ears. This noise came directly from the door she was walking towards. Honestly, she didn't know her office had a doorbell until this moment.

Grumbling at yet another distraction getting in the way of her simple, but urgent, desire to seek out her wounded friend, Blake stomped up to the door, pressing a button placed below a digital screen that blared the words 'Notification: Door Cam' in big bold letters. The screen let out a smooth click, switching to a rather unsettling view of the space just outside of her doors, where SDC's security detail stood at attention. This can't be good.

A microphone popped out of a slot below the screen. Blake cleared her throat, trying to summon her best impression of a domineering businesswoman and spoke into the microphone. "This is Wither Schnee, please state your business, I have urgent matters to attend to."

"Miss Schnee, at the behest of your father, we are under orders to take you in for questioning." The lead enforcer stated quite calmly and clearly, as if he'd been rehearsing this take for months. "Know that we are authorized to use whatever methods we see fit to extract you in the event that you are… Uncooperative."

Blake gritted her teeth, glancing her shoulder at the fearful looking Adam. It was as if everything was conspiring to go wrong at just the right moment. "And for what subject am I being questioned on?" It was an empty question, a stall tactic, she knew in her gut that there was only one thing her dearest father would be forcibly taking her in to ask her about. She gestured for Adam to move to the far side of the room, no matter if they suspected her was helping her or not, he'd be in danger if things escalated.

"The Boss simply wants to know if you've remembered where you hid the codes." The Enforcer's voice grew more casual, more sadistic as he talked. "Guess he got tired of watching your investigation on the monitors."

All Blake could do was swear under her breath. "Oh, is that all?"

Ren was pulled out of his thoughts, quite literally, by an insistent Nora. He found himself stumbling into her, clutching her wheelchair tightly for support as his sense of balance went out the window. It felt like he'd just been catapulted back into his body and the built-up momentum just hit him all at once.

"Ren, you're gonna get us run over if you keep stumbling like that." Nora softly chided him, tugging him along; an act which became rather awkward when done while having to push your own chair along.

He followed her diligently, he had no choice but to; his mind was still trying to catch up to the present, his location itself eluding his thoughts. "Where… Where are we going?" A sudden pain erupted in his head when his gaze just so happened to cross a streetlight, eyes tightly closing, burned by the light as if he had been without it for some time. "When did…" Ren focused his gaze on Nora, the only part of his surroundings that didn't make his head hurt. Though that didn't mean he was spared entirely from mental stress as looking at the girl conjured up confusion. Last he remembered he was back in Kuriyuri's apartment, he didn't remember leaving to meet up with Nora. When did he get here?

Nora looked up at him, worry now coating her face. "We're going to my old house? You said you wanted to check something." Her face scrunched up when he could only shoot her back a completely blank expression. "You alright back there?"

Ren tried not to overreact, he was probably just tired or confused, nothing to worry about. He gave her a lazy wave and a small smile "I'm fine, just a little scatter-brained. It's been an eventful week." Still, his brain went into overtime trying to find any trustworthy memory to anchor him to stability. All he could think about was his apartment, he was the front door, the lights went out- That was all there was. The lights went out and then he was here. Did I blackout? Surely Nora would have noticed if I was sleep walking my way here.

He flinched when Nora's hand, which was surprisingly cold and rough, reached up and pressed against his forehead. "You're burning up a little there." She muttered, barely loud enough for him to hear. "Did you catch something while you were visiting Ruby?" She gasped. "I knew those places weren't as sanitary as they say!"

Suddenly, all questions of displacement were drowned in a need to keep Nora calm. "It's nothing, I'm sure." He assured her, clasping her hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze. "I've been on a few nighttime walks, it gets cold out here; probably came down with something that way."

She sighed "Alright…" She pulled her hand out of his grasp and moved on, pushing herself down the street, calling over her shoulder. "But if you get me sick, I'm gonna be real annoyed."

Ren was still for a moment, just watching her move with nary a care or worry aside for his safety, sending him all those loving looks and small little words. He still had a hard time believing what was right in front of him. After what he did to her the fact that she'd even look at him, let alone care for him, was an undeserved privilege of the highest order. It was a constant question that wouldn't leave his mind for the rest of his life, one that would spur him to spend every moment he could, when he was with her, making sure she felt as loved and cared for as he did.

She should hate him, she should be repulsed by him, she should regret ever coming into contact with him; but he sure as hell wasn't going to force her on this.

Taking off after her, Ren found himself pushing those more daunting thoughts out of his head, replacing them with questions on his intentions. He didn't remember requesting to see her house again, but there surely must have been a reason he wanted to go down there. Torchwick and Mercury already cleared the place out, if Nora's father is the researcher they were talking about, and they didn't find anything. What did Ren think he could accomplish where people who were most likely far more in the know than him failed?

When he reached Nora, resting a hand on her shoulder so he could walk side-by-side with her, the reassure, warm aura she so naturally emitted made thinking easier. Perhaps, he thought to himself, those two didn't know what they were looking for. Maybe there's something there that I'd recognise as significant. It wasn't much, but it was a chance, something to go on; it wasn't like Ren had too many strong leads left to investigate. Or maybe I thought, he wagered as he turned his attention to Nora's giggling face, there'd be something she recognised. The thought made Ren wince. Strange state or not, he hardly saw himself being tempted to bring Nora anywhere close to the investigation, nor using her directly like this; had he even told her anything about what was going on? He didn't think so, but then again, Nora just proved that his memory is unreliable even when it comes to developments that are recent and important.

It was all so disorientating.

Before he knew it, he noticed that the two had come to a stop, familiar neighbourhood buildings surrounding them. He turned his gaze towards the only house that stood out in mind, foreboding welling up in his stomach the longer he looked at it. Seeing it now, knowing what he's done, what bloody deeds transpired behind those innocent suburban walls, it was like looking over a corpse. Bruised brickwork for skin, water damage and splatters of paint for bloodstains, curtains behind windows like lifeless eyes showing only how empty the interior was now; it made him nauseous.

Nora's sigh broke the silence first. "I always pass by this place, but I haven't actually been inside it. Not since… You were last there."

"You sure about this?" He asked idly, unable to take his gaze off the house.

"I think I'm ready." Even without looking, he could hear her cloths strain against her shoulders as she nodded in return. "What's the worst that could happen? Ghosts?" Her laugh was a hollow, nervous one; he could just tell her lips were twitching with doubt.

"If there are, you're the first one to go." He patted her shoulder, hoping to assuage some of the fear with a light smile. "Now, how do we get in?"

"I think there's a key under the doormat."

Fortunately, they quickly found they didn't need the key. Mostly because the door opened by itself.

Unfortunately, Mercury emerged from the door, his eyes brightening up with a sadistic edge as he immediately took note the two.

"Great timing, Kuriyuri!" He called out, spreading his arms out like he was expecting a hug, but the only thing he was hugging was the air and himself. He grinned, looking hungry, looking between Ren and Nora, especially pleased to see Nora's face dissolve into a fearful wince. "Just the man I was looking for. Have time for a chat?"

Ruby awoke to the world shaking. She was bounced up and down with the occasional lurch forward ensuring her stomach sloshed a bad cocktail of indigestion, nausea and dried saliva. The first thing she noted as her senses return to her was that she was in a car, the fabric of plush cushions pressed against her back, the screech of tires in the air and, when her eyes blinked into full focus, the smudged phantoms of the outside world passing by the windows.

She was flanked by two burly men who could snap her like a toothpick is they so desired, a seatbelt binding her to her seat with just enough tightness to feel it digging into her skin, tight enough she knew she couldn't struggle against it. Naturally, her attention was drawn to the man who sat on the other end of the car compartment, his spotless, bright white attire in stark contrast to the mixture of dark blues and reds that dotted the car. The man whose hair seemed to protrude outwards with the texture of stone, with a moustache that looked sharp enough to cut, wearing a grin that epitomized ill-gotten gains and made you feel sick just knowing it existed.

Sat before her, Jacques Schnee was the last person Ruby wanted to see, yet he looked absolutely giddy to see her. "Ah, Audry Averg." He snapped his fingers, signalling someone to push a pristine wine glass into his hand, his eyes not leaving hers even as he filled the glass.

In that moment, when gazes met, Ruby could swear that time stopped, she could swear she was rooted to the spot, locked under him with no choice but to look into those empty eyes. There was no raft, no passing debris, nothing to save her from this tidal wave dragging her under. "Do you ever wonder why we're here?"

So, everything's going to hell, the gang are getting hit with a major hangover and the Big Boss himself is finally making his move. In short, nobody is having a good day today. Whose ready for some explanations next chapter? Everything will be revealed! ...Okay, well, there will probably be some loose ends or details yet to be fully explained, but- All the major stuff will be revealed!