Paragons of Virtue and Glory Season 1 - Welcome to Remnant

by TheGreyGeneral

After a training session at the USJ, Class 1-A, along with teachers Aizawa and All Might, find themselves unexpectedly warped to Remnant. Now, with the help of Beacon Academy's staff, plus Teams RWBY & JNPR, they seek to adapt to this new world of bloody evolution, while seeking a way back home. Canon typical violence, and mild language - because Bakugo.

9. E9 Blake Belladonna: Origin

Hello readers, welcome back to another Episode of Paragons.

More notes at the end, but I'm going to quickly address a few questions first;

A few people have asked about whether 1-A will be picking up more on the Fairy Tale/Myths and Legends aspect of Remnant. With Sun Wukong being introduced, you can expect, at least, one quiet moment of reflection on this, but not just yet, as everyone is going to be a tad busy...

Protector of the Universe – 1-A didn't know the Grimm get stronger as they got older, but it was a logical supposition that was considered as a possibility. Aizawa for most of the first half of the fight was still under the belief that the Grimm were the product of somebody's Quirk. And Aizawa learnt the names of the Hunters "off-screen." In Ruby Rose's case, he learnt it from Goodwitch while they co-ordinated for the final attack.

Quirk Guest – I left Sun's Semblance explanation blank for both brevity, and that it will be demonstrated soon…

TheRealD3lph0xL0v3r – Team WLLW is a direct reference to the central cast of "The Wind in the Willows," minus the counterpart to Toad. How everyone makes it back to UA is something that you will have to keep reading to find out, though it won't be answered this Season. Aizawa will not be getting the ability to cancel out Semblances, as I have something else in mind for him.

While I am aware of characters in the shows sharing the same Voice Actor, I won't be making any allusion to those details (in the main story at least). Thank you KiriCry though, for putting in the time to look up who was voicing who. Also thanks to you and Quirk Guest, for again, picking up on mistakes. By the time this comes out, those should be rectified.

Thank you all so much for the reviews, comments and support. I hope you all enjoy these next few entries. Now then to properly begin… (Ahem!)

---

Previously, on Paragons of Virtue and Glory…

Dust stores across Vale are being robbed, and Eraser Head has volunteered to assist in the investigation. As 1-A hones their skills, acquires new gear, and conducts patrols, tensions flare between Weiss and Blake. After one heated argument on the street, Blake comes out as both a Faunus, and a former member of the radical activist group; The White Fang.

Weiss runs into Shoto Todoroki, who recognises the look in her eyes being similar to what he used to have in the past, and confides his own tragic back story to her in private, in the hopes she will take a step back and re-examine herself.

Now, the air is cleared between her, Blake, and her team, plus Team MOAT. But emotions are still high, even as both teams plan to approach the teachers about a joint venture into finding the true culprits of the Dust robberies. And Eraser Head, is more aware of what's going on, than they realise…

"PLAY"

---

The Past, Mistral

There was so much noise all around her. People shouting, chanting, jeering, demanding… Blake Belladonna, ten years old, held tight to the placard and stayed close to her parents. Ghira and Kali also made sure to stay close to their daughter during this protest. Ghira spoke into a megaphone, clearly and concisely, explaining the reasons for the protest. The White Fang members all around cheered and chanted at key moments.

The protest was peaceful. They were not here to hurt anyone. Their protest was legitimate. Faunus rights were once again being abused, and ignored. That was why the White Fang existed. To provide the means to form a dialogue between Humanity and the Faunus. This protest, right outside the entrance to a dust mining site, was meant to make people aware of the injustices being done, and force the mine owners to the negotiating table.

The Humans on the other side however, didn't care. They didn't care that the protest was peaceful. It was a disruption, done by the Faunus. They mocked, jeered, and in some cases, threw rocks, and trash. At the Faunus. At the 'dumb, filthy animals.'

"This is going to turn ugly, Ghira." Sienna Khan spoke up close by. Blake's father grimaced, putting the megaphone down a moment, and turning his head to the side to talk to her.

"I feel it too."

"We need to be ready." Ghira nodded, but held his Sienna's gaze, without blinking. He knew what she was actually suggesting.

"We keep things peaceful. No matter what." Sienna scowled at that. "We make sure we look after our people Sienna, but the second we resort to violence in reprisal, we effectively legitimise every bad thing they say about us."

"Noble pacifism won't mean much if they kill us." She stated lowly, though Blake's cat ears still heard it. She turned a little to look at the two leaders of the Fang.

"We don't retaliate." Ghira repeated firmly. "But I'm trusting you to help me make sure that nobody gets killed here today." Sienna was still frowning, but she nodded.

Sienna and Ghira Belladonna argued a lot, Blake knew. They both wanted a better future for the Faunus. Both wanted to be treated as equals. The disagreement, came from how to do it. Her father insisted on doing things peacefully. Sienna felt that when they were pushed, they should push back. Blake felt torn when she thought on this. She loved her parents, but lately, she was starting to feel that Sienna Khan might well have a point.

"YOU ARE HEREBY ORDERED TO CLEAR AND DISPERSE IMMEDIATELY!" Blake turned back to see the mines' security forces had received back up. Trucks with water cannons, and guards with shields and batons. She could also hear barking. They had brought dogs. "IF YOU DO NOT LEAVE, YOU WILL BE FORCIBLY REMOVED AND DETAINED. THIS IS YOUR ONLY WARNING!"

"Ghira…" Kali Belladonna looked nervously to her husband, who eyed the forces being arrayed against them.

"Kali, get yourself and Blake clear. Anybody else who brought their children with them should leave now." Ghira looked to his wife, and only daughter. Blake, however, didn't want to leave.

"Father!" She called out, "I want to stay! We've done nothing wrong!" Kali tried to gently pull Blake with her, only for a loud screeching sound rolled out, forcing many Faunus, particularly those with extra sensitive ears, to double over, covering their heads in agony. Blake gritted her teeth and looked forward to see, gas grenades being tossed and flash-bangs. The protesters at the front were already being dragged to the ground and being beaten by mobs of guards. The water cannons were also being used, pushing groups of people down, and then kept down by the water pressure.

And the barking was getting louder. Blake saw dogs being let off the leash and going straight for the Faunus protesters, biting their arms and legs, and in some cases tails, or ears! One dog, black and brown zeroed in on her, and with a snarl, dashed forward. Blake couldn't stop a scream of fright as it pounced on her, and went for her throat!

Thankfully, her father was there! He smacked the dog with a back hand that had it fly four feet, stunning the creature. "Kali!"

"We're gone!" Her mother called out, taking Blake in her arms and rushing away, "Make sure you make it back yourself!" And then they were running, along with others. Away from the smoke that made her cough. Away from the noise that would ring in all four of her ears for the next few hours afterwards. Away from the barking of dogs, and cruel laughter of guards as they rushed to beat down the peaceful protest.

Blake Belladonna would, in later years, look back on this and conclude, that this was the first time she had run away.

Headmaster's Office, Beacon Academy, Saturday, 7:30AM, the Present.

Blake blinked, refocusing, as she stood with Yang, Uraraka and Tokoyami by her shoulders, while Ruby, Weiss, and Midoriya and Asui, outlined their idea to Aizawa, Goodwitch, All Might, and Ozpin.

"We feel, that a joint operation would show how united we are, as well as being proactive, in dealing with the threats to society." Weiss professionally. "We would effectively identify the source behind these robberies, and neutralise them quickly."

"And," Ruby dramatically stepped forward at that point (a quick side-look at Weiss allowed a quick smile of approval to her partner, which Weiss did appreciate) "this would be an equally good learning experience for both those of us from Beacon, and from UA, combining our strengths in an operation that wouldn't be that far removed from something that could occur at a Work Study."

"Vale and Beacon have done a lot for us over the past several weeks, sirs, ma'am." Midoriya took a step forward, and was actually not a flustered mess, Blake noted. He spoke respectfully, but had a fierce look of determination. "I know I don't just speak for my own team when I say, we would like to contribute more in helping out. This is what we are being trained to do. Please consider it." He put both hands by his sides, and bowed deeply at the waist. Ruby, Weiss and Asui echoed him, followed by Blake and the others.

Blake chanced a look up, lifting her head a little to see the reactions of the adults. Ozpin, his fingers making a pyramid, and Goodwitch too, looked considering. All Might looked unsure, but not dismissive. And Aizawa… Aizawa was looking right back at her. He wasn't hiding his face behind his capture cloth, as he was wont to do. He had his face full on display, and he did not look pleased.

[Cue Opening – Save the Day]

Episode 9: Blake Belladonna: Origin

"Let me see if I understand things correctly here," Aizawa began. "First, despite the fact that I told all of you that I didn't want any of you to investigate this matter, you decided to do so anyway." The group of students tensed, and more than one person nervously gulped.

"Second, you deliberately chose to exploit a loophole, to avoid telling me about Belladonna's past." Yang straightened, followed by everyone else. Blake could only stare in steadily mounting fear. "That she was once a member of the White Fang," All Might coughed blood in surprise, and Goodwitch was looking at Aizawa in open mouthed shock. "An organisation, that last I checked, was listed as a terrorist group in this world."

"How did you…?" Uraraka started before catching herself, but Blake answered her, her voice defeated and dejected.

"You followed us, and overheard it all. Didn't you?" Aizawa nodded.

"Considering this group contains Problem Child here? Yes." Midoriya's head sank a little at the mention, while Goodwitch's look turned to a disapproving stare so strong, that Aizawa didn't suddenly spring into flames was a miracle. Aizawa continued unabated, ignoring the looks from the other faculty. "I had a feeling that you might continue pursuing the matter, even after I told you all not to. With what I know of Rose, and how she was admitted, I suspected the two might collaborate in some way. Or if Rose chose to investigate on her own, Midoriya would follow anyway, because it's not in his nature to ignore someone who needs help. So yes I followed you, keeping to the rooftops."

…

He observed. The stowaway Faunus, Midoriya keeling over in pain, Schnee running into the ginger haired girl, Polendina. He watched how Tokoyami and Asui handled the stowaway, and had to give them credit for doing so without any major property damage, or risking themselves unnecessarily.

But he also saw and heard the argument. Schnee causing a scene that began to escalate when Uraraka actually slapped her. He almost jumped down to handle the matter, before things settled enough that Schnee walked away.

And then came the confession. Shota Aizawa listened to all of it, and the groups reaction to the tale. Outwardly, nobody would have been able to tell what Shota was feeling as he heard it. Inwardly, his heart bled for the girl. Like his students, he could understand and respect the want, the need, to atone. But Shota Aizawa lived by the rules. And by the rules of this society, Blake Belladonna was a criminal. And yet... he also understood that things weren't clear cut. He had done some research. He understood that the SDC, for all it's wealth and monopoly, had a shady side There was definately corruption up in the management area, with the CEO at the centre. It was just well hidden, and dressed up better.

Gods, he hated the times he was reminded that sometimes the people he helped put away, were victims, and the people he ended up saving, were the abusers and manipulators. They knew enough of the system to be largely untouchable, always so very careful, espcially with how they approached police and Pros. And the people who were most deeply wronged, ended up villianised, all because they snapped. Because the system that should have protected and helped them, failed, so they took matters into their own hands. And he had to do his part to make sure they didn't do anything else that got them in even worse trouble.

Sometimes, there were good days. He found enough evidence to help an investigation that he could pass on to the police, and they could actually bring the real criminals in. But for the victims, it was most likely cold comfort. Especially when the media continued to either portray them, still, as the "Bad Guys", or just wrote the whole thing off as no longer worthy of reporting. Often moving on to covering some other story about a Pro-Hero's exploits.

Before the man's retirement, that had frequently been All Might.

Black and white. Shades of grey. As an Underground hero, he ended up dealing with the latter more often than Pros, who lived in the spotlight. He knew things weren't simple. So did his students, he was pleased to see, as they debated what to do, showing that they weren't unaware of the complexity of the situation.

It did hurt him a little, to know that they didn't trust him to come directly to him about this. Maybe Goodwitch had a point about how he approached his teaching. He did want to see how things worked out with Schnee, so he'd stay close, and observe how things went…

…

"Luckily for all of you…" Eyes widened out of hesitant hope, "...you have plenty of things in your favour right now. Belladonna isn't a student of UA. As sympathetic to her situation as I am, it wouldn't change the fact that if she was a UA student, and something like this came up, she would have to face legal consequences. Here, Ozpin is willing to take the risk of allowing you to stay, Belladonna." Aizawa's eyes found Blake's, and she was actually surprised to see something gentle in his look. "So, I'm going to choose to let that be the end of the matter." Blake felt a pressure in her chest lighten.

"Additionally, I'm happy to see that you've largely sorted your internal disputes out. And while I don't think Wukong is the best person to take ideas from, it is good to see you've put some thought into this, and are able to trust, us Pros, and members of faculty." There was an implication unsaid there, which made the students wince a little, but they were slowly relaxing, as it was now apparent, Eraser Head was not going to insist on Blake being handed over to the authorities. Even Weiss released a breath she hadn't realised she had been holding.

Ozpin stood up, taking the immediate attention of the room. "Your proposal has merit. Rest assured, we'll be considering it and other possibilities. In the meantime, I recommend you all return to your peers, and try to relax."

"So long as you have kept up with your studies, that is." Goodwitch said. "Keep this matter quiet until we make a decision."

"...Thank you." Ruby had been about to say that, but Blake's quiet voice beat her to the punch. Blake had felt some resolve returning, and stood up straight before bowing to Aizawa and Ozpin. The others followed suit, before turning towards the elevator.

As the doors closed behind them, the group once again released another collectively held breath inside the, admittedly cramped, space. It was a bit of squeeze fitting eight people inside. "That, was intense…" Midoriya said, his right hand clenching his shirt where his heart would be.

"Yeah," Yang agreed, before turning a smile on her partner, "but lets look on the bright side. Aizawa isn't coming down on all of us, demanding expulsions. And I bet the Professors will definitely be arguing for us." Blake smiled back, a small blush on her cheeks.

"I... was genuinely scared back there, for a solid moment."

"It wouldn't be Aizawa, if he didn't reinforce his point of how we should follow the rules." Tokoyami stated. "His authority can be an effective deterrent in it's own right." Asui made a 'ribbit' of agreement.

"What was that back there, when he called you a 'Problem Child' Midoriya?" Weiss asked, forcing Midoriya to crane his neck around to look at her from his position by the door.

"Well, you see…"

…

"...It's as I said. Midoriya will willingly throw himself into any situation, regardless of the rules, if he thinks he can save a life and help someone." Aizawa answered an unhappy Professor Goodwitch. "He has a bad habit of pushing himself too far, of being overly self sacrificial. He's improved, but if I'm honest, I can't say I fully trust Midoriya to do what he's told."

"That doesn't make it right to openly call him 'Problem Child' in front of his peers, Aizawa," Goodwitch remonstrated. "I'd be surprised that if he hasn't already developed some kind of issues with low self esteem, continuing to call him that will certainly lead to some."

Aizawa sighed. He didn't like having his teaching criticised, and it felt worse when it came from someone he respected as much as Glynda Goodwitch. Thankfully the argument was halted by a cough from All Might. "I think we should table this conversation for the moment, as we have a much more pressing matter to discuss."

"Yes," Ozpin said, "their proposal. It has merit, but there is at least two major problems."

"Agreed," Aizawa said, folding his arms. "We don't actually know if the culprits will show up, and if they do, while getting confirmation would be useful, not knowing for sure who they are presents a number of tactical issues."

All Might took a few steps closer, standing by Aizawa's side. "We don't know their numbers, their skills, weapons, or if any of them have any abilities. While we make it a point to teach the students to be prepared for anything, as Pro's will frequently have to fight with those kind of disadvantages on the regular, as the only teachers and guardians of 1-A present, we have to be especially careful, more-so than ever."

"There's also the possibility that while we are staking out the docks, another location entirely is attacked instead." Goodwitch brought up.

"If we go with the assumption that it is the White Fang, then there's another complication," Aizawa said, and Ozpin narrowed his eyes, as he guessed what the man was about to say.

"You want to keep Miss Belladonna out of this."

"Given that she abandoned them," Aizawa locked eyes with the Headmaster, "they might well have an especially bad reaction to her presence. Not to mention that given their strong emotions on the subject, both Belladonna and Schnee are struggling with objectivity here."

Goodwitch narrowed her eyes at him again as he said that. "You and I, will be having a conversation later about you eavesdropping on the students, Aizawa." Eraser Head quietly acknowledged that, while All Might once again spoke up.

"Excluding Young Belladonna could also have bad consequences. If it is the White Fang, her insider knowledge and experience could be vital, especially on-site. We should also consider the other positives too. Reinforcing team work between both Heroes and Huntsmen, whilst also giving back to the community by addressing the major criminal threat at this time…"

"I agree," Ozpin said, turning to face the window, looking out over Vale. "We do have an opportunity here. Right now, most of the Pro Huntsmen and Huntresses are on missions outside of the city. The few Pros we have available, are those of us who are teaching here at Beacon, and Team WLLW. And the students themselves are quite capable, both Beacon's and UA's."

Aizawa closed his eyes. Much as he didn't want to, he couldn't help but agree with Ozpin. "I'll lead the operation," Ozpin turned to face him as Aizawa reopened his eyes and gave a resolute look. "As an Underground Pro, I'm an old hand at stake outs. Plus, with All Might retired, that leaves me as the only Pro-Hero who can accompany them on this."

Goodwitch nodded slowly, her annoyance at Aizawa, temporarily set aside. "And if we are asking 1-A's teams to help out, we'll have WLLW as support."

"We can't have everyone at the docks," Aizawa shook his head. "We have to consider, as you said, that an attack could happen elsewhere. We'll need some teams to do a night patrol. In a pinch they can be called over as emergency reinforcements. Those teams will each need an escort."

"What about the older students at Beacon?" All Might asked, thinking of Team CFVY. "They technically have more experience and training. They would know Vale better, and additional numbers will help keep an eye out for suspicious activity." Ozpin acknowledged the point with a tilt of his head, before looking to his deputy

Goodwitch shook her head. "Most of our older students are already out on some missions. As students progress through the years, they get tasked with increasing responsibility appropriate to their training level. The first years won't get to do that just yet, not until next semester."

"So who do we have available to help out?" Aizawa asked, and Goodwitch pulled out her scroll and began pulling up profiles.

"...Iris Marilla is down with stomach ache. Mixed up some berries in one of Thumberlina's classes, and I'm beginning to think her team-mates might also be coming down with something, so they are out. Team RSTR is available, but they have been falling behind of late, with some petty bickering affecting their team work. CFVY is still around, but I would be cautious putting them close to Bakugo. While some things have been resolved, it might be a case of being too soon to put them together in such close proximity."

Aizawa wanted to point out the importance of being able to work together despite differences, but chose to let that go. It was something that could be looked at later. Best not to push things on an important mission, where so much could be on the line. Instead, he considered the options and people available to him. "Okay, here's what we are going to do…"

Unknown Location, Vale

"...just sneak into the VPD and get those patrol schedules. If you're half the thief you claim to be, this shouldn't be that much of a problem." Roman hung up after that, rather than hear the, likely rude, reply. His patron had two minions, and while they could be a pain, he could admit, privately, that they had their uses. The boy was out trying to get some more information about these 'Heroes' by talking to the public. The girl, fancied herself a pretty pickpocket. She had skill, but Roman had experience. In any event, he trusted she could get the updated schedules for the patrols the new brats would be doing. Staying clear of those, would be vital in the future.

Right now, he focused on organising the storage of what Dust he and the White Fang had taken, as well as planning for the next big heist. And it was going to be quite the juicy target. 'Thank the Brothers that Jacques Schnee is a such a skin flint, that he only bothers to put security around the Dust during transport and not when it reached it's destination. Based on what I've heard about the SDC's CEO, the man would happily blame any damages and losses on the dock owners and the Vale Council, and take back some serious Lien in compensation. And they call me a crook!'

"Hey Roman!" He stopped and half turned, seeing one of Taurus' lieutenants calling him over to a table where the other two were. Truth be told Roman didn't like them that much, but compared to Taurus himself, he did find dealing through them much easier. "Do you have a moment? Adam would like a word." Roman sighed quietly, but turned properly and started making his way over.

The three were going over logistics from what he could see as he passed, making sure they had enough arms and ammunition. He pushed all thoughts of the three aside as he walked past and came up on the area, Adam Taurus had taken as his private office.

Adam looked over at Roman as he came close and stood up straight. He had been leaning over a plan of… Roman frowned as he looked at the large map. "Is that Beacon Academy?"

"Our… patron wanted my tactical assessment. Though we are a ways off from that stage of the plan," Adam replied. Roman couldn't help feeling uncomfortable, but he also knew that he was in way too deep to back out now. Honestly, he still felt that with the patron backing them, he was likely on the winning side.

"You wanted to see me?" Adam nodded.

"I hear you fought a Beacon student, just wanted an appraisal of how good they were. Wanted to hear it directly from you." Roman sighed, before pulling out a cigar.

"Little Red? I don't think she was a Beacon student, or at least, she wasn't at the point I encountered her. Pretty quick, and powerful weapon, but inexperienced and all too heroic. As in she'll jump in without thinking." Adam considered that, making a small 'hm' sound.

"Honestly? It's not Little Red that really worries me. Or any of the other Huntsman and Huntresses they train up there at that school, though they'll be a nuisance for sure if they show. It's these newcomers. They all have weird abilities that aren't Semblances. Hopefully we'll get more information on them, because they're a large unknown, and that bothers me." Roman lit his cigar, uncaring what Adam thought about him smoking in his space. "What about you? What do you make of them?"

"They're all false."

"Come again?"

"They're pretending to be 'heroes', when they most likely haven't done a damn thing to actually earn that title, with 'False Faunus' amongst them to add insult to injury." That was when Roman understood. He didn't say it out loud, but he realised that Adam Taurus already had a hatred for the newcomer heroes, because some of them resembled Faunus without being Faunus. He saw it as a mockery. "It doesn't matter where they come from. They're human. They get in my way, I'll cut them down."

The Past, White Fang Camp, Mistral.

"Adam!" He turned, lightly panting from his private training, going through the sword forms. Sienna was waiting for him on the edge of the clearing, and beside her was a young girl with long black hair. Two black cat ears poked out from her head and twitched nervously. Probably not much older than thirteen. Sienna smiled. "Come over here, I got someone I want you to meet." Adam, sheathed 'Wilt,' into it's scabbard 'Blush' as he walked over.

"Who's this then?" He asked and the girl blushed as she stared at him. Sienna put a hand on her shoulder.

"This, is Blake Belladonna." Adam started a little, his mouth slightly open in surprise. Sienna nodded. "Yeah, she's Ghira's daughter. And she's good. Got a lot of potential. Figured the man who saved me and her Father, would be a good teacher."

"It's...it's nice to meet you." Blake said finally. Adam smiled at her, before looking back at Sienna.

"So I've got a protege now?"

Sienna shook her head. "Not just a protege, Adam. I've got a mission down south that needs doing. An anti-faunus group is making it difficult for new recruits to get to us here, so they need to be cleared out. And I figure, you're the man for the job." Adam bowed to her.

"If you say so, High leader, then I gladly accept." Sienna grinned.

"Good. You and Blake will be leaving tomorrow. I'll have the full details sent to your scroll." She gave Blake a final pat on the shoulder as well as an encouraging smile before walking away. Adam watched her for a bit before turning his attention back to girl.

"Did you really save my father?" He nodded. The girl was probably at the age of developing teenage crushes. He could work with that.

"I did, though it was back when he was leading the White Fang. Does he know you're out here?" Blake looked down. That told him all he needed to know. "I see. I hate to say it, but he didn't really understand." She looked up confused, but Adam waved away the conversation. "We don't have a lot of time, so before we do anything else, how about you show me what you can do first."

"Okay." Now there was a fire in her eyes, as she pulled out a black sword. It was only a simple sword. Resources were tight. But if she turned out as good as Sienna thought… He could use his influence to get her better equipped.

'Ghira Belladonna's daughter. My protege. And it looks like she's a little in love with me. I can work with this." He couldn't stop the grin that spread across his face at that thought.

…

Blake, at that point, couldn't see the poison in that smile. She wouldn't realise it for another few years.

Main Hall, Beacon Academy, Vale, 9:30AM, the Present.

1-A was called to assemble in the Main Hall. So was RWBY, JNPR, and a few of the upper-classmen. Sun Wukong had also been called in (and for those in 1-A who hadn't yet met him, there had been a double take at hearing the name) Izuku looked around, suddenly feeling excited and nervous. Almost like he had right before the Hassaikai Raid. "Do you think this is it?" Uraraka asked him quietly.

"I think it is. Unless something else major has happened." He replied. He looked to the other side where Asui was. Tsu had been a bit quiet of late. After the emotions of yesterday, he could understand. "You okay Tsu?" She glanced at him, before looking down.

"I'm feeling a little nervous," she admitted. "And I'm still, a little unsure about this."

"Do you want to talk about it, after this I mean?" Izuku knew that Asui didn't like the idea of breaking the rules. The fact that some of her friends had gone out to rescue Bakugo, when she herself had said that they shouldn't, had left her emotional after that, and she had tearfully talked about her feelings after they had moved into Heights Alliance. Now, she was dealing with the fact that one of her newest friends was a former terrorist, and that they had tried to slip the whole thing past Mr Aizawa (unsuccessfully). Confusion and uncertainty sounded natural given the circumstances.

Asui looked at him again, and then gave a short nod and ribbit, before turning back to the podium. Ozpin and the teachers had just walked out, and what chatter there was quieted.

"Some of you will already have guessed what we are about to talk about here," Ozpin began, hands on top of his cane. "But from this moment forward, this is an operation to be carried out in secret." There were quiet murmurs at that, but Ozpin gestured to Aizawa and Goodwitch to step forward.

"We've decided to ask for your help in tracking down the criminals responsible for the recent string of Dust robberies in Vale," Aizawa started. "And thanks to a proposal brought to us by Teams RWBY and MOAT, we have a plan." There were a few looks in the mentioned teams direction, but nobody said anything just yet.

"In a little over a days time, a large shipment of Dust will be arriving in Vale at the docks. It would make a tempting target for a theft. So we will be staking out the area, in hopes of both identifying and apprehending the persons responsible." Goodwitch continued, bringing up on the holographic projector, a top down map of that area of Vale.

"However," Aizawa put in, and his voice easily held everyone's attention, "while this is the most likely target for them to strike at, we can't say for sure if and when they'll strike. Nor can we ignore the rest of the city. So we'll have teams both keeping watch, and doing late night patrols. If things get hot at the docks, teams that are close by can come and help reinforce, but we can't neglect the rest of Vale for one operation. For those of you from 1-A, this is important to learn, as when you become Pros, you'll have to race to emergencies as they occur, but you also have to be aware of the situation in your area. It's a hard thing to learn, but the experience will serve you all well."

"With that in mind," Goodwitch started bringing up the profile team images, "teams CFVY, MMAT and JNPR will be covering the first shift. Second shift will be RWBY, MJKK and MOAT, and third shift will be BEAS, RSTR and STRM."

"Is there a particular reason why my team is on the last shift?" Bakugo spoke up, with obvious effort to stay non confrontational. Goodwitch nodded.

"There is actually. The last three teams are especially mobile and have strong offensive capability. If, between the shifts, the criminals make a move, and it ends up becoming necessary to call in reinforcements, your teams can be counted on to arrive quickly. And given that it's most likely that the criminals will make a move between the second and third shift, having reliably strong combat oriented groups such as yours, makes sense to have ready at that point."

Izuku could only see Bakugo's face from a side profile, but it looked like he accepted that explanation. He gave a tired "fine," and left it at that. But then another person spoke up, as they raised a hand in the air.

"Professor, if I may?" Goodwitch gave a quick nod at Jaune who put his hand down, "why isn't team CRDL taking part? While I can't say my team and theirs get along well, they are a strong team, and wouldn't it make sense to include them as well?"

"That's a good point," Aizawa acknowledged, "however you brought up the answer to your own question. While it remains true that being able to work with anyone is essential, even people you may not especially like or get along with, whether a Huntsman or a Pro-Hero, for this joint operation we decided to focus on teams we could be sure could best co-operate with the majority of 1-A."

"Cardin Winchester's attitude, along with that of his team, was deemed to disruptive to the point we don't believe they could be reliable at this point in time," said Goodwitch. "And before anyone thinks to point it out, Katsuki Bakugo has shown enough improvement, that we can trust him in this endeavour." There were some murmurs at that, but Kirishima patted Bakugo on the back, and Izuku himself couldn't stop a smile as he saw the short moment of surprise on Bakugo's face that he was trusted by the teachers.

"Is there any other questions before we go further on the briefing, and then move on to team training?" Aizawa called out, and a hand shot up. Sun Wukong's hand.

"Hi! Yeah, couldn't help you didn't mention me at all. Is that because the rest of my team isn't here, or…?" Aizawa fought the urge to sigh on stage.

"In part, yes. However, you do have a place in this operation," 'Since if we leave you out, you'd no doubt find a way to involve yourself anyway. At least this way I can keep an eye on you.' Aizawa took a breath. "You'll be joining team RWBY, and myself, on the second shift. Is that acceptable, Wukong?"

"Um, yeah! Great, thank you!" The blonde Faunus put up two thumbs, and once again, Aizawa wondered if he had done something terrible in a previous life to have to deal with so many problem children in this one.

…

Blake listened throughout the briefing. She couldn't help feeling a little disappointed, that it wouldn't just be her team and Midoriya's, but she could understand the reasoning. For students who had largely never done long term stake outs before, like she had done back when she was in the White Fang, doing a rotation like this would keep everyone fresh and alert, whilst also providing swift reinforcement.

There was no mention of her being a Faunus, or having a former connection to the White Fang. That didn't change the sense of caution in her chest. She was back to wearing her bow, and she stayed quiet, stayed close to her own team more than anyone else.

Not that she had much choice. Yang seemly had decided to stick to her side like glue. It was annoying as much as it was also reassuring. Ruby was hyper focused on developing new team moves, and it hadn't escaped her notice that she was putting emphasis on developing and refining moves involving her and Weiss.

Weiss was… quiet. She talked and offered points in conversation, but there was still a quiet tension there. Even after coming out as a Faunus, and her past, and hearing a little of Weiss'…

"Family friends and board members, people I had met and knew, have gone missing. And those who have been found, turned up dead. And we know it's them. Because they haven't been shy in letting us know."

Blake knew the SDC was a frequent target. With so many injustices done to her people by them specifically, it would have been impossible for the White Fang to ignore, and not confront them in some way. Blake, herself, had helped rob Dust from SDC train carriages. But in all her time fighting, Blake had never once, heard of any kidnappings and assassinations. At least, none that anyone she worked alongside would confirm.

Blake had never killed anyone who hadn't tried to kill her first, and even then she only did so as a last resort. Part of her wanted to reject what Weiss had said, as just propaganda told to demonise the movement. But deep down, she realised that the way things had been going, from what she saw herself, it was very likely all true.

'I wouldn't think Sienna Khan would actually condone such acts,' she thought as they began filing out, everyone heading towards a designated combat theatre for team training. 'Sienna was never a racist, just determined to protect the Faunus by violent means, if necessary. The one point she and my father agreed on, was that the Faunus should be treated as equals. Does that mean she doesn't know herself, or is she turning a blind eye to it? Out of sight, out of mind.'

"Blake?" She turned around to find Midoriya and Asui behind her. "Can I talk to you and Midoriya privately for a moment?"

Yang, who being so close, of course overheard, gave a pat on Blake's shoulder. "We'll wait for you inside. Catch up when you can. Okay?" Blake couldn't help the small feeling of warmth at her partner's support and consideration. She smiled at her, and got a cheeky grin in response. Turning from that, Blake looked at the pair of heroes-in-training.

"Sure, there's a spot I know where we can talk, and keep it just between us."

Asui gave a ribbit of agreement while Midoriya nodded. As people started heading to the Armoury (for those who hadn't already geared up before hand) Blake led the pair to a quiet spot, away from everyone else.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" Asui looked down, collecting her thoughts.

"I'm normally pretty good at saying what's on mind, even if it comes out very blunt. But there are times, when it's hard, and I don't know what to say." Asui looked up at Blake, and she was surprised to see tears in the other girls eyes. "All my life, I've been brought up believing that heroes were those who followed and enforced the rule of law. Those who broke the rules, even with good intentions, they were acting as Villains." She hiccuped a little, while Midoriya awkwardly patted her back. "I know, neither world is black and white. When Midoriya, Todoroki, Kirishima, Iida, and even Momo, broke the rules in order to save Bakugo from the villains, it made me sad." Blake blinked as she almost did a double take at that.

'Did I ever hear about that previously? Seriously, what have these first years been through, before coming to Remnant?' She refocused on Asui who continued to talk.

"I honestly thought I had talked them out of it, even if I said some harsh things. I felt worthless. But at the same time, I also felt glad to hear that they did help, that they actually rescued Bakugo. And now once more," Asui blinked as she looked at Blake, "I feel torn...conflicted. I see you as a friend! I think you're a good person, but I don't know how to feel…!" She broke down, quietly blubbering, while Midoriya pulled some spare tissues he kept on hand for her.

Blake thought over what Asui had said, and knelt down so that she was face to face with her. "Tsu," the younger girl looked up into Blake's yellow eyes. "I actually admire your convictions. If there had been more Faunus with your strength and integrity, maybe the White Fang wouldn't have gone down the path that it did."

"But let me ask you a hypothetical question; what if back home, laws were passed that made it harder to live with heteromorphic Quirks like yours? Even if you were a Pro-Hero, those laws made it hard to go to the shops, get a decent living wage, or even the right to vote. Would you still be willing to stand by and follow the system? Of would you stand up, and fight against what you knew was wrong, even if the rest of society told you otherwise?" Asui took a few moments to think on that, as she dried her eyes.

Blake turned her gaze on Midoriya. "And what about you, Izuku Midoriya? Would you stand idly by, and say 'it's not my responsibility to change things?'"

"...Since coming to UA," Midoriya began, "I've had numerous encounters with villains, and people who had different viewpoints to myself. I also know from my own experience, that the system can be unfair at times. I learnt from the age of four that people aren't actually born equal, that there are those who are sometimes gifted with more power than others. Still," He looked at Blake with a look similar to the one he had in Ozpin's office. The intensity was lower, but there was still a powerful determination there. "I do believe that if something is wrong, it is everyone's responsibility to point it out, and to work to make it right. I've chosen to become a hero, because that to me is how I think I can make the most difference. Saving people, whether from actual threats, or simply their hearts and souls from darkness. And to do it with a smile that will let them know that everything is going to be okay."

"Yesterday, during the argument between you and Weiss, I hesitated, because I didn't understand the situation, and I wanted to avoid a fight amongst friends. But now I understand better, both you and Weiss, I'll work so I don't hesitate again. I'll step forward and change peoples minds with both words and action!"

'This...this boy…' Blake stared at him wide eyed. Midoriya noticed her staring, as well as Asui who looked at him, mouth agape in silent awe. He immediately became shy and flustered.

"I'm sorry! I got a little carried away there!"

"You're fine," Blake had to suppress a giggle, "that was a lot to take in, all at once, but it's fine. I was honestly thinking you remind me of how Ruby can be at times, and a little bit of All Might." Midoriya's face blushed so hard he could have been a stop light. Meanwhile Blake turned back to Asui, who now had an answer of her own.

"I don't think I'd go so far as how the White Fang operates now, but I probably would protest an unjust law like what you suggested. I'm still a bit mixed up inside though. It makes me feel that heroes and villains aren't that far removed from each other."

"That's good," Blake said with a gentle smile, putting a hand into one of Asui's. "don't lose your convictions entirely, but also, don't be afraid to have your viewpoints tested and challenged. I kind of wish that happened to me sooner. Maybe I could have gotten away from the White Fang a lot earlier if I had." Asui, gave a watery smile.

"Are we still friends, ribbit?"

"Of course, Tsu, And if you ever want to talk about this stuff in private with me again, that's fine."

"Then I have just one more question," Asui tilted her head. "How do things stand with you and Weiss?"

"...Well..."

Combat Theatre #2

"...There was an argument. It got out of hand. I'll admit, that I deserve more than a fair share of the blame." Weiss said when Kaminari, failing to read the room, asked about a rumour going round about a big fight between Weiss and Blake, and MOAT got caught in the middle. "That being said, both of us have talked through our points, and why we feel the way we do. While things are, a little strained, I think we're getting better. This was just yesterday though, so it'll take a bit for things to really settle."

Kaminari dimly nodded, while behind him, Jiro looked annoyed at the fact he had so bluntly asked about such a private matter, in front of everyone in the room. Shoji and Koda, simply face palmed. Behind Weiss, who was doing an admirable job of keeping her dignified persona, without being entirely stand-offish, Ruby and Yang had been silently gesturing for the boy to stop talking, and could only release a heavy sigh of relief that Weiss was handling it well.

"Oh okay. Guess that makes sense. In any case, I'm glad you're all working things out. Last thing anybody needs right before a big mission is a lot of heavy drama." He smiled to himself, hands on hips trying to look cool and wise. Jiro shocked him with one of her jacks.

"Yeeow! Jiro! What the heck?"

"Read the room, Kaminari! It's a private matter, so leave it alone!" She retracted her jack, while Kaminari just looked around, as confused as a puppy having multiple people call it's name at once.

"Huh? What'd I say that was wrong?"

Shoji removed the hands covering his face and sighed. "Let's focus. Since our team specialises in reconnaissance, I was thinking, we could afford to split our group up a little. Given the number of people all together for our shift, I think we could stand to put one or two of us amongst team RWBY, to help with support, since they all are largely combat focused. Mr Aizawa might have a different plan, but what do you all think?"

Meanwhile, Uraraka, Tokoyami, went through warm up stretches. All Might, and Leif Gravell were also supervising close by. "Is that a new item, Young Uraraka?" All Might asked, to which Ochaco stood up straight, showing off the gear now securely strapped to her back.

"Yep! Apollo's going to be a way for me to help traverse the city environment faster with my Quirk. If I can get used to it quick enough here, I might be able to use it for the mission."

"Impressive," All Might gave her an encouraging smile. "Just don't push yourself too hard, since it is your first time." She gave him a grin and a thumbs up.

"No sweat! Tokoyami, would you and Dark shadow care to help me out?"

"Of course. I am intrigued to see how this Dust powered jump pack performs, myself." Getting that acknowledgement from Tokoyami, Uraraka then used her Quirk on herself. She began to float an inch above the floor.

"All right then… here… we… go!" she used the grips that allowed her to operate the pack, and with a sudden whoosh, she was speeding towards the wall!

"EEEKK!" Thankfully, she adjusted quickly, pulling her body and legs up so she was horizontal, and then using the gravity dust function of the pack to help slow her down before she hit the wall. More than one person watching had momentarily panicked at the thought that she was going to hit the wall, but breathed sighs of relief when she saved herself at the last second. Using her legs, she pushed herself off the wall and flipped over, slowly descending, until she was just above the ground before releasing her Quirk.

"Okay… I'm okay!" She took a number of steady breaths, as Tokoyami came up to her.

"My apologies, I didn't think it would accelerate you that fast." She turned a relieved face to him.

"Yeah… me neither."

"Uraraka!" They looked round to see Izuku and Asui running up them, fully changed. "Are you hurt?" He stopped as he came within two feet, concern evident. "I heard you call out, so I got worried."

"That's sweet, Deku, but I'm fine. Just didn't count on the combustion Dust giving me that much sudden acceleration."

All Might clutched his chest, glad that he wasn't having a heart attack. "It's an amazing invention, but I'm concerned about that speed." He took solace in the fact that Young Uraraka hadn't been hurt, and that her friends were looking out for her, along with Young Rose and her team coming over to assist.

"From what I just saw," Gravell adjusted his glasses that had come askew in his own shock, "that would put her close to Iida's most basic speed when using his Engine Quirk." All Might nodded in response, before frowning. Gravell noticed and lowly asked, "something bothering you, Yagi?"

"...Coming to terms with my own biases." All Might answered back. "I like to think that deep down, anybody can find their way back to the light, even if they once a villain. I don't like the idea that no-one is one hundred percent irredeemable. Well, except perhaps one, but he happily made his choice to try and become a 'Demon Lord of Evil.' Yet here, I found out that one of Beacon's students has a… questionable past, and despite believing them when they say they want to do better, that they want to atone, I find myself… disappointed, at myself, that there's even a small trace of suspicion still."

"Is this about Belladonna?" All Might controlled his head turn so that it wasn't too sharp, though his breath still caught. Gravell smiled understandably at him. "Nobody told me. I pretty much figured it out when I first heard her name during the initial patrols." He shrugged before he looked back at the students, as Ruby and Weiss tinkered with Apollo while it was still attached to Uraraka's back. Blake and Yang were actually giving some landing strategy tips to Uraraka, whilst Midoriya copied it all down word for word in a notebook. "I figured it out because, I too, am a former White Fang member."

"...You were… Gravell?"

"I left five years ago." Gravell shook his head. "I believed in the non aggression way that Belladonna's father promoted. When Sienna Khan took over, and began telling us we could take violent counter-measures against Humans, I had a feeling that it would turn out bad. So I left. I never looked back."

All Might relaxed a little, though he kept his eyes on Gravell. He thought back to that conversation on the roof, not that long ago.

"I used to think I knew how to handle these things. Now... I'm reflecting and questioning a lot of what I knew and have done before."

"I think you'd get along with my Father."

"Did you know her family personally?" All Might asked. Gravell shook his head again.

"No. But I knew of them. Many of the younger Faunus members were the ones who were the most frustrated with the slow rate of progress. I can understand, how tempting being able to fight back would be. So while I don't agree with Miss Belladonna staying with them after the leadership change, I can understand it. Plenty of good people can end up in a bad movement if they feel it's for the right reasons. What's important to remember here, Yagi, is that while it took her longer than myself, she still realised her mistake and chose to get out." All Might smiled in acceptance of that, and turned his attention back to the group, as they prepared for another test.

'What was it?' he pondered. 'Was it even just one thing you noticed, or was it small things that when you added them all up, it made you realise what had happened to the organisation your father built?"

The Past. Southern Vale. Winter. One Year and Six Months ago.

The bandit slavers had numbers. But that was all they really had. Blake and Adam, along with Ilia Amitola and two others, were more than enough to handle the twenty men and women who opposed them. In the years since she had been first introduced to Adam Taurus, Blake had matured, both as a person and as a fighter. She had her own specialist weapon; Gambol Shroud. The finest smiths the White Fang possessed, or had good relations with, had helped her make the Variant Ballistic Chain Scythe a fine work of art and practicality.

The bandits weren't that much of a challenge at all. Only a few even had their Aura active. Those who proved without the power of their soul to help protect them, a few well placed shots from her, put them down without killing them, and out of the fight. For the few that did, and challenged her, she was able to deftly dodge and parry before disarming and then repeatedly striking with her blade, moving onto someone else, before coming back. The quick and insistent hit-and-run tactics quickly exhausted their Aura.

Ilia, she used her whip to pull her opponents off balance, have them trip up, flung into their fellows, or brought to her where she punched and kicked them until they were knocked out.

It hadn't been that long, since she and Ilia had bonded. Listening to the girl's story of how, with her chameleon trait, she had pretended to be human, her parents helping her to do so, so that she could have a good life, while they worked in the mines. Only for when there had been a mine collapse, one which had claimed Ilia's parents, all the human friends Ilia had made, laughed at the tragedy, and said it was just deserved for the dumb animals. Blake honestly could not fault Ilia for admitting for breaking her former friends teeth in response.

And then there was Adam. Swift efficient movements with his blade, and the bandits poor weapons were broken easily. He was even able to cut through their Aura, leaving more than one, whimpering or cursing, as they clutched their bleeding wounds. There was a pattern of red snow around him.

He was beautiful. And yet… Blake felt her insides turn a little. Of late, for the past year, there had been little, but more frequent, arguments between them. They always ended the same way.

"Don't you get it Blake? You still haven't cast off your father's weakness. There's no point worrying about the Humans fearing us, because that is exactly how it should be. After so long, with us being ground under their boots, now they complain when the tables turn. You do believe in me, right Blake? You're not about to abandon me? Abandon our cause like your father did? You need to trust me, Blake. Accidents happen in the field, but you need to trust that what I'm doing is right for our people"

But it wasn't right. Not to Blake. It wasn't right to see the Baker and his family being kicked around by White Fang members, when they had never done any wrong to the Faunus. The White Fang was only supposed to go after those who committed wrongs against her people. The Baker and the others were innocent. But when she had stood up to those members, and had them back off, the Baker, and his neighbours, the Butcher and the Candle shop owner, all still looked at her in fear.

And Adam had scolded her for getting involved at all. Not the first argument between them. Nor the last, as Blake noted the number of 'accidents' that happened, to humans who were unlucky enough to be in Adam's way. He inisisted that it was 'self defence.' Maybe that's how it was in the beginning.

She used to think she loved Adam. And for a long time, she thought he felt the same way. Now...

She shook her head. 'No time for these thoughts. Focus! The people they were going to sell as slaves, I have to rescue them!' She saw one bandit, who realised that they had no chance in a fair fight, try and take a girl with white rabbit ears as a hostage. Before he could put his own gun to the child's head, Blake put five shots into him, and broke his Aura. Dazed, he released the girl, and as he tried to keep his footing, Ilia had crossed the distance quickly, using her trait of blending into the environment to limit the chance of being detected. With a passionate shout of anger, Ilia socked him in the jaw, knocking him out.

The chameleon girl looked at Blake with a grin, removing her own Grimm mask as she did so. "Got 'em." Blake nodded, seeing the rest of the Bandits were subdued, she sheathed Gambol Shroud.

"Thanks, for the assist."

"You're welcome." Pleasantries between them out the way, the two turned to the people the bandits were going to sell. Most were Faunus, like the girl with white rabbit ears, but there was also a few humans as well. All of them were pretty thankful for the rescue. It made a nice change, having people be thankful for what she and the Fang did.

There was a sound of a sword quickly cutting flesh. Blake spun round from where she was opening up the crude cages, to see Adam finishing an execution. His victim was one of the bandits. A Faunus with a pig snout. The bandit weakly clutched at the blade that went into his chest before finally going limp. Adam pulled out Wilt, before wiping the blade on the man's clothes to clean it.

"Was that necessary?" Blake asked. Adam looked up at her, a frown evident, by the set of his jaw.

"This traitor sold out his own people. I delivered justice." Blake said nothing more, and Adam walked away making it clear he was not about to talk about this further.

Soon, the surviving bandits were tied up in a line, hands behind their back, and on their knees. Blake and Ilia were reassuring all the former captives, while the other two White Fang members kept watch, just in case. "Blake," Adam spoke up getting hers and everyone else's attention, "lead them out of here. You and the others, get them moving." She noted how he glanced at the humans that they had rescued. A momentary twitch at his mouth, showing his displeasure at rescuing them, but for now, was letting it go.

"What about them?" She asked, pointing to the captured bandits, beaten and patched up so that they wouldn't bleed out. "We are handing them over to the Vale authorities, right?" Adam gave her a smile. It made her feel warm, though that warmth was getting weaker of late.

"Leave it to me." He said. "I'll take care of it. You just get these people moving. I'll be right behind you." Blake gave a single nod, and then, with Ilia's help, began leading the dozen people away.

Adam Taurus watched Blake and the others as they disappeared out of sight past the curve of the hill, and the intervening trees. Once they were no longer in sight, he turned back to look at the captives. One actually dared to look back at him and spit on his jacket.

"White Fang scum!" the bandit spitefully bit out. Adam looked back at him. And he smiled. And when Adam smiled, it was like the cold winter day went colder. The bandit who spat at him, suddenly realised what was about to happen. "Wait.. please, no! I'm sorry! J-just, hand us over the authorities! There's no need to…"

"Oh there is every need." Adam said as he walked along the line till he was at the end. "Cleansing the world of human scum like you, who corrupt our brothers and sisters and have them turn upon each other. There is, most certainly, a need." He turned to look back down the line, as the group all understood where this was going, and were trying to free themselves in desperation. Adam however, took a stance, his right hand on the hilt of his sword. Then in the span of a few seconds it was over. And the twelve captured bandits, fell headless to the snow.

From up on the hill, Blake Belladonna, watched in horror. Hands over her mouth. She had a bad feeling, and had come back to check on Adam. She saw what happened. She saw the execution. And she realised the truth of the executioner. Adam Taurus spoke of justice. But this wasn't justice. This was cold blooded murder just for spite. The man she had loved and listened to for years was a lie!

...And she should have realised it sooner, because the signs had always been there. She had lied to herself, allowed him to gaslight, and control her. All because, she fell in love with a lie.

She kept her head down, and turned back, quickly making her way and retracing her footsteps back to Ilia. She wouldn't tell her of what she saw. At that moment, Blake wasn't sure if there was anyone in the White Fang who she could trust. The only thing she felt sure about was this; She had to get out!

Combat Theatre #3 Beacon Academy, Vale. 1:45PM, the Present.

"You can go to HELL!" Bakugo launched himself forward, both hands behind him to generate thrust, then, whilst in transit, he smoothly removed 'Lord Murder' from his back in it's default War-Hammer configuration, and swung it like Nora Valkyrie had drilled him. Kirishima, made use of his ultimate move, 'Unbreakable,' crossing his arms in front of his body to help absorb the massive blow. The hammer-head struck his arms forcing them back onto his body, but despite being pushed back, his boots skidding along the floor a few feet, Kirishima held strong!

'Remember what Xiao Long talked about,' he thought to himself, 'don't just think with your fists, but don't forget what you're really good at!' As Bakugo applied more pressure at the front, Kirishima shifted his body to the side, unbalancing his friend for a half second. In that moment, he drew his own weapon, and pulled a trigger.

Kirishima knew his weapon choice was simple. He had gently refused the suggestions of Yang and Nora on incorporating a gun function, but that didn't mean it was just an iron club painted red. He had Earth Dust for when he was outdoors, the intent was so that he could, quite literally shake the ground, or even form temporary earthwork barriers. But there was one feature he wanted especially; A grinder! The central body of his spiked weapon was separated into four segments that could spin in different directions with a trigger pull.

So it was with a throaty roar, his weapon spun to life, even as he swung for Bakugo's head.

Bakugo, smirked. He dropped his left hand from his hammer, and used an explosion to push him up and away, while also pushing Kirishima back. Kirishima's swing missed by a hair, but that was good enough for Bakugo. And so the fight went on, both boys using weapons and Quirks against each other, for about three minutes, until...

"TIME!" Wyndglade's shout stopped Bakugo from whacking his weapon over Kirishima's skull. "Times up, take a break, the pair of you. Pinky, Cellophane! You're up, lets see how well you can do."

"Yes sir! Wooo!" Ashido ran in excited, her weapon holstered by her lower back. Sero followed more slowly, pausing by the veteran Huntsman.

"Is it really a good idea to use our weapons here? Maybe it would be better if we stuck to our normal skills on this mission." Wyndglade smirked.

"True, but there's always the possibility you go up against someone your normal methods won't work on, and you need these new skills and tools to overcome. Better to get the practice now, than make everything up on the fly as you go." The smirk vanished, and he suddenly turned sullen and moody. "Believe me kid, I know." Sero gulped, but drew Box-Cutter and set it to it's spear mode, as he took a spot opposite Ashido, who was stretching her arms.

Bakugo and Kirishima sat down and drank from water bottles, as their friends began to spar. Ashido, as expected used her acid to slip and slide around at speed, using the unique feature of her weapon to make a surrounding circle of 'Acid Bubbles.' Sero however made use of his sticky tape to get him above it. Grimacing, but deciding it would be necessary for training, he switched his weapon mode back to gun, but engaged the training laser feature, Mulberry had installed.

Mulberry hadn't yet approved any of the students to carry any ammo. It was still far too early, and the general plan amongst the Pro-Hero teachers and the Professors, was to keep 1-A away from the Grimm, for which the guns were intended for, as much as possible. But to help with training for use in actual combat, without using live Dust rounds, Mulberry had made up a training laser feature. The students could practice their accuracy in the midst of a spar session, without risking any actual harm. At least, no more than some minor stinging sensations and bruises. Bakugo's weapon was the only one without it due to the heavy rounds it fired, and the laser wouldn't provide the same kind of recoil he would get from firing it for real.

Now, Sero, set himself up, using a 'smart sight' feature newly installed in his helmet, and started to track Ashido's movements. He fired once, but missed, the shot cutting just in front of her, making her spin on a dime, and change direction. "No fair!" Ashido yelled, as Sero made himself a hanging cats cradle out of tape, then used it as a vantage point to get a bead on her.

"Ashido does know she could just use her own weapon to fire back, right?" Kirishima wondered allowed. Bakugo took a sip from his bottle whilst staring at the spar. "The position he has right now, it's just a little too high for her acid to reach."

"She's too used to fighting with her Quirk. All of us have to fight back against ingrained instincts when we use these weapons." Kirishima noted that Bakugo was pretty neutral as he said that. No shouting, not deriding. He was watching and analysing everything.

"Fighting your own instincts, is one of the hardest things any of us can do." Wyndglade spoke up, his arms folded, his one eye firmly on the spar, as Ashido practically danced out of harms way, while Sero continued to send ruby red beams after her. Kirishima thought it was almost like how she had dodged Aoyama back at the sports festival, though in this instance, it was harder to predict the exact shot trajectory, compared to Naval Laser.

Kirishima looked at the old Huntsman, and a question that he, and others, had wanted to ask, once more came to mind. "Um sir? Sorry to ask, but…"

"You want to know what happened to Wanda." Wyndglade didn't look at Kirishima, he kept his head facing forward. "I figured one of you would ask at some point. No need to walk on egg shells about it."

"I remember your… partner? The one with the pike, saying that you kept the name WLLW to honour them, or something like that." Bakugo leaned back, with feigned disinterest, much like Wyndglade he had his face forward, but at least one eye, and ear, on the conversation.

"You're thinking of Lance. Lance Whitewater. And he's Leif's partner, not mine. That's just how we all ended up being paired up, back at Haven. Heh, I'm still waiting for them both to stop hesitating, and just tie the knot already." That spiked some interest. Neither boy had picked up on that, but Wyndglade moved on.

"Our fourth member, and my partner, was Wanda Fisher. Actually hailed from Vale, unlike the rest of us. She had a twin brother, Jeremy, who died. Grimm." Wyndglade added for clarification, before shaking his head sadly. "You'll hear plenty of stories like that for many who choose to be Hunters. They lost either one person, or they lost everyone because of the Grimm. Wanda dedicated herself to becoming a Huntress so that she could kill the monsters that slew her twin."

"Now, me and Wanda, we were like oil and water. I was very much like you, Bakugo, and she… well, imagine Ashido, but with webbed feet, plus hyper ADHD. She always had some new hobby every week, that was pretty much abandoned almost as soon as she acquired a new one. At one point, after we graduated, she got OBSESSED with cars, and trucks. She was determined she would get us either our own individual vehicles, or one big ride for all of us to drive around in. It ended up being the latter."

'Sounds like a real pain' Bakugo thought, briefly turning his attention back to the spar, as Ashido finally started using her own weapon, forcing Sero to abandon his sniper's perch and swing around.

"There's a story; one we never tell anyone but ourselves," Wyndglade continued, though he had a smirk at the corner of his mouth. "Save it for private gatherings where we can toast to her memory, you understand. All we will ever tell anyone else, is that we slew the Manticore, and that crazy woman was behind the wheel." Now he was actually chuckling, but it only lasted all of ten seconds. And Kirishima could tell, that this was most likely the sad part of the story.

"Four years ago, we were asked to look after this political 'Shit.' And yes, he absolutely was, a 'Shit.'" Bakugo snorted, he couldn't help himself, but Wyndglade didn't mind as he carried on with his story. "But he had clearly pissed off someone important, because he had barely survived an attack on his life only three days before. We were escorting him through one of the closest villages to Mistral itself, when suddenly, we get word of Grimm at the walls. And wouldn't you know it, this group of Grimm gets in and finds itself right in our path. Around five Beringels, a King Taijitu, and a pair of Gryphons"

"I told the others to keep the 'Shit' safe. After putting up with him for most of the day, I was actually happy to have something to kill. Lance, ever the voice of reason, tried to tell me… something, I don't really remember, because I'd already activated my Semblance. Savage Fury pretty much amplifies everything. My strength, speed, reflexes, and my instincts are honed razor sharp. However, there are two major drawbacks. The first, is that all my Aura gets put into offence, leaving nothing for defence at all. The second, is that when Savage Fury is in play, I really don't give a shit about anything. Not my injuries, or people around me. I ignore pretty much everything else, except for the fight in front of me."

Bakugo sat up, and if he had less self control, would have actually scooted closer to Kirishima, and to Wyndglade so that he wouldn't miss a word. Honestly, he could admit, it sounded like a damn good and efficient power to have against the Grimm, though he could also acknowledge the drawbacks.

"By the time I was done slaying the soulless bastards, hacking apart the Taijitu for last, I started to realise, that my team was in trouble. The assassin, had used the Grimm as a distraction, while he made a play for the 'Shit.' Lance, Leif and Wanda did everything they could against that scorpion tailed bastard," Wyndglade's hands tightened, noticeably. "But he had some ability that ignored Aura. When I finally got to their position… He'd already killed the guy we had been trying to protect. Almost killed Lance in the process, brave fool. Leif managed to keep him stable till we got to a hospital. But Wanda wouldn't let the assassin go. She was bouncing around with her pistols 'Black Beatrix' and then in one sudden motion, he plunged his tail right through her heart."

Both boy's eyes widened, they could practically picture the scene in their own heads. But in Kirishima's imagination, he swapped out the Huntress for Mina. The thought of her being hurt made his blood boil, and without meaning to, he activated his Quirk. "What happened to this assassin? Tell me you got the unmanly bastard…!"

"Nope." Wyndglade's answer brought Kirishima up short. "Wanda died, and the most I could do was keep him from finishing off the rest of us, before he finally got bored and pissed off. Lost my eye doing it too." He finally turned his head, making both his patch and good eye visible, so that he could impress the proof of this story on them.

"Now there's plenty of should haves, would haves and could haves, that can and have been said. But here's the truth. I abandoned my team, for a fight that I wanted, because it made me feel good. And because of that, I wasn't where I was needed. I wanted to be the strongest Huntsman that ever lived. The most successful, with more confirmed kills than any other. But I failed as a leader, and as a partner. I didn't look out for my team. So make sure you take this to heart, both of you." He narrowed his good eye, locking onto Bakugo, who was fully paying attention.

"Never abandon your team. Your team is your family. They, and your duty, come first above all else. No matter if you somehow go back to your world tomorrow, or next week, or next year, I want you to remember this. Because the moment you fail them, you fail yourself."

Combat Theatre #2

"You really abandoned your team just to get here early?" Weiss asked Sun who tried to look nonchalant about it. He was drinking from a water bottle, but was using his tail to actually lift the bottle to his lips.

"I didn't abandon them. I… just came ahead to scout things out, get a feel for Vale and Beacon. They knew what I was doing. If I'd abandoned them, they wouldn't have known a thing. They were happy to wait, while I went ahead. So it's all good." Weiss worked hard to keep her expression largely neutral. Sun, was… admittedly, not as bad as she first thought. But his casual indifference to rules, and the fact that he was clearly impatient to not wait for his team, or even a more legal means to get here, still annoyed her.

However… "Let's leave that aside for now. We should focus on how to co-ordinate in battle." Sun's tail put the bottle down, as he stood up from his seat, hands on his hips, and a devil-may-care grin on his face.

"Well, then, after you, Weiss."

'Okay, I can admit he is handsome, and has a measure of dork-ish charm, though he isn't really my type.' Weiss allowed a polite smile, as she also stood from her seat and made her way to the centre of the amphitheatre, where Ruby, Yang and Blake were waiting. 'And I can tell, he's probably more interested in Blake. I wonder how she feels…' Weiss did a quick shake of her head, refocusing.

"Well, Rubes," Yang spoke up as Weiss and Sun got close, "what's first?" Ruby smiled, taking in the faces of her team, and Sun.

"Team manoeuvres. After yesterday, I want to make sure we're all still able to work together cleanly. We'll start with 'Checkmate,' because that needs revising. The way we're doing it right now, just doesn't quite click."

"I can agree with that," Weiss nodded. "While Blake jumping from my platforms has some advantages, I think 'Checkmate' is better, if we both attack from two different directions, actively pinning our opponent in place whilst striking them down." Blake nodded her own agreement.

"That does sound more effective, and better in-keeping with the name."

"Sun?" The blonde tilted his head to the side as Ruby addressed him directly, "would you be okay working with Yang, while Weiss and Blake run through the move."

"That depends… am I a sitting target or…?"

"Nah," Yang eased his mind waving her hand back and forth dismissively, "you and me will be fighting back. Ruby feels that pulling off our team attacks needs to be practised as close to a real fight as possible in order to, both, get the timing right, and just so we're more prepared for actual battles. I'll cover your back, and you cover mine." Sun nodded and gave both her and Ruby finger guns.

"Don't expect me to go easy on you then."

"Wouldn't have it any other way," Ruby gave him an appraising smile, before turning back to Weiss and Blake. "While we're opening with 'Checkmate,' I also want to try out 'White Rose' and the new one, 'Ladybug.' Sound good?"

"Sure." Blake simply replied, already with her weapon out. Weiss drew Myternaster with her left hand, and held it off to the side.

"I'm ready when you are." Ruby nodded, and she lead the three of them to the other end of the fighting area, while Yang and Sun walked towards the other.

Weiss looked up as she walked, seeing MJKK, and MOAT along with All Might and Gravell. She also noticed out of the corner of her eye, by stairs in the shadows…

"Aizawa," Weiss turned her head towards Blake, who was looking at her but made a small gesture in the direction of the homeroom teacher. "I picked up on him five minutes ago, but I wouldn't be surprised if he's been watching us all for longer."

"Does he not trust us?" Weiss quietly mused, though it was still loud enough for Blake and Ruby to hear. Blake looked down, frowning.

"I wonder if he's actually going to let me take part at all?" Ruby stopped and turned at that, and Blake and Weiss stopped as well. "And I don't say that as in I think he doesn't trust me because of my past. I think he doesn't want me there, because he thinks it will better protect me."

"You mean…" Ruby paused as she thought it through, "… like if it is the White Fang, and someone there recognises you..."

"That… admittedly is a valid concern," Weiss said, though she looked sympathetically at Blake, "though personally, I hope he doesn't keep any of us from going. I… think we all, need to see this through." Blake gave a nod and a small smile at Weiss. Ruby took a breath, before speaking.

"We don't know what he's thinking. But if he pulls us, I won't let him say it was because we couldn't prove we can still fight together. As a team." She put a hand out, palm down. Blake hesitated only a second before resolutely putting her own hand on top, and Weiss stepped forward and put her own hand on top. "Let's do this. Let's show them our own 'Plus Ultra' style!"

…

"Their timings off," Izuku mused with concern, as he rested up and took notes. The others around him couldn't really disagree. Down below, team RWBY was in full swing, but even to a newcomer, they would be able to pick up on the disharmony. And it was all surrounding Weiss and Blake.

Izuku and the others watched and winced, as Weiss set up her glyphs, but there was a noticeable hesitation, meaning that she and Blake didn't attack exactly at the same time, when Ruby called out the move. Blake was also a little unfocused, as when the attack met a strong defence and fell apart, she struggled to reorient herself when faced against Sun, who was proving that, if nothing else, he was a very skilled and competent fighter.

He whirled his staff around with natural ease, and Blake was having to use her Semblance a lot, just to avoid him. She was off balance, and her counter attacks were easily deflected as she was put on the back foot. Ruby was having to jump in to help out, though Sun showed he could hold his own against her too. He changed his weapon to it's gun-chucks form (and didn't that make everyone in the stands drop their jaws) and forced Ruby to use Crescent Rose to parry and deflect the guns from shooting her directly.

Weiss meanwhile, was trying to keep Yang back. Normally she had both speed and agility in her favour, along with the fine accuracy one would expect from someone wielding a rapier. But her timing was wrong on one lunge, and as she tried to recover, it left her vulnerable for a left hook to the ribs, knocking her down.

"Enough! Time out!" Ruby suddenly called, and everyone lowered their weapons and took a few breaths. "This isn't going like I'd hoped," she admitted, her hands on her knees as she bent down and tried to settle herself. Crescent Rose was already collapsed and locked behind her back.

"Well…" Yang looked around the group, whilst rubbing the back of her head, clearly trying to bring up some positive to keep up morale, "...we've now seen Sun in action. And I feel better knowing he'll be fighting alongside us. Right?"

"...You are good." Blake turned to Sun, who clearly felt awkward, understanding that the exercise was not working out, but also happy to get praise. "Yang's right. You've proven you can hold your own."

"Well, I'm glad I don't disappoint," he said, with an awkward chuckle.

"It's us that's the disappointment," Weiss declared, nursing her side. "In all the years since my Semblance manifested, I haven't made such glaring errors since my first tutoring sessions."

"Well," Ruby stood up and looked round, "lets take ten, recover our Aura and recentre ourselves. We'll give it one more go, and then we'll switch groups up, try some other combos. Sound good?" There was a series of tired agreement, and the five Hunters moved towards the lower bleachers set up for them.

"I don't get it," Kaminari scratched his head. "Back in the forest they were practically seamless. They looked like Pros. Now it's like they're complete novices. It doesn't make sense." Koda behind him, silently agreed, and nervously wrung his massive hands.

Shoji looked over at Izuku and his team. "You were there, right?" he asked through a mouth at the tip of one of his tentacles. "When they had this big argument? I won't ask for details, but just how bad did it get?" Izuku looked down, and he could feel the discomfort the rest of his team was in as well.

"...Let's just say it got heated to the point Weiss stormed off for a while. It wasn't until we all got back to Beacon, that we saw her again, and she had calmed down enough to talk normally." Uraraka deliberately left out any mention of her slapping Weiss.

"Right now, if their team is going to participate, they will need to show that can still work together," Tokoyami stated, his arms folded under his cloak. "They must shake off the remnants of darkness that almost tore them apart." His poetic speech earned him some looks from both his own team and from Jiro and Kaminari.

'I feel bad… no, it wouldn't be right to make this about me,' Izuku thought. 'It's frustrating, but I have to have faith that they can resolve this themselves. Come on, Ruby, Blake, Weiss, Yang. I'm rooting for you all!'

A new figure suddenly appeared, walking out towards the bleachers. Izuku almost did a double take, when he realised that it was All Might. 'When did he leave us here…?' He looked to the space his mentor had previously occupied, to find Aizawa standing there instead, looking at him. "Mr Aizawa?"

"Come with me a moment," Izuku frowned but obeyed, giving his team a helpless shrug of confusion as they watched him leave. As it happened though, they didn't go that far, simply to the higest tier. "How's your arms?" Aizawa kept his voice low, but not harsh. Keeping the conversation just between the two of them "I know that your Quirk acted up the other day. Any repeats, or other problems?"

"Um, no. No sir." Izuku nervously answered, thinking back to a private moment with All Might once he and everyone else had returned from Vale yesterday.

...

"You saw the face of one of the previous users? And as that happened, you had a sudden pain in your arm? Sorry, Young Midoriya, but I don't have anything to answer what happened. The most I can do is speculate that this is somehow related to what you experienced back when you had your Aura awakened. I'll see about having a private meeting with Ozpin. He hasn't come asking me anything yet, but it might be beneficial to seek his guidance and bring him up to speed on the nature of One for All. Whatever this is, we'll have to tread carefully. Try to keep your output to eight percent for the next few days, and I'll see if I can find a quiet time where we can try and figure this out then."

...

"So there's nothing else you want to tell me, or do you only bring it up with All Might?" That question was like an electric shock down Izuku's spine. He couldn't help but be open mouthed to his teacher, who was now looking at him with quiet intensity.

"Well… um… I…" Aizawa sighed and turned his head a little, back to watch All Might, who had sat down and was talking to team RWBY.

"You two always seem to find time to meet up. Thick as thieves, the pair of you. Normally, I would leave that alone, so long as it wasn't proving a case of absolute favouritism on All Might's part, or for that matter, disrupting your progress. But now…" Aizawa frowned, as he looked back, his eyes boring into Izuku. "I'm coming around to thinking that we need to get you into some kind of counselling, Midoriya. And not just you." Izuku could only gape. "I've done some reflecting, and I've come to the conclusion that I need to adjust my teaching, so I can make sure all of you learn what you need, whilst also looking after your emotional health. But I also believe we'll need to have a talk soon. There's some secrets you've been keeping. And if we're all going to move forward, there can be no more secrets." Izuku couldn't even think of a response, as Aizawa once more turned away, heading back down the stairs to find a seat. The mini lecture was over.

Izuku however, remained still, and wondered just how much trouble he was in, if his homeroom teacher was going to insist on him spilling the beans on One for All! Or maybe even his past with Kacchan! He gulped, and he pondered what he was going to do. He still didn't have an asnwer before returning to his friends, and tried to focus himself instead on the Huntresses below.

…

"Mind if I sit with you?" Ruby and the others looked over as All Might approached, waving a hand in greeting. She quickly glanced at her team, but there were no obvious or immediate objections.

"Um, sure! How can we help you All Might?" Sun looked between her and the approaching UA teacher in confusion.

'All Might?'

All Might smiled, as he made his way to the bleachers and sat down next to Ruby, who was closest. "I am here… to offer some wisdom, and a helpful ear, if you'll have it?" Ruby mused for a second, while Yang folded her arms, and tilted her head to the side.

"No offence, All Might, but I'm not sure a lecture is going to help us right now." The man rubbed the back of his neck at that.

"I wasn't intending to lecture you four, Young Xiao Long. I merely wanted to pass on some advice I wish I had heeded earlier in life."

Weiss leaned forward, while Blake, actually sat back and paid attention. "That advice being…?" Weiss led.

"Don't rush to be perfect." All Might shifted himself so that he could sit and still look at the group without twisting his head so much. "Just aim to do a little better everyday. Better, is good enough."

"Huh…" Ruby said, with a puzzled expression, "that… certainly sounds like good advice, but why did you think we needed to hear that right now?"

"Because, each of you, in your own ways, is rushing." All Might focused on Blake then, their eyes locking. "Young Belladonna, you want to make up for your past, and right the injustices of the world. And with the possibility of us facing the White Fang, you probably feel more pressure than ever to prove to everyone, and even yourself, that you deserve the chance to face this, that you can take a stand and have it mean something."

"Young Schnee," he moved his gaze to the white haired girl, who seemed actually surprised at the insight and understanding that Toshinori Yagi was displaying, "you want to prove that you are more than just your family name, and through your successes, begin to do away with any doubt, ridicule or accusation levelled against both your family, and yourself."

He looked up to Yang, who still had her arms folded, but didn't look as guarded, as he patiently showed he understood them. "Young Xiao Long, there's a strong competitor within you, one that relishes a challenge as you show to the world your strength."

"And you, Young Rose," he put a hand on her shoulder. "You are probably the easiest to understand, because I see so much of myself in you. You have a noble drive to help others, to do the right thing, because it is the right thing to do. In addition, you strive to carry the burden of leadership, to put your team first before yourself"

"Each of you strive towards these goals, seeking for perfection. But, regardless of the world you and I live on, that doesn't translate cleanly to real life. It's not wrong to want to improve. You should always strive to get better, to push your limits. But don't try for it all at once. It's alright if you make mistakes here in training, that's to be expected. But nobody becomes a Pro straight from the get go." All Might jerked a thumb at himself as he buffed himself up, and Sun actually fell backward in shock.

"Not even me, who many hold to be the gold standard of Pros back home. When I graduated from UA, I didn't immediately rise to the top. I knew there were still things I needed to learn. Experience, I had to build up. So I went to the United States of America, and as I travelled, I took inspiration to come up with many of my signature moves. It was only after that, that I came back to Japan, and made my heroic debut!" He shined a perfect smile at the Huntresses-in-training, all listening in awe. Then the moment was gone, as a hacking cough forced him to de-buff. Ruby actually started to freak out a little handing him a handkerchief. He accepted gratefully with a simple nod.

"Tell me, honestly; am I mistaken?" All Might asked. The four looked between each other, while Sun awkwardly pulled himself back up, still looking wide-eyed at All Might. Ruby, spoke first.

"I… I'm not allowed to fail. It's as you said, I'm the leader, so the team comes first. So when things go wrong, I blame myself, because as leader, it is my fault for letting it get to that point." Yang actually came down to sit beside her sister, and put an arm around her shoulders.

"We all, have to take responsibility for our mistakes Ruby. It's not always about you. And… I could stand to be a little more responsible. I admit, I came to Beacon to become a Huntress for the thrills, to show off my strength." She paused while a private thought ran through her mind.

'That isn't the only reason…'

"But after that fight with Bakugo, I realise that a lot of that is pretty arrogant. And if I go up against someone in this world as strong and as good as he is, I'd be an idiot not to have back up and try and take it on alone." Ruby hugged her sister back, which got a smile from the firecracker blonde. Meanwhile, Weiss stood up and came closer to the trio.

"I, honestly thought that if I had everything perfect, I could have the best platform to redeem my family's honour. Best academic scores, leading my own team, and even…" She hesitated. "...Even trying to make connections and make friends with key students, not because of genuine friendship, but because their own reputation would bolster my own. I had this image of perfect that I was chasing… but from day one, it was annoyingly out of reach. I couldn't make team leader (and I'll admit, looking at things with fresh eyes, I was definitely not the right choice there). And while I can score in the top of our year, I ended up feeling embarrassed by the likes of Jaune, who made a close friendship with Pyrrha, and one that was so much more genuine than when I first tried." She held her right arm close to herself as she confessed this. All Might and the others heard her out. No judgement, just understanding.

Blake sighed and stood up. "I've… always felt like I have been running away for most of my life. So much so, it essentially became my Semblance. When a problem became too much, I ran. I couldn't tell my parents I was sticking with the Fang, so I left, without telling them. When I realised what the group was becoming… what it had become, I ran away again." Blake shook her head, before walking over to the group. "And when Penny announced that I was a Faunus, I'll admit, I felt so scared of how everyone would react, that if Yang hadn't given me that small bit of reassurance, I probably would have run once more."

"Well, I'm tired of running. But, our enemies aren't going to wait for us to graduate. They are out there planning something, and I'd rather be doing something, than nothing." Yang gave Blake a very considering look, and All Might himself sighed.

"True. Our enemies on both world's aren't going to just wait around. You do need to get stronger. But don't rush and run yourself into the ground to do so. I already pointed out, the last time we had a talk, Young Belladonna, that despite what many believe, I'm not perfect. And while I had awesome power on my side, I wonder if I had trusted a few more people to help, and not tried to take on so much by myself, maybe I wouldn't be in the state I'm in now." Blake quietly acknowledged that.

All Might stood up. "I'll say it once more. Aim to do better. Better can be good enough. But don't rush. Not in pursuit of your goals. And not in trying to fix whatever problems you're facing."

Ruby looked at Blake who looked back. She also met Weiss's eyes. "Feel up to trying again?" Weiss couldn't help a smirk. Neither could Blake. It did feel like they'd unburdened themselves, a little. Yang gave a cheeky grin, squeezing Ruby one more time before releasing her and standing up with a bounce in her step.

"Come on team! Let's show 1-A and these crooks, whoever they turn out to be, what we can do!" All Might smiled as he watched the group move out, getting themselves into position once more to run through their team tactics.

"Um, sir?" All Might turned to see Sun was still there, nervously scratching his head, "how… exactly do you buff up like that? Is that your Quirk?"

All Might coughed a little before answering. "No, no. Not quite Young Wukong. It's simply a muscle flex."

"…That is one hell of a muscle flex. And Neptune is definitely going to have to up his game when I see him next."

…

Aizawa watched as the training restarted. All Might's conversation was pretty low, and combined with the other little conversations in the upper levels, most people wouldn't know much of the content being said. He could at least commend All Might for being able to inspire and motivate people still. Honestly, retirement was actually doing wonders for the man.

And it looked like whatever he and team RWBY had talked about had helped. The four young women, were moving far more in line with what he had previously witnessed. Schnee's glyphs were well timed and placed. Rose wasn't pushing herself so hard to cover for everyone. And Belladonna was now putting Wukong on the back foot with her own dual wielding style.

'So much to do and prepare for… too little time.' He thought, while keeping his features hidden behind his scarf.

Vale Docks, Sunday, 11:45PM

Yang felt that time had gone by in a blur since they had started preparing for this. The workers on the docks had all gone home, aside from the odd security guard conducting a sweep. The morning had been more training, only with a focus on teams being able to co-ordinate, as well as going over the plan and it's schedule.

Teams CFVY, and MMAT had watched over the docks a few hours previous, supported by Professor Port, and had just switched with her team and MJKK. JNPR had been given nearby patrol duty, and had now been replaced by MOAT, being guided by Oobleck. So far, things had been quiet and boring. The only thing of some kind of note, was a false alarm at Tuckson's Book Shop, which Jaune admitted was his fault. He thought he saw a suspicious shadowy figure running around, but he and the others couldn't find anything.

'Probably nerves, making him see things,' Yang thought.

RWBY, MJKK and Sun, were with Aizawa, scattered around elevated positions over looking the area where the Dust cargo had so recently been unloaded and stored. Give the man credit, Aizawa knew what he was doing. Ruby was on over-watch specifically due to her weapon. If things started kicking off, Aizawa had made it clear that he was depending on her to cover them from this position, as she had the best eye for marksmanship. Ruby had teetered on arguing, wanting to be on the ground, but Aizawa's point did make sense.

She wouldn't be alone. Shoji and Koda were with her to help with keeping an eye out. Koda was even using the nocturnal wildlife to look for anything out of the ordinary (though how a bat, or an owl determines what is normal and what isn't, was going to be one of those random questions that would pop up later when Yang wanted sleep, and keep her up pondering it!). In any case, they had the highest position.

Weiss, would be with Yang and Kaminari. They were closest to ground level, ready to rush in on either Aizawa's, or Ruby's signal. Yang wasn't entirely sure how Weiss was actually doing. Outside of that talk with All Might, she hadn't really confided with her own thoughts and emotions, keeping hyper focused on the mission. Then again, they had been working together well enough over the past day. Maybe once this was all over, they could have a private team session where they could open up with each other, and work stuff out.

Kaminari, was showing his own nerves more, but had wisely chosen to give Weiss and Yang space, as he channelled his agitation through checking, and re-checking, the discs for his Pointer-Shooter, and Volt Lash. From what Yang had learned, Kaminari had yet to do a Work Study, so he had no prior experience being part of an operation like this.

'I'll keep the bad guys away from him. He's more comfortable fighting from a distance. He's still very jittery when it comes to fighting in close combat, even if he can wrap himself in electricity as a defence. Probably concerned about over doing it and frying his brain.'

Then, lying flat on top of a collection of storage containers, there was Aizawa, Jiro, Sun, and Blake. 'Yeah, not that subtle putting Sun close to the Pro-Hero who believes in sticking-to-the rules more than even All Might.' Aizawa's reasoning (at least what he was willing to tell them) was that Jiro would need a relatively quiet spot to use her Quirk. Being too close to active gunfire would be too much for her ears while trying to listen to all the sounds in the area. She would need protecting, just in case. Not to mention, Blake, Sun and Aizawa were arguably the most agile and stealthy of the two groups.

Midoriya and his team were a little disappointed to be given patrol duty, but they had drawn the short straw, fair and square. They at least would be fairly close to help reinforce. It also helped that Yaomomo had come up with earbuds for short wave communication. One tap with a finger, and you could talk to everyone. Midoriya's team had them too, so they could respond even faster. Super useful.

"This is Goldie," she said quietly, tapping her earbud, "quick question for Eraser, if that's okay."

"...Eraser here. Go ahead, Goldie." Yang couldn't stop a small grin on her face. 1-A and Eraser Head were all using their Hero codenames whilst on active duty. Ruby had insisted that her team have them too. So now, temporarily for the operation, she was Goldie, Weiss was Snow, Blake was Belle, and Ruby was Gem.

"What are the actual odds they'll hit on our watch, or at all?" she asked. Kaminari looked up at her, as he reset his gear for the fifth time. Weiss kept her eyes on the docks, but there was a tilt to her head that showed she was paying attention.

"You're asking this now because…?"

"You're the Pro. And we're learning on the job. Eraser, sir." Yang almost wished she could see is the man's face. Almost. If she could see it, then she'd most likely be the recipient of some kind of punishment.

"Having talked to both West-King, Belle, and the Pro Huntsmen, and taking into account what we know about security around the docks, if they are going to make a move, before the Dust gets distributed to vendors across Vale, then it would have to be tonight. And most likely somewhere between our shift and the third."

"Wait a… Oh sorry! Uravity here. If that was the case, why have the teams on the first shift before us at all, sir?" Ochaco's confusion was almost palpable. Strangely it wasn't Eraser Head who answered her.

"This is Belle. It was to cover the possibility that they might've struck early. Or even if they didn't strike then, if they sent someone to case the area, the other teams might have been able to spot them, and at least report it. The smallest bit of intel could well be crucial."

"Goldie here. Yeah, that does make sense. Covers all our bases as much as possible. Thanks for that, Eraser. Belle." There was a brief 'welcome' from Blake, while Aizawa just sent an affirmative grunt. Then Ruby spoke up.

"This is Gem. No contact yet, though I haven't seen the guard come back on his patrol." Ruby sounded… actually pretty calm and focused. The comment on the guard though had everyone tense a little. "Anima, can you send one of those bats to check sector 2B, see if you can find them."

"Tentacole here, expanding the number of eyes and ears I have. Earphone Jack? Do you have anything?"

"...Jack here. Going to need radio silence for a bit, to help focus." Yang turned to Kaminari, and gestured for him to come over. She was starting to get a feeling that things were about to begin. Checking her scroll, the time was just five minutes past midnight. Weiss was also feeling it, and she reached out just to touch her sword's hilt, for reassurance.

There was silence for a few minutes, where everyone could clearly hear their own slow controlled breaths, and the beating of their hearts.

"Hey… Goldie," Kaminari whispered, getting Yang's attention. "I know you've fought Grimm and other people our age, but have you ever fought, like, actual criminals before?"

Yang couldn't help a grin. "When this is over, we're all going to do a story trade, I swear to the Brothers. But for quickness sake; yeah. Smashed up a club run by an information broker called Junior, here in Vale. Kinda got in trouble since I hadn't started at Beacon yet, but yeah. Don't worry. We got your back. Chargebolt." Using his hero name, seemed to settle him and he flashed her a thumbs up. Then Jiro spoke again.

"Heads up! No sign of the guard, but I'm picking the sound of airships coming our way from the East – South East. Bullheads from the sound of them."

"Anima here! The guard is down! Status unclear, sector 2D!"

"Gem. Got eyes on two Bullheads coming in as silent as they ever get. Harbour side."

"This is Eraser. Snow, take Chargebolt and investigate the guard's condition. Watch yourselves. If the guard was taken out, then there's someone else on site we haven't detected." Weiss nodded and got up tapping Kaminari on the shoulder. He hesitated only a moment before shoring up his resolve and following her as they went towards the guard's location. "Goldie, hold tight. Deku, I want you and Team MOAT over here as soon as possible, but do not announce your presence unless you have no choice." Yang nodded to herself, as she clenched and unclenched her fists. Midoriya would be a solid fighter to run alongside her into the fray, and with the night conditions, Tokoyami's Quirk would actually be stronger. And if they were smart, Uraraka and Tsu could sneak around and maybe sabotage the airships before getting into combat, or something like that.

"Deku here. We're on our way! Do you want us to call in the other teams as well?"

"Negative. I've already sent a text update. If things escalate however, and I'm occupied fighting, then I'll have Tentacole or Gem make the call."

"Copy that sir! We're a few minutes out…"

"Jacks here! Be advised, I'm picking up what could be additional airships heading this way!" Yang looked up into the sky, in the direction Jiro had previously pointed out. She could just see the first two Bullheads coming in.

"Goldie here. I see the first two, am going to shift position down to ground level. Will engage on signal, or if detected."

"Belle to Goldie. Watch your step and your back down there. Will join you when I can." Yang smiled, and looked over to Blake's position. She thought she could see Blake poke her head up to look in her direction. Yang gave her a salute, before moving.

"Understood. Will do Belle. Just be sure to save me a dance." Yang wondered if it was just her imagination, or if there had been a small huff of laughter from Blake at that.

"West-King here. Permission to also switch position so we can ambush these guys?"

"...Permission granted. Goldie see if you can position yourself by the corner of the harbour master's office." Aizawa acquiesced quickly, even as Yang could see the bullheads coming in to land, their landing lights finally turning on. "West-King, the navy blue storage container with the stencil SDC-RTX10. Find a position there, and wait for my signal."

"This Dr Oobleck to Earphone Jack. Exactly how many airships would you say, all together?"

"...I think… five Bullheads, and one more airship I can't identify but it sounds like it's an Air-Bus model, if I had to guess just on sound."

"Gem. First Bullheads landed, we got people coming out." Yang made it down to the ground both quickly, and with more stealth than most would credit her with at first glance. She moved to the position that Aizawa had directed her to, and she peered round the corner. Men and women in black and white garb, and Grim style half-masks on their faces. She felt her heart bleed a little for Blake as Ruby confirmed it over the radio. "Belle, Eraser… It's the White Fang."

"...It actually is them…" Blake sounded as sad and disappointed as she had back when Aizawa had revealed he knew everything. Yang wanted to say something, but Sun beat her to it.

"You really didn't think it was them… did you?"

"...No. I think I knew deep down it was them. I just didn't want to believe it." There was a pause before Blake continued while Yang observed the numbers and what they were doing. "You were right...Snow. Any update on the guard at all?"

"Snow to Belle. Found the guard. They're alive, but unconscious and in need of a hospital. We've applied emergency first aid, but they need professional assistance. And for the record… I wish I wasn't right."

"What's taking you animals so long?" Yang almost started when a new figure made an appearance amongst the White Fang grunts. Her eyes narrowed as she recognised the most wanted figure of Roman Torchwick, strutting out and ordering the Faunus around with a rudeness she had previously only attributed to Cardin and Bakugo.

"Everyone. Torchwick just showed up. Are you seeing and hearing this?"

"Jacks. Can hear him, and am wishing I couldn't."

"Gem. Can confirm, that's him all right. No sign of his associate/accomplice from when Goodwitch and I encountered him last."

"Something's not right here," There was an almost angry edge to Blake's voice, tangible alongside her obvious confusion. "The White Fang would never work with a human. Especially one like him!"

"Belle, stay where you are. Snow, stay with the guard and make the call for the authorities. Chargebolt head over to Yang's position and… Belladonna wait!" Yang was momentarily confused, before she realised what was happening. As she watched Torchwick berate one Faunus for mishandling the cables they were using to carry the Dust storage containers away, Blake slid out of the shadows and quickly pulled his arm that held his cane behind his back, and had her sword to his throat.

"Deku to Eraser Head! We're almost there, what's the situation?"

"Belle has taken Torchwick hostage. This could turn bad quickly, so everyone be ready. MOAT, I have instructions for you…" Yang tuned that out, as she activated her gauntlets, and focused on her partner and what she was doing…

…

Blake could chide herself later for what she was doing. She knew this was risking messing up the operation, but she just couldn't sit by and wait. Roman Torchwick was the very kind of human the White Fang opposed vehemently. It didn't make sense. She ignored Aizawa's voice and all the others as she drew Gambol Shroud, and swiftly had the blade at his throat, while pinning his weapon arm behind his back.

"What the… Oh for gods sake… really?" Blake took note of how, despite his annoyance, he was eerily calm under the circumstances. She also took note of the immediate ten or so White Fang members drawing guns and surrounding her. Mentally, she made peace with herself, and with calm and careful movements, used a finger on her hand holding Gambol Shroud, to undo the ribbon on her head, revealing to all, her cat ears.

"Brothers and Sisters of the White Fang!" she called out, knowing that for team MJKK, this would come as a shock, and hoped they could handle it well. "Why are you working with this Human scum?" The Faunus surrounding her lowered their weapons a little, and looked between each other, suddenly unsure when confronted with a fellow Faunus who spoke as if she was one of them.

"Um… What?"

"Wait… is Bella… Belle a Faunus? Did anybody else know about this?!"

"Don't lose focus. MOAT and the rest of RWBY found out recently, as did myself. We can go into details later."

"Say the word, Eraser, and I can back my partner up in a heartbeat."

"Ditto for West-King!"

Blake tuned most of this out as Roman audibly sneered at her. "Aw, did somebody miss the Memo?" The edge of her sword poked his jugular, but he still just chuckled.

"What do you mean?" Blake said lowly.

"The White Fang and me have agreed to a little business venture together," was Roman's reply, before spot lights from the rest of the airships Jiro warned about lit the pair of them up. "Though perhaps, maybe not quite so little."

"It's not that surprising she doesn't know." Blake froze. Her eyes widened. Her pulse quickened. That voice… "After all, Belladonna here ran away like a coward a while back." She looked up as a silhouette of a figure jumped down from an airship and landed, one knee touching the ground, before standing up to his full height. "Hello Blake, my love. I've been looking for you. Fancy finding you here of all places."

'No...Not him… Not Adam!'

…

The landscape was a blur of red leafed trees, as the train carried on it's way, despite the robotic security that had been guarding the Dust being wiped out. Adam had sent her forward to the next car, even as he took down the Spider droid. Which worked just fine for what Blake had in mind. Adam didn't care about killing the crew if it meant securing the Dust. Three goals achieved in one; Save the crew, escape the White Fang… and leave Adam Taurus.

He saw her, standing there, and at that moment realised what she was going to do. He reached out to her, but he was too far away. "Goodbye." She simply said, as she severed the link between carriages. Her side, which had the engine, and the crew, who would never know that one of the people who just robbed the train also saved their lives. It pulled away as Adam's side slowly lost it's momentum. She watched as she pulled further, and further away, watching Adam's figure dwindle. A smudge of black, in a world of red. Until he was gone from sight…

...

It was him. Standing before her looking like he had the day they had parted. That smile, once so charming, now so sinister. Blake felt her fear rise, only matched by her confusion.

"Why?" she asked, both in search of an actual answer, and to buy time. "You, of all people, could never stand humans. Now you're working with the exact kind of person the White Fang fought to oppose?" Adam shook his head, patronising, condescending even.

"Means to an end. Mutual benefits. Not that it matters. You know, I've got so many scars over the course of my life. But nobody hurt me quite like you, Blake. When you left me…"

"I was never yours!" Blake snarled. "When I met you, I was a naive girl who saw a noble hero of our people. But you used and controlled me, because having me as your protege, was something you could privately hold over my Father!"

Torchwick sighed, even as Blake positioned him between herself and Adam. "Sorry, but if I wanted this kind of melodrama, I would have recorded the day's soaps." He pressed a button on his cane, firing a shot of Burn dust into the ground between Blake and himself. Blake was stunned and forced to release him, while Roman fell forwards, clutching his neck where he had a small nick from her sword.

"Well, I'll let you two resolve this lovers quarrel," he said getting up and dusting himself off, casually indifferent. Blake meanwhile rolled and got to her feet only to have someone shoot her with an electric dust round. She was so off balance, physically and emotionally she didn't think to use her Semblance. She cried out as she fell forward, her weapon kicked away. Adam was standing above her now, drawing Wilt.

"You need to be punished Blake. For leaving the Fang. For leaving me. But if you apologise right now, I'll be merciful. The punishment won't be so severe, as I bring you back as a traitor before Sienna Khan." Blake cried out as he grabbed a fistful of her hair and pulled her head up. "Maybe I'll ask for leniency on your behalf."

"...Don't make me laugh!" Blake could still hear chatter through her earbud, hidden behind her hair still. She thought of her friends, right now asking Aizawa for the signal to move in, but he was still telling them to wait, while whispering 'trust me, Belladonna.'

And wasn't that something. She wasn't alone. She put a hand to her head, making it look like she was just reacting to her hair being pulled, but in fact, she had one finger on the bud, so that everyone could hear her.

"The biggest mistake I ever made was believing the lie that you stood for justice Adam. I will never stop fighting for our people, but I won't do it your way. You're just a murderer, using our cause to justify you taking out your grievances on anyone you believe wronged you, whether that's true or not!"

That touched a nerve, as Adam snarled, and pulled tighter, making her cry again. "I won't kill you here, Blake. You had your chance! You want to fight alongside the humans so much? Then you won't need these anymore will you?" Blake felt him put Wilt's edge close to her cat ears, and she couldn't stop a moment of pure panic.

"ERASER! WE HAVE TO GO NOW!" Yang ground out over the piece. And then she heard Ruby's voice.

"Everyone, I have a shot. Give us the word Blake." She smiled, and that made Adam hesitate a second, in angry confusion.

"Plus Ultra."

BANG!

"AARGH!" Adam released Blake, who rolled for her weapons, even as the White Fang on the ground reacted to the sniper shot. Some looked for where it came from, others looked to Adam who clutched his right arm, gritting his teeth against the pain.

Roman figured it out faster than the rest. "Little Red… and the heroes are here!" As he said that, the sounds of Yang's shotgun gauntlets rang out as she barged through the outer ring of guards to get to Blake. Sun threw a banana skin in Roman's face as he leapt down and brought out his Bo-staff, backing up the ex-Fang. Three of the would-be-thieves were wrapped up in a grey scarf and thrown together, their heads colliding with one another, before being tossed by Eraser Head into the side of one container.

Explosions went off on the Bullheads that had landed, the engines guttering smoke. And dropping down from the sky, hitting the ground hard enough to crack the concrete with his Iron Soles, and wreathed in green lightning about his body, Izuku Midoriya drew Dagobah and glared at Adam with righteous anger.

" I won't let you hurt Blake anymore! We, Heroes and Hunters together, are here to stop you!"

[Cue Outro]

---

1st Outro for season 1 – Part 8: Blake

[Kali and Ghira help wash a baby Blake in a bathtub. Blake doesn't look happy, but Kali and Ghira take it with humour and patience.]

[Ten year old Blake participates in a march holding a placard reading "Faunus Rights Now!"]

[A pre-teen Blake listens to an argument between her Father and Sienna Khan, hiding outside, by the window.]

[Blake packs a small bag, and with a forlorn look back, turns and runs away from home. The background flashes to the white symbol of the White Fang, before it turns blood red. There's a brief flash of Adam's mask in front of the red symbol.]

[Running through darkness and shadows, present day Blake stops to catch her breath. When she looks up she sees ahead, Yang waving at her, Sun giving her a winning grin, Ruby and Weiss calling her over. She sees JNPR behind them, as well as Midoriya, Asui, Tokoyami, Ojiro, Hagakure, Koda and Shoji.]

[She looks down and to the side a moment before looking up with relief and a smile, pulling off the ribbon on her head, revealing her Faunus ears. She makes her way to her friends, who accept and love her for who she is, and the skies turn clear and blue, and the sun shines on endless rolling green hills.]

---

Next time, on Paragons of Virtue and Glory:

[Kaminari: YES! I finally get to do one of these previews! Awesome!]

[Bakugo (Far Away): Dammit! I'm going to miss the action!]

[Nora: Place your bets people! 2:1 odds that Battery-Boy takes himself out of the fight!]

[Kaminari: Wait… Are you taking bets that I'm going to screw up? Come on!]

[Bakugo (Far Away): If I was there, Mad-Hatter, Ice-Cream Hair, and Stain-Wannabe would be toast!]

[Jaune: I'd actually put some Lien on Kaminari, not taking himself out of the fight, Nora.]

[Kaminari: Thank you! Man, you are a stand up guy Arc.]

[Nora: Pretty bold, fearless leader! Next Time: "Dockside Battle."]

[Jaune: Heroes and Hunters face off against the White Fang in pitched battle. What surprises and twists are in store?]

[Bakugo (Far Away): Why the hell am I so far away even during this shitty preview?!]

[Kaminari, Jaune and Nora: Go beyond! Plus Ultra!]

---

NOTES:

Adam Taurus... I will agree with the criticisms that Adam deserved a little more attention in canon. But I do accept him as a composite Gaston/Cursed Beast. From my point of view, he is the closest counterpart (in RWBY) to Hero-Killer: Stain. Both are zealots, resolved to their goals and willing to shed blood to do it. But Stain, if he and Adam were to meet, would not acknowledge Adam as a hero, not even for the Faunus. He may recognise that he has convictions, as he did start with some noble ideals fighting for Faunus rights, but he would also call him out for truly acting out of purely selfish desires. Especially when it comes to his toxic relationship with Blake. This is just my interpretation, but after seeing Adam's character short, I always thought that one of the reasons he gaslighted and controlled Blake, was a round-about way of punishing Ghira Belladonna, for that one time he admonished Adam. Any percieved slight, is remembered, and never forgotten.

Aizawa was a challenge this chapter. We know, that he cares for his students, and that can extend to those who are not of 1-A. But he's also one for following the rules, and he's not going to be happy with the fact that secrets that could affect his students going forward, are being kept from him. Goodwitch's points, whether he likes it or not, are making him reconsider some things. Thankfully we avoided a Aizawa vs Ozpin and Beacon over Blake staying. But he is going to be insisting that there be no more secrets. And he has his eye on Deku…

Acknowledgements to xTrestwhox, Jessesanman and NannContributor. Their stories involving RWBY crossovers were a massive inspiration to get started here on Fan Fiction. In 'Of Elder Scrolls and Huntsmen: Dragon Rose', Blake briefly mentions how she, Amitola, and Adam reacted to a slave trafficking group, which inspired the flashback I have here. And in 'Hunters of Justice', Adam Taurus' Red Fang zealots are cutting off the Faunus parts of anyone who isn't with them, which inspired the threat that Adam lays out when Blake denys him. If any of you haven't already checked out these amazing authors, I highly recommend you do so.

I also took a bit of inspiration from Red Vs Blue with the "Do Better" speech All Might gives. The recent trailer for the final season of the show, was very much what got me to think about including it. I wouldn't say that it solves all the emotional issues that RWBY is having, but it's a good starting block to fixing things, as well as clearing the air to themselves, as well as each other. That won't be the last we hear of Rooster Teeth references. The storage container stencil, of course, mentions RTX and the 10 actually is a nod towards the tenth anniversary of RWBY this year. And a certain OC team is going to be fun being pitted against BEAS...

So, next two chapters are going to be largely action. I've currently been writing these back-to-back, as much like the first two chapters, I find it easier to do so while I currently have the energy and drive. As always leave a review, feel free to speculate, and drop constructive criticism. For everyone who has done so up to now, you're all amazing. Thank you. Stay safe and look after yourselves, and I will see you ne…