Chapter Eleven
The Next Step

Ruby wakes up before her alarm, wondering for a moment if last night was just a dream. But she feels that bone-deep exhaustion of crying her heart out, so she knows it really happened.

She and Weiss are really, finally friends.

At least she's pretty sure they are. She's never had any long-term friends before, but she can't see how sharing your deepest insecurities with someone doesn't end in some kind of bond. Still, even if a part of her is worried about and doubts the truth of the matter, it's overshadowed by the sheer, overwhelming joy threatening to burst out of her in a squeal.

She shoves her face into her pillow to do so, hoping between it and the curtains she'll be muffled enough not to bother the others. Once her lungs beg for air, she flips onto her back and grins at the canopy, face flushed.

Her and Weiss, Yang and Bella. Slowly, their team is coming together. It seemed hopeless for a bit, like an impossible dream she was fooling herself into believing, but to have it come true, even in these smaller parts, makes her heart soar.

Sighing out the last of her excitement, Ruby gets out of bed to get ready for the day. There aren't any classes today (thankfully as she's sure she wouldn't be able to pay good attention after how emotional yesterday was), so she throws on her dress and cloak, humming as she exits the washroom.

She finds Bella's opened her curtains and is, of course, reading. Her quiet teammate looks up and gives her a tiny nod.

"Good morning, Ruby," she says.

"Good morning, Bella!" she chirps back, keeping her volume low as she listens to the other two snore. "Did you sleep well?"

"Pretty well. Think I've finally gotten used to the noise," her eyes flick up, then to the left.

"Did you never sleep with someone who snores before?" Ruby tilts her head. Her whole family does excluding her, according to Yang.

"No, not personally. Which was lucky for me, making any noise at night could attract bandits."

"Oh, I kind of forgot bandits were a thing," Ruby hums. "In my mind it's always Grimm causing problems."

"Them, too, but they're predictable. For the most part," she adds, glancing at her mended arm. She appears thoughtful for a moment, before, "Speaking of, I apologize for jumping, Ruby."

"You mean with the Bauson?"

"Yes. I should have listened to you."

"It was stressful and scary, and you were hurt. I don't blame you." She wants to leave it there, but noticing Bella growing anxious she adds, "but thank you for apologizing! It was all Cardin's fault, anyway. He's a jerk."

"That he is," Bella smirks.

"I'd call 'im somethin' worse, but I don't wanna soil anyone's young, innocent ears," Yang pipes up with a yawn, sticking here head out of her curtains.

"I've heard worse from Uncle Qrow," Ruby points out.

"I wasn't talking about you," she grins as Weiss emerges from her bed. She pauses at the grin and frowns, deeply.

"Are you insinuating I haven't heard crude remarks before?"

"No, just teasing," Yang says, but Ruby can tell she's backpedalling from broaching a possible touchy subject first thing in the morning. "So, are you two doing alright now?" she looks between Ruby and Weiss.

The partners exchange a glance, an awkward tension rising when they do. Not really out of animosity, more from being unsure how to proceed from here. But there is a sense of...calm that wasn't there before.

"Yeah, I think so," Ruby says. Weiss just nods, heading towards the washroom while keeping Yang and Bella in her blind spot.

A bit of tension lingers as the four of them walk to the mess hall for breakfast. Ruby is a little bummed about it, but on the whole she's still unbelievably happy. They're together, and that's the least she wanted.

"Are they angry with me?" Weiss asks, rather suddenly as she eyes the pair walking ahead of them.

Ruby shakes her head. "No, I don't think so. I mean, I can't speak for either of them, and Bella's kinda hard to read, but we've seen her be openly hostile to people she doesn't like so I think you're okay there. And Yang makes it very clear if she doesn't like you. Besides, she was more worried about you last night after I explained what happened. She does that a lot, worry about everyone. It's why she'd make a better lead-" Ruby cuts herself off when Weiss raises an eyebrow at her, then quickly amends, "it's why she's such a good sister."

Weiss nods. "We really must work on your confidence," she says, then stiffens. Younger damn it all, that was far too harsh a thing to say. She'd meant it more in jest, but had forgotten to add any emotion to it so it likely came off as indifferent, as if those words weren't what made Ruby feel so horrid last night.

"Yeah, I know," Ruby rubs her neck with a laugh, sheepish but bright. "Luckily I have you to help me!"

Ah, good. She isn't upset. Weiss relaxes her tense shoulders. Friendship is a minefield she's never had to navigate, as such she sorely lacks the knowledge to avoid triggering a bad reaction. Schnees, and Atlas as a whole, don't have friends. They have connections, they have associates, or in Winter's case comrades in arms. She'll need to tread more carefully from now on, less she ruin this very new, very fragile friendship.

Soon, team RWBY arrive at the mess hall. Ruby spots the usual three-fourths of PNNR instantly, sharing a gleeful look with Pyrrha when the champion notices Weiss joining them. Ruby's eyes then fall to the empty seat next to Pyrrha, and she promises to ask her about Neo the next chance she gets. Pyrrha's already helped her, she should do something in exchange.

As RWBY sit down to eat their breakfast, the faint tension continues to hang in the air despite their best efforts to ignore it. Weiss keeps her head down, swallowing a lump in her throat. She's been through her fair share of awkward meals, where the pressure feels seconds away from crushing her into the floor. Usually, that stems from an oppressive silence where even breathing too loudly would be met with a scolding. Not here, where she sits next to her barely-together team who fill the gaps in the awkwardness with chatter between them and their friends.

And across her sits Pyrrha Nikos. Who smiles when she makes eye contact and starts talking to her.

"We never got a proper chance to talk before," Pyrrha says and already Weiss' mind goes to their botched first meeting, and any other time she's talked to her she's basically run away from the champion to avoid flustering so badly. She can't do that here. "I'm interested in your knowledge of Dust, does it come from your family's company or is it a topic you would enjoy regardless?"

Don't you dare stutter!

"W-well-"

Damn it!

"I cannot lie and say my family has nothing to do with it," she coughs into her fist, already feeling her face heating up and wishing she'd sat on Ruby's right, because she can see a strange little amused smile on her face and she doesn't like it. "But I believe I would be interested regardless, yes," she subconsciously sits up straighter. "Dust has an astonishing amount of unlocked potential that is underutilized. The combinations and uses are only limited by our imagination, yet it's typically very shallow. While their uses with weapons and every day convenience cannot be denied, the basic understanding doesn't go much farther than starting fires with fire Dust or powering electronics with lightning Dust. It's rather a waste."

She doesn't realize she'd let excitement leak into her voice, nor her foot tapping quickly, until she's faced with every set of eyes at the table looking at her. Her face blushes as bright as Pyrrha Nikos' hair, despite her best efforts to maintain a collective mask. Her talk with Ruby must have thrown her more off-kilter than she'd realized, if she allowed herself to get carried away so easily. She'll need to bring that back up soon.

"Kinda like weapons," Ruby says absently, accidentally bringing the previous attention to her. She blushes, too.

"What do you mean by that? Weapons are always unique and cool," Nora asks, leaning over the top of the table. For a second Ruby fears she's insulted her, but she's far more curious and interested than upset. Ren tugs at her shirt to sit her back down.

"Don't get your elbows in your syrup," he says, but Nora just waves at him.

"Well, as awesome as weapons are, most people just go with the first working iteration without alteration or adjusting it. Weapons are our best asset, so not upgrading them as we grow as Huntsmen seems kinda silly to me."

"Oh, I see what you mean! I did kinda just think 'I want a massive hammer that can also blow stuff up with' and then stopped. It never crossed my mind to make Magnhild better than she already is!" Nora drums her hands on the table, already on board with the prospect. Beside her, Ren nods, eyes thoughtful.

"It is recommended in the arena to change your weapon, usually," Pyrrha adds with a nod. "They like the verity."

Weiss contemplates this. "I wouldn't know where to start when it comes to upgrading. I designed Myrtenaster, but had the creation process commissioned."

"Something long range would be good!" Ruby suggests. "For if you ever run out of Dust! Oh! Like, you could have her extend from a chain! Or-or even have a hidden gun in the hilt, but not, like, the Dust chamber part I mean the hilt itself!"

"I can't picture it," Weiss admits, mind a bit overwhelmed and uncertain about changing Myrtenaster so drastically.

"That's okay, just ask and I can help! Right! That reminds me!" Ruby rummages through her bag and pulls out her latest blueprint. "I have the latest Crescent Rose upgrade sketched out here. I wanna incorporate more Dust into her design and let the effects work on her blade, rather than just the sniper chamber. Do you think this would work?"

Weiss takes the blueprint with a hum. "Not as you have it here," she says, tracing the sketch lines. "The chamber-to-tip works for Myrtenaster because she's relatively short-"

"Kinda like you."

Weiss gives Yang a withering glare, who just grins cheekily back, cheek propped up on her fist.

"But if you try that with Crescent Rose," she continues, "the funnel would likely clog just because of her length. You could possibly try if the chamber were closer to the blade itself, but I'm unsure how you could trigger the Dust inside."

"Okay!" Ruby chirps, stifling her giggles at Yang's interruption. "I think I have some ideas already," she takes the blueprint back. "Thanks Weiss!"

"Ah, Miss Rose," she turns over her shoulder, a bit surprised to find Professor Fall suddenly behind her. "I have your request fulfilled, if you would still like some help."

"Yes, please! I'll be there soon!" she bounces in her seat, the professor nodding and leaving as swiftly as she appeared. "After I'm done, we should all do something!"

"Sorry, Rubes," Yang looks genuinely apologetic. "Me 'n Bella are gonna head into Vale for a trip, your little geek session reminded me I need to restock my Dust and we could use some snacks, I say. Maybe tomorrow."

"Oh, okay!" Ruby nods, only a little disappointed. "Could you get me some cookies, please?"

"Easy enough. Let's go, Bella," they both stand, taking their plates to the bin. "We don't wanna get stuck in the crowded shuttle station!"

"What is Professor Fall helping you with?" Nora asks, head tilted.

"I never really went over our initiation to see what I could've done better," and to see why she's leader, but she doesn't want to voice that, "and she got the footage for me! Hey, you wanna come with me, Weiss?"

She blinks at being addressed, then thinks on it. Her first instinct is to say no, absolutely not, she's too old for the need of a tutor. But realistically, she doesn't know the first thing about being a good partner and out of anyone who could help her, Professor Fall is probably the best option. She's at least the most open about giving aid.

"Yes, I'll come."

Somehow, Ruby's happiness just keeps rising as she and Weiss walk towards Professor Fall's classroom. She wonders what Weiss will ask, but keeps it to herself since she doesn't wanna push any boundaries. But when they see the door in sight, and Weiss slows down, she stops and furrows her brow in worry.

"Are you okay, Weiss? What's wrong?"

Weiss glances at her, then the door in front of them. "What happens when I do something incorrect?"

"There aren't any wrong questions or answers."

"That seems impracticable. How do you learn if you don't get anything wrong?"

"Well, the way we do it is I ask a question, she gives some advice then asks me other questions to help me process it," Ruby taps her chin. "From there, I make my own decision and learn."

So no discipline? Weiss is relieved to hear that, even if she still feels tense when Ruby knocks on the door.

"Good morning, Professor Fall!" she waves enthusiastically. "I brought Weiss with me!"

"I hope I'm not intruding," Weiss adds, just realizing they hadn't properly let the professor know.

"Not at all," Professor Fall smiles, placing down a book and standing. "I was delighted to see you two together at breakfast. You may enjoy a drink while I prepare the recording," she walks up the stairs, leaving them alone for a bit.

"I suppose it would be a good idea to watch it with you, before I ask Professor Fall my questions," Weiss says as she pours herself some coffee, lamenting the lack of it in the mess hall. Then she watches in abject horror as Ruby mutilates hers with half a dozen packets of milk and sugar.

"Yeah! We can see us kick Beowolf butt together!" Ruby beams, delightfully oblivious to the absolute atrocity she committed.

Professor Fall returns shortly after they settle on the couch ("Much comfier than the chairs!" Ruby had said, and it turns out to be very true. Weiss has to stop herself from falling asleep.) and sets up a projector before situating herself off to the side.

It's rather quiet as the two of them watch and write down notes, and as she watches their past selves fighting the Beowolf pack, she remembers noticing how different Weiss' movement was compared to now. She'd sort of forgotten about it, but Weiss seemed more sure of herself during initiation, more quick and fluid, never really faltering with her footwork like she has recently. Weiss had brushed that off as a one-time instance of not knowing how to fight a Boarbatusk before, and Ruby had accepted it without thought at the time. But even now, she's noticed Weiss doesn't move as smoothly while practising or the singles sparring matches during Combat.

She elects to bring it up with Weiss after they're done here, hesitation could get Weiss hurt and she doesn't understand why she's suddenly changed her mobility methods. She writes herself a small reminder on her palm before focusing on the whole of the footage again.

Ruby smiles softly as she watches their team fighting the Nevermore. It had been too chaotic for her to really digest what happened at the time, but seeing it second-hand...she can kinda see why Ozpin would consider her a leader. Aside her blunder with the Death Stalker, she kinda-accidentally took the lead without much thought, both when it was just her and Weiss and later when Yang and Bella joined them, and her teammates likewise followed her without issue. It baffles her how well they coordinated in their first real combat experience together. And how they've failed to do the same since.

Weiss slows her note taking, guilt twisting her gut. From an outside perspective the four of them showed such promise to be one of the greatest teams from the start, yet just because she couldn't take a blow to her pride she'd become scornful and distanced herself from the rest. If she had just taken her failure with grace, maybe they would have never struggled as much as they have.

"I'm truly sorry, Ruby," she says lowly, wondering how on Remnant she can possibly make up for her error.

"Hm?"

"I held us back from being synchronized," she elaborates, watching past-Ruby get slingshot, their banter ringing in her head. She remembers feeling strangely relaxed, having full trust this crazy plan would work.

"A lack of coordination is never the fault of a single individual," Professor Fall makes them both jolt, even as she continues to work on student assignments at her desk. "It takes a team effort, ironically."

"Oh," Weiss blushes, not realizing she'd spoken louder than she intended.

"Besides, we can get back to that!" Ruby pumps her fists, undeterred as the memory of standing on that cliff plays in her head as it happens on screen. "You must have felt it then, too, right? The absolute joy at becoming a real Huntress?"

"I had," Weiss nods, remembering how awed and proud she'd been as she watched the petals and ash flutter in the breeze. She remembers Yang cheering at the top of her lungs, enough to make her and Bella both flinch. How they had grinned at each other, both amused by Yang's antics and fascinated with what they'd managed to achieve.

In that moment, it hadn't mattered that the three of them hadn't had the best first impression of each other. They'd all been swept up in the thrill of achieving the first step to their shared dream.

"We did it once by accident, we can do it again on purpose!"

She's so sure and optimistic that Weiss can't help but agree, as the footage ends.

"You have already taken the steps of rebuilding your team," Professor Fall says, taking the tape back. "Don't be so quick to fear failure, Miss Schnee. If you do fear it being an inevitability, then that becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Be cautious, but don't fret so much."

You have every reason to fear failure, Weiss distracts herself by putting her notes away. She can review them later. Failure means weakness. You cannot afford to be weak.

"Yes, Professor," she says, keeping her tone light enough to be respectful and to avoid letting her disagreement shine through. Professor Fall has been kind, the last thing Weiss wants to do is cause her to become unkind. "Before we leave, I have some questions, if that's alright?"

"Of course, I always make time for my students," Professor Fall steeps her fingers, waiting patiently for Weiss to begin.

"Ruby says there are no wrong answers," Weiss says, glancing at Ruby and hoping to portray she isn't necessarily doubting her, but that she doesn't fully understand the concept. "I was wondering if that is true? I've grown up learning that something is either correct or incorrect, with no in-between."

"And the fact you are questioning that now tells me you are already changing your views on the matter," Professor Fall smiles, sipping her tea. "I believe in the freedom to learn by one's own self-reflection, with a guiding hand for aid when needed, of course. That is what I teach. We are always adapting, learning, even when our core selves and virtues are to be coveted closely."

Weiss nods thoughtfully, leg lightly bouncing. "Then if that is true, I was wondering how I can become a good partner to Ruby? Is it really as simple as following her orders and ideas?"

"In broad terms, yes. The team leader has the absolute authority, at the end of the day it is best to turn to them to lead to victory. Of course, a second opinion or suggestion is always a benefit, and that is what your role as Ruby's partner will be. But in the end, the course of action will always be Ruby's decision."

"But..." Weiss looks down, a question on the tip of her tongue she's too afraid to ask.

"It's okay, Weiss. I gotta learn this, too," Ruby says, tilting her head to meet her eye.

Weiss takes a deep breath. "What if she makes a mistake that leads to a mission failure? How do I correct that without coming off as trying to be the leader?" Instead of being offended or hurt, Ruby leans forward eagerly to learn as well. Professor Fall had been kinda vague about that.

"Mistakes are inevitable, Miss Rose has already become aware of that," Professor Fall smiles gently and Ruby gives a small one back. "As such, she should be held accountable. This will help her grow. That is how you can correct her in future endeavours."

Something in Ruby's chest tightens. She tugs at her collar, unsure how to put the odd feeling into proper words. She places it in the back of her mind to think about later, outwardly nodding along thoughtfully.

Weiss contemplates that for a moment. Her mind flits between the Nevermore and the Bauson, how Ruby had made a massive mistake with the former but lead them to victory, whereas with the latter she'd taken charge and they'd failed because neither she, Bella or Yang had been on the same wavelength. Perhaps those are outliers, since even now she, unfortunately, can't see how she could have been any help in regards to both plans.

Deciding to shelve the question for later, a new one enters Weiss' mind and she nervously taps her foot. "What's wrong?" Ruby brushes her lingering feeling aside, frowning in worry at her partner.

Weiss glances at her. "I...I also...I'm afraid I will allow my arrogance and anger to cloud my judgment, as it had in the past. In truth," her grip on the cup tightens, "I still am jealous and bitter of Ruby being our leader. Even after I know how hard Ruby works, part of me is still feels like she 'stole' my own time and effort, turning it into a waste."

Brother's Grimm, it sounds even worse out loud. She never knew that a single chat could change her entire outlook on a person, no matter how personal. She finds she despises the thought of hurting Ruby. Please don't hate me.

"It's okay to feel that way," Ruby speaks softly, surprising Weiss with a genuine, if a bit sad smile. "I still doubt I belong here. Feelings don't change as fast as we want them to. They kinda just do their own thing. So don't feel guilty about it, just talk to me if you're starting to feel overwhelmed and we can work through it!" she pumps her fists, bouncing in her seat. "That's what we agreed on when we made those promises!"

Great Tainted Lake how did I ever be so mean to you?

"Thank you," Weiss manages an unsure smile.

"It's always difficult to adjust your world views," Professor Fall adds, without judgment. "I have full faith you will overcome these emotions, both of you. Now, you two should go enjoy your weekend."

Bidding farewell, the partners enter a comfortable silence as they walk down the hall, Ruby mildly skipping along. When they leave the building, Ruby's mind drifts to the topic of Weiss' mobility and she slows down, confusing Weiss for a moment.

"Hey, Weiss? I have a question," she wrings her hands nervously.

"Yes?" Weiss raises a slight brow, surprised Ruby hasn't asked the professor.

"Why do you move so differently now than you did during initiation? You seemed a lot faster and more fluid, but now you second-guess and hesitate a lot," she points out.

Weiss' first instinct is to reject Ruby's words outright and feign ignorance, but doesn't she owe her an explanation if they're going to work together? She thinks quietly for a moment. "It's a...personal matter I've been struggling with," she admits.

"Is it anything I can help you with?"

"Probably not," Weiss says. She bites her lip, debating on telling Ruby more. It takes little prompt for her to continue. "There wasn't anyone who could teach me how to fight in Atlas. I received some basic training from Winter, but she soon left for the academy so I'm largely self-taught. As such I picked up some bad habits, mostly with my footwork."

"But..." Ruby hesitates. Weiss nods at her to continue. "It seemed to work better before? I didn't notice anything wrong with your mobility, it's what saved us several times. And it's so, so cool that you taught yourself all that you know! I needed a lot of help from my family, I couldn't imagine learning all this by myself!" Ruby bounces on her heels, excitedly shaking her fists.

"It isn't all that impressive," Weiss dismisses. "Especially since I did it all incorrectly. If you recall, as you should since we just re-watched it, I set a forest on fire because of it. I hadn't been made aware of the problem until recently and..." she mildly scowls, Father's comments about her handicap coming to mind, "adjusting to my eye had been my main priority."

It had taken her countless days (which often blended together into many sleepless nights) for her skills to return back to where they'd been before Father's test, but if she had known her movements were wrong could she have divvied that time up to not appear like an armature now?

When she sees Ruby smiling at her, somehow even brighter, Weiss blinks. "What?"

"You say I need more confidence, but you should have more pride in your achievements, Weiss!" she's almost cheeky. "It is impressive you're self-taught, and even if I can't see the problem you know yourself and your fighting style better than I ever could, and deciding you need to change something as big as movement is a huge undertaking! And if you've worked so hard this far to adjust to your eye, then I bet you'll master your new mobility in no time! Don't downplay all your effort just 'cause you've hit a road block; you're amazing!"

Weiss nearly staggers, her heart pounding loudly in her ears as she's practically bombarded by the sheer amount of compliments Ruby is throwing at her. She swallows thickly, taking a few deep breaths to maintain her composure. She can't recall the last time she'd received such praise from anyone (who wasn't an instructor just doing their job).

A part of her wants to deny it, explain that she is the last person who deserves praise, but the genuine admiration Ruby is giving her makes her falter. She isn't certain she can win this debate.

"Thank you," her voice cracks and she blushes, deeply, but Ruby just smiles and doesn't point it out. "Although I will say I do indeed have quite a bit of pride for myself, so be wary when I grow a big head and you get irate at me for it," she says in jest, trying to maintain some kind of dignity. Difficult, when ones face is hot enough to melt an iceberg.

"You already kinda have a big head," Ruby swings on her heels with a large grin.

"I'll pretend to ignore that," Weiss lifts her chin. "So, you said you could help me with an upgrade for Myrtenaster?"

0o0o0

"Welcome to the city of Vale!" Yang sweeps her hand out before them as they walk out of the shuttle station.

"I've been here before."

"Then welcome back!" Yang corrects without missing a beat. "Did you enjoy your time here?"

Not even a little. "It was okay," Blake says.

"So do we wanna get Dust or snacks first? I think we'd better leave our other errand for last, in case things go sour and we get in trouble with the school."

"Is it really wise to risk that after you just got free from detention?" Blake raises a brow.

"It was a single session of carrying dummies to the training room," Yang waves her hand dismissively. "More a workout than a punishment. I think Goodwitch is onto Winchester's bullshit, ever since the Bauson. She's probably dealt with endless amounts of Winchesters as a teacher. Anyway, Dust or snacks?"

"Probably Dust. I need to figure out my budget," Blake runs her hand over Gambol Shroud.

"Sounds good!" Yang begins to lead the way through the busy streets, Blake following along pretending she doesn't know the layout like the back of her hand. Her eyes glance to the alleyways and rooftops, her mind automatically flitting to where would be the best place to sleep this night, which spot she needs to rotate to next so she doesn't get pinned down by cops or White Fang, which dumpster is the cleanest to snag food from. She idly wonders if she'll be fortunate enough to find a discarded book, and hopes it isn't missing too many pages if she does.

Then she looks ahead at Yang and remembers, oh, right, she doesn't have to do that anymore. She has a safe place to sleep at Beacon. She shakes her head to clear it, walking a bit faster to walk by Yang's side. She catches the brawler grin at her out of the corner of her eye, and she begins to talk as they round the corner.

"You'll love this shop, it has great prices and the old guy who runs it is super...gone?" Yang stops in her tracks and stares at the blank, dark storefront of From Dust 'til Dawn. The windows are boarded and the brick around it cracked and crumbling, the ground also shows signs of an explosion of some kind. Police tape is strung up on the front, and people walk by it without much of a second glance.

"This probably happened within the last week," Blake says, walking closer to the storefront to observe the damages. Old enough for passerby to not be surprised, but new enough for only the initial cleanup to be completed. Through a small space between the boards she catches a glimpse of evidence areas, although no police or investigators are in sight.

"Oh man, I hope the owner is alright," Yang rubs her head. "He was always really kind to Ruby, let her loiter and he would even tell her about upcoming sales. Excuse me!" Yang calls and jogs over to two woman standing on the corner. "How did Torchwick attack without it being all over the news?"

"Torchwick? From what I heard, this was a White Fang attack," one woman says, uncertain and afraid. Blake lightly tilts her head in their direction, scrutinizing the store more harshly.

"That hasn't been confirmed yet," the second scoffs. Blake spots a series of faint lines in the brick that are too uniform to be from a natural explosion, but too subtle for any human to spot. "Anyone can rob a store or cause this sort of destruction. Set just one canister of Dust off and you have yourself an explosion. They want to fully investigate before placing any blame."

Blake runs her hand over the lines, feeling a familiar code in the grooves. Her heart stutters in nostalgia, her ears perk up under her headscarf.

"True. Was the owner okay?"

"Injured, but making a full recovery. They were at least open about that."

Blake pulls her hand away from the wall, the lingering message from the script tingling on her palm. She stares hard at the storefront, a bit of confusion and a budding of fear twisting her gut. This store had been under White Fang protection, until a couple months ago when the original marker was scratched over.

They had been here. They hadn't been the cause of this, they didn't attack, but they let this happen. Her heart pounds and she slowly slips back towards Yang's side, wracking her brain for a reason why Adam would allow this. Something as drastic as taking away the protection of a store must go through the White Fang Leader, and something tells her Adam hadn't gotten permission for this.

He'd started making more and more decisions without consulting Sienna Khan, promising punishment for anyone who spoke a word about it to her.

"Got some good news," Yang says to Blake, who pretends to perk as if she didn't hear the whole conversation. "The owner's alright! Bad news is the nearest Dust store is super expensive," she mutters, thanking and waving to the women as she leads the way. "The other low-priced shops are on the other side of the city. Seriously, couldn't Torchwick pick that one to steal from?"

"You still think this was Torchwick?" Blake asks, not really surprised Yang didn't assume anything but still relieved regardless.

"Well, yeah. The guy tried to hit this place before, I don't see why he wouldn't try again after licking his wounds," Yang shrugs. "Besides, I don't trust in rumours. Only cold, hard facts for this gal," she points her thumb at herself, beaming smile on her face. "But I guess this detour will get us closer to dealing with Winchester."

"You're sure this will help?" Blake inquires, more nervous than doubtful.

"Trust me, I know my way around blackmail," Yang winks, which certainly doesn't concern Blake in the slightest, no not at all.

"Ah, Junior's," Yang sighs wistfully a few hours later, fists on her hips as she smiles at the suspiciously blank building. "A place full of thugs for hire and crappy drinks."

Blake watches the street, expecting an attack of some kind. Yang is strangely relaxed. "Y'know I got into a fight last time I was here, but I didn't come with any good 'deal'. This time is different," she whips out a photo of Junior shaking hands with Torchwick, a few suited thugs in the background. Bella takes it with a curious head tilt. "I got this little out-of-context pic before the fight. How fast would a Huntsmen crack down on him for knowingly aiding the criminal lord of all time?"

"Won't they just kick you out immediately?"

"Nah, he loves me!" Yang saunters to the door and kicks it open. "Heya, Junior, it's ya girl! Miss me?"

Junior gives her probably the biggest unamused glare she's ever received, second only to Weiss. "Like a migraine," he sighs, but still reaches under his bar to grab her usual. "Don't bother pickin' a fight, my guys are still in jail or recovering."

"Here for business," Yang slides onto the stool, propping her cheek up on her elbow as she slips the photo across the counter, tapping it with a finger.

"Fine," he says harshly, passing over her drink, "she's-"

Yang's heart thuds painfully, mind on the second, coveted photo in her pocket. A deep surge of want threatens to strangle her, her heart thuds painfully at finally having the leverage she needs to finally find her.

But she cuts Junior off with a wave of her hand. "This is for someone else," she says, throat tight like it's full of sand. She swallows thickly. What's more important, her selfish wants or her friend's safety? If she indulges herself here and now, after she promised Bella help, she'd never be able to look herself in the mirror again.

The squeaks of a little red wagon echo in her mind.

"Know anything about the Winchester family?" she continues, casual and nonchalant as if she hadn't let herself hesitate for just a second.

"Ah, the pompous council members," Junior strokes his chin, then smirks. "Their brat of a son givin' you trouble at that fancy academy?"

"You get it," Yang nods. "Got anything on him that would give him trouble if it went public?"

"Pissing off that family ain't a good idea," he advises, even as his finger twitches at one of his assistants. "They're powerful and rich."

"Eh," Yang casually shrugs, taking a swig of her drink, "you know me, I like actin' stupid."

"You sure it's an act?"

"Oi, I've got brains for days," Yang winks, letting the insult wash off her. "How else do you think I can beat up half your crew?"

"Having a raging aura helps."

"So does being perceptive. Teach your guys to expect low blows."

Blake lingers by the entrance, half-obscured by a pillar. She'll admit she feels apprehensive about Yang's promise to find blackmail on Winchester, about the danger she might put herself in for Blake's sake, but despite the jabs she and Junior speak in a familiar, almost cordial way. How often does Yang come here to garner such a reputation, and why?

Likely, it has something to do with that 'she' Junior mentioned. If Yang's been here before, and even got into a fight, she's likely searching desperately for this person. And Junior was even willing to give it to her this time, yet she gave it up for Blake's sake? Even as her curiosity rises, Blake puts it out of her mind. If Yang wasn't going to pry into her secrets, she isn't about to pry into Yang's.

(even as Adam's voice tells her to learn everything about her enemies)

Good thing Yang isn't an enemy, then.

"Ain't got a lot," Junior says, taking a thin envelope from one of the twin assistants. "Mostly just basic stuff about the whole family. I'll see what else I can scrounge up, but don't expect me to give it to you for free."

"Junior, ol' buddy 'ol pal, I'd never fleece ya," Yang chugs the rest of her drink and slaps the money owed on the table, snatching back her photo. "You know how to contact me."

"Yeah yeah, now get outta here. I'm not legally allowed to serve you yet," he waves at her as she gets up and walks back over to Blake, grin bright and confident.

She kicks the door again on her way out and walks with a relaxed gait until they're two streets away, where she speeds up the pace. Blake keeps up easily, sensing the growing tension and starts taking the lead, bringing them from the main streets to the back alleys that few bother to use. The back streets of Vale are large and open, and her eyes dart in all directions, her confined ears straining to keep alert to any possible danger.

Once she hears the crowded chatter of a busy street, she casually steps out of the alley and joins the crowd, glancing over her shoulder at Yang who hesitates before doing the same. Blake keeps her eyes trained ahead, then turns down a less busy, but still main street. She lingers around the corner and watches for a moment in amusement as Yang walks past her spot, then whistles to get her attention.

"Oh!" Yang excuses herself to the flow as she pushes back, joining back up with Blake. "I didn't even notice you!"

"We came from a shady area from the alleys, to avoid suspicion we needed to blend into the crowd seamlessly. Anyway," she lowers her voice as they begin the walk back to the shuttles, "what do we do now?"

"This is the part where we gotta wait," Yang huffs, stuffing her hands into her pockets. "There ain't much we can do 'til he gets back to me, but no matter how much of a shady asshole he is, he's reliable."

"It's dangerous to trust him," Blake warns.

"Oh, I don't," Yang grins, flicking out the photo, "that's why I kept this! He now knows I have the perfect ticket to get him arrested, so he'll stay in line. 'Course, this sorta thing only works once," she stores the photo and rubs her chin.

(and she wasted it on you instead of using it for herself)

Blake wonders how she'll repay Yang.

"Anyway, we've got stupid-expensive Dust, snacks and some extra time. I know this great place that makes really crappy burgers, then do we wanna practice fighting together?" Yang asks.

Bad food followed by a good spar? "Sounds perfect."

A/N: It was very fun writing the girls starting to be friends, but if this chapter didn't fight tooth and nail the entire time ;_;

Honestly I don't have a lot to say here, other than I'm just glad to have this chapter be completed

Constructive criticism is welcome and encouraged! Thank you for reading!