Looking down at her wrist, Ruby felt a bolt of wonder strike.

How did it survive all this time?

Perhaps it really was a good luck charm; seeing as it surpassed her ancestors, and even her own mother. Ruby found a new sort of respect for the tiny ornament of jewelry she'd most often forgotten was even there.

She'd been reading her mother's journal super early in the morning before everyone else got up, and started off with making her way through the recordings of Veronica Rose: one of the earlier - if not the earliest - ancestors in the book. In this particular paragraph, the woman described the emotions she felt when accepting a gift from a little boy named 'Pebble', with said gift's description matching the very bracelet Ruby received from her father, and one she'd not thought too much about before. Veronica had been having a particularly bad night, with memories of her son Vermillion Rose haunting her, and Ruby didn't know how to feel about this. On one hand she wondered if she should let V read it; seeing as it involved him in a way. But, on the other hand...

The name 'Pebble' sprung forth feelings she couldn't quite describe.

Despite these weird emotions, the book was at least giving her something, and she appreciated it for that alone. Most of the information, if not obtained from the source, was spotty at best, and even though they were going against all sorts of insanity, it was always good to be as up to date as possible. These were the thoughts going through her head before a series of knocks fell upon the front door, which woke the rest of her teammates, but only for a few moments.

"Huh?" Yang looked to lazily roll over, squinting as she pulled her scroll from under her pillow and checked the time. "It's freaking six in the morning." She then shoved her face back into the fluff under her head.

Ruby smirked, feeling a little cocky over waking a whole hour before her sister... even if it meant she never got much sleep. Seeing as everyone else wasn't stable enough to answer the door, and would probably fall down under again, the leader opted to do it herself. Standing from her bed, she wandered over and peered out.

Right into the chest of a far too tall figure.

Despite seeing nothing but vested abs, Ruby knew by the vest alone just who it was that came to wake them. While she didn't exactly feel comfortable around the terrorist at all, she wasn't about to make a scene. Looking up to gaze upon his now maskless face, Ruby cringed a little at the branding on his cheek. Weiss had one above her breast, but unlike hers, the one Ruby saw distinctly shown S.D.C.

"Hi...?" She stepped back, getting out of his midsection, and watched with bewilderment, which she kept hidden behind a mask of apathy, as he shown a somewhat judgemental look, almost curiously, and spoke.

"Did I... wake you?"

"Yeah, you did."

"Apologies then, but it was either I who collected your team, or Roman." Ruby visibly let her cringe show, and he seemed amused a little as she did so. "Seeing as you two didn't exactly get along initially, we decided on letting me be the one to do it."

"Okay..." Ruby tilted her head, not so much afraid as she was annoyed. Apparently, one of the two crooks needed to 'collect' her team, which sounded questionable when spoken aloud. "So... what is it?"

"General Ironwood wants us to scout out a particular abandoned slave pen." And like that Ruby felt a sickness bubble within her tummy, but the man, Saw, wasn't done there. "Or, to be more specific, the one where 'V' as we've all come to call him, found an obelisk."

"An obelisk... right." Ruby recalled him mentioning it in his story. He'd told them mainly about his past misdeeds and such, but tacked on near the end had been a brief recollection of events upon his arrival in the present, up to and including Atlas. That, however, could wait; the mention of slaves needed addressing. "When you say slave pen, you don't mean-?"

"Faunus slavery; yes, I do."

"That's... what I thought." She couldn't help the deflation of her hopes, and that sickness inside of her only grew the more she thought of it.

"I take it you don't approve?"

"No, I don't" Ruby spat that particular bit out, which looked to draw a slight grin from the man.

"There are many who don't exactly share that simple opinion, especially here in Atlas." He threw out with a bit of edge... before fading into something easier. "Although it's pleasant to hear someone speak differently for once."

"They can't be all that bad."

"No, but those in power will have what they want; whether officially approved or not."

"I'm not one of those people."

Saw hummed, crossing his arms.

"No, I didn't think you were." He then peered beyond her. "Are the others available?"

"In about twenty minutes. Unless you want to have a hand in waking them."

"I'm not up to waiting that long, and I'd rather not get involved."

"Too bad." He looked to nearly spit as she said that, reeling back in a quick chuckle.

"Then how about you: are you available for the assignment?"

Now it was Ruby's turn to cross her arms with a flat look.

"Weren't you here to collect my team as a whole?"

"We only need one of you: I'm willing to leave your friends behind if they want to catch some shut eye - sleepy soldiers are merely a liability."

"How gracious of you." Ruby dropped her shoulders, rolling her eyes before settling them back on Saw. "Okay, so why just take one?"

"Ironwood doesn't fully trust me, and seeing as Roman brought me on without informing him first, the general's lost a bit of trust in him as well."

"So I'm the babysitter." Ruby wasn't buying it, not without a better explanation. "And he didn't think to have one of the Ace-Ops watch you instead?"

"They're assigned to watch over a rally in Mantle. Robyn Hill's being interviewed on her promises for the election. As a show of good faith, Ironwood's having his prized soldiers act as bodyguards until the event is over."

Ruby was running out of counters, and turning around only to see her teammates fast asleep again didn't exactly fill her with hope for slipping out of this. Sighing to herself as she realized the deck was stacked against her, she ultimately relented.

"Okay, fine: I'll come with you." She quickly raised a hand, with one finger extended. "But: If you two do anything suspicious, I won't hesitate to beat you down."

Ruby expected Saw to counter that with a retort of how she wouldn't stand a chance, or whatever it was their enemies usually claimed. She, however, found herself surprised when he just nodded his head.

"Fair enough." He stepped back. "Shall we go?"

"I... sure."

Joining the guy out in the hall, Ruby kept an even pace as she followed him. His excuse for taking her into this supposed mission was still up in the air until either the general confirmed it, or she saw this 'slave pen' herself - something she dreaded, but ultimately believed would come all too quickly. On the topic of the slave pen though, she thought it might be best to learn whatever she could before they got there, and seeing as Saw appeared experienced in that sort of thing, she chose that to be her talking point until they arrived.

"So... Do we know anything about the place?"

"S.D.C. run and completely abandoned, as far as I recall."

"As far as you recall?"

"I was there when V found the obelisk."

"Oh..." Yeah, that fit the pattern of things, but even so she still wanted to know more. "Is there anything else we know of it? Specifically, I mean."

Saw was silent for a moment, and as they turned the corner and into an empty hallway, he spoke.

"It was my home, for a time." Ruby felt her breathing hitch, and she realized just how wrong of a question she picked. She'd meant information on the current state of it, but it seemed she'd struck a chord. Saw didn't stop though, he just continued on talking. "As children, Adam, Sienna, and I were confined to the mines: digging up Dust for Jacques Schnee himself."

"C-children?!" The shadows were beginning to constrict her airway, but even so Ruby ripped them off as she drummed up the courage to question further; she'd dug herself into this hole, and it was her responsibility to dig herself out. "You were... you were child slaves; with Adam and Sienna?"

"Yes." His voice held nothing but apathy, as if it were just another conversation. "Adam and I escaped from there one night, but Sienna was sold before that. We picked her up on one of the trains we stowed away on during our trip to Menagerie. She was caged, but I always was known for my strength, even as a kid."

"I-I'm... I'm sorry." She hadn't meant to bring up those memories, and once more Ruby was reminded just how good she had it in life.

"Don't be. It wasn't your fault." Brushing her off, he continued. "Besides, we were escaped slaves, used to far worse than mere travel. Once we got to Menagerie, we snuck off the boat individually anyway, meeting up on land as we tried to get our bearings." Saw sighed, rolling his shoulders. "But none of us ever forgot the mines, and we swore to return and rescue our kin some day."

"Did... did you get to save them?" Ruby had a dreadful suspicion she already knew the answer, and Saw confirmed it in full.

"No. They were dead long before V and I arrived." His voice lowered, but he seemed to hold his head higher anyway. "But we returned, just as we promised to. With any luck, the souls of the others can forgive us for being late."

"They wouldn't blame you." Ruby, although it wasn't any of her business, felt the urge to comfort him in any way she could; he was a terrorist, and he'd hurt plenty of people, but in her opinion nobody should ever have to face what he had, and nor should they hold onto a guilt so misguided.

"I know they wouldn't." He hardened his stride, and she could see the rage contained within. "But I can't rest now. Even though we found them, there's still the master to contend with. I swear, Jacques Schnee will pay for his crimes, even if I have to dish out that payment with my own two hands."

Ruby really shouldn't have just let him say such things; a responsible hunter would try to dissuade such claims. But, there was something stopping her from trying to steer him away from that vengeance he slathered across his mind: an adept sympathy for his life. Slavery was, of course, a criminal offense, and those responsible for dealing in it had to be punished. Perhaps it was that understanding that kept her from jumping in.

If there was active slavery going on under everyone's noses, then they'd need to stop it anyways; albeit by less violent means than what Saw might have planned for.

Jacques Schnee was, as far as Ruby knew, Weiss's dad, which added on more layers to the complex pattern of emotions going through her head. Weiss never spoke fondly of her father, so for Ruby it was safe to say he wasn't exactly a swell guy, but to go as far as slavery? If he really was responsible for what Saw claimed, then they'd need to confront him.

Ruby had no qualms with that, no; rather, she was worried more about how Weiss would feel.

"Look who it is!" Roman called to them from outside the take-off bay, waving far too happily for a guy about to spend the better part of the day with the very person who'd spent all her free time bothering him every chance she could. Ruby knew she wasn't exactly liked by the guy, but his smile was far too bright, even for someone making fun of their ex-opposer.

Ruby's completely mature and respectable response was to stick out her tongue, to which he clasped his hands.

"Ah, what a wonderful day it will be."

"You don't have to fake it." Ruby spat, and seeing him chuckle only made her even more uncomfortable.

"Oh, but I do." He popped a skip in his step as he flung around and started inside, with both watchers following along. "For once I get to annoy you~ And I'm going to love every second of it!"

For some reason, Ruby doubted it would work; but a man can dream, and she'd rather he realize that himself, and so chose not to dignify his antics with anything more.

.

.

Pyrrha was happy, genuinely so, but not for any reasons her slumbering teammates could ever hope to understand. Even if she told them, they wouldn't get it, but that was okay.

There was no particular reason for her to be happy, save a small inkling at the back of her head finally seeming to click. It had been there since the beginning, that off-putting tickle of lingering uncertainty, as if she were recalling something long lost. But, as circumstances would have it, that particular something came to her as she awoke from yet another dream that wasn't hers.

Thing was, it wasn't Ruby's either, but rather, this slumbering fantasy she'd now witnessed belonged to Weiss.

It wasn't an ancient memory from a life long lost to time, or a parallel demise just waiting to reach fruition, but rather a simple desire. In this dream Pyrrha was immediately begotten by feelings of... well… she'd dub this experience as something a little bit less than appropriate. Was it weird? Not at this point, no, but there was a lingering suspicion that had her hunkered down. All her previous dreams were either Ruby's or her own in some way: this was the first time Pyrrha followed their snowy-haired friend's perspective.

And in bed with Sun no less.

That wasn't what tipped her off on the supposed grand discovery she made, no, it was the feeling accompanying it that solidified her understanding. Every now and then while they were on their journey to Haven, and long before reaching Atlas, she'd experience odd sorts of twitches along her spine. It was never anything major, and only lasted a second, but it was prominent enough for her to recall. She'd believed them nothing but the remnants of stresses and worries along the way as she'd gotten used to her new transformation.

But she was wrong, and she could see that now.

The others were ignorant to it, but not her, no, never her. Maybe it was wrong to feel such things when you knew exactly what they meant for everything, but even so, this understanding brought with it a peace of its own in some sense: the knowledge that no matter what, things would turn out right in the end. Weiss having naughty dreams about the boy she liked wasn't the focus of this discovery, but rather the fact Pyrrha had received it. She knew Weiss was still asleep, and actively having this dream, all due to one little sign.

Right now, that familiar tingle was making itself home in the back of her skull.

The ability to recall experiences and imaginings of someone else, or to be more specific, those who'd been 'touched' by V. Pyrrha could feel it throughout her very core, and the darkness infecting her greedily accepted the foreign thoughts without hesitation, not caring for the privacy they were actively breaching. To be honest, Pyrrha didn't care either: she was too happy.

Falling back on her pillow, she allowed the smile on her face to soften.

This meant that, even though she hadn't known at the time, the other two had taken some of her own experiences as well... or, at least Weiss had. What memories or dreams Weiss had unknowingly stolen would probably remain a mystery to Pyrrha, and the young heiress herself probably hadn't even noticed it happen, or even when it happened. But Pyrrha knew now what it was, and she was satisfied with that knowledge.

The only sign to ever clue her in would be the realization she'd recalled something impossible, and even then, she'd need to have it pointed out by others, as Pyrrha herself had with Ren and Nora whilst battling Tyrian.

Both knowing and understanding this power, at this particular time, all of it made her both uneasy and relaxed.

Was she repeating her thoughts over and over in a whirlpool of meandering ideas? Yes, yes she was, and it was most certainly a sign her once bold sanity was dwindling. Was this what it was like to go insane? Did suddenly coming to the understanding of how the world worked, even if it in and of itself made little logical sense mean she'd finally lost it?

Tyrian was like that, but not really: he understood some things, but not like her. Pyrrha knew it all: every little thing she needed to know was there in stark terrifying clarity. She knew it was because of V: it was always because of V. However, it wasn't him... No, it was instead only a part of him. Some aspect of V reached out to her during her sleep, and whispered nothings of unfathomable truths.

A part of him, a sickening whisper, wanted her to know certain things, so that she may fulfill her destiny; or, at the very least accept it.

I'm sorry, V... it seems I can't defy my fate after all. Not this time.

Defiance, that was the sole reason any of them were here: they were to defy the way of things, their inevitable end. It was a noble goal, a Human goal, and yet she now knew, truly knew, what her purpose was. A small tear trickled down her cheek as she lay there looking up at the bunk above. Jaune rested up there, her beloved Jaune: he would die too, and that truth brought with it a sharp stab of guilt.

All of them would die... but that's what Ruby was fighting against, right?

V was her final gamble: the one thing capable of breaking the cycle she herself unknowingly started... but even then, calling it a cycle was disingenuous. Ruby believed she set in motion a time loop, completely ignorant that the relics relied on the gods' powers and rules.

Not Remnant's.

"N... no... don't eat that Nora..." Jaune's light sleep-talk was kind of cute now that she got a good listen. "Pyre... stop her..." He twisted over, she heard it clearly in the silence of the early morning. Witnessing him now, in his most vulnerable, during a state he'd never hear or recall... It gave Pyrrha the courage to do something she always wished to do. Leaning up, the living rebellion against the natural way of things whispered softly to the bunk above, letting her emotions tell their tale.

"I love you, Jaune~"

He'd never hear it, not in this recreation anyways, but that's what made it so special: he'd never know. A response would lead to heartbreak as things fell down, and she didn't want that. Right here, right now as she lay awake, honestly and spiritually awakened, Pyrrha Nikos wished to enjoy what little time she and the rest of her team had. It wouldn't be much longer anyways, but that's what made it so special: even if their souls remained the same every single time, the experiences always changed their character. The next team JNPR, RWBY, and everyone and everything else would be altered just a tad, by nothing but differing experiences brought on by the ones capable of retaining their memories. None but Ruby herself would know.

Perhaps it would be nice to survive this time, but that was merely wishful thinking. This was V's first trip through things: his first time seeing the world for what it was. He was not meant to save them: V was simply here to grow, and bind the seals once more. One obelisk remained, hidden away in Vacuo, and once he got it: everything would be over. For it was as the voice whispered, deep in his sickeningly sweet tone...

Feeding one sprout alone was too many.

Pyrrha knew too much, this was plainly obvious even to her, and it left her mind in strips strewn about the corners of her skull. Nora's snores began to overwhelm the quiet, and it was becoming hard to think. This was good: Pyrrha was tired, and she didn't want to think dreadful thoughts anymore. She just wanted to ignore it all, and relish in what little life they had left, before the grasp of Remnant's tendrils ripped that peace away from them. It wasn't Remnant's fault, she knew this: being violated so fiercely at the hands of Ruby and the gods' divine power left it confused - dazed in a state of revulsion as it tried to figure out how to respond to a reality that never should have been, forcefully molded as clay into an endless cycle of events, and tearing itself apart to ensure it's own reality remained as it always should have been.

Pyrrha believed she was like Tyrian, and yet unlike him, she chose to brace her acceptance with hope, rather than without.

.

.

Awakening so early in the morning wasn't a good sign, and yet, I accepted it regardless.

Pulling myself from the assigned bed, I stood, dressing once more before taking to the halls. It would be some hours before everyone else greeted the day, and that afforded me plenty of time to myself; not that I would use it for anything.

"Hmm?" However, the hum of the man now standing at my side as I sat at the cafeteria table proved I wasn't the only one sharing the darker hours of the morning. General Ironwood offered me a side-eye, although it lacked any real edge; more so guided with a strange lingering wonder. "Vermillion... I didn't expect to catch you awake so early. Having trouble sleeping?"

"Partially." I'd slept fine, actually, however I had no answer prepared for why I was awake so early, as I'd yet to discover why myself. Maybe there was no answer, and this was all merely a fluke. "The morning's lack of noise is... comforting, in a strange sort of way."

"True." He took a seat ahead of me, just across the table, and wore a peaceful look. "It can be rather relaxing to experience the school without all the ruckus. Despite this, I don't mind the noise; it means the students and staff are active."

"It must be reassuring for you then, to know your people are relaxed."

"Somewhat, although..." His face seemed to darken. "Sometimes I wonder how they'd react given the truth of things: knowing what we're truly up against as hunters."

"And yet you can't exactly tell them, can you?" My guess was proven spot on as he offered up a nod.

"Many would cave to the apparent inevitability of Salem's victory. Most would try to side with her under the misguided faith in the idea she'd leave them alone: they'd be wrong. Perhaps I'm not her, but if her goal were the destruction of Humanity, then there'd be no reason for her to retain any followers after doing away with Remnant's defenses."

Fair enough: why would she keep them around once victory was in her grasp?

I leaned back, resting my clasped hands on the table in a similar manner to his, and presented yet another question. You don't just stumble into one another out of mere chance alone, so perfectly alone in a place of privacy; not in the way we had.

"I'm sure you didn't just pay me time for the sake of minor chit-chat. Why have you really decided to speak with me."

Once more it appeared I'd struck gold, and he sighed softly, easing off into a little laugh.

"I suppose it is rather strange. Don't misunderstand: I do enjoy speaking with close allies and friends about things other than business..." His eyes hardened again. "However, you're correct: this is more than a mere greeting of friendly banter. I've gotten word of dirty dealings behind the scenes of the Schnee patriarch. As you know by now, Jacques Schnee is running for one of the seats on the Atlas Council, alongside Robyn Hill."

I nodded, and with that he continued.

"I've long held this seat, using it to enforce rulings most in the kingdom haven't exactly taken to. I do it for their safety, but some would rather have convenience over protection... However, not all fall into this category, and there are many who merely wish to return or leave for home; followed by a multitude of other valid reasons. With the spy on the loose though, I can't exactly afford to ease up restrictions, and so, both Jacques and Robyn are bidding for that seat, in the hopes they'll get the power to overrule my word."

"I'm assuming that should they win, this fantasy will become a reality."

"Yes." He grumbled that last bit, and slouched his posture somewhat. "I wouldn't mind it, but with Salem on our doorstep, I'm not taking chances." His eyes locked with mine. "While I have the Ace-Ops dealing with Hill's activities, I need someone to keep an eye on Jacques."

"Why me?" I never even hesitated to toss that one out. There was a nearly endless supply of other people more suited for the task, and yet he chose me. I needed to know why.

"You're infamous." His tone was hard, but even so, there was a noticeable twitch to it. "Should you be caught it will just be assumed you attacked. I can spin up a story of your escape from prison. We'd get some slack, but the number of people who'll try pinning the blame on us is low: a few will attempt to argue we allowed your escape to harm Jacques and remove him from the election, all to secure my own victory, but they will be written off as crack-pots at best, and be assaulted from all sides anyways."

"So, you're not sending me to 'deal' with him." I raised a brow. "Then what would I be doing?"

"He has an office, and potentially, connections to information of the highest class: both legal, and not. I'd need you to get in there and steal whatever you can."

"I only know how to work my scroll." I told bluntly. "How do you expect me to infiltrate his defenses?"

"With this." He held up a small looking stick, pressing a button on the side, and a smaller bit of metal stuck out. "You'll see his desk, where a slot matching this end here will be. Link this to it, and wait until the light it shows turns from red to green; pull it out afterwards and you're done. This device here is outfitted to do the hacking for you. Afterwards, if you're not caught by security, I'll have an evacuation prepared for you at the end of the backyard gardens. If you are caught however, you'll need to escape yourself. But whatever you do, if you're captured with no possible escape: destroy this drive. We can't risk anything."

"I'll be on my own." He nodded, and I ran it over in my head.

Breaking and entering: not exactly the hardest job in the world, but being seen by anyone at all would out me.

"Fine, I'll do it." Even so, I saw no issues. Escape was as easy as running at full speed away while armored, and I was damn certain I could vanish somewhere in the twists and turns of the surrounding area.

Improvisation was one of the few things I was good at since childhood.

"That's what I hoped you'd say." His smile was more genuine this time, as it was before he brought up the mission. "I'll send you in a little later today; we've learned he has his guard at their weakest around late in the afternoons. I'll have a small signal sent out from a nearby team to disable their cameras for a few hours, disguised as a malfunction in the system, so stick to the shadows and you should be fine... although I'm certain you already knew that."

I nodded once more, seeing his body relax.

"Excellent." His face seemed to shift, and I saw some nostalgia in that mask of his. "It really is strange, the way you rush into things so certainly. If you don't mind, before the school wakes, I'd like to tell a bit more of my story: would you allow an old man a bit of recollection?"

My nod drew a smile. I didn't mind his story, and even though I hadn't asked, something about his early years as a scientist piqued my interest... back when I could fully feel anyway. It was dulled now, but I recalled wondering just how he went from constructing those machines of his, into the general of Atlas.

"Thank you."

Author's note

...

We're here again, although a little spicy now. Ruby's met with Saw again, and now the pair - and Roman - are back off to the mines. Pyrrha's finally figured everything out, although not of her own intuition: dark forces seek to set her back in line, or so her mumblings would say. V is off on a sneaking mission, and to the Schnee manor of all places.

Exciting stuff is coming up, so try not to miss out.

FYI: Site's still broken, so I have no idea how many of you still give this tale the time of day - not that it matters; we're finishing this one way or another.

Feel free to tell me what you think, or complain about things you hate; could be anything at this point.

And with that: see you next chapter!