Back, gotta love overtime and drills.

Visitors, Part 2

Jaune jabbed the fork into his meatloaf and took a hearty bite. He sat alone in the cafeteria after his fight with Cinder while students from across Remnant went about their business around him. Continuing to eat, Jaune replayed the fight in his mind to figure out how much more he needed to train and what he needed to improve. She was fast, but he could track her movements. Reflexes needed to be honed, but that only came from muscle memory and experience. Was there a way to circumvent that?

No, he needed to start thinking ahead. Cinder was playing with him during that fight, he could feel it. Every move she made was calculated, at least to him. His strength was fine, he thought. Though the moves he used seemed extremely telegraphed in hindsight. Nothing like the way Pyrrha moved, but how could he? Jaune wasn't nearly flexible enough to pull off the flips she did, nor coordinated enough to begin mimicking her.

Back to square one then. He decided skewering more food and shoving it into his mouth. Qrow said to always fight with his strengths. I might need to come up with my own.

Still mulling over that? Just keep fighting. Either you die or get better in any case.

Easy for you to say. Jaune angrily stabbed his potatoes. You're not the one getting beat half to death.

You do know training is just stacking the odds, right? An amateur can beat a master if he's lucky enough. You just happened to be unluckier than most.

Gee, thanks.

Anytime.

"Hey there, Vomit boy." Yang plopped down beside him with her own tray, the rest of team YPLN joining him. "You made us a pretty penny from that last fight."

"Yeah!" Nora joined in, sitting next to Ren and Pyrrha across from him. "You got mama a new pair of shoes! Or boots. Maybe gloves? Ren, what's better, boots or gloves?"

"You use boots more often than gloves." He said, digging into his own food. "Though gloves do help depending on the environment. Preference is really the key factor."

"But I want to know what you like!" And so, the duo spiraled into their signature conversation about a mundane topic and exaggerating it. Mostly Nora asking absurd question about it.

"Well at least someone is benefiting from my misery." Jaune observed watching the two converse. "Where do I need improvement?" He asked to either Yang or Pyrrha, whoever was listening really.

"You move too much." Yang said, plopping a grape in her mouth. "Your swing and strikes are too telegraphed. Tighten them in and limit the movements to just what is necessary."

"How the hell do I do that?"

"Simple." Pyrrha chimed in. "Start with slow movements and figure out the mechanics. Then slowly move faster until you hit full speed." She wolfed down her sandwich with some water. "And your foot work needs improvement. You're not nearly as imbalanced as before, but you could move a lot faster if you honed it. And your swordplay is God awful. Yes, you've come leaps and bounds. But for the love of all that is sacred, stop swinging it like a bat."

"Damn. Did I piss you off this morning?" Jaune asked. It was an odd feeling being roasted by Pyrrha of all people. The champion blushed when she realized what she just said.

"N-no! You didn't!" She stuttered, also odd. "It's just that Yang keeps telling me to stop being so polite and speak my mind. I'm sorry I guess?"

Looking over next to him, Jaune could see Yang smiling like a proud parent. "She's finally growing up."

"Now, if only you could beat her." Jaune commented under his breathe, earning him an elbow in the ribs. Worth it.

"How about that Blake and Weiss fight, huh? Pretty good stuff. Personally, my money was on the Ice Queen."

"I just hope it didn't make things worse." Jaune moaned. "I was waiting for them to start fighting in the dorm."

"I think they made up." Nora said while balancing orange slices together to make a tower.

"Maybe. Ruby and I hate the tension, and there isn't much we can do about it." Jaune went to stab some more meatloaf, only to have his fork hit the table. Confused, he looked down to see his tray not before him but to the space to his right. Which was occupied by a small girl with black hair and a sleeveless black and white outfit. She had twin tails that started with white bows, which followed suit in her black and white clothing.

"Um… Can I help you?" Jaune asked, both confused and angry that his food was taken from him. The girl glanced at him, eating his food. Bright green eyes stared into his soul, looking for something. He couldn't help but feel like he'd seen her somewhere before. She slid the trey back to him, now empty of any food. "Yes, that's my tray." The girl pointed to it. "And yes, you ate my food. Wait, why did you eat my food? Who are you!?"

"I think she wants you to get her more." Yang said, looking over his shoulder.

"I'm not getting food for a stranger. The line is right there!" Jaune pointed at the long line of students trailing around the edge of the cafeteria. All of them were waiting patiently for food from Beacon's faculty cooks. Little did he notice a rambunctious group of transfers mucking about at a table nearby. Jaune pushed the tray back. "You get it."

The girl wouldn't budge, pushing the platter back towards him. Jaune felt his already thin patience snap.

Get'em Jaune.

Emerald was thoroughly pissed that Neo went off on her own, despite having orders to stay near either her or Mercury. And let's face it, the little daemon would be gone for hours before that idiot noticed. So, it was primarily her job to keep the girl in check, couldn't count on anyone else to do their job. The more responsibility Cinder placed on her the more awestruck she was at her character. Her mentor could plan, devise, and improvise beyond her scope, be a deadly weapon with unequal precision, and deceive everybody around her.

While looking so fucking good doing it.

The things Emerald would do to that woman if given the chance.

"You got that look again." Mercury said from beside her as they hunted down their missing team member.

"Can it, asshole. You're the one that lost track of her." And there was no way of knowing where she went off to. The only comforting thought was that she would have to check in at some point. Lest she'd like to earn Cinder's ire. Know here though, it was a fifty – fifty shot. Dodging students and briefly ignoring the gossip bouncing around the halls, they entered Beacon's lunchroom.

"Damn, something smells good." Mercury said from beside her, observing the many students mulling about. "How 'bout we just forget her and get some food? Watching all these kids beat each other make a man hungry."

"No. Finding her comes first, dumbass." Cinder's directive was priority, how could he not see that?

"You're not you when you're hungry." Mercury shrugged walking away. "I'm getting some grub."

"Tell me if you see her!" Emerald shouted after him over the dull roar of the room. He lazily waved his hand in response. The bastard was lazy at the best of times, the only saving grace was that he could fight and murder when needed.

"Ruby, slow down you dolt!" The voice behind her was the only warning she had to dodge. Emerald turned back to see a red blur slam into her, skidding whoever this was and Emerald across the cafeteria floor. She only stopped when her back hit a nearby table, startling the occupants. Looking over to her side, she saw the girl that rammed into her still sliding face first on the floor. A muffled 'Ow' came from the personified tornado when her head met the nearby wall.

"Oh hell, I'm so sorry." A pale hand helped her up from the floor. Emerald looked up to see the Schnee heiress connected to it. "Please forgive Ruby, she can be a bit… much." Her pale eyes darted over to her team member, who was unceremoniously being nudged by Blake's foot.

"That's what you get for bouncing around so much." The Faunus said.

"Shaddup." Ruby muttered, slowly pushing herself up. She stumbled a bit, dazed from the impact. "What I hit?"

"You hit me!" Emerald yelled at her, catching her attention. Cinder said to keep a low profile, but right now with everything going wrong, she didn't rightly care. That spurned a reaction form the girl.

"I'm so sorry!" The girl sounded mortified that she hit a person and started profusely apologizing to her. Emerald took a deep breath and tried to calm herself. She needed to blend in and not cause drama, something that didn't seem to be working. Breathing in through her nose to calm her anger, she spoke again.

"Apology accepted." She couldn't hide the annoyance in her voice as she forced out the words. "Watch where you're going next time."

"She will." Weiss stated beside her. "It's beyond rude to crash into transfer students. Control yourself, Ruby."

"Yes, Weiss." Ruby said in an eye-rolling tone. "But I'm just so happy that you and Blake made up! We need to tell Jaune." The one-eighty in tone gave Emerald a mental whiplash. She barely saw the energetic blur grab Weiss's hand to lead her away in a trail full of petals. Confused on what just happened, she turned to the black-haired Faunus that, admittedly, had a lot of features similar to Cinder.

"It's a semblance." She shrugged, answering the unspoken question. "Name's Blake by the way. You just met Ruby and Weiss."

"Emerald." She said, eyes following the trail of roses. "Is she always like that?"

"More or less. She hasn't been like this in a while though." Blake hedged, running her hand through her raven hair. "Starting to miss it when she was quiet."

"You have my sympathy." Emerald couldn't imagine being grouped in with someone that hyperactive, let alone that young. "How old is she?"

"Fifteen. Got in through a recommendation, I think." Blake said, following the duo. Emerald hummed in understanding, walking with her. Now was a good a time as any to play the part of a visiting student.

"I guess there's a reason for everything. You haven't happened to have seen a short girl with green eyes and black hair?" Emerald asked, needing to track down the ball of chaos. "She's a teammate and the little fucker disappeared."

"Not a fan?" They were approaching a table that where Weiss and Ruby stopped. Strange enough, there was a small crowd around it.

"No. She makes my life hell."

"Understandable. And yeah, I've seen her." Blake said as they stopped near the cheering onlookers.

"Where?" Emerald's head snapped to her, fully attentive. The huntress pointed towards the crowd of students. She followed the trajectory and found out why people gathered around the table.

There was her teammate, alright. Still in her disguise and everything. Except she was fighting over a tray with another student. And not in the traditional sense either. They were pushing platter towards each other in a reverse tug of war, bending the metal with the effort. Her opponent was tall, blonde, and fought Cinder not even an hour before. Cheers came from the crowd, egging them on as they struggled. A busty blonde and a short redhead were taking bets from students on who would win.

Emerald watched as Ruby zipped up to Jaune from Weiss, headless of the crowd and getting right in his face with bright silver eyes and a wide smile. Her spontaneous appearance startled him, flinching back and pulling the tray away from Mint. Mint let go a second afterwards, the platter now having no resistance, was flung from Jaune's hands. She watched as it arced in the air before finally crashing into the distracted blonde taking bets.

Thin rivulets on grave and chunks of mashed potatoes and meatloaf clung to her long golden hair, the platter sliding down her back, smearing more food onto her clothes. The crowd became quiet as they looked onto her, a very distinct shift happened in the atmosphere. Emerald saw a few onlookers slowly and quietly step back, fear and terror evident in their eyes. A sharp clang echoed through the dining hall, the trey finally falling from the still blonde figure.

The poor man in front of her that was having his money taken looked positively terrified, paralyzed on the spot. Slowly, the blonde turned around to look at Jaune. He and the girl next to him were equally petrified, their eyes wide with fear. Strange enough, Mint was nowhere to be seen. Bright crimson orbs found them, full of fury and vengeance. The calm before the storm reaching its climax before it thundered.

"Oh fuck."

Jaune dodge the table that was thrown at him, the cheap wood and steel exploding against the wall behind him. "We can talk about this!" He pleaded, stumbling backwards to dodge an angry fist. His feet tripped over a stray turkey on the floor, toppling him over and saving him from having his jaw removed via blunt force trauma. Rolling away on the food encrusted floor to dodge an angry boot, Jaune reflected on what caused this.

"YOU RUINED MY HAIR!" Yang yelled in fiery rage. The whole cafeteria erupted into chaos the moment she attacked him, flinging the table away that he vaulted over to stave off death. Food, tables, chairs, and broken students littered the area. Screams of food fight and sounds of anarchy bounced around the building as Jaune ran for his life. He had a sneaking suspicion that the girl he was fighting with caused the whole thing, but then again, he might be deflecting.

"I'm sorry!" Right now, he needed to stay alive by any means necessary. Clambering to his feet, his hands grasped a tray and held it like a weapon, or as Pyrrha put it, a bat. A roar that promised death erupted from Yang as she shot out like a missile towards him. On reflex alone, he swung the platter with all his might. His efforts were rewarded when a Yang shaped visage imprinting itself on the tray. Too bad that distracted him from the fist coming towards his face.

Jaune might have blacked out when it hit, because one moment, he was wondering how the metal got the nose right, and the next he was careening through the air towards a window. For a second, he thought he saw Weiss using a fish to fight Nora with a fake watermelon hammer. Nah, that's ridiculous. Glass shattered around his skull as he exited the building at high speed, bouncing him across the soft grass.

His Aura dipped down even further, already low as it was from his fight. It would be so easy to just lay there and ignore the echoing chaos from within the building. But no, he just had to get up out of some sort of motivation to spite everything around him. Dusting himself off from glass and dirt, he looked up to see two transfer staring at him. One looked vaguely familiar with messy blonde hair, a tail, and an envious set of abs he was showing off. The other had spike blue hair with goggles at the top of his head and a red coat.

"Don't go in there." Jaune said, walking back to the broken windowsill. Using his metal hand to grasp the bottom full of glass shards, he vaulted over back into the chaos. He took a moment to take in his surroundings. Ruby was being chased by Nora, dodging debris left and right and throwing random food back at her. Yang's attention was occupied by Pyrrha who was trying to get her to calm down. Honestly, that woman was a godsend for even trying to attempt that.

Unfortunately for her, Yang wasn't in a listening mood and was throwing around Cardin's team like ragdolls. Better avoid that. Blake and Weiss where in a corner with Ren, trying to wipe what seemed to be BBQ sauce off the Heiress. Jaune didn't have to be near to feel the murderous intent radiating off of her. He'll be hearing about that later. At least it looks like Blake and her made up.

"Is Beacon always like this?" Jaune followed the voice to the side of him and saw another student leaning on the wall. He had grey hair and eyes and was munching on a sandwich from what he could tell.

"Eh, give or take." Jaune was the last person anyone should ask that question to, and he knew it.

"Neat." He continued eating. "Yor migh wanna huck." The words came out muffled through his food.

"W- what do you mean you wanna fuck?" Jaune wasn't gay but was flattered. The student looked annoyed at him and swallowed his food.

"I mean duck, you idiot."

"Oh." That makes more sense. "Why du-" A soda machine crashed into Jaune at blinding speed, cratering him and the dispenser into the wall. "Ow." That's why. Jaune thought from beneath the mechanical wreckage of broken pop cans and wiring. Quarters were being spewed out in his face and he could taste Orange Crash dripping from above him. Not to mention the pain from being flattened against the wall by a vending machine.

At some point all of it just meshes together into one big ouch. One that he felt intimately.

Cursing himself at coming back into this godforsaken lunchroom, Jaune heaved against the machine. The thing crashed onto the tile floor with the sound of more mechanisms breaking and more cans bursting. He was greeted with the sight of the black-haired girl he was fighting with earlier smiling haughtily at him. Jaune narrowed his eyes at her.

"This is all your fault." His statement didn't seem to faze her, in fact she seemed happy about it.

"Oh, hey Mint." The gray-haired student greeted her. Mint, huh? Gotta remember that.

Trust me, you will.

This is also your fault too.

I'm a disembodied voice in whacked out skull. This is all you, my dude.

Good point, though Jaune wouldn't acknowledge it. He already had enough problems.

The tall cafeteria burst open, ending the reign of pandemonium that plagued the dining hall. Everyone watched quietly as Professor Goodwitch walked in and took in the surrounding chaos. Even Yang paused to look at the intruder. A pin could drop on the now ruined floor and everyone could have heard it. Goodwitch inhaled deeply, giving Jaune a flashback to moments before his own mom gave verbal trauma to someone.

"Would everyone Please vacate outside. I will be out shortly." Making himself as small a target as possible, Jaune quietly skirted the wall towards the doors, hoping to any divine being that was out there for mercy. "And would Jaune Arc and Yang Xiao-Long report to the Headmaster's office." It wasn't a question, more of a statement that had no argument. The rest of his team caught his eye as he exited the building, talking to A girl with green hair and the other student that tried to warn him about the flying vending machine.

Ruby waved apologetically, something he didn't blame her for as he glared at the twin tailed girl next to them.

Leaning back on the chair in the Headmaster's office, Yang reflected as she waited. The constant ticking in Ozpin's office filling the silence. Reflecting mostly on her recent bout of rage in the cafeteria, setting off Nora's long-awaited dream of starting a food fight. Why did she react the way she did? Her hair matted in gravy against the chair was one reason. Ruby being caught in a terrorist attack, being scarred for life, and barely surviving was another. And maybe she was frustrated at feeling so useless with it all.

She was born to fight. To do. Feeling the thrill of battle and fire in her veins. She had to put all of that on the backburner to be a mom. Not that she hated it at all, but she never felt really complete unless she was in the thick of whatever was happening. And it might be stupid, but she was feeling left out of all the action her sister team was having. And it was petty now that she really thought about it, though it still didn't stop her form wanting it.

Jaune was next her, the most recent reason for her frustration. She'd have to apologize about throwing a vending machine at him. And punching him through a window. Fuck, she really did have a lot to do after this. Might as well get it out of the way. "Sorry about punching you." Yang looked at Jaune to see him fiddling with his bionic arm.

"Thank you! I never thought I'd hear it." The comment made her eyebrow twitch in annoyance. She could still feel the stiffness of dried gravy against her back. "And I'm sorry about your hair." He said quickly. Oh, if only he knew how much time she put into it. Wait, he probably does from having like a million sisters. Still can't figure how he became leader. Total novice was what he was, even if he was progressing fast in becoming a Huntsman.

"You sure know how to piss off a lady."

"Can't please everybody. Learned that with Auburn." Jaune finished whatever he was doing and leaned back. "You're the one that started placing bets."

"And now I'm out fifty Lien because of you. You owe me, Vomit boy." That and ruining her hair.

"Like hell I do! You turned the cafeteria into a warzone!"

"Maybe if you didn't fail at everything you do, this wouldn't be happening." Yang regretted the words the moment they left her mouth, even if it was true. His demeanor changed to that of rage the moment he heard.

"Fuck you." Jaune snarled. "I have been working my ass off to even stand next to you, Ruby, and everyone else. I know I'm failing. I know I'm behind. I wasn't born perfect like you, with a semblance that was meant for fighting." Yang bristled at the comment.

"Well, maybe if you took it seriously, you'd have an arm and be actually competent." Yang shot back. She could feel her eyes turning crimson and anger pumping through her veins. "If you were a better fucking leader, your team wouldn't have been caught up with the White Fang and nearly get Ruby killed!"

"I had no control over that!" He roared and stood up from his chair ready to fight. Yang followed suit out of instinct and was itching for another fight. "How was I supposed to know that Blake was a terrorist!?"

"Ruby had to kill because you can't control your team!"

"Me? At least my team doesn't have to be afraid of me attacking them at the drop of a hat."

"-nd we'll have a room prepared for you." The elevator doors opened, interrupting the argument. Ozpin was leading a woman with black hair and wearing exotic clothes that hugged her figure through the room. He glanced toward the two and narrowed his eyes. "Seats. Now." Jaune huffed and sat back down while Yang crossed her arms in the seat. Knowing Oz, he already knew why there was tension in the room.

"Oh, I know it's short notice. Getting word out from Menagerie is difficult as is, never mind getting a ride." She waived him off with an easy smile before focusing her attention on them. 'Is this a bad time?"

"Yes, quite. And no, just busy with the Vytal Festival." The Headmaster said, making his way towards his desk. "It's slow going to convince the council for support of a CCT with recent tensions." Pulling open a drawer, he presented a scroll to her. "This is a spare we have on hand. It'll give you access to Beacon's facilities as well as a room while you're here." She took the device. "And Mr. Arc and Ms. Xiao-Long," His attention turned to them, resting his hands on the signature cane. "I've heard from Goodwitch about what happened."

"Things got out of hand." Yang shrugged, trying to appease him.

"Because you can't keep your anger in check."

"Because you can't do anything right."

"At least my team trusts me."

"You wanna fucking fight?" Yang challenged him.

"Bring it. What's the worst you can do? Beat me again?"

"Enough." Ozpin voiced thumping his cane on the floor for emphasis. "We have guests here from all across Remnant and you will behave yourselves." Yang and Jaune grimaced at the scolding. "If Ms. Goodwitch were here, she would say the same thing. But right now, because of your actions, she is cleaning up your mess." Yang kept her arms crossed and looked away out of guilt.

"Honestly, I'm disappointed in your actions." Ouch, Oz. really going for the kill, aren't you? Yang thought. Ozpin sat down and rest his cane against the large desk. "Both of you are leaders of your teams, chosen by what I thought was potential. Was I wrong?"

"No." Yang gritted out. Jaune stayed silent, hand covering his eyes as he sunk into his chair.

"I hope so. You two are to be teacher's assistants for the next few weeks." That didn't sound so bad in Yang's mind. Marking papers seemed to be a lax punishment. Hell, she'd love to observe Goodwitch to see how she became so badass. "Mr. Arc, you'll be assisting professor Port for the duration." Jaune groaned at the sentence, sinking further into the chair. Yang snickered at his bad luck. Serves you right, asshole.

"And Ms. Xiao-Long will be assigned to Oobleck and his research."

"Neat." The dude spoke at Ruby's speed, so he wasn't hard to understand.

"And lastly, I need you to escort Mrs. Belladonna to Team JBRW's room. Mr. Arc is actually the leader of the team." So, this was her mom.

"Oh, just call me Kali. And thank you so much." Before Jaune could react, she hugged him, shoving his face into her cleavage. His arms flailing from the woman as he tried to gently pry himself from her embrace.

"For what?" He gasped between moments of air.

"Oh, for keeping her on the straight and narrow and bringing her back safely. I know she can be a handful." She let him go, Jaune stumbling back and wheezing for breath.

"There's no way you're Blake's mother." Jaune said between breathes. Yang couldn't believe it either. Kali was the opposite personality wise, the only thing they shared were the hair and eyes.

"She's more like her father, I'll admit, but you'll hear all about that later. Show me your room! I heard dorms hear are co-ed, you must feel so lucky!"

"Yeah. Sure." Jaune hedged, slowly making his way toward the elevator while glaring at Yang.

"Both of you are dismissed." Ozpin said, focusing on the paperwork in front of him. "And I would recommend avoiding Goodwitch if you can. She was… displeased from what you two did to the cafeteria." Yang thought for a second and agreed with Oz. Leaning back in the chair, she waited for Jaune to leave first.

"Noted." She needed a shower.

"What was that about?" Blake's mom asked as they made their way through the halls. Students of all variety passed by them, talking amongst themselves and busy with their own lives. Jaune left first, eager to get away from the brawler.

"Just her being a bitch. Don't worry about it." Jaune said, leading her to his dorm. Normally, he wouldn't talk about Ruby's sister like that, but what she said pissed him off. He knew he was a failure; it didn't take a genius to figure it out. Being told that by Yang was different, personal even. And it wasn't his fault for what happened. There was only so much he could do, and it was a miracle that all of them came out alive.

"That always happen or is this a onetime thing?"

"Hard to say." He shrugged as they neared his team's room. "All I know today has been dragging on and I'll be glad to get some rest." It was almost four in the afternoon and wanted to sleep. Waiving his scroll next to the entrance, the door opened. It turns out they had guests over and he didn't know. Seven pairs of eyes turned towards him. His eyes narrowed at a certain girl lounging on top of his bunk. "You."

Mint smiled back, lazily kicking her legs in the air. Ruby was at her desk scribbling on something while Blake and a girl with tan skin and green hair looked over Blake's infamous book collection. There was also Cinder, the woman he fought and the student that tried to warn him about the vending machine fiddling on their scrolls. "You're finally back." Weiss said from her own bed. "How bad was it this time?" Before he could answer that question, Kali poked her head into the room, spotting her wayward daughter.

"Kitten!"

"Oh no." Blake's ears folded as she backed away.

"Block the window!" Weiss was the first one to react, beating her partner to the impromptu exit. Blake adjusted her strategy, leaping over her bed toward the door in a last-ditch effort to escape her mother. Too bad for her, Jaune was there and guarded the entrance.

"Blake, it's been far too long." Kali said strolling towards her, a disarming smile of wrath on her face. "My and your father were so worried when you didn't call. We didn't even know if you were still okay." Blake frantically looked for an escape, her back hitting the wall. "And out of the blue I get a call form the Headmaster of Beacon of all people! Saying you were caught up in a terrorist attack!" Kali crossed her arms and stopped a foot in front of her, golden eyes starring her down. "What do you have to say for yourself?"

"You guys might want to leave." Jaune said to the other team in the room watching the drama unfold. Gods know he wouldn't want strangers to see him get scolded by a family member. One by one they filed out, Mint bringing up the rear and giving him that cocky smile like she knew something he didn't. Things to address later.

"I… I was busy?"

Oof. Wrong move Blake.

"Too busy to call your worried parents?" Kali raised an eyebrow.

"I was! Everything just happened so fast, the next thing I know I was in Beacon! Then the White Fang popped up and no one was doing anything about it." Blake was miming with her arms and was honestly the most expressive he's ever seen her. It was amusing to watch, and by the smirk on Weiss and Ruby trying to hold in her laughter, the rest of the team agreed. "And then some more things happened." Way to omit the gruesome parts.

"I was told." Then came the awkward silence. Daughter stared back at mother, each prideful in their own way. Blake not backing down from her decision, even if Jaune felt like she was in the wrong for not telling her family. She didn't want to worry them, and Jaune understood the sentiment, being in her shoes before. From what he was told, it only hurt them. Mom told him his dad didn't sleep for days while he was gone, stressed out of his mind and desperate. The rest of his family handled it differently, with similar results.

Tension filled the room for a few moments before Kali swept Blake into a crushing hug. "I was so worried." Her head was buried in Blake's hair. Blake returned the sentiment, and it was touching to see. They disentangled soon after, followed by Kali gently smacking Blake upside the head. "Never do anything like that again, or I'll have you on house arrest. Gods forbid your father letting you out of his sight."

"Beacon beat you to it." Blake showed the monitor around her ankle.

"Well, they certainly do think of everything." Kali took another moment to look at her daughter before recomposing herself. "Tell me about your team!" She turned around to see Ruby sitting at her desk.

"That's Ruby, Jaune's partner." Blake informed.

"Oh, you look so young!" She cooed and bent over to examine Ruby.

"I'm actually fifteen." Ruby said smiling. It might be a maternal instinct, but Kali gently pinched her cheek. The reaper leaned into it, savoring the contact.

"Adorable. Your parents must be proud of you."

"Yeah… I think they are."

"You've met Jaune." Blake walked over to her partner to stand next to her. Kali released her grip on Ruby's face to listen. "And this is my partner… Weiss Schnee."

"Oh…" Kali said, starring at the girl. Posture straight and prideful, the heiress stepped forward and extended her hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Yes." Kali gingerly took the hand. "I can see why you didn't call." More than anything, Kali looked bewildered at her daughter being partnered to the SDC heiress.

"She's actually not half bad once you get past the racism." Blake commented.

"I am not racist!" Weiss spun around on her, flushed from embarrassment or shame. Taking a deep breath, she turned back to Kali. "I happen to have unpleasant experiences with Faunus, that is all." Kali's single eyebrow rose.

"Oh? Do tell."

Yeah, still trying to keep the updates semi consistent. Star Citizen and family are taking up a lot of time, not including work. But hey, at least I'm getting paid. Until next time.