The next few days were a blur for the young silver-eyed huntress. In between classes at Signal and her daily activities as Spider-Woman, she had no shortage of tasks to keep her busy. She had foiled even more dust thefts recently, but with every robbery that she stopped, two more took its place. She couldn't be in two places at once, and Roman had goons in every hole in the kingdom.

The White Fang were more active than ever, they appeared to have gotten a lot more bold as of late. Which didn't exactly make a lot of sense considering that more members have been put away in a single month thanks to her than in the past year. It was like they were trying to get caught. But if they wanted to make her life simpler then she wasn't going to complain.

"Here you are Miss," Spider-Woman said as she handed the stolen purse back to its rightful owner. The petty thief struggled behind the sticky webbing, unable to scream through the thick goop.

She would never get tired of watching criminals struggle behind her spider silk. The way they struggled in vain to free themselves was nothing short of hilarious considering that her webbing could hold up a bridge if she had used enough of it.

"T-Thank you Ms. Spider-Woman, you really saved my ass. All my valuables are in here." The woman greatly accepted her purse with a smile on her face. She looked inside briefly to make sure nothing had been stolen. After confirming that all her valuables were safe she looked back to the masked hero.

"Think nothing of it, I'm always happy to help. Also please just call me Spider-Woman, Ms. Spider-Woman was my mother."

The woman chuckled behind her palm. Spider-Woman liked making people laugh almost as much as she liked saving people. There was just something about putting someone's mind at ease with a funny quip that made her heart soar. "I'll call the police, you better get out of here before they show up," the woman offered helpfully.

Spider-Woman nodded her head in acceptance. "I appreciate it, they don't seem to like me for some reason." Spider-Woman leaped away from the scene without another word. She had to take a small detour to deal with that but it didn't take longer than 12 seconds to catch the man, so the time wasted was worth it.

The air became slightly salty and chilled rapidly as she approached the Vale docks. There was another dust robbery around there last night and she wanted to check out the damage. Roman hadn't killed a single person during these robberies but that was only because no one had ever been stupid enough to try to engage him in combat.

Well...no one except for her, and she almost died trying.

The loud sounds of foghorns reached her ears and the dark blue waters of the ocean came into view. Giant cranes were moving cargo off of the massive freighters and organizing them on the large wharf while workers driving forklifts removed the contents from within and loaded them onto large box trucks. She used to be able to watch the boats for hours when she was younger. Her mother would buy her an ice cream cone while she sat down and watched in awe of the giant cargo ships. She still loved hearing the sound of the foghorn. Sadly, she didn't have time to admire the boats today. She had a mission to accomplish.

Leaping back into the air, she increased her momentum by shooting a strand of web and pulling herself straight down the street. The wind whipped by her face and the busy pedestrians shouted her name as she soared overhead. It took a few minutes, but she arrived at her destination without issue. The windows of the shop were completely smashed, and shards of glass still lingered on the street. She could see several overturned shelves inside along with some various other items littered along the floor. Much to her dismay, there were a few police cars parked outside the building so she had no way of investigating the damage without being noticed. Her costume wasn't exactly subtle. Also, there was no way they would answer Spider-Woman's questions considering the whole vigilante thing.

Her only hope was to eavesdrop and hope they mentioned something important that she could use.

Swinging around back so as to not be seen, Spider-Woman landed on the roof of the shop and tiptoed her way to the front where the police were. Her enhanced hearing made eavesdropping easy.

"Second dust shop to be hit this week, this place is turning into a jungle," one officer said. Spider-Woman knew that this was the second store to be robbed this week because she had managed to thwart the first robbery.

"They left all the money again," another officer said. Spider-Woman couldn't understand for the life of her why Roman would go through all the trouble of stealing all that dust and not take any of the money when it was right there in front of him. Not that she was complaining. If he wanted to leave all the money then she wasn't going to argue.

"It just doesn't make a lick of sense. Who needs that much dust?"

"I'm more concerned with what they're planning on doing with it." That was Spider-Woman's main concern too. That much dust could cause some serious damage in the wrong hands.

"Spider-Woman said Torchwick was working with the White Fang. Which only makes me more uneasy," the first officer said with a slight hint of fear in his voice.

"I'm thinking we don't get paid enough for this."

Spider-Woman stood there for a few more moments, hoping that they would continue talking and give her some useful information. When it was clear that their conversation was done, Spider-Woman leaped to an adjacent building.

That went about as well as expected.

She didn't expect to get any useful information but she had to at least try. It didn't matter anyway, in the end, her goal remained the same. She needed to find Roman and put an end to his schemes. She would've liked to search the inside but there's no way the police would've allowed that. Besides, they would've already found something.

The position of the sun in the sky told her that it was almost noon. She should grab some lunch before she had to get some studying done and maybe work on those tracking devices she was building. She raised her left hand and prepared to fire a web to swing away when a familiar hurricane of golden blonde hair caught her attention.

Yang? What is she doing here?

The rest of her team was also with her. Weiss actually had a smile on her face for once, which was actually pretty scary.

Crouching low to make herself smaller, Spider-Woman tuned her hearing to their conversation.

"Remind me again why we're spending our Friday afternoon visiting the stupid docks," Yang grumbled.

Weiss whipped her hair to the side and preened. "I've heard that students visiting from Vacuo will be arriving by ship today, and as a representative of Beacon, it is my solemn duty to welcome them to this fine kingdom."

Ok, I know I'm not too good at reading people but even I know that she's lying.

"I see!" Penny replied happily. "So you wish to observe the Huntsmen from competing schools so you can go into battle with them during the Vytal Festival with an unfair advantage. I never expected such underhanded tactics from you Weiss."

Spider-Woman slapped a hand over her mouth to muffle her laughter. Penny had completely called Weiss out on her lie. The way the white-haired girl flushed to the tips of her ears only made it funnier.

"Y-You can't prove that!" Weiss cried in embarrassment.

"She doesn't need to, it's obvious," Blake commented, which only made Weiss blush more. The group then noticed the robbery that Spider-Woman had previously investigated and approached, careful not to step on any shattered glass.

"What happened here?" Yang asked.

"Robbery," the officer replied. "The White Fang never stops causing trouble for us."

"Ugh, that's terrible," Yang said solemnly

"Hmph," Weiss scoffed. "The White Fang, what an awful bunch of degenerates."

Annoyance flashed over Blake's features. "What's your problem?" She said with sharp eyes.

"My problem?" Weiss looked offended that someone would dare question her. "I simply don't care for the criminally insane."

Blake's eyebrows furrowed a little, showing a small amount of anger. "The White Fang is hardly a bunch of psychopaths. They're a collection of misguided faunus."

"Misguided? They want to wipe humanity off the face of the planet."

She has a point. The White Fang started out as a peaceful group of faunus, but when that didn't work, they resorted to violence. Any faunus who didn't agree with that left a long time ago. Any faunus that were left in the White Fang knew about the terrible things they were doing and chose to stay regardless.

"So then they're very misguided," Blake retorted.

Great job Blake. Wonderful and thought-provoking counterargument you provided there. I shall remember this day as the day Blake wowed me with her incredible debating skills.

"Either way," Blake continued. "It doesn't explain why they would rob a dust shop in the middle of downtown Vale."

Penny approached the arguing duo. "Friend Blake provides a good point. Also, we mustn't forget that Spider-Woman claimed that the White Fang and Roman Torchwick were working together to accumulate a large amount of dust. It is reasonable to assume that he was involved in this robbery."

God, I hate that guy!

"That still doesn't change the fact that the White Fang are a bunch of scum. Those faunus only know how to lie, cheat, and steal," Weiss' voice dripped with malice.

Umm….wow….ok, that sounded super racist. Weiss didn't really strike me as the type to discriminate against faunus.

"That's not necessarily true," Yang cut in, trying to dissolve the argument.

Spider-Woman's attention was pulled from the team at the sound of a loud voice.

"Hey! Stop that faunus!" Yelled a man on the deck of a very large boat. A tall man with golden blonde hair very similar to Yang was running along the deck of the boat away from the screaming man. Crouching along the railing of the boat allowed Spider-Woman to see a long blonde monkey tail swaying behind him.

"Thanks for the ride guys!" The faunus smiled and waved behind him as he leaped from the boat. He landed in a crouch and sprinted away without looking back.

That fall was no joke. He has to be a huntsman-in-training to be able to walk away from that.

"No good stowaway!" The man yelled after him.

The faunus wrapped his tail around a light post and hung upside down. He produced a banana from out of nowhere and started eating it.

Please don't be a walking stereotype.

"Hey! A no good stowaway would've been caught, I'm a great stowaway!" He whipped his head to the side to dodge a rock that was thrown at him.

The police officers from the dust shop approached him with angry scowls on their faces. "Hey! Get down from there this instant."

In response, the faunus ate his banana in one bite and tossed the peal on the officer's face, obscuring his vision through his glasses.

"Catch you later!" The faunus yelled before flipping through the air and landing gracefully on the dock before making a break for it. The officers gave chase but Spider-Woman knew that they would be no match for the speed of a trained huntsman.

Guess it's time for me to make an appearance. Can't let someone get away with not paying for a ticket.

The faunus just managed to pass the students before Spider-Woman ejected a single strand of spider silk from her wrist. Her aim was perfect, as she knew it would be. The web almost nailed Blake in the face but it just barely missed her and latched onto the monkey faunus's foot. Spider-Woman tore his leg out from under him and laughed as he face-planted into the tarmac. His aura protected him from damage but that was sure to hurt like hell. "Wow, looks like I caught something!" She yelled from the rooftop she was perched on. Yang and her team drew their attention to her as she began to reel in the stowaway.

Heh, this reminds me of fishing with Dad and Uncle Qrow. I miss those times.

The faunus desperately clawed at the ground in an attempt to anchor himself on something. When that failed, he eventually settled on grabbing the first thing he could get a grip on.

Yang's leg.

The faunus looked up with desperate eyes. "Please, save me! We're both blondes, we gotta look out for each other!"

"Hey! Let go!" Yang began thrashing her leg around in an attempt to remove the faunus's hand. "I know I'm attractive but this is too much!"

With a powerful tug from Spider-Woman, the faunus was forced to let go or else lose his arm. Either that or Yang would kill him. A few more moments of struggle ended when he was hoisted upside down into the air and a powerful hand clasped down onto his leg. Being hung upside down from a tall building was terrifying no matter who you are. She was sure that he was no different with how badly he was sweating.

Upon closer inspection, the man appeared to be very physically built. His choice of outfit did little to hide from anyone who chose to look. His 6-pack was on display for all to see and he didn't appear the slightest bit embarrassed about it.

Spider-Woman would never admit it to anyone, but she quite enjoyed the view. She was a growing girl too, sue her.

He had on blue cargo pants tied together with a white belt with white bandages on his legs. He also had a chain hanging from a belt loop on the right side of his pants. He was sporting black and yellow sneakers and a twisted golden necklace hanging around his neck.

"Hello there," Spider-Woman said in her usually cheery tone.

"Um, mercy?" He pleaded.

"Um, no."

Thwip Thwip Thwip Thwip Thwip Thwip

Spider-Woman quickly wrapped up the faunus tightly in multiple layers of webbing. One layer might've been enough but she wasn't willing to take chances. Pretty soon, the only visible part of his body was his head.

"Damn, what's this stuff made of?" He struggled against the binding in a futile attempt to free himself.

"I'm not exactly sure myself," Spider-Woman responded smugly. "But I know enough to know that you're not breaking out of it."

The blonde faunus gave up his struggle and resigned himself to his fate. Sighing and relaxing his body in his sticky prison, he responded. "Damn, I've never been with a girl who was into bondage before. But hey, I like to keep an open mi-mphh!"

Spider-Woman shot a ball of webbing at his mouth to stem the flow of words gushing from his face. "You talk too much."

Stowaway in tow, Spider-Woman leaped from the building and landed in a crouch on the sidewalk below. Deciding to have a little bit of fun, she shot a web line on her captive's back and strung him up on a light pole. The faunus's face flushed red at having been humiliated by the masked vigilante. Not that anyone could see it, but Spider-Woman had a smug smile on her face as well.

He kinda looks like a pinata.

"Hey, if I hit you hard enough will candy start pouring out of your head?"

He just rolled his eyes.

"Well Weiss, you wanted to observe the competition, and there he is. Strung up like a fly caught in a spider's web. Literally." Yang and her team walked up behind her, looking at her with varying expressions. Yang looked very amused at the suspended monkey faunus. Penny was smiling, like usual. Blake looked curious at the vigilante. And Weiss looked conflicted for some reason.

Play it cool. Don't act suspicious!

Spider-Woman raised her hand in greeting. "Yo," she said casually.

Yang responded first. "Wassup?" She greeted casually.

Gotta pretend I have no clue who she is.

"Oh ya know, was just about to grab lunch until boy wonder over here showed up."

Blake then approached, looking very concerned. "A-Are you feeling alright?"

"Hmm? Yeah, of course. Why wouldn't I be?" Spider-Woman responded, feigning ignorance.

Penny spoke up next. "You appeared to have suffered extensive damage during your battle with that man on the glider. The Daily Bugle has dubbed him the 'Green Goblin.' I believe friend Blake was merely concerned about your well-being regarding that battle. Is your health at optimal levels?"

Why does she talk like that?

"Oh wait!" Spider-Woman faked her surprise and dropped her closed fist into her awaiting palm as if she had just remembered something. "You were the Huntresses that were at the Unity Day Parade when I was fighting that guy!"

I've never been a really good liar, I really hope they're buying this.

"Correct," Weiss said. "While I would normally do my duties as a huntress and attempt to apprehend you, I will grant you a pass this time seeing as you saved many lives that day."

How generous Weiss.

"So…" Blake trailed off, unsure of how to respond. "Are you fully recovered?"

"Yep! Nothing a good night's sleep couldn't fix. Thanks for worrying about me, but I feel great."

Blake's worried expression relaxed into one of relief. "That's good to hear," she sighed. "Thank you for helping us back there. We couldn't have done it without you."

I know. I barely survived myself.

"Don't worry about it," Spider-Woman waved her concerns away with a wave of her hand. "Just doing my job." The police from earlier had just arrived at the scene to take the stowaway into custody. Thankfully, they completely ignored her in favor of the criminal. Smart choice.

"Hmph, I'm glad to see that this rapscallion is being dealt with accordingly. Why, I wouldn't be surprised if he was part of the White Fang. Scum," Weiss huffed.

Spider-Woman could see steam puffing from Blake's ears. "Do you think that every faunus that you run into is part of the White Fang?"

Oh great, here we go.

"Of course not, but here we have a faunus who broke the law by stowing away on a ship. Is it really such a leap in logic to say that he's part of the White Fang?"

YES! YES IT IS!

"Ok girls," Yang swooped in to dissolve the argument. "Let's not do this here." She stepped in between the two to prevent a fight.

They ignored her.

"You know what your problem is?" Blake seethed. "You've been spoiled your whole life and you can't help but view everyone as beneath you. That's why you can't accept Penny as our leader, you're just a spoiled brat."

Can I leave now?

"Spoiled?! Is it just being spoiled if I know I'm right? I've been studying for years how to be an effective leader for the Schnee Dust Company. Is commanding a few amateur huntresses that much different?"

"Yes! There is a major difference between running a multi-billion lien company and giving battle strategies to a team of warriors."

What should I eat for lunch?

"Well I disrespectfully disagree," Weiss said.

"Also," Blake continued. "Trying to piece together someone's entire past based on one action is a terrible thing to do. Hating someone just because they're faunus is a terrible quality for a leader."

Blake's bow was twitching wildly now. It was a wonder that no one noticed anything.

There are obviously faunus ears hidden beneath that bow. I would guess cat ears based on the shape of her bow. Why is she keeping it hidden?

"I do not discriminate based on race! I discriminate based on the quality of one's character. Sneaking onto a ship and illegally arriving at another kingdom isn't exactly something a morally upstanding citizen would do." Weiss' voice rose a few octaves.

"What about Spider-Woman?" Blake asked smugly.

Oh god, please don't bring me into this.

"What about her?" Weiss responded.

"Technically, Spider-Woman is a criminal. Vigilantism is illegal in every kingdom. The only difference between kingdoms is the severity of the punishment. Are you saying that she's a member of the White Fang because she's a faunus and a criminal?"

Weiss actually looked taken aback by the question. Her confidence flushed out of her face and her eyes darted around. Spider-Woman could tell that she was trying to avoid eye contact with her.

"O-Of course not," Weiss stammered. "H-Her actions at the Unity Day Parade proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that she's not a member of the White Fang. Criminal or not, she has my respect. But I do wish she would become a professional Huntress the legal way."

Damn, Weiss respects me? Never thought that'd happen.

"Girls, I'm serious, now is really not the time for this. If you want to fight, then do it back in our dorm. People are starting to stare."

Weiss and Blake reluctantly backed away from each other. Both of them knew that the conversation wasn't over.

Penny's smile actually vanished from her face. Replaced by an expression of sadness likely caused by the knowledge that Weiss thought she wasn't fit to be the leader of team PWBY. Weiss stormed away from the group without another word. Yang turned back to Spider-Woman. "I'm sorry about her. I'd like to say that she's not normally like that but….you know."

Spider-Woman shrugged. "Don't worry about it. It's a welcome change of pace from the usual murderers and thieves I normally deal with."

"Spider-Woman," Penny began. "Do you have to contend with racism despite your numerous heroic acts?"

Spider-Woman ran her hand across her head, thinking about how to respond. On one hand, lying would make her look like the brave hero she always wanted to be. But on the other hand, she was a really bad liar.

"Yeah," Spider-Woman groaned. "Every single day. There's no end to how creative racist people can be too. I've had bags of dead flies thrown at me on more than one occasion. The name-calling gets pretty creative too." All their expressions saddened at once. "But I don't do this because I want to be loved. I do this because I believe that if you have the power to make a difference in just one person's life, then you should take that chance and help how you can."

She sighed. "If I did this for fame and glory, then I would've quit during my first week."

Blake approached Spider-Woman without a hint of nervousness in her expression. "I know this isn't much, but I just want to say thank you for being so incredible. Thank you is the least I can say to you to show my appreciation for everything that you have done for this kingdom."

Spider-Woman's heart fluttered a little at the sincerity with which she said those words and the conviction behind them.

"You're welcome. That means a lot to me."

Knowing that at least one person appreciated her hard work was enough for her.

"I have a feeling I'll be seeing you again." Spider-Woman released a web line high in the air before it latched onto a building. "I expect great things out of you four, so do your best, I don't think you'd accept giving only 99%."

And with that, Spider-Woman soared high into the clear Vale skies.


Spider-Woman crawled through her window with half a bagel hanging from her mouth. Eating while swinging was a mistake she made once but something simple like a bagel shouldn't cause any problems.

Pulling off her mask, Ruby threw it over her shoulder and it landed directly in the laundry basket.

I should really get some studying done, I don't want to fall behind in class.

Not even bothering to take off her costume, Ruby locked her door and sat down at her desk, pencil in hand. Despite wanting to study, Ruby's mind kept drifting to earlier. There were clearly some kinks that her sister's team needed to work out. According to Blake, Weiss was unable to accept the fact that she was not made team leader. Blake wasn't much better, she was hiding her faunus heritage from her teammates and when the truth eventually came out there was no telling what would happen.

Obviously, Yang wouldn't care in the slightest. She had plenty of faunus friends back at Signal and Ruby was almost certain that she was dating one of them for like a month. Though Yang never confirmed or denied that rumor. Ruby didn't know much about Penny, but her carefree and cheerful attitude toward everything made Ruby positive that she would welcome a faunus with open arms. Really the only problem was Weiss. Ruby wasn't positive if Weiss was racist or not, she clearly showed some prejudice toward faunus, but not all faunus. It was more accurate to say that she was cautious around faunus. Which still wasn't the best mindset to have. But the White Fang clearly weren't helping matters at all.

It was just as she had suspected. The White Fang weren't ending racism. They were creating more racism by making everyone fear the White Fang. It was inevitable that a lot of people would start fearing that any faunus they walked by might be a terrorist. The realization made her blood boil. How did they not see the damage they were doing?

Maybe Blake was hiding her faunus heritage so no one would judge her for it. It made some sense, especially since she was on the same team as Weiss. If she really was a racist then it would make total sense. Not like she planned on telling anyone her secret anyway.

I really hope they can work through their differences. Hell, I bet they're apologizing and hugging it out right now.


"You are so insufferable!" Blake screamed at her white-haired teammate.

"I'm insufferable? You're the one sympathizing with actual terrorists! I'm just being logical." Weiss retorted.

Yang and Penny simply stared at the arguing duo, wondering when they would either get tired of screaming or until they killed each other. Whichever came first.

"I can't even believe we're having this conversation. The White Fang is a terrorist organization that preys on the fear of those around them to get what they want. That's not even my opinion, that's simply a fact."

"The faunus of the White Fang are people too. Why do you think they hate humanity so much? It's because of people like Cardin, people like you that discriminate for no good reason and force the White Fang to take such drastic measures."

"You think hating the White Fang for being murderers and thieves isn't a good reason? You're more delusional than I gave you credit for."

Penny slowly leaned closer to Yang's ear. "I sense a fight is approaching, should I prepare us some comfortable seating as well as a bowl of popcorn?"

Not the time Penny. Yang thought.

"You want to know why I despise the White Fang?" Weiss began. "Why I don't particularly trust the faunus?"

Oh god, here we go.

Weiss rested her palms on the dresser and started out the window into the black night.

"It's because they've been at war with my family for years. War, as in actual bloodshed. My grandfather's company has had a target painted on its back for as long as I can remember. And ever since I was a child, I've watched family and friends disappear. Board members executed. An entire train car full of dust stolen. And every day my father would come home furious."

Weiss's hand closed tightly into a fist and slammed onto the dresser.

"And that made for a very difficult childhood."

Weiss's admittance clogged Blake's words in her throat. Unable to utter a response.

Penny placed her hand on Weiss's shoulder. "Weiss, I think you sh-"

"NO!" Weiss roared, slapping Penny's hand away, causing an odd metallic clang.

"You want to know why I despise the White Fang? Do you want me to say it in terms that a toddler could understand? Are you really so blind that you can't see what's right in front of your eyes?!" Weiss pointed out the window. "Have you seen Vale recently? Have you seen the charred remains of buildings burnt to the ground? How about the businesses that were destroyed in a single night? What about the families that had loved ones torn from their grasp?"

Blake took a step back as Weiss approached.

"I'm not the only one Blake! This entire city is terrified of the White Fang, they hate them and they deserve every drop of that hate. Those "No Faunus Allowed" signs aren't put up by racist business owners. They're put up by terrified mothers and fathers that want to live knowing that their children will be safe."

Weiss took a deep breath. "You really want to know why I hate the White Fang? It's simple. It's because they're a bunch of liars, thieves, and murderers!"

"Well, maybe we were just tired of being pushed around!"

The silence was absolutely deafening. It took a couple of seconds, but Blake's expression shifted from one of anger to one of absolute horror. Weiss backpedaled away from Blake, having processed her words. Yang's surprise was just as visible, her jaw might as well have hit the floor. The only one who didn't show any noticeable reaction was Penny. Yang tried desperately to say something...anything, but the words refused to come. Her jaw hung limply and showed no signs of movement.

"I-I-I….d-didn't," Blake stuttered and stumbled through her words, also unable to speak clearly. Her face drained of all color as her eyes darted around to the rest of the room.

Blake bolted a second later.

"Blake! Wait!" Yang yelled after her partner in vain. The sounds of running footsteps quickly vanished down the hall. Blake was the fastest member of team PWBY. They didn't have any hope of catching up to her.

Yang tried anyway. She dashed over to the open door intent on catching up to her partner. She almost made it out of the room before a small but powerful hand clamped down on her wrist.

Penny pulled Yang back before she could escape. "Let her go," Penny commanded. Her tone had completely changed from her happy-go-lucky cheerful demeanor to one of dead seriousness. "Pressing the issue right now will only end with her resenting us. We need to let her calm down."

Yang knew Penny was right, she just didn't want to admit it to herself. "We can't just leave her. She's a member of this team and it's our duty to keep the team together."

Penny nodded her head. "I agree, but right now is the worst time to try to fix this. If she isn't back by Sunday morning then we can go looking for her. But right now we have to let her cool off." Yang looked to Weiss for her opinion but was only met with an angry scowl. Yang had to suppress the urge to break her nose.

Getting angry wouldn't solve anything right now. Penny was right. They would just have to wait and hope for the best.

Please be okay Blake.


"There's never anything good on TV," Ruby grumbled to herself as she mindlessly flipped through the channels with her breakfast sitting in front of her. It was mostly reruns of old sitcoms and crappy 40-year-old movies. She went with a simple breakfast of a bowl of cereal and a tall glass of milk. Although with her enhanced metabolism she knew that she would likely be having more than one bowl. She eventually decided to leave the TV on the news. Who knows? Maybe something interesting is going on right now.

Bringing her spoon up to her mouth, she shoved the chocolaty cereal between her lips and moaned softly at its rich flavor. She didn't have to worry about gaining weight due to eating too many sweets any more thanks to her newfound powers. Well, not unless she really overdid it.

"In other news, preparations for the Vytal Festival have begun. We have no information on what will be in store for us this year but we are currently attempting to secure an interview with the Headmaster of Beacon Academy who will hopefully shine some light on the subject."

Ruby was super excited for the Vytal festival this year. Partly because Yang would be competing in the tournament this year and partly because she would actually have some friends that she could spend it with.

*Ring Ring*

Ruby glanced down at her scroll and was greeted with a picture of Yang's smiling face.

Swallowing her mouthful of cereal, Ruby grabbed her scroll and brought it to her ear.

"Hey, Yang. What's up?"

"Hey, sis. I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

"Nah, just eating breakfast. Do you need something?"

Yang was hesitant to respond at first. "Actually yes...Um..." Yang started to stammer. "I-It's Blake. She...ran away from Beacon."

Ruby almost spat out her milk. She clamped a hand over her mouth to prevent such a disaster. "W-What?! Why?!"

Yang stammered again. "I-I can't get into it right now. It's not my place to say anything. I was just wondering if you'd seen her at all."

"N-No. B-But if I do then you'll be the first one I call. When did she leave?"

"Friday night. We were hoping that she'd be back by now."

Why the hell would Blake run away from Beacon? Could they have discovered she's a faunus? I guess that would cause some problems with Weiss.

"I'll be going out today, I'll let you know if I find her."

"Thanks, sis, I owe you a box of those fancy cookies you love."

Ruby's mouth started to water. She loved those cookies.

"Chocolate chip!" Ruby requested.

"Of course, of course. I'll talk to you later Rubes. Love you."

"Love you, Yang." Ruby hung up her scroll and leaned back on the couch.

The news continued running in the background but Ruby wasn't paying any attention to that right now.

Blake's gone missing. The real question is why.

One thing was for sure, she wouldn't get any answers by sitting on the couch all day. Ruby stood up and made a beeline for her room. She almost made it to the stairs before her stomach growled loudly. She blushed despite no one having heard it. Glancing back to the couch, she saw her breakfast sitting there, begging to be consumed.

Well, I can't find a missing person on an empty stomach.


Four bowls of cereal and two glasses of milk later. Ruby threw her costume on and soared through the city as Spider-Woman. Finding a missing person was a lot easier said than done. Blake didn't exactly have any standout features either, except maybe her bright amber eyes. Also, from what Yang had told her, Blake was pretty stealthy in combat, which only made her job harder. She would have to search every nook and cranny of the kingdom to find her. Team PWBY were no doubt looking for her too, but they didn't have the advantage of being able to swing high above skyscrapers and get a bird's eye view.

This might take a while.

Luckily for her, she knew this city like her own bedroom. Especially after becoming Spider-Woman. Traversing the city from a new perspective opened her eyes to a whole other side of Vale. Some of it was good and some not so much. But the experience was well worth it. Her web wings sprang to life under her arms and she glided safely through the skies of Vale. Her enhanced vision made distinguishing faces much easier from the high altitude. She wouldn't have any problem spotting Blake.

She had to eliminate places where she was sure that Blake wouldn't be. The first place she ruled out was the Forever Fall forest. It was a beautiful place from what she had been told, but there wasn't much there apart from some Grimm and trees. The second place she ruled out was Beacon Academy itself. Blake would have to be really stupid to hide from her team there. It was unlikely she was in the upper-class residential district unless she had some wealthy relatives in Vale. But Blake didn't strike her as a rich kid. The agricultural district was also a no-go. That district wasn't very populated and if Blake wanted to blend in then she'd go to where the people are. That only left the low to middle-class residential district, the industrial district, and the commercial district. The only problem was figuring out where to look first.

I don't need to check the residential district now. I can't exactly check every single house for one person and she would make it hard to find her anyway.

The industrial district is also a no. That place is filled with people working. A single person walking around doing nothing will draw attention she doesn't need.

That only leaves the commercial district. It's filled with all kinds of people, both citizens and workers. That's my best chance to find this chick.

Spider-Woman ejected a web line toward a building and plummeted to the ground. Her momentum carried with her as the web did its job and prevented her from becoming a red smear on the pavement.

It's gonna be a long day.


"Preparations are complete sir. The bullheads are full on fuel and the White Fang are on standby. We are awaiting your orders."

Well, it seems these animals are good for something after all, Roman Torchwick thought snidely.

"Good. You better get some sleep, Jason. Don't want you passing out on the job tonight."

"My name is Malc- I-I mean yes sir!" Whats-his-face dashed away from the criminal and disappeared behind a doorway.

"Gonna be a big one tonight. I hope you're ready," Roman said to the seemingly empty room. No one would've noticed the multicolored lady bending the space around her to appear invisible except for him.

The sound of Glass shattering resonated behind him. He spun around on his swivel chair to face her. She was twirling her parasol around between her fingers and giving him a sadistic look. "Yes Neo, I know you want some more action but I really don't want Cinder any further up my ass for all the setbacks. The best we can hope for is that nothing goes wrong."

She rolled her eyes and jabbed the sharp tip of the parasol into the hard concrete floor.

Roman smiled. "Tell ya what," he said devilishly. "If you behave yourself, then I'll buy you that fancy ice cream and those cones you love so much. Deal?"

Neo's eyes lit up like a Christmas tree and she began frantically nodding her head. Roman was worried for a second that it might fall off.

"Atta girl. And hey, if things don't go according to plan, then you might just get what you want anyway," Roman teased the psychopath.

Neo made a motion of pressing her ring and middle finger to the palm of her hand.

"Spider-Woman? I wouldn't worry too much about her. I'm sure that you and I can kill her if she interferes. If not, then we could always throw the animals at her and escape."

Neo didn't look too impressed.

"What? You don't think we can take her?"

Neo made a motion of flexing her bicep.

"Yes, I know she's strong, but I doubt she'd be able to catch us in a speeding bullhead while fighting off those worthless animals. We could also just cause a disaster and force her to act while we escape."

Neo tapped her chin thoughtfully before sending Roman a thumbs up.

"Good. Also remember we're going to Mt. Glenn soon, so pack your shit."

Neo rolled her eyes before vanishing in a shower of shattering glass. Roman examined the amber liquid swirling around in his glass. His dark green eyes were just barely visible in his reflection. The ripples in the liquid were enough to pull his gaze from the alcohol.

"The problem with this world is that everyone is a few drinks behind."

Prompted by his words, Roman took another sip.


Nothing.

After nearly four hours of searching for one person, Spider-Woman had turned up zero results. Blake was making this really hard on her.

Spider-Woman didn't even know what she was going to say once she found her. Would she try to convince her to go back to Beacon? Would she tell Yang where she was? Would she just follow her around for a while for no reason?

Who knows.

One thing was certain, she was getting tired of swinging around for hours at a time. She had stopped a few muggings along the way, as well as a break-in, two carjackings, and even and even an armed robbery. She hadn't seen team PWBY at all during her search. Spider-Woman had no idea where they were but they were certainly searching too.

I need something to eat.

Being Spider-Woman was tiring work and it was really inconvenient to swing around with a backpack on containing her change of clothes. Instead, Spider-Woman opted to hide extra clothing around the city in case she needed to change for whatever reason.

They were wrapped in plastic to protect them from the elements and hidden inside various hidden areas that no one ever checked.

Swinging down the street for a few minutes led her to one such hidden compartment of clothing. Crawling through the vents of a random abandoned building led her to a small area where she hid her change of clothes. Spider-Woman changed in the comforting shadows of a dark alley and emerged on the street as Ruby Rose.

Luckily for her, she didn't need to look very far for a place to eat. Right in front of her was a nice tea shop that also served cakes and sweets. She deserved some junk food after all her hard work.

The bell chimed lightly above the door as she pushed it open and the man at the counter greeted her with a smile. "Welcome to The Jasmine Dragon. What can I get for you?"

After looking through the glass displays at the various cakes on offer she decided on the one that looked like it had the most chocolate out of them all. "I'll take a slice of that and a cup of jasmine tea."

"Of course, take a seat anywhere you'd like."

Ruby decided to sit on the balcony in the sunshine. There was already a couple there that she didn't pay much attention to. She just sat in the corner and relaxed. I work too hard. Maybe I can take a break from being Spider-Woman for a few days. This part of Vale wasn't too busy so it was the perfect place to relax for a little while. Why didn't Yang tell me Blake had gone missing sooner? I might've found her already if she had told me when it happened. I guess it's possible that Blake simply left the kingdom. It would be the most logical thing to do if she intended to leave Beacon forever. Getting a ticket out of Vale isn't that hard.

Her waiter came by a few seconds later with her cake and tea. Ruby happily dug into her treat. The chocolate cake was rich, creamy, and moist while her tea had a sweet floral taste that complimented well with the slightly bitter taste of the tea's base.

She was in heaven.

"So, you want to know more about me."

Ruby damn near spat her entire mouthful of tea out at the sound of that voice.

Ruby's head shot upward and her eyes met a head with long flowing black hair and a cute bow that adorned the crown of the head.

B-Blake! What the hell is she doing here? I searched nearly half the damn city to find her and she just so happened to be at the place where I decide to take a break from looking!

Dammit Blake!

"Finally she speaks, nearly two days and you've given me nothing but small talk and weird looks."

Ruby tilted her head slightly to the left and saw a very familiar blond monkey faunus chilling right across from Blake with a cup of tea held in his tail.

I-It's that stowaway! I didn't expect him to serve prison time but I also didn't expect him to be released this soon. Why is he here with Blake?

"Sun, are you familiar with the White Fang?" Blake spoke up.

So his name is Sun, that's good to know.

"Of course, I don't think there's a faunus on the planet who hasn't heard of them. Stupid holier-than-thou creeps that use force to get whatever they want. Bunch of freaks if you ask me."

Yep, that sounds about right. Where is Blake going with this?

Blake took a sip of her tea to compose herself before responding. "I was…once a member of the White Fang."

Ruby choked on the air.

Sun choked on his tea. Dribbles of his hot drink fell from his lips as he tried to cover his mouth with his fist. "W-Wait a minute! You were a member of the White Fang?"

So that's why Blake gets so defensive whenever someone mentions the White Fang. She feels like she's personally being insulted.

"That's right. I was a member for most of my life actually. You could almost say I was born into it."

Flashback time! Damn, I wish I could actually see what she was thinking!

"Back then things were different. In the ashes of war, The White Fang was meant to be a symbol of peace and unity between humans and faunus."

That's already common knowledge, it's taught in every school across all of Remnant.

Of course, despite being promised equality, the faunus were subjected to discrimination and hate. Humanity still thought of us as lesser beings."

So much needless bloodshed could've been avoided had everyone just gotten along. Humans suck.

"And so, The White Fang rose up as the voice of our people. And I was there. I was at the front of every rally, I took part in every boycott, and I actually thought we were making a difference. But I was just a youthful optimist."

Yeah, the old White Fang didn't produce many results. The humans never wanted to listen to reason.

"Then, five years ago our leader stepped down, and a new one took his place. A new leader with a new way of thinking."

I think I know where this is going.

"Suddenly, our peaceful protests were getting replaced with organized attacks. We were setting fire to shops that refused to serve us. Hijacking cargo from companies that used faunus labor, and the worst part was, it was working. We were being treated like equals. But not out of respect...out of fear."

Yeah, I kinda figured that one out myself.

"So I left. I decided I no longer wanted to use my skills to aid in their violence. Instead, I would dedicate my life to becoming a Huntress."

At least that means she's not a terrorist. Yang would be devastated If Spider-Woman had to turn her teammate into the police.

"So here I am, a criminal hiding in plain view. All with the help of a little black bow." Blake's bow twitched slightly, proving that there were a pair of ears under them.

That's a hell of a story. I guess her team found out that she was once a member somehow. That would surely cause a rift to form between everyone. Especially with Weiss on her team, she's made her hatred of The White Fang quite apparent already."

"So," Sun began. "Have you told your friends any of this?"

Blake didn't respond at first, taking a sip of her tea to calm herself down. "I slipped up," she confessed. "I was just so angry at Weiss for saying all those things about us that I snapped. If they didn't know before then they do now."

I'm guessing she ran in a panic without explaining herself to everyone.

"So...what's your plan now? You can't exactly hide for the rest of your life. Are you going to confront your team?"

Blake shook her head. "No not unless I prove The White Fang is innocent, I still don't think the White Fang is behind these robberies. They've never needed that much dust before."

"But didn't Spider-Woman say that she busted a White Fang hideout with millions worth of dust? She also said that they were working with Roman Torchwick. Are you saying she lied about it?"

Blake shot down that notion immediately. "I'm not saying she lied but I still can't think of one reason why The White Fang would need that much dust, or why they would resort to working with a human like Roman Torchwick."

I'm positive that it's them.

Sun rubbed his chin thoughtfully for a moment and took another sip of his tea. "What if they did? I mean, the only way to prove that they didn't do it is to go to the place where they would most likely go if they were to do it and not find them there. Right?"

Makes sense. They never rob small dust shops, only shops that have a high reward if they were to succeed.

"The only thing is I have no idea where that would be."

If I had that information then I would be stopping a lot more robberies.

"Well, while I was on the ship I heard some guys talking about offloading a huge shipment of dust coming in from Atlas."

Really?! This could be the lead that I've been looking for!

"How huge?" Blake asked.

"HUGE!" Sun spread his arms out for added effect. "Big Schnee Dust Company freighter."

That would be the ideal place to steal a lot of dust really quickly. I guess that's where I'll be going next.

"When?" Blake asked.

"Well, the shipment is set to arrive at around eight o'clock tonight. That seems like as good a time as any to check the place out."

Ruby took another sip of her tea to appear inconspicuous but internally she was jumping for joy.

Finally! I have a lead! It might not get me anywhere but it's a good start.

"OK, I'm going there tonight. If I can prove The White Fang isn't behind these robberies then I can clear their name."

Good luck with that.

"Well I'm coming with you," Sun proclaimed. Blake opened her mouth to argue but Sun beat her to it. "If Spider-Woman was right about Roman Torchwick working with The White Fang to steal all that dust then there's a chance he could be there as well. If things get dicey then you'll need backup."

Ruby could tell that Blake wanted to argue from the way her bow twitched like crazy, but she relented quickly and sighed.

"You're a student of Haven Academy right?" Sun nodded. "I hope those abs aren't just for show."

Sun stretched his arms over his head and leaned back to prominently display his abs to Blake. "I guess you'll just have to find out. I won't judge if you want to feel me up a bit."

"Idiot," Blake chuckled.

The two sat for several minutes enjoying each other's company while they drank their tea. They engaged in small talk of no particular importance while they enjoyed their beverages. Blake stood up first. "We should get some rest, we have about nine hours until the shipment is set to arrive."

Prompted by her words, Sun yawned into his palm and stretched his tail. "Yeah, I kinda didn't get much sleep after being interrogated by the police."

"Actually," Blake began. "How did you get out of there anyway? Don't tell me you broke out."

"Ah...haha...ha. Actually, I did have a ticket for a boat ride, but I was so excited to arrive in Vale that I kinda just decided to take an earlier boat. After I convinced the police that I was a student of Haven and showed them my ticket they let me off with a warning."

Dumbass.

"Dumbass," Blake said

They walked back into the interior of the restaurant to pay for their tea before leaving.

Ruby eyed her empty tea cup and her half-eaten slice of cake.

Should I tell Yang I found Blake? I can definitely still catch up to her and tell Yang exactly where she is. But on the other hand, there's no way that Blake will not go to this potential robbery tonight, and I know damn well that Yang will insist on joining her, she won't take no for an answer. I really don't want to have to protect more people than necessary. I have no idea what will be in store for me once I get there.

Ruby decided to keep her mouth shut for now. The important thing was that she knew where Blake was going to be tonight and she had a lead on where Roman Torchwick might be. She had the chance to end this once and for all.

Okay, my plan is to tail Blake and Sun to the robbery tonight, put a stop to it, and hopefully not be written in the obituaries in the process. If Torchwick is there then I need to take him down.

She was so lost in thought that she didn't notice her waiter walk up beside her.

"Another?"

Ruby glanced up to see him gesturing to her empty tea cup.

"Please."


"Webshooters? Check."

"Dust? Check."

"Costume? Check."

"Adorable smile? Triple check!"

Not that anyone could see her smile behind her mask anyway.

Alright, I'm all set, I just hope Dad doesn't freak out if he discovers I'm not home.

Stealthily climbing out the window, Ruby donned her mask and shut the window behind her. Spider-Woman jumped into the sky and soared a fair bit away from her home. There was almost no light pollution on Patch so each and every star was clearly visible in the night sky, like diamonds on a sheet of black velvet. It was one of the perks of living out of the city. Despite the beauty of the stars, the darkness surrounding them only serves to enhance their brilliance. Each star stands out in stark relief, and the depth and mystery of the universe are palpable in the infinite expanse of space. She used to stare at the stars for hours with her mother when she was younger. Despite her mother no longer being with her, she still found the time to lay on the uncomfortable rooftop and stare at the infinite void of space and admire each and every twinkle in the abyss.

Alas, now was not the time for stargazing. Spider-Woman had a mission to accomplish.

Reaching Vale in a matter of minutes, Spider-Woman allowed her webs to carry her the rest of the way. As gravity took hold of her, she began to think of a plan. As always, she has decided to do what she does best. Wing it!

I am many things, but prepared has never been one of them. I work best under pressure! O-Ok, maybe I should actually come up with a plan. But I can't exactly do that without knowing what I'm up against. Let's see. If Torchwick shows up then he will definitely bring some help to steal that dust, I bet it'll be the White Fang. They won't be a problem at all to deal with. Torchwick will be the real issue.

Her Spider-Sense buzzed lightly to warn her of the approaching tarmac. A single web line on an adjacent building prevented her from going splat.

Guess there isn't really a way to plan for this. I just gotta take down Torchwick. Simple as that.

A few minutes of swinging later brought her to the shipping docks where a very large shipment of dust had just been unloaded. All the lights were off. Luckily for her, she had perfect night vision.

Guess I just gotta wait until something happens. Actually, where are Blake and Sun? Are they not here yet?

She didn't want to move around too much to look for them and risk being found. Her costume wasn't very fit for stealth. Harsh winds buffeted her back without warning and the distinctive sound of a bullhead reached her ears. The increasing rhythm of her Spider-Sense sent chills down her spine.

The bullhead's landing lights roamed over the docks for a few moments before the machine slowly descended.

Here we go.

The bullhead's landing was surprisingly quiet for such a large machine. The landing pad sprang out from the bullhead and multiple men wearing White Fang outfits walked out.

Well, Blake must believe me now. Assuming she's here of course.

Each and every one of them was armed. Those guns looked pretty big too. The design of the weapons left only one option on where they got them.

That's Atlas tech. I stopped one weapons deal from reaching the White Fang, but I still need to find their supplier if I want to hope to stop these guys.

"Hey, what's the hold-up? We're not exactly the most inconspicuous bunch of thieves at the moment so why don't you animals try to pick up the pace?"

Spider-Woman's blood started to boil at the sight of the flamboyant red-haired criminal strutting off the bullhead without a care in the world.

This is it huh? Round two.

There looked to be four White Fang criminals with Torchwick. Assuming that they weren't huntsman trained, it shouldn't be a problem at all to deal with them.

Alright, let's do this!

Spider-Woman coiled her legs and prepared to spring into action. She could take out the grunts in a few seconds with a few well-placed blows. Roman would be more challenging, but doable.

Spider-Woman was an instant away from jumping into the action when a fast-moving black object caught her gaze from the corner of her vision.

Is that…?

Blake Belladonna rushed past crates filled with dust and made a beeline straight toward the one person she should not mess with.

Dammit! I can't reach her from here! Don't do anything stupid Blake.

Instead of doing the smart thing and hiding from the dangerous criminal. Blake instead decided that the best course of action was to run up behind said criminal and hold a sharp blade to his neck.

Of course.

"What?!" Roman yelped. "Oh for the-"

"Nobody move!" Blake yelled to the criminals.

I gotta get closer.

The criminals each brandished their weapons threateningly towards Blake.

"Whoa! Take it easy there little lady. You could really hurt someone with that thing," Roman taunted only to have Blake press her blade further into Roman's aura.

"Brothers of the White Fang, why are you aiding this scum?"

Good Blake, keep distracting them while I get closer.

"Oh kid, didn't you get the memo?"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Blake growled.

"It's simple really. The White Fang and I are going in on a joint business venture together."

Spider-Sense's tingling!

"Tell me what it is or I'll put an end to your little operation."

The roaring sounds of multiple approaching bullheads resonated from above. "I wouldn't exactly call it a little operation." The bullheads circled the crowd below them with all their weapons trained on Blake.

Great….Backup.

The ground beneath Blake's feet exploded half a second later. Blake was launched a good distance backward and landed flat on her stomach. Aura slammed in place to protect her body.

Roman took aim once more and fired multiple explosive rounds at the Huntress. She pushed herself up just in time to avoid the bullets and flipped away from their line of fire.

Thwip

Spider-Woman ejected a web line onto Roman's cane and pulled with all her might. Roman briefly lost his balance as his cane was torn from his grasp and landed safely in Spider-Woman's awaiting palm.

"Tsk tsk tsk. Did you steal this piece of junk from an old man? Shame on you Roman. Shame shame shame."

"Tsk, Spider-Woman," Roman sneered.

"Spider-Woman?" She gasped. "Where?" The vigilante became the new center of attention for the criminals as all of them focused their weapons on her instead of the black-haired Huntress.

"Don't just stand there you animals, kill her!"

Spider-Sense rattled her skull painfully as the muzzle flash of multiple automatic weapons flashed before her. Obeying her Spider-Sense, Spider-Woman leaped off the rooftop out of the way of the projectiles. "I hope you don't aim this badly in the bathroom." Spider-Woman landed before a grunt and delivered a swift roundhouse kick to his temple, knocking him out instantly. She simply could've punched him but she wanted to look cool.

Ducking to avoid a sword slash, Spider-Woman shot a glob of webbing that clogged the barrel of a weapon pointed at her and swept her leg close to the ground to knock another terrorist on his ass. A net of webbing prevented any further retaliation from him.

Spider-Senses are louder now!

Spider-Woman spun Roman's cane behind her and heard the distinctive crack of the weapon coming into contact with someone's skull. He collapsed like a sack of rocks a second later.

"Damn, what's this thing made of? It's not as heavy as tungsten so I'm guessing titanium. That stuff is expensive."

Reacting to her Spider-Sense, Spider-Woman backflipped to avoid a large hammer from flattening her. After knocking him out with a swift kick to the face and shattering his mask in the process, Spider-Woman grabbed his unconscious body and threw him into another criminal which sent them both to the ground.

"Spider-Woman!" Yelled a familiar voice.

Her Spider-Sense didn't buzz so she knew this voice was no danger.

The blond monkey faunus landed in a crouch beside the masked vigilante. "Sorry about last time, but I hope I can redeem myself now."

She smiled beneath her mask. "I'll get Torchwick, you take care of the fodder. Can you handle that?"

Instead of responding with words, Sun reached down the back of his shirt and pulled out a large red staff. The staff broke apart at equal intervals and became some deadly-looking nunchucks. He spun the weapon between his fingers with practiced ease and a smile on his face. "Leave it to me."

He leaped into action without another word.

Ok Torchwick, you and me.

Torchwick was staring at her with a totally bored look on his face. "Why can't things just go my way for once?"

"Hey Roman, the circus called, they want their makeup back," she taunted.

"You never shut up do ya? You must make a lot of enemies like that."

Spider-Woman laughed loudly. "Yeah, you're right about that. But in my defense, I really love the sound of my own voice. Also, annoying criminals is way too much fun."

Roman's eyebrow twitched. It was a subtle thing that she doubted she would've noticed if she hadn't been looking. "I'm gonna have fun killing you bug."

"Hmph, racist. Spiders are arachnids, not bugs."

Roman charged.

Spider-Woman charged.

Fists clashed.


Blake slid beneath a sword aimed to slice her head off and plunged her own weapon into the terrorist's shoulder. She was unforgiving right now. Ignoring the pained screams, Blake tore her weapon free in a shower of blood.

"Dammit, how could I have been so blind. Weiss was right, I've been lying to myself in an attempt to protect my own fragile reality."

Blake used her Semblance to push herself forward at explosive speeds and created clones behind her to distract the White Fang while she took them out. Where the hell is Sun? She thought as an opponent folded over her fist. All momentum carried from her fist into the terrorist as he rocketed backward into a shipping container with a loud bang. He slid to the ground motionless.

Hope I didn't kill him.

Blake slid around a corner to find Sun surrounded by White Fang soldiers. He had a wide smile on his face as if he wasn't worried at all. He spun his staff with masterful ease between his fingers. The criminals didn't stand a chance against his superior strength and skill.

Damn, he's good. Wait a minute, is that…?

Spider-Woman was here too, currently engaged in battle with the infamous criminal Roman Torchwick. Spider-Woman had Roman's cane clamped tightly in her palm and showed no signs of letting go. Aura flared to protect Roman's chest from a powerful blow from his own cane. Spider-Woman vaulted over the criminal and sent a devastating kick in between the man's shoulder blades which sent him crashing into the ground.

Roman Torchwick was skilled, but compared to Spider-Woman, he stood no chance whatsoever.

Leaping into the battle to assist Sun, Blake landed on the shoulders of an enemy and kicked off of him hard enough to send him flying.

"Nice of you to join," Sun joked.

"Shut it."

"Yes ma'am."

Blake sent a flurry of slashes forward, cutting into her enemies like butter. Not enough to kill but enough to leave them out of the fight.

Sun split his weapon in half to create two separate pairs of nunchucks which he promptly used to give four criminals concussions and a trip to the hospital.

"You're good," Blake praised as she drove the hilt of her weapon into a terrorist's face.

"Hehe, you're not half bad yourself." Sun flipped over a criminal and cracked his weapon against the crown of his skull. "Not many Hunters can move with that kind of grace."

Bullets peppered Blake's body with enough power to kill her if she didn't have aura protecting her from damage. She returned the favor by firing her own bullets into the criminals. She aimed for non-vital areas to spare their lives.

The area was littered with the unconscious bodies of White Fang members before too long. Blood splattered the floor as well as their bodies.

"That's what's up," Sun chuckled. "Nothing to it."

"Nice work, the police should be here soon. We're not exactly being subtle."

"Hm," Sun nodded. "Wait….Is Spider-Woman alright?"


All things considered, Roman Torchwick wasn't all that skilled when it came to his Huntsman abilities. Sure, he was better than any student at Signal and even Beacon. He went to a Beacon Academy in his youth but he turned to a life of crime shortly after he graduated. He went on very few missions as a professional Huntsman, so he never improved his skills the way most Hunters would.

Graduating from a combat school was the bare minimum of what you needed to become a licensed Huntsman. Roman might have been a professional but he was nowhere near a master. There was a big difference.

When it came to Spider-Woman, he could not hope to compete against her superior strength, speed, and agility. Not to mention being unarmed didn't exactly work in his favor right now.

"Damn, my fists are gonna have bruises on them at this rate."

Roman would've hit her with a snarky comeback if her fist wasn't buried in his gut at the moment. He was sent tumbling into a shipping container with a loud crash. Aura flared to protect his fragile body. To his credit, he remained standing and got right back into a defensive stance.

Spider-Woman twirled Roman's cane between her fingers as she waltzed over to him. She could afford to act a little cocky considering the situation. Roman dashed forward and threw a punch directed at her face. Spider-Woman smacked his hand to the side and drove her knee into the criminal's stomach. He flew back a few steps and slammed back into the shipping container.

This is just sad.

"You're beaten Roman. Just give up."

Roman wheezed, trying to get air into his lungs. "W-Well, I hate to admit it but you're stronger than me."

Spider-Woman snorted. "You do know that you could've avoided getting beaten up if you surrendered earlier right?"

Roman chuckled weakly. "So? What happens now? You gonna kill me?"

Spider-Woman stared down at the broken and beaten man. Killing him would be a piece of cake right about now. A single well-placed punch to his face would cave his skull in. He didn't have enough aura to protect him from it. Or she could just shoot a lot of webbing down his throat to suffocate him. Still, she was given these powers to save people, not kill. She would not become a monster. Her mother would never forgive her for it.

"No Torchwick. I'm not a murderer." Her hands dropped to her sides. "You'll be spending the rest of your life in prison."

"Heh...Even with all that power, you still don't have what it takes to do what must be done."

Spider-Woman's eyes narrowed beneath her mask. "What do you mean?"

"It means...that there will come a time in your life when you're faced with a difficult decision that could save a lot of people. The funny thing is that if you don't do what needs to be done, then it could cost you your life." For the first time, Roman looked up into her eyes. "Can you make the difficult decision, or will you hesitate and die trying to be a hero?"

Spider-Woman sighed. "I tend to not take advice from lunatics like you." Spider-Woman raised her fist. "When you wake up you'll never walk as a free man again."

Roman laughed menacingly. "This certainly isn't ideal, but a mastermind like myself always has a backup plan."

Spider-Woman's fist smashed into Roman's face.

His glass face shattered into a million pieces.

"What!?"

Her Spider-Sense screamed in her skull in that exact instant and she whipped her head to the right, prepared to defend herself from the threat.

Only to be met with nothing at all.

"The hell?"

Glass shattered.

A large crate bearing the logo of the Schnee Dust Company suddenly appeared right in front of her face.

A gunshot echoed.

"Oh…"

Spider-Woman exploded.

The explosion ripped through the air with a deafening roar followed by a blinding flash of light. The concussive force of the explosion was enough to massive damage to her aura. She skipped along the concrete with her aura flaring with every impact. Her costume took some damage as well. She came to a stop when her back slammed into the steel inside of a shipping container. She faceplanted on the cool metal with a groan.

It was a testament to how strong she had gotten since their last encounter that she was still conscious after that. All of her bones were intact as well. Spider-Woman pushed herself up with a shudder and shakily got to her feet. She shook her head to rid herself of the dizziness.

Damn! That hurt! Wait... Spider-Sense!

Spider-Woman used her arms to shield her face, preparing for another strike. She removed those arms a second later when a small glass tube rolled into the shipping container. A single glass tube containing fire dust.

Her Spider-Sense roared!

It was only then that she noticed the shipping container she had landed in was lined wall to wall with stacks upon stacks of crates filled to the brim with various types of dust. Fire, water, wind, earth, and more were all prepped and ready for delivery.

And the worst part...

That single vial of fire dust was glowing.

She only had enough time to slam her aura into every inch of her body and brace herself for the inevitable.

As the heat engulfed her, it felt as though every nerve ending in her body was on fire. The sensation started as a prickling warmth, intensifying quickly into an unbearable burning sensation that seemed to radiate from her entire being. She could feel the skin on her arms and legs becoming hot to the touch, as if someone had placed a red-hot iron against her flesh.

With each passing moment, the burning sensation grew more and more intense, until it was all she could focus on. Her mind became consumed by the pain, and she was unable to think of anything else.A sense of weightlessness overtook her. Like gravity had lost it's grasp on her body momentarily. She tumbled through the air like a ragdoll, unable to control sense of direction was completely thrown out of wack. She had no clue which way was up or ears were ringing from the shockwave, she could distantly hear the muffled screams of horror from someone nearby. She couldn't place the voice though.

Then came the impact. It was sudden, violent, painful. Like a bullet train slamming into her at full force. Her back slammed into a shipping container hard enough to cause the entire thing to buckle inwards from the point of impact. The crate was thrown backward with enough force to blast through a wall of solid concrete.

She came to a slow and painful stop. Her aura was totally gone, not a drop of it remained. Her costume was torn up pretty badly too, it was pure luck that her mask remained mostly in tact, though her lenses were cracked badly. Bits of fabric desperately clung to the bits of costume that remained on her body.

She slumped to the floor in pain.

"...ow," was all she managed to say.

Her hearing came back slowly but surely, the ringing faded and was replaced by the sounds of fire crackling in the distance as well as the sound of blood rushing through her skull. Her vision came back soon after, the blinding light had momentarily blinded her but her eyes adjusted after a few more seconds.

Two pairs of footsteps approached her and she could hear the arrogance in the strides.

Roman Torchwick had recovered his weapon that was blasted from her grip and was twirling it without a care in the world. She badly wanted to punch that arrogant smirk off his face.

Next to him stood a very short and colorful girl with multicolored eyes and hair to match. A simple cute parasol rested over her shoulder and a sadistic smile spread over her lips. Spider-Woman knew she was trouble.

"Now that's what I call fireworks!" Roman cackled mockingly to the downed hero. "What do you think Neo?"

The colorful girl who was apparently named Neo placed a hand over her mouth as her shoulders shook as if to simulate laughter. Though no noise came fourth.

"I'd say it's been fun Spider-Woman, but it hasn't. I'm going to thoroughly enjoy choking the life out of you."

Each breath was like drinking liquid fire but Spider-Woman still forced herself to speak. "Y-You ever think….maybe you'd be m-more intimidating….if you weren't wearing the dumbest hat in existence?"

Roman's expression twisted slightly but he quickly regained his smug smile. "It's impressive how a dead woman still finds the energy to insult her executioner."

Roman's cane cracked against her forehead and fresh blood spilled out of the new wound. She would've yelped in pain if she had the energy to. All she could manage was a groan.

Neo tapped on Roman's shoulder and pointed away from the docks once she got his attention. It was hard to see but in the distance, there were flashing red and blue lights. They didn't have long until the police arrived.

"Tch…guess we're out of time," Roman grumbled. He clearly wanted to put her through more physical pain.

A powerful hand wrapped tightly around her throat and cut off her supply of oxygen. "You could've lived a normal life Spider-Woman but instead you chose to piss off the wrong people. Was it worth it?"

I'm gonna die….I'm actually going to die. I can't move at all, my aura is gone, and I'm suffocating.

Roman's grip only got tighter. Black spots danced across her vision and her head started swimming.

...I...I don't want to die…

Roman lifted her off the ground by her throat and brought their faces close together. "Normally killing someone is just part of the job, but in this case, it's personal."

Mom...h-help...m-me…

Y-Yang...I'm so sorry. Please forgive me.

Dad...I'm...scared.

I'm just a kid.

Tears trickled down her cheeks and seeped into her mask as her eyes started to glaze over.

I can't die here...I still have to keep my promise to mom. I have to be a badass Huntress that saves everyone. I need to make her proud.

Her finger started to twitch.

Just one punch. Just one more...please.

Her fingers curled inwards.

What kind of hero would I be if I didn't give it my all?

Her arm might as well have been made of lead. Bone and muscles screamed in protest as she slowly lifted her enclosed fist. Roman saw it coming but didn't bother to worry about the pathetic attempt at retaliation.

"There's one more thing I need you to remember my darling," a soft and loving voice echoed in her head.

Spider-Woman slowly reeled her fist back.

"Whatever life holds in store for you, you must never forget these words."

Her fist flew forward.

"With great power, there must also come great responsibility."

I promise Mom. I love you.

One last ditch attempt to save her own life. She lost the rest of her energy halfway through the punch and had to rely on gravity to help her fist forward.

The punch was weak, pathetic, desperate. Yet despite that, there was something about it that felt...good.

It felt…

Electrifying!

KRAKOOM!

In that one instant when Spider-Woman's fist connected with Roman's face, every corner of her vision was filled with the most beautiful neon blue color she had ever seen. Spider-Woman's airway opened as Roman was rocketed backward from the force of the blow. Neo wasn't unscathed either, the shockwave having blown her back too. Spider-Woman crumpled to the floor, gasping for air and shaking in pain. Her arm felt like pins and needles were being jabbed into her veins.

W-What the hell?

She had no idea what had just happened. One moment she was seconds away from death, and now? Spider-Woman brought her arm up in front of her eyes. What she saw was not at all what she was expecting. The sleeve of her costume had been completely burnt off, including her glove. Her web shooter had been blown to smithereens in the explosion and was gone.

Looking at the palm of her hand revealed the source of the beautiful blue light.

Brilliant bolts of blue electricity surrounded her hand like a glove of lightning. Trails of energy laced down her arm toward her trembling digits. The lightning seemed to liquefy and pool in her palm and drip down her fingers as if it were nothing but glowing water.

Oh...that explains it.

The lightning vanished a second later. Her fingers stopped sparking and the energy faded in her arm.

What kind of spider has electric abilities?

Her vision slowly came back to her as she was allowed to breathe. She spotted Roman lying on his back clearly unconscious or dead with a concerned Neo standing above him. Multiple bruises and scratches adorned her body and her left arm dangled by her side uselessly.

Neo's head snapped to her with a look of absolute fucking rage. She crouched down and prepared to lunge toward the downed Spider-Woman.

That was until two unharmed figures stood in front of her with their weapons drawn.

"We won't let you lay a finger on her!" Blake roared to the multicolored girl.

"Surrender," Sun said calmly. "We all want to get this over with quickly."

Neo knew that she couldn't win this fight. She was badly injured and she would be fighting two unharmed Hunters.

Neo picked up the unconscious Roman Torchwick with her only functioning arm and vanished in a shower of shattered glass.

"D-Dammit," Spider-Woman croaked.

Sun kept his eyes ahead to watch for the enemy while Blake crouched down to check on Spider-Woman.

"Are you ok?" Blake looked like she might cry.

Spider-Woman spit out some blood before responding. "I-I'll...l-live."

"Blake!" A voice screamed from above. Spider-Woman couldn't turn her head to see who yelled but she didn't need too. She would recognize the voice of her sister anywhere.

"Y-Yang?!" Blake yelled.

Spider-Woman heard multiple sets of rapidly approaching footsteps. It was likely that the entire team PWBY were here.

"Are you okay?" Weiss yelled.

"I'm fine! But Spider-Woman needs the most help right now!"

Having apparently just noticed the injured Spider-Woman, she heard multiple sharp gasps coming from the team.

Penny slid to a stop right in front of her to assess the damage. "I estimate that there is a 100% chance that Spider-Woman is suffering multiple broken ribs, a 100% chance of a concussion, a 37% chance of internal bleeding, a 60% chance of a fractured skull, a 90% chance of third degree burns across her torso, a 20% chance of a fractured or broken spine, and a 12% chance of brain damage. Ultimately, I estimate that there is a 43% chance that Spider-Woman will make a full recovery with no lasting damage."

Spider-Woman normally wouldn't like those odds but Penny didn't know about her healing factor, she would make a full recovery no doubt, but it might take longer than a full night's sleep.

"C-Can you stand up?" Weiss asked.

Penny was correct about her having multiple broken ribs, the pain was incredible when she tried to stand up.

"Y-Yes, I think I can."

Yang knelt down by Spider-Woman and brought her arm under her shoulders to give her extra support. "Don't worry, I got you," she whispered softly. Her legs were broken, the pain was damn near unbearable. It was only thanks to Yang's support that she was able to stand at all.

"Thank...you…"

Yang walked slowly so as to not further injure Spider-Woman. Torchwick escaped thanks to his partner. She must've had some kind of illusion Semblance. That was the only way she could've hidden that case of dust from her until they detonated it. Yet another thing to worry about.

At least things can't get much worse.

"Freeze!"

Of course.

As soon as they rounded the corner, they came face with the barrels of at least 30 guns pointed directly at them. Some of the police were shoving White Fang into armored trucks and others were speaking into their radios.

"On the ground now!"

Weiss walked ahead of the group to address the police. "What is the meaning of this? We are students of Beacon Academy and we came to assist with dealing with the White Fang. Drop your weapons!"

"You are currently harboring a wanted criminal. Unless you hand her over peacefully, we will use whatever means necessary to apprehend her."

It was Yang's turn to speak. "She's injured! She needs immediate medical attention. You just want to handcuff her and throw her in prison."

The students formed a protective barrier around Spider-Woman. They made sure to not draw their weapons but it was clear that they were ready for a fight.

"What kind of monsters do you take us for? Her injuries will be treated and she will be put on trial for her crimes. I'll say this once more. Stand down!"

Spider-Woman lifted her head with what little strength she had remaining. "Just let them...take...me. Please."

Yang pulled Spider-Woman closer to her chest. "Don't worry, we'll run if we have to."

"Spider-Woman just saved my life and saved the entire dust shipment from being stolen. You want to throw her in prison despite all the good she's done?" Blake shouted.

The officer sighed. "Damn kids! It doesn't matter in the slightest what kind of good she's done. The fact of the matter is that she is a vigilante, which is illegal. She may do good things, but she shows a blatant disregard of the law to do so."

Another officer spoke up. "Breaking and entering, trespassing on private property, destruction of property, tampering with evidence. Should I continue?"

"You are students of Beacon Academy and we thank you for your assistance, but if you do not hand over the criminal then we will consider you a threat and act accordingly."

"Dammit!" Sun growled. "What can we do?"

Blake tensed up her muscles. "We make a break for it."

Weiss looked shocked. "Are you sure that's the best idea? We'd be criminals if we did that."

"What other choice do we have? We can't let them take her!"

Spider-Woman spoke in her raspy voice. "Just...hand me over. I don't want you to get in trouble on my behalf."

"Not happening," Yang growled. "Get ready guys, we're making a break for it."

Before any of them could get ready, the wind started to bellow and a large bullhead circled from above.

"Oh great. What now?" Sun grumbled.

The bullhead slammed into the ground recklessly. The pilot was obviously in a rush. The landing gear barely had any time to engage.

Three figures burst from the bullhead. Spider-Woman recognized two of them but the third was unfamiliar to her. The three figures immediately bolted toward the students.

"Students!" Glynda Goodwitch yelled in a panic. "Is everyone unharmed? We came as soon as...S-Spider-Woman!"

Spider-Woman offered a shaky wave from Yang's arms. "W-Wassup?"

Ozpin was right behind her. The panicked expression on his face didn't suit him in the slightest. He looked like someone who knew how to maintain his composure regardless of the situation.

The last person was someone she didn't recognize, it was a woman who appeared to be in her mid-thirties with shoulder-length brown hair and beautiful green eyes. She was carrying a rather large briefcase in her left hand with the words "First Aid" printed on it. Spider-Woman could only guess that this was the school nurse.

At least she would be in good hands before the cops took her away and threw her in jail.

The doctor began poking at various parts of her body to check for injuries. She winced in pain once she poked a broken rib. "Get her in the bullhead. I can do more for her back in Beacon."

"Hold it!" Shouted the officer from before. "Spider-Woman is under arrest! Hand her over and we will treat her injuries and give her a fair trial."

Fair my ass! The council hates my guts. I know damn well my trial wont be fair. They'll appoint me a lawyer hired by the council who will screw me over at every opportunity.

"Terribly sorry for the inconvenience officers, but Spider-Woman will be coming with us." Ozpin lost his panicked expression and his facial features once again became calm.

"Spider-Woman is a wanted criminal. If you don't hand her over then we are authorized to use deadly force. By the order of the VPD, we order you to hand her over."

The corner of Ozpin's mouth quirked up very slightly. He appeared very smug indeed. "Actually, I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but Beacon acts independently of Vale. This is true for all the Hunter Academies across Remnant. Well... except for Atlas."

The officer lowered his gun slightly. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"My point is, Beacon does have to follow the basic laws that Vale puts in place. However, there are a few perks that the staff and students of Beacon have along with the law enforcement of Vale. I won't bore you with the small details but needless to say, Beacon has a right to bring any criminals that staff or students capture into their own custody."

The officer's eyes widened as he realized Ozpin's point.

"As you can clearly see." Ozpin gestured to the injured Spider-Woman in Yang's arms. "One of my students has apprehended the criminal known as Spider-Woman. Therefore, it is her decision whether to turn her over to the police or bring her into Beacon custody."

Ozpin looked over to Yang. "So Miss Xiao Long, what is your choice?"

Yang didn't even need half a second to decide. "Spider-Woman is coming with us!"

"There you have it officers. Lower your weapons and deal with the White Fang, Spider-Woman is under arrest by the authority of Beacon."

Spider-Woman sighed with relief. It seems that Ozpin managed to save her ass. She owed him big time for this.

The officer clutched his weapon tightly. "Dammit! Mark my words, the council will hear of this."

"Let them, we are well within our rights here. Students, please make your way to the bullhead."

All the students bolted into the bullhead, not wanting to be outside with the police a second longer. This would no doubt be on the news tomorrow and the police would definitely tell the media that Beacon took Spider-Woman.

"Thank you. Truly," Spider-Woman expressed her gratitude as Yang sat her down.

"It's no trouble at all Spider-Woman," Ozpin began. "This is the second time you've protected my students, it's only fair that I return the favor this time."

The bullhead rumbled as it took to the skies. She would be safe back at Beacon.

There wasn't a whole lot of blood. Her aura had absorbed the entirety of the blast so the visible damage was pretty minuscule. Apart from the various burn marks across her body that hurt like hell.

Even so, the nurse examined the parts of her body that were exposed where her costume burnt off. She began to rub some type of burn cream onto the blistering skin. It was incredibly cold, but that only made it feel ten times better.

Spider-Woman sucked in a sharp breath as the nurse applied a bit too much pressure to a particularly bad burn.

"Sorry," she apologized. "You're lucky you have such a large aura, otherwise this would almost certainly scar."

Again, the nice nurse didn't know about her healing factor. The burns wouldn't scar regardless of the size of her aura. But she took a lot of damage from that blast, it might take more than a good night's sleep to heal it all.

The nurse finished applying the last of the burn cream and twisted the lid on tightly. "There, all done." She breathed a sigh of relief. "My name is Garnet by the way. I'm a big fan of yours Spider-Woman."

The pain was already beginning to subside. "Thank you Garnet. You're a lifesaver."

Garnet chuckled. "Nah, you're the real lifesaver here. Dealing with burns is nothing new for me. You'd be surprised by how often these kids mess around with dust they don't know how to use."

Oh I bet I do.

Spider-Woman has had many accidents involving dust of a particularly volatile nature. She learned pretty quickly that being careless with dust isn't the best idea. Coming home with half her clothes burnt off and her eyebrows gone nearly gave her father a heart attack every time.

"I've had more than a few volatile accidents in my time. As it turns out, placing the dust container right next to the very hot weapon barrel is a recipe for disaster," Spider-Woman chuckled weakly before delving into a small coughing fit.

Blake tried to speak a few times before taking a deep breath to compose herself. "How did you know about the robbery? I only found out about it earlier today. Do you have a source in the White Fang?"

I can't go telling her that she and Sun were my source. Maybe there's an easy way out of this.

"Not exactly. I just so happened to be in the right place at the right time and eavesdropped on the right conversation. It was pure luck that I got that lead."

Thankfully, Blake accepted that answer without any difficulty.

"Oh!" Sun exclaimed. "What was that huge explosion with the blue lightning? That looked so cool! Was that dust?"

I'd like to know the answer to that myself. I don't know of any dust that can make blue electricity. Even if it did exist then there's no way I have any.

Was that a new ability?

Spider-Woman tried to recall the feeling of the lightning lacing up her arm and through her fingers. The lightning didn't hurt at all but it did make her arm feel slightly numb and tingly. That power felt different from her other abilities, different from her super strength, wall-crawling, and webs. It was much deeper than that. At the same time, it felt different from her aura as well. Given that she was able to do it with no aura remaining.

Can I recreate that?

Focusing deeply on her right arm, Spider-Woman closed her eyes and tried to picture the electricity. Tried to recall the beautiful blue color that exploded out of her fist. The feeling of helplessness that overcame her when she was sure that she was about to die. Her desperate prayers that her last attempt at survival would work.

Blue light crept through her shut eyelids.

"Wow...That's really cool," Yang said in awe.

Spider-Woman was inclined to agree.

Upon opening her eyes, she was once again greeted by the neon blue lightning zipping between her fingers. Her nervous system became visible through her skin as the electricity traveled across it. It pulsed softly in rhythm with her heartbeat.

"Bio-electricity," Weiss said in awe. "That's...amazing. The applications of such an ability are staggering. I didn't know you could do that."

"Neither did I," she said without thinking.

Sun reached over slowly and softly tapped Spider-Woman's hand before yanking it back with a sharp gasp and placing his finger in his mouth.

"Damn! That hurts!"

Blake looked at him like he was an idiot. "What did you think was gonna happen?" Blake asked with narrowed eyes. "Did you think it was gonna feel good?"

"No...I just...ok fine, that was stupid."

Everyone giggled at Sun's suffering before Spider-Woman cut off the flow of electricity to her arm.

That's sure to be very useful in the future. I also don't need to buy electric dust anymore. I can just pulse this "bio-electricity" into my webbing instead. That'll be a big money saver.

The rest of the bullhead ride was spent in silence. The gentle swaying of the machine almost lulled Spider-Woman to sleep in Yang's arms but the bullhead landed before she could fully surrender to unconsciousness. Thankfully it was past curfew so there were no students roaming the halls. The nurse's office was bigger than she was expecting. There were multiple beds lying along the wall with privacy curtains hanging from the ceiling. Every bed was empty luckily.

Yang gently placed the injured Spider-Woman on an empty bed and backed away so the nurse could get to work. The nurse ran a strange device over her entire body that projected an image of her skeleton on the screen in front of her.

"Damn," she swore under her breath. "That must've hurt."

Ozpin was sipping silently from a thermos that he pulled out of seemingly nowhere while the nurse examined her.

The nurse sighed. "I'm not going to lie to you. The damage is extensive. You're looking at a minimum of two weeks of recovery time. Without aura this would be extended to four months. You have multiple broken bones, internal bleeding, a concussion, third-degree burns, and torn muscles."

Spider-Woman pushed herself up with a wince and prodded at her stomach. It still hurt like hell, even with the burn cream applied.

"It's okay, I'll be just fine."

Garnet pushed Spider-Woman back down on the bed. "No, it's not okay. You need to rest and recover or else you risk permanent damage."

"Listen to her Spider-Woman," Yang said. "She knows what she's doing."

Spider-Woman ignored her. "No, really. I'll be fine. I have an accelerated healing factor. I can heal from broken bones with a half night of sleep. Although I might need two days to be at 100% after this."

Everyone's eyes went wide at that admission. Garnet looked particularly amazed.

"A-Accelerated healing!? That's incredible! And you say broken bones can heal in a matter of hours? Only regeneration Semblances can heal that quickly."

Spider-Woman allowed a small chuckle to escape her lips. "It's saved my ass a few times now. But I do need to consume a lot of calories to maintain it. Speaking of which." Spider-Woman turned to Garnet. "Got anything to eat by chance?"

Garnet opened a cabinet just above the sink and pulled out a few protein bars. "Here, eat these then get some rest."

Spider-Woman dug into her treat. "Thanks."

As soon as she swallowed her first bite, she could feel her healing factor kick in to repair the damage. It would take a while but she would be back to 100% soon.

"Alright kids, let the hero get some rest. You have classes tomorrow too so beat it." Garnet shoved the pile of students out the door before they could protest.

"Get well soon!" Penny shouted right before the door closed.

The remaining occupants waited for a few minutes until the sounds of footsteps echoed from the hall and faded into the distance.

"Such nice girls," Spider-Woman spoke. "They'll be fine Huntresses one day."

Ozpin smirked behind his thermos. "I have faith in all my students. But those girls are something special let me tell you. Much like yourself."

Spider-Woman frowned at that comment. "I don't see myself as being special, I just see myself having more responsibilities than the next woman. People look to me to do things for them, to have answers. The truth is that I've been winging it since I've started. I don't have a plan, but I do have a goal. To protect as many people as possible."

Spider-Woman continued to eat in silence while Ozpin tapped on his scroll for a few minutes.

"You should stay here tonight," Ozpin broke the silence. "You shouldn't be moving in your condition."

As much as Spider-Woman hated to admit it, he was right. She wouldn't make it very far with her broken bones. Her only choice was to wait here until her bones had healed a significant amount. She should be able to at least walk tomorrow morning.

Damn, how am I gonna make it through school tomorrow? I gotta hide my burns somehow.

"Yeah, alright," Spider-Woman responded. "What about you though?"

Ozpin quirked up a single eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Well, the police will definitely inform the media that you took me into custody and that information will definitely reach the council. They will no doubt be pushing for my immediate arrest first thing in the morning. They'll expect you to hand me over immediately."

"Ah," Ozpin smiled. "That." Ozpin reached behind him and pulled out a pair of standard huntsman handcuffs from seemingly nowhere.

I-Is he actually planning on arresting me? Those cuffs wont even come close to holding me.

The chain link connecting the cuffs snapped in half.

What?

"Whatever are you talking about? Obviously, we attempted to restrain you but underestimated your strength. Then you made your daring escape through the window in the dead of night with no witnesses."

Spider-Woman relaxed at last. "Thank you Ozpin." She laid back on her pillow. "I have to repay you somehow."

Ozpin waved his hand. "You protected my students. I'd say we're even now." Ozpin made his way to leave the infirmary. "Sleep well Spider-Woman."

Garnet finished up the last of her work before addressing the injured hero. "You say that you have accelerated healing. If that's the case then you should be able to at least walk by tomorrow morning. But you should take it easy until you're fully healed."

Spider-Woman grimaced. "I still have school tomorrow. I can't exactly call in sick because of vigilante activity."

"You know your body's limits better than I do. Just make sure you don't push yourself." Garnet made to leave the infirmary. "Sleep tight."

Garnet flipped the lights off and shut the door with a soft click. Spider-Woman stared at the ceiling for a few minutes going over the events that had transpired not two hours prior.

"What a day."

She allowed the sweet embrace of unconsciousness to claim her.


This chapter was very annoying to write. I feel like it took longer than it should've. Most likely due to real world commitments.

Next chapter whenever. I dunno. I don't have a schedule.