Author's Note: New chapter.

There were many things about Beacon Coco loved, and many things she hated. Being called to the Headmaster's office had previously been firmly planted in the latter, but now she had learned not to dread it quite as much. She knew things that most people didn't, things about the Grimm and Magic that were kept secret to all except those that they could trust. With that came a degree of trust and confidence that she should be included in some way, obviously not in everything, but at least something.

This, however, felt far above her pay-grade.

"S-she can't be killed?" Coco stuttered. "But… the Relic-"

"Jinn had no answer." The Headmaster cut her off with a solemn expression. "The question was outside the bounds of her knowledge… she simply didn't know."

Coco's hand shook in her lap. "So that's it then? We can't beat her."

"That remains to be seen." He stated. "We have kept her at bay for millennia, there is no reason we can not still do the same. Make no mistake, the world is not without hope."

Coco shook her head quickly, desperately wanting to believe what he was saying. "What… what are you going to do now?"

"That has also yet to be decided." Ozpin held up his hand to stop her interrupting him. "We have leads, plans and preparations in place. We are not without course, it simply remains to be seen which we shall choose. The world is not yet lost."

"What can we do to help?" Coco would have to tell her team, but she knew they would want in. After the initial shock wore off of course.

"At this moment we don't have a need for more fighters." The Headmaster sat back in his chair. "With Atlas and Mistral both in the fold, we have more manpower than we have had in decades. With Qrow, Winter, Ironwood, Pyrrha, and myself, there are few enemies we can not best in combat."

Coco shook her head in annoyance. She was fed up with people saying they weren't needed to fight; that they weren't ready. They had spent their lives training to fight the Grimm, and now the Queen of the Grimm had finally been revealed to them they were being told they had to stay on the sidelines. It wasn't without reason, but it didn't make it any easier. Her team was good, but they were far from the best Huntsmen in the world, she knew that. That being said, that was really all they had to offer. "Then why tell me?"

"Because Pyrrha will need you." He sighed. "She has had a difficult life, and her hopes rested on this more than any other. The revelation that there would be no easy victory has been hard on her. The fact that Qrow felt the need to call ahead only helps prove that."

Coco fidgeted in her chair. "Is she okay?"

"There was no combat, she is unharmed physically." Ozpin closed his eyes. "But she's afraid."

As she had a right to be, Coco couldn't help but feel. Salem was immortal, unkillable, and their one hope at beating that had just gone up in smoke. When faced with something so inevitable, she couldn't help but feel some fear was justified.

"Fear… is a dangerous thing." Ozpin stared at her over the rim of his glasses. It wasn't an odd expression, anyone with glasses would do it on occasion when they wished to rest their eyes, but there was something else in the way he looked at her. An odd depth to them that made her shift nervously. "People often underestimate its power, for it is in fear that Humanity can make its greatest achievements… or its most disastrous mistakes. Leo… Former Headmaster Lionheart was once a brave Huntsman prepared to stand against Salem no matter the risk, yet fear turned him against us. It is my fault for not being there when I should have been, for not offering the support when he needed it most. Pyrrha is afraid, and she will need someone to help ground her."

"Pyrrha wouldn't betray us!" Coco shouted, standing from her chair. "You can't tell me you think she woul-" Ozpin chuckled softly, the sound helping to snap her back to her senses. "I'm sorry, Sir. I didn't mean to-"

"There is no harm done." He smiled and waved a hand to dismiss her concern. "You felt I was insulting your friend, I would expect nothing less from a trusted companion. It is for that reason I sought to tell you the truth. I do not believe that she would ever willingly betray us… but I also believe you and your team would never let her. It is never a poor idea to make preparations."

Coco leaned forward, resting her arms on her legs as she allowed her head to fall. "How am I supposed to go back to my team and tell them about this? They're already stressed after the attack, but this…"

"I am sorry, Miss Adel." So overwhelming was the exhaustion in his voice that Coco didn't doubt it for a second. "I am sorry to place this burden on you, but it has to be done. She will need people she trusts at her side, and there are few she trusts more than you."

Coco sighed. "I'll… we'll, look after her."

"I never doubted that." Ozpin stood from behind his desk, walking over to the large window overlooking Beacon. "It's important you know why she needs your help. Tempting is the idea to burden such knowledge alone, she very well may have kept it secret from you so as to not crush your spirits as well."

Coco forced a smirk on her face, trying for the easy confidence she so often faked. It didn't come easy, most would notice, and she had no doubt that it didn't fool the Headmaster, but the effort was still made. "Pyrrha won't let this keep her down."

"I hope you're right." Ozpin continued to stare out the window, in the distance she could see an Atlesian airship on its way towards the school. Still half an hour or so out, but close enough to see. "I hope you are the same."

"Pyrrha has enough to worry about without me falling apart… I'll manage." Coco didn't know how, but she didn't have much of a choice. Pyrrha would be devastated by this, but there wouldn't be any time for Coco to worry about it herself. If she had to ignore her own fear and anxiety, so be it. "I should be there when she lands."

"You're free to go." The Headmaster turned to face her. "Good luck, Miss Adel."

The Atlesian ship was a surprisingly small vessel for Atlas. If she had to guess, Coco would have assumed only enough space for a few hundred personnel. The guns and armerments weren't nearly as threatening as they once might have been, not with the knowledge that Pyrrha was currently on board. Any threat posed by the advanced technology was quickly overshadowed by the arcane and still mysterious magic bestowed on her friend by some eldritch bastard who refused to help them beat Salem.

She also noted how she was distracting herself. Over analyzing things so that she didn't have to focus on the rather shitty and crushing revelation that they couldn't rely on some godly being to come help them. It sucked, but she tried not to dwell on it, not just yet at least. Pyrrha was going to need their help and she wasn't going to leave her friend to be all angsty while they tried to cope with what they couldn't change.

She had no doubt her friend was going to blame herself for it somehow, she only hoped Qrow or Winter had slapped some sense into her already. If not, she would do it herself.

"Coco," Velvet sighed, somehow managing to sound exasperated despite the fact she had been the one pestering her for the last forty-five minutes. "Can you please tell us what's wrong? How are we supposed to help if you wont tell us why Pyrrha is upset?"

"Not my place to tell." Coco shrugged nonchalantly, even if her patience was starting to wear thin. She had made the last minute decision not to tell them about what had gone wrong just yet. She planned to in time, and if Pyrrha decided to tell them immediately she wouldn't object, but she hadn't been lying when she said they were stressed out about the attack. Coco had been as well, until the Headmaster had dropped a rather big bombshell and forced her fear aside out of concern for her friend.

Coco had nearly been kidnapped, as humiliating as that was to say, and they had only managed to stop that because of Fox's Semblance. The fact they had failed to follow them in the crowds only made it more embarrassing and something that Coco was very willing to forget and never mention again. She had never felt so helpless before.

Shaking her head, Coco focused on the task at hand. "Pyrrha might say what it is, but she might also not want to talk about it. I say let her choose."

"It's not fair that you know and we don't." Velvet crossed her arms over her chest and glared at the ground, the fact it looked more like a pout only helped ease Coco's mood.

Coco chuckled softly. "I'll tell you guys in a few days if she doesn't, just give her some time to relax. Speaking of… let's not tell her about what happened while she was gone."

"Worried she'll get all overprotective girlfriend on you?" Fox teased.

Coco rolled her eyes. "More like I don't want her to panic. She has enough on her plate as it is."

"Is it really that serious?" Yatsuhashi asked, as always, trying to be the reasonable one. When Coco nodded he looked back up towards the slowly descending ramp that would let people deboard the ship. "Then perhaps it is best we do not mention it for now."

"You'd like us to forget how you almost got kidnapped, wouldn't you?" Despite Fox's continued teasing, she knew he agreed. If he didn't he would have said so, the fact he was still cracking jokes meant he knew how stressed and worried she was. They all did, judging by the side-eyed looks they were sending her way when they thought she wasn't looking, and Velvet was the only one to have really pushed for an answer. Even that could be seen as her trying to help, hoping she could share the burden with them. It was a nice sentiment, but Coco didn't need it.

Pyrrha would though, and it was totally for that reason that she dropped Velvet on her the moment she stepped off the ship. Definitely not to distract Velvet and get her to aim that hurt puppy look at someone else.

Her friend didn't disembark alone however, flanked on either side by Qrow and Winter. They were talking about something, though judging by the look on their faces it wasn't anything too profound. Pyrrha smiled just as they stepped close enough to speak normally.

"We'll leave you guys alone." Qrow smiled, though it was clearly for their benefit because it didn't reach his eyes. His hand went to rest where she knew his flask had once been, but it seemed an unconscious thing rather than him looking for a drink. That flask was still sitting on Pyrrha's belt after all.

"The General has given the men a few days of leave to rest and recuperate." Winter said less to Pyrrha and more towards Team CFVY. "Make sure to take advantage of it, who knows what the next mission will bring."

"Knowing Jimmy nothing half-assed." Qrow smirked. "But she's right, try and rest. You need it."

Pyrrha smiled and nodded politely. "I will, let me know if you need anything from me."

Qrow and Winter were off shortly after that, leaving Pyrrha alone with them. Velvet was quick to fill the silence with questions about Mistral, Yatsuhashi joining in to comment where he could. As far as distractions went it was a poor excuse, and the fact the former champion didn't seem to notice was more cause for concern.

Coco sat in the back while they talked, offering input where possible, but otherwise simply watching her friend. Pyrrha looked tired, though not necessarily the lack-of-sleep variety. Yeah, she looked like she had missed a few hours of sleep, the slight bags that had returned under her eyes giving Coco flashbacks to when she had first seen the girl in the gym, but it was the way she carried herself that was different.

Her shoulders slumped slightly, the tension in her face, and the tone of her voice. It took her a moment to place it, mostly because she had never seen her look like this before. She looked defeated. Exhausted and beaten down spiritually rather than physically. It was difficult to see, especially considering how hard Pyrrha was trying to act normal. Smiling and laughing where she was expected to; she wasn't the only one to notice how halfhearted it all felt however, and the annoyance on Velvet's face at Coco for not answering what was wrong had turned into naked concern for her friend.

She was practically a different person from who had left and Coco finally understood why the Headmaster had sought her out. Pyrrha had never been the most confident of people, not on Team JNPR or Team RWAN, but she had at least started to be more outgoing and open. This felt like a step backwards and she hated to see it.

"I'd love to chat but I need to shower." Pyrrha smiled apologetically to whatever it was that Velvet had asked. "Then I really need to do some maintenance on Allos. Sorry, maybe we can get some food after."

Bullshit. Coco barely resisted calling her friend out on it. The Headmaster had said there hadn't been any combat, so Allos wouldn't have even been used. The only reason she didn't call her out was the fear Pyrrha might bolt.

"Ruby can take care of it for you while you shower and change." Coco said instead, finally stepping forward to stand directly in front of Pyrrha; continuing before the girl could object. "That way you don't have to waste your valuable freetime on weapons maintenance."

"I don't want to force he-"

"She's been gushing over it for weeks!" Velvet quickly added, easily seeing the opportunity to drag Pyrrha back to their dorm where she could finally relax. "Honestly, if you don't give it to her, sooner or later she is going to steal it."

"Besides, it's movie night." Fox added, jumping in to back them up.

"I thought that was yesterday?" Pyrrha correctly remembered.

"We decided to wait for you." Coco lied, smirking and grabbing her friend's hand to pull her towards the dormitory. Velvet moved to her other side while Yatsuhashi and Fox followed closely behind. Any self-respecting Huntsmen-in-training would be able to identify the formation they were in. It was the standard VIP escort taught to most during your later years of prep school. The fact Pyrrha let it happen - or just didn't notice - was further proof of how distracted she was.

Despite her earlier objections, she made no attempts to pull back. "I suppose a movie could be nice." Her stomach did its best Beowolf impression, causing the girl to blush. "And some food."

"Fox, go ahead and pick us up some stuff from the cafeteria." Coco grabbed Allos from Pyrrha's belt, pulling its shield sheath up with it before the girl; could object. "And drop this off with Team RWAN, Rose will know what to do."

Fox nodded and broke off from their escort, Yatsuhashi shifting over slightly to cover the rear. Something he was more than able to do due to his size.

"You guys are acting strange…" Pyrrha's eyes narrowed slightly in suspicion. Velvet and Coco only smiled back. "I wasn't even gone that long."

"It's been an eventful few days." Coco said casually, sending a look Velvet's way to warn her off saying too much.

"Yeah." Pyrrha sighed heavily, and Coco could help but be worried for the sheer exhaustion she could hear. "It has been."

"You know, I think I've also come up with a plan to help Team RWAN." Coco lied once more, she had had exactly zero luck on that front after the attack. Not because Team RWAN had tried to distance themselves or anything, if anything they were sticking closer to Team CFVY now, but due to the fact there simply hadn't been any time. Coco had gone from worrying about nearly getting abducted - because she refused to call it a kidnapping - to worrying about Pyrrha.

The lie worked however, and it distracted Pyrrha from her rightful suspicion. "You have?"

"We can talk about it later tonight." Coco said. "In the meantime, what movie do you want to watch? I'm thinking of a comedy."

"Oh, how about that new Blue Shirt Guy movie!" Velvet said a little more excitedly than she usually would have. "I hear it's really good."

Pyrrha smiled softly. "That sounds nice."

"Velvet is just saying that because it has Byran Reinolds in it." Coco smirked. "She has had a crush on him for the longest time."

"I have not!" Velvet glared back at her, the familiar argument playing out and helping to distract Pyrrha just as Coco had hoped it would.

Hopefully a night in with friends will help her relax. If it didn't, well, Coco would just have to find something to cheer her up. A certain blonde haired, blue eyed, knight springing to mind. The things I do for you…

Roman was not a good man, he knew that. Neo knew that. Hell, all of Vale knew that. Despite this he had tried to be good to those who were good to him. He didn't have a very large crew, not liking to share the spotlight with anyone other than Neo, but they were capable and leagues above your average criminal. So he had tried to treat them well, not out of some sense of kindness, but with the understanding that they had given him their loyalty and so he would take care of them in turn.

That professional courtesy stretched farther than most would have assumed, and he had lost count of the number of weddings and birthdays he had been invited to. He even attended a few every now and then. It was for that reason his men had stuck with him through when Cinder Fall had laid her claws in him. Loyalty.

How he hated it.

"Breathe, you're gonna be fine." Roman pressed down with a cloth on a wound far too big to cover. "I know a doc near here who can patch you up no problem."

It was a lie, and the kid knew that. Roman could see it in his eyes, the certainty of his own death, as well as the acceptance. "T-they came so quick… we-" The man - boy - coughed, a hacking and wet sound that assured blood had started to fill his lungs.

"Neo! Get me some water!" Roman snapped, Neo moving off a few feet before rushing back with a half empty bottle of water. It wasn't perfect, but to a dying man it might as well have been.

The kid drank it quickly, before shoving the empty bottle away and looking him in the eyes. "They s-said they're-" He coughed again, some of the blood landing on Roman's suit, the rest dripping down his chin. "-coming for you. I'm so-" The coughing returned before cutting off abruptly.

Roman set the boy down gently, before standing; withdrawing a cigar from his jacket. He didn't like employing kids, less because of moral reasons and more because they didn't know how to do the job. Boy had been different though, raised on the streets like Roman had been, and had a solid head on his shoulders. The kid was smart, smart enough to be working simple jobs before he had even been fifteen. He'd been one mistake away from getting a knife in the back when Roman found him. He'd given him a job and paid him well, and in turn he had given him his loyalty. Now he was dead, and it wasn't hard to see who was responsible.

The grizzly cut of a snarling beowolf head in his chest was unique enough, even before the three claw marks over it. The same symbol had been carved in the rest of the bodies around him. The red flags hanging from the burned out remains of one of his safehouses were another good giveaway.

It seemed the White Fang wasn't quite done in Vale after all, and they also seemed to know he had a hand in their recent losses. Roman pulled the cigar from his mouth and threw it into the burning remains of his building. "Fuck! Neo." He turned his back on the building. "Message the boys to meet at our fall back, I want a full count of how many we have left… I'm going to reach out to a certain Huntress friend of ours and see if we can't get some answers. "

Neo nodded, the usually vindictive smile on her face gone. She had never been what you'd call normal, but she had run just as many jobs with them as he had, and seeing their mutilated bodies was enough to turn even the hardest of stomachs.

Someone was going to pay. Roman would make sure of it.

Author's Note: Very Coco centric chapter for a change, don't get to many of these. She has her fair share of scenes of course, and that's actually something I wanted to ask about. I have a habit of showing other characters center stage a bit more than I maybe should and I want to know what you - the reader - thinks about that. Would you rather I keep it specifically to Pyrrha? Or is it good the way things are going? More of one or less of the other?

I've made a lot of mistakes with this story and I'm always trying to improve, so let me know what you think. Lessons learned through failure are often more important than ones through success anyways.

Hope you guys all enjoyed it and as always let me know what you think in the reviews.

Sincerely, SE