Author's Note: New chapter, be sure to let me know what you think in the reviews!

The small alleyway had quickly been cordoned off from the public, Atlesian soldiers arriving a full twenty minutes before the city's own police. By the time that they had arrived Atlas had already secured their wounded attackers and transported them back towards the General's ship. One particularly brave officer was currently arguing with Winter about that, yelling something about jurisdiction before Winter responded with calm words Pyrrha couldn't make out.

She and Jaune had been treated by medics the moment they arrived, though Pyrrha required little more than a cleaning and large bandage to stop anything from getting in and infecting the wound until her Aura could seal that surface level damage. At worst, it would take a day or two, but she already felt confident in saying she could remove the bandage and the bleeding wouldn't continue. The medic glaring her way prevented her from doing that however, and she turned back to get a look at Jaune.

His wounds were a little deeper, his Aura not being as reflexive as her own, but thankfully he had managed to get it up before the bullets could hit anything important or dig too deep. The medics had been forced to remove the bullet, as it had been lodged inside unlike Pyrrha's own which had fallen out, but Jaune had hardly seemed to notice as they did.

"So…" Pyrrha said hesitantly as Jaune rubbed the spot on his back that had been bandaged. She swatted his hand before he could pick at it, earning an equally amused and indignant look that brought the smallest of smiles to her face. "Tonight could have gone better."

"Ha." Jaune laughed, wincing softly as he inadvertently stretched his back in the process. "Ow, okay, no laughing. Uh, yeah, a mugging wasn't on the agenda. Not unless Weiss snuck it somewhere in the schedule."

Pyrrha chuckled softly. "While she seems like the meticulous type, I doubt she'd plan out a date to the exact minute." Jaune looked away from her, though she did catch the way his hand tried to reach for the back of his neck. The only reason he didn't was because of the pain from his back. She was so distracted that it took her a moment to realize that Jaune didn't sound like he was joking "You can't be serious…"

"She wanted to help." Jaune shrugged, pulling out his scroll and flicking open an image Weiss had sent him of a spreadsheet with times and general notes. "I asked her to help me plan out a couple dates after all. She may have taken that a bit too literally."

Pyrrha looked at the image and couldn't help but laugh. While it didn't necessarily have a minute by minute breakdown, it did actually have vague time slots for traveling and actually watching the movie. There were a few options after that in the event they wanted to stay out longer, somewhere restaurants in Vale or other somewhat romantic activities, while one was the recommendation of returning to Beacon and eating at the CCT. Pyrrha found it a bit odd Jaune hadn't decided to take up any of the other ideas, as he had always seemed the romantic type, but she supposed some of them might have been a bit much for a second date. Going on moonlight lit walks through the Vale Central Park had been something Pyrrha had fantasized about on at least one occasion, but she knew Jaune would need time to get to that. She was willing to wait, just so long as he knew she was interested, she would wait as long as he needed.

"Amber." Winter seemed to finally have finished her argument with the police officer, giving her the chance to talk to Pyrrha for the first time since they had arrived. "I'm glad to see you are both relatively unharmed, you should be free to carry on your evening here shortly."

Pyrrha looked to Jaune but sighed, as much as she would have liked that, she found it hard to believe any such attempt would lead anywhere. He was hurt, and while he would be fine, it was probably best to let him get back to Beacon and rest. "I think we're done for the night." When Jaune didn't object, the decision was concluded.

The look on Winter's face was clearly apologetic, but they both knew it wasn't her fault. Whoever it was that had attacked her had been the ones to blame, and in the coming days she hoped to find out. If only so she knew who to roast over an open fire for daring to interrupt her date with Jaune.

"Allow us to transport you back to Beacon." Winter gestured towards the Bullhead that was landed in a parking lot across the street. They had initially landed in the road, cutting off traffic and posting soldiers to redirect it down an alternate route. The police had insisted they move it however, and with there being no clear sign of danger, Winter had ordered it.

"Thank you, Winter." Pyrrha nodded, standing from the stone steps she had been sitting on before turning and offering a hand to Jaune. He accepted it with little complaint, though he did pause to move his shoulders a bit.

"What do we do with this?" He held up the icy form of Crocea Mors before him, drawing Pyrrha and Winters attention to it. It seemed to be the first time she had noticed it, because her eyes widened slightly for a moment, moving to meet Pyrrha's own before she got it back under control.

"I can dispose o-"

"Keep it." Pyrrha said, interrupting Winter before she could continue. "Consider it a souvenir of surviving your first real fight." And hopefully a reminder of her whenever he looked at it.

"First?" Jaune looked up at her with a nervous look on his face. "Does this happen a lot with you?"

"No." Pyrrha replied quickly, before her brain started thinking of all the different missions and battles she had fought through. She winced softly. "Well, usually I'm the one going out looking for trouble." Except for the attack on Coco by Mercury and Emerald, who had waited for just the right moment to strike. The only reason that she hadn't been taken hostage was because of Fox's Semblance alerting them of the attack. She winced once more, looking Jaune up and down to reassure herself that he was alright. "Usually."

"A Specialist is always in some degree of danger." Winter said, trying to help her but in all honesty only serving to deepen Pyrrha's own concerns. "We are the best Atlas has to offer, that strength often draws challenges, but Amber is more than capable of handling it, I assure you." The trust was appreciated, though in truth there were only a handful of people in the world who could beat her when she was using her Magic and Maiden Powers; that kind of confidence was easy when Pyrrha was the equivalent of a walking superweapon. The people around her weren't usually so lucky. "We should start heading back to Beacon, I believe Mr. Arc has class tomorrow, does he not?"

Pyrrha winced once more, looking down at her Scroll and only now realizing the late hour. Jaune seemed to come to the same conclusion, groaning softly as he started moving over towards the Bullhead.

"Thanks Winter." Pyrrha whispered beside her friend as they followed after him. "I'm sorry to have caused such a scene."

"Nonsense, you are a sister-in-arms." Winter replied easily. "I regret that we could not aid you sooner. If we had, then your night might have ended very differently." The subtle tilt at the end of her lips made it clear Winter was teasing her, but despite that Pyrrha couldn't help the blush that came to her cheeks.

The most they would have gotten up to would have been a kiss, maybe two if Pyrrha were lucky, but even if that was relatively tame in comparison to what Pyrrha knew Qrow and Winter did behind closed doors, and it was surprisingly embarrassing to have it brought up. Speaking of which, she could have sworn she heard Qrow over the call with Winter when she reported the attack, yet she hadn't seen a single feather of him. When she asked Winter, the cheery attitude fell away, and Pyrrha almost regretted mentioning anything.

"Qrow has led a second team to investigate another developing situation."

"Developing situation?" Pyrrha knew she wasn't the most informed when it came to military briefings and even the terminology used, but that phrase seemed intentionally vague.

Winter stopped just as they finally crossed the street, letting some distance grow between them and Jaune, before looking around to make sure no one else was within earshot. She waited for a police officer to move a few steps further down the street before she finally spoke.

"Councilman Greenwood had been assassinated." Winter delivered the news swiftly, though it took Pyrrha a moment to truly process it and understand the true meaning behind it. When it did, her panic was quick to set in. "It was an attack that took place shortly after you called in, Qrow split off with the second Bullhead to investigate. By the time he arrived at the Councilman's manor, he was already dead."

"Who-" Pyrrha nearly shouted, only stopping when Winter placed a hand on her shoulder, helping to remind her of where they were. "W-who attacked him?"

"All evidence seems to point towards the White Fang." Winter said, and it wasn't exactly difficult to conclude. The Council of Vale had been quick to throw a ceremony together to commemorate the 'destruction' of the White Fang, and they now knew for a fact the terrorist organization had returned to the city. A targeted attack like that wasn't out of the question, and yet Winter seemed hesitant.

"Do you think this attack was connected somehow?" Pyrrha looked back towards the alleyway, though there was nothing special to see. The survivors had already been taken in for questioning while the bodies of the dead had been retrieved and taken as well.

"Personally? No." Winter shook her head. "While you are indeed an important individual, you are not necessarily a public one, not in the same way that the Councilman was. This may have been a diversion, but I find that equally unlikely."

"What do you mean?"

"They weren't targeting you." Winter said. "Rather, the person you were with."

Pyrrha's blood ran cold and she struggled to breath. "J-Jaune? But why? He's never done anything to-"

"Remember who our real enemy is." Winter said cryptically, though for anyone in the know it wasn't exactly difficult to understand. "The group that attacked from the rear focused on your date rather than yourself. It is possible that was mere coincidence, but this entire night seems off. Two attacks are not suspicious, but anyone who would wish to attack you would know to not bring anything less than a dozen well trained fighters; even then the odds are still in your favor. For your date however?" Winter briefly looked over to the Bullhead where Jaune was waiting. "I intend no insult, but his training is certainly weak enough to allow him to fall to a group such as this."

"B-but we don't know that yet, do we?" Pyrrha asked, desperately wishing to hold on to what hope she could that she hadn't painted a target on Jaune's back. She knew that she had enemies, but they were just that, her enemies, and the last thing she wanted was for Juane to have to start watching over his shoulder.

"We don't know." Winter said. "But until we do, I advise that he not explore Vale alone. I believe Miss Adel already has a similar understanding."

Pyrrha's hope snuffed out at the reminder this would technically be the second time someone close to her had been attacked. While it was possible that was a coincidence, she was willing to risk a third time to confirm it.

"I'll talk to him." Pyrrha said softly. "His team will be able to help."

Winter nodded and turned back towards the Bullhead, leaving Pyrrha on the sidewalk to collect her thoughts before she followed after. Taking her seat beside Jaune, she recognized the look on his face. Not necessarily concerned, but it wasn't simple curiosity either, rather some kind of mix between the two. A determined look that made it clear he wanted answers. It was one of the rare looks he used that gave her a glimpse of the man she knew he could be.

"What's wrong?" Jaune asked, though she had known the question was coming long before he had said it.

Pyrrha had been struggling with how to warn him of the danger without telling him everything. A part of her wanted to tell him about Salem and Cinder, about Magic and Maidens, and even about who she really was. She didn't, however, and shamefully not because she was concerned for his own safety; which she was. No, her reason for not telling him was far more selfish. She was afraid that it would drive him away. She knew that she'd have to tell him eventually, just not yet.

In the meantime though, he had to be warned. Thankfully, she had the White Fang to blame at least. It wouldn't be the complete truth, but it would at least help him see the danger he was in. All because of her. Pyrrha promised herself that she would tell him the truth, and let him decide whether she was worth it or not, just not yet.

Sleep had not come to her easily, and she felt the effects of her poor rest once she woke up. Pyrrha had been kept up stressing about the attack initially, such a small thing in comparison to the battles and life or death struggles that she had already gone through, but which felt all the more concerning because it wasn't her in danger. She'd struggled with that fact when Qrow had gone missing in Mistral, but she'd been forced to readdress it with Coco when she was attacked in Vale. Emerald and Mercury hadn't made any overt moves after that, though that didn't mean they hadn't been working in the shadows. There was no way to tell just how long they had been planning the attack on Coco, or if they had a hand in this one against her and Jaune. The fear of uncertainty had kept her up, and sadly she hadn't managed to work through all of those concerns by morning.

Velvet had commented on it, subtly hinting that Pyrrha should consider getting a bit more sleep; Coco hadn't even tried to be subtle, saying that Pyrrha needed to wrap up whatever she had for the day and get her ass back to bed. When Pyrrha joked about training she thought the fashionista might snap, and if looks could kill, then Coco would have given Glynda a run for her money. It had taken nearly an hour to convince her she had been joking, and it had only ended there because Team CFVY had to attend class. That had given Pyrrha the chance to slip away to her meeting with the Headmaster.

Qrow and Winter were already there upon her arrival, holding a surprisingly civil conversation considering the distaste they had had with the Headmaster the last time that she had seen them speak. They turned to regard her as she entered, offering what greetings they could muster. It was clear she hadn't been the only one to lose sleep, in fact the only one who looked properly rested was Glynda, and the reason why became quickly apparent.

"Nothing." Qrow said in between yawns as he slouched in his chair. "One dead Councilor and a White Fang mask. That was it."

"No sign of forced entry or a struggle?" Ozpin asked, far better at dealing with the exhaustion, either due to his centuries of experience or because of the cup of coffee in his hand.

"I doubt the Councilman would have been able to put up much of one." Winter said. "I've had the displeasure of meeting him before, he was certainly not an active man."

"Still, you'd expect some kind of fight." Qrow replied. "Not here though, almost like he never saw it coming."

"Is it possible that he was working with the White Fang?" Winter asked. "Maybe he thought they were his allies, and so let them into his home?"

"Unlikely." Ozpin shook his head.

"With all due respect, Headmaster, the Council of Vale is not infallible." Winter said, and while the words were certainly icy enough, her voice wasn't quite as accusatory as Pyrrha might have expected. "The Councilor had made numerous proposals to remove or limit Atlesian forces in the city, it is possible he has been bribed to do so."

"On that we agree." Ozpin nodded. "But I am not trying to defend the late Councilor's character, rather, it is the subject of said character that makes me hesitant to believe he was allied with Faunus."

Winter sighed, for once sitting back in her chair in a manner shockingly similar to Qrow. "A racist then, a suitable target for a White Fang attack. How convenient."

"Quite." Ozpin sipped from his coffee mug, but offered nothing more as he finished. Instead, he turned to regard Pyrrha. "I see you have not slept well either, if Glynda ever authorizes the expenditure, I may get our little club t-shirts."

"School funding is stretched thin as it is." Glynda said simply.

"Now is not the time for jokes sir." Winter snapped, sitting up once more.

"On the contrary, I believe it is quite the right time." Ozpin said. "We are, all of us, exhausted, and I fear little progress will be made if we fail to keep spirits high. It is not my intention to belittle the loss of life, nor to suggest we fail to act. Just as I am sure it is not your intention to imply such."

Pyrrha thought that Winter might argue back, but after a few long seconds of tense silence, she sagged backwards once more. "General Ironwood has already assigned Clover to the case. He believes the increase in theft across the city is somehow related."

"Knowing the guy's Semblance, he's probably right." Qrow yawned, reaching for the coffee mug that he had long since drained, scowling down at it as he realized it was still empty.

"Are they stealing more Dust?" Pyrrha asked, honestly not sure what she hoped to hear. The White Fang of her time had used Torchwick to acquire the Dust they needed to launch their attack. Those thefts had fallen off the last she had heard, partly because of the thief's change in allegiance, but Pyrrha had mostly assumed it was a sign that the old plan was no longer viable.

"Not Dust." Ozpin replied. "Heavy machinery."

It took Pyrrha a moment to process what he said. "What?"

"There has been a noticeable rise in theft related to compact all-terrain heavy machinery." Ozpin explained. "Construction equipment."

"What?" Pyrrha shook her head. "How would that be related?"

"I suppose that is for Specialist Ebi to find out." Ozpin shrugged softly.

"I will pass the report along to you as soon as it is compiled." Winter rubbed at the bridge of her nose. "While I do not personally see a connection, Clover has a way of seeing things others do not. The timing is suspicious at any rate."

"How the hell would you even hide stuff like that?" Qrow groaned.

"Mountain Glenn?" Pyrrha offered. "They used it as a strong hold in my time, and it certainly has the space for it."

"Assuming they could get it there to begin with." Qrow replied. "I can check in with the border patrol, see if they've seen anything suspicious."

"Leave it to Clover, he was assigned the task for a reason." Winter waved her hand in dismissal. "Besides, we've already searched the city. While there were signs of former inhabitation, the White Fang clearly abandoned it when their operation in the city was compromised."

"What about the tunnels?" Pyrrha asked.

"Caved in." Winter replied. "They hadn't cleared the entrance way yet, so they likely didn't spend long there-"

"They wouldn't have been." Ozpin said seriously. "The tunnels were caved in on the approach to Vale, not the exit from Mountain Glenn. They should have still been open."

"I will dispatch a team there to investigate immediately." Winter stood from her chair, already turning towards the door before the Headmaster stopped her.

"Do so discreetly." Ozpin clicked a button on his desk and a hologram was projected from it, an image of a Grimm Pyrrha had only seen once. The small thing she had easily killed during this year's initiation. "Salem has been watching us." The room went silent, the quiet tapping of Qrow's foot stopped, and if Pyrrha was right they each held their breath. She knew she had anyways. "I have found three of these, counting the one Pyrrha encountered during initiation. I believe our enemy is using them to spy on us."

They had been watching the initiation. Had they done the same in her own time? Or was this a change that she had caused with her actions? If she had, what possibly could have led to this?

"And this is only coming up now?" Qrow shook his head softly. "The hell Ozpin? Don't you think you should have told us about this?"

"I would have had I any idea what they were until recently, even now I have little to prove it. Rather, it is the only purpose they could serve." Ozpin replied with a calm that contrasted with Qrow's anger. "I have rarely encountered them in my long lifetime, they seem to be a closely guarded secret of Salem's. They are hardly capable of combat, and yet each and every one of her lieutenants I have faced has had one in their possession. I did not know for certain what it is they did, nor did I know that they were present near school grounds."

"How long have they observed the students?" Winter asked before Qrow could speak.

"I do not know." Ozpin said. "But I am certain that they were not present only a few years ago."

"A few years?" Qrow looked up towards the roof of the office for a moment with a quiet groan. "That's the best you can give us? Do you know how much damage these things might have don-"

Winter placed a hand on Qrow's shoulder, driving him to silence. He looked between her and the Headmaster a few times before shaking his head and ignoring him altogether.

"I will inform the General." Winter nodded, this time waiting for the Headmaster to do the same before turning. Qrow was on his feet a second later and followed after; Pyrrha doing the same. Ozpin offered a polite farewell, but only Winter returned it; Qrow being far too mad and Pyrrha still too uncertain about the implications of Salem spying on them.

As the elevator reached ground level they went their separate ways, though not before both Qrow and Winter earned a promise from her that she was going to get some rest. Despite her reluctance, she agreed on the grounds that they do the same. Judging from the side look that they gave one another, Pyrrha didn't want to know what said rest would entail.

Team CFVY's dorm was abandoned when she returned, its original inhabitant still in class. That left her the use of the bathroom, and she decided to take a page out of Yang's book. On more than one occasion the members of Team RWBY's dorm had been forced to come use JNPR's shower because the blonde brawler was taking too long. With the room to herself though, Pyrrha didn't have to feel bad about it. Drawing herself a bath, she forced herself to relax. Even if only for a short while.

She had promised Coco after all, she wouldn't mind the lack of hot water when she got back.

Author's Note: I just wanna take a second to address a fairly common question in reviews and comments over on Wattpad. I do have a plan for how long this story is going to go in terms of canon timeline, but I won't reveal that to anyone specifically as that would be too much of a spoiler for my tastes. You'll just have to read and find out. I will say, the story will be complete in 2023 but that's all you will get from me.

Hope you all enjoyed, and as always be sure to review and let me know what you think.

Sincerely, SE