Alright, picking up from where we last left off a while ago… Welcome back! Life's been complicated, but finally settling down. Child. Marriage. Life. I haven't forgotten about this story, but we all need to prioritize. Hope I haven't lost too many of you. Also, if you haven't done so, go ahead and join the Lancaster discord server. There's a bunch of us weirdos enjoying the best ship in RWBY there.

Dis cord. Gg/ TjqEvEUG (add [h t t (ps) :/ /]) and removed the spaces and brackets, or just PM me for an invite.

Sweetsonabeech – I appreciate you saying that. It may not seem like a lot, but your support is what keeps me going.

Guest – Eh, it wasn't so much about winning or losing. You might be looking for something that's not too important. Just enjoy the fun.

Vostok2142 – That's what I'm going for here. More chaos, more trouble, more laughs.

Dharshan – Don't be confused, while it's a prologue, it's the prologue to the sequel story. The original work, "Operation: Attack RWBY", came out in January of 2020. I'd recommend that prior to reading this.

GodRealm

Italicized – Inner Thoughts

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Operation: Attack RWBY 2

Chapter 2: Just a Normal Day

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Blake huffed loudly on the roadside under the scorching sun, cradling her chin in her palm. It was yet another sizzling day in Mistral and she didn't appreciate it. In fact, it was downright disrespectful at this point. Granted, it was preferable to have warmer temperatures when you're on vacation as compared to the frigid weather she was familiar with in Atlas, but after finishing up her most recent mission and suffering in the heat during this time of year, she was over it.

It might not have been as bad if it wasn't a surveillance mission where she was posted in one spot for hours at a time for an entire week. The inability to so much as leave her confines, which also was out in the blistering heat during all that time was enough to question her career path. Next time she won't be as quick to jump at an "easy, well-paying mission" from the task board back home in Vale. Yes, she would be sure to read the fine print next time.

The only positive she took away from being stuck in one spot for so long was the ability to catch up on some long overdue reading. She had been shrewd enough to pack away a barrage of her favorite books and even some new ones to keep her occupied while she received the tan she hadn't asked for. Who knew when she would get the chance to do more reading with how life was, especially with—

"THREE OF A KIND!"

Well, with him…

"Read 'em and weep, Ren." Sun announced loud enough for the entire neighborhood to hear if there was one. "Bow before my might!"

Blake could only huff more, sounding more exasperated than previously as Sun had once again, pre-emptively proclaimed victory in yet another card game he and Ren were playing on the makeshift table from a cardboard box they had found some time ago. She couldn't recall how many games the pair had played at this point, but each and every single one of them had some interjection of the monkey boy stating he had defeated the ninja only for it to—

"Full house." Ren muttered placing his card on the box.

Sun's face faltered from an arrogant laugh to a distressed, bug-eyed Faunus man-child who couldn't believe he had lost… again.

"Impossible!" He declared, pointing at the emotionless boy across from him.

"That you lost?" Ren asked, while shuffling the cards back into the deck. "You've lost every single hand thus far in case you forgot."

"I know you're cheating!"

"I don't need to cheat to beat you."

"You're not going to-"

"It's your turn to deal."

Sun composed himself after a moment of silence, coughing in his hand before sitting once more at the box. He took the cards in his hands, offering a skeptical look at them after Ren had shuffled them. He split the deck himself and re-sorted the cards, as the boy across from him remained as stoic as usual. Slowly, almost methodically, he checked the cards over and over before shuffling once more until he was satisfied.

"I've got you this time!" Sun announced once more.

Being bored with this endless loop of insanity, Blake shifted her gaze to Nora who was humming to herself while she snacked on the last of their rations the group had pooled together after traveling together to their destination. The cat Faunus examined the orange-haired thoroughly, watching as the crumbs from eat morsel of food left crumbs around her collar.

Blake wanted to say something to the girl, but knew just by how Nora was, you couldn't change her. Blake's ears twitched as she observed and listened to the shorter girl's lips smacking amongst the other digestive noises her body made as she continued to hum to herself as she had been, kicking her legs and smiling. While he admired the girl's cheery optimism, Blake and her had very little in common. One, a volatile extrovert, while the other, a complete introvert. Of all their friends, they were the starkest of opposites within the group.

Watching this scene unfold was a prime example. The mashing of each bite Nora took was enough to make Blake's skin crawl and stomach churn. It was almost as if she inhaled the snacks at the rate she was consuming but still found a way to make herself known by the way she made the combination of slurping chewing sounds.

Yes, between an awkward ninja, her all-brawn-and-no-brain boyfriend, and a Nora, she was most definitely the odd one out. She never thought she would miss the chaos of her own team, but they were just that, her team.

She smiled as she thought of them, ignoring the ongoing turmoil coming from the card game nearby. Blake never imagined that she would fit in with anyone when she arrived at Beacon, let alone become as involved with her team as she had. After having the early life experiences she had; leaving home, joining a makeshift cult for lack of a better term, and running from her mistakes—the idea of finding her place in this world was seemed less evident a few years ago… but not anymore. Now was a different time, and now she had them. They were more than just friends. They were more than just teammates. They were a family.

She mulled her thoughts over, keeping the grin plastered on her face as she looked over to Nora who was now standing up, dropping the box of treats she had previously been munching on for Oum knows how long at this point.

"I fink I veer sheem!" The crumb-covered girl yelled as she chewed and stared down the road.

"W-what?" Blake responded.

"I fed I veer sheem!"

"Nora, swallow your food." Ren muttered, proclaiming victory once more over a shrieking Sun.

Nora did as she was commanded, pouting slightly at her boyfriend's remarks. Sometimes he had that parent-like tone that she didn't appreciate. None the less, she would deal with that attitude at a later time. "I said I think I see them!"

Blake stood from her seated position, offering a weak grunt as she stretched after spending so much time on the curb's edge before strolling over to where Nora was looking. Sun joined her as well, dumping the cards to the wayside, much to Ren's chagrin as he retrieved them and placed them back into the card box muttering how the loser should be the one doing it.

The group gazed down the elongated, empty road down the countryside, In the distance were the many large villas offered on the mountainside owned by what could only be perceived as the wealthy upper-class. They were spaced out a great deal from one another, showing off the vast land accompanying the properties. They encumbered as much area as the eye could see.

It was no surprise that Weiss would suggest such a place the group figured. Whether her family owned one of the estates or she was just familiar with the area, it definitely fit her MO. Regardless, the hot springs resort that resided on this end of the ridge they would be staying at was enough for everyone to agree on this group vacation. Well… everyone except Schnee heiress's blue-haired boyfriend who attempted relentlessly to get out of the trip, postpone it, or manipulate the other's opinions to change the location. Needless to say, the results stayed the same.

Sun covered his brow with his tail as he continued to squint down the road before noticing what Nora had. Approaching them was indeed a limousine that Neptune had described to him over a scroll message not too long ago.

"Finally." The monkey Faunus announced. "Now the fun can start."

The group remained standing on the curbside as the vehicle finally reached where they resided. They watched as a slim, older gentlemen exited the vehicle and tipped his hat towards them before making his way to the back of the stretch and gently opening one of the doors. Slowly, each member of team RWBY, along with Pyrrha, Neptune, and Jaune exited.

As if by instinct, Ruby, Yang, and Weiss made their way to their remaining teammate, embracing her in a hug. While they had been continuing missions as a four-person cell, solo missions were often taken up by each member of the huntsman/huntresses, so there had been an extended duration where the four had not been able to see each other. Following suit was Team JNPR and finally Sun and Neptune who gave a fist bump to one another. One by one, they all greeted each other as the chauffeur retrieved each of their bags from the car, moving them off the road to the curb as he had been used to. Once he had finished, he awaited the signal from Weiss to return to the vehicle. Each former occupant thanked him for a safe trip before he returned to the vehicle and drove back in the opposite direction, leaving the group to their own devices.

"This is going to be great!" Yang cheered as she retrieved her bag. "A whole week of sun, sweat, and relaxation. I think I might never go back home."

"I don't think dad would like that very much." Ruby retorted with a slight giggle. "He would get plenty lonely with no one but Zwei to talk to."

"Eh, one day he will have to accept that his kids are growing up. Look at you for example. You moved out right after graduation, sometimes I think I should have done the same. Then again, I don't have a boyfriend or girlfriend to shack up with."

Jaune stumbled as he retrieved Ruby's bags along with his own at the fellow blonde's declaration, noticing her smirk as well. "Do you have to say 'shack up with?' It's such an old person term."

She turned back towards him, rubbing his golden locks with her free hand while his were full of luggage, much to his chagrin. The taller boy had grown into the habit of taking care of his hair—more so than he had even as long as a year ago, so the girl's attempt to rustle his jimmies was working. Ruby offered a smile to him as he began his trek towards the building up the walkway, knowing resisting Yang's antics was futile and would be an ongoing event as long as he was dating her sister. That was something he was in for the long haul.

The two girls followed behind him as Weiss watched on, cutting her conversation with Nora short.

"Look at Jaune." She commented before looking back at Neptune and Sun who were still talking to one another. "Hey babe," She spoke once more, garnering Neptune's attention. "Grab my bags too!" She ordered with a sweet smile.

Neptune looked to the mountain of bags that rested on the curb before looking back at her as she continued to smile… then back at the heaping mess. "Y-you're joking, right?"

Sun took this time to sneak off, abandoning his teammate while his back was turned, snatching his own bag up with his tail before placing a finger in front of his mouth, signaling 'Shh' directly at Blake who laughed to herself and made her way up the pathway with him arm in arm.

"Jaune grabbed Ruby's bag."

"Bag. Singular."

"It's not even that much."

"For an entourage, maybe."

"Ugh," She replied, walking past him to retrieve what she could before heading towards their destination with the others. "we are going to have to work on those gentlemanly qualities of yours."

Neptune watched as Weiss walked off with Pyrrha and Nora, leaving Neptune and Ren at the curb in an awkward silence.

"Hey buddy," Neptune tried. "help a friend out with some luggage?"

"I'll play you for it." Ren commented, shaking the deck of cards he and Sun had previously used with a weak smile.

"You're on."

Needless to say, Ren made quick work of the boy much like his teammate.

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"It's about time, slow poke." Sun commented as Neptune dropped the last parcel off in the hotel lobby, collapsing with the bag as it hit the floor.

"F…Fuck you." He commented between his mouth-breathing before recuperating moments later. "You left a man behind. I thought we were junior detectives for life?"

"Hey man, I'm not risking that doll being in one those bags I pick up." He spoke with a slight shudder. "Filthy thing."

"Her name is Snowflake, you classless dolt." Weiss remarked from behind the pair, making her way over to her worn-out boyfriend. "She happens to be a family heirloom passed down for generations. Its value is immeasurable."

"Sooooo, worthless?" Sun replied with a shrug, earning him a glare from the white-haired girl before her eyes traveled back to Neptune.

"I hate your best friend."

"I hate him too."

She sighed slightly before kneeling down to his side and placing a hand on his shoulder, earning her his attention. "But you're great." She stated, giving him a peck on the cheek right after. The boy's cheeks turned a light pink at the display of affection so openly by the usually reserved girl. "You'll get a surprise later for your hard work."

The boy rose to his feet, strength renewed after his lovely girlfriend's comments, all the while smirking at his teammate.

"You hear that? I get a surprise!" He proclaimed proudly before turning around for some clarification. "A-a good surprise, right?"

Weis rubbed her head in frustration, sighing lightly at his question. "Yes."

"A good surprise!" Neptune proclaimed once more.

Weiss left the two with the luggage as she made her way to the front desk to speak with the hotel staff about the rooms she had personally booked for the group. Meanwhile, on the far side of the room the others had gathered with their belongings waiting for the Schnee girl.

Ruby took the time to look around while the group conversed. She had never truly been on a vacation as a kid growing up other than the short trips she would take with Yang and her father to theme parks for the day or a weekend in the city when the ladder was there for business. This whole ordeal was exciting. A group of friends spending a week lounging around and enjoying a good time in the middle of nowhere at a hot springs resort. It was almost like the plot to a B-rated horror movie in the making, but surely nothing like bodies turning up would happen.

Surely.

The lobby area was ornamented with modern décor, but still had that old-time feel of a countryside hot springs. The lights were dimly lit and relaxing music played softly from the speakers around the corners of the room to set the mood as you walked in. The smell of different aromatic soaps flooded the room as well as incense. They were slightly overpowering, but soothing nonetheless. She couldn't help but notice her older sister gagging slightly though. Probably some form of karma.

She opted to have a seat net to Nora, who was wasting no time helping herself to the variety of treats offered on one of the coffee tables in the foyer area. Distracting herself from the… interesting sight, she looked over to Jaune, who was conversing with Ren on the other side of the room with their luggage. The girl smirked to herself as she watched him. The last year had been amazing living with him and enjoying their time together. She wasn't sure if she would find the love that all those sappy romance novels talked about, but if she had to guess, she had done it.

Granted, they had their missteps as well just like any new couple, especially going from friends to basically housemates. They had to learn habits from one another and learn to be comfortable. She also had to whip him into proper shape. When Ruby wanted a cookie, she got a cookie. No form of scheming or blackmail was going to stop her, much like he had tried. The poor fool got his comeuppance. But she also had to learn that it was their space and she needed to respect his wishes as well.

He noticed her eyes on him from his peripheral vision, opting to turn towards her while Ren fiddled with his bag haphazardly before dropping it to the ground. He offered a wave and a goofy grin as she just laughed.

"Gross." A comment came from behind Ruby, startling her as she let out an 'eep' like noise. She turned to see her sister feigning like she was about to puke.

"We- I was just-"

"You can save it. Weiss asked me to gather everyone to head to their rooms."

"R-right. Come on, Nora."

"Okay!" The petite girl exclaimed, standing from the sofa immediately.

Nora strolled over to where Ren had been conversing with Jaune and snatched her bag up. She noticed he was fixing himself and still in talks with their blonde leader as she approached them. In an attempt to be ready, she reached for Ren's bag, something he took notice of as he snatched it up before she could take hold of it.

"What are you doing?" He asked with a startled face.

"I was just grabbing your bag for you? What's your problem?" She replied with a minor tone to match his.

"Nothing…" He answered straightaway. "It's just…"

"Just?..."

"Your hands are filthy."

"Excuse me?" The tone evermore present.

"Y-yeah." He stuttered. "You've been scarfing food and touching everything. Oum only knows where those hands have been."

"Ren… sweetie… my hands are plenty clean." She spoke between angered grunts.

"Hey! Hey!" Jaune interjected, attempting to thwart any type of altercation before they even had a chance to check-in. "Let's not fight, okay?"

The orange-haired girl and ninja stared down briefly before she huffed off, following behind Ruby and Pyrrha off towards the others. The blonde sighed audibly to himself. A leader's work is never done.

He noticed Ren walk ahead of him, unmoved by the previous confrontation. He wanted to ask him what that was about but the boy had moved on before any conversation could be started. Sure, Ren was sort of a neat freak, but never so much obsessive-compulsive to the point where Nora's hands should have him reeling away from him. It was strange; very strange indeed.

Jaune shrugged it off for now, opting to take up the rear with his bags and follow suit behind all the others for now. Not before long everyone arrived at a small common room. They were soon given their welcoming by much of the hotel staff and offered many different varieties of treats and drinks. He, along with others (mostly Yang) knew to keep an eye on Pyrrha as certain beverages were offered as well. Something the former valedictorian of their class definitely took notice of.

The group enjoyed the refreshments for the most part until a large man entered the room. The group took in the view of the man, his towering stature nothing that could go unnoticed. His skin was dark and he had golden eyes with brown hair and a chin-strap beard. He was toned, something Sun took exception with, no longer being the most fit one in the room… for now.

"Greetings." The man spoke. "My name is Hazel, and I'll be your concierge while you're all here."

The man approached the crowd before stopping at the table everyone had found themselves sitting at, still garnering their client attention.

"We hope you'll enjoy your stay here at the Salem Springs, but I have to go over a few rules before we-"

Wait a second.

The man continued his low-speaking as Ruby turned to look at Jaune who was sitting across the table from her. He returned the stare, both having the same preposterous thought creep into their mind. There was no way—no freaking way there was any relation to the owner of the shady hotel located in the heart of downtown Vale.

A tremor passed through Jaune as he recanted attempting to visit the hotel at one point not long after that one fateful night only for it to be under new management and no longer a hotel. Yes, it was now an office building for multiple different uses. To say he was alarmed would be an understatement when none of the people working there recalled it ever being a hotel.

"-and with that, we hope you enjoy your stay with us." The large man finished. "The last thing we will need from you all is to place your weapons in the appropriate lockers we have registered for all of you."

The group took a few moments in silence, staring at one another as the man stood there, watching them look collectively confused by his statement.

"Did I say something off-putting?"

"Well," Pyrrha began. "we are Huntsmen and Huntresses."

"Yes, I've been made aware."

"So, we don't exactly feel comfortable handing over our weapons to staff who aren't exactly trained in holding them or in cases of emergency where we might need them."

"Rest assured they will be properly taken care of and accessible to you whenever you might need them. It is for the safety of our other guests that we request you relinquish them for now."

"And why is that, exactly?" Blake asked before any of the others could interject.

The burly man sighed heavily as he shifted his attention to the girl and her own skeptical stare. He just wanted to do his job. Why did these kids have to ask so many questions before his lunch break?

"Think of it this way, we have other guests here on vacation. If they see a bunch of armed young adults running around our resort with their weapons, it doesn't exactly put them at ease, regardless of being Huntsmen and Huntresses. They might think something is wrong, or think you are terrorists."

"Why would they think—"

"Plus you all signed the waiver to relinquish them when you made your payment."

"W-we did?" Ruby questioned.

I don't remember signing anything when Weiss booked the tr—

As if on cue, one by one, each member of the dysfunctional group turned to Weiss, who's only recourse was to look away from the glaring eyes upon her as she whistled awkwardly to herself. She'd peek over every few seconds to find the irritated scowls from the majority, attempting her best to play off her blunder.

Sun beamed widely at the mistake. The perfect Schnee? Screw something up? He was not about to let her live this down. No sir, not for a long time.

"Ahem." Hazel grunted, garnering their attention once more. "So, if you don't mind?"

He gestured to the far end of the room behind the group. It was then that they all noticed lockers. Lockers similar to their time in beacon, presumable meant for their weapons. One by one, each marched to their assigned locker to put them in storage as they were contractually obligated to do.

Once it was Ruby's turn, she approached the locker slowly, being the last of the group to do so. Hazel opened the door for her, attempting to assist the small girl. She clutched it in her hands as a low whimper escaped her mouth. This drew the larger man's attention, observing the girl's snotty nose as she cried dramatically to herself.

He just wanted his munch break. It was hamburger day.

Jaune approached Ruby, giving her a motivational backrub in an attempt to console the girl, posing a smile to her. Eventually, and very reluctantly, she placed the weapon into the locker so Hazel could close it and put the pin code in to properly secure it. Individually, they were all given their passcodes to said lockers in case of emergency as hazel had stated earlier before making their way out of the common room.

"You'll see that your belongings have been taken to each of your rooms, respectively. Once again, enjoy your stay."

With that, they all departed the area, leaving the large man to his own devices.

"Finally. I'm fucking starving."

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"Your respective rooms, my butt!" Weiss grumbled as she tossed the luggage of another guest. "How unprofessional! They're definitely getting a bad review after this ordeal!"

"Hey, look on the bright side."

"What bright side?!"

"They got my luggage correct."

"Neptune… I swear to Oum, I'm not in the mood."

The blue-haired boy continued chuckling at the girl's misfortune. She had a point though. How on Remnant did they manage to get his correct and not hers? Tagged, labeled, and her custom signature all over the bags and they still screw it up. What a joke.

"Well, while you keep laughing, I'm going to go complain to management."

"I'll be putting my stuff away in the meantime."

"Don't get too comfy, I'll need helping moving everything once I find where they put it."

"…Woo."

The white-haired girl ignored the under-enthusiastic comment made by the boy, not willing to buy into it. Instead, she made her way towards the exit. She was alarmed when opening the door to find none other than lie Ren standing there in the doorway, presumably about to knock.

"Oh, hey, Weiss." He spoke, startled in his own right.

"Hey, yourself. Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, I was just looking for Neptune."

The girl pointed behind her in the direction of her humming boyfriend, who was methodically putting clothes away before walking past the ninja. "He's all yours."

Weiss disappeared down the hallway as Ren merely blinked at her response. She seemed rather displeased, but then again, that was more often than not. Not wishing to waste any more time, Ren made his way into the room.

"Hey Ren," Neptune spoke, noticing he was behind him. "what's up?"

"Well," Ren spoke, somewhat awkward. "I was wondering if maybe my luggage had wound up in here? It's not in my room, so I'm just checking around."

Neptune pondered to himself for a moment, scanning the room surroundings in case he had an extra bag. It definitely wasn't the one Weiss had just carried off, as that was definitely a female's name written on the tag.

"Nah, sorry. Looks like you have the same problem as Weiss."

Well that explained her walking off…

"Oh, I see. Damn it."

Perhaps it was the tone of his voice more than anything, but Neptune knew something was off. He turned to look at his gloomy friend, noticing a rather perplexed look on his face. It wasn't one of annoyance, but rather, of genuine concern. Neptune wasn't always the best at reading people… or the room for that matter, but he knew a friend that needed help.

"But I can help you find it."

Ren's eyes widened at the boy's remarks, looking over at him in a somewhat concerned manner, more so than usual for him.

"N-No, that's okay. I can handle it."

A stutter? From Ren? Now, this is interesting.

Neptune and Ren were friends. They'd been acquaintances most of their time knowing each other, but they had gotten to know each other pretty well since first meeting at Beacon and even more over the last year or so. So when Ren full on stuttered, that meant something from the usually collected boy.

"Are you… hiding something?" Neptune inquired bluntly.

"I-I… don't know w—"

"Save it. I can tell a decent bluff. I might not be good against you in those card games, but this is a different game."

Ren blinked for a moment, perplexed at how Neptune of all people would be the one to see through him. The black-haired boy sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. He knew he couldn't keep such a secret and locate this bag on his own. He was going to need Neptune's help at this rate.

He looked back towards the Vacuon boy, who awaited an answer. Ren gulped as he gawked around the room, as if there was another person in the room, an action that confused Neptune almost as much as when Ren waved him closer.

He closed the distance between them slowly. It seemed no matter how close he got, Ren beckoned him to move closer, and closer, finally moving his ear in front of his mouth. He cupped his lips to Neptune's ear, hesitant even then that he would be heard by an unwanted few before whispering faintly.

To say shock was Neptune's response was an underestimation. No, it was almost full-blown doubt.

Really?

The ninja backed away slowly thereafter, still unsure if whether he had made the correct choice telling Neptune.

"I see." Neptune answered.

"Yeah, that about sums it up."

Ren watched as Neptune walked towards the other side of the room, moving at a brisk pace. Was that all? Was he going to say or do anything about it? The boy arrived back the bag he had been unpacking when he first entered. He watched as he dug through carefully, tossing article of apparel to the side, seemingly looking for something.

"So, you can help me?" Ren questioned, a hint of concern escaping his lips.

Neptune didn't answer for a few moments, leaving Ren somewhat uncomfortable, especially after revealing something so personal. Eventually, the sorting stopped, and Neptune looked back the boy, a grin plastered on his face. It was a grin that made Ren entirely more uncomfortable.

"Of course," Neptune replied unreservedly. "and I've got just the thing to help us out."

Slowly, Neptune turned to face Ren, revealing to him what he had been sifting through his baggage for. The sight turned Ren from uncomfortable to just blatantly horrified, stealing the color from his face. Somewhere in the pit of his stomach, he knew this would end badly.

"Is that…"

"You bet it is-"

A new camera car.

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"Achoo!" Jaune yelped as he sneezed abruptly.

"You feeling sick, Jaune?" Sun asked with a worried tone.

The fellow blonde waved him off, scoffing at the mere idea. One sneeze constituting an illness? Not likely, probably just dust or maybe even pollen—the disgusting spores of death.

"On vacation? Hah! No way!" He retorted. "I'm on vacation. Nothing bad is going to happen. No illness, no rain, and no worries. It's just a normal day in paradise!"

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Sometimes life has other plans. Hope you all look forward to more.

GodRealm