They weren't here yet. It wasn't the most alarming thing Nora had to worry about right now, but still, it bothered her. It was still fairly early, but every minute that ticked by without any news from the others set her on edge. She hated not knowing.

Her eyes shifted over, across the room. Mercury and Emerald hadn't holed up in their room like she was expecting, but they certainly weren't trying to make any friends, either.

Fair. She doubted Jaune or Ren were feeling any more accommodating than they already were.

So she watched. She did a lot more watching than she used to, these days. Came with the territory of not being able to speak as much as she used to. She didn't mind it all that much. It was different for her, but it was fun. New. She was getting more comfortable watching, and listening to her friends.

And sometimes, people who weren't her friends.

Emerald wasn't all that strange. Weird, maybe, but they were all kind of weird, that wasn't really saying much. She was obviously much more nervous than anyone else in the house, except maybe Saphron and Terra, but given the circumstances that wasn't much of a surprise.

Outside of that, she did a remarkable job of trying to act like everything was normal. Every now and again she would snort in laughter, or shoot a glare at her partner. She stuck close to Mercury, and when they spoke it was too low for her or anyone else to hear. Occasionally, she would indulge Adrian, briefly fiddling with one of his toys or tickling him.

Mercury though, now he confused her. Nora didn't know all that much about Mercury and Emerald. Before the fall, Team RWBY were the ones who spoke with them and even that was mostly just being polite. From what she did know, though, Mercury was a lot less…personable than Emerald. More prone to say something you weren't sure was meant as an insult or not, but probably was. He was an asshole. And from the little she had seen since coming to Argus, that lined up perfectly.

So why was he the one that Adrian decided to attach himself to? And why did Mercury indulge him? She was willing to believe a lot about Mercury Black, but the idea that she would find him lounging on a couch doting over a toddler was admittedly one that had never crossed her mind before.

But there he was, handing the kid little chocolates. He was huffing and puffing, and complaining as he did so but there was a thin layer of amusement on his face, like the ghost of a smirk was resting underneath his sneer.

She wasn't really sure what to make of the two anymore. For months, all of them had been working under the assumption that they were still with Cinder. That eventually, they would have to come face to face. She knew Yang was itching for some payback after the Vytal Festival. So was she, for that matter.

Now though…what was she supposed to do? She was willing to hear them out because she wanted to know if they were genuine about wanting a new life. She believed them now, and so did Jaune. But where did that leave them all? At the end of the day, those two were still responsible for the fall. They still killed countless people, either themselves or because of their actions.

And now they wanted out. Nora knew it was for the best. She knew that leaving them alone and letting them stay with the Cotta-Arc's was the best decision for everyone, and Jaune agreed with her.

That didn't make it any easier to be around them.

"You've been staring at us for like an hour," Mercury said suddenly, and it took Nora a few seconds to realize he was talking to her. "You got something to say, or are you just taking the time to enjoy the view?"

He grinned as her face heated up. "Sorry to say, but I'm afraid neither of us are interested. We have enough to worry about at the moment." Emerald smiled, shaking her head trying to hold back laughter.

Nora ignored his taunting, fishing out her scroll. She may have been getting better at simply watching and waiting, and learning more how to listen, but she was still curious. And she was getting bored.

She typed out a quick message, then stood, walking over to the two of them. Mercury frowned, obviously not expecting her to actually approach them. She calmly held out her scroll, waiting.

Mercury narrowed his eyes slowly reaching out his hand. He snatched her scroll away, holding it up. "Why do you two like it here?" He read. He sighed, shaking his head and tossing her back her scroll. "Really? You think now is the time for small talk?"

Nora shrugged, holding out her hands. Why not?

Mercury shared a look with Emerald, who shrugged as well. "Whatever then," He said dismissively. "We already said, we just want to be left alone. Not much to ask, I don't think, not when we could have just stayed with Salem."

Emerald glared, giving him a sharp punch in the shoulder. Mercury hissed in pain, rubbing his arm. Nora shook her head, handing him back her scroll. That's not what I asked, It read. You could have gone anywhere if you wanted to be left alone. Still could. So why here? What makes the Cotta-Arc's so special?

Mercury scoffed, setting the scroll down. "Is this seriously what you're worrying about right now? You don't think there's anything else that might be a little bit more pressing? No burning questions, or telling us how you think we're liars, or demanding us to be locked up?"

This time, her hands flitted rapidly across the screen, and she shoved the scroll angrily into his hands almost immediately after he finished. Yes. It is. Because we already came to an understanding yesterday. I don't think you're lying. I also think you deserve much worse than what you've gotten. But in the interest of playing nice, yes, I'm asking why you want to stay with the Cotta-Arc's specifically. Now answer.

Brother's, Mercury was aggravating. It was amazing no one tried to kill him just for opening his mouth yet. She frowned. I wonder if anyone HAS tried killing him for running his mouth yet? It certainly wouldn't be much of a surprise.

Mercury's eyes narrowed, and she knew then he wouldn't answer, just to spite her. She thought that was the end of it, but instead Emerald answered for her. "Where else would we go?" She said. "We're two of the most wanted people on Remnant. The two most wanted now that Cinder…look, we don't have anywhere else. The fact that Saphron and Terra let us stay in the first place was a miracle, and the fact that they'll let us continue to stay defies explanation."

She swallowed. "We like it here…or at least, I like it here, because it's the first time in my life I've felt like I was home. The first time I haven't had to worry about finding somewhere to sleep, or something to eat, or not angering Cinder. I can just live. I've been happy the last few weeks, and I know Mercury has too. Does that answer your question?"

Nora nodded, but she wasn't focused on the conversation anymore. What she said, the way she spoke about the Cotta-Arc's…It was familiar to her. It was the exact same way she had felt when she and Ren first came to Beacon.

Their whole life they had been on their own, orphans living in the wilderness, or sometimes staying with someone kind enough to house them for a week or two. But never for long. Always, they would move on, never finding somewhere they could stay. It was fun, in its own way, but it was also lonely sometimes. Even with Ren.

They had come to Beacon, and everything changed. Suddenly, they fit. They weren't just some weird kids who wandered into town who happened to know how to fight. They were students, like everyone else. They had friends. They had a team. They belonged. And every day she woke up in Beacon, she couldn't help but smile knowing that she had found her home.

Mercury and Emerald, it seemed, had found theirs. And somehow, they managed to find it in the home of Saphron Cotta-Arc. The sister of one of the very lives they had destroyed.

Nora frowned. Her home was gone. Rubble. Taken from her from the very same people she was standing across from. And then they had gone and found a home of their own.

And they want out, She reminded herself. Trying to make them face justice would be more trouble than it's worth. If they're willing to stay out of the fight, that's enough of a victory. It would have to be.

Mercury must have noticed her discomfort. "Why are you trying so hard to be friendly, anyway?" He asked. "It's not like you have to. Your friend in the green isn't bothering to try and hide how he feels. He hates us. And with damn good reason, I'd say. We're not going anywhere, no matter what you say, so there isn't any reason to bother playing nice. It's not like we have anywhere else to go."

Is it so hard for you to believe I want to be nice for the sake of it? She asked him as much, showing him her scroll.

"Yeah, actually, it is," He answered. "After Beacon? Come on, you can't really expect us to believe you don't care. I bet you hate us as much as he does." He leaned in closer. "I think you're just better at hiding it."

Nevermind. Someone has definitely tried killing him for running his mouth before, Nora decided. There was no way somebody hadn't.

She turned her scroll over, presenting a new message. I don't hate you, she had typed. I hate what you did. I hate why you did it. I hate how little you seem to care about how much chaos you caused, and I hate that I lost so much the day Beacon fell. But I don't hate you. Like you said, the two of you never really had a choice. You were never shown any of the good in the world, so how could anyone expect you to give any good back?

Mercury furrowed his brow in confusion, and for once, he was silent. He didn't know what to say, and neither did Emerald, allowing Nora to continue typing. Ren doesn't hate you. I don't think he really hates anything other than the Grimm. He's just angry, and because he almost never gets angry, he doesn't know exactly what to do about it. I'm trying to be friendly, because It's the decent thing to do. You're trying to change. And…I know how similar we are. Ren and I were on our own for a long time. All it would have taken is for someone like Cinder to take us in, or for the people we met to have been a bit more harsh, and we might have ended up just like you. So no, I don't hate you. I feel sorry for you.

Mercury cleared his throat, obviously uncomfortable. "Well, don't. There's nothing to be sorry about. It doesn't do anyone any good wondering about what might have been, because it'll never change what is. We had a choice and we made it. And we're making a different one now. Judge us by that."

Nora nodded. I will. She might never forgive them, or even like them, but she could at least respect that they were making an effort. Maybe they didn't regret Beacon, or maybe they did, but they at least recognized that what they did was wrong, and they were trying to change things now.

"So, Tyrian gave you that, did he?" Mercury asked, gesturing towards her scar.

She blinked, caught off guard by the sudden change in subject. This is HIM trying to be friendly, She realized. Nora grinned. Maybe he's not completely hopeless. She nodded, taking a few short moments to quickly type out the rest of her answer. He ambushed us at Oniyuri, an abandoned town in Mistral. I was the last one standing. He nearly killed me. Would have finished the job, if it weren't for Ruby's Uncle. He saved my life, literally at the last second.

Mercury's face screwed up in distaste. "The drunk?" He asked.

Nora scowled. That drunk is the reason I'm still alive. She didn't want to keep arguing, not when they were close to talking on a somewhat civil level.

He shrugged. "Hey, I'll take your word for it. We didn't exactly have the best first impression of the guy, what with trying to kill the lady he was protecting and all that. Besides, I never liked anyone that drinks."

"You never liked anyone, period," Emerald scoffed.

"Then I suppose Qrow must have been extra special if I remembered how much I specifically disliked him," Mercury grinned.

He isn't that bad, Nora typed in his defense. He helped us get to Haven. Did his best to keep my wound from getting infected as long as he could. She owed a lot to Qrow, and it annoyed her to hear Mercury badmouth him.

"Look, I said I'll take your word for it," Mercury said. "I don't really care. If you say he's not an asshole, good for you! Now, you've come over here and you made your point, and I think we can all agree you've done your part. Super friendly. I feel very welcome. So what else do you want?"

Nora frowned. She was just trying to start a conversation. They were going to be in Argus for at least a few days, and she'd rather not spend it trying to walk around on eggshells.

Emerald groaned, rubbing her temple in frustration. "Say, Mercury, why don't you go make a sandwich or something? You said you were hungry earlier."

Mercury raised an eyebrow. "I never said I was-"

"Very. Hungry." Emerald growled.

Thankfully, he took the hint, rolling his eyes and pushing himself off the couch. "Fine with me, if you're so insistent on it. Just for that, I'm putting mayo on yours."

"You know, that only works if I happen to dislike mayonnaise, Mercury," Emerald said. "Which I do not."

Mercury shook his head "Sick bastard. And everyone thinks I'm the strange one." Emerald flipped him off as he left, bringing a light smile to Nora's face.

"Sorry about that," Emerald apologized. "He's an asshole to pretty much everyone. Don't take it personally. Honestly, it's more effort than he puts into conversations with most people. He just…takes some getting used to, that's all.

She snorted. I've had better times chatting up Ursa, she typed. At least Grimm were fun. She could kill Grimm. Mercury, unfortunately, was off limits. For now, at least.

Emerald laughed. "He can be…obstinate, yeah. But trust me, if he wasn't at least trying to be civil, he wouldn't have bothered speaking with you in the first place. Or he would have just gone straight to insulting you, instead of poking and prodding. I'd give it a seven on the 'that went well' scale."

I suppose it could have gone worse. At least Emerald seemed to be a bit nicer than her partner. Nora was pretty sure at least some of it was Emerald playing it up to make her look better in their eyes, but she couldn't really fault her for that. If she were in her position, she'd do anything she could to make sure she got to stay in her home.

Mercury and Emerald really did remind Nora a lot of herself and Ren. Except, you know, evil. And rude. Well, formerly evil. But still rude.

Mercury was the quiet…er one, and the only time he opened his mouth was to cause problems. Emerald was more outgoing, but unlike her it seemed almost false, like a front. Could Ren and I really ever have ended up like them? She hoped not, but she'd be a fool to say it was outright impossible.

From what they said about their past, Cinder was the only reason they bothered with Beacon. Especially in Emerald's case. She had taken Emerald off of the streets, and given Mercury a better option than dying alone on top of a mountain. She was the source of all their problems.

Nora wondered if there was ever a chance of them coming to Beacon as normal students? Emerald, maybe. Mercury would be trickier what with his dad, but if Blake could get in after being a part of the White Fang, she didn't see any reason why he couldn't. Maybe they would have been friends, then. Mercury seemed like someone Yang would get along with. She smiled. I would totally have to drag Emerald everywhere just to get her to let loose.

Her smile faded. Cinder really ruined everything, didn't she? Good riddance. The world might actually have a chance now that she was gone.

But…Emerald had been upset, when Jaune told them about what happened to Cinder. Of course she had been. She might have left, but at the end of the day Cinder was still the person who saved Emerald, even if she also happened to be an evil psychopath.

Nora sighed, slowly typing out a message. She wasn't sure if it was a good idea…but she was curious. And besides, it might help Emerald a little.

Does it bother you at all? She asked.

Emerald frowned. "Does what bother me? I mess with people's minds, Nora, I don't know how to read them."

Knowing what happened to Cinder? Emerald flinched, and Nora almost wished she had never brought the matter up.

The thief scowled. "We already told you, we cut our ties with Cinder."

I'm not asking about that, Nora quickly explained. I'm just saying, even if you did leave her, I doubt it was a whole lot of fun finding out she died the way you did. She's still the reason you got off the streets, after all.

Emeralds facade began to slip, then. The scowl went away, replaced instead with a surprising amount of anguish. "I…I don't know. I'm glad we left. It was the best choice we ever made. By the end of everything, it was coming to a point where she would eventually snap, and somebody was going to die. I don't regret leaving. And I am relieved she's gone, a little. It means she won't be chasing after us, it means we won't have the threat of a pissed off maiden hanging over our heads for the rest of our lives."

She took a shaky breath. "But it's like you said. Cinder gave me a life. Without her, I probably wouldn't have lived this long. I definitely would never have met Mercury. She was such a big part of my life, the first person who was really in my life. And now, she's gone. Dead. Not in some final confrontation, or some big fight. Not with us at least. She died a kingdom away weeks ago and we had no idea."

Nora paused for a moment, taking the time to choose her words carefully. She wasn't the best at these kinds of conversations, but she'd been getting better at doing a lot of stuff she wasn't comfortable with.

When Pyrrha died, She began, We didn't really believe it at first. Ruby was in a coma, and her Uncle said there wasn't anyone else at the top of the tower when he found her. But Jaune SAW her go up to the top. We thought, or hoped I guess, that maybe she got blasted away somewhere. We searched the tower up and down, lifting rubble and fending off the Grimm. We tried some of the other buildings in the area too, to see if maybe she had fallen somewhere nearby. The refugee camps too, obviously. Maybe she was like Ruby, injured but someone had found her.

It wasn't until Ruby finally woke up that we knew for certain it was pointless. Some of the others, like her Uncle and Ms. Goodwitch told us Pyrrha was gone, but we figured if they didn't see it for themselves there might still be a chance. It's…hard, when someone close to you like that dies. Hard to accept, and even harder to live with. Even if it's someone like Cinder. So I guess what I'm trying to say is, don't feel bad about being upset.

Nora flexed her hand, opening and closing it. Her thumbs were getting sore from so much typing. I definitely have to find some other way to talk once we get to Atlas. She hoped Qrow was right, that the military might have something to make communicating easier.

Emerald tried discreetly to wipe away a few tears that had fallen down her face, desperately trying to avoid meeting Nora's eyes. "I don't-I just…" She sighed. "Thanks, Nora."

She beamed, giving her a thumbs up. No problem! Yes! This was good! This was progress. Yeah, sure, maybe they weren't best friends right out the gate, but at least they were managing to have a nice conversation together without starting a fight.

Mercury suddenly appeared, returning from the kitchen. He sat down lazily beside Emerald, tossing a sandwich over to Nora even as he took a bite out of his own. She frowned. I thought he was making him and Emerald one?

Sure enough, a scowl darkened his partners. "Where's mine?" She demanded, crossing her arms.

He shrugged, swallowing down his food before he spoke. "Changed my mind. You decided to kick me out of the living room, after all. Now Nora gets your sandwich." He grinned at her. "Don't worry. I left the mayo off. We aren't all savages here."

Nora smiled, giggling silently. Screw it. He was the one who offered it. She gripped the sandwich with both hands, opening her mouth wide to fit as much of it as she could into one bite. She moaned in satisfaction at the taste, her eyes widening in surprise. "Hmm!" She mumbled. This is really good!

Mercury laced his hands behind his head, grinning wickedly. "You know Em, I'd make you a sandwich if you apologized."

She growled. "I'm not hungry."

Her stomach rumbled in protest, and Mercury's grin widened. "You sure about that?"

"Certain," She hissed.

"Right," He drawled out slowly. "I'm sure you aren't hungry at all." He turned to her. "Do me a favor and make sure to really enjoy that sandwich, Nora."

She burped, wiping the crumbs off her mouth with the back of her hand. Mercury's eyes widened in surprise. "Or…you know, I guess that works too."

Nora shrugged. If he wanted me to eat slower, he shouldn't have made it so tasty. Maybe he should make another. Just to prove a point to Emerald, of course. Hmm. This raised certain questions. Did Mercury know how to make pancakes?

Her schemes were unfortunately interrupted by a yawning blonde stumbling out of the hallway. Three heads turned to see Jaune rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He groaned miserably, leaning up against the wall. He frowned at them. "What?"

"Nothing," Emerald said innocently. "You just look a little…" She trailed off, not knowing what to say.

Her partner had no such difficulty. "You look like shit," Mercury observed. He nodded towards the kitchen. "If you want a sandwich, I left one on the counter already made."

Jaune narrowed his eyes, probably wondering why Mercury was acting nicely, but in the end, he sighed. "Thanks," He mumbled, walking off into the kitchen.

"Seriously?" Emerald grumbled. "You're that petty? I thought you gave Nora my sandwich."

Mercury shrugged. "I did. I just happened to also make another. You'll remember that I did in fact say I'd get you another sandwich if you apologized, right?" Emerald growled. "This is your own doing, Em. And you know damn well by now that I am that petty."

Jaune came back, mumbling in surprise. "Hm! This is weirdly good!"

"You say that like you expected my food to taste like crap," Mercury snorted.

"I mean, you did tell us you lived up on a mountain for your entire life," Jaune pointed out.

"Yeah, and who do you think made all my food?" Mercury asked. "A bunch of invisible magic fairies? My dad wasn't exactly the type to serve breakfast in bed." Jaune's face reddened in embarrassment.

"Well," He said, awkwardly trying to steer the conversation in another direction. "Whatever the case, this is really good. Just what I needed, actually, after what I woke up to."

"And what would that be?" Emerald asked.

Jaune sighed, pulling out his scroll. "Good news and bad news, all rolled up into one." He faced his scroll towards them. A blinking red signal was showing up not far from Argus. Nora's eyes widened.

Emerald caught on as well. "Is that-"

"Ruby and the others," Jaune confirmed. "The storm cleared up, thankfully, and if this is right they should be here before long. Which…I mean, it is good news, don't get me wrong, I'm glad they're okay! But it also means I have to get ready to meet them at the gate, and tell them about…" He gestured towards Mercury and Emerald. "...everything."

Mercury whistled. "That does not sound like a whole lot of fun, I admit. Course, it's better than the alternative. Showing up at the doorstep to see the two of us…well, look at what happened with you."

"Trust me, I do not want a repeat of yesterday," Jaune assured them. He sighed. "I guess I'm going to give them a call, check in to see if they're okay and head out. Nora? You coming?"

She nodded fervently. She'd been anxious to hear that the others were okay ever since they split up. She had been worried sick ever since, and she knew Jaune and Nora were feeling the same, even if Jaune was a little stressed out at the moment.

Jaune's shoulder sagged in relief. "Thank goodness. I really wasn't looking forward to going alone."

Nora waved her hand lazily. What else were friends for? They were a team! Besides, she was excited to see the others.

Of course, Mercury chose now to chime in. "Make sure to tell them I said hi!"

Jaune sighed. "No. No I don't think I'll be doing that, Mercury. It's going to be hard enough trying to stop them from marching right in as it is, and that's without you mocking them."

"Hey!" Mercury protested. "Who says I'm being mocking? I could have been perfectly genuine!"

Emerald groaned. "Mercury…"

He huffed. "What? I could have been."

"You weren't," She said flatly.

"Ah, but that's not the point," Mercury countered. "The point is, I could have been."

Jaune shook his head, turning back to Nora. "Wanna get out of here?"

She grinned, nodding. The bickering from Mercury and Emerald faded as they left. Strangely, it didn't really seem to bother her. It was familiar to her, and because of that it was comforting in a way. It reminded her of Beacon, back when everyone would get into dumb, pointless arguments over nothing during lunch.

She didn't really argue like that with any of the others anymore. The only time anyone argued was when it was about something important. It was nice, to worry about simple stuff for once. Maybe that's why Mercury and Emerald like it so much with the Cotta-Arc's. Maybe that's why they're trying so hard to stay.

She honestly couldn't blame them.

Beside her, Jaune sighed one last time, taking out his scroll. "Here goes nothing."

Ruby shivered in the back of the flatbed, rubbing her arms. The sun was out now, at least, and it was beginning to warm up. But Anima was cold, and she hadn't exactly dressed for the weather. They were supposed to have a simple trip to Argus, and from there to Atlas where they would be able to get some actual clothes.

She frowned. So much for that plan. Stupid combat skirts. She should have worn a parka.

Of course, it wasn't just the weather making her cold.

Ever since Brunswick, a strange silence had fallen over the group. Not a bad silence, necessarily. At least, it wasn't as tense as it was after they found out about Salem. It was more that…Brunswick changed them, in a way. None of them said anything aloud, but the shadow of it hung over them.

Even…even after Beacon, they had never felt as defeated as they had when they first arrived at the abandoned town. And sure, the Apathy had a part to play in that, but all they did was feed into what was already there. Spite and mistrust were all around them, and it had nearly cost them their lives.

They were so close to giving up. She was so close to giving up. She wanted to, more than anything. After what they had been through, after what they learned, she felt she deserved to.

Then Tyrian had attacked, and snapped them out of their daze, for the most part.

She wasn't sure exactly what happened, considering she spent most of it being dragged through the tunnels that ran beneath the town. She knew Oscar stumbled on Tyrian in the toolshed, and he took that moment to attack.

Afterwards, the others had come to their senses. They followed Tyrian, jumping in after him almost immediately after he had tackled her. Qrow remained above ground, in case Tyrian doubled back or found another way out, while Weiss and the others gave chase.

Yang and Blake were the ones to find her. She had at least been awake to see that. Ruby didn't think she would ever forget the look on Tyrians face as the Apathy finally moved to swarm their pursuer.

He had been angry at first, so angry. His face was contorted in blistering rage, snarling and almost frothing at the mouth. But that wasn't what disturbed her. She had seen rage before. Hell, Yang was her sister.

It was what came after, when the Apathy preyed on his despair.

Misery. Pure anguish, the likes of which she had never seen before. He seemed betrayed, heartbroken in a manner that looked wrong coming from someone like him. And even that soon vanished, giving way to a pathetic acceptance.

As the Apathy were clawing at him, dragging him deeper into the tunnels, his face was almost blank. He didn't struggle, or try fighting back in any way. Even as blood poured out of the hole Yang had shot through his neck, he didn't have the faintest sign of pain written on his face.

He just didn't care. He was dying, and he didn't care.

They ran as far as they could, after that. Even with the Apathy mostly focused on Tyrian, they almost didn't make it out. Every step they took felt like trudging through a blizzard, every exertion seemed to sap their strength more and more. They had nearly given up, thinking themselves lost forever, when they heard Maria's voice pushing them on.

The Apathy were catching up, but hearing Maria gave them the last burst of strength they needed. Ruby used her eyes to buy them the time they needed to crawl out of the well, and they left immediately, Oscar having fixed the tire while they were gone.

That could have been us. Nobody said it, but it was on all their minds, especially hers, Blake's and Yang's. They had seen Tyrian succumb. If Oscar hadn't stumbled into the tool shed, or if Tyrian had never followed them in the first place, would they have suffered the same fate? Would their bodies rot, and lie next to the corpses of the original residents for the next group of unfortunates to find them?

It was a wake up call for all of them, and one they sorely needed. None of them were really happy at the moment. They were angry at Ozpin, betrayed, and there were still a lot of misgivings about what exactly they were supposed to do once they reached Atlas.

But when they left Brunswick, they also left full of purpose again. It might end up being a hopeless fight, and it might end with their deaths. But they, or at least, she was resolved to see it through to the end. They had a duty, to their friends, to the world, to everyone. And she hoped the others felt the same.

Her pocket vibrated, and she jumped, letting out a small shriek. She quickly pulled her scroll out and gasped. Jaune was calling her! That's right! They couldn't get a signal because of the storm last night. Now that it had passed, and they were getting closer to Argus, their scrolls must have connected.

Grinning in excitement for the first time since the Argus Limited crashed, she answered, lifting the scroll to her ear. "Hello?"

Nice little interlude for this chapter. The calm before the storm, so to speak. This one was especially fun to write for some reason. I'm not entirely sure why, either. Probably all the bickering.

Jaune, Nora, and the others are beginning to cool off a little. They're angry, yeah, but now that they've mostly settled on a course of action, they're realizing being angry all the time isn't the best idea. ESPECIALLY with Ruby, Yang and the others coming soon.

If you enjoyed this week's chapter, please feel free to leave a comment! I love reading your thoughts on each week's chapter!

As always, I crosspost on AO3!

Next Chapter: Tuesday, July 30th