Note: Happy New Year! Starting the year with an update on time. Like the last story, we plan to have some filler-ish chapters between major arcs to deal with character stuff or arc aftermath. We may occasionally include lighter chapters here or there, or also some set-ups for future arcs. You know how it is. We would love for every chapter to have big exciting pay-offs like last time, but that's just the way it goes. Now that the first arc is done, we have some exciting things planned for the future, so we hope you'll stick around for more. Enjoy.

Team RWBY huddled around Weiss's laptop. They were intently watching a live stream of Valian news. A wall of text was plastered across the screen, narrated by a gentile broadcaster.

"…Professor Goodwitch's actions were unbecoming of a staff member at Beacon Academy. We have placed her on administrative leave as we continue our investigation into her actions."

The text disappeared, and a panelist of hosts appeared, all wearing surface-level solemness.

"Well, that is the statement just released by Professor Ozpin of Beacon. And of course, Jade, it is unlikely that Glynda Goodwitch will be accepted back at Beacon."

"I think you're right, Steven. I really don't see how this just blows over. The key thing to remember here is that there have been reports of abuses at Atlas Academy for years now. I think it's really important to note that this story only got out because of Team RWBY's status in the public eye."

"Can I just add that Team RWBY has not yet made any statement on this matter yet?"

"They were the ones who leaked it."

"Yes, yes I know—"

"You aren't suggesting forgiveness, are you?"

"I'm saying that Glynda Goodwitch is a very well-respected Huntress. I would be surprised if there wasn't more to this story…"

Blake rolled her eyes. Her face was heavily bandaged, but enough showed through that her sneer was plainly visible. "They always have to have a contrarian on, don't they? Oh, shit, here we go…" Blake's attention wasn't drawn by the news, but by her Scroll buzzing. This had been the moment Team RWBY had waited for all day. They had gathered in their dorm specifically to hear this, and they did not want to miss a single second. Blake looked down at the number. She did not recognize it, which meant she absolutely knew who it was coming from. Making sure that Weiss was recording, Blake answered the call and put it on speaker so everyone could hear.

"Hello?"

"You fucking bitch." Goodwitch's snarl sounded inhuman.

"Hey, Professor, what's up?"

"You think you've won, don't you, you worthless cunt? You're so fucking retarded. This shit isn't over, not by a fucking long shot."

"Whoa, Professor, you attacked me," Blake said. "I don't know why you're so hostile."

"Hostile? You don't know the meaning of the word. You ruined me. You took away the one thing that mattered more to me than anything else in the world. If you thought I was tormenting you before, you can't even fathom what I'll do next. You just made the stupidest mistake of your life, because now, I'm unchained. Ozpin can't hold me back now."

"Are you saying you're going to physically harm me?"

"If I can."

"You know there's, like, security at the Academy, right? They won't let you on the grounds."

"No, but I'll find a way. I'll break into your room at night and slit your throat before anyone can notice. I know where your dorm is. It will be easy. I'll gut you and the rest of your little whore team."

"That's pretty harsh."

"Harsh? Are you being fucking sarcastic? You really don't get it. I am going to fuck you up, you stupid, animal faggot. I will make you regret being born. Shit, you know what? I just decided. I think I'll leak those nudes of yours I stole to the press. Post them on every site in the world, so every creep who walks up to you will have jerked off to your flabby, disgusting body."

"That sounds illegal."

"Do you think I—"

"Oh, shit, that's super illegal. I only turned eighteen like three days ago. So unless those pics are recent, if you spread that around, that is a huge felony."

"Blake, please, do you think I give a fuck who masturbates to you? Let a bunch of pedos faun over you. It would make my day. But of course, that would just be the beginning."

"There's more?"

"Do you think I forgot where your mother lives? Now that my schedule is free, I'm going to give dear, sweet Kali a visit. I doubt anyone will give a shit if a stupid Faunus goes missing. I'll send you plenty of pictures of the fun we have together. Do you feel good about that? Knowing that I'm going to assault your mother over and over and over again, knowing that all of her pain was your fault. I will cut her into pieces and send them to you, finger-by-finger, toe-by-toe, tongue and eyes and ears separately, all in pretty little boxes, and just when you think it's done, I will send you her fucking heart on a silver platter. I will prolong her suffering for months, savoring every one of her delicious screams, and even once she begs me for death, I won't stop. You have no idea how twisted I can be Blake. You unleashed the worst version of me. That's your fault."

"Uh, yeah. Sure."

"Huh? Why the fuck are you so calm? You are listening to me, right?"

"Yep. I'm listening."

"I will do this. I'm not fucking around. You ruined my life. I'm not going to rest until you've suffered."

"Yeah… probably not."

"What?"

"I mean, let's face it. You won't do shit. Ozpin probably told you to lay low until he bullshits some way for you to come back. You like working here too much to turn that down, though honestly, I'm not sure what you like about teaching given I never see you do it. And you know how mad he'll be if you fuck with my family after everything that happened yesterday."

"You really think I will just let you get away with this?"

Blake shrugged. "I don't know. I wouldn't be recording this if I thought you would."

Goodwitch became very quiet, as did the rest of the room. Blake tried not to let show anything that would ruin her look for the camera, though her smugness at being proven right was still clear. After a very awkward pause, Goodwitch stuttered into the microphone.

"Have I been on speaker this whole time?"

"Yep."

"And is this being live-streamed?"

"No, but we could release it at any moment. You know, because it'd be really devastating."

"…"

"Hey, since I've gotten you on the phone, Professor Goodwitch," Blake said calmly, "got any other nude photos of your underage students lying around? I got some people here who'd want to know that. You know, since we're just admitting crimes and all."

Another very, very long silence. Goodwitch eventually stammered out something with a half-hearted laugh.

"Oh, Blake. I was… you know… uh…"

The call disconnected, and Blake lazily tossed her Scroll onto the floor. She sighed, rubbing her bandaged forehead. Weiss ended the recording, and again the room became quiet. Ruby sighed.

"Well, that went about as well as it could."

"Seriously, what the hell is wrong with that woman?" Yang asked. "That was some cartoonishly evil stuff."

"Yeah, seriously," Blake muttered. "The bitch is nuts."

"But we don't think she'll actually do anything, right?" Weiss asked. "If she's serious—"

"She's bluffing," Ruby said confidently. "Remember the time Ozpin pretended to fire her so she could trick us? This isn't permanent. Ozpin is already angling for a way to take her back, and he knows that if she does anything, it will reflect badly on him to your father. I think she is legitimately stuck in a holding pattern."

"I hope you're right, Ruby," Weiss stated. "At the very least, she gave us more incriminating evidence. Now we just need to know what to do with it."

"Well, keeping it in our back pocket in case Ironwood tries anything is a good idea," Ruby suggested. "But, I also want to discuss another idea: trying to work with CFVY and JNPR again."

That was one of several elephants in the room. Goodwitch's audio, combined with her recent firing, would serve as irrefutable proof of Ozpin's misdeeds. The memory from their previous failed attempt still stung, and none of them were sure how much the wound had healed since their last chat. It was definitely important to solve now while they were riding high, however, and Blake, being the most despised by the other two teams, felt like she had the biggest say.

"I… don't know if that's such a good idea," Blake reasoned. "Like, I'm pretty sure Coco hates me and Pyrrha is still furious at us for insulting the Academy."

"But we have proof now," Yang claimed. "If we play her this—"

"She could just as easily freak out again. Look, Pyrrha… Pyrrha is weird, okay? I can't track down her behavior at all. Maybe she's on the spectrum or something. Who knows? But she might think we're lying again, or maybe she'll just refuse to work with us anyway. And for Coco, I saw her in the crowd while I was fighting Goodwitch. She was laughing. I don't think she'd ever agree to work with me no matter what happens."

"I don't know if she'd work with me, either," Weiss said. "She might still think of me as too elitist for her, especially if she hears about our RWBY Fund projects."

"And besides, what do we even need them for?" Blake asked casually. "We don't need their help standing up to Ironwood or Oz. They're not going to be attacking us anytime soon. If we did show this to them, we would have to explain everything to them, and the last time we did that we fell on our faces.

"Okay, but here's a counterargument," Yang put forward. "Ozpin is still a sneaky bitch, and he's going not going to give up trying to screw with us. Turning the other students against us is going to be even easier now that we have a big company to run."

Weiss cleared her throat. "Private equity funds technically aren't companies, but… no, I'm sorry. Continue."

"Uh, yeah. Sure," Yang shrugged. "Here's what I'm saying. We've already been attacked by a student once since we got here. We were almost nearly attacked again. Clearly, Ironwood doesn't have a problem using Penny to fight us, or at least, he didn't. Ozpin could do the same to other teams. I mean, they dislike us enough that they would. Weiss, your dad will only go after Ironwood if he thinks that he is responsible for hurting us. Using other students to d his dirty work keeps his hands clean."

"Okay, but we don't have any reason to think he'll do that," Blake stated. "Like, Coco hates my guts, but she won't agree to torture us. If they make a move, we just play them this recording and then they'll believe us. I don't see any reason to show our hand the second we start winning."

Yang held up her hands defensively. "Hey, I'm just giving my two cents. If I'm outvoted three-to-one, that's fine. Ruby, what do you think?"

Ruby closed her eyes, contemplating her situation carefully. Getting an alliance with CFVY and JNPR had been one of her goals for months. Having useful confidants within her school could have strong advantages even if they weren't yet clear. However, their situation had undeniably changed. They had a much more powerful ally now, and more importantly, that partnership needed to remain a secret. There was one significant way that their plan would backfire on them. If Jacques Schnee was revealed to be working with them, their reputation in the public would collapse. The Schnee Dust Company was a toxic brand, even if its former heiress was on their team. It would be impossible to raise money, and without money, Jacques would flee. If Ironwood was responsible, they would all fall with the tide, but if someone else leaked the information—say, a random student—would Jacques hold Ironwood responsible? Would anyone even believe them? It was a difficult question and an enormous risk, one that she was sure the headmasters were contemplating as well. At the end of the day, she wasn't sure her foes would take that chance, especially with the Memoria blackmail dangling over their heads. Ruby saw no reason to sleepwalk into her own defeat, either.

"We will keep this close to the vest, for now," Ruby reasoned. "We are in a good position now, and there is no need to change anything. If something happens, like Blake said, we can just use this as a backup."

Ruby's word was final. Blake and Weiss accepted their situation. They were again isolated from the rest of the student body, this time of their own free will. Hopefully, they wouldn't regret their choice. None of them noticed the bitterness seeping across Yang's features.

Their conversation was interrupted, however, when Weiss's Scroll began to buzz. She glanced down at the name and her heart skipped a beat. "Hey… Ruby?"

"Yeah?"

"You said to keep it close to the vest, right?"

"Y-Yeah? Just now."

"Great," Weiss said, showing Ruby the name on her Scroll. "Then we need to think of a lie now."

"Girl, what the fuck," Coco said with a halfhearted laugh. She paced around her dorm, Scroll pressed firmly to her ear. Her teammates watched intently as she strolled back and forth, trying to catch a hint of their conversation. "So, she just attacks you for no reason?"

"Coco, we swear, we don't know what's going on with Goodwitch," Weiss pleaded.

"You don't know? You're the ones who said Ozpin was evil!" Coco called her out on her bullshit. "But now suddenly you don't know."

"We really just want to put this behind us. It doesn't concern you."

"Hey, you're the one who dragged me into this in the first place," Coco proclaimed. She wasn't even mad, just teasing Weiss like a picky older sister. "I just want to know what's up with you. Blake said that she blew up a school, then you said that's not true. Yang says Ozpin and the teachers are evil, and now you're saying you don't know what's up. I feel like I'm a yo-yo with how much you are yanking me around."

"Look, Coco, this is just… it's really complicated, okay? Blake is really hurt, and we all had a frightening experience today."

"Yeah, you got dragged away by the fucking police!" Coco said boldly. "Like… are you okay? God, girl, like… we're not friends really or anything, but we're worried about you. You just constantly get in crazy shit over and over again, and then you turtle up like nothing happened. It's kind of offensive."

"We're not trying to offend anyone."

Coco scoffed. "Okay, it's not really offensive. But still, it would be nice to get some answers about what the hell is going on in this school."

"You'll get them, eventually. Just… look, a lot has happened recently, and… well, there might be pending legal issues holding us back from saying anything. We're sorry for acting so strangely. Hard times are falling on all of us."

"You can say that again," Coco sighed. "We just wanted to check-in. We're glad Blake isn't dead or anything and the rest of you are fine. Can we call again tomorrow?"

"Um… maybe. We'll let you know when we are available."

Coco sighed. "Cool. Later then."

"Bye."

Coco shoved her Scroll back into her pocket and threw her arms in the air in defeat. "Well, they gave me nothing. They didn't say why they got taken by security, they didn't say why Goodwitch went nuts… nothing."

"This is really concerning," Velvet whispered. She cuddled up closer to Yatsuhashi, and the peaceful giant comfortingly wrapped his arm around her. "Do you think they are being threatened?"

"They said they had to talk to their lawyers," Coco explained. "I mean, that would explain why they are being all hush-hush. If they are going to sue Professor Goodwitch, then I get why they can't say anything, but still…"

Fox, who was laying on his bed with a pillow draped over his upper face, lazily raised his arm. "Can I ask a stupid question? Why do we care about these girls at all?"

"They saved your life," Coco reminded him.

"True, but aside from that, why is their business so important to us? They're not being honest with us, because they were either lying the first time we talked or they are lying now. Their struggles don't affect us in any way. I don't know, but I just feel like worrying about them is more trouble than they are worth."

"Because we promised we would help them," Velvet explained. "And they are our friends, even if it doesn't feel like it."

"We only promised we would listen to them," Fox claimed. "And you know what? We did listen to them. They said a lot of nonsense. If we keep listening to them, we'll get sucked into this nonsense, too. I say we just cut them loose if they want it so badly."

Velvet bit her tongue. She couldn't tell Fox off. It wasn't in her nature. But he didn't know what he was talking about. None of her teammates were there during the God's Arm. None of them saw the things she did, or felt the things she felt. They didn't see the pain and horror etched on every inch of Weiss's face, see her break down into pieces in a way no human should ever do. Weiss struggled and fought through that nightmare, and even if they didn't agree on many things, her bravery earned respect. When Team RWBY said they needed help, she was the first to agree, because even if they faced one-tenth of what they went through that day, then she had to fight by their side. But Fox would never understand that. Neither would Coco. They would think she was mad. So, against her better judgment, she kept her lips sealed.

"You know what we should do?" Coco said, inspired. "We should call Pyrrha. I bet she knows all sorts of things."

"I don't think Pyrrha is an unbiased source," Velvet countered. "Remember how mad she got last time?"

"She's cooled down. Plus, rumor is that she attended some fancy dinner with General Ironwood and Team RWBY. If anyone knows anything about what's going on, it's her."

Coco pulled her Scroll out of her back pocket once more, and searched through her contact info. She knew she had Pyrrha's number somewhere. They weren't exactly friends either, but it was hard to think of a bigger goodie-two-shoes teacher's pet than Pyrrha Nikos. Her hope was she could get some insight into the professor's mindset, or maybe form an alliance with Team JNPR. Hey, if teachers were going to start attacking students at random, might as well have some good backup. She didn't wait for her teammates' approval. She was determined to get some answers, even if she had to pry them from Pyrrha's lips. She placed a call.

Pyrrha's Scroll rested silently in her dresser. Despite the early hour, the lights in her dorm were off. Her teammates were off elsewhere. She lay tightly underneath her covers, wide eyes staring into darkness. When her Scroll started to buzz, she ignored it.

"That thing you said the other night… about Team RWBY's families… You didn't really mean it, did you?"

"What do you think?"

She hadn't eaten dinner. The mere thought of food made her want to puke. She couldn't get his words out of her head.

"Sometimes that requires doing unpleasant things, but no matter what, we never betray our values. So, do you really think that I would ever harm any of my students?"

Her fingers tightly gripped her sheets. Her face was wet from tears. She pressed her cheek into the cold pillow to silence her sniffles.

"No… You wouldn't do that."

He lied to her. They all lied to her. She was so stupid.

The Scroll buzzed again, and she pressed her fingers into her ears. She wanted to throw herself from the Academy for being such an idiot. Just like always. Stupid, stupid, Pyrrha.

Ozpin's smile burned itself into her mind. The charming, calming, fake smile.

Stupid…

"Can I just add that Team RWBY has not yet made any statement on this matter yet?"

"They were the ones who leaked it."

"Yes, yes I know—"

"You aren't suggesting forgiveness, are you?"

"I'm saying that Glynda Goodwitch is a very well-respected Huntress. I would be surprised if there wasn't more to this story…"

Her eyes were glued to her Scroll. Two images were projected behind the panelists. She only cared for one—the smiling, innocent face of Blake Belladonna. No one else in the world saw what she did. They only saw a victim of a Huntsmen Academy's cruelty, a celebrity who saved countless lives, and a sweet if sarcastic young woman who wanted to make the world a better place. But instead, she saw an impossibility, a face that looked so familiar, and yet it had been warped just enough that a passing glance wouldn't detect the deception. But those eyes… she didn't forget those eyes.

She curled up on her couch, drawing the Scroll even closer. She didn't know how, or why, but she was almost certain of it. It was the same woman from so long ago. Was that something to exploit, or fear? She wasn't sure yet. But she needed more. She needed to understand just what happened to that twisted woman who confessed to her those awful crimes. Her people could depend on it. She pushed away the news app and called up her assistant. Sienna spoke softly, her paranoia getting the better of her.

"Hey, can you do me a favor? I need you to find everything you can on Blake Belladonna… Yeah, the Huntress… I don't know… just a bad feeling, I guess…"