Note: Happy Saturday! It's a lot of things today. The start of a new arc in LUDITF, the premiere date of Volume 9 (which we probably won't pay money to watch), and our 25th birthday! How exciting! This was another chapter we rewrote a few times trying to get right, but it's just something we've gotten used to. There's so much we want to cover and we want to make sure we do all of it justice. One of the things we don't like about LUBYP in hindsight was that a lot of the arcs feel very disconnected. We want to try to improve our flow between arc better, but we guess we'll see how we do when we get there. That is part of the fun of writing serialized fiction on the internet; you get to mess up all the time and people are way more relaxed in their standards. Still going to give it our all, though! Anyway, enough talk. Enjoy!

The darkness… creeping inward.

Her wounds… deep.

Those eyes…

That scream…

Everything drawing closer.

The beasts, the end of her life, that voice, that awful, screeching, evil voice.

"Saaaay my naaaaaaaammee… Summmmmmmeerrrrr."

And her cry as the beasts drew close.

"Rosaline!"

Ruby awoke with a start, her forehead drenched in sweat. She grabbed at her chest, trying to calm her accelerated heartbeat. She looked around, vivid dreams of horror slowly melting into normalcy. Darkness—no, different darkness. Her Atlas dorm room. Down beneath her fingers. A blanket. Her teammates were sleeping still in their beds, unaware of her troubled mind.

A nightmare. That was it. Just a nightmare. She had to remind herself of that.

Again…

That was the fifth time, the fifth time her dreams had returned her to that awful vision, the fifth time she had awoken in the dead of night, nearly screaming out in horror. It was the fifth time she felt blood pooling out of her and the dread of nearly being consumed, the fifth time in only so many nights that her mother's skin became her own and she lived out that godforsaken vision, sprinting those endless corridors, crying out for Mom and Dad. The fifth time that name was spoken… Rosaline. Even thinking it now left a strange taste on her tongue, bitter and stale for reasons she couldn't quite grasp. It was the fifth time she was left with these questions, unable to decide if her experiences were merely the chaotic result of a foreign Semblance, or if they represented something more dire, more sincere. For the fifth time, she had no answers.

Ruby quietly observed her teammates. She knew how badly each of them were struggling. Yang had her mental health, Blake had her self-doubts, and Weiss had the weight of her chosen duties; and all of them simultaneously crushed by the weight of Atlas. Compared to that, bad dreams really weren't anything to complain about. Ruby had gotten off easy. And yet, she was the one who could not sleep at night. It was guilt that prevented her from waking them. None of them needed to deal with her pitiful struggles on top of everything else. Ruby was going to have to fight through this alone. Well, almost alone.

She knew quite easily that sleep wasn't going to come, and frankly, she was tired of being run around by her nightmares. She needed to cut this off, and for some reason, being startled awake at two in the morning gave her a hell of a lot of motivation to do something she felt like she should have done years ago. Ruby looked down at her trembling fingers, and with her mother's screams still fresh in her mind, she decided to take action. She carefully slipped out of bed, moving swiftly to avoid waking the others. She snatched her Scroll from her dresser and tiptoed across the icy, tiled floor of her dorm, wincing as the cold from the tile raced through the arches of her feet. With a masterful silence that would make Blake proud, Ruby slipped out of the dorm and into the open hallway, taking a deep breath as she found herself alone in the Academy's interior. Was she supposed to be out of her dorm past curfew? No. Was she supposed to call people on her Scroll? Definitely no. She was ninety percent certain Atlas would monitor their call. Though, hell, that hadn't stopped them in the past. However, she could not hold back her impulses, and sitting down against the door, shivering in the hall, she dialed a familiar number and held her Scroll to her ear. She didn't mean to wake him if he had been asleep, but something told her that he was up in the middle of the night, too.

"Hello?"

His voice was groggy but calm. Ruby sighed into her Scroll.

"Hey, Dad."

"Ruby? Why are you calling me so late?"

"Sorry. I just… I needed to talk to you. It couldn't wait until morning."

"Is something wrong?"

"No. I mean, yes, but no. I'm fine."

"You don't sound sure."

"I'm fine."

"You can tell me anything."

"Really, I'm fine."

"Okay, then what's going on? Can't sleep? Nightmare?"

Ruby sighed again. There were many times when she was younger when she would wander into her father's room late in the night, startled by an awful dream. She would crawl into bed with him and tuck herself under his chin and hold him like a big teddy bear. Those nights might have been the closest they ever were.

"Dad… can you tell me about Mom's career as a Huntress?"

Her father went silent for a moment. "That's a weird thing to ask about."

"Well, just, you never really talked about it," Ruby said quietly. "I'm just curious what she went through… if she told you about any problems she had."

He groaned, and Ruby could hear him fiddling around with something. A TV remote? Or liquor? At this time of night?

"Ruby, her whole training was nothing but problems. I told you about Ozpin being awful to her and all the extra abuse he piled on her. Your mother was in a really unhealthy place during her time at Beacon. It's not really something I want to revisit."

"I know, but… please," Ruby insisted, "are there any specific stories she told you? Any exact details of what she went through?"

"Why do you want to know so badly?"

"Because she's my mom," Ruby said honestly. "I just… I need to know what she went through. I spent my whole life wanting to be like her, and you never told me what it was she actually did. The only details I know about her life is from the news. I need to know if we…" Ruby paused, her nightmare flashing back to her. "I think we might have more in common than I thought."

Tai took a long while to respond, and Ruby awkwardly waited in the hallway, half expecting a guard to come by and scold her or another student to overhear her conversation from a different dorm. Eventually, no doubt after much internal debate, she heard her father's voice again.

"The truth, Ruby, is that I don't really know. Your mom was good at keeping secrets. She did that ever since we started training together. I knew Ozpin would torment her specially, but she never said anything herself. I had to piece it together on my own. After we graduated, she went off on her own path, and I didn't hear from her for years. Even after we got together, we agreed to keep the Huntsmen part of our lives separate. She worked closely with Ozpin, but she either told me it was classified or something unimportant. She never, ever told me what she was going to be doing in Atlas the day she left. She never said goodbye. I loved her more than you could know, and I know this probably is difficult to hear, Ruby, but your mother… the woman that I knew, that I raised you with, I think she was really only a fraction of a real person. Some days, it felt like the real Summer was someone I hadn't even met."

Ruby bowed her head, trying to keep herself together. That was the most earnest her father had ever spoken about her mother… and it was still nothing. Nothing useful. Nothing to soothe her scattered mind. A year ago, she would have taken that information and latched onto it, worshipping it like hidden treasure. Now, it tasted like ash.

"Okay," Ruby said solemnly. "Sorry for bothering you about it."

"It's not a bother, Ruby. I know you want to know more about her. I'm sorry I can't help you like you want."

"It's fine, Dad."

"It's also really late. Maybe the next time you visit, we can talk more about this. I'll talk to Qrow and see if he knows any stories about her."

"That… sounds like a plan," Ruby tried to feign enthusiasm, but her words rang hollow. Before she hung up, however, she reached out for one last attempt at clarity. "Dad, one last question."

"Sure."

Ruby scratched the back of her head. "Did Mom ever happen to mention a woman named… Rosaline?"

She didn't expect an answer, but she did expect an awkward pause, or a stammer, or a startled, maybe even enraged indignation. She expected to hear concern in his voice, as if she uttered some horrid, taboo phrase. Yet, when he spoke, it was instantaneous, plain, and worst of all, unassuming.

"Rosaline? Don't think so."

"Are you sure."

"Yeah, doesn't ring a bell."

"Okay."

"Why?"

"It's nothing. Silly question."

"Okay. You should go to bed, sweetie. Got to get up early for class."

"Of course. Love you, Dad."

"Love you, too. Bye."

"Bye."

Ruby hung up the Scroll and pressed her head back against the door. That mostly seemed to settle it. Her hallucination was nothing more than that. She still didn't know what it entailed, but surely if it was something important, her dad would have known about it. Summer wasn't really that secretive. She was sure he was just being hyperbolic like usual. Yet, that vision's realness did not fade, and her comfort in her prediction did not subside. Her comfort was damaged even further when the door she was leaning on suddenly opened up, and Ruby fell backward with a start, sprawling into her dorm room. She rubbed her head and looked up at the sky, where she saw a pair of golden eyes staring down at her.

"Can't sleep?" Blake asked dryly.

Ruby did not answer. She was half-expecting for the shadow girl to chastise her, but instead, Blake carefully stepped out into the hall and helped pull Ruby up to her feet. With both young women upright, Blake calmly shut the door behind them, isolating them again in the Atlas Academy passageways.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to wake you."

"It's not your fault. Well, I guess it is your fault, actually." Blake shrugged. "Overly sensitive hearing can be a pain sometimes. But you know me: nocturnal."

"Right," Ruby sighed. "So, did you hear that whole conversation?"

"Yep. Figured we should talk about it," Blake explained. "I know that probably sucks, since I'm your least favorite teammate and all, but it's gotta be done."

Ruby shook her head. "Blake, you're not my least favorite teammate."

Blake just crossed her arms and gave Ruby a knowing glance. "Bitch… There are three of us. One is your girlfriend, one's your sister, and I once tried to kill you in your backyard. It's nothing personal."

Ruby couldn't really argue with that logic, but felt the need to make a correction. "Yang also tried to kill me."

"True, but you get my point."

"Yes, but," Ruby clarified, "I value you, Blake. A lot. The fact that I don't have a relationship with you means that you can be honest with me in a way Weiss and Yang can't be."

Blake shrugged. "Okay, in that case, let me be honest with you: you're distracted and it's problematic."

Ruby sighed. "You know why I'm distracted though, right?"

"Oh, I understand," Blake nodded. "I'm not saying I don't get it."

"My mom's death has been haunting me for my entire life. I can't just ignore this."

"Ruby, you got hit with an unknown Semblance," Blake explained carefully. "I know that you saw something you can't explain, but you have to remember that it isn't actually real."

"It feels real."

"Yes, because it's an unknown Semblance. You have no idea what it does or how it's supposed to affect you. Maybe you actually saw something related to your mom, but in all likelihood, that weird vision you experienced is just something that your brain made up. There isn't any reason to get attached to it, or freak out, or let it distract you. Right now, our priority is surviving this. Your mom's death just, well, it isn't important right now."

Ruby shuddered, but ultimately held firm. "Blake, if you experienced a vision of your dad—"

"Don't push it."

"I'm just saying," Ruby said forcefully, "if you saw your dad, wouldn't you want to know more about it? Wouldn't you be determined to at least find out if it's real?"

Blake considered the possibility. The answer was fairly obvious to her, but she knew she couldn't let the truth distract her from the reality of their current situation. And yet, it was about two in the morning, and it was very cold in the hallway, and Ruby was pouting in a way that made her seem particularly innocent, and Blake just didn't have the strength.

"So, what do you want to do?" Blake asked. "We can't exactly ask the lady what she did to you?"

"The only person who would know what really happened to my mom is Professor Ozpin," Ruby reasoned. "Him, or Ironwood. I doubt either of them will tell me anything though."

"Yeah, I guess flat out asking probably isn't a good idea," Blake mused. "Unless you want them to lie to our faces."

"Or… maybe we shouldn't ask directly."

"What do you mean?"

"There is one person who might know about my vision."

"And that might be?"

"Tell me, Miss Rose, do your teammates know you're here?"

"Do you really think I would act without my team's consent?"

"I don't know. Would you?"

He was trying to break her even now. It would be an admirable quality, the gall of it, if he wasn't so insufferable. He couldn't merely accept his defeat and play nice. He had to maneuver and manipulate, even with nothing on the line. Ruby should have known better when dealing with Professor Ozpin, but she still felt gross.

It was their first meeting since the Press Day several weeks earlier. His office seemed more barren than usual. The entire room had been thoroughly searched and cleaned since her break-in, and extra guards and security cameras had been posted at every interval. His room was cold, colder than other parts of the school, though the February morning air had seeped in deep to every crevasse of the Academy's interior. He smiled smugly at her while sipping his tea, his torso wrapped in a sweater, as if he was trying to freeze out her determination. Ruby didn't give him the satisfaction of even a shiver. She stared straight ahead at him, dead-eyed, unwilling to drag their conversation out any more than she needed to.

"Just be straight with me," Ruby asked pointedly. "The woman: who was she?"

"I don't know why you think I'd know," Ozpin stated dishonestly.

"You know everything."

"Please. If I knew everything, Professor Goodwitch would still be working here," Ozpin observed. "Well, I will say this. You were right. Someone was unquestionably in my office."

"Of course, I'm right," Ruby stated. "Unlike you, I don't lie by default."

"I checked what I could. The security footage from outside my office was scrambled, and the cameras were destroyed beyond recovery. The two guards that were standing watch don't remember anything from that day other than their own nightmares."

"So you don't have any witnesses?" Ruby asked. "She was walking around with the press all day. You have to have footage of her somewhere, or a copy of her credentials, at least."

"Of course we have footage of her. We know what she looks like. But I have no idea who she is or what she wants. Whoever she is, she was good. If you hadn't spotted her, there wouldn't be a trace that she was the one who broke into my office. Now, what's interesting is that she decided to break cameras in the first place. You would think a talented thief wouldn't leave behind so many clues of her presence."

Then maybe you should work on your security if she was able to break-in anyway, Ruby wanted to say but held her tongue. Now was not the time for barbs. Mission. Focus.

"Maybe she's not that talented."

"She broke into Atlas Academy. Do you know how much we increased security after Miss Belladonna's little stunt last semester?" Ozpin challenged her. "It is very strange. A woman takes advantage of a security vulnerability, and clearly has the ability to make it all the way to my office without being detected. But despite that, she doesn't hide her actions in a way that doesn't make it obvious someone was here."

"Then maybe she wants you to know you're vulnerable," Ruby suggested. "It's a game. She wants you to know that she's taken something from you."

"If only we knew what that was."

"You don't even know what she was after?"

"She wanted a copy of something on my computer, but we ran a security check, and there was no sign that anyone had downloaded anything, or even opened any files," Ozpin admitted. "If someone used my computer as you say, they found a way to avoid detection. As for what they would steal? It could be anything. Student transcripts, emails, construction documents—I'm a very important person, Miss Rose."

"So, you have literally no leads whatsoever?" Ruby said suspiciously.

"We are trying," Ozpin said defensively. "James is spooked. The idea that someone can waltz into Atlas Academy doesn't sit well with him. He already put a message out to all law enforcement in Atlas to be aware of this woman, but we don't even know if she's still in the Kingdom. There's only so much that we can do."

"That's it, then?" Ruby asked, frustrated. "You're just going to search for her and hope something comes up?"

"We've turned our search over to the relevant parties. I'm sure she won't get very far. No one gets away from us, Ruby. If we get any leads, we… well, actually," Ozpin smirked, "we won't tell you anything. You don't really deserve to know, do you?"

Ruby scowled at him. Obstructionism. She didn't know why she expected anything different. Even if Ozpin was telling the truth—and that was the biggest if of the century—she didn't have any expectation that he would let her get close to the answer. She considered just flat out asking him about the contents of her vision, but now she was even less sure of himself. If the vision was false, he would know nothing. If it was true, did she really want Ozpin knowing that she knew anything?

"If you do find anything, let me know," Ruby said, standing up and heading toward his exit.

"And why do you even care about this thief? Matters of national security don't concern you."

Ruby paused, thinking quickly on her feet. She turned around and smirked at him. "I want to ask her for tips."

"Okay, so we have no leads whatsoever," Weiss stated, watching Ruby pace back and forth across their dorm. Blake fiddled about on her Scroll. Yang watched silently from a corner. "Do you know anyone else who would have information about your mom?"

"My Uncle Qrow," Ruby said. "But he doesn't answer calls. Or texts. Or… well, anything."

"What about Raven?" Weiss turned toward Yang. "She went to school with Summer. Maybe she knows something."

"Raven probably wouldn't know anything my dad doesn't," Yang grumbled. "Plus, they took away her phone privileges recently. I think she yelled at one of the staff or something."

"So the Branwens are out." Weiss was trying her hardest to help Ruby compile leads, but she suspected she was walking on treaded ground. "Did Summer have any other family?"

"No," Ruby answered. "Her mom passed away when she was young. Her father died when she was in Beacon. She had no other relatives, at least none she told us about."

"Friends?"

"None close enough I could call."

"Are we sure your mom wasn't a ghost?" Blake asked dryly. "Holy fuck, this woman seems to have no life at all. She raised you, blew up a mine, and that's it. I was intentionally trying to hide my identity for years in a terrorist sect and I had a bigger footprint than her."

"Mom just didn't like talking about herself," Ruby explained. "If she did, we were too young to remember anything."

Weiss turned to Blake. "Out of curiosity, what do Faunus think of Summer Rose?"

"You mean generally?" asked Blake.

"Yes."

"I mean, most of the workers in Memoria were Faunus," Blake said bluntly. "So, you know, not many fans there."

"I see."

"Personally, I used to think it was kind of bad ass that she would destroy such a massive symbol of corporatist power," Blake recalled. "Back then, I didn't really mind a bunch of deaths if their sacrifice meant something. Now though? Not so sure."

"By 'back then', you mean two months ago?"

"Yep."

"Remind me why I didn't strangle you when I had the chance?"

"Because you're a little bitch?"

Ruby stamped her foot. "Guys, focus! I'm really struggling here."

Weiss's smile faded, and stood up to guide Ruby toward her bed. "Sorry, Ruby, but we might just have to accept that this is a dead-end."

"I know, but—"

"I get it, honestly," Weiss said. She wrapped her arm around Ruby's shoulder, and together they sat down on Ruby's bed, feet dangling over its edge. "But if we aren't going to get anywhere with your mom, maybe it would be better if you directed your attention elsewhere. I still have a lot of training I need to get done with my powers."

"Weiss, I feel like this is important," Ruby said passionately. "I can't explain it, but this… it's like something about that vision is calling to me. I need answers."

"I'm sorry, then," Weiss said. "I don't know what to do." It was an infuriating process, seemingly so close to something vital and yet pulled far away from it, limited in what they could do. Even now, that dream was so real Ruby felt like she could reach out and touch it, but every meaningful answer evaded her. What was she to do?

"If we could just find that woman…" Ruby pondered. "At least then I could know if what I'm seeing is even real."

"I'm sure they will find her sooner or later," Weiss stated. "Atlas is good at hunting down criminals."

"I mean, they couldn't find me," Blake reminded her. "Shit, they never found Adam either. We didn't get caught until I stepped up."

Weiss did not actually need the reminder, and gave Blake a disapproving glare for making Ruby feel worse. However, in the corner of the room, Yang perked up. The older sibling, consistently left out from the conversation, had been thinking quite carefully about their predicament. They needed information. They needed answers. While it seemed like they had reached an impasse, Blake's comment opened up a new pathway. Yang realized they had been thinking too legitimate. If they were to find answers, they were going to have to get dirty.

"What if we asked Neo?"

Ruby, Weiss, and Blake all looked at Yang, who excitingly sat up in her seat.

"About Mom?" said Ruby.

"No, about the thief," Yang stated. "Look, this woman, whoever she was, she has to be talented enough to break into Atlas Academy, right? A thief like that is bound to have a reputation. Neo is the leader of the biggest criminal organization in Vale. Isn't there a chance that she would know who this woman is?"

Ruby considered the possibility. "I mean… maybe…"

"At least she would know where we could find a lead," thought Yang. "Like, of all the people in the world who would know that woman's identity, Neo would be the person. I doubt Ozpin would ever bother asking her, so if you wanted to be discreet, keep your search under his nose…"

"We would actually get a few steps ahead of him," Ruby mulled.

"I'm sorry, why do you want to work with that criminal again?" Weiss challenged. "She kidnapped you two and almost had you murdered."

"Yeah, and then she helped Blake stop Mrs. Glass from destroying the city," Yang said. "I think we're all even now. Water under the bridge."

"Ruby, you're not seriously considering asking the Droog Mistress for help?" Weiss begged her girlfriend. "Getting involved in organized crime seems like a terrible thing to do."

"Technically, Blake already did it multiple times," Ruby noted.

"And we shouldn't do it again!" Weiss exclaimed. "Plus, how are we going to get in contact with her? It's not like Blake has her number or anything." Weiss looked at Blake—only to see the shadow girl sheepishly looking down at her Scroll. "Oh my gods, you seriously have her number."

Blake nervously coughed. "I have Sun's number, technically. He gave it to me to help me coordinate our attack last time."

"And you kept it?"

"Who honestly clears out their contacts regularly?"

"Okay, wait, wait, wait," Ruby said hastily. "Even if we have their number, we really should restrict Scroll communication. It's one thing for me to call my Dad, but we absolutely should not be calling up a criminal organization using Atlasian airwaves. Actually, it was probably a huge mistake calling my dad, too."

"I mean, if you didn't get caught last night—" Yang suggested, but Ruby nipped the idea in the bud.

"Then we definitely shouldn't risk it again."

"Well, if we can't call them," said Weiss thankfully, "then it looks like we shouldn't consider this at all. The only way we could talk to Neo if we wanted to would be to go to Vale and speak with her in person. Unfortunately, there isn't any way for us to leave Atlas Academy, so once again, it looks like there isn't anything we can do."

The room fell silent, and Yang's enthusiasm dampened. The one good idea she felt she had in weeks, and Weiss stamped it out before it could even blossom. She knew Weiss was simply looking out for her team, but she couldn't help but feel a personal insult in the attack. Whatever the case, their investigation had once again flamed out, and with no room left to work, it seemed like Team RWBY had reached the end. That was until Blake quietly pulled something up on her Scroll, and awkwardly scratched the back of her head.

"Well, there might be a way for us to leave the Academy."

Her teammates snapped to attention, as if she had just uttered a magic spell.

"What?"

"So, okay…" Blake said, rummaging through her messages. "Like two days ago, I got an email with an offer inside it. Do you guys know the Pelts, Skin, and Scales Society?"

"The Faunus advocacy group?" Ruby said.

"Yeah, them," Blake explained. "They are hosting a panel in the City of Vale later this month as part of some… you know, it's some thing or whatever. It doesn't really matter. But the point is they are inviting a bunch of activists and Faunus speakers to come and have a panel and talk about civil rights, and I…" Blake flipped her Scroll around to show the others. "…sort of received an invite to come."

Her three teammates huddled around her Scroll, and much to their amazement, an email was front and center on Blake's Scroll for all of them to see. It was about as fancy as an email could conceivably be, properly written, an insignia attached to its lettering, photographs of the venue and all. The message read:

To Blake Belladonna,

We hope this email reaches you. My name is Sylvius Brimstone, and I am the Co-Vice President of the Pelts, Skins, and Scales Society. This year, we are hosting our 32nd annual All Members Gathering, where we are looking to discuss avenues for activism, policy, and goals for the future of Human-Faunus relations. We have been watching you over the past several months, and we are very interested in both your meteoric rise to fame and your clear interest in areas of social justice and Huntsmen reform. We are hosting a panel of like-minded speakers on February 28th, in the Rise and Shine Center in the City of Vale, and we would be very interested in having you join us and share your unique perspective on Huntsmen duties, misconduct and responsibilities. We understand that this is very short notice, but we would be very open to hearing from you. All travel and accommodations will be paid for, if that is any concern. Thank you for your time.

From,

Sylvius Brimstone

Blake pulled back the Scroll, ignoring the impressed gazes of her teammates. "Eh. I turned them down."

Weiss gasped. "You turned down a chance to lecture people on your beliefs."

"Yep."

"Why?"

"Because these events are pointless public posturing and they accomplish jack shit," Blake said with distaste. "I have more influence over people sending out three Pages then I do going to a room with a bunch of whiny assholes who have never successfully passed a single fucking public policy. Also, the PSSS sucks as an advocacy group because they only give, like, twenty percent of their earnings to actual causes and they keep the rest. Also… this shit just isn't more important than what I'm doing with you guys. So, you know… fuck 'em."

"But," Ruby said, seeing the opportunity present itself, "if you did accept their offer, and we were able to convince Weiss's dad that this was an opportunity to market the Team RWBY Fund…"

"And then if he pestered Ozpin enough to allow me to go," Blake followed along with her, "and we could argue that we should always travel as a team even if you aren't invited."

"Then while you go give your panel…"

"The three of you would be free to hang around Vale and visit our Droog friend," Blake stated. "I mean… assuming she wants to see any of us."

Ruby paced around the room, more excited than ever. Yang, impressed by Blake's ability to pull solutions out of thin air, gave her ex a nod of approval, thankful herself that her idea was leading to something useful. Blake, though glad she was able to help her teammate, already started to dread what would happen when she had to give her less-than-popular opinions in front of a group of her peers. Weiss, however, was perhaps the most cautious, grabbing onto Ruby's hand and stopping her before she became too eager.

"Ruby, are you sure this is okay?" Weiss asked carefully. "Getting involved with the Droogs again, going behind Ozpin's back, investigating a thief… Do we really want to do something this risky? I really think we should focus more on our training."

"Weiss, I understand, but it's okay," Ruby said, cupping her girlfriend's face in her hands. "We'll only be gone for a single day, we're all sticking together, Neo isn't going to do anything to hurt us, and we will likely just ask a few questions and leave. And if something does come up, and we get a lead, we'll wait before we act on it and we won't do anything reckless. What's the worst that can happen?"

Weiss simply frowned at her. "That is literally the worst possible sentence you can say right now."