Note: I have nothing for this note, lol. Enjoy.

"Ruby, are you sure?" Weiss asked, her voice wavering back and forth between fear and excitement. She, Blake, and Yang were surrounding Ruby by her bed as the leader explained her revelation. Ruby nodded intently.

"It's the only thing that makes sense. Ironwood has complete control over Penny. She wouldn't go anywhere without his direct authorization. He has to be responsible for this, and if Ozpin really doesn't know, it means their relationship has broken down."

"Holy shit," Blake muttered. "Ozpin losing control of a situation. That's…"

"Kind of incredible?" Yang suggested with a smile. "I mean, that can only be good for us, right? We're no longer dealing with a united front."

"We don't know that," Weiss said, quick to bring her teammate back down to earth. "They disagree on this one front. I assume they are still working closely together in other matters."

"Nah, this is huge," Blake insisted. "Ozpin loves being in control of everything. Remember how pissed he got at us for establishing dominance once? He literally sent his entire student body across kingdoms just to fuck with us. Once he figures out that Ironwood is double-crossing him, that relationship is finished."

"Then we need to drive a wedge even further," Yang said eagerly. "If we split them apart, they'll have so much less leverage over us. We can even ally with one against the other when we need to. The enemy of my enemy is my friend and stuff."

"Who's the enemy and who's the friend?" Weiss wondered. "They are both terrible."

"I don't know. Depends? We can figure that out later," Yang promised. "But this is all good news."

Ruby snapped her fingers, drawing her team's attention back to her. "Guys, focus. This isn't a priority right now. Our priority should be discovering what Ironwood did to Penny."

The speculative, excited air was deflated like a balloon. Blake crossed her arms, bringing up the obvious.

"Why are you so worried about Penny's safety?"

"You're not?"

"I mean, kind of. For one, Penny isn't our friend. She's a weird robot Atlas made to shoot Grimm, and she's been constantly fucking things up for us since we met. Hell, the first day we met, she tried to stab me."

"I think we've all tried to stab you at some point, Blake," Weiss reminded her.

"I haven't," said Ruby.

"I haven't either," said Yang.

Weiss rolled her eyes. "Okay, maybe—"

Yang interjected. "I did try to bludgeon her to death though."

"Maybe we didn't all try to stab you, but my point is, with us and Pyrrha and all of the other varied relationships that we are a part of, physical violence isn't necessarily a disqualifier for worrying about her."

Blake scoffed. "Fine, then let me get to my real point. What exactly do you think is going to happen to her, Ruby? Do you think she's going to get hurt?"

"I don't know… maybe?" Ruby admitted.

"Penny is the only thing Ironwood cares about," Blake reminded her. "He spent a ridiculous amount of money building her, too much to throw away. Wherever he did send her, there's no chance in hell it was somewhere dangerous. And, even if he actually did send her someplace dangerous, I feel it's important to point out that she's an indestructible robot. She took a machine gun to the face and was literally fine. I don't think we have to worry about her getting hurt."

Ruby sighed. Despite her nerves telling her otherwise, Blake made some very good points. Ironwood wasn't the kind of person to waste his projects, and Penny wasn't the type of person to be easily wasted. At this point, Ruby wasn't even sure Penny could die in the traditional sense. If they tore her apart and broke her down to her core components, who was to say they couldn't simply put her back together? But that raised a more serious question: what purpose would be so important that it would need to be hidden from Ozpin?

"You're probably right," Ruby said tiredly. "But still… I don't like the idea that Penny is out there somewhere. If it's worth keeping secret, it probably can't be good."

"Is it possible Ironwood just sent her home?" Yang asked, perhaps naively. "I mean, didn't Penny say she had a dad she lives with when she's not training? Maybe he just asked her to take some time off with her family, and then she'll come back for Vytal. He wouldn't tell Ozpin because Ozpin would be against her skipping training?"

"I don't think Ironwood is the type of person to give vacations, though I suppose we can hold onto that theory for now," Weiss sighed. "Maybe… maybe she's doing something in Vale."

"Vale?" Yang asked.

"Think about it," Weiss said confidently. "Ozpin would never tolerate Penny running a mission in his home Kingdom. It might be politically disadvantageous to him. Ironwood would then have sufficient cause to act without his approval."

"But what would she do in Vale? Assassinate the President?" Yang threw out wildly, before pausing with horror. "Oh god, you don't really think he sent Penny to assassinate President Pygmalion, do you?"

Weiss spoke infinitely calmer. "I… don't think that's what happened. But again, let's keep it in the back of our minds."

Blake groaned, throwing herself onto the floor in a defeated heap. "Okay, so our theories range from: Penny is home getting some rest before Vytal, to: Penny is going to slice the President in half with her swords. Great. That narrows it down. Super helpful."

Ruby shook her head, equally defeated. "I think we don't have a choice but to confront Ironwood directly."

"And he's not gonna tell us shit," Blake said knowingly. "Or he'll be like, This is none of your concern. That sounds like something he'd say."

Weiss suddenly stood up, a familiar air of superiority coursing through her. "Don't worry about that. I can make him talk."

"You sure about that?" asked Yang.

Weiss nodded. "Don't worry. Us Schnees can be very persuasive."

Winter looked down at the messages that appeared on her Scroll.

Hello, Winter. Can you please call when you are able? I need to discuss something important with you.

Winter had a few suspicions about what that could mean. Most likely, Weiss was looking to apologize for the dismal state in which she and her friends left their villa. According to the cleaning crew she sent, there were several bottles of wine missing from the inventory, there was significant damage to the pipes and floorboards, and most of the students had failed to fold their sheets properly. It would likely cost several thousand lien to return the villa to its pristine condition, though that was hardly a drop in the bucket these days. When every slight bump of the stock caused millions to drain from her pockets, she could hardly be concerned with such trinkets.

Of course, today, she was not particularly concerned with the stock either. As she sat in the high office of the Schnee Dust Company Headquarters, she was vastly more concerned with the visitor she was due to receive any moment. She had to clear her mind of any distractions, which itself was easier said than done. Ever since that mad surgeon had freed her, her untamed thoughts had been allowed to roam chaotically. It was as if months of stifled emotions had all decided to burst from their cage, and she found it difficult at times to keep the varying ideas straight in her head. Weiss had suggested to her that she might suffer from "ADHD", which is something she apparently learned about from the Valians. "Excuses" might have been the better term.

Winter's gaze snapped upward when she heard the knock on her door. She beckoned the guest inside. Her sharply dressed assistant opened the door, and a woman stepped inside, fair and uncomfortable. Her aging features did not hide her weariness, and one might easily suspect the white hairs were from stress rather than shared genetics. She seemed shaken as she entered Winter's office, and she looked around at the new décor, almost like stepping into a distorted memory. It was as spacious as she remembered, bigger than most apartments, and the large window outside revealed only a white sky. When the assistant closed the door behind them, Winter ushered the older woman to her seat.

"Hello, Mother. Please. Sit."

Willow Schnee's steps were cautious. She lowered herself into the chair across Winter's desk and observed its contents. Winter was always someone who valued efficiency over style. Her desk was stripped clean of everything that wasn't important, as were her walls. If the plague outside did not bear her name, Willow might have thought the office had long been abandoned. Jacques's taste was never to her liking. He had a taste for ugly status and granite, and he used to keep a large portrait of himself on the south wall, looking over the room like some sinister guardian. That was gone, now, thankfully, though the imprint remained where it once hung.

"You need a couch," Willow said plainly.

"People keep telling me that," Winter sighed. "How have you been? I haven't seen you since that family dinner a month back."

Willow shifted, trying to find some position that was comfortable. Winter could tell she was sober. For now.

"It's been… a lot," Willow said. She closed her hand around the wooden armrest of the chair. "The reporters haven't left us alone. They like to pool around the mansion, a bit like cockroaches. Security has to usher them away."

"And… Father? How has he been?" Winter asked hesitantly.

"He's been locked up in his study most days," Willow said coldly. "He's always on call with his lawyers. I can hear him sometimes, screaming from down the hall. Every night, he's been asking Klein to bring the meals to the study instead of joining us for dinner. I hear the news as well, sometimes. He seems obsessed with the SDC."

"I meant with you," Winter asked more sternly. "He hasn't lashed out at you, has he?"

An almost nostalgic gleam appeared in Willow's eye. "Your father doesn't frighten me, Winter."

"That's not what I asked."

"He hasn't said a word to me," Willow confessed. "I only ever see him now when he wanders the hall, searching for a restroom. He has his side of the mansion, and I have mine. We've kept it that way for years. I don't see a reason to change that."

Winter grimaced. "Then, does that mean you're rejecting my offer?"

"It was very sweet."

"It wasn't sweet. It's precautionary," Winter explained. "Men are most dangerous when they are cornered. That is as true of Father as it is for any vagrant on the street. He sees me as an enemy, and I don't know what he might do to retaliate for what I did. I don't want you close to him. Let me get you out of there."

Winter Schnee had swiped the Schnee Dust Company from under Jacques's nose, but she hadn't taken everything from him. The Schnee Manor, the ancestral den of their bloodline, was outright owned by him. Any attempt to negotiate its purchase would be pointless; as if Jacques would let her get her paws on anything else he worked hard to obtain. Unfortunately, that her mother, brother, and the housekeeper were trapped under his domain. She was ready to whisk them off to somewhere beautiful—a new property, perhaps not as prestigious, but safe. Yet, with a shake of her head, Willow turned her away.

"It's not what I want. It's Whitley," Willow explained, heartbroken. "He wants to stay with his father."

Winter groaned. "That little shit…"

"He's your brother, Winter. Show some kindness."

"I'm trying to show kindness, and he's disrespecting it," Winter said bitterly. "After what I've shown him, he's still clinging to Father's heel?"

"He thinks the rumors aren't true. I… I believe he does, truly," Willow explained. "He doesn't understand the gravity of these matters."

"If he wants to stay with Father, fine. But that doesn't mean you have to stay behind as well."

"I'm not abandoning him," Willow said, daring for just a moment to become passionate about something. "I know you have your problems with him. I'm not going to pretend your relationship has always been perfect. But I can't give up on my child just because I fear for my safety. That's cruel, Winter. I'm still his mother. He needs me… even if he doesn't realize it yet."

Winter pursed her lips. She didn't even attempt to hide her next words. "So… now you've decided to be a mother."

The office went quiet for a moment. Willow closed her eyes. She wasn't surprised by the comment, but it didn't make it sting less. "I know that you resent me. I failed; I can admit that. I should have done more to help. I'm not trying to ask for your forgiveness. Just some understanding."

Winter's response was as cold as her namesake. "Understanding won't take back the time that was stolen from me."

"I wanted to help. I did—"

"Let's not litigate this now, Mother.

"I just wanted you to know—"

"It isn't relevant. Forget I even brought it up," Winter instructed. "Regardless of how I feel or what you did, I have a responsibility to look after you. The same is true for Whitley. Can you please ask him to reconsider?"

Willow bowed her head. "I… I can try."

"Thank you," Winter sighed, though the hopelessness in her mother's tone indicated the effort was wasted. "We should continue this over lunch, I suppose. There are finances we need to discuss."

Willow said nothing. A more naïve version of her once believed that her husband was all that stood in the way between herself and her children's happiness. She had deluded herself into thinking that anything he destroyed could be rebuilt with enough care and attention. Unfortunately, she was capable of providing neither, and the fangs had been sunk so deeply into her children's necks that there was no hiding the scars. When Winter stood up to leave the office, she barely acknowledged her. Willow followed her reluctantly. She wondered if she could get a drink over lunch if Winter would be willing to stop her, and if her daughter would eventually give up to ease the tension between them.

The answer to all three was: yes.

Pyrrha Nikos had spent her entire life following a routine. She had calculated her schedule down to the minute and took great pride in following it. That regiment allowed to her to hone her mind, her skills, and become the Huntress she was today. Pyrrha didn't like disruptions. She didn't like change. Or so she thought.

Pyrrha Nikos's routine had been shattered lately—and she never felt happier.

She had set her alarm for fifteen minutes earlier than she used to. When she woke up, she did not immediately shower or prepare breakfast. She didn't even change out of her pajamas. Her first move now was to climb up into Jaune's bunk, gently prod him awake, and then curl up into his embrace. This new addition to her schedule—"Snuggle Time"—was a much superior way to start the day. She would tuck her feet under the covers and lose herself in the hold of her boyfriend. Sometimes he would stroke her hair, or kiss her on the cheek, though most often he would fall right back asleep with her in his arms. She didn't mind it though. In fact, that just gave her a chance to look at his adorable sleeping face. The fluttering in her chest was as good as any kiss.

Did it annoy her team members? More specifically, did it annoy Nora? Probably. A little. Ren didn't get bothered by anything, but Nora was a tad frustrated woken up fifteen minutes early just to hear the sounds of Pyrrha cooing and giggling. There should be no confusion: if asked, Nora would certainly say she was very happy for Pyrrha's romantic success, and considering the heavy tension between them earlier in the year, the fact they had resolved that conflict and moved onto pettier matters was a cause for celebration. There might have been some envy on Nora's part, however, and it was one thing to be happy for someone else finding love, and another to see them make out constantly.

Pyrrha didn't think she made out with Jaune constantly. Just… sometimes. And it felt really good, so she was going to keep doing it.

Pyrrha's mornings weren't the only part of her schedule disrupted. They hadn't been back in the Atlas Academy groove for more than a day, but she could notice the side effects quite clearly. She caught her attention slipping in class as she played footsie with him and may have even doodled a small picture of them in her notebook surrounded by hearts. Her lunch break lasted longer, as she spent more time telling Jaune how cute he was than actually eating. She walked slower through the halls since clinging to Jaune's side added weight to her movements. All of these would have been unacceptable failures to a younger Pyrrha. To find herself falling behind, even so slightly it was barely perceptible, would have sent her spiraling just a few months ago. But this was… different. It was fun. She didn't feel like the world was going to end because she wasn't perfect. With Jaune, imperfections were more than enough.

Her diversions with Jaune also distracted her from matters related to Team NYBF, though that hardly concerned her. Ruby had been blowing up their group chat with some revelations about Ironwood and Ozpin, and Nora's occasional comments of "Damn," and "Holy crap," suggested they were important. But Pyrrha hadn't really checked. She was sure if it was that important, someone would let her know. The mystery of Penny's disappearance did not weigh on her, since the two had barely interacted with each other all semester. And Ozpin? Well, she decided to stop caring about him long ago. So, instead of huddling over the team chat, discussing the latest, dramatic revelations, she and Jaune lay together in his bunk, chatting and laughing as the sun set on another beautiful day.

The subject of today, as it often was: Jaune's beauty. More specifically, his hair.

"My mom hates it."

"She has bad taste."

"She always wants me to cut it," he sighed. "She said, 'Real knights are trimmed.'"

"I don't think there's a problem with you having longer hair," Pyrrha insisted. "I can think of a few practical issues, but it's not even approaching that length to be a significant problem."

"Like what?"

"Getting in your eyes, primarily," Pyrrha stated. "I don't understand how some of these other Huntresses can go into battle without tying up their hair. Like, Yang… how is she not constantly distracted by brushing her hair out of her face?"

"I don't know. I'd have to ask her," Jaune shrugged. "You really think it looks good though?"

Pyrrha combed her fingers through his shaggy blond locks. "I think it's adorable. Put your mother on the phone with me, and I'll tell her directly how good it looks."

"I don't think she'd listen to you. No offense."

"Why? Am I not persuasive enough?"

"No, it's just… mothers. You know how they can be."

"Ah. I see."

"I don't even think I'd look bad with short hair," Jaune confessed. "It's just… I like my hair the way it is."

"You'd look good no matter what, but I like this," Pyrrha smirked, squeezing big handfuls of Jaune's mane. He blushed as Pyrrha twisted around the great stuff in her fingers. "You're so pretty. I can't believe girls haven't been throwing themselves at you."

"That's what I always said!" Jaune exclaimed. "Still… I'm happy I got you, though."

Pyrrha sighed. "Same." She released his hair and nestled herself against his chest. She listened to the sound of his heartbeat and smiled to herself when she heard it accelerate. They lay together in silence for a few minutes, losing track of the time. Pyrrha took in the smell of Jaune's bed. Atlasian policy required the sheets to be washed frequently, but they still smelled distinctly of Jaune. She wouldn't mind falling asleep here, drifting off in his embrace. Eventually, Jaune had to pull away, discouraged.

"Hey, can I ask you something?"

"Is it going to ruin the romantic moment we are having?"

"Uh, it might?"

"I'd rather you didn't."

"Sorry."

Pyrrha sighed, shifting along the mattress so she could meet him face-to-face. "What is it?"

"Well… you know with Vytal coming up, we are likely to compete," Jaune explained.

A frown crossed her lips. Really? Combat? Now. She knew her focus would eventually return to the Vytal Festival. Ever since she was young, she recognized that winning Vytal would be the ultimate accomplishment, the greatest title she could ever win. Her entire life had been building to that tournament in a way, and yet, with it so close she could touch it, she found herself so strangely uncompelled. Winning was still important, but it didn't spark the dire, urgent need within her it once did. Things were… different now. Couldn't she keep it that way for a few minutes?

"Yes. I'm aware."

"It's just…" Jaune stammered. "You don't think I have to compete, do I?"

Pyrrha looked at him strangely. "Jaune, if our team is selected, we are all competing."

"Right but… I'm gonna get my butt kicked. Like, I don't belong in there just because you and Nora and Ren do."

"Jaune, don't say that," Pyrrha scolded him. "The Vytal Festival catches a lot of people by surprise. You are getting better every day."

"But I'm not good. Not as good as anyone else from Beacon," Jaune said fearfully. "What happens if I go up against a Penny, or a Vivian…" He briefly looked away. "Or you."

Pyrrha didn't answer immediately. Intrateam fights weren't common within Vytal, but they did happen. Nothing in the rules prevented them. However, she didn't think it was likely Jaune would face such a challenge—albeit, for reasons that wouldn't comfort him at all. Jaune was, by all objective means, going to get his ass handed to him in the first round. Sure, he could fight someone who happened to be vulnerable on their own. Maybe the changing terrain would give him an advantage. Perhaps his opponent would drop dead from the flu five minutes before the bout began. But, as much as she cared for him, she wasn't ignorant about his abilities. He was probably going to get destroyed before he had a chance to face her.

But she didn't tell him that. As absolutely horrendous as she was with social cues, even she knew saying that was not going to be helpful.

So, she told him that, but… only sort of?

"Jaune, even competing in the Vytal Festival is a great honor," Pyrrha told him. "It's something to be proud of. I'm sure you are going to try your hardest, and even if your fight doesn't go well, I will be there right beside you, helping you along the way. You are going to represent the entire Arc family in Vytal, and that is a grand achievement in and of itself."

Jaune smiled, though his nervousness hadn't lessened. "I appreciate that a lot. Though… I was more worried about getting punched really hard."

Pyrrha paused for a moment, then awkwardly patted Jaune on the shoulder. "Well… try not to get hit."

Jaune looked at Pyrrha's hand, patting him for far too long.

"T-Thank you."

Pyrrha tried to smile.

"You are… welcome."

Grey. Unchanging grey.

"Anything at all?"

She was afraid to answer.

"N-No. Not really."

The light passed again over her pupil. It didn't react to the stimuli. "Still nothing."

The exam room was dark and crowded. Coco insisted that her team be there to support Velvet, though Fox didn't see the point. She was getting her eye tested, and they all needed to be there as a team. Even Yatsu thought it was a bit overboard. If the worst had happened, it was probably best to give her space, he reasoned. Coco knew better apparently, and she decided that through thick or thin, they were going to be right by Velvet's side, supporting her one hundred percent. They weren't expecting anything severe. It had been weeks, and Velvet had applied a steady stream of Aura to the wound. Everything should have been fine.

But the doctor had moved on to his third test.

Minutes passed.

And as Velvet sat in silence, her friends gradually realized the worst-case scenario was upon them.

The Atlasian doctor, another faceless, pale ghoul that the Kingdom produced in rapid numbers, shook his head as he tucked his flashlight into his coat pocket. He lightly pressed his fingers against her eyelids, and opened them wide, examining her face closely. It looked fine from the outside at first. But as Velvet turned her head, the eye lagged behind. A few small dots were visible in the whites, so small that no one would have noticed them at first glance. The doctor released Velvet's face, and she held her breath as she waited for him to confirm what she already knew.

"It appears the optic nerve hasn't healed correctly," he explained dryly. "While it may still improve, the vast majority of your eyesight is unlikely to return."

Velvet sat in silence, processing the news. Her teammates took it less quietly.

"What do you mean?" Coco asked belligerently, jumping to her feet and getting in the doctor's face. "Why isn't it healing?"

"I don't know," said the doctor. "The damage was more severe than we first thought."

"How do you not know? You're the doctor!" Coco said, her fury untethered. "She did everything right, everything she was supposed to. How the hell does an eye just not heal?"

"These things happen sometimes. The human body isn't a machine. It can't just be reassembled. It's complicated."

"Complicated? This is her health we're talking about. How complicated can it get?"

As Coco argued with the doctor, Yatsu and Fox rushed to Velvet's side to comfort her.

"It's going to be okay," Yatsu said sweetly, pulling her into a hug. "We'll get through this."

"It's not the end of the world," Fox said, trying to keep things light. "Trust me, it ain't nearly as bad as it sounds."

"No matter what, we're here for you," Yatsu promised.

Velvet took in their kind words, but she didn't really listen to them. She was too stunned to process anything. She thought this was going to be a slight bump in the road. She fully expected that in a few months, she could look back and laugh at her vacation photos where she had to wear an eyepatch with her swimsuit. But this was the new normal. Her right eye was damaged beyond repair, through not the fault of lack of care or inattentiveness, but a freak attack that happened to land just right to deal lasting damage. She wasn't sure what she was supposed to do. The Vytal Festival was starting soon. Was the school still going to let her compete? Would they…

Would they even still let her become a Huntress with her injury?

She tried to dismiss the notion as absurd. If Fox could fight, there was no reason she couldn't. But Fox had spent years training to overcome his disability. He fought so well his opponents might not even have known he was blind. Velvet was stuck like this. No peripheral. No depth. No balance. Even if they let her continue fighting, she had to consider the other consequences. Would her eye require surgery? An implant? Heaven forbid, a full-blown replacement? Her future was deeply uncertain, and though she put on a brave face for her teammates, deep down, she was terrified.

However, while Velvet didn't know what her future held, Coco understood her future extremely well. Frustrated with the doctor's vague answers, Coco stormed out of the room. She tore away her sunglasses and marched down the hall. She heard Fox run after her, screaming her name. She didn't acknowledge him. Right now, she didn't care about Fox, or Yatsu… or hell, even Velvet. Not really. She cared about retribution.

Coco was going to find Team JJWL, and she didn't care if she was alone. She was going to make them all pay.