Note: So uh, I finished this chapter two days ago and literally just forgot to upload it. So here it is. Lol. Also, thank you to everyone who got the Into the Woods reference. Enjoy.

Ruby pulled out her Scroll, turning on the flashlight to see through the pitch black. The twelve students and their disgraced, former professor squeezed through the tunnel, shuffling along a floor of slick, black stone. There were no steps to guide them, no railings to cling to or markers to guide their path. The walls were the same dark material, enveloping the students in pure darkness, save for the thin glimmer from Ruby's Scroll that barely extended five feet in front of her before being snuffed out. She could feel the ground slant beneath her, the angle sharpening with each step. She wondered how deep into the earth she ventured, and what it was like for the Fables of long ago to crawl through this tunnel. Were there once light fixtures, or was it always this dark descent into the unknown? If so, she wondered why they could not be bothered to make the space more luxurious. Maybe they saw no purpose, or maybe they didn't have the time. Maybe the dark came quicker than they expected.

Ruby nearly slipped as she lost herself in thought, saved only by Weiss's quick reflexes. The heiress steadied Ruby by her waist and provided support for her. In the darkness, she could barely see Ruby smile in appreciation. The two kept a steady stride, while directly behind them, Coco watched them with an air of caution. Even in the absolute darkness, her sunglasses remained glued to her face. It wasn't like it would do her any good to take them off. She heard some rapid footsteps behind her, and someone swooped by her side.

"Hey."

Yang.

"How are you doing?"

Coco shrugged. "Hanging in there. You know, as much as I can be."

"First mission jitters. Yeah. I know the feeling," Yang said gently. "Don't worry. We've got this."

"You don't know that."

"No, but being cynical isn't going to help," Yang admitted.

"I'm not cynical. I'm practical. Always have been."

"Well," Yang sighed, "for what it's worth, I'm glad you decided to come along. I know you don't want to, but… well, I really appreciate it."

"Thanks, but, like I said," Coco reminded her, eyes glued to the redhead in front of her, "I'm not doing this for any of you."

Yang thought she detected malice behind Coco's words, but she didn't bother bringing it up. Not with the mission at hand, and not with Ruby so close to them. Afterward, she reminded herself.

Near the rear of the group, there was a loud bang that drew their concern. A few of them suspected they had been attacked, until they heard Nora shouting in frustration. She had tripped and fallen over.

"Oh, goshdarnit!" she hissed. Ren helped her stand up, though it did little to soothe her anger. "I freaking hate not being able to see. It's the worst!"

Ren pursed his lips. "Uh, Nora?"

"It sucks so much!" Nora ranted. "I swear, I'm never taking my sight for granted ever again. Who would ever try navigating a place in total darkness? That's so stupid. I should smack the Fables who made this."

"It's not the worst thing—" Ren tried to say, but Nora shut him down.

"No, it is. Not being able to see is the worst. Just totally horrible. Like, I'd rather someone stab me in the head with a rusty fork than ever go through this again—"

Nora suddenly stopped speaking and turned to her left. Standing literally two feet away from her, Fox stared at her with his dead, unseeing eyes. He didn't react at all, his blank face drawing out all of the color from Nora's cheeks. Nora stared back at him, and the two just waited in silence for the other to say something.

"No, keep going," Fox said bluntly. "You were about to make a good point. Promise."

Nora flashed an awkward, toothy grin. "I mean, uh… how about those deaf people… am I right?"

She flashed a thumbs up that Fox couldn't see. He shook his head and joined the rest of the group as they continued down the tunnel. Ren sighed, disappointed, while Nora put her hands on her hips and muttered under her breath.

"Wow. Botched that one."

Several more minutes passed. The dark continued to stretch with no sign of stopping. The incline had turned so sharp that most of the students had to cling to the walls for support. The flashlight on Ruby's Scroll seemed to become less powerful, only because the dark greedily swallowed more of it. Blake let out a long groan, which echoed in the seemingly infinite tunnel. "Ugh, how deep does this thing go?"

"It's a Vault," Goodwitch reminded her. The professor lingered near the middle of the group, hacking her lungs out. She wanted to hang near the back, but Team RWBY would be damned if they let her linger where their backs were turned. She would stay directly in the middle of the party, coughing and wheezing all over Velvet, who had the misfortune to stand the closest beside her.

"What's your point?" Blake asked sharply.

"It doesn't do much good to keep it near the surface," Goodwitch grumbled. "I see that in the months I've been gone, you haven't become any brighter."

"I mean, I would insult your teaching skills," Blake claimed, "but in fairness, we actually haven't done much school work."

"And somehow, you continue to pass with flying colors," Goodwitch said distastefully. "If I were Ozpin, I'd just expel you all. Damn whatever the media has to think about it."

"Nah. Ozpin's been a good little boy for us," Blake smirked. She looked back over her shoulder, and with her improved vision, she could see the bitterness extend across Goodwitch's face. "In fact, just the other week, he let us all go on vacation."

"Va…vacation?" Goodwitch said. Her face condensed into a vicious sneer.

"Oh, yeah. It was awesome," Blake said, reminiscing about the good old days of a week and a half ago. "We went to the beach, drank some wine, played volleyball… all on the school's dime."

Goodwitch's sneer deepened.

"In fact, Ozpin and Ironwood basically had no choice but to let us take a break from our studies. And that's how we roped JNPR and CFVY into it, too. Now, none of us study."

Her hands balled into fists.

"It's actually fantastic. We get to hang around in luxury villas, eating expensive food and lounging without a care in the world. Everyone basically treats us like gods. We have money, power, opportunity, we have the headmasters wrapped around our fingers, they let us do whatever we want…" Blake's gaze turned cold. "And you're here, in this hellhole. Wasting away. We basically forced Ozpin to send us here, but you… you couldn't leave here if you wanted to. Isn't it weird how that worked out?"

Goodwitch suddenly lunged forward—though she could only take a step before she fell to her knees, sputtering and coughing up more mucus. Blake faced forward and left her behind. She was making things worse, yes, but after the hell that woman put her through, she wasn't sure if there was a punishment that was too severe. Goodwitch couldn't touch her. She wouldn't. She was so duty-bound to Ozpin that she may have well worn a collar with his name on it. She was at the bottom of the pecking order, and now, everyone knew it. Velvet and Yatsu helped Goodwitch to her feet, but she shoved them away, mumbling curses under her breath.

Another minute passed before Ruby came to a sudden halt.

"Everyone, stop!"

The call made it through the crowd, and the students stopped themselves before they collided with each other. The ground had flattened, and cool air rushed past them from the front. The tunnel suddenly broke open into a monstrous cavern, and Ruby tilted her flashlight upward. Her eyes widened.

Something had finally broken through the darkness: a monstrous door, thirty feet high and thirty feet wide, etched into the rocky wall. It was made of the same steel as the outside door, but it was purer, glistening from a light source that didn't seem to exist. Careful patterns were laced over the metal, forming a large floral shape that covered the entire door. A long seam ran down its center, and on each side, there was a different symbol painted onto the metal. The shapes were alien, unrecognizable, and yet… Ruby felt like she understood them

A voice seemed to fill in the blanks from the back of her mind.

1 0

The meaning seemed to come naturally to her. A name. More aptly: a designation.

"Welcome to the Vault," Goodwitch groaned, shoving her insecurities deep down inside the same way she shoved her way to the front of the group. She parked herself in front of the giant metal doors as the students spread out into the open cavern, admiring both the freeing space and the immense structure in front of them.

"Please don't tell me there's another mile-long tunnel hidden behind there," Jaune asked worriedly.

"This is the real deal. Took us long enough," Goodwitch sighed. She knocked on the steel as if admiring its handiwork. She didn't really have the heart to admire anything. "This door leads directly to the first chamber, where several expeditions were held decades back. Did Ozpin happen to mention what happened to them?"

"They died?" Coco asked.

"Very astute," Goodwitch mocked. "The door is completely impenetrable. You can try all you want to get in with Semblances, guns, and bombs, but it won't work. Believe me, I tried. On some more frustrating days, I'd take my anger out down here. See that?" Goodwitch pointed at the door. If they squinted, they could make out a scuff mark on the metal. Goodwitch smirked proudly. "That was me."

"Riiiight," Blake rolled her eyes. "So, how the hell do we get in?"

"You need a key," Goodwitch explained. "Did Ozpin not bother to mention that? Or did he expect you to figure it out yourselves?"

There was an awkward silence. Perhaps it had truly slipped his mind during their briefing, but that was naïve thinking. He chose not to tell them. He wanted to give them a mystery to solve, one they'd hopefully fail at—one final means of dissuasion. Of course, if he really thought that would hold them back, he would be thinking naively as well.

"How do we get in?" Ruby asked point blank. Goodwitch just shrugged her shoulders and pointed directly at Weiss Schnee.

"Her."

Weiss gasped as all eyes fell upon her. "Me?"

"It's a Fable Vault," Goodwitch explained. "It's designed to open upon recognition of Fable genetic code, or relevant Fable technology containing similar material. Obviously, you don't have that, but you do have a few 'gifts' from your favorite, big, blue deity. Flash those chains of yours, and it should do the trick. It's how the old scouting teams got in."

Weiss struggled to put the pieces together. Utilizing her Fable powers would unlock the Vault? It would explain the confidence her Headmasters held in it being invulnerable. There were only a handful of people on the planet capable of utilizing those gifts, and they all seemed to be linked to her bloodline. But that would mean…

"Has… has my father been here?" Weiss's voice quivered. She knew her Father was close with Ironwood, but… could he have really known about all of this? Goodwitch, smugger than she had been all day, just grinned.

"Why don't you ask him? Oh wait… you aren't on great terms anymore, are you?" A few shocked stares flew her way, but she just shrugged them off. "Oh, please, I do keep up with some of the news."

Weiss was still struggling with the weight of what had been thrust on her when Ruby suddenly stepped forward. "Hold on. That doesn't make any sense. If we need to use Fable powers to open the Vault, how did Penny get in?"

"Powers or technology," Goodwitch reminded her.

"So, how did she get in? Did Ironwood give her Fable tech?"

It was a valid question, one that once more raised the specter of betrayal among them. Goodwitch was surprised they were even asking that question, though she wouldn't skip an opportunity to showcase her superior knowledge. If Ruby was really this in the dark—and if she was totally going to die in a few minutes anyway—Goodwitch didn't mind giving her the answers the easy way for once.

"I can't believe you don't know," Goodwitch stated. "Penny is Fable technology."

Ruby's confused yelp bounced off the cavern walls.

"What?"

Goodwitch held back a laugh. She could see the startled expressions sift among the students. Having even a morsel of power over them, however insignificant, was almost enough to soothe her despair. Almost.

"I'm surprised you didn't figure that out," Goodwitch said mockingly. "You're the genius, aren't you? Always snooping in places you aren't supposed to? You didn't really think Atlas had access to this level of advanced technology, did you? They took it from other Fable ruins, scraps and pieces, whatever they could find, and reassembled it into a fragment of what it used to be. The billions had to go somewhere."

Ruby reeled. It made so much sense that she was shocked she hadn't connected the dots sooner. The only things capable of killing Grimm, as far as they knew, were Fable abilities. If the headmasters had any chance of using her to her full potential, they'd have to gather that technology from somewhere. It raised a far more important question—did Penny even know what she had within her?

"While I'd love for you to stand around with those stupid expressions," Goodwitch sighed, "I think you're wasting valuable time. Penny's probably getting torn to pieces right now. Maybe you should get a move on."

Goodwitch's taunt shook them out of their stupor. She was right; they had delayed long enough. Ruby checked with the other members of her team. Some—Nora, Pyrrha, Fox, and Ren—were determined, ready to fight. Yatsu, Velvet, Coco, and Jaune seemed reluctant, some fighting back their fears, others hoping that they would come to their senses and flee this godforsaken place. But her team—they were as ready as they would ever be. Team RWBY, staring down the barrel of a loaded gun? This was just another Monday for them.

Weiss gently clasped her hands, taking a deep breath. Ruby rested her hand on her shoulder.

"You ready?"

Weiss filtered out the memories of her father. She didn't need to be burdened by them anymore. He was nothing. These powers, this legacy… it was hers now.

"Let's begin."

Weiss took graceful steps toward the Vault entrance. Goodwitch politely stepped aside, allowing the young Huntress all the room she would need. She Weiss extended her arms toward the ground, feeling the power that had come to her like a sixth sense. She concentrated, and as they often did, the Chains of the Reveler burst forth from the ground. Like four golden snakes, they encircled her, their metal hissing and rattling as they swarmed around her. Their sharp, bladed ends flicked in various directions, as if searching for an active target. Weiss hesitated. What now? Strike the door with the chains? Wait for it to react? Goodwitch prodded her along.

"Touch it… then get ready for the show."

Weiss nodded. The others waited anxiously as she approached the massive door. She extended her hand, and took in one final moment of caution. Her fingers hovered just inches away from the door. The students raised their weapons, unsure if when the door opened, danger would immediately strike. The cavern became silent, save for the rattling of chains and the clicking of loaded weapons. Weiss pressed her fingertips against the metal door—and within a nanosecond, the metal began to glow.

Weiss stumbled away, raising Myrtenaster toward the structure in a panic. The others followed, all eyes aimed at the Vault door. The elegant patterns glowed a neon blue, and the two large symbols glowed with the same blinding radiance. A strange, booming sound suddenly shook the earth. It was neither a voice nor mechanical, alien and thunderous, the calls of a creature pulled from the surrealist nightmares.

"Zxxsssccss Ytzzt nshcsh zzjjwcsn ssbsckk DTR PRCLLS"

Ruby shuddered. Though equally monstrous, to her ear, she heard it clearly.

"Genetic signature verified: Diotro Princillius."

The Vault door separated cleanly down its middle. The groaning of the ancient metal sent ripples across the floor. From within the Vault, a blinding, white light emerged, stronger than the sun. The students had to cover their eyes, though Ruby tried looking into the vast space. She couldn't manage; the darkness had gotten to her, and her eyes were not ready to adjust. Even Coco, still wearing her shades, had difficulty overcoming such intense light so suddenly. Goodwitch was the only one knowledgeable to look away. As the door slid open, the metal shrinking into the rocky wall, more blinding light spilled out into the cavern. If there was a monster waiting for them on the other side, it would have easy pickings of the lot. Fortunately, they were alone, and although it took nearly a full minute, they were eventually able to adjust. Goodwitch strutted past them, beginning her long ascent up the tunnel.

"Have fun!" she called over her shoulder. "We'll send someone to pick up your bodies tomorrow!"

Ruby brushed off Goodwitch's insults. The Vault was calling her inside. When she was able to see more than a blinding light, she ordered her team to move out. Curiously, cautiously, Team NYBF entered the Vault.

The door shut behind them, and the full weight of what they were doing finally set in. They were here—alone. No escape. Standing just in front of the gigantic entrance, they could finally see the Vault in all of its glory. Or at least… whatever glory was left.

The entrance chamber of the Vault was massive; a perfect, octagonal room at least a hundred feet wide and another hundred tall. The first thing that stood out were the statues, eight golden structures that reached high into the ceiling, one in each corner of the room. They were of magnificent, horrifying creatures: one was a dragonthing with a large sword and a neck that swooped and tangled upon itself, another, a orb with a hundred wings and eyes. Were these Fables? Gods? Creatures of myth that the Fables held dear? Were they meant to be anything, or just art in and of itself? In the center of the room was a large, blackened cube, ten feet tall, which was featureless on all sides, save for a small, blue glowing light perched upon its hanging edge. Then, there was the floor: the source of the overpowering light that had blinded them earlier. It wasn't merely a powerful white: it was a perfect, radiant sea, so pure and otherworldly that stepping upon it seemed to be like floating. And the walls lived: they were not a dull metal like the Vault's exterior, but they breathed with visual splendor. Within them, Ruby saw galaxies and cascading cosmic rays, a constant swirling of stars so real that she could practically reach out and touch them. Bright blues and reds crashed like ocean waves as they painted exquisite patterns in space, lighting up the room and their faces in gorgeous colors. Ruby's eyes followed the patterns in wonder, watching them dip in and out of dying stars, collide with each other in new and fascinating particles, and then… stop suddenly, the illusion shattered.

The lights on the far wall were broken.

The initial majesty of the Vault wore off rather quickly. While the starry night projection still worked mostly perfectly, two of the back walls were just boring, grey metal. The dancing cosmic rays glitched and disappeared as they reached the end of their illusion; Ruby assumed that if they worked properly, they'd probably be doing something cool on that wall, too. The white floor was unlike anything Ruby had ever seen—for about ten feet. Then, it stopped, with only a few, flickering patches of white sporadically spread out across the chamber. The golden statues lining the corner were starting to chip and fall apart, revealing the far less prestigious metals actually used in their construction. Real gold probably wasn't going to be used in a secret Vault anyway, right? Far easier to paint. And Ruby only just noticed how absolutely quiet it was. The death of the Vault seemed to overpower her. It struck her hard: she was hundreds of feet underground, in an abandoned, metal box.

The twelve students stood there. They waited. So… now what?

There were three exits to the chamber, not counting the sealed door behind them. The first was directly behind the cube, the others off to either side. They each seemed to lead into more darkness, though occasional spurts of light revealed them to be made of the same, dull metal. Ruby wasn't sure which way to go. She tried listening but heard nothing among the shadows, and nothing within her mind guiding her. She thought that maybe Rosaline would become more active when she finally entered the Vault, but the Fable was silent, per usual. She felt like they probably shouldn't just be standing out in the open, given the supposed deadly nature of the Vault, though they had nowhere to go. She was going to suggest they pick a tunnel and venture forth, or perhaps talk strategy when one of them spoke up.

"Uh… what do we think that thing is?" Jaune asked suddenly. He pointed to the large, featureless cube. It was an innocent enough question, though maybe not the most pressing. Still, Yang threw out an answer that didn't help his fidgeting nerves.

"Maybe, like… a laser cube?"

"A laser cube?" Jaune asked.

"Yeah, like… it shoots lasers at intruders," Yang suggested. Jaune gulped, though Pyrrha dismissed the theory quickly to soothe him.

"I think if it were going to shoot lasers, it would have done so by now."

"Then what is it?" Yang asked. "It can't just be a pointless cube. It's gotta do something."

"Should we touch it?" Nora suggested.

"I think we shouldn't touch anything in here," Weiss chastised her.

Coco leaned forward, examining the giant, mysterious object. The other students shouted out suggestions. Giant robot in disguise? Art piece? More lasers—Yang was really set on the idea of lasers. Coco looked closely at the room around her, then back at the door they entered. For some reason, it just clicked.

"It's a reception desk."

The other students fell silent.

"Huh?" said Weiss.

"A desk?" Blake scoffed. "You think that thing is just a giant, fancy desk?"

"Maybe not a desk, specifically, but like… we're in reception," Coco reasoned. "I mean, we're in a gigantic maze, right? You want people to know where they are going. This is the area where they welcome in visitors or whatever. You check in there, and they tell you what way to go. I mean, can't you just picture a Fable sitting right behind there, pointing people in the right direction?"

Ruby stared at the strange cube, dumbfounded. No. It couldn't be that, right? That was so… boring. Yes, this room did look like a welcoming area, with its fancy statues and wall decorations, but like… her brain just refused to accept it. She couldn't imagine an all powerful Fable, a precursor, a being of extreme power, sitting behind that cube and shuffling paperwork around. She just couldn't accept it.

"Look, see that light thing?" Coco said, pointing to the blue button. "I bet that's like a buzzer. You ring it and someone comes and helps you out."

Ruby just kept standing there in shock. The others, though still mystified, found it hard to disagree with Coco's reasoning. They may not have understood the purpose of the Vault, or the many dangers that lurked within it, but for once, something actually made a good amount of sense. They were standing in the reception area. It really was not more complicated than that.

For all of their infinite power and mystery, the Fables suddenly felt very Human.