Larger Issues

AN: Sorry about the wait, life has been busy and had to deal with a hurricane while writing. Enjoy!

Willpower

If there was one thing Sun should have expected, it was that he'd be in a new bed. It was comfortable to be sure and he was kinda glad to be back in Vacuo where he grew up but something was off.

The dorms back at Haven had been grand in scale, with each team having a central room to be together, smaller private rooms for each individual, and the team bathroom. The lacquered woods gave a nice sense of nature while the modern appliance of technology made things easier and helped with downtime, such as a television in the main room that they had used for games often.

The dorms at Beacon had them all in the same room but they found little issue with that beyond the less privacy than what they had enjoyed before. Still, there was little loss to the decore from one academy to the other.

The ship to Menagerie was what had been expected, mostly economic and minimal yet comfortable. But with three of them, it was rather tight but they had made due.

At the Belladonna home, each of their rooms were about the size of the dorms at Beacon. Honestly, Sun had little idea what to do with so much space available to him when he had so little. And the beds were like being on a cloud.

But the part he had gotten used to over the past few months was sharing a bed with Blake.

The coolness of her soft skin, her softer curves that would mold around him when they snuggled tight, how they could simply lay down and hold each other after… other activities.

That last thought made him glad that Ghira approved of them as a couple, even if they were doing things behind his back thinking he didn't know. The sheer fact that he did and let things continue, spoke volumes. But that also came with the warning that if he ever hurt Blake, it wouldn't matter if the father has only one arm as that would be all he needed to deal out punishment.

But now in the dorms of Shade, he felt he was home, yet not at home. Vacuo is the place that he was raised and grew up, familiar scents and sights, old habits of watching for the dangers of the desert. But home… home had become Menagerie for him, to be there with Blake and her parents.

For all of his wanderlust, he finally found a place where he felt that he could just stay and settle down. And there was still plenty to do there as he was trying to finish his schooling to become a teacher at Sirius Academy, expansion into the desert of Menagerie was being looked into, and Kuo Kuana had the potential to grow larger and stronger.

But as he lay in his bed with his teammates around, he looked around the room they shared. Thick adobe walls kept out the worst of the heat of the day but retained it during the cold nights, given a coat of paint to add protection from sandstorms inside and out. Any exposed wood from doors to window frame and shutters were all painted a deep green. Their furniture all have a dark stain to help them last longer, their dark browns helping to contrast the lighter tans of the walls.

The white sheets seemed to be out of place but they were easy to clean and shed dirt well, though there were several knitted blankets kept in locked chests that served as the foot of the beds. Likewise, much of their belongings were stored in drawers under their beds.

On the ceiling, a fan with a ringed light hung to illuminate and circulate the air among the supports for the roof.

In short, everything is sturdy, simple, built to last, and leaves little to waste.

He rolled over and picked up his scroll and checked the signal strength for the connection to Blake's. For a while, it was weak at best, but that was expected with her traveling through the mountains. But it was that way for far longer than it should. The second night without communication could have been from a delay, but she was safe on the train with her team, her other friends, and Qrow… right?

As much as his worry demanded that he call, his trust in her was giving her some time.

"Maybe a vid will do?" He scrolled through his collection and chose one, sending it her way a few seconds later.

"I… guess that will do. I need to get some sleep, she'll nag me if I don't." He laughs a little at the thought. "Then again, I'd do it to her too."

—-

Traveling through the snow, in the dark, in unfamiliar surroundings wasn't easy but Denko had a general idea of where he had to go and the rest came easily enough. But dawn had broken by the time he had a vantage point to see the city of Argus and he had to dispatch a trio of Beowolves along the way.

At least he could see his destination and located a decent path, including a natural bridge to cross a river. And on he trudged, finding that he wished he had boots rather than sneakers.

—

The Manta's touched down on the landing pads of the Argus/Atlas military base and allowed the passengers to get off, though they had to follow Tom to the base proper to give a report to the Commander. But once they were inside, there were things that they did not expect.

"Hey guys." Jaune waved to the group from his place on a chair in the lobby, holding a cup of coffee… wearing what looked to be women's clothes.

"He- yawn-llo again." Pyrrha's weak greeting was made understandable just from seeing the bags under her eyes as she fought to stay awake while leaning on her boyfriend. Though she was wearing a sweatsuit that was a few sizes off, mostly in length for the limbs and body.

"Were you two waiting for us all night?" Qrow had to ask, ignoring their atire.

Tom stepped up with a sheepish smile as he rubbed his neck. "Actually, they are here because of me. I had them brought in to give better details than the simple report they made earlier to warrant a search party for you all. Unfortunately, they had been in bed when their escorts arrived and they… brought them here without letting them change their clothes."

Ruby looked around to find that it was suspiciously quiet. "Umm… where's Nora?"

That single question made everyone look around for the no so little ball of energy, afraid that she had gotten herself in some form of trouble, and with Ren missing too, he was likely caught up in that same trouble as the two were never far apart.

"Oh, she's with her aunt." Jaune struggled to hold back a yawn and failed.

"She has an aunt?!" That question echoed in the large room from everyone yelling. It was no secret that the girl was an orphan but suddenly hearing that she had a family out of nowhere and they were still around, it was a shock.

"Yeah, they've been catching up. Can't imagine that they will still be talking too much." Jaune shrugs, waking the groggy Pyrrha before helping her up to her feet.

"Sorry Jaune, but I need to ask." Weiss walked up to the armorless knight. "What are you wearing?"

The blonde glanced down and gave her a deadpan look. "Had to borrow from my sister since my stuff was on the train."

Her eyes went wide at the reminder. "Oh… right." She blushed in embarrassment. "Does it help that we brought your belongings with us?" She gestures to the cart that was used to carry the dozen or so bags and packs.

"Yes, yes it does."

"At least I'll be able to wear my pajamas again." Pyrrha was relieved to see her pack. She loved her mother dearly but having to wear her clothes that haven't fit her since she grew taller just wasn't something she wanted to try again. Even if Jaune was distracted by their tight fit on her and her exposed belly.

"Hey guys! You're back!" The voice of Nora Valkyrie shattered the calm as she barreled towards the group still in the tight and ill fitting sweatsuit. She dove with her arms outstretched as if she were expecting a hug… only for everyone to wisely step to the side and let her crash to the floor and slide to a stop. Sitting up, she noticed the cart. "Oh? Our stuff!"

Without missing a beat, she picked up her bag and began to dance with it. Nobody paid her any mind, far too used to her antics by now, more focused on Ren walking up with a rather short, older woman in an Atlas uniform.

"So, the search and rescue was successful. Good."

"Who are you?" Yang was blunt.

"I am Commander Caroline Cordovin, commanding officer of this facility and proud member of the Atlas military!"

Cough! "Blowhard!" Cough!

That drew all attention to Maria, though Qrow and Ray had small smirks.

"Calavera."

"Cordovin."

"Insolent."

"Bitch."

Slap! The Commander was smacked upside the head by Nora. "Auntie Caroline!"

"N-Nora?!"

Yang took the opportunity to flick Maria as well, her prosthetic eyes going wide in surprise before narrowing as a small smirk came to her lips, shrugging to acknowledge that she got the point.

"Please Commander, we went through this the last two times she's passed through." Tom tried to reason with his boss.

"Besides." Ruby stepped up. "She really helped us with those Apathy back at the farm."

Any trace of trying to argue for the feud with the other elderly woman vanished as soon as the Grimm were mentioned.

"Apathy?"

"Yes." The cloaked girl nods, being supported by the rest of the new arrivals.

"Then let's get to debriefing your group." Cordovin turned away and began walking. "Tom, can you handle that?"

"Yes madam." The soldier salutes before guiding the entire group over to the mess hall so they could relax and eat. "Sorry about the Commander, she's had an… eventful night."

Nora had a wide grin at that comment. "Can't imagine why."

"Still, the sooner we get this done, the sooner all of us can go to bed." Tom reminded them. "You can use the showers here on base to clean up before going back to your residences."

—-

It was nearly dawn and Argus seemed so close for Denko. The scenery is beautiful and the waterfall crashed to a pool below.

But something was off.

He was halfway across the natural stone bridge which looked like it had been carved from the small canyon by the river many, many years ago, when he noticed that the birds had stopped singing and felt like he was being watched with malicious intent.

Rapid footsteps burst from the forest behind him and he turned to confront the threat, pulling Raijin from his back as he did. And that was all the time he had before a the crimson blade of a sword clashed against his own silver blade. It didn't help that the rock under his feet was damp from the nearby falls and Denko slid backwards as he absorbed the force of the attack.

"You!" Blue eyes went wide as he recognized the attacker- tall, wearing mostly black with touches of red, the reddish brown hair with a pair of small black horns, and an ornate white mask over his eyes with red detailing.

Adam didn't bother saying anything but he did push and jump back to break the blade lock and immediately sheathed his sword, adopting a ready stance with his hand on the hilt.

"What do you want?"

The blonde received no answer beyond a slash aimed for his neck, which he blocked easily enough. But Adam made two more slashes in quick succession, forcing Denko to block the strikes with his twirling weapon.

"You're not taking my head so easily." His blue eyes narrowed as he glared at the mask.

Adam had returned his blade to the sheath but his hand stayed ready to draw. "We'll see about that." He declared coldly.

Then he was gone, reappearing on Denko's left side and the sword already half drawn.

In a flash, the sword cut through the air and Adam scowled- his target had managed to duck under the razor edge and plant his hands on the ground, kicking up a moment later and catching the Faunus in the stomach.

Standing up, Denko saw that his counter hadn't pushed the bull too far away but it did stun him enough that he wasn't on the attack immediately. He gave Raijin a small twirl before going on the attack himself.

He started with a figure eight pattern with a few larger slashes that wouldn't interrupt the pattern thrown in. For his part, Adam was pushed back while blocking with his sword.

Denko pressed the attack, keeping the terrorist on the defensive while adding in more elaborate tactics in an attempt to break through the guard. An overhead rotation built extra momentum and almost caught Adam off guard since he had been lulled into a pattern.

Despite the deflection by the red sword, the shorter blade kept moving, this time with its wielder dropping low while spinning, Raijin going for the bulls' ankles. When the target jumped to avoid the attack, he found that it was just a setup for the blonde to spin once more and put his full strength behind his next strike aimed for the stomach of the airborne Faunus.

Once more, blades clashed but without having a solid base of any sort, Adam was hurled away back towards the end of the bridge from where he had come, catching himself with a one handed handspring and flipping back to his feet.

Adam scowled at the result of the last exchange of blows, tightening his grip on his weapons. Halfway across the bridge, Denko carefully watched his opponent, looking for any opportunity to finish this fight quickly, noting that so far neither of them were exerting themselves much. Just feeling the others skills out.

All of the red on Adam flashed brightly as he slashed horizontally through the air, sending a brilliant crimson streak of aura at Denko.

The blonde leapt high, letting the Moonslice pass him by harmlessly until it hit several trees and practically vaporized a large chunk of their trunks and causing them to fall.

But he turned his dodge into an attack of his own, flipping twice to build momentum and brought Raijin down with his full strength. "Hyah!"

The shockwave from making contact blew much of the water close to Adam's feet away. The bull pushed back with Blush after absorbing the force through the blade and needing both arms to brace it. Even his knees momentarily felt as though they would give out, though his feet had been driven into the stone they stood on an inch.

"Nice try." He smirks as he pushed back and makes the blonde stumble away. He wasn't done as he drew Wilt from his waist and aimed.

BANG!

Denko was still trying to regain his balance when the first shot came, using the broad side of Raijin's blade to deflect the bullet. That still proved to be enough to make him fall to his back, finding that he was in the sights once more.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Denko rolled to the side, just barely avoiding being hit.

"No more games!" Adam shouts as he glows red once more, channeling Denko's last attack through his Semblance while aiming with Wilt.

"Shit!" Was the last word before the world seemed to go red and a beam of pure destruction blasted through the rock as if it were a hot knife through butter.

"Pathetic." Adam scoffed as he turned away, switching his rifle to sheath mode and tucking it into his belt. He didn't bother watching the usual rose petals that resulted from when he used his Semblance on things.

"That was close."

Adam turned to find that his target was whole… with a hole next to his head large enough to put his head into. A hole that went right through the rock and the river below can be seen.

Apparently the blonde had shifted just enough and tilted his head to remain unscathed. Had the use of Moonslice been a little further away or aimed lower, Denko would have been killed. But the headshot had missed.

"My turn." That was Adam's only warning before Denko's arms glowed blue and a bright flash blinded him, a wave of pain filling his body before he was hurled backwards once again. He landed unceremoniously, twitching as a few sparks of static ram over him and into the ground.

Denko rose to his feet, a bit shaken from the near death experience and took a deep breath to settle his nerves and focus himself.

Adam too pushed his way upright, still twitching a little but that subsided by the second. But the white mask was cracked and soon fell apart, allowing Denko to see what Adam hid from the world.

Blue eye bored into blue eyes, the former was singular because the other eye had been blinded, evident by its pale shade. But what really grabbed attention was HOW the left eye was blinded- by a brand bearing the letters of SCD right across his face from eyebrow to upper cheek.

"Damn, that explains a lot." The blonde comments on the sight.

"You know NOTHING!"

Denko said nothing, but he loosened a bracer and slipped it off to reveal the bare skin… and the scar around his wrist.

"I know plenty. I have a full matching set thanks to the bitch at the orphanage I was at… and they were given to me by the human who ran the place." He paused to put the armor back in place. "And my sister, Itazura…" Adam frowned at the name but seemed willing to listen, for now. "She nearly had her tail cut off with garden shears and would have if my semblance hadn't awoken just then."

"What happened?" Adam was either curious or buying time to recover from the large shock he was given… possibly both.

"I fried the bitch and she was stuffed into the cell I had been in and locked her away… never looked back. But me and sis have been a great team, even if her ears were cut off by bandits before she came to the orphanage."

For Adam, that explained the prosthetic ears the fox wore, not a mere fashion statement. Though modeling them after real fox ears was a touch that he could appreciate. Still, the fact that this human had been treated as cruelly as a Faunus by a human, saved a Faunus himself and saw them as family… It reminded him of things that Ghira had spoken about when he was younger.

"Humans, Faunus… What does that mean in the long term? We are both species on this planet with the same general goals of living and enjoying life. We both have the same enemies that are the Grimm.

We would all benefit so much more if old mistrusts and prejudices could be set aside long enough for the next generations to never know of them. Instead, they would only know of the peace that the cooperation of our species has created to make all lives better.

Is that something not worth fighting for? Or is it that so many simply don't want to give up on petty grievances, on both sides? I choose to fight for such a future. What is your choice?"

He buried his doubts under his duty and old grudges. "Commendable… but that doesn't change that I've been charged to kill you and your team."

Denko narrowed his eyes, picking up on the slight change in the man but wanted to pry a bit. "So… that's your promotion? Moving from the hired help to do the grunt work for one bitch to taking her place serving the Witch Bitch?"

"Everything I've done was for the benefit of the Faunus. Cinder had resources that we needed and Salem… finds my skills useful for her needs and is willing to give me what I want for my services." The way he said that, it seemed more like it was something that he told himself just to keep going with his actions rather than what he wanted.

"Right… and I'm the King of Vacuo. We both know that those two just use people and throw them away at the first opportunity their usefulness ends."

"Then I'll deal with them when I have to." Adam states as he slides into a ready stance with his hands on his weapons.

"Now that is a fight I'd rather help you with." Denko tells him sincerely, even as he moves into his own ready position.

Adam momentarily widened his eyes at the words but deeply ingrained habits made him tighten his grip. A second later, he attacked.

He ran so fast in a circle around the blonde that he was little more than a blur, afterimages trailing after him and even seemed to lead his form. Wilt began to bark, firing rounds which Denko was able to dodge or deflect, his armor slowly glowing a brighter blue the longer the fight lasted, the jagged lines mimicking the Dust inside them.

Adam lashed out with Blush, utilizing blades of pure aura released from his sword to pelt the blonde from multiple angles, though those proved to fail as well. But they kept Denko busy maintaining a tight defense.

Without warning, Adam sent an aura image of himself towards Denko's face, an old but difficult technique that combines speed with precise control specifically meant to confuse an opponent for just a moment but that should be all the time needed to make a critical strike.

That critical strike came from behind, the bull going to slash at the younger man's back when the vest flashed brighter and a bolt of lightning emerged. Adam was able to intercept the counterattack with Blush but trying to block electricity with a metal weapon proved to be a bad idea.

At the same time, Adam seemed to have anticipated the shock, just not exactly how it would come, and had flooded Blush with aura to help mitigate the damage. But while aura was good for helping to protect one from attacks, electricity still largely bypasses the defensive shield, the effects still working on the nerves.

And with Adam forced to pause, Denko spun and lashed out with a kick to his stomach, driving the taller man back before he could press his attack.

"Not many can push me to use my semblance." The blonde comments as he holds his position, noting that the bull was ready to counterattack. "But if you insist on fighting, let's go all out."

Adam flicked his sword to the side before sheathing the blade again. "As you wish."

Denko acted first, rushing as a green blur and Raijin was thrust, aiming for Adam's gut. Blush lashed out to deflect the attack but the large blade still managed to cut into his shirt, his aura protecting the skin beneath from a similar effect. But Adam returned the favor, slicing at Denko's leg and putting a gash just above his knee in the cloth of his shorts.

From there, their blades were little more than blurs as they clashed so fast it mimicked a machine gun, small cuts appearing in their clothes from near misses, attacks that landed on their bodies scuffing the skin. That ended as they locked blades once more and pushed against the other for dominance.

Both of them breathed hard from the exertion from that latest exchange, having tested their skills at such a rapid pace while also defending themselves minimally just so they could focus on attacking.

Yet neither of them would give in, not while the other was still standing.

Denko adjusted his grip slightly on Raijin, taking a firm hold on the blue wrapped hilt before pulling out his short sword, Sprite, and slashed at Adam's left leg and scoring a deep cut in the limb, the lightning that wreathed the wakizashi assisting in penetration of the aura.

Adam gasped at the pain as he returned the gesture in kind, using Wilt to shoot at both of the blonde's exposed knees, not getting through the aura but the pain of being shot there made him back off.

They came at each other again with renewed vigor, Adam slashing with his sword and clubbing or shooting with his rifle as Denko became a whirling dervish. Once again, they were more focused on attacking rather than defending, though it was the blonde who was more on the defensive in this exchange.

"You're finished!" Adam shouts as he raises Blush with the tip aimed at Denko, everything red beginning to glow again as he prepares to put every ounce of frustration into this last move.

"No I'm not!" Denko retorts as he slams Sprite back into Raijin and focuses his Dynamo into the blade.

When both warriors thrust their weapons at the other, their worlds turned red on Adam's side of the bridge as blue engulfed Denko's as their Semblances clashed between them.

Blue lightning clashed with red destructive laser creating a brilliant display of light and sound, neither energy able to pass through the other. But something had to give.

That something came in the form of a concentrated ball of purple that promised nothing but pain and damage right in the middle, blue rose petals swirling around it.

And then it destabilized and erupted. The combined powers of the Semblances tore into the rock below it, the fighters hit by the pulse of energy and thrown to their respective sides of the bridge before the entirety of the arch was shattered, raining chunks of stone trailing flower petals to the waters far below.

Denko slammed into one of the trees that were cut down at the beginning of the fight, smashing through several branches until he came to a stop.

Adam bounced off the stone lip of the cliff before rolling into the underbrush and creating a small path into the woods from his entrance.

Somehow, both men held onto their weapons but Adam was the first to rise, if stiffly and wracked with pain, though part of that was more due to Denko having to untangle himself from the branches that caught and fell on him but he was in just as bad of shape as his opponent.

But as they stared at each other from across the canyon, they both recognized that neither was in any shape to continue the fight and that trying to reach the other would be a fool's errand.

Reluctantly, they both turned away and limped to new destinations, Denko continuing his journey to Argus and Adam to places unknown.

—-

Two hours later, now that the questions were answered and stomachs loaded to capacity, the teams began the trek back to the Nikos and Cotta-Arc homes. Pyrrha called ahead to let her mother know they were coming with more guests. And while most of the group enjoyed the rides on the trollies, Yang stuck close with her Bumblebee.

"So, this is where you've been staying?" Weiss asks as she looks up at the moderately sized town house.

"It does help that our families are neighbors, so we do have more space when you think about it." Pyrrha was quick to supply nuance to the situation.

The group had been refreshed with hot showers back at the base and changed clothes, opting for more casual looks until they could get new clothes more suited for colder weather.

Ruby was wearing a black hoodie, her usual red cloak, a red shirt underneath, a red skirt that reached her knees with black leggings with red rose patterns running up the sides, and her usual black boots.

Weiss had gotten ahold of a nice dress in Mistral- blue at the shoulders and down the tight long sleeves but gradually turned silvery by the time it reached the hem just above her knees. A white cloth served as a belt around her waist and leggings that repeated the pattern of the dress meant that her silver wedge shoes nearly blended into the leggings.

Blake had found a simple white shirt that she covered with a black jacket and a pair of black jeans were held up by a white belt as white sneakers donned her feet.

Yang had gone with a familiar outfit, a set of brown overalls with full legs, her usual boots, and her orange long-sleeved shirt covered her top.

Jaune now wears a yellow shirt under a white hoodie with jeans and black sneakers.

Nora has a white shirt under her pink jacket with fuzzy edges, black pants and pink shoes.

Pyrrha has donned a red shirt which contrasts with her bronze jacket as does the matching skirt over her red leggings with brown shoes.

Ren has a black turtleneck shirt under his green long coat, white pants and black shoes.

"What are the coincidences of that happening?" Blake tried to find some levity.

"We were surprised too but certainly not complaining." Pyrrha shrugs before turning to the plump blonde. "Yang, if you don't want your motorcycle out here in the street, you can go around to the back alley and I'll open the gate for you to keep it in the yard."

"Really? Great! I'll be back there in a bit." She quickly counted the houses on the block before taking off.

Pyrrha and Jaune rang the doorbells of their respective families and were greeted quicker than expected, though the fact that they had been carried away by Atlas military men in the middle of the night did give the women cause for concern.

"Oh, there are more of you?" Saffron saw the larger crowd and the bags they held.

"Yeah, sis, these are the others who got separated from us on the train… and her."

"Don't mind me dear, I'm just passing through on my way to Atlas and got caught up in the action along the way." Maria tells the older blonde. "Your brother was kind enough to offer me a place to stay as I arrange for transport across the ocean."

Saffron caught the small look of surprise on her brothers face, indicating that he hadn't, but she did see that the rest of the group seemed ready to go in and not surprised in the least. But it would be rude to turn an elderly person away with winter already pushing in.

"That's alright, she can stay with me until she's ready to go, gives us someone closer to our own age to talk to." Thetis laughs from her door, Pyrrha already having gone through so she could go to the back and let Yang in the yard.

"Ummm… I hope that this doesn't come off as rude but can we come in? It's been a rough few days and we really need some rest." Weiss asks, unknowingly being backed by several yawns from the others.

"Of course, that's no problem." Saffron lets in the two teams.

"Gentlemen, you can come to my place so you don't overcrowd their house." Thetis offers.

Within half an hour, introductions had been made… and nearly everyone fell asleep wherever they were sitting.

—-

Blake sat on the back porch of the Cotta-Arc home, feeling refreshed after a four hour nap but was welcoming sleeping through the night as well. But something was preventing her from actually relaxing- what Yang had said to her back at the farm.

To be honest with herself, she knew that the girl was right. Far too much of her time with those she called friends was spent lying to them. And if she wasn't lying, she was keeping secrets that should have been shared. Other than that, she had mostly kept to herself when personal matters came up.

The only one who she was honest with, looking back, was Sun. Even then, she started out with only telling him part of the truth. It wasn't as though she opened up to him solely because he is another Faunus, there were other Faunus like Velvet Scarlatina who she had established a friendly acquaintance with and would have little trouble talking with her.

But she just could never seem to give her teammates the same level of trust, no matter how much they trusted her to watch their backs and fight with them or how they went out of their way to help her deal with the White Fang while in school.

And while she had stepped up into a role of authority while on Menagerie and having little issues with giving trust to others… she realized that once back with her team… her sisters from other mothers… she had fallen onto old habits.

And she hated that.

But with what Yang had done since they were together again, at first trying to be the bigger person and let things stay in the past… with a small warning and a punch to the gut. And then the Apathy… they lowered Yang's inhibitions to the point that she exploded on her, verbally beating her down while not calling her derogatory names or getting more physical than throwing her arm at her.

Yet when they ran into the Apathy, it had been Yang to pick her up and drag her to safety.

"I…I need to change. Not just for them but for myself." She spoke aloud to the small flowerbed that held some late blooming but hardy plants. Her mind flashed to Sienna making her promise on live television before she was distracted when the door to Pyrrha's home opened and the radio was blasting loudly.

"And now to commemorate the anniversary of the great late Rueben's passing, how about a quick joke before the break from the man himself?!

"A restaurant asks if the sandwich was respectful and true to him and he says it was wonderful but was missing one thing

They ask what and he says

"A half empty pint with five empty ones on the side, me passed out with half of the eaten sandwich in my hand that another drunk comes over and takes before stumbling away

Other than that it's perfect."

The door shut but not before her sensitive ears heard the laughing of a crowd from what must have been a live standup routine along with the laughter of the teens inside.

Still, she couldn't help but to crack a smile as she knew her father was a big fan of Rueben and would quote him on occasion with Sun when he was feeling more playful.

Her scroll rang from a text message and she opened it since it was from Sun.

"Hey, I'm having a bit of trouble sleeping without you but I'll make sure I do. Just be sure that you get the sleep you need too, neither of us want to see those bags under your eyes again." That made her give a fond smile as she recalled the first time that she had slept with him in that shelter at Beacon. There was no romance involved then but the genuine care for he'd well-being was definitely something that set them on the path.

She blinked and saw that a video was attached to the message. Opening it, she saw all of Team SSSN, Team ABRN, and Jaune in a studio with instruments doing last second tuning.

"Ready guys?" Sun asks as Reese readies her drumsticks and gives the countdown with them.

The music began soft and slow, captivating to the ears as strings were strummed and it went on for a bit like that before Sun took a deep breath in front of the microphone, his words coming slow like the music.

"I could stay awake just to hear you breathing

Watch you smile while you are sleeping

While you're far away and dreaming

I could spend my life in this sweet surrender

I could stay lost in this moment forever

Where a moment spent with you is a moment I treasure!"

The music really picked up in volume and a bit of the pace as the drums became more noticeable, nearly drowning out the piano played by Nadir.

"Don't wanna close my eyes

I don't wanna fall asleep

'Cause I'd miss you baby

And I don't wanna miss a thing

'Cause even when I dream of you

The sweetest dream would never do

I'd still miss you baby

And I don't wanna miss a thing!"

The music and the emotions put into the lyrics made her tear up a little. The pure energy and sincerity of the words… it was as if the song was written for a moment when lovers would be separated and wishing that they would be reunited as soon as possible.

"I don't wanna miss one smile

And I don't wanna miss one kiss

And I just wanna be with you

Right here with you, just like this

And I wanna hold you close

I feel your heart so close to mine

And just stay here in this moment

For all the rest of time!"

She couldn't help herself but to let out a small laugh when her boyfriend produced a pair of clones to act out the embracing. But the song continued, slowly increasing in intensity but the feelings were never wavering even until the very end when it came to a quick end as if it were the last vestiges of a dream fading as one woke up.

This wasn't a song recorded in her monkey plushie but she did recognize that all of the music was made by this same group, this was just the first time she was able to see it played.

But this one song lifted her spirits tremendously and helped her find her resolve to follow through with her vow to be better with her friends. Maybe Weiss could help her find a song to return the favor.

AN: So, I hope this chapter has been worth the wait. Not too much to say this time beyond that it's rather fun when these song moments come up, especially now that the larger gang has gotten together, some of which turn out to be a good band doing covers. And a quick bit to honor the passing of Robin Williams. Plus a huge fight near Argus involving Adam, but both fighters are able to walk away.

Song used was 'I don't want to miss a thing' by Aerosmith.