Author's Notes:

-(sigh) Another late chapter. I meant to get this out earlier, but… let's just say I ran into a lot of roadblocks. (I really also need to cut out sweets and maybe exercise more…)

-As for the status of my personal affairs… well…. It could be better. But I'm still alive.

Anyway, enough stalling. Time for another few scenes!

At the Haven apartment, Ren was shown cracking several eggs over a hot pan before tossing the eggshells into a bowl. As the chef quickly scrubbed his hands with water and soap and got back to work cooking, Pyrrha, Jaune, and Oscar were shown sitting around a table. Pyrrha had a small cup of dark colored tea, with wisps of steam rising into the air. Nearby was a small water glass with ice water. Jaune had what appeared to be a large purple soda, fizzy with ice. Oscar had a glass of milk at his spot.

Oscar, unsure of what to ask, tried to break the ice. "Have you guys been sleeping any better?"

"A little bit," Pyrrha answered. "But I don't think me and Jaune have had a good night's sleep since our team stayed in Cornwall."

"Cornwall?"

"A small village we stayed at for a few weeks." Jaune began. "Also had a pretty big Geist problem that we solved. It was actually shortly after that we went from being team JNPR plus Ruby to being team AVNRR."

Oscar smiled. "Wow, that's pretty cool. You all work pretty well together it seems."

Indeed they do. Ozpin told him.

"How dangerous was the Geist fight?" Oscar wondered.

Pyrrha nodded. "Quite dangerous. Luckily, no one got horribly injured."

Jaune briefly grimaced. "What made things really hard was that I was being loaned a temporary gun while my real weapon- Crocea Mors- was being worked on."

"Still, better than having no weapon at all."

In the background, Ren lined a couple of cooking trays with slices of bacon and put the trays in the oven. "I hope you like bacon." he told them, setting a timer.

Oscar brightened at the sound of this news. "Bacon? I like the sound of that!"

"Huh, I wasn't sure if you would even like bacon." Jaune responded. "I thought you said you were a vegan."

"Well, I actually worked on a farm for many years. We often ate like vegetarians or something similar to save on money. My first hot meal during the journey to Mistral had a few strips of bacon and it was delicious."

Pyrrha hummed in acknowledgement.

"So… you're a farmhand?" Jaune asked.

"I know." Oscar remarked. "I probably seem kinda pathetic."

"I wouldn't say that. We all gotta start somewhere."

Huh, looks like I'm not the only one with limited combat experience. The knight thought. But can I really trust him with my secret?

Suddenly, a slouching Nora came in through the door.

"Ah, Nora, you're back!" Jaune remarked.

Ren smiled even brighter. Only to realize Nora wasn't in the best emotional state and it soon faded.

"How is your journey of self-discovery going?" Pyrrha asked.

"Not so great." Nora glumly nodded. "I tried joining a beekeeper club, and I got stung multiple times." She rubbed her arm, holding her elbow and lower left arm. "Even with aura protecting me, I still feel sore from all the stings."

Ren winced as he continued cooking.

Pyrrha tried to encourage her. "You'll find something, I'm sure."

The valkyrie looked around. "Where's Ruby?"

"She went to this store she heard about to get cookies. Supposedly Night Owl Cookies has the best double chocolate cookies in the whole city." Oscar responded. "She really does have a big sweet tooth."

Have you already forgotten about that memory from my life? Ozpin asked.

Not entirely. Oscar mentally responded. But there's a lot of memories to look through…

"But why isn't she making them herself?" Nora asked.

"The only reason she's not baking cookies is because we ran out of sugar. That, and she didn't want to take up room in the kitchen while Ren is preparing dinner tonight." Pyrrha explained.

"I guess that would do it," Oscar commented.

Suddenly Ruby went through the door, an old woman behind her before standing at her side.

"Well, I have good news and bad news. Bad news, there's no cookies since the store was unexpectedly closed." She gestured to the person beside her. "Good news. I found a new friend."

Many of the others looked on in confusion. Ren took the pan with eggs in it away from the heat and put a lid on top to keep it warm.

"Huh?"

"Eh?"

Ren raised an eyebrow in possible suspicion. "And how did you end up meeting her?"

"I saw her being attacked by bandits." Ruby told them. "Not very smart ones, but still bandits."

The knight looked at them in confusion. "So… you brought a defenseless elderly lady here?"

"My name is Maria Calavera, and I am not defenseless! I'm just a little hard of hearing. And blind without my eyes, which fortunately, are in perfect working order."

At this, Jaune sheepishly slouched in shame. "Oh… my apologies."

"It's quite alright. Everyone assumes that I'm defenseless."

I hope they don't ask me about my eyes…

Maria looked around, wondering about the lack of supervision. "Is it just you here? No chaperones or parents?"

"Well…" Jaune hesitantly began. "We do have a huntsman that's her uncle," He gestured to Ruby. "but he left for business."

"Care to elaborate?"

Pyrrha continued, "He went to recruit a huntress from Zephyros. But that was a while ago."

"Yeah, where is he? He should have been back by now." Ren asked.

The question remained unanswered.

"Well, you seem to have your heads on straight." Maria complimented. "I assume you take turns cooking big meals to feed the crowd."

"Sort of." Jaune answered.

Ruby sniffed the air. "Do you smell something burning?"

Suddenly Ren realized something important. "The toast!" He went to the toaster, only to find that the four bread slices he put in… were all burnt to a crisp. "I forgot to check the settings…" He sighed heavily before adjusting the settings to lower dials and fishing out the burnt toast onto a plate. "I'm going to need to make more toast. Unless anyone likes their toast charred to a crisp."

"It happens to the best of us," Maria reassured him. "If it makes you feel any better, I'll take one of those burnt toast pieces."

A while later, the breakfast for dinner feast was prepared.

With plates of food and beverages, team AVNRR, Oscar and Maria all sat down at the table. Ruby had a glass of milk, Nora had orange juice, Ren had green tea and Maria had a mug of coffee.

"So, what exactly is it that you do for a living?" Jaune asked.

"Well I'm more a traveler than anything else." Maria admitted in a semi-sheepish manner.

"Hmm… A jack of all trades, I see." Nora smiled, shoving a piece of bacon into her mouth.

"I wouldn't go that far, but I did pick up some skills over the last few decades or so. Let's see…"

What can I tell them without telling them too much of my past? Maria thought to herself.

"I've been a beekeeper, a warehouse worker, a dental assistant, the list goes on of various odd jobs. At one point I was a volunteer in an animal shelter or two. Usually I stay with friends whenever I can. Or if not possible, in the cheapest inn or motel I can find."

"So… where are you staying now?" Oscar asked.

"With an old friend of mine named Wendy David." Maria answered. "I actually knew her mom back in the day, and we were friends for a long time."

"Wendy David. She doesn't have any relation to Scarlet David, does she?" Ren asked.

"She's his mother."

Nora blinked in surprise. "Oh! Isn't that something?"

"I remember Scarlet. A bit quiet but often asked the important questions." Ruby noted. "He fought pretty well in the first round of the Vytal tournament."

"Yeah, up until coconuts went flying everywhere." Pyrrha acknowledged.

"You gotta give him credit for trying." Jaune remarked before taking a forkful of scrambled eggs. "I hope he and his teammates are alright. Wherever they are."

"What do you think Sun and his buddies are up to these days?" Ruby asked. "Probably roaming around Mistral or something…"

"Actually, I believe Sun isn't with his team right now." Maria informed them.

The entire table seemed surprised. But it was Ruby that asked, "Say what now?"

"Wendy told me that Scarlet is just traveling with Sage and Neptune."

"No Sun?"

"Nope." The old woman nodded. "She says he went off to help a certain runaway against the White Fang. Oh, what was her name again?"

Ruby felt a tension in her chest. "Blake?"

"That's it. I was having trouble remembering her name. Blake Belladonna. Going on a one-woman rampage against the Fang for destroying her chance of being a huntress. That's my best guess anyway."

Ruby looked downcast.

Blake… Where are you? What have you been up to? I remember Yang telling me that you had run away, but no one knew where you went. I thought you might have gone home or just left with no destination or goal in mind… But… what if…?

She couldn't bring herself to finish that sentence, not even in her own head.

Maria noticed her concern. "Is something wrong?"

"Blake was one of my former teammates.. of what was once team RWBY. She has… a lot of baggage. And that's putting it lightly. I'm sad that she left… but… I can understand her fear."

She recalled Blake running away from her team back so long ago, back when she accidentally revealed herself as a faunus and possible yet former White Fang member.

"I miss her, as with my other teammates."

I can understand that feeling. Missing friends…. There's people I haven't heard from in a long time… Maria thought. I hope Pietro is doing alright...

Ruby looked at her half-eaten plate. "I hope they're okay, wherever they are."

Pyrrha looked downcast. We all have something or someone that we're missing…

An image of Ash Nikos came to her mind.

I miss my brother… Pyrrha thought. I hope he's alright.

She took a long sip of room-temperature tea.

Please be safe…

At the same time, Ash was shown enjoying a big bowl of ramen in the space of a very familiar home. As he lifted the chopsticks with noodles to his mouth with no struggle, he smiled as he took his first bite. Saphron, Terra and Adrian were all there as well.

"Mhm. This is amazing!" Ash declared upon swallowing.

Saphron smiled. "Glad that you like it."

The young hero looked at his friends. "I can't thank you enough for letting me stay here."

The blonde woman took a sip of her pink bubble tea. "It's no trouble. Not only are you a hero, but you're our friend."

"And Adrian likes you too." Terra added on.

Adrian cooed in delight.

"I'm glad they finally got at least some of the Argus Harbor Prison rebuilt." Saphron mentioned.

"Key word; some." Terra reminded her. "They're only housing prisoners on the first floor while working on building upward."

"I'm surprised that they're doing that." Ash began. "Isn't that… illegal?"

"They say it's okay with the city council, but I'm not sure I believe that for even a moment."

"Hey, this city is gradually coming back together." Saphron remarked. "I'll take any good news we can get at this point."

Ash smiled before turning away.

"Something wrong?"

"I don't want to lie to you… I miss my sister." Ash paused. "Being a hero, here in Argus… It's liberating yet lonely. I also never got to have a true team like she did…"

For all that I've lost…

Terra looked at her young friend, trying not to seem crestfallen. "Have you considered trying to find her, wherever she might be?"

"I have, but… would I even be able to find her?"

No one seemed to be able to answer the question Ash had posed.

I wasn't on my last legs when I came here, but I would be lying if I said I wasn't struggling. Being a messenger was not an easy job. And being a vigilante hero… in some ways, was both harder and easier.

Suddenly, a ring was heard, and Terra fished out her scroll. As she read over a series of texts, she hummed, first in confusion, then in delight.

"Hmm? Hmmm… Oh, how wonderful!"

"What is it sweetie?"

"I have good news, courtesy of my friend Opis Vasilias. The Trojan Alliance leaders are confirmed to have been dealt with, and the group is scattered to the wind."

Ash blinked in a mixture of amazement and disbelief. "The Trojan Alliance… is no more?"

Terra nodded in affirmation.

"And who is responsible for stopping them?"

"Um…" She continued reading the image of a newspaper sent to her via text messaging. "Apparently, the heroes responsible decided not to reveal themselves."

Adrian, Ash and Saphron all appeared confused, but it was the blonde that remarked, "Hmm… That's really strange."

Ash still smiled lightly. "At least my sister isn't in danger anymore. Or at least, not constantly threatened."

And neither am I.

The young hero wondered who defeated the leaders as he went back to the fridge, seeing a bit of a pinkish-red liquid in a clear pitcher.

"Do you care if I take the last of the strawberry lemonade?"

Saphron smiled. "Go right ahead."

With her words in mind, Ash set his glass down and poured himself another glass of the drink he just had.

"I propose a toast; to the safety and prosperous future of Argus and to our own continual fortune."

"To continual fortune."

They clinked glasses and began to drink their respective beverages. And as he lifted the glass of strawberry lemonade to his lips, a warmth spread from within against the coolness of the drink. He was ready to take on whatever would come his way.

Later that evening, Ilia was shown leaving the dining hall.

That tuna roll sushi was delicious. Never had raw sushi before today, but hopefully I won't get food poisoning. Blake would have loved it, tuna's her favorite fish.

I hope she's doing well. Or well as one can be when preparing for war.

Passing by the war room, she heard the leaders speaking to each other, blending into the wall. All wore their masks, save for Wungeng who had his nearby and was eating from a massive platter of various types of sushi, including rainbow rolls, shrimp tempura rolls, teriyaki chicken rolls, vegetable rolls, and a few others that Ilia couldn't identify, along with a bowl full of soy sauce resting nearby.

Adam had a devilish grin upon his face. "So, I trust that Graham's speech went well."

"Well… about that…" Ares began. "Uh…"

Athena looked downcast. "Brother Graham never made it to his destination."

"What?" Adam asked in confusion.

Athena held up a newspaper. "According to this afternoon paper," The newspaper soon focused, showing criminal reports. "he was arrested not long after he made it to his destination."

"How can this be?!" Adam demanded in outrage.

Ilia turned away, trying to drown out the raging, howling growls of Adam. But they rang in her ears like a persistent whistle, rattling her bones and squeezing her heart. She dared not breathe, lest her fear give her away.

"Finding a new speaker is going to take forever. And if there's a traitor in these halls, there's the risk of Graham's replacement being killed."

"Or arrested."

The traitor chameleon briefly looked at Adam as he groaned, wondering what he was thinking. Was he thinking of Douglas, his promoted lieutenant and present leader of the Valeian White Fang branch? Or Douglas's lieutenant, Hector? Ilia couldn't lie, she missed them both. But it was probably for the best that they weren't there. They likely wouldn't have helped Ilia anyway, or worse yet turned on her. She would likely never see them again, or if they did meet, they would be enemies.

But would Ilia even last long enough to…?

Adam's command broke the silence. "If the traitor is hiding in plain sight, maybe we can bring them out by threatening to punish everyone."

"Trying to punish everyone as a whole wouldn't work. We have 636 residents, not counting the four of us. It would be a massive waste of time." Wungeng reasoned.

Athena gave a heavy sigh. "Weeding out the traitor would be difficult, and even under pressure, they likely still wouldn't confess. But we can't let them get away!" She groaned. "Come on men, think! Who would be most likely to betray us?"

"Could it be Ilia? She was pretty lazy for a while." Ares reasoned.

Adam was puzzled by Ares's suggestion. "Ilia? That doesn't make sense. She was friends with Blake long ago, but that friendship ended with Blake's betrayal. Why would Ilia betray us?"

"There's a difference between laziness and actively seeking to hurt the Fang's efforts." Wungeng mentioned.

Athena answered, "Could it be that her 'incompetence' in finding Blake was deliberate discretion?"

The High Leader let out a long sigh. "Ilia never was the best tracker, but I would have thought that her skills improved over time."

"But Mata was friends with Blake too, and yet, he's here." Ares acknowledged. "He's rather shy. It seems surprising that someone as timid as him would join a revolutionary force like us."

At this, Athena's face gnarled in anger. "He wouldn't dare betray us! Not after all we've done for him!"

Wungeng answered with a mouthful of sushi, "Could it be Brother Graham himself, who had second thoughts about his actions and turned himself in?"

"At this point, I think it's safe to say that everyone is suspect," Athena began. "And shut the door! We don't want anyone hearing this!"

The door was slammed shut, barring anyone else from hearing their conversation.

Knowing she'd gain nothing else, Ilia turned away, a shiver crawling down her spine. With ice in her veins, she carefully crept along until she was far enough away from the room and let herself be visible again.

They're so close to the truth and not even realizing it… And if they realize what I've done… I'm a dead woman.

[A few hours earlier, around 4:30pm]

A dense fog had crept over the area, shrouding many of the surroundings in a thick mist. Still, Ilia hid herself underneath a cloak, following Brother Graham from afar.

Graham had dirt brown hair, thick eyebrows and a chiseled physique. He wore a standard White Fang uniform with some adjustments, such as an entirely gray mask to hide his brown eyes along with a lighter gray armband. Some might have called him handsome, but Ilia didn't swing that way. And even if she did, she was already disgusted with him being a willing vessel of destruction. And perhaps even a bit terrified.

This is incredibly risky… If Graham notices or recognizes me, what will I say to him? And what would he say to our superiors?

She stayed a safe distance behind him, thankful that it wasn't raining on top of everything else. Her cloak would keep her mostly dry, but it would still be a hindrance in other ways.

This was way too risky.

But what other choice do I have? I need to stop Adam from getting more recruits.

Graham turned around, suddenly spooked. "Is anyone there?"

Met with silence, he turned back to the direction he was heading, and continued on his way.

Graham is not the best fighter… but he does have some self-defense skills. But I need to make sure that the area I ambush him in is as deserted as possible. And that he doesn't see me coming...

She continued to follow him, keeping a safe distance. He soon got out a piece of paper, presumably with the address and how to get there.

Eventually, she saw him turn into an alleyway, stopping before a store that had been stuttered up, its windows boarded and an Out of Business sign on the front door. A decaying sign overhead read;

Sweet Aroma Bakery and Desserts

"Okay, the Sweet Aroma bakery should be here somewhere…" Graham spoke to himself. "Oh, there it is. Time to mark it."

With this, Ilia unfurled her whip and struck him down. Graham screamed as he was electrocuted, with little aura to protect him, he went down in a flash of gray.

The terrorist speaker fell to the ground, completely unconscious.

Ilia breathed, hoping no one else was around. After a moment to calm herself, she got out her Scroll, and started dialing a number, lifting it to her ear.

She began to speak in a different voice. "Hello, Wind Path City police department. I have a criminal terrorist from the White Fang that I need you to arrest. He's unconscious right now, but I have no materials to bind him."

"I see." the voice of a dispatcher read. "And where are you?"

"I'm standing at the corner of 14th and 15th street, in a small alley nearby a closed bakery named Sweet Aroma."

"And is there a name for who's making this call?"

"I'd prefer to go anonymous," Ilia told her.

"Very well. Just make sure he doesn't go anywhere. And do be careful if he does wake up."

"Will do."

With this, the call ended.

Ilia sat anxiously on a box, too anxious to let her hood down.

After what felt like forever, two police cars- one with blaring sirens- finally arrived. Out of the first car stepped out a tall man with dark hair and bright eyes. Wearing a blue police uniform with a black belt and a gold star badge reading; Sheriff

"Hello?" the sheriff asked. Ilia looked up as he noticed her presence. "Are you the one that made the call?"

"Yes, that's me." Ilia continued in her accent.

"Do you know the identity of the terrorist in question?"

She shook her head. "I do not, sir."

"I see. Thankfully, he's still unconscious." The sheriff turned to someone Ilia couldn't see. "Get the aura binding cuffs."

A police officer, this one a woman, came out of the fog with a specialized pair of handcuffs and put them around Graham's wrists.

The officer and the sheriff took him by the legs and the shoulders and stuffed him lying in the backseat of the police car.

"Thank you for the aid in keeping our city safe." the sheriff told her. "Call us again if you see anything suspicious."

Ilia wordlessly nodded and watched as the police car drove off, staring until the car and its soon to be convict were gone.

She looked back on her call history, deleting the call she had.

If only I could call Blake… Tell her that I want to help her. But she's probably changed her number. And even if I did have her new number, calling her directly might be too risky. Especially because somebody else in the Fang found the flier and found Blake's hiding place… Still… at least Brother Graham is done for.

As Ilia came back to the present, she sighed.

What have I gotten myself into?

Later that evening, she sat in her room, looking over multiple papers. She reread them to ensure accuracy. Satisfied with her findings, she put them away in a folder. Said portfolio was labeled;

Combat plans

Within the folder were a few labeled tabs, separated by dividers;

A.T

A.A

A.B

W/Z.B.H

I have my battle strategies in place. Hopefully I won't have to face any combination of these leaders.

She imagined a scenario of fights occurring at the Destruction/Battle of Haven.

Most likely, Sun will be fighting his half-brother. Wungeng is a threat and an obstacle, but not a very big one. It's hard to tell who Ares and Athena will be fighting against, but most likely they'll be decimating Blake's army. Ares's semblance is really bad, but Athena doesn't have one yet. I hope not anyway… And if Adam is as impulsive and toxic as I think he will be, he'll likely go after Blake as soon as the battle begins. Or shortly after.

Ilia closed the drawer, putting her plans aside. She looked out the window of her room, her forlorn look seen by no one.

She feared for herself, for Blake. But she refused to let tears fall, even in the confines of her own room. Tears were a weakness she could not afford. Not with so much at stake; the fate of Haven, the fate of Blake and her well being, and possibly even the fate of humanity.

But as she withheld her emotions from everyone, herself included, there was one question that came to her mind.

How much can I hide?