Without purpose, we are nothing. Without commitments, we are nothing." - Ozpin

Student: Violet Rose

Age: 16 (year 1)

Grades: Combat (A); Grimm Studies (A); History (B); Biology (A); Attendance (C)

Personality profile:

- Driven, Utilitarian, Stoic. Expressed anti-government sentiment (see: special notes)

Special notes:

- 4 months ago: Accepted into Beacon one year in advance due to display of exemplary skill while stopping a high-profile dust robbery.

- 1 month ago: Student expressed sympathies for the Black Knights terrorist organization. No concrete evidence of membership, but review of attendance record suggests possible involvement in their activities. Staff alerted to pay special attention to him, and a request to monitor internet activity has been approved. Discussion underway on issuing a low priority huntsman mission to investigate his activities.

"Well, fuck," was all Violet could say. In hindsight, it was foolish to take Ozpin and his staff for granted. It was true that he was absent from school for all the major Black Knight actions. What's worse is that he planned to use a reskin of his scythe while acting as Zero. It was an uncommon weapon as is, and he feared it would make their suspicions increase tenfold.

He'd have to create an alibi of some sort, but it wouldn't be easy. If they suspected him, there was a large chance of them following his other friends. Even though it felt odd to snoop, he did have a valid excuse to ease his conscience.

Student: Blake Belladonna

Age: 17 (year 1)

Grades: Combat (A); Grimm Studies (B); History (B); Biology (A); Attendance (B-)

Personality profile:

- Reserved, serious, strong sense of justice

Special notes:

- 4 months ago: Known former member of White Fang. Believed to have left on her own accord, confirmed by Agent Theta. After a thorough interview, it was decided to admit her to Beacon Academy.

- 1 month ago: Romantically involved with known Black Knights sympathizer, Violet Rose. Attendance records show possible membership in the organization. Staff alerted to pay special attention to her, and a request to monitor internet activity has been approved.

His unease was overridden by surprise that Ozpin knew about her past, and still accepted her. He really was too forgiving for his own good. And that was exactly the problem with him, he invited a hive of traitors into his academy and barely cared about it. Such a man does not deserve power.

He first promised himself he would only look through what was necessary, but now that he was here, well… his curiosity was getting the better of him. And besides, he did have to see if others close to him were being monitored. And that's how he justified opening Ruby's file.

Student: Ruby Rose

Age: 15 (year 1)

Grades: Combat (A); Grimm Studies (B); History (B-); Biology (B); Attendance (A)

Personality profile:

- Lively, kind, naive, heroic.

Special notes:

- 4 months ago: Accepted into Beacon two years in advance due to display of exemplary skill while stopping a high-profile dust robbery.

- 4 months ago: Subject possesses silver eyes. Personality extremely promising.

- 1 month ago: Sister to known Black Knights sympathizer, Violet Rose. Observations of personality and activities determine membership in the Black Knights unlikely, though a request to monitor internet activity has been issued and approved.

Now, Violet was slightly weirded out by his first encounter with Ozpin, but he thought little of his comments on their eyes. He merely chalked it up to some eccentric act. But now he had confirmation that the guy was definitely some sort of eye-obsessed freak.

Ne never gave much thought to Ruby's eye color, though silver was apparently very rare. Most would confuse it for gray and not notice the difference. But now he had to wonder if there truly was something special about them. Or more likely, the guy was just a standard variety creep.

More odd was the fact that he hadn't written any notes down for his eyes, even though he also commented on how special they were. Was it because he was a guy? He really didn't want to think about the implications of that. He sighed. Psychoanalyzing the man threatened to give him a headache, so he quickly went over to the next person.

Student: Pyrrha Nikos

Age: 17 (year 1)

Grades: Combat (A); Grimm Studies (A); History (A-); Biology (A); Attendance (A)

Personality profile:

- Stalwart, Good-Natured, Just.

Special notes:

- 1 month ago: Student selected as prime candidate for Project Maiden. Onboarding expected by start of second semester, project execution at end of school year. Extent of information shared with student while onboarding yet to be decided.

- 1 month ago: Partner to Black Knights sympathizer, Violet Rose. Observations of activities determine membership in the Black Knights unlikely, though a request to monitor internet activity has been issued and approved. Planned participation in Project Maiden will continue as normal.

Now this was intriguing. He knew there had to be more to Ozpin than the clueless headmaster hiding behind a mask of kind detachment. To hear him involved in a proper scheme was refreshing to Violet. It almost made up for the fact that he was messing with his partner. Almost.

As a small act of revenge, he queried the student database for all mentions of the words "Black Knight," "Faunus Rights," or "Anti-government."

Reading through the list, he saw a handful of names scattered across seven student teams. There could be more, of course, these were just those detected by Beacon staff. He would have to study the huntsmen trainees closer before making any kind of overt move, but for now he committed their names and faces to memory.

He left his room, intent on finding Blake. Questioning Ruby, he found that she left not long after he did. The rest of the students were asleep from what he imagined was a combination of tiredness and drunkenness. All except for her and Pyrrha, the latter of which left for class.

He wandered the school grounds, trying to find Blake. He briefly considered looking for her in a classroom, but then he realized they had history at this time and she was certainly not going there to cool off. If nothing else, the long walk served to clear his head and think of what to do with his newfound information.

Eventually, he made his way into the training room, where he found her alone, pummeling a dummy with a flurry of punches and kicks. Her hands were wrapped in bandages and even from a distance he could tell that she was on the brink of collapsing from exhaustion.

He watched her in silence, as she unleashed one punch after another into the dummy's chest, before following up with a kick to its head. She barely waited a moment before repeating the drill again, and again, and again. Each time her breath grew ever more ragged, and her finesse was slowly replaced by a wild ferocity.

"Careful there, you might just destroy that poor thing," he approached her.

Blake turned around, a scowl on her face, "What is it this time? Can't you leave me alone?"

"I'm afraid not. There's something important that we need to talk about."

"I don't want to hear another word about Pyrrha," she went to punch him, but Violet easily caught her fist.

"You hurt that hand just yesterday. You should take a rest like everyone else."

"What? Need me for another mission already?"

"I trust you care about the cause more than our argument."

"I never said otherwise," her eyes narrowed, "Who do you take me for? An emotional girl that'd betray the world over a personal dispute? I'm insulted."

"I can see that. Listen, I just wanted to warn you to be extra careful." he leaned in closer to whisper, "I've obtained access to Beacon's personal network, and they're being very paranoid. They've got nothing concrete but they're monitoring a lot of people, including the two of us."

He saw a flash of fear and despair in her tired eyes, one reminiscent of that day he recruited her, "I see… So what do you want me to do, huh?" she looked at him with bloodshot eyes, "I can't just… leave everyone behind?"

"I'm not asking you to. I just want you to be mindful, and to attend the Vytal Dance. I will have Zero and the Black Knights appear live while we're there, and if nothing it should make us slightly less suspicious. Besides, you've been running yourself ragged, you need some rest too."

She sighed, "Fine. Just… don't expect me to go alongside you," she said before storming out of the room.

"No need to tell me twice," he waited for a while before taking out his phone.

"Hello Azul. I need a favor, where are you now?"

Zero opened the door, looking around before taking off his helmet, "So, how are things going at Signal?"

Azul barely spared him a glance he entered, too busy working at a weapon's bench. He sat in the middle of what was a large basement turned training facility. It was silent save for the periodic sound of him loading a magazine, one bullet at a time.

"The students are understandably very excited regarding the Black Knights. They're not too subtle about it, mind you, but the professors have no idea what to do."

"What do you mean?"

"They can't just imprison kids as young as 13. It's a total mess for them down there. I've accepted some of the more promising older students, 15 and 16 year-olds."

"So I've heard. And what about you? Do they suspect you?"

"They've got nothing solid on me," he said, "But even so, the situation is tense. You'd know if you ever actually bothered to visit."

He saw where this was heading, "I've been busy."

"True," his voice was flat and bitter, "Busy enough to not attend the funerals of your late classmates."

"We've talked about this before, they knew what they were signing up for. And I promise to visit them when I come back to Patch."

Azul sighed, "Forget about it. What is it that you called me for?"

Violet sat down next to him, "You previously had experience handling my scythe, is that correct?"

"Huh?" the question took him off-guard. He almost forgot his anger, "You let me try it a few times for fun… What of it?"

"Well, it's not exactly a common weapon, and it could be connected to me. So I want you to wield it while impersonating me on a publicized mission. I'll be at a public event in Beacon, so I'll have a solid alibi."

He dropped the magazine, "You want me… to take on the mantle of Zero?"

"Just for a day," He stood back up and took out his new scythe. The Mordred 2.0 was painted an all-consuming black with a purple gradient on the blade. It also featured golden highlight lines running along its length, giving it a look that was simultaneously futuristic and classy.

"What do you think?"

Azul allowed himself a small smile, "As dangerous it is beautiful. It's simple and recognizable."

Violet handed it to him, before taking his old red scythe out for himself, "We'll need you to imitate my mannerisms too, but for now let's just spar."

He accepted the weapon. At first he held it very carefully, as though it were some sacred object. Which it may well become soon.

"I still think you're just being paranoid, Vio."

"I have good reason to think they're suspecting me. And as I said, I want to carry a proper weapon into battle. Last time I almost got killed by some huntress-in-training because I couldn't bring enough offensive power."

Azul relented, "Alright, boss. If that's what you need of me, I'll do it." He gripped the Mordred in his hands and took a battle stance.

Violet was dead tired. He spent much of the day teaching Azul how to act as Zero. He was getting the hang of it, but it would take time before he could convince even a child that he was anyone other than a cheap imitator, the likes of which were being debunked every other day. He justified the waste of time by convincing himself that teaching could help him improve his own acting somewhat.

But that wasn't the worst part. The worst part came right after that when he tried finding that cursed software for Hawk's Paladin. It was a nightmarish wild goose chase that lasted well into the night. He donned two different disguises and used all three charges of his semblance today. It looked as if he'd have to find the paladins more directly. That was a trip he wasn't thrilled for, but he made a promise to the man and he was going to see it through to the end.

After a long trek back to Beacon he entered his dorm room, finding it empty. He lasted only a few more steps before plopping down face-first onto the nearest bed. The next thing he knew, his blissful rest was interrupted by Pyrrha calling out to him from behind.

"Hey, Vio. Are you good?"

He gave an affirmative hum in response.

"Is that your weapon on your back? Did you go out fighting again?"

"No," he lifted his head to answer, "I carry it around most of the time now."

"We have weapon lockers you can call on demand, you know? There's no reason to carry that massive thing everywhere you go. And sleeping with it must be painful, you'll hurt your back."

"Locker's too slow. And it's good training for when we're in the field," he rubbed his eyes. He was a bit of a wreck, with messy hair and baggy eyes from the strain of the last few weeks. "Why ask now anyway? I was trying to get some sleep."

She averted her eyes and gave an embarrassed chuckle, "I don't mind it, it's just that you're sort of occupying my bed."

He looked around the room, before realizing his mistake and jumping out of the bed, "I'm so sorry, Pyrrha. I was just-"

"Tired?" She gave him one of those sickly sweet smiles that only Ruby could rival. But Pyrrha was far more… mature, and that made all the difference, "You must be. You've been gone all day and I couldn't find you anywhere."

"You were looking for me? You're aware my phone was available, right?"

"I do. But it wouldn't feel right telling you this over the phone."

"Telling me… what exactly?"

"Well, you know how we're supposed to find someone to go to the Vytal festival dance with? And…" she hesitated, "It's just that you seemed like you didn't have anyone yet. And we're partners so it makes sense for us to stick together and so… I was wondering if we could go there together?"

"I… I guess we can do that. Yeah," he said, adjusting his hair and putting his weapon down on the floor. "Sorry for not being so presentable. Can't be how you imagined this being."

"No no, it's okay. And honestly, I've had enough of being presentable at all times."

"I can't imagine how it must be. Do they bother you as much now?"

"The media last found me a week ago, it isn't as bad as when I arrived. And the people of Beacon seemed to have stopped caring. I guess I'm not so special here."

"I take it that's a good thing?"

"You know me well. That being said, my PR team is coming over since the tournament season is starting and we do need to look professional in public."

"Oh joy. Don't tell me I'll have to dance in front of a camera."

She giggled, "Hopefully not."

Several days later, he entered the dance hall hand in hand with Pyrrha. It was every bit as extravagant as the media portrayed it. Absolutely grand in size, with white streamers everywhere and majestic chandeliers showcasing its fabulous wealth. There were many tables surrounding the dance area, as well as a stairway to a balcony section. Though Beacon might be a very modern academy, it still kept the best parts of its traditions.

He wore a simple black suit, while Pyrrha wore a refined red dress and high heels. Those around them wore similar clothing, and there were many people from other academies. It wasn't long before all the students had gathered and the dance officially started.

They played a slow classical melody, and though he tried his best, Pyrrha guided him through most of the moves. It was to be expected, she had more experience with things like photoshoots and dancing in commercials.

He, on the other hand, was narrowly focused on speeches and theatrical movements. He didn't actually go to any comprehensive class. Still, it seemed reasonably good for his untrained eye, and he might even say the slow rhythmic dance felt pleasant in a way. There was nothing else for him to think of, he could just focus on repeating the simple movements.

But of course, he did have things to worry about. His Black Knights were making a move right now and he wasn't in control of it. It filled him with unease, and he started somewhat regretting his plan.

It's not like he could do anything about it now, though, so he tried to distract himself. He looked around the place, trying to see if he recognized anyone. He spotted Ren and Nora, the latter showing surprising finesse while dancing. He also saw Ruby dancing with… Weiss?

Weiss had a traditional masquerade mask covering her wound on the right side of her face, and she was smiling more than he'd ever seen her before. Ruby was snickering while attempting not to trip on her heels. Though they made several mistakes in their dance, neither seemed to care, taking it all in stride.

"I didn't think she was going to attend," Pyrrha said to him.

"Neither did I."

"They're cute like that."

"Yeah…"

After the song finished, they split up and he went to check up on his friends. He noticed that Ruby was talking with a green haired girl he'd never seen before. He was glad, as she tended not to associate with anyone outside their two teams.

"Hey, sis. You making some new friends?"

She turned to him, before cheerfully saying, "Yup! Look, this here is Emerald," she pointed to a tanned girl with green hair next to her, "Emerald, this is my big brother Violet."

He extended a handshake, "A pleasure to meet you, Miss Emerald."

"Likewise," she responded. She sounded tired, "Your sister is quite… lively."

"Emerald's come from Haven, and she's going to be competing in the tournament. Isn't that so cool? And she's also really interested in my Crescent Rose. It's so nice to finally have someone who sees weapons as more than just tools and-"

"That's all well and good Ruby, just don't reveal too much to your competition, alright?" he smiled and ruffled her hair.

"That's…" Emerald began, lifting her hands defensively, "I'm so sorry if I came off like that. She brought it up in the first place and I-"

"It's alright, I didn't accuse you of anything, just telling my sis to watch out. Though I suppose this is meant to be a friendly competition. A celebration of unity, if you will."

"Yeah… Well see you two later, I have to catch up with my team," She scurried away to another woman and struck up a conversation with her. Giving them a better look, Emerald's teammate seemed a little too old to be a student. Whatever, he didn't care if Heaven wanted to cheat a little. It's not like the tournament mattered to him in the slightest. Though he might have soured Ruby's attempt at making a friend, and that did make him feel guilty.

"I'm sorry Ruby. I didn't mean to make her-"

"It's fine…" she said, though he could tell she didn't mean it.

"It's alright, I'll apologize and things will get back to normal. You'll see."

Before he could leave though, a loud voice shouted behind him, "RUBY!"

Ruby's bright smile returned to her in an instant, "Penny?"

He turned to face the new person, only to freeze in shock. A familiar orange-haired girl with green eyes stood next to her.

"I wanted to introduce you to a friend I met a couple weeks ago. Penny, meet my big brother Violet. Violet, meet my friend Penny."

"Salutations, friend Violet," she said with a wide smile on her face.

It was the girl that he encountered in that alley. He could never forget how she almost got him that day. He forced a smile, "Hello Penny. I'm glad to be called your friend," he extended a hand to her.

She grabbed his hand before swinging it in a clumsy imitation of a handshake. Despite his apprehension, it still seemed more awkward than malicious, "Any friend of Ruby is a friend of mine!" her wide smile seemed to lessen as she took to studying his face, "It is really interesting that you have purple eyes, friend Violet."

"Uhhh… yes. Is there something wrong with that?"

"Oh, no! Not at all! It's just a very rare and identifiable trait."

He did reveal his eye during their encounter when he tried using his semblance. Does she already know it was him? Impossible. No one could have remembered such a tiny detail in all that darkness. Was she threatening him? was is he overthinking things again?

"I don't know, Penny. I've seen it on quite a few people, even here at Beacon."

"Of course, friend Violet. I didn't mean to offend you."

"Okaaay," he also remembered how weird the girl was, "Say, Ruby, how did you two meet?"

"Oh, w-well we just bumped into each other a while ago and we hit it off from there! She seemed to have problems with finding friends so we had that in common, I guess," she gave a self-deprecating chuckle.

A real mystery how she couldn't find anyone else. "That's great to hear. I'm glad my sister has someone looking after her in my absence. What brings you here, Penny?"

"I am here to compete in the upcoming tournament as a representative of Atlas," she suddenly turned to Ruby, "Friend Ruby, your brother seems like a person of interest."

"What?" Ruby said, "I mean, I guess he is pretty remarkable… He's always been nice, and honest, and he's always got great advice, and he's very smart, and-"

"I guess I'll leave you two to catch up then. Have fun, Ruby!"

He couldn't get away from her fast enough. There was just something about that girl that seriously creeped him out. He'd have to talk to Ruby about it, though he figured it's better to do so in private and not spend another second near her.

He moved to the opposite corner of the dance hall and sat down at an empty table to relax. He pulled out his phone, checking the internet for news about Zero. He saw an online video of Azul, dressed as him giving a prerecorded speech with the aftermath of a skirmish behind him. His form could still use minor adjustments, but it'll do. Luckily the video was short and to the point, ending with a shot of his scythe dramatically unfolding.

"Mind if I sit here?" said another female voice he didn't quite recognize. Violet looked up to see a tall brown-haired woman with a fine black dress, sunglasses, and black gloves.

"Sure," he said, "And you are…"

"Coco," she said, "Coco Adel of team CFVY. We're second years, and we spent a good part of the semester on missions so it's okay if you don't recognize us."

Coco. The name sounded familiar, but he couldn't quite place it, "Well I'm glad to make your acquaintance, Miss Adel. I'm Violet Rose. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

She stifled a laugh, "Oh, don't try to be fancy with me, I've heard all about you, Violet," she flashed him a smug smile, "You were that kid that lost it in front of Professor Oobleck."

He chuckled at that, "I see my reputation precedes me. It got me in a fair bit of trouble, but in my defense he was annoying me that day."

"That so? From what I heard it was quite the show. And from what I see on your phone you can't resist flashy stunts," she pointed to his phone screen still showing the video of Zero.

He gave an embarrassed smile, "Well what can I say, he's an exciting character. I just can't help myself."

"Don't worry, everyone's got their guilty pleasures. Bet that Zero guy's a freak too," she smiled before taking off her sunglasses in disbelief, "Hold on, is that a scythe on him? Well I'll be damned. Honestly, when he first appeared I thought the whole refined and impervious mystery dude act was a little dorky, but now it's starting to grow on me."

He finally remembered where he saw her, she was on the Black Knight sympathizer list. How delightful of an opportunity, "Finally, someone with a fashion sense," he said.

"Thanks, kiddo. I try my best. I've been thinking though, leaning into a more serious militaristic theme would do him some good. Superhero stuff has been stale for the better part of a decade."

"Heh. I guess you've got a point," he grinned before leaning in closer to whisper in her ear, "Why don't you tell it to him personally? South Street, number 21. Friday 2PM."

"Wh- What?" was all she could utter. The shock on her otherwise confident face was well worth the risk.

He continued to whisper in a playful tone, "We know of your personal opinions on the matter, we wouldn't be reaching out otherwise."

"I don't… how would you even… you're making some kind of mistake."

"You don't have to commit to anything, we're just inviting you for a friendly chat with some of our associates." he pulled back, donning his practiced innocent smile like he didn't just admit to being a terrorist in a public space.

"I… I should be going," she stood up and hastily walked out of the dance hall, tripping on her heels in the process. Even if she doesn't show up he doubts she'll rat him out. He could always use his semblance to confirm it though. He didn't have time to ponder it much though, due to a certain blonde approaching from the distance.

"Wow… Talk about a lady killer," Yang said, "What happened with her?"

"Don't worry about it, sis. How's your night going?"

"Well someone had to pick up the slack after you, so I came here with Blake," she put her hands on her hips, "She's a very fun person to be around, you know?"

"I guess I must have somehow missed it."

Before Yang could respond, his phone started ringing. Worryingly, it was from his burner phone. Thankful for an out, he excused himself and went outside to a wide balcony area, where he found a corner free of people to take the call.

It was Azul's number. He answered, hoping it was just a minor matter, "Yes, what is it?"

"Took you long enough," Azul spoke. He was panicked and out of breath, "Listen, we're being pursued right now. They knew we were coming, we barely broke through their encirclement and now we're fleeing in the west side of the city and damn it all it's swarming with cops."

"Okay, okay. Just calm down. What seems to be the problem?"

"Calm down?" he screamed incredulously, "We've lost em half a dozen times but they keep finding us. It's like they're everywhere."

Violet looked around, making sure no one was within earshot, "Are you all traveling together? who's with you? And did you check for any trackers?"

"Did we check for trackers?" he repeated mockingly, "Of course we did! We abandoned our vehicles and checked our uniforms a hundred times over."

Irritated as Violet was, he did feel pity at how terrified he must be. He was learning firsthand how it is to get people killed. He thought darkly about how he won't complain as much after this.

"Answer my other question, who's currently with you?"

"What does it even matter, most of us have scattered by now, we don't even know the status of other groups. There's just me, 2 senior guys you picked from Glaston's squad, Marrow, Hawk, and a new signal student. Fuck, we've lost so many men. We've got a breather now, but it's only a matter of time-"

"Okay, let me think…"

What a mess… Why couldn't they do a single damn thing without him? He should have been there, instead of messing around at a dance party of all things and playing tech support. He looked around himself again, and as if to spite him, the universe sent none other than Ozpin towards him. He had to make this quick.

"Didn't I explicitly tell you to not take Marrow-"

"What does this have to do with anything?"

Ozpin was already nearing earshot, he couldn't say anything suspicious.

He sighed, donning a casual voice "Listen, just send him home with the two senior guys. The rest of you can go back to Glaston's, okay? Anyway, I gotta go now. See ya."

"Wait, what? You can't just-" he ended the call before turning his head to the Ozpin, "Good evening, Headmaster."

"Good evening to you too, Violet. Strange to see you here of all places."

"Why would that be, Sir?"

"I thought you were popular with the ladies. Shouldn't you be dancing?"

He laughed a little, "With all due respect, doesn't a Headmaster have better things to do than chat up students?"

"I'm afraid this is an important part of my job. Especially when they're trouble students."

"Oh? What's this about? I didn't realize teenage drama was so tightly regulated."

Ozpin gave a sad chuckle, "No, it's not. But vigilantism certainly is."

His heart jumped and he started sweating. Should he deny it? But he wouldn't make such an accusation without evidence, right? He's perfectly capable of bluffing though… But he's already suspicious, so he shouldn't lie now. He ought to make a decision, stalling just makes things even worse. He settled on trusting him to make the first accusation, "Whatever do you mean, professor?"

"Don't play coy with me," his tone lost part of its warmth, something he already missed, "My patience is great, but not endless. And I haven't gone senile yet."

Could have fooled me.

"I notice when several of my students arrive injured and tired one at the crack of dawn. And on the same day as a massive shootout with the White Fang?"

"Right. So, what's the issue? The other time you accused me of terrorism, yet now you're complaining that I'm against terrorism. What gives?"

"I made no accusations, that's your guilty conscience talking. A good thing to have, mind you. But I do think you're vulnerable to both extremes because you lack purpose, Violet."

He rolled his eyes, "You don't say…"

"I knew you were ambitious and impatient, but I thought you'd be content with skipping a whole year. I'm sure you know how you're one of my best students. And yet you're not applying yourself at all. I've seen how you seem to almost waste away in the classroom."

Violet stayed silent, looking out into the distance.

"I truly do want to help you, Violet," his eyes were pleading, "Just tell me how. Do you want to skip another year like your sister? If you promise to apply yourself, I can put you on a special program and-"

He gave a resigned exhale, "If I may be honest with you, Professor, I feel dead inside. It's been like this ever since I grasped the true nature of this rotten world. Its cruelty, its injustice, its hypocrisy."

Ozpin said nothing, merely looking on pensively.

He continued, "Yang once tried to forcefully stop me from taking direct action and…" he turned away from Ozpin, "Well, it's only due to luck I didn't die that day."

"Was our first encounter part of your activities?"

"No, not really. I don't want to involve my Ruby in any of this."

At this Ozpin raised an eyebrow, "And did you involve her in last week's activities?"

He must have looked over the camera footage, obviously she was with them when they returned, "Yes. I didn't want to, but those around me insisted it was hypocritical. So I relented against my better judgment."

"And why is it that you wish to shelter her so much?"

He was indignant at the question, "I don't want her to get hurt, I-" he paused, "No, that's not quite right. She's an excellent fighter. I merely don't want her to lose her innocence. It's… it's so pure, it reminds me of the world of my childhood, one without the savagery and decay I see everywhere. One which was so wondrous and magical. It is something I must restore and protect. And her joy is the only thing pushing me to get out of bed in the morning." he looked him in the eyes, "How can you not see it?"

His gaze was not judgmental, "An excellent question, Rose. How can I not see it? But of course, I do. It is the same thing I see in all of my students, including you. An innocence and willingness to do the right thing. It is why it pains me so to see someone so young lose it."

"Well, it's gone for me. Been that way for a while now. So give it up already."

"Many people here have seen or done horrible things. That doesn't mean they shouldn't have great memories, or that they shouldn't relive a childhood that was stolen away from them. Look around you, Violet. You'll come to miss this day. You'll have many years to do good, I'm sure of it."

"I… I suppose I can try."

He gave a soft smile, "You're not convinced. How about this, I'll allow your team to take a second-year huntsmen mission for the end of semester test. Try to focus on getting your team through that. It should do you some good."

Violet was surprised, but relieved, "Thank you… I imagine it'll help me clear my mind."

"I know how you must feel. I've been there before, and my doors are always open if you need someone to talk to." He turned to leave, "Oh, and a friendly reminder that any more such reckless acts will be punished."

He nodded, and Ozpin left him alone with his thoughts. As he watched the man walk away, the conversation replayed in his head time and time again. And each time he he hated himself more and more. How humiliating, a warm smile and I spill everything to that man like a lost little boy. It's a wonder I didn't give up the whole thing then and there.

He stood there berating himself in the cold night breeze until he heard another visitor approach him.

"Who is it this tim- Blake?"

"What the hell happened? I just got a call from Azul and-"

"Is he safe now?"

"Barely. He said you tuned out and told him to pound sand. What happened? I thought you took this seriously?"

Violet ignored her question, "Marrow's a spy. That's certain now."

"Excuse me?"

"The pattern of missions foiled by police points to him. The safehouses raided by the authorities also match the selective information he was given."

"That… doesn't seem like definitive evidence."

"Irrelevant, we can easily check," he pointed at his left eye, which began to softly glow.

Blake turned away, "Can you not show that here? It's unnerving."

Violet blinked it away, "If it truly isn't him, I'll just start doing it on other suspicious people until we hit someone undercover. After that, it's just a matter of following the trail of association to bust the whole operation wide open."

"Azul told me they're still getting reports of more casualties. It's at least 10 people, likely more. Your plans usually don't result in an inordinate amount of death. We should have been there."

"I know. I could have done things better."

"Of course you could have! You've been mucking around playing student instead of leading people who trusted you! How many people had to die because you weren't there?"

"This was a matter of operational security. I guess I could hide away alone in some dark basement for years while managing the Knights if necessary. Still, this is a good networking opportunity. I've got a list of people sympathetic to us that I need to contact."

"I can handle that without you." she pointed at his chest, "You have people relying on you. Real lives that are more important than your sentimentality."

"I could say much the same about you." he sighed, no that's not what she wants to hear, "Tomorrow I'm going out and I'm not returning until I've put the knights back on track and defeated the White Fang decisively. At most I'll come back for the mandated end of semester mission."

She looked at him sternly for a few moments before relaxing, "Finally. You hand me that list and I'll see what I can do here in the meantime."

"I'll have it done tonight," he leaned into the balcony edge in exhaustion. The two of them stood there for a while before his face lit up with an idea, "You know, while we're here you ought to relax and enjoy yourself too," he grabbed her hand and started dragging her inside.

"Wait, what are you doing Vio? Where's this coming fro-"

"We're going to be working all day every day from now on, so you better enjoy this night, you hear me? And after all, I do have to raise the morale of my subordinates."

She rolled her eyes, though she couldn't hide a light smile on her face as she followed along.

AN: A lot more lovey-dovey stuff than I'm used to. I admit I got stuck on this chapter pretty hard, but the more action oriented stuff in the following parts is coming along nicely.

jhsilver123: Fair point, I may have made a mistake in separating the chapters at that moment and not elaborating that Ozpin hasn't zeroed in on him yet and is mostly shooting in the dark.