Even the best laid plans can fail when unexpected events occur. Jaune didn't know if they had the best plan but they didn't even get to see if it would work.

He didn't hear what started the argument but he sure heard the end of it.

Jaune panted as he jogged up the stairs, finished with his morning run. He had about an hour to shower, get dressed and head on down to Vale for his shift, so he was surprised when he heard voices as he approached their door. It was unusual for his team to be awake this early on a weekend.

And they weren't just any voices. They were raised voices.

He couldn't make out what was being said but he could tell they were angry, on the verge of shouting.

For a moment, he stared dumbly at the door before quickly hurrying over and unlocking it with his scroll. Opening the door, he was greeted by the sight of Weiss and Blake practically nose-to-nose while Nora watched in shock.

"...any idea what they've put me through?"

"What they've put you through? What about what they've been through? And that doesn't give you the right to call them all criminals!"

"If the shoe fits, the shoe fits!"

Weiss' cheeks were flushed red, her eyes narrowed in a frosty glare. In comparison, Blake's eyes burned with indignation as her fists shook by her side.

What the hell was going on here?

It was immediately apparent that this was much worse than their usual arguments. They looked moments away from striking one another, and Jaune moved closer just in case he needed to pull them apart.

Nora noticed him enter but she was struck dumb and didn't say a word in greeting.

"How can you just believe everything you hear? Do you really think the news are unbiased in their reporting? They have no proof! They provided no evidence that the White Fang are involved in those robberies!"

"Lisa Lavender is an award winning journalist of high professional integrity! Do you really think she would report on something like this without proof? If she did so, she would be opening up the Vale News Network to a lawsuit if that were the case!" Weiss waved her scroll up and down. "And we both saw the video! How is that not proof of their culpability? No, the fact is that the White Fang are a terrorist organisation that aren't above committing this level of crime to spread their vision of hate."

"They wouldn't target store owners," Blake snapped, incensed. "They've done nothing to them! Your family, on the other hand – continually lowering safety standards, repealing labor laws, they do everything in their power to keep faunus desperate in their employ just to save a few lien! If they wanted Dust, that's where they'd go to get it!"

"As if the White Fang care about fairness," Weiss scoffed. "Was it fair when they targeted the families of officials? Children that didn't have anything to do with any of this? What's fair about that, Blake? How is that going to bring equality!?"

Blake flinched.

"They're nothing more than a disgusting, evil organization and anyone that supports them is just as bad as they are!"

"Well maybe if everyone stopped pushing us around, we wouldn't have resorted to such extreme measures!"

Jaune felt his heart stop, Nora inhaled sharply, and he saw the exact moment when Blake's words registered. Weiss' face went slack in shock, and Blake's went white with fear.

No, not just fear. Terror.

"What…?" Weiss said dumbly.

"Wait," Jaune tried but when he reached for Blake, he was too slow. Jaune grunted as she shoved him, and the last he saw of her was the sheer, naked horror playing out on her face before she rushed out the door and slammed it behind her.

It sounded like a gunshot.

There was a moment of silence, the weight of the situation crushing. Jaune stared at the door, feeling sick to his stomach. When he turned to look at Weiss, she still appeared frozen in shock. As if Blake's admission had robbed her of all thought.

"Fuck," Nora said bluntly.

She could say that again.

"What happened?" Jaune demanded.

Nora grimaced. "Weiss was watching something on her scroll, the news report from last night. They've been more robberies. A lot more. They're blaming the White Fang. Blake overheard and… well, they started fighting."

Seeing as Weiss was still in shock, Jaune pulled out his scroll and searched for the news report in question. The familiar face of Lisa Lavender appeared, and beneath her were bold red lettering that read 'Breaking News'.

"In the past month, a wave of armed robberies has rattled the residents of Vale, leaving authorities scrambling to track down the suspects responsible for the brazen crimes," she began, her voice cool as she delivered the news. "Starting several weeks ago, a string of robberies erupted across various districts of the city. The thieves, armed and dangerous, have targeted local businesses involved in the sale and distribution of Dust. Reports indicate that the robbers are well-organized, often striking quickly and leaving destruction in their wake. While many of these incidents have happened after trading hours, in some cases, the criminals have used firearms to threaten employees and customers, making off with large sums of Dust.

"Surveillance footage from multiple locations shows the suspects wearing dark clothing and Grimm masks, making it difficult for investigators to determine their identities," a series of pictures were shown, and Jaune recognized the masks. They were identical to the ones they'd found in the crate. "The pattern of their movements appears calculated, with the robbers shifting from one neighborhood to the next in rapid succession, which has raised concerns about their knowledge of the city and its layout."

Lisa Lavender vanished and was replaced by a woman with chestnut hair and a severe frown, a badge hanging from a chain around her neck as she stood in front of the Central Police station. Reporters hurled questions at her as they snapped pictures.

"We are actively investigating these incidents and working around the clock to bring those responsible to justice," she said to those gathered, Detective Rachel Wood of the Vale Police Department appearing beneath her on the screen. "We urge residents to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity. We are confident that with the public's help, we will apprehend these criminals soon."

Lisa Lavender then reappeared in the studio.

"While no one has been seriously injured during the robberies, the psychological toll on local communities is significant. Some business owners have expressed fear for their safety and are considering temporarily closing their doors. Several employees have reported feeling traumatized by the incidents, further adding to the growing sense of unease.

"Local authorities have increased police patrols throughout the city, particularly in areas that have been hit the hardest. Additionally, police have issued a citywide alert, urging citizens to avoid visiting businesses during late hours unless absolutely necessary."

Jaune switched it off, having heard enough.

Nora approached Weiss carefully. "Weiss? Are you okay?"

The confusion was clearing, surprise being left behind for anger. When Nora placed a hand on her shoulder, she shrugged it off violently.

"Did you know?"

Jaune shared a look with Nora.

"Did you know?" Weiss demanded, spinning on them. Her eyes were wild. "Did you two know?"

Something must have shown on their faces because she shook her head, taking a step back. "Unbelievable. All of you. How could you keep this from me?"

"Weiss…" Nora tried.

"She's a faunus!" Weiss snapped. "She's been hiding it this entire time! Right under my nose, on my team, sleeping next to me…"

She shook her head in disbelief.

"And not only that, she's… one of them."

Her voice warped, filled with hate. Jaune didn't like it.

"Weiss," he stepped towards her but she took another step back, away from him. "Weiss, please."

"No!" she glared at him, her face filled with loathing. "No! You knew! Both of you knew! How dare you."

It wasn't the rage that bothered him. It was the hurt, the sense of betrayal he could hear in her voice. It was the look in her eyes, as if she couldn't trust him, any of them.

"You know what they've done," she continued. "You know what they did to me and yet you still… I thought we were friends," she laughed, a hysterical thing that made him flinch. "Friends. Friends. How could I have been so foolish? I'll always be alone."

"We didn't know," he began, ignoring that last part for now and focusing on the issue at hand but that was the wrong thing to say.

"Liar!" she snarled. "Don't you lie to me. I can see it written all over your face! You're not surprised by any of this!"

"We didn't," he pushed on firmly. "Weiss, we didn't know. Not about the White Fang."

"I don't believe you."

"I didn't even know she was a faunus until a few days ago," he admitted. "Nora… she found out by accident. We suspected something was off but we didn't know. We were going to confront her and try to find out. I wouldn't lie about this."

Her expression was made of stone.

"You kept this from me."

"I wanted to be sure," he implored. "This is serious. I didn't want to be wrong."

"She could have attacked me at any moment. My life was in danger and you wanted to be sure?"

"She wouldn't attack you," Nora cut in. Weiss looked at her incredulously.

"Nora, the White Fang are at war with my family! How can you say that?"

"How long have we been a team?" Nora asked. Weiss hesitated. "How long, Weiss?"

She refused to answer.

"If she wanted to hurt you, she could have done so. In the forest during initiation, every single night we've slept together in this room, she could have attacked you and fled into the night, but she hasn't. Why didn't she?"

Weiss had no answer for that.

"We don't know what connection she has to the White Fang," Jaune shot Nora a grateful look. "It's clear that she was a member… at some point. I can't deny that now, not with what she said – but Nora's right, Weiss. She could have harmed you countless times but she didn't. You've argued, you don't see eye to eye, and yet not once did she ever try to hurt you."

He could tell she wanted to rebuke his claims but couldn't because they were the truth.

"...you're right," she finally said, expression pinched. "You're both right… but that doesn't mean she hasn't tried to harm me in the past."

Jaune knew what she was talking about. The incident when she was younger, the servants that worked for the Schnee family. The attempt on her life. The moment her views on faunus were warped.

"Weiss… I can't speak to her actions before, what she did for the White Fang… I just don't know," he sighed. "But that time… she's our age. She'd have been a little girl too. She wasn't involved in that. That is something I'm sure of."

She didn't plan it. She didn't take part.

Weiss wavered, and then her eyes filled with tears. Tears of frustration and anger, and betrayal; tears of hurt. At this moment, she looked so vulnerable and small, delicate. She didn't look like the Huntress-in-training they all knew her to be. Strong, proud, and skilled.

Right now she was just a girl. A girl that was hurt and confused.

Jaune moved without thinking. Perhaps it was brotherly instinct. He'd never been able to stand by when one of his sister's were crying. Or maybe it was just because she was his teammate, and he was team leader… or she was his friend, and he never wanted to see a friend in pain. Whatever it was, his arms encircled her slender frame before she could object, hugging her to his chest.

Her entire body stiffened, tense, and Jaune thought she was going to push him away – and then she crumpled, sagging against him, her hands latching onto his back, fingers digging in.

"I'll get to the bottom of this, I swear it," he vowed.

She sniffled, hiding her face against his chest. Jaune wasn't sure how long they stood there like that, his arms tightening around her, providing any comfort he could. Nora was smiling gently, an odd look on her face.

Finally, Weiss untangled herself from him, looking embarrassed.

"...Thank you for that," she muttered. "I needed that."

Jaune smiled. "Anytime."

"Preferably when you don't stink," she added and he blinked, taken aback. Her lips twitched. It wasn't quite a smile but it was something. "I smell of sweat now."

Right, he'd just been running for the past hour. "Sorry."

Weiss then sighed. "...I don't know what to do. My mind says I should report her to the school and let them handle it. Do they know who she is?"

Jaune wasn't sure. But if he had to guess, there was a good chance that the Headmaster knew. He'd only met him the once but that man gave off the impression that there wasn't much that happened at his school that he didn't know about.

"What does your heart say?" Nora asked.

Weiss scowled. "My heart says I need to give Blake a piece of my mind… I don't know if I can trust her after this."

"Weiss…"

"I need some time to think," she moved over to her bed and sat. "Alone."

They were being dismissed. Jaune didn't want to leave her on her own, not now – but he didn't have it in him to fight her. She wanted time. Needed time to think it over, so she would get it. They showered and dressed, and reluctantly, they left Weiss alone in their dorm room.

"...That went better than I thought it would," Nora said once the door was shut, shaking her head. "I really didn't think she was going to listen to us. She was… really angry."

"...I can't blame her," Jaune sighed. "Finding out that your partner is part of the group that has been attacking your family for years… of course she is going to be angry."

"So, we were right. She is White Fang."

"Yeah. Seems that way. From her own mouth."

The door across the hall creaked as it opened slightly and Ruby poked her head out.

"Is everything okay?" she asked softly.

Jaune smiled weakly. "You heard them?"

Ruby nodded. "A little bit. Most of it was muffled."

A small mercy. Jaune didn't need their classmates knowing about this. He trusted Team RPRY but if Cardin and his team found out about it? Things would get messy. That was something they needed to avoid at all costs.

Ruby looked between them, troubled. "That bad, huh?"

Nora was the one that answered. "Yeah, that bad. Though maybe it isn't the end of the world."

It was bad – but Weiss had calmed down, so that was a start. As angry as she had been, she saw reason. It didn't invalidate her feelings and concerns, though. And it didn't mean Weiss would ever trust her again. Their friendship could be irreversibly broken. They hadn't been the closest of friends in the first place but that could wait. Now they just needed to find Blake. Jaune recalled that look of horror, that all encompassing fear. They needed to find her before she did something reckless.

When people were backed into a corner, they were impossible to predict.

"We need to find Blake," he said. "Ruby… do you think your team could help out?"

She smiled. "Of course."

"Thanks. You're the best."

She preened. "I know."

Jaune called his job and let them know he wasn't coming in. His boss was understanding. They then searched the school grounds from top to bottom. Splitting up, they each had a section of the school to themselves but after a few hours, it was clear that she wasn't at Beacon any longer. Or if she was, she'd found some place where none of them knew. They even checked the forest, calling her name only to receive no response.

Jaune tried her scroll countless times. At first it would just ring out and go to voicemail. After a while, it didn't even do that, instantly asking him to leave a message. She had turned her scroll off. Probably annoyed by the constant calls.

They all met again in the dining hall.

"Well that was a waste of time," Yang sighed as she thumped down, a chicken sandwich on her plate alongside an apple. "Blake must have taken the first airship down to Vale."

To put as much distance between them and her as possible.

"Vale is big," Ren said, troubled. "How are we going to find her?"

Team RPRY had taken the news of Blake's secret well. None of them were bothered by the fact that she was a faunus. In fact, they were annoyed that she felt the need to hide it at all. Not so much at her but by the situation itself. The revelation that she'd been White Fang was a little harder to swallow. While Yang and Ruby didn't seem to care about it, Ren and Pyrrha had been shocked and a little quiet afterwards.

It made sense. Like Nora, Ren and Pyrrha were both from Anima where the White Fang were much more active. They'd have witnessed some of the pain the group had caused first hand, so their opinion of the group was harsher.

"Street by street," Jaune said, though that would take forever. But they had no other way of going about it.

Nora shook her head. "What a troublesome girl."

Pyrrha took some food to Weiss while the rest of them ate, and then they ventured down to Vale. Jaune thought she might like to see a fresh face, someone that wasn't quite as close to the situation as Jaune and Nora were.

"How was she?" he asked as the airship ascended into the air, taking them down to the city.

"Quiet," Pyrrha said softly. "We talked a little… I told her we were searching for Blake. She didn't say much after that. She ate her food, though."

That was something.

Once again, they split up. They had a lot of ground to cover.

Armed with her photo on his scroll, Jaune visited places that he thought Blake might go. Cafes, bookstores, even parks. Blake liked nature, and it wasn't unusual to catch her lazing under a tree with a book. Not that this was the time for such behavior but he didn't have much to go on. Some people were more than willing to speak to him, while others outright ignored him whenever he tried to show them her photo. And some gave him suspicious looks, as if a guy looking for a girl in this manner was inherently wrong.

"Haven't seen her, sorry," was the most common response. Short and to the point, but they often took a good look at her picture so it didn't feel dismissive.

"She's pretty. Did you two have an argument?" That was another common one, though mostly from older folk. They seemed to think Blake was his girlfriend, and Jaune didn't bother correcting them after the first couple.

"Please stop talking to me," a handful of people said, unwilling to even look at the photo. Others just kept walking as if he didn't exist, and Jaune didn't push.

"Why are you trying to find her?"

"Have you tried calling her?"

"Mm. She kinda looks like that idol, doesn't she? Doesn't she live in Mistral?"

What idol?

Jaune spent hours walking the streets, going into businesses and asking staff. He followed the river through the city and then down towards familiar ground, the faunus dominant section of the city. The streets narrowed and the people changed, animal traits as far as the eye could see. Just because Blake was a faunus didn't mean she would flee here specifically but Jaune had zero leads, and this was better than nothing.

She might feel more comfortable hiding among her own kind.

"Jaune," Melody greeted warmly as he stepped inside the familiar diner. "The usual?" she was already getting ready to write his order down but he shook his head.

"Sorry, I'm not here to eat," he showed her Blake's picture. "Have you seen this girl? I'm trying to find her. She's a friend of mine."

She blinked before taking a closer look. "Mm, no. I'm sorry, Jaune. I haven't seen her."

Jaune sighed. "It was a long shot but I thought I'd ask."

"Is everything okay?" she asked, voice filled with concern.

"Yeah – well, no," Jaune shook his head. "She's a member of my team at Beacon and got into a fight with her partner. She took it pretty badly and we haven't seen her since. We're starting to get a bit worried."

Understatement of the year.

"Oh dear," Melody tore off a piece of paper from her notepad and placed it on the counter alongside a pen. "Write your number down. If I see her, I'll give you a call."

Jaune felt a swelling of affection for this woman. "You would do that?"

"Of course. I would be happy to help. If you send me a picture, I'll print out a copy and hang it here behind the counter."

Jaune quickly scrawled his number down. "Thank you."

"No problem, Jaune. Good luck out there."

He continued searching until the sky started getting dark, day fading away into evening, and then into night. The strange looks he used to garner in this part of town were almost nonexistent now, a lot of the people recognizing him in passing. Those that didn't caught on quickly. They were more than happy to talk but he got no closer to finding Blake. At this hour, most businesses were closing up and the people on the street were thinning. Jaune wanted to keep going but knew that at this point, it would be hopeless. Wandering around in the dark wasn't going to help anybody so he returned to the airship terminal and met up with his friends.

"Anyone find anything?" he asked but they all shook their heads. Their faces were filled with exhaustion.

"She might have returned to the school," Ruby said optimistically but when they returned to Beacon, only Weiss was waiting for them.

"Didn't find her?" she asked bluntly, rolling her eyes when they shook their heads. "Typical. What a troublesome girl."

Yang snorted. "You know, that's the same thing Nora said."

Nora grinned. "We know her best, after all."

Weiss appeared to be in a much better mood.

She then did something surprising, bowing her head. "I apologize for the strife our team has caused. You've been out there all day on our behalf while I've remained here, sulking. It is unacceptable behavior."

Team RPRY stared at Weiss in shock before Yang stepped forward and slapped her on the back, nearly sending her face planting into the ground.

"Hey, don't worry about it. We're all friends, right? This is what friends do. Help each other out when things get tough."

"It was no trouble at all," Pyrrha said genuinely.

Ruby beamed. "Yeah! Blake is our friend, and so are you. So don't apologize."

Ren nodded. "You would do the same for us, if the situation was reversed."

Weiss straightened up. "Nevertheless – thank you."

They had a quiet dinner together, though Ruby tried to keep everyone upbeat. He loved that about her. What may have easily been a somber affair was instead a comfortable silence with the younger girl chattering away about anything and everything, whatever came to mind. Yang engaged her, as did Nora – and Weiss.

Weiss was more than happy to entertain her. They'd come a long way since that first day at Beacon, and Jaune couldn't take his eyes off them as they conversed, Ruby leading the conversation while Weiss replied when required.

When they returned to their room, it felt strange. They'd always been four – and now they were three. Nora decided to shower first, leaving him alone with Weiss.

"Do you think…" she began but trailed off, uncertain.

"Weiss?"

She shook her head. "Do you think we'll find her?"

"Yes," he had his doubts about how long it would take but he wasn't going to give up. "We'll find her. We'll turn the entire city upside down if we have to."

Ice blue eyes regarded him. "I've thought about it. A lot. I've had nothing but time today. Jaune… this is really hard for me to accept. If she believes that the current White Fang are justified in their actions, I don't think I can remain friends with her… or remain her partner."

Jaune sat down on his head heavily. "Look, I – I don't think she does, Weiss. The conversations I've had with her, I don't think she agrees with their current path."

"I need for her to say it to my face," Weiss sat down as well, hands neatly tucked in her lap. "The violence against my family – no, not just my family. The violence against humans… it is abhorrent and unacceptable."

"I agree."

"I don't expect her to not be angry. The Schnee Dust Company…" she sighed, expression troubled. "It isn't what it used to be. My father…" she bit her lip. "He cares about the bottom line. He is a businessman and he'll do whatever it takes to expand the business – at the expense of everyone else. Even family."

"Weiss?"

"So I understand her anger – their anger at my family," she grit her teeth. "Faunus protest in Mantle constantly, and they are right to do so. He has taken my grandfather's company and smeared its reputation."

Her fingers fiddled, and she traced her nails carefully. "I want to find her – so I can tell her that, and hear what she has to say in return."

Jaune smiled. "I want that too."

She then looked away shyly. "...Ozpin was right."

"What do you mean?"

"To make you our leader," she said. "You impressed me during initiation and I had no issues with the assignment beyond what I already revealed to you… but you continue to impress me. I can tell that you really care about this team."

"I do."

"So do I… I want this to work, I really do," she met his eyes, and he could feel the emotion conveyed through her look. "But if she believes in their extreme actions, Jaune…"

"Well – we're going to find her, and we're going to ask her. No matter how long it takes," he told her, filled with conviction. "I promise, Weiss. I give my word."

She nodded, face soft. "I will hold you to that."

He wasn't in the habit of breaking promises and he wasn't about to start now.

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