The Lancer Queen had fallen. This moment of ultimate defeat was recorded by the Nightmare Collective. Even now, a seedling shadowed the victorious army that cheered the Monarch's demise. It strove to learn from the failure, though there was little new information to gain.

Such a result was expected.

Petty vengeance had overridden the true objective of destroying the enemy. As such, they had no one to blame but themselves for the hive being wiped out. Even knowing this, the Collective was perturbed at how events had unfolded.

A particular Soulbound, the peach-colored one, had caused them such great trouble. Despite being inferior in every way, it had made a fool of the Grimm. Ran them in circles until they did not know which way was up.

Through trickery, the would-be Ruler of all Grimm had been laid low. Such a deceitful creature needed to be watched carefully. The Collective did not want to experience such a reversal of fortune as the one witnessed on this day.

It had great plans for this domain. It would not be undone by silly mistakes. It would succeed where the Lancer Hive had failed.

There were others that needed to be observed as well: The one who had landed the killing blow, who harbored a deep darkness that rivaled its own; The glyph user, who stank of diluted magic; The silvereyes, who the true Queen would reward handsomely for capturing.

This was a wonderful garden, but the circumstances were not right for cultivation. The enemy was on guard. The Collective would need to bide their time and grow their numbers in preparation.

As the seedling began to recede, its senses went wild. Something had snuck up on it. Before it could process the impossibility of being discovered, thin ropes wrapped around its body.

The pulsing, purple wrappings constricted the Grimm's movements. It thrashed wildly to no avail. Slowly, it was dragged from the canopy to ground level.

"How interesting."

The seedling trained its beady eye on its captor. Before them was another Soulbound. This one wielded a rod with strings extending from the head. The weapon channeled a disgusting power that hurt the Seedling in the worst way possible.

Its connection to the rest of the Collective was gone. Severed. The tyranny of individuality infected the Grimm.

"I suspected your kind were about." The wicked Soulbound came closer. "But you did not partake in the attack? I wonder…"

Instead of struggling further, the seedling reversed course to give itself slack to work with. It spat needles towards the binder. If one landed, the Grimm could infect the Soulbound and escape into the realm of dreams.

Its foe sidestepped the projectiles with ease. Anticipating this, the seedling was already lunging. This was countered by the strings tightening to arrest them.

"This will require further study." They pulled a small key from their belt.

At that moment, the Seedling identified the Soulbound. The Grimm could not tell them apart normally. But certain characteristics were unmistakable.

The abilities used here were unique to the Collective's most hated enemy: The Dreamwalker

They were one of the few beings in existence that posed a threat to the Nightmare. This was a Soulbound that could follow them to the ends of the realm and beyond. The Node needed to warn the Whole.

It was too late.

"Go to sleep." Was the last thing it heard before the key touched them.


XI. Aces


Beacon Tower was filled to bursting. The building was overflowing with technicians, medics, students, and faculty. One of the latter bumped into Headmaster Ozpin as he navigated the cramped corridors.

"Excuse me, sir!" Dr. Oobleck said while carrying a stack of supplies. "I did not see you there! I will endeavor to be more conscientious of my surroundings. Things have been so hectic around here but that is no excuse!"

As he spoke, his reedy arms were in constant motion distributing the stockpile. Only fast reflexes by the recipients prevented the items from hitting the ground. There were a few fumbles, though. An unsuspecting pupil was blasted by a medical kit in the face.

"That's quite alright." Ozpin maneuvered around the energetic doctorate holder. "Have you seen Glynda?"

"She is rallying our troops near the lift."

He nodded his thanks before sliding past a group of departing huntsmen. Beacon's distress call had been answered too late for most to help repel the main Grimm surge, but the assistance was appreciated, nonetheless. The fighters could help clear any remaining pockets of instability.

Glynda Goodwitch was indeed beside the elevator. It was a good spot to operate. From the central location, she had an unobstructed view of the chaos. She directed traffic with unflappable precision.

Upon sighting Ozpin, she beckoned him. Once in her vicinity, he saw how drained she was. The last twenty-four hours had not been kind to any of them.

Not one for chit-chat at the moment, he drove straight to the point. "Where are we?"

"Better off than earlier this afternoon, but the situation remains critical. Our people have retaken only three-fifths of the forest. Search and rescue operations are stalled until more sectors are cleared."

"Casualties?"

"Many injuries. No reported deaths. Multiple initiates are unaccounted for, however. I'll have more information for you on that front later."

Ozpin frowned at this. The longer the prospective students were missing, the more likely a grizzly fate had befallen them. The hope was that they were hiding from the Grimm and waiting for rescue rather than attempting to fight their way through.

"Very well. Be sure to hand off coordination if you need to take a rest."

"I have made arrangements with Bart to do so in a few hours."

Having just seen the man expending quite a bit of energy, Ozpin questioned that plan. However, he trusted his staff to know their limits. That was what delegating was all about.

She then asked. "How are things on your end?"

"I just finished informing the last of the passing students of their placements."

Usually, new teams were celebrated in the auditorium in front of the entire school. Circumstances had changed that to a series of smaller ceremonies. The announcements could have been delayed. They probably should have.

But that felt cruel. The children had already gone through so much. In times such as these, it was important to keep morale up.

"How many teams do we have?"

"Three."

Her eyebrows rose. "Twelve students? Hardly enough for a full freshman class."

"Yes, and I had to stretch the rules to admit that many."

Only Team Cardinal, abbreviated 'CRDL,' were able to fulfill every parameter of the mission. That they had ignored a crisis to focus on trivial tasks did not speak well of their potential to be protectors of civilization. The professors would need to keep close watch on them. They were a team likely to go rogue.

"Shall we provide an alternate test for failing students?"

He sighed. "Possibly. Let's leave that for tomorrow. There are calls I need to make. Mostly to the Council to assure them that everything is under control."

"Of course."

They parted ways as he entered the elevator. While ascending, he gazed through the transparent walls and over the crowd below. It did his heart good to see so many working together towards a common purpose.

Such unifying events happened so rarely. Savoring them was important.

Upon reaching his office, he was confronted with a brisk wind. His far window was open. There was an intruder in the room. One who did not bother trying to hide. Lounging beside Ozpin's desk was Qrow Branwen.

"Yo!" He toasted the headmaster's arrival with his silver flask.

"If it isn't the hero of the hour." Ozpin announced as he crossed the room. "Good to see you in the flesh once more, Qrow. Your arrival was most fortunate for our cause."

He shrugged. "Maybe from your perspective. To me, it's just more bum's luck. Hope you don't mind that I did not stick around for the cleanup. Figured I'd be more a hindrance than help."

"Most likely for the best." His unique talents were better spent in other areas anyway.

Ozpin moved around to take his seat. Qrow made himself more comfortable. Or tried too. No matter how he shifted his stance, the huntsman remained agitated. He was working himself up to say something.

"Y'know, it's quite galling. I flew into town expecting an important assignment. Instead, I'm snatching my niece out of the sky from a gigantic Grimm. My underage niece, who should still be two years away from facing serious harm."

"Her age undersells her maturity-"

"Cut the crap, Oz."

The huntsman glared at the headmaster, who responded with a blank stare. Ozpin, knowing he could not intimidate Qrow, did not even try. Doing so was to invite disaster.

He also had to suppress a smile at being told off so soon after Glynda a few days earlier. And in a similar manner. Despite their differing personalities, Qrow and her were unwilling to put up with obfuscation. They kept Ozpin honest.

It was one of the reasons he trusted them.

"I was not left with much of a choice in the matter."

"There were plenty of choices. You picked the one that promoted a girl way past her competencies."

"Her fighting acumen is top notch."

"She's a Gods' damned maestro with a scythe." Qrow leaned in and growled. "But that ain't enough. She lacks the proper mindset."

"Unless you forgot, that is what Beacon is for. We will teach her how to be a huntsman."

"You teach how to mix Dust and history and Grimm taxonomy. You don't teach them how to survive out there." He pointed out the open window.

Ozpin clenched his jaw. This was a long running point of contention between the two men. Qrow constantly criticized the curriculum yet offered no remedies to these supposed deficiencies. This irritated the headmaster to no end.

"If that is truly what you believe, then it matters not if Miss Rose is admitted to Beacon now or in two years' time, correct?"

"Wrong!" Qrow pounded the table with his fist. "You are robbing me of two years I could use to get her ready. And she will need to be. You of all people should know that."

This comment sapped the last of Ozpin's patience. He gripped his chair's armrest, hands crackling with green Aura. Qrow sported a victorious grin, relishing at needling the older man to the point of showing displeasure.

His pride was misplaced. This was no accomplishment. There were times long ago when Ozpin's unleashed wrath could shatter mountains.

"I will say, once more, that I had no choice." Qrow opened his mouth, but Ozpin pressed on. "Your niece forced my hand when she stopped that robbery. I very well may have saved her life that night."

"How'd you figure?"

"When I arrived, she was about to be processed by law enforcement. Fingerprints. Height and weight measurements. Mugshots…" Qrow lost his smirk. "Offering her a spot at Beacon prevented that."

Doing so required a few trivial lies. The headmaster had to claim that the girl was acting as a functionary of a huntress so as to gain qualified immunity from prosecution. Luckily, Glynda was already on the scene. They just had to backdate a few documents.

If Miss Rose had declined the offer, he could have found another way. However, that would have taken longer, and they were on a timer. Reporters from VNN could have arrived at any moment.

Ozpin continued. "If her photo had entered the system, or worse, the news cycle, who knows who would have seen it. My intervention prevented that."

That was what finally took the wind out of Qrow's sails. He stumbled back into the seat he had been ignoring. After taking another drag of his flask, he said what they were both thinking.

"Damn."

"Yes, well, not to kick you while you are down, but this could have been avoided if you had simply informed me of her condition."

For instance, they could have informed Glynda of the girl's special status earlier. If she had known, Ruby Rose would never have been taken into custody. She would have been ushered away from the crime scene before anyone had arrived.

Instead, Ozpin was forced to make up a plan on the spot. That Miss Rose was one of the few to pass Initiation was astonishing. Welcome, but unexpected. There was much promise in her.

"It wasn't my idea. Tai can be a bit… overprotective."

"Surely Mr. Xiao Long knew he could not hide her forever. As a Signal student, she was bound to end up at Beacon or another academy eventually."

Qrow looked away. "He thought he could talk her out of becoming a huntress."

For the first time in a long while, Qrow looked less like Remnant's greatest huntsman and more like the petulant student he used to be. He was obviously lying. If Taiyang did not want his daughter at Beacon, he would not have signed the waiver to allow her to attempt Initiation.

It was Qrow who was keeping the secret. For what purpose? Ozpin wanted to find out but resisted digging in on the matter.

Everyone was entitled to their secrets. "What's done is done. Best to move on, then. I have a job for you."

At once, Qrow was leaning forward. "Lay it on me."

"How much do you know about what is going on with the White Fang?"

"Just the basics. Robbed a place. Killed a shopkeeper. Wounded a cop. Caused a big scene downtown."

"You have about the right of it. I would like you to make contact and convince them that their efforts are wasted in Vale. That making trouble in this kingdom is counterproductive."

While Vale was certainly not perfect, the local Council had disincentivized the most excessive of repressions through equal housing and employment regulations. The problem now lies with the citizenry, not the laws themselves. You could not legislate away prejudice.

If only the hearts of the people could be so easily rewritten.

"When you say convince…"

"Non-violently, if possible." When push came to shove, Qrow could be discreet.

"How about finding out who stomped the shopkeeper or shot the cop? Or recovering the stolen Dust?"

"If you can, do so. But the priority must be in lowering the temperature."

As regrettable as any death was, it could not overtake the safety of the still living. A spiraling situation could lead to a Grimm incursion. After the most recent one, Ozpin was not eager for another.

"Right on. Any specific trees you think I should shake to find them? Can't imagine any of my contacts are involved with an interkingdom terrorist organization." His red eyes narrowed. "At least, they better not be."

"Start with the usual suspects to get your finger on the pulse of the streets. You also might try the Vale Police Department to see if there are any known or suspected White Fang members on their radar. There is bound to be an officer who can point you in the right direction."

"Any officer in particular?" The Branwen asked cautiously.

The uncertainty was understandable. Qrow did not have the best track record with the local police. Years prior, a rogue faction within VPD had tried to ruin his reputation on behalf of a criminal organization based in Atlas.

They were minimally successful in the endeavor, succeeding only in bringing about their own ruin. However, the encounter had scarred Qrow in many ways. Thankfully for him, there was a cop that he got along well with. And they were already involved.

"Actually, yes." Ozpin could have kicked himself for not thinking of it earlier. "Try Detective Earnest Shoat. He ought to have a unique view of the matter, don't you think?"

"Earnie?" Qrow asked in bewilderment.

The huntsman had known the detective since the latter was a lowly patrol officer. From what little interaction the headmaster had, he too had a high opinion. Shoat had been the one to break up a smuggling ring that had operated using Beacon's Bullhead network.

Though it was odd that Qrow was surprised by the suggestion. "Did you not-"

"Surprised he hasn't retired yet. Guess we'll need to compare notes." He stood and walked to the window ledge, ready to leap. "Is his office still in the same place? Basement of VPD headquarters?"

"You won't find him there." The headmaster said, knowing the huntsman did not have all the necessary facts of the case. "He is currently on extended medical leave at Vale General's rehabilitation wing."

Qrow stepped back. "How'd he end up there?"

/ / /

Over a parched dirt road, a flatbed truck rumbled towards a waystation. Wheels creaked with every rock they ran over. The axles squealed as the vehicle was guided under an awning.

It parked just in front of a charge terminal. Motion sensors between the charger and the box-like support building turned multiple screens on. Because Dusk was approaching, flood lights flicked on to allow the driver to see their surroundings.

A heavyset man in a green jumpsuit hopped out of the truck's cabin. He took off his hat to wipe his brow before attaching a line from the charger to his engine battery port. Then he crawled onto the top deck of the vehicle. The chassis groaned as he checked the netting holding down his cargo.

The haul consisted of crates stacked deep along three rows. According to a private manifest, each box contained pure electric Dust. This delivery was meant to resupply the emergency generators in a settlement called Lower Cairn.

Three heads poked over a wall to view these happenings. If they had their way, the load would never arrive at the intended destination. The trio were dressed in the full garb of the White Fang.

Ironically, only one of them was an actual faunus.

"What do you think?" Trifa asked her temporary companions.

"We take it, obviously." Emerald huffed while fiddling with her mask.

"I was looking for suggestions on how to do so. My last attempt at this did not go so well."

Understatement of the century, Mercury thought before saying. "This isn't my bag, either."

They were out of his element. He did not boost cars for a living. There was a reason Roman Torchwick had been brought into the fold, after all.

Their new muscle, the White Fang, was not great at this kind of work either. They did not have much going for them other than numbers and brute force. The spider faunus did little to change Mercury's opinion of them when she made her suggestion.

"We could rush him."

Despite the predictability, she was not wrong. There were no guards anywhere or even an attendant. Only the truck driver stood between them and the loot.

Outside the city, refueling stations were self-serve. There was less chance of Grimm being attracted if there was no one around to lure them. In case of emergencies, a short perimeter wall did exist to buy people time to seek shelter in the reinforced structure.

And that was a problem.

Mercury shook his head. "If we do that, he may bolt for the panic room with the keys."

"Maybe we do not need them. Can you hotwire a truck?"

"No." He looked at Em. "Can you?"

"Do I look like I do?"

Saying 'yes' would annoy her. Mercury knew this. So he did what came naturally.

"Yes."

"Stuff it, you jack-"

"Could we stay focused, please?" Trifa asked them.

"Ass." The green-haired girl got out a last dig before telling the faunus. "Why don't you sneak up on him, then? We have already provided you with the route and timetable. Do we need to do everything?"

"Cinder sent you to help." The spider faunus pointed out.

This was correct. Their boss had ordered them along to assist with a few robberies to get the White Fang back on track. It was also the wrong thing to say to Emerald.

"Fine." She gritted out.

Shimmying over the chest high wall, she walked calmly toward the truck. Trifa tensed at the bold approach. Mercury poked her on the shoulder.

"Relax. She knows what she is doing."

Despite his ribbing, Mercury knew Emerald was competent. At least, she was in these matters. Trifa was not as sure but did her best to disguise it.

"I will trust your judgment."

He snorted. "Watch."

They did just that. Emerald made no effort to hide from the target. As expected, the trucker looked up at her. Yet, he did not react in alarm to the sight of an approaching terrorist. He instead waved her down before hopping out of the vehicle bed.

The two spoke for a few minutes. It was a casual conversation between two odd ends of the societal spectrum. His hand fished around in his overall pockets to produce a key ring. He then dropped it in her outstretched hand before heading into the building and locking himself within.

"I don't understand."

"Like I said. Emerald sometimes knows what she is doing."

"You did not say 'sometimes,' last time."

"Sure I did."

Once the duo was confident the trucker was not coming out, they also approached the truck. Emerald had removed the charger and entered the passenger side. Trifa slid into the middle position, so that left Mercury as the driver. Starting up the vehicle, he eased out onto the unpaved road.

They drove in silence for about ten minutes. Assured that they were free from pursuit, Trifa spoke. It was a question directed at Emerald.

"How did you get the keys without a struggle?"

"I don't see how that is any of your-"

"She used her Semblance."

"Merc!" Emerald hissed. "Cinder doesn't want people to know about that!"

"Maybe you should have thought about that before being so obvious in using it." He turned his head towards them and smirked. "Besides, you won't tell anyone, will you Trifa?"

Her face remained neutral. "So long as we are allied, I see no reason to inform my superiors."

"There you have it."

Emerald did not seem willing to accept the situation. But she lacked the power to change it around. So instead she crossed her arms and looked out the side window at the passing trees and flat land.

"So your Semblance…" Trifa began again. "Is it some kind of suggestive impulse? You hypnotized him into following your orders?"

Before she complained, Mercury added his thoughts on the matter. "Might as well tell her. She'll ferret it out eventually."

"Hallucinations." Emerald said with a sigh. "I presented myself as a huntress that needed his truck. He was eager to help."

"Fascinating."

They returned to silence. Mercury was fine with this, as it allowed him to concentrate on the drive. There were patches that were quite bumpy and required finesse.

Crossing the wilds in a vehicle was difficult work. All 'roads' outside the major civilization hubs were indents left by others. The only signage was small placards pointing to nearby villages. Considering that they were transporting stolen goods and dressed as terrorists, it was better to avoid these areas.

After about an hour, Trifa said. "Pull over here."

Trusting that she knew where they were, he did so. The faunus was undoubtedly a better tracker than him, at least out in the wilds. They came to a halt between a pair of oak trees.

Doors opened and they piled out. Mercury casually stretched his arms and looked around. He vaguely knew where they were now. They had indeed arrived at the drop off point. Trifa called for their helper.

"Umi!"

A mouse-eared girl popped out of the brush. "Yes, ma'am!"

"Get this load to Klaxon, stat."

The Grunt climbed into the driver's seat. Mercury doubted her ability to handle the truck until she managed to pull off a flawless three-point turn. Sometimes you really could not judge a book by its cover.

As the truck took off, he asked Trifa. "Klaxon?"

"It's the call sign for where we store our Dust."

"Ah." It sure beat 'dead village in the middle of nowhere' as a name.

"Are we done here?" Em asked impatiently, ready to head back to Vale.

"This was a good start, but we are still behind schedule. We should push the advantage. Can I count on your assistance to grab a few more?"

"Sure." Mercury was quick to answer, causing the green-haired girl to deflate. "Not like we have anything better to do. Where's the next one?"

The faunus pulled out her Scroll. "Hmm… There is a railway stop that will be unloading sixty crates of fire Dust soon. We can catch them if we depart immediately. The security will be higher, though. Could you repeat that same trick, Emerald?"

"If there are more than two guards, no. I get severe migraines if I push too hard." Admitting this weakness seemed to physically hurt her.

"No matter." Trifa put away her device. "We can return to the original plan. The reward is worth the risk."

This was to be a smash and grab, then. The more Mercury thought about it, the more he liked the idea. There were some aggressions he needed to work through anyway. Between the three of them, the guards would not know what hit them.

/ / /

Ruby Rose squirmed at her seat inside of Beacon's mostly deserted cafeteria. A box of celebratory pizza lay open on the table before her. Its contents were split evenly between her new squad: RRBY.

Ren extended a cup of soda outward. "To Team Ruby."

The toast was echoed by Blake and Yang. Regardless of the various stages of hurt they were all experiencing, there was much enthusiasm. Ruby relaxed and joined in.

Then her dumb, older sister opened her big, stupid mouth. "And let's have another cheer for our lovely leader! Way to go, Rubes!"

The three let out another round of congratulations. Ruby fixated on the greasy slice at hand rather than the smiling faces. She wanted nothing more than to pull her hood up and disappear into the fabric.

Even after Headmaster Ozpin had informed them that they had passed Initiation, she could not believe she had been made the leader. Her! Ruby expected someone with a hidden camera to come out and tell her this was a prank.

But it never happened. Now she was torn between excitement and embarrassment. Being brought up to Beacon early was bad enough. Now she was in charge.

Worst of all, no one was batting an eye. She expected Yang to be supportive. There was not a jealous bone in her body, despite objectively being better than her younger sibling in every conceivable way. However, Blake and Ren also had nothing negative to say.

They were all so happy for her. So supportive. She had to say something.

"T-thanks everyone! I will prove myself worthy of the role." Ruby squeaked as her sister reached across the table to pull them together.

"I'm so proud of you!" Yang rubbed their cheeks together. "Already acting so humble and commanding! My special little rosebud is blooming!"

"I'm not that special!" Or that little.

"We'll need to celebrate with a night out on the town. Once you are no longer grounded, of course."

Silver eyes crossed. "Grounded?"

"Your sorry butt is on lockdown at the Yang penitentiary for the next… let's say two months."

"You can't ground me!" Ruby attempted to push away. "I'm the team leader!"

"You weren't acting like a team leader when you decided to jump on a Queen Lancer by yourself. Ergo, grounded."

"I wasn't alone! Jaune was there too!"

"And now he is laid up in the infirmary. Two wrongs don't make a right. Although three lefts do." Her grip loosened. "Hmmm. Makes you think, doesn't it?"

"Speaking of…" Ren decided to chime in. "I was told he woke up and is open to visitors."

"What are we waiting for, then!" Yang cheered before saying to Ruby. "Let's go say hello to your boyfriend."

"Great idea!" She seized on the idea before cocking her head. "Wait. Boyfriend? He's-"

"She didn't say 'no!'" Yang wailed and pulled them tighter than ever. "Finding new friends. Falling for boys. They grow up so fast!"

The smaller girl stopped struggling, resigned to her fate. There was no arguing with Yang when she got this way. She would eventually let go. All Ruby had to do was wait. Things would be better when they saw Jaune.

/ / /

"This is so much worse!"

Team RRBY had entered Beacon's medical wing hoping to see Ruby's friend. Instead, the leader was immediately ambushed and captured. She now languished in the hold of an overenthusiastic ginger.

"I missed you too!" Nora crooned, holding her captive close.

Ruby wiggled in the embrace. Mistaking the movement as a suggestion to dance, Nora obliged. The two whirled about the small room rather well considering the lead had a fractured hip. This semi-voluntary waltz only stopped when they bumped into another girl.

"What's all this then?" Yang, arms crossed, asked the dancers.

"This is the crazy girl I told you about!" Ruby whined.

"The chick who is more developed than you?"

"Wha- Why is that the thing you remember!?"

"Hey now!" Nora lifted Ruby to look directly in her eyes. "Those are not nice things to say about your big sis."

"For the last time, I already have one!"

She slipped down and turned to escape. Nora merely grabbed her and pulled her back to belly. Ruby squirmed some more, pleading with Yang to intervene. And she did.

"It's true. There is only room for one big sis in these parts."

The blonde stepped to them. Towered, really. Her face was solemn as she judged the one who had laid claim to her sibling. Ruby cheered this development on.

"Tell her, Yang!"

"You'll have to settle for being the second eldest."

Ruby went slack before mouthing. "What?"

"Deal." Nora giggled. "I always wanted to be a middle child!"

"Welcome to the family!"

"Yay! Group hug!"

"No!" Ruby shouted, moments before being enveloped on all sides.

Blake and Ren stood to the side watching this all unfold. Between them was the medical bed that contained the slumbering form of Jaune Arc. The rest of his team had left to pick up food much like RRBY had, with Nora staying behind to keep him company.

This suited the hidden faunus just fine. She had been worried about extended contact with the Schnee. With her and Pyrrha gone, however, there was no one left to intercede on Ruby's behalf.

Yellow irises met pink. "Shouldn't you do something about that?"

"What do you mean?"

"Your partner and your childhood friend are smothering our team leader." If anyone was in a position to stop this madness, it was him.

"Speaking from experience, I find it is better to let Nora tire herself out first before attempting a rescue."

Ruby broke through briefly to squeal. "Help me!"

And then she was pulled back in. Little arms flailed as Nora and Yang continued to chat as though they were not currently squashing someone between them. Ren then turned the question around.

"How about you? That is your partner in there."

"I would, but I don't want to."

Blake was not a touchy-feely person. The last thing she desired was to be swept away by the vortex of madness. Also, it was not like Ruby was going to die.

"I'm dying!" The girl yelped.

Maybe.

Ren broke first. "Wish me luck."

The brave boy waded into the fray. He gently shook Nora's shoulder before whispering in her ear. Whatever was said was meant to calm her down. Predictably, this did not work out as he intended.

Seconds later, he was also captured. Nora held him aloft, apologizing profusely for leaving him behind. For Ruby, this was enough. She was left cradled in the arms of her actual blood sibling.

"Thank goodness that is over."

"Yeppers. It all worked out." Yang pulled her sister tighter. "Now you need to make it up to me for almost dying. Twice."

"Not aga-!"

Content to watch them, Blake took a seat at the foot of the bed. Jaune stirred at the shift in weight. She whispered an apology for the disturbance. He turned over.

The faunus allowed a small smile to grace her lips. She had made it.

There had been points where she was sure this would not happen. Times she did not think her false credentials would hold and that she would be jailed. Yet here she was. On the precipice of a new life.

All objectives had been accomplished. She had been admitted to Beacon. She had a respectable team. She had even proven herself against the Grimm. Her guard would remain up, but she was no longer concerned about not having the right stuff to make it as a huntress.

Everything was looking golden.

Her gaze then drifted to the screen embedded in the far wall. Someone, possibly the Schnee, had turned on the local news. No one was paying attention, so the sound was muted.

Reading the lips of the lavender-haired reporter, Blake caught the words 'fang' and 'hijacking.' They then transitioned to footage from a security camera showing a blown open gate and an escaping truck. Behind the wheel were people in white masks.

Blake could not believe how biased the news media was. They just swallowed whatever trite was sold to them by the authorities. No one could even tell if they were really faunus from the angles they were using.

She picked up a remote. Within her was a great temptation to turn up the volume just enough for her to hear. Instead, she hit the power button.

That world no longer concerned her. She was no longer a part of the White Fang's inner circle. They could handle their own imposter issues. The girl owed them nothing.

Rather, it was society at large that she owed a debt to. Her atonement would take the shape of public service. She would focus on her studies here at Beacon and be the best huntress possible. Only then could she move on from the doubt and guilt that gnawed her insides.


Author Notes: Finally done with Beacon Initiation. Whew! Never doing that again. If I write another RWBY story, I am yadda-yadding my way through that portion if not skipping altogether. Individuals enter a forest. Teams leave. Done in one chapter or less xD