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Chapter Text

Ilia was incredibly nervous as she entered Sienna Kahn’s private office.  She had no clue why she was here, and she felt completely lost.  Then again, she had felt that way ever since Blake left on that fateful mission.  There was no warning either.

She had woken up to learn that Blake and Adam had left on a mission to steal dust from a train owned by the SDC.  Only Adam came back from the mission.  Ilia had feared the worst, but when Adam had announced to the camp that Blake had betrayed the White Fang, she was confused and hurt.  Why had Blake left?  She was one of their most dedicated members.

That night Adam had called her into his tent alone.  When she had arrived, his new lieutenant and him had immediately grabbed her and hauled her to a chair.  They forced her to sit and tied her down.  Adam had started yelling at her, demanding that she tell him what she did.  Ilia had argued back, saying that she didn’t know anything.  He had started beating her, demanding that she tell the truth.  She tried to stay strong, but she eventually had enough.  She screamed at him, saying that if anyone would know why Blake left, it would be him.

He stopped after that, and just stared at her silently.  The staring was almost worse than the punching.  He eventually spoke.  He told her the reason Blake had left was because she had learned of Ilia’s feelings for her.  Ilia had frozen upon hearing that.  Blake knew about her crush?  And she ran?  That broke Ilia.  She had started crying, not bothering to stop her skin from changing color.  Adam had sneered at her.  He had his lieutenant untie her, then shove her outside.  She had stumbled back to her tent, where she collapsed on her bed.  A month later, Adam told her that she was being transferred to Menagerie.

It had been three months since that day.  Ilia had mostly kept to herself since then.  She hadn’t even gone to visit Blake’s parents.  The Albain brothers had been keeping a careful eye on her, no doubt told to do so by Adam.  Then Sienna had requested that she come to Mistral for a special assignment.  She had grabbed what little belongings she had, and caught the next boat out of Menagerie.

That led to where she was now.  Standing in front of the high leader of the White Fang.  She had always admired Sienna, but being personally summoned by her, especially after what had happened in Vale, left her nauseous.  Did Adam tell  Sienna about what happened?  Was she going to be punished?

“Ilia,” Sienna said, “Breath, please.  You’re not in trouble.”

Ilia took a deep breath, doing her best to calm her heart rate, which had skyrocketed once she entered the stronghold.  Sienna held out a hand, silently gesturing for her to sit.  Ilia did so, sweating nervously.

“Now I know you’re wondering why I called you here,” Sienna said, and Ilia nodded.  While it wasn’t unusual for high ranking White Fang agents to be given missions personally by Sienna, Ilia was not one of those people.  She was good, but mostly at infiltration and the occasional sabotage.  She hadn’t even discovered her semblance.

“You were transferred out of the Vale branch to Menagerie three months ago,” Sienna said, and Ilia stiffened, “Since then, the branch has all but gone dark.  I have only received two letters from Adam during that time, and each one was less than 100 words long.  What’s more, my own private investigations had come up with some disturbing rumors about the Vale branch and their actions.  Then, Tukson somehow found one of my private contacts in Vale and sent me a short message, saying ‘Vale branch has gone bad, send help immediately.’”

Sienna leaned forward, resting her chin on her hands.

“You were the last person to leave the Vale branch, right after Blake did.  I need you to get in contact with Tukson and then for the three of you to find out what exactly is going on.  Also, see if you can find Blake.  My contacts tell me that they’ve seen someone who fits her description in Vale.”

Ilia’s eyes widened upon hearing this.  The Vale branch has gone bad? What had Adam done since kicking her out?  Ilia looked down nervously.

“What’s the matter Ilia,” Sienna asked.

“I’m not sure if Blake would want to see me,” She confessed.

“Now why would you think that,” Sienna said, “You two have been best friends since the day you arrived on Menagerie.”

“It’s just that…” Ilia said, “The reason Blake left is because she found out I have, feelings for her,”

Sienna raised an eyebrow.  “And how do you know that,” Sienna asked.

“... Adam,” Ilia whispered, “He talked with me privately the night Blake left.  He kept asking what I did.  When he was convinced that I didn’t know anything, he told me that Blake left because she found out about how I feel.”

Sienna sat there for a moment, watching her.  Ilia squirmed under her gaze.

“Adam lied,” Sienna said with finality, and Ilia started.

“What,” She said, confused, “How can you know that? You weren’t there.”

“I didn’t need to be,” Sienna responded, “I know you, and I know Blake.  You have excellent control over your emotions, and Blake takes after her father when it comes to recognizing someone has a crush on her, which is completely clueless despite the number of romance novels she reads.  There is no way she could have figured it out unless you straight up told her, which it sounds like you didn’t.”

Ilia was taken aback.  Sienna believed Blake didn’t know about her feelings?  Then why had she left?  And why had Adam told her that was the reason?  Ilia then frowned as she thought more about how Adam had been acting around her when she was with Blake.  She caught him glaring at her several times, and he always found excuses to interrupt them and drag Blake away.  She didn’t like the way Adam had treated Blake, something just rubbed her the wrong way.  But Blake was happy, so she never mentioned it, chalking it up to her jealousy.  But maybe it wasn’t jealousy, maybe there was something else going on.

“Before we continue,” Sienna said, interrupting her train of thought, “Could you tell me if there was anything unusual that happened before you left Vale?”

Ilia thought for a moment.  That’s when she remembered a strange encounter they had a few weeks before Blake had left.

“There is something,” Ilia said, “A few weeks before Blake and I left, a group of humans showed up, trying to recruit the White Fang for something.  Adam had refused them, but their leader left something behind with the words ‘contact me when you change your mind.’  Blake and I were on a mission at the time, stealing records from the SDC to find out when the next shipments of dust would be coming, so neither of us saw them.  Other than that, nothing.”

“Do you know what these humans looked like?”  Sienna questioned.

“Not really,” Ilia said, “But I do know that the leader used dust infused clothing.”

“Thank you,” Sienna said, “Keep an eye out for anyone like that.  Adam may have gotten in contact with her after you and Blake left.”

Ilia nodded in understanding.  Sienna pulled out her scroll and sent a quick message to someone.  She got a response, then put it down.

“You’ll be leaving tonight by bullhead for Vale,” Sienna told her, “I’ve already arranged for you to join Beacon.  Not only will that give you an excuse to carry your weapon around, but it will also be a great opportunity for you to become stronger.  Also, I want you to try and make a few friends with the students, especially your team.  In a few years, they could become valuable allies.”

Ilia perked up at that.  She was going to Beacon?  She had always wanted to be a huntsman when she was little.  But after what happened at Atlas, she gave up on that dream.

“Once you touch down, get in contact with Tukson,” Sienna told her, “He runs a bookstore called Tukson’s Book Trade.  Have him go to where you landed.  Our pilot will wait one day, then leave.  I want him onboard when that happens.  He has valuable information about what is happening with the Vale branch.”

Sienna stood up, and gestured for Ilia to do the same.  She held out a small bag and a case to Ilia, and she accepted both.

“You leave in two hours,” Sienna told her, “Be sure to eat beforehand.  This bag contains lien for emergencies, and the case has a supply of dust.”

“I understand,” Ilia said.  She was then dismissed, and she left to the kitchens.  She had some final preparations to do before she left for Vale.  She hoped she would see Blake again, but she was also worried about what she might find when investigating the Vale branch.  She had a sickening hunch that it might have something to do with why Blake left in the first place.

The bullhead landed in a small clearing a few miles outside of Vale.  It was night,  but Ilia could see just fine.  She checked her scroll, and started following the GPS to the road.  Once she found it she quickly made her way to the City.  Upon arriving at the city, she snuck past the guards, not wanting to deal with them.  She started walking down the street, sticking to the shadows.  She came to a well-kept store with darkened windows.  The sign read “Tukson’s Book Trade: Home to Every Book Under the Sun.”  She picked the lock to the door, and  quietly slipped inside.

The store was packed with books.  She made her way around them and to the back of the shop.  As she did so, she heard a faint creaking coming from the top of stairs off to one side.

“Tukson,” She called out, “I’m Ilia Amitola.  High Leader Sienna sent me.  She wants to know more about your message.”

“And how do I know you’re not one of Adam’s goons sent to kill me,” A deep voice called down.  Ilia turned to see a man standing at the top of the stairs, claws visible on his fingers.  Ilia gently pulled out her scroll, keeping both hands visible.  She opened up the calling function, and dialed the number Sienna gave her.  It rang for a moment.  It suddenly stopped, and Sienna’s voice came through.

“Tukson, it’s me,” She said, “I have a bullhead out in the woods ready to get you out.  But first, I need you to give Ilia and I the rundown of what is going on with the Vale branch.”

Tukson relaxed, retracting his claws.  He walked down the stairs and came to stand by Ilia.

“I don’t know that much,” He said, “I stopped going to any of Adam’s meetings once he agreed to work with those humans.”

“Ah,” Sienna said, “I was aware that a group of humans tried to recruit Adam and his chapter.  I see he finally accepted.  Do you know who they are?”

“I do not,” Tukson said, “Adam only goes to see them alone.  It was after this that he started planning something big here in Vale.  I don’t know much, but it’s bad.”

“Thank you for your cooperation,” Sienna said, “Ilia, send him the coordinates of the bullhead.  I don’t want Adam coming after him to try and stop any information leaking out.”

“You really think he would do that,” Ilia asked.

“He most certainly would,” Tukson told them, “He’s changed, becoming extremely violent.  He no longer cares about helping faunus, only about hurting humans.”

Ilia nodded as she started typing away at her scroll.

“Can I get your contact,” She asked Tukson.  Tukson told her, and she sent the location of the bullhead to his scroll.  It pinged, and Tukson sighed in relief.

“Thank you,” He said, “I wish I could have told you more, but I’ve had to keep my distance or Adam would have his men bring me in.”

“You’ve done plenty,” Sienna said, “You confirmed that Adam is working with humans for an unknown but potentially dangerous objective.  If we can find out what that objective is, we can stop Adam.  If necessary, I’ll expel Adam and all those loyal to him if his plan proves to be highly criminal in nature.”

Tukson nodded, then said, “You should probably do that anyway.  He’s dangerous, just the right balance of charisma and bloodthirst to convince people to do terrible things.”

“Not without proof,” Sienna said, “I’m going to make an example of him, as well as send a message to the rest of the world.  The White Fang may use violence, but we are not criminals of any kind.  I’ll await your arrival Tukson.  And Ilia, good luck.”

Sienna hung up, and Ilia put her scroll away.

“You be careful,” Tukson told her, “Adam won’t show any mercy if he catches you.”

“I know,” Ilia said, “I’ve dealt with him before.”

Tukson nodded, and both left the shop.  Ilia left in one direction, while Tukson started for the edge of the city.  As she was walking, she noticed that there was a store still open, called Dust till Dawn.  As she approached, a man crashed through the window, followed by a girl wearing a red cloak.  As the girl stood, a giant red scythe unfolded on her shoulder.  Ilia saw that she had a pair of wolf ears on her head, as well as a tail.

A faunus with two traits , She thought.  Most faunus only had one trait, but some on occasion would have two, or even three in really rare instances.  Blake was one of these, having cat ears and a tail.  The girl looked back at the store, before swinging her scythe around and stabbing the blade into the ground.

“Okay,” a male voice said from inside the store, “Get her.”

Three goons dressed in black rushed out the store and charged the wolf girl.  Ilia almost jumped in, but the girl made quick work of them, zipping around the area and twirling her massive weapon like it was made of paper.  Once she had defeated the goons another man stepped out, wearing a white suit and a bowler hat.  He had red hair, a cane was held in one hand, and a cigar was in his mouth.

“You were worth every cent,” he muttered, “You truly were.”  He took the cigar out of his mouth and dropped it on the ground, crushing it with his cane.  “Well, Red, I think we can both say it has been a truly eventful evening.”  Ilia heard sirens in the distance as the man continued talking.  “And as much as I would love to stick around,” He said, lifting his cane to point it at the girl, and a targeting scope flipped up from the end of it, “I’m afraid this, is where we part ways.”

Realizing he was about to fire, Ilia grabbed Lightning Lash and whipped it towards the cane, causing it to point away from the wolf faunus.  A massive shot fired out of it and exploded on the street.  The man turned to look at Ilia.  He sneered.

“Why are there so many little girls out with dangerous weapons,” He said.  He pointed the cane at the ground a little ways in front of him, and fired again.  The explosion blinded Ilia momentarily.  When she could see again, the man had disappeared.

Ilia began looking around, expecting an attack.

“There,” the wolf girl cried.  Ilia turned to see her pointing at a building.  Climbing up a ladder was the man in the bowler hat.

“You okay if I go after him,” the girl asked, and an old man in the shop gave a quiet sound in the affirmative.  “Come on,” the girl said, talking to Ilia now.  The two of them gave chase.  The wolf girl used a shot to launch herself up the side of the building, probably gravity dust, while Ilia jumped, before using her whip to wrap around a railing and launch herself up even higher.  They both landed on the roof of the building at the same time.

“Hey,” the wolf girl yelled, and the man stopped.  A rumbling filled the air, and a bullhead rose above them.  He climbed inside, before turning around.

“End of the line Red,” He yelled, tossing something at them.  As it clattered to the ground, Ilia realized it was a burn dust crystal.

“Look out,” She yelled.  The man fired a shot, and Ilia braced for the explosion.  She heard the crystal go off, but when she didn’t feel anything, she looked up.  A woman was standing there, holding out her hand as a strange purple glyph blocked the blast.

Ilia recognized her.  It was Glynda Goodwitch, deputy headmistress of Beacon.  She waved her hand, and started bombarding the bullhead with dust shots.  As the aircraft wobbled from the shots, Glynda fired another shot, and a miniature storm appeared in the air.  Ice crystals began raining down on, peppering the bullhead.  That’s when a new figure emerged.  She was wearing a red dress, which started to glow.  She waved her hand, and a blast of fire shot out at the headmistress, who quickly blocked it.

Ilia’s eyes widened.  That woman used dust infused clothes.  She needed to contact Sienna that she had a lead.  The woman in the ship waved her hand, and the ground where Glynda was standing exploded, with her dodging out of the way just in time.  The huntress waved her crop, and the rubble gathered together, forming a massive spear.  She launched it at the craft, and the woman blew it apart with fire.  Glynda began directing the fragments around the bullhead, pummeling it, until the woman let loose a burst of flames that turned them into ash.

The wolf girl started firing at the craft, and the woman blocked it with her hand.  She then gave a massive wave, and the ground around them began to glow.  Ilia dove forward as several massive explosions went off where they had been standing.  The bullhead quickly flew off.

“You’re a huntress,” the wolf girl said, turning to face Glynda.  As Glynda looked at the girl, her tail began wagging.

“Can I have your autograph,” She asked excitedly.  Ilia just groaned.  She knew exactly where they were about to be taken.

Ilia sat quietly in the room she had been taken to.  As she expected, they had been taken to the police station to be questioned.  Fortunately, it wasn’t as harsh as it could have been.  After about an hour, a man with grey hair entered.

“Professor Ozpin,” She said, and the man chuckled.

“I see you know who I am,” He replied.

“Well I am going to start at your school in about a couple days,” Ilia told him.

“Indeed you are, Ms Amitola,” he said, sitting down.  Ilia eyed him suspiciously.  While Ozpin may have been a big supporter of the faunus, she still had trouble trusting most authority figures.

“Relax,” Ozpin said, “I just want to get your view of what happened.”

“Well,” Ilia said, “I was making my way to a hotel to spend the night when two people crashed through the window of a dust shop.  I saw that one of them was a faunus, and she appeared to be fighting off some crooks who were stealing dust.  After she defeated them their leader came out.  He tried to shoot her, so I intervened, knocking his shot off course.  He then created a distraction and tried to run.  We chased him, and he made his escape on a bullhead.  I’m sure Professor Goodwitch told you the rest.”

Ozpin nodded, leaning back.  He watched her for a moment, and Ilia fidgeting nervously under his gaze.  Did he suspect something?

“You know,” He said, “When I did my research on you after learning your name, I was surprised to learn that you disappeared completely after an incident at Atlas five years ago.”  Ilia froze, terror gripping her heart.

“But then again,” He said, “I imagine you wouldn’t want to be found after what happened, both at the school, and in the mine.”

Ilia’s breath caught in her throat.  He knew about that?  Tears welled up in her eyes, and she blinked them away.

“I’m sorry if that was uncalled for,” He said, “I know just how hard it is to lose someone you care about.”

Strangely, Ilia believed him when he said it.  After a moment, Ozpin stood up.

“I spoke with the police department, so you won’t get in trouble,” He told her, “You can leave now, though there is a young teen who wants to speak with you once you’re out.”

Ilia nodded, guessing that the teen in question was the wolf girl she helped.  Ozpin opened the door and led her outside.  As she exited the building, she saw the girl sitting on a bench, swinging her legs like a little kid.  When she saw Ilia, she hopped up and rushed over to her.

“Hi,” She said, “My name is Ruby Rose, what’s your name?”

“I’m Ilia,” She replied, smiling slightly.  Ilia liked Ruby.  She was cute, though not in a romantic sense to her.  What’s more, she had a naive innocence, something that Ilia had lost a long time ago, if she ever had it in the first place.

“Are you going to be a huntress too?” She asked, “I know Ozpin talked to you, and when he talked to me he asked me if I wanted to go to Beacon and I said yes, and if he asked you the same thing and you agreed that would be super cool and we could be on a team and--”

“Slow down,” Ilia said, laughing, “I’m already going to Beacon this year, and you like you have a couple years before you will be old enough to go to Beacon.”

“Nope!” Ruby said excitedly, “Ozpin saw the video of my fight with the thugs.  He was so impressed that he said I could go this year.”

“Really,” Ilia said, surprised.  While she agreed that Ruby’s fighting skills had been impressive, she was shocked that the headmaster would let her in.  From what she heard of huntsman academies, they were brutal when it came to studies and combat.  Many people entered, only to drop out due to the incredibly harsh standards.

“Yep,” Ruby said happily.

“Are you sure you’re ready for it,” Ilia asked, “From what I’ve heard about the academies, they are intense.”

“Can’t be any more intense than my uncle,” Ruby said.

“Who is your uncle,” Ilia asked.

“Qrow Branwen,” Ruby replied, “He’s kinda the best scythe wielder in Remnant.  Taught me everything I know.”

“Really,” Ilia said in surprise.  She had heard several rumors about Qrow Branwen, many of them about how dangerous he was in combat.  However, there was something that confused her.

“But he’s human,” She said, “You’re a faunus.”

“My mom was faunus, my dad was human,” Ruby said, “Got a problem with that?”

“No, no, it’s fine,” Ilia said, holding up her hands, “I was just wondering, that’s all.”

Ruby nodded in understanding.

“So where are you staying,” She asked.

“I’m not sure yet,” Ilia replied, “I was looking for a hotel when I bumped into you at the dust shop.”

Ruby gasped excitedly.  “You could stay with my family,” She said, “I’m sure my dad won’t mind, and my sister would love to meet you.  She’s going to Beacon as well.  We might even be on the same team!  Plus, I kinda owe you for stopping that guy from shooting me.  Is that okay?”

Ilia thought for a moment.  She needed a place to stay until she got to Beacon, and this would make people less suspicious of her if she arrived with two others.  She smiled at Ruby.

“Sure,” she said, “I’d love to.”

“Yay,” Ruby cheered.  She then grabbed her hand and started pulling her along.  “Come on, the last ferry to Patch leaves at eleven, and it’s already 10:30.”

Ilia laughed as she was dragged by the younger girl.  While she may be on a mission to find out what Adam was up to, Sienna had told her to make some friends while here.  Plus, it was clear that Ruby would not hesitate to stand up for herself and others.  If she really was as good as Ozpin thought she was, she could become an amazing huntress.  Ilia idly wondered if she could convince Ruby to join the White Fang.  They needed people with her level of combat ability.

She decided to put that thought at the back of her mind.  For now, she would focus on becoming friends with Ruby.  Getting her to join the White Fang would come later.  As of right now, she had one main objective.  Finding out who that woman was on the bullhead, and if she was the one Adam was working with.

Chapter Text

Ilia and Ruby walked together as they disembarked the ferry.  She had spent the trip getting to know the young girl better.  She found that Ruby was a weapon’s nut who liked designing blueprints in her spare time.  She had shown some of them to Ilia, who was deeply impressed with her ideas.  If Ruby ever decided she didn’t want to be a huntress, she had real potential in the weapon’s department.  Most weapons used by huntsmen and huntress’ were one of a kind, so they need exceptionally gifted craftsmen to help maintain them.  She had also asked Ilia about her weapon, and Ilia let her examine it.  Lightning Lash was one of her finest achievements, and it had helped her get out of many dangerous situations.  When Ruby asked about her past, Ilia only told her that she grew up in Atlas before leaving and living between the kingdoms for a few years.  Ruby got the hint that she didn’t want to talk about it and dropped the subject.

As they made their way down the street Ilia inspected the town.  She noticed that while there were some minor fortifications, they were a lot smaller than most towns she had visited outside the big cities.  It made her curious, and she turned to Ruby, who was happily skipping along.

“Hey Ruby?” She asked, and Ruby glanced at her, “Why aren’t there more defenses against grimm for this place.”

“Oh,” Ruby said with a smile, “Patch doesn’t have many large grimm, mostly beowolves and ursa.  Plus, my dad regularly goes out and culls the number of grimm here.  He’ll take Yang and I along sometime too.  It actually makes this place one of the safest parts of Vale.”

Ilia’s eyes widened at the statement.  Grimm had a notorious reputation of wiping out small villages and towns on a regular basis.  This meant that those who lived in such places were either ready to pack up at a moment's notice or had special bunkers built into their homes.  So for a small town like the one here to be one of the safest places in Vale was no small feet.

“Why are there so few grimm here,” She questioned.

“It’s because we’re on a island,” Ruby explained, “It makes it difficult for most larger grimm to get to this place, though we’re still not sure how the smaller ones keep appearing.  Makes this place very popular with those who want a peaceful life but don’t want to be in the big city.”

“I see,” Ilia mused, “That makes sense.  Quick question, how are faunus treated here?”

“Actually,” Ruby stated, “It’s pretty nice being a faunus here.  None of the shops have rules against it, and while there are a few bigots, most people are either fine with it or are at least indifferent.”

“Sounds nice,” Ilia commented, “Wish there were more places like this.”

“I know,” Ruby agreed, “It sucks at times when I go into Vale.  I have to hide my traits to get into some of the best shops, and people have called the cops on me saying I was disturbing the peace when all I was doing was walking down the street.  Here on Patch while some people might make fun of me for my traits, none of them would dare mess with me, and the cops here are actually really friendly.”

“Why wouldn’t anyone try to mess with you,” Ilia asked with interest.

“Aside from my dad being the one responsible for keeping this place safe?” Ruby said, “Any jerk who gave me trouble in the past learned not to, unless they wanted to get sent to the hospital.”

“You put people in the hospital?” Ilia replied, alarmed.

“Not me,” Ruby snickered, “My sister Yang did.  Though to be fair it was only one time and she had just discovered her semblance.  The mother of the boy, who was just as racist as he was, tried to get her in major trouble saying she was a danger to society, but one of the teachers saw everything and Yang got off with a weeks worth of detention with the excuse that learning to control a semblance can be difficult.  After that no one dared touch me in fear of her.”

“Huh,” Ilia acknowledged, “Interesting.  What kind of faunus is your sister?”

“She’s not a faunus,” Ruby responded, and Ilia blinked in surprise.

“How is that possible,” She asked.  It was well known that if a faunus and a human had a child, the kid would be a faunus.

“I mean,” Ruby started, “We’re technically only half sisters, but that doesn’t matter to us.  Yang’s birth mom left a few weeks after she was born, so my mom stepped up to help raise her.  I was about two years later.”

Ilia raised an eyebrow at that.  “Seems rather fast for your dad to move on,” She noted, and Ruby grinned sheepishly.

“Yeah,” She agreed, “Yang and I have a couple theories about that.”

Ilia nodded, guessing what she was talking about.  The two of them soon arrived at the edge of town and continued into the woods.

“Do you live very far?” Ilia asked, and Ruby shook her head.

“My home is about two miles outside of town,” Ruby told her, “Kind of nice for training.  Means we don’t have to worry about damaging someone else's property.”

Ilia hummed, and they continued onward.  After about a mile and a half, Ruby started speaking again.

“Hey Ilia?” she asked, and Ilia turned to look at her, “You’re a faunus, aren’t you.”

Ilia flinched, eyes wide with surprise.  “How did you know,” She asked, a bit panicked.  It wasn’t that she didn’t mind if Ruby knew.  She was a faunus too, so she would get it.  It was the fact that she figured it out without Ilia saying anything that freaked her out.  Did her skin change colors without her realizing it?

“Well,” Ruby said, bringing her pointer fingers together, “It’s dark, and neither of us have a light, yet you haven’t complained about not being able to see anything.”

Ilia blinked, then slapped her forehead.  Ruby giggled at her response.  Of course that was it.  She was so caught up in talking with Ruby that she didn’t even realize there were no more streetlights.

“It’s fine,” Ruby told her, “I get not wanting to hide that you’re a faunus.  Heck, I already admitted to doing it myself on occasion.”

“It’s not that I want to hide it,” Ilia stated, “It’s just not something I actively display.  Sometimes it pays to keep it a secret.”

Ruby nodded in understanding.  “So what is your trait,” She asked, and Ilia smiled.  The color of her skin changed to orange, with her scale like spots becoming yellow.  Ruby gasped in awe and delight.

“You’re a chameleon faunus,” She whispered, before shouting “That is so cool.”

Ilia laughed at her reaction, shaking her head.  Her skin returned to normal, and she picked up her pace.

“Come on,” She called back behind her, “It’s getting pretty late, and I bet your family is getting worried.”

“Oh,” Ruby yelped, “You’re right!  Man, I hope I don’t get in trouble.”

Ilia snorted.  “Ruby,” She replied, “You just helped stop a dust robbery and got accepted into Beacon despite the fact you’re only fifteen.  I think you’ll be fine.”

“Yeah, you’re right,” She agreed, before her eyes lit up, “I’m going to Beacon!  They’re going to be so excited.  I can’t wait to tell them.”  She started running.  “Come on Ilia, let’s hurry.”

Ilia laughed and began to run after her.  She was eager to meet this dad and sister Ruby talked about.  Plus, it was late and she was looking forward to a hot meal and a bed.

Ruby finally stopped running once they were a couple hundred feet away from a rather cozy looking house in the middle of the woods.  She turned and waited for Ilia to catch up.  Once they were together again, the two of them walked side by side as they made their way to the front door.  Ruby opened it and went inside, Ilia trailing behind her.

“Dad, Yang,” She yelled, “I’m home.”

“Took you long enough,” A female voice, who Ilia guess was Yang, replied from around the corner, “What was the hold up.”

Footsteps came from around the corner as someone walked towards them.  As they appeared, Ruby shot forward and wrapped her arms around them.

“Hey Yang,” She said, “Sorry I’m late.  It’s a bit of a long story.  But hey, I made a new friend.”

The two of them separated, and Ilia finally got a good look at Yang.  To say she was hot was an understatement.  Yang had long blond hair with faint curls, pale skin, and soft lavender eyes.  She was a couple inches taller than Ilia, and was wearing an orange tank top and a pair of shorts.  What caught Ilia’s eyes the most, however, was how brawny she was.  Her arms weren’t insanely muscular, but they were clearly visible, and Ilia caught sight of a well defined six-pack peeking out from under her top.  She also had a sizable chest, and from the looks of it she wasn’t wearing a bra.  Upon catching sight of Ilia, Yang grinned and walked over to her.

“Well hello,” She said, looking at her with a coquettish gaze, “What brings a lovely lady like you around these parts.”

Ilia had spent years practicing to learn how to control her faunus trait.  She had even gotten to the point that she could change only specific parts of her skin, leaving the rest normal.  All that training failed under Yang’s coy smile.  She flushed, her spots and eyes turning bright pink.  Yang’s eyes widened for a moment, only for her smile to grow even wider.

“That’s something you don’t see every day,” She mused, “Is it alright if I ask your name, cutie?”

“Ilia,” She muttered, avoiding Yang’s gaze, “Ilia Amitola.”

“Well then Ilia,” Yang answered, “It’s nice to meet you.  And I have to say, those bright pink spots of yours are very, charmeleon.”

Instantly she shot Yang a deadpan glare.  Yang just raised an eyebrow, while Ruby groaned at the pun.  Ilia finally rolled her eyes, doing her best not to smile.  It was a terrible pun, but Yang looked so proud of it that she couldn’t help but be amused.

“Seriously Yang,” Ruby complained, “Why are you always like this?”

“Oh come on, Ruby,” Yang laughed, “Don’t you like jokes.”

“The only joke around here is your sense of humor,” She retorted, and Yang clutched her chest dramatically.

“My own sister,” She moaned, “Such betrayal.  I don’t think my heart will ever recover.  Please, fair maiden, save me from this fate.”

Ilia snorted at the display.  She liked Yang, well not like liked, even if she looked like she could bend steel with her bare hands, and her chest looked so soft that Ilia just wanted to reach out an- Okay that’s enough brain!   Ilia took a deep breath before focusing back on the two sisters.

“I’m sure you’ll live,” She said, smiling coyly, “After all, such a big, strong woman such as yourself couldn’t possibly be taken down by mere sass now, could you.”  Yang opened her mouth to reply when a voice interrupted her.

“Yang, Ruby,” They said, “Are you going to introduce me to whoever Ruby brought with her.”

“Sure thing dad,” Ruby yelled, before turning to Ilia, “Come on.”

She kicked off her shoes and made her way inside, with Ilia and Yang doing the same.  They arrived at the kitchen table, where a blond haired man was waiting for them.  Upon spotting Ilia he walked over and held out his hand.

“Taiyang Xiao-Long, but you can call me Tai,” He introduced himself, “Pleasure to meet you.”  Ilia reached out and accepted the handshake.

“Ilia,” She responded, “Nice to meet you too.”

They then let go, and Tai walked over to the stove while Ilia, Yang, and Ruby sat down.  He grabbed a pot off of the stove and set it on the table, before getting bowls and utensils for everyone.

“Chicken soup,” He explained as he sat down, “Go ahead and help yourself.”

Everyone took turns serving themselves some soup.  Ilia had to admit it smelled delicious.  Once everyone had filled their bowl Tai turned to Ruby.

“So,” He started, “Mind telling me why you were out so late, and why you brought home a new friend?”

Ruby, who was in the middle of eating, nodded her head rapidly.  She then swallowed before clearing her throat.

“So I was browsing in one of the dust shops in Vale,” She began, putting down her spoon so she could gesture animatedly with her hands, “I was looking at one of the new weapon magazines when this guy in a black suit with a red tie and sunglasses comes up and taps on my shoulder.  I took off my headphones, and he pointed his blade at me and said ‘Put your hands in the air’ and I asked ‘Are you robbing me’ and he said yes so I kicked him clear across the store.

“At that point another guy in the same get up comes and points a gun at me, so I use my semblance and tackle him through the window, pulling out Crescent Rose as I do so.  The leader of the group then told the rest of them to attack, and they came at me, but with Crescent Rose and my semblance I beat them all up.”

“Nice one,” Yang piped up, holding out a fist.  The two of them fist bump, and Yang continued talking, saying, “Those guys sound like they work for Junior Xiong.”

“You mean the guy who’s bar you trashed?” Ruby asked, and both Ilia and Tai turned to look at Yang, who laughed and rubbed the back of her head sheepishly.

“Anyway,” Yang said, clearly eager to change the subject, “What happened next, and how does your cute friend tie into it.”

Ilia once again blushed at the compliment, though this time she was able to keep her spots from changing color.

“Well,” Ruby continued, “At this point the leader, who I learned later was called Roman Torchwick-”

“Wait,” Tai interrupted, “You mean to tell me you got caught in a dust robbery led by the Roman Torchwick?”

Ruby nodded her head, and Ilia immediately latched onto the fact that Tai knew who Ruby was talking about.

“Who is Roman Torchwick,” She asked, “I’m new to Vale, so I don’t really know much about everything here.”

“Roman Torchwick is the head of the Vale Criminal Underworld,” Tai explained, “He mostly does things like smuggling dust and high-grade weaponry, but he sometimes goes after other targets.  He’s probably Vale's most wanted criminal.”

Ilia hummed in understanding, thinking about what the implications would be if the woman on the bullhead was the same as the one who recruited Adam.  If she ever caught Torchwick and the Vale Fang working together, it would all but confirm it.

“Anyway,” Ruby continued, “Torchwick starts complaining about how useless the men were,” this earned a snort from Yang, “He lifted his cane and tried to shoot me, but that’s when Ilia here showed up.  She knocked his cane to the side so he missed.  He then made a break for it, so we chased him down.  We caught up to him on top of a building, but then an ally of his showed up with a bullhead.  He got on it and tried to blow us up with a dust crystal, but then Deputy Goodwitch showed up and she started attacking the bullhead.  Then this other lady showed up and twirled her hands and her clothes began to glow.”

“They were infused with dust,” Ilia explained, “Useful, but easily stopped if you damage the clothes enough.”  Ruby nodded, before continuing her story.

“So the two of them started fighting, and I tried to help out, but then they created a bunch of explosions and after the dust cleared they were flying away.  After that Goodwitch took us to the police station to give our statements.”

“You didn’t get in any trouble, did you,” Yang asked worriedly, and Ruby shook her head.

“No, a lot of people saw what happened,” She assured her, “However, Professor Ozpin did come and talk with us.”

Both Yang and Tai’s eyebrows shot up upon hearing that.  “Why did he do that?” Yang asked, and Ruby shrugged.

“I think it was because he was interested in the two girls who helped stop a dust robbery,” Ilia stated, and Tai nodded in agreement.

“That sort of thing would catch his attention,” He agreed, “He’s always looking for new students who show potential.”

“You can say that again,” Ruby said with a grin.

“What makes you say that Ruby,” Yang asked, clearly very curious.  Ruby grinned smugly at her for a moment, before continuing.

“Guess who’s going to Beacon two years early,” She asked, visibly shaking with excitement.  Tai gasped, and Yang shot to her feet, almost knocking over her chair, a massive grin spreading across her face.

“No, way,” She whispered, eyes shining with glee.  Ruby nodded, barely able to contain herself.  Yang let out a loud cheer of delight, before darting around Ilia and grabbing Ruby in a tight hug.  She began swinging her around, both of them laughing.  That’s when Tai got up and wrapped his arms around both of them before lifting them off the ground.  After they were finished, he set them down and placed a hand on each of their shoulders.

“Your mother would be proud,” He told them, and while their enthusiasm visibly dimmed, it was clear those words meant a lot to them.  Ilia decided not to ask about what happened to their mom, not wanting to spoil the mood.  Instead, she cleared her throat, and they turned to look at her.

“That makes three of us,” She said, and Ruby gasped, her previous excitement returning in full force.

“That’s right!” She yelled, “Ilia’s going to Beacon as well!  That’s why she’s here in Vale.  She didn’t have a place to stay, so I told her she could stay with us.  Is that okay?”

“Of course it is,” Tai answered with a smile, “School doesn’t start for another week, and considering she was nice enough to step in and protect you, I see no problem in letting her stay with us until then.”

Ruby cheered, and Yang turned to smirk at Ilia.  “It looks like you and I will be spending a lot of time together,” She quipped with a wink.  This time Ilia was not able to keep her spots from changing color.  Tai blinked, but then shrugged before getting them to all sit down again.  They continued their meal, with Ruby and Yang talking animatedly about going to Beacon together.  Ilia stayed quiet, preferring to listen to the two sisters as they discussed what their team might be like.  She was looking forward to spending more time with them, both of them.  They were fun, and clearly very passionate about becoming huntresses.  She was starting to understand that Sienna didn’t just send her to Beacon just to make new allies for the White Fang and learn more about fighting.  She was also sent here for herself, to get away from the constant missions and planning, and just, well, be a kid again, instead of being a soldier.  And that made Ilia respect her even more.

Ilia gently opened the bathroom door, before closing it and pulling out her scroll.  She brought up Sienna’s contact and hit call, keeping it off speaker.  After a couple rings, She answered.

“Ilia,” She said, “I’m surprised to hear from you again so soon.  What do you have for me.”

“After I finished at Tukson’s I started walking down the street to find a hotel,” Ilia began explaining, “While I was doing so I stumbled across a dust robbery led by the criminal Roman Torchwick.  A young faunus girl was fighting him, and I jumped in to help.  He made a break for it, so we chased him.  He then met up with an ally, while Glynda Goodwitch showed up to help us.  They managed to escape, and after we had given our statements to the police, Professor Ozpin showed up.  He talked with me for a bit, and offered the other girl a place at Beacon, despite the fact that she was only fifteen.  The girl, who’s name is Ruby Rose, then offered me a place to stay with her family.  Her sister Yang is also going to Beacon.”

“I see,” Was Sienna’s reply, “It sounds like you’ve got two new allies.”

“There’s more,” Ilia continued, “Torchwick’s accomplice used dust infused clothing.  It’s possible they’re the same person as the one who recruited Adam.”

Sienna was silent for a moment, before speaking.  “This is excellent information.  I know of Torchwick, and while dust infused clothing isn’t exactly difficult, it’s not very common.  Keep searching for any connection between him and the Vale Branch.  If we do find one, we can be almost certain that Adam is no longer acting in the best interests of the faunus.”

“I understand,” Ilia acknowledged.

“You’ve done well, Ilia,” Sienna told her, “Keep this up, and we’ll be able to stop Adam before he does irreparable damage to the White Fang’s reputation.  Until your next report, then.”  With that, Sienna hung up.  Ilia pocketed her scroll, and turned to leave the bathroom.  She opened the door, and froze.  Standing in front of her was Ruby.  She opened her mouth to say something, only for Ilia to immediately cover it.

“I can explain,” She whispered loudly, “Just please don’t wake the others.”

Ruby nodded, and Ilia dragged her into the bathroom, closing the door behind her.  She took a deep breath, before looking up at Ruby.

“Well go on,” she said, “I know you have questions.”

“You’re with the White Fang,” Ruby stated, and Ilia nodded.  She noticed that Ruby now appeared a bit wary of her.  Ilia noted that in the back of her mind as something to ask about.

“What are you doing here,” She asked, “And were you just talking to Sienna Kahn?”

“Yes, I was,” Ilia answered, “And as for what I’m doing here, in the past three months there has been almost no contact from the local leader of the White Fang in Vale, a man by the name of Adam Taurus.  Then one of the oldest members of the White Fang, Tukson, sent a message to Sienna saying that the branch here had gone bad.  Sienna decided to send me to investigate.  Just before bumping into you I met up with Tukson.  He told us that Adam was no longer trying to help faunus, only hurt humans, and that he had teamed up with a group of them to do something.  Tukson then left to get on the bullhead that took me here for his own safety, as we were worried that Adam might go after him.  My job is to find out what Adam is doing and report it to Sienna.  If they really have gone bad, Sienna needs to either stop it or remove them from our ranks before their actions destroy everything the White Fang is working towards.”

Ruby nodded, taking this all in.  “You said that Adam cut off contact about three months ago?” She questioned, and Ilia nodded.  She then got a thoughtful look on her face.

“What is it,” Ilia asked.

“Ever since three months ago the White Fang started to get really violent,” Ruby explained, “They would deliberately turn peaceful protests violent, attacking the police and other things like that.”

Ilia cocked her head, seeing what Ruby was getting at.  She waited a moment to see if she had anything more to add.  When she didn’t, Ilia then asked her question from earlier.

“Ruby,” She started, and Ruby looked up at her, “When you learned I was with the White Fang, you seemed a bit nervous about me.  Have the local members done anything to you personally that would make you distrust them?”

Ruby bit her lip, her wolf ears folding back, before sighing and nodding.

“Yang and I went to one of the arcades in Vale to have some fun celebrating her acceptance into Beacon a few weeks ago,” She told her, “Once it started to get dark, we began to make our way back to the ferry.  We decided to cut through a few alleyways to save time.  We were messing around with each other like we normally do, and Yang decided to scratch my wolf ears, something she does to express her feelings for me.  Suddenly, a bunch of White Fang members jump out of nowhere and yank us apart.  They were yelling about how they wouldn’t let a human abuse a faunus like that.  Most of them were trying to pin Yang down, while one of them tried to console me, saying that they wouldn’t let that human touch me ever again.  I freaked out and ran to help Yang, yelling at them to leave my sister alone.  They didn’t believe me, saying that Yang must have brainwashed me or something.

“Then one of them threw me to the ground and told a couple others to tie me up so they could get me to someone who could free me from her control.  That’s when Yang lost it.  She absolutely demolished them at that point, and I guess the sound alerted the police.  When they heard the sirens, they all scattered.  We told the police about the incident, and they promised to look into it.”

Ilia’s eyes got progressively wider as Ruby told her story.  When she finished she leaned back and brought her hands to her temples.  She began rubbing them, shocked at what she had just heard.

“This is worse than we thought,” She said, “Tukson warned us that no matter what we found we couldn’t let Adam continue as a member of the White Fang.  It seems like he was right.”  She looked up at Ruby.  “I’m sorry you had to go through that, especially at the hands of the group that is supposed to protect faunus.”

Ruby just shook her head and smiled.  “It’s okay,” She replied, “From what it sounds like, the White Fang in the rest of the world is different, and it’s only become like that here because of this Adam guy.”

They stood there for a moment, not sure what to say to each other.  Ruby then huffed and stood up straight.

“How can I help,” She asked, and Ilia flinched, startled.

“What,” She answered, surprised.

“You said that you want to find out if the White Fang here has become a bunch of criminals, and stop them if they have,” Ruby stated, “I want to help you.”

Ilia just stared, dumbfounded at her reply.  “You really want to help,” She finally asked, and Ruby nodded.

“Absolutely,” Ruby told her with finality, “And I know Yang would as well.  I can go get her and-”

“No,” Ilia hissed, slapping a hand over Ruby’s mouth, “Don’t tell anyone about this.”

Ruby tried to say something, but it was muffled.  Ilia removed her hand, and Ruby repeated herself, saying, “But why not?  Do you not trust Yang?”

“It’s not that I don’t trust her,” Ilia explained, “It’s just that what I’m doing is supposed to be a secret, and the more people who know a secret, the harder it is to keep.  So can you please not tell anyone unless I say you can?”

Ruby pouted, not liking it, then sighed.  “Alright,” She agreed, “But if we ever need more help-”

“Yang will be the first person we go to,” Ilia said, already knowing what the girl was going to say.  Ruby nodded, satisfied.  Then her eyes lit up and her tail started wagging.

“Does that make me some kind of super-cool super-secret agent now,” She asked, grinning ear to ear.  Ilia was startled by the sudden change in emotions, but then laughed and rolled her eyes.

“Yeah, okay,” She agreed, “I guess it does.”

Ruby started to cheer, but Ilia then shushed her.  She whispered an apology, then cheered silently.  Ilia smiled, and the two of them left the bathroom.  Ruby turned to go downstairs, saying she had gotten up for a drink of water, and Ilia made her way back to the guest bedroom.  She put her scroll on the bedside counter, and then got in bed.  She soon fell asleep, exhausted after everything that happened.

Chapter Text

Ilia watched from her seat in the airship while Yang started gushing over the fact that Ruby was coming to Beacon with them, again.  She’d been doing it all week, and it was clear that Ruby was getting a bit exhausted from it all.  She also appeared to be getting nervous about how the other students would react to her, which Ilia understood.  She was two years younger than everyone else in the first year, and a faunus.  While Vale may be one of the more progressive kingdoms when compared to the likes of Altas and Mistral, it still had a fair bit of prejudice, and Ilia had no doubt there would be several students who were anti faunus.

Ilia then heard the name Roman Torchwick, and she turned to look at the TV, where a news report was displaying information about last week's robbery.  The reporter then switched back to the host, who started going over how a faunus civil rights protest turned violent due to the White Fang.  Ilia frowned, noting that it was just like what Ruby described.  The screen then went dark, before an image of Glynda Goodwitch appeared.

“Hello and Welcome to Beacon,” the hologram said, “My name is Glynda Goodwitch.  You are among a privileged few who have received the honor of being selected to attend the prestigious academy.  Our world is experiencing an incredible time of peace, and as future huntsmen and huntresses, it is your duty to uphold it.”

Ilia rolled her eyes as she tuned out the rest of the announcement.  Just because they weren’t at war did not mean that everything was wonderful.  In her time among the Fang, Ilia had witnessed some pretty dark things, like slavery in Vacuo and Mistral, oppression of the poor in Atlas, and neglect in Vale.  Each kingdom had their own dark sides, even Vale.  One task that the Fang provided here was protecting small faunus communities that the Vale council didn’t care about.  They were often in areas far off the normal roads, and their requests for aid from hunters often went ignored.  Ilia wasn’t sure if it was because hunters couldn’t be bothered to come or the Council just ignored them.

The announcement came to an end, and Ruby gasped, walking over to the window.  “Look,” She called out, “You can see Signal from up here.”

Ilia stood up and joined her, Yang standing on the opposite side of the young reaper.  Gazing out, Ilia couldn’t help but be impressed with the view of the city.  The old stone buildings gave the place a grand yet welcoming feel, unlike Atlas and its massive, high tech skyscrapers.

“I guess home isn’t too far after all,” Ruby said quietly.  Yang then threw an arm around her sister.

“Beacon is our home now,” She replied, and the two smiled at each other.  Ilia heard a moan, and looked past the two girls to where a boy in armor was doubled over, holding a hand over his mouth.  He stumbled around, gaze flicking about frantically.

“I guess the view isn’t for everyone, right Ilia,” Yang said, giving her a wink.  Ilia smiled and shrugged.

“It was a nice moment while it lasted,” Ruby chirped, and Yang chuckled, reaching up and scratching the base of one of her sister’s wolf ears.  Ruby leaned into the touch, her eyes drooping slightly as she relaxed.

“I wonder who we’re gonna meet,” Yang said.  Ilia noticed the boy in armor stumbling towards them, and quickly moved out of the way.

“I just hope they’re better than Vomit Boy,” Ruby muttered.  At that moment the boy in question threw up.  It splattered across the floor, and Ruby used her semblance to dart out of the way.  Yang wasn’t so fortunate.

“Oh, Yang, gross,” Ruby cried, “You have puke on your shoe!”

Yang began hopping around, trying to find some way to get rid of the vomit while muttering “Gross,” repeatedly under her breath.  Ruby began frantically avoiding her sister, begging her to get away.  Ilia laughed at the two sister, shaking her head at the way they acted, as the airship started to descend.

Once the airship landed the doors opened and everyone started exiting.  Vomit boy, as Yang and Ruby had started calling the boy in armor, immediately ran to the nearest trashcan and started puking in it.  Ilia wrinkled her nose at the smell, quickly darting past, with Ruby and Yang following her.  They stopped once they arrived at an open courtyard, the academy rising majestically in front of them.  All three of them gasped at the site.  Ilia had never seen anything quite like it.  The building was shaped like a castle, with many stone pillars holding up walkways, and a moat surrounded the place.

While Yang commented about the view, Ruby’s attention was immediately drawn to the many weapons all the students were carrying.  Her tail began to wag frantically.

“Ohmygosh, sis!” She cried, pointing at one of them, “That kid's got a collapsible staff! And she's got a fire sword!”  She was about to run off, only for Yang to grab her hood and reel her back in.

“Easy their little sister,” Yang admonished the wolf faunus, “They’re just weapons.”

“Just weapons,” Ruby cried in indignation.  Ilia snorted, grinning slightly.  She knew exactly what was about to come.  “They're an extension of ourselves! They're a part of us! Oh, they're so cool!”

Ilia chuckled at the declaration.  Ruby was very passionate about weapons, especially the kind used by hunters.  Tai had told her that she got it from her mother, and that her uncle's training only made it grow even stronger.

“Well, why can't you swoon over your own weapon?” Yang asked, “Aren't you happy with it?”

“Of course I'm happy with Crescent Rose!” Ruby cried, “I just really like seeing new ones. It's like meeting new people, but better…”

“Ruby,” Yang said, pulling her sister’s hood over her face, “Come on, why don't you go try and make some friends of your own?”

“But... why would I need more friends if I have you and Ilia?” She asked, pulling off her hood.

“Ilia’s great,” Yang said, shooting a wink at the chameleon faunus, “But it would be good for you to get out more, meet new people.  And, well…”  A group of other teens Ilia didn’t recognize suddenly appeared, and Yang threw her arms around two of them  “My friends are here,” the blonde continued, “Gotta go catch up. 'Kay, see ya, bye!”  They group immediately dashed past Ruby, disorienting the girl as they ran towards Beacon.

“Wait, where are you going?!” Ruby cried desperately, “Are we supposed to go to our dorms? Where are our dorms? Do we have dorms? I don't know what I'm doing…” She took a step back, only to trip over a massive luggage cart, making the bags on it all tumble to the ground.  Ilia immediately helped the girl back to her feet.

“What are you doing,” an indignant voice yelled.  Ilia looked up, only for her blood to freeze, then boil with rage.  Standing in front of them, was Weiss Schnee.  Ilia gritted her teeth, using all her willpower to keep herself from turning bright red.  The Schnee began berating Ruby, who frantically picked up one of the cases and held it out to her.

“Give me that!” The white haired girl snapped, snatching the case from her.  She opened it up and pulled out a bottle filled with red powder. “This is Dust - mined and purified from the Schnee quarry!”  She began shaking the bottle in Rubies face, and Ilia noticed that some Dust was coming out and hanging in the air.

Ruby began coughing slightly, and Ilia’s eyes hardened.  Stepping forward, she placed herself between the two girls as she turned to the Schnee with a thunderous expression.

“Hey,” She barked, “Back off, Schnee!  This isn’t Atlas.  You can’t get away with pushing faunus around here.”

“She’s the one who crashed into me,” the girl replied coldy, waving the bottle at Ruby again.

“No, you crashed into her,” Ilia shot back, “I was standing right next to her.  We were talking when you rammed your trolly into her.”

“She was the one who collapsed onto it!” the Schnee yelled, waving the bottle around.   All the Dust became to much for Ruby, and she sneezed.  A massive explosion happened as the dust ignited.  Once the smoke cleared, Ilia snorted upon seeing the once immaculate girl now covered in ash.

“Unbelievable!” She cried, “How are you so careless!”

“You were the one waving a bottle of Dust around that clearly wasn’t sealed properly!” Ilia shot back, while Ruby muttered a quiet sorry.

“It would’ve been if she hadn’t crashed into it,” the Schnee retorted before rounding on Ruby, “Ugh, you complete dolt! What are you even doing here? Aren't you a little young to be attending Beacon?”

“For your information,” Ilia replied, “Ruby here was personally invited to join this year after she impressed Professor Ozpin with her fighting skills.  Something which I highly doubt you have.  Tell me, how much did your daddy have to pay in order to get you a spot here?”

“Wha- How dare- The nerve of... Ugh!” the girl said, finally storming off.  Ilia and Ruby moved out of the way as a couple of men in suits began packing up the bags and followed after her.

“Thanks Ilia,” Ruby said.  Ilia smiled and bumped her shoulder against the younger girls.

“Don’t mention it,” She replied, “Always happy to help a faunus in need.  Getting to put a Schnee in their place just makes it even better.”

“Ilia?” a voice asked from behind them.  Ilia froze, before turning around slowly.  Standing behind them, mouth open in shock, was Blake Belladonna, her longtime friend and (secret) crush.  Ilia gaped, hardly believing her eyes.  She also noticed that Blake was currently wearing a bow over her ears, something she would do when she and Ilia went undercover to pass as human.

“Blake?” She asked, “Is that really you?”

“What are you doing here,” Blake continued.

“Going to Beacon,” Ilia replied, “What are you doing here?”

“Same thing,” She answered warily.  Ilia guessed that her hesitation was probably because she thought Ilia was still with Adam.  Ruby began looking back and forth between the two of them.

“Wait,” She said, “You two know each other?”

“We’re old friends,” Ilia explained, “Though I haven’t heard from Blake here for a few months when she disappeared.”

Blake’s eyes narrowed.  “I needed to get away from it all,” She said, and Ilia shrugged.

“Hey, I get it,” She said, “I transferred out a month later, and let me tell you, Adam was not pleasant during that time.”

Blake raised an eyebrow, relaxing slightly.  “I see,” She replied, “Well, it’s good to see you again.  I’ve missed you a lot.”  She stepped forward and raised her arms.  Ilia happily came in for a hug, savoring the feeling of being wrapped in her crush’s embrace.  They separated, and Ilia motioned to the young wolf faunus.

“Blake, this is Ruby Rose,” She told her friend, “I became friends with her and her sister about a week ago.”  She then turned to Ruby.  “Ruby, this is Blake Belladonna, one of my oldest friends.  She and I use to work together when we were a part of the White Fang.”

Beside her Blake stiffened, while Ruby’s eyes widened upon hearing Blake’s last name.

“Wait,” She said, “Belladonna.  As in Ghira Belladonna, the founder of the White Fang and current Chieftain of Menagerie?!”

“Ilia,” Blake hissed, “What are you doing!”

“Relax, Ruby’s cool,” Ilia assured the faunus in disguise.  Glancing about, she saw the boy in armor approaching them  “Hey, Ruby, Could you run interference with Vomit Boy over there?  I’ve got to catch Blake up on our super-secret spy stuff.”

Ruby’s eyes gleamed with delight, and she saluted.  “You got it,” She said, before darting off to talk with the blonde.

“Ilia,” Blake demanded quietly, “What is going on.  Is she a part of the White Fang?  What is Adam planning?”

Ilia took a deep breath, before sighing.  “Come on,” She muttered, “We’ve got a lot of catching up to do.”

“So let me get this straight,” Blake said, “The Vale branch hasn’t been responding to any attempts at contact, so Sienna sent you to investigate, and since your arrival you have found that Adam has now accepted the offer that those humans gave him, and you also suspect that they are working with Roman Torchwick, the head of the criminal underground here.”

“Pretty much yeah,” Ilia confirmed.  The two of them had found a quiet bench to sit at, away from anyone who might disturb them.  Ilia was ecstatic that she had found Blake so soon after coming back here.  She couldn’t believe her luck.

“Okay,” Blake muttered, “So where does Ruby come into all of this?”

“After meeting with Tukson I stumbled across her fighting a group of armed robbers at the store Dust till Dawn,,” Ilia explained, “I helped her fight them off, including Roman Torchwick.  That is when I first began to suspect that they were working together.”

“Wait,” Blake said, “I heard about that.  You two were the ones to stop him?”

“Yep,” Ilia replied, “After that Ruby learned that I didn’t have a place to stay, and invited me over to her home.  Later that night I was reporting to Sienna about what I learned, and Ruby overheard it.  After I explained the situation, she immediately offered to help.”

“I see,” Blake nodded, “And her sister?”

“She doesn’t know,” Blake replied, “I’d rather as few people as possible knew about this, to prevent word from getting out.  However, Ruby insisted that we go to her first if we ever need help.”

“What’s her sister like?” Blake asked.

“They're half sisters, so she’s human for one,” Ilia answered, “She’s nice though, and considering what Ruby told me about her, she wouldn’t hesitate to jump in and help us out.  She has long blonde hair, lilac eyes, and is built like a boxer.”

“I’ll keep an eye out for her then,” Blake said, “Maybe all four of us could be on a team.”

“That, would be amazing,” Ilia agreed, “Certainly better than being with the Schnee.”

“True,” Blake agreed, “Did you notice that scar she has over her eye though?  I didn’t see it last time she was on TV about a month ago.”

“Wait, really,” Ilia asked, “I never really paid attention to how she looked, just enough to know who she was.”

“It’s new,” Blake assured her, “Don’t know where she got it from though.  Has the White Fang made any move against her?”

“Not that I know of,” Ilia replied, before glancing at her scroll, “We should get to the auditorium.  They’re about to start the introductions.”

The two of them stood up and began making their way to the academy.  Upon entering the auditorium Ilia began scanning the room, looking for the two sisters.  She bumped into something, and stopped.  Turning, she saw it was a boy about her age.  He was wearing a large greenish gray jacket that had a Fleur-de-lis emblem on the back.

“Sorry,” She said, and the boy turned to her.  He had blue eyes and somewhat scraggly black hair.

“What,” he said, then realized she apologized for bumping into him, “Oh, yeah, sure.”  The boy then returned his gaze to the podium, pulling a date out of a pocket and popping it into his mouth.  The two girls continued deeper into the crowd, though Ilia would occasionally glance back at the boy.

“What is it,” Blake asked, becoming worried, “Do you recognize him?”

“No,” Ilia replied, “It’s just, when I bumped into him I felt something strange under his jacket.  Not sure what it was, though.”

Blake shrugged, and Ilia began scanning the crowd again.  Soon, she caught sight of some distinctive long blond hair.  She started towards Yang, and as they approached, Ilia heard the distinctive voice of the Schnee, and she immediately sped up.  Just before she got to them however, she heard Professor Ozpin start speaking.  Looking up, she saw that he was now on the stage, Professor Goodwitch standing a little behind him.

“I’ll, keep this brief,” He started, “You have traveled here today in search of knowledge, to hone your craft and acquire new skills, and when you have finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people. But I look amongst you, and all I see is wasted energy, in need of purpose, direction.”  Ilia raised an eyebrow.  This was certainly not what she was expecting from the man.  “You assume knowledge will free you of this, but your time at this school will prove that knowledge can only carry you so far. It is up to you to take the first step.”

Ozpin then left the stage, and Professor Goodwitch then took his place.  “You will gather in the ballroom tonight,” She said, “Tomorrow, your initiation begins. Be ready. You are dismissed.”

Students began filing away, muttering to themselves.  Ilia quickly caught up to Ruby and Yang.

“Oh, hi Ilia,” Ruby said, “You and Blake all caught up?”

“Yeah,” Ilia replied, “Thanks for giving us some time to do so.”

“No problem,” Ruby chirped happily.  Blake, in the mean time, was observing Yang.

“Hello,” the blonde said, “You must be Blake, right?  Ruby said you and Ilia used to travel together when you lived outside the Kingdoms.”

“That’s right,” Blake confirmed, “And you’re Ruby’s older sister, Yang, right?”

“That’s me,” She replied cheerfully, before glancing up at Blake’s bow.  Looking around, she leaned in and lowered her voice.  “I’m gonna take a wild guess here and say that the bow is hiding a pair of ears, right?”

Blake’s eyes widened as her hand shot up to feel her bow, checking to make sure it was in place.  “How did you-” She started, only for Yang to interrupt.

“My sister’s tried the same thing, but always found it uncomfortable,” She explained, “Plus, I saw them twitch a little.  Don’t worry, I won’t say anything if you don’t want me to.”

“Thank you,” Blake said, smiling gratefully up at the blonde.

“Sooo,” Yang asked, “What kind of faunus are you, for curiosity's sake.”

“I’m a cat,” Blake told her softly, “Along with my ears I’ve got a tail, though I’m keeping it tucked in my pants right now.”

“Oh,” Yang replied, eyes lighting up, “Cute.  And two traits, that’s pretty rare.”

“Yeah,” Blake agreed, “It is.  Anyway, we should probably get to the ballroom and find a place to sleep.”  The four of them started walking, ignorant of the pair of reddish-pink eyes following them in the distance.

Ilia was relaxing next to where Blake was reading her book.  A little ways away, Ruby was writing a letter to some of her old friends back at Signal, while Yang was doing her best to cheer her sister up.  It didn’t seem to be working too well, considering that Ruby kept throwing pillows at her.  Looking around, Ilia notices the quiet boy that she bumped into earlier sitting in a corner.  Unlike everyone else, he was still wearing all his clothes, which Ilia found strange.

“What is it, Ilia,” She heard Yang ask.

“Just that boy over there,” Ilia replied, pointing toward him, “I bumped into him earlier, and something struck me as odd.”

“Huh,” Yang said, turning to gaze at the boy in question.  Then, a big smile appeared on her face as she stood up.  Grabbing her sister, she said, “Come on, let’s go say hi.”  She began dragging Ruby towards him, much to the girl’s annoyance.  Blake snorted as she watched the two from over her book.

“They certainly are something,” Blake muttered, and Ilia nodded in agreement.  Something then hit her in the back of the head, and she whirled around.  Seeing no one, she glanced down and found that it was a piece of paper.  Unfolding it, she saw it was a list of directions, leading to one of the classrooms.

“What is it,” Blake asked, closing her book.

“Not sure,” Ilia replied, “But I think someone wants to talk with me.”

“Do you think it’s a trap,” Blake questioned, before whispering, “The White Fang?”  Ilia thought for a moment, then shrugged.

“I doubt it’s Adam,” She replied, “It’s probably just some student.  Not sure why they want to talk with me though.”

“May I see the instructions,” Blake asked, and Ilia showed them to her.  Once she finished reading them, she gave them back with a shrug.  “I don’t recognize the writing,” She told Ilia, “Why don’t you go and see who it is.  Use your scroll to signal me if you need help.”

Ilia nodded, before standing up and walking towards the exit.  After leaving the ballroom, she turned right, following the instructions, until she came to a quiet classroom.  Stepping inside, she glanced around, not seeing anyone.  She quietly crept farthing, wary of this being a prank of some kind.

“Ilia Amitola,” A soft voice said, and she whipped around to find another girl with pale skin and white hair.  She was wearing a white dress with long flowing sleeves, and around her neck was a pink choker with an ivory spider on it.  Ilia eyed her warily, and the girl returned her gaze, her distinctive red eyes almost glowing in the dark.  Ilia thought she looked familiar.

“I’m… Alba Kumoko,” the girl said, “We were in school together, before… the collapse.”

“Okay,” Ilia replied, “If you’re going to tell Ozpin, don’t bother.  He already knows about that.”

Abla shook her head, smiling slightly.  “That’s… not why I wanted to talk to you,” She answered.  Raising a hand, she held it out and pointed it off to the side.  Suddenly, a strand of thick spider silk shot out and latched onto the side of the wall.  Ilia’s eyes widened.

“You… weren’t the only faunus in hiding there,” Alba said, “I was too.”

“I see,” Ilia responded, “That’s a pretty rare trait you’ve got there.  I only know one other person who has that trait.”

“You’re referring to Trifa, right?” Alba asked, and Ilia was shocked, “She’s my cousin, though I haven’t seen her since… my incident.”

“Incident?” Ilia asked, “What do you mean?”

Alba shrugged.  “A couple years after you… left, my class went to the old Elroe mine.  While there, a couple of students tricked me into getting lost, then told the teacher I had gone back to the airship.  Some grimm then showed up, and there was a collapse that trapped me inside.  I was there for about a month before I was… found.  Had to fight a lot of grimm, including a Queen Taratect.  Once I got out, I kept training.  I chose to come here to get away from… everything.”

“So why did you want to talk with me,” Ilia asked, and Alba smiled sadly.

“Just to say hi,” She replied, “And also… to say I’m sorry about your parents.”

Ilia swallowed thickly as she turned away, nodding.  Alba then turned around and left the room.  Ilia waited a few seconds, before trailing after her.  When she returned to the ballroom she was immediately accosted by Ruby and Yang.

“Are you alright,” Ruby asked, “Blake said you got a note telling you to go somewhere, but didn’t know who it was from.”

“Everything’s fine,” Ilia assured her, “Turns out it was someone who recognized me from my time at an Atlas prep school, and she wanted to say hi.”

“Ooo, that’s nice,” Yang said, “Were you two close?”

“I actually never knew her,” Ilia answered, “Though she did look familiar.  Anyway, how did your talk with the boy go?”

“It went pretty well, actually,” Yang replied, “He didn’t say much at first, but Ruby managed to get him to open up.  His name’s Mikazuki Ferrous, and he comes from Vacuo.  He’s done a lot of fighting, and the reason he’s here is so he can become a huntsman to help support his girlfriend.”

“He’s got a girlfriend,” Ilia asked in shock.

“Caught me by surprise as well,” Blake said, before going back to her book.

“Whatcha reading Blake?” Ruby asked.

“It’s a book about a man with two souls,” Blake answered, “fighting for control over his body.”

“Oh yeah…” Yang said, “That’s, real lovely.”

“I love books,” Ruby continued, “Yang used to read to me every night before bed; Stories about heroes and monsters, they’re one of the reasons I want to become a huntress.”

“Why is that,” Blake asked, setting her book down, “Hoping you’ll live happily ever after?”

“Well, I'm hoping we all will,” Ruby answered, “As a girl, I wanted to be just like those heroes in the books... Someone who fought for what was right, and protected people who couldn't protect themselves!”

Ilia and Blake both smiled at the sentiment.  “That's... very ambitious for a child,” Blake noted, before her smile fell, “Unfortunately, the real world isn't the same as a fairy tale.”

“Well, that's why we're here!” Ruby countered, “To make it better.”

“Yeah, that’s right,” Ilia agreed, “We won’t rest until people don’t have to worry about fear or oppression, no matter what stands in our way.”

“Oh, I am so proud of my baby sister!”  Yang said, scooping Ruby up into a hug.  Ruby began struggling to break free, and the two began fighting.  Blake and Ilia began giggling at the two sister’s antics.

“What in the world is going on over here?!” A voice cried.  Ruby and Yang froze as they turned to see Weiss Schnee storming over to them.  “Don't you realize some of us are trying to sleep?”

“Oh not you again,” Ilia and Yang cried, before Ruby shushed them.

“Guys, she’s right,” Ruby said, “People are trying to sleep!”

“Oh, now you're on my side!” the Schnee snapped.

“I was always on your side!” Ruby protested hotly.

“Yeah, what's your problem with my sister?” Yang demanded, “She's only trying to be nice!”

“She's a hazard to my health!” Weiss retorted.

“You’re the one who was waving a leaky Dust container in her face,” Ilia countered, “Seems like you’re more of a hazard to her health in my eyes.”

“Uh, I’ve had it with you,” Weiss said, before stomping off.  Ilia rolled her eyes, and the four of them got in bed.

“Sure feel sorry for whoever becomes her partner,” Yang muttered, and Ilia mumbled in agreement.  Soon the lights were turned off, and the four of them fell asleep, eager for the initiation tomorrow morning.

Chapter Text

Ilia woke up as the sun hit her eyes, yawning as she did so.  Sitting up, she blearily glanced around the room.  The majority of the new hunter initiates appeared to be still asleep, though there was a redhead girl rambling excitedly to a boy with black hair and a green shirt.  Grabbing her toiletries, she decided to hit the showers before all the hot water was used up.  Once she was finished she returned to find Yang grinning in amusement as she watched her sister desperately trying to get Blake up, who was covering her face with a pillow.  Ilia shook her head while she grinned at the scene.  Blake was the exact opposite of a morning person, even during their time among the White Fang.

She walked over to Yang, who turned to her and asked, “Is she always like this?”

Ilia nodded.  “Yeah,” She told the blond, “Comes from repeated late nights reading when we were kids.  Unless someone gets her up she’ll sleep till noon if she can.”

“The opposite of my sister then,” Yang said, “Once she wakes up, she’s up and ready to go, often draggin either me or my dad along with her.”

“And me as well ever since I started staying with you,” Ilia agreed, before walking over to Blake and yanking her pillow away.  The girl groaned before glowering up at Ilia.

“Give it back,” She protested weakly, but Ilia just shook her head.

“Come on Blake,” Ruby said, “We need to get ready for initiation.”

“Initiation can wait a few minutes,” Blake replied with a yawn, “or hours.”  She curled up again, using her arm as a pillow this time.

“Well,” Yang said, “If you won’t get out of your sleeping bag, then there’s only one option.”

Reaching down, she scooped Blake up, still wrapped in her sleeping bag.  That woke her up very quickly, and she began struggling.

“Yang,” She hissed, “Put me down!”

“I will,” Yang replied, “Once we get you to the bathrooms to get ready.”  With that she turned and strode off, Blake still struggling in her arms.  Ilia smiled as she watched the two of them go, before turning to Ruby.

“Do you still need to wash up?” She asked, and Ruby shook her head.

“Nope,” She answered, “I was one of the first ones up, though that Mika guy was already dressed and heading out the door when I went to clean up.  We can go get food if you’re ready.”

The two walked off together, heading for the school cafeteria.  They each got two plates of food, one for themselves and one for Yang and Blake.  Ruby’s plate came with what Ilia frankly considered an absurd amount of cookies, which the girl happily began eating.

“Are you sure it’s a good idea to eat so many sweets before initiation?” She asked, and Ruby nodded before swallowing.

“It’s fine,” She said, “Besides, it will help give my semblance extra energy so I don’t get tired as fast.”

“Is that why you have a sweet tooth?” Ilia continued, raising an eyebrow.  It would actually explain a lot, from what she knew about the girl’s semblance.

“A bit,” Ruby replied, “I just also really like sweets, and if using my semblance means I get to eat more of them, all the better.”

Ilia laughed upon hearing that, before continuing with her meal.  Soon Yang and Blake joined them, and Ilia noticed that Blake’s cheeks were flushed.

“You okay,” Ilia asked, and Blake nodded.

“I’m fine,” She assured the girl, “Though it would’ve been nice if someone let me walk to the bathroom on my own.”

“Aw, come on Blakey,” Yang said, “It wasn’t that bad, was it?”

Blake went silent for several seconds.  Ducking her head slightly, she answered with a soft, “No.”  Yang grinned after hearing that, before throwing an arm around them.  She pulled them in for a side hug, before letting go and digging into her meal.  Blake rolled her eyes, but smiled warmly before doing the same.  As they were eating, Ilia paused as she noticed that off in one corner of the room was a student wearing a green cloak eating alone.  On their arm was a compact shield with a lens in the center.

“Wonder who that is,” Ilia muttered, and Ruby turned to her with a twitch of her ears.

“Who,” She asked, and Ilia pointed to the initiate.

“That guy over there,” She said, “Dark hair, green cloak, shield.  It seems like the other students are avoiding him for some reason.”

“It doesn’t surprise me,” A familiar voice said behind her, and Ilia supressed a groan.  Turning, she saw Weiss Schnee standing behind them, holding a plate of food.

“What do you want now,” She asked, glaring at the girl, and Weiss huffed.

“Nothing,” She replied, “I just couldn’t help but overhearing the tail end of your conversation.”

“Do you know who that is?” Blake asked cordially, and Weiss gave a nod.

“That’s Mason Verdant,” She replied, “Originally selected by the Melromarc family as one of four candidates for the ultimate Huntsmen team, he was given that shield he wears and they began to train him.  The Melromarcs come from Mistral, and have quite a few assets scattered across the kingdom, so they wanted a team dedicated to protecting them.  I don’t know much about the shield, only that it is highly advanced and specialized.  However, he was driven out after he supposably almost raped Carnelian Melromarc, the oldest daughter of the Melromarc family.”

“Supposably,” Ilia asked with a raised eyebrow, and Weiss shot her a flat look.

“I’ve met Carnelian,” She told them, “And it’s not too hard for anyone to see what kind of person she really is, given that they’re willing to look.”  With that, the heiress walked off, leaving the four girls with more questions than answers.

Once they finished their breakfasts they all left to the locker rooms to get their weapons.  As they approached the entrance, they paused as Mikazuki exited the room, carrying a massive mace made of dark metal in one hand, the head larger than Ilia’s torso.  The four of them gaped at the weapon, before Ruby finally spoke up.

“That is so cool!” She yelled, her eyes sparkling as her tail wagged, “I’ve never seen a weapon like that before.”

“It’s an Iron Dust infused Mace Lance,” He told her, “The handle can extend or retract, and in both the tip and rear handle are dust projectors which create pile bunkers made out of a special variant of rock dust that’s almost as hard as steel.”

“How can you lift that thing?” Yang asked, “Even I would have trouble swinging that around.”

“I’m strong,” was his reply, before he walked off.  They watched him go, the other students parting as he approached while they whispered to each other.

“I do not want to be on the business end of that thing,” Ilia muttered, and the other three nodded in agreement.  They entered the locker room, where they split up to retrieve their respective weapons.  Ilia noticed Weiss standing next to Pyrrha Nikos, the Invincible Girl of Sanctum Academy.  She ignored them while she opened her locker and pulled out Lightning Lash, examining it for a moment before hooking it on her belt.  Turning, she saw Alba standing in front of a locker a little ways away.  She watched the girl pull out a compact weapon, which then unfolded into a wicked gleaming scythe with a white handle and blade that faded to red.  Ilia could also make out severa dust chambers where the blade of the weapon met the shaft.  Ilia then heard a voice over the speaker ask all the students to meet at Beacon Cliff for initiation.  Ilia followed the trail of students leaving the locker room, anticipation filling her veins.

Ilia stood on a metal pad next to the edge of Beacon Cliff.  Other initiates stood to her left and right, and in front of them were Professor Ozpin and Goodwitch.  Ilia waited tensely as Ozpin and Glynda explained everything before initiation began.

“For years you have trained to become warriors,” He said, “And today your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest.”

“Now,” Glynda said, “I’m sure many of you have heard rumors about the assignment of teams.  Well, allow us to put an end to your confusion.  Each of you will be given teammates, today.”

“These teammates will be with you for the rest of your time here at Beacon,” Ozpin continued, “It is in your best interest to be paired with someone with whom you can work well.  That being said, the first person you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next four years.”  A few people began talking upon hearing that, but Ozpin plowed right through them.  “After you’ve partnered up, make your way to the northern end of the forest.  You will meet opposition along your way.  Do not hesitate to destroy everything you meet in your path, or you will die.  You will be monitored and graded for the duration of the initiation, but our instructors will not intervene.

“You will find an abandoned temple at the end of the path containing several relics.  Each pair must choose one and return to the top of the cliff.  We will regard that item, as well as your standing, and grade you appropriately.  Are there any questions?”

“Yeah,” Jaune said, “Uhm, Sir-”

“Good,” Ozpin interrupted, “Now take your positions.”

Ilia readied herself, already guessing what the metal pads were for.  The initiates began to be launched into the air one by one.  Once it was Ilia’s turn she braced herself, before the pad sprang upwards and threw her high into the sky.  Spreading her arms wide, she let the air help slow her down as she looked around, bringing her aura up to shield her from the wind.  She saw Yang launching herself forward using her gauntlets, and she was pretty sure she heard a scream coming from someone.  As she approached the trees, she pulled Lightning Lash off her belt and extended it, switching it to whip mode.  She wrapped it around a branch and used it to swing herself forward, altering her trajectory.  She did that a few more times before hopping from tree to tree until she landed on the ground, burning off speed as she did so.  After scanning her surroundings and confirming that there were no Grimm, she relaxed and began to debate what she should do next.  She decided to return to the treetops, so that way she could watch people without them seeing her, allowing her to pick her partner.  Using her whip, she launched herself back up in the air, and started springing from branch to branch, keeping her eyes and ears open for any sounds.

After several minutes, she heard the sound of someone fighting Grimm, and went to investigate.  Upon her arrival at a large clearing, she found the guy from earlier, Mason Verdant, fending off a trio of Creeps.  Watching from a little ways away were a pair of students, who were mocking him.

“What’s the matter,” The larger of the two, wearing heavy armor said, “I thought you were a dangerous huntsman.  Can’t kill a few Grimm?”

“Of course not,” the smaller boy said, loosely holding a pair of daggers, “All he has is a shield.  You need a real weapon to be a huntsman.”

Ilia gritted her teeth, readying herself to jump in.  Then Mason glanced directly at her, and shook his head, making her freeze in shock.  How did he know she was there?  Before she could dwell on it more, one of the Creeps dove underground, before resurfacing right next to Mason and charging.  Bringing his shield around, which had expanded to the size of a greatshield, he let the Grimm impact against it.  As it struck, he yelled, and there was an explosion as the Grimm was flung backwards.  Soaring through the air, it crashed straight into the two who were mocking him.  They quickly got to their feet, and the Creep snarled before charging at them.  The two ran off screaming, and Ilia laughed loudly as she watched them go.  Raising her weapon, she switched it to rapier mode, before pointing it at another of the Creeps and pulling the trigger.  A blast of electricity shot out from the tip of her blade and impacted against it, causing it to spasm.  She then lunged forward and stabbed in in side, killing it.

“Look out,” Mason yelled, and Ilia whipped around to see the last Creep charging her.  She prepared to roll out of the way, only for Mason to plant himself in front of her and brace.  The Grimm crashed into his shield, and he shoved it backward.  It reared up, stumbling, and Mason stepped to the side.

“Now!” He yelled, and Ilia reacted on instinct, thrusting her blade forward and stabbing the Grimm in the Belly.  She pulled the trigger, and electricity coursed through its body.  It screeched in pain, before collapsing and dissolving.  Ilia took a deep breath, before turning to her new partner.  He was panting slightly, but didn’t seem too exhausted.  His green eyes were sharp and alert as he scanned the area.  He was wearing light armor, mostly consisting of leather with several metal plates, and the chest piece had a blazing shield emblem engraved on it.  His shield shifted and shrank, becoming the size of a small round shield.

“Clever move,” Ilia said, “Sending that Grimm into the two losers making fun of you.  Was that with wind dust?”

“Partially,” He replied, “But I also used my semblance, Wrath’s Counterstrike.  When someone strikes me, I can reflect all that energy right back at them.  Works well on heavy hitters.  I can also power it up with dust, creating blasts of wind, fire, gravity, you get the idea.”

“It certainly fits with your shield,” She agreed, “Is that why you use one?”

“No,” He answered, “I found my semblance after I got my shield.”

Ilia nodded, but decided not to press for more details right now.  Looking around, she got her bearings, before facing north.  “So I guess we should make our way to the temple then,” She said, and Mason nodded.  The two began trekking through the woods, Mason taking the lead as he changed his shield to a rhombus shaped heater shield.  Ilia watched behind them, keeping an eye out for any approaching threats.  As they were walking, Ilia heard a vicious screech not too far away from them.  She and Mason shared a look, before advancing in the direction of the sound.  As they approached, they heard more sounds, most notably the splintering of wood and the roar of flames.  Picking up their pace, they soon arrived at a sight of pure carnage.  Decaying Grimm corpses littered the area and the surrounding trees were shattered and burning.  In the center of it all, next to a large mound, were three combatants.

Ilia immediately recognized Mikazuki and Alba, the latter of the two hanging back as the former took the lead.  Their opponent was an Indohunter, a particularly vicious and rare form of Grimm known to attack anything in sight, including other Grimm.  The spines on its back quivered as it shrieked, it’s barbed tail lashing from side to side.  Mika stared down the creature unflinchingly as he raised his mace.  The Grimm lunged, only for Mika to dodge out of the way with blinding speed.  Alba then slashed her scythe through the air, a wave of fire launching from the blade and striking the monster.  It hissed and jumped back, circling the two, before darting towards Alba, only to be forced to retreat as Mika swung his mace in a downward arc.

“Hey,” Mason yelled, “Over here, ya big freak!”

The Grimm turned to look at them and screamed.  It lunged, faster than Ilia could follow, only to slam into a glowing shield hovering in the air.  Glancing at Mason, she saw the lens in his shield shining, and realized that it was a hard light projection.  The creature stumbled, before darting to the side, disappearing in the dust and smoke.

Ilia cursed, before yelling, “Everyone circle up, backs together!”  The other three listened, and they all gathered together facing outward.  “Listen,” Ilia said, “Indohunters are not only vicious and relentless, but they can blend in almost perfectly with their environment.  Keep your eyes peeled and look for anything out of place or unexplained movement.”

The others murmured their agreement, before they all fell silent, scanning the forest around them.  Ilia decided to switch Lightning Lash to whip mode, knowing that the extra range and versatility could prove invaluable against such a swift and violent threat.  A snap of wood came from above, and the four looked up to see the Grimm perched on a large branch in a tree.  It jumped just as Mason raised his shield.  A sphere of hardlight appeared around them just as the Grimm was about to land.  Crashing onto it, the beast scrabbled at the shield, trying to break it open.

“Hey you!” Mason yelled, pointing at Mika and Alba, “When I drop the shield, I want you with the white hair and Ilia to trap it, just long enough to make it hold still.  Then you will take it out!”

Mika nodded, before readying his weapon, the shaft extending significantly.  He raised it, glancing at Mason, who turned back to the Grimm slashing at the shield.  He braced himself, and Ilia and Alba followed suit.

“Now!” He yelled, stepping back as the forcefield faded in a blink, throwing the Indohunter off balance.  Before it could react, Ilia lashed out with her whip, wrapping it around one of the creature's ankles and pulling, yanking it off balance.  At the same time a click came from Alba’s scythe as she swept it at the beast, partially trapping it in ice.  Mika then lunged, thrusting his weapon at the Grimm and striking it in the chest.  There was a bang and a hiss from it, before a large spike emerged from its back.  It managed to shake Ilia off, but by then it was too late.  Mika swung his mace upward before slamming it into the monster, sending it flying into the side of the mound where it lay mangled and twisted.  The four of them circled up again, scanning the woods, but found everything quiet except from the crackling of flames.  After several minutes, the group relaxed and lowered their weapons.  

“It seems like the Grimm are gone for now,” Alba said softly.

“Then we should keep moving,” Mason replied, “The faster we get the relic the sooner we can be done and not needlessly risk our lives.”

The others hummed in agreement, before walking off.  A few minutes after they were out of sight, there was a rumbling as the mound began to shift, before rising, revealing four blazing red eyes.

The four of them soon arrived at a clearing to find Blake and Yang already waiting for them.  The two waved to Ilia, who returned the gesture before jogging over to them.

“Hey guys,” She said, before seeing the gold knight chess piece in Yang’s grasp, “Are those the relics we’re supposed to grab?”

“Seems like it,” Blake replied as Mason and the others joined them.  They began examining the pieces.

“Concidering that there are two of each piece,” Alba said, “My guess is that each pair will be matched with whoever takes the matching piece.”

“Sweet,” Yang said, “That makes sense.  Hey Ilia, do you and your partner want to grab the other golden knight?”

Ilia almost said yes on the spot, before thinking about it.  She turned back to Mason, Alba, and Mika, thinking back on their fight against the Indohunter.

“Actually,” She said, “I think I’ll stick with these guys.”  She pointed over her shoulder to the group.  “We already make a pretty good team.  Besides, I think Ruby wouldn’t be happy if I stopped her from being on your team.”

Yang shrugged nonchalantly.  “Okay,” She agreed, “Kinda sad that we didn’t end up all on a team together.”  Blake nodded in agreement.  A scream suddenly echoed through the forest.

“Some girl’s in trouble!” Yang yelled, turning towards the sound, “Blake, did you hear that?”  Blake, meanwhile, was staring straight up.  “What should we do?”

“Heads uuuuuuuuuuuuup,” A voice said, steadily growing in volume.  Ilia began to look around, only to pause as Blake pointed up to the sky, turning to look, Ilia gaped upon seeing Ruby falling towards them, only for Jaune to come flying out of nowhere and slam into the Faunus.  The two crashed into a tree, breaking several branches.

“Did your sister just fall from the sky,” Blake asked incredulously.  Before Yang could answer several crashes came from the woods, before an Ursa emerged, roaring.  Something exploded on its back, before it fell over dead, revealing the excitable redhead from this morning, along with the black haired boy.  Said redhead then darted over to the chess pieces and grabbed the golden rook, singing merrily before the boy yelled, “Nora!”

“Coming Ren,” the newly revealed Nora said sheepishly before trotting over to her partner.

“Did that girl just ride in on an Ursa?” Blake asked, and once again Yang tried to reply, only to be interrupted again.  A massive roar echoed across the clearing as a Deathstalker emerged from the trees, chasing Pyrrha Nikos.  Ruby then hopped over.

“Ruby,” Yang asked incredulously.

“Yang,” her sister replied, and the two held up their arms for a hug.  Then Nora popped up between them yelling, “Nora!”

“Did she just run all the way here with a deathstalker on her tail,” Blake asked.  And Yang growled.

“Evidently,” Mason said with a snort, before Yang exploded.

“I can’t take it anymore,” She yelled, her eyes turning bright red, “Can everyone just chill out for two seconds before something crazy happens again?”

“Sure,” Mika replied, pulling out a date and eating it, before offering one to Alba, who accepted it.

There was a moment of silence before Ruby patted her sister on the shoulder, calling her name and pointing at something above them.  They all looked up, and Ilia gaped upon seeing Weiss Schnee hanging from the claw of a Nevermore as it flew through the air.

“How could you leave me?” They heard her call down.

“I said jump,” Ruby said with a shrug.

“She’s gonna fall,” Blake noted.

“She’ll be fine,” Ruby replied.

“She’s falling,” Ren deadpanned.

As Weiss tumbled through the sky, Jaune suddenly jumped out of nowhere to try and catch her.  What ended up happening was them colliding in midair and falling to the ground.  Jaune landed facefirst, while Weiss landed on her back.

“My hero,” She said sarcastically.

“My back,” Jaune groaned.  There was a screech, and suddenly Pyrrha flew through the air towards them, landing in a heap at their feet.

“Great,” Yang said, “Now that the gang’s all here, we can die together.”

“Not if I can help it,” Ruby replied, before charging the deathstalker, much to Ilia’s and Yang’s dismay.

“Ruby!” Yang called out.

“That won’t work,” Ilia continued, “It’s armor is too thick to cut through!”

Ruby slashed it with her scythe, but sure enough the blade bounced harmlessly off its bony shell.  She began to retreat, and Yang ran to help her sister.  Mika also prepared to charge after her, lifting his mace, only for a rumbling sound to catch their attention.  Turning, they saw a massive spinning shape blast its way out of the woods.  The ball stopped rolling, revealing a gigantic Boarbatusk.  It snorted, before charging them, its tusks low and razor sharp.  Mika immediately changed targets, dashing towards the Grimm.  Lifting himself over one of the tusks, he slammed his mace into its side, sending it stumbling.  Mason ran to help him, while Ilia turned back to Ruby.  The nevermore from earlier had returned, and had pinned Ruby’s hood with its feathers while also stopping Yang.  The deathstalker raised its tail to strike, much to the horror or Yang and Ruby.  Ilia ran forward, but knew that she wouldn’t make it in time.  Suddenly a white blur shot past her, and a massive wall of ice quickly froze the deathstalker in place.  Ilia saw Weiss standing in front of Ruby as she started berating the wolf faunus.  She started to get angry again, but paused when Weiss admitted that she can also be difficult, and agreed to be nicer if Ruby would stop showing off.  Ruby explained that she was just trying to show Weiss that she was capable, to which the heiress said she was fine, and Ruby relaxed as Yang ran up and gave her a hug.  Ilia then heard an explosion, and she turned to see Mason flying backwards as the giant Boarbatusk was trapped in ice as well.  Her partner managed to remain upright, and they all regrouped at the temple.

“Uhm, guy,” Jaune said, pointing upwards, “That thing’s circling back around.  What should we do?”

“Look, there's no sense in dilly-dallying,” Weiss said, making Ilia snort softly at the way she spoke, “Our objective is right in front of us.”

“She’s right,” Ruby agreed, “Our mission is to grab an artifact and make it back to the cliffs.  There’s no point in fighting these things.”

“Let’s get going then,” Mason said, huffing.  He grabbed the two gold bishops before tossing the second one to Alba, who pocketed it.

“Run and Live,” Jaune chirped, “That’s an idea I can get behind.”

Ruby and Jaune each grab a piece as well.  Ruby claims the gold knight, and Jaune the gold rook.  Hearing the shattering of ice, Ilia turns to see that the Boarbatusk had managed to get its head free, and was using its tusks to break the rest of the ice.

“Time we left,” Ren told everyone.

“Right,” Ruby agreed with a nod, before turning to everyone, “Let’s go.”

The twelve of them ran off, though Yang remained where she was with a small but proud smile.

“What is it?” Blake asked, and Ilia paused too, curious.  Following Yang’s smile, she saw that the brawler was staring at Ruby, who looked quite commanding as she glanced back at everyone on a rock.

“Nothing,” Yang said softly, before running after her sister.  Ilia and Blake shared a grin, before charging after her.  The Grimm soon broke free and gave chase, the Nevermore circling overhead.  As they arrived at a corridor with dozens of large stone pillars, Mason slowed to a halt.

“Wait,” He said, and the group paused, “You guys go ahead.”  He pointed at Ruby’s and Jaune’s teams.  “We’ll stay behind to fight the Giant Boarbatusk.  The terrain here will give us the tactical advantage.”

“You got it,” Ruby said, before the rest of them ran off, leaving Ilia, Mason, Mika, and Alba behind.

“Alright,” Mason said, turning to them, “Alba, I want you up on top of the arches.  Harass it with dust attacks and keep out of its way.  Ilia, you stay low and in the pillars.  When it comes close, attack its legs and underbelly.  Try to trip it up.  Mika, you’re with me.  We’ll draw its attention, as the two of us can take the most hits.”

They nodded, before taking their positions.  Soon the Boarbatusk showed up with the Deathstalker.  Mika lunged forward, slamming into the boar grimm’s side and knocking it into several pillars, while the deathstalker continued onward.  Several massive ice shards sailed through the air and struck the creature, making it squeal in rage.  It turned to face Alba, who had her scythe poised to attack.  The grimm prepared to charge, and Ilia swore she saw Alba’s eyes glow for a second.  The Grimm the stumbled, shaking its head as it bellowed.  Ilia took the opportunity to attack, getting in several strikes around its joints before retreating.  It raised a hoof to try and stomp on her, only for a hardlight shield to appear in midair and stop the attack.  Mika then charged forward and brought his mace down, shattering one of the tusks.  The monster squealed in rage, swinging its other tusk, which slammed into the boy and flinging him into several pillars.  The rubble tumbled down around him, burying the student, but the rest didn’t have time to react as the grimm rounded on them.  It curled up into a ball and launched itself at Ilia and Mason.  A large wall of stone suddenly appeared, causing the creature to vear off course and crash into more pillars.

“We need to get to its underbelly,” Alba yelled, “That’s the only place it’s vulnerable.”

“And how do we do that?” Ilia yelled back, “Not to mention I don’t think any of our weapons can do enough damage to kill it in one strike except for Mika’s and he’s out of commission.”

There was the sound of stone grating against stone, and the three of them turned to see Mikazuki lifting himself out of the rubble.  Lifting his mace, he dashed forward with unbelievable speed, slamming it into the grimm and sending it crashing into more pillars.

“I got it,” Mason yelled, “Mika, get it to curl up into a ball and charge us again.”

Mika nodded as he continued to harass the grimm with unbelievable speed, strength, and reflexes.  Ilia was certain his semblance was in play, whatever it was.

“Alba,” He yelled, “I’m going to use my semblance to send it flying, but I need you to be ready to freeze it and suspend it in the air once I do.  This will knock out most of my aura, so we only got one shot.”  Alba nodded, raising her scythe as the blade began to emit a blue frost.  “Ilia, once it’s in the air, I need you to lunge for the neck and discharge as much lightning dust as you can.   That should paralyze it long enough for Mika to finish it off.”

“You got it,” Ilia agreed, raising her weapon and readying herself behind her partner.  Soon enough the Boarbatusk curled up into a ball and charged towards them.  Mika dodged out of the way before tailing it, while Mason once again changed his shield to greatshield mode.  The Grimm slammed into his shield, before getting flung backwards in the air as a purple explosion emanating from the point of impact, a sign of gravity dust.  Alba then swung her scythe, sending a wave of frost that froze the creature upright.  Ilia then charged forward as the ice began to crack under all the weight.  Leaping up, she stabbed Lightning Lash deep into the beast’s neck and pulled the trigger.  Electricity discharged out of her weapon and into the Grimm, making it squeal in pain.  She looked up to see Mika in the air above her, stabbing his mace downward and she dove out of the way.  Mika slammed into the Boarbatusk, and its cries of agony were cut off as a pile bunker penetrated the inky black flesh.

The five of them took a moment to breathe as the sounds of the others fighting raged in the distance.  Once they had all recovered somewhat they ran towards the cliff.  When they arrived they found Jaune, Pyrrha, Nora, And Ren watching as the Nevermore circled around the ruins while Yang shot fire blasts at it.  The creature swooped at her, and Yang jumped, holding its beak open as she continued to pummel it before luring it into slamming against the cliff.  It turned back to face the four girls, screeching, and Ilia saw ice form and freeze its tail to the ground.  After a few seconds, a red blur shot towards it, which Ilia guessed was Ruby.  Slamming it against the cliff face, Ilia then witnessed several glyphs that she recognized to be from the Schnee’s semblance appear in a line leading up.  The nevermore was then dragged upward, and upon reaching the top she saw it get decapitated.  It’s body then tumbled to the ground.

“Wow,” Jaune mumbled, and Ilia smirked, proud of what Ruby managed to accomplish.

“Come on,” She said, turning to the side where she could see more stone bridges, “Let’s complete the mission.”

Ilia watched as the newly formed team CRDL walked off stage, recognizing the two jerks who had mocked her partner earlier that day.  She scoffed, rolling her eyes and wondering how they could’ve ever managed to make it into the academy.  Ozpin then called Jaune, Pyrrha, Nora, and Ren onto the stage.  He announced their team name to be team JNPR and appointed Jaune the leader.  That surprised Ilia, but from what Ren had told her about the fight, she had to admit the guy had potential.  He just needed to work on his fighting skills a bit more.

“Mason Verdant,” Ozpin called out, her partner’s face appearing on the screen above, “Alba Kumoko.  Ilia Amitola.  Mikazuki Ferrous.  You four retrieved the white bishop pieces.  From this day forward, you will be known as team MAIM, led by… Mason Verdant.”

Ilia nodded, accepting the decision.  Mason was the obvious choice with the way he had taken charge and directed them all.  The four of them walked off stage to watch as the final team was called up.

“And finally,” Ozpin said, “Blake Belladonna. Ruby Rose. Weiss Schnee. Yang Xiao Long.  The four of you retrieved the white knight pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team RWBY. Led by... Ruby Rose!”

Ruby herself went stiff, her tail and ears shooting straight up.  Weiss turned in surprise to look at the young faunus, before Yang launched herself at her sister and wrapped her in a hug.

“Looks like it’s going to be an interesting year,” Ozpin said, and with that the students filed out of the auditorium and to their assigned dorms.  Ilia walked over to Ruby and bumped her on the shoulder.

“Congratulations on being made team leader,” She said, and the girl grinned nervously.

“I just hope that I can do a good job,” She admitted.

“Hey,” Ilia said, “You’ll do fine.  You just gotta keep a cool head.”

“She’s right,” Yang agreed, “You’ll be amazing.”  Blake nodded along as well.  Weiss just huffed and walked away, and Ilia frowned as she did so.

“Hey Ilia,” She heard Mason call out, and she turned to him, “We’re going to hit the cafeteria before finding our dorms.  Wanna join?”

Ilia hesitated, before turning to Ruby, who smiled and nodded.  Ilia smiled, before ruffling the girl’s hair and walking over to her team.  The four of them exited the auditorium and started towards the food court, eager to have a proper meal after their ordeal.

That night, after making sure her new team was asleep, Ilia snuck out the window and scaled the side of the building to find a remote location on the roof.  Once she was their she pulled out her scroll and called Sienna Khan.  After a few rings, the high leader picked up.

“Ilia,” Sienna said, “How did initiation go?”

“It went well,” She said, “I’m a part of team MAIM.”

“That’s good,” She said, “I’m glad you got in.”

“There’s more,” Ilia continued, “Remember Yang and Ruby?”  She heard Sienna hum in acknowledgement.  “They’re a part of team RWBY, along with Weiss Schnee and Blake Belladonna.”

There was silence, before Sienna asked, “Are you serious?”

“Absolutely,” Ilia replied, “I’ll send you a picture of them.”  Tapping on her scroll, she sent a picture of the four that she had taken earlier that night.  She brought the scroll back to her ear and waited for a response.

“This is quite frankly an incredible opportunity,” Sienna said, “Tell me, what is the Schnee’s attitude towards faunus.”

“Hard to say,” Ilia said, “She seemed condescending at first, but during initiation she put aside any differences and worked quite well with Ruby, though she doesn’t seem happy that Ruby was made team leader.”\

“Keep an eye on her,” Sienna instructed, “While we know Jacque and the SDC’s position on faunus, Weiss is a bit of an enigma, along with her brother Whitley.  They rarely appear in public, and were instructed by private tutors in their homes.  We need to see if she is an enemy of the faunus, or a potential ally.”

“You would really ally with a Schnee?” Ilia asked, shocked.

“If it helps faunus kind, then yes,” Sienna agreed, “If we can sway her to our side, or at least make her more sympathetic, it could improve thousands of lives for our kind.  Tell me, how’s Blake.”

“She seems fine,” Ilia replied, “She also revealed why she left the White Fang.”

“And that is…” Sienna prompted.

“On her final mission with Adam he wanted to blow up an entire train,” Ilia told her softly, “Not caring about the people on board or the possibility that they might be faunus.”

“Shit,” Sienna cursed, “This isn’t good.  If he’s willing to go that far and he’s working with a group with an unknown agenda, it could be disastrous.”

“I agree,” Ilia said, shivering as she remembered what Adam had done to her the night Blake left.

“Are there any other teams?” Sienna asked.

“Yeah,” Ilia replied, “There’s team CRDL, but they’re a bunch of bigots and bullies.  I’m honestly surprised they made the cut.”

“Huntsmen and huntresses are in high demand,” Sienna said, “The Kingdom’s can’t afford to turn people down if they can fight well.  Unfortunately, it means people like them are allowed into positions that they really shouldn’t be.”

“The final team is team JNPR,” Ilia said, “I don’t really know most of them, but there is one person who I know of, and you do as well.  Pyrrha Nikos.”

“More good news,” Sienna said, “Pyrrha is an incredibly famous fighter, with a large amount of influence among the people of Mistral and beyond.  If you can make her an ally of the White Fang it would provide an extreme boost of support for our cause, something we’ll desperately need if Adam is revealed to be a danger.  And who are your teammates?”

“There’s Alba Kumoko,” Ilia started, “A faunus from Atlas.  We went to the same school before- I left.  She says she’s cousins with Trifa.”

“Interesting,” Sienna said, “I’ll see if I can get in contact with her.  If I can assure she’s loyal to us and not Adam, perhaps I’ll send her over to you as backup.”

“You really think she might be loyal to Adam?” Ilia asked.

“I don’t know,” She replied, “Adam is still well liked among the White Fang, and many look up to him.  I’m not sure how long it has been since he changed, or whether he was always like he is now, but it could mean many of the people I once trusted are no longer trustworthy.”

“I see,” Ilia said, “Anyway the next person on our team is Mikazuki Ferrous.”

“The Devil of Vacuo!” Sienna cried, making Ilia flinch.

“Wait,” She said, “He’s what?”

“Remember the Iron Flower Guard?” Sienna asked, “The group that we began to model ourselves after before they were annihilated by Atlas and the SDC.  They’re main fighter used an old but highly advanced power armor from the Great War, and gained a lethal reputation with it.”

“You mean one of my teammates it considered to be among the most deadly fighters of our generation?” Ilia asked.

“It sounds like it,” Sienna replied, “He was supposedly killed in the final battle, but if this Mikazuki is the Mikazuki, then he somehow survived.”

Ilia just leaned back, processing what she just learned.  “If he really is who you say,” She stated, “Then both Atlas and the SDC will throw a fit once they find out.”

“Indeed,” Sienna agreed, “I admired the Iron Flower Guard for their dedication and loyalty, but it was also their actions that made me rethink the course I was taking the White Fang in.”

“What do you mean,” Ilia asked.

“Both the Iron Flower Guard and the White Fang aimed to get what they wanted in the fastest way possible.  However, upon seeing the fall of the Iron Flower and the deaths that followed, I realized that in taking the shortest path we would make too many enemies that would eventually band together and destroy us, turning the White Fang into the villains of the narrative.  That’s why I began to change our policies over the past year, drawing back on the violence and instead focusing on protecting faunus.  Unfortunately, it seems Adam is going to take that path instead, and he’ll use the Vale branch to do it.”

“I understand,” Ilia said, sitting up again.

“And who’s your last team member,” Sienna asked.

“His name’s Mason Verdant,” Ilia told her, “He’s my partner and our team leader.”

“Ah,” Sienna said, “Mason Verdant.  I’ve met him.  He was instrumental in helping take down a faunus slave ring with two other faunus that he freed.  They then resettled a town that the slavers had destroyed, and he serves as its protector.”

“Wow,” Ilia said, “It seems like I have a good team then.”

“Indeed you do,” Sienna agreed, “have you learned anything more about the White Fang?”

“Nothing,” Ilia replied, “And no sign of Roman Torchwick either.  He’s dropped off the grid.”

“Keep looking,” Sienna instructed, “I know Adam.  He won’t stay quiet for long, he’s too impulsive.  It’s only a matter of time before he makes his agenda known.”

“I will,” Ilia answered, before the call ended.  Pocketing her scroll, Ilia climbed back down and reentered through the window.  Climbing in bed, she quickly fell asleep.

Chapter Text

Ilia woke up feeling a bit sore from yesterday’s initiation.  She stretched, groaning softly, before getting out of bed.  The scent of something cooking caught her attention, and she wandered into the small kitchen to find Mika preparing bacon, eggs, and hash browns.  He was without his bulky jacket, which revealed a skintight jumpsuit underneath.  He had a lean but muscular build with hands that seemed disproportionately large, and his right wrist was a woven bracelet.  However, what really got her attention was the large and bulky exosuit surrounding his frame.  While it explained Mika’s incredible strength, Ilia found it strange that he was still wearing it outside of combat.

“Ilia,” Mika called over to her, startling her out of her thoughts, “Could you help me serve this?”

“Sure,” Ilia agreed, stepping forward and grabbing a few plates.  She helped Mika distribute the food among four of them, before they each took two and stepped out.  They set them on the table, Ilia went and claimed the bathroom so she could shower and get ready for the day.  The warm water helped relax her sore muscles, and after she dried off she did her makeup and tied her hair in her signature ponytail.  Stepping out, she was briefly greeted by Alba, who claimed the bathroom after her.

She walked over to the table and found Mason and Mika both sitting there.  Mika had his signature jacket on, hiding the exosuit, so she decided not to question him about it just yet.  They waited for several minutes until Alba finished in the bathroom and sat down with them.

“Alright,” Mason said, “We don’t have much time right now, as we have classes soon, but after curfew today I want to hold a team meeting.  If we’re going to be working together, we’ll need to know each other’s skills, weaknesses, and semblances.  Is everyone good with that?”

Ilia nodded along with Alba, while Mika just let out a grunt.  Mason nodded as well, and the four began eating.  Once they were done Mason went to the bathroom while the rest of them began gathering their things for school.  By the time they were finished Mason was done in the bathroom, so he grabbed his bag which he had prepared earlier and they left to find their first class, Grimm Studies.  They got there five minutes before class.  Team CRDL was already there, along with a few other students, but surprisingly teams RWBY and JNPR were not.  Then, about a minute before class started, the eight of them burst through the door.

“Glad you could all make it,” the professor, a elderly man wearing a suit with two buttons running up it, said, “If you would kindly take your seats, then we will begin the lesson.”

The two teams quickly moved to take their seats, RWBY claiming one of the front rows.  Once they were all in place, the professor began his lesson.  He gave the standard rundown of the world Ilia had heard over a hundred times, about how the world is a dangerous place, that the kingdoms are the only safe havens, and that hunters are what keep these kingdoms safe.  Then he launched into a story about himself catching a beowulf when he was younger.  Ilia quickly lost interest, glancing over at her teammates.  Alba was facing the professor, but the way her eyes moved around led Ilia to the conclusion that her mind was elsewhere.  Mika was staring off into the distance, every so often popping a date into his mouth.  Mason, surprisingly, was actually listening to the story, though he was leaning back with a bored expression.  Hearing a snicker, she then glanced over at team RWBY, to see Blake and Yang holding back laughter at something Ruby was showing them.  The Schnee just glared at her three teammates.  The professor cleared his throat, getting their attention, before wrapping up his story about how he captured the beowulf and brought it back to the village.  That actually caught Ilia’s interest.  Grimm were notoriously hard to capture, even harder than it was to kill them.  Now she kinda wished she’d payed attention so she could know how he did it.

“The moral of this story?” He concluded, “A true huntsman must be honorable.  A true huntsman must be dependable.  A true huntsman must be strategic, well-educated, and wise.  So among you believes themselves to be the embodiment of these traits?”

“I do sir!” The Schnee exclaimed angrily, drawing everyone’s attention.

“Well then,” the professor said, pulling out a remote and pressing a button.  There was the whirl of machinery, and a portion of the floor opened up as a cage was lifted into view.  The snarls and growls coming from inside revealed to everyone just what was in the cage.  Ilia sat forward, eyes gleaming.  Looks like this class would be a lot more interesting than she thought.

The Schnee stood in front of the cage, having returned after changing out of her uniform and into her normal attire.  She held her rapier out in front of her.  The rest of her team began cheering her on, before she snapped at them, specifically Ruby.

“Alright,” Professor Port said, stepping forward with his weapon in hand, “Let the match, begin!”  With that he brought it down on the lock of the cage, opening it and revealing the grimm inside to be a boarbatusk.  It charged at Weiss, who spun out of the way, slashing at its side as she did so.  Ilia rolled her eyes as the grimm charged past, unfazed by the attack.  Anyone with decent knowledge and experience knew that a boarbatuck had incredibly thick armor covering its front, sides, and back.

“Haha!” Port laughed, “Weren’t expecting that, were you?”

“Hang in there Weiss!” Ruby cheered.

The grimm charged again, and the Schnee used several glyphs on the floor to glide forward at high speeds, meeting the grimm head on.  This lead to her sword getting trapped between the grimm’s two large tusks.  As the two began struggling, Ilia heard the professor congratulate her for the new approach, but she could tell he sounded unsure.  Ruby continued to encourage her teammate, but it only distracted her, leading to the grimm ripping the rapier out of her hands and flinging it away, while knocking Weiss back at the same time.

“Oho,” Port said, “Now what will you do without your weapon?”

The grimm charged, but the Schnee rolled out of the way.  It crashed into one of the desks, causing it to fall onto it’s back while the white haired girl ran for her weapon.  Ilia blinked in surprise at that.  A boarbatusk should’ve easily pulverized a wooden desk with its charge, not get knocked over.  She deduced that the desks must’ve been reinforce to withstand such attacks, leading her to conclude that this wouldn’t be the last time they faced a live grimm in this classroom.  She turned back to look at the Schnee, who slid as she grabbed her sword.

“Weiss!” Ruby called, “Go for it’s belly.  There’s no armor underneath-”

“Stop telling me what to do!” the Schnee barked, and Ilia saw Ruby’s face fall as her ears drooped.  Then the boarbatusk curled up in a ball and started rolling towards the Schnee.  In response, she summoned a glyph, and the grimm crashed into it, causing it to fall on its back and exposing its underbelly.  She then jumped up into the air, summoning another glyph above her which turned black.  She landed on it, and it held her in place, angled towards the vulnerable grimm.  She then jumped downward, stabbing it in the chest.  Professor Port began congratulating her as the grimm dissolved into nothing.

“As I know many of you are still learning the layout of the school,” He began, “I’ll let you out early.  Be sure to cover the assigned readings and, stay vigilant.  Class dismissed.”

Weiss immediately marched off, her head held high.  “Sheesh what’s with her?” Ilia heard Jaune mutter.  The rest of the students filed out, and Ilia saw Ruby run off in the direction Weiss left.  Ilia followed, already knowing what was about to happen.  She caught up to them, just in time to hear Ruby ask, “What did I do?”

“That’s just it,” Weiss retorted, “You’ve done nothing to earn your position.”

“Wrong,” Ilia barked back, stepping around the corner to stand next to the young wolf faunus, “Tell me, do you have short term memory loss?”

“What?” Weiss asked, taken aback, “No.”

“Really?” Ilia pressed, stepping forward, “Cause it would explain a lot, like how Ruby had to remind you that a boarbatusk’s only weak spot is its underbelly.  Or everything that happened during initiation.”

“What do you mean what happened during initiation?” Weiss asked angrily.

“I mean how it was Ruby who took charge and came up with the plan that allowed your team to defeat the Nevermore,” Ilia retorted, “You didn’t question her leadership then, so why now?”

“Because she’s acting like a child!” Weiss cried, “Just like she was doing in the forest!”

“Weiss, where’s this all coming from?” Ruby asked, “What happened to all the talk about, working together? I thought you believed in acting as a team.”

“Not a team led by you,” Weiss answered.  Ilia felt rage shoot through her, and felt her skin change color.  She didn’t pay it any mind as she stepped forward.

“Oh like you’re the better option,” Ilia said.  Weiss took a step back, eyes widening as she glanced Ilia over.  Then her face hardened as she raised her chin.

“I am the better option actually,” She declared, “I’ve studied, I’ve trained, and quite frankly, I deserve better.”

“Oh please,” Ilia sneered, “Don’t you dare talk about deserving better, not when you live off lien earned through faunus blood.”

“How dare you!” Weiss cried, but Ilia continued speaking.

“And as for who has the best qualifications for team leader on your team,” She began, “Ruby is clearly the first choice.  She’s a natural leader and was a student at Signal academy before being asked to come to Beacon by Ozpin because of her exceptional talent.  Not to mention she actually knows what it’s like to live the life of a Hunter.  She’s been hunting grimm since she was thirteen.”

“Really?” Weiss asked incredulously.

“Yes really,” Ilia replied angrily, “Her dad’s an active huntsman, so while you were being a spoiled brat at fancy parties eating food that cost more than an entire month’s wage of one of the faunus working in your family’s mines, she was clearing grimm from her home on Patch alongside her dad and sister.  In fact, you would be the last pick for team leader on your team if we’re going by measure of skill and experience.  Blake has lived outside the kingdoms, so she’s had experience dealing with grimm in standard hunter mission environments.  And Yang is Ruby’s sister, so she’s received the exact same training as her.  Face it Schnee, you are the least competent, least trained, and least experienced person in team RWBY.”

“You don’t know anything about me!” Weiss growled, “And I’ve trained with an active huntress too, my sister.”

“Please,” Ilia laughed, “Those Atlas military dogs have nothing on real hunters.”

“That’s it!” Weiss yelled, “I’m not going to stand here and listen to this slander!  Ozpin made a mistake choosing her as team leader.  That’s it!”  With that, she marched off.  Ilia rolled her eyes as she left.

“Come on Ruby, let’s get back to our teams,” She said, turning around, only to jump back upon coming face to face with Ozpin.

“Hmmm,” He said, “Now that didn’t seem to go very well.”

Ilia stared at the headmaster of the school.  When did he show up?  She’d trained herself to be able to detect the smallest signs that someone was nearby as she and Blake were the go to members for a stealth mission, yet she didn’t even have a clue that the headmaster was standing behind them.

“Is she right?” Ruby asked, getting her attention, “Did you make a mistake?”  Ilia opened her mouth to protest, only to be cut off when Ozpin started speaking.

“That remains to be seen,” He said.

“What do you mean?” Ruby asked unsurely.

“I mean it’s only been one day,” Ozpin answered, “Ruby, I’ve made more mistakes than any man, woman, and child on this planet.  But at this moment I would not consider your appointment to leader to be one of them.  Do you?”

Ruby appeared thoughtful after being asked that.  Ilia remained silent, wondering what the famous headmaster of Beacon would say next.  She had to admit, she just couldn’t figure him out.  He gave off an air of mystery and wisdom, yet also seemed to understand everything anyone else has been through, like he’d been through it himself.

“I don’t know,” Ruby replied, “I’m not even sure how to lead my team.”

“Being a team leader isn’t just a title you carry into battle,” He continued, “But a badge you wear constantly.  If you are not always performing at your absolute best, then what reason do you give others to follow you?”  He then turned to walk away.  “You’ve been burdened with a daunting responsibility, Ruby.  I advise you take some time, to think about how you will uphold it.”  With that he left.  Ruby and Ilia shared a look, before turning back in the direction Weiss went.  They saw her standing in front of Professor Port, who appeared to be talking to her.  He then walked away, and Weiss folded her arms and bowed her head.  They watched her for a moment, before Ilia gently nudged Ruby, and the two left.  Arriving at the next class, they found Blake and Yang waiting for them.

“How’d the talk with Ice Queen go?” Yang asked.

“Not well,” Ruby said, “She’s, upset that I was made team leader.”

“She bitched about it for a few minutes before storming off,” Ilia continued, “Ozpin somehow snuck up behind us and heard the whole thing.  He gave Ruby some advice before leaving.”

“And Weiss?” Blake asked.

“Last we saw she had just finished talking to Professor Port,” Ruby said, “Don’t know what about though.”

“Well,” Yang said, “If she keeps giving you trouble, just let me know.  Ember Celica and I will be sure to have a nice, long chat about her behavior.”

“Thanks Yang,” Ruby said, hugging the blonde.  Yang quickly returned the hug, on hand reaching up to scratch behind her wolf ears.  The four then entered the class and sat down, Ilia joining her teammates.  Less than a minute before the bell, Weiss entered.  She quickly sat down next to her team, but didn’t look at them.  Before they could get her attention, Professor Peach called them all to attention and began their first lesson on Dust and its applications.

Several minutes earlier…

Weiss marched away from the two faunus, still fuming.  How dare Ilia treat her like that!  Her father doesn’t treat faunus properly, anyone with a brain knew that, but that doesn’t negate all the effort she’d put into becoming a huntress.  She worked hard in order to get her place at Beacon, even fighting a completely new grimm that her father created, the Arma Gigas.  She had no right to make such claims against her, nor did she have a right to talk about her sister the way she did.  Looking up, she saw Professor Port looking out at the skyline.

“Professor Port,” She said as she walked up to him.

“Ah, Miss Schnee,” He said, turning around, “And to what do I owe this fine pleasure?”

“I-I enjoyed your lecture,” She replied, silently cursing herself for stuttering.

“Of course you did child; You have the blood of a true huntress in you,” He stated.

“You really think so?” Weiss asked, surprised yet thrilled to hear that.

“Most surely,” He assured her, before his brow furrowed, “Hmm, something’s troubling you.”

“Yes, sir,” She admitted.

“Dear girl,” He said, “Confess to me your strife.”

“Well,” She began uncertainly, before deciding to jump straight to the matter, “I-I think I should’ve been been the leader of team RWBY.”

There was a moment of silence as the two stared at each other.  “That’s preposterous,” Professor Port said suddenly.

“Excuse me?” Weiss asked, slightly offended at the reply.  Why didn’t people see she was a much better choice than that child?

“I’ve believed in Professor Ozpin for many years,” He stated, “And the man’s never once led me astray.”

“So you would just blindly accept his decision even after seeing how exceptional I am?” She asked.

“With all due respect,” He said, “Your exceptional skill on the battlefield is matched only by your poor attitude.”

“How dare you!” Weiss cried.

“My point exactly,” He continued in a flat tone, “I see a girl before me who has spent her entire life getting exactly what she wanted.”

“That’s not even remotely true,” She retorted, folding her arms.  Professor Port just stared at her, raising an eyebrow.  “Well, not entirely true,” Weiss continued, “But it wasn’t just all given to me.  I have spent years studying, training to be the best possible applicant I could before coming here, and then they choose an immature young girl.  She didn’t even pay any attention in your class today.”

“So the outcome did not fall in your favor,” He said, “Do you really believe acting in such a manner would cause those in power to reconsider their decision?” Weiss unfolded her arms, realizing that, as much as she didn’t like it, he did have a point.  “So instead of fretting about what you don’t have, savor what you do.  That is a lesson young Ruby is quite familiar with.”  That statement intrigued Weiss, but before she could ask about it Professor Port continued.  “Hone your skill, perfect every technique, and be not the best leader, but the best person you can be.”

After a moment’s thought, Weiss smiled, recognizing the value in his advice.  Her mind then jumped back to the statement he made about Ruby.  “Sir,” She asked, “What did you mean, about Ruby being familiar with savoring what she does have?”

“Ah,” He replied, a solemn look in his eyes, “Tell me, what do you know about Ruby’s family.”

“Well,” She began, remembering what Ilia had said in their argument, “I know that her dad is a trained and active huntsman.”

“A Beacon graduate as well,” Port agreed, “But not just him.  Her entire family were hunters, and together they made team STRQ, the greatest team of their generation.  I was in fourth year when they began.  In fact, their leader was Ruby’s own mother, Summer Rose, who was one of the first faunus ever appointed to such a position.”

“Really?” Weiss asked, surprised.  She wasn’t aware of that.  Then again, there was much she didn’t know about faunus, both specific and in general, thanks to her father.

“Yes,” Port said with a smile, “And just like Ruby, she was incredibly gifted, they all were.  And after graduating they became one of the top operating hunter teams in Vale for quite a few years.”

“What happened to them?” Weiss asked, and Professor Port’s face fell.

“Life,” He answered, “First, Raven Branwen, mother of Ruby’s half sister Yang, just up and left one day back when said girl was just a babe.  No warning, no explanation, one day she was there, the next day, gone.  The remaining three continued to go on missions, but not as frequently, as Taiyang was left to raise Yang and Summer took it upon herself to help him.  A couple years later, Ruby was born, which meant Summer and Tai started only taking the required four missions per year in order to keep their licenses while they dedicated their time to raising the two girls.  Then, about eleven years ago, Summer went on a mission, and never returned.  After a few months, she was presumed dead.”

“Oh,” Weiss said softly, not sure how to react to that.

“Yes,” Port said, “That is the life of a Hunter.  No matter how exceptional you are, how much training you’ve received or what weapon you hold, there will always be the chance that some day, you will not come back from a mission.  Ruby understands this, has lived with that knowledge and the consequence of that fact all her life.  And yet despite this, she still chose to come here, to follow in the footsteps of her mother, even knowing that someday, in the future, she too might go on a mission and never return, leaving whatever family she has at the time to move on without her.  That is one of the most difficult lessons for a hunter to learn and accept, some never do.  But those that do go on to become the greatest hunters this world has ever seen.”

With that Professor Port walked away, leaving Weiss to her thoughts.  She hadn’t expected their conversation to go the way it did, but she had learned a lot from it, both about being a huntress, and about her partner.  The revelation that Ruby’s mother was a huntress, one that was considered to be among the best of her generation, brought a new perspective on the decision Professor Ozpin had made to make her team leader.  She then turned around and went back inside, making her way to her next class.  The rest of her team was already there, and she could see Ruby trying to get her attention, but she ignored her as she sat down.  She had some thinking to do, about her attitude and how to best apply the advice Professor Port gave her.  Then she would talk to Ruby.

Ilia yawned as she walked with her team down the hall to their dorm.  Despite only being the first day, all the teachers they had class with had given them a lot of homework and assignments.  Weiss hadn’t interacted with the rest of her team at all in between classes and at lunch, and after their last class she quickly disappeared.  Ruby had been worried, but Yang had advised her to just leave it alone and wait for Weiss to bring it up again.  Once curfew rolled around they all began making their way to their dorms, which led Ilia to where she was now.  The four of them, lead by Mason, entered their room, Alba closing the door behind them.  They then all put their homework away and sat down.

“Alright,” Mason said, “Is everyone ready to have that talk we agreed to this morning?”  After they all voice their consent, Mason nodded.  “I’ll go first.  I’ll start with my semblance, Wrath’s Counterstrike.  It’s rather straightforward, when an enemy hits me with an attack, I can reflect it right back at them.  However, it must be a physical, melee or close range attack, so I can’t use it against foes that fight from a distance.  My weapon is Aegis, a dust enhanced variable shield.  I am also skilled in dust refinement, including kinds like gravity and hardlight dust, so I can craft that for you if you ever need it.  In battle, I’m a tank and support, using my semblance, my shield’s hardlight projections, and other techniques to assist the rest of my team while they go on the offensive.  My weaknesses are ranged attackers, as I have very little that can target them as of right now.”

They all nodded, and Alba cleared her throat.  “I’ll go next,” She said, “My weapon is my scythe, Death Weaver.  The blade is designed to channel dust through it, empowering my attacks.  I’m also a highly talented dust mage.  My semblance is Evil Eye, which has two effects depending on what I’m using it on.  If it’s a person, it disrupts their aura, inflicting mild pain and preventing them from using their semblance.  If it’s a grimm, it causes them enough pain to the point where they can hardly move.  I must be able to see my target to use my semblance, and it does require a large amount of aura to use for longer than a short burst, but distance doesn’t affect how much aura I use, so I can be looking through a telescope at a person and use just as much aura as if they were standing right infront of me.  My eyes glow when I start use it though, so a quick or clever opponent can react before being affected and it will give away my position.”

Ilia had to admit, that was an impressive semblance.  Very few people had a semblance that affected grimm in some way, and even fewer had one that affected another person’s aura or semblance.  Alba having one that did both made her very dangerous, especially since it had the ability to prevent others from using their semblance and wasn’t affected by distance.  Mason nodded at her, and she realized she was next.

“I’m not the most skilled or powerful fighter,” She said, “My expertise is in stealth and infiltration, something that my faunus trait of being able to change the color of my skin, eyes, and hair helps with.  That being said, I’ve had enough training where I can hold my own against most ordinary trained fighters.  My weapon, Lightning Lash, is a rapier whip that utilizes lightning dust.  It can use this to shock those I strike, or to launch compact bolts of electricity.  As for my semblance, I haven’t discovered it yet.”

“How long have you had your aura unlocked?” Mason asked.

“A few years,” Ilia replied.

“Then it shouldn’t take long for you to discover your semblance,” He said, “With the intense training we will be going under, I wouldn’t be surprised if it you discovering within the first couple month here.”  Ilia nodded, and they all turned to Mikazuki, who was once again eating some dates.  Noticing there attention, he finished chewing and swallowed.

“My semblance is Berserk Drive,” He stated, “The lower my aura gets, the more it increases my own strength, speed, and reaction time at an exponential level, though it also means it burns through my aura faster too.  I’m not the best at reading or writing, I didn’t learn until I was about fifteen.  Also…”  He stood up, opening his jacket and shrugging it off, revealing his exosuit.  “Without this, I’m almost completely paralyzed.”

Ilia’s eyes widened upon hearing that.  “How does that make you not paralyzed?” Alba asked, getting their attention, “I can understand it helping you move most of your body, but it isn’t designed to help you move your hands, or your mouth or head.”

“My hands and arms are prosthetics up to the shoulders,” Mika explained, “They just have an artificial skin covering.  But even they wouldn’t be able to move without me using this.”

“Why?” Mason asked.

“My paralysis is a result of damage sustained from removing the safety limiters on my Grimmbeast Power Armor Barbatos,” He explained, “It affected my nervous system in a way they don’t understand, making it not respond unless my Neraul Aura Implant is attached to the frame and powered on.”

“I’ve heard of that technology,” Mason said, “They use it in prosthetics to allow people to control them as if they are a part of their body, though from the sounds of it you use the kind that works as an artificial organ on your back, allowing you to plug into machines and control them with your mind, as well as extend your aura over them.”  Mika nodded.

“You’re the Devil of Vacuo,” Alba stated, “Atlas said you died a year ago, killed by Julia Basil.”

“I almost died,” Mika said, “Korinna managed to save me.”

“Who?” Ilia asked, the name sounding familiar.

“Korinna Saurah Marz,” Mason said, “She’s a political activist from Vacuo.  It’s because of her that Atlas, and specifically the SDC, now must obey several new laws regulating the mining, refining, and exporting of dust there, made in an effort to stop them from continuing to exploit their natural resources.”

“Oh,” Ilia said, “I remember her now.  You and the Iron Flower Guard were the ones who helped her get to Mistral and make that deal with one of the councilors there, helping Vacuo gain control over most of its iron dust mines.”

“Mines that the SDC took back after they decided to destroy us with Blitzkrieg Railguns which they got from the Atlas Military.”

“Aren’t those illegal?” Mason asked, “Banned from use against humans and faunus after the great war?”

“Didn’t stop them from killing some of my friends with them,” was Mika’s only reply.  Ilia’s mind raced with the implications of that statement.  If they could prove that the SDC used those railguns, they would be finished.  Jacque Schnee would be tried for crimes against humanity and faunus, and the company dismantled and sold as the money would go to the group it was used against.  And if it was true that the Atlas military was the one to give them those railguns, then it would destroy Atlas reputation with the other kingdoms.  The other kingdoms might even embargo trade with them, effectively destroying it as she knew Atlas relied on imports like food, wood, and other supplies while providing dust and technology.

“Also a blow to the back of my pelvis is very painful,” Mika stated, pulling Ilia out of her thoughts.

“Why?” She asked.

“I’m a faunus,” He stated, “Used to have a wolf tail before it was cut off when I was hired by VPSF.  It was a requirement for any faunus who wanted to join.”

“They what!” Ilia cried, horrified.  Alba went wide eyed upon hearing that as well, and Mason sat up straight.  Mika just shrugged.

“I got a new one,” He said, “A better one even.  One that I can use to fight after killing the Mechagrimm Hashmal.  It’s a part of the full armor and equipment for Barbatos, which is in storage right now.”

“Mika,” Alba said softly, “That doesn’t change what they did to you.”

“I know,” He replied.  He then stood up, pulled back the covers of his bed, and layed down.  “I’m gonna sleep now,” He said.  The others let him, still reeling from the last thing he told them.  Ilia wanted to kill the bastards that did that to him, but she knew from what she learned about the Iron Flower Guard that they were already dead.  The rest of them decided to get ready for bed as well, and soon the lights were out.  Despite that, Ilia couldn’t sleep.  Quietly, she got out of bed, putting on her shirt and pants and climbing out the window.  She needed some air after learning, all that.  After about half an hour, she started to climb down, only to pause when she heard the door to team RWBY’s dorm open.  Curious, she made her way to their window, carefully sliding it open and peaking through the curtains.

“Weiss!” She heard Ruby say, and she saw the Schnee Heiress standing on a stool beside one of two jury rigged bunk beds, “I-I was studying and then I fell asleep I’m sorry.”

Ilia watched through the curtains as Weiss reached out and placed a hand over Ruby’s mouth, bringing a finger up in a silent “sshhh.”  “How do you take your coffee?” She asked, a question that confused both the faunus in bed and the faunus eavesdropping.

“Uh,” Ruby said, “I-I don’t.”

“Answer the question,” Weiss insisted.

“Uhh!  Cream and five sugars!” Ruby admitted nervously.  Weiss sighed loudly.

“Don’t move,” She said, before stepping off the stool and heading into the dorm’s kitchen.  After a minute, she returned with a steaming cup of coffee.

“Here,” She said, holding it out to Ruby.

“Uhm, thanks Weiss,” Ruby replied, accepting the cup.

“Ruby,” She began, “I think you have what it takes to be a good leader.  Just know, that I am going to be the best teammate you’ll ever have.”  Ilia was taken aback by the statement, surprised at the sudden change of both opinion and attitude from the girl.  “Good luck studying,” She said, stepping down, before popping up again, “That’s wrong by the way.”

Ilia almost laughed upon hearing that.  Even when trying to be nice, she couldn’t help but point out something someone did wrong.  Weiss walked back to the dorm kitchen, before pausing in the doorway.

“Hey Ruby,” She said, getting the girl’s attention, “I always wanted bunk beds as a kid.”  Then she closed the door.  Ilia watched as Ruby rolled over to continue studying, before letting go of the blinds and  gently closing the window.  She then returned to her own room and got in bed.  Thinking back on what Weiss said and did, she laughed softly before rolling over.  Guess the Schnee wasn’t all bad after all.

Chapter Text

Ilia walked with the rest of her team to their next class with Professor Peach.  It had been a week since School had started, and not much had happened.  Blake told her that Weiss had apologized to both Ruby and the team for her behavior the morning after Ilia had seen her give the young wolf faunus some coffee, and since then the two actually had started to get along quite well.  Weiss could often be found helping Ruby with her studies on dust, an area Ruby herself admitted she was lacking in as she never got to attend the advanced dust classes offered to juniors and seniors of Signal Academy, and Ruby would help quiz Weiss on the different strengths, weaknesses, and abilities of different grimm, something Ruby had plenty of experience with.

“Hey Weiss.”  Speaking of the Imp, Ilia turned to look over her shoulder, where Ruby and Weiss were walking next to each other.  “We have a free period after lunch, do you want to spar together?  I could use the practice.”

“Ruby, you’re one of the most talented fighters in our year.  I’ve seen the move you can do with your scythe.  Why do you need practice?”

“Most of them are for fighting grimm, in wide spaces.  If we’re going to have a chance at the Vytal Festival, I need to come up with new moves that will be better for tournament-style combat.”

“I guess that would be a good idea.”  Weiss tapped her chin, before pulling out her scroll.  “I already planned to exercise during that time.  And I do need to practice fighting against people whose weapons have greater reach and power than mine.  Sparring with you allows me to do both.”

“Yay!”  Ruby wrapped Weiss in a hug.  “Thanks Weiss, you’re the best!”

“Dolt.”  Weiss rolled her eyes, but a fond smile was visible on her face.

As they all filed into the classroom, Ilia’s attention was drawn to the woman standing behind the desk, writing on the board.  She wore a long white lab coat and protective goggles around her neck.  Her hair was quite long, even in a ponytail, with the end coming down to the small of her back.  Currently, she was drawing several symbols on the board.  Once everyone had taken their seats, she turned around.

“Good morning everyone, I am Professor Peach.  Today you will be taking one of the most critical tests you will perform here at Beacon.”

“What?!  But I haven’t studied for it!”  Ilia turned to see Jaune standing up, eyes wide.

“Not to worry Mr. Arc, for this test the only thing you need is an active aura.”  Reaching behind the desk, the professor unlocked a drawer and pulled it open.  Reaching inside, she began placing brightly colored crystals on her desk.  “Today each and every one of you will be tested to see which kind of dust your aura has an affinity for.  Once that is complete I will go over the basics of each kind of dust and their uses.”

“Oh.”  Jaune sat back down, rubbing the back of his neck.

“What if we already know our dust affinity.”  Another student asked.  Ilia recognized him as one of the team leaders selected this year.

“Everyone will be tested, Cardin, for each kind of dust, no exceptions.  If you’re so anxious to be done, you and your team can go first.”  Cardin shrugged, standing up and making his way down to the desk where Professor Peach picked up a red crystal and held it out to him.

“Please hold this and flare your aura.”

Cardin rolled his eyes but accepted the crystal.  Ilia watches his aura light up, creating a visible red sheen along his body.  Then, the crystal began to glow as well.

“Very well done Cardin, you can stop now.”

Cardin let his aura drop and tossed the crystal back to Professor Peach, who caught it with a frown.  “That will be detention and a five-page essay on the basics of dust safety in a week.  You are a hunter in training, you are expected to know this by now.  Do something like that again and I’ll see Professor Ozpin has you suspended.”  Ignoring the scowl Cardin sent her way, Professor Peach gestured to the rest of the crystals.  “Please repeat the test with the rest of these.”

Ilia watched Cardin as he continued performing the tests.  None of the other crystals glowed when he flared his aura.  Once he was done Professor Peach asked him to sit down.

“Now, as you all saw, the fire dust crystal glowed when Cardin flared his aura.  That means he has an affinity with fire dust.  Can anyone tell me what that means?”  Beside Ilia, Mason raised a hand.  “Yes, Mr. Verdant?”

“It means that fire dust will activate upon contact with his aura, and he will be able to control fire generated by the dust to a degree.”

“Very good.  That is why this test is essential for all huntsmen and huntresses.  Knowing what dust affinity you have is critical in building your weapon and fighting style.”  She focused on the bench Cardin was sitting at. 
“And just because you know one affinity does not mean you don’t have more.  While it is uncommon for people to have more than one affinity, it does happen.  Now, will the rest of your team please step forward so they too can complete the test?”

Team RDL all filed up to the desk.  Lark also had an affinity to fire dust, while Russel had an affinity to wind dust and Dove an affinity to rock.  After that team JNPR was called up.  Jaune had an affinity for water dust, Pyrrha, and surprisingly Nora, lightning, and Ren wind.

“Uhm, professor?” Jaune asked once his team was done with the test.  “What should we do if our weapon doesn’t use dust?”

“I suggest you talk with Professor H. Phestus.  He’s in charge of the school’s weapon management and creation class, as well as the student forge and workshop.  He’ll have some suggestions for you.”

Once team JNPR was seated team RWBY was called up.  Yang had an affinity for fire dust, no surprise there, but Ruby had an affinity for both wind and lightning dust.

“Wow.”  Ruby examined the glowing, pale gray crystal.  “I knew I had an affinity for lightning dust, but not wind.  Oh my gosh, I have so many ideas on new modifications I can make to my fighting style and Cresent Rose.”

“I’ll give you the same advice as Jaune.”  Professor Peach smiled lightly.  “But from what your uncle has told me about you, I highly doubt you’ll need it.”

Ruby shrugged.  “It’s still a good idea.  A second opinion never hurt anyone.”

“You sure about that Ruby?  Cause I remember quite a few times when I went to you for a second opinion, and we know how they worked out.”  Yang glanced at her sister with a raised eyebrow, making the wolf faunus turn red.

Blake was the next to step forward.  She also had an affinity for wind dust, which didn’t surprise Ilia with what she knew about both her semblance and fighting style.  Ilia honestly wouldn’t be surprised if her own affinity was for wind as well.

Weiss was the final member of team RWBY to perform the test.  To everyone’s shock, the fire, lightning, ice, and rock dust crystals all glowed.

“Oh my.”  Peach clapped her hands, a delighted smile on her face.  “Four affinities?  That’s even more than your sister I believe.  Very impressive.”

Weiss beamed at the statement, before composing herself.  “Schnees have a history of multiple affinities.  It has to do with our semblance.”

Team RWBY returned to their seats, and Peach turned to where Ilia’s team was sitting.  “Team MAIM, you’re up.”

The four of them got to their feet and made their way to the desk.  Mason took the lead, the test showing he had an affinity for fire dust.  Alba went next, who to Ilia’s amazement, also had four affinities, wind, water, fire, and rock.

“Wonderful!”  Peach was almost bouncing on her feet.  “Two people with four affinities?  This has got to be a record of some kind.”  She smiled at Alba, before turning to Weiss.  “I expect great things from both of you in this class.”

“Okay.”  Alba stepped aside, allowing Ilia to pass her.  Ilia picked up the fire crystal, flaring her aura.  Nothing happened as she expected, and she moved on.  She quickly passed earth, water, plant, and ice with no reaction from any of them.  Lightning remained dormant, much to her disappointment, and she moved to the wind dust crystal.  Picking it up, she flared her aura, but nothing happened.  Frowning, she set the crystal down, reaching for the next one only to find none.

“Hah!”  Ilia turned to face Cardin, who was looking at her with a smarmy grin.  “No affinity?  How do you expect to be a huntress if you don’t have a dust affinity?”

“Don’t be so quick to judge Cardin.”  Professor Peach gestured to three more crystals, each of which was in special containers.  “Here, try one of these.”

Looking at the crystals, she saw they were black, dark grey, and cyan blue.  Curious, she grabbed the black one.  Flaring her aura, she watched the crystal glow violet.

“Excellent!”  Ilia looked up at Peach, who had a mad gleam in her eyes.  “A gravity dust affinity!  That is one of the rarest affinities to have!  Only eight have been recorded in the past decade, which includes you Ms. Amitola.  You are truly something special.”

Ilia felt herself swell with pride.  A gravity dust affinity.  Oh, how she wished she could find her old classmates from Atlas and rub this in their faces.  A lowly faunus having one of the rarest affinities possible.  That would irritate them for sure.  Trying the final two crystals, she got no reaction, and she stepped back.

Mika was the last to step forward.  He went through the main crystals Professor Peach had set out with no reaction, before moving to the final three.  He got no reaction from the gravity or cyan crystal, but when he tried the dark grey one it glowed.

“An iron dust affinity.”  Peach leaned forward.  “Fascinating.  Not quite as rare as gravity dust, but still a very uncommon affinity.  This is shaping up to be an interesting year.”  She clapped her hands.  “Now, if you would all return to your desks we can start today’s lesson.”

As Ilia walked back up the steps and sat down, she wondered how she could modify Lightning Lash to incorporate gravity dust.  It was among the most difficult to work with, so most people stuck to using it in crystal or powdered form.  Maybe she could ask Ruby for advice.

Once class with Professor Peach ended came combat lessons with Professor Goodwitch.  Ilia winced as Jaune lost badly against Cardin.  Professor Goodwitch chastised him for not watching his aura level, before moving on to talk about the Vytal Festival this year.  As she talked, Ilia continued to wonder about Jaune.  He was clearly talented, but the way he struggled in combat reminded her of new recruits to the White Fang.  Surely he couldn’t have never received any combat training before?  This was Beacon, one of the Hunter Academies.

Once combat class was over they all made their way to the cafeteria for lunch.  After they’d all gotten their food Ilia’s team joined RWBY and JNPR at one of the tables, where Nora was telling a story to the rest of them, with Ren correcting her every other sentence.  Ilia focused on Ruby and Pyrrha, who were watching Jaune pick at his food.

“What’s the matter?”  Ilia sat down next to Ruby.

“Not you too Ilia.”  Jaune stabbed a piece of chicken with his fork.  “I’m fine.”

Ilia was about to say more, only to have her attention diverted by a cry of pain.  Turning, she saw Cardin pulling on the ear of a rabbit faunus.  She felt her skin change colors, rage flaring up inside her as Cardin’s teammates joined in on making fun of her.

“Oh, he’s asking for it.”  Yang stood up.  “You coming Ilia?”

“Absolutely.”  Ilia stood up as well.  “I’ll knock his teeth out.”

“I’ll break his legs!”  Nora sprang to her feet, quickly catching up to them as the three marched toward the bullies.

“I told you it was real!”  Cardin laughed as he yanked on the faunus’ ears one more time, making Ilia’s blood boil.  Before she and the others could react, however, someone else beat them to it.

“Hey, Asshole!”  Cardin turned just in time for a girl wearing sunglasses and a beret to land a flying kick straight to his face, making him let go of the rabbit faunus in the process.  As Cardin lay groaning on the ground, the new girl turned to the one they were bullying.

“Are you okay Velvet?”  She reached out a hand, and the rabbit girl accepted it.

“I’m fine Coco.”  The other girl smiled as she gently rubbed the former’s rabbit ears, making her sigh.

“Nice one!”  Nora cheered, with Ilia and Yang nodding in agreement.  The beret girl turned to them.

“Don’t mention it.”  She smiled.  “And thanks for coming to help, that means a lot to me and my team.  If you ever need our help with something, just ask.”

“You got it.”  Yang shot her a thumbs up, before turning around.  “Come on girls, looks like our work here is done.”

“Ah, but I didn’t get to break his legs.”  Ilia snorted at Nora’s statement.  She sounded like a kid who got their favorite toy taken away.

“I’m sure you’ll get another chance.”

As the three of them sat down, Ruby asked, “Do you think that will get him to stop?”

“Not in the slightest.”  Weiss took a sip of her drink.  “I’ve had to deal with far too many people like Cardin.  They’re so convinced of their supposed greatness.  If anything, the blow to his ‘manly ego,’” She shot a glance at Jaune, “Will only make him worse.”

Jaune got up and walked out of the cafeteria, leaving his unfinished food behind.  They watched him go, unsure of what to do.

“Is there any way we can make Cardin leave Jaune alone?”  Pyrrha asked, her lips pursed.

“Only Jaune can do that.”  They turned to Mason, who set down his fork.  “He has to show Cardin that he can’t push him around.”

After lunch, Weiss and Ruby left to find an empty training area with Mika deciding to tag along, while Pyrrha, Nora, and Ren went to search for their team leader.  Mason went to find the dust lab, while Alba decided to head back to their room to study.  Ilia followed Yang and Blake to the library, wanting to spend some time with the two while they studied.

“So, Ilia, gravity dust affinity?”  Yang smirked at her, and Ilia resisted the urge to change color.

“Yeah.  That’s a surprise.  I thought I’d get wind like Blake.  We have similar fighting styles.”

Yang shrugged.  “Well, your affinity does explain the way you seem to pull me in.”

Ilia snorted.  “That was terrible.  You should be ashamed of yourself.”

“Why should I?”  Yang leaned forward.  “You have this natural attraction , I can’t help it if I end up gravitating towards you.”

Ilia broke down into giggles.  Those puns should not be as funny as they were.  Yang then leaned closer, making Ilia freeze.

“That’s not all,” Yang whispered into her ear.  Ilia shivered as her spots turned pink.

“O-Oh?”  Ilia gulped.  “W-what else is there?”

“Want to know what I find really attractive?”  Yang leaned back a little so she could look Ilia in the eyes.  Said girl gulped but nodded.  Yang smirked, her eyes smoldering, as she brought a hand up and gently brushed her thumb against one of Ilia’s scale-like freckles.

“These.”  Her smirk widened.  “Especially when they turn such an amazing color.  Makes you look very sexy.”

Ilia felt her face flush as her spots darkened and her skin turned, surprisingly, brilliant yellow.  Yang brushed her thumb against Ilia’s cheek some more, sending delightful shivers down her spine, before withdrawing her hand and sitting up.

“Well then, I’m going to get some books on math and science.  I may be amazing, but those formulas have it out for me.”  She smiled at Ilia and Blake.  “Any books I can find for you?”

“I’m good.”  Blake pulled out their history coursebook.  “Just going to brush up on a few things before our next class.  How about you Ilia?”

“Oh, uh, could you get me a book on gravity dust?  I’m hoping to get ideas on how to incorporate that into Lightning Lash now that I know I have an affinity for it.  And if you can find a book on discovering semblances that would also be nice.”

“You got it.”  Yang winked.  “I’d never refuse a request from a pretty lady like yourself.”

With that, Yang left, leaving a blushing Ilia in her wake.  Once she got control of her color, she glanced at Blake, finding a large smirk on her best friend’s face, eyes twinkling.

“Well, seems like she’s taken a liking to you.”  Blake's voice was filled with mirth.

“It’s not what you think,” She insisted, “That’s just Yang being friendly.  Ruby told me she’s always like that.”

“Always like that?”  Blake’s smirk grew.  “Or always like that around someone she thinks is cute?”  The glare Ilia sent her only made Blake laugh.  “Oh come on Ilia.  You can’t deny she at least finds you attractive, even if she displays it with atrocious puns.”

“You loved those puns, don’t deny it.”  Ilia continued to glare at Blake.

“So did you, based on how you were giggling.”  Blake leaned over and bumped shoulders with her.  “Come on, you can admit that you have a crush on her.  It’s not like it will change anything between us.”

Blake’s statement felt like a bullet in Ilia’s heart.  “Y-yeah, uh, sure.”

Blake frowned, but before she could say anything, Yang returned with the books.  Ilia quickly grabbed hers, thanking Yang, before she pretended to read.  Blake tried to get her attention a few times, discretely, but Ilia pretended not to notice.  After about thirty minutes Yang got a text.  Checking her scroll, she turned to Blake.

“Hey, Ruby’s having trouble finding her books for our next class.  Do you think you could help her?  Weiss is currently showering, and once she’s done Ruby needs to take one as well, so she won’t have time afterward.”

“Okay.”  Blake packed up her books, shooting one last concerned glance at Ilia before leaving.  Once she was gone, Yang turned to her.

“You have a crush on Blake.”

Ilia jerked, banging her knee on the bottom of the table.  “What!  W-w-what are you talking about?”

“I overheard the tail end of your conversation, something about not changing anything between us?”  Seeing Ilia shrink in on herself, Yang placed a hand on her knee.  “Hey don’t worry, it will be okay.  Do you want to talk to me about it?”

Ilia hesitated.  How is she supposed to explain this without going into both of their pasts with the White Fang and Adam?

Seeing her hesitation, Yang pulled back.  “If you don’t want to, that’s fine.”

“No!  It’s not that.”  Ilia bit her lip.  “It’s just, it’s complicated, and not entirely my story to tell.”

“Well, what can you tell me?”  Yang smiled gently.

“Well…”  Ilia drummed her fingers on the table, thinking of what to say.  “I met Blake when I was 11.  I had just arrived on Menagerie, no friends, no family, and she was there, greeting all the new arrivals.  When she saw me and learned I didn’t have anywhere to go, she dragged me to her parents and demanded that they let her ‘cool new friend’ stay at their house.”

Yang snorted.  “Oh, that is adorable.  I’m guessing it was love at first sight?”

Ilia smiled, ignoring the heat rising in her cheeks.  “Not exactly, but pretty close.  We’ve been through a lot together.  But she started to crush on this guy,” Yang nodded as Ilia’s lips curled slightly, “and started to do everything with him.  I honestly thought they were going to be a couple.  Then one day, after an outing with him, she just flat-out disappears.  The guy was super angry and accuses me of saying something, which I didn’t, before telling me that the reason she left was that she learned about my feelings.”

Yang was scowling at this point.  “I don’t like the sound of this ‘guy.’  I’m guessing he was lying?”

Ilia nodded.  “Yeah.  I didn’t know that at first though, so I was kinda heartbroken over it.  Then a close friend of her family helps arrange for my spot at Beacon, and I find her here.”

“And now you’re a bit unsure of where to go, especially since it sounds like she’s dealing with a really bad breakup.”  Yang leaned back.  “Okay, that makes sense.”

“I mean.”  Ilia floundered for a moment.  “I think she’s alright, but Blakes really good at hiding her feelings when she wants to be.  I want to be with her, but…”

“But you’re not sure she wants to, is interested in girls, or is even willing to try a relationship right now.”  Yang leaned forward and clapped her on the shoulder.  “Don’t worry Ilia, Yang is here to help.”

“Huh?”  Ilia cocked her head.  “How can you help with this?”

“Easy.”  Yang smiled.  “I’m going to flirt with her.”

“WH-” Ilia almost screamed before Yang pressed a hand to her mouth.

“Here me out.  This will allow me to gauge how receptive she is to the idea of getting into a relationship with you.”

“MmhHhhmm,” Ilia mumbled, and Yang withdrew her hand.  “I mean, but how?”

“Simple.”  Yang leaned back.  “First off, me flirting with her will allow me to find out if she’s interested in girls.”

“I don’t think she is.”  Ilia slouched forward.  “Remember what I said about her having a crush on a guy?  Pretty sure she’s straight.”

“So were the Malachites until I got to them.”  Yang’s smirk grew.

“Who?”  Ilia frowned.  The name sounded familiar, but she couldn’t quite place it.

“The Malachites.  They’re a set of twins I dated for a few weeks about a year ago.  Nothing serious, but they admitted that until me, they never thought they’d give dating a girl a try, especially not sharing one.”

“Sh-share?”  Ilia’s voice rose an octave.  “Y-you mean-”

“Yup, I dated both of them at the same time.”  Yang grinned.  “It wasn’t exactly a serious relationship, but all three of us did enjoy it.”

Ilia remained silent as, thoughts, swirled in her head.

“Moving on, if she is receptive to a girl flirting with her, then I can move on to seeing how receptive she is to the idea of a relationship.  If she doesn’t shut me down, then I can tease her about being your girlfriend.”

“Wait what!”  Ilia’s skin turned violet as her spots turned pink.  “B-b-b-blake and m-m-me, g-g-g-girl-f-f-f-fr-”

“Yup, the G word.”  Yang nodded.  “If she gets flustered over that, then that means she at least finds you attractive.  From there it will be up to you to woo her over.”

Yang checked the time, closing up her book.  “Well, we’ve got to head to class in a few minutes.  Let’s get going.”

Yang got up and walked out, leaving Ilia with images of her walking down the street, holding Blake’s hand with one of hers while the other held Yang’s.  Ilia flopped on the table with a groan, knowing the fact that Yang was open to relationships with multiple partners was going to haunt her for a long time.

Ilia left her teams room and began looking for a quiet place.  It had been a long day, made even longer by the fact that Cardin called all faunus animals when asked what advantage General Leonidas and his forces had over General Lagune's.  Ilia nearly attacked Cardin over that before Oobleck assigned him a month of detention and a twelve-page essay on the battle between Leonidas and Lagune and the events leading up to it.  It was nice to see teachers actually sticking up for faunus instead of attacking them.  She had finished a good amount of her homework, and she was now looking for a place to call Sienna.

Looking around, she found a door that led out to the rooftops.  She went through and closed it behind her before pulling out her scroll and dialing Sienna.  After a few rings, she picked up.

“Hello Ilia, is everything going smoothly?”

“So far.  Torchwick appears to be lying low right now, same with the local branch of the White Fang.”

“That would make sense.  After all, Torchwick was nearly captured by you, Ruby Rose, and Glynda Goodwitch.  They’ll probably wait until the police have calmed down before making their next move.”

“How have things been with Tukson?”  Ilia leaned back against the wall.  “Have you been able to figure anything out about those humans?”

“A little, but not nearly enough.”  She heard Sienna sigh.  “We believe that two of them are fairly young, around hunter academy age.  I’m worried they might use that to their advantage with the coming Vytal Festival.”

Ilia frowned.  “You mean they might pose as students, use fake IDs to carry their weapons around in public?”

“Possibly, but I’m more worried about them trying to make some sort of spectacle.  People from all four kingdoms and Menagerie will be in Vale at the time of the festival, with international coverage.  It’s the perfect time to make a statement.”

“We still have a few months until then though, right?”

“Yes, which gives us some time.”  She heard Sienna sort through some papers.  “On another note, how’s your team?  Everything going smoothly at Beacon?  And how are the rest of the teams in your year doing?”

“Things are going smoothly for now.  Weiss was a bit of a bitch at first over not being chosen as team leader, but it seems like one of the professors here talked some sense into her.  She and Ruby are actually getting along quite well now.”

“That’s good.  If Weiss Schnee is becoming friends with a faunus, then it means she doesn’t hold the same views as her father.  If she becomes head of the SDC in a few years then we should be able to negotiate better conditions for the faunus workers they employ with her.”

Ilia bit her lip.  “Actually, there’s something you should know about the SDC.”

“What is it.”

“When my team was talking with each other, Mikazuki claimed that the SDC used Blitzkrieg Railguns to destroy the Iron Flower Guard, and they were provided to them by the Atlas military.”

Sienna was silent for several seconds.  “You’re serious.”

“I am.”  Ilia began pacing.  “I may not be well versed in inter-kingdom politics, but even I know that if Jacque Schnee and the SDC are convicted of employing those railguns it would spell the end of both.”

“And there lies the problem.”  She heard Sienna stand up.  “They need to be convicted, which means there needs to be evidence, something Jacque Schnee is notorious for making disappear or twisting to suit his needs.  While it is illegal to use Blitzkrieg Railguns against humans and faunus, they are not illegal against grimm, just like any weapon.  Unless we can find irrefutable evidence that he was targeting the members of the Iron Flower Guard with them, the grimm excuse will make it difficult to convict him.”

Ilia scowled.  “That’s stupid.”

“That’s politics.  Those gray areas are very wide, and people like Jaqcue Schnee are experts at hiding their illegal activities in said areas.  Anything else to report?”

“Not for now.  I’ll call you back in a week.”

“Alright.  I’ll be waiting for your next report.”

As Ilia ended the call, she heard the door begin to open behind her.  She immediately leaped to the rooftop, using her aura to empower her jump.  There she crouched down and waited to see who it was.  Pyrrha and Jaune emerged onto the rooftop.  Ilia thought about revealing herself, but before she could Jaune began speaking.

“Pyrrha, I know I'm going through a hard time right now, but I'm not that depressed.”  Jaune looked down at the ground below.  “I can always be a farmer or something.”

“N-n-no!” Pyrrha immediately pulled him back. “That's not why I brought you up here!  Jaune, I know you're having a difficult time in class and that you're still not the strongest of fighters, so... I want to help you!”

“Wh-what?”

“We can train up here after class where no one can bother us!”

Ilia’s eyes widened.  An offer of personal training by Pyrrha Nikos?  Most people would kill for an opportunity like that.  Unfortunately, it seemed like Jaune wasn’t like most people.

“You think I need help?”  Jaune reached up to rub the back of his head.

The comment seemed to worry Pyrrha.  “N-no! No, that's not what I meant.”

Yes , Ilia thought, You really do.

“But you just said it.”

“Jaune, everybody needs a little push from time to time. It doesn't make you any different from the rest of us. You made it to Beacon! That speaks volumes of what you're capable of!”

Ilia had to agree with Pyrrha on that one.  Jaune may not be the best combatant, but he made it through initiation, something she knew couldn’t be said about a dozen or so other applicants.  The next thing Jaune said was too low for her to hear.  Pyrrha protested, and Ilia watch Jaune get angry.

“No, I don't!”  Jaune took a deep breath, calming down.  “I wasn't really accepted into Beacon…”

“What do you mean?”  Pyrrha seemed to be confused at the statement, a sentiment Ilia shared.

“I mean I didn't go to combat school, I didn't pass any tests. I didn't earn my spot at this Academy!”  Jaune turned around to face Pyrrha.  “I lied! I got my hands on some fake transcripts, and I lied!”

His partner appeared to be lost at the statement.  “What?  But, why?”

“'Cause this is always what I've wanted to be!” He turned away, a bit of desperation seeping into his voice.  “My father, my grandfather, and his father before him were all warriors! They were all heroes! I wanted to be one, too. I was just never good enough.”

“Then let me help you!”  Pyrrha placed a hand on his shoulder, but he shrugged it off.

“I don't want help! I don't want to be the damsel in distress! I want to be the hero!”  Pyrrha tried to say something, only for Jaune to cut her off.  “I'm tired of being the lovable idiot, stuck in the tree while his friends fight for their lives! Don't you understand? If I can't do this on my own... then what good am I?”

Pyrrha tried to reach out to him, only for Jaune to pull away.  He went back over to the edge of the roof.  “Just, leave me alone, okay?”

Pyrrha hesitated, before lowering her head.  “If that's what you think is best…”

Ilia watched her leave while Jaune paced at the edge of the rooftop.  She frowned at the way he brushed her off.  It was stupid.  If he really wanted to be “the hero” like he said he did, then he would’ve accepted Pyrrha’s offer to help.  Instead, his stupid pride was actually making things worse for him with his insistence on doing this on his own.  She was about to go confront him on it when she heard an obnoxious laugh.  Cardin pulled himself up onto the rooftop from below, and Ilia ground her teeth.  Of all the people to overhear that conversation, it just had to be him.

“I couldn't help but overhear you two from my dorm room.”  Cardin walked towards Jaune, making the latter back up.  “So, you snuck into Beacon, huh? I gotta say, Jaune, I never expected you to be such a rebel!”

“Please, Cardin, please, don't tell anyone!”

“Jaune, come on! I'd never rat on a friend like that!”

“A… a friend.”  Jaune was confused by the statement, but Ilia immediately knew where this was going.”

“Of course!”  Cardin trapped Jaune in a headlock.  “We're friends now, Jauney boy! And the way I see it, as long as you're there for me when I need you, we'll be friends for a long time.”

He releases Jaune, who falls to the ground.  Cardin then leans over him, a dark grin on his face.  “That being said, I really don't have time to do those extra readings Dr. Oobleck gave us today. Think you could take care of that for me, buddy?”  He rubs Jaune’s hair.  “That's what I thought.  Don't worry, Jaune; your secret's safe with me.”

“That’s assuming Ozpin doesn’t already know this and let Jaune into Beacon anyway.”  Ilia dropped down from the rooftop.  The other two turned to her, Jaune in a panic, and Cardin with a scowl.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Do you really think some fake transcripts are going to fool Professor Ozpin?” Ilia bluffed, “Come on.  I think he cares more about the fact that Jaune made it through initiation.”

“Please.”  Cardin laughed.  “Everyone knows you need to finish combat school to apply for a Hunter Academy.”

“I didn’t go to a combat school.”  Ilia’s statement took Cardin aback.  “Ozpin knows that.  I know a few other people didn’t as well.  Ozpin doesn’t care what credentials you have when you apply.  What he cares about is whether or not you can fight grimm.”

“Then I’ll post it online.”  Cardin stepped forward.  “See how Ozpin reacts when everyone knows a student lied his way into Beacon.”

“Wow, Cardin, I didn’t know you’d stoop as low as to tell lies about a fellow student that you don’t like.”  Ilia grinned.  Looks like her experience as an Atlas prep girl was finally paying off.

“What do you mean?”  Cardin stepped forward.  “He admitted it himself.”

“Did he?”  Ilia tapped her chin.  “I don’t remember him saying anything like that.  Did you say that Jaune?”

“Uh-”  Jaune glanced between the two, a confused look on his face.

“See, he didn’t.”  Ilia pressed on.  “And I’m certain Pyrrha Nikos would agree with me.  So it would be your word against us three, and if Pyrrha Nikos claims that Jaune earned his spot in Beacon, who do you think people will believe?  You, or her.”

Cardin growled, and Ilia smirked.  “Just leave Cardin.  Before I go to Professor Goodwitch and tell her you’re trying to blackmail a student into doing your homework for you.”

Cardin looked ready to punch her, but surprisingly he held himself back.  Turning around in a huff, he walked back to the edge of the roof and swung down.  Jaune turned to her with a grateful look.

“Thanks, Ilia.”

“No problem.  Now that the bully is taken care of…”  She slugged him on the arm, making him yelp.

“What was that for?”  Jaune rubbed the spot where she hit.

“For being an idiot.”  Ilia crossed her arms.  “Do you have any idea how many people would love to train with Pyrrha Nikos?  And then she just straight up offers to help you and you turn it down?  You really are quite dumb, you know that.”

Jaune scowled.  “I need to do this on my own.”

“Why, to be a hero?”  Ilia stepped forward.  “Newsflash, this isn’t some fairy tale.  This is real life, and in real life, things aren’t sunshine and rainbows where the hero surmounts all odds and comes out on top.  Bad shit happens, and people die, especially if they refuse to take things seriously.”

“I am serious!”

“No, you’re not!”  Ilia jabbed a finger into his chest.  “You’re treating this like it’s some kind of game.  Real lives are at stake here Jaune, even Ruby knows that and she’s two years younger than us!  If you really want to be a hero, swallow your pride, apologize to Pyrrha, and beg her to train you.  If you can’t do that, then you really don’t belong here.”

With that, Ilia returned to her room, leaving Jaune to his thoughts.  Hopefully, he’d get his head out of his ass and take her advice.  She liked Jaune, he was friendly, and respectful and didn’t have any prejudices against faunus.  Still, if he didn’t get over his pride, then it’s better he left Beacon now than get him and hiss team killed fighting grimm because he couldn’t pull his own weight.