"Ruby! Duck!"

Weiss's warning echoed through the forest. Ruby ducked, avoiding the slashing claws of the Beowolf, and sliced it in half. Ruby closed ranks with Weiss, as three more Beowolves came rushing into the clearing.

"Ready?"

Weiss could hear the smirk in Ruby's voice.

"Please. I could take this bunch with both hands behind my back."

"I'm sure you could. But we don't need to."

"What?"

"Watch."

Two loud gunshots cracked through the air, followed by the sickening sound of a blade lodging in a spinal column. The Beowolves collapsed, and Blake and Yang stepped over their corpses.

"How's it going, little sister?"

"We could have taken them."

"Sure you could. But this kitty here didn't want to risk her lovely young rose getting scratched."

Blake shot Yang an evil look. Ruby bounced over and grabbed Blake's hand, looking up at her. The cat ninja looked down at her, and planted a light kiss on her head.

"Oh my. Am I interrupting something?"

The four whirled towards the voice. On the edge of the clearing stood what appeared to be a man, shrouded in wisps of black mist. He wore what appeared to be a torn black suit, and a white mask similar to the face of a Grimm. His voice sounded odd, like it was underlain by the growls of a thousand animals.

Weiss, of course, was not fazed.

"Who are you, and what do you want?"

"What do I want? My dear girl, some manners would not go astray. It is customary to start with introductions, no? My name is Itami. Kuro Itami."

Blake stifled a giggle.

"Is my name amusing to you?"

"It's a little pretentious."

"Is it really? More pretentious that wearing a bow, thinking that it would hide those ears, is it, neko?"

Blake narrowed her eyes at him.

"What do you want?"

"My, my. You could cut the hostility here with a butterknife-"

Weiss raised Myrtenaster, and glyph appeared at its tip.

"Please leave. Now."

"Or…? You'll shoot me? Please do, if it makes you feel better."

Weiss looked questioningly at Ruby, who extended Crescent Rose, and motioned to the rest of her teammates to do the same. Then, Ruby turned to Kuro.

"You are trespassing in a combat zone. If you don't leave, we'll have to kill you."

"Like you killed them?"

Kuro spread his hands, motioning to the rapidly decaying bodies of the Grimm that they had slain.

"They're monsters. They'd have killed us if they could."

"Then the same holds true for me."

Ruby's eyes widened.

"Oh, you figured it out? Well done, kodomo."

Blake raised her pistol, and fired a shot at Kuro's face. He swung an elbow across his face, dragging wisps of black with it. The bullet traced a swirling hole through the mist, but on the other side, the white Grimm mask was untouched.

"That was rather ru-"

He was cut off by a barrage of fire from the rest of the team. Swirling holes appeared in the mist surround him. After ten seconds of sustained fire, the clearing was silent, and the mist fell sluggishly to the floor. Ruby turned to Blake.

"Do you think we got him?"

"I-"

"Missed!"

Kuro called out from the branch of a tree, waving jauntily at them. Yang, her hair blazing, fired a round from her shotgun. It passed through the mist, leaving a gaping hole.

"Dear me. I guess I'll be going. Do try not to die on the way out. It would be a shame if something were to kill you before your usefulness was up."

The mist swirled, and Kuro disappeared.

Ruby collapsed onto Blake's bed, too tired to be bothered climbing onto hers. The cat ninja stood, looking at her.

"Yes, Blake?"

"That's my bed, Ruby."

"I know." Ruby patted the spot next to her. "Sit next to me."

Blake remained still.

"Come on. Please?"

Ruby gave her the biggest puppy eyes she could manage. Blake relented, and sat. Ruby shifted, and placed her head in Blake's lap. Blake tensed for a moment, but gave in, and let Ruby stay there.

"Blake?"

"Yes, Ruby?"

"What did he call you?"

"Who?"

"That Itami guy."

"Kuro? He called me a cat."

"Kuro? He said his name was Itami."

"In that language, you give your last name first."

"Huh?"

"It's tradition."

Ruby looked up at her.

"How do you know that?"

Blake sighed, and leant her back against the wall.

"I was raised that way. It was my first language."

"Who taught you English, then?"

Blake hesitated.

"Blake?"

"The White Fang."

"Oh. Sorry."

Blake chuckled, and planted a small kiss on Ruby's forehead.

"It's ok."

Ruby sat up, and opened her arms. Blake rolled her eyes, and pulled Ruby into a tight hug.

"You may as well be my little sister, acting like this."

Ruby smirked, sensing an opening.

"Blake! I didn't know you were into that."

Blake growled, and flicked her on the forehead.

"Sorry." Ruby bowed her head. "No more hugs today, right?"

Blake pretended to think about it for a moment.

"I'll let you off this once."

Ruby hugged her.

"I love you, Blake."

Blake smiled.

"I-"

"Team RWBY, please report to Professor Ozpin's office immediately."