Strider's Cove

Marketplace

16:01 hours

"Are you sure it's safe to eat?" Ruby asks as the squad approaches one of the many street side bars located in the expansive marketplace, which is teeming with activity, mainly locals buying food. Soldiers and mercenaries are also present, touring the weapons and clothes shops, looking for new equipment better suited for Viktor Speeder terrain. Militiamen exclusively stand on roofs in the Market, suppressing any possibility of violence. "Isn't food exactly what you aren't supposed to eat after you throw up?"

"No, it's fine," Blake replies. "Once the digestive system is clear of Faunus Moon, you're completely normal again."

"Really? No side effects after that?" Weiss asks.

"No. Well, you could get blood poisoning if you drink too much too quickly."

"I really regret ever picking up that glass," Yang mumbles. "Come on, let's eat. I can still taste it in my mouth."

"If you say so," Ruby says, and they sit on the stools of the noodle bar. The shopkeep, an old Faunus man, with balding grey hair and squinting eyes that are practically shut, stare at them while stirring one of many pots of noodles on a long stove.

"How much?" he asks gruffly.

"Um, do you have a menu or-" Weiss asks.

"How much. Amount," the shopkeep interrupts, still stirring. Blake smiles. She's the only one that knows how border Faunus truly understand each other, and loves showing her squad the reins.

"Limited stock, Weiss," Blake says. "Humans get one selection, and get to choose the size of the bowl, that's it." The shopkeep nods to Blake in agreement.

"Well, I'm starving," Yang says. "Hit me with your biggest." In one fluid motion, the shopkeep pulls a bowl, easily twice the size of Yang's head, from a shelf below the stove, fills it with a single dump of noodles, and slides it down the counter to directly in front of Yang. A smile slowly grows on Yang.

"Oooh," Ruby says, gawking at the bowl. "I'll have the same!" she tells the shopkeep, who slides an identical bowl to her instantly.

"Alright, I'll have that size as well," Weiss sighs. "But do you have some sort of low fat-" And the bowl is already in front of her. "...You know what, it's fine."

The shopkeep looks at Blake, and smiles.

"Special?" he asks. Blake nods. The shopkeep takes a bowl and walks to the back of the shop, and flames come to life as he goes to work.

"I thought all he had was noodles?" Weiss asks, picking at the massive stack of noodles with her fork.

"For humans, yeah," Blake replies. "You don't know? A lot of Faunus inherit a very specific pheromone from our modified genes that gives us an instinctive, uh, 'favorite' food. Those that have a pheromone are attracted to a specific type of food. Mine is-"

Blake stops when the shopkeep emerges, with a bowl stacked high with fish. Nothing but fresh, raw, tuna. Blake's eyes instantly widen in a trance, drool already sliding out of her agape jaw.

"Is that why I can never find my salmon rations?" Weiss asks. Blake doesn't answer, only watches the bowl slide to her.

"Hey," the shopkeep says. "Pay first."

"You take kingdom money?" Yang asks, pulling out a wad of Lien. The shopkeep shakes his head.

"Too much counterfeit trash around here. Local coin or nothing."

"Damn, I only have Lien too," Ruby says. "Blake, you have anything?" Blake suddenly looks up, shocked. She quickly searches her pockets.

"Shit! I left it at the barracks!" She turns to the shopkeep. "Do you barter? I've got plenty for that." The shopkeep shakes his head. "You like 5.56 rounds? How about an extra pair of combat gloves?"

"Local coin or nothing."

"Don't worry guys," Weiss says, pulling out a credit card and holding it out to the shopkeep. "I've got it covered. Credit works anywhere on Remnant." The shopkeep takes the card, stares at it unamused, and tosses it back onto the counter. "Local coin. Or nothing."

"What!?" Weiss exclaims. "What kind of barbarian camp is this place that doesn't accept credit!?"

"What am I gonna do with invisible money?" Shopkeep says, picking up Blake's bowl. Blake helplessly reaches out for it, then sighs in defeat.

"Need some backup?" a voice says behind the squad.

"Pyrrha!" Ruby exclaims when they turn around. JNPR Squad are in their casual gear as well.

"Really!? Could you!?" Blake says.

"Oh, that's quite alright…" Weiss says, shoving her card back in her pocket.

"Shut up, Weiss!" Blake says. Pyrrha smiles.

"It's not a problem," Pyrrha says, pulling out a handful of locally minted coins, the value inscribed on one side and symbol of the local militia on the other. "Not like I'm spending it on anything else, right? Four more bowls, please," she says to the shopkeep, who nods, happily accepting and pocketing the coins. By the time JNPR squad sits down, their bowls are already in front of them.

"So how are you guys killing time for the investigation to end?" Jaune asks.

"...Should we tell them?" Ruby asks her squad. She looks behind her suspiciously, as if to find one of Ironwood's men spying on them, making sure they don't blow up any more taverns.

"I don't see why not," Yang says. "You know how we fought those humans in Vale?"

"That's when we met!" Nora says excitedly. Somehow, she's already emptied her bowl.

"That was before, Nora," Ren says, slowly eating his noodles.

"You're just jealous you didn't meet them first!" Nora says. Pyrrha smiles and shakes her head.

"Yeah, we remember," she says. "One of them was Yat, right?"

"Yep," Ruby says. "Now we're trying to find them in Viktor Speeder."

"What, on your own?" Jaune asks.

"Oooh, I love vigilante justice!" Nora exclaims. "It reminds me of one time in the village Ren and I grew up in on the outskirts of Raven Thunder. One time a group of bandits burned half our crops in the night, and in the morning we organized a search party and found one of them split from the main group, took him back to town and lynched him!"

"Oh god, please stop," Ren groans, putting his hand over his face.

"But the really crazy part about it," Nora continues. "Was that the bandit was actually a Federation soldier! So like a week later a whole battalion of Feds rolls into our village, notices the Fed we captured hanging from a tree, and burns the whole village to the ground, slaughter most of the adults, chase the survivors through the woods for a week straight, a lot of us getting captured from exhaustion and executed, then me and Ren are able to kill one of the Feds, take his gun, and try to heroically save the day by shooting at the Feds, which prompts them to just go ahead and burn the whole forest down, along with countless memories we made there, and forcing us to make a new life in the kingdoms as social outcasts with no friends, family, money, or future until the military academy found us practically starving on the sidewalk!"

RWBY and JNPR squad sit stunned and silent. Nora attempts to hold a giant grin, eye twitching.

"Yeah, we don't talk about it much," Ren says. "So about finding Yat's group?"

"Huh?" Ruby says. "Oh, yeah, right. We were able to find someone connected with the group, and we think one of them, a Shot Caller, is in Viktor Speeder, with possibly more of the group."

"Oh, they're Fang?" Pyrrha asks. "I thought they were with the Federation, mercenaries or something."

"They could be anything, as far as we know," Blake says. Her bowl is already empty as well. "But if one of them is a Shot Caller for the Fang, they're serious."

"Either way, it's not like we have anything better to do here," Yang says.

"True," Pyrrha says, then smiles and looks at Jaune. Jaune pauses mid noodle slurp and looks at her suspiciously.

"Wha?" he asks with a mouthful of noodles.

"I know you're thinking about asking to help them." Jaune swallows his noodles.

"Actually I really wasn't. Well, not seriously, anyway. I crossed my mind, but I figured we were to busy with...being investigated, and...Ren?"

"I'm down with going back to work," Ren says.

"Hell yeah!" Nora exclaims, and holds out a high five to Ren. When he sluggishly moves his hand to answer it, Nora dodges his hand and taps his nose with her finger. "Boop." Ren smiles.

"Ok, so where do we start?" Pyrrha asks. "What do you know so far?"

"Yang, what does your book say?" Blake asks Yang. Yang takes it out.

"Got this off of one of the humans in Vale," she says. "I've done lots of digging, and everyone we encountered in Vale is in here, all with affiliations with the Fang, Federation, and criminal networks. There are even some references to Tukson."

"You think someone in that book shot Tukson?" Ruby asks.

"Maybe," Yang says. "And maybe I'm positive about it."

"So where do we start?" Jaune asks.

"We need to get in contact with the White Fang," Blake says. "If their countersigns haven't changed since I got out, I should be able to get inside a cell and find out where Torchwick is."

"Alrighty, so where's the cell at?" Nora asks excitedly. Blake shrugs.

"Could be anywhere, especially in a big border city like this. We'll just have to ask around."

"Will they say anything to humans?" Ren asks.

"The Fang are known to work with humans on some smaller operations. They'll tell enough to get us to a cell, and then I'll get the intel we need."

"What, you think you're going in there alone?" Weiss says. "What if something happens and they figure out who you are?"

"They'll never let a human in their meetings, even if accompanied by a faunus. I'll have to take the risk. I know how they work, I'll be fine."

"You'll be surrounded by armed criminals. It's at least a fifty on one fight."

"Or fifty on two," a voice says behind them. The Hunters turn around.

"Velvet!?" Ruby says. Velvet gulps and approaches the bar. She's wearing civilian Predator camo clothing underneath an SPCS vest in multicam. Her AKMS is slung over her shoulder. Her face is wrinkled, and there are heavy bags under her eyes.

"How you holding up, girl?" Pyrrha asks. Velvet shrugs.

"Working on it, I suppose. Wanted to get out of Fort Beacon for a while, see something other than the walls of my room. Hey, I...I don't know exactly what you guys are doing, but I want to help."

"Uh, Velvet," Weiss says. "No offense, but I don't think you're-"

"Ready?" Velvet interrupts. "I'm fucked in the head, right?"

"Well...Yes. You kind of are."

"And that's not going to change any time soon, so I'm going to help now."

"Velvet, let's head back to Beacon," Yang says, getting off her stool and walking towards the Hunter. "We can talk there-"

"I swear to God if I go back inside that room I'm eating my gun the second the door closes." Yang stops advancing. Velvet takes a deep breath, her eyes starting to glisten.

"I think about it every second I'm awake, then have nightmares about it. But you know what? Yesterday I discovered something. If I aim down the iron sights of my AK, and imagine I'm in the field in the border or Vale or wherever, I'm at peace; I don't see Fox, or Coco, or Yat. I don't feel the barrel pressed against my skull. I only feel the calm collectiveness I've developed while looking down those sights. The only stable version of myself is a soldier. I don't care if I don't get to shoot or even raise my rifle, I just want to work again."

The Hunters look between each other.

"Hey, what's the worst that could happen?" Nora says. Blake walks up to Velvet, very close to her. They smell their scents for a moment.

"Velvet, tell me you're really, very sure about this," Blake says. Velvet bites her lip, then nods.

"I'm sure, sister," she says. Blake turns to RWBY and JNPR.

"You probably won't understand, but she'll be fine," Blake says.

"She just admitted to suicidal thoughts," Weiss says.

"Faunus don't have the same...outlook on life as humans. If she wanted to kill herself, she would've done it by now." Velvet nods. Pyrrha turns to Jaune and Ruby.

"Leaders?" she asks. Ruby and Jaune look at each other.

"Another Faunus would be helpful," Jaune says.

"And I trust Blake," Ruby says. "Alright, Velvet, welcome to the vigilante Hunter club." Velvet smiles.

"Thanks," she says.

"Alright, so let's get started," Blake says. "I'll debrief Velvet, while the rest of us start talking with the locals; militia, business owners, Faunus, anyone that may know something about the Fang. We regroup here when we find a Fang cell. Clear?" The Hunters nod, then Ruby remembers something.

"Uh, actually, guys," Ruby says. "I...have to go back to Fort Beacon."

"Why?" Weiss asks.

"...Definitely should've planned for this."

"...Port needs to see me. Something about the investigation. Probably shouldn't piss him off." Weiss shrugs.

"Alright, still have plenty of people to look for Fang cells."

"See you at Fort Beacon, Rubes," Yang says. Ruby smiles, waves goodbye, then starts walking towards their jeep.

"Dammit, why did I do that?!" she asks herself. "Penny won't be there until midnight. They might be done searching by then! And that's if Penny even decides to show up. No, no, stay positive. She'll be there, and everyone will be storming a White Fang cell when it happens. Besides, now I have time to actually figure out how to actually get Penny inside."

Strider's Cove

L Street, location of White Fang cell

22:43 hours

"Two more just went inside," Blake says, watching two teenage Faunus enter an abandoned apartment building, guarded by a human mercenary wearing a red and white armband. She and Velvet are sitting inside what used to be cafe, now ransacked, most likely by the Fang to secure their turf.

"Smell that?" Velvet says next to her, sniffing the air. "There's at least a dozen more in the area. Whoever got word out to enter in small groups did a damn good job."

"Fang recruiters don't take any chances," Blake says. "They've been getting inside the heads of these kids for weeks now, probably months. They haven't gotten this strong through disloyal soldiers."

A child Faunus from the other end of the street attempts to flash his hunger scent, the signal to enter the meeting next, but Blake releases her more powerful scent, overpowering it.

"We're doing it now?" Velvet asks. She's tapping her knee rapidly as she sits.

"You sure you'll be ok?" Blake asks.

"You said it yourself, I wouldn't be alive right now if I wasn't ok."

"Just making sure I read your scent right. Let's do this."

The two Faunus exit the cafe and casually walk straight towards the human sentry, who immediately locks eyes with them. They make sure to keep their arms stretched slightly out, away from their sidearms.

"Strange smell tonight, isn't there?" Blake asks the Sentry when they reach him.

"What's it smell like? Faunus?" the sentry asks in a dry tone.

"Yes." The sentry suddenly pulls out a pistol and waves it at Blake and Velvet. They don't flinch.

"What, you got something against Faunus, motherfucker?" the sentry demands.

"Yeah, alpha golf are devil dogs," Blake replies. The sentry rolls his eyes and holsters his gun. The countersign still works.

"Alright, go in," he says, and Blake and Velvet walk passed him into the building.

There are two Fang soldiers immediately inside the building, in full uniform and armed with Kel-Tec KSGs.

"Weapons in the crate," one of them orders, pointing to a wooden crate in the corner. Velvet and Blake comply, slowly taking out their M9s, held by the barrels, and place them inside the crate. The Fang member twirls his finger in the air, and Blake and Velvet turn around and extend their arms. The other Fang pats them down.

"Just body armor, but that's alright," he says. He hands them armbands, the same as the sentry outside, which they put on. "Down the hall, take a left, down the cellar. Every other room along the way is locked, but if you try anything-"

"Yeah, we got it," Blake says, and walks passed them, following their directions. Velvet is right behind her.

The cellar was most likely used for storage before the Fang took over, but has since been transformed into a small command and recruitment center, with new lighting, furniture, equipment, and weapons. Computers and assorted equipment dominate one corner of the room, screens flashing images of ID pictures and CCTV footage; probably tracking Fang member and enemies in the city. There's a small barracks; about a dozen cots and footlockers; directly across from it, along with multiple gun cabinets and gun racks, where long rifles, LMGs, and even a couple RPGs are proudly displayed. The majority of the room is empty, save for the dozens of Faunus, everyone from kids as young as ten wearing pajamas, to old men with loose ties around their neck. They are all wearing the red and white armbands. There's a stage made out of pallets and crates, with a large White Fang flag hanging behind it. There are armed Fang soldiers everywhere, surrounding the recruits. The Fang soldiers on the stage are wearing black special forces uniforms.

"Got deja vu from all this?" Velvet asks Blake.

"Yeah, I guess," she answers. "This seems to be a recruitment meeting for scouts, members that remain civilians and only report enemy activity. We'll bullshit our personal info at the end and go AWOL."

"They won't miss us?" Velvet asks. They slowly blend in with the crowd of recruits, who are trading thoughts and desires about wanting to fight the human menace.

"Scouts get captured a lot. Gotta keep connection to the Fang loose if they're interrogated. Scouting is something of a rite of passage in order to really get in the Fang. They won't come looking for us."

"Everyone, quiet down!" a Fang special force member shouts. "We're starting now!" The crowd quickly goes silent. A small smiling figure walks on stage, wearing black and pink AURA.

Neo.

"Shit, she was in Vale!" Blake whispers to Velvet. "Yang fought her hand to hand!"

"Who is she?"

"I don't know, but she must work directly with-"

Roman Torchwick walks up onto the stage.

"The fuck!?" Velvet whispers.

"Human!" one of the recruits shouts. Followed by a wave of jeers from the crowd.

"Fuck you, human!"

"Shoot him, Fang! What's he even doing here!?"

"Glad you asked, recruit!" Roman says. "Please, please, simmer down! Save the applause for the end! Allow me to explain myself!"

"We don't want your kind here, human!"

"I completely agree!" Roman says. This makes the crowd start to go silent. "Why do you think I'm here in the first place? Why the leadership of the White Fang entrusted me to supply and lead their troops into battle? It's because we, you and I, share a common enemy: The human race." A few cheers ring out from the audience.

"What the hell is going on!?" Velvet asks. "We weren't supposed to find him immediately!"

"No shit, just play it cool," Blake says. "We got lucky, I guess. Let's see where this heads."

"You know the worst part about being human?" Roman continues. "It's knowing that I'm part of a species that has done such terrible things; polluted Remnant, slaughtered millions of my own people, brought chaos and instability across the world. Humans don't care about anyone but themselves. And in their journey of greed, they created your species: The Faunus."

More whoops from the crowd.

"Instead of embracing and befriending their creations, they turned on them; they tried to exterminate your first generation, who rightfully defended themselves. Yeah, I'll admit it! The Faunus in the First World were defending themselves from the oppressive human race! All you guys want is the same freedom and rights as humanity has enjoyed all these years, right?"

Cheers ring out.

"Well that's where I come in. I'm one of the few humans that is willing to look past our physical and mental differences and see human and Faunus as equals, which many in the Coalition refuse to do. I have made it my goal, in my career and in my life, to unite humans and Faunus under one banner, and if that means using malicious activity to accomplish our goals, then so be it. And I know that, because you're here tonight, you all feel the same way."

More cheers.

"Humans are not the enemy, the Coalition is! And the sooner the Coalition falls, the sooner the rest of the Faunus, and those humans that wish for peaceful cooperation, can get on with our lives."

"Hell yeah, fuck the Coalition!" one of the recruits, a young girl, shouts.

"Damn right!" Roman shouts. He waits a few minutes to allow the recruits to cheer him on and shout their insults at the kingdoms, then continues.

"Now then," he says. "I know that most of you intended on staying in Strider's Cove to serve your race, but I happen to require more troops in Vale. If you wish to stay in your ruined city, spying on mercenaries and Coalition reservists, then that's fine...but if you really want to serve Remnant, and fight and die for what you believe in, then I can guarantee you a spot on the front lines in the Kingdom of Vale, fighting alongside your brothers and sisters of the White Fang and of the Federation."

"Yeah, I'm going to Vale!" a recruit shouts, which many more agree to.

"That's what I was expecting to hear!" Roman says. "Everyone that wants to kill racists in the kingdoms, go down the door to the right." Roman motions towards a door next to the stage. "Everyone that wants to scout in the city, stay where you are, and wait for the true patriots to start down their path of glory."

"Yeah, let's do it!" a recruit shouts. A Fang member opens, the door, and the recruits slowly start to move forward.

"Shit, wasn't expecting this," Blake says.

"What do we do?" Velvet asks.

"Hey, come on!" a recruit, an older man, says behind them, shoving them forward. "Don't you want to fight the humans in their own land? Let's go!"

"Hell yeah I wanna!" a teenage girl shouts back.

"Not you, them!" the man says, pointing at Blake and Velvet.

"We're moving," Blake mumbles, and grabs Velvet and starts shuffling forward.

"The hell are you doing!?" Velvet asks anxiously.

"They've noticed us," Blake says, watching the stage. A scowling Roman and the smiling Neo have locked eyes with them.

"Do they recognize you?' Velvet asks.

"Come on, faster!" the man shouts. "The fuck is wrong with you bitches?" Roman leans over and whispers something to Neo, who nods.

"Alright, get ready to move," Blake tells Velvet.

"Well start moving then!" the man shouts. Blake whirls around to face him.

"The hell is your problem!?" she blurts at him. With her back turned to all the guards, she quickly slides her hand down her pants, and pulls out Gambol Shroud.

"What the-" the man says, but freezes when Blake grabs his hand, and places the pistol in it.

"Gun!" Blake shouts, raising his hand over his head.

"No, wait!" the man shouts. Blake pulls the trigger, and the recruits start screaming and scatter.

"He's a spy!" Velvet shouts, adding to the confusion.

"Get outta here, I'll catch up!" Blake shouts to Velvet, pretending to try and wrestle the pistol out of the man's hand. Velvet nods and joins the recruits clamoring out of the cellar.

"Get outta the way!" one of the Fang soldiers shouts, weapon raised. Blake quickly looks around, and notices a circuit breaker protruding from the wall. She aims the pistol at it, and fires. The lights immediately go out, sparks flying out of the box.

Blake rips Gambol Shroud out of the man's hand and drops to the ground just as the Fang soldiers open fire. The man is ripped to pieces, and his bloodied body falls to the floor.

"Seal the building! No one gets out!" Roman orders. Blake looks to the stage. Roman is looking in all directions, confused by the dark, but Neo is looking straight at her.

"But...she's human!" Blake thinks.

"Drop the gun!" one of the Fang special forces orders Blake. Blake quickly looks around and, between the panicked Faunus, she spots a small window, near the top of the wall to her right.

"The spy brought friends!" Blake shouts, and shoots out the window.

"Shit, get outside and kill them all!" the Fang soldier orders his troops, and they run towards the exit. Neo is still watching Blake as Roman flips on a pair of night vision goggles.

"Where'd she go!?" he asks, looking around the room. Without waiting another second, Blake leaps for the window and clammers through.

Fang soldiers are attempting to secure the area, detaining any recruits they can and looking for the phantom human ambushers. The recruits are leaping up the buildings and rooftops. Lights inside surrounding buildings flip on as the Strider's Cove awakens to see what the noise is about.

Blake spots Velvet perched on top of a small rooftop waving to her. Blake waves back and quickly starts jumping up the skyline, just as Fang completely surrounds the area and militia trucks arrive.

"You good?" Blake asks when she reaches Velvet. Velvet breaths deep and smiles.

"Yeah, this is much better than my room at Beacon," she says. Blake smiles back.

"So what did you make of that?" Blake asks, as they watch the militia and Fang soldiers round up the recruits, apparently abandoning the search of the ambushers.

"No idea." Velvet replies. "How lucky is that? Finding the Shot Caller of the White Fang in a random recruitment meeting in the middle of Viktor Speeder?"

"Yeah, crazy," Blake says. "Come on, let's get back to the marketplace. The rest of us are gonna wanna know what's going on."

"Race you there," Velvet says, and jumps off the roof. Blake jumps after here, praying that it really was just luck that they found Roman so easily and not...something else.

Fort Beacon

200 ft. from southeast wall

23:59 hours

Ruby checks her watch for the hundredth something time while sitting against a lone oak tree, facing away from Fort Beacon.

"I did say midnight, right?" Ruby asks herself. "Or did I say eleven, or one? Maybe she thought I meant midnight tomorrow, or next week. Am I gonna have to sit out here every night in order to catch her following my bad instructions? I'm pretty sure Weiss already suspects, Blake could probably smell me. No, stop that, think positive. Maybe she's just being fashionably late. Aw, who am I kidding, this is the military, not a high school party. Maybe she doesn't even-"

"Ruby!" Penny blurts out next to Ruby.

"GAH!" Ruby screams, springing to her feet, only to fall back down while trying to run backwards away from Penny. "PENNY! WHAT THE FUCK!"

"Still a total dolt, I see," Penny giggles, extending her hand towards the fallen Hunter. Ruby starts laughing too, and accepts the help. Penny has ditched her disguise, and now wears black cargo pants and boots, an IOTV vest in UDP camouflage over a dark white shirt.

"Yeah, old habits die hard, I guess," Ruby says. "I didn't think you were going to show."

"But it just turned midnight."

"Yeah, well...you know...ah, nevermind, just anxiety."

"Right. So how do we get in?" Penny asks, eyeing the base. The walls of Fort Beacon are made out of HESCO barriers stacked two units high, with lookout towers on the four corners, flooding the open area with spotlights. Soldiers patrol the walls from the inside, and small, raised platforms are strategically placed to allow infantry to open fire on would-be attackers.

"So, since you have that endoskeleton," Ruby says. "That means that you can jump as high as a Faunus, right?"

"Affirmative."

"Perfect. I've been watching the spotlights, and it looks like there's a solid seven, eight second opening where they're not pointing towards the center-ish region of the wall. And it looks like…" Ruby looks through her binoculars. "Yep, a guard just rounded the corner. That means we just gotta wait a few more seconds until he's passed the middle of the wall, and you can jump in."

"No minefield?"

"No, the VAF stopped using them shortly after the end of the First War. Think you can make it?" Penny doesn't answer, only stands still, staring at the wall. "...Penny?" Ruby walks to the front of Penny. Her eyes are dashing wildly. Ruby waves her hand in front of her face. She doesn't blink. "Penny? You good?"

"I can get in," Penny suddenly says with a wide smile.

"Uhh, ok…" Ruby says. Penny digs into one of her vest pouches and pulls out a small device. It looks like a computer chip of some sort.

"Here, carry this with you into the base," Penny instructs. "My Polendina suit can lock onto it, and I can make my way to you using my HUD."

"Heads up display? How?"

"I lost my right eye in the explosion," Penny answers, then makes her right pupil rapidly dilate and contract.

"Oh, wow. Well that's cool."

"Yep. See you inside," Penny says, watching the base. As if on cue, the two spotlights swivel away from the wall, and Penny takes off running. She's as fast as Ruby in AURA, but without the bulky body. When she gets within ten feet of the wall, the spotlights nearing her position, she springs up and, not only clears the ten foot high wall, but lands on top of one of the barracks. Ruby is shocked at how quiet it was; while her AURA leggings would've sounded like an explosion, and the impact on the barracks probably would've made a giant dent on the roof, Penny barely made a sound. Even Faunus aren't that silent.

"Geez, did she even need my help getting in here?" she thinks. She looks through her binoculars. Penny goes prone facing her and flashes a thumbs up. "Well, let's not keep her waiting."

Ruby runs back to her jeep and casually drives through the main entrance of the base. None of the guards seem to be even remotely aware that someone from the outside just infiltrated the base. She hastily parks, keeping an eye out for Penny as she makes her way back to her barracks.

"Pssst," Ruby hears Penny whisper when she reaches her barracks, but she doesn't know where it's coming from.

"Penny?" Ruby whispers back.

"Pssssssssst," Penny replies.

"Seriously, Penny, no games in here. If someone sees you, I'm probably gonna get court martialed."

"Ok, friend," Penny says, then jumps down from the roof of the barracks, just as quietly as before.

"Did you make it all the way here just by running on roofs?" Ruby asks. Penny nods like an excited puppy. "How? How do you not make any noise when you run or jump?"

"Advanced shock absorbers in my legs and feet," Penny answers as they head inside the barracks. "Kinetic energy is generated as I run and jump, which is dispersed through my soles as I make contact with the ground, cushioning my fall greatly."

"Wow, that's crazy," Ruby says. "And you have all that inside your body? Does it feel heavy?"

"The Polendina suit is self-powered. I don't feel any different."

"Besides the whole super human strength thing, right?"

"Right," Penny giggles, then turns serious. "Say, friend, you said that if I was caught, you'd be court martialed."

"Yeah, probably, unless General Ozpin pulled some strings."

"You would take that risk just to see me again?"

"Of course, Penny. You were my only friend in 4th Platoon, and I thought you were dead this entire time. Now you're alive again, and I'm willing to break a few rules to be able to talk to you again. Friend." Ruby and Penny smile.

"Yes. Friend," Penny says.

"So, what have you been doing since you got your new skeleton?"

"Well, the first mission I did was in Angel Recon, because I'm immune to radiation poisoning. My mission was to extract Federation equipment left behind during the First War…"

They talked about their lives since the Second War began for the rest of the night, until Yang contacted Ruby and told her she and the rest of the Hunters were heading back. Ruby asked Penny if she could come back the next night.

"Of course, friend," Penny replied. "Why wouldn't I?"

White Fang outpost, location unknown

02:21 hours

"This is unacceptable, Agent Fall!" the holographic image of a Fed general scolds. "I kept you on a loose leash because your tactics were effective, but I'm tightening it again! Revert back to your original objectives immediately, or consider yourself terminated!"

"Remember who you're dealing with, general," Cinder replies, unfazed. "I answer to the Federation leadership directly. I doubt they'll appreciate a subordinate causing trouble and potentially disclosing highly confidential information."

"What confidential information!? What position am I in to...wait...are you blackmailing me?"

"My mission is far more important than yours, general. There are plenty of officers leading grunts into the meat grinder in Vale, but not enough of people like me, making the true difference in this war."

"I don't care about your so called 'true difference' Agent Fall-"

"But the Federation does."

"You are allying yourself with criminals!"

"A simple means to an end, general. And far more effective than your troops, government or mercenary, will ever be. Now don't interrupt my progress again, or else you will regret it." She cuts the transmission.

"Wow, Agent Fall," Roman sneers from the other side of the room. "You're a fantastic negotiator. Have you ever considered taking up a diplomatic position?"

"We're starting to turn heads back in Netvorville," Cinder says, ignoring Roman's remark. "It seems we have less time than I initially expected."

"You mean you were wrong? Well that's a relief. No worries, me and my people will be ready to move as soon as you are."

"Then I'm sure you'll be pleased to hear that the attack will commence in a week."

"What?" Roman says, genuinely surprised. "I thought we'd have at least two, maybe a month to prepare. You already have the blueprints prepared?"

"Mostly. They will complete development at the end of the week, at which time you will have readied your half of the strike force."

"Already ahead of you. Turns out one of the two Hunters we identified tonight has crossed paths with one of my best operatives. He'll be leading the charge." Roman hands Cinder a scroll displaying the profile of the operative. Cinder reads it over.

"How does he know the Hunter?"

"They were both in the Fang together. The Hunter deserted a while ago. Same one I shot at in Vale, apparently."

"Can your operative be trusted?"

"Absolutely. He's a true patriot. Hates humanity. Hates any Faunus that don't think the same way. He's gained quite the reputation in the ranks of the White Fang from his killings. The lower ranks look up to him."

"Good. Have him command my spectres as well. Make it a slaughterhouse."

"Don't worry about it. Once my operative is done, Fort Beacon will literally be a slaughterhouse."

"Looking forward to it. Now get to work."