As far as interrogation rooms went, Yang had been in worse. There was a provided mug of coffee (which was untouched, though she appreciated the sentiment), Her wrists were not bound to the table, and she was provided with a chair.

"Miss Xiao Long."

Yang looked up to see a grey-haired man enter the room. Ozpin.

"Professor," she replied funneling every iota of sarcasm she could into the word. He simply smiled.

"Good to see that you were not badly hurt."

"Yeah, I'm sure you care a lot about my well-being."

Ozpin slid into the chair opposite her, leaning his cane against the table. "Captain Winchester tells me that you were involved in a brawl in the streets. He claimed that he was required to use force against you."

Yang snorted. "I was chasing a guy who attacked Junior. I was doing my job."

"I know." Ozpin gave her a thin smile. "You will be pleased to hear that Hei Xiong is alive. He is currently being treated at the medical facilities here at Beacon."

Yang laughed. "I knew the old bastard was too tough to die like that." Yang looked down. "I guess that explains why you haven't taken my stuff."

"We are not enemies, Yang. We are allies."

"I don't think Cardin agrees with you there."

"Cardin sometimes has difficulty seeing a larger picture. I assure you that, like myself, he is dedicated to keeping the citizens of this city safe."

"As dedicated as you? That's real reassuring."

Ozpin ignored the sarcasm. "I'm glad. Now What can you tell me about last night?"

Yang sighed. "Junior met with a guy called Torchwick. Torchwick blind-sighted him and ran. I ran after him. Might have got him, too, if 'Captain Winchester' hadn't decided for help. No, scratch that. Maybe if your hunters were doing what you say they do, I wouldn't have needed to catch him, because they would've already."

Ozpin sighed. "I do understand your frustration. Honestly, I do. However, I must remind you of the state this city was in before the hunters intervened. I regret that there are too few to properly protect the city-"

"By bashing in their heads."

"-but we are making a difference."

"That's the part that worries me."

"I suppose this means that you're still rejecting my offer."

"Yeah, I'd probably do more good fighting your hunters than joining them."

"I'm sorry you feel that way. Your talents could be of excellent use to this city." Ozpin stood. "Good day, Miss Xiao Long." He turned and pushed through the door and out of sight. A moment later, a nervous-looking young blonde man entered the room.

"Ahem. Uh. Miss Yang Xiao Long?"

Yang cocked her head. "No, the Queen of Vacuo."

"Well, then, your majesty. If you could come with me, I can take you to Mr. Xiong."

Yang stood. "Well, lead the way, Blondie."

As soon as Yang left the room behind the blonde man, a red blur rushed up and wrapped its arms around her waist. "Yang! You're alive!"

"Oof. Rubes. Rubes! I'll be fine if you stop trying to suffocate me."

Ruby stepped back, rubbing the back of her neck abashedly. "Sorry… but I just heard that there was a fight, and then you were arrested, and then…" she turned to look at the mildly stunned blonde man. "Who are you?"

"Me? I'm, uh, Officer Arc."

"You don't sound too sure of that," Yang teased, punching him lightly in the shoulder.

"Yeah, well, I just started a week ago. I'm still getting used to the whole 'officer' bit. I prefer Jaune. Wait, are you supposed to be here?"

Ruby beamed. "Yup! Professor Ozpin commissioned me to do some new weapons for the hunters. I'm just dropping them off."

"Then shouldn't you be over by the barracks? Or the armory?"

"Well, it is just around the corner… and across the courtyard…and on the other side of the building… but I'm really fast, so it took, like, no time at all!"

Yang pulled Ruby into a loose one-armed hug. "My little sis can go wherever she wants."

"I don't that applies to a military… wait, sis? You don't really look like… sisters."

"Long story."

"Different moms," Ruby supplied. "Same dad."

"We don't have a dad…" Yang muttered.

"It wasn't his fault, Yang."

"Like hell it wasn't."

Jaune coughed, drawing the attention of the two women. "So, uh, I'm supposed to be taking you," he nodded at Yang, "somewhere. And you," he gestured at Ruby, " should probably leave before someone notices that you're not where you're supposed to be."

"Who's not where they're supposed to be?"

Jaune whirled around to find himself face-to-face with Cardin Winchester. "Oh, uh, Captain, I uh-"

Cardin laughed and clasped a hand on Jaune's shoulder. "Don't worry, Jauney-Boy. Miss Rose is here by Professor Ozpin's personal invitation. She can visit her… sadly unimprisoned sister if she needs to."

"Sadly unimprisoned, huh?" Yang asked leaning forward. "Well, I'd say your sadly un-beaten up."

"Go on, Xiao Long," Cardin countered, leaning toward her as well. "I'd love for you to throw the first punch."

"Guys, please," Ruby interjected, pushing Yang and Cardin apart. "My weapons don't like to fight each other."

Cardin glanced at Ruby before straightening up. "Works for me. I'll just wait until she's unarmed."

"So honorable," Yang replied, rolling her eyes.

"Said the criminal."

"Guys…"

"Alright. Jaune, take the criminal off to see her boyfriend."

"He's not my boyfriend."

"Miss Rose, I'll escort you back to the courtyard."

Jaune pulled lightly on Yang's sleeve and gestured down the hallway. With a sigh and a last glance back at Ruby, Yang turned to follow him as her sister's voice carried after her; "Cardin, I've been here before. I know how to get around without a guide."

Jaune led Yang down the hallway, out into and across a courtyard, and into another building. After a quick word with a receptionist, he led Yang down a final hallway and stopped outside a door. "He's in here. I can wait outside, or…"

Yang waved him off. "I'll find my own way out. Nice meeting you, Jaune."

"You too, Yang," Jaune smiled and left her to open the door and enter.

"I'm fine! Honestly, do I look fragile to you? Take one lousy hit and-" Junior looked past the nurse he was berating to spy Yang in the doorway. "Yang!"

The nurse looked around and sighed exhasperatedly. "I'll leave him with you. Maybe you can convince him to stay in bed until he's healed."

"Oh, he always listens to me," Yang replied, winking, before crossing over to Junior's other side. "Don't you?"

"Sure. I don't have much choice. You're damn loud, you know that?"

The nurse rolled her eyes and started toward the exit, muttering under her breath. Yang waited for the nurse to leave before sitting down on the chair next to Junior's bed. Still watching the door, she slowly drew a flask from inside her jacket.

"Yang, what is that?"

Sending her boss a wink, Yang slipped the flask under the sheet and against his side.

"I know how much it sucks to be in here. They don't let you drink anything."

Junior chuckled as he pulled the flask up to examine it. "You know they won't let me keep this, right?"

"Yeah, but you'll have at least some before they take it away. Or you can have it all now and I can remove the evidence."

Junior shook his head, smiling and took a swig from the flask. "Alright," he said. "You're not fired."

Yang laughed. "Was I going to be?"

"Well, you kind of failed to do your job. At all." Junior took another swig.

"At least I did better than the twins. They just rushed over to you and started wailing."

"You didn't do that, I heard. Just immediately jumped after Torchwick."

"I know the things I'm good at," Yang mumbled, looking away. "Mourning isn't one of them."

"Mourning?"

Yang looked away and an uneasy silence fell upon the pair of them. After a minute, Yang spoke again. "So… I ran into Ruby outside. She says hi."

"Ruby? What was she doing here?"

"She's supplying the hunters," Yang said carefully, eying Junior for a reaction. He simply shrugged and took a drink.

"As long as she keeps doing independent contracts, good for her."

"You're not bothered that she's working for Ozpin? We could be fighting people armed with her weapons!"

"Look, Yang, we've been over this. As long as we stick to where we've been, Ozpin has no reason to attack us. We're worth more to him if we keep order; he sure as hell can't keep order in our section of the city."

"But he's a militant ass."

Junior laughed. "Maybe. He's not as bad as everyone says, I think. I've gotten a pretty good picture of him during our talks the last few years."

"Like you got a good picture of Torchwick?"

Junior winced. "Hey, that was the first time I met the guy. I know Ozpin a lot better."

"No one knows Ozpin, Hei."

He sighed and looked away. "Look, at least it's better him than no one, right?"

"I suppose." Yang's hand rested on top of Junior's. "But I think it would be better you than him."

Junior smiled and raised the flask. "Well, I'm glad you approve of me, Yang." He took a drink. "Drunkenness and all." Yang chuckled and the pair sat together in comfortable silence.

0(0)0(0)0(0)0(0)0(0)0(0)0(0)0(0)0(0)0(0)0(0)0(0)0(0)0(0)0(0)0(0)0(0)0(0)0(0)0(0)0(0)0(0)0(0)0(0)0

Pyrrha led the way from the airship onto the landing pad on the roof of the building, reflexively looking around before signaling that it was safe for Weiss to descend. The heiress stepped carefully after her bodyguard, Myrtenaster strapped to her hip, as a suited man stepped up to the pair.

"Ms. Schnee. Welcome to Tenzin. The specialists you asked for are waiting for you in the second floor conference room."

"Excellent. Moor the airship; I may have to stay here overnight."

"Of course, Ms Schnee." The man walked past them to speak with the dock attendant. Pyrrha turned to Weiss with a smile.

"Well? Are we going to see them now?"

"Yes," Weiss replied. "No point delaying it any longer."

"You could be a little happier about it," Pyrrha noted as she led Weiss to the elevator. "We haven't seen them in two years."

"And that was their choice." Weiss surveyed the vast dust mine sprawling in front of the SDC building. "I did offer them a position."

"One you knew they wouldn't take." Pyrrha gently placed a hand on Weiss' shoulder and guided her into the elevator and pressed the number two button.

"What do you want me to say, Pyrrha?" Weiss shot a glare over her shoulder at her bodyguard. Pyrrha slumped slightly.

"I don't know. Just acknowledge that they're your friends?"

Weiss looked away. "I never said that they weren't."

The elevator dinged as the doors opened. Weiss immediately started down the hallway, Pyrrha sighing and following after her. At the end of the hallway, Weiss hesitated a moment before pushing the double doors open.

"Weiss!" An energetic red-head leapt up from her chair and charged at the heiress, stopping just short of running into her, arms extended. When Weiss crossed her arms, she changed course and hugged Pyrrha instead. "Pyrrha! You're here, too! It's been years!" Behind her, a green-clad man stood as well and walked over and nodded, smiling slightly.

"Hello, Nora. Hello, Ren," Pyrrha greeted, accepting Nora's redirected hug.

"I'm glad you could come," Weiss offered neutrally.

"Of course. After hearing about the attacks, we came as soon as we could."

"Plus, we haven't seen you guys in forever! Like, not since we graduated."

"Shall we sit down?" Weiss indicated the seats Ren and Nora had just vacated.

The four of them sat around a low table, Nora bouncing excitedly until Ren placed a hand on her shoulder to calm her down.

"Now, how much have you heard about the attacks?"

Ren began to answer, but Pyrrha cut him off. "Weiss, we've only just gotten here. Can't we catch up a bit first?"

"That was not…" Weiss sighed. "I want to get this business taken care of first. Then, perhaps, we can talk further."

Ren nodded. "I agree. This matter is urgent."

Pyrhha and Nora sighed. "Awww, Renny, I thought you'd be on my side."

Weiss straightened up. "Now, Ren, I believe you were going to say something?"

"Yes. The Grimm attacks are not random. I can say almost for certain that they are organized."

"Organized?"

"Controlled, at least. Large packs of varied Grimm are attacking at specific points. Not even Goliaths have been known to employ such tactics."

"Also, the workers are escaping during the attacks."

Weiss narrowed her eyes and opened her mouth, but Nora quickly cut her off.

"Not escaping! Leaving. Being kidnapped. Whatever. I'm just saying it's weird that they're disappearing instead of hiding. According to your security team, they're not being killed, either. They're just gone."

"And, as the missing workers are all Faunus, I think there is little doubt as to the culprit."

Weiss gazed out the window. "You think that the White Fang are using the Grimm."

"I don't see any other logical conclusion," Ren replied.

Weiss sighed and turned to the hunters, crossing her arms. "Very well then. If the White Fang is behind this, then I can't ask you to stay."

The pair exchanged glances. "Well… there are still Grimm involved, right?" Nora said, looking up at Ren.

"That is true," he nodded down to her. "We would be remiss in our duties if we did not assist."

Weiss smiled. "Thank you both. This means a great deal to me."

"Me, too," Pyrrha added.

"All right, then!" Nora shouted, pouncing on Weiss and Pyrrha and pulling them into a tight hug. "Team WPNR is back together!"

Weiss lightly pushed Nora off of her and smoothed out her dress. "So, how do you think the white fang could be using the Grimm?"

"I don't know, but it is worrying. Nora and I will search the surrounding area for any clues and report back."

"Before you go, have a word with the on-site security manager. See if you can fix some of the vulnerabilities in our defenses."

Ren nodded. "Shall we begin then?" Weiss nodded. "Very well," he said, standing. "Nora?" The pair started walking toward the door.

"Wait." Ren paused with his hand on the doorknob, looking back.

"It's great to see you both again."

Ren smiled. "You, too, Weiss." Ren and Nora exited, leaving Weiss and Pyrrha alone.

"So… shall we go get set up in our room?"

Weiss nodded. "Yes, I think I could use the rest."

Pyrrha stood and stepped up to Weiss, offering a hand. Weiss rolled her eyes, but accepted the hand and allowed Pyrrha to pull her up. Together, they walked out of the room toward the elevator. Before they had gotten halfway, alarm sirens suddenly began blaring outside. Pyrrha grabbed Weiss's arm.

"Come on! We need to get you to safety."

"Pyrrha, I don't think-"

Weiss was cut off as an explosion rocked the outer window, sending them stumbling into the wall opposite.

"Weiss!"

Weiss felt herself being thrown to the floor as Pyrrha tackled her.

"Pyrrha?" Weiss scrambled to her feet, looking back at her bodyguard's limp form resting against the wall. From the settling dust of the explosion, three figures emerged, one of them yanking back a ribbon attached to the sword in Pyrrha's back.

A/N: WPNR is pronounced 'Weaponry'.