A/N: Aaaaaaaaaand sliding into home, we have DrAmish who managed to stick to the week-and-a-half schedule one last time so that his updates could come on Fridays. Got some plot progression for all of you lovely people, which I'm pretty happy with. The post went up a few hours later than I wanted because my editor pointed out that I was starting to write Bradford more like a happy-go-lucky boy scout rather than a war-hardened veteran. So once again, comments on tone and character personality is extremely valuable.

One other, slightly minor, note. I had an interesting talk with a reviewer over the last week, where it was pointed out that Vahlen's data loss justification for not 'cloning' Penny doesn't quite hold water given advances in modern technology. I meant to go back and change that scene before this chapter went live, but ended up not having time. I'll try to get to it this weekend, but the general idea is that Bradford understands that 1) Penny doesn't want to have a permanent copy of herself, and 2) Ironwood and Papa Polendina probably don't want proprietary Atlas technology in the hands of outsiders longer than agreed upon. Given Bradford's strong moral compass (and his need to make nice with the kingdoms of Remnant), he probably wouldn't want to test their good will by 'stealing' Penny for himself.

In any case, enjoy.

"So what's your sister's name again?"

"Winter. Honestly, Ruby, how many times do we have to go over this?"

"I… umm…"

"If you didn't get so easily distracted by weaponry and food, maybe you'd have an easier time of paying attention."

"Well it's not my fault that this is literally the greatest gathering of huntsmen from across the world that I've ever seen! And I saw Penny for the first time in months a few hours ago!"

"Oh hush. Besides, she's coming in now."

Ruby tracked Weiss's finger as she pointed into the evening sky, and indeed saw a ship far more ornate than the usual ferry transports. Four stabilizer wings, each adorned with tapering blue banners extended from a sleek hull that looked far more technologically advanced than any (civilian) aircraft that Ruby had seen during this festival. The mixed look of trepidation and excitement on Weiss's face made it difficult for Ruby to guess whether or not her partner was looking forward to seeing her sister. Either way, the two of them waited for the ship to slowly land on the sky dock. The gangplank lowered, and an elegant young woman flanked by an honor guard of androids stepped down onto the landing pad.

"Winter!" Weiss called out. Her sister looked over at the sound of her name and returned Weiss's cheerful wave with a faint smile. Rather than wait for Winter to walk over, Weiss ran (with Ruby in tow) to stand face-to-face with her sister.

"Winter, it's so good to see you!"

One pointed look from Winter was all it took to remind Weiss that Schnees needed to carry themselves with a certain degree of dignity and formality. The younger Schnee immediately snapped to attention and cleared her throat, "Welcome to Vale, Winter."

Winter nodded, evidently pleased by Weiss's corrected behavior, "Thank you. At ease." Winter took a moment to cast her gaze upon the grounds of Beacon before sniffing slightly, "It's been a long time since I've been here. It's… different, and yet still the same. Come, introduce me to your acquaintance."

"Of course, sister." Weiss gestured to Ruby, "This is Ruby Rose, my partner and team leader."

"A little young to be a student here, no?" Winter asked, eyebrow raised, "And a team leader as well."

Ruby, unsure of what to do, settled with a bow and a salute, "If I've learned anything here, it's that looks can be deceiving. It's an honor to meet you, Lady Winter… ma'am."

Weiss rolled her eyes, "I'm still trying to teach her social skills, don't worry. But she's an excellent team leader. I'm sure you saw our first match in the tournament."

Winter nodded, "Your tactics were quite… interesting. With the level of skill you displayed, however, you could have ended the engagement much sooner with a more direct approach. Moreover, we'll have to talk later about your glyph usage, Weiss. For something that requires finesse and flair, the abilities you displayed were rather… rudimentary."

"O-oh. Of course." Weiss responded, slightly taken aback by the criticism.

"With respect… my lady," Ruby hesitantly started, still uncertain how to address Winter, "I agree that a head-to-head strategy would have been faster, but I would argue that the risks would have been greater. By digging in behind the safety of the ice walls, our team was able to set up a kill zone where the enemy would have to face us on our terms, and it allowed Weiss to capitalize on her affinity for ice techniques. I don't know about you, but I'd rather have a longer engagement with a higher chance of one-hundred percent survivability than a quick-and-dirty brawl that essentially depends on a dice roll to determine whether my entire team comes out of it intact."

Silence hung in the air. Weiss scrambled to pick her jaw up off the floor while Winter gave Ruby a curious look.

"Ruby!" Weiss admonished before turning to her sister, "I'm sorry, Winter. Ruby's not familiar with standard etiquette. The social rules in Vale are almost nonexistent."

"Hmmm." Winter said, evidently unconvinced by Ruby's tactical assessment, "Answer me this: wouldn't a longer engagement increase the number of opportunities for an injury or fatality among your team?"

Ruby nodded, "You're right, but it's a calculated risk. I think it gives me the ability to exert greater control over more of the variables. So long as the environment and skillsets of my teammates provide me with options to lock down our targets, we can minimize those opportunities for casualties while keeping the fight in our favor."

"I don't agree with you." Winter said flatly, "But I can respect that you've clearly put some thought into it."

"Thank you miss Winter, sir…" She scratched her head and gave an embarrassed chuckle, "Weiss isn't wrong about the whole etiquette thing, though. What am I supposed to call you?"

Winter gave the young girl a smile that was both pitying and slightly cold, "Specialist Schnee will be sufficient, thank you." She turned to her sister, "I trust you'll help your... friend here with matters of etiquette in the future?"

Weiss jumped immediately to answer her sister, slipping into her old overly-dignified tone, "Of course. Shall we give you a tour of the grounds? An inspection of our dorm room?"

Winter checked her watch, "Actually, I need to meet with your headmaster, if you don't mind. There were some… delays on the journey here, and he's expecting me sooner than I'd have liked."

Ruby's stomach did a little twist at the mention of Ozpin. Even though she got off with a light admonishment over the Cardin Incident, all things considered, Ruby still cringed at the shame of having to be scolded in the first place. She felt even more guilty when he echoed Blake's sentiment that it'd be very easy to instigate a Grimm attack by accidentally igniting panic amongst the crowd.

But no matter. If Winter wanted to meet with Ozpin, then it wouldn't do for Ruby to slink off and hide because of yesterday's reprimand. Weiss, nodding at her sister's request, seemed to agree, "Another time, then, for the room inspection. I happen to know that Ozpin is in his office now, so we'd be more than happy to accompany you there."

After Winter dismissed her guard of mechs, the duo-turned-trio began their walk along Beacon's grounds towards Ozpin's tower. Weiss talked awkwardly at her sister, clearly trying to undo nine months of cavalier banter and speak in a tone appropriate of her 'station.' It surprised Ruby to see her partner so accustomed to receiving criticism almost every time Winter deigned to give a response. While Ruby wanted to stick up for Weiss (who absolutely deserved to be complimented instead of shamed, in Ruby's opinion), she didn't know if this was some sort of weird family dynamic that Weiss and Winter viewed as perfectly normal. Ruby already overstepped her boundaries once, and was lucky enough to get off with a compliment. For now, she decided to listen to all the criticism Winter threw at Weiss. Once they were alone again, she'd offer to train with Weiss and help her with these 'shortcomings.'

A loud, slow clap pulled Ruby out of her thoughts, and she looked up to see a shadowy figure approach them.

"Well, well… look who decided to finally show up. Fashionably late, of course."

While the dim lighting managed to conceal the newcomer's face, Ruby could never mistake that voice in a thousand years.

"… Uncle Qrow?" She asked, confused.

The man, indeed her uncle, stepped forward and offered an exaggerated bow to Winter, "Her venerable ladyship, miss Winter Schnee." He said, drunk sarcasm dripping off of every word, "It's truly an honor for you to descend from your royal station to visit us peasants who live in the grime down below. I'd offer to kiss your boot, but you'd probably find it revolting."

"Not for the reasons you're implying, Qrow." Winter answered with a steely glare.

Weiss bristled at Qrow's tone towards her sister. She knew that Ruby held Qrow in high regard, and enjoyed their time at the bar for JNPR's match, but that didn't excuse his current behavior, "How dare you speak to my sister like that! Do you have any idea who you're talking to?"

Qrow just laughed, "Pipe down, buttercup, or I'll tell you some things about dear old sis that'll make your head spin."

The way Winter scowled at Qrow told Ruby that her uncle wasn't bluffing. She glanced from one adult to the other before slowly asking, "You two really do know each other, don't you?"

"Unfortunately." The two answered in near-perfect unison.

After witnessing Winter's cold, critical attitude for the last fifteen minutes, Ruby could see why her uncle might harbor a dislike for the Weiss's sister. However, she couldn't understand why Winter appeared to have a similar opinion of her super-cool and totally badass uncle.

"Why is it unfortunate?" She asked.

Winter and Qrow shared a loaded glance, and Ruby's psionic talents were picking up some unrecognizable surface emotions from the two of them. However, she felt that it would be best to not try and focus on the feeling. Some things were just better left alone. After a pause, they finally answered Ruby's question (again, in near-perfect unison), "Reasons."

"Oh." Ruby half-squeaked, "Okay, uhh… I guess we'll leave it at that. Or… y'know… something…" She trailed off.

Winter returned her attention to Qrow, "Why are you here, old man?"

"The same reason you are, unfortunately."

"Why did Ozpin think it was a good idea to send you to come fetch me?" She groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose.

Qrow shrugged, "He didn't. I saw your gaudy ship parading around in the evening sky and thought that Her Royal Schnee-ness deserved a proper welcome to Vale."

"My sister was handling that job just fine, thank you." She answered through gritted teeth, "So why don't you run off and inform your master that I'll be there shortly?"

Rage. That was definitely an emotion that Ruby recognized, and it flickered to the surface of her uncle's mind for a fraction of a second. Not that Ruby needed supernatural powers to tell that Winter's jab struck a chord with Qrow. She saw fury dance in his eyes and honestly thought that he'd start dueling Winter in the middle of the street. As soon as it bubbled up, however, the rage subsided, and a smirk found its way onto Qrow's face.

"On the contrary, Peasantville is a dangerous place, Your Highness. We wouldn't want you to get any blood on your shoes if some vagabond tried to rob you. I think it would be best if I personally escorted you to the safety of my… master's office."

"Seriously," Weiss whispered to Ruby, "What's the deal between the two of them?"

"I don't know." Ruby whispered back, "I've seen Qrow get snarky with my dad before, but never like this. I'm kinda curious, but my survival instincts are telling me to stay out of it. Let's just get to Ozpin's office, yeah? I've got a feeling he's dealt with this before."

Weiss nodded, "Okay. That sounds like a good idea."

"Ah, Miss Schnee. It's good of you to come on such short notice." Ozpin greeted, standing up from his seat as the four newcomers filed in. He frowned slightly as he saw Qrow bring up the rear, "I trust that Mister Branwen behaved himself during introductions."

Ruby and Weiss shared a look.

Told you.

"Only in the loosest sense of the word, sir." Winter answered. Indeed, the remainder of the walk was awkward enough to the point where Ruby was determined to ask her uncle about his history with Weiss's sister the next time the two of them were alone. She didn't care if he tried to give her the runaround, this was something that Ruby felt she needed to have sorted out, given the fact that she would be spending the foreseeable future as Weiss's partner.

Ruby looked around the room and saw two other figures with the headmaster: Bradford and someone she didn't recognize. The stranger was dressed in a very smart military outfit and carried himself with an air of authority, so Ruby had a general idea of his importance. Winter seemed to know him, and snapped a salute when they made eye contact, "General Ironwood, sir."

"At ease, Schnee." Ironwood answered, "Ozpin here just finished introducing me to the Captain of his Valean Recon Division."

From the moment that Ozpin greeted Winter, Bradford hadn't stopped glancing between Winter and Weiss with a look of analytical interested on his face. When Winter turned her attention to Bradford, the Central Officer nodded at her, "Winter Schnee… your sister speaks quite highly of you."

"I should hope so." Winter answered evenly, and Ruby wondered if she was used to compliments thrown her way, "You are the one who took care of my sister for the past several weeks, correct?"

Bradford nodded, "Though at times it seemed like she and her team were the ones taking care of me. Even if the circumstances of our cooperation were rather unfortunate, I am honored to have had the chance to work with Weiss, Ruby, and their friends."

"Well said, Captain." Ozpin cut in, "Though now that we're all here, perhaps we should proceed?"

"We should." Bradford agreed, "You've caught me at a busy time, sir, so my time is unfortunately limited. However, it would have been rude of me to turn down a meeting like this. I am ready to move forward with whatever you had in mind."

The Atlesian General cleared his throat, "With respect, Ozpin, we were waiting for Qrow and Schnee before we began." He glanced at Ruby, "Not these students."

Ozpin gave Ironwood a curious look, almost as if he was considering whether it was worthing arguing with him or not. After making up his mind, he nodded and turned to Ruby and Weiss, "It is true that I told my colleague to expect only Schnee and Bradford as guests tonight. The elder Schnee." He corrected, his eye twinkling in amusement as he saw Ruby open her mouth, "While I think the two of you are more than capable of handling the nature of our meeting in a mature and professional manner, I feel that we must respect the terms of my agreement with Ironwood and request that you take your leave for now."

Weiss bowed, "Of course. Clearly, this is an important matter that is international in nature. Since peace and goodwill between Atlas and Vale is in everyone's best interest, we will gladly do as you ask and wish you farewell."

"Your attitude is appreciated, miss Schnee." Ironwood said, "You are a credit to your family's name."

Ruby noticed Weiss flinch almost imperceptibly at the General's compliment. She recovered quickly enough and turned to her sister, "You'll come see me after you're done, won't you? It's been so long, and I'm sure we have lots to talk about."

Winter offered her sister a warm smile, "Of course."

Ruby and Weiss left without another (spoken) word.

You really need to work on the way you speak. Your 'Princess Know-It-All' dialect is a bit rusty.

Weiss glared at Ruby as the younger huntress shared a fist bump with her uncle on the way to the elevator. After the room quieted down again, Qrow shoved off from his post and wandered towards the other four.

"Well, now that the kiddos have gone to bed… shall we?"

Winter rolled her eyes, "While I wouldn't have put it quite like that… what is it you wanted to tell us, Ozpin?"

Ozpin shook his head, "Not tell you. Show you. One of Remnant's most guarded secrets. But first… what is your favorite fairy tale?"

Stuffed into an elevator with Ozpin, Ironwood, Qrow, and Winter, Bradford found himself wondering just how far down the damn thing needed to go as the party was forced to wait patiently for the cable car to come to a halt. The conversation Winter had with Ozpin certainly kept Bradford's attention, and this story of the four Maidens carried a lot of concerning implications if the headmaster was speaking truthfully (and Bradford had no doubt that he was). And while he had little trouble taking the news himself, given that he was both a visitor to this world and a veteran of a war that introduced him to far stranger and more terrifying truths, he noticed that Winter looked slightly rattled. After a few moments of silence, he weighed the choice between letting her introspect on Ozpin's words and chatting her up to keep her mind off of things until they learned more. The second choice quickly won out.

"I'm curious, how is your relationship with Weiss?"

Winter raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean?"

"Don't get me wrong, she's only had good things to say about you on the several instances that your name came up." Bradford quickly said, "But it always seemed to have an air of respect that would be more appropriate if one was talking about a superior officer rather than a sister."

"I've known you for less than ten minutes, and you're already prying into my personal life." The elder Schnee commented dryly.

Bradford shrugged, "You're not obligated to tell me anything. Your sister is truly an awe-inspiring young woman, and given how she holds you in the highest esteem… I was just curious. I apologize if I overstepped my bounds."

"You did." She answered simply.

Right. Military professional, currently attending an important briefing with her superior officer. Bradford mentally kicked himself for trying to be friendly instead of focusing strictly on business. Seemed like his time with Ruby had made him soft.

The elevator came to a stop and the doors opened into a vast, dimly lit hallway. Bradford stepped out and glanced at Qrow, who gave him a 'Yeah, she's kind of a bitch.' look before shuffling past the Central Officer with his hands stuffed into his pockets. Winter hung back with Ironwood while Ozpin followed after Qrow, and Bradford thought it would be best to walk with the headmaster and get back into the habit of focusing on matters at hand rather than trying to be friends with everyone on Remnant (even if they're related to one of his top operatives)..

"Looks like you could store a lot down here." He observed.

"I can." Ozpin agreed, "Though I mostly use it when I need time alone to reflect on things."

Bradford could respect that. He recalled more than one occasion during the war where he would join the skeleton crew working the graveyard shift at Mission Control when he found himself unable to sleep. The humming of the databanks, the occasional operator responding to a call, the hologlobe as it lazily twirled in the middle of the room, all of it was rather calming for Bradford as he silently stood watch from his usual station in the room. Nobody bothered him, and just like Ozpin with his basement of dimly-lit hallways, it gave Bradford time to think.

Rather than continue talking with Ozpin, Bradford found himself looking more closely at the hallways. The low lighting prevented him from actually seeing much of their contents, but his musings about his own methods of personal reflection caused Bradford to just let his own mind wander as he idly considered what sort of secrets this subterranean labyrinth held.

"We've arrived." The headmaster said, pulling the Central Officer out of his thoughts. He stepped aside so that his two guests could get a clear view of what waited at the end of the hallway. Amid an array of complex equipment (which Vahlen would kill to examine, Bradford mused) stood a sealed chamber, and a woman lay unconscious and unmoving within.

"One of the maidens?" Bradford asked, assuming this field trip had something to do with the story Ozpin told in his office.

"The current Fall maiden." Ozpin answered, "Or at least… part of her."

"Beg your pardon?"

Qrow sighed and answered for the headmaster, "She was attacked by an unknown assailant… and had part of her powers stolen."

"Attacked?" Bradford repeated, shooting a meaningful look at Ozpin, silently asking, 'The same assailant that attacked the CCT?"

Bradford suspected that Ozpin didn't actually know, but it seemed like too much of a coincidence to simply be brushed off. Qrow nodded, "While she was traveling yes. I was supposed to be escorting her, but… Amber seemed to enjoy making a habit out of trying to lose me on the road."

"Perhaps she didn't enjoy walking with a cocky jackass?" Winter jabbed. Bradford was mildly surprised that she would let her professionalism slip in front of Ironwood (who she clearly admired). The tension he felt when the two first entered Ozpin's office clearly ran far deeper than a mild rivalry.

Qrow gave her a dangerous look, "By the time I reached Amber, her assailants had almost finished their execution. My charge was literally on death's door. I never even had a chance to get a look at the bastards, and it was all I could do to save her life." He gestured at the high-tech coffin, "What's left of it, anyway."

Winter didn't have a response to that.

"What's important is that you did save her, Qrow, and that we have a chance to prevent a bad situation from getting worse." Ozpin said, and he gestured behind him. Across from Amber's cell stood another one, but empty.

As Bradford examined the equipment for a second time, he noticed that both chambers had wiring and hoses that fed into the central hub of controls, and he felt the hairs begin to stand up on the back of his neck. The parallels between this setup and XCOM's psionics or genetics labs took on an almost sinister turn. Rather than trying to infuse additional power into an operative by unlocking their innate potential or grafting them with meld… another human was the source material this time.

He knew that XCOM wasn't exactly a paragon of moral decisions, either. Some of the stuff that he, Vahlen, and Shen had to do, the war crimes they effectively committed… if life on Earth as they knew it wasn't in jeopardy, he was certain the Council would be a lot more forceful in their efforts to bring him back in line. However, Bradford recalled hearing someone once say, "When faced with extinction, every alternative is preferable." It made sense in the context of aliens wiping out all life on Earth, but…

Did Ozpin think Remnant's situation was equally dire?

Bradford decided it would be better to hold off on judgment until his new friends had a chance to explain more, "Well this looks ominous."

"It does." Ozpin nodded, "But time is running out and we're left with little else in the way of options."

Winter seemed to be picking up on the implications as well, "Would she even survive?"

"We don't know, but it's a chance that we are forced to take." Ironwood answered.

Qrow raised an eyebrow, "Isn't that a little misleading, Jimmy?" He turned to the confused Winter, "With your boss's 'amazing' Atlesian technology, Amber's Aura would be pulled out of her body and stuffed into whoever agreed to the transfer."

Okay, that sounded bad. Wouldn't that effectively be murder? Or would Amber still be 'alive' alongside her new host? Sure, XCOM dallied with shoving alien organs into its operatives, or cutting off their limbs, or poking around in their brains, but this was an entirely new level of fucked up.

"It's bad out there, isn't it?" He asked.

Ironwood gave him a funny look, "You're the Captain of the Recon division. Why don't you tell us?"

"Back off, Jimmy." Qrow said, eyes narrowed, "The shit Brad was dealing with is a whole different can of worms than the intel I've been gathering for this little party. Just because he's doing good work for us doesn't mean he knows everything."

"So who do you have in mind for the new host?" Winter asked, moving the conversation along.

Ozpin shook his head, "We… haven't come to a decision yet. I have several candidates in mind, but it's not easy asking someone to undergo a procedure that may very well change them on a fundamental level."

"What age or maturity range are you looking at?" Bradford asked.

Ozpin and Ironwood shared a look before the former answered, "We're looking at… students, Captain."

Oh. Suddenly, it made a lot more sense why Ozpin seemed so keen on getting RWBY and JNPR back on Remnant before the Vytal Festival. This whole situation just turned messy. Really messy. Then again, it sounded like Ozpin's predecessors had been handling this maiden business for countless years through Remnant's history. Given that the old man certainly knew more than he was revealing, perhaps there was a set of rules that needed to be followed in the selection of a new maiden? It didn't help Bradford feel any less uneasy.

"Well… shit."

"Sounds like you're starting to appreciate our predicament, Brad." Qrow smirked.

"I… yeah, you could say that." Bradford shook his head, "So do you have any idea who you're going to select? I would imagine there'd be contention between kingdoms about where the next maiden comes from."

"Not quite." Ozpin answered, "For as long as we've known, the maiden powers are very particular about following a set of strict rules, which happens to include their host's origin. The spirit of Summer, for example, always resides in Vacuo, and Spring goes to a maiden of Mistral."

Bradford glanced at Winter with a raised eyebrow, "Which season does Atlas have?"

Winter eyes widened, as if she was realizing for the first time the truth about her name. Ironwood sighed, "As I'm sure you know, Winter, your father is rather… prideful. To an almost flawed extent."

"Oh believe me, I know." She answered, though she rubbed her arms in discomfort, and Bradford could only imagine what she was thinking about right now.

"So it's to be a student from Vale, then." Bradford surmised, "Is the tournament supposed to be a metric to help you decide who is 'worthy' of selection, or do you have another method?"

"The timing of the Vytal Festival and this crisis is a coincidence, Captain. Maidens don't die every two years in time for a formalized selection process." Ozpin answered.

Or is it a coincidence? This situation seemed to be getting worse the more Bradford heard about it.

"So why tell us about this?" Winter asked, "It sounds like you're trying to keep this issue a secret, so why risk telling two more people about it?"

"I share your exact feelings on the matter, Schnee, believe me." Ironwood said.

Ozpin rubbed the bridge of his nose in mild annoyance at his colleague, "While keeping this secret under wraps is important, it is equally important that the situation doesn't worsen. Amber's assailant is still unaccounted for, and we have reason to believe that the Vytal Festival is being watched. Closely."

So he does suspect that the maiden's attacker and the CCT's infiltrator are one and the same. Good.

"Both you and the Captain are skilled specialists." Ozpin continued, looking between Bradford and Winter, "If we were to reveal this crisis to anyone, it would be you two. I implore you to guard the secret well, but to also be mindful of what we've told you as you go about your daily business. If you uncover something, anything that would be of use to this issue, please don't hesitate to bring the matter to our attention."

Silence fell among the group as Winter and Bradford digested the news while the other three waited for them to organize their thoughts. Eventually, Bradford spoke, "Will that be all, sir?"

Ozpin nodded, "For now, yes. Let us be on our way. I believe the General has a tournament to run."

Under the twinkling stars and the city lamplights, Ruby walked down the streets of Vale with Penny in tow.

"Sorry we didn't have a chance to really hang out earlier." Ruby apologized, "First there was the whole training thing I had already agreed to, and then Weiss found out at the last minute that her sister was arriving. Then she wanted to have us escort us to Ozpin's office, and-"

Penny's giggling cut her friend off, "It's quite alright, Ruby! I'm just glad to know that you are doing well. I was so worried after you disappeared for three weeks, but Ozpin said that you were alright."

"You talked to Ozpin?" Ruby asked with a curious glance.

"I was very, very worried!" Penny repeated, "When I found out that you were away on a very dangerous mission, I told him I wished there was some way I could help. And the very next day, I get summoned by my father to undergo a procedure that resulted in a temporary copy of my digital ego!"

That was Penny's idea? Ruby wondered if Penny realized just how big of an impact she made with the help of her replica, though the word 'temporary' was not lost on the young huntress. She didn't want to bring that up now, though. If XCOM's Penny was adamant about recombination after the tournament, Ruby was pretty sure that Remnant's Penny felt the same way.

Ruby chose to go with a happier tone and flashed her friend a smile, "Well, it's hard to fully describe just how helpful you were, Penny. It was great to have you there, even if it wasn't… well… you who was there. But it was, just…" Ruby laughed as she stumbled over her words, "You know what I mean."

The two continued to walk in amiable silence for a little ways, content to have each other for company. With the Vytal Festival in town, the city saw a lot more activity at this hour than it usually did. After the fairgrounds close for the evening, the revelers move their festivities to the city proper and the restaurants and bars become busy with all the extra foot traffic. More than once, the duo had to stop when a young child walking with their parents recognized Ruby and asked for either a photograph or a signature. Ruby wasn't sure how the chicken scratch that was her handwriting could be enough, but the kids would practically skip back to their parents after she handed back the poster or flyer with her name on it.

"Didn't think I was this popular." She mumbled after the third stop, "I was honestly kinda embarrassed in my team's performance."

"Why is that?" Penny asked, confused.

Ruby shifted uncomfortably, even though her friend showed no sign of judgment or condescension, "Well, we were… harsh, in case you missed it. It's a tournament meant to foster friendly competition between schools and kingdoms. From watching our match, you'd think it was a cutthroat fight club."

"Oh, I don't know about that." Penny chirped, "You didn't kill anyone in your fight, right? I think that would be considered harsh. Beating your friendly opponents by a lot is not so bad."

If she could count on anybody to be endlessly optimistic, Ruby thought, Penny would be it.

"You're a good friend, Penny." Ruby said.

Penny smiled brightly, "I am very glad you think so! If there is anything you want to tell me that would help you feel better, please do not hesitate. It would be my pleasure to be supportive for my best friend."

Ruby looked up, a wistful smile matching Penny's cheerful one, "That… means a lot. The last few weeks have been pretty rough, even with my team there to support me. It's good to be back, and it's even better to see you again."

"Was it really that bad?" Penny asked, her face becoming more serious, "Ozpin told me you were on a dangerous mission, but he politely said that he couldn't say more than that."

How much should she say? Bradford had clearly briefed them all on the cover story if they were questioned, but… volunteering information? Even so, she felt like Penny deserved to know at least something. Despite not personally being at XCOM with RWBY and JNPR, she contributed to their success in a big way, "It was pretty bad. We made a mistake early on, and the Grimm cut off our access to Vale. We eventually got communications working again, but it took another week before we could safely extract and leave that whole mess behind. A lot of people died while we were trapped… some of them were because of mistakes I made."

Penny's eyes grew wide, but she said nothing. What could she say? Ruby pushed on, "I took it pretty hard when it happened, but I've learned to make the most of it. Knowing that those people didn't die in vain really helped me feel better about the whole thing, but the hardest part was telling myself to learn from their sacrifice and make sure that nobody else would die because of the same mistakes." Ruby spotted a bench up ahead, and the two huntresses took a seat and watched the energetic tourists explore the streets of Vale, "I don't know about you, Penny, but I've been pretty lucky my entire life. Sure, my mom died while away on a mission, but I never had to actually see someone… pass on."

More like die gurgling on their own blood as a plasma bolt tore their throat open. Or fall lifelessly to their knees after a shot from a Sectopod punched clean through their chest. Or shuffle back to 'life' for a few horrifying minutes while a nascent Chryssalid was busy eating its way out through the abdomen. Or-

"I'm sorry you had to see that, Ruby." Penny said softly, interrupting Ruby's spiraling thoughts, "I… I didn't realize that my question would bring up such bad memories."

But they weren't all bad memories. The people she met, both XCOM and civilian alike, were exemplars the human spirit in the face of adversity. The iron will of her comrades-in-arms, their refusal to give up against impossible odds, and especially their willingness to stare down almost certain death because somebody had to… it all inspired Ruby. Even when they laid down their lives in the line of duty, it wasn't because they gave up against an unbeatable foe. Rather, they did so willingly because they knew that if that's what it took to stop the aliens, the choice became a no-brainer.

There were plenty of fun memories as well. All of the shenanigans MacAuley cooked up in the Anthill, Weiss's ice skating surprise after their Aura was restored, spending countless hours with Doctor Shen in Engineering cooking up the latest technological improvement, and so many others. Ruby had heard so many times that the strongest bonds were forged in the fires of combat, but the ones she developed in the safety of XCOM's base were just as powerful. She'd only spent nine months with these people, but she couldn't imagine a life without them now that she reflected on her experiences.

"On the contrary, you've reminded me that for every bad memory I picked up in that awful place, there is a good one that comes with it." She stood up, dusted herself off, and smiled, genuinely smiled, at Penny, "I can't wait for the day you get to meet the rest of the friends I made with the Valean Recon Division. If I had to do it all over again, I think I would keep everything exactly the same. These people are truly worth it."

"Welcome back, Miss Nikos!"

Penny performed her customary airflip greeting as Pyrrha stepped through the portal. The crimson-haired huntress returned the warm welcome with a smile and a wave, "Hello again, Penny. I see you have some friends with you. Hello, Gidjit."

"GREETINGS, FRIEND NIKOS."

That took Pyrrha slightly by surprise, but she noticed a third member of the welcoming committee whose face she didn't recognize. As it would be rude to question Gidjit on his newfound voice and ignore the newcomer, she strode over towards the young woman and held out her hand, "My name is Pyrrha Nikos. I don't believe we've met."

The teenager, who had been staring at the fully-armed warrior before her with wide eyes full of wonder, realized that she was being addressed directly by the subject of her fascination. She hesitantly reached for Pyrrha's hand and shook it while mumbling, "Lily Shen. Are you one of… you know…?"

"Penny's friends?" Pyrrha supplied. Lily nodded, and Pyrrha's smile brightened, "Indeed I am. And, might I add, one of your father's as well."

"Dad's told me stories about you guys…" Lily said, her eyes examining every inch of Pyrrha's attire, "He said you were like brightly-colored fighters straight out of one of my tabletop games. I thought he was exaggerating like he usually does with his stories, but… you're the real deal, aren't you?"

Pyrrha nodded, "We're trained to fight from a young age. We discover a weapon that resonates with us and learn how to use it in such a way that it almost becomes an extension of our body. A conduit of our will, I suppose."

Her hand glowed with a dark energy, and the small piece of scrap metal Lily had been fiddling with gently levitated in her hands and drifted towards Pyrrha, "Then there's Aura, the projection of our souls. Every huntsman is unique, and we learn to hone the power of our spirit to enhance our abilities in combat."

The scrap floated back into Lily's hands and Pyrrha started to walk out of the Hyperwave facility (waving to the technician on staff as she passed). Lily stuck to her like glue while Penny and Gidjit lazily floated after them.

"Our powers are great," Pyrrha continued, "But only because our enemies are greater."

"The Grimm" Lily said.

Pyrrha nodded, "The Grimm. I am deeply sorry that Earth has to suffer the presence of this soulless evil, but I am sure that the great nations of this world will prevail. Even so, imagine a world where mankind has been backed into a few small corners because the Grimm are so vast in number that we are unable to hold onto much more than what little land we presently have. That is the threat that huntsmen such as myself train to fight against. It is a daunting task, but a noble one. It's the only life I can imagine myself living."

They walked in silence while Lily chewed on Pyrrha's words while Penny and Gidjit undoubtedly held a digital, silent conversation behind them. The young girl fiddled with the metal in her hands as Pyrrha continued on towards her destination.

"I wish I could be a hero like you." Lily sighed, "Dad was adamant that I stay home during the war and continue my education. Even with aliens trying to take over the world, I had to pretend nothing was wrong and learn about physics and language arts. Felt pretty useless."

Pyrrha glanced down at her companion, "There is power in knowledge, Lily. The stories your father told you about our fantastic abilities would not have been possible without his efforts in engineering and Dr. Vahlen's efforts in research. Our Auras were suppressed when we first arrived, and the only way we could reach our full potential was through their tireless efforts to understand the science behind the magic and develop a countermeasure to the suppression. Your father would likely struggle to pick up a Blaster Launcher, and yet any Rocketeer, Sniper, or Scout would readily agree that he did far more than his fair share in the fight to save humanity."

"I wouldn't be here if it weren't for Doctor Shen!" Penny cheerfully added.

Pyrrha could tell that Lily couldn't think of a counter to that, even though she could tell that her companion clearly wanted to. It made sense, in a way: while the war effort would have stalled out and died long ago without the scientists and engineers working behind the curtain, Pyrrha knew that the glory of the battlefield captured people's attention moreso than the seemingly mundane efforts of XCOM's non-combat personnel.

"If it's any consolation, I'm actually here to help train a good friend of mine how to fight like a huntress. We won't be having any grand battles like you're probably imagining, but I wouldn't mind if you decided to come and watch while we work."

Lily's eyes grew wide, just as they did when Pyrrha first stepped through the relay, "Really?"

They arrived in front of a door as Pyrrha nodded, "Really." She turned to Penny and Gidjit, "Will you two be joining us as well?"

"Unfortunately not. As much as I would love to watch you teach Major Durand, Gidjit and I have some work to do down in Engineering."

"Oh?"

"IMPORTANT WORK. UPGRADES FOR THE ODIN."

Pyrrha looked at Gidjit, "Well, judging by your voice, it sounds like you two have been busy with important work for a while now. It's good to see that you're settling in."

"IT IS GOOD."

"… We're still working on his linguistic skills." Penny said, "Though it's not a particularly high priority."

Pyrrha laughed, "Don't worry about it. I can understand Gidjit just fine. You two have fun with Doctor Shen. I'll do my best to look after his daughter."

"As if I need looking after." Lily grumbled.

The mechs floated off down the hall, and Pyrrha opened the door and poked her head inside. Sitting with her back facing the Temple Ship's mighty Elerium reactor, Annette patiently kneeled with La Volonté resting before her. She opened her eyes at the sound of Pyrrha's approach, and they held the faint, familiar glow of spectral power. Lily hung back while Pyrrha stepped forward into the empty space of the room, sword and shield at the ready. Annette grabbed her own weapon, stood up, and bowed slightly.

"Thank you for coming."

"It's my pleasure." Pyrrha said cheerfully, "Shall we begin?"