Blake stared at the book on her lap, not really reading the words. She had been trying to sneak ahead in the book she and Ruby had begun reading to each other, but she found herself too distracted. It seemed something had come up for Professor Port, so the Grimm Studies class was cancelled. Without having their last class, the girls had gone to the cafeteria for an early dinner. Now Team JNPR had joined them, and the cafeteria as a whole seemed more crowded. The noise level had risen as conversations sprung up, and though she could easily ignore them, she found herself interested in the one going on within her group.

"So you've totally got the hots for this guy, right?" Yang teased their leader, poking her with her fork as she ate her third plate of food. How those two – well, just Yang since Ruby's fight with Cinder – could eat so much Blake couldn't guess. Yang was the tallest girl of Team RWBY with the most developed muscles but what she ate seemed far more than enough to maintain that. Nonetheless, she never gained weight or lost her figure. The continued flirting by the younger boys, and some older men, would testify to that.

"Wh-what? No! I'm not-I mean, no! He just stood out because I've never seen him before," Ruby stammered out, her cheeks reddening. Ruby had told them about a man she'd seen this morning as they left Professor Goodwitch's class and Yang had jumped on it like a hawk.

"Uh huh," Yang said with a smug look. "I'm sure that's why you were staring at him."

"I wasn't staring! He walked past us and I watched him go into the classroom. It wasn't even five seconds! Definitely not enough time to stare," Ruby shot back, murmuring the last bit.

The two sat next to each other, across from their respective partners. Beside Blake, Weiss was studying with an annoyed look on her face. Beyond her was Pyrrha, herself seemingly having given up on the textbook before her in favor of listening in on the girls' conversation as Blake had. She had opted out of any actual food, a drink sitting by her side. Jaune was also listening as he sat next to Ruby, having previously been a part of conversation before it moved onto its current topic. His food lay half eaten and forgotten. At the end, Ren seemed absorbed in his food, but Blake suspected he was also listening. Nora was the most obvious, leaning toward Pyrrha to get closer, and her arms on the table. Her empty tray lay to the side, the food having been eaten almost immediately.

"What did he look like? Oh, was he tall and mysterious? Did he wear a big hat and large coat so you couldn't see his face?" Nora inserted herself into the conversation. Ruby responded, seeming relieved to have someone say something that didn't imply ulterior motives for being interested by the man.

"Uh, not really. He was actually kind of short, with black everywhere: black hair, black eyes, black clothes. He really stuck out to me because his vest and hair looked like they were made of feathers. I thought that was really odd, and I was wondering if he was a bird faunus or something since…" she faded off at a glare from Weiss. Blake had an idea of what would happen next. "Um, what is it, Weiss? Am I bothering you again?" she said, her voice a little shaky from nerves. Blake took note of the way she looked at Weiss. It was kind of sad that she was so bad at hiding how attracted to the girl she was. It was almost as sad as Jaune and Pyrrha still not figuring out whatever was going on between them.

"No, you dunce!" Weiss exploded. "Did you just say bird faunus? Do you honestly not know that faunus are only mammals? Have you been paying attention to anything the past two and a half years?"

And there it was. If Ruby had asked her earlier, she would have saved Ruby from Weiss' short temper but this was the first Blake had heard of it. Blake herself had noticed the man this morning, and while she wasn't sure what kind of faunus he was, she had known the feathers were something unrelated. Even if she hadn't known faunus were all mammals, the long black ears atop his head should have been enough to tell he was not a bird.

"I'm sorry! I must have forgot!" Ruby forced out quickly, looking down to avoid Weiss' continued glare.

Yang shot Weiss a look. Fix it. They had talked about this before. Weiss had warmed up considerably, especially to Ruby, but this time of year was particularly stressful for her. This meant she tended to be set off at the drop of a hat, and considering the open secret of Ruby's infatuation, they had agreed that Weiss should be careful during such times. Weiss immediately softened, someone as observant and close to her as Blake being able to catch the quick appearance of regret. She took a deep breath, a hand rubbing her temple, before continuing.

"No, you're fine Ruby. It's just that I am trying to study – for a test we all need to take tomorrow, by the way – and you and Yang were being… distracting. I got a little too irritated, and I overreacted. I'm sorry," she said slowly and sincerely. Blake suppressed a smirk. It was like a whole different Weiss, one that was kind and caring. It was quite a ways from the ice princess. Now if only she would act that way toward the rest of us, Blake thought.

"No, no, it was kind of stupid now that I'm thinking about it – I don't know what would make me think there could be bird faunus anyway," Ruby said quickly, always trying to keep the peace.

It was a trait that Blake found had become far more common. Ruby never liked any form of conflict in the team, and if it was with her, she would immediately step down if she deemed the issue trivial. It was something that had convinced her that her initial impressions for the girl had been correct. Ruby seemed like a girl who wanted everything to work out, wanted everyone to be happy. Blake had thought that such a naïve and optimistic view would vanish because of the hardships of Beacon, and yet Ruby kept her bright outlook even after they had faced far worse. She was almost envious of her leader's ability to hold on to her dreams when she herself had been so ready to let her own go – both as a little girl and more recently as a huntress-in-training. The young girl had really proven to be quite the inspiration, and not just for Blake. She knew that Yang and Weiss had been genuinely shocked by Ruby's continued fervor in becoming a huntress for the people, and she suspected their friends had similar attitudes.

"Oh, don't feel bad, Ruby. Jaune didn't know that faunus could hear from their animal ears," Pyrrha said with humor. "He only found out when he saw Blake move her ears under the bow so she could better hear a lecture one day."

"I remember," Blake said with an amused stare directed at Jaune. "He almost let the whole class know about my ears."

"That's not fair! I just thought they were, I don't know, decoration or something. Then I find out they move and you can hear through them – that's so awesome! I wasn't trying to out you!" Jaune defended.

"You're doing it again," Ren quietly interjected between bites of his food.

"What?"

"Being loud about her secret."

"Oh, crap. Sorry Blake, I don't think anyone heard me," he said, quickly looking around the neighboring tables. No one seemed to be paying them any mind, too preoccupied with their own conversations to care.

"It's okay. Just be more careful, alright?" she said with a chuckle. Turning her attention back to Ruby, who had once again taken relief in having the spotlight off of her, she returned back to the original topic. "I don't know who that man was, but I also noticed him this morning. He is a faunus, he had ears on his head, but I don't know what kind. I am also curious who he was, and what he might be doing here at Beacon."

"Probably not anything official, since that shouldn't warrant a physical meeting during teaching hours. Probably just someone giving Professor Goodwitch a personal visit," Weiss put in her two cents, having stopped studying. It seemed the conversation had become too distracting for her as well.

"Am I the only one who didn't notice this guy this morning?" Yang said.

"You were probably too busy forcing Blake and I down the hall so you could satisfy your greedy appetite," the heiress countered. Yang looked like she was going to dispute that, but Weiss' stare set on her two empty plates and half full third stopped her.

"Okay, maybe I was in a bit of a hurry this morning," she relented. With a familiar tilt of her head as her fork fell against her lips, she lost herself in thought. Blake always found the motion endearing, having seen it often as the blonde studied in their dorm. Yang voiced what she had been considering. "But who would be visiting Professor Goodwitch?" A good question.

"A secret liaison with a mysterious man does seem odd," Blake mused aloud.

"She did kind of look like she needed a stress reliever…"

"Yang!" Weiss shouted in mortification.

A collective groan had escaped most of the table. Jaune and Ruby looked uncomfortable with red as strong as Ruby's cloak filling their cheeks. Pyrrha looked at Yang with disapproval, and her face was sharing the color of her hair like the leaders. Nora seemed fascinated by the prospect. Ren kept his composure but a slight shake of his head and reddening of the cheeks marked his discomfort. Blake found the comment bringing a smirk because of its suddenness, but it was ultimately unsurprising.

"What? I'm just saying she always seems kind of stressed out. Maybe the Professor needs some help to feel good, which I feel is perfectly fine. She's a grown woman who can do what she wants. It is a perfectly reasonable and mature explanation. We're all adults here – well, besides Ruby," Yang replied in an indignant tone.

"You don't think it would be right there in the classroom though, would you?" Nora interjected.

"Eeeew!" Jaune.

"Gross! Gross! Gross!" Ruby.

"Nora!" This was Ren.

"But you heard Yang! It is a 'perfectly reasonable and mature explanation,'" she replied, mimicking Yang's indignant tone, which had itself been copied from Weiss.

"Thank you," Yang said. Turning to Weiss, she continued. "See, someone agrees with me."

Weiss' mouth twitched, as though she were going to reply. Instead, she put her face in her hand and sighed, a large vein in her temple visibly throbbing. "Why do we put up with them again?" she whispered just quiet enough that only Blake heard her.

Blake chuckled before responding, "Because they're our friends."

A sigh. "Don't remind me." Blake gave her a small smile.

"Yang, Nora, while you may be right about it being a…'perfectly reasonable and mature explanation,' I don't think that is what this is about," Blake said, turning her attention back to the group as a whole. "Since it would not make sense for him to be a government official, due to the unique clothing and more convenient alternative of digital messaging, he was likely a huntsman. Perhaps he's a former student who wanted to visit her?"

"Who would want to come back to see her?" Jaune said. "She's so mean; I can't see anyone saying she's their favorite teacher." Murmurs of assent went around the table.

"She's my favorite," Ruby put in quietly. Incredulous stares and open mouths greeted the girl.

"Really, sis?" Yang finally managed out of her gaping.

Ruby seemed embarrassed but elaborated. "I guess it really started before I came here. But, you all know how I got in early? When I stopped Torchwick?" Nods were seen around the table. "Professor Goodwitch was the huntress that came that day." Blake was surprised; she had not actually known that. From the look on everyone's faces, neither had they. "I didn't know it at the time, but the woman with Torchwick was Cinder Fall." A dark mood passed over the table, more so for Team RWBY's half. Memories of their encounters with the woman, down to the last one on that frightening night, began to surface within Blake. "Professor Goodwitch and I fought her, but really it was all Professor Goodwitch. It was just so awesome – I was seeing a huntress in action! The two went back and forth with spells: fireballs, ice crystals, and a stone spear-thing. As soon as one got the upper hand, the other would counter. It was quick but amazing. Even against someone like that, she had no fear. I bet if she hadn't been worrying about me, she could have taken her in then and there. So, ever since that night, she's kind of been what I've striven for. I want to be like her, strong and confidant. The last few years, especially with her help that night," her hand touched her scars as she paused for a brief moment. "With her getting me to the hospital, I've only become more convinced of just how great she is. I know she's really harsh sometimes, but she's a huntress, and she wants us to be ready to do what we need to when the time comes. I was inspired by my grandmother to become a huntress, and she's really my personal hero." She rubbed the silver rose buckle she occasionally wore with her school uniform. "She fell in the line of duty, but if we're talking about heroes who are still living, then Professor Goodwitch is right up there with her."

Blake was genuinely moved by the speech. She had not known Ruby held Professor Goodwitch in such high regard. During their time against Cinder Fall, she'd found out two of the huntsmen and huntresses who had been assigned to Cinder Fall's case. One had been Professor Goodwitch, the other Yang and Ruby's Uncle Qrow. Who the others had been, she didn't know. These two, however, she had briefly seen in action. Professor Goodwitch had been on the defensive or healing, but that had been impressive enough to earn Blake's respect. She certainly deserved her position here at Beacon, though her abilities made her wonder what Ozpin had up his sleeve if he was considered the most venerable huntsman at the Academy. Perhaps that was why Ruby was also known to look up to Ozpin as though he were a god. Professor Goodwitch and her Uncle Qrow were impressive, but the implication was that Ozpin was better. Recalling their luck with Cinder, she wondered what it must have been like to see Glynda duel the rogue huntress. For an impressionable fifteen year old girl with dreams of becoming a huntress, she imagined it had definitely been awesome. It's a wonder she hadn't asked for an autograph.

"We had no idea you felt that way about her. We didn't mean to insult Professor Goodwitch, she is an admirable woman. It is just that she isn't the nicest of teachers, and the work load in her classes is particularly high. We can get caught up in how she is as a teacher and forget what she's like as a person," Pyrrha put forth in apology.

Ren nodded in agreement as Nora jumped up. "Yea, we didn't mean to say your hero was a meanie."

"You're so sweet!" Yang exclaimed as she pulled Ruby into what appeared to be a crushing hug. It was in fact surprisingly gentle, the sister ever mindful of her sibling's injuries.

"Yang! Geroff me!" Ruby squeezed out from Yang's smothering embrace.

"Well, if Ruby would visit Professor Goodwitch, I suppose it isn't too unreasonable that guy you were talking about would," Jaune said, bringing the topic back around.

Blake nodded in thought. Perhaps the man was simply a former student who wanted to speak with her. The fact that he had known where to look meant he had not just wandered onto the campus. Either Professor Goodwitch had expected him or he'd gone through administration to find her schedule. However, Blake couldn't shake that something felt… off. There had been something about his presence that set her hair on end, despite his pleasant bearing. Something about the way she'd seen him focus on their group with an idle curiosity, getting a good look into his eyes. They had seemed almost child-like in their inquisitiveness, but there was something else beneath that. Or rather, it was like there was nothing beneath it – as though she were looking into something so old that it possessed only a shadow of its former passion. Thinking back, a few others had similar gazes – Cinder being the most recent. It was a gaze that felt like you were only seeing a facade and that beneath it they were husks. It was a feeling she got with Ozpin as well, as though they had endured something that had drained them. However, Ozpin's presence put her at ease instead of making her uneasy like the others had. It was an odd feeling, and Blake could not guess what it meant.

"Speak of the Darkness," she heard Ruby whisper, stopping her struggling against Yang to look past Blake and Weiss.

Blake furrowed her brow in confusion before turning to look behind her. The shiver down her spine told her what she would see before she did. The man in question was heading toward them, coming from a shadowed portion of the cafeteria as though he had materialized there. Blake found herself finishing the phrase, "And it will find you."

"Oh, is that him? Well, at least Professor Goodwitch has good taste," Yang said as she noticed their attention shift to the man. She let go of her sister, straightening her hair from the struggle.

Weiss cast another glare her way while Blake just gave her a humored eyebrow raise. Yang shrugged with a smirk as Ruby ignored her sister's comments in favor of making herself presentable. Team JNPR also turned their attention to the man as he approached, curiosity etched even into Ren's face.

He seemed tired from the way he moved, his body having a certain lethargy that made it seem as though he had just finished running a marathon, though his breathing seemed regular. His dark eyes were set on their table, leaving little doubt that this was in fact his destination. He seemed somewhat taken aback by the sudden attention of the table, smiling nervously as he neared them. Then he spoke, voice sounding confidant and polite.

"Excuse me, but I think I know who you are and would like to speak with you." His eyes swept the table, but focused on Ruby. Blake turned her eyes to her leader, catching Weiss and Yang doing the same. The same question burned in their eyes: get rid of him?

Ruby gave a subtle shake of her head, bringing a smile to her face as she turned to face the man. Blake did the same, feeling her skin crawl at his presence. "Uh, sure. Go ahead," Ruby said.

His smile widened. "Excellent. Now, you are Ruby, correct? Leader of these fine ladies in Team RWBY?" he said, motioning to Blake, Weiss, and Yang.

"Yes."

"Well, would you care to answer a few questions I have?"

"About what?" Weiss interjected coldly. Her tone was sharp and haughty. It came as a bit of a shock to Blake. It had been so long since she'd heard the ice princess in all her harshness.

To his credit, the man did not seem intimidated. If anything, he seemed amused by the heiress' play of superiority. Turning to her with a smile, he responded. "A number of things. I suppose I should cut to the chase, though. I am curious about what happened when Cinder Fall gave you that scar," he said, pointing to Ruby's throat.

Instantly, Ruby's chair was pushed back with an exclamation of surprise, her blond sister standing before her with flickers of flame in her hair. Similarly, Blake and Weiss stood between the man and the table. Just as her own aura flared, Blake felt the harsh cold of the heiress' white aura. Team JNPR seemed taken aback by their threatening response, but quickly rose with their own aura's flared to support them. Blake noticed the dark glint behind his friendly gaze as his dark aura briefly flared, seeming to come from his hair and vest. Its color was disturbing. Blake thought her aura was as dark as it got, being considered black. This man's, however, was possessing of intensity so great that it seemed not to emit light, but absorb it. It reminded her of the body of a Grimm.

"I'm sorry, was that a taboo subject?" he said, stepping back as his hands rose. He still spoke with a pleasant voice and a smile.

"Yes, now leave," Yang spat with venom. Her eyes were red – never a good sign with her. Blake made a hand motion for her to calm down, making eye contact. The color faded, but small licks of flame remained.

"How do you know about that?" Weiss said, ignoring Yang's threatening message.

"Let me explain. I'm looking into Cinder Fall, and what she was doing when she was stopped. I don't mean to upset you. I have already spoken with Ozpin, Glynda, and a young man named Sun. I simply wished to find more about what happened from someone who faced her directly."

That explained what he had been doing with Professor Goodwitch. That said, their involvement with Cinder had been minimized. No one should know about it besides government officials. Speaking to Sun wasn't much of a statement of worth, as he was very outspoken and straightforward to talk to. If he'd spoken with both Glynda and Ozpin, however, then he must have had some level of authenticity. Was this guy actually working for the government? And if so, why would he be here now, over a year later?

"I'm going to need more than that," Weiss said, her fingers subtly moving. She was preparing glyphs, though how effective they'd be without Myrtenaster was in question.

"Perhaps you would prefer to speak somewhere else. It would be more comfortable – and private," he said, glancing around the room. Blake followed his eyes to find that almost all conversation in the cafeteria had stopped as everyone focused on their table.

Weiss pursed her lips for a moment of consideration. "Follow me," she said suddenly, quickly walking off.

"JNPR, would you kindly take our stuff to our dorm when you go?" Blake said, hurrying after the heiress and the man who followed her.

"U-uh, yea, sure we can do that, right guys?" Jaune stammered out as she left earshot.

"Yes, certainly," Pyrrha said hesitantly, letting her aura fade.

"Wait up!" Ruby called, jumping up after her teammates. Yang seemed annoyed, shooting a glance toward Team JNPR as she followed her sister.