Blake was woken from her catnap by the soft buzzing of her scroll. She sighed. Every time I try to nap. Every. Single Time. She quickly weighed whether to ignore the call. When she saw the call was coming from Headmaster Ozpin, she quickly swiped accept. "Hello Professor," Blake sat up on her bunk.

"Good afternoon Ms. Belladonna. I hope I'm not interrupting anything. I have a request to make of you. I would like you and Ms. Xaio Long to go shopping."

"Excuse me? I don't think I understand." Blake blinked, clearing the last of the sleep from her amber eyes.

"I was planning to lend your team supplies from Beacon's armory for your excursion to Forever Fall. Unfortunately, there were some, uh, complications. I just sent a list of supplies you need, and had 2100 Lien wired to your Scroll. Take an airship to Vale this afternoon and get the supplies. Take any Lien that's left and treat yourselves to dinner. Consider it my apology for cutting your team's weekend short."

"Thanks Professor," Blake sighed. She hated shopping. Too many people, too much noise.

"Good-bye now." Ozpin ended the call. Blake noted one new e-mail from Ozpin. The shopping list. I'd better show Yang. Yang was sitting on her bunk, a few feet away. Blake watched as she stripped, cleaned and re-assembled her shotgun-gauntlets, Ember Celica.

Blake turned to face her friend. "I thought Ruby was the weapons nut?"

Yang looked up, still working on her weapon. "She still is. She made some modifications to my gauntlets after she saw how I fought at Mountain Glenn. Says I can reload faster. I'm just testing that theory. Let's see that list of supplies, Blakey!"

Blake smiled. Yang's nickname was starting to grow on her. She showed Yang the list of supplies. The listed included new sleeping bags, deployable shelters, and first aid kits-the usual for a six day excursion into the woods. However, the final few items on the list gave both girls a surprise. Ozpin's list specified one magazine of high-explosive incendiary dust rounds for Ruby's High Velocity Sniper Scythe and Schnee Brand "fireball" shells for Yang's gauntlets. "And it's not even my birthday!" Yang's smile grew wider at the thought of the new "toys".

General Ironwood entered Ozpin's office with all the elegance of a charging bull. While the man was a military genius, he had his flaws. Chief among them was the inability to hide his emotions. "How the hell could this happen? Why wasn't I warned! You people keep something like that hidden from me, then expect me to protect you? HOW STUPID DO YOU THINK I AM?

Ozpin was not stirred by the General's outspoken antics. "If the Vale Council had taken my advice years ago, that weapon would not even exist. At least it is inert. That's more than I can say of your temper."

Ironwood drew a steadying breath. It wasn't Ozpin who'd hidden things from him, so he tried to direct his anger elsewhere. He had only recently been briefed by the Vale Council on the deadly secret that had lied buried for nearly a century on the Atlas-Vale border. Had it not been for that botched robbery, they would still let it sit there unguarded. "What do you mean, inert?"

Ozpin assumed the position of a professor about to lecture his dull student. "The weapon requires a dust-based catalyst to be used. Part of the peace agreement with the Faunus was the destruction of the catalyst. Georges Aegean was the last living soul with enough understanding of Dust to create a new one. Besides, I understand you redeployed your soldiers to protect the weapon after last night's failed robbery. I'm sure you have it under control."

Yang and Blake had forgone Ozpin's offer of an airship, electing to take Yang' motorcycle, Bumblebee. Blake had been timid at first, clinging to Yang for dear life as the yellow-haired daredevil eagerly broke the speed limit. Her grip eased once she realized just how confident her friend was on the nimble bike. "You make that look easy!" Blake yelled over the wind

"Yeah? Watch this!" Yang pushed the bike even faster, weaving between cars as she sped towards downtown Vale. When she finally pulled parked in front of a dust shop, Yang realized Blake was shaking. Fear or excitement? Yang couldn't tell.

"That was incredible! Where'd you learn to drive like that?" Blake climbed off the bike. As she readjusted her bow, the quiet night air of Vale was pierced by a blood curdling female scream. The duo quickly dropped their banter and ran forward to help.

Blake heard whimpers coming from a side alley. Her blood ran cold when she reached the source of the cries. A young Faunus girl was curled in a ball on the ground. Several cloaked figures surrounded her, savagely kicking her. With each blow, the assailants taunted her, asking if animals really felt pain. A primal scream sounded from Blake's throat as she drew Gambol Shroud. Yang was a moment behind, her eyes blazing red as she let her semblance take hold. All six attackers turned at the noise, drawing katanas from their cloaks. Against Vale Police or would-be heroes, the thugs would have been prepared. But Yang and Blake were not would-be heroes. They were warriors, sworn to protect the citizens of Vale. Preparing to fight, their training took over. They were weapons.

The closest thug made a wild stab at Blake. She flowed around his blade with grace, delivering a devastating blow to his sword arm. He fell, clutching his arm where Blake's cleaver had crushed the bone. A lithe back-flip brought her between the whimpering girl and her attackers.

The remaining five assumed disciplined fighting stances. Blake's blade sliced the air as her next opponent dodged. He's good. But let's see him dodge this. Blake used her semblance to cast an afterimage of herself, melting into the shadow of the alley. The thug swung high, slicing the air where Blake's head had been a moment before. His blade only cut smoke. The split-second distraction was all Blake needed to deliver a strike which left him unconscious and bleeding from the ears. Dual shotgun blasts announced Yang's entrance to the fight.

In seconds, two thugs lay writhing at Yang's feet. Only one man was left in the fight now. Taller and stronger than the others, the cloaked man parried Blake and traded blows with Yang. Blake shared a knowing glance with Yang, who moved close to distract him. Blake used the break in his attacks to draw the second half of Gambol Shroud. Facing Blake's dual blades, the thug began to falter. His resistance ended when Yang delivered a stiff uppercut with Ember Celica, and the thug was blasted through the brick alley wall. He twitched, his breath coming in ragged gasps. A cruel smile appeared on his bloody lips. "You're dead! Hahaha! You just don't know it yet kitty cat!" A swift kick from Yang, and he too fell unconscious.

Blake ran to the young girl's aid while Yang called the police. She couldn't have been more than nine, Blake saw. Her antlers were just nubs. When Blake crouched by her side, the girl screamed again. Blake undid her bow, revealing her own cat ears. This put the young girl at ease, and she allowed Blake to cradle her in her arms. "It's alright. Those men won't be hurting you anymore. I'm Blake, and I'm here to protect you." The girl was in too much pain to respond, but Blake noted the recognition of safety in her eyes.

The police were soon on the scene. Blake and Yang stayed until the ambulance arrived, and gave their reports to a detective who appeared on the scene. "Who are these assholes? Beating on a little girl like that?" Yang's eyes still burned a furious red, and the detective took an involuntary step back before replying.

"By the rings on their hands," the detective gestured to a gold signet on the closest thug's ring finger which bore the image of a deer with slashes down its side, "they're members of the Black Talon. They're violent anti-Faunus extremists. I'd be careful, ladies. You both did the right thing. Hell, you probably saved her life. But these men are murderers, and they have a terrible sense of vengeance. I'd watch my back if I were you. Not that you need to worry, what with those kinds of skills." He jerked his thumb at the carnage in the alleyway. I almost feel bad for those thugs. That one's never walking again. That one's going to lose his arm. And him-did they knock him through a wall? Damn! As Yang and Blake walked away, the detective game the closest thug a kick in the ribs. Almost feel bad. But not quite. Sometimes I understand why the White Fang kill.