"Aaaaaaand that's what happened on our first mission. Pretty cool, yeah?"

Pyrrha nodded as Lyra finished up telling the story of her team's adventures. The two were sitting in the JNPR dorm, but everyone else was absent except for them. It was some nice alone time for the two sisters.

"That is exciting," Pyrrha agreed, twirling a metal pen above her hand with her semblance. "We haven't even gone on a mission yet. You're lucky!"

"Well, Professor Ozpin did pull us out of class for it...he keeps saying there's something special about us. Which, no doubt, considering the team's led by me," Lyra half-joked about that last part before sobering up. "I mean, we're special...But...I don't know why he didn't take you."

"Maybe for once...I'm not the special one," Pyrrha couldn't help but smile at this thought. Lyra just shrugged. Pyrrha was smart, beautiful, and the strongest warrior at Beacon Academy. There was no way she wasn't the special one here...but Pyrrha was reveling in the thought of being normal, so Lyra let the topic drop.

"Maybe," Lyra said plainly before switching subjects. "So, uh...how has your team been?"

"I love it. Jaune really treats me as if I was just a normal student," Pyrrha replied happily, and Lyra smiled. She was happy to see Pyrrha so comfortable around someone that wasn't Lyra herself. "Nora and Ren are nice as well."

"Good! I'm really glad to hear that," Lyra nodded. "I still wish we were on the same team, though. Don't get me wrong, I like all my teammates, but you're my freaking sister. It would be so nice if we were together..."

"True...But I think destiny had different options in mind," Pyrrha shrugged, a slightly mystified look in her emerald eyes. "We're both meant to play out different parts. Just look, Professor Ozpin selected your team for a special mission. He's got something planned out for you all."

"I'm sure he has something important for you, too...but it is weird how Ozpin really just took us," Lyra wanted to mention how much more Pyrrha deserved to go than she did, but that would only upset the redhead. "I guess it really is destiny...or something."

"Haha! He has something wonderful planned out for you all, I can tell."

•••

Janelle felt utterly confused.

No, it wasn't about anything academic. If it was, she would have studied until she figured it out. No, this was...something different.

"Janelle...I know that you think emotions just get in the way. In truth, they do. But it's the courage and strength that allows us to overcome these emotions that help us grow as people. We need emotions, because they help us learn and empathize with others. Without emotions...we lose trust, we lose friendships, and we lose our humanity. We lose ourselves, and in turn, become no better than the Grimm we're trying to kill."

Lyra's words had definitely shaken Janelle. In the Torres household, no mistakes were tolerated. Emotions were alright, but lacking respect was not. Janelle's family had expected no mistakes and perfect discipline to raise her off to a prestigious engineering academy.

"But mom, I really don't feel well-"

"Do not cut me off, Janelle. Refer to me as mother, like I instructed you, and I know I did not just hear you use a contraction! Honestly, young lady!"

Janelle winced at the memory. She loved her mother, but she was...difficult to live with. After constant life like that, Janelle had just figured that remaining distant from her family and detaching herself was the easiest way around everything, even though emotionless wasn't required. It was a way of coping for Janelle...but Lyra seemed to think poorly of that decision.

It was...weird. Her family had instilled so many customs within her, and then she had come to Beacon Academy, where everything was just so different...

Janelle needed to talk to someone. Not someone on her team, no. She already knew what they'd say; and she already knew they wouldn't understand. They didn't understand the punishments she'd had to face for misstepping. No, she needed to talk to someone else...someone who understood their place, someone groomed to be something they didn't want...

"Miss Schnee...May I converse with you?"

"Hm? Oh, hi Janelle," Weiss turned toward Janelle with a friendly wave. The Heiress of the Schnee Dust Company had to understand Janelle's plight. After all, Weiss had come to Beacon, despite being an Heiress! Even though Janelle didn't know Weiss personally, Janelle could tell Weiss would understand her predicament. "Sure, we can talk, I don't have anything better to do anyway."

"Thank you," Janelle bowed her head slightly before beginning to speak. "Miss Schnee-"

"Weiss is fine," Weiss interrupted sharply before looking somewhat uncomfortable with herself. Something must have happened that made Weiss slightly more humbled. Janelle didn't know what, but it made her certain that Weiss would know how to solve her problems. "Just...Weiss. That's fine."

"A-Are you sure?" Janelle rebuked herself inwardly for stuttering, but Weiss nodded. "Alright, then. My apologies. Weiss...I have a problem."

"And you came to me?" Weiss widened her eyes in slight surprise. "I'm honored, but...I'm not exactly the best at listening."

"I think you are the only person who will understand," Janelle gulped, fiddling with her skirt nervously. She was speaking to the Schnee Heiress, someone her parents had often used as a role model. Janelle felt so out of place as a commoner next to her...but she needed to speak to someone, and no one else would understand like Weiss did. "When I was growing up...I was groomed to be a perfect girl. Smart, obedient, and disciplined...It was easiest to forfeit any personal emotions I had here. No matter what I felt, I just did what my orders were. I followed my mission, regardless of how I hated these orders. But lately...Lyra was spouting off with some...nonsense about...needing emotions to connect with other people. She said that without them, we are not...humane. This...sounds ridiculous. I am sorry Miss Sch-er-Weiss, for bothering you..."

"No, it's not ridiculous! Actually, I..." Weiss hesitated as well, but it was clear to her that she wasn't the only one feeling so...confused. "I...get it. I was raised to be cold...but being with my team, it's made me want to connect with them. To be happy with them, to smile with them. I was raised to be independent, that I was better than everyone...but...that made me so..so lonely."

"Me, too," Janelle nodded. "I...It baffles me. Seeing them all so happy, I am jealous, but I...I do not know how to be like them. They all express and bond together, I only know how to focus on a mission."

"I think...maybe you should talk to them about it?" Weiss wasn't exactly sure herself. When Janelle shook her head negatively to this response, Weiss frowned and tried to think of something else. What had she done...? "To be honest, Janelle...I didn't change myself. They just accepted me into the group as I was. Maybe...maybe your team will be the same."

"Perhaps," Janelle had been so focused on their differences that she hadn't really considered that possibility. All she had done was view herself as the issue here...but there was no other alternative other than that. Janelle saw herself as the problem, always. Regardless of what her team did, she knew they'd always wish she'd lighten up and be more like them...Still, Janelle nodded at Weiss, grateful for the input anyway. "Thank you."

"I just hope I'm right about that."

•••

"Nico, wait!"

Nico's eyes immediately narrowed at the sound of Blake's voice. Nico's hand instinctively went to where her sword was usually hung on it's sheath, but she only grasped around nothing. That's right, her weapon, Fenrir, was in her weapon locker...

"Nico, please! I know I don't deserve it," Blake frantically said, the words escaping her mouth as fast as possible. "But I'm so, so sorry about everything that happened."

"D-Don't lie! I k-know you're a c-criminal! Y-You're no better than A-A-Adam!"

"No! Nico...look," Blake pulled up the edge of her shirt to reveal a deep scar on her stomach. "When you escaped, I stuck up for you. I said it was in humane...so they gave me this."

"Y-You're lying," Nico said defiantly, but logic whispered into her mind, wondering how else Blake would have gotten it.

"No, I'm not. I would have tried to break you out. but I was...scared," Blake hesitated to admit it, but she knew she had to do it eventually or else she'd never get the closure she needed about Nico's imprisonment. "I'm sorry. I was too scared, I couldn't..."

"T-That's ridiculous!"

"How do you think people found you!?" Blake was growing frustrated with Nico's refusal to listen. "I was scared...but I told them where you were. Professor Ozpin told General Ironwood, and that's how he found you somewhat near the base. Or did you think that was a coincidence that the military was somewhat near you?"

"W-What?"

"I couldn't go myself...but I knew you were out there. Adam probably knows. He wants to kill me even more because of what I did. I put a huge target on my back for you, Nico!"

"B-But why?" Nico couldn't comprehend why a former White Fang member would even think about trying to save her. It made no sense for a secret agent to save Nico...could it really mean that Blake wasn't actually on the White Fang's side? No...there was no way.

"Because I'm not with the White Fang!" Blake exclaimed once more. Unable to deal with this possibility, Nico just phased through a wall to escape the conversation. Blake frowned, understanding of Nico's response, but she wanted someone to believe her on this...

"Nico, I'm not lying..."

•••

"Yang, Yang, Yang! Over here!"

Tanya frantically ran over to the buxom blonde of team RWBY who was looking rather bored as she talked to a couple of people. Tanya waved her arms in a panicked matter, and as the people surrounding Yang looked at Tanya, they decided now was a pretty good time to leave.

"What's up, Tanya?" Yang asked, seeing how the blue haired girl looked rather frazzled. Tanya just screeched in response. "Uh, Tanya-"

"I don't know where Nico is! Or Lyra! Or Janelle! Did they leave me?" Tanya panicked. "I mean, none of them told me they were going anywhere, and it's not like I need to know, but it would have been nice to know since, you know...they're like my team and all, and it would be really terrible if they just decided to leave me. I mean, they wouldn't do that, none of them are awful people, but like...where are they!?"

"Whoa, Tanya," Yang's eye's widened in surprise. Tanya was speaking so fast, Yang could barely keep up. "I'm sure they didn't leave you, they're probably just out doing their own thing-"

"Oh? Ha. Haha. No, that's definitely not what happened!" Tanya continued to panic loudly. People were staring, but Tanya didn't care. "Is it because of me? Who am I kidding, it's definitely because of me! Come on, Tanya..."

"Oooookay, I think you're overreacting, Tanya," Yang shot daggers at anyone who was watching, and they immediately turned away from the two. "I'm sure your team didn't leave you."

"But what if they're on their way to Professor Ozpin to try and get me kicked off the team? Or what if they're having fun without me!? Oh, I need to know where they are-"

"Look, Nico's right there!" Yang breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing another member of Team LJNT to save her from the situation. Tanya turned, excited before running toward Nico.

"Oh, yes! Where were you? And where's Lyra and Janelle? Were you guys with Professor Ozpin?"

"U-U-Um, n-no," Nico shook her head, a really confused look on her face. She looked slightly downcast, but Tanya didn't notice. "I-I-I w-w-was j-just...u-um...e-er..g-getting s-something to e-eat?"

"Were you really? By yourself?" Tanya questioned, a worried look still on her face. "B-But where are the other two? I know you went with them-"

"I-I didn't g-go with t-them..."

"...Oh. Well," Tanya paused before turning to Yang, who had been trying to sneak away. "Never mind! Guess I was wrong, ahaha! Anyway, I have a super great idea, and since you're here, Yang, I think you should come with!"

"Well, it depends. If your idea is to find Lyra or Janelle, I'm not coming."

"No, it's okay. They aren't doing something without me, and besides, you're here, so I guess I can go without them for awhile," Tanya grinned. "Besides, there's a reason I need you. It's because the others...uh...won't be fun if I tried to make them do this. I need you, and you'll like it too!"

"Hmm...Alright, fine. Life's about adventure, right? Are we going partying?"

Tanya grinned wide.

"Well, actually..."