Now we take one good look at the balcony café in the middle of Vale where Daruna, Sun and Blake were seen last chapter drinking tea.

Sun's eyes lit up, "Finally, she speaks! Nearly two days and you've given me nothing but small talk and weird looks!" He paused, catching the firm look Blake gave him. "Yeah, like that."

Daruna snorts into his cup, holding back a chuckle. "You really know how to make an impression, Sun."

Sun shrugged, leaning back with an easy confidence. "What can I say? I've got a way with people." He turned back to Blake, his tone becoming a bit more serious. "But yeah, I do want to know more about you. I mean, we've been hanging out for a bit now, and it feels like there's a lot you're not saying."

Blake rolls her eyes before closing them and looking at him sadly, "Sun... Are you familiar with the White Fang?"

"Of course! I don't think there's a Faunus on the planet who hasn't heard of them. Stupid, holier-than-thou creeps that use force to get whatever they want. Bunch of freaks, if you ask me!"

Blake sips her drink while listening until she speaks up for the big reveal, "I was once a member of the White Fang."

Sun promptly goes cross-eyed and chokes on his drink, making him put it down and wipe his mouth as he holds up a hand to process this information, "Wait a minute, you were a member of the White Fang?!"

"Yup," this time, Daruna speaks up, "And so was I."

Blake briefly looks at Daruna before continuing. "We both were members for most of our lives, actually. You could almost say we were born into it..."

The scene shifts to a simple silhouetted flashback of fallen weapons plunged into the ground - swords, guns, any number of combinations.

"Back then, things were different. In the ashes of war, the White Fang was meant to be a symbol of peace and unity between Humans and the Faunus."

We are shown the dark outlines of two trios - animal-eared and tailed Faunus on one side, regular Humans on the other - shaking hands and making peace after their struggle. This does not last long, as seen by a white Faunus cowering in fear of the gray-and-black aggressors harassing the hybrid. Later, more Faunus are pushing the crowd away from their bullied brethren.

"Of course, despite being promised equality, the Faunus were subjected to discrimination and hate. Humanity still thought of us as lesser beings. And so, the White Fang rose up as a voice of our people. And we were there."

Silhouettes of Faunus protestors are revealed, and emerging from the shadows is a young girl with dark hair and cat ears and a young boy with green eyes and wolf tail.

"Daruna and I, we both were at the front of every rally. We took part in every boycott. I actually thought we were making a difference. But I was just a youthful optimist."

"We both were at that time, Blake."

Cutting from the child versions of Blake and Daruna, the blue flag of a white wolf with sad eyes and a circle behind its head is lowered, and raised in its stead is a red monster with three bloody scratches and teeth bared at the world.

"Then, five years ago, our leader stepped down, and a new one took his place. A new leader, with a new way of thinking."

A quick series of images are shown - Faunus replacing their picket signs with axes and blades, windows being broken, thieves leaping on trains to steal their cargo.

"Suddenly, our peaceful protests were being replaced with organized attacks. We were setting fire to shops that refused to serve us, hijacking cargo from companies that used Faunus labor. And the worst part was, it was working. We were being treated like equals. But not out of respect... out of fear."

The flashback shows one more image of three Faunus individuals standing in a dominating manner with malicious grins until Blake puts down her teacup in front of a stunned Sun.

"So the instant things got ugly, I betrayed my comrades in order to save humans. Ever since then, that stunt had made me the most wanted among the White Fang," said Daruna.

"And then some time later, I left," said Blake, "I decided I no longer wanted to use my skills to aid in their violence, and instead, I would dedicate my life to becoming a Huntress. So here I am: a criminal hiding in plain view, all with the help of a little black bow."

"So... have you told your friends any of this?" asks Sun, coming to terms with this.

Blake sighs, her eyes lowering to the table. "Not exactly," she admits quietly. "Well, Ruby and the others... they know some things. I told them the basics, but I haven't exactly gotten into the details of my past with the White Fang. I don't think they're ready to hear everything yet."

Daruna nods, sipping his tea thoughtfully. "Same here. I told them about my history, but I didn't really go into specifics either. Some things are harder to talk about."

Sun leans back, his expression unreadable for a moment as he processes their words. "I get it," he finally said, his voice softer. "I mean, your friends seem like they'd understand, but... I can see why you're not rushing to tell them everything."

Blake looks up, her golden eyes filled with uncertainty. "I just don't want them to see me differently. I've worked so hard to get away from that part of my life, and I don't want it to define me forever."

Daruna places a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "You're more than your past, Blake. We both are. Your friends will understand that when the time comes."

Blake gives him a small, grateful smile before turning her attention back to Sun. "So... now you know more about me than you probably ever wanted to."

Sun chuckles, lifting his drink with his tail again. "Hey, I asked, didn't I? And honestly, I'm glad you told me. I think it just proves what I already thought."

Blake raises an eyebrow, curious. "Which is?"

Sun grinned, flashing his trademark confidence. "That you're one of the coolest people I've ever met. Both of you, really." He glances at Daruna with a nod of respect. "Takes guts to walk away from something like that, especially when it's all you've known."

Daruna smirks. "Heh, well, we try."
______________________________________________

We now see Toby, Nilak, Simon, Ruby, Weiss and Yang walking through town and calling in vain for their respective missing teammates.

"Blaaaake! Daruuuuuuuna!" Yang calls out.

"Blake! Daruna!" Ruby calls out, cupping her hands around her mouth as her voice carries over the noise of the town. Nilak, walking next to her brother, sighed, glancing at him.

"I don't know why we're bothering," she mutters. "They're probably somewhere we wouldn't think to look."

Toby shakes his head, eyes narrowed. "We can't give up now. They've been gone for too long."

Simon, walking a few steps behind them, suddenly brings his fingers to his lips and lets out a sharp whistle, the sound cutting through the chatter of the crowd. The others immediately stop in their tracks, turning to stare at him with raised eyebrows.

"What?" Simon asked, looking around innocently.

"They're not dogs, Si," Nilak said, crossing her arms with a raised eyebrow.

Simon shrugs casually. "Well, Daruna's a wolf Faunus, and as you know, wolves are technically dogs," he defended, grinning like he had just won the debate.

Toby pinches the bridge of his nose, trying not to laugh. "I don't think that's how it works, Simon."

"And what if Blake isn't canine related?" said Nilak.

"Yeah, and if Blake's a cat Faunus, You gonna meow next?" Yang teased, giving him a playful smirk.

Simon put his hands up in surrender. "Hey, I'm just trying to be efficient! Thought it might help."

"You know what else might be able to help? The police!" said Weiss.

This causes the rest to groan in disapproval as Ruby crosses her arms in irritation, "Ugh, Weiss..."

"It was just an idea!" said Weiss.

Ruby walks down the sidewalk as they continue walking, "Yeah, a bad one."

Yang follows behind Ruby, "Weiss, I think we should hear her side of the story before we jump to any conclusions."

Weiss follows behind Yang, "I think that when we hear it, you'll all realize I was right!"

Suddenly, Penny, who comes out of nowhere, follows behind Weiss, "And I think Weiss' hair looks wonderful today!"

The two teams suddenly turn around to look at Penny in surprise.

"Aaaah! Penny! Where did you come from!?" exclaims Ruby.

"Hey guys! What are you up to?" a cheery Penny ignores Ruby's question.

"Uhh..."

"We're looking for our friends, Daruna and Blake." Yang answers.

"Ooooh, you mean the two Faunus!" Penny responds.

They all stare at Penny.

"Wait, how did you know that?" Ruby asks suspiciously.

"Uhh, the wolf tail and the cat ears?" Penny points at the top of her head at the last part.

Yang laughs a little, "What cat ears? She wears a... booooowww..."

The realization leaves them in silence as a tumbleweed blows through in the wind.

"She does like tuna a lot..." Ruby whispers.

"So, where are they?" Penny asks.

"We don't know. They've been missing since Friday."

Penny gasps before walking uncomfortably close to Ruby. "That's terrible! Well, don't you worry, my friends! I won't rest until we find your teammates!

Ruby does her best to continue smiling, "Uh, that's really nice of you, Penny, but we're okay! Really! Right, guys?"

She looks over Penny, hoping for some support, only to realize that Weiss, Yang, and Simon had vanished, leaving behind nothing but the faint outlines where they once stood. Only the twins remain, looking equally baffled as a tumbleweed blows past them again in the quiet.

Toby rubs his neck, glancing around awkwardly. "I guess they didn't want to deal with this situation..." he muttered.

Nilak, arms crossed and looking far less amused, chimes in, "Wow, they really are brave," her voice dripping with sarcasm.
______________________________________________

Daruna, Sun and Blake are then seen walking down an alley.

"So, what's the plan now?" asks Sun, hands behind his head.

Blake contemplates, "I still don't believe the White Fang is behind these robberies. They've never needed that much Dust before."

"That's what I thought the last few times I raided their camps," said Daruna.

Sun's eyes widen. "What if they did?" he lowers his arms and paces in front of Blake as he continues his theory, "I mean... the only way to prove that they didn't do it, is to go to the place where they would most likely go to if they were to do it, and not find them there! Right?"

"The only thing is, I've no idea where that would be," said Blake.

"I have a very good idea," said Daruna, "From the last camp I raided, they had a notebook which detailed a plan to raid a huge shipment of Dust coming from Atlas."

"How huge?" Blake asks

"Huge. Big Schnee Company freighter." Sun spoke up.

"Wait, how did you know that?" asks Daruna.

Sun shrugs, "Some guys were talking about it while I was on a ship."

Blake looked between the two of them, her mind racing. "If the White Fang is after that shipment, then they'll probably strike soon. We can't wait around."

"Exactly," said Daruna, his tone serious. "If we move quickly, we can intercept them before they make a mess of things."

Blake nodded. "We'll need to be careful, though. If the White Fang really is involved, we could be walking into a fight."
______________________________________________

Meanwhile, Yang comes out of a shop with Weiss, waving to the person inside, "Thanks anyways!" She sighs. "This is hopeless."

She then turns to Weiss when she looks around nonchalantly, "You really don't care if we find her, do you?"

"Don't be stupid; of course I do. I'm just afraid of what she'll say when we find her." Weiss walks forward, calling over her shoulder, "The innocent never run, Yang!"

Yang looks down in thought. Simon quickly walks in front of Weiss stopping her. "Okay, now let's think for a minute."

"What's there to think about?"

"I find it funny how a White Fang and a Schnee are in the same team and sleep in the same room," said Simon, "Knowing their bitter enmity towards each other, I know that Blake could have kidnapped you, tortured you, shot you, mutilated you, incinerated you, blown you to smithereens, stabbed you in your sleep, garrotted you in your sleep, poisoned your food-"

"Simon!" Weiss exclaimed, cutting him off, her eyes wide with disbelief. "Do you think that's helping?"

Simon shrugged, scratching the back of his head. "I'm just saying the things that any White Fang would do to a Schnee... If Blake were a typical White Fang member, you'd probably be long gone by now. But you're still here. She hasn't done anything to hurt you, has she?"

Weiss crossed her arms, frowning as she thought about it. "No... she hasn't."

Yang steps closer, her tone softer. "Blake isn't just any White Fang member. We both know she's not like that. She's our friend."

Weiss looks conflicted, staring at the ground. "But she lied to us. What else could she be hiding?"

Simon sighs, glancing at Yang before turning back to Weiss. "We all have our secrets, Weiss. But maybe it's time to stop focusing on the fact that Blake ran and start thinking about why she might've felt like she had to."

Weiss hesitated, then nodded slowly. "I just... I don't understand why she wouldn't trust us."

Yang places a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "We'll ask her that when we find her. Together."

With a determined nod from Weiss, the group continue their search, the tension between them easing just a bit.
______________________________________________

"So, Blake is your friend?" asks Penny

Ruby sighs as the four of them make their way down the sidewalk, "Yes, Penny."

"But which one of you is mad at her?"

"Weiss." the twins answer, but then Toby adds, "With a capital W"

"Is she friends with Blake?"

"Well, that's kind of up in the air right now..." said Ruby

Penny tries to contemplate this, "But why?"

Ruby sighs again, "Well, you see, Blake might not be who we thought she was..."

Penny gasps, "Is she a man?"

"Penny!" exclaims a disturbed Nilak as Toby bursts in laughter, earning a sharp elbow from Ruby.

"No! No, Penny. She's..." Ruby stops and sighs, looking at Penny as she talks now, "I don't know what she is. She didn't exactly talk to us before she decided to run off."

"I don't have a lot of friends, but if I did, I would want them to talk to me about things," said Penny.

Nilak crosses her arms, thoughtful. "It's easy to forget that people hide things because they're scared of how others will react. Blake probably didn't know how to tell us."

Toby nods, the laughter from earlier fading as he grew serious. "Yeah, and if she's dealing with the White Fang stuff, that's not easy to talk about."

Penny smiles brightly, her innocence shining through. "Then you just have to let her know that you care! Friends are supposed to support each other, even when things are complicated."

Ruby gave Penny a small smile. "Thanks, Penny. You're right. We just have to find her and let her know we're here for her, no matter what."
______________________________________________

Amidst the chirping of crickets and darkness of night, Blake lays flat on her stomach on the rooftop overlooking the shipment of Schnee Dust containers. Daruna is crouched on her left, observing the scene below.

"Did I miss anything?" asks Sun who drops to her right.

"Not really. They've offloaded the crates from the boat. Now they're just sitting there." said Blake

"Cool." Sun holds out one of the green apples in his arms. "I stole you guys some food!"

Blake gives Sun a questioning look. "Do you always break the law without giving a second thought?"

Daruna reaches across to take an apple

"Old habits die hard, you know," Daruna muttered, taking a bite of the apple. "Besides, we've broken worse laws."

Blake rolled her eyes, "I guess I shouldn't be surprised at this point."

Just then, the winds blow all around them, and they look up to see a Bullhead's searchlights flashing around for a landing spot, descending in the middle of the cargo containers and extending a ramp for a black hooded individual with a metallic fanged mask to come out of.

"Oh no..." Blake softly says.

"Is that them?" Sun asks in a serious tone.

"What do you think?" deadpans Daruna as he observes the bloody wolf on the back of the man's outfit, "They're wearing Grimm masks, got military grade weapons and are here to steal a huge shipment of Dust. So yeah, it's them.

"All right, grab the tow cables!" a White Fang Soldier says to the other White Fang members coming from the aircraft, motioning with his rifle.

"You really didn't think they were behind it, did you?" Sun looks over at Blake.

"No. I think deep down I knew. I just didn't want to be right." She closes her eyes in despair, only to open them suddenly when she hears a new voice.

"Hey! What's the holdup!?" the soldiers look up at Roman Torchwick gesturing widely and coming down the ramp, "We're not exactly the most inconspicuous bunch of thieves at the moment, so why don't you animals try to pick up the pace?"

"This isn't right. The White Fang would never work with a Human. Especially not one like that." She stands up and unsheathes the Katana of Gambol Shroud before walking off the edge of the roof.

"Hey, what are you doing?!" Sun tries asking her, alarmed.

"Who knows? Something big and probably stupid," says Daruna as he extends Snarl in its bow form while drawing out a few Dust arrows.

Blake falls to the ground in a crouch, then continues on to hide behind one of the containers, peeking around the corner to see Roman berate a White Fang member holding a coil of rope.

"No, you idiot! This isn't a leash!" Roman scolds the soldier. He then looks around when suddenly, Blake appears behind him with her blade at his throat. "Oh, for f-" he rolls his eyes when he's cut off by Blake mid-swear.

"Nobody move!" Blake yells at the other members.

"Whoa! Take it easy there, little lady." Roman exclaims, still within Blake's blade.

As the White Fang closes in on her, Blake uses her free hand to go for her bow and remove it, causing the ribbon to fall away as her Faunus ears are shown to the world.

"Brothers of the White Fang! Why are you aiding this scum?" The soldiers lower their weapons a little at this development, unsure of what to do, when Roman laughs.

"Oh, kid, didn't you get the memo?" He closes his eyes with a smile.

"What are you talking about?" Blake questions him.

"The White Fang and I are going in on a joint business venture together!" He says, smiling.

"Tell me what it is or I'll put an end to your little operation." Blake presses her blade more against his throat.

Suddenly, the air is filled with more turbines blowing the wind wildly around the holdup.

"I wouldn't exactly call it a little operation..." Roman adds, looking up.

Two more Bullheads are hovering above the heist, and as Blake watches in horror, Roman smiles and manages to fire his cane at Blake's feet, resulting in a large explosion.
______________________________________________

Penny, Ruby and the twins turn around upon hearing the noise, seeing the smoke rise from the docking bay just a few buildings away.

"Oh, no..." Ruby lowers her head in disbelief.

"At least we know where they are," said Toby.

"Let's go!" said Nilak as the twins immediately took off to the direction of the smoke with Ruby and Penny following behind.
______________________________________________

Blake, dazed but relatively unhurt on the ground, quickly rolls and runs out of the way of Roman's continued attacks, flaming missiles destroying cargo behind her as she flips and uses her semblance to dodge then retreats behind more containers.

Roman approaches slowly, "Here, kitty, kitty, kitty..." his taunt is interrupted when a banana peel lands on his head, causing him to toss it aside then look up and growl at the assailant, eyes widening.

"Woohoo!" Sun screams as he leaps from the container above Roman and drops down on the criminal's face feet-first, rolling up and readying himself to fight. "Leave her alone!"

The Bullheads open to let more White Fang members descend on the scene, standing by Roman as he gets up and surrounding Sun.

"You are not the brightest banana in the bunch, are you, kid?" taunts Roman.

With that said, the White Fang charge at the monkey Faunus, but he manages to dodge slashes and get some of the soldiers with his fists and kicks until he rolls out of the way of one's sword.

As one of them is about to get a hit on the monkey boy, he's suddenly hit by an arrow courtesy of Daruna who leaps across containers, shooting various Dust arrows at the soldiers.

Daruna lands smoothly on the ground after his last shot, not missing a beat as he notches another arrow and fires it into the knee of a charging White Fang member. The soldier crumples to the ground with a groan, while Daruna surveys the battlefield quickly.

Pulling out a collapsible red staff. Sun quickly uses it to beat down on each opponent that nears him, felling each one in a single flaming blow when he twirls it around, even creating a scorching shockwave to beat the last of them.

Blake peers around the corner of the container to watch Daruna firing Dust arrows while Sun jumps around and beat another White Fang soldier, landing on his back and causing him to fly over toward Roman's head. The crime boss ducks then growls in annoyance and aims his cane at Sun, firing a shot that he defends himself from just when Blake leaps into the action.

"He's mine!" Blake goes in close and becomes a blur of afterimages as she slashes both blades at Roman, who backs away and deflects each would-be blow with his cane at unbelievable speeds. Blake continues to dash, hop over, and slide around Roman to try and find a weak spot. Finally landing a blow after using her Semblance but he quickly recovers, deflecting several more attacks before attempting to punch her in the face. Only to hit a clone as she flips away. The two clash weapons again, then Torchwick jabs her in the side.

"Hahaha!" Roman lands a few more hits on Blake until one final beating to the head with his cane causes her to go down.

Just as Roman deals with one opponent, Sun appears right behind her. Vaulting over Blake he kicks Roman in the chest and disconnects his staff into two spinning circles of flame-firing shotgun nunchucks. Sun swings each gun at Roman while firing everything he as at him, but even with the rapid series of shots and flying bullets, Roman manages to defend himself against every bullet and hit until a millisecond-long pause allows Daruna to fire a lightning Dust arrow, stunning him before Blake knocks him back.

"What's the matter, bowler hat guy? Not laughing now, are you?" Daruna taunts.

On his back, Roman notices a container hanging by a crane right above the two warriors, and gets up to fire his cane at its supports. Blake leaps behind it, but Sun barely misses when he jumps forward, ending up right below the nozzle of Roman's cane. Just as he's about to fire, he quickly senses something from his peripheral vision and turns around to block a hardlight blade belonging to the newly arrived Toby who is now wearing his tactical mask.

"Nice mask, Big Red," said Roman upon recognizing him.

Toby, locks eyes with Roman as the light of their clash sparks in between them. "Torchwick," he mutters through his mask, his voice distorted slightly by the built-in modulator. The hum of his hardlight blades vibrates in the air.

Roman smirks, spinning his cane. "You're just in time. I was starting to get bored playing with your friends."

Without warning, Toby slashes downward, but Roman sidesteps quickly, twirling his cane to deflect Toby's next strike. The speed of Toby's attacks forces Roman to stay on the defensive, each impact of blade against cane creating sparks of red and gold in the darkened dock.

Toby swings his right blade towards Roman's midsection, only for Roman to twist his body out of the way, narrowly avoiding the glowing edge.

As Toby and Roman continued their high-speed duel, Daruna was fending off another wave of White Fang soldiers when, suddenly, a blast of cold air swept through the docks. The soldiers in front of him were frozen mid-attack, encased in shimmering ice. Daruna turned, and there stood Nilak, her vambraces emitting a faint mist as her ice-constructed katana formed in her hand.

"Nice timing," Daruna said with a relieved grin as Nilak stepped beside him.

Nilak gave him a sharp look. "So, how's your personal errand going, Dar?" Her tone was snarky, her eyes narrowed.

Daruna chuckles nervously as he nocks another Dust arrow, firing it into a White Fang soldier who shatters through the ice from Nilak's semblance. "Yeah, well, it got a little more complicated than I thought." He dodges an incoming strike, swiftly sweeping his bow across to trip another soldier. "But I'll make it up to you all next time, promise!"

Nilak rolls her eyes, summoning another icy katana through her semblance and slicing down another attacker. "You better. We didn't rush out here to save your hide just so you could keep pulling solo stunts."

"Hey, I had it under control!" Daruna insists, blocking an attack before flipping his bow into its naginata form to block a soldier's strike.

Nilak smirks as she encases the ground around her in frost, freezing the legs of approaching enemies. "Uh-huh. Tell that to the dozen goons I just had to freeze for you."

The two of them move in tandem, working seamlessly together taking down the goons. Meanwhile, Toby and Roman are seen fighting when Roman takes the opening, jabbing forward with his cane. Toby parries with his left vambrace, but Roman's feint was enough-he sweeps Toby's legs from under him with a quick kick, sending him stumbling backward. Roman plants a foot on his chest and is about to fire when both men's attention are drawn to a familiar voice.

"Hey!" Ruby appears on the rooftop overlooking them, Crescent Rose extended and ready for action.

"How cute of you to bring your girlfriend with you," says Roman as he turns to wave at Ruby. "Well, hello, Little Red! Isn't it past your bedtime?"

Penny approaches Ruby from behind. "Ruby, are these people your friends?"

"Penny, get back!" said Ruby, looking behind her. While her attention is diverted, Roman snarls and fires his cane at her, launching the young Huntress-in-training back from the explosion's force and sending her scythe flying away, "AAAAAH!"

Roman gives off a professional-level evil laugh at his attack on the young girl. Seeing what happened beneath his mask, something ignites something deep within Toby. His irises glow bright red as his semblance, flares to life. Electricity crackles across his body, lighting up the dark dock in intense red bolts as raw power courses through him.

Toby grabs Roman's foot on his chest and, with an electrically charged burst, flings him off. Roman stumbles back, shocked by the sudden surge of energy.

"You made a huge mistake," Toby growls, his voice low and dangerous. He stands up, red electricity arcing between his vambraces, creating an aura of power around him. His hardlight blades flicker with more intensity from their usual cyan... to red, and the air hums with the energy surrounding him.

Roman smirks, trying to keep his usual cocky demeanor, but there's a hint of unease in his eyes. "Oh, looks like I hit a nerve."

In an instant, Toby disappears in a blur of red lightning, closing the distance between them in a split second. Roman barely has time to block the first attack, but Toby is relentless. His blades move faster than before, each strike hitting with the force of a thunderbolt. Roman grits his teeth, struggling to keep up as he's driven back step by step, the smug grin completely wiped off his face.

From the rooftop, Penny sees the fight unfold as she walks forward while Ruby tries to get back up.

"Penny, wait! Stop!" Ruby raises her hand in a futile attempt to stop her.

"Don't worry, Ruby. I'm combat ready!"

Her backpack mechanically opens up, and from its dark depths comes a single sword that extends and multiples into several blades hovering over Penny's back. Leaping from the rooftop with the weapons acting as wings, she sends three of her swords to knock two White Fang soldiers down before even landing on the ground, where she proceeds to fling the swords at one enemy, impale another to a wall, create a barrier of spinning steel against a running attack, leaping over a goon with her swords in tow, and finally making a wheel that she throws to knock multiple Faunus off their feet.

As the battle rages on, Toby's focus is singular-Roman. His red electricity crackles more violently with each strike, his anger driving him forward. With a final, powerful slash, Toby knocks Roman's cane aside, sending it skidding across the ground. Roman stumbles, off-balance, as Toby slams his foot into the ground, sending a shockwave of red electricity that knocks him backward, crashing into the ground.

"You shouldn't have messed with her," Toby mutters, standing over him, electricity coursing through his entire body as he raises his blade for one final strike when suddenly, three Bullheads come from the skies and open fire on the battle, forcing Toby to raise his hands, creating an electric field to block the projectiles, allowing Roman to escape.

Penny launches two of her swords into the wall behind her, which in turn pull their wielder back with their strings. When her swords swirl around her again, she commands them to open their points and build up a large glowing ball of green light. With a punching action, several bright lasers crack the pavement when they fire at the transports and slice each one in half, causing several of the White Fang members inside to fall and letting Ruby watch as Bullheads fall in pieces behind her.

Stunned, she turns back to Penny as she aims her swords at the remaining Bullheads holding the crate of Dust and pulls back on their wires, tugging the aircraft with them.

"Whoa... How is she doing that?" Ruby said in awe and disbelief.

Seeing the Bullhead's flight fall under Penny's control, Roman grimaces and turns to run towards the last transport.

Toby's eyes narrow as he channels even more energy, the air around him buzzing with the intensity of his semblance. Red lightning crackles and builds in his hands, surging with a vengeance as he fires a huge bolt of lightning at the bullhead Penny is tugging, causing it to explode in a fiery blaze, sending debris raining down on the docks. Penny pulls her swords back just in time, retracting them with a swift motion as the wreckage crashes down in front of her.

"These kids just keep getting weirder..." Roman says in the safety of his escape as he uses his cane to close the doors, and the jet lifts off, flying away from the lost battle.

As the last remnants of the Bullhead burn in the distance, Toby's breathing starts to slow, and the red electricity crackling around him begins to fade. His senses come back to him, and the rage that had fueled his fight starts to dissipate. Penny, looking at him with wide, concerned eyes, takes a cautious step forward.

"Toby, are you okay?" Penny asks, her voice gentle but curious.

Toby pulls down his hood and unclips his mask, revealing a face still tense with the intensity of the battle. His glowing eyes dim back to their normal color, the exhaustion from the fight weighing on him.

"Yeah," he says, catching his breath as he glances toward the smoldering wreckage. "I'm fine. Just... needed to end it."

His eyes scan the surroundings until they land on Daruna as they approach each other.

"Toby, I know what you're gonna say," begins Daruna.

"I haven't said anything," said Toby.

Daruna chuckles nervously as he approaches Toby, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah, but I can tell by the look on your face, you're not happy about me going off on my own."

Toby crosses his arms, his exhaustion now replaced by a more measured seriousness. "You could've at least given us a heads-up, Daruna. You didn't call, you didn't write. We were worried."

Daruna looks sheepish, but there's a flicker of guilt in his eyes. "I know, I know. I thought I could handle it on my own. And... well, things got a little out of hand."

"A little?" Toby raises an eyebrow, his tone sarcastic but with a hint of relief. "We're lucky we got here when we did. Next time, we're coming with you. Whether you like it or not."

Daruna sighs, finally letting a small smile tug at his lips. "Yeah, I got it. No more solo missions."

Toby's stern expression softens, and he gives Daruna a light punch on the shoulder. "Good. We're a team. Let's act like one."

They share a moment of camaraderie, the tension between them dissolving. It is then that Toby remembers something.

"Ruby!" He quickly runs over to Ruby who had gotten down from the roof and is with Nilak. He skids to a stop beside her, eyes wide with concern. "Ruby! Are you okay? Are you hurt? Do you need first aid? I can get some bandages-actually, maybe a medic! Or-" He frantically starts looking around, his mind racing as his hands hover near her, unsure of what to do.

Ruby, despite the chaos that just unfolded, giggles softly. She reaches up, placing a gentle hand on Toby's cheek, stopping his rambling. "Toby... I'm fine." Her voice is calm, reassuring.

He blinks, his panic subsiding as he looks at her. "Are you sure? That blast-"

Ruby smiles warmly, her thumb brushing his cheek. "I promise. Nothing I can't handle."

Nilak, who had been helping Ruby moments ago, takes one look at the two and grins knowingly. "Right, well... I think this is my cue to give you guys a minute." She gives Toby a playful nudge before backing away. Penny beams at the scene but remains quietly nearby, also sensing something was about to happen.

Ruby looks up at Toby, her cheeks faintly pink, and after a brief pause, she asks, "Do you... do you like me, Toby?"

Toby freezes for a moment, his brain short-circuiting as he processes the question. "I-uh-well, I mean-of course, I do, I just-wait, you mean like... like like?"

Ruby giggles at his flustered response, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "Yeah, like like."

Toby, realizing he's caught, scratches the back of his head, his usual composed demeanor unraveling. "I, uh... I guess I do, yeah. I mean, I really like you, Ruby. You're... amazing."

Ruby's smile grows wider, her cheeks turning a light shade of pink. "Good, because... I really like you too."

Toby's eyes widen in surprise, his breath catching for a moment. "You... you do?"

"Yeah," Ruby says softly, her voice almost shy as she looks up at him through her lashes. "I've liked you for a while now... but I wasn't sure if you felt the same."

Toby swallows, his heart racing in his chest, and without thinking, he takes a step closer, his hand gently resting on her waist. "I do. I've always felt that way."

The two share a quiet, intimate moment, their faces inches apart, the world around them slowing as Toby leans in. Ruby's breath hitches, her heart fluttering as their lips meet in a tender, sweet kiss. Toby's hand slides around her waist, pulling her closer as the kiss deepens slightly, both of them melting into the moment.

A few feet away, Nilak smirks as she watches the scene unfold. "Told you something was brewing between those two," she mutters to Daruna, who nods, amused.

Penny beams, her eyes sparkling with joy. "They're so cute together!"

When they pull away, both of them are a little breathless, their faces flushed but smiling.

"Well... that was... nice," Toby says sheepishly, trying to sound casual but failing spectacularly.

Ruby giggles, resting her forehead against his. "Yeah, it was."
______________________________________________

Later, a handful of police cars are at the docks, where Ruby, the twins, Blake, Daruna, Sun, and Penny are sitting on boxes in silence. That is, until Simon, Weiss and Yang appear on the scene.

"Look Weiss, it's not what you think, she explained the whole thing. See, she doesn't actually have a bow, she has kitty ears and they're actually kind of cute..." Ruby speaks quickly to explain the situation as Weiss ignores her and squares off with Blake.

Blake calmly looks at her. "Weiss, I want you to know that I'm no longer associated with the White Fang. Back when I was with the-"

"Stop! Do you have any idea of how long we've been searching for you?" she pauses for a second. "Twelve hours. That means I've had twelve hours to think about this and the things Daruna and Simon said. And in that twelve hours, I've decided..."

Everyone looks on, worried.

"I don't care." Weiss finishes.

"You don't care?" Blake asks her, surprised.

"You said you're not one of them anymore, right?"

"No, I-I haven't been since I was younger-" Blake tries explaining but is once again interrupted by Weiss, silencing her.

"Ah-bahp-bahp-bahp! I don't want to hear it. All I want to know is that the next time something this big comes up... you'll come to your teammates. And not some..." Weiss looks at Sun behind her as she catches herself. "Someone else."

Blake looks at the others, grinning at her, she wipes a tear from her eye, nodding. "Of course."

Weiss smiles and nods as she turns to look at Daruna who gives her a proud smile. Suddenly, Simon claps a hand on his shoulder.

"That applies to you too, man," said Simon.

Daruna laughs as Simon pulls him into a bro hug, patting him on the back. "Yeah, yeah, I get it," Daruna says, smiling sheepishly as he pulls away. "No more solo missions. Lesson learned."

All was silent for a second more until Ruby screams.

"Yeah! Teams RWBY and TNSD are back together!" Ruby screams excitedly as the nine gather with each other. Weiss then points accusingly at Sun.

"I'm still not quite sure about how I feel about you!" she says, causing Sun to laugh nervously.

"Hey, wait a minute... Where's Penny?," says Ruby, looking around.

From the darkened back seat of a limo, Penny watches the group of friends reuniting with each other.

"You should know better than to go running around in a strange city," scolds the driver.

Penny lowers her head, sadly. "I know, sir."

As the car drives off from the scene, the driver sighs. "Penny, your time will come..."

Back at the docks, the group is basking in the aftermath of their reunion when they're approached by a delivery man. He's holding a pad and glances at it before looking around the group.

"Uh, excuse me," the delivery man says, squinting at the name. "Is there a... Tobey Tungstane here?"

Toby's eyes light up with recognition, and he steps forward, grinning. "It's Toby Tungsten, actually. But yeah, that's me!"

The man shrugs, indifferent. "Close enough. I've got a package for you." He hands Toby the pad to sign, which Toby does quickly, buzzing with excitement.

"Finally," Toby mutters to himself as he collects the package-a small remote. He holds it up, admiring it.

Nilak, standing nearby, immediately raises an eyebrow, a smirk forming on her face. "Is that what I think it is?" she asks, crossing her arms.

Toby's grin widens. "Oh, it's exactly what you think it is."

With no further explanation, Toby presses the button on the remote. A second later, a loud, muffled version of "La Cucaracha" blares from one of the nearby containers, startling everyone.

Yang and Sun blink in confusion, while Ruby looks around, her mouth open in surprise. Weiss, looking utterly bewildered, is the first to speak.

"What in Remnant is that?!" she exclaims, gesturing wildly toward the container.

Toby just chuckles, clearly pleased with himself. "How do you guys like a ride back to Beacon?" he asks with a proud grin.

The others, still flabbergasted, exchange glances before Daruna speaks up, a slow grin spreading across his face. "Toby... you didn't."

Toby just winks. "Oh, I did."

Ruby, still wide-eyed, looks between the container and Toby. "Wait... you have that in there?"

Nilak crosses her arms, shaking her head but with a grin. "Of course he does. Leave it to my brother to bring the most ridiculous thing to the docks."

Toby chuckles, walking towards the container. "Trust me, you guys are gonna love it."
______________________________________________

Meanwhile, Ozpin is seen holding a Scroll showing a "LIVE FEED" of Ruby at the docks. He closes the video and opens up a communication with someone identified as 'Qrow', whose team name and other information is left blank and his only message is: QUEEN HAS PAWNS.

"Hmmm..."

He then opens another communication, this one, it's someone identified as 'Andrew', whose team name and other information is left blank as well as he sees a different message: GRIMM KNIGHT RISES.
______________________________________________

Roman is seen walking into a large warehouse with a shadowy interior. He goes over to a table and places down a case of mysterious contents, sighing in tiredness.

"How very disappointing, Roman."

Roman turns around suddenly when he hears the voice as he sees four people. "Whoa! Hehe... I wasn't expecting to see you guys so soon..."

The one in front steps forward, only their face seen. A woman with dark hair and yellow eyes. "We were expecting... more from you."

Roman laughs a little before getting serious. "Hey! You were the ones who suggested working with those stupid mutts from the White Fang."

The woman chuckles darkly. "And you will continue to do so." she summons a fireball in her hand and steps out of the darkness with her two companions, a gray-haired man and mint-haired, tanned woman as the one from behind was the taller knight in Grimm armor. "We have big plans for you, Roman. All we ask is... a little cooperation."

The large knight rests his clawed hand on her shoulder as he steps from behind, his armor creaking under the weight of his imposing frame. His glowing yellow eyes pierce through the shadowy warehouse, locking onto Roman. His voice, deep and resonant, fills the space as he speaks.

"You've been given resources, Roman," the knight says, his tone dangerously calm. "The White Fang, the dust, the Bullheads. All of it was handed to you. And yet, you allowed children to thwart your efforts."

Roman swallows, taking a small step back but keeping his composure. "Look, those kids are something else, alright? They've got tricks up their sleeves-"

The knight cuts him off with a dismissive wave of his clawed hand. "Excuses are not what we seek. Only results."

Roman grimaces, knowing he's in a tight spot. He glances at the woman with dark hair and yellow eyes, who is still smirking as she watches the exchange. Her fireball flickers in her hand, casting eerie shadows on her face.

The mint-haired woman, standing nearby with her arms crossed, leans forward slightly, her voice smooth but with a sharp edge. "You're lucky we're even giving you another chance. Most don't get that luxury."

Roman clenches his fists, trying to suppress his frustration. "I'll get the job done. Don't you worry."

The gray-haired man finally speaks, his voice cold and calculating. "See that you do. Otherwise, we may have to reconsider your... usefulness."

The knight steps even closer, towering over Roman now. His clawed hand hovers dangerously near Roman's face. "Remember, Roman... failure is not an option."

Roman stiffens but manages a nod. "Yeah, I got it. Loud and clear."

The knight straightens up, and with a slow, deliberate movement, he turns back to join the others. The woman with yellow eyes lets the fireball vanish and gives Roman one last look.

"We're watching you," she says, her voice low, sickeningly sweet but filled with menace. "Don't disappoint us again."

With that, the four figures turn and walk back into the shadows, leaving Roman standing alone, tense and unsure. He exhales sharply once they're out of sight, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Great... Just what I needed," Roman mutters to himself, glancing back at the case on the table.
______________________________________________

And Boom! That's one volume finished!

Fun fact: I was writing the docks battle scene while listening to “My Lecon”. Trust me, It hits hard. If you haven't listened to it yet, then you should.

I want to say a HUGE thank you to everyone who stuck around and enjoyed my fanfic so far! And I'd like to know your reviews and your top five favorite moments in volume 1.

Now that it's cleared, I can now focus on finishing my other fanfic, go check that out if you haven't yet.

And I'm proud to say I've opened a Discord server about the fanfics I've written and will write. I'll drop the link real soon.

So once again, don't forget to leave a comment, like, subscribe and I'll see you next time!

Happy Halloween!

Happy Birthday, Ruby!

and

PEACE!