Author's Note: Looks like that initial Bumblebee story wasn't enough. This was actually my first idea for a RWBY fanfiction, but I ended up getting sidetracked by shorter, other things.

This isn't going to be a terribly long story. And I'm still working out the characters and general universe. Hope you like it nonetheless.

They stood outside totally clueless. Team RWBY had been sent on a mission, and gazed upon the site they were meant to conquer.

"Do you really think people have died in there?" asked Yang.

"Of course not," said Weiss, though she sounded uneasy. "If that were the case they'dve been sued a long time ago." She shook her head in a final decisive movement.

"I wouldn't count on your heiress status in this place, Weiss," said Yang. She groped the empty space in front of her. "When you walk inside, you're just like everyone else. Blind, stumbling for the right path, and praying you don't lose your way…"

"It can't be any worse than Wal-Mart," said Blake. "I heard they lock their employees in during inventory so no one can escape."

"The time for fear-mongering is over!" Ruby announced. The leader jumped to the front, marching with a posture that demanded attention. "We have been sent by Professor Ozpin to gather an assembly of items to replace those lost in the war today."

"You're the one who thought it was a good idea to take CRDL's bait for a less-than-friendly scuffle," said Blake.

"It was to protect our honor!" Ruby threw a fist down. "But now the honor of our school has been compromised by our breaking various furniture beyond repair. To fix the shame we have brought upon Beacon Academy, we must replace them before falling to the administration's feet and begging for mercy!" She pulled a scroll from her pocket and shifted her fingers to its very tip, letting it unravel into a list that dangled inches from the sidewalk.

"It's official," said Yang. "We're gonna be in debt for a month."

"This is the reference for our mission," said Ruby. She pointed without direction behind them. "We must gather everything today and then use Yang's motorcycle to drag it back to campus!"

"Hey, you got that crazy-long list too?" someone called.

They looked back. Four boys were loping up the parking lot to meet them.

Ruby's eyes narrowed. "Cardin."

The group stopped a few feet away, Cardin out their paper. "Can you believe this is the damage we ended up doing?" he said. "I didn't realize cutting off a strand of blondie's hair would cause such a huge disaster."

"Yang didn't cause all the damage," said Blake.

"Enough so that you guys have to be part of this scavenger hunt too." Cardin sounded amused. "And, given the ridiculously long amount of items we have to find, the boys and I were wondering about coming to a compromise."

"We were?" said Sky.

"Sure." Cardin produced a letter opener from his jacket and with a quick twist sheared his list in half. "We propose"—he held out the removed piece—"that we take the trip half-and-half. Saves money, saves time."

Weiss snatched the paper and looked at it. They had the exact same list.

"As a loyal student to the academy, I accept your offer!" said Ruby.

"Zero consultation, huh?" said Yang with a dark look at Russel.

"Yang. We're both paying for our misdeeds." Ruby turned to her. "We should handle the punishment with grace and conscience. To divide the work evenly among our earlier rivals would foster cooperation and acceptance, and leave more in our wallets when it's over!"

"Does she always talk like this?" asked Dove as Ruby raised her fist.

"Only when she's in her leader mode," explained Weiss.

"Well, the longer we wait the longer it'll take before we can haul everything back." Cardin jammed his hands in his pockets. "You wouldn't want to travel bogged down with a heap of stuff in the dark, would you? Unless you gave the blond one another impromptu haircut." He nodded at Yang.

"We can manage without sparking her rage," said Blake as Yang's wrists literally burst into flame.

Cardin put his hands up. "Just kidding. I've seen her in battle. She's a feisty little berserker." He stood on the steps above them and motioned to his friends. "That should be in the electronics department," he said when they came over, pointing to something on the list.

"We're not letting them get by so smugly," said Weiss. "Hey!" she called, making them look up. "Want to make a competition out of it?"

"What?" said the others, Ruby looking excited.

"You heard me." Weiss was trained on CRDL, standing on a step for authority. "You want to share the list, we should make a contest of it. First one to checkout wins." The boys looked at each other.

"Against us, this might be more of a game," said Russel.

"Challenge accepted, then." Weiss turned to her team. "Rules. First of all, no hyperspeed-running in the store. We're going in as a representation of the academy, and we don't need to shatter the windows blasting off to the end of the aisle."

"We won't if you won't," said Cardin.

"Second, no punching each other out."

"Fine," said Yang, her arms crossed.

"Lastly, just behave in a civil manner. We already got in trouble for fighting at school. We don't need to do it again in a public space."

'We can always count on you for fairness and rationality, Weiss," said Ruby, giving her a salute.

"Are we allowed to split off into groups?" asked Sky before they disappeared inside.

"I don't see why not," said Weiss, returning to the sidewalk. "It's four against four."

"I'll go with Blake," said Yang.

"For the sake of covering more ground, I think I'll take it alone," said Weiss before Ruby could speak.

"But…the team bonding," she ended up protesting.

"Ruby." Weiss stared her directly in the eye. "This is a test of timing, but also a test of strength." She watched the younger girl's face widen as she continued. "To brave IKEA alone is a challenge reserved for the toughest, the mightiest, and the shrewdest. It is not only for the sake of winning, but for the honor of your team that you valiantly pursue the daunting task, and come out of it victorious and with the satisfaction of loyalty to your comrades." Ruby was captivated, leaning in with wonder. Weiss' lips moved again.

"Can you do it?"

"I can do it!" Ruby tore up the stairs toward the store. "Valiance and honor, here I come!" She dodged someone walking out with a couch, then ducked into the jungle. The others watched the automatic doors close.

"Wow," said Yang. "I didn't think that was actually gonna work."

Her arms were still crossed. Weiss looked back with a flick of her hair. "I've learned how to talk to your sister over this past year."

She started up the steps. Blake and Yang looked at each other.

"It's now or never," said Blake.

They all went in.