Silver eyes opened in shock. She didn't know how long she had been out. It could have been five minutes. It could have been five seconds. All she knew was that she was lying prone on the ground, and her body ached.

Pushing herself to her feet, Ruby looked around. In the dim light provided by a faraway moon, all she could see were various shades of grey. Concrete was all around her. Stalactites hung from the ceiling above. Wait, ceiling? Wasn't she outside?

Memories came flooding back in an instant. She had fallen. That was right. The ground had caved in from underneath her, and she had been swallowed up by the surface of Mountain Glenn. The city she saw around her was a subterranean one. Broken, hollow buildings filled her vision as far as she could see in the darkness. A place long since abandoned by humanity reeked of rot and decay. A stale air filled her lungs, and it along with the concrete dust all around her forced her into a coughing fit that lasted a few seconds.

The sound of a door opening behind her quickly gained her attention. Bright light flooded in, momentarily blinding her. At least, until the two men came charging through.

"Freeze!" one shouted, leveling a rifle in her direction.

Ruby raised a hand over her face to shield it from the burning light. Her eyes would adjust in just a few seconds. Then she would be able to handle these two easily.

"Where did she come from?" the second man asked.

The two armed men, now clearly seen as White Fang members, encroached on her position slowly. Cautiously. Both with guns trained on her position.

"You're a long way from home, little girl."

Little girl? Did they not know who she was? She was Ruby-freaking-Rose, huntress extraordinaire. She had taken on double the number of men before and had come out unscathed. Dispatching these two grunts would be a piece of cake with the help of her faithful friend.

Ruby gasped as she reached down to her hip for Crescent Rose... and felt nothing.

In a panic her hands dared all around her waist, hoping against hope that the fall had merely dislodged it to another location on her belt. Her hopes were dashed, however, when her hands came up empty. She must have lost her weapon in the fall. It could still be up on the surface. Or, it could have fallen even deeper into the cavern. Either way, she would be without her scythe for this confrontation.

She swallowed hard, hoping that she would be able to remember some of the hand to hand combat moves which Yang had taught her back on Patch. Her older sister had once insisted that she become better in unarmed combat, but Ruby had brushed off such suggestions. After all, punching was Yang's thing. Who needed to punch when they had a high-impact sniper rifle scythe?

Apparently she did, now that she was without it.

One of the terrorists lashed out, grabbing Ruby by the arm. Unarmed or not, she was still strong, and her reflexes were still far superior to this man's. She was able to pull away immediately. "Hey, hands off!" she snarled, before squeezing closed a fist and striking the man in the chest.

Her eyes widened when the blow had no effect. Panic surged through her body. She had to try again. She had to fight. She could not be taken by these men!

Ruby swung once more, but this time her attack was blocked by the arm of the White Fang member, and she in turn was struck by a savage blow to the face. Her vision blurred and her head swam, and she fell to the floor in a crumpled heap. The ground was cold. It stank of stale air and concrete.

As she willed herself to move, Ruby saw the boots of the men standing above her. "The boss is gonna want to see this one," one of the men said as he approached. He lifted his foot, and it was clear as day that he was about to bring it crashing down on her head. In her state she could do little to stop it.

Ruby closed her eyes, expecting the worst to come.

It never came.

A cry of pain forced her eyes open. The boot of her assailant was back on the ground now, and he had turned to view the source of the scream. Ruby did the same.

A girl in white stood over the second of the White Fang members, who had been forced down onto his hands and knees by some unseen blow. That was right. Ruby hadn't come alone. The fall and subsequent appearance of the terrorists had forced Melanie from Ruby's mind. She had been with her. She had fallen with her. And now, she was fighting with her.

Melanie's leg lashed out, and the top of her boot drove into the undefended belly of the downed White Fang member, forcing both air and a strained scream from his lungs. He fell onto his side, arms clutching at his injured abdomen as he rolled around on the ground.

"You little..." the other man spat, rushing over to attack the girl he had missed. The girl Ruby had forgotten about.

Where had Melanie been this whole time anyway? Had she also been knocked out, but had taken longer to regain consciousness? Had she never been knocked out to begin with, and had hidden in the shadows in case someone came to investigate the cave in? They were questions which Ruby would want to ask her, but not now. Not when there were foes to face.

As Ruby stood back up on wobbly feet, she saw her de facto partner in action. Ruby may not have been skilled in unarmed combat, but Melanie was. Ruby was useless without her weapon, but Melanie's legs were hers. Even without the bladed heels she wore, she would be able to take on her opponents unhindered. It showed here.

The man swung at her, and Melanie dodged past the blow with the grace of a dancer. With a slight lift of her leg she brought her bladed heel down upon the back of her foe's knee, earning a horrible cry of pain from him as sharpened metal severed flesh and tendons, and his leg gave out from under him. Even on one knee the terrorist turned and attempted to swing at the girl who was still within striking distance. However, without a solid base such an attack had no strength behind it. Melanie blocked this attack with a raise leg, and the fist impacted harmlessly onto her tall, white boot.

With speed which impressed even a girl with Ruby's Semblance, Melanie's leg kicked out once more, this time impacting hard under the man's chin. His head snapped up and he fell backwards without making a sound.

Ruby's hands cupped her mouth. The brutality of the attack shocked her, and the way the White Fang member's head moved, it wouldn't have surprised her of his neck was broken. She looked at the man, hoping that he would move and prove her fears wrong. He did not. However, Ruby had no time to ponder if the man was in fact dead or not.

The other had stirred.

Melanie wasted little time in stomping over next to him, placing a foot on his back as he attempted to haul himself to his feet. She pressed down, forcing the spectacled faunus down onto his belly. He screamed as she drove the stiletto of her boot down into his back, twisting it down into his ribcage.

In the cavernous underground, the echoes of pain were horrendous to hear.

"How many of you are there?" the older girl asked as her boot drove deeper into his back.

Ruby moved over to stand a few feet away from the pair. All the while her eyes were glued onto the face of the man who was pressed down onto the ground. A man, who even behind his mask, she could see was in severe pain.

"Human... scum..." he gritted through clenched teeth.

"Fucking..." Melanie breathed. "You wanna do this the hard way? That's fine." A frightening smile formed on her lips. "I like it hard."

With a slight adjustment of her leg, Melanie removed the stiletto of her boot from the man's back...

And brought the blade down instead.

The scream was perhaps the most horrible thing Ruby had ever heard, as Melanie slowly and deliberately dragged the blade on her heel across the faunus' back. His mouth was agape as unrestrained cries of agony escaped. His fists clenched next to him in pain as they attempted to swat away the offending blade from his back. It was to no avail. Melanie brought her other boot down to stand on one of his wrists, effectively removing the only arm which could reach her in her position.

"How many?" she demanded once more.

"Stop! Please!" he replied.

"Wrong answer!"

The girl applied more pressure, and the screams increased in volume and intensity. It was too much for Ruby to bear. Terrorist or not, she could not just stand by and watch a man being tortured in front of her. What kind of huntress would she be if she allowed this to happen? No, what kind of human being would she be if she continued to bear witness and do nothing?

Crossing the last few feet between them, Ruby placing a hand on Melanie's shoulder. "Melanie, stop!"

Black hair whirled as the other girl turned to look at Ruby. "You want fucking answers or not?"

"Not like this!"

"You think he would have taken it easy on you if I hadn't been here?" Melanie snarled.

"Please!" Ruby pleaded, tugging on the other girl's arm in an attempt to remove her from the man's back. "Just stop!"

Intensity burned in emerald eyes as Melanie looked at her. Anger. Hatred. So much hatred. And yet... she relented. "Whatever," she whispered harshly.

Melanie stepped off of the downed White Fang member, who in turn began to gasp for air as he rolled over onto his side. His arm reached around as best as it could to hold the wounds on his back. He would need medical attention at some point. While not fatal, cuts as long and deep as those could and would become infected without proper treatment.

Without wasting another second, Ruby dashed over to the second downed man who Melanie had dispatched earlier. She put a pair of fingers up to his neck as he lay there. To her relief he still had a pulse. He was still breathing. While she had no idea what the state of his neck was, and if he had perhaps been paralyzed, at least he was alive. Melanie had not killed a man today.

But by the look in her eyes only seconds ago, Ruby thought that it might only be a matter of time.

"He's alive," Ruby breathed with a sigh of relief.

Melanie shrugged. "Whatever."

"You don't care?" the redhead asked in disbelief. "If he had been dead, would you really not care?"

"Why should I? He's a fucking terrorist. I'm sure he's done worse."

"He's still a person!" Ruby argued. She crossed the distance to stand next to Melanie. She had to look up in order to look her in the eyes. "Doesn't that mean anything?"

"I don't know! Did it mean anything when they fucking bombed us and nearly killed me and my sister? Did our lives fucking matter? Would he have cared if Jaune's Semblance didn't unlock and Miltia died? Would he, Ruby? How about if it was your sister? How about if these fuckers tried killing Yang?"

The outburst took Ruby aback. Yes, she was aware of what had happened at the club a few weeks ago. She had been one of the biggest supporters of getting both Jaune and the sisters to Beacon Academy. But since no one had in fact died, she supposed it hadn't been as bad as Melanie portrayed it to be. Ruby hadn't been there, after all. But Melanie had.

And it hadn't been Ruby who had nearly lost her sister.

After a few seconds of silence, Melanie continued. "Yeah, that's what I thought," she said bitterly. "Fuck him. And fuck you too if you're gonna treat him like a person. 'Cause he's not. He's a fucking piece of shit who deserves everything he has coming. They all are."

Ruby knew that she had done the right thing. She knew that life was precious. That preserving life was necessary. And yet, she still felt a little bit guilty. Like she was being insensitive to Melanie's own feelings. Unwilling to see things from her own perspective. That she was being ungrateful to the girl who had in fact just saved her from falling into the clutches of terrorists.

She bit her lip, looking off to the side before speaking. "I'm sorry," she said softly. "I don't know what you've been through. It's just... I don't think torture and murder is okay. There are other ways."

For long seconds Melanie stood there with her hands on her hips. She looked down on the wounded man, who luckily for all parties involved was not making any further attempts at resistance. If Melanie decided to continue with her methods, neither he nor Ruby would be able to stop her. Not without Crescent Rose.

"Tch." The raven-haired girl's head shook softly. "Whatever."

Crisis averted, maybe? In any case it looked as though Melanie was not about to continue her cruel methods on the fallen faunus. Maybe there was an opportunity to do things another way. A better way. Her way.

Ruby moved over to crouch next to the wounded man. It was strange in a way. Only minutes before she had been the one who was on her back as he stood above her. Now their roles were reversed, and he was the one at her mercy. There would be no bladed-heel girl to save him, however.

Perhaps the old 'good cop bad cop' trick could work here. The terrorist had already felt firsthand what Melanie was willing to do. If Ruby could convince him to talk under the threat of unleashing Melanie again, it might just work. Even if she had no intention of ever letting the girl get her hands on him again. Or more specifically, her feet.

She reached out with a hand and nudged his shoulder. "Hey," she said gently. "Are you okay?"

"My back," he strained with pain. "Oh gods, my back."

Ruby couldn't imagine the pain he was in. He could have broken ribs from the point of Melanie's heel driving into them. There were two huge gashes caused by her blades. Perhaps it had been a stupid question to ask if he was okay. But... at least it showed she cared. That was necessary for the good cop role.

"Was it just you two? How many more of you guys are around?"

"And you'd better tell the truth!" Melanie added.

"Melanie!" Ruby yelled.

Knowingly or not, the interruption played right into Ruby's hands. Faced with either the gentle nice girl, or the cruel mean girl, this man knew who he would rather speak to. He knew which would result in less pain.

"It was just us," he admitted. "We were just on patrol around the perimeter. We go in pairs, and they'll be expecting us back at the base soon."

Base. This was it. This was the White Fang operation in the south east. The one they were looking for. If the situation had not been so dire, Ruby would have swelled with pride. She had just blown this mission wide open.

Excitement and eagerness fuelled her forward. "What are you doing there?"

"Loading dust onto a train."

"For what?"

"I-I don't know! That's just what the boss is telling us to do!"

Boss. Ruby's blood ran cold. It could only be one person, but she had to be sure. "Who's your boss?"

"Roman Torchwick. He's in charge of the operation."

Pieces were slowly falling into place. All those months ago, when Ruby had first stumbled upon Roman during a dust shop robbery. Was this what the dust was for? What all of the dust he had stolen was for? Loading it up into a train down here in Mountain Glenn? But then what? What was the end goal here if not for profit?

There was something going on here that was bigger than just lien. Ruby didn't know what it was, but she didn't like it.

Ruby stood back up, filled with new resolve. Filled with anxiety. With duty. "Melanie."

The other girl was a few feet away, her arms crossed across her chest. "What."

"We have to stop them."

"Stop them? Are you kidding me?"

The younger girl frowned and nodded. "You heard him. There's something big going on here. I don't know what exactly, but it's not good. And we're the only ones who know about it."

"Not my problem. I'm not a huntress."

"So? You don't have to be a huntress to do the right thing!" she argued. "Look at Jaune. He got kicked out of Beacon, but he still does the right thing. He still helps people! He helped you two the night he met you, didn't he? And he wasn't a huntsman!"

The tale of how Jaune had bet the Malachite sisters was one he had told before. It still made Ruby feel a little guilty that their plight had been as a result of Yang's actions. Part of her still wanted to feel that the actions were justified. The twins were criminals, after all. And yet at the same time, Ruby knew she couldn't feel that way without being a massive hypocrite. You couldn't just take the law into your own hands because there were people who you believed were bad.

After all, was that not what she had just chastised Melanie for doing herself?

As a huntress Ruby had to be above such methods. A symbol of justice. She had to be a beacon of hope. A light in the darkness. And that was why she must, and would, face the dangers that the White Fang and Roman Torchwick presented here today.

With or without Melanie.

Melanie hadn't answered her question yet, so Ruby took matters into her own hands. "Fine. I'm going whether you like it or not. We'll get these two help once it's over, but I have to do this now. There's no telling how close Roman is to finishing whatever he's doing."

"Without your weapon?"

The words stopped Ruby in her tracks. That's right. Crescent Rose was gone.

And she was useless without it.

Her heart sunk.

"You're gonna do something stupid no matter what, aren't you?"

Ruby wouldn't call doing the right thing stupid. Sure, the situation may not have been ideal, but it wasn't impossible. She could find a way. She would find a way.

"I'm going to do something," Ruby corrected her. "Because someone has to."

"Fucking..." Melanie breathed as she moved to stand before the girl. "How about we go back and tell your team what we know?"

It made sense. But it also took time. "We don't even know where we are. Or how long it'll take to get back up to the surface."

"And that's totally better than going in unarmed and outgunned." Melanie sighed, looking off to the side. "Look, we're not friends or anything, but it's not like I wanna see you die. That'd suck. Because as much as I hate Yang... no one should have to go through losing their baby sister." She swallowed a lump in her throat. "Not like I almost did."

The words were touching. And unexpected coming from someone like Melanie. Maybe that conversation they had earlier did indeed help them reach an understanding. Maybe it helped them be able to open up to each other a little more like they were now.

"So how about you put your macho huntress bullshit aside, and go get help? Sound like a plan?"

In all honesty, it was the best plan they had. Without Crescent Rose, it was the only plan that could work. Ruby nodded and smiled. "Yeah. That sounds good."

Melanie motioned with her head for Ruby to follow. "Come on, little huntress. Let's get out of this shithole."

Ruby did so without hesitation, following the girl who had saved her out the door and onto the dimly lit street.

And froze.

Melanie had stopped in her tracks as well. "Oh fuck me."

In the distance running down the street was a group of armed White Fang members. They must have heard the screams of their comrades echoing inside that cavernous room. They were sprinting toward the girls, and there was no way they could have not been seen by them.

"Inside!" Melanie shouted as she grabbed Ruby by the hand. "Get the fuck back inside!"

They wasted little time in going back through the doorway, and shut the heavy steel door behind them.

The sight of a dozen men would normally have not been an issue for the young huntress... had she been armed. If Melanie's reaction was anything to go by, it appeared that she didn't think she was up to the task.

Unless they thought of something, all they could do right now was keep their bodies pressed against the door, and hope that it would be enough to keep it shut.

A primal howl of pain and fury filled his ears as a blade tore through the darkness. As quickly as the creature had come, it had passed. Its life, or whatever one might call its existence, was at an end.

Jaune panted as the corpse of the Beowolf began to disintegrate behind him. It had leapt at him, teeth barred and ready to tear his throat open. A single swipe from Crocea Mors had been enough to put a stop to that. The Grimm's own momentum provided most of the force as cold steel sliced effortlessly through its gaping maw. The beast's head had been bisected, the top portion being cleaved entirely from the rest of its body, leaving the dead thing to tumble harmlessly past the young man.

It hadn't been the first. It would undoubtedly not be the last. Sweat dripped down his face. His lungs gasped for air. His face burned with exertion.

"You okay, kid?"

Jaune looked over to see Junior resting his own club-like weapon over his shoulder. The bodies of two more decaying Beowolves lay at his feet. He hadn't seen the older man dispatch them, but he assumed it had been with ease.

"Yeah," he replied through his gasps for air. "I'm fine.

He and Junior had run into a number of Grimm since being dropped off at Mountain Glenn. The ominous moonlit sky hung over a dull and lifeless city, making everything around them seem to blend together in an ugly and sterile landscape. They seemed to infest the place, and Jaune found it fitting. This cold and foreboding place oozed despair. It screamed hopelessness. Its shattered buildings and eerie silence told the story of its past. A past where thousands had undoubtedly died. More would likely die in its present and future. Jaune was determined to ensure he would not be among them.

More so, he was determined not to let it be Miltia.

It was that single thought which drove him forward. It was that desire which pushed him past his limits. Jaune had never faced the creatures of Grimm before. They were everything he had thought they would be, and more. They were terror incarnate. Shadows given life and form. The manifestation of fear. With baleful glowing eyes and hardened white armor plates, they were a sight which would have sent any normal and rational person running for their lives. Then again, Jaune was hardly a normal or rational person. There was a time he would have willingly chosen this life. He would have chosen to stare down these monsters on a daily basis.

What a fool he had been.

It was much more different than he could have expected. There was no heroism here. There was no glory. It was butchery. Slaughter. Terror. A never-ending tide of darkness. No wonder his father had not wanted him to pursue this path. There was no victory over the Grimm. At least, not any real victory. Only survival. And that in itself was the only kind of victory one could have over the monsters.

"Take a breather," Junior told him as he approached. "Two minutes."

Jaune shook his head. "I'm fine. We have to keep moving."

Mountain Glenn was a massive place. Despite having been here for a couple of hours already, there was still so much more ground to cover. The twins had gotten such a massive head start over the two of them that they could be anywhere.

If they were even still alive, that was.

Jaune clenched his fists. He couldn't think like that. They would be alive. They had to be.

"You can't fight off another pack if you can't even catch your breath," Junior explained. "Two minutes."

"We don't have time!" he yelled back to the man. "Miltia and Melanie could be anywhere and we have to find them!"

"And you can't find them if you're dead."

The boy didn't understand how Junior was so calm. Were these not his girls? Essentially his adopted daughters? Did Junior not just give a whole speech back on the Bullhead about how the one thing a parent wants most is for their children to be happy? Where had that Junior gone?

"I'm not going to die," Jaune stated as he approached his partner. "I'll kill every Grimm out here if I have to!"

He saw the club coming toward him. It was too fast for him to even raise his sword.

Or, he was just too slow.

The impact wasn't all that hard, but it shocked him nonetheless. Jaune was sent tumbling backwards before he fell to the ground. He made a move to stand back up, but the tip of Junior's weapon was pointed down at his chest.

"Sit," the man ordered, as if speaking to a dog. "Stay."

Jaune dared not to challenge one who was pointing a weapon down at him. Even if he knew Junior wouldn't kill him, he wasn't about to escalate the situation any further than it had gone.

Besides, as loathe as he was to admit it, it felt good to get off his feet. His body was tired and weary. He had no idea what time it was, but if he had been back at Beacon he probably would have been asleep by now. It was only adrenaline, and the need to find Miltia which gave him the energy to go on.

It was that thought which made him feel guilty for sitting here. For resting. For doing nothing while his girlfriend might be fighting for her life. Jaune clenched his fists again, and his jaw clenched as he fought the urge to defy Junior once more.

In the end he did just that, only verbally rather than physically. "How can you just sit here and do nothing?"

"I'm not doing nothing."

Jaune shook his head in disbelief. "We could cover another block or two in the time we're taking to rest. That's what I'd call doing nothing."

Junior grunted softly. It was short and dismissive. Like what Jaune had just said had been stupid. "How many missions have you ever been on?"

Missions? As in huntsman missions? Junior undoubtedly already knew the answer to that. "None." However, it didn't make him completely inexperienced. He'd seen his share of fighting before during his time under Junior's employ. "But I've been out a few times with Miltia and Melanie."

The man grunted again. "Went out and cracked a few skulls with the girls. Picked on some lowlifes who were weaker than you. Had a great old time before coming back to the club and celebrating with some drinks. Sound about right?"

More or less. Except for the great time part. Jaune had taken little pleasure in his experiences fighting the White Fang. Especially down at the docks.

He shrugged, averting his gaze from the giant of a man who stood above him. "Yeah."

"It's different when you're going all out," Junior explained. "Grimm are a whole different type of animal. Literally. When you're fighting Grimm, you have to keep your head straight. You can't let your emotions lead you. Because the more reckless you get, the more you let this," he said as he pounded a fist to his heart. "Lead you, the more enemies are going to come. And it's going to fucking do you in eventually. You couldn't even block my attack just now. You really think you can fight off another pack of Beowolves in your condition if more decide to show up?"

Probably not. Maybe a couple. Maybe driven by pure need, he could. But if it was another pack... then no. Jaune knew that he would probably die. As much as he hated to admit it, he knew he needed to catch his breath. After so much walking and fighting, there was only so much a body could take before it gave out.

"You're not in Vale anymore," Junior continued. "There's no rules out here. No cops. No easy way out. You can't just up and run away when the going gets tough. You have to see this thing through to the end. And that means you have to be careful. Like it or not, you can't just rush in. Because yeah, you may take out five Grimm. Ten. A hundred. But there'll always be another one lurking around the corner waiting to get you. All it takes is one fuckup and it's all over for you. And that won't help the girls."

Again, he knew Junior was right. He wondered how the man knew so much. Was all of this wisdom really experience? Was it his former huntsman training? It still boggled Jaune's mind that he was so calm and collected in such a situation. "How are you so calm?" he finally asked. "Aren't you worried about the girls?"

Junior released a breath, and frowned. "Kid, I'm fucking terrified."

It certainly didn't look that way to Jaune. "Then how can you be acting like this? Why aren't you acting like me?"

"Because I'm not thinking about the fear," he explained. "I know I'm scared. Those are my girls out there. I don't need to think about how bad things are to know they are. If I were to let that fear consume me... then we might both be dead by now."

Ignore the fear. Sadly it just wasn't something Jaune could bring himself to do. He was young. Foolish. Inexperienced. Maybe in time he would learn. But hopefully he wouldn't have to. Like he had told Junior, when this was all over he just wanted a normal life. One where he wouldn't be dealing with criminals, terrorists, and especially not Grimm.

Maybe he would even take Miltia back home to meet his family when things were said and done.

If she was alive...

"Two minutes are up," Junior said, thankfully distracting Jaune from the thought. "You ready?"

He had been ready. He nodded and stood up, and his body felt remarkably refreshed after only two minutes of rest. "Let's go."

Jaune wiped an arm across his brow, and thankfully most of the perspiration had dried. A little time off his feet had indeed done him a lot of good. His limbs felt charged, as if filled with electricity. His muscles were like coiled springs waiting to unwind. He felt as though he could take on a hundred Beowolves right here and now. Hopefully it wouldn't come to that.

The long legs of both men took them through the ruins at a quick pace. Concrete crunched under boots as they explored, hoping to find any signs of life in the darkness. Hoping to catch a glimpse of colored clothing in the sea of grey.

"For what it's worth," Junior spoke, breaking the silence. "I appreciate your drive."

Jaune looked over at him. "What?"

"You love her. Only a crazy son of a bitch, or a lovesick one would be this eager to run headfirst into Mountain Glenn."

They said that love did crazy things to people. Maybe the two choices Junior gave him were closer than he realized.

"Yeah," Jaune agreed. "Something like that."

"So don't go fucking everything up and dying here, got it? If you make my baby girl cry because you die, I'll find a way to bring you back to life and then kill you again myself."

Perhaps that was another reason Junior was so adamant on taking a break. About ensuring that Jaune survived here today. For Miltia's sake.

Wait, what had he just said? "Wouldn't you killing me again just make Miltia sadder?"

"Look, it doesn't matter. Just make it out of this shithole alive. Got it?"

For the first time since arriving, Jaune smirked. "Yeah. I planned on it."

"Good."

The sudden skittering of feet on the ground sent a chill down Jaune's spine. He gripped Crocea Mors tightly, and his head moved around as if on a swivel. "Where is it?"

Junior had stopped as well, and hefted his weapon in both hands as he looked around. "Ahead of us. It sounds small, maybe a Creep."

Jaune wasn't familiar with what a Creep was, but it certainly didn't sound appealing.

The noise grew louder and closer with each second, and Jaune held his breath as he anticipated the new Grimm's arrival. His heart pounded inside his skull. It was nearly upon them.

Just a few feet ahead of them, it came running past. On four tiny legs, a small animal skittered past them. It moved from left to right as it passed them, not even bothering to stop or look as it went.

The boy could only stand there in stunned disbelief as it did so. "Was that a Creep?"

It took a few seconds for Junior to respond. "No. That... was a dog."

Of course it was a dog. A very small one. In the middle of Mountain Glenn. By its appearance, probably not a wild or feral one.

"Should we follow it?"

Junior grunted. "Kid, that may have just been the smartest thing you've said all day."

The two men wasted no time in turning the corner and following the little dog as it ran. It took little effort to keep up with its short legs. Then, for the first time since arriving here, they saw a glimmer of hope. A small glimmer of light.

"There's a fire up ahead!" Jaune shouted as they ran.

"I see it. Let's go."

Fire. People. The girls.

Hope.

For the first time since arriving, Jaune felt something other than fear and dread in his heart. He felt hope. Hope that he would find who he was looking for. Hope that both sisters would be alive, and that they'd be able to get out of here.

Darkness. Panic. Terror.

She felt as though her heart was going to burst inside her chest.

Miltia could hear them getting closer. The howls were sending chills down her spine. Time was running out. They were coming.

The ceiling began to collapse above her.

The rocks were about to hit her.

Miltia woke with a startled breath, her heart pounding in her ribcage.

No, she had to remind herself. They weren't coming. Not anymore. They were safe now. The tunnels weren't caving in. She was outside. Through the glassless windows she could see the night's sky. She could see the light of the broken moon filtering inside, lending dim illumination to the dying fire near her.

Most importantly, Melanie was with her. Sleeping right next-

Her heart froze when she realized the other occupant of the sleeping bag was gone.

Miltia sat up in a flash, the earlier fears from her nightmare returning to her body. Fear, and something more. Anger. Hate. Emotions she didn't normally feel when her memories returned to haunt her. Feelings she shouldn't have been having in the calm, tranquil night.

She couldn't shake those feelings, either. They had Melanie written all over them.

Sliding out of the bag, she saw how the other girls were still asleep. At least three of them were. Ruby had taken first watch that night, and she was still presumably over at her post keeping an eye out for Grimm. That still begged the question, however. Where was Melanie?

Taking a few soft steps, she went over to Ruby's lookout perch, only to find it empty. Had she switched spots? Had she gone out to patrol the perimeter? Neither seemed likely. Ruby, despite her age, seemed like a responsible young girl. She wouldn't have abandoned her post without any sort of lookout to go on a patrol. Would she?

In any event, real worry was beginning to gnaw inside her. Her normal nightmares about Mountain Glenn were closer to reality now than ever before. Melanie was indeed missing. She had to tell somebody. Even if it seemed childish. Even if she looked foolish. Waking Oobleck up was still the best thing she could come up with.

She moved to find the man, currently nestled in a corner, somehow sleeping in an upright sitting position. She reached out tentatively, hoping that her sudden touch would not startle the huntsman and cause him to react violently.

Before she could make contact, however, she heard a sudden sound enter the camp. Like claws on the concrete. Terror shot through her body. A Grimm, perhaps? A small one of some sort?

In an instant the fear morphed into something different when she heard voices. Not Grimm, then. But who?

She couldn't waste anymore time. She reached out and snatched Dr. Oobleck's coat and began to shake it wildly. The normally hyperactive man was awake in an instant, grogginess in his newly-awoken voice. "W-what? What's going on?"

"Someone's coming!" she whispered harshly. She pointed out in the direction she had heard the noise.

Oobleck wasted no time in standing up and grabbing his coffee thermos. Or, at least she thought it had been. It transformed into something new. Something resembling a weapon. Much like Junior's own, now that she thought about it.

"Girls, wake up," the man's now commanding voice ordered. Around them the three remaining girls of Team RWBY began to stir. Two reached for their weapons, while Yang's already attached gauntlets slid into place as she stood. "Get ready."

Miltia grabbed her own weapon, working hastily to fasten the claws onto her wrists. She was running out of time. They all were. Whoever or whatever was outside was here. Right around the corner. It was...

The tiny furry form of Zwei rushed inside, running up to Yang and bumping his head against her shin. He moved to stand on his hind legs, pressing his front paws up against the blonde's legs while looking up to her face.

"Zwei?" Yang asked. "Where's-"

She never got a chance to finish her sentence before two new figures entered. The last two she would have expected. They both stopped in their tracks to see an array of weapons leveled at them.

Miltia's heart skipped a beat at the sight of an unkempt mop of blonde hair.

"Whoa!" Jaune cried out, suddenly raising his arms in surrender.

"Mister Arc?" Oobleck asked, lowering his weapon. Those around him did the same. "And..."

"Hei?" Miltia said, as if answering the professor's unasked question. "Jaune?"

"Miltia!" Jaune yelled as rushed at her, uncaring about the fact that numerous guns were moments ago pointed in his direction. Grabbing hold of her, he brought her into a tight hug which threatened to crush her, Aura or not. She knew the boy was big and strong, but he had never held her like this before. Not even in the days after saving her life.

For those intense seconds she could barely breathe, but she didn't care. She squeezed him back tightly with all her might as well. "I'm so happy you're okay," he breathed into her ear. His face was buried into her short, smooth hair. A small squeak of surprise escaped her lips as she felt her feet lifted from the ground. Whether he knew it or not, the height difference between the two teens was coming into play as Jaune's posture shifted, bringing her up with him.

As much as she loved the feeling of being in his arms, she knew there were more important things at hand than her own happiness. "Jaune," she spoke softly.

His grip on her did not relent. Neither did his concern. "You shouldn't have run off like that." To her surprise and relief there was no anger in his words. A twinge of sadness, perhaps. However that was to be expected. She had after all made an incredibly stupid and life-threatening decision. "I would have come with you."

She knew he would have. As much of a good strategic decision it might have been, Miltia hadn't been acting on any kind of grand strategy or planning. Her motive had been purely emotional.

"Jaune," she repeated, once more trying to get his attention.

"I don't know what I would have done if you'd been hurt," he continued, once more ignoring her. It was almost funny how his total and consuming concern for her safety and well-being was actually making him ignore her. And the real issue at hand.

Words clearly weren't getting through to him. Not that she could muster many in the bone-crushing embrace of her relieved boyfriend. Desperate to have an actual conversation with him, Miltia did the only thing she could think of.

The tips of her claws gently poked into his back, earning a yelp of surprise and pain from the boy. Her feet dropped back down onto the ground, and Jaune pulled back to reveal a mixture of emotions in his eyes. Relief. Happiness. Love. Worry.

"Mil?" he asked. "What's wrong?"

"Melanie," she finally got to say. "She's missing." Her mind drifted back to her dream. To the emotions she felt after she had woken up. Anger. Hate. Emotions which were nothing new for Melanie. Emotions that felt like the connection she shared with her twin sister due to their Semblance. "I think she's in trouble."

In a flash all traces of joy drained from the boy's face. "What? What happened?"

"I don't know! Ruby's gone too."

"Ruby?" Yang asked from the sidelines. The blonde moved immediately as she began to look around and outside of the encampment.

The others began moving as well. Already armed, Blake and Weiss moved to stand next to Oobleck, as if ready to leave the moment the man gave the word. They did not have to wait long.

"Then we have no time to waste," Oobleck said as he hefted his weapon, before making his way toward the exit. "Your comrades may be in danger. Let's move."

The huntresses didn't need to be told twice, and fell in line behind Oobleck as they exited. But they weren't' the only ones with a missing friend. With a missing sister.

Junior nodded to Miltia as he too moved to join the group. Jaune and Miltia followed after him.

Once upon a time, the thought of working together with huntsmen would have made Miltia sick. Now, however, after meeting Jaune, after meeting Ruby, her opinion of them had begun to change.

And if these huntresses in training helped to find and rescue her sister, Miltia couldn't imagine a world where she would still begrudge the warriors for what happened to her home all those years ago. Perhaps after ten years, what was left of her home would indeed be saved by those charged with the task.

A new sense of resolve filled Miltia as she walked side by side with Jaune and Junior. They would find Melanie and Ruby. And if anything was out there waiting for them, be they man or Grimm, they would be in for a world of hurt. She was after all the self-declared responsible twin. The self-appointed protector of Melanie. The reason they were in this mess to begin with.

Miltia would kill anyone and anything that stood in her way.

Author's Note: Well it's been a while, but this story is back! I blame that short White Knight story I did...

Special thanks go out to Mike the Remnant Paladin for his help with this chapter.

And thank all of you for reading. I hope you enjoyed it.