A/N Hey guys, sorry for the wait on this chapter. As I had mentioned in the previous update, I had to deal with writer's block for a few months. I was able to write after figuring out a way around it, but only short bursts at infrequent times. But, I think this chapter turned out better than I could have hoped, and hope you guys agree. Enjoy~!

Chapter 13
The First Phase

Ruby's P.O.V.
~before morning classes~ -Hallways-

After Velvet had helped me out back in the cafeteria, we had just been walking around the mostly empty hallways. We had almost lost track of time before one of Velvs' teammates, Fox was his name, I think, found us and told us classes were about to start. At the time he left, I got a text from Blake, asking where I was and saying she was waiting in Professor Peach's class with Yang and a reluctant Weiss. Groaning, I said goodbye to Velvet and asked her to not mention anything about this morning to Adam, should she talk to him before I do. I quickly run down the few hallways to the often missing teacher's room, in case she decided to show up today of all days. 'If she is here, I hope she's later than I am… ' I finally reach the class a few minutes late and walk into… the empty classroom where I was supposed to be five minutes ago.

"FUCK!" I yell in anger as I run towards the Emerald Forest. 'I can't believe I forgot about the field trip to collect the sap. Professor Peach is gonna kill me,' I think as I reach the cliff and use one of the launch pads to shoot myself into the forest, giving myself a boost towards the area we are supposed to be at with my semblance.

Blake's P.O.V.
-In the middle of the Emerald Forest-

"Has anyone seen Ruby?" I hear from somewhere behind me, voicing my same concern.

"I haven't seen her since breakfast," I hear Yang reply before I can say anything. "And speaking of people not here, has anyone seen Jaune?"

As she says this, I look around and realize that he isn't with us… and neither is team CRDL. 'This can't be good,' I think to myself as I slowly drop behind the group, everyone else ignoring what Yang said. Finally, I am far enough back to not be seen as I quickly stow my jar in a small hidden alcove behind a dead tree and go in search of team CRDL and Jaune.

Ruby's P.O.V.
-In a tree somewhere in the Emerald Forest-

'Ugh… I think I went too far with that last shot…'

As I pull myself up onto what's left of the branch that I blasted into, I take in my surroundings and figure out where I need to head towards. On my way towards the area we were supposed to be collecting the tree sap, I ran into a small bird… literally…, a nevermore that won't be bothering anyone anymore, and now this ancient tree. What it's doing all alone on this small hill in the middle of a Grimm infested forest is beyond me. What I do know is this: It sure packs a punch despite being old! The branch I ran into knocked the wind out of me, and then barely snapped off, falling to the ground.

"Geez… You sure can take a beating, huh fella…" I say as I absentmindedly rest a hand against the tree trunk. As I do so, I hear yelling and screaming coming from the right of me, followed by a sound that could only come from a Grimm. Getting a quick glance over there, I see a dip in the trees around a small clearing, the same area where I was heading. "Well… Fuck. Who is stupid enough to draw Grimm...to...them... Fucking hell. It better not be who I think it is." With this, I quickly angle Crescent Rose behind me and pull the trigger, launching myself towards the clearing and whoever needs to be saved.

~a few minutes later~

'Holy hell! What the shit happened here?!' I ask myself as I reach the clearing, tree limbs and sap scattered everywhere along with some dissolving pockets of Grimm blood here and there. It seems like in the short time it took me to get here, not only did a massive fight take place, but everyone had managed to leave quickly thereafter. 'Impressive, considering Nora and Yang would want to fight whatever it was that interrupted the trip.'

It was after that thought that I hear a faint groaning from behind me, just beyond the treeline. I pull out Crescent and cautiously make my way over to the sound. As I near the tree where I hear the groaning, I get ready to strike in case of a trap, but as I round the trunk, my eyes fall upon Russel Thrush, wounded, but not too much to get back to Beacon. Sighing, I put my weapon away and get ready to pick him up when he jerks away from me, slight fear, mixed with anger, in his eyes.

"Don't you touch me! I don't need help, especially from someone like you!" he said, spitting blood onto the forest floor in front of me. "I heard about you… about what you did… You aren't getting me, too… filthy, stinking…"

I didn't get to hear what he was gonna say, but I had an idea based on his reaction, and his leader. I growl slightly as I heft up the stubborn Huntsman-in-training and begin making my way to the school. 'How in the hell would anyone outside my own team know? As far as I know, not even JNPR knows, so how would Cardin and his team?' All this went through my mind as I trekked the ten minute hike turned twenty minute trudge back to Beacon, and hopefully answers towards these questions and more.

Adam's P.O.V.
-Mountain Glenn- ~later that evening~

"Hurry up, you idiots! At this rate, we're gonna be here for months! I need this loaded in a few weeks!" I hear Torchwick shout over the various Atlesian tech he has… 'provided' us. If it wasn't for his deadly, little pet nearby, I would've already bashed his head into the floor. As it is, though, I have had to make due sparring with Flynn for the last three hours.

"So, sir…*huff* What exactly…*huff* Do you have…*huff* Planned regarding…*huff* Our fri-"*WHACK*

I kneel down in the Ox's face as he recovers from the sudden blow to his right kneecap and whisper, "I told you before, she is not to be mentioned in any aspect outside of our camp. Even referring to her as 'our friend' would bring suspicion." With that, I rap his head with my knuckles and stand up, casually looking around to make sure no one else had heard his little slip of the tongue. Everyone seems preoccupied either with loading the train, training recruits, or avoiding Torchwick's girl.

"I really wish we didn't have to rely on him and his so-called 'acquaintances', Adam," I hear Flynn say from my left. "Something about them just doesn't sit right with me, or the others."

Sighing, I set my sparring staff against a nearby wall as I shake my head. "I know, Bisque. I have the same feeling. But if we back out of our deal now, that would only raise their suspicion about us, and why we originally agreed to this partnership. Let's just hope that no more of their group happens to run acr-" "Alright, boys! I need a group of you tonight to pick up another shipment! Now, do I have any volunteers, or do I need to let Neo pick?"

As I get interrupted by the orange-haired thief, I have to grit my teeth to keep from saying something that might possibly end everything before we have a chance to start. 'Who does he think he is, giving orders to MY people. I swear, Roman, when this is all over, you will regret every word, every action, you directed towards us.'

Third-Person P.O.V. ‒ Cardin
-Team CRDL Dorm-

Dove and Sky watched while their leader paced back and forth between his bed and the nearby wall, which is riddled with holes where he's repeatedly punched through it in the past five minutes. Cardin had been silent the entire trip back from the Forest, only saying something when the door to the team's dorm room was completely closed.

"How could that upstart be so fucking strong?! He doesn't even have proper training like the rest of us!" Cardin yelled as he made yet another hole in the wall. None of his teammates had any words to say, as they were just as confused as he was. Growling in frustration, Cardin grabbed his workout bag and walked over to the door, leaving without a word. As the door shut behind him, he pulled out his scroll to check the time and made his way out onto the campus grounds and into Vale.

Third-Person P.O.V. ‒ Cinder
-A warehouse in Vale-

"...That's not good," Cinder says into her scroll, talking to the person on the other end. "Right… Agreed. So, that means until we are sure, you need to lay low… That's your situation, not mine… Well, figure it out!" With that said, she tosses her scroll down on a nearby crate, walking towards the only door to the room and opening it, watching as a certain carrot-top regained his balance. "What do you want, Roman?"

"Oh, nothing. Just thought I would see how our insider is holding up," the criminal said, waving his hand in the air nonchalantly. "Sounds like they aren't fairing well, am I right?" As he asked this, he leaned against the doorframe, blocking Cinder's path, that knowing smirk present once again on his face.

Cinder roughly pushed past him, almost knocking his hat to the floor. "It's none of your concern, Torchwick. Besides, don't you have some faunus you need to be herding currently?" she asked, gritting her teeth while trying to hide her frustration. Roman just laughed as he caught his bowler hat before sauntering off towards the warehouse entrance, flipping Cinder the bird before he exited.

"Why can't he just mind his own business, for once?" Emerald asked as she walked up to Cinder, who shook her own head.

"Emerald, we both know he is good at digging up information. It was only a matter of time before this happened," Cinder said, waving at the now open door of the warehouse. "We just need to keep him too busy to dig any further. We can't have him knowing anything more about my contact. Roman is too good of a pawn to have to sacrifice early." At this, she hands Emerald a slip of paper over her shoulder. "If you can convince Mercury to help you on this, then that will hopefully force Roman to focus on something else."

As Em made her way out of the warehouse to find Mercury, Cinder heard the sound of someone tearing through one of the walls in the back. Making her way over there, she sees someone decked out in heavy armor standing in the newly created opening, staring her down as they toss something to the ground in front of them that lands with what sounds like rustling paper. "If you are associated with who I have heard you are, this will be invaluable to you," the person says, and before Cinder can say anything they walk away, anger visible in their stride.

As Cinder gets closer to what she now sees is a duffel bag filled to the brim with police documents and low quality pictures printed from an old scroll, she picks up the topmost document. After she reads the first few lines, Cinder smiles as she grabs the bag and heads toward her little office space that Emerald and Mercury had set up for her. Looking back at the paper in her hand, she rereads the first line a few more times before pinning the paper to a cork board, along with the picture that accompanies it.

'Huntsman Winchester Brutally Murdered By White Fang', reads the caption under the picture, which shows the body of a human male, his head in pieces around it, with tents and bedrolls in the background, and an empty spot right at the body's feet that has the same proportions as that of a little girl.

"Oh, this is valuable," Cinder says, digging through the rest of the duffel bag. "This is very valuable, indeed."

Jaune's P.O.V.

-Beacon cafeteria- ~a few minutes ago~

"Hey, I didn't know what Cardin had planned when he pulled me away from you guys," I tell everyone on mine and Ruby's team, minus RWBY's absent leader. "I just thought he was gonna pick on me like he always did. I have no idea how he snuck a box of rapier wasps past Professor Goodwitch."

At this, Pyrrha piped up, "Well, at least now you know your semblance. That's a good thing, right? Hopefully this means team CRDL will leave you alone now."

Yang shakes her head at this. "Pyrrha, guys like that don't give up easily. Jaune whooping their asses and discovering his semblance at the same time will only make shit rougher for him. But at least we know he can handle himself now, right Vomit Boy?"

"I asked you to stop calling me that a hundred times already," I reply, shaking my head. "But I guess it is a good thing that I discovered it." 'Discovered, ha!' "Who would've thought that I could do this?" As I ask this, I pick up a fork on the table and focus on it, forcing the metal to give way as I transform it into a wooden spoon.

"It was even better when you threw that stick at Cardin after changing it to metal," Nora says, bouncing with excitement as she probably thinks about all the ways she could trick me into changing things for her.

"Yeah," Weiss chimed in, surprisingly. "It felt like you were a completely different person once you found your semblance. But, that's a good thing in your case, I guess." Hearing this, I let out the breath I didn't realize I was holding, making sure the others don't catch it. "Just don't let that compliment get to your head, Arc. You still aren't even close to dating me, even with this change in you."

As Weiss is saying all this, I happen to look out the window and see Ruby hauling an unconscious Russel over her shoulder. I don't seem to be the only one, cause a few people point towards her and the chatter in the cafeteria grew louder as some students crowded the view, trying to see who was carrying who. When the room got louder, Yang, Weiss, and Blake all exchange a knowing look before quickly gathering their things and leaving, most likely to catch up to their leader.

"O-kay… do we… follow them or…?" Pyrrha asks as the doors to the cafeteria close.

I shake my head, replying, "Nah. They are probably still having some issues as a team, and need time to sort it out. We should give it to them."

"Speaking of issues," I hear Nora say from across the table, "has anyone seen Cardin since this morning?"

I look around and see, as the redhead pointed out, Dove and Sky a few tables away, but their leader wasn't anywhere in sight. "That's… unsettling," I say. "But, in all honesty, does anyone really care about that prick?" I ask loud enough for the tables around us to hear, and I get a chorus of "no"s and "meh"s from the neighboring tables, right as the cafeteria doors slam open with the King of Dicks himself walking in and over to his team. 'Speak of the devil, and he shall appear.'