"Miss, please, calm down." Blake had always been considered the emotionally restrained type. Calm, collected and the one you'd bet could keep her head clear and push her emotions aside when the situation needed it. Not easily being swayed to outbursts. However, for most people, when informed that a dear friend of yours was possibly in danger and then are barred from the notion of even going to check on them, they tend to grow increasingly nervous.

"Let me off of this thing, Ruby needs us!" The virtual freedom fighter turned corporate heiress very much felt this, her stomach churning from every fear for her faithful friend in such an uncomfortable motion that the elevator ride could barely star before she was scratching to pry open the doors. And no one could really blame her. Just half an hour prior she was seeing Ruby off on an uncertain journey across an unknown city to reunite with an ex, and just a few minutes ago a city-wide alert broke out informing everyone of a Grimm attack in the vicinity. Even before the information really set in, Blake's mind tortured her with images of Ruby, now no longer half the Huntress that conquered countless Grimm, being torn apart by a pack of beowolves.

However, her outburst following the full realization didn't get her any closer out the door and on the path to Ruby. "Your concern for your friend is admirable but running out into the streets during a Grimm attack will do no one any good." Klein was doing his best to politely sooth Blake's nerves as two security personnel kept her at bay, their hands tightly gripping her forearms with their blank expressions staring dead ahead.

In struggling against the iron grip of her staff, Blake bitterly swallowed the foul-tasting pill that she wasn't as strong as she was used to being. She had no chance of prying open an elevator door. So, immediately her eyes fell on her fellow friend in distress. "Ren, help me break the glass." She said it casually and without a hint of self-awareness of what she was suggesting.

"Bla-" In his double-take, as he processed her request, Ren stumbled over the wrong name and came to a halt, trying to regain the stoic character of 'Operator Kuriyuri' he'd assumed so far. Kuriyuri would be more dry and deadpan than surprised by the suggestion. "Miss Schnee, we're sixty floors up." He put effort into lazily pointing to the back of the elevator, the circular cell of reinforced glass that offered the every shrinking view of the streets below as the elevator shot up the skyscraper.

"And I'll jump out sixty more floors if I have to." She snaps back automatically, her brain completely set to protect mode. She needed to get to D from A and had no concern for how B and C factored in. As she attempted another lung forward towards a better position, she found herself still weak in the arms of her security team, loudly groaning "Hey, let me go!"

Klein dipped his head down and pooled his hands together in a nervous-fuelled respectful gesture. His nose, and subsequently his moustache, wriggled like he was holding back the world's most violent sneeze. "I'm sorry, but we are not allowed to let any harm befall you, even if that harm comes from your own rash decisions." Emotional fatigue tugging at her heart, Blake's body fell limp in the men's arms, conserving her energy to think of a better strategy.

Ren pushed off of the glass, assuming a pose he could only describe as 'silently looming' as he shuffled over to Blake. He didn't make eye contact with either guard, steadying his voice as he tried to make himself sound and look as casually threatening as he'd imagine a silent kill-joy who guards a rich brat to be. "Gentlemen, I can handle this just fine." He didn't see their reaction as he stared straight on ahead, acting as if their response didn't matter to him because they were so below him. Thankfully, it was enough for them to let go of Blake's arms and step to the side to give the two some room. With a silent sigh sneaked in, Ren moved in closer and leaned in slightly. "Blake, you need to be calm about this." He spoke slowly, letting his words hang longer so they could break through her panic.

Sharply, she hisses back while the other three occupants of the elevator pretend not to watch the inaudible exchange. "Calm? Calm?! Ruby's out there alone during a Grimm attack. We have to do something!"

"I'm worried as much as you are, I get it." He snapped back, a brief bout of his own fear evident in his voice, but he reeled it back as he shook his head apologetically. Their eyes ripped away to look over their 'audience', checking that their conversation was still low enough to be private. Ren stood up straighter and lightly pulled his hand against the top of Blake's back, silently signalling her to face the view over the city. Easier to hide their expressions. "But we'd only be jeopardizing our own lives trying to break out and go against Grimm. We're not Huntsman anymore. Besides, we can barely navigate the city with a map, we'd have no chance of finding her amidst the chaos."

Another sigh bit back to a low mumble. Watching, he was relieved to see Blake's gaze soften under his words. Wracking his brain for words that would make her feel more comfortable rather than just make her feel bad in different ways, he patted her back. Of course, for someone like Ren, this casual gesture came out more like an alien poking at an unknown substance that could be hazardous. "If there's anything good I've learned today is that even in the midst of all this insanity, Ruby Rose, no matter her true identity in this world, can take care of herself."

For a moment, Blake just stared him down, eyes flickering back and forth between her desire to leap out of the elevator and her duty to stay here. Eventually, her eyes focused and her frustrations broke out into a sigh. "She can, can't she?" With her energy burned out fighting her emotions, she fell limp against the glass wall, lowly chuckling to herself. "Usually I'm supposed to be the one to keep the level head while everyone else freaks out…"

Ren's brow rises with his shoulders in a shrug. "You're just worried about your friend. I'd be disturbed if you didn't freak out a little."

Blake dug her fingertips into the crinkles of her forehead, as if pushing the swirling thoughts in her mind and forcing them out through her mouth in sighs. "We've already lost so much today; I don't want to lose her too." She talked more to herself than to Ren, ending with narrowed and fierce eyes that still had a flicker of her other life's amber to them. "I don't want to lose any of you guys."

Looking to Ren she found that his hands had quickly returned to his side as he turned back to the onlooker, posture stiff and eyes staring ahead blankly. "We all feel that way. Never forget that."

Following suit, Blake returned to the pose she associated with Winter and the Weiss she used to know, a strong stance with a hint of what she assumed was grace. "She'll be okay. We'll hear from her soon. I know. I know." She muttered to herself, one last quick comfort for her mind and heart as the elevator came to a stop and the doors behind Klein pulled away to reveal another hallway. Immediately, she gave Klein a reassuring smile to compete with his comforting one as he bowed his head. With a cough disguised as clear her throat and assuming a 'hard' look, she came out with a smooth voice. "Alright, I'm good, let's distract me with boring business reports or whatever my job as heiress is."

Blake quickly found that while the streets of the city very much gave you that underwater feel, traversing the confines of the SDC complex felt more like struggling through caves carved through an icy tundra. Like an Atlas away from Atlas. The blue colour scheme here was far lighter than outside, like dry ice with sprinkles of white forming snowflakes hanging from the ceiling. The lighting itself, bright and powerful, yet as it washed over her, she could only feel the need to wrap more layers of clothing around herself to keep herself from shivering.

"I'm sure your father has plenty of boring reports to cut your teeth on." When Klein's chipper voice was punctuated with him scooping up the air with his fist, she quickly found that the man's extra gusto provided her warmth as well. However, it didn't exactly make the disgusting reminder in his words any easier to swallow.

"Oh yeah, we're meeting him… I forgot." Shoulders deflated as she imitated a slump against an invisible wall. "Joy."

Within seconds, Klein was in her face, hands rubbing together and voice boisterous. "He was ecstatic to learn of your return, Miss Schnee. He's missed your dedicated voice in board meetings, I'm told!"

Blake offered her fakest smile in return, sharply turning the corner that took the group before a large archway protecting a small door. If that wasn't a metaphor for the pressure she suddenly felt on her shoulders at the prospect of facing him she didn't know what was. Approaching the door, she paused to gulp down the tension in her throat. "Ren, when we get in there, get ready to stop me in case I suddenly feel the need to vomit or punch something."

Ren came beside her, shrugging with the closest thing to an encouraging smile he could muster in the moment. "Can't be that much different from holding Nora back from her pancakes."

Before they could go any further, Klein had swerved in front of them to block their entry, nervous bullets of sweat streaking down his reddening forehead. "Please, wait here momentarily while I make sure our esteemed and charitable leader is ready to meet."

As the two watched the man retreated into the ominously dark lighting of the door, they traded weary looks and withheld sighs. "Jacques Schnee. That's a guy I hoped I'd never live to meet, let alone talk to in private." Blake moved past the doors to sit down on one of the many elaborate sea blue sofas pushed up against the wall, fingers pushing against her temple for the pain to come.

"Well, now's a fine opportunity to test your acting skills. You're going to have to hide a lot of disgust." Ren opted to stay standing, he was cold enough just looking at those crystal-esc cushions, thank you very much.

Blake glanced up towards the mirror hanging beside the sofa, watching the strange that stared back at her, gazing into those eyes that were wholly unrecognisable yet were her own. "A while back, I was an activist fighting for him to get his just deserts for the harm he's inflicted upon the world through his greed. Now, I wake up to knowing I'm part of that problem and have to kiss up to him."

Silence fell between them once more, becoming much more of a common occurrence than either were comfortable with before Ren spoke up. "You sure you're ready for this?"

Those eyes that fixated her so only offered judgment, shaming her for shaking so easily, shaming her for not being the person she supposedly always was. "I can handle a weasel-like him. It's just… It never stops hurting."

Ren clasped his hands together, pulling himself through a variety of different responses, cutting himself off with his mouth hanging open whenever he thought he decided on one. Eventually, he just shook his head and hesitantly spoke: "If he's anything like he was in the game world, you're more than smart enough to run circles around him."

She turned back to him, face faltering as she mulled over his words, before breaking into a hopeful smile and nodding. "You're right." Her smile only widened when the long-missed ring tone of her scroll buzzing in her pocket. Two pairs of eyes widened as Blake rushed to rip the scroll out into view, pulling the two sides apart to display the blue holo display. There, to the great relief of Blake's heart, was a notification listing that she had received a message from Ruby. "Wait, is that- Ruby!" Ren was leaning over her in an instant, neither trying to hide the audible glee that drowned their voices. The message was pulled up, displaying a simple 'With Jaune. Hope you two are okay.' Followed by a number of random emoji's Ruby spammed.

Ren's hand seemed to shake as he adjusted his collar with an awkward cough, fighting to regain some of the composure he'd let go during his joyful outburst. He tried to speak casually but only came out as embarrassed. "Told you, she's fine."

"Don't think I didn't see you holding your breath this entire time, Ren." Blake grinned up at him, watching him immediately turn away to hide the hint of embarrassed red on his cheeks. Shaking her head with a soft sigh, she hugged the small scroll against her chest, muttering "Thank god."

Just as she thought the worst of her day had been averted, Klein made his return, a nervous frown trailing a foreboding path behind him. Blake would have known he'd just spoken to her 'father' even if he hadn't told her by that expression alone. "Your father is ready to see you now."

She shot Klein a sympathetic look, trusting her heart that she knew this man was good enough to not deserve such nervousness, but in glancing at the scroll her eyes narrowed slightly. "My apologies, could we have a few minutes? I need to make a phone call." There was a pang of guilt at making the suggestion, knowing that Mr Schnee would probably not be too kind to the butler if he came back just to say that Blake would be a while longer.

The pleading look Klein gave her only made her feel worse. "He doesn't like to be kept waiting."

"Damn it…" She held herself back a few seconds, letting a peaceful air fill her lungs before she pushed herself to her feet, shooting Ren a confident nod as she resumed her domineering and regal stance. "Alright, let's go."

"Right this way, Miss."

Klein held the door open for the two, leading them into an oval room that seemed to toe the line between a study and a board room. The dim lighting was held at bay by the flickering fireplace in the back of the room flanked by tall bookcases, finely crafted desks and a large arch window that was currently shut from sight by thick curtains. The centre was where a large oval table capped off the room, chairs scattered around it with writing tools, files and pads strewn across its surface. If it were anywhere else, the room might have been considered quaint and cosy. However, Blake noticed something, or someone, missing. "Where is he?"

"Mr Schnee is unable to appear physically, he's currently busy with business discussions in Atlas." Already, the Butler was leaning over the table, gesturing to the small glowing circle in the centre that Blake had written off as a fluorescent light. "He will be talking to you through a holo-call." With that, the man quickly dismissed himself from the room, leaving just Ren and Blake at the mercy of the fireplace. Somehow, even with a fire crackling close by with scolding fingers reaching out to lick the air, the room still felt cold.

Before Blake, as she understood, there was a simple button push that stood between her and greeting daddy dearest. Ren had retreated to the background, leaning against the wall and waiting to offer any support she needed. She shook her head. She didn't need support, not this time, not against a spineless weasel of Jacques's calibre. With her head raised high, her eyes staring ahead with burning determination, she strode towards the table with a confident smirk and fresh venom on the tip of her tongue.

There was a swelling in her chest, of what emotion she didn't care to know. She'd had a bad day, that was for sure, with finding out her reality was a lie, to finding out she was the heiress of her worst enemy's seat of power, to watching her friends go through similar tragic revelations and to losing all the friends and family she'd made in her 'dream world'. The thoughts scratched at her heart with iron claws, but she wouldn't let an old man a wheeze away from coughing up his heart, who's hands were slick with the indirect blood of many who suffered for his greed, shake her. She would stand against Mr Schnee. She would handle him. Before she knew it her hand was raised and slammed down on the button, the projector in the centre bursting to life and bringing Papa Schnee into view.

And from the moment she first laid her eyes upon him all of her gusto was extinguished.

On the surface, it was a familiar look. The same expensive hair, the same curved stache, the frost-like skin, the suit and the slim frame were all as they had been in the other world, but somehow they differed in what they presented. His strict posture, standing tall like a pillar to hold up the room, so still that it would be easy to mistake him for a statue, somehow made the weasly build of his body accentuate a deadly elegance. A snake, to be sure, but one that would poison you rather than hide in the grass. The only slight change visually was that somehow he generally looked like he was framed by more jagged edges rather than natural smooth curves humans usually have, emphasizing his pointed cheekbones and height.

When he stared at her, his gaze was direct and shameless. Cold, icy ovals that were as thin as a snake's slit pupils, looking more like a wound in his eyeballs rather than actual eyes. They only moved to take in Ren's figure skulking behind her, but they stayed relatively still, not a hint of doubt or a second of trembling. The last time she'd see Jacques's eyes, they had been wide and twitchy, darting around as his world collapsed under the weight of his own excuses. Those were eyes that betrayed his need to please, that exuded a slime desperate to push into ever crack it can. These eyes? The only nature they displayed was one of assurance and resilience. There was pride, arrogance, oh so much arrogance, but most of all confidence. True confidence of the control he had, which his virtual counterpart lacked.

She was caught unaware by his gaze, like a silent yell in the back of her mind demanding that she give him her attention. It carried the knowledge of the power his money and his word gave him over most people, and the knowledge that he was more than willing to abuse such authority. She was powerless to turn her gaze anywhere else.

"Wither, you look well." There was no waver to his voice, no added edge that spat grease if a CEO trying desperately to placate the unamused, nor a trace of a calm façade hiding a petulant fury that would knock against his own interests if rocked.

"Father." It was the only response she was able to push out without risking her voice faltering from the confident veneer. If he saw anything odd in her delivery or saw through the façade, he didn't let on.

"As I understand, you've yet to have time to recover." His arms recede from behind his back, clamping his hands together. It almost made Blake jump as his arms blended in so well it looked as if they'd come out of nowhere, lending to the image of a deep blue snake. "So, I will try to keep this digestible. I want you back to your fullest as soon as possible." His eyes narrowed, knuckles twitching accompanied by a deep snort. "The brown nosers left to cover you leave much to be desired."

"I'm sorry to-"

Immediately, she felt the frozen embrace of his stare intensify. "Don't apologize." It washed over her in a chilling embrace, a number pain stinging at her from the inside like something cold touching a sensitive tooth. "I never do."

"Of course, it was a sarcastic remark…" Her mind bounced ideas around, rushing to find the most ice queen sounding response she could think of before he found her pause suspicious. "I wouldn't be a worthy asset if I were easy to replace?"

His gaze held for a moment before faltering to a leering smirk. The smile that only caused bile to rise in Blake's throat. "Said like a true Schnee." She had been complimented by this man, this despicable thing. Never before had she felt so dirty from what should have been a compliment. "You know, your mother worried that you'd be gone for good after the incident. Good at attracting people, but terrible at reading them that one." His voice rose with a comical sigh and a stifled roar undercutting his tone. His pride practically burned her eyes with how brightly it glowed through his voice. "Business pioneers like us find such setbacks only in need of a few months of recuperation."

However, as he continued to talk, Blake's mind took a few steps back to go back through his comment. It seemed Jacques was at least aware of why Blake was gone for months. She'd done something or experienced something bad enough to have to go into hiding for a time, but did he know what happened or where she went? That was the question she had to tread carefully if she wanted to get the answer to. "Incident?" That time there was a definite twang of hesitance in her voice, one that by the slight twitch of his eyebrows the man caught.

As if he were offering her a moment of mercy, he turned his gaze away, starting to pace around the table from her point of view. His voice dropped to a slow reassurance. Well, as much reassurance as someone like him could communicate. "Of course. I wouldn't waste words on remembering it either." He called over his shoulder, something behind him on his end seeming to catch his eye. "And aside from a few discredited naysayers, neither does the public."

Blake was ready with questions to push the conversation further, about the incident, about her part in all this, but she stopped herself. It was tempting, especially with the implications he threw out there. Almost too tempting, like he was trying to bait her curiosity. The thought began to blossom in her mind, the slither of a chance that he had an inkling of suspicion and was attempting to pull her into asking a question with an answer she should already know. With a man like this, as well as her current situation, now more than ever did she get the feeling that it was too risky to push any further. "Yes, Father." She kept her head firm as she nodded, not to stiff as to appear nervous. Thankfully, the man seemed satisfied with her reaction, returning to fully face her. "What's our… Current status?"

"Cutting straight to the point, Councillor Ironwood is determined to stagnate our operations." The venom seeping through his voice was barely concealed at even uttering Ironwood's name. Blake could feel Ren's gaze shifting at the mention, she too wondered how Ironwood changed from General to a politician. "After the Robyn Hill fiasco gave us the foothold, we had what we needed to relieve him of his military influence" From the wording, Blake gathered that she had been involved with the incident with Miss Hill, but not with the aftermath. She must have departed for her vacation soon after this. Was this the incident Jacques had teased her with earlier, the one that forced her to hide? Or perhaps they were separate incidents. ", he's been trying to garner influence outside of Atlas to sabotage the SDC's influence on the dust market."

"General Ironwood-" For a split-second, Blake worried that speaking the man's now previous rank would be suspicious, but quickly dropped into a thinking expression to smoothly transition over her pause. She was just taking it in is all. Of course, Wither Schnee would know him as General since she wasn't present for his eventual demotion. "He's still a problem?"

A subtle hiss blew through the man's gritted teeth, voice edging on a growl. "Even in disgrace, he's still a general at heart. He takes our business very personally, treats this as a war instead of a mere conflict of interest." With a wave of his hand, he dismisses his annoyance and returns to the cold calm. "He's attempting to make this a national incident, reaching out to other Kingdoms to convince them that our company shouldn't have such a grip on trading dust. If he gets his way, we'll be in for another embargo and that will only cripple everyone."

In the sea of information, Blake found a simple idea to cling to, an opportunity that didn't occur to her until now. It was tragic to hear that Ironwood, assuming he was as respectable and duty-bound as he was depicted in the game, had been pushed down so far simply for opposing the S.D.C. Wither Schnee probably had a hand in this, following in her father's footsteps and stepping down on the good people of Atlas. Klein had mentioned it himself that she had her father's favour and confidence in improving and maintaining the company's profit, profit steeped in the sweat and blood of the innocent no doubt. However, while Wither Schnee might have been Jac-Ass 2.0, the new Schnee, who explored her hidden desire to help the helpless and reform the S.D.C, could use this foothold to tear down the S.D.C from the inside and be the change she always wanted to be. "And my role in this?"

"There will soon be a council discussion on this very topic in Mistral, however, a council member is currently enjoying reprieve near you. He holds a great deal of influence. Deal with him." The vagueness was what unnerved Blake, leaving the meaning to the command up into the air whether she was expected to talk the guy down or spill his blood. For the first time in the conversation, the man fully acknowledged Ren's presence, looking over to him with a predatory smirk and gesturing to him with an open palm. "Of course, if you find that your words don't reach him, I trust that Operator Kuriyuri can 'convince' him to see the truth."

That sealed it. Blood was on the table and the S.D.C were fully up for spilling it. The mix of disgust and guilt twisted up her stomach. How could she have willingly helped with such matters in the past? Did her father really have that much of a hold on her? "Is… Is that all?"

With a click of his fingers, the sound of which was increased tenfold to give that booming effected that echoed across the room, a small holographic window stretched out before them. The display cycled through streams of data and photos that passed by too quickly for Blake to even attempt reading them. "A full report will be delivered to you shortly. I just wanted to make sure you were still the someone I trusted to handle this first, with my own eyes." It was an odd feeling. Not just to be trusted by a man like the one before her, but also to imagine him trusting anybody but himself. And the way he spoke it with such intensity, such earnest, there was almost a hint of relief in his voice. "Until then, our meeting is concluded."

"I will… Do what I can."

"Ensure that you do, Wither." His shoulders came up in sharp points, bringing his body forward as he leaned closer to Blake. From this position, his jagged and pointy frame became even more noticeable, with the lighting casting a shadow over most of his teeth, leaving two white canines that looked to have a sharp edge: like fangs. "I put a lot of faith into you as my successor. It would be greatly unfortunate for you to disappoint me now." With a moment of silence allowed for his words and their weight to land, he pulled back, offering an elegant bow before turning away. Before he pushed the button to end the call, he stopped mid-stride, casually throwing a hand up as he quickly added on one final comment. "And as a show of goodwill, I've already sent Adam ahead to tend to your needs."

"What?" Her heart stopped, gripped tightly by those words as her blood turned to ice. Even as the man's image broke into digital shards, leaving her in the shadow of the fireplace, her mind continued to stutter. "What… What… What…" Her words came out as breathless pants, gasping for any sort of air to relieve the toxic emotions choking her lungs. All at once, the memories slammed into her gut like a forceful fist. He loomed over her, his grin bore a sadistic edge and a hungry sneer, his sword was broken but still sharp, his words were silent daggers that cut away at her flesh and his eyes only burned with hatred and pain he could never hope to escape from. The vision of fire that melted away the ice of this prison lumbered towards her, not even enough of a physical form to be called a spectre, just an emotion that she could only associate with that name. He withdrew his broken sword and lunged forward, striking her in the heart and making her scream out.

She was back in the room, the fireplace simmering and the darkness compelling. Ren was by her side, completely lost on how to react to her outburst as she slumped down against the wall. "N-No. Bring him back on. Bring him back on!" She cried out to no avail. She needed answers, she needed to know why, why after saying goodbye to that terrible memory it had to be drudged back up in reality.

"Blake?" Even as Ren leaned over her, he was powerless to do anything other than speak.

"I… I need a minute." She pulled her knees up to her chest, letting her rest her chin while becoming as small as she possibly could. However, she still couldn't be as small as she felt in that moment. "Just to myself. Please." There was no argument Ren could make to that fragile and trembling voice that melted his ears. Even if he wanted to, he just couldn't bring himself to deny such a shaken plea. He gave her a nod, hoping that his eyes staring into hers more than made up for his lack of physical comfortability before he tore himself away from the scene. He didn't pay attention to his steps, the room around him quickly disappearing into the back of his mind as he steeped himself in how this all went so wrong so fast.

"Ah, is the meeting done already?" In a blink of an eye, Klein was before Ren back in the hallway, a large tray of teacups and assorted biscuits balanced precariously on his palm. His eyes did a once over on Ren, widening with worry. "Oh dear, Sir. You seem to be glum. Has something terrible occurred."

Ren mentally snapped at himself for getting distracted, taking a moment to force on a more acceptable expression as he shook his head. "Nothing. It's nothing." Both their gazes drew back to the door where Blake had yet to emerge from, a silent question posed. "Miss Schnee has asked for a moment to herself."

Puffy brows furrowed, covering up the clear worry for Blake with polite disappointment focused on the tray in his hand. "Pity. I'll have to reheat this tea for her, and it will taste absolutely dreadful." Delicately, the man strode over to the coffee table and slipped the tray down atop it. As he continued, his tone was optimistic, but it was clearly as forced as Ren's attempt to look stoic. "I don't want her to be parched when I'm showing her the improvements I've made to her room."

There was nothing that came to mind to really reply to that in Ren's view, he knew nothing about nor cared about the furnishing of a room. However, he was stopped from just declining the talking point out of not wanting to be rude to the Butler clearly trying to break the ice. After turning away from Klein and taking a deep breath, a thought came to mind. "You've known Miss Schnee for a while now."

"Since she was conning her brother out of his monthly candy bars." Ren didn't need to look at Klein to guess a wistful expression, hearing the nostalgic undertone to the man's voice as he spoke of Blake's childhood memories. "I do miss the little master." On this final line, Klein's voice was quiet. It made Ren turn and drop his façade slightly, observing the way Klein's eyes softened and teeth gritted. There was guilt on the man's face, guilt, regret and anger at someone else.

"He's not around anymore?"

Like a sleeping man suddenly wrenched from the land of dreams, Klein's head snapped to stare directly into Ren, eyes lost in a fleeting memory of a time long buried. "Whitley is in a place he can't hurt anyone anymore. After the incident, he-" His jaw stopped firmly in place, a flash of panic racing through Klein's eyes. Suddenly, more than ever, Ren felt like something had its eyes on him, scrutinizing his every action and every thought. "I… Should not have said that. My apologies."

"It's alright, Klein." And Ren genuinely meant it too despite the awkward tremble to his voice.

Klein paused, still staring at Ren as one would stare at a painting they were asked to interpret the meaning of. It seemed, rather quickly at that, Klein had found his answer. "So, there is something bugging you, Sir."

"Huh?" He could not have announced his surprise with any more obvious nervousness.

Klein chuckled at this, and Ren didn't know whether that was something to take comfort in or be disturbed by. "You've never been one to quickly forgive such recklessly held comments about matters above one's paygrade."

Caught by surprise by the inconsistency in his personality, Ren was unable to force out anything more than an "I'm not?"

The Butler nodded, approaching Ren and dipping into a swift bow. "Don't worry, Sir. I'll keep it a secret." There was a hint of mischievous cheek to Klein's voice, as if to assure Ren that this was by no means a serious matter and all in good fun.

"…Thanks?"

Klein straightened up, immediately falling back into his default submissive stance. Suddenly, it occurred to Ren that Klein might have done all that just to quickly move away from the previous subject, though Ren didn't exactly blame the man if so. "Least I can do when you do all you can to keep our fair heiress safe and sane."

"Klein, if we're keeping secrets…" As Ren started with no thought in mind, he took another good look at Klein. The age setting in on the man's wrinkled skin. The subtle droplets of sweat, ones the man never seemed to notice, from hard work trickling down his forehead. The genuine and warm smile. Ren could feel that he trusted this man. "Then can you honestly answer what you know about me?"

Those eyes flashed defensively once more as Klein stuttered. "Sir, I told you-"

Immediately, Ren cut through his words with a piercing gaze of his own, striding towards the butler. "A rehearsed story regurgitated from the PR department."

The two held a staring contest between determined eyes and eyes that were desperate to look anywhere else. Eventually, it was obvious Ren would give up and that no excuse would convince him otherwise. Klein sighed, heavily, now turning his gaze away, unable to meet Ren's own. "Sometimes, that I know of, Miss Schnee's meetings can require more than simple words. Whether it be a competitor or potential ally, sometimes a more forceful approach is needed to convince them. And sometimes they can get violent." The small huff Klein let out afterwards breathed out an extra 'Happy?' onto the end of the sentence.

However, Ren didn't dwell on the minor sass as the knowledge of his position took root in his mind. There was no denying the underlying meaning, Ren was nothing more than a glorified thug with training and a gun, acting as the bogey man to scare the S.D.C's opposition into complying with his boss's goals. If Blake wasn't minutes away from re-joining them and Klein was absent, Ren would have thrown up right there. Instead, he pushed the new layer of foreboding emotions down deep, regained a steely gaze and offered a polite nod "Our little secret, Klein."

"Of course, Sir."

"So, you're a father?" It was a simple question twisted by Blake's tone. The type of completely stumped, awestruck tone one would have when discovering impossible odds were overcome as if it was an idea that all occupants of the table could never even entertain. Jaune, a father? It was like a fish that smoked.

Jaune, squeezing into the corner of the booth, shot back "I already went through this with Ruby. Yes!"

Ren chimed in from the other side of the table, leaning over and blocking Ruby's sneaky attempts to steal an extra slice of pizza from the middle. "You. A father?" The question was repeated quietly, like a horrifying truth you had to suck up and accept.

Jaune found that he was feeling very much attacked right now. He thought things would have improved when Blake and Ruby arranged to reunite over the scroll, that just a couple of friends chilling at some random diner over a steaming plate of pizza would dull the lingering sensations of doubt this day had instilled. He was getting better, Ruby was smiling normally again, though Ren and Blake looked a little worse for wear; and yet before he could even ask what happened to them, Ruby blurted out the truth. All while giggling like the little gremlin she was, he might add. And none of them could take the matter even the least bit seriously. "Hey, don't ask like that's hard to believe." His words did not come out with any confidence, more like he was spluttering through a drink. "I mean, I was a terrible father, but…" With that reminder, his mood immediately drained, and he surrendered himself to nestling himself into the corner of his seat with a groan. "Never mind."

Watching his leader's state, eyes briefly glancing over to Blake, Ren let out a matching sigh. "I would ask what other information anyone else found, but all the answers seem depressing."

"Pretty much." Blake shrugged. Well, half shrugged as she didn't have the energy to go all the way. She'd been mostly silent and gloomy since they left the S.D.C building, only smiling when she heard Ruby's voice again, but no matter how she tried to hide it, everyone could see something dark bubbling up inside her. "It's clear by this point that the reason we went to the game was that our lives were disasters."

"Just great." Jaune's eyes found themselves more preoccupied with the ceiling, not in the mood for this continuingly dreary streak. It was like any time they found some way to cope, the world decided to up its game and unload a new dark twist onto their story.

All eyes eventually found themselves drawn to Ruby, not that she did anything to get their attention, they were just used to her having a comforting word or two to add by this point. "It's not that… Maybe…" Her attempt at a sheepish smile trembled as she wracked her brain for a weaker word to describe their situation but found little aid in her mind. "Okay, it is bad." A bitter sigh peppered her admittance, but the fire in her eyes didn't stop. Her smile, while weak and weary, was still a smile she could manage. "But think of it like this: Better to know now so we can move on rather than spend months wondering, right?"

"Ruby makes a good point." Her surprise when Ren's voice intervened to agree with her strengthened her smile, while also distracting her while he stole her slice of pizza; he'd worked up an appetite. "We've seen the worst, now we can start building up from that."

Jaune didn't seem as enthused yet, running his fingers through his hair, only to realize too late that his fingers were already slick with pizza grease. "That's my worry." He grabbed a tissue as he sighed, finding the act of rubbing his hand clean soothing in a way. The monotony distracted him from the more dire elements of their conversation. "What if this isn't the worst?"

When he felt Ruby's fingers clasp his shoulders, Jaune felt his entire body grow numb and push all boiling negativity aside. How did she do that? "Then we face it together." She spoke firmly. It wasn't a promise, it wasn't a plan, it was a statement because she wasn't letting anyone go on alone.

Blake didn't have the benefit of Ruby's comforting touch for she was too far away, she was stuck beside Jaune, leaching off of everyone's else doubts and fears as they only reminded her of what mental strife, she was already stewing in. She had not taken one bite of her food, she felt sick but was sure that if she tried to vomit there'd be nothing. It was an invisible force pouring into her gut, fired up and already bubbling. It felt like her stomach was burning, her heart ripping apart and her mind melting, everything just demanding that this scolding substance just leave her system. The further and further the conversation continued, her ears were suddenly unable to even hear everyone as the screech of his sword being unsheathed played in her mind again and again. Blaring like a siren for a danger that wasn't there yet. Pushing, pushing, pushing, just begging for some kind of release. An out, an exit, anything to simmer this heat boiling up inside her. "Adam's coming."

The name itself stole all words from whatever conversation they were having, forming a looming shadow that weighed upon all their shoulders now, not just Blake's. Ruby, despite her short arms, did her best to reach over and grab Blake's hand, squeezing whatever comfort she could. "You mean… Psychotic Ex-Adam in the game world?" Blake met Ruby halfway and immediately the grip was as strong as Ruby's voice. Initially, Blake was ready to brood for a few hours, or defiantly deny the toll this was taking on her while any gestures of sympathy proved futile. But when Ruby spoke, when she grabbed Blake's hand, when she spotted the resolute stares of Jaune and Ren, it felt like a blanket wrapped around her. The blanket was warm enough to melt the ice of her father's presence, but cold enough to stave off the burning fury of Adam's impending arrival. "Oh, Blake."

It shocked Blake and, for a moment, she couldn't understand why suddenly the impact of Adam had diminished. She was silent as she mulled it over, but she had the best view of all her friends' smiling faces as they rushed to comfort her. Her friends. In the game, Adam had a formidable effect on her, even without being physical threat his words easily got under her skin, made her feel alone, made her feel pathetic. So, in the real world, shouldn't that effect be worse? "NPC roles were filled based upon people we know." She had the confidence to continue with her words, the fears and doubt getting weaker by the second. They gave her this confidence. "So, considering how much worse Jacques is in this world… I can't even begin to imagine how bad Adam was in reality that I used him as an abusive stalker in the virtual world."

"It doesn't matter what he is." Ruby slammed her fist on the table, sending a pizza slice flying into the air, only for it to be grabbed by her and a bite taken. Blake assumed this was supposed to punctuate her point, but Blake just found it adorable. "If he lays one finger on you, we're gonna kick his butt!"

Jaune quickly poked his head back into view, grabbing Blake's hand as well and punching his free hand into the air. "And then draw insulting images on his face in permanent marker." It was then that Blake realized she didn't know how much Jaune and Ren had been told about who Adam was to her, that he was anything beyond just a bad man who she and Yang had killed.

"Yeah!" However, as she watched Jaune and Ruby high-five to cement their determination to keep Blake safe, she knew that it wouldn't matter to them how much they knew. Team RWBY and Team JNPR had been a family. If any of them cried, they didn't need to know why just what to do to help.

"That's… Comforting." Against her better judgment, Blake found herself smiling at this. It was easier this time around to face the idea of her possible ex-lover turned violent abuser, he no longer had the same effect on her. Yes, it hadn't been real, just a simulation based off her mind, but perhaps being able to go through the situation had helped her. Not only did she gain these three as loyal friends, but she faced her insecurities and her toxic relationship with Adam, and she learned how to overcome it. The initial shock had worn off and she realized, she was stronger now and Adam would never reduce her to a shivering wreck again. If he came, she would be ready for him, with her friends standing right behind her.

For the next hour, the atmosphere gradually grew lighter, more smiles lighting up even the most cynical of lips. They didn't really talk about anything, just traded nonsense and jabs at each other. Blake had to admit, there was a sick pleasure in abusing the Schnee credit card strictly to buy an ungodly amount of cheap junk food. The pizza was decent, but it proved to create a strong divide between friends as everyone was intent on stealing everybody else's slices. For the first time since they'd arrived here, the four felt at peace with each other, content to just sit around and celebrate their friendship. Yeah, things were rough at the moment, but they still had each other and that was a bit of luck that not many other people got to keep.

Even Ren was getting caught up in the heated age-old debate of whether pizza should have pineapple slices on it or not, personally finding the idea of such a juicy fruit on pizza disgusting. However, he decided the stay out of the debate, his energy spent and the momentary calm leaving his mind to wonder. He found his gaze looking out the window, forehead leaning against the glass as he stared out into the busy street. All those people, perfectly happy, perfectly busy, perfectly content. Inside, he was with his friends, having fun, finding a nice reprieve for the day. And yet all he could think about was the person who wasn't there.

He could tell himself that she was not real, chant it until his vocal cords snapped and he was left with nothing but sign language, but he couldn't forget her. He missed her. He missed her boisterous laugh that threatened his eardrum, he missed her insistence of making the room shake with every step she took, he missed her sometimes annoyingly quirky moments of random quips and even the mess she'd leave in her wake.

It felt like someone close to him dying, like he was back before his father feeling that disappointment at his inability to act before everything went to hell. Things were left unsaid, things that should have been said. He knew it was a false memory, something artificial projected onto him, but he wanted one more chance. A chance to do things right, a chance to be as open as he should have been and tell her the words she'd been dying to hear. Under his gaze, he could see the image of her moving through the crowd, taunting him with the moments he could never revisit. What had been the word Nora used to describe him to herself when she thought he couldn't hear her? Distant. Even when they comforted one another, she was the one laying out her emotions and feelings, but he was forever keeping them locked in his heart. He treated her like he did everyone else who died, who no longer existed for them, he never showed his appreciation or that they were worth getting emotional over. And that knowledge hurt him more than knowing his life was a lie.

"Something up, Ren?" Jaune pulled him out of his thoughts, fixing the man with a soft smile.

"Nothing. Nothing." Ren shook his head, returning a weak smile, but an appreciative one none the less. Perhaps now he had time to at least make things right with the friends he still had. He failed Nora, but he still had a chance to get his act together, even if it took him the rest of his life. With this goal in mind, Ren reached out to pat Jaune on the shoulder with a stronger attempt at a smile this time. Briefly, he glanced back out the window to say his goodbyes to his mind's images of Nora.

At least, it was supposed to be brief.

When he looked through the glass once more, his eyes were immediately drawn to the centre of the crowd. The sight itself made him question reality for a moment. In the muddy colouring of the crowd, her bright orange hair stood out like a fire in the darkness. For a brief second, her face came into view as she passed through the gaps of people. He could have dismissed it as just memory, but the image before him was different from the Nora he knew, yet just similar enough to make his heart stop and his curiosity override all logical reasoning.

"Just… Give me a second, please." Before he could stall himself with questions and inconsistencies, Ren bolted out of his seat and quickly shoved Ruby into her own by accident when he rushed past her. Within seconds, he was bursting through the front door and jumping into the depressing blue hue of the street. In the corner of his eye, he caught her figuring disappearing around the corner of the block, beckoning to him at the edge of his vision. He couldn't think, could speak, all he could do was huff as he launched himself into an all-out sprint, dodging between the passing people like he was being chased.

Every moment passed slapped his heart upside the head with panic and grief, as ever second some passed by his vision and for that split second her image would be blocked from him. Still, he powered on, jumping up and weaving around confused citizens just to get a glimpse at her as she moved, only seeing her from the torso up from behind. However, it seemed to further he got, the more people got in the way, flooding his vision until his split-second glances were reduced to milliseconds. It was like he was caught in a river of people, constantly fighting up the stream and going back a little further each time. He had to find her, he had to see her, just one more time, one more time.

Suddenly, he broke through the crowd, the street ahead clear of people. But to his dismay, it was clear of Nora to. His jaw hung limp as his eyes darted around the mostly empty street, not anything orange in sight, as if the wind itself cleared away the area a moment before he turned the corner. That is, if she was really there in the first place. "It was just a figment of my imagination." Ren spat out through gritted teeth, his failure dragging his eyes down to meet the floor. "Don't be stupid, Ren. She's not real anymore." His hands shook, his eyes tried to force out tears that just refused to come, all while his logic finally kicked back in and slapped him for being so hasty and reckless. "Your Nora wasn't real. You will never see her again. Never. Never… Never…"

"You okay, Ren?" He was back in the diner, everyone's eyes looking up at him as he stood over the table, head hung low and dishevelled. Jaune repeated his question, not wanting to ask Ren why the man left so suddenly until Ren was comfortable with telling.

"I'm fine."

"Ren…" He tried again, face wincing at his friend's denial. His friend needed help and he felt utterly powerless.

"I'm fine." It was barely a whisper, Ren now leaning against the table for support while he lamented losing sight of the obvious.

Jaune didn't know what to do, all words that came to mind immediately being shot down by his heart. All he could do was keep the offer open and remind Ren he wasn't alone. He looked to Blake for help, knowing she'd spent more time with Ren today and probably knew more about his mental state before coming to the diner. She nodded and gave a reassuring smile as she stood up to stand on an even level with Ren. "Just know you can talk to us about this."

"It's appreciated, Blake." His words were thankful, but his ever-whiting knuckles gripping the table only became tighter. Shame dominated his voice overall, at his actions and for making the group worry about him. "Don't worry, it's trivial compared to your predicament with the return of a possible abuser."

The meaning behind those words rang all too familiar for Blake, even for a moment, she could imagine herself saying something similar about herself. The shame, the guilt, the self-insulting thoughts that must be going through his mind; she knew them well. "You know, in the simulation, I found that I spent a lot of time letting myself hurt inside just because I knew that there were people around me that had it worse." She spoke quietly, focusing the sound on making sure Ren felt the personal nature of the information she was telling him. Thankfully, she could see he was listening as his eyes wandered over to her, nodding at their common ground. "It's a toxic mindset that does no one any good. You're allowed to have pain, even if someone has a worse pain, just like you're allowed to be happy even if someone else is happier."

He didn't make any obvious expression, nor did he really move for a few seconds there. He just stood in total silence, mulling over her words. Unfortunately, he didn't seem to have come to a conclusion on what he thought of her words, but he still hesitantly smiled at her. She'd helped, even if it was only a little. "I appreciate it, Blake. But really, it's nothing."

"Just making sure you know." She replied just as quietly before returning to her seat, Ren doing the same with a Ruby who was far more intent on giving him her food.

Blake and Jaune's eyes met for a moment and that silent gaze told the story of a hundred thank you notes from Jaune before he shifted to quickly change the topic. "So, what now?" He stretched out his arms with a slight groan lingering on his tongue. "We've found our homes, faced our old lives and depression binged an unhealthy amount of pizza."

"We still need to accumulate to our new lives, the best thing to do is to start seeking security." Ren pushed himself back into the groove of things rather quickly, but Jaune didn't push it, knowing that some people found comfort and focus in arranging variables. "Me and Blake are set for housing, but you two can't live in the Open Lotus without a source of income."

"Actually, I think I have something for that." He could hear Ruby giggling at the amount of pride in Jaune's smile saying that. With his group, it was an achievement to have found a solution first or thought ahead for once. "Me and Ruby went through my apartment, turns out I kept some really organized folders about my own details in prep for the simulation." On cue, Ruby presented the table with some old-looking notes books that seemed to be comprised entirely of scribbles. "Logged into my e-mail and, aside from spam, I have recent e-mail about me returning to a job after my 'extended vacation'. Apparently, I worked at the academy here, Sanctuary."

Ren stroked his chin, thoughtfully. "How's the salary?"

This prompted Jaune to revert to 'nervous dork' mode as he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "I have no idea… The E-mail didn't really imply what my job was."

A long, loud slurp drew everyone's attention. To everyone's surprise, it was Blake finishing off her drink with a quiet gasp as she noted people's surprise. Quickly recovering, she added, "Considering how long you were allowed to be absent; I doubt your position was that important."

Jaune shrugged, his smile breaking through the awkwardness. "A job's a job."

"And Ruby? You have anything on your old self?" Ren quickly shifted their gazes to the small spitfire finishing off the pizza.

"Not really," She partly laughed, partly squealed, already feeling like the odd one out yet again for not being secure like them. For her own sake more than theirs, she pumped her fist into the air triumphantly "but I'm sure I can go on a job hunt! Can't be that hard, can it?"

"When you don't know your own job history to put on a resume, it's a bit more difficult."

Ruby's fist pump fizzles into a slumped frown and a mocking glare, quietly whining "It's a start at least." However, this slump didn't last for long as she gazed upon the middling reactions of her friends. Their smiles, their laughs and their looks of bemusement. It inspired a few extra words out of her mouth. "Okay, I'll admit this: This day has not been good. Some might say it's one of the worst days in our lives that we remember." She had to fight to reel them back in as she noted their rather confused expressions at her pep talk. "However, I know we can get through this. No, we're going to get through this." As she continued, she snatched up her milkshake, pushed herself to her feet and rested one foot on the table which made her just taller than everyone else from their sitting positions. "So, with this toast, I want you guys to know that no matter the past, I'm sticking with you all through thick and thin. Today, we start our new lives, whatever hardship that entails." Her voice rose into a triumphant roar as she held the drink over the three, swelling with the beat of her heart as her emotions thrived with determination. And in the heat of the moment, only a few more words came to mind, words from her late virtual mother. "We have to keep moving forward."

"To moving forward." They repeated, trying out the phrase themselves awkwardly as they fiddled to get a glass to raise.

Then, in unison, they held up their drinks, looked each other in the eye and said with as much gusto as they could manage "To moving forward!"