With the cool night breeze blowing through his locks of black hair and his wolf ears twitching from the sounds of the distance Beowolf howls, Akito sat on top of the roof of the building the rest of the group set up camp in. The main reason for him being up here was just that the atmosphere inside just felt too tense, mainly from Yang, Weiss and Blake. So he decided to stay up there for a moment, just to breath in some fresh air... but to also take some time to think by himself, mainly concerning his whole situation with Blake.

Winter: "Brother."  The wolf Faunus looked towards his right, spotting a slight glow as the eldest of his sisters appeared before him.

Akito: "Didn't expect you to be awake, Winter."

Winter: "Well as the eldest of our sisters, I must make sure my younger sisters are soundly asleep first."  She said placing a hand on her chest as she had on a proud smile. Seeing that expression caused Akito to smile and chuckle. She blue-haired female saw her brother's expression and couldn't help but smile, mainly because she hasn't seen such a genuine smile from him in a while, but even then, she knew she had to try and talk to him.  "Is everything alright, Akito?"

Akito: "Mm? Yeah, everything's fine—"  She cuts him off.

Winter: "I meant everything with you and Blake."  He blinked and stayed silent, with a small sigh. Noticing this, she sat down next to him.  "C'mon, you know you can talk to me."  He sighed.

Akito then proceeded to tell Winter about everything that had happened between him and Blake. He did mention the kiss they had and gave hints towards the activities they had, without being too direct. Then he mentioned the morning after the dance, when he had walked in on her going into the shower and how awkward things have been with them. To say that Winter was surprised, was an overstatement. In fact, it seemed like she already knew.

Winter: "Hmm..."

Akito: "I just... don't understand anymore. Like, we kissed and we had sex! So why in the living Cock Dwable am I freaking about this and being so awkward around her now!?"  He exclaimed before he face palmed and sighed deeply.  "*sigh* I know this is pathetic... freaking about something that should be so easy. I guaranteed if the others knew, they'd be just like 'just get together already!'."

Winter: "Actually, I disagree."  The wolf looked at her.  "I've... never really been in love before, but after observing new couples in the world and reading countless romance novels, I think I've grasped a general idea. It's true, at this stage it probably would make the most sense to just get together, but it's not as simple as that. I've heard of two people doing the same thing but only ending up as friends with benefits.  From my knowledge, the action you guys do doesn't determine whether you two should make things official. It should be decided by your hearts. So brother, I'm going to ask you this... How much do you love Blake?"

There was a brief silence as Akito stared at his sister, before he released a calm sigh and looked up to the sky.

Akito: "A lot... Honestly, we'd be here forever if I was to list off everything I... love about her.. But... Ah what the heck, I sound like one of those cringy Main Protagonists from Romance Novels."  From his response, the younger sister began to laugh from his statements, but she had a warm smile.

Winter: "But it's nice to hear you being so honest and considerate with your feelings. Now is the question on whether you'll confess to her or not."

Akito: "Well... it'll be a bit awkward to do considering..."

Winter: "I understand, you don't have to rush it. Just listen and follow your heart. Besides, if Blake reciprocated those actions, then there is no doubt she likes you too. She's just, like you, too awkward to say it, especially after what happened."  She paused for a moment before she snapped her fingers with realization.  "Ah! I got it!"

Akito: "Got what?"

Winter: *grabs his hands* "How about after the mission you talk to her?"  He blinked in response.  "Oh come on, it would be perfect! You two will be alone and can finally talk things out without interruptions!"

Akito: "W-Winter, I don't think—"

Winter: "Relax, I'll be fine! Just be yourself and don't think about it too much! Kay?"  All Akito could do was blink as his sister began to drag him back inside of the building. As they were moving, he took a glance up, seeing the broken moon before he sighed and let out a soft chuckle..

Akito: "Man, I really can't argue with you, huh?"

Winter: "Nope!"

>Chapter 17: Mountain Glenn<

Down below within the campsite, tensions were high as Weiss, Blake and Yang seemed to be unable to get some sleep, while Setsuna just seemed completely sound asleep. But eventually, the silence was broken.

Yang: "Blake, are you awake?"

Blake: "Yeah."

Yang: "Why do you think he asked us about being a Huntress? Like, what was he trying to say?"

Blake: "Maybe he was just curious?"

Yang: "You think?"

Blake: "...No."  The blonde turned her attention towards the white-haired heiress in the room.

Yang: "Weiss, you awake?"

Weiss: "Of course I'm awake! You two are talking."  She huffed but her expression fell to a sober one.  "And I think he... When I said I wanted to honor my family's name, I meant it. But, it's not what you think. I'm not stupid... I'm fully aware of what my father has done with the Schnee Dust Company. Since he took control, our business has operated in a... moral gray area..."

Blake: "That's putting it lightly..."  She commented as she took a glance towards Akito's vacant sleeping bag, clearly hinting at something which Weiss immediately caught onto. She sighed deeply and continued.

Weiss: "...Which is why I feel the need to make things right. If I had taken a job in Atlas, it wouldn't have changed anything. My father was not the start of our name... and I refuse to let him be the end of it."  They took a glance towards Setsuna, whose wolf ears were twitching as she slightly yawned, though showed no signs of waking up.

Blake: "All my life, I fought for what I thought was right. Akito, Setsuna and I... we had a partner named, Adam; more like a mentor actually. Actually, he and Akito were more than that. They were brothers, always fighting side by side... having each other's backs... He always assured us that what we were doing would make the world a better place... But of course, his idea of a perfect future turned out to be not perfect for everyone. I joined the Academy because I knew that Huntsmen and Huntresses were regarded as the most noble warriors in the world. Always fighting for good, but I never really thought pass that... When I leave the Academy, what will I... how will I undo so many years of hate?"

Yang: "I'm sure you'd figure it out. You're not one to back down from a fight."

Blake: "But I am! I do it all the time! When you learned I was a Faunus, I didn't know what to do so I ran! When I realized one of my oldest partners had become a monster, I ran! Even my Semblance! I was born with the ability to leave behind a shadow of myself; an empty copy that takes the hit while I run away!"

Yang: "At least you two have something drives you... I've just kinda always gone with the flow, y'know? And that's fine... I mean, that's who I am. But how long can I really do that for? I wanna be a Huntress, not really because I want to be a hero, but because I want the adventure. I want a life where I won't know what tomorrow will bring. And that'll be a good thing... Being a Huntress just happens to line up with that. I'm not like Ruby, she's always wanted to be a Huntress. Ever since she was a kid, she dreamt about being the heroes in the books; helping people and never asking for anything in return. Even when she couldn't fight, she know that's what she wanted to do. That's why she trained so hard to get where she is today."

Weiss: "Well, she's still just a kid."

Blake: "She's only two years younger. We're all kids."

Yang: "Well not anymore. I mean, look where we are! In the middle of a warzone and armed to the teeth!"

Blake: "It's the life we chose."

Weiss: "It's a job. We all had this romanticized vision of becoming a Huntress in our heads, but at the end of the day, it's a job to protect the people... And whatever we want, will have to come second."

From around the corner, a smiling Oobleck could be seen, eavesdropping on the girls' conversation. Soon, some footsteps were heard followed by a familiar voice.

Akito: "How touching. You girls really gonna make me cry."  He said, his arms crossed as both he and Winter had entered the room. Weiss looked at him annoyed by his tone while Blake couldn't help but let out a quiet laugh. But at this moment, Ruby also returned with Zwei in toe.

Ruby: "Alright... *yawns* Who's next?"  The black wolf rose his hand.

Akito: "You girls get back to sleep. I'll go take Ruby's place."

Ruby: "Wuahh... You're a life saver, Akito... Well goodnight..."  She said as she instantly dropped onto her sleeping bag with a snore and Zwei curling up next to her. The others looked at each other before sharing a small light hearted laugh.

Akito: "You too, Winter, get some sleep."  He said to his sister, who smiled and nodded before making herself scarce. As Akito made his way towards the watch-point, Blake watched him in silence, her thoughts becoming filled up. Maybe this was her chance to come clean to him... to finally...

Yang: "So Blake."  Maybe not...  "What's happening with you and Akito?"  She asked, a small smirk on her face as the ravenette's face suddenly turned red.

Blake: "H-Huh? What are you—"

Weiss: "Please just stop it Blake, the way you two are acting, it's painfully obvious."  She groaned.  "You guys are like an annoying novel couple that are too shy to get with each other despite obviously having feeling for one another. So why don't the two o you just go a pair and tell each other?"

Blake: "Neither of you understand!"  She exclaimed, slightly raising her voice but not enough to wake up Oobleck, Ruby or Setsuna.  "Yes! I like him, okay?? Love him, even! We even had sex last night after the dance!"

Yang and Weiss: "EH!?"

Blake: "But..."   She downcasts.  "Even after all of that, this morning I couldn't even look at him. I know, it should be easy and I should just straight up tell him... but it's a lot more complicated... I guess, despite everything we've done, there's still this sense of overwhelming worry. Like, what will happen to us if we choose to move forwards? He may not even like me back in that way and was just caught in the heat of the moment. It's just I'm afraid that we..."

Yang: "Blake, chill out."  She touched her shoulder.  "You're freaking out and letting your worries control your thoughts. Now I admit, I never have been in love but I remember something mom would always tell me and Ruby when we were younger. 'Follow what your heart says and take things slow'. I think that's exactly what you need to do. There is no rushing things as doing so will lead things into disaster. Sure you two did kinda move fast..."

Weiss: "'Kinda'?"  The heiress gave her a side glance.

Yang: "Okay, VERY fast. Like you two hit a Home Run already. But, I highly doubt this would do anything to change who you two are to each other. All you need to do is take a deep breath, take things slow and listen to your heart. Then, talk to him. And try not to be awkward. Do it like, when you guys are doing homework, reading, over a cup of coffee, whatever. So please try not to stress yourself over this, Blake. We already have enough on our plate as is with this whole Roman Torchwick and White Fang situation. We want to see you and Wolfie happy, preferably together."  She winked and gave a thumbs up. Weiss too, also flashed a smile towards the ravenette.

What everyone wasn't expecting however, was for Setsuna to suddenly appear next to Blake, her head resting in her lap as she essensially embraced her and was giving a clear signal that she both heard everything and agreed completely. The feline Faunus couldn't help but smile at her teammates and nod, her hand gently scratching behind Setsuna's ears, causing them to twitch.

Blake: "Right. Thanks guys."

>>Time Skip<<

A few moments went by as the tension completely had risen and everyone was fast asleep, except for Akito who was returning from his look out post to swap positions with the next person, who would have been Yang. As he entered the room, he made his presence known.

Akito: "Yang, you're up for next..."  He slowed his words as he realized something was amiss. He looked around the room, counting the heads of those who were present... and someone was missing.  "Guys? Where's Ruby?"  The moment those words left his mouth, Yang and Setsuna's heads shot up.

Yang: "What!?"  In an instant, Zwei ran into the room, barking mad like the world was coming to an end.  "Zwei!?"

Blake: "What's going on?"

Oobleck: "Grab your weapons! Your leader may be in trouble."

With all the drowsiness gone and their weapons in hand, everyone dashed outside, with Zwei leading the way. Eventually, they all came to a halt, when they spotted a particular red contracted scythe.

Summer: "Crescent Rose?"

Blake: "Oh no..."  As Akito leaned down and picked up the beloved weapon of the argent eyed girl, Weiss and Setsuna moved further, looking down a massive hole that had opened up in the center of the street.

Weiss: "Do you think she fell?"

Oobleck: "Fell?"  Setsuna pointed down into the abyss.

Setsuna: "Here. There's... a big hole... And Setsuna can faintly hear voices down there.."

Oobleck: "Oh my..."  Suddenly he fell slightly silent as a realization came over him.  "Of course... Of course, OF COURSE, OF COURSE!"

Blake: "What is it?"

Oobleck: *pacing back and forth* "How could I be so STUPID!?"

Yang: "Doctor Oobleck, what's wrong??"  He immediately zipped in front of Yang.

Oobleck: "Mountain Glenn! Yes, an expansion of Vale that was inevitably destroyed by creatures of Grimm! *zips to Blake* Previously home to thousands of people! *zips to Setsuna* Working people commuting to the city, the main city! *zips to Akito* Developed a subway system to the inner city! *zips to Weiss* Grimm attacks increased! Population in danger, now desperately searching for shelter! *back over to Blake* City evacuates into the metro tunnels and what do they find? *zips to Zwei* The southeast quadrant of Vale is known for wild forests and deep caves!"  He ended with Zwei licking his finger.

Yang: "Doctor Oobleck, what are you saying?"

Oobleck: "We're not just looking for an underground crime network, we're looking for an UNDERGROUND crime network!"

Spring: "Uh... What...?"

Blake: "They've been working in caves?"

Spring: "Oh... Yeah I knew that!"

Summer, Autumn and Winter: "Spring..."

Spring: "Eep! Sorry!"

Akito: "It makes so much sense now that you think about it."  The girls looked at him.  "Think about it... Up here, they could be easily spotted by and airship passing in the area or by any Grimm we've fought. So they would need a specific area within this Grimm Infested area to set up as a base that is hidden from all eyes, hence moving underground since it would be their best option. They can work in secret and not have to deal with the Grimm or anyone who decides to patrol this area, like what we were doing earlier."

Oobleck: "Mountain Glenn was Vale's first serious attempt at expansion. It worked for a short period of time, thanks to the aggressive perimeter defense, and unique transportation; the city developed an elaborate subway system to carry citizens to safety from the new territory into the main Kingdom! Sadly without the many natural barriers Vale had to protect its borders, Mountain Glenn was doomed from the start! As the end drew near, the citizens of the territory made one last attempt at survival; they took up shelter beneath the city! In massive caves that they have cleared out for the subway. And they had cut themselves off from the surface!"

Winter: "Entombing them with no way out..."

Oobleck: "For them, it was a safe haven, until... an explosion opened the mouth of another cavern, filled with subterranean Grimm... After that, the Kingdom officially sealed off the tunnels, creating the world's largest tomb..."  He looked down the hole.  "If Ruby is down there..."

Gripping his canteen, it suddenly transformed to a baton-type weapon that doubled as a Flamethrower.

Oobleck: "We must find her."

Autumn: "Aw hell yeah! NOW we're talking! Time for some action!"

Weiss: "Akito, you're Gundam can fly. Can you lower us down there?"

Akito: "Sure bet I can but I have to do two at a time maximum. I'll do the Doc and Setsu first."

Oobleck: "Then let's get going. Time is of the essence!"

And so, the armored Akito lowered each member down the hole in pairs, with Weiss and Yang being the second pair. Blake was the last one and despite the embarrassment of being carried down the hole bridal style, they knew that they had to put aside everything to focus completely on their singular shared goal.

Saving Ruby.

End

Next Chapter: "No Breaks"

Oobleck: "Hurry children! We must get to the front and stop this train!" He said as Weiss opened up a hatch and paused...

Weiss: "Err... Professor...?"

Oobleck: "Doctor..."

Weiss: "What is that?" She pointed down into the hatch as both Oobleck and Akito looked down, seeing a strange wired device.

Oobleck: "That my dear... appears to be a-"

Akito: "Bomb!"