You are my sunshine, my only sunshine

You make me happy when skies are gray

You'll never know dear, how much I love you

Please don't take my sunshine away.

The other night dear, as I lay sleeping

I dreamed I held you in my arms

But when I awoke, dear, I was mistaken

So I hung my head and I cried

You Are My Sunshine, The Phantoms

Blake watched from her bed as Yang strode back and forth around the dorm room with her scroll clenched tightly in her hand. She'd been pacing in circles for the past ten minutes, moving from gnawing her knuckles to checking her scroll. The little red alarm clock between their bunks flashed the time 18:49 in minimal red digits. It had been fourteen hours since Ruby and Weiss had left on their date, and neither of them were reacting to messages or calls. They'd gone completely silent.

"They're probably just ignoring you," Blake tried to reason again, her amber eyes following the concerned elder sister as she flattened rings into the carpet, "It's not very late, they could've gone to a movie or something."

Yang shook her head furiously, one of her hands holding her fringe back from her eyes. Her gaze was locked on her scroll as she typed out messages, hoping for a response from either of her teammates, "No- No, something feels wrong. Ruby wouldn't ignore me. I've called her thirteen times, and she still won't answer, and the last time she saw my message was four hours ago. Four hours!"

"Thirteen phone calls?" Blake lifted an eyebrow, an unimpressed look on her face, " She probably turned her scroll off so you'd stop calling her.."

"Blake you're really not helping," Yang growled, her fingers curling into claws as she pulled at her own hair in frustration.

"I'm trying to be reasonable, Yang. You need to calm down."

"I AM-" Yang roared abruptly, a sudden violent red flashing in her eyes. She closed her eyes, the angry colour in them fading back to lilac before she let out a chuckling breath, "I.. am kinda calm."

'Clearly.' Blake thought to herself, watching as flames rose off the ends of her long, blonde mane of hair.

"Ruby isn't a child anymore. She doesn't need babysitting. Besides, she's not exactly alone," Blake repeated for what felt like the hundredth time. Yang huffed.

"I know that, but-"

"And both Ruby and Weiss are some of the best huntresses in the school."

"Yeah, but-"

"And they've been partners for over a year."

"I know! But something just feels wrong, Blake!" Yang cried in frustration, her lilac eyes settling on Myrtenaster and Crescent Rose that sat alone by the door, "Like, why wouldn't they bring their weapons with them? Anything could happen- ugh I knew I should've convinced Ruby out of liking Weiss.."

Blake sighed, standing up and blocking Yang's path, "Yang, look at me." The blonde looked up from her scroll, her eyes swimming in hot dread and nervousness. Blake's were quiet and gathered, but they held a stern gaze, fixated on her partner in an attempt to calm Yang's overthinking mind. Yang hesitated, her eyes glued to Blake in a beat. Blake lifted her hands to place them on either side of Yang's face, the brunette's skin warm to the touch.

"I know you're worried, but Weiss and Ruby are more than capable of handling themselves. They're not children," Blake said softly, trying to take the edge off of her partner, "It was Ruby's choice to bring Weiss on a date, not ours. We couldn't have stopped her if we wanted to. You need to have a little more faith in your sister."

Yang's entire frame stood still as she listened, one hand rising to grasp Blake's wrist. Her lilac orbs were still full of anxiety and hesitation, debating Blake's words for a moment. For a minute, Blake thought she'd gotten through to her ox-headed partner, until she let out a tired sigh. Her eyes held an unspoken guilt, but Blake caught it. A soft frown tugged at her lips.

"Yang.."

"I need to make sure," Yang mumbled quietly, gently lifting Blake's hands off her face and turning to face the door. Her shoulders were slouched, the flames that had been glowing at the base of her hair extinguished by a walk of concern-driven guilt. Blake watched as Yang reached for a jacket to pull over her body, and to hide Ember and Celica, which were now securely attached to her wrists. Yang pulled out the cuffs, making sure her gauntlets wouldn't get snagged on the coat.

"I almost lost Ruby once, Blake," Yang said solemnly. The blonde turned to face her partner, who hadn't moved from where Yang had left her, "I ignored the feeling I had in the woods as a child all those years ago. I'm not ignoring it now."

Yang lifted Gambol Shroud from the foot of Blake's bed, who looked at her own weapon apprehensively. She pointed the weapon's grip to its owner, a deep, serious frown on her face, "Now, am I going alone or does my partner want to join me?".

Blake's golden orbs flickered from Yang to the hilt of Gambol Shroud, then back to Yang. They locked eyes, neither of them wavering as they stared each other down. Blake's will broke first, her feline ears flattening in defeat beneath her bow, a heavy sigh escaping her. She reached out for her weapon, taking it from Yang and flipping it onto her back.

"Fine," she grumbled, tightening the black bow atop her head with a tight tug, "But if I turn out to be right, you can be the one to explain to Ruby why we're there."

Yang smiled softly, gratitude shining in her eyes, "Thank you, Blake."

The pair left the dorm swiftly, rushing down the flights of stairs that led to the main lobby of the building. Yang's mind was distracted as she ran, billions of scenarios flying through her head of what could've happened to her younger sister. The mere thought of Ruby getting hurt made her sick to the pits of her stomach.

Blake, on the other hand, could sense Yang's overwhelming fear as she ran beside her. A concerned look had settled on her face, watching her partner as they made their way down the final flight of stairs. Yang could get... unpredictable when she was upset, which meant she lost all means of rational thought.

She had followed along because she knew Yang would need a tether. If she didn't have one, who knows what she would do if she got angry, or Gods forbid, she got upset.

As they came to the ground floor, a yelp of surprise caught Blake's well-tuned ears, her amber eyes set on a connecting path in front of them. From the corner of her eye, she spotted a glint of crimson hair coming from the weapon locker storage, who Blake quickly recognised as their neighbour, Pyrrha Nikos. The crimsonette was in a loose, rusty coloured hoodie with Milo and Akouo on her back, and was oblivious to the Yang-sized mass running forward, towards the exit behind her.

"Yang watch-" Blake's warning came too late.

Yang and Pyrrha collided with a hard thud. The impact sent both titan-built girls flying opposite ways, now sprawled on the floor, rubbing their heads. Blake winced at the sight, her black ribbon leaning back on her head as her ears folded.

"Sorry, Pyrrha," Yang mumbled as she got up, rubbing her lower back where she had fallen, "I didn't see you there, and I'd love to stay and chat but we're in a rush."

"Yang," Blake scolded, watching her partner as she rushed to the main door. The blonde ignored her partner's voice, instead immediately rushing over to the airship timetable pinned to the nearest notice board.

The faunus sighed, looking back as Pyrrha arrived beside her, a worried look on her face, "Is there something wrong? Yang seems rather… distressed."

Blake nodded, watching as Yang paced around in circles on her scroll, talking to someone rather loudly about the next airship leaving Beacon. The ravenette turned to the crimson-haired girl with a heavy sigh, "Ruby and Weiss aren't responding to her. She's freaked out over it and won't listen to reason."

Pyrrha tilted her head slightly, "Ruby and Weiss? Did Ruby finally ask her on a date?"

Blake blinked in surprise, looking at the taller student beside her in shock, "She told you about it?"

Pyrrha hummed, a silent chuckle jerking her body, "I picked up on it and asked Ruby some time ago." The crimsonette frowned, glancing back at Yang in concern again as she let out an annoyed yell. "If they're on a date, then why is Yang so worried?"

"She calls it her 'sisterly instinct'," Blake explained, perking up as Yang came closer again. The blonde's hair was glowing with heat, but she looked distressed rather than angry.

"There's only one more ship out of Vale tonight due to a storm. We have to go now," she explained. Blake crossed glances with Pyrrha before nodding to her partner.

"Then let's go. We don't want to miss it."

"Please allow me to come with you," Pyrrha hummed, stepping beside Yang to rest a hand on her shoulder, "You never know what might happen. I was trained in tracking, it might be useful."

Yang thought for a moment, searching Pyrrha's eyes. A serious, caring emerald stare was all she could see, one of someone who was worried for her friends. Yang sent Blake a side glance, silently asking for confirmation. The feline nodded.

"Alright," Yang hummed, tightening her hoodie over her shoulders. She took a breath, the glow in her hair dimming as a small, weak smile emerged, "Thank you."

Blake shared a smile with Pyrrha, before steeling her emotions. She stepped past Yang, heading towards the front door with a new air of seriousness, "Come on. Let's go find our teammates."

The three students rushed to the airship docks, the evening warmth shifting to a colder, damper air as rough winds began to pick up. The sea below was starting to grow rough, foamy waves crashing against the rocks of the academy.. The flight felt long and dragged out, like time was tormenting them with anxieties of what could have happened. Yang had practically bitten her nails to stubs by the time they arrived in Vale's airports.

Yang was the first off the ship, quickly scanning her student ID against the check-in scanner before pushing her way through the gates. Blake and Pyrrha had to run to keep up with her, muttering "excuse me, pardon me" every few seconds as they weaved throughout the dense crowds.

"Yang, wait!" Blake called to her partner as they finally escaped the busy airport, "Do you even know where you're going?!"

Yang, who had been ahead by a considerable amount, stopped in her tracks and faced Blake and Pyrrha, "No."

"Of course not," Blake remarked quietly, "Did you check the scroll signal?"

Yang tilted her head quizzically, "The what now?"

"Our scrolls all have GPS trackers in them," Pyrrha explained briefly, "They ping their locations to the school in case of an emergency during missions."

Yang reached into her pocket and pulled out the small device, flicking it open and navigating through the screens until she found what she was looking for, "Wow, I didn't know this even existed."

Blake smirked lightly, a twinkle in her golden eyes, "How do you think we found you the night you wrecked The Fisher's Keep?"

"The bar on the docks? Wasn't that the one that partly burned down a while ago?" Pyrrha asked innocently as Yang scrolled around the map of Vale on her scroll. Blake shrugged her shoulders.

"Who knows?"

"Got them!" Yang exclaimed, turning her scroll around to show Blake and Pyrrha, "Vale National Trail. Not a bad spot, sis'."

"Let's go then. We only have an hour before the airship goes back to the school," Pyrrha said. Yang and Blake nodded.

The National Trail wasn't too far, but it was on the very edge of the city's border. There were rare cases of grimm wandering into the deepest forests, especially the flying types. Ravagers were the most common, hanging from the darkest trees to attack scared campers. While they were small and weak on their own, any cry that they would make would attract more, as would the fear and panic of the attack. Once there was a group of them, you were better off running.

The start of the trail had been renovated to a small campsite for that reason. As long as you stayed within the border, you had a better chance of being protected. It was a wide open area that served as a center for the forest. Picnic benches were scattered around, while small shops lined the edge just before the trail began. A nice place in the day, but eerie once the sun began to set.

It was practically abandoned by the time Yang, Blake and Pyrrha got there. Wasps hung around the trash cans as they tried to suck whatever sugar they could from the rubbish, buzzing loudly in their groups. Yang looked around as she walked, Blake and Pyrrha tailing closely behind her.

"Something's not right," Pyrrha mumbled quietly, her hand twitching to grab Milo from her back, "It seems too…"

"Quiet." Blake finished, pulling her ribbon from her feline ears so she could listen better. She'd explained her faunus traits to JNPR some time ago, but it still felt strange for the ravenette to reveal herself at times. She reserved it for times where it was necessary, and this was one of those times. Her sleek black ears swiveled in the air. "Far too quiet."

"I told you something happened," Yang said, looking up as she found herself at the start of the trail path. A man was walking towards them, an unsettled look on his face. Yang moved to meet him, lifting her hand to grab his attention. "Excuse me sir!"

The man looked towards them at the shout, stopping as Yang jogged up to him. He smiled, "Can I help you?"

"We're looking for two girls, about this high," Yang lifted her hand in the air, stopping at her shoulder, "One of them has a red cape and the other has really long white hair and an attitude?"

The man frowned, looking back on the trail he had come from, lost in thought, "A few hours ago, maybe? They weren't very far down the trail."

"A few hours ago?" Blake asked, a hand on Yang's shoulder stopping her from bolting without them, "Have you not seen them since?"

"Not that I can remember, but I would've assumed they left a long time ago. There was no sign of them on the way back down," he explained, his frown shifting into one of nerves, "There was no sign of anything on the way back down. Almost like the whole forest had been swept clean."

Blake and Yang swapped gazes, before Blake let go of the blonde. The two girls raced up the dirt path, leaving Pyrrha to utter a quick "Thank you!" to the man before rushing to catch up.

A silent forest meant that there were Grimm around.

"I knew I shouldn't have let them go without their weapons!" Yang whined, racing along the path. Blake frowned, her ears still twisting around for any type of sounds belonging to Ruby or Weiss.

"Stay calm Yang. We don't want to attract any Grimm towards Ruby and Weiss," Blake said, the ribbon attached to Gambol Shroud following behind her, "Let's just find them first and get out."

"Agreed," Pyrrha spoke, her spear and shield now comfortably in her hands, "If they're hurt we'll need to escape quickly."

"Right, right," Yang slowed to a jog, her eyes moving from her scroll screen to the area around them, "The scroll says they're right here. Can anyone see them?"

Blake looked around cautiously, stepping away from Yang to scout out the small area. There were footprints everywhere, any evidence of Weiss and Ruby's presence destroyed beneath other hikers' feet. She grumbled in annoyance, "I can't see anyone. Are you sure they're here?"

"They have to be," Yang called, looking around, while glancing to the sky in nerves, "Keep looking."

Pyrrha knelt beside a set of tire tracks, gently running her hand across the soil. There were multiple tracks of the same type, all emerging from the same spot in the overgrowth. The huntress frowned in suspicion, moving to follow them to the source.

"Find something?" Blake asked, drawn towards Pyrrha's actions. The crimsonette hummed, running her fingers along the sides of the tracks.

"Fresh tire tracks. From a motorbike from the looks of it," she explained, standing up and pushing the collapsed log in front of her out of the way. The rotten piece of wood fell to the side, crunching off the ground as it split apart.

Yang moved over at the sound, her eyes staring at the hidden path in surprise. Blake crouched down, her eyes narrowed as she found tracks in the soil. Crushed plants and twigs led through the path, belonging to two people.

"They went this way. C'mon," Blake said urgently, pushing through the twigs and overgrowth. Yang followed after her partner swiftly, with Pyrrha trailing after the blonde.

Yang winced as she pushed through the bushes, sharp twigs and thorns scraping off her arms as she pushed her way through. She kept her eyes glued on Blake as she shoved her way through the overgrowth in front of her, the feline's ears perked forward and her eyes down as she tracked their lost teammates.

Blake broke into an opening ahead of them, turning and holding the bushes back for Yang and Pyrrha to follow through. Yang burst from the trees like a bear, eyes searching around quickly for her baby sister. Her eyes immediately landed on the lake ahead of them, before following the shoreline.

Pyrrha followed after Yang, her eyes immediately landing on a still black form lazily hidden in front of one of the trees. Her emerald eyes flashed with worry, turning to face Yang, "Yang! Over there!"

The blonde turned to face the tree Pyrrha was pointing at, her stomach twisting into knots once she saw their team leader on the ground, "Ruby!"

Yang rushed towards her sister, sliding to a stop beside her, heart hammering wildly. She fell to her knees, scooping her arms beneath Ruby to pull her close to her chest. Ruby's head lolled into Yang's chest, her mouth drawn open as she slept in her sister's arms. Her eyes were red and puffy, like she'd been crying.

"Is she okay?" Pyrrha asked, crouching beside Yang with worry. Yang nodded silently, swallowing the lump of relief in her throat. She cradled Ruby like a lifeline, hands shaking.

"Her aura is low, but I think she's okay," Yang took a trembling breath, facing Pyrrha's concerned emerald gaze, "Weiss…?"

"Gone," Blake said as she emerged from the brushes, standing behind Pyrrha. She held Weiss' scroll in one hand, and her tiara in the other, cracked in half. "This was all I could find of her."

"What do you mean gone?!" Yang yelled. Blake's ears fell back at Yang's shout, placing the cracked scroll into her pocket before crossing her arms.

"I mean she was taken, Yang. There's footprints everywhere." Blake gestured to the prints in the kicked up and ruined grass with a nod. Yang looked over to the caked mud with a tightly knit brow, "They were attacked, or jumped by someone."

"Who would go after them?" Pyrrha asked, pressing her hand to one of the prints. Blake sighed, rubbing her arm. She already suspected the answer once she saw the tire tracks on the main trail. Yang noticed Blake's unrest with a frown, lifting a brow in suspicion.

"Blake? What's on your mind?"

"I don't know yet, but.. Weiss is a Schnee," Blake looked up to meet Yang's lilac glare, her ears pulled back as her anxieties surfaced, "Who do you know that holds a grudge towards them?"

Yang narrowed her eyes, "The Faunus."

"You think the White Fang took her?" Pyrrha asked, her eyes moving between Blake and Yang as they communicated wordlessly with each other. Blake only shrugged, looking at the cracked hair piece in her hand. Her eyes were full of distress, and she was tense. Like she was reliving some memory she had repressed. Yang frowned, her eyes casting back down to Ruby as she thought.

"Why now?" Yang asked aloud, stroking the hair from his sister's forehead tenderly. Blake shook her head.

"I'm not sure. It might not even be them, but if it was… she might not..."

A sad shroud fell over the girls, already knowing where Blake's train of thought had been heading. The White Fang weren't called extremists for nothing. They would do anything to get back at the SDC. Blake still had nightmares from the times Adam had made… examples of those who'd failed him. Their corpses had been left to rot on poles on the Mantle border, a show of what they could do. It had made national news. Several SDC workers' bodies displayed publicly, along with a warning to the family who ran the business.

"Don't lose hope just yet," Pyrrha said carefully, cutting the falling sorrow that was forming around the three girls. "We need to get Ruby back to Beacon and let Headmaster Ozpin know what happened."

"Ruby will know what happened," Blake pitched in, looking down at Ruby in concern. Yang slowly nodded, reaching one arm beneath Ruby's legs before standing up with a grunt. She watched her sister carefully, a crease in her brows at her sister's lack of response.

"Okay," Yang nodded, looking between Blake and Pyrrha, "We get back to Beacon, get Ruby help. Then we beat up whoever dared to mess with our family."

A loud caw cried through the forest, the voice bouncing off the trees. Goosebumps rose along Yang's neck as she looked around. Blake and Pyrrha pulled their weapons from their backs in an instant, changing both into their gun modes.

"Ravagers," Blake informed, her ears twisting around the air wildly, while she pinpointed them, "A group of them are coming our way!"

"Go Yang! We'll cover you and Ruby!" Pyrrha called out, cocking the shotgun form of Milo in her hands. Yang hesitated for a moment before looking down at Ruby. She couldn't do anything with Ruby in her arms, and they were running out of time to get back to the airship docks before the last ship left. She nodded, tightening her grip on her sister's body.

"Right!" Yang took off in a sprint, breaking through the bushes they'd entered through. Blake and Pyrrha followed closely, eyes scanning the tree crowns as they broke through to the main trail. A loud shriek echoed through the air, a Ravager flying above them.

Pyrrha lifted her gun and shot twice, blasting the creature's head off it's shoulder with two explosive cartridges. It fell to the ground with a soft thump, the crimsonette clicking the empty shells out of her gun before loading two new rounds into it. Blake appeared from the shadows behind her, slashing another out of the air with Gambol Shroud.

Yang grit her teeth as she dodged out of the way of the attacking Grimm, holding onto Ruby's limp body as tight as she could. The birds dove for her, sharp beaks aiming to hurt Yang as the blonde danced around them clumsily. As she sidestepped out of the way of another, her foot slipped on a stone. The blonde stumbled to catch her footing with a yelp, spotting a Ravager lining up to attack her, launching itself at the given opportunity.

"Shit," Yang hissed, turning and exposing her back as the bird went for her. A gunshot rang past her ear, deafening the blonde with a cry. She staggered to the side, looking at the place where the Grimm had been shot. Black particles settled to the ground, burning like charred embers. Yang took a breath, shaking the high pitched ringing from her head.

"...ang! YANG!" Blake yelled louder, concerned gold eyes watching her partner. The brawler rubbed her ear off her shoulder roughly, forcing out a pained smile. Blake's ears swiveled anxiously, but her eyes grew less fearful. Yang shook her head once more, the pitched whines and pains fading as her aura got to work.

"I'm fine, I'm fine! Keep going!" Yang hollered, starting back into another run. They hadn't been far from the main camping area, which likely had Grimm traps in case any stray monsters wandered too close for comfort to the camp at night. Yang dodged to the side again, digging her toe into the dry earth as she pushed herself to run faster. Gods, if only she had Ruby's speed right now.

Pyrrha lifted her thumb, closing one eye as she aimed for one of the bigger Ravagers that had appeared through the tree branches with a screech. She adjusted Milo in her grip, finding the right handhold, before throwing her spear through the air with practiced precision. The blade pierced through the Grimm, before stopping mid-air and returning to its owner with the aid of her semblance.

Blake appeared behind Pyrrha, shooting another few rounds at a group of smaller Grimm, before disappearing into the shadows. She appeared again beside Yang as they passed through the entrance to the forest trail, turning to watch the Grimm as they flew towards the small group. Pyrrha came to a stop beside Blake, morphing Milo into its shotgun form before taking aim. Blake shifted Gambol Shroud, eyes narrowed.

However, just as the monsters were about to break the threshold of the trail, several bolts of lightning burst from the trees, disintegrating any of the grimm that touched it. The birds shrieked, fading into black mist instantaneously. Blake lifted her sight to look at the trunks of the trees, finding black boxes secured tightly to them. Tesla gates, made specifically for Grimm.

Yang sniffed the air, "Eugh, that reeks!"

"Let's hurry and get going," Blake hummed, placing her weapon back over her shoulder before untying the bow from her wrist and placing it back over her cat ears. Pyrrha clicked Milo into safe mode, locking Milo to Akouo and latching them both to her back.

"I'll message the rest of JNPR," Pyrrha said, picking her scroll from her back, "There's still a chance that Weiss managed to escape and went back to the school for help."

A loud boom came from overhead, followed by the sound of distant lightning. Blake's hair stood on end, her cat ears laid flat beneath her bow. Yang shivered as a gust of chilled wind blew through the air. She started into another jog, "Let's hope we can bribe the pilot into driving."

The airship back felt like it took a lifetime to get to Beacon, and the growing storm shook the airship as it flew. They just barely managed to get back to the school before the brutal part of the storm hit, bringing down icy rain and hail stones like bullets from the sky. Yang had pulled off her coat and wrapped it around Ruby in her arms to make sure her baby sister wasn't hurt any more than she already was by the cold.

They had made quite a sight when they burst into the infirmary of the school, petrifying the nurses as well as the few teachers that had been lingering around: three second-year students drenched to their skin, holding the 'prestigious' Ruby Rose limp in their arms. The head nurse rushed forward in a heartbeat, asking what had happened as she led Yang to the nearest open bed, while the other nurses and teachers handed Blake and Pyrrha a towel.

That had been over an hour ago.

Now, Yang sat worriedly by her sister's side, holding her limp hand as she slept. She watched as Ruby's chest rose and fell, a water drip attached to her left arm. Blake sat on the opposite side of Yang, eyes flickering from Ruby to Yang in worry. The nurses had already taken Ruby's blood for a test, as well as done a physical check.

She had some lightning burns on her lower back, as well as faintly bruised ribs. The nurses suspected the burns had come from close contact to ignited Dust, but they would heal quickly with some rest. As for why she was asleep and not waking up, they weren't sure. That was why they had taken blood.

"We need to tell Ozpin. If the White Fang are attacking students they need to know." Blake hummed sadly, tugging the fleece blanket tighter around her damp shoulders. Yang huffed, tracing circles around Ruby's hand.

"Maybe now that Weiss is gone, they'll leave us alone," she said grumpily, smiling slightly as a snore broke through Ruby's slumber. Blake's ears fell back slightly, an upset look on her features.

"Yang, Weiss is a part of our team. We can't just abandon her," Blake growled. Yang sighed, pushing her hair back behind her ears in defeat.

"Yeah, yeah I know. I didn't mean that... I just," Yang sighed again, rubbing her face in distress. Blake frowned again, reaching over to brush her fingers over Yang's hand. The blonde looked up, the bags under her eyes tainting her usually vibrant violet eyes.

"I know you didn't." Blake tilted her head as a nurse began to approach them again, holding a clipboard with a relieved look on her face. Yang turned to the tall woman as she came to a stop beside her, nodding in greeting.

"Well, the good news is that she will recover fully within the next few hours. We've administered aura boosters so her wounds should be completely gone by morning." She began, lifting the pages as she called out the information. Yang and Blake crossed glances.

"So then," Yang looked to the nurse, worry still lingering on her face, "Why won't she wake up?"

"She seems to have been injected with a heavy dosage of Midazolam-"

Yang's face twisted to one of confusement, "Mida-what?"

"Midazolam." The woman repeated, "It's commonly used during surgeries to put patients to sleep. Ruby was exposed to a rather large dosage of it."

"So, she'll be okay?" Blake asked, noticing the conflicted expression flickering across Yang's eyes. She was hunched over slightly, eyes staring emptily to the floor as she lost herself in thought. Her hands were wringing together, molding little grooves into her tanned skin. Blake frowned again.

"Yes, although we're not sure when she'll wake up. I'm sure she'll do so when she's ready," the nurse explained with a practised smile, before quickly checking the bag of fluids that were being fed through a drip in Ruby's arm. She gently adjusted it, before stepping away and bowing her head slightly. "Don't hesitate to call if you need anything."

"Thank you," Blake mumbled, forcing a smile for the nurse. The woman smiled back weakly, before turning and leaving out the main doors. Blake looked back to Yang with an uncertain look, sharing her thoughts. If this happened to Ruby, then what had happened to Weiss? They hadn't found any clues as to where she'd been taken, or if she was even still alive. She could've been anywhere in Remnant by now.

"We're back."

Yang and Blake looked up as Pyrrha led team JNPR into the infirmary. They were soaked down to their underwear, their clothes dark as water dripped onto the cool floor. Pyrrha had a towel in her hand, drying the ends of her ponytail as she walked closer. Jaune looked concerned, eyes locked on his sleeping friend on the bed, hooked onto a drip and a ventilator. Nora and Ren followed in behind.

"How's Ruby?" Jaune asked nervously, moving to stand beside Yang as he took in the scene. Ruby looked so small tucked beneath layers of blankets and towels, tubes attached to her arm and nose. Yang took a deep breath, straightening her back.

Sitting back down into the chair with a heavy sigh, she slapped her hands off her damp thighs in hopes of getting them to dry a little more.

"Doc said she'll be okay," she responded, eyes not moving from her sister's sleeping body. Her gaze hardened, a glow of hatred surrounding her, "She was put to sleep by whoever attacked them."

"That's horrible," added Pyrrha, her arms wrapped around herself as she took in the sight of her friend. Yang huffed angrily, folding her arms across her chest.

"When I get my hands on the filthy monster that did this," she growled lowly, her eyes lighting up blood-red. Blake shifted nervously in her seat as she reached up to fumble with the corner of the towel on her shoulders. She cleared her throat, ending the growing silence that had followed Yang's threats, "Any signs of Weiss?"

"No," Jaune sighed, resting his hands on his hips as he stood, "We asked security to check the cameras on campus for her, but she's nowhere to be seen." He lifted his hand to run it through his shaggy locks of blonde hair that were stuck to his head. "We're not allowed to leave the school grounds for the next few days either."

"All airships have been grounded due to the storm," Ren quickly explained, standing beside Jaune. "It's only getting worse." He held a towel over his shoulders, drying his soaked shoulder-length hair with his hands. Rain thundered against one of the windows, followed by a distant roll of thunder that made the room shiver.

"Well, we're not giving up on her. We'll get her back," Pyrrha comforted, resting a light hand on Blake's shoulder. The faunus looked up to the crimsonette in thanks, pulling the towel from around herself and folding it on her lap.

Would they get Weiss back alive, though? When Blake had been part of the White Fang, she'd witnessed many enemies of the organisation being traded to slave farms, other than being executed to set an example in front of any faunus who wanted to watch. She'd already seen past members of the Schnee family hanged for their crimes against the Faunus, members that hadn't been part of Weiss' immediate family. Who knows what they'd do to the heiress. Her fingers dug into the fibers of the towel in fear.

Blake sucked in a breath, "Let's just hope we're not too late."