it is morning in Menagerie. Blake Belladonna and Sun Wukong are on the steps of the Belladonna Family Home, both of them each holding a Scroll.

Blake: "Okay. Are you ready?"

Sun: "I beat up on giant monsters and robots more than once, I think I can handle getting a few signatures."

Blake gives a small smile at Sun.

Blake stands on a platform in front of a crowd of Faunus, holding her scroll up in front of her.

Blake: "Your chieftain needs you! Your people need you! Please, join the fight and help us save Haven Academy!"

The Faunus just stare back at Blake.

Elsewhere, Sun tries to recruit a Faunus with ram horns.

Sun: "Are you kidding me? We'd love to have someone with your skills on our side!"

The Faunus nervously rubs the back of his head, before his mother calls out to him.

Worried Mother: "Mata! Get back inside."

Mata: "Mom!"

Worried Mother: "You're not going anywhere!"

Sun sighs in disappointment.

Back to Blake, she holds out her scroll to two Faunus girls asking them to sign up, but the two leave.

Elsewhere, Sun hangs upside down by his tail from a tree, getting the attention of a couple of Faunus cutting logs and gathering wood. He gestures to his scroll, but the Faunus simply exchange confused looks with each other. Sun sighs until another Faunus tries to cut down the tree that Sun is hanging on.

At the docks, Blake converses with an aquatic Faunus as two more swim up to her. The Faunus Blake is conversing with leaves, and she turns to the two female aquatic Faunus that have just swam up, before they too swim away. Blake, unsatisfied with the lack of progress, walks up to a nearby fruit stand where Sun happens to be present at also. The two of them share disappointed glances.

After that, the two of them are sitting at a nearby table drinking from coconut cups.

Sun than slammed his cup down in pure absolute frustration.

"I don't get it! How can they just sit around and do nothing with the White Fang getting ready to attack?!"

Blake: "Because not everyone is like you and me. The Faunus here in Menagerie - the ones that weren't born on the island - moved here because they were tired of fighting, of having to struggle constantly. Menagerie is filled with people that just want to be left alone, and here we are, asking them to put the rest of the world before themselves."

Blake scoff in really great annoyance.

Sun: "I guess I never really thought about it like that."

Blake: "The problem is, whatever happens at Haven is going to affect them whether they like it or not. If Adam gets his way and Haven falls, it's only going to make things worse for the Faunus. Everywhere."

Sun: "Adam... He's the guy you used to... work with?"

Blake than sighed with great discomfort.

Blake: "Yes."

Sun than sees Blake's discomfort, and in quickly apologized.

"Sorry, forget I brought it up."

Blake: "No, it's okay. Have you ever met someone and thought to yourself, "They are the personification of this word."

Sun than rubbing his head in utter confusion.

"Uh..."

Blake: "Okay, well, I remember getting to know Ruby and thinking, "This girl is the embodiment of "purity"." After a while, I saw Weiss was "defiance". And Yang was "strength"."

Sun: "What am I?"

Blake than smiled a kind one.

Blake: "Jury's still out on that one, but I'm leaning towards "earnest".

At this, Sun wraps his tail around his cup and takes a sip from it, before leaning on his hand affectionately. Blake giggles and smiles for bit, before frowning as she continues.

Blake: "At first I thought Adam was "justice", then I thought he was "passion". But over time, I realized I was wrong. He wasn't any of those things. He was "spite". Not "hatred", not "rage", "spite". He won't accept equality, only suffering for what he feels the world did to him, and his way of thinking is dangerously contagious. That's what worries me about Ilia. She's isn't like Adam, not in the sense, but I don't know how long that will last."

Sun: "She is your friend, huh?"

Blake: "She is. Her chameleon traits meant she could pass as human. She could've lived a normal life if she wanted, but she didn't. I always admired that. She almost lost her family in a mining accident when she was young, which could have made her join the White Fang and become bad. But Sans was able to save her family's life, and got her to join his group, which I'm grateful of. But if that were to happen, I don't know what I would she done then.

Sun: "You know we're gonna have to face Adam eventually."

Blake looked down with sadness.

Blake: "I know."

Sun: So, what are you gonna do?

Blake: I'm going to try and stop him, as he's to far gone. But with everyone, I am coming back to them, permanently."

Sun is surprised at her response.

Blake: "You showed me that sometimes you need to be there for a friend even when they don't want you to be. I was drowning in guilt and fear, I tried to push you away, but you didn't give up on me. And I can't give up on everyone. It's about time I saved my friends for once."

Sun smiles at her response. Ilia and Trifa than talked in the other room with Leon present there with them.

"I just hope that my family will be safe here."

Ilia spoke out. Obviously she is very worried about them. Trifa than puts a hand on Ilia's shoulder, looking reassured.

"Don't worry, Ilia. Your family will be very safe here. Even if they do break in, we have a plan to save their lives indefinitely."

Leon than puts his hand on the other shoulder.

"That make the both of us."

Ilia smiles, as she sees that she won't be worried for her parents, as they are in safe hands completely.

Back at the group's house...

Back in Mistral, Oscar Pine is in a training room while wielding The Long Memory. As he pants from exhaustion, he hears a voice enter the room.

Ruby: "You're really getting better, huh?"

Ruby than walks down the stairs into the room that Oscar himself is training in.

"Are you hungry? It's almost dinnertime."

Oscar: "Uh, yeah. That sounds good. I was about to call it a night anyway."

Ruby: "So, you've never fought before?"

Oscar: "Just the occasional small Grimm. Nothing like this, though."

Ruby: "Wow. You look like a natural."

Ruby giggled. Oscar looked at the cane.

Oscar: "It's strange, I have only had this cane for a few weeks, but... I feel like I've had it for a lifetime. Longer, even. I sound like a crazy person."

Ruby: "I mean, uh, yeah just a little. But at this pace, you'll be combat ready in no time!"

Suddenly, Ruby frowns upon mentioning her last phrase, as it almost reminded of what almost happened to Penny. Oscar notices this and tries to ask a question before Ruby interrupts him.

Oscar: "Uh..."

Ruby: "Well, see you upstairs."

Oscar: "How do you handle all of this?"

Ruby: "What do you mean?"

Oscar than sighed and spoke out in a scared tone.

Oscar: "I'm... scared"

his voice starts to crack from what he is hearing, getting into a large battle.

"I'm more scared than I've ever been in my life, than I ever thought was possible."

Oscar than walks over to a weapon rack, while still speaking, worriedly.

"I always knew that I wanted to be more than a farmhand, but this? he than places the cane in the rack, before turning to Ruby."

"Who would ask for this?""

He glances down at the floor as a tear drips from his eye. He sniffles before kneeling to the floor to reach his backpack. He grabs the cane off the rack and pulls the lever on the handle to compact it before putting it in his backpack.

Ruby: "We all went to Beacon because we wanted to help people. But, you're right. None of us asked for this either. We just have to press on and--"

Oscar: "How can you be so confident?! People have tried to kill you! The world's about to go to war all over again! How are you okay with any of this?!!"

Ruby is taken aback by Oscar's question. She frowns as she says her response.

Ruby: When Beacon fell, I almost lost two of my friends: Penny Polendina and Sans Gaster. I didn't know them for very long, minus Sans, but that doesn't change the fact that they were two of the most kind-hearted people I have ever met. But that didn't save them. Sans thought that if there was even the smallest chance of helping someone, then it was a chance worth taking. And because of that, he almost died fighting a battle he knew he could win, but was exhausted and almost devoured by a Grimm behind him. And Penny... was almost killed... just to make a statement. But Mecha was able to save here, which I am thankful of. But...what happens...was very frightening.

Oscar: "I'm... sorry."

Ruby: "I am scared, but not just for me. What happened at Beacon shows that Salem doesn't care if you're standing against her or not. She'll kill anybody, and that scares me most of all. She almost got both Sans and Penny. I'd be lying if I said that it didn't hurt, that I didn't think about them every day since I lost them, that I didn't wish I had spent more time with them. If it had been me instead, I know they would have kept fighting too, no matter how dangerous it was. So that's what I choose to do - to keep moving forward."

Oscar walks up next to Ruby, and they both share a smile. Ruby wipes tears coming from her eyes with her arm.

Ruby than puts a hand on Oscar's shoulder, as she speaks out.

C'mon, if we don't hurry, Nora's gonna eat everything. It wouldn't be the first time.

Ruby begins to leave the room as Oscar lingers for a bit.

Ruby: Hey, Oscar? This isn't gonna be easy, but the fact that you're even trying says a lot about you. You're braver than you think.

Ruby proceeds up the stairs while Oscar watches.

Ozpin: 'She really is remarkable, isn't she?'

Oscar: "Yeah. She must've been one of the best Huntresses at Beacon, huh?"

Ozpin than chucked out.

Ozpin: 'In some ways, yes. But in many others... no. She has her quirks, her faults, just like everyone else. But she also possesses something unquantifiable: a spark, that can inspire others even in the darkest of times.'

Oscar: 'This must be really hard on her too.'

Ozpin: 'It most assuredly is.'

One the base of the W.F...

In an ominous looking room, a small device projecting a blue hologram with the text "MESSAGE END" deactivates. The room is candlelit, and there are White Fang banners hanging along the walls. Corsac and Fennec Albain stand in front of a painting.

Fennec: "Your thoughts?"

Corsac: "Are of no significance. If this is how High Leader Taurus wishes to proceed, then we shall make it so."

Fennec: "Of course, brother. Still..."

A knock on the door is heard behind them.

Corsac: " Come in."

A bar Faunus than enters the room.

Fennec: "Brother Yuma, thank you for meeting with us."

Yuma: "How may I be of assistance?"

Yuma spoke, as he kneeled fown

Corsac: Please, stand.

Yuma does so, with his wings spreading fully.

Corsac: "We have wonderful news."

Yuma: "What is it?"

Fennec: "We finally received a message from the Mistral brotherhood: the operation was a success. Adam Taurus has claimed his place as the High Leader of the White Fang."

Ilia: "Good. And... Sienna?"

Corsac this sighed with fristration

Corsac: "Some I know person helped her escape. We tried to stop it, but it blinded us to give it time to get away."

Yuma: "It is a great fail. But we will see her again to make sure that she dies."

Fennec: "Indeed."

The Albains bow at Yuma.

Corsac: "Your maturity and understanding in regards to this matter is appreciated, and it is why we've summoned you here this evening.

Fennec: The White Fang is experiencing... a transitional period."

Corsac: "Growth requires change."

Fennec: "And change can be painful."

Yuma: "If it's for the betterment of the Faunus, then... it's a pain we can endure. What's our next mission?"

Corsac: "Containment. With the CCT towers still inoperable, we have the luxury of control over the flow of information."

Fennec: "News of Adam's ascension has yet to reach Menagerie, but when it does, the citizens of Kuo Kuana will undoubtedly react poorly now that the chieftain has spoken out against us."

Yuma than growls out infrustraion.

"The Belladonna's will not have any sort of ground for them to stand."

Corsac: "Do not concern yourself with past failures, Yuma. Focus on the future. We have an opportunity for redemption."

Yuma: "What do you need me to do?"

Fennec: "The Belladonnas are the only remaining threat to Adam's assault on Haven Academy."

Corsac: "And so, they must be silenced..."

Yuma this smiles.

Yuma: "Yes...silenced."

Corsac: Like Sienna. They stand in the way of true progress for our people.

Fennec: "We would never put such a burden on you alone, of course. Your brothers and sisters will be at your side, but your relationship with their daughter makes you an intrical part of this operation."

Yuma looked in great interest.

Yuma: "Blake?"

The 2 Faunuses nodded together, before continuing their words on.

Corsac: "We know how close you are with young Blake. Rest assured, High Leader Taurus has requested she be taken alive, but we cannot risk having her present to defend her family."

Yuma: "And the people of Menagerie..."

Corsac: "Will come to understand what happens to those who speak out against the White Fang."

Fennec: "And will be left without a leader until our victory is complete."

Corsac puts a hand on Yuma shoulder.

Corsac: "A necessary sacrifice, Sister Ilia."

Yuma briefly thinks on this, before nodding joe head.

Fennec: Blake's right to worry about the citizens. It's possible they may come to see Ghira as a martyr.

Corsac: "It is a risk we must take for our High Leader."

Corsac reactivates the device from earlier, showing a blue life-sized hologram of Adam and his message.

Adam: "I will not allow them to ruin this! The Belladonna name has brought me nothing but grief!"

Showing off the be visibly upset, Adam brings his hand to face to compose himself.

"You've done well in finding the deserter. Bring her to me, alive. But not before you've slaughtered her family. I have a promise to keep."

The hologram deactivates.

Fennec: "He seems... unwell."

Corsac: "He carries with him a tremendous burden."

Fennec: "Are we sure he is the one to lead us?

Corsac: For now. We must do what is best for the Faunus."

Fennec sighed.

Corsac: "That also reminds me. Brother Yuma. Did you see to Ghira's messenger?"

Yuma: "He rests beneath the waves... along with his warning."

Corsac: "Then all is well."

The Albains give ominous smiles. But as they look, a certain Shadow King is seeing them through the hidden darkness. He than disappeared in a flash of wavy swirling shadows.