Up at Blake's house, Sun watched her leap up onto the balcony. He followed her up, although he had to admit that she was a lot more practiced at ninja leaps than he was. She didn't care about that though, instead she stormed in with pounding footsteps. He totally got it. He was upset too.

Even with faunus night vision, looking for that color-changing girl in the dark hadn't been easy. She'd escaped, but they hadn't come back empty-handed. Blake had the girl's scroll, which had to be full of proof that the White Fang were evil.

"So, um, what's the deal with you and that girl?" he asked.

Blake sat down and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Her name's Ilia. We were in the White Fang together."

"And the whole shifting colors thing?"

"She's a chameleon faunus." Blake shook her head, disappointed. "She always supported the White Fang becoming militant, but I didn't think she'd believe in Adam so strongly."

"Hey, at least there's good news! If we work against the White Fang now, we can stop her from becoming more like him."

Blake shook her head. "It's not that easy. We were lucky tonight. It was only one spy, but next time it'll be different, there are too many of them for us to fight. You, my parents, the people of Menagerie, we're all in danger."

"Blake, come on! We have proof right here that the White Fang has gone off the deep end!" Sun pointed at the scroll. "Yeah, we're in danger, but you think we won't be if you avoid them? They sent a spy after you!"

She shot up out of her seat. "I know! I'm not stupid! We are going to do something about this, but we can't just rush in. There are people I want to protect first, and even if we're as careful as possible, I might not even be able to do that much!"

"We have to do something. You can't keep staying at your parents' house and hiding like you've done ever since we got here!" It might have been a bit harsh, but Sun was at the end of his rope with her.

"Don't you dare! I know we have to do something, but I'm not an idiot. I'm not just going to rush in!"

"Ahem." Somewhere in the middle of their argument, Blake's dad had entered the room. "Is there a good reason why the both of you are yelling?"

"S-sorry sir." Sun flushed red in embarrassment.

"We were just arguing about the White Fang." Blake handled the interruption a lot more smoothly. She held up the scroll. "Dad, Ilia was spying on us. We chased her down and got this from her. We think the White Fang is planning something."

Sun was way past than just 'thinking' that they were doing something, but he kept quiet as Blake's tall, scary dad got closer and accepted the scroll.

His eyes narrowed and aimed at Sun. "So you were right, the White Fang is spying on my family. Come you two, let's see what's on this scroll."

"Yes sir!" Sun said. That got him an irritated look from the guy, but Sun was so pumped that it hardly had an effect.

What did drop his mood was Blake's expression. She followed behind her father with a resigned look, as if she expected to fail at protecting her family. Based on her last encounter with Adam, Sun couldn't blame her.

What he could do was stand by and support her. No matter what, her family was going to be safe.

\\\\\

"Thank you for looking after them for these past few weeks," Clark said to both Paion and Xiang. Now that all the trafficking victims were testifying in court or brought home, Clark had made a final visit to the couple.

"As if we could refuse after hearing about those poor girls," Xiang said. "I'm probably more grateful than you are that you told us about them and gave us a chance to do some good."

"Yep, it makes me glad to see them on TV," Paion added. "Besides them finally being safe, it actually seems like things are changing in the city. I never thought I'd see the day."

"Their testimonies are going well." Clark smiled as he recalled the articles of their court proceedings. After the first few had gone to court with few difficulties, nearly all the rest had opted to do the same. Thanks to them, Simon Atreus and many others were facing serious accusations. Also, it seemed like Dolus had left the police chief to hang, and it was hard not to be hopeful about his replacement.

"That's good to hear," Xiang said. "By the way Farmer, is there any chance of me meeting those masked helpers of yours again?"

"Maybe, but what for?"

"Oh, that little girl Sharpshooter was just adorable. She reminds me of my granddaughter I'd like to see her again. I bet she has the cutest face."

Clark chuckled, thinking about how Ruby would respond to that. "You're not wrong about that. I'll ask her to visit you and you can see her face for yourself." He'd considered it and it should be safe enough for Ruby to visit these two openly.

"I'm a bit interested to hear from Knight too," Paion said. "He was a rather nervous young man."

"Got it." Clark checked the clock and rose. "It was nice talking to you again. I have to go now, I promised to meet someone."

They shook each other's hands, and once he left the house, Clark raced to the shore. The trip to Menagerie was mostly over open ocean, so it was a leisurely jog until he reached the island.

He came to a stop just outside Satin's house. It was evening here, just around the time when she got off work. He knocked.

Satin opened the door and smiled when she recognized him. "Punctual, I appreciate that. Come on in." She widened the gap and welcomed him inside.

"Thank you. It was actually a bit of a journey to get here." Clark followed her to the living room and accepted the cup of tea she offered.

"Really? Where exactly in Menagerie are you working?" she asked.

"Um, it's hard to say. Nowhere near any settlements."

Satin covered her mouth, eyes wide. "You mean you're out in the wilderness with all those dangerous animals?"

Clark nodded. "I've spent more time in Menagerie's deserts than I have in town today, but let's not talk about that. To me, Velvet's past is a lot more interesting." He changed the subject to avoid any more lying. Much of what he'd said wasn't false, he'd taken only slightly longer to cross the desert than entering the town and Satin's house.

Usually lying was easy when it came to his powers. Here though, it felt unacceptable.

"Huh. I would have thought most huntsmen would leap at the chance to talk about their dashing exploits in the treacherous Menagerie outback." She said, exaggerating to tease him.

"I guess I'm the odd one out."

"I guess you are. You know, Velvet used to go out there so she could train as a huntress. Menagerie doesn't have much of an issue with Grimm, but we still have plenty of animals to deal with in the deserts. Sand worms, enormous lizards, mole crabs even worse than Vacuo's. All were very appealing to young Velvet."

"How old was she when she first started going?"

"Let me think . . . she started going on supervised trips when she was twelve, but from what I've heard she didn't get any real combat until she was fourteen."

Clark raised his eyebrows. That age wasn't unusual here, but he still wasn't fully used to the idea of people fighting for their lives when they so young.

Satin had given him plenty of stories of her daughter as a young girl, but now she focused more on her daughter's leadup to becoming a huntress. It was a different sort of conversation.

The Velvet she described was a lot closer to the girl he'd known, and he gave Satin some insight into how her daughter had grown.

He told her about how her budding photography hobby had still been strong and had fit into her fighting style, although he'd never seen it. The girl Satin described had been painfully shy around new people, meeting them had usually resulted in hiding behind her mother. While Velvet had been shy at Beacon too, she'd grown much, which Satin was pleased to hear.

"So she asked you out?" Satin asked.

"Yep."

"And here I thought I couldn't be any prouder of my daughter. She managed to get herself a nice, handsome young man."

The compliment embarrassed him, so he tried to laugh it off. "I think you have Coco to thank for that. She really pushed Velvet a lot, more than just with me."

"I'll have to the next time I see her." Satin clapped her hands together. "Oh! That reminds me. When they were here, I showed them around Velvet's room. Would you like to see it?"

"Sure."

Satin brought him upstairs. "It's stayed pretty much the same ever since Velvet was sixteen, before she left for Beacon."

They entered and Clark's eyes were drowned. "Wow, it's a lot of pink." The walls, the bed, the table in the corner and the bookshelf. They were all different hues of the one color.

Satin chuckled. "She always did like it. Her face would probably turn the same color if she knew that I'd shown you this."

He listened to her as he walked around and noted everything. The stuffed animals near the bed. A white bunny and pink elephant on top of a pile of soft creatures. The full-length mirror next to the closet, clothes still inside. The books on the shelf and the window giving a view of the ocean.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

"I just clean it every once in a while, but someday I suppose I'll have to clear the room."

"I'd be happy to help, especially with heavy lifting."

"And I'll be happy to take advantage. After all, what's the point of knowing huntsmen if I can't use them for that?"

He smiled at her and approached the bookshelf. He took out a book and turned it over. A Hot Night In Vale. The titles of the other books were in the same vein. "Velvet really liked romance novels, huh?"

"You have no idea. She hid them well, but I know for a fact that she had a few that would even make me blush." It was silent for a few seconds before she asked. "Do you like reading?"

"Yeah, realistic fiction mostly. Although recently I've had to focus on nonfiction and the news."

"Hm, well don't count on your luck with any of Velvet's romance books. They're not realistic at all."

"Noted." Clark put the book back and reached for another. This one was nonfiction and looked much more appealing.

Satin walked over. "The Adventures of Team SPRK, A Memoir. Good eye. Velvet was obsessed with it when she was younger."

"Is it alright if I borrow this?" he asked, looking at the cover of huntresses poised to fight. He wanted to read the same words that had inspired and excited her. Even now, he could be close with her that way.

"You can keep it if you like."

"Really? Thanks."

"You're welcome." Satin leaned back on the wall. She closed her eyes and exhaled slowly. "You know, it really is nice that I can talk to you about Velvet."

To Clark's eyes, the small lines of exhaustion and concern leapt out from Satin. "Ma'am, is everything alright?"

She smiled. "They are now, but I'm not sure if they'll stay that way. I'm friends with the chieftain's wife and she tells me that the White Fang may cause trouble here."

"The White Fang are here?!"

Satin nodded. "It's still a peaceful organization on the island and the official story is that the Vale branch acted on their own in the attack, though Kali says that there's proof that their mindset is spreading through entire White Fang. The Belladonnas are planning to confront them, but who knows how it'll go?"

Clark narrowed his eyes at the mention of the Belladonnas. "Hold on, Menagerie's chieftain's last name is Belladonna?"

"Yes, that's right."

"Do they have a daughter named Blake?"

Now Satin was confused. "Yes, they do. I'm surprised, you knew about her but didn't know the name of Menagerie's chieftain?"

"Well, she's the partner of one of the new friends I made after Beacon," Clark explained. "Or at least she used to be. Is there a chance I could talk to her?"

"Yes, I can bring you to her mother right now. Do you want me to?" Satin asked.

"I do." Clark set the book down on the desk. "Can I pick this up later?"

Satin allowed it and guided him to the Menagerie chieftain's home. It could be seen long before they reached it, since the wide central road of the town led up to the large building. It was mostly made of wood, with grand stone steps leading up to the entrance.

Satin spoke to the guards, explaining why they were here. Satisfied, the guards allowed them inside and asked them to wait.

It didn't take long until a woman around Satin's age arrived. She had short black hair with gold earrings in her cat ears.

She greeted Satin first with a smile. "Back so soon? I should tell Ghira to give you a raise for being so diligent."

"Seems a bit unethical, Kali, but I'd appreciate it."

Kali laughed then turned to Clark with interest. "Now, what's this I hear about one of Blake's friends visiting?"

"A friend of a friend actually. I've never met Blake before."

"Okay then, what does a friend of a friend want with my daughter?"

"I want to tell her that her team misses her. Ruby Rose and Yang Xiao-Long. They were hurt by her leaving. I don't necessarily expect Blake to rejoin them, but at the very least I'd like to convince her to meet with them. Or if not that, to give me a message to pass on. An explanation would help a lot."

"That sounds nice, but how am I supposed to know whether or not you're telling the truth? Finding the names of her teammates isn't difficult, they were broadcasted during the last Vytal Festival."

Clark thought for a moment. "Tell her that I know how Yang's puns suck and Ruby can't live without her weapon, she even calls it her baby sometimes."

Both Kali and Satin chuckled at the description. Kali nodded. "Okay, I'll ask her. If you're right, then you can come meet her."

She went back inside the house. Five minutes later, she hadn't returned. After ten minutes, Clark was starting to get worried. Twenty minutes had gone by when Kali came back with a much more annoyed look.

"Sorry dear, you were telling the truth but my stubborn daughter refuses to meet with you."

"What? Why?"

Kali sighed. "I'm not sure. I tried my best to convince her, but she dug her heels in and refused. She's been touchy on the subject of her friends ever since she arrived. Even so, I had no idea it was this bad."

Clark frowned. Then he hid his disappointment behind a neutral expression. "Thank you for trying at least. I'll be going on."

Kali stopped him. "Not so fast. I agree with you, that girl needs to talk to her friends again, but it's a very complicated situation."

She filled him in on their issues with the White Fang. They'd found proof of the terrorist group planning an attack on the Belladonnas and Blake felt she had to stay to protect them.

"Ma'am, would Blake be willing to leave if the White Fang were dealt with?"

Kali frowned. "I'm not sure. It would certainly help, but she left her friends before knowing the White Fang were here."

Clark nodded. "As long as it helps, that's enough for me. I'm a licensed huntsman, I'll offer my services in your fight against the White Fang."

They both looked at him in surprise at the unexpected offer. Kali spoke "Well we're not really in a position to refuse, but are you sure? This is the White Fang, after all."

"She's right, Clark," Satin said, distraught with concern. "I know you're a huntsman, but even so . . ." The memory of how her daughter the huntress had ended up was clearly on her mind.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine," he said. Then he turned to Kali. "Mrs. Belladonna, I'm sure."

\\\\\

Kali was a fast worker. Within minutes of accepting Clark's offer, he was guided through the chieftain's house. The front of the building was dedicated to offices and the government, and employees came forward to verify his huntsman credentials.

"You're only twenty?" Kali asked as they checked him. "Isn't that when you graduate from a huntsman school?"

"Usually, but I got my license early. I have plenty of experience though. I fought in the attack on Vale, and I go on missions pretty regularly in Mistral nowadays."

The employee at the desk tapped at the computer which Clark's scroll was attached to. "He's telling the truth, ma'am. I see it right here."

"Oh, then it seems like we have a skilled young man here. Lucky us."

Clark only gave her a brief grin. It felt that she'd see through the false modesty in any denial.

"All done, ma'am." The employee gave Clark his scroll back.

"Good, now it's time for you to meet my daughter. Come." She walked off.

"We're going to do that first?" he asked, following her. "I thought it would be more important to tell me about the White Fang."

"We're doing that too. Blake knows the most about the White Fang out of anyone here. Well, in its current state anyway. She can tell you what she knows firsthand and you can also work on convincing her to stop being such a scaredy-cat."

Kali's ears wiggled when she said that, leaving Clark unsure how to react.

She brought him to a meeting room with a round wooden table, six seats all around.

"Wait here," she said. "I'll bring Blake over."

She closed the door and shuffled out. Clark sat down, he listened to her fading footsteps for a while. He only needed the barest amount of focus to follow the sound anywhere in the building, but instead he moved his attention outside. Nothing specific, just a general comfortable blanket of the town's conversation.

It wasn't until Kali was down the hall that Clark noticed her again. She had two people with her rather than just her daughter. From the voice, the additional person was a man.

Kali opened the door. "Thank you for your patience. Clark, this is my daughter Blake and her friend Sun."

Clark blinked. He'd known that team SSSN's leader was away, but he hadn't expected him here.

Kali continued with introductions. "Blake, Sun, this is Clark Kent. The huntsman who's going to help us get rid of our little White Fang problem."

"It's not little, mom," Blake said. Moody, just like Ruby and Yang had said. She inspected him. "You're Yang and Ruby's friend?" she asked bluntly.

"I am," he said.

She narrowed her eyes. "Why are you here?"

"To fight the White Fang."

"Obviously, but why?"

Clark's smile was no longer genuine. "Sorry, but that's personal."

"The White Fang are dangerous. If you're just doing this as a favor to them, then you need to reconsider. I already have one person foolishly risking their life for me." Blake's eyes went to Sun. "I don't need another."

"Hey!" Sun said.

Clark shook his head. "Don't misunderstand. Ruby and Yang are good friends, but you're just a friend of a friend. I'm here to fight the White Fang for more than just bringing you three back together. I lost close friends in Vale during the Vytal Festival because of these bloodthirsty terrorists."

Anger had crept into his voice. At the hostility, Kali stepped back while the other two subtly went into defensive positions. They seemed to be automatic reactions rather than conscious decisions.

Clark calmed down and Kali came forward. "You see, Blake? He has his own reasons for helping us. Now tell him what you know."

They sat down and Blake showed them a series of holograms from her scroll. First were images of White Fang leaders such as Sienna Khan and Adam Taurus. After she told him about them, she mentioned the other capable fighters of the White Fang that she could recall. Although they might have gained a few more since she'd left. Most members were grunts, civilian-level people that any huntsman should be able to handle with ease.

Throughout the briefing, Kali and Sun made a few comments. Sun got especially talkative when mentioning Ilia Amitola, who'd spied on and attacked them not long ago.

There were underlying currents of emotion when Blake spoke about the White Fang. Clark heard the whispers of fear when she mentioned Adam, the hints of disappointment and sadness when showing him an old image of Ilia. It made sense; she'd been a member of the White Fang. She knew these people well.

Blake spoke with dread too. When she mentioned possible combat against a few members, she warned that it would likely be to the death. She reminded him and Sun that they might die if they tried to capture these people instead of kill. It wasn't just concern for them, she still cared for a few of the terrorists.

Clark would have liked to assure her that he'd capture them alive, but he couldn't expect her to believe him without showing her his abilities.

"Right now, we want to focus on the Albains," Blake said. She projected an image of two dark-skinned faunus men in red hoods, one with large fox ears the other with a fox tail. Their names were below, Fennec and Corsac Albain respectively. "They went into hiding after we got information from Ilia. They can fight, but I don't think they'll be a big problem. With an actual huntsman, we should be able to take at least one of them prisoner."

"Okay, do we have any ideas on how to find them?" Clark asked.

"We plan on going to their house tomorrow to look for clues," Blake said.

"I'm pretty good at finding clues," Clark said.

"Alright. We'll see you then." Without another word, Blake stood up and left.

"Blake," Kali called out, then sighed. "Such a rude girl, going so suddenly."

"She probably sensed that I was going to ask her about going back to her team," Clark said. "It's fine, we didn't exactly get great first impressions of each other tonight. I'll have a better chance tomorrow."

"Good luck, man," Sun said. "I'm with you all the way."

"Thanks."

"Word of warning though, it's going to be tough. I've been trying to convince her of the same thing for the past few months and I haven't made much progress."

"You've made progress though."

"Yeah, I guess. The thing is, Blake's reasons for leaving her friends are complicated. At first it was because she was scared of the White Fang and wanted to protect her friends. Now though, it's changed. She has to stay to protect her family."

"It warms this old lady's heart to hear that," Kali said. "I do enjoy having my daughter nearby, but I'd prefer her to be here because she wants to be, not because she's afraid. From what I've heard, she'd still enjoy having fun with her friends besides staying here."

"They'd be happy to have her back too," Clark said. "Sun, what do you think Blake would do if the White Fang were gone? Would she go back to them?"

Sun thought on it. "It would definitely help, but I'm not sure whether she'd think she should go back to them. Leaving was a pretty final decision."

Clark hid his disappointment. Sun's answer was the same as Kali's. "Well, I guess we'll see."

"Yeah, after we beat the White Fang," Sun said. "That's going to take what, another month? Two months?"

Kali chuckled. "That's very optimistic. You boys will probably have your work cut out for you for a while."

Sun leaned back. "Oh."

Clark thought otherwise, but kept the sentiment to himself. "That's too bad, your team really misses you."

"You've met the rest of my team?" Sun asked, lighting up with interest.

"A few times."

"Oh man, I haven't been in touch with them for a while. How are they doing?"

"Well, they're getting by, although I do hear that they're feeling the struggle of losing their leader. Apparently, in their last mission . . ."

Clark and Sun continued their conversation, Kali slipping away somewhere in the middle. Sun was a likable guy. Very laidback and casual, but he cared a lot for his friends. His efforts to help Blake evident of that.

Sun had feelings for her, which ordinarily would have given his following her across continents worrying connotations, but as far as Clark could tell he'd truly done it out of friendship rather than any unhealthy infatuation.

Sun turned out to be more than an ally in his goal to reunite Ruby, Yang, and Blake. In a single night, Sun showed himself to be a man who formed fast, easy but also strong friendships.